Harry Potter was sitting in his study corner, busy reading, when Hermione dropped in. Well, at least her hair did, completely blocking his light.
"What is it?" Harry Potter said, irritation at being interrupted being channeled into "You're Annoying Me" - which was far from the case. Harry knew that Hermione would have a solid reason for being there. He just didn't want any eavesdroppers to think that he was excited about Studying (which was the logical conclusion of Hermione showing up).
"Not here," Hermione said, flashing him just the edge of a small, palm-sized piece of parchment.
Harry thought, wryly, to himself, that he might just have to rethink his judgement on Hermione Granger. She could be impressively subtle when she chose.
"Okay," Harry said, popping out from underneath Hermione's curtain of hair. "Where to?"
"Where else?" Hermione said with a reckless grin, and Harry resigned himself to following the madwoman. At least she was a useful madwoman, he amended.
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"I got it, Harry!" Hermione said, nearly jumping up and down with joy. She at last flashed him the permission slip for the Restricted Section, which he took a moment to look at.
Harry shot Hermione a big grin - not because he was exstatic, but because he was desperately inquisitive. He had to force himself from tearing apart the advanced enchantments on the permission slip. At least he assumed they were there.
"Have you been?" He asked, looking owlishly at her. "Can you take a friend?"
"Harry!" Hermione said, hands on hips, "You haven't even heard how I got it!"
"You managed it, and that's what counts," Harry said, his eyes glittering green with envy.
"You. Are. Going. To. Listen." Hermione said, as Harry slunk down into a crouch, playing "Catch the Snitch" with the permission slip.
... nevermind that it had Hermione Granger's name on it.
"Blah, blah, blah, Quirrel, blah blah blah," Hermione said, as Harry's focus had narrowed to the permission slip, that she was carelessly waving around.
Snatch!
Harry had it, and was out of the room in a flash, with Hermione hot on his heels, laughter pouring out of both their throats, as Harry took the brief and belated time to be a kid again. He'd been so upset with himself for having spent so much time working through plans he then abruptly junked. But this? This was good clean fun. And Hermione didn't have a sport, so he supposed it'd come in handy next time they needed to flee from a new Fluffy.
Occlumency could wait. Not long, but it could wait.
Somewhere in the whole "Chase Harry through the Corridors," Ron had tailed up, following Hermione.
By the time Hermione had managed to corner Harry in a place, and grab the permission slip, Ron ran up (huffing as well), and asked, "Why were you *huff* running around like that?"
Harry grinned, "I filched Hermione's Permission slip to the Restricted Section."
"That's mine, and I wanted it back!" Hermione said, falling back into giggles.
"You're mental. Bloody both mental." Ron said.
[a/n: even Harry knows how to participate in comic relief. He has about three other reasons for running around (one of them being Ron), but Mr. Harry Potter is not Mr. Gloomyguss.
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