Disclaimer: Me own nothing.

Chapter 12

Natalie walked quietly back to the common room. She wasn't thinking about where she was going, she was just letting her feet take her, and in no time, she was standing in front of the Fat Lady.

"Password?" She asked.

"Fifty thousand galleons." Natalie said quietly in disbelief.

"Excuse me? That's not the password." Said the Fat Lady slightly annoyed at the disruption and the wrong password.

"Oh, sorry. Fizzing Whizbee's."

Natalie entered the common room to see an anxious Hermione and Ron waiting for her.

"-what'd she want?"

"-did Malfoy get in trouble?"

"-what's wrong?"

"Where's Harry?" Natalie asked taking a seat by the fire.

"He went to bed but that's not the point-"

"Went to bed?! It's 8:00!" Natalie said aghast.

"Yeah, he was just tired…but anyways tell us." Hermione persisted.

"Um…McGonagall told me I could punish Malfoy anyway I wanted, except for expulsion." She started.

Ron grinned widely, waiting for the next sentence.

"And…?" Hermione asked when Natalie didn't continue.

Natalie hesitated then said, "I kinda…um…let him go."

"What do you mean 'let him go'?" Ron asked, with the grin completely gone.

"Well…without punishment."

"WHAT?!" Ron bellowed.

"What?! Was I supposed to take a hundred points and give him detention!?" Natalie asked angrily.

"YES!" Ron said standing up now.

"Why?! So Gryffindor and Slytherin can be at each other's throats even WORSE?!" Natalie said standing up too. "ONE of us has to be mature!"

"Sit down you two! You're making a scene!" Hermione said still sitting but on the edge of her seat.

They both sat down reluctantly.

"I think Natalie has some feelings for Malfoy, that's why she didn't do anything about it." Ron said matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah." Natalie said sarcastically. "That's funny cause you know I like H-"

They both were now looking at her waiting for her to finish, although they really didn't need her to.

"I'm tired, too." She said standing up, glaring at Ron. She went up to her dormitory and disappeared behind the door.

"Good going, Ron." Hermione said turning to Ron. "Do you really think that she would like Malfoy? She was doing the right thing being mature and all; but you wouldn't get that. I'd be surprised if you knew what the word 'mature' meant." She said coldly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked quietly but his voice was full of fury.

"You know exactly what it means." She said even quieter.

They were glaring daggers at each other but when Hermione saw Ron's eyes move from her to someone behind her, she turned.

"I thought you were in bed!" Hermione exclaimed watching Harry come and take a seat between her and Ron.

"Couldn't sleep. I wanted to see what happened with-"

"She went to bed." Ron interrupted.

"Oh." Harry said sadly. "Did you find out what happened?"

"Some of it but we would've found out more if Ron would've kept his mouth shut." She said harshly.

Harry gave Ron a confused look so he explained the whole thing, with Hermione interrupting a few times to correct some parts.

"Hmm…" Harry said looking at the table.

"Oh no…" Ron said making all of them turn again.

Natalie was coming down the stairs so fast it was a surprise she didn't fall. Harry looked at her and saw that she had tears in her eyes but she wasn't crying, and she also had something clutched in her hand.  She walked quickly right by the three not looking at them, and left the common room.

"What the…?" Harry said looking puzzled.

"Probably just another one of her scenes." Ron said uninterestedly.

Hermione shot him another glare and left the common room after her.

Harry and Ron sat silently for a few moments.

"Do you really think she likes Malfoy?" Harry asked quietly examining his fingernails.

"Well I don't really think so because…well when I said that to her she said, 'That's funny cause you know I like H-' but she stopped there and went to bed."

"I wonder who she was going to say." Harry said mainly to himself but Ron heard.

"I don't know…" Ron answered looking at the fire.

-In the hall-

"Natalie! Natalie, wait!" Hermione called after Natalie who stopped. "What is it?" She asked breathlessly next to Natalie.

"Look." She said thrusting a piece of parchment into Hermione's hand.

She opened it slowly and read:

Natalie! I haven't heard from you since you arrived! How are things going there? I hope you've made some good friends! How are you classes? You teachers? Oh you have to tell me everything!

I can't wait to see you at Christmas Holiday's! Have you heard the exciting news yet? I won't tell you incase you haven't heard. Ok well I have to go to the grocery to pick up a few items. Please write me back soon! I can't wait to hear from you!

Much Love,

Mum

Hermione looked up to see Natalie crying but making no noise.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Hermione said pulling her into a hug.

They broke apart and Hermione gave her back the letter. "Where were you going?"

"I don't know." Natalie said wiping tears off her face. "I really wanted to just go to the common room and sit but Ron was there." She said; her voice changing bitterly when she said 'Ron'.

"Don't listen to a word he says. He's stupid."

Natalie laughed and smiled.

"Come back to the common room. I'm sure Harry will want to see you."

They both laughed and turned to walk back to the common room.

When they entered they noticed that it was completely empty except for Harry and Ron.

Natalie took a seat between Harry and Hermione, who shot Ron a 'keep-your-mouth-shut' look.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked facing Natalie.

She nodded and handed the letter to Harry who read it with Ron reading over his shoulder.

Harry handed it back with a piteous look in his face and gave a quiet, "I'm sorry."

It seemed as if all of Ron's anger had turned into sorrow, and he was no longer mad at Natalie. This pleased Hermione a lot.

"Was that the only thing McGonagall called you down for?" Ron asked quietly.

Natalie sighed, leaned back in her chair, looked at the floor and shook her head.

"What else?" Hermione asked trying not to sound to eager.

Natalie explained to them the whole savings account and Gringott's thing. But she hadn't said how much.

"Are you serious?!" Hermione said with her mouth slightly open.

"How much?" Ron asked leaning forward.

Natalie hesitated. "You promise you won't tell anyone?"

They all nodded.

She sighed and said, "Fifty thousand galleons."

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, while Harry and Ron let out laughs.

"That's awesome!"

"You're rich!"

"You could buy five firebolts!"

"Can I have some?"

"I know, I know. I just want to know where my mom got that sort of money. I mean…we've always been kind of…poor." Natalie said.

"Well you aren't any more!" Ron said happily.

A/N: haha that was kindof a pointless chappie, kind of not. Whatever. Haha ok well thanks for the reviews! Okey doke someone asked me if this was a harry/hermione fic…well….its more of a ron/hermione and harry/natalie….I mean yea Harry and Hermione are main characters but its not a fic bout just them…ok! Just wanted to clear that up for whoever asked it! Yay reviews!!! Haha oh and I don't remember what the exact earnings for the Triwizard tournament are. It might be a thousand galleons, it might be ten thousand lol I dunno…I read the fourth book like a month ago, then the fifth, and then the third, and now im on the second. lol im so confused…haha ok anyways…PLEASE REVIEW ON THIS CHAPPIE!! :::does stupid dance:::