The Trouble With Love

The new school year, Hogwarts

The students were pouring into the hall, glad to be out of the blustery weather. Three friends hurried towards the Gryffindor table, not saying anything, as all of them were too uncomfortable. The one on the left was of a tall-ish build with ebony hair, the middle one a girl of average height with out-of-control bushy hair, and the one on the right had a shocking mass of flame-colored hair. He too, was tall. Finally, the ebony-haired one broke the silence.

"So, how are you guys?" he said hesitantly, for the tension between the three of them was almost tangible by now, like an ever-building electrical storm.

"Oh, I'm fine," the girl said airily, waving her hand nonchalantly.

"And you, Ron?"

"Oh, great, just great," he muttered murderously.

"Ron, just calm down!" burst out the girl.

"Why don't you, Hermione?" he spat out.

"Guys, let's just sit down, all right?"

Still glaring at each other, the other two assented and sat down on the long wooden bench. Ron immediately began to watch the golden platter before him, waiting for the food to appear. Hermione, however, struck up a conversation with the other boy.

"So, Harry. How've the Dursleys been? Horrid as usual?"

"Well, they actually let me watch the news. Also, they didn't lock me in my room this time. They even fed me properly! So, I'd say it was pretty okay this summer. For the Dursleys that is."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." She was about to continue when the Sorting Ceremony began. "Oh, we'd better be quiet now," she whispered.

Around half an hour later, six new students had joined the ranks of Gryffindors. Ron applauded and then said, a little too loudly, "So, when's the food getting here?" Everyone laughed at this as he colored in embarrassment.

"Well, Mr. Weasley, I do believe that it shall arrive right about- now!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Tuck in everyone!"

The three friends did so, Ron stuffing food eagerly into his mouth, Harry being a little more dignified, but still eating at a rather alarming rate, and Hermione eating daintily.

Later, when they were in the Gryffindor Common Room, having received their schedules, Ron and Ginny brought up their idea of a meeting.

"So, erm, Ginny and I had an idea about how to sort this whole mess out."

"Yeah," Ginny quipped.

Everyone had quickly turned their heads away at this, as they were all still rather uncomfortable around each other.

"Well, I think," Hermione announced, "that it would be a wonderful idea. Shall we meet here in the Common Room?"

"Well," Ginny said uncomfortable, avoiding all of their gazes, "there's a slight problem with that."

"At this, all of their heads snapped around to focus on her bowed head. "Well, what's the problem? I mean, the only people involved in this are Gryffindors, right?" Ron said.

"No, there's Luna, remember? And there's also...well..."

"WHO, WHO???" shouted Ron, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her.

"Ron, calm down! Well, I know I should have told at least one of you, but Draco sent me a letter saying- well, you can probably guess."

"Draco? DRACO?? SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU CALLED HIM DRACO?!? HUH?? And," Ron suddenly sat down dumbstruck, "he likes you?? Bloody hell, can this get any worse?"

"Ginny shook her head. "I knew you'd react this way! And I'm not on a first name basis with him, but 'Malfoy' isn't his name, you know. I may as well be civil to him. Now, where to have the meeting?"

They all thought about this for several minutes.

"I've got it!" Hermione said excitedly. "The Room of Requirement!"

"No, I don't think so," Harry said hastily. "Someone might happen to find us. It could happen you know!" he said defensively when Hermione began to glare at him.

"Fine then, let's keep thinking..."

Half an hour later, no new ideas had been suggested. "Well, looks like I win, Harry," Hermione said. "I mean, no one else has come up with anything."

"No, wait, I'll think of something! Just- just give me a minute."

"Harry, you've had half an hour," Hermione said. "How are you going to come up with something in a minute?"

"I'll think of something, okay? Ummm, how about Moaning Myrtle's bathroom?" Everyone shook their heads. "The dungeons?" This was booted out immediately, based on the fact that that was Slytherin territory. "How about an empty classroom?" he suggested, knowing that this was his last hope. Hermione sarcastically answered, "Oh yeah, there's a better chance of us getting found in the Room of Requirement than in an empty classroom. Don't you think, Ginny?"

"Well, wouldn't it look kind of suspicious, a Slytherin walking with a bunch of Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw? I personally think that it would be better just to use an empty classroom. Then, if someone walked in, Draco," here Ron shot a look at her that, if looks could kill, she'd be long dead, "could just say that he'd walked in to practice and had found our mangy lot in there. Plus, most of the empty classrooms are somewhere in the castle where not many people go anyways. If we were in the Room of Requirement, however, people might think we were up to something."

"I agree with Ginny," Harry declared, glad that someone had backed him up.

"I'll second it!" said Ron.

"Fine, we'll do it your way then," Hermione said, exasperated. "We just need to run it by Luna and Malfoy. If they agree, then we'll set up a time and go find a room, okay?"

They all nodded, and with that, they went their separate ways.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, at breakfast, Hermione asked Luna if meeting in an empty classroom to talk about the current situation would be okay. Luna readily agreed. As Hermione walked off, she noticed that Luna's eyes had been mistier than normal. Oh well, probably nothing, Hermione decided, and walked to her first class.

Once she had reached the Potions room, she hurried over to Harry and Ron to tell them the news. She then cautiously approached Malfoy to ask him.

"Oh look, it's the little Granger girl. And what does a Mudblood like her want with me?"

"Well, Malfoy," she spat out, "I was just wondering if you would consent to meet with us in an empty classroom to sort out our current problems. If you want to associate with us underlings that is."

"Problems? What 'problems'?"

"Would it help refresh your memory if I said the words letter and Ginny?"

His features paled. "Oh, that problem," he said weakly. "Okay, fine. When shall we meet?" he said, his old sarcasm back in place almost immediately.

"We were thinking of this Saturday, at seven o'clock. We'd meet in the Great Hall. Or is that too obvious of a place for you to be seen with the likes of us?"

"No, no, that'll be fine," he said airily, waving a hand in the air. "Just fine."

Snape then opened the door and they all filed silently in.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Saturday night, seven o'clock, the Great Hall

"Okay, good, we're all here. Now, let's go." Hermione said, voice fading away as she strode purposefully down the hallway.

The rest hurried to catch up. Eventually, they came across an abandoned classroom that seemed perfect for the job: no people in sight, out of the way, and quiet. Little did they know what they would find inside...