Drastic Measures, Chapter Two
by M. Sloane

A/N:  Not much to say here, except that the other chapters will not be out as quick!


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"'Mione?" Ron asked, "Might I borrow a quill?"

            Hermione looked up at him from a book.  "A quill?  Whatever for?"

            "Erm," he bit his lip. "Homework."

            Hermione laughed.  "You? Homework?"

            "Well, Harry has upped the quidditch practices, and we've got that essay due to McGonagall." Ron told her, earnestly.

            "But the essay is due next Thursday," Hermione pointed out.

            "So?"

            "So?" she said in disbelief, "You've never done an essay early in your life."

            "Do you think I'm not going to give you the quill back or something?" Ron asked, "Because you know I wouldn't do that."

            "Why would I think that you would steal my quill?" Hermione asked.

            "I don't know, I'm just trying to put my finger on why you aren't letting me borrow one," he said, shrugging.

            "I'm just surprised you're doing it early, that's all." She told him.

            "Do you want me to buy it?"

            "What?!"

            "Do you want me to buy it?" Ron repeated.
            "Why would I want you to buy it?" Hermione asked.

            "Well, I just want a quill, and you're going on about how I'm a procrastinator." Ron told her, somewhat icily.

            "We have been going this school for almost seven full years, Ron, I'm happy you're finally learning not to procrastinate." she told him coldly.

            "Hermione, everyone but you procrastinates."

            "I am not the only person in the world that thinks ahead, Ron," Hermione told him.

            "Yes you are."

            "No, I'm not.  Other people think ahead.  Dumbledore and the rest of the professors, Harry, Seamus, Justin! Plenty of others too!" she told him hotly.

            "Harry? Harry procrastinates just as much as I do! And don't get me started with Seamus, he may be worse, I mean, he doesn't even know what he's wri-" Ron stopped abruptly. "Justin?" he asked, "Justin who?"

            "Finch-Fletchley."

            "The Hufflepuff who thought Harry was trying to kill him in Second Year?!"

            "Yes," she told him, "and that was five years ago! He apologized and everything!"

            "So that's who you fancy!" Ron said with a smile, "I'd never suspect. And all along I've thought it was Neville or Seamus."

            "I do not fancy him!" Hermione hissed.

            "Then why'd you mention him, huh?" Ron asked tauntingly.

            "I was just showing example of what a real man is, Ron, cause you are just a boy!"

            Ouch. By then, all of the people in the common room had noticed the raised voices, though they were not surprised as fights between the two became more and more frequent throughout the years. The first years were always warned.  But still, that was a low blow, wasn't it? And in front of all those people!

            "Get a quill from your stupid fan club. God knows they'd simply die for you to talk to them!" Hermione told him, and walked out the portrait hole.

            Ron sighed. I'd best get a quill from Ginny, at least she wont be batting her eyelashes at me and acting all.... girly. he thought, and went off to find her.

            As he headed towards the staircase, to look for her on the Marauders Map, a sixth-year stepped in front of him.

            "You can have my quill, Ron," she said with a smile, "and I wouldn't make you pay for it."

            "Thanks," he said dryly, "but I'm getting one from my sister." He headed up the staircase

            "Ron!" she said, grabbing his arm so he wouldn't go up, "um... well... I, um, I was wondering, cause there's a Hogsmede weekend coming up and all, if maybe we could go together?"

            "I'm sorry," What was her name again? "Annabelle, but I can't."

            "Oh," she said, her face falling, "well, maybe some other time."

            "Yeah." Ron told her, and went up the staircase.

            "It's Mirabelle," she told his back.

            Oops.

            Ron hated that kind of situation.  He didn't already have a date to Hogsmede, he just didn't want one. Not her, anyway. Hogsmede was time spent with Harry and Hermione, and sometimes Ginny came with them too.  He treasured those moments.  Yeah, he hung out with them at school, but recently the girls, whom Hermione had oh so adoringly dubbed his "fan club" had gotten worse than ever.  Perhaps it had something to do with his being in seventh year, but he didn't really know.

            Ron also hated it when Hermione and him fought.  It happened very frequently, and, well, he was tired of it.  And he always held the grudge, and she called him immature, and it was a never ending spiral of arguments and unhappiness.  Ron was sick and tired of it, he didn't want to fight anymore, or hold grudges, or be unhappy.  So he decided to do something that was incredibly drastic. For him, anyway.  He decided to apologize.

            The Marauder's Map showed Hermione near a tree by the lake, so Ron was off for that spot.  Down the stairs, through the common room (ignoring all its inhabitants, especially Mirabelle), out the portrait hole, then the front hall, down the steps, and towards the tree.  By that time, she was sitting on a bench, kicking her legs and biting her lip.  She had a book, but she wasn't reading it.  Ron picked up the pace.

            Unfortunately, Draco Malfoy got there first.