The Blood of Ronald Weasley
Ugh, what to say? Thanks to Sussy and Lizzie D. for their new reviews and everybody else for theirs. After you read, make sure to review… Oh yeah, I'm sooooo not JKR. As if it wasn't obvious.
CHAPTER SIX: RON, HARRY, AND THE DUMB MALE COMPLEX
"This potion'll take about a month to make, right?" Harry asked Hermione that afternoon. They, Ron, Neville, and Ginny were the only ones in the common room because everyone else had gone down to lunch.
"Yes. Now, we need lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed and knotgrass. The fluxweed has to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have to be stewed for twenty-one days. After that, we add powdered horn of bicorn and the boomslang skin. And, of course, a piece of the person we want to turn into," Hermione answered.
"Well, we'll worry about that in a few weeks. Now, it's the bicorn horn and boomslang skin Ginny and I need to nick from Snape?"
"I've been thinking about that actually. Why do we need to steal from Snape? He was at the meeting and knows what we're up to. Why don't you two just go to his office and ask him for the ingredients?"
"Ugh, I'd rather steal it than ask Snape for anything!"
"I know Harry, but Dumbledore did tell us to try to* stay within the confines of the law," Hermione said.
"Good luck with that one, Harry." Ron chuckled.
"Well, we'd better go tonight if we want to get this potion done before Halloween," Ginny said.
Harry sighed. "I guess."
"I'm glad I don't have to go. Snape hates me," Neville added quietly.
"Yeah, and he adores me. Ah well. I suppose we should just suck it up and go." Harry winced and added, "After dinner."
"I'll see you guys later. I have to go to the library. Transfiguration's giving me trouble again and I really don't want a detention from McGonagall," Neville said as he stood.
"If you want, I could help you, Neville," Hermione offered.
"No, that's alright. Thanks anyway though." And with that, Neville climbed out of the portrait hole.
"I'm worried about him," she announced.
"Why? Maybe he just wants to figure the work out for himself," Ron said.
"That may be, but he didn't take his transfiguration book with him." Hermione frowned.
"I don't know. But he's old enough to take care of himself. Anybody want to go visit Hagrid?" Ron asked.
***
That evening at dinner, Ginny didn't take her eyes off the high table. She was worried that Snape might not give them the ingredients that they wanted, and if they stole them after that, he'd know who did it. She quietly voiced her fears to her friends.
"If he refuses, we'll just ask Dumbledore," Harry replied.
Ginny nodded. She still shuddered at the thought of going to see Snape. But she had volunteered. And after all, it was a little time to be alone with Harry.
After dinner, Harry and Ginny walked hand in hand directly to Snape's dungeon. They had seen him leave dinner early along with Professor Flitwick and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Cornelia Peverell.
They walked along the corridors, down the dungeon stairs, and around the corner and found themselves facing the door to Snape's office.
"Do you hear that?"
"Yeah. What do you suppose it is?" Ginny asked.
"It sounds like…a piper. A good one at that," Harry answered.
"Such a pretty song," Ginny commented.
"Sounds like a phoenix song, only on a flute or something."
"And it's coming from Snape's office," Ginny whispered.
Harry shrugged. "Maybe Snape's taken up the flute." And with that, he knocked.
The music stopped abruptly. Then they heard a curt, "Come in."
Harry took a quick glance at Ginny, then opened the door. He was surprised to see Professor Peverell sitting in an armchair by the fire, holding a wooden flute. Snape was also seated in an armchair, apparently listening intently. But at that moment, he was scowling at the door and the two teenagers standing in the threshold.
"Potter, Weasley. What would posses two Gryffindors to be down in the dungeons at this hour?" he asked icily.
Ginny shifted uncomfortably, but Harry plowed ahead. "Uh, Professor, we were wondering if you would give us some potion ingredients."
"Check the student stores, Potter. That is what they are there for. Now, I believe you need to get back to your dormitories."
Ginny decided to take a stab at it. "Professor, we need powdered horn of bicorn and boomslang skin."
Snape looked like he was going to say something, like assign a detention, but then, mercifully, his features softened and it looked as though understanding dawned. "Ahh, I see. Yes, I'll get them for you."
Snape rose from his seat and went into the next room, to his private stores.
"Good evening Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter," Professor Peverell said.
Ginny wasn't sure how to react to this situation. It seemed to her that she and Harry had stumbled upon a date.
"Good evening, Professor," Harry and Ginny chorused.
"Yes, that it is, Miss Weasley." Professor Peverell smiled knowingly.
Ginny smiled back. So she was right. Professor Snape had found a girlfriend. As sweet as it was, it still creeped her out a little bit.
Snape walked back into the room and handed Harry a small box. "Remember to stew the lacewings for precisely five hundred and four hours," he said quietly.
