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      Of Love, Fools, and Little Orange Monsters
      Category: Books » Harry Potter  Censor:  G   Genre:  Romance   Reviews:  
      143
      Author: Princess Kate  - Select Font -VerdanaTimes New RomanArialGeneva 
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Disclaimer: With the notable exceptions of this particular plot, Calli 
something-or-the-other, and Joelle Davies :), all other 
characters belong to Ms Rowling. No profit is being made off this story.  Muchos 
gracias. 



Of Love, Fools, and Little Orange Monsters 
  
     Hermione Granger sighed and closed the big book she had been studying with 
a satisfying thump. Exams were only a 
month away, but she was tired and relatively pleased with her work so far. It 
would be enough for tonight, at least. 
     She pushed back a thick lock of brown hair as she gathered her stuff up to 
leave the library. She would be prepared- 
although Harry and Ron were another story entirely. Harry had Quidditch 
practice, of course, but Ron had no excuse at all. 
By the time she reached the Gryffindor common room, she had prepared quite a 
nice little speech for him. 
     She gave the password to the Fat Lady and stepped inside, scanning for her 
friends. Harry was studying by the fire and 
waved for her to come join him. Ron wasn’t there, and she sighed to herself as 
she sat down beside her other friend. It had 
been a rather good speech. 
     "Finished studying?" Harry asked her, closing his book and looking at her 
with that odd expression in his face, the one 
that made her blush furiously with pleasure and feel acutely uncomfortable at 
the same time. 
     "For tonight," she finally managed, looking down at her ink-smudged hands, 
"How was Quidditch practice?" 
     "Okay. I really think we have a good shot at winning this year." 
     "Ya’ll could beat Ravenclaw any day." 
      Harry laughed, "I hope so. Ron not out of detention yet?" 
     "Oh, I forgot about that," said Hermione, looking up excitedly, already 
composing another speech in her mind. So she 
would get a chance to lecture him after all… 
    "You know, I'm actually kind of glad he isn't here," he started slowly, 
turning away from his homework so he could look her 
in the eyes, "Hermione, there's something I've been meaning to ask you..." 
    "The homework!" she interrupted a little shrilly, "You don't even have to 
ask, Harry, don't I always help you in Potions?" 
    He looked confused, "No. But that's not what I meant, anyway." 
    "Then what did you mean?" she asked, feeling a little sick at the pit of her 
stomach. How would they ever be able to be 
friends after this? Why did he have to go and ruin the whole thing? 
    "Hermione," he started, taking her hands, his eyes shining excitedly, "I 
think I'm in love..." 
    She looked around desperately for an escape, and her prayers were answered 
in the form of Ron, just entering the 
common room, "Look, Harry! There's Ron!" 
    Harry dropped her hands quickly and turned back to reading intently from his 
book. 
    "Er... am I interrupting something?" 
    "No. Why would you think that?" Hermione squeaked, painfully aware of the 
blood rushing to her face. 
    Ron looked at her and then at Harry, a hint of a smile in his eyes, "Well, 
for one thing, Harry's studying for Defense 
Against the Dark Arts upside down..." 
    Harry swiftly turned his book around and shut it, "I... I think I'm gonna 
retire early tonight. You know… saving up strength 
for Quidditch." 
    "Whatever," said Ron, the corners of his mouth twitching betrayingly. He sat 
down beside Hermione and they silently 
watched as Harry bent a hasty retreat. 
    "So," he started lightly after Harry had disappeared from sight, carefully 
not looking at her, "I did interrupt something, eh? 
Sorry. But next time you plan a romantic tryst be sure to warn me before 
hand..." 
    She glared at him, "You know perfectly well how awful this is." 
    He busied himself with picking lint out of the couch cushions, "I take it 
you don't return his feelings?" 
    "I couldn't, Ron. He's my best friend, almost a brother. I don't know what 
to do..." 
    "We'll think of something," he said, finally looking at her and giving her a 
shy grin. 
    "Like what? We both know Harry doesn't take things like this lightly. 
Nothing short of falling for someone else..." 
    "That's it!" Ron cried, "If he falls for someone else..." 
    Hermione looked at him doubtfully, "It might work. But we'd have to promise 
not to use any magic or anything. That would 
be cruel. It has to happen naturally." 
    "No magic," he crossed his heart solemnly, the action a stark contrast to 
the mischievous twinkle in his eye, "It'll happen 
as naturally as we can force it to. Who gets to be the lucky girl?" 
    "Well, Lavender or Parvati are both in Gryffindor..." 
    "What about that Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang? And that pretty new Slytherin, 
Calli something-or-the-other? Who else?" 
    "Ginny?" asked Hermione evilly. 
    Ron laughed, "Even I couldn't be that cruel. What do you say? We talk to Cho 
after the Ravenclaw practice tomorrow?" 
    "I guess she's the best choice," they stood up to go to bed, "Thanks, Ron. 
At I know I still have one friend who's not 
getting all weird on me." 
    A shadow crossed over his face, as quickly gone as it had arrived, "Anytime, 
Hermione. This is going to be fun. And who 
knows? Harry might even enjoy it." 
~ * ~
Never-the-less, Hermione had been nervous all day. Although she had tried to 
avoid him all morning, the only free seat at 
dinner had been next to Harry. She breathed a sigh of relief as he didn’t say 
anything about the night before, but started 
instead a lively conversation with Ron about some Quidditch team. Quidditch 
didn’t interest Hermione, except when Harry 
was playing, of course, and she found herself tuning them out and focusing on 
Cho, a few tables over with the rest of the 
Ravenclaws. 
     Cho herself was staring rather openly at the Gryffindor tables, a dreamy 
expression on her face. Maybe she really does 
like him, Hermione thought hopefully, That way- 
     "Hey, Hermione, you still here?" Ron’s voice interrupted into her thoughts. 

