"I've done it!" Hermione cheered as she ran into Harry and Ron's bedroom early the next morning.
Harry woke up with a start. Wiping his eyes, he distinctly heard Ron grumble in his sleep, " - few more minutes…"
"Oh, Ron, wake up!" Hermione said sharply, striding over to his bed and shaking his shoulder.
"Mo…!" Ron grumbled once again. Harry figured he was trying to say, "No".
Hermione huffed, pulled her wand out of her pocket, twirled it, and nonverbally performed a spell that shot a thin ray of yellow light at Ron's shoulder.
"Ow!" he shouted, sitting up and rubbing his shoulder. "I'm up, okay?"
"Good," Hermione said briskly. "Because I've found the location of Voldemort's orphanage, and a way to get there."
"Really?" said Harry anxiously. "How?"
"Train," Hermione answered simply.
"And I supposed you also got tickets?" said Ron sarcastically.
"Actually, I've ordered them," Hermione corrected.
"And their supposed to come to this house?" Ron asked.
"Well, no," Hermione replied. "That wouldn't be a good idea, mostly because I've ordered them through Muggle post, so they're due at my house in about two days."
"And your parents will open the door, see the tickets, and tell them they've got the wrong house," said Ron irritably.
"No, because we're going there," Hermione said sharply.
"Hold on - " said Harry with a trace of indignity. "Hermione, we're not going anywhere."
"You're going there," Ron said. "Not us."
"Fine!" said Hermione angrily. "I just thought you'd be interested in helping. I guess not."
And with that, Hermione strode out the door, slamming the door behind her.
"She expects us to go traipsing off to her house?" Ron said incredulously. "When she can do it herself? Is she getting…clingy or something?"
"Dunno," Harry said with a shrug. "I don't see why she's making such a big deal out of it, though."
"About the Horcruxes?"
"No, bringing us to her house. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, I guess, but she could do it herself."
"True," Ron said. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going back to sleep."
"Why? To dream of happy Hermione's?" Harry joked.
But Ron did not answer.
Later that same day, ranging considerably around the time Harry and Ron preferred to wake up, Hermione did not bother them about the tickets. In fact, she hardly talked to them at all.
Finally, at lunch, Harry and Ron talked to Hermione about the tickets.
"Hermione, we've decided that we'll go to your house with you," Ron chimed, sitting down next to her.
Hermione studied his expression, as if checking for any signs of sarcasm. "Seriously?" she asked tentatively.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Why shouldn't we?"
"Because you didn't want to this morning," Hermione replied.
"Well, we've changed our minds," Ron said, leaning back in his chair after grabbing a roll from the tray in front of them. "Wouldn't want you wandering around all alone, now would we?"
"I know where I live, Ron," Hermione said candidly.
"It's not that," Harry spoke up. "It's the fact that it's not safe to walk around alone these days."
Ron glanced at Harry proudly, as if he did not even think of that, and said, "Uh, yeah - exactly!"
Hermione shrugged and took a bite of her sandwich. "Well, if that's the case, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow."
"But -" Ron started to protest. "The tickets won't be there tomorrow!"
"Pack your bags," Hermione said as she stood up, smiling coyly. "For a sleep-over."
As she walked away, it was clear Hermione was only "tormenting" them because of Ron's response earlier. And, quite frankly, it was working, as Ron had his mouth open.
"A…sleep-over?" Ron said incuriously to Harry. "Whadaya think she means?"
"She's not sleeping with you, that's for sure," Harry said grinning. "Or is she?"
Ron elbowed Harry in the side and resumed eating his roll. Though Hermione had not meant it in a "perverted" way, they were nonetheless anxious to meet her parents and what their response would be when they found out two teenage boys would be bunking in their house.