A/N- Only two days left until HBP and I'm desperately trying to finish this story before the moment arrives!
Chapter 7: God help us all...
RIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!
Hermione yawned and stretched. She smiled to herself. Yesterday she had been walking by the lake with Ron until it started to rain, after that Ron went to look at Harry and Ginny playing chess while she finished some of her homework. Then they went to bed, and since Crookshanks was trying his best to win over Ron, he had to sleep in the four-poster again… not that she minded much.
"Wake up Ron" she whispered.
"Hmm?" he looked up sleepily and smiled.
"It's Monday"
"Five more minutes…Zzz"
She scoffed. "Fine, I'm going to change" she said quietly as she wrenched the curtains open and smiled mischievously as she watched Ron squirm with the sudden burst of light.
"Morning Her—mione" Lavender yawned.
"Good Morning" she smiled to herself.
"How you manage to be so cheerful in the morning is still a mystery" Parvati eyed her groggily.
Hermione just rolled here eyes and went inside the bathroom to brush her teeth.
"Hey Herms, where's Ron been lately? We haven't seen him at all this weekend"
"Yeah, neither has anyone else"
"Oh, he went to visit his family" she rinsed her mouth "He'll be back tomorrow, I think"
"Aww you must miss him" Parvati smiled suggestively.
"And why" Lavender took off her pajamas and rummaged through her trunk (Ron hiding his now very red face under the pillow) "would you say something like that?" she said in mock curiosity.
"Oh I don't know…" Lavender said amusedly "Maybe because she's been muttering his name in her sleep"
"Oh don't be ridiculous!" Hermione's cheeks began to burn. 'That's it… I'm definitely putting a silencing charm on my four poster'
"More like don't be painfully obvious!" Parvati laughed as she pulled her robes on.
"But who can blame her, besides being completely daft… he's gorgeous!"
"I know!" they laughed.
Hermione scoffed as she tied her tie.
Parvati and Lavender exchanged knowing looks.
"I'm going down to breakfast" Hermione said picking up her hair in a messy ponytail. "Come on you" she grabbed Ron who had a foolish grin plastered all over his face. 'She dreams of me…Bloody hell!' kept running through his mind, over and over again.
-o-
"Oh wipe that grin off your face"
"But how can I, then I won't be so 'gorgeous'" he laughed.
Hermione looked away forcing a laugh.
"'Morning Hermione" Harry greeted her at the breakfast table. "What's up with him?" Harry jerked his head towards Ron, who still had a lopsided grin on his face and was now prodding the scrambled eggs with his paws.
"He just got an ego boost" she said bitterly.
"Harry… get this!" he whispered. "I'm gorgeous"
Harry spit out his pumpkin juice all over the table.
"What?"
"Up in Hermione's dorm…" he paused dramatically "the girls think I'm gorgeous" Ron found this rather amusing (and flattering).
Harry nearly fell off the bench and knocked over the glass of juice on the floor.
"Oh please…" she rolled her eyes and whipped out her wand "Reparo" and the shattered glass flew back together, juice and all, on top of the table once again.
"What's up with her mate?" Ron whispered to Harry looking quizzically at a sulking Hermione.
"Maybe it's that time of the month again" Harry shuddered.
"Oh God help us all…" he eyed her fearfully as she fiercely took a bite out of her buttered toast.
-o-
All through the morning Hermione seemed to be in a bad mood so Ron decided to tag along inside Harry's bag instead.
"Oh great… potions" Harry got up from his seat in History of Magic class.
"Fun…" Ron sighed as Harry made his way down to the dungeons. When he arrived at their classroom however, a note was taped to the locked door.
To who it may concern:
Professor Snape is ill at the moment and there were no substitutes available. He has left his student's work for the time being below:
First Years:
Foot long essay on the properties and uses of wolfs bane
Second Years:
Look up ingredients and brewing instructions for a sleep draught to be turned in on Wednesday.
Third Years:
Two feet long essay on the uses and properties of Wormwood. Special attention to its uses in poisons.
Fourth Years:
Describe the effects of the Poly Juice potion and how to brew it in a three feet essay to be handed in on Wednesday.