     "Um… yeah… I mean… uh… yeah," she said intelligently. 
     Harry looked at her in concern, "You okay, Herm? You’ve been acting weird 
all day…" 
     "I’m fine," she lied, watching Cho out of the corner as she stood up and 
left with the rest of the Ravenclaw team, "I’m… 
er…" 
     "Worried about finals?" supplied Ron, "I don’t know why. Like you ever get 
anything less than perfect." 
     "I’m still worried," she said, "You should be too. Come to the library with 
me and study?" 
     Ron rolled his eyes and sat up, "Have I told you lately that you are 
completely crazy? You coming Harry?" 
     "Huh?" asked Harry, as if snapping out of a dream, "Uh… no. See you later." 

     Hermione followed Ron out of the Great Hall, and as soon as they were out, 
he slowed down to wait for her, "Maybe it’s a 
good thing your so smart. You’d make a lousy actress." 
     "Sorry," she shot back, "I’m not at all used to this sort of thing." 
     He grinned and took her arm, veering her from her course to the library to 
the Quidditch fields, "And that’s one of the very 
nicest things about you," Hermione blushed before he ruined the compliment with, 
"I mean, if you actually had any common 
sense at all, my life would be so boring." 
     "If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black," she flashed, slapping his 
hand away, "You can’t say anything on the subject 
of common sense…" 
     "Oh, yeah?" he challenged. 
     "Yeah," she answered, then hushed him quiet as they approached the 
practice. They sat down quietly and watched without another word. Hermione felt 
the familiar queasiness in the pit of her stomach return, and not just because 
of the fact that the Ravenclaws were rather good and would be stiff competition… 

