Study Breaks

Chapter Seven

Hermione crept into the fifth year girls room by the light of her wand, crossing silently to her bed. She put her wand on the bedside table and pulled her pajamas from under her pillow. Quietly, she began to undress, lost in memories of the evening she had just spend with George.

"So, how'd it go?"

Hermione dropped her pajama top and spun around at the sound of Lavender's voice. Her wand light flared and went out in her surprise.

"C'mon, how was it? Did you go someplace romantic? Did he like your new look?"

"Shhh..." hissed Hermione, gesturing towards Parvati's bed.

"Oh don't worry about her, she'd sleep through an earthquake," Lavender replied, although she did lower her voice slightly. "Besides, I think she fell asleep with her headphones on. The new album from that wizard boy band just came out. Parvati loves them, so she's been listening to it non-stop since it was delivered. But we're off the topic. How was your date?"

"Good grief, are you ever single-minded," said Hermione, struggling into her pajama top. "Give me a second to get my PJs on and I'll tell you. It was really... I just never knew George was such a romantic."

Lavender threw back her covers and climbed out of bed. Hermione heard her rustling around in her cosmetics drawer. When Hermione had wrapped herself in her robe, she turned to find Lavender standing by the foot of her bed, her hands full of bottles and jars with a towel over one arm. She looked at Lavender quizzically.

"Well, I know you wouldn't have thought to take off your make-up, and I figure that the washroom's way more private. Then you won't have to worry about Parvati waking up," Lavender explained.

Hermione grinned. "Sounds good to me. Although I'm not sure why you need that much stuff to wash my face," she said, gesturing at the collection of containers the other girl held.

"Do not ask, my child, for my secrets are both varied and mysterious," Lavender replied archly, in an attempt to mimic Professor Trelawney.

The two girls laughed quietly as they hurried from the room.

On the other side of the stairs in the boys dormitory, a loud and illicit game of Exploding Snap was taking place in the fifth years' room. Every time there was the slightest creak from outside the door, Neville would jerk guilty and glance at the door. As this happened for the twentieth time, Ron glared at his friend irritably.

"C'mon Neville, are you expect McGonagall to be patrolling the halls at this hour. It's just gone eleven. Curfew's barely in effect. And technically, we aren't breaking it. Exactly."

"Well, they are," squeaked Neville, pointing at the other circle of players where Ron's twin brothers were sitting with their friend Lee, the trio trying to convince Seamus to lay down one of his more rare wizard cards as a stake. "Plus, we're gambling. And that's definitely against the rules."

"Which rules?" asked Ron.

"I don't know," admitted Neville miserably, "but I'm sure it's against some rule. And I bet the punishment's really hard."

"Oh stop fussing, Neville," Ron ordered, throwing down a card to indicate that the argument was finished.

"So Ron," Harry asked, eager to move on from the subject of rule breaking, "how're you doing on the Charms essay?"

"Oh, pretty good," his friend replied. "Lavender helped me with a bunch of the research and I think I'm getting it pretty well."

"Lavender helped you?" Harry asked, surprised that he hadn't noticed this new development. "Why Lavender?"

"Well, Mione was off helping George and Lav offered her help instead. Which was great, cuz she was pretty good with it. And," he added proudly, "she didn't call me a dimwit once."

"This is a big deal?" Harry asked.

"Well, yeah. Mione always calls me a dimwit, or a numbscull, or something else bad when I get things wrong. But Lav was really nice."

"Well, she's a nice girl," Harry pointed out, taking the opportunity to encourage Ron's opinion of Lavender. "And she's smart. And awfully pretty."

"Yeah, I guess," Ron agreed absently, focussed on his cards. Suddenly he looked up. "Hey, wait. Are you interested in her, Harry?"

Harry gaped at his friend. The boy was completely clueless, he thought. Completely.

"No, Ron. I'm not interested in Lavender. She's not my type. So don't worry about that."

"Worry?" It was Ron's turn to stare confusedly at his friend. "I'm not worried. Just that I bet I could put a good word in for you if you liked. Cuz I'm working with her tomorrow on Herbology."

Harry tried to compose his face, hoping that Ron couldn't see the triumphant grin that wanted to break out. A second study date in as many days. This was great news. Now he just had to encourage a few romantic thoughts towards Lavender and Ron would be a couple before he knew it.

"So George, how'd your date go tonight?"

Harry groaned as Lee's voice carried clearly across the room. Ron's head jerked around to stare at his brother. A silence fell as George blushed and muttered to his friend. Unfortunately, Lee didn't seem capable of the same quiet tone.

"I showed up? I didn't show up, I wasn't even sure where you were taking her... oooff"

"You shut up!" George repeated as Lee rubbed his newly bruised ribs. "Can't you see that my brother heard you?"

