"So let me get this straight."
"Sure," called Ron, walking in circles at the bottom of the girl's stairs, waiting for Hermione to finish getting dressed.
"You're saying that there's no way Muggle Monopoly could teach you anything?"
"Exactly. Who goes around buying streets and hotels? Who do you know that gets all of that money in three turns?"
"You're crazy," said Hermione, coming down the stairs. "It gives one good money management skills and can even prepare for a career in negotiation and business."
"I think you need to stop talking like an encyclopedia and be a fifteen- year-old girl."
"Shh, look who's up there." Hermione glanced down the stairs interestedly. Ron took a quick look and saw two shadows, one taller than the other, and they seemed to be arguing quietly.
"Who is it?" Ron whispered.
"Shh!"
Hermione gradually crept down the stone steps one by one, and as she came closer, she slowly began to hear and recognize the quarreling voices.
".teach your sister those things."
"What am I supposed to do, Alicia?" came Draco's voice, more malicious and hateful than ever.
"You're her role model, you shouldn't be teaching her prejudice and bias," hissed Alicia.
"Listen, I am not her father and she has her own life to live, let her make her own decisions and stop trying to protect her." Draco stormed into the Potions classroom while Alicia glared after him and strode the opposite direction.
Ron turned to Hermione, who looked deep in thought, staring at the spot where they had both been.
"Odd.Alicia and Malfoy?"
"No, not exactly odd." Hermione said, still staring at the stone floor. She broke her thought and went down the stairs and into the classroom. Ron shook his head and followed her into the cold classroom.
Snape's twisted voice echoed across the classroom. "Ten points from Gryffindor, Weasley."
Ron's head snapped up. "Why?"
"I will not accept your tardiness any longer."
"Professor, I wasn't late."
"Don't give me excuses."
"But, Professor-"
Snape's black eyes drilled into Ron as he spoke in barely more than a whisper of his cruel voice. "The next thing you say will cost you detention, Weasley. I suggest you keep your mouth shut."
When Snape turned away Ron shot him a hateful glare and opened his book roughly, slammed his cauldron on the table, and began working haphazardly.
"Ron," Harry whispered softly across the table. "If you don't calm down you're going to break something."
"Yes," quietly chirped Hermione. "I've been looking into some Muggle medical books, and it says that studies show that people with short tempers usually end up in abusive relationships and bad marriages."
Ron's angry look changed into a mixed glance of confusion and admiration.
"You should write a book."
"No thank you. I'm becoming an Auror." "Oh you are, are you?" said Harry sarcastically, putting gecko eyeballs into his potion.
"Who said I couldn't? I'll fight some bad guys."
Ron sniggered. "Fight some bad guys?"
"What?" she responded, blushing slightly.
Even Harry gave her a wavering look. "Bad guys?"
Hermione sighed heavily. "What is the big deal? It was just a phrase!"
"Yeah. A totally non-Hermione phrase. Whoever thought you would use such a simple term as 'bad guys'?" said Ron, shaking his head.
"Shut up and add your goat hairs."
"Sure," called Ron, walking in circles at the bottom of the girl's stairs, waiting for Hermione to finish getting dressed.
"You're saying that there's no way Muggle Monopoly could teach you anything?"
"Exactly. Who goes around buying streets and hotels? Who do you know that gets all of that money in three turns?"
"You're crazy," said Hermione, coming down the stairs. "It gives one good money management skills and can even prepare for a career in negotiation and business."
"I think you need to stop talking like an encyclopedia and be a fifteen- year-old girl."
"Shh, look who's up there." Hermione glanced down the stairs interestedly. Ron took a quick look and saw two shadows, one taller than the other, and they seemed to be arguing quietly.
"Who is it?" Ron whispered.
"Shh!"
Hermione gradually crept down the stone steps one by one, and as she came closer, she slowly began to hear and recognize the quarreling voices.
".teach your sister those things."
"What am I supposed to do, Alicia?" came Draco's voice, more malicious and hateful than ever.
"You're her role model, you shouldn't be teaching her prejudice and bias," hissed Alicia.
"Listen, I am not her father and she has her own life to live, let her make her own decisions and stop trying to protect her." Draco stormed into the Potions classroom while Alicia glared after him and strode the opposite direction.
Ron turned to Hermione, who looked deep in thought, staring at the spot where they had both been.
"Odd.Alicia and Malfoy?"
"No, not exactly odd." Hermione said, still staring at the stone floor. She broke her thought and went down the stairs and into the classroom. Ron shook his head and followed her into the cold classroom.
Snape's twisted voice echoed across the classroom. "Ten points from Gryffindor, Weasley."
Ron's head snapped up. "Why?"
"I will not accept your tardiness any longer."
"Professor, I wasn't late."
"Don't give me excuses."
"But, Professor-"
Snape's black eyes drilled into Ron as he spoke in barely more than a whisper of his cruel voice. "The next thing you say will cost you detention, Weasley. I suggest you keep your mouth shut."
When Snape turned away Ron shot him a hateful glare and opened his book roughly, slammed his cauldron on the table, and began working haphazardly.
"Ron," Harry whispered softly across the table. "If you don't calm down you're going to break something."
"Yes," quietly chirped Hermione. "I've been looking into some Muggle medical books, and it says that studies show that people with short tempers usually end up in abusive relationships and bad marriages."
Ron's angry look changed into a mixed glance of confusion and admiration.
"You should write a book."
"No thank you. I'm becoming an Auror." "Oh you are, are you?" said Harry sarcastically, putting gecko eyeballs into his potion.
"Who said I couldn't? I'll fight some bad guys."
Ron sniggered. "Fight some bad guys?"
"What?" she responded, blushing slightly.
Even Harry gave her a wavering look. "Bad guys?"
Hermione sighed heavily. "What is the big deal? It was just a phrase!"
"Yeah. A totally non-Hermione phrase. Whoever thought you would use such a simple term as 'bad guys'?" said Ron, shaking his head.
"Shut up and add your goat hairs."