"I know Professor, we've already--"
Ginny jabbed Harry as subtly as she could so he wouldn't reveal that Hermione had brewed this potion five years ago.
"Read the instructions," Ginny finished for him.
"I see. Do you have a cauldron large enough?"
Harry was surprised at how nice Snape was being. Maybe he didn't want to be rude in front of Professor Peverell…
"I think we can manage, thanks, Professor."
"Well, good night then!" Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and led him out of the room before he could say anything else incriminating.
They didn't say a word until they had climbed the steps out of the dungeons.
"I can't believe Snape had a date!" Ginny said.
"What?" Harry asked puzzled. "Who would date Snape?"
"Men are so blind. You didn't realize that we interrupted his date with Professor Peverell?"
"His what-with Peverell? When did you hear that they were dating?"
"Professor Peverell just told me," Ginny said.
"No she didn't. I was standing there the whole time and all she said was 'good evening'."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "You have to read between the lines, Harry. After we said 'good evening' she said 'Yes, that it is, Miss Weasley.' She basically said that she was having a good date and she knew that I was enjoying mine too."
"How did she know that we're dating?" Harry was so confused.
"Oh Harry. I—never mind. Just drop it." Ginny turned to him and smiled. "For such a bright person, you do succumb to the 'dumb male' complex."
"Should I be insulted?" Harry mocking hurt.
"No, all men are that way, don't worry," Ginny stood on her tip toes and kissed Harry gently.
"And how would you know how all men are? How many boyfriends have you had?" Harry asked, pretending to be jealous.
"Oh, well, too many to count," Ginny joked.
They walked the rest of the way to Gryffindor, holding hands in comfortable, loving silence.
Meanwhile, back in Gryffindor Tower…
Ron and Hermione walked straight back to the common room after dinner.
"Do you want me to help you start the potion?" Ron asked.
"Ron, I'm shocked. Are you volunteering to make a potion?"
"Anything for you," he whispered in her ear.
Hermione smiled. It was so nice to have Ron in her life. He was so…she couldn't describe it. But she was thankful everyday that someone like him had come into her life. He taught her to loosen up and enjoy life. Sure, her studies were important and it was nice to be Head Girl, but there was more to life than school. There were friends, family, and love. And the latter was really working out for her.
"Well, be a dear help me carry my big cauldron and all the ingredients down from my dormitory," Hermione said, heading for the spiral stairs.
"I can't."
"Didn't you just say you wanted to help me?"
"Yeah, but the stuff is up in the girls' dormitory." Ron's ears were turning red.
"Honestly Ron, do you think that they'll all be up there naked or something? You're just going to go up and help me with the heavy cauldron." Hermione was trying not to laugh at how juvenile he was being.
"All right, all right," he said, following her up the stairs.
Hermione opened the door to her dormitory and Ron hesitated before following her. Lavender was sitting on a bed reading a magazine with Parvati. Other than that, the dorm was empty.
They glanced up as Hermione began shuffling through her trunk. Lavender whispered something to Parvati and she giggled.
Hermione pulled a large cauldron out of her trunk and motioned to Ron to come pick it up. Then she went to her nightstand, opened one of the drawers, and produced a large box which Ron assumed held the potion ingredients.
"That's it. Let's go."
"Hermione, can we talk to you for a minute?" Parvati asked.
"Sure. I'll be down in a minute, Ron."
Ron turned and lugged the heavy cauldron down the stairs and sat on one of the armchairs to wait for Hermione.
She wasn't long, and when she came down, she went straight for the portrait hole. Ron scrambled to grab the cauldron and catch up with her.
"What was that all about, Hermione? What did they say to upset you?"
Hermione didn't stop walking and she looked straight ahead.
"They asked where I was going."
"So?"
"So? Well, I couldn't very well tell them, could I? I said we were going to make an extra credit potion for Snape, but they didn't believe me. They just nodded and giggled and winked. Err, they're my friends but they make me so made. I don't give Lavender a hard time when she sneaks out of the dormitory at two in the morning."
"Where would she go at two in the morning?"
Hermione shot Ron an annoyed glance. "To meet Seamus, where else?"
Ron furrowed his brow. "I didn't know they were dating."
Hermione tutted. "They have been since fourth year when they went to the Yule Ball together. Honestly, you're a bright boy, but sometimes you are really daft."
"I'm not daft!"
"Of course not, but you do sort of reflect that 'dumb male' complex, don't you?"
Ron shrugged. "If you say so. Anyway, where are we going?"
"To Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, where else?"
I would have made the chapter longer to include the moaning Myrtle thing, but I got tired of typing.
*Try to, not 'try and'. Note how grammatically correct I am. Girls of the Garden Club all the way baby!!