Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. If you sue me, my parents are both
lawyers, so I'll be safe. I hope. I also hope that last part annoyed you,
whoever left that flame.
A/N: To the person who wrote the "Get a fucking life. . . ." review: To some people my profile and fanfiction may sound really bitchy, and whatever, think what you want, I don't make your opinions. But you are exactly the kind of person that really pisses me off. You leave a review that tells me how pathetic I am, and then you don't sign it or leave an email. If you ask me, that's pretty bloody pathetic. If you're going to criticize me, at least let me know who you are, so I can read some of your stuff, or your profile, and see why you're so much better. But you're too cowardly to face me, so you leave an anonymous review. Also, if I wanted pity, I have a plenty of friends who would listen and give me pity, but they don't understand, because they're not in my shoes. So I didn't put all that up for pity. And if you think I want people to "bow down to my 'oh so perfect' ways", you're pretty far off. Maybe you didn't quite understand my point when you read my profile- I'm tired of people thinking I'm great, and that I have no reason to be upset, and that I'm perfect. I just want to be able to mess up and slack off once in a while. I really hope YOU would reconsider, and at least leave a second review that's signed, after reading this.
To my other readers: You're great, and I love you, don't think any of that was to you. If you think I over reacted, I'm sorry, it just really rubbed me the wrong way, considering my life at the present moment. Anyway, a couple people asked for a second chapter, so I'm going to make one. I wasn't going to originally, but Jishka gave me a great idea.
For one blissful week, Hermione, Ron and Harry all forgot about their N.E.W.T.S. At least, Harry did, and Hermione tried, but it was quite apparent that they were always on Ron's mind. It was as if he were in Limbo, waiting to see if he would make it to heaven, or if he would be exiled to hell.
The warm days were spent by the lake and on the quidditch pitch, flying and lazing, and just mostly avoiding schoolwork. Even Hermione seemed glad of the break. Out in the sun, with her friends, she could forget everything about her N.E.W.T.S. and just relax. It was helping her to let it all go, her hard-earned title and her pride.
One morning, six days after the last test, both Ron and Hermione received letters from big barn owls at breakfast. Hermione's read:
Dear Ms. Granger,
I would like to see you at one o'clock this afternoon, regarding your N.E.W.T.S.
Sincerely yours, Professor Dumbledore.
And that was all.
Hermione stared blankly at her letter, wondering what was going on. She had purposely lost! Why was Dumbledore summoning her to his office? It didn't make any sense.
Apparently Ron's letter said the same thing, because he wore the same confused expression as Hermione did.
"Why does he want to see us?" Ron wondered out loud.
Harry shrugged. "How should I know?" Ron rolled his eyes.
"I wasn't asking you." He faced Hermione. "Yours IS a summons, isn't it?" She nodded.
"Why does he want to see both of us?"
"Maybe you tied?" Harry offered. They both glared at him for even suggesting such a thing, Ron because it would mean more tests, Hermione because she wasn't sure if she could bear to have to give it all up all over again. Harry backed down. "Or not. Maybe there's something for second place." This suggestion was slightly more acceptable, and both Hermione and Ron nodded.
"That must be it," Hermione decided, feeling relieved. Ron still looked pretty uptight, but he smiled.
"Hope five hundred galleons will do it," he said rather halfheartedly.
"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "How do you know I'll win? You studied really hard, you know, and you worked really carefully on your tests." Ron waved this comment off.
"Not as hard as you. But it doesn't matter." With that, Ron got up and strode out of the Great Hall, hands in his pockets, whistling and making it quite clear that it DID matter. Hermione turned to Harry.
"He's mad at me, isn't he," she said quietly. Harry shook his head.
"Not really. Mad at himself is more like it. He's mad that he can't ever beat you, but he knows it's not your fault." Hermione desperately wanted to tell Harry that Ron HAD won, but she knew it would be ruined for him if he knew she let him win.
Harry and Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room to play chess, but it wasn't really any fun, as they weren't concentrating very hard. Neither of them was much good at chess anyhow, and it was something they normally associated with Ron. It all combined to make the feeling rather dismal.
Harry looked at his watch. 12:30, it read. He pushed his king towards Hermione. "I forfeit," he said. "I'm absolutely starved." He got up and headed out the portrait hole.
"Wait up," Hermione called. "I'm coming too." Just as they were finishing up lunch, Ron appeared in the entrance of the Great Hall. They waved him over, and he came and sat down.
"Hey," he said, seeming to be in slightly better spirits. He began to wolf down a sandwich, and was halfway done with it before he realized that it was corned beef. "Ugh!" Ron spat it out onto his plate. Hermione wrinkled her nose.
"Ron, please. That's disgusting. You could use a napkin or something." Ron glared at her and took a big swig of his pumpkin juice.
Harry suppressed a laugh. "Where've you been?" he asked.
