Ok here is chapter 2, there are many more to come.
Chapter 2: Meet Midnight.
Ron got handed his new timetable the next day at breakfast. He glanced down at it and groaned.
"Why do I still take Divination? I really think I'm gunna fail that subject as I have no idea what any of it is on about"
"You should have dropped it like I did" said Hermione, examining her own timetable.
"You say that every year Hermione and then you go on about your wonderful Arithmancy, well this year I don't want to know!"
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Fi-"
"Hey you two stop bickering, we've got double Defence Against the Dark Arts last, look." when he said the last word Harry pointed at his timetable.
Hermione looked at her own timetable "Oooh, now we can talk to Lupin about his new feline friend!"
Ron raised his eyebrows at her. Why did she always have to sound like she had swallowed a textbook? He didn't understand it. For one thing it would be really hard to remember all of these different words and secondly it would be even harder to put them into a sentence. Why couldn't Hermione speak normally? Ron tried to imagine Hermione talking like a rapper or something. It made him laugh. It wasn't right. It wasn't the Hermione he knew and adored. Yes, the Hermione he adored was sitting right in front of him finishing her breakfast.
"Yo! Ron!"
Ron looked round.
"Come on, we've got to get to Transfiguration, McGonagall will kill us if we're late!"
Ron stood up and followed Harry and Hermione out of the Great Hall and through the corridors to Transfiguration.
McGonagall's lesson was really dull, she made them write down what they were planning to learn that year for their NEWTs next year. She had told them that if they had a list of things they needed to learn for their exams then they would be able to refer back in case they wanted to go over something again or they weren't sure what to revise. Ron thought it was completely pointless because if he needed to go over anything he would just ask Hermione.
Ron spent most of the lesson flicking bits of paper at Harry and Harry spent most of the lesson flicking paper at Ron. Hermione, who was sitting next to Ron, kept tutting at them and telling them to get some work done, but Ron just laughed at her and carried on flicking his bits of paper at Harry.
After transfiguration they had Divination so Ron and Harry had to say goodbye to Hermione and head for the North Tower. Ron and Harry took their usual places. Professor Trelawney emerged out of the shadows and announced, that they too, were to write up what they would be learning for the next year and a bit. Not again, thought Ron. The fumes emanating from the fireplace made him drowsy and he found his mind wondering somewhere else.
Ron found himself in the Gryffindor Common Room sitting in one of the armchairs staring at the fire. He herd footsteps and someone said "Hello gorgeous". He looked up and there was Hermione Granger wearing a silky summer dress, looking very very lovely, or so Ron thought. He looked into her eyes and smiled.
"Wow, you look amazing!" he told her. He smiled again. He watched her lower herself onto his lap and felt her wrap her arms around his neck. She looked straight into his eyes.
"Thank you Ron, I've been waiting to hear that for a long time." She lent towards him. Ron could feel her breath on his face. She got closer. Her nose was almost touching his and Ron leant in.
"Ron, Ron!" Ron found himself being shaken back to reality by Harry. Damn Harry, he thought, why couldn't he give him just one more moment? Why?
"Ron quick look like your working, Trelawney's coming this way!"
Ron grabbed his quill and franticly started copying the notes in front of him. Professor Trelawney peered over his shoulder at his work and sighed. "Mr Weasley, I would like to think you could be a little more productive than this in a lesson. I will have to set this as your homework" she sounded a lot like Professor McGonagall than her usual airy self.
**********
"Damn! I can't believe I have to do that for homework!" Ron stalked down the corridor with Harry to the library. They were meeting Hermione in there. When they got into the library Ron slammed his bag down on the table Hermione was sitting at.
She jumped. "Oh, Ron what's the matter?" she looked up at him concerned.
Ron looked at her, she looked so wonderful and caring, he couldn't stay mad at the fact he didn't get to finish his fantasy. "Nothing," he muttered, "don't worry about me." He smiled at her. Harry rolled his eyes and sat down. Ron got his homework out of his bag and also sat down. He hurriedly finished it just before they had to go to next lesson. In this lesson (History of Magic) they had to make notes on what Professor Binns told them about what they were learning for the next year.
"Not again" Ron whispered to Harry. They tried to write notes but usual flat drone of Professor Binns speaking made them fall into a state of stupor, they occasionally came round to manage to write a few notes before dozing off again.
By the time lunchtime arrived Ron was famished. He ate enough to feed a small army and he didn't do it in a very civilised way.
"Ron I do wish you could manage to eat like a human once in a while" said Hermione who was eating as fast as she could manage and still looked decent.
As soon as they were done they rushed off with all the other 6th year Gryffindor students so they could arrive early for their next lesson, double Defence Against the Dark Arts. They were all very exited about having Lupin back. He was the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher they had ever had. A lot of them were also curious about the Panther who he had not been seen without since they arrived at school. Whenever he went anywhere they would always see the big cat not far behind. He even took it into the Great Hall during meal times and Ron had seen him sneak a piece of steak to her under the table that lunch time. The whole class was buzzing when the bell went. The door opened and the class filed in. Harry, Ron and Hermione all managed to get front row seats. Lupin stood in front of the desk and looked around at all the eager faces.
