Chapter five: Hermione's Secret Date
"Hermione.." began Ron as they entered the corridor leading away from Gryffindor tower "I don't mind if you tell people that we are going together. We are friends after all".
"I know Ron" said Hermione "I wasn't sure how you felt about me telling people though. I kept my date a secret last year so they'll just think i'm doing the same thing this year".
"Yeah except last year your "Date" was vicky not me" said Ron with bitterness in his voice.
"Ron. Lets not go through this again!" said Hermione exasperatedly as they reached the owlery.
"Ok sorry Hermione. I didn't mean it" said Ron apologetically as pig flew from the rafters to hit him in the chest.
"Ouch! Oh its only you you stupid owl" said Ron, busily disentangling Pig from his shirt. Setting the little owl on an overturned crate, he cautioned the overexcited bird to "Just stay there for a moment Pig". Hedwig hooted her Hello from the rafters and gave Pig a look which conveyed great disgust, much like the look a fully grown dog would direct at a young excitable puppy. Pig looked quickly up to the rafters, acknowledged the older bird's look and stood tall on the crate with his chest puffed out, looking for all the world like he was about to be awarded a medal on his furry little chest. Ron laughed softly at Pig's antics and pulled a clean piece of parchment and Quill from his robe pocket. Setting it down next to pig on the crate he began writing his letter.
Dear Mum,
I'm going to the stupid ball afterall so i won't be home for Christmas. Happy Christmas.
Ron.
"Ron! You can't send that!" said Hermione peering over his shoulder, obviously having finished attaching her application to a post owl.
"Why not?" he asked as he wiped his quill clean.
"No. You are going to write that again. Tear the parchment in half and start again" hermione said with a note of authority in her voice which sounded suspiciously like Professor McGonagall.
"Well what do you want me to say?" asked Ron slightly irritably as he followed her instructions and tore the paper in half.
Hermione began talking and Ron scribbled her sentences down until they had a finished letter that read.
Dear Mum and Dad,
I won't be coming home on the hogwarts express on thursday as i have decided to stay at school for the holidays. There is to be a yule ball on 2 days before christmas and I have decided to give Balls another chance and go to this one. I hope you all have a lovely christmas.
Ron.
"You just wanted me to write the part about giving balls a second chance!" said Ron as he re-read the letter.
"Well so what if i did?" asked Hermione with a sparkle in her eyes.
"You're not going to prove to me that Balls aren't stupid hermione" he said as he attached the newly finished letter to Pig's outstreched leg.
~~~
"What took you guys so long?" asked ginny as they slid into seats at the gryffindor table. "Ron had to compose a letter while i waited" said Hermione as she reached for the mashed potatoes.
"Me? Composed the letter? You're the one that composed the letter! I just wrote it down!" said Ron piling food onto his plate.
"Well it's not my fault your letter would have put your whole family off side!" said Hermione as she glared at Ron.
"It would not have put my whole family offside!" said Ron indignantly also glaring at hermione.
"What were you writing home about?" asked Ginny, bringing them both back to earth.
"Oh nothing" they both said at once. Harry and Ginny looked at each other with curiosity evident on their faces.
Just then the four of them were interrupted by Professor McGonagall "Could i please see you all in my office straight after dinner" she said briskly and they all looked at each other in surprise and dread.
"What have we done now?" asked Harry as he watched her walk out of the hall.
"I guess we better go follow her" said Ron with very little enthusiasm in his voice.
"I guess" said Ginny as they all stood and filed out of the common Room. Walking briskly through the hallways, the four friends were all silent, cataloguing in there minds what this might be about. None of them could think of anything they had done wrong recently to get them into trouble. Reaching Professor McGonagall's study, they all stepped back and pushed each other forward to knock. Eventually Hermione raised her hand and knocked quietly on the door. They all clearly heard Professor McGonagall's voice from the otherside of the door say "come in".
All four of them moved through the door and stood looking at the ceiling, at the walls or at the floor, not sure what emotion they would see on their Professors face.
"I have good news" she started. "Ron and Ginny, it appears that all of your older brothers have managed to get away from their work to come home for Christmas" Professor Mcgonagall paused and picked up a piece of parchment from her desk "Your mother and Father wish for you to go home for christmas and have asked if Harry and Hermione would like to go with you.
Ron smiled at the professor, he thought this was the best news he'd heard all day, it meant no Yule ball! Ginny looked dissappointed and Professor McGonagall looked at her for a while before continuing.
"I know how much you have all been looking forward to the ball, so i have written to Mrs. Weasley to say that we will put you on the Hogwarts Express on Christmas Eve, the morning after the Ball. Is that acceptable?" Harry, Hermione and Ginny nodded eagerly and Ron nodded reluctantly.
"Thankyou for your time. Dismissed" said Professor McGonagall as she went back to her work.
