Chapter 27: Grey is the Knight

April found Hermione and Ginny in the Common Room supposedly studying late one Friday evening.

"It's no use!" Hermione snapped, slamming her book shut.

"Earth to Hermione," Ginny said gently. "What's been with you lately? You've been unable to concentrate on any of your books since the battle nearly three weeks ago. Are you ill?"

"What?" Hermione asked, shaking her head as if to remove excess water.

Ginny sighed and closed her book gently. "I know. I can't concentrate. We need to do something about cheering up the castle after this whole mess."

Hermione sighed, shaking he head once more, but this time more gently.

"No—I mean, yes, we should do something to shake the castle out of this funk, but that wasn't to what I was referring."

"And to what, or whom," Ginny grinned, "might you be referring?"

"Ha ha, Gin," Hermione snapped. "You think about it and tell me it makes sense, then."

"Hermione, I can't do that."

"Ha, then. See? I told you it's no use."

"No, Hermione, I can't do that until you tell me what you're bloody talking about!"

"What? Oh. The Grey Knight, of course. It makes no sense. He stopped the Death Eaters from doing any more damage, Ron stopped Lucius Malfoy from hitting the guy from behind and when the Knight calls on Ron to acknowledge the Life Debt, Ron says no and transfers it to me!"

"That's what's bothering you?"

"YES! I almost got stunned from behind, but Mystery Man blocked it for me, and then Ron blocked Malfoy's killing curse. If anyone is owing anyone a life debt, it's me owing Ron and the Mystery Man."

"Come off it, Hermione. You and Ron are so steeped in Life Debts that you'll always be even. Think about it."

"You're right, Ginny," Hermione conceded. "At least about the Ron and I saving each other's lives repeatedly since we started school. But why would Ron transfer the protection of a Life Debt from the 'I'm-too-shallow-to-show-my-face' guy in the grey cloak to me?"

"Because Ron loves you and values your life more than he does his own," Ginny said simply.

"But Ginny, I—"

"He figures one more person watching your back is a little more weight off his shoulders."

"But Gin—"

"That, and he is probably banking on the possibility that he may not always be around to protect you. If he isn't, he knows that someone else is."

Hermione stared at Ginny, with her jaw slightly slack. "But GINNY—"

"But Hermione—But nothing!"

"That's preposterous, Ginny, and you know it."

"Preposterous? That Ron loves you more than life itself? I don't think so."

"But Ginny, I—"

"But nothing, Hermione," Ginny snapped, annoyed with her friend's uncanny ability to solve all the mysteries of the world, so long as they weren't just past the end of her nose. "If you can't take my word for it, then feel your locket. You know the enchantments. You and Ron loved each other as friends long before you loved each other as lovers. It's natural he would do anything to protect you."

Hermione clutched the locket around her neck, and looked pensively at her friend across the table.

"You're right, Ginny," she said, smiling. "And I'd do the same thing as well. Ron was my best friend before he was anything else. That's what friends do, and it just makes it even stronger knowing that my feelings run deeper than friendship for him."

Ginny nodded, and reached in her bag for a licorice wand. "Want one?" she offered.

"Thanks," Hermione said, grabbing it and sucking on it happily. "So what about this "Grey Knight" guy then? What do you think his deal is?"

"The whole eccentric face-hiding thing?"

"Yeah! What is with that?"

"Well, I have two guesses. Either he's hiding a rather large facial abnormality or…"

"Or… or what?" Hermione pressed.

"Or, he's afraid of openly proclaiming his allegiance with Harry and Dumbledore."

"Well that's just silly!" Hermione scoffed.

"How is that silly? Lots of Slytherins lost their lives for siding with Dumbledore in the battle last week!"

"No, not that! I meant the facial abnormality part."

"Oh really?" Ginny smirked.

"Of course," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "No one who duels that good could be ugly."

"Oh really?" Ginny asked once again, grinning madly.

"Really," Hermione insisted. "He's probably utterly gorgeous and didn't want to distract us from kicking Death Eater arse."

"So you think he's drop gorgeous, then?"

"Drop gorgeous? What on earth is that?"

"Drop gorgeous," Ginny translated, "where he's so gorgeous that he would cause you to drop whatever you might be holding at the time- wand, dinner plate, book, venomous tentactula pot, whatever."

Hermione giggled, "Yeah. Drop gorgeous, then."

Ginny grinned back, "I bet you're right."

"Oh really?" Hermione raised an eyebrow. "And what would Harry think if he heard you talking about this Mr. Mysterious like that?"

Ginny scoffed and waved away the accusation airily. "Come on, Hermione. I may be married, but I haven't been petrified!"

The brunette giggled, "No, I suppose not. Nor are we dead."

Ginny nodded. "Right. So there's no reason we should feel badly about looking at other wizards."

"Or Muggles!" Hermione added spiritedly, grabbing another licorice wand. "I always have thought that Prince William was quite dashy."

"Me too!" Ginny sighed. "Although it's so disappointing that none of his photos move."

"Too true," Hermione agreed. "Another one to add to our Drop Gorgeous List of Blokes and Wizards."

"More like Drop Sexy List of Blokes and Wizards," Ginny grinned devilishly.

"Excellent!" Hermione cried. "Shall we enchant a list?"

"Of course!" Ginny agreed, immediately reaching into her bag for a long piece of parchment and a quill. "Just make sure to add that tricky little charm so only we can see it!"