Fifth Years:
Read chapters 14 through 18 and answer all of the review questions. Test on the subject will be this Friday.
Sixth Years:
Six feet long essay on the ingredients and brewing instructions for Veritaserum, its properties and most common uses, strict laws and restrictions, to be handed in on Thursday.
Seventh Years:
Brew the draught of the living dead, to be handed in on the next Full Moon.
"Six feet long?" Harry groaned. "That'll take hours!"
"At least we don't get to see the slime ball" they laughed.
-o-
Harry and Ron spent that hour in the library looking up the information on Veritaserum.
"Here, look in Moste Potente Potiones" Harry set a heavy tome open on the floor for Ron to riffle through.
"Ok" he flipped to the index while Harry jotted down the ingredients.
"Found it" Ron pawed Harry's leg.
"Okay great" the bell rang "I'm going to check this book out" he added, putting his things away.
-o-
"All right food!" Ron leapt onto the nearest bowl of spaghetti.
"I think I'll have chicken instead" he sighed as he sat down.
"Oh" Ron swallowed "Hey Hermione" he looked up, face covered in Marinara sauce.
"I'm not hungry" she avoided his eyes "I think I'll go for a walk" she said turning on her heel.
"Okay" Harry shrugged "Hey Ron, we're free next period, want to go up to the Common Room and play chess?"
"Er… no I'll meet you later" he jumped out of the bowl and onto the floor in pursuit of Hermione.
-o-
"Hermione! Wait up!" He was outside trotting behind her.
She sighed and stopped.
"Are you okay? You've been acting strange all day" Ron said catching his breath.
"Yeah, I'm fine" she lied.
"Come on… tell me" he walked beside her.
"It's nothing, forget it…"
"Oh come off it"
"…"
"I know something's bothering you"
She looked away.
"Did I do or say something?"
"No… no it's not you, I mean…" she blushed. "Do you fancy Lavender?"
"What?" he got caught off guard. "No! of course I don't" he laughed "She's a nice girl and everything… but she's not my type"
"The why did you get all excited when she mentioned you were gorgeous?" she asked accusingly.
"I just found it amusing…" he frowned. "Hermione… were you jealous?"
"What? No… no, that's ridiculous!" she said quickly.
They kept walking in awkward silence.
"Hey Hermione!" Ginny came running waving at her.
"Hey Ginny" she smiled.
"Harry and I are having a seeker face-off! See who catches the snitch first… want to come?"
"Sure! Sounds like fun" she grabbed Ron and joined Ginny.
-o-
"I can't believe Harry almost lost!" Hermione laughed.
"Yeah Harry… you seemed distracted" Ginny laughed too.
"I was going easy on you…" Harry shrugged looking away.
"Well that was fun but I have to go to Arithmancy!" Hermione dashed off towards the castle.
Ron stayed behind Harry and Ginny, although he had a sneaking suspicion that Harry didn't know it.
"So um… Ginny"
"Yeah?"
"There's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up soon… er… are you going with someone?"
"No" she smiled.
"Er…"
"Hmm?"
"Would you like to go with me?"
She grinned and nodded.
Harry grinned back.
"I have to go to class" Ginny said, still grinning broadly.
"Er… yeah, me too"
"See you later?"
"Okay"
Ron waited to be out of Ginny's earshot.
"What in the bloody hell was THAT?"
"Ron?" Harry jumped back in surprise "I thought you went with Hermione to…"
"No I didn't" he said fiercely. "If you hurt Ginny in any way…"
"I won't! I swear Ron!" said Harry, panicking slightly.
"You better not, or you'll soon be the-boy-who-no-longer-lived"
Harry gulped "Calm down mate, you're scaring me"
"Good." Ron smiled.
Harry sighed with relief when he saw Ron smile 'Thank god he was just pulling my leg…'
"Don't look so smug" he said. Harry's weak smile disappeared. "I wasn't joking" He held back a laugh as he saw the color drain from Harry's face and marched off thinking 'Revenge is sweet' He grinned.
A/N- I just couldn't resist myself. I'm so sorry guys, but I don't think I'll be able to finish this story before HBP :( But don't worry, the story is almost over! Review please!