Prefects' Bathroom

The Prefect's Bathroom

Chapter 3

The Fat Lady stared down at the two girls, one eyebrow raised, a look of indignation on her face. After a moment she piped up, "Are you two going to gape down that hall all night, or do you plan on entering Gryffindor Tower? Do let me know so that I might go back to sleep at some point tonight!"

Hermione blinked, caught the humor in McGonagall's last piece of advice and began laughing, softly at first, and then in long, barely controlled hysterical bursts. Ginny stared at her, hoping she hadn't snapped, and then began to laugh herself. They had just been given advice on their love lives from the prim, proper, and stern head of Gryffindor house!

Dean sat across from Professor McGonagall's desk, frightened. Something was wrong, McGonagall had returned, but she did not bring Hermione or Ginny, and there was something like a self-satisfied glint in her eye. He was in for it now; he was toast.

"Mr. Thomas," began McGonagall. As she addressed him she sat back in her chair and the leather creaked very loudly. "Do you know how long I have been teaching at Hogwart's?"

Dean nodded, but said nothing.

"Do you know how long I have been head of Gryffindor house?"

He shook his head, unsure of his voice.

"Thirty years," she stated matter-of-factly. "Do you think that there is much that happens in this school that escapes my notice?"

"I'm sure there is not, Professor." Flattery, yes, that would work.

"You are correct, Mr. Thomas." She was not happy. He was in trouble. "Fortunately for Ms. Granger and Ms. Weasley, they were no longer in the prefect's bathroom when I arrived. Nor were they in the hall back to Gryffindor Tower. I found Ms. Granger in her dormitory. You will be pleased to know that nothing untoward has happened to her, Thomas."

Now he would have to talk his way out of this. He had not noticed that McGonagall mentioned Ginny, though he had not.

"I'm very pleased to hear it, Professor. Well, now that I am sure no harm has come to them, I'll just be on my way back to..."

McGonagall smiled. She had given him the chance to hang himself and he had. She knew he had not mentioned Ginny when he came to her office, but now he was glad she was well, too. She also knew that there had been an ever so brief relationship between Dean and Ginny. Now it was clear that Dean had come to her office to get Ginny and Hermione in trouble.

"Not so fast, Thomas. Do you think me so blind as to not spot a jealous male? You stomp around and bellow worse than wounded Hippogriff. I am well aware of your attempted use of me to get Ms. Weasley in trouble so as to get back at her for dumping you!"

"The virtues which make up the inhabitants of Gryffindor house do not include lying, manipulation, or vengefulness. Fifty points from Gryffindor for your lying and manipulations. May you take this as a lesson, Mr. Thomas. Gryffindors are proud and brave, not cowardly and lying. Not to mention, no one, absolutely no one can use me as a tool to get his or her fellow students in trouble. Do I make myself clear, Thomas?"

Dean was hanging his head, she was right of course, he thought, but his indignation was fierce. His face burned with silent rage and humiliation. He nodded and then stood and turned to go.

"I have not finished, Mr. Thomas. You are also out of bed, well late of the appointed time. You will serve a detention tomorrow evening with Mr. Filch."

Dean bit his lip. The injustice of it all was too much to bear. Damn McGonagall, damn Ginny and Hermione!

They rushed through the portrait and up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. Ginny had her arms around Hermione's neck. Their lips were pressed tight together, their tongues searching each other's mouths. They held each other for a long moment right outside the door to the fifth year dormitory.

Hermione gasped in pain as Ginny squeezed her shoulder where three long lines of red stained her rather wrinkled white uniform shirt.

"Oh, sorry, love. Do I get to see you again tomorrow night?" asked Ginny with a smile in between kisses.

Hermione pushed back from her sharply. "Gin! We were almost expelled tonight and you want to go back there again tomorrow night?"

"Sure, why not? We just have to go earlier, but we aren't going back to the bathroom."

"Where are we supposed to go then?"

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one!" Ginny teased. "Didn't you listen to McGonagall? She told us where we could go, and I must admit, we should have thought of it before!"

Hermione had been too scared to really pay too much attention to what McGonagall said. She looked at Ginny quizzically.

"You think about it, and then meet me there tomorrow night at 8 o'clock. Good night baby." And with a brief peck on the cheek, she slipped through the door to her dormitory

Hermione thought hard, her face screwed up in concentration. Where on earth could she and Ginny go that was secluded? It would have to be a place that few people knew about, and a place that was somewhat, shall we say comfortable. But did they know of such a place? Where on earth was it? Hermione closed her eyes to think harder. A place well hidden, that few people knew about. Few people knew about.

Her eyes flew open and she gasped as the realization hit her. Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it before? In fact, it would be astronomically better than the prefect's bathroom. Or it could be, if that is what they wanted it to be like.

"The Room of Requirement!" thought Hermione as she touched her cheek where Ginny had kissed. She walked up the stairs slowly thinking about the Room of Requirement, and what it might be filled with tomorrow night. She really must go brush up on Silencing Charms