Romance Americana

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"Ron. Ron, wake up!"

"Huh? Why? What's going on?"

"Get up. Do you realize who you're in bed with?"

"Potter, as long as it isn't Hermione, and it is Shannon, why the hell do you care?"

"Um, maybe because her brother is in the next bed over, and if he wakes up, we will have a repeat of the hallway."

Ron was awake instantaneously. "You've got to be shitting me." He sat up, and looked at the bed across from the one he was in. Tufts of red and brown hair greeted him in response. "CRAP! Harry, why the hell didn't you wake me up earlier?! Shannon! Shannon, love, wake up!" Ron shook the brunet next to him. "Come on, come on, love, wake up!"

She sat up with a start. "Ron, I am hung over, and have now been rudely awakened. What the hell is so goddamned important to wake me up this early on a Saturday?" Shannon was looking rather perturbed; Ron tried to get his point across by pointing.

"What the hell does that mean? And what the hell is Harry doing here...?" Just as she turned her eyes on Harry, Ron grabbed her head, and turned it in the direction of Kate, who was waking.

"Oh, shit."

The redhead was dressed in a loosed top, and stretched before she opened her eyes.

"Oh, hey Shannon, Ron, Harry. How'd y'all sleep?"

Harry's green eyes looked puzzled behind his glasses. "Fine... um, Kate?"

"Yes."

"You realize that this is your ex and your friend in the same bed, right?"

"No shit, Potter. Lemme borrow your glasses and see for myself." Kate received another look; Shannon seemed to be struggling with laughter, and Ron looked like he needed four more good hours of sleep. "Harry, I was kidding. I see that Ron and Shannon are in the same bed. Shannon, did you let the boy sleep at all? He has bags under his eyes! What were you two up to last night, hm?"

"Kate! I could ask you the same damn thing! And you're with my brother! I think I could be nastier about that..."

"Jesus Christ, Quinn, it was a joke. Remember to breathe," Kate sighed. "We've only been in cheery England for five months, and you've already lost the little sense of humor you had."

"I have a fine sense of humor, thank you very much. Now explain what the hell is going on."

"You first."

"I asked you."

"Me. Your brother. Us. Dating. You know, what people do to before they get married? Sharing personal space comes with the job description."

"Space, not beds."

"Shannon, grow up. Do either of us look undressed to you?" Kate pulled back the bedcovers, revealing her pajama bottoms, and Matt, also in pajama bottoms. "See, nothing going on here. Do I dare ask you?"

Shannon rolled her eyes and got out of bed. She too wore pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. "Same. See, I told you so."

"How old are we now, Quinn, three?"

"Shaddup, Morgan. Now, help me get him out of here," she whispered, motioning to Ron.

"But it could be so much damn fun if I just reached over and wake Matt up..."

"Kate, don't you dare..."

But it was too late. His eyes were fluttering beneath the lids; he was waking.

"Ron, just get up and run!"

As he went to do just that, Matt's eyes opened, and he sat up in bed. His eyes landed on Ron, half sitting on the bed, half ready to bolt for the door. "Weasley, why the fuck are you in my sister's room?"

"Oh shit."

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Matt stayed in the Gryffindor dorms all that day. He played cards with Harry, and drilled Ron about his intentions as to his sister. When he had cleared Ron as acceptable, he went looking for Kate. He didn't find her until he went down to his own dorm and got his broomstick. She was sitting on the roof of Gryffindor Tower, right above her window. He landed and went to sit next to her.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

"Have you given them their letters yet?"

Kate shifted, and looked out. He saw that she had a bag of David ranch flavored sunflower seeds next to her; she was spitting them off the edge of the roof and onto the front lawn. He reached over her and put them in between them. She shot him a dirty look.

"Didn't your mother teach you to share?"

Kate ignored his question. "I don't like this. We've never accepted foreigners into the order. Then hidden agendas become involved, and..."

"Kate, Victoria's talked to us about this."

"I know..."

The conversation faded off into silence. Matt gazed over at Kate. She had on an oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants reading "Americana War Hawks" to fend off the cold. She was going to be sick. Matt told her so.

"Relax. I have layers on."

"But still..."

"Yes, mother."

He took a small handful of seeds into his mouth and began to eat.

"So..."

"Back to the hidden agendas."

"Kate, we're talking about Harry fucking Potter here."

"And his best friend, and girlfriend, and his best friend's little sister who is destined to become the queen of all evil." She went off into her own little world. "The kind that hates everything good and fuzzy and kind on the face of the earth. The kind that tortures little bunnies for fun... "She looked him in the eye for the first time since he got on to the roof. "Where does it all end?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I have no fucking clue. But either way, you need to give them those letters."

