Chapter Twenty-Two

Missy, Elorra, Mandy, and Lizzy climbed through the portrait hole, talking excitedly.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Mandy exclaimed just as the portrait hole door closed behind them.

Ron's head popped up over the back of the couch. "What's going to be fun?" He asked suspiciously.

Lizzy frowned at him. "You just mind your own business, Ron Weasley."

Harry peeked around the arm of the couch. "Do I have to mind my own business too?" He asked her.

Lizzy giggled. "Sorry Harry, can't tell you."

Joshua tramped down the boys' dormitory staircase. "Is Hermione down here?" He asked hopefully.

Mandy shook her head. "No, she's still with Ralee."

Ron frowned. "Why are you guys hanging around with her? Slytherins are bad news. Especially ones that date Draco Malfoy."

Missy sighed and walked over to Ron. She rubbed his head hard. "You don't even know Ralee that well, Ron. She's not so bad."

Ron glared at Missy.

Joshua rolled his eyes. "Never mind, I'll talk to her later." He went back upstairs.

Later that evening, Missy was sitting on the couch in the common room, poring over the music notes. Ron ran up behind her and grabbed her neck, tickling her. Missy gasped and started laughing. "Ron!" She choked out. Ron stopped tickling her and hopped over the back of the couch to sit beside her.

"Whatcha doin'?" He grabbed the music notes from her hands and looked at them. His brow furrowed. He turned the paper upside down, and then twisted his head to look at it sideways. Missy was cracking up.

"Ron! Give those back!"

Ron laughed. "How can you read this stuff? Its just gibberish."

Missy laughed and grabbed the notes back. "Give me those Ron, you goof."

She went back to reading the music, every so often taking two or three gummi bears out of the bag at her side and eating them.

"Why are you reading notes?" Ron asked all of a sudden.

"None of your business."

"It is so my business, when it involves you."

Missy smiled.

"It's a secret."

"All right, fine. Keep your secrets. I'm going to go look at Quality Quidditch. Goodnight."

Ron leaned over and kissed Missy softly on the cheek.

"Goodnight Ron."

Missy walked up the stairs to the girls' dormitory and walked in on 'Hero' blasting from out of nowhere. Mandy and Elorra were singing to it, and Lizzy was tapping out the beat with her drumsticks against the wood of the bed. When Mandy saw Missy, she turned it down.

"Hey! How do we sound?"

Missy smiled and shook her head. "I have no idea, I'm totally tone deaf, but you sound pretty good to me. Where's Hermione?"

"She's out with Joshua," Elorra said. "He seemed like he really wanted to talk to her."

"I hope he didn't want to break up or anything like that," Lizzy said. "They just started dating!"

Missy sat on her bed and looked at her music. "Yeah, I hope so too."

Just at that moment, Hermione herself came into the room. "Hello everyone!" She chirped cheerfully.

Lizzy and Elorra looked at each other, and Mandy and Missy just looked at Hermione.

"Is everything ok, Hermione?" Mandy asked cautiously.

"Yes! Everything is fine! Better than fine!" Hermione threw some music sheets in the air. She giggled and flopped onto her bed. "Joshua though he might have to go to another school, but he doesn't after all!" She smiled somewhat secretly. "We kissed tonight."

The other girls squealed in unison. Missy jumped up onto her bed and started jumping up and down. "Yay Hermione!"

Lizzy climbed up on the bed and jumped with her. "Yay!" The said together. Hermione laughed.

They hopped down and everyone piled onto Hermione's bed.

Mandy clasped her hands. "Oh this is so exciting Hermione!"

Hermione just shook her head. "Honestly! I think you guys are more happy for me than I am!" The girls all laughed and chattered happily.