Written for
THC Round 6
Drabble
Prompts: "What homework?"
House: Hufflepuff
Class: Transfiguration
Word count: 918 (according to wordcountchecker com)
Betas: Queenie and Dora
OoO
Ron sat down with a heavy, tired sigh as he banged his head on the wooden lunch table. He groaned loudly, wanting everyone to know he was not okay.
"What's wrong, mate?" Harry asked, after a few moments.
"We just had two hours of Potions," he explained, looking up without moving his head from the table. "How've you not got a headache?"
"I found it pretty alright—"
"Yeah, because you're the new favourite. I, on the other hand, still want to be standing on the ledge watching everyone else go to lessons."
He sighed again, smiling at the memory which seemed so long ago, but was actually from just that morning. He helped himself to chicken wings. He needed to eat before the next few lessons. Transfiguration was alright, he quite liked that class. Then they had Defence against the Dark Arts with Professor Snape. He groaned once again at the thought.
"Are you groaning because you didn't do the homework for Professor McGonagall?" Hermione asked, looking as tired as he felt when she joined them.
He stared at her, blinking a few times, his heart was racing.
"Homework? What homework?"
"You told me you did it last night?" Harry questioned in disbelief. There was laughter in his friend's voice.
Ron's eyes widened and he shook his head.
"I didn't, I don't remember that conversation…"
"When we were talking about Quidditch tryouts?"
"You didn't mention anything about homework. What homework did we have to do? I'm in so much trouble," Ron groaned, banging his head against the table.
His day had gone from bad to worse in a matter of minutes.
"This is why I gave you a homework schedule!" Hermione commented, not sounding all that surprised, or as disappointed as she would normally. "That'll teach you not to throw it away."
He pouted and gave her a very sweet smile.
"Hermione…"
"No. Not after what I went through this morning. You're not copying my essay." She shook her head and laughed with disbelief. "You boys always have it easy. I'm not helping this time, I'll see you later."
He watched as she got up and walked away. He glanced at Harry with confusion
"What was that about?"
"I beat her in potions, remember? She's still upset. I'll talk to her—"
"No, wait, Harry, can I—"
"I don't have my essay with me, I'm sorry. It's twelve inches about what we did in class. You can do it! I believe in you!"
He banged his head on the table again. Fuck, this wasn't going to be easy. It wasn't his fault he wasn't paying attention when the homework was given out!
Maybe he couldn't get away with doing this kind of thing anymore. Maybe it was time to take things a little more seriously.
He bit his bottom lip and took out a blank roll of parchment and a quill. He could do this… right?
OoO
"Now, I will come round and collect the homework…" Professor McGonagall started to say.
Ron made eye contact with her and gave her a proud grin. He managed to do his essay just in time and he thought that it was his best yet.
"Wait, what homework?" Neville asked.
He stared at him, feeling sorry for the other boy while Professor McGonagall made her way over to him.
"I'm surprised by you, Mr Longbottom. That'll be a detention with me tomorrow evening. If anyone else has not done their homework, speak now."
"I'm sorry, Professor," Lavender said, guilty. "I haven't done it either."
Professor McGonagall sighed. "I know this year is difficult, but you should all learn to take each class just as seriously as the others. I expect better next week."
OoO
Ron knocked on Professor McGonagall's door with the results of his essay in his hands. He wanted to talk to her about the subject. He knew he wanted to become an Auror when he left Hogwarts, but he was thinking about a backup plan.
"Come in," she called.
He walked to her with a nervous, but grateful smile.
"Hello Professor, can I talk to you?" He questioned.
"Of course you can, Mr Weasley. Well done on your recent grade, I hope your parents, and yourself, are proud?"
He glanced at the 'Outstanding' grade, before looking back at her with a nod.
"They—we are. I was wondering what careers there were to do with Transfiguration? Apart from being a Professor?"
She looked at him through her square-rimmed glasses with a proud and impressed expression on her face. He gave her a small grin.
"Well, there's…"
OoO
"Where were you?" Harry questioned when he joined him by the sofa next to the warm, cracking fire.
Ron shrugged, and told a little white lie. "I was just talking to Professor McGonagall. She reminded me that I could work hard when I put my mind to it; she wanted to see more of that."
Harry accepted that and went on to chat about his plans for Quidditch, but he got lost in his own thoughts for a bit. He decided at that moment to improve his grades and he would try and take Hermione's advice with the homework schedule.
He didn't know what the future held, he just knew he wanted to do what he loved and do it well, without having to worry.
"This is your two days warning for the Defence against the Dark Arts homework—" Hermione pointed at the schedule.
He groaned, "Oh fuck."
Maybe he would start tomorrow, instead.