Chapter 3: Double Double, Toil and Bathroom Trouble
Sango-sama
Author's Notes: Just sitting here, working on writing this I realized "Hey, I put this story in the romance section!" And then I realized, "Hey! I should probably put in a bit of romance to keep people reading. Wouldn't that be novel?" Here's what I got. Anyways, this chapter is still a draft, and I'll try to get a better version up when I talk to my beta reader.
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. I don't not gets lots and lots of money for writing this. Sadly...
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"I knew this was gonna be a bad idea...." His jaw was clenched tightly, as he shook his head. Both he and Hermione were standing side by side in the third floor girl's bathroom with one of the loudest ghost's in all of Hogwart's Castle.
Moaning Myrtle had chosen a bad night to be living up to her name. Sitting on the seat of the stall, her lips seemed to be perpetually stuck in a pout and her hands were hovering over here eyes, vainly swiping at the trails of tears streaking down her cheeks. "You've come in here to make fun of me again, haven't you?"
Hermione and Ron's eyes meet. Ron bent his head so his lips nearly brushed against her ear to whisper, "If we don't calm her down soon, Filch is bound to hear. And then we'll have to wait bloody near another month for the potion....not to mention detention he'd stick us with."
Hermione shivered her eyes growing wide. She wasn't entirely sure whether it was out of fear of being caught or whether Ron's warm breath on her ear was causing such a reaction, or perhaps some combination of both. But it was quite effective. If Ron was at all observant, he would have seen the pinkish tint of a blush washing her cheeks. Hermione was counting her blessings that he was not.
He lifted his head to watch, taking his warmth away with him.
She frowned in spite of herself, feeling the cold seep back where his breath had been and sighing quietly.
Myrtle blew her nose loudly into a rather transparent handkercheif. "You all have barely ever set foot in here for nearly two years...it's awfully convenient that you're here when you say you need something...."
Hermione stepped towards the bawling ghost consolingly. "We've tried to come and visit you, Myrtle. Really, we have..."
The tears welled in Myrtle's nearly translucent eyes, as she looked up at the two fifth year Griffyndors. "Really?"
"Yeah." Ron drawled. "But since You-Know-Who has come back, Filch and his hell cat have been stalking around the castle a lot more. We'd get caught if not for Harry's cape..." He held up the sheer cloth as proof.
"Oh..." Myrtle was gingerly wiping the tears from her eyes, sniffiing lightly. Looking a bit more clearly, she looked at the pair. "Where is Harry then?"
"Well, actually, Myrtle, that's why we're here...."
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Ginny's eyes were glued to the chessboard, carefully studying the positions of the pieces. Few pieces remained dotted across the board "Knight to H3."
The white horse strode forwards two blocks and, drawing it's sword, slashed the blade through one of Harry's rooks before taking over the space.
Ginny smiled into her fingers, which rested pensively over her lips. "Your turn, Harry."
Harry frowned at the board, his fingers played absently over the Lapis Lazuli stone, which was set into a silver chain at his neck He was losing spectacularly. 'Not too surprising,' he supposed. 'She probably inherited the Weasley "chess master" genes.'
"What is that?" Her head nodded significantly towards the stone.
"Oh...this?" Harry looked down at the cold, blue stone in his hand. He was happy to break his mind away from the game, even if only for a short time. "It's a protection amulet. I got it from Siri--from a friend."
Ginny looked pleased enough with his answer, seemingly overlooking his near mention of his Godfather. 'That should be helpful."
Harry nodded his head, barely murmuring "Yeah." He tusked the necklace back into his shirt, shivering as the cold of the stone lay flat against his chest. His eyes glanced back over the board, spotting a move he hadn't seen. "Bishop to A6."
On cue, the black bishop sped across the board, effectively knocking Ginny's Queen from it's position and onto the floor.
Ginny's mouth dropped in shock, dazedly murmuring, "You're getting better, Harry."
He shrugged, grinning rather sheepishly.
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Myrtle watched in fascination from above her stall wall as the two worked quickly to prepare the mix in Hermione's pewter cauldron.
"Five blades of dried knotgrass, crushed."
"Alright." Ron found the tiny vial, dumping it quickly into the bubbling cauldron. Hermione's blue bell flames were doing a fair job of controlling the smoke, though it couldn't do much to keep the steam from rising from the cauldron. His nosed twitched as he drew well away from the steam. "God. It's smells bloody awful."
Hermione rolled her eyes, pulling herself a bit farther back from the cauldron. "Well then, don't smell it."
"Easy for you to say. You're not right by it."
She passed him the vervain, which was quickly added to the pot.
"Hmmm....Two dried Billywig sting, ground." Hermione grabbed the mortar and pestle, setting about crushing the blue stingers into a fine powder. Without looking up, she suggested, "Ron, if you would stir and then get the Unicorn Tail Hair we got from Hagrid."
He patted at his pocket, grinning broadly. "Got it right here."
Within minutes, the stings and the tail hair were added, and the potion was carefully poured into a small purple vial.
Myrtle smiled a bit, pillowing her head on her arms atop the stall wall. "You know, you two work quite well together...when you can keep from fighting."
Ron's ears went pink. "Well..."
"I suppose..." Hermione finished, her cheeks a bit flushed as well. Both weren't quite able to meet each other's eyes.
From the hallway, heavy footsteps could be heard.
Panicked, they quickly searched the room for a hiding spot. Ron dragged her by the hand into the small space behind the creaking door, just as it was opening.
"I was sure I heard a noise in here, pet." Filch has stepped into the bathroom, pushing the heavy door nearly all the way to the wall.
Ron and Hermione were forced to huddle close together as the space between the door and the wall lessened.
The tip-tap of tiny claws pattered in behind him, sniffing curiously under the door.
"Do you smell something, dear?" Filch's hand moved to the door handle.
Ron's arm pulled Hermione closer back to him.
All of a sudden, Myrtle let out a melodramatic wail. "What are you doing in here? Come to make fun of me, too, just because I died in here? Just like everyone else."
Filch pulled his decrepit features into a twinge of annoyance. He picked up Mrs. Norris, scratching under her chin, and stalked out of the room muttering something about "bloody noisy ghosts." The door closed behind him with a slam.
Myrtle gave a bit of a wink at Ron and Hermione, as a wide grin pulled her lips up. "Make sure you come back and visit me, now."
"We will."
Ron and Hermione gathered their things quickly, not quiet willing to push their luck on hoping that Filch wasn't still wandering about nearby. Giving a quick grin and a wave to Myrtle, they disappeared beneath the cloak.
"Oh! And do bring Harry next time."
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Nearly out of breath, Ron and Hermione came face to face with the Fat Lady. "Hinkypinks."
The Fat Lady looked a touch surprised. "You two were still out?"
Ron looked a bit sheepish. "Had a paper to work on in the library, s' all."
Hermione heaved up her heavy bookbag as proof.
A look of disbelief was still clear on her face, but she merely sighed and unlocked the potrait hole door. "Alright then, off to bed now."
One after another, the clambored into the empty common room.
Ron plopped himself onto the sofa and Hermione into a chair next to it. "It needs to sit out in the moonlight this evening, but I'll be sure to test it first thing in the morning," she whispered. "Crookshanks caught me a mouse that should work just fine."
"Alright. And I'll stall Harry a bit."
Hermione sank back into the soft cushion. "By this time tommorrow, Harry won't be nearly so distant."
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