Harry Potter and the Emerald Dragon

Title: Harry Potter and the Emerald Dragon (2/?)
Author: CPoe
Author email: [email protected]
Category: Romance, Adventure
Keywords: Harry, Emily, Hermione, Draco, Ron
Spoilers: All four books
Rating: R (I've changed the rating)
Summary: It's Harry's sixth year, and he meets a new girl that comes along with a lot of baggage. Romances are budding, confusion is all around, and the threesome's life is going to become a little hectic.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK
Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books,
Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Harry Potter and the Emerald Dragon

Chapter 2: Detention

Hermione followed Ron down to potions. He was walking faster then he usually did, and Hermione had to practically jog next to him to keep up with his fast pace.

"Ron, since when do we hurry to get to potions?" she asked, grabbing onto his arm in an attempt to slow him down.

"Oh, sorry Hermione, I just didn't want to miss..." and then he trailed off.

"Honestly Ron! You'd think that by this age you'd be able to control yourself around one of those!" Hermione spat, releasing his arm and standing next to him in the corridor.

"One of those?" Ron asked, swinging around and looking at her quizzingly. "You mean an American?"

"No, idiot! When you were 14 it was understandable, no 14 year old boy could resist their charms, but you're almost a full grown wizard now!" she said, but his face still looked as lost as ever. Realizing she was talking to the 'lead brained git that is Ron', Hermione revealed what she felt to be the obvious, "She's part Veela!"

"How do you know that?"

"Don't you ever pay attention in class?...ok...don't answer that.....She's got all the tell tale signs. White blonde hair, instant attention by members of the opposite sex....didn't you see how only the guys at the Slytherin table we all buddy buddy with her? She looks just like Fleur, except for that hair!"

"What hair?" came a familiar voice. She turned to see Harry and Neville standing just behind her. She wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she had also seen Harry squint his eyes in the direction of Ron.

"Oh, Morning Harry, Neville," she said, nodding her head at each of them when she said their names. "I was just telling Ron that this new girl, whatever her name is, is surely part Veela."

"You think Emily's a Veela?" asked Neville, his eyes opening wide. The four of them started walking down the hall towards the potions dungeon, continuing their discussion on the family history of the new student. It was awkward, walking with both Ron and Harry acting the way they were to each other, and Hermione was glad that Neville was there to buffer the situation.

They entered the potions dungeon to discover that some of the Gryffindors, and all the Slytherins were already seated, and that Snape was about to start the class. Hermione slipped into a chair next to Ron, while Harry and Neville took the empty desk right in front of them. Hermione looked around and saw that the new girl was sitting one row over, and one row in front of them, next to Millicent Bulstrode. She was wearing black Hogwarts robes now, and seemed to blend in a little better with the rest of the student body, save the pink hair of course. Why would anyone die the ends of their hair pink?

Just then, Snape began the class with a bang. Literally. He dropped a cube of what Hermione thought looked like chicken bouillon into a cauldron that he had simmering at the front of the room. The cauldron immediately emitted a cloud of blue smoke and the air around it seemed to clap together like a mini-clap of thunder.

"Does anyone know what this potion is?" Snape asked the class, and had a look of utter disappointment when nobody raised their hands. Even Hermione had no idea what it was. Just as it looked like Snape was going to give up on his students, the new girl raised her hand. "Yes, Ms. Waters?"

"In the states we call it Blue Halo, but I think the formal name is Dolorius Potion," Emily answered with a shrug.

"Correct. Does anyone know what it's used for?" Snape asked the class again. Everyone turned their heads toward Emily.

"Well. Mediwizards use it as a pain reliever. But, if you drink a whole lot of it, it's quite an effective hallucinogenic. Makes everything feel really good, sort of like what the Muggles call Ecstasy. But, it sort of gives your skin this funny, blue tinge for a couple days afterwards; definitely not the drug of choice if you still live with your parents." She stopped, looking around the room as if to let everyone know that her last words were from personal experience. Hermione looked at Snape, expecting him to be completely appalled by the new girls interpretation of the potion, but instead was surprised to see the potions master smiling.

"Yes, it was quite a problem twenty years ago. The ministry outlawed the sale of its key ingredient to the general public, hoping to curb habitual users. It's still legal in the states though, am I correct?"

