Disclaimer on chapter two applies for all chapters.
Chapter Three: Gryffindor Games
The sound of a quill being slammed onto the heavy oak tabletop shattered the calm that had come to settle over the three Gryffindors.
Harry scowled at the glittering black ink spots that had taken up residence on his potions essay and glanced up at his fiery friend.
He quirked a bushy eyebrow in Ron's direction, catching his eye as he spoke, "So I take it your finished?"
Ron looked down at Harry's now ink littered essay and flushed a deep crimson colour that rivalled that of his hair. Ducking his head in embarrassment he muttered, "Sorry mate."
Hermione, her bushy hair that had calmed down into sleek curls as she approached seventeen, sat curled in a red sofa opposite Harry and Ron's table. Hidden from view behind a particularly dusty looking book. Not once lifting her eyes from her page she mumbled a cleansing spell distractedly, "Detersivo..." and waved her wand in the general direction of the table.
Harry, upon hearing Hermione's quiet incantation looked across at her motionless figure, and hurriedly back down at his parchment. He and Ron watched in amazement as the ink spots began to shrink in size, slowly revealing the once clean parchment with the messy scrawl of a half finished essay, before disappearing completely.
"Blimey, that's handy. Learn it over the summer Herm?" questioned Ron at Hermione's still stationary figure, lifting his auburn eyebrows.
Warm brown eyes appeared above the aged book, considered both boys, before the book was lowered off guard, onto Hermione's lap. A lightly tanned face, pretty with the lack of adolescence could be seen, gracing delicate shoulders robed in a light beige.
"I'm not going to be able to get any more work done before dinner now am I?" Hermione's pretty features were scrunched up in a disapproving scowl as the question was voiced.
Forest green eyes danced with laughter, as Harry slowly picked himself up from his chair, shooting a fleeting look at Ron.
Hazel eyes answered the look, as Ron also began to stretch and leave his chair.
Hermione raised an eyebrow and watched both boys slowly strolling towards her with suspicion, unconsciously shifting into a more controlled position on the sofa.
Ron grinned suddenly, launching himself at Hermione, catching out of the corner of his eye, Harry doing the same.
Brown eyes widened and a sharp gasp could be heard, before the female Gryffindor was smothered in arms and legs, frantically tracing her sides, tickling her mercifully.
Hermione squirmed wildly, giggling and gasping for breath. "Okay!" she breathed, resorting to shouting when the tickling did not lessen, "Okay! No More!"
Tanned and freckled hands left her side, leaving the light brown haired girl to giggle once more and suck in great armfuls of air.
Both boys slumped down onto the plush cream sofa, sitting either side of Hermione. Harry leant his head onto her shoulder, looking up at her, affection shinning brightly in his green eyes. She seemed to sense his stare, and turned her head slightly to kiss him playfully on the nose.
"Your not forgiven," whispered Hermione. Puppy dog eyes followed this remark, and Harry pouted. "That not fair, that I don't get forgiven and Ron does." Hermione smiled devilishly, her eyes glittering with mischief, "Who said anything about Ron being forgiven?"
"Oh hey, that's not fair, I'm the trusty sidekick, the best friend, the-" A red cushion hit the red head square on the side of his face, cutting of his speech.
Hermione grinned, leaped out of Harry's embrace, and off the sofa in one graceful motion. Gripping a second deep red cushion she swung it at the black haired boy, who barely managed to duck it successfully.
Harry peered up from his crunched position to avoid narrowly missing a second blow at his head, "Arghh! Stop it!" he shouted, ducking a third swing.
"Never fear! I'm here for you mate!" bellowed Ron, snatching up the other red cushion that had graced his features, swinging wildly in the general direction of the commotion surrounding the sofa.
Harry who had begun to climb off the sofa, an arm blocking incoming blows from his giggling girlfriend, caught a tremendous clout to the left of his head. Rocking his balance he stumbled backwards, his legs bashing into the sofa, causing him to fall into its lavish clutches.
"Ron!" he yelled, fending off blows in all directions. Ron stopped mid swipe, realisation dawning on his face as he spoke. "What? Oh shi-" his sentence was harshly interrupted as Hermione's pillow hit the back of his head.
"You idiot Ron!" shouted Harry good-naturedly, as blows continued to rain down on them both.
Hermione stood panting in front of the sofa, still gripping her ammo, and grinned as both boys warily opened their eyes and lowered their arms slightly upon feeling no more cushion blows.
"So just what else did you learn over the summer, that you never told us about Herm?" joked Ron, from his sprawled position on the sofa.