"Oh." Lee had the grace to look guilty. "Sorry man. I'll try to cover for it. Umm..."

Before he could blurt out some new ill advised remark, Fred and George tackled him from either side and pinned him to the floor. They took turns whispering dire threats into their friend's ears while Harry desperately tried to distract Ron.

"So Ron, who's turn is it?" Harry asked nervously.

"What's Lee talking about?" Ron asked. "I thought that George was studying with Hermione tonight. That's not a date. Right Harry?"

"No, um, of course not," Harry replied. "George must have had another date afterwards. Y'know."

"No. I don't know. I didn't know that George was dating anyone. And he and Hermione came in right around the same time," Ron added suspiciously.

"That doesn't mean they're dating. It could just be... coincidence," Harry offered weakly.

"I suppose. I mean it's not like Hermione would go out on a date with George," Ron smirked.

"Yeah," agreed Harry with relief.

"Exactly. Hermione knows better than to date anyone else. I mean, it's not like she needs a boyfriend. She has us."

At this point Neville decided to join in. "But you guys aren't her boyfriends. You're just friends. That doesn't mean she wouldn't date somebody else."

Harry groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Ron didn't notice as his ears began to flame red.

"She doesn't need to date anyone. And if she did, it wouldn't be George, it'd be... some one else," he finished lamely.

"Look, Ron," Dean put in, as Harry shook his head and moaned quietly. "Hermione isn't going to be single forever. She's pretty and she's smart. And besides, this isn't her first boyfriend."

"She doesn't have a boyfriend!!" Ron nearly yelled. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "And if she did, it wouldn't be George. They've got nothing in common."

The debate came to a sudden halt when the dormitory door flew open. Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway, her hair tucked up under a red and gold flannel sleeping cap, her eyes flashing with anger.

"What is going on here?" she demanded of the stunned students.

"Why are you three," she glared at George, Fred, and Lee, "in this room? And why is there money and cards scattered across the floor? I wouldn't want to think that you are doing something so against the rules as gambling."

The boys hurried to pick up their cards and belongings while muttering various apologies and incoherent explanations. The three seventh year boys moved to the door, and Professor McGonagall glared at them for a few moments before moving to allow them to pass through the door. She stayed in the doorway until the fifth years had all moved towards their beds, and with a flick of her wand, she extinguished the candles that had lit the room.

"I hope that I won't see this kind of behavior again. I wouldn't like to be forced to deduct points from my own house."

And with that declaration, she swept from the room, tightly closing the door. The five boys exchanged glances then burst into relieved laughter.

"Oh, man," said Dean, "I thought we were in trouble for sure!"

"Yeah," agreed Ron. "I figured we'd be in detention with Snape for months from the look on her face."

"I'll bet George, Fred, and Lee aren't getting off so lightly," Seamus said, with a malicious grin on his face. "That'll teach them to try to get my Cecil Mugwort card."

The boys moved quickly through their bedtime preparations and within half an hour the room was dark and filled with the sound of Neville snoring. Still, Harry lay in bed, wide awake. His mind was running circles around the idea of Ron being so jealous of Hermione dating. This was what he had expected, but it was still not a comforting thought. Finally, he decided to see if his friend was also awake.

"Psstt.. Ron," he whispered.

"Mmmph... what?" came Ron's grumpy voice from under his pile of blankets.

"Just wondering if you were asleep."

"Stupid question Harry," Ron whispered sarcastically. "Unless we're having a really coherent chat in one of my dreams."

"Sorry." Harry paused, trying to figure out how to broach the subject. "Well, since you're awake," Ron snorted, but Harry continued, "I was wondering what you meant by all that stuff you were saying about Hermione."

"What stuff?"

"Just all the things about her not dating, unless it was one of us."

"I never said Hermione should date one of us," Ron said, shocked. "I just meant that Hermione doesn't date."

"Well, neither do you or I," Harry pointed out. "But that doesn't mean that we never will."

"Are you sure you aren't interested in Lavender?" his friend asked.

"What? No!" Harry tried to get back on track. "What I mean is, why are you all upset at the thought of Hermione dating? Are you jealous?"

There. He'd said it. Maybe now they could get to the root of the problem. Or they could if Ron would stop laughing.

"Shut up, Ron. You'll have McGonagall back here in an instant," Harry muttered, trying to see if the other boys were still asleep.

"Sorry," Ron gasped between snorts of laughter. "Just, jealous? Me? Of Hermione dating? As if."

"Oh come off it, Ron. You weren't exactly welcoming Krum into our lives with open arms. If that wasn't jealousy, I don't know what is."

"Look, yeah, last year, that made me jealous. But I don't think of Hermione that way. It was just, well... I don't really know. I guess that ..." he trailed off.

"You guess what?"