"I think we're agreed that both Ron and Harry are on the list, even though neither of us looks at one of the pair in a certain way," Hermione said as she added them to "1 & 2" on the same line, so as to document a tie.

"Agreed. After all, Ron looks like me, so of course he's gorgeous."

Hermione giggled. "And the Grey Knight then? Shall we put him at number three for mysterious appeal?"

Ginny sucked on her quill for a moment and shook her head. "Nah, better keep him at number five. You never know, he really could be hiding a deformity."

"Fair enough," agreed Hermione, and Ginny quilled 'The Grey Knight' in at spot number five.

She and Hermione got quick to work and were still debating and adding to their list over two hours later when Ron and Harry found them.

"You two have been working hard," Ron observed.

"What on?" Harry asked. "That must be at least three feet of parchment!"

"Oh, nothing much," Ginny said innocently. "Just a, um…"

"It's for Professor Flitwick!" jumped in Hermione, smoothly. "And the Defensive Charm Research Committee. We don't really want to, um…"

"We didn't really want to expose it until we're entirely sure that it's itemized and prioritized properly," added Ginny. "Like number twelve, Hermione, I really think that one should be bumped up to at least number six, wouldn't you agree?"

Hermione examined number twelve (Muggle actor Orlando Bloom) with scrutiny. "Yes, I quite agree, although I think that the original hun—hex—we had at six is really more of an eight on the, um, danger meter as far as defensive charms."

"Definitely!" Ginny agreed, and made the appropriate scratches and edits with her quill.

"Wow," Harry said, transfixed at the girls zeal for organization and specifics. "You two really are working hard."

"Better leave them to it then, Harry," said Ron, backing away from the table and towards the dormitory stairs. Giving Harry a significant look, Harry nodded and began backing away as well.

"Yeah, we don't want to mess up your concentration," Harry said quickly. "Good night, girls."

"Night boys!" they chimed, and huddled once again over their parchment.

"Mental, those two," said Ron, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Good on you, mate," Harry said, patting him on the back. "If we hadn't gotten out of there when we did I bet they would have had us down there looking up dangerous charms and giving their damage potential so they could be sure to—what was it?"

"Itemize and prioritize," Ron said with a shiver. "Thank Merlin we got out of there!"

"Yeah…" Harry agreed, and paused before entering their room.

"What is it, Harry?" Ron asked, eyeing his mate's rather pale face.

"Do you think the elves have gotten Dean's bed out of the Dormitory yet?" Harry asked nervously.

"You don't like looking at it either, do you?" stated Ron, sympathetically as Harry shook his head in response. "You know it's not your fault, though, right?"

"I know, it's just… it's not fair, you know?"

"It's not. But that's just why the next time I see old Mouldy-Shorts, I'm going to be sure to hit him nice and good right in the arse—for Dean."

Harry smiled. "For Dean…"

He mulled over the thought a bit, as they got ready for bed. "Hey Ron?"

"Yeah, mate?"

"Thanks, Ron."

"Sure, mate. No problem. He would have said the same thing."

Back down in the Common Room, Ginny was eying Hermione nervously.

"You don't think they knew what we were up to, do you?" she asked, chewing on the end of her quill out of habit.

Hermione shook her head slowly. "No, I don't think so. We would have gotten an earful if they had. That, and we did charm the parchment."

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. "Excellent. Now, I still think that we should put Sean Connery on there. I know he's Muggle, but I still like Scottish accents."

"Oh, ergh!" cried Hermione, pretending to gag. "He's about as old as Dumbledore!"

"SO?" cried Ginny. "You like that stupid Harrison Ford git, so why can't I have Sean Connery?"

"Fine. But if you like Scottish accents so much, why won't you let me put Oliver Wood on there?"

"Because! He sold out to play Puddlemere United's RESERVE when he could have been first string for the Cannons! He just liked Puddlemere's record better! That is NOT attractive!"

"You know that's not true!" said Hermione, defensively. "He didn't like the manager for the Cannons! Oliver reused to play for him because he was a sexist bastard who wouldn't hire witches for beaters. Now THAT IS attractive!"

"You're joking!" cried Ginny, heatedly. "I had no idea! Well then, that puts Oliver at number four for me then. He's a definite Drop Sexy- why do you think the majority of the chasers dropped the quaffle when he looked at them? And the Cannons' manager better hope he never crosses my path or he'll end up on the wrong end of my wand."

Hermione grinned. "Excellent."

Ginny was looking pensive again. "Spit it out, Gin," Hermione urged.

"Well, what about Malfoy?"

"MALFOY? You've got to be kidding!"

"I know!" Ginny groaned. "But think about it. He IS rather nice looking—"

"If you take away the fact that he's a complete ARSE!"

"I know. But admit it—"

"All right," Hermione sighed, "I admit it. If he wasn't a completely bigoted snobby arse he would be attractive."

"Agreed. But we're putting him last and noting that he's an arse, so therefore will not be moved any higher."

"Perfect. Now… what about Neville?"

"NEVILLE?"

"Yes!" Hermione said. "Neville."

"NEVILLE?"

"YES! He's amazingly smart with plants, and he's lost a lot of weight."

"And he can throw a hex like nobody's business! Have you seen him with his new wand?"

"Oh, I have! His eyes are just lipid pools, black as night—"

"But with little stars of light that make me want to wish on them," Ginny blushed. "Number ten?"

Hermione blushed as well. "A definite ten."