A/N ok so I'm dreadfully behind updates, but life is hectic. I had midterms in jan and then, SATs and then APs, and well, I might have temporarily lost my notebook where I had put all my notes for this story. Plus this is the 4th time I'm writing this chapter. I hope it turns out okay, I wasn't too happy the first 3 times.
Anyway big thanks to all that reviewed: longblacksatinlace, M'rika, x3 Ginny Weasley x3, Royal Tigress, ARandomPerson, Fizzing Whizbeez, deathstreet90, anna, NIKE Goddess of Victory, Kat-Potter, Madness Lover, Peace 7, Dillesa, truffletruffle01, I-am-invisible, ladyBlue Wolf, shadieladie, Celebwen Telcontar, SpAzZzZzAtTaCk, brittagirl, School-of-Rock 101, blackangelkitty, hollow 13, krazy-wit-a-k, Ketta dragontamer, MotherCrumpet, bananna15, imakeeper, Padfoot'smoon, care, Jeni, ronhermione4eva2314, tentenrox, KangaRoo526 and Desert Fox.
Thanks to AJ-Plays-With-Fyre for reviewing and reminding me to get off my lazy butt and write again.
Here's a recap (because I was gone for so long):
'Was that under his pillow?' he asked himself silently. 'That's a bit strange, to sleep with some parchment under your pillow. Unless...' Bending over to pick it up, Harry recognized it as the parchment Ron had pulled out of the hat.
'His Secret Santa!' Curiosity getting the best of him, Harry grabbed the paper and turned it over to see what had Ron so crazy about these past few days.
21 Days 'til Christmas
Ron's voice floated out from the doorway.
"Harry, mate, are you coming or not? Wouldn't want to keep Dobby waiting without his daily dose of Harry Potter." Harry hastily put the name back under the pillow and made for the door.
"Just because you enjoy being a voyeur to Dobby's, erm, overenthusiastic greetings–" he said as they walked out of the common room and made their way down the stairs.
"Watch it! I am not a voyeur!" Ron exclaimed, pretending to be hurt by Harry's accusation.
"Sure, sure, I've seen the looks in the showers after Quidditch practice." Harry said with a knowing look. Ron sputtered, before turning to him with an evil grin.
"Yeah, you've caught me, I guess. I just can't help it when I see your pale body glistening with sweat, and the hot, steamy water runs over your smooth skin..." he continued with a dreamy sigh before his face became distraught
. "Harry I LOVE you! Please take me! Take me now!" Ron declared passionately grabbing the other boy's hand as Harry pretended to consider the proposition.
Unfortunately two Hufflepuff third years had been coming around the corner just as Ron had uttered the last sentence. It seems they had come up with the same idea to raid the kitchens, if the chocolate cake on their plates was any indication. Well, temporarily in their hands as the delicious desserts fell to the floor with a loud, squishy sounding glop.
The two boys jumped, unaware that someone had been watching their light hearted joking. The Hufflepuffs, however, did not seem to catch onto the joke part. . They stared at the pair in shock before hurriedly scurrying past them and out of sight. Ron and Harry shared an amused glance before bursting into laughter.
"Ron! Scaring the younger years yet again! What would Hermione say?" They continued to walk down corridor before arriving before the fruit-filled portrait.
"Probably something along the lines of 'you're a horrible excuse for a prefect'." Ron commented as he tickled the pear. The two walked into the kitchens and Harry braced himself for the hit that was sure to come.
"Oomph!" he said as he felt something small barrel into his legs.
"Mr. Harry Potter! And Wheezy! It is nice seeing yous again! Is Harry Potter wanting something! Can Dobby be getting anything!" the House Elf seemingly bounced in place, and Ron had to conceal a laugh behind a cough.
"Actually Dobby we were wondering if we could have a bit of a snack?" Harry said, looking down at the Elf.
"Yes, yes of course Mr Harry Potter can have anything he wants!" Dobby soon ran off and returned with an array of sweets, which they boys gratefully accepted as they sat down and began to dig in. Concentrating on food instead of conversation, Ron left Harry to his own thoughts.
Harry groaned in his head. He should have known. What else could possibly make Ron so strange lately? It all fit together. Oh Merlin, this was going to be awkward.
Harry continued to ponder as they finished up their snacks and started to walk out the door. Suddenly he stopped, causing Ron to barrel into him and fall to the floor.