"Well, yes and no. If you're referring to the Essence of Reindeer that classical potion texts call for, then no, even the MFDA made that illegal. However, if you simply substitute equal parts of unicorn hair and hippogriff blood, you'll get the same result. And, both of those ingredients are widely available."

"Really?" Snape said with a smile that could only be interpreted as instant respect for the new student. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you Ms. Waters"

"You're very welcome Prof. Snape," she said, beaming back at him. Hermione thought this was a most unprofessional way for Snape to conduct class, and now had no doubt in her mind that Emily was, in fact, a Veela.

"Now class," Snape began again, as if snapping out of a daze Hermione would from now on refer to as Veela Fever. "Since this is an academic setting, we won't have to use Ms. Waters' alternative recipe to create Dolorius Potion. Please turn to page 326 in your texts and begin to prepare your ingredients."

Following his instructions, Hermione and Ron reached into their rucksacks and began setting everything they'd need onto their desk. Besides the essence of reindeer, everything else was available in their potions kits.

"I'll go up to get the reindeer," Hermione offered, and got out of her seat to go up to the front of class. Behind her, she heard Harry get up as well.

"I'm sorry about last night," he said, as he got in line behind Hermione for the key ingredient. "I shouldn't have blown up like that." Hermione turned around to face him.

"It's fine, really. You were only half the problem. And the smaller half, if I may say so myself," Hermione said, glancing over at Ron who was busy chopping up beetles. "I just wish I knew why you guys were acting so strangely."

"Oh....er..." Harry began, and then bit his lip. "It's nothing really. Just a stupid male thing, that's all." Hermione looked at him doubtfully. She knew nothing "stupid" would have made Harry react the way he had last night. Just as she was about to say something about it, Draco Malfoy came up behind them.

"If it isn't my two favorite Gryffindors," he drawled, cutting Hermione in line.

"Bugger off Malfoy," Harry snapped, "And go to the end of the line like everyone else!"

"No thank you Potter, I think I'll just stay here. You don't mind, do you mudblood?" Draco questioned in his innocently sarcastic tone. But, as soon as he finished his last words, two things happened in quick succession. First, Harry reached inside his robes and pulled out his wand, pointing it directly at Draco, a deranged look in his eye. The second, which shocked Hermione much more then the first, was that the new girl, who had been standing a few feet away from them, had done the same thing.

"Take that back before I make you?" she demanded, a fiery look in her eyes.

"Are you threatening a prefect, Emily? Not the best way to start off your career here at Hogwarts," Draco warned.

"I'm threatening the pompous asshole that just called that girl a mudblood, and since you happen to be a prefect, then I guess I'm just getting a two for one deal," she said, moving closer to Draco, her wand outstretched in front of her.

"What's going on over here?" came Snape's voice, as he started walking towards the four of them.

"Oh, nothing Professor. I was just giving Ms. Waters a detention, along with Mr. Potter, for threatening a Prefect," he said, a smile in his eye as he glared at Emily.

"I have no doubt that Mr. Potter was somehow involved in causing a disturbance in my class, but Ms. Waters?" He looked at her as if his own daughter had just done the worst thing in the world, "Did you threaten Mr. Malfoy?" After a few more moments of glaring at Malfoy, the new girl's face softened a bit as she turned towards the potions master.

"Yes professor, I did, and I'd do it again," she said, an air of pride in her voice.

"Very well, rules are rules. The both of you will return down here at 8pm to serve your detentions. Now, get back to work." Draco looked at the three of them with his usual pretentious smile, collected his essence of reindeer, and headed back to his desk. Hermione stood there, staring at Emily for a few moments.

"Oh well, guess I'm starting off at this school much like I ended up at my last one," she said with a shrug, and also collected her essence of reindeer before heading back to her seat next to Millicent.

Hermione stood there for a moment before collecting her sample, not quite sure what to think of the new girl.

* * * *

Harry sat in the common room, writing an essay for History of Magic. It was due tomorrow, and since he had no idea how long Snape would keep him for his detention, he had to finish it in the next ten minutes. Flipping through the pages of Witches and Wizards, Harry started copying down facts about Julius Caesar, who was apparently a wizard. A few minutes later, something flat and hard flew down on his parchment. Looking up, Harry saw Ron towering above him.

