Life Study

Ginny carried her books and a rather nice little metal mirror that had previously been one of her handkerchiefs back to Gryffindor Tower, said "Neatnik" (she suspected a joke on Percy) to Sir Cadogan, and stepped inside.

Something smelled very strange. Sharp. Ginny puzzled over the odor for a moment and then spotted Colin Creevey brewing something carefully in the fireplace; there was a purple globe eating up most of the odor, but some bits were still escaping to wander the room.

"Hi. Did your roommates make you stop brewing upstairs?"

He looked up and grinned. "Oh, hi, Ginny. Yes -- they said after that last Potions essay, they don't want to watch anybody doing one for fun."

"Hmm. Well, do you remember Tom talking about starting a study group?"

"After you rode the acromantula? Everything else from that day kind of pales in comparison, but yes, I think so."

She grinned. "Well... I thought you might like to come. We just tried inviting one more person this first time, since it's Peony Parkinson and she seems to be a little shy, but we want to get more people involved."

Colin nodded. "Sounds like fun. And might as well keep House parity, eh? How'd it go today?"

"Well, I think. We worked on Transfiguration and played with some color charms -- and talked Quidditch and politics a little bit, but we really did get quite a bit done."

"Well, just tell me when, and I'll be there--" Colin suddenly glanced over Ginny's shoulder and brightened considerably. "Hi, Harry! Sorry about the smell, I'm almost done."

"Hi, Colin...." Harry eyed the cauldron askance. "Do I want to know?"

"Just another batch of developer. My roommates aren't all that keen on it just now."

"Oh."

Ginny took a deep breath and bit the bullet. "Harry," she began, "Colin and I were just talking about the study group. We're going to try to meet again early Saturday morning, if that works out; Tom wanted to know if you were coming."

"Saturday? Yeah, I think I will." He smiled. "Should be fun."

"Good. That's good. I'll let him know." She forced her eyes to look past him, at Ron and Hermione. "Er, are you two interested? Hermione, you've been a lot of help...."

"I've talked to some of the Ravenclaws, actually, like I said." Hermione came over and peered into Colin's cauldron with interest. "I had a few say they wouldn't mind coming once in a while or had younger friends who might try it, but mostly they already have things set up. Neville said he'd come, though, if you'd have him."

"Oh, well, of course we would!" Ginny looked around to see if Neville was present.

Behind Hermione, Ron grinned. "I'll just bet Tom wanted to know.if Harry'd be there. I'll tag along as well; somebody ought to keep an eye on things. Neville's off mailing a letter to his Gran, if that's who you're looking for."

"He specifically said to ask Harry, since he might not see him before then," Ginny replied primly. "But I'm glad you'll be coming too."

"Got to keep you out of trouble, haven't I? Mum'd have my hide else."

"I'm perfectly fine. Do you think we should ask anybody else?"

"This is going to be a very odd study group," Colin remarked. "What is it -- one first-year, three second-years, and now four third-years? Plus whoever we don't know about yet from the other Houses."

Ginny shrugged. "Well, we can all work on the things we need to work on, and help each other out. It's as much for... getting along with each other as for the studying, remember."

"The Great Work of Making Slytherins Likeable," Ron said dryly. "Should be fun, as long as Malfoy isn't there."

*****

"Well," Tom said a bit disconsolately, "looking on the bright side, Malfoy wouldn't be caught dead there."

"I wasn't going to ask him," Peony replied. "And it's not that bad, we had a few maybes."

"Well... a few." He sighed. "This doesn't bode well. I thought at least a few of them might listen."

"We're neither of us very highly-regarded. I'm quiet, and you're . . . you. It's a good idea, but maybe it just needs a little more time."

"There is something backwards," Tom replied darkly, "about the fact that I can get more Gryffindors to listen to me than Slytherins."

"What about the Ravenclaws? And Hufflepuffs?"

"Apparently they have their own arrangements already. Which I would've expected of the Ravenclaws, and probably should have of the Hufflepuffs--but either way they're not going out of their way because a Slytherin asked nicely."

"So... it's just us and the Gryffindors Saturday."

"Looks like it. Harry's nice, and Hermione--and I've worked with Ron a bit; he's prickly, but Ginny can handle him. She said she was going to ask Colin Creevey, and I don't know who else." He cocked his head. "You all right with that?"

Peony opened her mouth, then closed it again and thinned her lips for a moment before starting over. "I think so," she said. "I can manage. But... aren't Hermione Granger and Colin Creevey two of the students who were Petrified last year? It's... odd. No one insisted on their working with... us."

Tom shrugged. "Hermione and I work pretty well together, and I don't know what Colin thinks of me specifically but he's a friend of Ginny's." He raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't have thought you'd bring Hermione up as a potential problem, though, from what I've heard."

"It's not that I wouldn't like to work with her." Peony colored a bit. "She's... very impressive. Especially since she missed so much of that year and is still doing so well. And it's good -- that they don't hold it against either of you, when you weren't responsible for it. It just isn't quite the group somebody might have predicted." She considered. "I suppose... there was already a connection, though." An arched eyebrow. "Maybe it's a Gryffindor trait. Face up to a reminder of your fears?"

Tom laughed. "Might be, at that. Colin didn't seem too nervous around me, though."

"I'm not sure I've ever seen him seem nervous. And he's hard to miss, getting everywhere with that Muggle camera."

"Even got a picture of Ginny on the acromantula." Tom chuckled. "No question he's in the right House."

"I think I'd hate that class. Why can't they have an advanced Herbology course or something? I've been gardening since I was three."

"It's . . . interesting, once you get used to it. I'll admit I'd prefer tamer creatures to work with, but as long as you listen to him Hagrid's a good teacher. Even if he doesn't like you."

"He must at least be very enthusiastic, to offer the extra class that way. I suppose I'll find out, if I try it." She smiled. "And I'm going to go and revise for a while -- I'd like to be sure what the rest of you are talking about at the next meeting, and I'm not quite so far ahead in Potions."

"See you Saturday, then."

"I'll be there."

*****

Tom and Peony met in the Slytherin common room that Saturday morning and proceeded to the library by way of the Great Hall, careful to remove all traces of breakfast crumbs from their persons before entering. The Gryffindors hadn't yet arrived.

By ten minutes past the hour, Tom was starting to get worried.

By a quarter past, Peony was scowling. "They're either being awfully lazy or they decided it would be funny not to bother."

"Ginny wouldn't. Nor Harry." He touched the photo album, hidden in an inside pocket of his robe, for reassurance. "That's not something friends do."

"Well, they aren't here." Peony frowned more, though the expression was softening a little. "I think it's time to be either annoyed or worried. I suppose at best they overslept." She hesitated. "Granger does have circles under her eyes, as of last time I saw her."

"She's taking an insane schedule this term, I heard. And we'd already been doing a project on the side. But Ginny's never broken a promise to me before, that I know of."

"...Fine. But she still isn't here, so something's stopped her, so do we keep waiting or go and look?"

"Go and look. If they did oversleep, they'll probably head to the Great Hall for late breakfast."

"All right." Peony stood up and started piling her books back into her cauldron. They had planned to move to an empty classroom if they decided on any practicals; in the meantime, she might as well save the space.

They had just stepped outside the library when they spotted Ginny pelting up the corridor toward them. "Tom," she gasped. "Peony. I'm sorry -- to be so late. And about everybody else. I only just remembered -- we've all been up since four --" She broke off and tried visibly to get control of her breathing. "Sirius Black's been captured."