Disclaimer: Harry Potter is from the creative genius that is J.K. Rowling. I am not her. This is merely a fan fiction to tide us over until Book 6.
"I don't want to study anymore, Hermione. My head hurts." Ron rubbed his eyes and groaned.
"Ron, we just started. There's a lot to cover. You'd practice Quidditch with a headache," she said with an accusing tone.
"Yeah, but at least I'd be riding a broom."
"As opposed to riding . . ." an Irish-tinged whisper came across the table.
"Shut it, Seamus!" Ron snapped.
"How many times have I told you that this is-"
"One of the most important events in our school careers!"
The students around the table in the Gryffindor common room didn't know whether to laugh or groan. Alaire had to agree with Ron. They had been studying for over two hours now. She had decided to take the NEWT's for Transfiguration, Potions, and Charms. She didn't have to take any of them if she didn't want to due to her graduation in the States but in the name of camaraderie, she had joined her fellow Gryffindors in pain.
"Hermione, its only January," Neville moaned. "We won't be taking the tests for another five months. You know that I'll forget all this stuff by then!"
"Neville, you passed your OWLS just fine. Your memory problems don't matter anymore."
"Hey! That's a bit much, Hermione," Alaire interceded for her boyfriend. "Just because you can remember the serial number on your first Barbie's butt, doesn't mean everyone can just stuff this crap in!"
"She's right," Dean added. "You're being a bit tough there. I'd rather study for my Runes test next week than my NEWTS."
"Look, I just want everyone to succeed."
"Well, I for one, will worry about it later. I'm tired and I'm going to bed. Seamus?" Dean stood and headed for his room.
"Yeah, I'm in. I need me beauty sleep."
"You ain't kidding," jabbed Alaire.
"Ah, you'll miss me when I'm gone, Alaire." Seamus gave her his best leer.
"Then leave already!"
Suddenly there was a loud crash overhead followed by cursing.
"Oh! It's those first-year-girls again! They keep trying to levitate their beds as Charms practice," Hermione huffed as she went to investigate.
"Now's our chance! Let's run for it!" exclaimed Neville as he and Ron swiftly closed their books.
"I'm starving," Ron said as he hurriedly piled his parchments into his schoolbag. "I'm going to scrounge for something to eat. I think Harry kept back some snacks from the last party."
"Going to bed, Alaire?" Neville asked as he packed up his study notes.
"Yeah, in a moment. I wanted to complete this thought on paper then I'll head up. See you in the morning."
She lifted her head for a goodnight kiss.
"You know, someday I want to make that a good morning kiss," Neville whispered.
"And someday you will but I doubt I'll be satisfied with just a kiss," Alaire added with a wink. "Now go to bed and think good thoughts."
Alaire watched Neville go up the stairs then turned back to her work with a sigh. She was so sick of studying the theories behind everything. It was much more fun to practice Transfiguration! She began to randomly transform items on the table. An inkwell became a snowglobe with a spouting oil rig with "Welcome to Texas!" written across the bottom. A couple of quills and a piece of parchment became a Mardi Gras mask. A sweater reverted to a small stuffed lamb.
"Oi! Calm down in there or I'll report you! I mean it!" Ron's voice drifted down the stairwell.
Suddenly inspired, Alaire smiled as she pointed her wand at a pile of Hermione's notes. Alaire stood with a smile. Ron simply nodded as he sat down and picked up a cookie ignoring Alaire's grin then nervous frown as she turned and ran up the wrong staircase.
"Off to bed then Neville?" asked Dean as he and Seamus played gobstones upstairs.
"Yeah," he said sighing. "I thought it best before my head exploded from studying."
"Don't think they'll take that as an excuse mate," Seamus said. "I'm sure Granger will find a way to revoke your spirit for just enough time to take another revision."
"I wouldn't doubt it."
Neville kicked off his slippers and folded the bed down as he prepared for bed. With school back in session, everyone had been extremely busy. Upcoming NEWTs were on everyone's mind whether they liked it or not thanks to Hermione Granger. Slipping off his bathrobe, Neville crawled under the covers. He fluffed his pillow and hoped that his dreams wouldn't be filled with NEWTs, tests or revisions. He had just gotten comfortable, when the doors to the boys dormitory flew open.
Startled, Neville sat up in bed just to have what appeared to be his girlfriend fling herself onto his bed and burrow herself under the covers.