"Just thought you'd want your book back," Ron said in a not so friendly tone. Harry looked down at the book that Ron had thrown, and saw it was a Quidditch book Harry had loaned him at the beginning of the year. Ron had been trying to work on different moves, since he was going to be trying out for the Gryffindor team within the week. Harry looked up at his best friend again, trying to see past his angry face and into what he was really thinking.

"Look, Ron. What I said the other day about you not thinking about what you do when you play, I didn't mean it," Harry said.

"Yeah, I know," Ron said.

"OK, just wanted to make sure," Harry said, turning back to his homework. Ron sat down across from him, and rummaged through his bag.

"So, why'd you get detention anyway? That Malfoy prick on a power high or something?"

"You could say that. He called Hermione a mudblood again, and Emily and I pulled out our wands on him."

"Yeah, I saw that much. What was Emily's deal anyway? Wouldn't peg her for someone to have any problems with that word. Being Slytherin and all."

"It certainly surprised me. You should have seen her though, she was really angry. And the look on Hermione's face after it all happened was priceless. She was torn between hating the girl for being Snape's class pet, and thinking she was really cool for what she did." At the mention of Hermione's name, Harry saw Ron flinch.

"You know, Hermione thinks she's a Veela," Ron said, opening a book and pulling out some parchment and a quill.

"Yeah, I heard. Remember the last time a Veela came to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, looking up at Ron with a sideways grin. He could just picture Ron's face that day he had asked Fleur to go to the Yule Ball with him in front of all those people.

"Don't remind me," Ron responded, looking at his watch, "Hey, if you don't leave now, you'll never get to the dungeons before eight." Harry looked at his own watch and realized it was 2 minutes till.

"Oh, shit!" He started packing up his books and hurried a quick "thanks" in Ron's direction before running out of the portrait hole and heading towards Snape's classroom.

* * * *

Emily exited the sliding stone door that protected the Slytherin dorms and headed down the corridor that went to the potions classroom. She had thrown back on her jeans again, but had substituted the halter-top for a sweatshirt instead. It was cold in this damned castle, and she began to dread the thought of having to live down here in the dungeons come winter.

Within a few minutes, she found herself standing in front of the classroom door. She pushed it open, and walked inside. The room was empty. Throwing her messenger bag onto the floor, she walked over to Snape's desk and started fiddling with the various items he had sitting on it.

"Early are we?" Snape said, coming into the classroom from his office in the back.

"Jesus Christ! Professor, you scared me to death. I didn't think anyone was in here," Emily said, holding her hand over her heart. He hadn't really startled her that much, but she wanted to see the response she would get out of her new professor. He simply stopped in his tracks, and looked at her, as if sizing her up.

"If that scared you, Ms. Waters, I think we should toughen you up a bit. I thought all you American witches were always ready to fight," he said, continuing to do whatever it was he was heading over to do in the first place.

"Yes, well, I'm not in America anymore, now am I?"

"Indeed, you're not," Snape replied, not turning around to face her.

"So...what are you gonna have me and this...what's his name....Mr. Pitt ...Mr. Pots...do for our detention tonight?" she asked, hoping it wasn't half like the detentions she got at her old school. She had once been forced to clean out the bathrooms for the Muggle section of the school she had attended, without magic.

"Ms. Waters, don't tell me you've never heard of Harry Potter before?" Snape said, finally turning to face Emily. She searched her brain, and came up empty. Should she know the name of some random student at Hogwarts?

"Um, why? Should I? Who is he, some famous wizard or something?" she said, with a laugh.

"Unfortunately, yes," Snape responded, just as the door to the potions classroom burst open and the boy she was supposed to be serving her detention with came running into the classroom. "Nice of you to grace us with your presence, Mr. Potter."

"Sorry Professor," the boy replied, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Emily had to give it to him, the boy had nice looks. If he wasn't six foot, he was close to it. With broad shoulders, and green eyes that made hers pale in comparison. His hair was a little on the wild side, but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a quick haircut.

"I was just going to explain to Ms. Waters here why you're considered a celebrity. But, perhaps now that you're here, you would wish to divulge your life's achievement instead." Emily noticed that Harry gave Snape an evil look, and instantly saw that there was a lot of tension between them. Hoping to cut some of this, she quickly interrupted.

"So, now that he's here, what do you want us to do?" she asked, eyeing both of them. They seemed to ignore her for a few seconds, and continued glaring at each other. Then, suddenly, Prof. Snape turned to her.

