May
It was NEWTS time.
Which to most 7th year students a time to stress about, in fact all but five of the 7th years were in a state of panic.
For Ron, Harry, Draco, Pansy, and Blaise it was a time to relax. Because once NEWTS started Hermione actually calmed down.
The three Slytherins had been sucked into the world of Hermione-style NEWTS preparation. What started as a tentative attempt at friendship had ballooned into a world of pain and control – Hermione's beliefs about studying reminded them a bit of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Ron and Harry were only too glad to share their pain, her attention was now split five ways, and Harry even got a little color-coded time to snog Ginny. That was the same color-coded time Ron had to snog Lavender and Draco and Pansy got to snog. Really – they all thought it was very nice of Hermione to remember them, even if it meant she and Blaise had extra studying time.
But now it was all over.
Gone were the color-coded charts, helpfully designed by the Head Girl.
Gone were the late night study sessions with brutal quizzing by Ginny (who felt that working with everyone this year only gave her a head start on next year – she was going to have to balance being Head Girl and Quidditch)!
The only sad bit was the new notes that had appeared in the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes boxes.
You've dropped your Knuts and Order Form here,
We hope you've had a successful year!
But now it's time to close up shoppe,
Get what you need now to go out on top!
Final order date – the Sunday before NEWTS.
Make sure you have your Graduation items.
See you next year!
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Privately, the group was amazed that they had made it an entire year without a single professor finding out about the boxes. Draco had even checked it for Dark Magic, much to Ron's indignation.
Ginny just asked if Draco could check her necklace and remove the Virgo charm.
Draco pointed out that even if he could, there was no way in hell he was altering magic done by Molly Weasley – she was one scary mother.
Hermione and Blaise thought that it showed an enormous amount of inter-House cooperation for all the Prefects to know, and yet no one snitched.
As they sat around the night before Graduation, they reflected on their last seven years (six for Ginny), and wondered all the what-ifs.
What if Draco hadn't been such an ass in the beginning?
What if Hermione had never been hiding in the bathroom with the troll?
What if Ron had actually let everyone in on the fact he was intelligent.
What if there had never been a MoldyWart?
What if they didn't have the crate of muggle alcohol currently sitting in the Heads common room?
"'Mione?"
"Yesh, Ron?" slurred Hermione.
"What's dat on yer finger?"
"That, ish a ring!"
"A ring?"
"Yesh, um, muggles get, um,clash rings."
"Clash?"
"Class – Ronald – class rings," Ginny helped decipher Drunk Hermione.
"Gins," mumbled Harry.
"Yes?"
"I can't kish you when you're talking."
"Yes, Harry."
"'Mione?"
"Yesh, Ron?"
"Tanks fer letting Lavender come up."
"No problem, Ron."
"Gins?"
"Yes, Ron."
"How dish you do it?"
"Do what, Ron?"
"Sneak stuff in from Gred and Forge."
"I didn't Ron."
"Ye don't have to lie anymore, sistra…my favorite sistra."
"Your only sister."
"Still my fav-vor-ite!"
"Go back to snogging, Ron."
"Yesh, Ginny."
"Drunk and alone and no one to snog?" asked Blaise, nudging Hermione sideways on the couch.
"Only tonight," she answered, leaning back on him and promptly falling asleep.
"Right talented little witch you are," he answered, dropping a soft kiss on her cheek before settling back to doze himself. His legs kicked out in front of his body, barely missing the two Slytherins intertwined on the rug in front of the fireplace.