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Xanthous

"I cant ruddy believe Malfoy, I'm going to kill him, did you hear what he said about my family Hermione? I swear to God, when Harry get's back were getting that Marauders Map and finding the treacherous bleeder, and give him a taste of his own medicine. Did you hear the bit when..."

Hermione took her coat off and hung it on the back of the seat at the table in the far corner of the common room. It was buzzing with gossip, mostly wandering what Harry and George's punishment was going to be after their very public fight with Malfoy. Not that he didn't deserve it, thought Hermione. Apparently Malfoy had a few words to say about Ron's mother. Not a good thing to do if you want to keep your life. Hermione knew she should be feeling terrible about what had happened, but she couldn't keep her eyes off Ron, who was standing on the rug near the fire, telling everyone in the vicinity what he was going to do when he saw Malfoy next. The rain was still pouring, and droplets were dripping off him onto the rug. She watched as he shook his arms in the air, and people around in cheered and encouraged him, agreeing and making Ron seemingly more angry by the minute.

"Ron, you need to calm down. Nothing you can do or say is going to undo what's happened. Yes he's a little sod-" Ron raised his eyebrows"-but you don't want to end up in the same state as Harry and the twins. There's going to be some sort of punishment, and we don't need more people ending up with the same fate"

"Hermione that little fucker-"

"I know Ron! I know what he's capable of, I know what he's done, just come and sit down for a minute please, your going to give yourself a stroke"

"Yeah go on Ron, when Hermione calls, you go runnin' right?" grinned Seamus. A few third years sitting on the sofa snickered. Ron blushed, glared at them and they instantly hushed, Seamus snickered.

"Now, stop thinking it's going to be that bad, they could just have detention-"

"Hermione it's Umbridge"

"Right, well, just stay positive, okay?"

Ron grumbled. They sat in silence for a few minutes, looking round urgently whenever someone came through the portrait hole.

"Can't believe what he said about my hair" Ron grumbled looking thoroughly depressed. Hermione's head snapped round from where she was watching a few suspicious looking first years opposite them.

"What? What on earth has he said about your hair?" she asked, feeling her temperature boil.

He blushed furiously under her gaze "Well...you know...the same old. Carrot top, copper nob, ginger ninja, i've heard it all now to be honest" he looked at the floor and back up to Hermione. She seemed to be debating on something "I mean, not that I care ! He's a spoilt twat, there are worse things than being ginger, right ?"

"I love you hair"

"I- what?"

Hermione went very red and grinned "Well, it shows how clever Malfoy is. He can't even come up with any good insults. Ginger? Its fairly obvious to everyone that your ginger, its like your trademark isnt it? Firey by hair, firey by nature. Did you know in Victorian England having Xanthous hair was quite lucky- what!"

"Only you Hermione, only you" he patted her hand, and blushed, looking away. "And what the bloody hell does Xanthrus mean?"

"Xanthous? It means to be yellow or red haired"

"How did you learn that? I doubt Snape asked us to look that one up for homework"

Hermione gulped. Of course she wasn't going to tell him she looked it up in a dictionary when they first met. That she was dying to know more about him, everything if she could. No that would not do, she thought.

"Oh, well, I came across it reading, and -"

"Of course you did. Come on then, do you have a special word for 'Malfoy's going to get his arse kicked' ?"

"Ron" she warned him.

"What Hermione, what if it was your family he was saying that about!"

"Ron. Look at me. The people who think bad of your family are the ones who are jealous, they want what you have can't you see that? If someone dares pick a fight, you have a whole army to back you up! I would have loved a brother or sister, you don't know how lucky you are, Malfoy is a complete wart, he's not worth wasting your time. Now, unless you want to go the same way as Harry , Fred and George, I suggest you stop bragging about how hard your going to hit him and think of another way to solve this. Were still focusing on the DA remember?"

"Right. Wart. DA" he nodded along with her.

She dropped her tone "Don't tell anyone, but I'm quite proud of how you handled the situation Ronald. Seems the emotional range has upped itself to a tablespoon" she smirked, now watching the first years again. "And remind me not to get on the bad side of your brothers, who would I have to stick up for me then?" she chuckled

"You would have me, you will always have me" Ron scratched the back of his neck, feeling rather hot.

"That's your family, don't be so daft"

"Well, I don't think it would ever come to that Hermione"

"It might"

"Give me an example, name on circumstance in which I would ever even have to consider chosing my family over you. What could you do that was that bad?"

"I dont know, snogged one of your brothers?" Hermione's eyes widened as she realised what she had just said. Her face burned red and she quickly half shouted "Not that I would ever do that, I mean none of them are my type for a start" Oh God, she thought, watching his face. He seemed to be half way between shock and amusement. "I mean, Percy's got Penelope, Fred and George have got the girls from the Quidditch team and the rest are far too old for-"

"There's always Ginny"

He looked at her before they burst out laughing. The rest of the team looked over at them in tears in the corner, sharing their private joke, and then went back to chatting, all of them wearing identical smirks.

"No that she isn't a lovely girl, but she is not my type"

"You sure?" Ron teased.

"Very"

"Well, I think I proved my point anyway. I dont think there will ever be a time when I have to chose between you and my family Hermione. For starters my mother would kill me, and you're practically it anyway, so there'd be no chosing to do"he blushed and looked towards the fire

"Well" she replied, slightly smiling "That's nice to know"

There was a comotion as Harry and Ron's brothers made it through the portrait hole, looking more miserable than Snape in the shampoo isle. Ron unzipped his coat and threw it onto the floor next to Hermione. She tutted. Ron walked over and began ranting just as he had before they had talked. She picked up his coat and hung it over hers on the back on her chair. Something went through her as she watched Ron shout passionatelyabout the Slytherins and their antics, and motion to others about the match. She felt herself smiling as she watched him, and caught someones eye. Seamus was sitting in the comfy chair by the fire, and he raised his eyebrows at her. Dean and Ginny were either side of him on the arms, all three of them looking at her grinning. She blushed furiously and went to find out what punishment Umbridge had in store for the boys.

rh-rh-rh-rh-rh

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