Study Buddies

    Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley had been whispering furiously back and forth for a little over five minutes now, clearly in heated debate over something no one else cared to hear. A few textbooks were scattered about them, as they had clearly been attempting to study, but the noise in the common room prevented them from doing so.

    Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were engaged in a fierce battle of Wizard’s Chess, Ron currently winning by quite some margin, but Harry struggling to keep up with him. Although he nearly always lost (except for those few times when Ron felt a tinge of pity), he continued to attempt to beat his red-haired friend, vowing one day to win fair and square. Today was clearly not that day.

    The two girls finally parted from their whispers, Ginny giggling gently to herself as she glanced down towards her books. Hermione’s brown eyes redirected towards the boys, soft blush making its way into her cheeks as she finally spoke, "Hey, Ron? Harry?"

     It took a moment, but at last the boys glanced up from their game. After offering Ron a reproachful look, Harry laid emerald hues on his other best friend, eyebrow quirking. "Yeah, ‘Mione?"

    She hesitated, "Do you mind if Ginny and I use your dormitory for studying? It’s, uh, kind of noisy in here."

    The two boys looked confused, and finally Ron questioned, "Why can’t you use one of your own dormitories?"

     It was Ginny’s turn to speak up, and although reluctant, she quickly interrupted Hermione. "Lavender and Parvati are having a giggle fest in the sixth years, and a bunch of girls in my dormitory are playing truth or dare." She gave Hermione a hidden half-smile.

    "Err.. Alright, then," murmured Ron, gazing skeptically at the two for a moment before turning back to the chess board.

    The girls quickly gathered their things, and, stifling giggles with their palms, dashed up to the boys’ dormitory. Relieved at finding the dormitory completely empty, they quietly shut the door to drop their books and dove onto Ron’s bed. Ginny immediately had Hermione pinned beneath her, allowing but a second for an arrogant smirk to slide across her freckled face before their lips met in a silent fervor.

* * *

    "CROOKSHANKS!" Ron’s angry voice echoed throughout the common room as the orange fiend pounced onto the chess board, completely shattering yet another of Ron’s series if victories. Ears burned red as he glared towards Harry, seizing the cat about it’s waist as it hissed and spat, clawing madly at his face.

    "I hate this bloody cat! Ugh!" he exclaimed angrily, hauling the struggling feline towards the dormitory stairs and stomping his way up. He was certainly going to have a bone to pick with Hermione about her stupid cat, constantly in the way and harassing him.

    As soon as the door was swung open, however, he stopped dead in his tracks. Crookshanks slid from his loosened grasp to immediately take flight down the stairs, growling madly as he went. Ron simply stared, slack-jawed, at the sight before him.

    Having clearly been at it for some time before he’d arrived, the two tousled girls separated as quickly as possible, straightening their halfway removed robes. The two were out of breath, and staring at Ron in surprise, faces scarlet with embarrassment.

    As he finally managed to regain his speech, the startled boy could only manage to force out a single question.

    "Why couldn’t you do that in Harry’s bed?"