"Professor McGonagall suggested that I have Mr. Potter show you around the castle, let you know the ins and outs and all. I personally think this is a most horrid idea for a detention, especially one for our famous Harry Potter. But, I'd rather have you two out of my hair, so, here are permission slips for allowance around the castle after hours, and I expect you both to be back in my office in two hours. Now, be gone with you."

Emily walked over to her professor and took the sheet of parchment he held out to her. The boy did the same, and then Snape walked out of the room and into his office, slamming the door behind him. They both stood there for a while, not saying anything, moving the permission slips around in their hands. Emily finally decided to break the silence.

"Hi, my name's Emily Waters," she said, holding out her hand to him. He took it with a firm grasp.

"Harry Potter," he responded.

"Nice to meet you... so, where are you from. Originally I mean."

"Surrey. I live there with my Aunt and Uncle." She noticed that he looked down when he said this, not meeting her eyes. "They're Muggles," he then added.

"Oh, why don't you live with your parents?" she asked, though, she suddenly got the feeling that maybe that wasn't the most sensitive thing to ask someone she had just officially met a few seconds ago, but oh well, she hadn't learned how to time travel yet.

"Well...ER...my parents are dead," he said, still not meeting her eyes. Emily's concern had been instantly affirmed, and she suddenly felt like the biggest idiot.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know. We don't have to talk about it," then she paused before adding "I hate my parents, wish they were dead." With that, the boy looked up at her with what seemed almost like a horrified look on his face, and she again instantly regretted what she had said. "OK, I'm going to stop putting my foot in my mouth now."

"Oh, that's OK It's just strange when someone has to ask me about my parents. Usually, everyone just knows already," he said.

"Why would everyone know, are you a prince or something?" she asked. With this, the boy cracked a smile.

"No. Not a prince. They call me the Boy Who Lived. My parents were both killed by this dark wizard named Voldemort, and when he tried to kill me...well...no one really knows what happened. But I lived, and Voldemort lost his powers and went into hiding." He paused and pushed back the bangs that covered his forehead, revealing a scar that looked remarkably like a lightening bolt. "This is all he did to me, and now, everyone who sees my scar, instantly knows I'm the famous Harry Potter." He said these last few words as if the very thought irked him in his sleep.

"Well, don't worry, I've never heard of you, so you're just an average Joe to me," she said, smiling. He returned her smile, and then turned towards the door.

"Shall we go then?" he asked. She nodded, grabbed her messenger bag, and they both headed out the door of the dungeon.

"Where are you from," he asked her, as they began their grand tour of Hogwarts.

"New York City, The Village to be exact. My parents are divorced, and my dad suddenly decided he wanted me to live with him here in England. Probably because I've been getting in so much trouble back home. He thinks my mom is raising me wrong."

"Trouble?"

"Yeah, well...I'm not exactly the most orthodox witch there is. My mom says I abuse my gift. I say whatever."

"How do you like it here so far?"

"I don't know. I've only been in England for a week, and here not even 24 hours. It's just so different."

"Different how?"

Emily thought about this for a second. There was so much that was different.

"Well, for starters, there's a completely different magical community here. I mean, you guys live in the dark ages still. Back home, Muggles and wizards live right next to each other. Of course, the Muggles don't know this, they think we're just a little off our rockers. But, we essentially are completely immersed in Muggle American culture. Like, I went to a normal Muggle high school."

"So, how do you know magic then?"

"Once your parents have proof you're magical, they enroll you in these after school programs. I've been going ever since I was 5, I think my mom wanted to get rid of me. She could never find a baby-sitter that would watch me, every new one she tried quit after their first time, complaining I was the child from hell. Even the witch-sitters refused to help out. When it's time to go to high school, you just go to one of the ones that has a magic department, usually within the theater department. I guess the philosophy behind it is to make sure that everyone in the wizarding world knows how to act around Muggles, so there aren't as many mishaps."

"Really? I can't imagine. Here, all the students who come from wizarding families know nothing about the Muggle world."

"Tell me about it! I asked someone if they had any batteries for my Discman, and they looked at me like I was speaking Japanese or something."

"Oh, don't bother getting batteries. All the magic surrounding this place interferes with Muggle electricity or something like that. Hermione can explain it better, she knows everything."

