Chapter 2- Up the South Tower
As Hermione made her way down to breakfast she spotted Ron and Harry standing conspiratorially just outside the entrance to the Great Hall. They were obviously deep in discussion and didn't notice her as she walked up to them.
"Well I don't think it's a good idea." Ron was saying to Harry, gesturing furiously with his hands, "What if she found out it was us. She'll kill us!"
"Who'll kill you?" asked Hermione quietly, grinning as both young men jumped about a foot in the air and spun round to face her, guilty looks passing fleetingly across their faces.
"Er.. Ginny," Harry said, too quickly, "she mentioned that she fancied er..Neville the other day and we thought we'd try to set them up together."
She saw Ron's forehead crinkle slightly as he frowned at Harry before plastering an innocent look across his face. "Yeah," he agreed, "Ginny and Neville."
Hermione suppressed the urge to grin at the pair. She knew full well that Ginny didn't fancy Neville, as Ginny had confessed to her a few days ago that she was 'kinda-quite-interested-really' in one Mr. Draco Malfoy. Harry and Ron were obviously planning some stunt to pull on her if they had to resort to such obvious falsehoods. Honestly, if they had half a brain between them they would realize that as Ginny's best friend, Hermione would know if she liked Neville that way. Deciding to let it go for now she smiled warmly up at them.
"Well, shall we go and have breakfast then?"
Half an hour and one quick tooth-brushing charm later, Hermione stood at the top of the South Tower with Ginny Weasley. They had decided that the meeting to plan Dumbledore's party would have to be held somewhere where no- one would interrupt them. Hermione didn't remember ever going up the South Tower and had quickly agreed when Hannah Abbot had suggested it as an ideal place to meet.
"Woccha Hermione, Ginny." Said a deep voice behind them and they turned to see Terry Boot climbing the tower steps, hand-in-hand with a slightly panting Padma Patil. Terry had filled out considerably during the summer holidays last year when he took up muggle kick-boxing, and as a result now happily found himself the attention of quite a few sixth and seventh year girls. He and Padma had gotten together at the Yule Ball last Christmas and seemed quite happy. Pavrati had confessed to Ginny and Hermione one night that she thought her sister really did love Terry, and if it weren't for the fact that he kept trying to get her to go on 5 mile runs with him round the grounds they would be quite content!
"Did you bring those CD's then?" Padma asked Hermione eagerly when she had managed to stop panting.
"Yep." replied Hermione fishing around in her heavy school bag. They had agreed to each bring something to this meeting that they thought would be appropriate for the Headmaster's celebrations. Hermione had managed to transfigure a Wizard Wireless to play her muggle CD's sometime during the fifth year, and it was now residing in the Ravenclaw common room after being commandeered by Padma. That didn't really bother Hermione though as Padma had also borrowed all of her CD's to play on it.
She handed the CD's to Padma and watched as the other girls face fell. "What's all this then Hermione?" asked the crestfallen girl, "Burt Bacharach, James Last, and who the hell is Des O'Connor?!"
"Well I had to ask my dad for some stuff," Hermione replied smoothly "I wanted to get something that would be appropriate for Dumbledore's age group. It's a bit nearer, but as it is I'm still a century out."
Ginny giggled as Padma thrust the CD's disgustedly back at Hermione.
"I'm sure he'd be more that happy with the Weird Sisters." She said tactfully, "He seemed to like them that time they played at the Yule Ball." Padma grunted something under her breath then turned back to the steps as Ernie McMillan, Hannah Abbot and Draco Malfoy climbed into sight.
"Well, we're just waiting for Snape now," said Hermione looking at her watch. "It's not like him to be late."
"Quite right Miss. Granger," came a silky voice, and they turned to see the professor standing in the doorway behind them. "Five points from Griffindor, PROFESSOR Snape has already been here for quite some while."
Stifling a groan Hermione followed the others into the empty classroom.
As Hermione made her way down to breakfast she spotted Ron and Harry standing conspiratorially just outside the entrance to the Great Hall. They were obviously deep in discussion and didn't notice her as she walked up to them.
"Well I don't think it's a good idea." Ron was saying to Harry, gesturing furiously with his hands, "What if she found out it was us. She'll kill us!"
"Who'll kill you?" asked Hermione quietly, grinning as both young men jumped about a foot in the air and spun round to face her, guilty looks passing fleetingly across their faces.
"Er.. Ginny," Harry said, too quickly, "she mentioned that she fancied er..Neville the other day and we thought we'd try to set them up together."
She saw Ron's forehead crinkle slightly as he frowned at Harry before plastering an innocent look across his face. "Yeah," he agreed, "Ginny and Neville."
Hermione suppressed the urge to grin at the pair. She knew full well that Ginny didn't fancy Neville, as Ginny had confessed to her a few days ago that she was 'kinda-quite-interested-really' in one Mr. Draco Malfoy. Harry and Ron were obviously planning some stunt to pull on her if they had to resort to such obvious falsehoods. Honestly, if they had half a brain between them they would realize that as Ginny's best friend, Hermione would know if she liked Neville that way. Deciding to let it go for now she smiled warmly up at them.
"Well, shall we go and have breakfast then?"
Half an hour and one quick tooth-brushing charm later, Hermione stood at the top of the South Tower with Ginny Weasley. They had decided that the meeting to plan Dumbledore's party would have to be held somewhere where no- one would interrupt them. Hermione didn't remember ever going up the South Tower and had quickly agreed when Hannah Abbot had suggested it as an ideal place to meet.
"Woccha Hermione, Ginny." Said a deep voice behind them and they turned to see Terry Boot climbing the tower steps, hand-in-hand with a slightly panting Padma Patil. Terry had filled out considerably during the summer holidays last year when he took up muggle kick-boxing, and as a result now happily found himself the attention of quite a few sixth and seventh year girls. He and Padma had gotten together at the Yule Ball last Christmas and seemed quite happy. Pavrati had confessed to Ginny and Hermione one night that she thought her sister really did love Terry, and if it weren't for the fact that he kept trying to get her to go on 5 mile runs with him round the grounds they would be quite content!
"Did you bring those CD's then?" Padma asked Hermione eagerly when she had managed to stop panting.
"Yep." replied Hermione fishing around in her heavy school bag. They had agreed to each bring something to this meeting that they thought would be appropriate for the Headmaster's celebrations. Hermione had managed to transfigure a Wizard Wireless to play her muggle CD's sometime during the fifth year, and it was now residing in the Ravenclaw common room after being commandeered by Padma. That didn't really bother Hermione though as Padma had also borrowed all of her CD's to play on it.
She handed the CD's to Padma and watched as the other girls face fell. "What's all this then Hermione?" asked the crestfallen girl, "Burt Bacharach, James Last, and who the hell is Des O'Connor?!"
"Well I had to ask my dad for some stuff," Hermione replied smoothly "I wanted to get something that would be appropriate for Dumbledore's age group. It's a bit nearer, but as it is I'm still a century out."
Ginny giggled as Padma thrust the CD's disgustedly back at Hermione.
"I'm sure he'd be more that happy with the Weird Sisters." She said tactfully, "He seemed to like them that time they played at the Yule Ball." Padma grunted something under her breath then turned back to the steps as Ernie McMillan, Hannah Abbot and Draco Malfoy climbed into sight.
"Well, we're just waiting for Snape now," said Hermione looking at her watch. "It's not like him to be late."
"Quite right Miss. Granger," came a silky voice, and they turned to see the professor standing in the doorway behind them. "Five points from Griffindor, PROFESSOR Snape has already been here for quite some while."
Stifling a groan Hermione followed the others into the empty classroom.