Can't Help But Smile

Hermione and Harry arrived early on their History of Magic class. Professor Binns is still not around. Hermione approached Lavender seated beside Parvati.

"Hey Lavender, I was just wondering, how many pages are your History of Magic essay. Coz mine is just 6 parchment-long. Is it too short for Professor Binns' essay?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Oh, Hermione! Of course it's perfectly okey." Lavender said in a your-being-exaggerated-Hermione kinda way. "No matter how many pages you submit, you'll still get good grades."

"Hermione, you look great in this picture." Parvati blurted out of the blue.

Bewildered, Hermione hurriedly looked at Parvati who was just behind her. Then, she realized what Parvati was talking about in a snap as she saw her holding a familiar-looking metallic pink wallet embroidered with a big letter H.

"Hey, it's not that nice to go snatching someone else's wallet especially without her permission." Hermione said in a calmly voice thinking having a quarrel is not a very good way to start the day.

"I'm sorry. Your wallet was popping out of your pocket and the blinding color caught my eye. And I must say, you have a very good taste." Parvati sincerely replied. "As I was saying, you're cute in this picture, where is this taken?"

"It was taken during the FIFA World Cup Finals in Germany. I went there with my mum and dad. Boy, it was fun! Have you watched the big game? It was really good. The game was super duper thrilling with all the ---." Hermione broke off as Parvati handed the picture to Neville who handed it to Seamus, who handed it to Dean.

"Hey, give it here. I do not intend the whole class to see that." Hermione stated with clear annoyance in her tone.

Dean handed the picture to Harry who slipped it in the pocket of the newly arrived and sleepy-looking Ronald Weasley.

"Ron, give that to me! We are still in a fight, remember? So if you want to be friends with me again, give it back" Hermione said as she approached him.

"Give what?"

"The thing that Harry just placed in your pocket."

Ron dug in his pocket. "Oh this!"

"Yes, that!"

"No. This will be mine from now on."

"And who told you that?" Hermione said as she tried with difficulty to reach the photo held by Ron in the air.

"What is this commotion all about, class?"

The class all turned to look at the wall and saw Professor Binnns gliding through it.

"Nothing Professor." Hermione answered and immediately sat in her chair.

The class settled and ProfessorBinns went on his usual. "In the 1580's, burning of witches is very common, it is the blah blah blah blah…………"

"Rooooooohhhhhhnnnnnn." Hermione said as quietly as she can to Ron seated two rows behind her. "Ghhhive it bhhhhack"

"You can't make me" Ron said without bothering to keep his voice down.

Hermione frowned in Ron's face. She turned away from him and tried to stop herself from smiling.

"Ron, give it back! You big red baboon!" Hermione said while running after Ron four hours later in the Gryffindor common room while Harry was seated at a couch by the fireplace.

"Catch me first, girl with a brown forest in her hair!"

"Gotcha!" Hermione said as she caught one of Ron's sleeves and she reached for his pockets.

"Haha! It's not there anymore." Ron laughed then he poked Hermione by the cheek.

Hermione poked him back. Ron poked her back too. Hermione poked him in the stomach. Ron also did that to her. Then they started tickling one another.

"Hey you two lovebirds. Go somewhere else where you can't disturb anybody. To be honest, you are not noisy. We are trying to study here." Ginny interrupted then returned to the book she is reading with Dean.

Ron and Hermione immediately stopped with obvious pink blushes on their cheeks.

"I'm going to bed." Ron declared and turned to the stairs towards the boy's dormitory.

Hermione sat beside Harry on the couch he is seated.

"Hey, Harry. Where did Ron put my photo? Have any idea?"

"I saw him put it in his wallet I think along with the photo of Lavender."

"I thought he and Lavender are no longer together."

"Yes, but I don't know why."

"I hope he returns my photo." She said to Harry.

"Honestly, I hope he doesn't. He can keep it. Luckily, I do look good there." She secretly thought to herself.

"I'm going to bed, Harry. Good night." Hermione yawned as she gave him a friendly hug.

The next morning, it was Hermione who arrived slightly late for Transfiguration class. Good thing, Professor McGonagall hasn't arrived yet. She saw all the seats in front to be occupied. She saw a vacant chair beside Ron at the third row. She giggled deep inside.

"How unlucky, I get to sit beside you." She said to Ron as she sat.

"Don't lie, Hermione." He replied. "I know you really want to sit beside me, and look, you got your wish."

"Excuse me!" She said in a scandalized manner.

Ron started to poke her on the cheek again. But she didn't poked him back.

"So that's the shiny shimmering wallet of yours I heard Parvati talk about." Ron took the wallet which is popping out of Hermione's pocket.

"Why are people nowadays lacking respect for other people's personal properties? Huh, Ron? Can you answer that for me? And as I remember, you haven't returned the thing that you stole from me yesterday."

Ron didn't answer. He rummaged his bag for his wallet and took his own photo and slipped it behind the transparent side of Hermione's wallet where it can easily be seen. Then he stood up, went to the front of the class and said "Look everyone, Hermione keeps a picture of me in her wallet."

The room became filled with "Woohoo".

Hermione went pink in the face and tried to explain that it was all Ron's doing but her explanation was drowned by all the woohoos which is growing ever more loudly.

Then Professor McGonagall arrived and loudly said "What is all this commotion about?"

Hermione answered "Nothing Professor."

Deep inside she cannot help but smile.