"Look, I don't know really. I just don't like the idea of Hermione dating, okay? I mean, if she started dating someone, she'd spend all her time with him and all she'd ever want to talk about would be her boyfriend and it wouldn't be like it is now. And that would suck."

"What, you think that Hermione dating would mean she wouldn't be our friend anymore?" Harry laughed quietly. "Ron, I don't really think we have to worry about that. I can't imagine Hermione letting anyone run her life that much. It's not like she'd turn into a different person when she got a boyfriend. That's not the way Mione is."

"Yeah, but she's our friend. And I don't want to have to... oh I don't know."

"Ron, are you saying that you don't want to have to share her with other people?" Harry asked. "Because that sounds a lot like jealousy. And besides, we do share her with other people anyway. I mean, she's friends with most of the people in our house. Are you jealous of them, of Lavender and Neville and your brothers?"

"Well, that's different, isn't it. That's just friends. But dating's different, right? She'll be all wrapped up in some guy and never have time for us. She won't be any fun any more," Ron said morosely. "I can just see it. 'I can go help fight evil, guys. I have to paint my nails for my date with what's-his-face.' That would be awful... What?"

Harry was trying hard to muffle his laughter in his pillow, but when Ron snapped at him, he pulled his head up and spoke between gasps.

"Get real, Ron. You know Hermione as well as anyone. Can you honestly see her ever doing that. You're just making up excuses. I'd never do that if I found someone. I know you wouldn't either. And neither would Hermione. So stop being so paranoid and let go. I bet that you'll be surprised at how little her dating will affect how she is with us."

Ron seemed to accept this argument, at least, he stopped arguing and settled back against his pillows. Until suddenly he sat straight up in bed and stared at his friend.

"Wait a second. Do you mean that Hermione is dating someone, right now!?!"

The next day, the common room was crowded with hyperactive Griffindors. The weather outside was foul, which meant that all the pent up energy of the week wasn't going to find it's release on the Quidditch pitch. This didn't stop Lee, George, and Fred from re-enacting some of their favourite moves. This behavior lasted until the pillowcase full of clothes they had been using as a quaffle flew off course and hit Angelina in the back of the head. Lee and George immediately hid behind the couch, leaving Fred to face his girlfriend's wrath.

"C'mon Angelina," he whined, his hands outstretched. "It wasn't like it hit you very hard."

"Well, it wasn't as hard as I'm going hit you," she threatened.

"Angel, it was an accident," he crooned as she stalked closer to him.

"Yeah. Like coating my hair with blue glaze the other day was an accident."

"That was an accident. It was your eyes we were trying to make glaze. How was I supposed to know that bottle was hair goo not eye drops?"

"By reading the label, doofus!" she raged, standing nose to nose with her quivering boyfriend.

"C'mon Angel. I apologized. And I'll apologize this time. Please forgive me. Please," he begged, trying to look pathetic.

Angelina glared up at him for another few seconds before bursting into gales of laughter. Their audience took a collective breath, knowing that violence had been averted for another day.

"Fine, Fred. I'll forgive you for the hair thing, and the pillow thing. But if you ever try that 'puppy dog' look on me again, I'll belt you so hard you'll be flying backwards for days."

"Ah, Angel," Fred said, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend's waist. "You know how that kind of talk excites me."

She slapped his chest, then stood on tiptoes to kiss his nose. "Shut up Weasley. You're setting a bad example for the children."

"Hey, George had better figure out his own technique. I have a feeling Hermione's a lot harder to talk down than you are."

Again everyone in the common room froze. Fred realized about three seconds too late exactly what he'd said. Angelina hit him on the chest again, this time somewhat harder. George stood from where he'd been crouched behind the couch and looked around the common room.

"Thank you, brother mine," he said in a hard voice. "If I ever need a Secret Keeper, I'll remember not to pick you. But you're safe from bodily harm today. They're not here."

Fred glanced quickly around the room and realized that what his brother said was true. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were nowhere to be seen. He sighed deeply and let go of Angelina.

"Sorry brother. I didn't really think..."

"Surprise surprise," interrupted George. "I ought to be used to it by now. So, everyone," he turned to address the rest of the room. "I guess you all know now. So it's not much of a secret."

"It wasn't much of a secret before," Seamus called from the corner of the room.

"Yeah," chimed in Parvati. "Maybe next time you'll want to stop staring at her every minute she's around."

"And give up the blushing when her name's brought up," added Ginny.

"Or perhaps stop..."

Whatever Lee was going to add was lost when George yelled incoherently and stomped from the room. The students in the common room stared after him for a few moments and then turned back to their previous conversations. Only a small group of fourth and fifth year students continued to discuss the topic of Hermione and George.

"So this is why Harry's been bugging Ron about Hermione dating so much?" Neville asked.