Having sufficiently erased all taste of corned beef, Ron answered him, "Walking around the lake. The weather's nice, if a bit windy. Say, Hermione, pass me that chicken sandwich, will you?" Hermione passed it to him, then turned to Harry.
"What's the time, Harry?" she asked.
"Ten to one," he replied. "You two had better get going." Ron stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth before standing up.
"C'mon, 'Ermione," He said thickly through his mouthful.
Hermione got up, and together they walked to Dumbledore's office. When they arrived at the gargoyle statue, however, Hermione realized they didn't know the password.
"What do we do now?" She asked, annoyed.
Ron shrugged. "Wait, I guess." Hermione gave him an icy look.
"For whom, may I ask?"
"Dumbledore, Miss Know-it-all," he said, raising his eyebrows. "He's expecting us, isn't he?" At that very moment, Dumbledore appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, behind Hermione. She whirled around.
"Professor! Sorry, I-" she stepped to the side. "We didn't know the password," she finished. Dumbledore looked at her out from under his bushy white eyebrows.
"It's quite all right, Miss Granger," he said. "Perhaps we should step up to my office? Cockroach Cluster." The gargoyle twisted, and a spiral staircase appeared. Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione all stepped onto the staircase as it began to move upwards. Moments later, they stepped out into Dumbledore's office.
"Please," Dumbledore said. "Sit down." He motioned at two chairs facing his desk. Ron and Hermione sat, and Dumbledore disappeared. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.
"What do we do know?" Ron mouthed at Hermione.
"Wait?" she suggested. He nodded, and they both chose opposite directions to look in, every once in a while glancing back at each other, then looking hastily away.
During his walk, Ron had brought himself to terms with the fact that he had lost. He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up like that. It was just that he had felt so confident, like never before. He almost always went into tests unprepared, and came out feeling rather queasy and not caring about his grades. But this time. . . .it had been different. He had really studied, and he had really cared. His family needed that money. But it had all been for naught. Hermione would win, just as she always had. Maybe he would get some sort of award. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that he maintain his control and not let on that he cared.
Hermione, meanwhile, was getting worried. What if they were wrong? What if she didn't get second place? She was steeled to get second. She was ready. If they were tied, and had to take a tie-breaker test, Hermione didn't know if she could lose all over again. It had been difficult to summon up the courage once; twice might very well be impossible.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, as you read in your letters, this meeting has to do with your N.E.W.T.S. scores." He paused and looked at both of them. "You tied."
A/N: Well, I've got a great idea to draw this out a lot longer than the one chapter I had originally intended! Review and I'll write more!
A/N: To the person who wrote the "Get a fucking life. . . ." review: To some people my profile and fanfiction may sound really bitchy, and whatever, think what you want, I don't make your opinions. But you are exactly the kind of person that really pisses me off. You leave a review that tells me how pathetic I am, and then you don't sign it or leave an email. If you ask me, that's pretty bloody pathetic. If you're going to criticize me, at least let me know who you are, so I can read some of your stuff, or your profile, and see why you're so much better. But you're too cowardly to face me, so you leave an anonymous review. Also, if I wanted pity, I have a plenty of friends who would listen and give me pity, but they don't understand, because they're not in my shoes. So I didn't put all that up for pity. And if you think I want people to "bow down to my 'oh so perfect' ways", you're pretty far off. Maybe you didn't quite understand my point when you read my profile- I'm tired of people thinking I'm great, and that I have no reason to be upset, and that I'm perfect. I just want to be able to mess up and slack off once in a while. I really hope YOU would reconsider, and at least leave a second review that's signed, after reading this.
To my other readers: You're great, and I love you, don't think any of that was to you. If you think I over reacted, I'm sorry, it just really rubbed me the wrong way, considering my life at the present moment. Anyway, a couple people asked for a second chapter, so I'm going to make one. I wasn't going to originally, but Jishka gave me a great idea.
For one blissful week, Hermione, Ron and Harry all forgot about their N.E.W.T.S. At least, Harry did, and Hermione tried, but it was quite apparent that they were always on Ron's mind. It was as if he were in Limbo, waiting to see if he would make it to heaven, or if he would be exiled to hell.
The warm days were spent by the lake and on the quidditch pitch, flying and lazing, and just mostly avoiding schoolwork. Even Hermione seemed glad of the break. Out in the sun, with her friends, she could forget everything about her N.E.W.T.S. and just relax. It was helping her to let it all go, her hard-earned title and her pride.
One morning, six days after the last test, both Ron and Hermione received letters from big barn owls at breakfast. Hermione's read:
Dear Ms. Granger,
I would like to see you at one o'clock this afternoon, regarding your N.E.W.T.S.
Sincerely yours, Professor Dumbledore.
And that was all.
Hermione stared blankly at her letter, wondering what was going on. She had purposely lost! Why was Dumbledore summoning her to his office? It didn't make any sense.
Apparently Ron's letter said the same thing, because he wore the same confused expression as Hermione did.
