Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story. I just borrowed them and manipulated them to act in my fluffy little plot.
A/N: Again, everyone is a little out of character…well maybe Ron's ok. I don't know. Judge for yourselves. =) Hope you enjoy.
I've noticed some people have commented on things being OOC and I know they are, all my stories are like that. Shame really but I guess that's what makes them worth reading; they aren't the same as everyone else's and I can make the characters do funny things if I want too! Lol.
Everyone thank DarkFlower2113 for correcting the grammar in this story!
Enjoy.
Chapter 4 -- Hermione Weasley?The weeks passed and the months slowly progressed into winter and soon a notice was put up in the Gryffindor Common Room on the noticeboard.
Next Hogsmeade Weekend:
December 30th
"Goodness. A Hogsmeade visit? We haven't had one of those for a while." Hermione said, upon noticing it early one morning.
"About bloody time. I need new stock from Fred and George." Ron said, rubbing his hands together gleefully.
"Whatever for?" Hermione asked him, narrowing her eyes at him slightly.
"Oh, you know, the usual." Ron said, not meeting her eyes.
"'The usual' wouldn't have anything to do with scaring Lavender and Parvati into thinking that they were bald last week would it?" Hermione asked, folding her arms across her chest after she had picked up her bag, getting ready for class.
"No…well not much anyway." Ron said looking extremely guilty.
"Ron you idiot! Do you know how hard it is to live with them on a good day? When they think they are going prematurely bald is far from a good day. That day was hell! Funny, but hell." Hermione added the last bit quietly, hoping that Ron wouldn't hear.
Unfortunately for her, he did.
"You liked that prank?" he asked, smiling at her. She frowned; trying to look annoyed but was unable to keep up the façade and started laughing.
"You should have seen them! They were running around like mad things! They honestly believed what those mirrors were showing them. A stroke of genius really." She said looking at the proud look on Ron's face.
"What?" she asked suspiciously.
"Well I sort of thought up that idea and Fred and George created it." He said, blushing modestly.
"You did? That's excellent. Of course, if you applied yourself to your studies like that then I would have a run for my money but I suppose you can't be perfect in every way." She said teasingly.
"Most ways, but not every." Ron said, in mock modesty. Hermione half expected him to rub his fingernails up and down his school shirt but he did not. She was grateful. Having a gloating Ron on one's hands was never a good thing.
***
"Now class, today will be a revision lesson. I am not feeling too well and I would just like a quiet classroom. Review the chapter on Cushioning Charms if you would please." Professor Flitwick told his students that morning.
"Cushioning Charms? We did those in fourth year! We're sixteen now, I think we know how to do that." Ron said incredulously.
"You may know how too, but in case you hadn't noticed; there are other students in this room. Besides, it doesn't hurt to brush up on your skills once in a while." Hermione said, pulling out her textbook.
"Says the girl who probably knew how to do a Cushioning Charm when she was eleven." Ron whispered behind his hand to Harry who smiled but stopped upon seeing the stern look on Hermione's face.
"What did he just say to you?" she demanded, looking at Ron although she was talking to Harry.
"He uh…well. He was complimenting you that's all. Though being the prat that he is, couldn't actually say it to your face." He said rather quickly, ignoring the appalled look on Ron's face.
"I bloody well did no—"
"Thank you Ron. You do know that I actually like compliments. You don't have to hide them from me." she said, looking down at her textbook with the smallest smile on her face.
Way to go. So much for discouraging her. She'll like me more after that comment! Note to self: Hurt Harry when next opportunity presents itself.
Glaring at Harry, Ron opened up his textbook to chapter five: Cushioning Charms. He knew that he could produce a cushioning charm in his sleep but he read over the incantation and the consequences of producing a bad one anyway. He rolled his eyes, thinking how easy it was and how much he should probably have a talk with Harry.
***
"Woo hoo! Go Harry!" Ginny Weasley whistled from her seat in the Quidditch stands on the Hogwarts grounds.
Beside her Hermione laughed, clapping every now and then as Ron stopped the Quaffle from going through the hoops that he was guarding. Ginny sat back in her seat and tweaked her scarf back around her neck. In all the excitement it had partially fallen off.
"He certainly has improved since his first game hasn't he?" Hermione asked, referring to Ron who was showing off for her and his sister, looping in and out of the goal posts.
"Definitely. Thank Merlin. If he hadn't then I don't like to think what Bill and Charlie would have done to him." She shook her head sadly. "But he made a fantastic comeback in that second match. A Weasley moment that was. Pity you missed it." She said, looking as though she disliked Hermione for missing that one important game.
"I know." Hermione let out a breath and smiled at Harry as he waved to her and Ginny. "I wanted to be there but a frantic Hagrid isn't something to be taken lightly." She said looking apologetically at Ginny.
"You're right. I'm sorry. It's none of my business really."
"How are you liking being on the team Ginny?" Hermione asked, deciding to ignore Ginny's last comment.
"It's great. Harry is a great captain. I always knew he would be. I'm just glad I was never a part of the team when Oliver and Angelina coached." She said, shuddering dramatically. "Five o'clock starts, I don't think so, thank you very much. Harry seems to be human and understands that we all need normal hours of sleep, which is really good. I like him even more for that." Ginny said, then blushed, seeming to realise what she had said.
