"If we dropped McGonagall out of the window would she land on her feet, d'you think?"

"She might, but I wouldn't chance it. We should just sneak into her bedroom and stab her quickly with a fork."

"First of all, we are NOT sneaking into her bedroom and secondly, a FORK!!? What are you thinking?"

"I dunno, forks are easy to get a hold of."

"So are knives."

"Nuh-uh, McGonagall frisks me whenever I leave the Great Hall."

"She's got you pegged."

"I tried to tell her that I needed the knife to stab Voldemort should he sneak into the common room and she snarled at me."

"What were you going to do with it?"

"I was going to try and skin Mrs Norris."

Ron shook his head. "I can't believe school starts in a week. What happened to summer?"

"We spent it here."

"Oh yeah. It's been Hermione's dream. Say," Ron said casually. "What's going on with you and Hermione anyway?"

"Well. Um, well, I guess, uh, maybe you should, uh, ask her."

"You're going to start dating "officially.'" Ron said softly.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, yeah I guess. I'm sorry Ron, I really am, it's just."

"You like her too, I understand."

"Really?"

"Actually no, but I thought it sounded crass to say that I didn't understand."

"Speak of the devil." Harry said under his breath as Hermione came in. "Where were you?"

"I was in the teachers lounge, did you know that there's another Creevey brother?"

"Oh bleeding Christ, good thing I smoke already or this would make me start."

Ron sensing a Hermione blow-up about the smoking prepared to leave the common room quietly.

"Good. Give me one."

"You're getting very demanding, it must be that time of month."

"Oh shut up. You don't even know what that means." Hermione said, lighting the cigarette and leaning back on the chesterfield.

"Maybe she's pregnant." Ron suggested.

"Good thing we're already in the hills because that's where I'd be heading if she was."

"Oh you two!" Hermione exclaimed, shaking her head.

Ron tapped a cigarette out of his pack.

"When did you start?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"First year." Ron said.

"What?"

"I decided that if I was going to have a disgusting, filthy, unhealthy and vile habit I should start young."

Hermione looked at the cigarette between her fingers. "There are no benefits to smoking."

"You can't get vereneal diseases from them."

"They don't give you lightning shaped scars on your forehead."

Hermione shook her head and pulled her hair back from her face with one hand.

"That looks very good sweetheart, you should do it like that more often. It makes it look less-bushy."

Hermione smiled brightly. "So are you allowed to go shopping in Diagon?"

"No, Diagon mean danger, many wizards waiting to steal me."

"Personally, I don't know why they would want to kidnap you, I'm far better looking."

"Shut up Ron, you look like a Fisher-Price toy."

"Oh hush, who's going to get you're school supplies for you then?"

"Mrs Weasley. She's going to pick all my stuff up, I suppose you'll want to go too?"

"Oh no, I'll stay here with you, you can do my hair for me." She eyed Harry's messy hair warily. "Since you care about it so much."

"Did you hear about what happened to Amos Diggory?"

"No, what happened?"

"He went out on a drinking binge and totally ruined his liver, according to dad he gets piss drunk off one beer now."

"Oh that's terrible! The poor guy, it must be so hard to lose your son."

"Actually it appears he went on this binge after his mistress broke up with him."

"That's just gossip."

"No it's not, my mum told me."

"Oh yeah, and I was involved in a scandelous love triangle with Harry and Viktor last year too."

"Could be possible." Ron said looking at the two of them cuddled on the chesterfield.

"Put a sock in it." Harry said comfortably.

"Wel I had better get going then."

"You're leaving already?"

"Yeah, Bill's home and he wants to see me so I won't be back until the day before school starts, they don't want me on the train with the general population." He said grinning.

"Alright." Harry said standing up, "I'll see you next week then."

Ron nodded and Harry walked him to the entrance.

He came back and collapsed beside Hermione on the chesterfield. "How come you didn't want to go with Ron?"

"He likes me doesn't he?" Hermione said, not answering the question.

Harry shrugged. "I suppose so, but he'll get over it."

"You think?"

"Sure, he got over Scabbers."

"That's because Scabbers turned out to be a murderer."

"Oh yeah, well, he'll still get over it."

Hermione laughed. "I suppose he'll have to."