"Well, yeah, Neville," Dean replied. "What did you think it was? Some poll for the Daily Prophet?"

"Hey," Ginny cut in. "Don't be so hard on Neville. Harry could have been asking for all sorts of reasons. But the important question here is, what was Ron's response? I know my brother's pretty crazy about Hermione."

"I think Ron's going to be okay with idea," Seamus said after a pause. "It seems he's not so much jealous of who ever dates Hermione as he is freaked by the idea of Hermione dating. He'd probably be flipped if Harry started dating too. Y'know, breaking up the invincible threesome."

"So Ron's not interested in Hermione that way?" Lavender asked.

"Doesn't seem to be," Seamus answered. "More like he's jealous of the concept of a new person in their little group."

Lavender smiled to herself as discussion switched to the possible ways of letting Ron into the secret without him causing bodily harm. As the conversation moved around her, Lavender's distraction did not go unnoticed by one pair of interested eyes.

Harry was hurrying down the hallway by the Great Hall when he heard some one calling his name. He slowed, and when the person called out again, he stopped and turned. Rushing towards him was Parvati Patil, her hair flying around in a dark tangle as she turned her head this way and that.

"Are they with you?" she asked.

"Um... who?" Harry responded, confused.

"Y'know. Hermione and Ron. Are they around here somewhere?"

"No," he replied, still mystified. "I think Hermione's off to the library, and Ron had to meet Lavender in the Common Room. Why?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"That doesn't make it any clearer, Parvati," Harry pointed out.

"No. I mean I wanted to talk to you alone. About them. C'mon, we have a lot to discuss."

Harry let the dark haired girl drag him by the arm into one of the classrooms along the corridor. He listened with amusement to her explanation of Fred's mistake in the common room, and George's shock at finding out his secret romance wasn't so secret. Parvati then went on to explain Lavender's reaction to Seamus's revelations regarding Ron. When she finally wrapped up her monologue, Harry was nodding appreciatively.

"So, Parvati, you seem to be thinking the same way I am. If we fix Ron and Lavender up, things will move more smoothly for Hermione and George. This is what you're thinking, right?"

"That's it exactly. And I figure we have a good chance of it working, since you say they're studying together as we speak."

"I'm hoping that's what's happening. We'll see. What we really need to do is force the issue a bit. With Fred's display this afternoon, it probably won't be that long before someone says something to Ron by mistake."

"Well, we could... I don't know... lock them in a broom closet or something."

"A broom closet, Parvati? Please. There's got to be a more subtle way of doing this." Harry sat on one of the front row desks. "Let's see. They're working on Herbology together, right?"

Parvati nodded. "Yes, which could involve them having to go out to the greenhouses at some point," she said thoughtfully.

"No, Parvati, we're not locking them into the greenhouse," Harry said exasperated.

"That's not what I meant, Harry," Parvati glared at him, then began pacing the short distance between the desks and the wall. "No, in the greenhouse Lavender's totally in her element. She's really good at all that stuff. So if they work together on that, he'll start to see her as brainy, which is like Hermione. And then she could offer to help with all his other school work as well. Isn't that how Hermione and George hooked up, by having conversations while studying?"

"Yeah. Yeah!" Harry nodded vigorously. "Exactly. So we just have to make sure that they end up working together on all sorts of things. Force them to pair up in Potions."

"Exactly," said Parvati. "That's another one she's good at. And Charms. I bet we could get them sitting together in Charms. It'll be the subtle version of locking them in a broom closet. And if they keep heading off to different places to work on projects, it will keep Ron clear of Fred's slips of the tongue. At least until he's ready to deal with them."

"Sounds perfect, Parvati. We'll make sure that Hermione knows to throw Ron at Lavender whenever he asks for help with homework. And you can encourage Lavender to take him to the library or where ever because, uh, the common room's too noisy or something."

"And let's try to get them together when we're in Hogsmeade next weekend. That'll help him see her in a totally non-school way as well."

Harry hopped off the desk and stopped Parvati in her tracks. "This is great, Parvati. Great. I'll go talk to George and Hermione immediately." He moved towards the door, then stopped and turned. "Do we want to let Lavender in on what we're planning, or just encourage her in the right direction?"

Parvati pretended to think for a moment, then grinned up at him. "Of course not. We match makers must work in complete secrecy. Never let the 'to be matched' in on the plans."

"I bow to your superior wisdom," Harry said, with a sweeping bow to illustrate her words.

"Shuddup Harry," replied Parvati, smacking him on the arm. "I have a feeling I'm years behind you in this field. C'mon. Let's go play cupid. While we're at it, I can think of some other people who could use a little encouragement."

The two students walked out of the room, laughing and talking, planning impossible and not so impossible matches as they went.