THC, Round 4

Drabble

Hufflepuff, HoM (stand-in)

Prompt: The Rugrats: [Genre] Friendship

WC: 1000/1000

Something was poking her awake.

Please, Merlin, let it be something else.

Hermione had had a terrible night's sleep and didn't want an equally terrible morning.

"Tell me that's your hand," she demanded, her eyes still closed.

"If I say no?" Ron asked, amusement audible in his tone.

"If you say no, you're going to get more than just a kick in the crotch."

On the other side of the bed, Harry snorted and consequently got elbowed in the ribs by Ron. "Ow! Ron! Stop that!"

"Then stop laughing at Hermione acting like a goon!" Ron grumbled and moved away from Hermione just enough for the incessant poking to end.

Hermione wished for patience, for she already had the power to kill the two morons she called her best friends.

The Minister for Magic of France had invited the Golden Trio to take an all-expense paid trip to the country, but his bumbling assistant had messed up the hotel reservations in Chinon.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron had found themselves standing inside a cheerful little inn, asking for accommodations for the night. Unfortunately, only one room was available—with a king-sized bed.

Without anywhere else to go, the trio had agreed to bunk together. After all, they had gone on a Horcrux hunt and had shared a tent. How bad could sharing a bed really be?

Turns out… really bad.

The room was small but cosy, with dark wooden beams and a fireplace crackling merrily. The bed, true to the innkeeper's word, was enormous, piled high with fluffy pillows and thick, warm blankets. It would've been a dream come true for Hermione if she hadn't had to share it with her two idiotic friends.

"I need coffee," Hermione declared, sitting up and glaring at the pair of them.

Harry, ever the peacemaker, stretched and tried to smooth over the situation. "Alright, truce. We survived the night, more or less. Let's just get through breakfast without any more casualties."

"Agreed," Hermione said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "And by the way, Ron, next time you snore that loudly, I'm turning you into a newt."

Ron gave her a lopsided grin. "A newt?"

"Yes." Hermione scowled down at him. "A very small, very quiet newt."

Ron considered this for a moment. "Would I still be handsome? You see, that's a very important question…"

Hermione threw a pillow at him. "Incredibly handsome," she said dryly, "for a newt."

Ron laughed and threw the pillow back at her.

Downstairs, the inn's dining room was bustling with morning activity. They found a small table by the window and plopped down, the aroma of coffee and freshly baked bread perking them up a bit.

The waitress came over, a young witch with a polite smile. "What can I get you this morning?"

"Coffee," Hermione said immediately. "Lots of it."

"And bacon," Ron added. "Loads of bacon."

Harry just nodded, still half-asleep. "The same, please."

As they waited for their food, they recounted their night to each other, each trying to outdo the other with dramatic retellings of their shared misery.

"I'm pretty sure Ron's elbow is permanently imprinted on my ribs," Harry said, wincing theatrically.

"And I'm fairly certain Harry's foot has left a mark on my arse," Ron countered. "Do you know how much he cuddles in his sleep?"

Hermione just shook her head, sipping her coffee. "You two are hopeless. Also, Ron? You snore louder than Hagrid when he's drunk."

Ron gasped in horror.

Just then, the waitress returned with their food and they dug in eagerly. The bacon was crispy, the coffee was strong, and for a few minutes, they ate in companionable silence.

"So," Hermione said, finally breaking the silence, "any plans for today? Besides avoiding another night in that bed?"

Ron shrugged. "Well, we still have those royal fortresses to explore."

Harry nodded. "Let's just hope the next inn has more than one bed available. Or at least separate rooms."

Hermione snorted. "One can only dream."

After breakfast, they gathered their things and prepared to leave. As they were walking out, the innkeeper stopped them.

"Hope you three had a pleasant stay," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Harry forced a smile. "It was... memorable."

The innkeeper chuckled. "You're not the first group to find themselves in that predicament. But you did better than most. I've seen full-blown duels break out over less."

Ron laughed. "Well, we're still friends. Mostly."

Shaking her head, Hermione smiled. "Thank you for the room. We'll... be on our way now."

As they walked down the street, the morning sun shining brightly, a sense of camaraderie washed over Hermione. Sure, the night had been a disaster, but they had faced it together—as they always did.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron said, interrupting her musings. "If we ever end up in that situation again, I call dibs on sleeping in the middle."

Hermione laughed. "Only if you promise to stop sleeping like a dead starfish."

Ron grinned. "I'll try. No promises, though."

Harry shook his head, chuckling. "You two are impossible."

"Do you think they have separate beds at the next inn?" Ron asked, winking at Harry. "Because if not, I'm going to spoon Hermione. She's like a human fireball."

Harry laughed. "Careful, mate. You don't want her to hex your bits off, do you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "You two are ridiculous. Just remember, Ron, the next time you try to spoon me, you'll end up being the little spoon."

"Promise?" Ron asked cheekily.

Hermione smirked. "Promise. Now let's get moving before I change my mind about that newt thing."

"And don't worry about being cold," Harry added with a grin. "Hermione can always use the Hot-Air Charm to warm us up."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, a simple Hot-Air Charm should do the trick. But you two had better behave, or I might accidentally use Glacius and freeze you solid."

Ron gulped, pretending to shiver. "Message received, loud and clear."