Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, brilliantly created by J.K.
Rowling. Most situations are based on those created by J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note (8/25/03): Okay, I know this chapter sucks, but the more exciting ones are coming up and this one is just a bump on the road to them! (But if I jumped right to the exciting chapters it would feel like something was missing.)
Chapter Thirty-Three: The Final Hogsmeade Weekend
April came and with it the final Hogsmeade weekend. Hermione was feeling emotional, knowing that soon their days at Hogwarts would be over, and the N.E.W.T.'s coming up did nothing for her mood. Ginny spent a lot of time biting her lip to keep from laughing at how ridiculous Hermione looked and sounded. Ron did his best to be supportive but found himself shying away from Hermione when she was on a rampage. So when she fell asleep in the common room the morning of the Hogsmeade weekend he let her sleep (even though he knew she'd be mad) and wrote a note telling her where to find him.
Hermione,
Meet us in the Three Broomsticks. You DESERVE a break.
Love Ron
He left the note as a bookmark in the book she was studying, and headed out of the common room with Harry and Ginny.
* * *
It was a beautiful day, a little warmer than they were used to in April, and students were shedding jackets as they went. Harry, Ron and Ginny did the same and they dodged the hordes of students heading into the village. Their first stop was Zonko's. Fred and George had agreed to pay Ron some money if he would go into Zonko's and tell them what the most popular tricks and gags were. Ron, happy at the opportunity to get some money in his pocket, eagerly agreed to the task.
"Fred and George's stuff is SO much better," he said to Harry and Ginny. "Much more interactive than the things they have here."
"Still," said Ginny. "I think most Hogwarts students would come here anyway. After all, Fred and George are all the way in Diagon Alley."
"It's good to keep up on the competition," Ron said, though he was only repeating what Fred and George had told him when he made the same argument Ginny just had."
When they were finished "spying," they headed out to the street, where they ran into Seamus Finnegan. "Hi guys," he said. "Where's Hermione?"
"Conked out from studying," said Ron. "I expect she'll be along soon."
* * *
Back in the common room, Hermione opened her eyes and sighed. She looked around the room, and noticed that most of the students were first and second years, and she remembered that it was the last Hogsmeade weekend. "I can't believe they left without me!" she exclaimed. She moved to check her book and saw the bookmark Ron had left for her. "Our last Hogsmeade weekend and they leave without me!" She stormed out of the common room, with the intention to give Ron, Harry and Ginny a piece of her mind when she saw them.
* * *
Ron, Harry and Ginny decided to stop in the Three Broomsticks to check for Hermione. When they didn't see her, they sat down and decided to wait. Just as they had received their butterbeers they saw her bushy hair rushing down the path. She entered the Three Broomsticks, spotted them, and sat down in a huff next to Ron.
"Have a nice sleep?" Ron asked, knowing he would be treading on tough terrain.
"Ronald Weasley, I can't believe you didn't wake me up!" she exclaimed.
"Hermione, you looked so peaceful there, I thought you-"
"That's crap and you know it!" Hermione exclaimed, causing Ginny to choke back a laugh. Harry nudged her in the ribs.
"Okay, okay," said Ron. "But I really did think you needed your rest."
"Why?"
"Because you've been INSANE!" Ron exclaimed. "You've been rushing around and around all week, and you've just got to relax. When you were sleeping, it was the first time I've seen you relax in days!"
Hermione relaxed, a little. "All right," she said. "Maybe you have a point. But, Ron, this is our last Hogsmeade weekend and I've missed almost half the day! I could have slept tonight!"
"All right, all right," said Ron, holding his hands up in defeat. "I should have woken you up. Now, come on, I'll get you a butterbeer."
Hermione seemed to soften, and she stood from her chair and joined Ron to order the drinks. When they returned, Harry and Ginny were laughing at something, and Ron and Hermione quickly fell into the conversation. The four friends enjoyed one of their last weekends at Hogwarts, not knowing the danger that awaited them.