"Oh, God! Neville hide me!" said a frantic voice from under the covers as it moved around.
"Alaire!" Neville squeaked as she accidentally moved against him in her efforts to hide herself.
"Please, Neville," she said urgently.
"Oi! If you two want to shag at least have the decency to let us leave," Dean snapped.
"Or let us get better seats," Seamus quipped.
"Shut it Finne-GAN" Neville said as his voice hitched as Alaire once again grazed him.
"Why do you sleep with a flashlight?" came a muffled voice from under the covers.
"That's HIS own special torch, love. He carries it just for you," Seamus smirked.
"So that's what I've seen shining around at night," Dean deadpanned.
Neville closed his eyes before pulling the blanket up for him to look down and see Alaire. She was cowering against him trying to keep herself as low and inconspicuous as possible.
"Not that I don't like you being here, but what is going on?" Neville asked.
"Oh, Neville, you've got to save me. She's going to kill me," Alaire said hiding her face behind her hands.
"Who?"
"Hermione."
"Didn't finish the revision?" Dean asked as a gobstone squirted out.
"I was just so sick of her talking about NEWTs and revisions. 'You shouldn't be wasting time. Don't you know these tests affect the rest of your life? One mix-up in the testing and you'd be lucky if you could get a job in a muggle magic shop," she said mimicking Hermione's latest rant. "I couldn't take it anymore. I just couldn't."
"Calm down and tell me what happened," Neville said.
"She had left her revisions and practice tests on the table before I went up to change for bed. I just snapped when I saw them."
"What did you do?" Neville asked as a lump formed in his throat.
"I transfigured them into cookies," she said in a small voice.
Dean and Seamus started to chuckle and Neville released the breath he was holding.
"Good lord, that's all?" Seamus said. "Here I thought you burnt them in the fire or tore them up. Not like any of us haven't thought about it before, course we all know that would be the LAST thing we did before Granger would kill us."
Alaire paled slightly as Seamus said this.
"Alaire?" Neville said worried.
"Umm, well, Ron came back down and he was hungry."
Three amazed faces turned toward the girl in the bed.
"So he ate a few."
A silence fell across the dormitory.
"Not good," Dean sighed.
"How many's left?" Seamus asked.
"It was Ron eating them," Alaire snapped as if that was the answer.
"None then," Neville said hanging his head.
"Can I just hide in bed with you until graduation?" Alaire asked. "Please?"
"I truly wish that was possible," Neville said. "But it's not. I don't think McGonagall would be very pleased to find you here."
"She'd be less pleased to find me cursed beyond all recognition by the Head Girl," Alaire reasoned.
"Come on," Neville said getting out of bed and pulling his bathrobe and slippers on. "We're going to fix this."
"How?" asked Dean.
"Maybe she won't notice they're gone?" Alaire said timidly. She was beginning to have second thoughts about her actions.
"Yeah and she didn't notice that three-headed dog first year either," Neville said reaching his hand to help her up. "Come on. She can't kill both of us. You can use me as a shield."
"Brave man," Dean said.
"Mind if we come down and watch?" Seamus asked.
"Shut it," snapped Neville before turning to Alaire. "It'll be fine. Just follow my lead okay?"
"'Kay."
Neville lead Alaire down the stairs and made sure she was behind him as they stopped at the base of the stairways. When they reached the bottom they saw Hermione sitting on the couch. Ron's head was in her lap and he was licking the remaining chocolate from the cookies from her fingertips.
"Uh, Hermione?" Neville said timidly.
"Not now, Neville, we're busy," she said never looking away from Ron.
"But it's about the revisions."
"Bloody hell, not now!" snapped Ron.
"Okay!" Neville said happily as he turned and quickly raced upstairs with Alaire behind him.
Slamming the door behind them, Alaire bust out laughing. Seamus looked up from where he had crawled into bed. The sound of water running meant that Dean was in the showers.
"That went well," she said laughing.
"So what now? She's going to notice those notes are gone."
"There really weren't that many, just a few pieces of parchment. Who knows?"
"Well, we simply know nothing. Right, Seamus?"
"Yeah, I think I could forget this conversation . . . for a price," Seamus said with a leer.
Then looking at the anger on Neville's face. "Or for free. Free sounds good."
"But she'll figure it out! I fed Ron those cookies. I was the only one left at the table."