"Hermione.." began Ron as they entered the corridor leading away from Gryffindor tower "I don't mind if you tell people that we are going together. We are friends after all".
"I know Ron" said Hermione "I wasn't sure how you felt about me telling people though. I kept my date a secret last year so they'll just think i'm doing the same thing this year".
"Yeah except last year your "Date" was vicky not me" said Ron with bitterness in his voice.
"Ron. Lets not go through this again!" said Hermione exasperatedly as they reached the owlery.
"Ok sorry Hermione. I didn't mean it" said Ron apologetically as pig flew from the rafters to hit him in the chest.
"Ouch! Oh its only you you stupid owl" said Ron, busily disentangling Pig from his shirt. Setting the little owl on an overturned crate, he cautioned the overexcited bird to "Just stay there for a moment Pig". Hedwig hooted her Hello from the rafters and gave Pig a look which conveyed great disgust, much like the look a fully grown dog would direct at a young excitable puppy. Pig looked quickly up to the rafters, acknowledged the older bird's look and stood tall on the crate with his chest puffed out, looking for all the world like he was about to be awarded a medal on his furry little chest. Ron laughed softly at Pig's antics and pulled a clean piece of parchment and Quill from his robe pocket. Setting it down next to pig on the crate he began writing his letter.
Dear Mum,
I'm going to the stupid ball afterall so i won't be home for Christmas. Happy Christmas.
Ron.
"Ron! You can't send that!" said Hermione peering over his shoulder, obviously having finished attaching her application to a post owl.
"Why not?" he asked as he wiped his quill clean.
"No. You are going to write that again. Tear the parchment in half and start again" hermione said with a note of authority in her voice which sounded suspiciously like Professor McGonagall.
"Well what do you want me to say?" asked Ron slightly irritably as he followed her instructions and tore the paper in half.
Hermione began talking and Ron scribbled her sentences down until they had a finished letter that read.
Dear Mum and Dad,
I won't be coming home on the hogwarts express on thursday as i have decided to stay at school for the holidays. There is to be a yule ball on 2 days before christmas and I have decided to give Balls another chance and go to this one. I hope you all have a lovely christmas.
Ron.
"You just wanted me to write the part about giving balls a second chance!" said Ron as he re-read the letter.
"Well so what if i did?" asked Hermione with a sparkle in her eyes.
"You're not going to prove to me that Balls aren't stupid hermione" he said as he attached the newly finished letter to Pig's outstreched leg.
~~~
"What took you guys so long?" asked ginny as they slid into seats at the gryffindor table. "Ron had to compose a letter while i waited" said Hermione as she reached for the mashed potatoes.
"Me? Composed the letter? You're the one that composed the letter! I just wrote it down!" said Ron piling food onto his plate.
"Well it's not my fault your letter would have put your whole family off side!" said Hermione as she glared at Ron.
"It would not have put my whole family offside!" said Ron indignantly also glaring at hermione.
"What were you writing home about?" asked Ginny, bringing them both back to earth.
"Oh nothing" they both said at once. Harry and Ginny looked at each other with curiosity evident on their faces.
Just then the four of them were interrupted by Professor McGonagall "Could i please see you all in my office straight after dinner" she said briskly and they all looked at each other in surprise and dread.
"What have we done now?" asked Harry as he watched her walk out of the hall.
"I guess we better go follow her" said Ron with very little enthusiasm in his voice.
"I guess" said Ginny as they all stood and filed out of the common Room. Walking briskly through the hallways, the four friends were all silent, cataloguing in there minds what this might be about. None of them could think of anything they had done wrong recently to get them into trouble. Reaching Professor McGonagall's study, they all stepped back and pushed each other forward to knock. Eventually Hermione raised her hand and knocked quietly on the door. They all clearly heard Professor McGonagall's voice from the otherside of the door say "come in".
All four of them moved through the door and stood looking at the ceiling, at the walls or at the floor, not sure what emotion they would see on their Professors face.
"I have good news" she started. "Ron and Ginny, it appears that all of your older brothers have managed to get away from their work to come home for Christmas" Professor Mcgonagall paused and picked up a piece of parchment from her desk "Your mother and Father wish for you to go home for christmas and have asked if Harry and Hermione would like to go with you.
Ron smiled at the professor, he thought this was the best news he'd heard all day, it meant no Yule ball! Ginny looked dissappointed and Professor McGonagall looked at her for a while before continuing.
"I know how much you have all been looking forward to the ball, so i have written to Mrs. Weasley to say that we will put you on the Hogwarts Express on Christmas Eve, the morning after the Ball. Is that acceptable?" Harry, Hermione and Ginny nodded eagerly and Ron nodded reluctantly.
"Thankyou for your time. Dismissed" said Professor McGonagall as she went back to her work.