Hermione smiled fondly down at both boys, before plonking herself back between the two, the red cushion on her lap.
"Well as you know we couldn't travel this summer so I took a self defence class at the new leisure centre near me, with my cousin, Alex," she explained.
"A les- what?" frowned Ron, having never heard of any muggle fitness centres.
"It's a place where you can swim, work out in the gym you know?" answered Harry, leaning over Hermione slightly to see Ron.
"Gym?" replied Ron, even more baffled than he had been not two minutes ago.
Both Harry and Hermione keeled over in laughter.
"Humph, muggles…" muttered Ron, rolling his eyes. Folding his lanky arms he shook his head in mock annoyance.
"Alex stayed for the last month of the summer, as my Aunt and Uncle went travelling in Africa. So we went to the centre every few days in the week, swam and did the course," continued Hermione patiently, once hers and Harry's giggles had ceased.
"Oh, but why did you bother Hermione, your the best witch in the school! You don't need self defence, you know every hex invented!" exclaimed Ron, unfolding his arms rapidly and turning to face the curly haired girl.
Hermione sighed, "Yes, but what happens if I cant get to my wand, and I'm being attacked?"
"Ah, well yeah I suppose," mumbled the red head, "So did you do any secret courses over the summer that I wasn't told about?" he turned an accusing glare at Harry, who ducked his head sheepishly before answering in a rush.
"Meandsirusdidamugglesewingclass."
"A muggle sewing class? You?" Ron roared with laughter, his shoulders shaking violently. Hermione hid a smile and bit her lip.
"Shut up!" mumbled Harry, his bush deepening. "I think its time for, uh, dinner, yeah, dinner." He shot up from the sofa and bolted for the portrait, yanking it open, the hinges creaking with the unnecessary force. His black head disappeared just as Ron shouted out.
"You? Sewing! Mend my shirt!" guffawed Ron, still choking on peels of laughter, red in the face, clutching at his stomach.
Hermione's grin spread the length of her face and she stood up, reaching for Ron's hand, still wrapped around his stomach. She dragged him off the sofa and towards the portrait hole.
"Come on, my prefect in crime, I'll pick up my books from your dorm on the way back to mine after dinner." She gently pushed the lanky red head out, smiled and closed Ron's portrait door.
Chapter Three: Gryffindor Games
The sound of a quill being slammed onto the heavy oak tabletop shattered the calm that had come to settle over the three Gryffindors.
Harry scowled at the glittering black ink spots that had taken up residence on his potions essay and glanced up at his fiery friend.
He quirked a bushy eyebrow in Ron's direction, catching his eye as he spoke, "So I take it your finished?"
Ron looked down at Harry's now ink littered essay and flushed a deep crimson colour that rivalled that of his hair. Ducking his head in embarrassment he muttered, "Sorry mate."
Hermione, her bushy hair that had calmed down into sleek curls as she approached seventeen, sat curled in a red sofa opposite Harry and Ron's table. Hidden from view behind a particularly dusty looking book. Not once lifting her eyes from her page she mumbled a cleansing spell distractedly, "Detersivo..." and waved her wand in the general direction of the table.
Harry, upon hearing Hermione's quiet incantation looked across at her motionless figure, and hurriedly back down at his parchment. He and Ron watched in amazement as the ink spots began to shrink in size, slowly revealing the once clean parchment with the messy scrawl of a half finished essay, before disappearing completely.
"Blimey, that's handy. Learn it over the summer Herm?" questioned Ron at Hermione's still stationary figure, lifting his auburn eyebrows.
Warm brown eyes appeared above the aged book, considered both boys, before the book was lowered off guard, onto Hermione's lap. A lightly tanned face, pretty with the lack of adolescence could be seen, gracing delicate shoulders robed in a light beige.
"I'm not going to be able to get any more work done before dinner now am I?" Hermione's pretty features were scrunched up in a disapproving scowl as the question was voiced.
Forest green eyes danced with laughter, as Harry slowly picked himself up from his chair, shooting a fleeting look at Ron.
Hazel eyes answered the look, as Ron also began to stretch and leave his chair.
Hermione raised an eyebrow and watched both boys slowly strolling towards her with suspicion, unconsciously shifting into a more controlled position on the sofa.
Ron grinned suddenly, launching himself at Hermione, catching out of the corner of his eye, Harry doing the same.
Brown eyes widened and a sharp gasp could be heard, before the female Gryffindor was smothered in arms and legs, frantically tracing her sides, tickling her mercifully.