"Alaire, I honestly don't know how you're going to get out of this one," Neville said with a sigh.
"Well, it's not the end of the world. Losing some old notes will not get me tossed out of Hogwarts."
"It could get you detention."
"Or worse," Seamus chimed in.
"Worse?"
"Yeah, you could be on Hermione Granger's bad side for the rest of the term."
Alaire paled as she sat down on Neville's bed.
"What am I going to do?"
Suddenly Neville grinned a truly evil grin.
"Leave everything to me, love," he said as he patted her on the back. "Go back to your room, dream good dreams, and then make sure you are at breakfast."
Alaire and Seamus stared at Neville.
"What are you going to do, Neville?" Alaire asked.
"I said leave it to me! Don't you trust me?"
"Ye-e-e-s."
"Then pleasant dreams!"
He kissed her goodnight again and shoved her out the door.
"What are you going to do, Nev?" Dean asked.
"Well, me and my memory are going to have a relapse."
The next morning, Alaire made it down to breakfast extra early. Soon Neville, Dean, Seamus, and Harry joined her. Hermione and Ron came in last. Both wore happy, content faces. They sat down and began a quiet conversation between them. Alaire watched as Neville calmly ate a bowl of oatmeal then reached for a couple of scones. After a moment, he looked over at Hermione.
"So did you like our transformation projects last night?"
Hermione's brow furrowed. "What projects?"
"You know, the cookies!"
"The cookies?" She thought for a moment. "Oh, those cookies! Those were transformed? From what, they were delicious!"
"You ate them!"
"What? Of course, we-I, I mean they were there. Ron gave me one." She turned to look at her boyfriend in horror.
"Well, they were on the table. I thought someone had heard me say I was hungry."
"WE DID. WE ALL DID," Neville choked out. "That's why I did it. I thought you'd be impressed, Hermione. I concentrated really hard on a pile of your old notes trying to transform them into something that truly reflected their inner content. I mean that WAS what you were talking about last night."
Everyone stared at Neville in amazement at his bold-face lie.
"I was going to tell you not to eat them, Hermione, but then we got caught up in plans for this weekend and I forgot about them. I'm so sorry. Your notes are gone! It's this damned short-term memory of mine. Its such an embarrassment! Why can't I be normal?"
Neville put his face in his hands as his shoulders shook. Only Alaire knew that he was actually laughing instead of crying.
"Oh, Neville! No, don't worry about it! Those notes were from our second year pincushion to hedgehog reviews. I really haven't looked at them in years! And we are so far past that now."
Neville took a deep, calming breath.
"Honest, Neville, I know you would never do anything like that on purpose." Hermione reached across the table to pat Neville's shoulder. "And, besides, the cookies were amazing! Weren't they Ron?" She nudged Ron.
"Oh, yeah! Really, really good! Hermione loved them!"
At this point, Alaire could barely contain her giggles. She quickly shoved a fork of eggs into her mouth.
"Are you sure, you're not mad?" Neville dare to peek over his hands.
"Neville, I couldn't be mad at you. And you did such a good job at that transfiguration. We never dreamed that they weren't originals! And besides, it's not your fault that you forgot. I guess I was a little hard on you last night."
"Oh, OK." Neville sat up slowly wiping imaginary tears. "So still friends?"
"Of course! They were just some silly notes!" Hermione was almost ready to leap over the table to comfort him.
The bell rang just in time to stop her. As everyone headed to classes, Hermione gave Neville another encouraging smile. Harry, who had missed the prior night's session due to a detention with Snape, was totally mystified. Alaire watched him try to get information from Ron as they walked out but for once Ron wasn't talking.
Neville couldn't help but feel a little proud as Seamus and Dean bowed down to him in an empty corridor on the way outside the Main Hall.
"We salute a master, Neville," Seamus told him with a smile. "Not even an Irishman who had swallowed the Blarney Stone could have told a whopper like that."
"Man, I am indeed impressed," Dean told him as he slapped him on the back. Once they had left, he turned to see Alaire smiling at him.
"Well, she's not mad at you." He returned her smile.
"You know, Neville, I don't think I've ever seen such a performance."
"Thank you."
"Oh, know, I believe that I need to thank you."
With a quick glance around for professors, Alaire looped her arms around his neck. "So, think you would have time for a proper thank you later tonight?"
"As you wish," Neville said as he gently brushed a kiss across her cheek.