"Who's Hermione?"

"Oh, she's the one you practically killed Malfoy over today. It was impressive the way you stood up to him. Not many Slytherins would have done it."

"Uhg, I just hate that word. That's another thing that's so different over here. The whole pure-blood righteousness. My dad totally buys into that shit too, which is why I hate him so much. He belongs to some secrete society, won't tell me anything about it. Just keeps telling me one day it will be my turn to join. Like hell I will. If they're anything like him, no thank you..."

"You definitely got sorted into the wrong house then!" Harry interrupted, looking up at her again with a smile. "Slytherins are the most pure-blood obsessed witches and wizards there are."

"Yeah, I caught on to that...." she replied. He was a nice guy, first one she'd met that didn't treat her like some sort of walking sex symbol. Then, she remembered the scene in class earlier that day, and instantly rationalized his behavior. "So...this Hermione girl. Is she your girlfriend?" By the look he gave her, she could tell she had caught him off guard. He just sort of froze up and coughed a little.

"What makes you say that?" he finally managed to get out.

"Well, I don't know. Most of the other guys I've met here seem to just goggle or freeze up as soon as I get near them. You, on the other hand, have this air about you that say's 'I'm taken'. I just assumed she'd be the one, considering your reaction when Draco went all pretentious on us."

"We're just friends," he said, looking down at his feet as they walked down the corridor. "And, as far as the way all the other students here have been acting around you, it's probably the whole Veela thing."

"What?" she responded, not believing her ears.

"ER.... you know, how you're part Veela. You must get this wherever you go."

"You know, you're not the first person to say that to me. Don't really know why. The truth is, I'm not even a 1/16^th Veela. I'm one-hundred-percent human," she said, running her hand through her hair. So, they all think I'm part Veela, guess that's not the worst thing in the world. She looked over at Harry and realized he had blushed a little. "It's flattering though, I mean, besides the fact that Veela are notoriously bitchy." She smiled at him again, and then quickly dropped the smile and put on her best poker face. If she kept smiling at him like that, he'd think she was flirting with him. She couldn't let him see that she might, in some tiny way, perhaps, think he was an OK guy.

They had come to the end of the dungeon corridor, and were now standing in the entrance hall. Harry turned and started heading up the stairway to their right, but Emily stood in her place, looking around the hall. She had to hand it to whoever built this place. It was beautiful. She had never seen anything like it in America. Americans were too busy making everything bigger, better, shinier, stronger, taller. And, in the process, uglier.

"Er...Emily?...are you coming?" Harry asked, jolting Emily out of her trance.

"Oh, sorry," she said, shaking her head. She took another sweeping look around the room, and then, her eyes fell on the large wooden doors. "Um...do you mind if we go outside for a bit. I doubt Prof. Snape would mind" She turned around and looked up at Harry, who had a look on his face she couldn't quite read.

"ER...sure," he said, starting to climb back down the stairs towards her. "It's pretty dark out there, but...hey...we can go visit Hagrid!" he said, a look of complete happiness fluttering across his face.

He really was cute.

They both leaned against the door as hard as they could, and were able to barely get it open enough for the two of them to slip through. He was right about it being dark outside, she could hardly see a thing. He started walking ahead of her, and so she followed, more by the sound of his footsteps on the frosty lawn then anything else. As soon as they had gotten a few feet away from the castle, she stopped and started rummaging though her messenger bag.

"Emily?" she heard Harry call her from up ahead. She squinted at where she had heard the sound, but couldn't see a damn thing. She turned back to her messenger bag, opening up the outside pocket and removing the silver box her best friend Elizabeth had given her for her birthday last year. "What are you doing?" came his voice again, and now she could hear his footsteps coming towards her. She looked up, and saw that he was standing next to her.

"Want one?" she asked, holding out her box, which was filled with Twisted Sisters Cigarettes. He leaned over and took a look into the box.

"You smoke?" he asked as if she had just told him that she was a necrophiliac. She shrugged in response, removed one of her Twisted Sisters and put it between her lips. She then slid her silver box back into her bag, and willed her cigarette to light.

"How'd you do that?" he asked, staring at her in amazement.

"Do what?"

"Light it. Without a wand or anything?"

