Hermione found herself wondering why she was the first to be at breakfast when she was the last to sleep. She also found herself studying the same works that kept her in the common room until an hour ago, this time over breakfast. Sighing, she buttered her toast, never leaving her eyes from the text. Not too long ago, she decided that lack of proper instruction will only force her to be her own teacher for the unavoidable O.W.L's. Independent study has become a new hobby that she will eventually succeed in making Ron and Harry take part in.
Hiding the book underneath her seat, she waved at the two groggy boys clumsily climbing her way.
"I see you two slept well," Hermione acknowledged, placing two pieces of toast onto their plates.
"I see you haven't," yawned Ron, gesturing to the book underneath her. "You really have no shame, do you?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't either, if you actually cared about your education."
Before Ron could respond, Harry put up his hand. "Stop arguing, at least until we see why Hedwig has come." Surely enough, they heard a loud array of screeches entering the grand hall, gliding over students and dishes. Many faces gleamed at the arrival of letters, but Hedwig landed on Harry's water cup empty handed. He didn't bother to hide his disappointment.
"Don't fret," Hermione said. "If it's important, then the Order will deliver the news right away."
"I don't know why you're disappointed, mate," Ron said through a mouthful of eggs and toast. "Unless you're the one who tied a ribbon to your owl after a kiss goodnight." They glanced down and true to his word, a long, magenta ribbon was elegantly tied to Hedwig's leg. Harry's eyes popped in excitement at this new discovery.
"Distract her, and I'll untie it," Harry declared. Ron held up a piece of toast, clearly mocking Hedwig more than baiting her. However, she still turned his way.
"Allow us, Mr. Potter," came a jester voice from behind.
"No offense, but this looks like work for delicate hands." Ron rolled his eyes as one of his twin brothers leaned forward and began to gently unravel the ribbon. Hermione, too, looked like she wanted to say something but didn't want a morning parley.
"Have something to say, perfect prefect?" The boy taunted.
Flushing, Hermione glared at him. "Nothing at all," she said through gritted teeth.
"Here you are then."
"Thanks, but er-who am I thanking?" Harry cautiously asked.
The twins shared a mischievous look and began to speak until Hermione interrupted. "You'll be thanking Fred, I believe," she said behind her newly-recovered book.
Fred leaned forward, ignoring his brothers expressions as he lowered her book onto the table. "How can you be certain of that, Miss. Granger?"
Hermione was caught off guard, and avoided his eyes to disguise her shock. She thought she could hear him smirk. "I'm highly perceptive, Weasley, I thought that was obvious," she finally said.
Fred was about to retort something until Harry cut him off. "There's something odd about this ribbon," he said. "There is a note, but I can't read it. The words are weirdly small for a ribbon this size."
"Then peer closer, you blind bat," Ron scolded, letting his morning mood get the better of him.
"That's our cue then," George suggested. "Let's join Lee and the girls, Fred." They walked away from the mysterious ribbon, George patting Freds back. A stunt that caught Hermiones attention.
"That was odd," she murmured, catching no ones attention.
"I can read it better now," Harry said, praying for a note from Sirius. "I, the mysterious and dashing ribbon, have sensed the need of a shower from you, whose nasty tactic of not minding your own business has made you rotten and kept me from my proper owner," he read. He glanced at his friends with a confused expression, until a large sprout of water erupted from the ribbon, splashing Harry's face. The ribbon then gracefully left his hands and swayed into the air, attracting more eyes.
Around Harry, he could hear noisy laughter and his name being called. He removed his glasses to dry them on his sleeve and accepted a napkin from a nearby Gryffindor. He looked up to find his friends fighting smiles.
"Obviously, it's a love letter from one of your many admirers," Ron said sarcastically.
Hermione couldn't help but wonder about this suggestive action. She placed her wand onto the table before she closed the distance between her and the flying fabric. "Rather complicated magic for a silly, morning prank, isn't it?" She asked.
At the sound of Hermione's voice, the ribbon stiffened in the air and glided towards her causing her to lift her wand at the ready. It relaxed in her vicinity, and almost appeared to wave at her. Confused, she slowly waved her hand back.
"Harry," she whispered. Glancing around, she noticed they still had the attention of a few students. A worried Cho, a smirking Seamus, a curious Luna, a shocked George, and remarkably, an inattentive Fred. "Did the ribbon say proper owner?" Harry nodded, still drying his face.
She put down her wand, causing Ron to lift his. Lifting her free hand once more, Hermione cautiously touched the silky edge of the mysterious ribbon. Almost rapidly, it coiled itself around the entirety of her hand until it was firmly fastened from her fingertips to her wrist. Ron slapped Harry's attention, and they both soon had their wands pointed at the ribbon, not sure of what to do.
Harry had just decided to retrieve Mcgonagall, when Hermione laughed a tiny, nervous chipper. Fred looked up when she did, refusing to remain inattentive at this point.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
"It tickles," she murmured.
Suddenly, the ribbon began to uncoil at a rapid pace until it bandaged itself around the palm of her hand, tightening itself to her skin. After a brief pause, Hermione felt small vibrations poking her hand. She remained motionless, fearful of its next move. Finally, the whole ribbon spontaneously combusted into a yellow splash of light, relieving her of any discomfort, leaving its remnants inside her palm. Instead of a coiled ribbon, she found herself holding a thin bouquet of long daisies, pulled together by a magenta ribbon. The stems were elongating the more she stared in wonderment at the flowers. They grew until the petals also began to transfigure into white, innocent roses, dethorned of any bad humor. The sheer volume of the bouquet increased by the new testament of flowers. The ribbon itself was wrapped around the stems in a looser tie than before, somehow waving back at Hermione.
Harry, Ron and Hermione stared wide-eyed at her hand, unsure of their next step.
"Well," Harry dared to say through a shocked voice. "I think we found it's proper owner."
"It's bloody alive," Ron declared.
If anybody had bothered to look the opposite direction, they would have noticed a nervous smile hidden behind a smirking face. They probably would have also noticed that Fred was shocked by the embarrassment he felt. However, nobody paid him any attention. Not even his twin brother.