When Ron Attempts to Set Them Up

Harry and Ron came through the portrait hole after a bit of flying practice, only to find Hermione sitting at a small table in a corner, scribbling furiously.

"Hi," Harry said as he sat down next to her. Ron pulled up a chair and sat across from her. "What are you doing?"

She squeaked, as though just realizing they had arrived. "Um... nothing," she said, stuffing what looked like a small book out of sight.

"Hey, what was that?" Ron asked, reaching for the pile of books Hermione had slid the smaller one under.

"Nothing," Hermione said, more calmly this time. "And anyway, it's not really any of your business."

"Was that a diary?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Um... no..." Hermione turned pink as she tried and failed to lie to them.

"Yes, it was!" Ron exclaimed.

"No!" Hermione said. "No, it's... it's a project."

"Okay."

"Well..." Hermione said after a moment. "Okay, it's a diary, if you want to call it that, but it's really none of your business, so I would appreciate it if you two would worry about your own lives, like the fact that your homework's due tomorrow and I know for a fact neither of you have started it!"

She sat back, looking slightly pleased with her outburst.

"Well... well..." Ron stuttered. He sighed. "Fine. You're right."

"Thank you." There was silence for a moment.

"That doesn't mean we can't try and look at it!" Harry said, reaching out and successfully slipping the diary out from under Hermione's books.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, half-shrieking, half-laughing. "Give it back!"

"Never!" Harry laughed, getting up and holding it behind him.

"Harry!" she said again, trying to reach behind him for it. He dodged her and when she lunged for it again, he enveloped her in a hug as she struggled to get away.

"Let me go!" she laughed, her arms pinned to her sides. Harry deftly tossed the diary back onto the table (he would never have actually read it, after all!) with one hand and began to tickle her. She shrieked with laugher again.

Ron watched his two friends, amused and deep in thought. He looked at Harry. He looked at Hermione, in his arms. He looked back at Harry, who was grinning. And a light bulb flicked on in his head. Or rather, he came to a sudden conclusion - he'd never really had the opportunity to see a light bulb in action, after all, nor had he ever watched a Muggle cartoon.

After a few moments, Harry and Hermione's laughter subsided. He let her go, and she awkwardly smoothed down her skirt before gathering her books and picking up her bag from the floor.

"Well, goodnight," she said, heading towards the stairs. She patted Ron's shoulder, and on her way past Harry, she grinned and skirted around him.

"'Night," he called after her. Ron did the same. Harry sat down in Hermione's vacant chair, but after a moment, he yawned.

"I should probably get to bed, too," Harry said.

"What about your homework?" Ron asked. "The essay for Divination?"

Harry mentally checked his schedule before answering. "We have that last class of the day. I'll do it in the morning. I'm really tired, and besides - do we ever spend much time on Divination work anyway?"

Ron just grinned. "You've got a point."

"Are you coming up?"

Ron opened his mouth to say 'in a minute', but his eyes stopped on Hermione's diary, still lying on the table. "Er, no, I'll... I'll stay down here for a bit."

Harry shrugged. "Okay. 'Night."

"See you."

Ron watched Harry disappear up the boys' staircase before reaching out for Hermione's diary. As his fingers touched the red velvet cover, he knew he had a plan.