"I don't know. I used to use my wand, but then realized it wasn't necessary. I just say the incantation in my head, and it lights. It's much easier this way," she said, taking a long drag on her cigarette. It was the first one she had had since she arrived this morning. "And, can you stop gawking at me like I'm some crazy nutcase or something, it's freaky."

"Aren't you worried about getting cancer?" he asked, softening his look a little.

"Yeah, well, I think I've got that taken care of. See, I came across this charm in one of my moms old textbooks, created by witches back in the days when they were being burnt at the stake. It took me a while, but I think I modified it just right for my twisted sisters here."

"You think?"

"Yeah, well, not everything is a sure deal when you're dealing with magic," she said, shrugging and starting to walk again. He took up his position a few feet in front of her.

As she walked, Emily began to riffle though all the names of the people she had met that day. There was McGonagall, who would be her transfiguration teacher, and that horrible son-of-a-bitch Draco Malfoy, who was a prefect along with, oh, what was her name, Millicent something or other. And then that bushy haired girl was Hermione, and there was Prof. Snape, who, seemed cool enough. And then there had been that airhead Pansy girl, who, she would make note to avoid at all costs in the future. And then there was Harry Potter....

"Yeah?" came Harry's voice from up ahead of her. She kept walking, and practically bumped into to him once she had caught up. He was standing there, looking at her.

"What?" she asked, wondering what had made him stop walking.

"What?" he said, moving a little closer to her so that they could see each other. His eyes reflected the dim moonlight in such a way that made goosebumps line Emily's arms. Or maybe it was the way his glasses sat on his head a little crookedly. Or the way his cheeks were rosy red from the cold. The cold. Yeah, maybe it was just because it was really, really, freaking cold out here. "You called me didn't you?"

"I what?" she asked.

"You just said 'Harry Potter."

"Oh...I did?" she asked, and then realized that she must have been mumbling to herself while she was walking. "Sorry...I was just going though all the names of the people I've met today, that's all. I didn't realize you could hear me."

"Do you always talk to yourself?" he asked, with just a hint of playful sarcasm in his voice.

"I wasn't talking to myself....I was simply thinking out loud," she answered, taking another drag of her cigarette.

"And the difference would be?" he asked, his eyes open wide, as if challenging her to defend herself. She stood there for a second, lost in his gaze. Then, she smiled. Damn.

"There just is," she responded, pushing past him so that their shoulders collided, and trudging on in the direction they had been heading in.

"Hey, wait up!" she heard his voice call from somewhere behind her. She then heard his footsteps come running up next to her. They walked in silence for a few moments. She finished her cigarette and flicked it off into the dark. She then looked up at the sky, and saw that it was covered with dark, billowy clouds that glowed around the edges with the light of the moon. Off in the distance, she could just barely make out what looked like a little hut along the edge of the approaching forest.

"That's Hagrid's," Harry said, pointing his finger in the direction of the hut. "Except, hmmm, that's funny. It looks dark." They continued walking towards the hut, and when they reached the door, Harry banged on it. "Hagrid? You home?" No answer. He banged a few more times before yelling again "Hagrid, it's me Harry! Are you in there?" There was still no answer. After standing there for a few moments, Harry turned around and faced Emily, a disappointed look on his face.

"Must not be home," she said, stating the obvious.

"He's probably off drinking in Hogsmeade. Guess we came all the way out here for nothing."

"That's OK It was worth it for the smoke," she said, looking around and back at the vast castle that stood off in the near distance. She then scanned the horizon, and her eyes fell on another large building. At least, it looked like a building, but there weren't windows. "What's that?" she questioned, pointing at the huge wall of cement.

"Oh, that. It's the Quidditch pitch." Harry said, starting to walk back to the castle. "Do you play?"

"Actually. I've never tried."

"Never?"

"Well, I've never really been on a broom before. It's not something city witches do, I mean, there just isn't the space and such. Imagine the mayhem that would start if one of us rode a broom down Broadway." She then chuckled to herself, a mental image flooding her head. "I've heard of it, Quidditch I mean. What wizard or witch hasn't? But, I don't really know the rules."

"Oh, well, they're easy. See, there're seven players: Three chasers, two beaters, the keeper and a seeker. The chasers are the offensive scorers, and they pass back and forth and try to get the Quaffle, that's the big red ball, into one of the other team's three goals for ten points. Then, there are the beaters...." He went on and on, explaining all the various positions and balls and rules. He was animated, swinging his arms this way and that. Emily could definitely tell that Quidditch was one of his passions.