Before they could so much as move however, a squeak was heard. The boys looked up to find the same Hufflepuffs staring at them, obviously on their way back to the kitchens to get more food now that they had recovered from their initial shock. Once again, they turned an almost ran off.
"Oh dear. There's going to be rumours tomorrow, that's for certain." Ron said as he got up and gave Harry a hand.
He snickered. "Yeah, sorry about that. It's just I completely forgot! That Potions essay is due tomorrow! Why were we working on Transfiguration!"
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, "Snape will kill us!" The two hurried back up to the common room, hoping Hermione would be there to help them.
20 Days 'til Christmas
Monday had rolled along (as it always does), and turned out to be a dark, gloomy, day. Everybody, even Hermione, was having trouble getting into the frame of mind for work. Breakfast was a rather quiet affair, each too absorbed in their own thoughts–or their food, in Ron's case–to make any attempts at conversation. Harry and Ron trudged into Charms. They were both in crabby moods, having been up late finishing their Potions essays.
"Class, settle down, settle down. Open Achievements in Charming to page 141." squeaked Flitwick, taking his usual place on top of a stack of books. "Today we will be reviewing Substansive Charms. Can anyone tell me what they are?" As expected, Hermione's hand shot up, and only some of the Ravenclaws' followed. "Yes, Miss Granger?"
"A Substansive Charm temporarily allows the essence of imagination to come into existence, or to hold substance." Hermione recited, sounding like a textbook, as usual.
"Very good, 5 points to Gryffindor. Now who could tell me why would this be considered a rather difficult spell to cast-- Finnegan?" Hermione looked a little put out, but put her hand down to listen.
"Erm...because it's in the 5th year Charms textbook?" joked Seamus. A few giggles erupted around the room.
"No, not quite Mr. Finnegan, but nice try. How about Miss. Patil?"
"Difficult wand movement?" said Parvati
"No, no more difficult that what you encounter regularly in this class, but good guess. Mr Boot?"
"The amount of detail required to make a correct corporeal object is beyond what most people see in their imagination." said Terry Boot, looking a little unsure of his answer.
"Good, good–5 points to Ravenclaw. However, there is still one aspect you all have missed." At this statement, Hermione began to frantically wave her hand in the air. "Yes, Miss Granger?"
"It is impossible for someone to cast the charm on themselves." Hermione noted, before continuing, "And few people are aware of another's fantasies enough as to allow them to cast it for another."Ron snickered at the word 'fantasies', and Hermione turned to give him a glare.
"Correct Miss Granger! Now, what is the Substansive Charm usually used for? Mr. Weasley?"
Ron, still laughing, looked up sheepishly.
"Erm...could you repeat the question?" This was met for a few titters from the class.
"In the Wizarding World, what is the Substansive Charm usually used for?" At this statement, Ron's eyes actually lighted up.
"On children, of course! Calms a crying baby down and gives the parents a rest."
"Good job Mr. Weasley! 5 points to Gryffindor. The reason it works so well on children is that their minds are not as highly developed yet, and often indistinct shapes make them happy. And that is the reason we still teach the charm today, for all you potential parents." At this, a few kids made a face, and the lesson continued as usual.
"So Harry, thinking about the potential of those Substansive Charms?" Seamus asked, sitting next to Harry and grabbing a sandwich. Harry looked up from his plate, and gave him a questioning look.
"Come on! 'Brings a person's fantasies to life.' I'm sure it doesn't work just on children." Harry looked at him for a moment, before realization dawned on him.
"Think about it..." Seamus trailed off, a dreamy look on his face. Harry laughed and resumed his lunch.
The day passed the way it usually does. In potions Harry messed up his Babbling Beverage, causing Ron to babble ostensibly about muffins and his relation to them, though at one point he started talking about invisibility cloaks uncomfortably loudly in Snape's hearing. The only bright side of being docked 40 points was that Harry was excused to take Ron to the hospital wing to fix him up.
They walked in comfortable silence on the way to the common room, Ron's mouth shooting random sentences out every now and then. Harry stealed himself up for what he was about to ask.
"Ron?"
"Never tickle a sleeping sofa!--yeah, Harry?"
"So you like Hermione, huh?"
A/N And there you go! Finally a chapter. It's dreadfully short, i know but I hope some of you find it in your hearts to review me, even to yell at the immense delay. Unfortunately i still have SAT IIs, followed by ACTs, followed by Finals. But it all ends June 13th! I'll try to write some stuff in between, and NOT lose a notebook...
Birds of Morrigan
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