Author's Note (8/25/03): Okay, I know this chapter sucks, but the more exciting ones are coming up and this one is just a bump on the road to them! (But if I jumped right to the exciting chapters it would feel like something was missing.)
Chapter Thirty-Three: The Final Hogsmeade Weekend
April came and with it the final Hogsmeade weekend. Hermione was feeling emotional, knowing that soon their days at Hogwarts would be over, and the N.E.W.T.'s coming up did nothing for her mood. Ginny spent a lot of time biting her lip to keep from laughing at how ridiculous Hermione looked and sounded. Ron did his best to be supportive but found himself shying away from Hermione when she was on a rampage. So when she fell asleep in the common room the morning of the Hogsmeade weekend he let her sleep (even though he knew she'd be mad) and wrote a note telling her where to find him.
Hermione,
Meet us in the Three Broomsticks. You DESERVE a break.
Love Ron
He left the note as a bookmark in the book she was studying, and headed out of the common room with Harry and Ginny.
* * *
It was a beautiful day, a little warmer than they were used to in April, and students were shedding jackets as they went. Harry, Ron and Ginny did the same and they dodged the hordes of students heading into the village. Their first stop was Zonko's. Fred and George had agreed to pay Ron some money if he would go into Zonko's and tell them what the most popular tricks and gags were. Ron, happy at the opportunity to get some money in his pocket, eagerly agreed to the task.
"Fred and George's stuff is SO much better," he said to Harry and Ginny. "Much more interactive than the things they have here."
"Still," said Ginny. "I think most Hogwarts students would come here anyway. After all, Fred and George are all the way in Diagon Alley."
"It's good to keep up on the competition," Ron said, though he was only repeating what Fred and George had told him when he made the same argument Ginny just had."
When they were finished "spying," they headed out to the street, where they ran into Seamus Finnegan. "Hi guys," he said. "Where's Hermione?"
"Conked out from studying," said Ron. "I expect she'll be along soon."
* * *
Back in the common room, Hermione opened her eyes and sighed. She looked around the room, and noticed that most of the students were first and second years, and she remembered that it was the last Hogsmeade weekend. "I can't believe they left without me!" she exclaimed. She moved to check her book and saw the bookmark Ron had left for her. "Our last Hogsmeade weekend and they leave without me!" She stormed out of the common room, with the intention to give Ron, Harry and Ginny a piece of her mind when she saw them.
* * *
Ron, Harry and Ginny decided to stop in the Three Broomsticks to check for Hermione. When they didn't see her, they sat down and decided to wait. Just as they had received their butterbeers they saw her bushy hair rushing down the path. She entered the Three Broomsticks, spotted them, and sat down in a huff next to Ron.
"Have a nice sleep?" Ron asked, knowing he would be treading on tough terrain.
"Ronald Weasley, I can't believe you didn't wake me up!" she exclaimed.
"Hermione, you looked so peaceful there, I thought you-"
"That's crap and you know it!" Hermione exclaimed, causing Ginny to choke back a laugh. Harry nudged her in the ribs.
"Okay, okay," said Ron. "But I really did think you needed your rest."
"Why?"
"Because you've been INSANE!" Ron exclaimed. "You've been rushing around and around all week, and you've just got to relax. When you were sleeping, it was the first time I've seen you relax in days!"
Hermione relaxed, a little. "All right," she said. "Maybe you have a point. But, Ron, this is our last Hogsmeade weekend and I've missed almost half the day! I could have slept tonight!"
"All right, all right," said Ron, holding his hands up in defeat. "I should have woken you up. Now, come on, I'll get you a butterbeer."
Hermione seemed to soften, and she stood from her chair and joined Ron to order the drinks. When they returned, Harry and Ginny were laughing at something, and Ron and Hermione quickly fell into the conversation. The four friends enjoyed one of their last weekends at Hogwarts, not knowing the danger that awaited them.