Hermione squirmed wildly, giggling and gasping for breath. "Okay!" she breathed, resorting to shouting when the tickling did not lessen, "Okay! No More!"
Tanned and freckled hands left her side, leaving the light brown haired girl to giggle once more and suck in great armfuls of air.
Both boys slumped down onto the plush cream sofa, sitting either side of Hermione. Harry leant his head onto her shoulder, looking up at her, affection shinning brightly in his green eyes. She seemed to sense his stare, and turned her head slightly to kiss him playfully on the nose.
"Your not forgiven," whispered Hermione. Puppy dog eyes followed this remark, and Harry pouted. "That not fair, that I don't get forgiven and Ron does." Hermione smiled devilishly, her eyes glittering with mischief, "Who said anything about Ron being forgiven?"
"Oh hey, that's not fair, I'm the trusty sidekick, the best friend, the-" A red cushion hit the red head square on the side of his face, cutting of his speech.
Hermione grinned, leaped out of Harry's embrace, and off the sofa in one graceful motion. Gripping a second deep red cushion she swung it at the black haired boy, who barely managed to duck it successfully.
Harry peered up from his crunched position to avoid narrowly missing a second blow at his head, "Arghh! Stop it!" he shouted, ducking a third swing.
"Never fear! I'm here for you mate!" bellowed Ron, snatching up the other red cushion that had graced his features, swinging wildly in the general direction of the commotion surrounding the sofa.
Harry who had begun to climb off the sofa, an arm blocking incoming blows from his giggling girlfriend, caught a tremendous clout to the left of his head. Rocking his balance he stumbled backwards, his legs bashing into the sofa, causing him to fall into its lavish clutches.
"Ron!" he yelled, fending off blows in all directions. Ron stopped mid swipe, realisation dawning on his face as he spoke. "What? Oh shi-" his sentence was harshly interrupted as Hermione's pillow hit the back of his head.
"You idiot Ron!" shouted Harry good-naturedly, as blows continued to rain down on them both.
Hermione stood panting in front of the sofa, still gripping her ammo, and grinned as both boys warily opened their eyes and lowered their arms slightly upon feeling no more cushion blows.
"So just what else did you learn over the summer, that you never told us about Herm?" joked Ron, from his sprawled position on the sofa.
Hermione smiled fondly down at both boys, before plonking herself back between the two, the red cushion on her lap.
"Well as you know we couldn't travel this summer so I took a self defence class at the new leisure centre near me, with my cousin, Alex," she explained.
"A les- what?" frowned Ron, having never heard of any muggle fitness centres.
"It's a place where you can swim, work out in the gym you know?" answered Harry, leaning over Hermione slightly to see Ron.
"Gym?" replied Ron, even more baffled than he had been not two minutes ago.
Both Harry and Hermione keeled over in laughter.
"Humph, muggles…" muttered Ron, rolling his eyes. Folding his lanky arms he shook his head in mock annoyance.
"Alex stayed for the last month of the summer, as my Aunt and Uncle went travelling in Africa. So we went to the centre every few days in the week, swam and did the course," continued Hermione patiently, once hers and Harry's giggles had ceased.
"Oh, but why did you bother Hermione, your the best witch in the school! You don't need self defence, you know every hex invented!" exclaimed Ron, unfolding his arms rapidly and turning to face the curly haired girl.
Hermione sighed, "Yes, but what happens if I cant get to my wand, and I'm being attacked?"
"Ah, well yeah I suppose," mumbled the red head, "So did you do any secret courses over the summer that I wasn't told about?" he turned an accusing glare at Harry, who ducked his head sheepishly before answering in a rush.
"Meandsirusdidamugglesewingclass."
"A muggle sewing class? You?" Ron roared with laughter, his shoulders shaking violently. Hermione hid a smile and bit her lip.
"Shut up!" mumbled Harry, his bush deepening. "I think its time for, uh, dinner, yeah, dinner." He shot up from the sofa and bolted for the portrait, yanking it open, the hinges creaking with the unnecessary force. His black head disappeared just as Ron shouted out.
"You? Sewing! Mend my shirt!" guffawed Ron, still choking on peels of laughter, red in the face, clutching at his stomach.
Hermione's grin spread the length of her face and she stood up, reaching for Ron's hand, still wrapped around his stomach. She dragged him off the sofa and towards the portrait hole.
"Come on, my prefect in crime, I'll pick up my books from your dorm on the way back to mine after dinner." She gently pushed the lanky red head out, smiled and closed Ron's portrait door.