Vincent
"…And so Hecate Ericdottir became Queen on the fourteenth of the month of Maandag and was succeeded by her son Helmut Hecatsson on the day of her death on the nineteen of the month of Maandv being just five years and seven months..." Hermione could feel her eyes drifting closed. The fire was already starting to glow its last and the chair she was sitting in had grown a little too comfy- if she stayed there a minute longer she would fall asleep surrounded in its soft warm crimson velvet and all it would earn her was aching joints the next day. So finally conceding defeat to tiredness she closed the leather bound A Brief Magical History of the Royal Family of Heissven-Coburg-Tiranag and proceeded to pad her way gently up the staircase to her dormitory.
Once in bed Hermione found herself remembering the look on Ron's face as she produced that particular title: …"You're mad you are." Ron had just turned to face her and as always the first thing he noticed was the book she was carrying- not the heavy bag on her back that any gentleman would have offered to carry, not even the withering look she was giving him for not offering to carry said bag. "Why'd you want to read that?" "To feed to my pet dragon?! Why do you think?" she had wanted to reply but at that particular moment Draco Malfoy had decided to make his presence felt…. Before Hermione could remember any further Lavender's "sinus trouble" had faded out and she was fast asleep.
*
Groggily Hermione woke the next morning and looking at the clock on the dormitory wall she realised that breakfast was about to draw to a close and classes to begin. She dressed and washed quickly donning regulation shirt, skirt and jumper and well as the extortionally priced prefect work robes with their fairy-stitched house crest and her prefect tie (fairy-made of course). She often wondered how the Weasley's had managed to pay for their sons' prefect uniform as each crest and tie was individual to the owner. She looked in the mirror, gave a sigh at the state of her hair and hastily bundled it up into a ponytail. Grabbing her bag she flew out the door and managed to slide into her seat beside Harry and Ron in Greenhouse number two seconds before Professor Sprout entered the room.
"Another late night, Hermione?" Harry exasperated and shook his head in dismay. "What will we do with you and all that partying?" It took all of Hermione's self control not to turn and slap him as he sat there. The rest of the morning (spent revising how to teach Deadly Nightshade anger management techniques which had been yesterday's practical) passed without any major catastrophe unless you counted Parvati falling of her stool and whacking Neville on the head a catastrophe. As the bell rang the rest of the class drifted through the glass doors and in to the crisp autumn air but Professor Sprout held her back along with Neville.
"Now dears don't be alarmed…I have some very exciting news for the both of you. The European Council of Herbotonists have just written to me today to ask me to give a presentation in Genoa on the Principles of Anger Management in Flora! Now as I was saying I have exciting news for you…I want one of you to attend the Council with me and give a report on how you believe Anger Management effects Deadly Nightshade! Oooh won't it be wonderful! Now this will be open to the entire year group but I wanted to put it to my two brightest sunflowers first!" All of this was said extremely quickly with little consideration for full stops or capital letters and as Hermione turned to leave she caught a glimpse of Neville's face.
"What's the matter?" she asked concernedly.
"Umm…nothing,"
"Neville…."
"Its just…it sounds like an amazing opportunity doesn't it." His voice had a definite hint of dismay about it.
"Yes…" she replied slowly.
"And you're going to go for it of course and so is the rest of the year. Hermione, I want to go so much but there is not a chance…"
"Neville 'course there is a chance. You heard what Professor Sprout said "my two brightest sunflowers". Neville- you are amazing at herbology. At least give it a chance."
As they went their separate ways Hermione couldn't help but feel that she hadn't helped Neville but at that particular moment she really had to get to arithmancy.
A/N: Okay big thank you for bothering to read this story. Positive reviews will help me continue. Sorry that the chapter was so short. The idea for the story is still pretty loose – just a bundle of dreams really. The title however is a different kettle of fish altogether. It was inspired by the Don McClean song of the same name that I heard only for the second time on the Local Heroes Fame Academy Tour in Belfast when Malachi sang it. (Was quite annoyed when David won – was anyone else? (Despite the fact that I supported him ever since Malachi left.) I was just glad when Lemar didn't win cause he bored me to death for ten weeks et cetera. Okay breath – rant over)!
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except the idea!