"What I mean to say is…well I didn't mean to say that." She said, blushing and concentrating her gaze on Harry and her brother.
"I know what you mean. You think of him as a brother right?"
"Yes…well…no. My brothers aren't cute." She said laughing as Ron held onto his broom and smacked the Quaffle away with the tail of it.
"I wouldn't say that…" Hermione said laughing at the shocked look on Ginny's face.
"Any developments on the Ron front?" Ginny wondered aloud to Hermione who clapped her hands to her face as Harry attempted to confuse Ron and nearly fell from his broom in the process. He pulled himself up and flashed her a thumbs up before streaking across the pitch once more.
"No. But I don't mind. I quite like the way things are going. We're getting along famously at the moment. Things couldn't possibly be better between us." Hermione said, smiling widely up at Ron, whose cheeks were flushed from the cold.
He looks so cute up there like that. I could never admit that I think of him that way of course. I feel like such a floozy thinking about a boy when I should be concentrating on my studies but it's Ron and he's my friend so I have a right to be thinking about him. Even if it isn't strictly in a friendly way.
"Well that's fantastic. I'm really happy for you. I must admit, it makes a nice change to see you two snuggled up on the couch, instead of standing three feet away from each other, bellowing your lungs out." Ginny said, wistfully. "Ah the good ol' days." She said clasping her hands together.
"We do not snuggle." Hermione said and pushed her in her seat slightly although she was smiling.
"Any plans for Hogsmeade this weekend?" Hermione asked Ginny who was laughing at Ron who was lying on his broom looking bored as Harry showed him some new moves that he was going to reveal to the team next practice.
"Not really. I do need some new mittens though." She said, poking a finger out of her left one. "That's first on my list." She said sighing slightly. "What about you?"
"The usual. I'll probably be forced to spend the majority of the day in Quality Quidditch Supplies. Not that I mind that much, it's always so warm in there." Hermione reflected, thinking of their last visit.
"Ah I feel your pain. Try being dragged there every summer by each brother in turn. I knew what that shop was when I was two." Ginny said, sounding highly amused, as though she were reliving the memories in her mind, which Hermione thought, she probably was.
Just then, two blurs stopped in mid air above the two girls and soon made themselves apparent as Ron and Harry, both severely windblown from playing Quidditch in cold conditions.
"You two look frozen!" Hermione gasped. The boys hadn't looked too bad up in the air but upon close inspection both had chattering teeth and looked as though their fingers would snap off if pried from their broomsticks.
"Inside. Now." Hermione said loudly, marching the way back to the Gryffindor Common Room.
"I think you'd better do what she says." Ginny said, looking at the two of them and giggling. "Sucks to be you." She said happily as she skipped off to join Hermione.
"Come on mate. If I have to endure this, so do you." Ron said to Harry as then dismounted and traipsed back to the Castle.
Oh Merlin, give me strength.
***
"What were you thinking, staying out there so long?" Hermione asked as Ron plopped down onto the chair closest to the fire once he arrived in the Common Room.
"It's alright Hermione, it's been worse." Harry said, setting his broomstick down next to the fireplace.
"I don't care. You're both frozen." Hermione sat down herself and focused her gaze on Ron who was shivering slightly.
"It's nothing a w-well placed warming charm w-wont f-fix." He said, reaching for his wand but his hand was shaking so much that he couldn't hold onto it.
"Oh here." Hermione said, reaching for her own wand and summoning a blanket and tucking it around him, trying to warm him up.
Ron frowned and pulled away a touch but was fine once she moved away from him. Hermione frowned but didn't think much more of it as he was talking to her again, teeth chattering.
"I'm f-fine 'M-Mione, I don't n-need you to baby s-sit me." Ron said, teeth chattering all the while.
"Oh really? I find that incredibly hard to believe." She said, sitting and watching him as the colour began to come back to his face.
Satisfied with him, she turned to Harry who held up his hands in front of his face.
"Oh no you don't! I'm going to have a shower instead. Unlike some, I don't need a babysitter." He said grinning at Ron and running up the stairs before Hermione could get a hold of him.
"Impossible." Hermione muttered under her breath.
She was only trying to help, why were the two of them so difficult all the time? Honestly.
"'Mione?" came Ron's voice from beside her.
"What?" she asked irritably and seeing the look on his face she sighed and answered again. "Yes Ron, what's the matter?"
"I'm sorry you know. I didn't realise how cold I was until I stopped playing. It's just the way Quidditch is, it's so exhilarating that you aren't aware of anything else whilst you're up there. You should try flying one day. You'll love it."
"I doubt that very much but I will keep it in mind."
"Good. I am sorry though. Harry and I know you're only trying to help but we are teenage boys after all. And I for one, try to leave my mother at home after the summer holidays." Ron said grinning and not quite ducking the pillow that was thrown his way a second later.
"I am nothing like your mother Ronald Weasley!" Hermione shrieked then stopped suddenly, realising how much she truly did sound like her friends' mother.
"Not one word Ron." She said, raising another pillow and narrowing her eyes.
***
A/N: There you go folks! I was feeling in a nice mood tonight so thought I'd give you all a treat. Hope it was readworthy lol.
Nesserz.