Categories: Drama, angst, romance.
Rating: PG-13 for drama, language. Rating might go up in the future.
Summary: Voldemort's defeated and now everyone's bored. Hermione turns her attention to Professor Snape. This will be an ongoing story. Updated (hopefully) every week! Unless I can't. Har har.
Disclaimer: Me no own.
THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER
By: Scatterheart
A long time ago in a campus far, far away…Section One
Ron Weasley stared into the glowing fireplace and tossed a Bertie Bott Every Flavor Bean into the licking flames. The fire sparked and flashed a sickening brown for a few seconds before it reverted back to its previous state.
"Dirt," Ron muttered.
A table away, Hermione, Harry and Neville had laid out the game of Chinese Checkers that Harry had received last Christmas from Cho. "No, Neville, you're not supposed to take any marbles off of the board! How many times do I have to tell you, that's not the point!" Hermione was saying.
Harry stifled a yawn and absentmindedly rubbed at his forehead with the heel of his hand. Ever since the defeat of Voldemort two months ago, his scar had shown signs of fading; now the only sensation it caused him was a light itch that reminded him of a days old mosquito bite. "Is it my turn?" he said.
"Sorry Harry, we have to start over." Hermione plucked the colored marbles from the board and set them in their appropriate dents in the corners of the star. "Neville thought this was chess."
"Chinese Checkers, Wizard Checkers, chess, what's the difference?" Neville shrugged. "You just have to clear away your opponent's pieces."
"Neville..."
Ron threw another bean into the fireplace. This time the flames practically burst straight to the Common Room ceiling with its deafening roar.
A group of Gryffindors in the middle of the room shrieked and ducked for cover behind the sofa as Neville shot out of his chair with a frantic yell and swiped his hand over the table in front of him. Several dozen marbles were flung into the air, landing with a clatter and bouncing like multicolored fleas all over the polished hardwood.
Ron wiggled his eyebrows as the fire receded. "Sardine."
Hermione howled in exasperation. "Ron! What'd you have to do that for!" she screeched, running over to him and snatching the red pouch of candy away from his lap.
"What did I do?"
"You're going to have to clean that up, Professor Pyromaniac," she replied, pointing to the game pieces rolling on the floor.
Ron retrieved his wand from his belt and said a cleaning charm. The metal game board flew onto the table and the marbles clinked into their places. "Done!" He smiled.
Hermione flung the bag of Bertie Bott's at his chest and walked back to the table. "Okay, now we're really going to play," she began; she looked at Harry and groaned. His head was resting his arms and his eyes were closed. "Harry! Wake up!"
"What!" Harry slurred, scrunching his face together. "I was right in the middle of a good dream..."
"Aren't you going to play?" Hermione demanded.
Harry opened his eyes and stared incomprehensibly at the girl in front of him for a long moment. "What?"
Hermione blinked rapidly in response, frowning. Then she sat limply into her chair. "You're very perceptive."
"And I'm going to read a book. Cheers," Neville declared, excusing himself from the table. As he shuffled off into the hallway, the fireplace emitted another small fizzing spark.
"Damn, that was New York Cheesecake," came Ron's disappointed complaint.
"I'm bored," Hermione Granger said.
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