She kept her eyes forward, still spitting seeds. "Yeah, so what? Maybe I don't give them the letters. Maybe we can take out Voldemort ourselves. Maybe we don't really need them."

"Come on, Kate! You know that that's a load of bull! You know we need Potter and the rest."

Kate sighed again in resignation.

"Sure. Fine. Whatever. Send me Hermione first. I need to talk to her before hand."

"What ever you want."

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Hermione poked her head out the window of the seventh year girl's dorms and looked at Kate. She needed to speak with her, she said, and as Head Girl, she needed to answer.

"Kate, what do you need?"

"Come here, will you, Hermione?"

"Can't we do this inside?"

"I'd prefer out here."

"Fine." Hermione grabbed her pea coat and managed to get herself onto the roof. "What is it?"

"You hate me. Why is that?"

Hermione stood and looked down at the redhead. How ludicrous was this? She, Hermione, Head Girl of Hogwarts, was on the roof of her dorm, being asked to explain why she hated someone.

"Is this really necessary?"

"It is if you want in to Americana for college. Or you can stay here, in England; it's your choice."

For the first time, Hermione saw letters lying next to Kate on the roof. There was a pretty strong wind out here; they could fall off...

"Don't worry, I've charmed them. They won't be falling or flying anywhere." Hermione gave her a shocked look. Could she read minds...?

"No, I can't. I saw you look at the letters is all. Now sit."

Hermione complied with the order. What did she have to say? Surely, it couldn't hurt to at least listen.

"Now, I believe I asked you a question. Why do you hate me? Is it because I dated Ron, or that I act, or what?"

"I... I... damn it! You're too damn perfect! It's not natural!"

"Like getting straight A's and being ahead of everyone else in your class by a gazillion points is." Kate smiled to tell Hermione that it was just a tease.

"That's not the same thing!"

"Hermione Granger, you know damn well that it's the exact same thing!"

Hermione grumbled and stared out at the wide, sweeping lawns of her school, her home away from home for seven years. The best seven years of her life, which had lead her to Harry, and everything else she loved. But now came a decision. She could lose the chance to go to the magical college of her dreams if she pissed off this moody American actress.

"Well... you dating Ron did upset me. He's one of my best friends; I didn't want to see him hurt."

"Looks like I followed through on that one."

Hermione decided to take the blunt route. "Yes, you certainly did. And then a hall fight started because your idiot friend, Benny, couldn't keep his fists to himself. I was up all night cleaning cuts and bruises."

"Hey, hey! That's sooo not fair! You attacked me first! What the hell did you think I would do, stand there and take it? Hell no! Honey, I've survived nights on Chicago's far South Side, I know how to deal with a street fight."

"And that's another thing about you that annoys me! You seem to know EVERYTHING! You have just this general knowledge, and it pisses me off that you can always come out smelling like the proverbial rose! It just pisses me off!"

"And with everything you and Harry and Ron have done, you don't think that you've gotten away with the impossible?"

"I won't win this argument, will I?"

"Nope. You can never win a fight with a Virgo woman!"

"Then maybe we should be arguing a bit more. My birthday's September 19."

"September 1... let's call it a truce, okay?"

"Sure, fine. But what else did you need?"

"I'll get to that. But can we at least act like human beings around each other. It's bad enough I get catty looks from the students at Americana; I don't need them form Hogwarts students too."

"Fine. But you know why you get all those catty looks?"

"Enlighten me." Kate was staring out at the now setting sun. She looked as though she'd rather be out here with Matt, watching the sunset instead of talking to Hermione.

"It's because of all the guys you're always with. People figure that they all want you; then girls get pissed. That's another thing. I didn't like you talking to Harry so much!"

"Oh. Sorry. But that leads into what I'm gonna tell you. You have been accepted into The Americana University of Sorcery. To be more precise, you, Harry, and Ron have been accepted." She paused to let the news sink in. "But, that comes with a cost."

"What cost."

"That's the thing; I cannot tell you until you commit to our school. If you don't, we throw out your documentation, and you never hear from us again. If you make a good impression and the administration finds you trustworthy, they just may forgo the memory charms; if not, you'll never remember meeting me, unless we somehow meet again. Do you accept these terms?"

Hermione sighed. Big, big decision coming up. A little voice sounded in the back of her head. 'Take the leap. Do it. Don't miss the chance...'

"Yes, I accept the terms."

"Very well. Just remember, you asked for what you're getting."

Kate proceeded to tell a story that made Hermione's jaw drop. And considering all that Hermione had seen for the past seven years, that was a damn hard thing to do.