"Welcome back sir!" The entire class welcomed Lupin back to his post and he smiled.
"Thank you very much. I am indeed glad to be back."
"Why did you leave sir if you were only going to come back?"
"Yeah you could have saved us from having that toad Umbridge last year!"
Lupin sighed and waved a hand, "ok now settle down. I left because I didn't think people would accept me after I had be revealed as a werewolf and I came back because Dumbledore was desperate." Lupin looked behind him, "now up on the board are a list of thinks we will be doing this year, I would like you to copy them down please."
A groan was herd from the whole class.
"But sir," objected Seamus "that's all we've been doing all day"
"I'm sorry but that's what has to be done."
So for the 4th time that day Ron wrote down what they were planning to learn that coming year. He was exceedingly fed up of all this copying down, it was making his wrist ache more than anything. Harry passed him a note. Remember we want to know about the panther. Oh yeah, Ron had forgotten about that. Come to think of it, where was the panther?
Something sprung onto the desk making everyone in the class jump. It was the panther! Ron gaped at it. It looked a lot more powerful and a lot more overwhelming close up. Its coat was a deep black and looked incredibly soft and shiny where it caught the light. The white on the end of its tail was an amazing contrast from the black and looked incredible. But perhaps the most amazing thing of all about this creature was its eyes. Its deep brown eyes, like huge gateways to her soul. These eyes made the panther very humanlike as they seamed to show her emotion. As Ron looked into them he thought she looked very wise, but very troubled, as if she had a huge weight on her shoulders. Ron felt sorry for her and wished there was something he could do to help.
"Everybody, this is my good friend Midnight." Lupin introduced her and started to stroke her lovingly. He looked around the class. Everyone was looking at him awe struck. Evidently they had never seen a panther this close before and had never seen one as tame as this either.
Lavender raised her hand. "Please sir, now that we have finished copying the notes down can we come and meet Midnight a bit more personally and maybe, maybe stroke her?
Lupin looked at Midnight as if to get her consent and then nodded. There was a rush of people who surrounded Midnight and she backed away.
"Wait! Don't surround her like that or she will get vicious" everyone backed away, "I see we will have to take turns in getting to know Midnight. Now Lavender can go first as she was the one who asked. Come on Lavender, she won't hurt you."
Lavender approached Midnight carefully. She put out a hand to stroke her head. Midnight looked up at Lavender, she looked quite worried. Midnight moved forwards a little and let Lavender stoke her head. Lavender was encouraged by this and relaxed a little, she started stroking less stiffly. Midnight closed her eyes and gave a low purr.
Lavender gave a little squeal of delight, "ooooh! She purred! Did you hear? She purred!" Parvati clapped and came forward to meet Midnight. When it was Neville's chance to come and stroke Midnight he was very worried because he didn't have a lot of luck with these things.
Seamus tried to give him a bit of advice. "Don't be frightened, they can smell fear!" This didn't help Neville at all, in fact he shook even more. He walked up to her very cautiously shaking all over. Ron watched feeling sorry for poor Neville, he looked at Midnight, and he could have sworn he could see pity in her eyes. She moved forwards and nuzzled her head against his hand. This at first startled Neville and he pulled his hand away. Then he realised that she was being friendly and soon he had his arm around her and was snuggling into her fur.
"Would Ron, Harry and Hermione like to stroke Midnight?" Ron looked up at Lupin and walked towards Midnight. She was really big and quite intimidating up close. Ron felt quite nervous at being this close to this very quick and powerful beast, but if Neville could do it surely he could to. He watched as Hermione bent down to touch Midnight, she smiled as she stroked Midnight's glossy fur. It looks easy enough Ron thought. He moved forwards and put his hand on Midnights head. Her fur was really soft and warm. It felt very pleasant between his fingers and he began running his hands down her back. It's not so bad, just like stroking a large cat really. Ron felt quite pleased with himself for being able to stroke Midnight. He watched Harry do the same.
**********
"Wow isn't Midnight lovely?" Ron, Harry and Hermione were all having dinner and were talking excitedly about Midnight. Ron noticed that Harry seamed to be smiling a lot more genuinely than he had since Sirius…….
"I wonder if Hagrid has met her yet? He will love her! Right Ron?" Harry looked at Ron and smiled, Ron liked to see Harry smile. He was so worried about how he must be feeling and he just wished that he would confide in him.
"Yeah, I bet he would. He would probably try and kidnap her!"
They all laughed. This was how Ron liked things, to be at Hogwarts having fun with his friends. No troubles, no worries, nothing to try and solve or defeat. Just him Harry and Hermione having fun. He hoped everything could stay this way, but he secretly knew it would not last.
---this chapter was really hard to write and to end, I hope its ok!---