Chapter 39: Loony Birds
"So you and Hermione have to go to Hagrid's hut tonight?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. After the moon rises. Why'd Professor Sloom have to give me the Lunar Birds?" Ron said groaning.
"I don't know…she gave Harry and I Hellhounds." Neville said from his bed.
"That would have been a much better topic." Ron grumbeled. Harry and Neville shrugged and Ron sighed. Picking up his quill, Ron nervously tapped it against the pieces of parchment that were spread out on his bed.
"Nervous?" Seamus asked coming into the boys dormitory.
"About what?" Ron asked
"Going out with Hermione." Seamus said.
"I'm not going out with her. We're working on a project that requires a little extra time." Ron said frowning.
"Extra time in the moonlight." Seamus said teasingly and Harry made mocking love eyes at Ron and batted his eyelashes quite a lot.
"Bloody comedians the lot of you. And Harry you could certainly pass for a damn good girl with that eyelash batting. Practice it a lot?" Ron asked with a grin. Harry threw a pillow at him.
"I'm so sorry you got paired with my brother." Ginny said.
"Not your fault." Hermione said looking at the fire that blazed brightly in the common room.
"No. Its not my fault but I still feel bad. Ron's a bit of a stickler." Ginny said laughingly.
"Trust me. I know all about your brother." Hermione said laughing.
"If only you could have gotten paired with someone cute for this project. Someone like Viktor Krum. Imagine walking in the moonlight with him." Ginny said with a dreamy look on her face.
"That would be nice….but Viktor and I are just friends."
"Sure Sure."
"No really."
"Come on Hermione! You mean to tell me your not attracted to him in the least bit?" Ginny said giving her a look of disbelief.
"Well….I am a little." Hermione said blushing.
"Alright Hermione. Lets do this thing." Ron said slightly frustrated and his hair sticking up in all directions.
"You mean our Dark Arts project." She corrected.
"Yeah sure." Ron said rolling his eyes. Ginny gave Hermione another sympathetic look as Hermione and Ron left the common room.
"So what are we doing exactly?" Ron asked.
"We're going to study the Lunar Bird's behavior for the next 3 days." She replied.
"Oh….and Hagrid has one of these things?" he asked.
"Yes…well at least he told me he did." She said biting her lower lip.
"There 'yer two 're." Hagrid booming voice said.
"Got yer bird right 'ere" He said patting a metallic cage with a cloth over it as Hermione and Ron approached. Hagrid set it on the ground and pulled the cloth off of it. For a minute the three were staring at an empty cage, then slowly a bird, that was almost so white it looked translucent, appeared before them. It had a long beak and 4 long feathers on the top of its head. Its wings were long and the tips of the feathers on the wings had a light blue tint to them. The bird had beady purple eyes that darted in every direction.
"Watch this." Hagrid said with a full grin. He went inside the hut and returned shortly after. He placed a fake rat next to the cage and backed up quickly. The bird's eyes swiveled around and then spotted the mouse. It made a sound that almost sounded like a growl only more high pitched and then with its beak still closed, a thin line of red liquid shot out of its beak. It hit the fake rat and after a minute it began to burn through.
"Great. Professor gives us probably the most dangerous bird ever to be in existence." Ron groaned. Hermione and Ron studied the bird for about an hour when suddenly it disappeared. They looked up and dark storm clouds were covering the moon.
"Gonna rain….better be gettin' back to the castl'." Hagrid said. Hermione and Ron quickly put their things away and just as Hagrid had said it started to rain. Well, Hermione and Ron made a dash for Hogwarts. Hermione slipped in a puddle and would have splashed in mud if it wasn't for Ron's quick reflexes. He stretched out an arm and grabbed her hand. He pulled her up and right into his arms. The two looked at eachother awkwardly.
"Uhhhh….thanks." Hermione said looking down and leaving Ron's arms quickly
"No…problem." He said. He was happy that she couldn't notice him turning 12 shades of red.
"Well well well. Going to the library together? You two are the regular pair of love doves." Malfoy sneered from a corner as Hermione and Ron walked to the library the next morning.
"Can it Malfoy." Ron spat.
"Oh that's right…you two have a project together…oh I forgot." Malfoy said making a face and rolling his eyes.
"That's right. Now leave." Hermione said never turning around.
"What is your project again? The Loony bird? Seems very fitting for you two. Pretty loony the two of you. We have the poor pure blood and the geeky mudblood. Whoever would have thought of such a mat-" Malfoy started but was cut off my Ron's fist ramming into his face.
"Ron!" Hermione screeched and attempted to pull him off.
Malfoy was shocked and swung at Ron. It hit him square in the jaw. Ron tackled Malfoy bringing him to the ground.
"What the bloody hell is going on here!" a voice yelled. Suddenly a hand shot out and lifted Ron off of Malfoy. Ron tried to go after Malfoy again but the person held him firmly by the collar. Another held Malfoy by his shoulder.
"What the hell do you think your doing?" Sarah yelled holding Malfoy firmly by the shoulder and not allowing him to lunge at Ron. It was she who had yelled first.
"Fighting in the halls." Severus Snape said clicking his tongue as he held Ron by his collar.
"What were you thinking?" Sarah asked.
"He started it!" Malfoy said, spitting blood.
"I don't care who started it, Now why? Ron, you're a Gryffindor prefect if I'm not mistaken, and Draco you're a Slytherin with a very well known family. Why fight. " She asked.
"I seem to remember a certain fight between a Gryffindor and Slytherin before. Nasty temper these Gryffindor's have." Severus said. Sarah gave him a look of pure ice, Severus matched it.
"It takes two to fight…and if you remember, in that fight both had been at fault, and neither were punished." Sarah said sternly.
"Only detention." Severus retorted.
"A short detention." Sarah snapped back.
"That was then. The rules have changed." He said, his lips curling into a grin.
"Well I might remind you that Ron is not your responsibility. You don't get to decide his punishment. That's McGonagall's area of expertise." Sarah said causing Severus's smile to fall.
"Well…Draco..isn't your concern either. He's mine. So remember that. You and your riff raff husband" Severus snapped.
"Don't get mad at me just because they're getting married!" Sarah screamed at him. Her body going rigid and her hand gripping Malfoy tighter. Severus went white with rage. He released Ron and stormed off in a huff. Sarah made a scream in frustration, spun on her heel and left.
"You'll get what's coming to you." Malfoy hissed to Hermione and then walked off wiping the blood out of his mouth.
"You-Why-You-He…er….thanks. For taking care of Malfoy for me." Hermione said with a light blush.
"It-w-was nothing." Ron said wiping his chin off which was sporting a new cut.
"Here…lets go to the Hospital Wing." Hermione said with a smile.