"Why does he want to see us?" Ron wondered out loud.
Harry shrugged. "How should I know?" Ron rolled his eyes.
"I wasn't asking you." He faced Hermione. "Yours IS a summons, isn't it?" She nodded.
"Why does he want to see both of us?"
"Maybe you tied?" Harry offered. They both glared at him for even suggesting such a thing, Ron because it would mean more tests, Hermione because she wasn't sure if she could bear to have to give it all up all over again. Harry backed down. "Or not. Maybe there's something for second place." This suggestion was slightly more acceptable, and both Hermione and Ron nodded.
"That must be it," Hermione decided, feeling relieved. Ron still looked pretty uptight, but he smiled.
"Hope five hundred galleons will do it," he said rather halfheartedly.
"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "How do you know I'll win? You studied really hard, you know, and you worked really carefully on your tests." Ron waved this comment off.
"Not as hard as you. But it doesn't matter." With that, Ron got up and strode out of the Great Hall, hands in his pockets, whistling and making it quite clear that it DID matter. Hermione turned to Harry.
"He's mad at me, isn't he," she said quietly. Harry shook his head.
"Not really. Mad at himself is more like it. He's mad that he can't ever beat you, but he knows it's not your fault." Hermione desperately wanted to tell Harry that Ron HAD won, but she knew it would be ruined for him if he knew she let him win.
Harry and Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room to play chess, but it wasn't really any fun, as they weren't concentrating very hard. Neither of them was much good at chess anyhow, and it was something they normally associated with Ron. It all combined to make the feeling rather dismal.
Harry looked at his watch. 12:30, it read. He pushed his king towards Hermione. "I forfeit," he said. "I'm absolutely starved." He got up and headed out the portrait hole.
"Wait up," Hermione called. "I'm coming too." Just as they were finishing up lunch, Ron appeared in the entrance of the Great Hall. They waved him over, and he came and sat down.
"Hey," he said, seeming to be in slightly better spirits. He began to wolf down a sandwich, and was halfway done with it before he realized that it was corned beef. "Ugh!" Ron spat it out onto his plate. Hermione wrinkled her nose.
"Ron, please. That's disgusting. You could use a napkin or something." Ron glared at her and took a big swig of his pumpkin juice.
Harry suppressed a laugh. "Where've you been?" he asked.
Having sufficiently erased all taste of corned beef, Ron answered him, "Walking around the lake. The weather's nice, if a bit windy. Say, Hermione, pass me that chicken sandwich, will you?" Hermione passed it to him, then turned to Harry.
"What's the time, Harry?" she asked.
"Ten to one," he replied. "You two had better get going." Ron stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth before standing up.
"C'mon, 'Ermione," He said thickly through his mouthful.
Hermione got up, and together they walked to Dumbledore's office. When they arrived at the gargoyle statue, however, Hermione realized they didn't know the password.
"What do we do now?" She asked, annoyed.
Ron shrugged. "Wait, I guess." Hermione gave him an icy look.
"For whom, may I ask?"
"Dumbledore, Miss Know-it-all," he said, raising his eyebrows. "He's expecting us, isn't he?" At that very moment, Dumbledore appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, behind Hermione. She whirled around.
"Professor! Sorry, I-" she stepped to the side. "We didn't know the password," she finished. Dumbledore looked at her out from under his bushy white eyebrows.
"It's quite all right, Miss Granger," he said. "Perhaps we should step up to my office? Cockroach Cluster." The gargoyle twisted, and a spiral staircase appeared. Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione all stepped onto the staircase as it began to move upwards. Moments later, they stepped out into Dumbledore's office.
"Please," Dumbledore said. "Sit down." He motioned at two chairs facing his desk. Ron and Hermione sat, and Dumbledore disappeared. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.
"What do we do know?" Ron mouthed at Hermione.
"Wait?" she suggested. He nodded, and they both chose opposite directions to look in, every once in a while glancing back at each other, then looking hastily away.
During his walk, Ron had brought himself to terms with the fact that he had lost. He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up like that. It was just that he had felt so confident, like never before. He almost always went into tests unprepared, and came out feeling rather queasy and not caring about his grades. But this time. . . .it had been different. He had really studied, and he had really cared. His family needed that money. But it had all been for naught. Hermione would win, just as she always had. Maybe he would get some sort of award. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that he maintain his control and not let on that he cared.
Hermione, meanwhile, was getting worried. What if they were wrong? What if she didn't get second place? She was steeled to get second. She was ready. If they were tied, and had to take a tie-breaker test, Hermione didn't know if she could lose all over again. It had been difficult to summon up the courage once; twice might very well be impossible.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, as you read in your letters, this meeting has to do with your N.E.W.T.S. scores." He paused and looked at both of them. "You tied."
A/N: Well, I've got a great idea to draw this out a lot longer than the one chapter I had originally intended! Review and I'll write more!