"So, basically, it's like soccer and basketball mixed together, on broomsticks?" she asked, once he had finished his explanation. He seemed to dive into deep thought, pondering what she had just asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. But soooooo much better," he said, throwing his hands in the air and turning around to face her. Walking backwards in front of her he added, "You know, we practice tomorrow after dinner, if you want to come out afterwards, I can give you a quick flying lesson."

"Well...I guess so. As long as you promise not to make fun of how bad I am," she responded.

"Oh, believe me. There's no way you could be worse then Hermione," he said with a little chuckle. "For a girl who seems to know everything, she knows absolutely nothing about flying a broomstick." He then turned around, and took back up to walking next to her. They were half way back to the castle now, and she could clearly see into its windows. The lights were dancing along the walls, most likely from the fireplaces that were burning inside of them. Warm fireplaces. She could just imagine how nice it would be to sit next to one, feeling it's heat on her face. But just then, a gust of cold wind blew past her, making her whole body shake with shivers.

"Emily, your teeth are chattering," Harry observed from beside her. She tried to stop them, to no avail.

"I'm just...."chatter chatter, "So..." chatter chatter "Cold!" she responded, just barely able to get out the last word.

"Here," he said as he began to take off his robes. "These should help." He started to hand them to her, but stopped and took them back. "One second, I can do even better." He then reached inside one of its pockets and took out his wand. He muttered something under his breath, and then handed his robes over to her. "Warming charm."

"But...."

"I insist. Can't have you going back to Snape and telling him I dragged you out here in the freezing cold for the past hour," he said, pushing the cloak towards her again.

"I would never..." she began, before he interrupted her for the second time.

"Yeah, I know. Just take it," he said, but she still didn't move. "I'll be fine, it's just two more minutes back to the castle." Reluctantly, she grabbed on to his robes and swung them around her. She could instantly feel the warmth seep into her body. "See, isn't that better?" he asked, putting both his hands on her shoulders and turning her back toward the castle.

"Yeah...thanks."

* * * *

"Oh please just let me see what you wrote. I won't copy it word for word, I just need some suggestions," Ron pleaded with Hermione. He had been sitting in the common room for the past hour and a half, trying to work on his History of Magic paper. He only had two feet of parchment, and had to turn in a full essay of at least five feet by tomorrow. Hermione, who had come to join him about a half an hour ago, looked up at him with a look of disgust in her eyes.

"Ron!" she snapped, "In all the years we've been here at Hogwarts, have I ever let you cheat by looking at my homework?" He just looked at her, hoping that maybe, this time, she would give in. "Exactly! And I'm not going to start doing it now!" she practically yelled, putting her nose back into the book she was reading.

"Oh, come on Hermione. Just this once. I've been so busy practicing for my Quidditch tryouts this Friday, I've only got two feet!"

"Well, it's not my fault you've been prioritizing that stupid game in front of your school work. Honestly Ron, what are you going to do if you make it on the team? Cheat your way through school?" She had said all of this with her nose still in her book. It was times like these that Ron began to wonder if she would ever lighten up and just have fun for once.

"All you had to do was say no," Ron said, giving up and opening up the book he had been reading though for the past hour.

"I did," she said, and then added, "Multiple times."

Just then, the portrait hole opened and Harry stepped into the common room. Without even a glance in their direction, he turned and began walking up the common room stairs.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted. Harry stopped, and turned around to face them. "How was detention?" she asked guiltily.

"Oh, detention? It was fine," he said, starting to turn around to walk back up the stairs.

"Fine?" she called after him, making him turn back around again.

"Yeah...fine," he answered. Ron couldn't quite read Harry's expression, but it was definitely not what he would have expected after having come from detention with Snape.

"Harry, you OK?" Ron asked, voicing his thoughts.

"Yeah...I'm fine...just tired. See you guys in the morning." And with that, he turned around and walked up the stairs to his dorm. Hermione turned back to Ron, who raised one of his eyebrows at her.

"That was strange," she said.

"I'll say," he responded, returning to his book. After a few seconds, Ron looked back up at Hermione, and found that she had been looking at him. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, quickly looking back down at her book.

"Nothing?"

"Yup, nothing."

* * * *