"Why do they always insist upon calling us the Golden Trio?" The girl with short curly brown hair grumbled as she crumbled that days Daily Prophet up and tossed it into the fireplace. A satisfied smirk formed on her lips as she watched the edges of the paper curl and then catch fire. Within seconds the offending object was nothing more than a pile of ash.
"Not in a very good mood today, are we?" Another of the rooms three occupants, a boy with short messy black hair, questioned from right beside the girl.
"Good mood? She about took my bloody head off this morning." The third occupant, another boy but this one had shoulder length red hair, chimed in from his position on the floor.
"You deserved it, Ronald." The girl hissed out as she crossed her arms, defensively. "And if I had been aiming for your head...we wouldn't be having this conversation." She added, smugly.
"Would you put a cork in it? I'm sick and tired of listening to you two bicker. That's all you've done for the entire week we've been here! We're supposed to be having fun, instead we're going stir crazy from being stuck inside for the third day in the bloody row!" The black haired boy huffed and resumed his staring at the ceiling.
"What else are they going to call us?" The red head asked, ignoring his black haired friend, as he turned his gaze back to the fire within the fireplace. "It's easier calling us the Golden Trio than writing out all three of our names or so my mum informed me just the other day when I asked the exact same question. Saying Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley did yada yada yada is less exciting then saying the Golden Trio did yada yada yada. It's all about what sells more." He was silent for a moment then added. "That I learned that from Fred and George."
"That...that actually made scene, Ron." Harry shared a look with Hermione before eying his friends back. "Either Hermione is rubbing off on you or you're rubbing off on us. I don't know which is scarier. But the whole Golden Trio is getting a bit old. I mean...where did they ever come up with that name anyways?"
"Maybe Dumbledore told them?" Hermione suggested. "He does think that we can do no wrong in this world. Not that I'm complaining or anything. His utter and complete faith in our innocence is beneficial to us during the school year."
Ron snorted and rolled onto his back. "More like stupidity than faith, wouldn't you say? We're fifteen years old, what fifteen year old is well mannered and so...compliant? None that I know of but he actually believes that we are well behaved all year 'round. He'd never believe it was us if he ever saw us over the summer holiday."
-0-
This was their second summer of hanging out together. Their second summer where they ditched their respective families, right off the train from Hogwarts, and rented a room at the Leaky Cauldron, under false identities. They all pulled their money and spent the summer holiday as normal teenagers. Or as normal as two teenage wizards and a teenage witch could be. Their fun wasn't limited to Diagon Alley or the wizarding world, oh no. They spent quite a lot of time in the muggle world as well. Hermione enjoyed showing the wizard raised Ron and the neglected Harry all that the muggle world had to offer. Their days were spent at shops and pubs while their nights were devoted to clubs and parties. They enjoyed their reprieve together because once school started then the masks were slid firmly back into place and they became exactly who they were expected to be; responsible, studious, sometimes rebellious, Hogwarts students. These were not people they enjoyed being. And this year it was becoming increasingly difficult to focus on becoming the Golden Trio that the Daily Prophet wrote about. They just wanted to be themselves.
-0-
"Never believe it? I think the old codger would have a bloody fit if he ever saw the real us. And not just him either. What about your parents, Ron, Hermione? What would they say if they ever found out where you disappeared to for the entire summer?" Harry asked.
"Well, my parents kinda know where I am or at least whom I'm with. Not like I have any friends other than you two so them figuring it out wouldn't be a real shocker." Hermione mumbled, her mood still bleak.
Ron was quiet as he mulled over Harry's question. "I think my dad would be alright with it, he's pretty decent. But mum...I'm sure a howler will be waiting for me at the welcoming feast...again. I wish she'd realize that I'm not going to turn out like my brothers. I wish she'd realize that I'm not my brothers." Now Ron felt his mood slipping.
Harry moved his gaze from the ceiling and eyed his two best friends. "Think of it this way, Ron. When you're out doing great things, things your brothers only dreamed about, then she'll know who you really are. Now..." He clapped his hands together and sat up straight. "What are we going to do about Hogwarts this year?"
Ron shrugged. "What we do every year, I suppose. What else can we do?"
"Really Ron." Hermione huffed. "Do you ever think outside the box? There are loads of things we could do."
"Alright Hemlock, what would you have us do?" Ron gritted out.
"It's Sherlock not Hemlock, read a book every so often Ronald, you could use the help." Hermione gave her red headed friend a smug look that said I so owned you. "I would have us give up this ruse and let the wizarding world get to know the real us. If they can't handle it...boo bloody hoo."
"Let the wizarding world get to know the real us?" Harry eyed Hermione, skeptically. "Weren't you the one, just last summer, that said that they could never handle it? The whole delicate balance of our world would blah blah blah?" He waved his hand to show that he had no desire to repeat her speech.
"I may have, may have, been a little premature with that suggestion." Hermione glared at Ron who had mock fainted when she implied that she had been wrong about something. "Grow up you prat."
Harry couldn't stop his eyes from rolling. "No wonder people think your brother and sister. You squabble worse than Fred and George." He was referring to several instances that occurred in the muggle world were they were mistaken for siblings.
"Would you stop reminding me?" Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose. One instance really irked her and that was when a little old lady yelled at her for arguing with her big brother. "Ron's younger." She grumbled as the memory surfaced for a brief second then returned to the back of her mind.
Ron smirked. "Aw, I think my little sister is having a bad day."
"Ron, you didn't help matters any by telling the lady that Minnie tried to flush you down the loo when you were a baby." Harry pointed out trying to avoid the argument that was brewing. He knew that Hermione hated being called Minnie and had come close to hexing Ron, because of his teasing, on several occasions, not all of which would have been legal. "And I agree with Hermione. This is going to be our fifth year at Hogwarts." He stated, quietly. "We're almost of age, just a few years shy of being legal in our world. And yet...we're still treated like bloody first years. Like kids. I don't know about you two but I stopped being a kid the day Dumbledore left me with my family. I missed out on having a childhood and I bloody well am not missing out on being a teenager. So I say we do what we want. No more hiding. No more pretending. And if anyone has a problem with it...they can sod off." He wasn't just trying to improve his friends moods but his as well.
"So it's agreed then?" Hermione looked from Harry to Ron then back to Harry and smirked. "Hogwarts won't know what hit her." She rubbed her hands together in glee.
"What about Malfoy?" Ron asked. "He knows about us and he saw us in Knockturn Alley.. He could easily go to Dumbledore and tell him everything." He pointed out.
"He won't." Harry assured. "He might go to Snape but never Dumbledore. And do you think that greasy oversized bat will believe a word he says? Our hatred for each other is well known. Besides, we could go to Dumbledore and tell him that we saw him enter Knockturn Alley and followed. Draco is the one that is likely to get into trouble not us."
"I still can't believe you made a truce with him." Ron crossed his arms and grunted. "Where is the fun in that?"
"Well, I think it was very noble of Harry." Hermione chimed in and gave Harry a peck on the cheek. "It's Dumbledore and the Professors that encourage the house rivalries by not trying to put a stop to it. Malfoy is only an innocent victim in Dumbledore's tangled web that was woven long before any of us were born."
"Sure, take his side." Ron grumbled as he stood and stretched his stiff muscles. "Lets go do something. This is boring and I'm hungry." He headed for the door and exited.
"You're always hungry, Ron." Harry replied as he stood and headed for the door. "We can get something to eat downstairs." He followed the red head out of the room that all three of them shared.
"Boys." Hermione rolled her eyes and followed the other two, making sure their door closed and locked They could never be too careful these days.