     Ron nudged her suddenly in the side and she came back from her thoughts 
with a start, "There she is," he whispered, 
pointing towards the end of field where Cho was walking quietly back, not 
joining in which the cheerful chattering and laughter 
of the team. 
     "Here goes nothing," she said with a shaky sigh, as she took his arm again 
for support and called, "Hey, Cho! Over here!" 
     Cho looked slightly startled, but headed dutifully over to where they were 
standing. 
     "Hermione, right?" she asked cautiously, "And your Ron Weasley… George and 
Fred’s brother. What do you want?" 
     "We’ve come to make you an offer you can’t refuse," laughed Hermione, then 
suddenly shut up self-consciously as she 
realized both her companions were from full-blooded families, "Uh… it’s from a 
muggle movie…" 
     "I’m sure," Ron grinned, then turned serious again as he turned back 
towards Cho, "Well, it’s like this. We have a friend, 
and he really likes you…" 
     Hermione punched him in the side for such a blatant lie as Cho’s eyes grew 
wide, "Keep talking." 
     "Well… er… he wants you to meet him tomorrow night right here, but since 
he’s on the Gryffindor team and ya’ll are 
playing him for the championships, he wants to keep his name quiet…" 
     Cho flushed a rosy pink, "The Gryffindor team? You’re not playing with me, 
are you Weasley? What about Alicia?" 
     Ron seemed to be growing impatient, "I don’t really see what she has to do 
with it." 
     "Tomorrow, you say?" 
     "Yeah. Be here at this time," agreed Ron, giving her a small wave as she 
hurriedly turned around to catch up with the rest 
of her team, "Well. That went very well. Didn’t I tell you, Hermione?" 
     Hermione wasn’t so sure. 
~ * ~
Since their rendezvous with Cho had taken up most of the evening, Hermione went 
to the library early the next morning to 
get some more studying done. For the first time for awhile, she was actually 
beginning to relax a little. Maybe this whole 
thing could actually work out. 
     She settled herself down at her usual table with a contented sigh and 
pulled out a text book, hoping for at least an hour of 
solid studying before breakfast. 
     It had only been half an hour when she was jerked back into the world. At 
first she couldn’t tell what had caught her 
attention, but gradually she realized she had heard her name from the next 
table, where, obviously unaware that she was 
there, two girls were talking. 
     "So this Hermione chick kept you after practice to tell you…?" Hermione 
snuck a glance and recognized the speaker as 
Joelle Davies, a Ravenclaw in Cho’s year. 
     "She was very cryptic. Actually, Weasley did most of the talking." Cho’s 
voice this time. 
     "Weasley?" asked Joelle suspiciously. 
     "No, no, not that one. The little one. Harry’s friend." 
     "And he said?" 
     "That someone on the Gryffindor team likes me and wants to meet me tonight 
out by the Quidditch fields." 
     Joelle squealed happily. "You really think they meant him? Gosh, Cho, you 
are so lucky. How long have you had a crush 
on this guy?" 
     "Forever," Cho admitted. 
     Hermione smiled to herself. Dear, dear Ron. How could she ever had doubted 
him? Nothing could go wrong now- 
     "Just think," sighed Cho, leaning back contentedly in her seat, "He likes 
me! George Weasley really likes me!" 
     Joelle squealed again and Hermione slipped silently out of the library, to 
go find Ron and kill him. 
                                          * ** * ** * 
"This is awful! This is worse than awful!" muttered Hermione, flinging her arms 
around wildly as she paced anxiously 
across the nearly empty Gryffindor common room later that morning. She turned to 
Ron, "Remind me to never listen any of 
your stupid idea ever again. How the heck are we supposed to get George out on 
the Quidditch tonight? And what about 
Harry, Ron? What about Harry?!?" 
     Ron slumped down further into the chair he was sitting on, "So I made a 
mistake. I suppose you’ve never made one, little 
Miss Perfect." 
     "Mistake? Using cat hair in your Polyjuice Potion is a mistake! Believing 
that you might actually know what you’re talking 
about is a mistake! This… this is awful!" 
     "Well, I don’t see you coming up with any brilliant plans," snapped Ron, 
"And you could have said ‘no’ at anytime. How was I to know Cho has a crush on 
George?" 
     Hermione just glared at him. 
     "Stop over-reacting, Hermione. George is a reasonable guy." 
     "Your right," she sat down on the chair across from him, breathing deeply, 
"And it’s not like Harry even knows about it… 
he doesn’t… right, Ron?" 
     Ron flushed bright red, "Well… uh… I might of told him last night… er…" 
     "What did you tell him?" 
     "I just told him that you had told me everything, and… uh… you’d meet him 
out by the Quidditch field tonight…" 
     Hermione let out an exasperated sigh, "You told him I’d be there?" 
     "I didn’t really mention any names…’ 
     "Why are you always so damn cryptic? We’d never be in this whole mess you 
hadn’t gone and tried to be some bloody 
James Bond." 
     "James who?" Ron looked confused. 
     "Never mind. How are we going to get ourselves out of this mess? I guess we 
could just tell everyone the truth…" 
     "The truth?" Ron lifted an eyebrow with a look of injured dignity, "And 
have Cho and Harry mad at us for the rest of our 
lives? No thanks. Harry doesn’t know who exactly is supposed to meet him on that 
field. And George owes me a favour or 
two…" 
     "He does, does he?" asked a voice from behind them, which Hermione 
instantly recognized as Fred’s, "Why aren’t you 
two down at breakfast?" 
     "Why aren’t you?" shot back Ron. 
     "What’s this I hear you conspiring about George?" 
     "Nothing," Hermione said sullenly. 
     "It sounded like something," said Fred, eyes twinkling mischievously, "It 
wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain Ms. 
Chang whose been promised he’ll be there tonight for a certain romantic tryst, 
although everybody knows my dear brother 
and the lovely Ms. Spinnet…" 
     "How do you know all this?" demanded Ron, "It’s not already out?" 
     "Of course it is," Fred grinned, "Either that or I was standing at the door 
the whole time…" 
     Hermione sighed and sunk deeper into her chair, "We so do not need this 
right now…" 
     "Or do we?" asked Ron, raising an eyebrow thoughtfully. 
     "What do you mean, Ron?" 
     "Yeah, Ron," Fred asked suspiciously, "What do you mean?" 
     "Well, I was just thinking-" 
     "Always dangerous," muttered Fred. 
     "Well, George can’t do this for us. But who says it has to be him who meets 
her tonight? As long as she thinks it’s 
him…" 
     Fred broke out in a wide smile, "You know, I shouldn’t do it. But it will 
be so much fun…" 
     "See, Hermione," grinned Ron, "We’re gonna make it after all." 
~ * ~
Hermione was starving before they finally got all the details ironed out with 
Fred, who was all too eager to pass as his 
brother. Ron whistled cheerfully as they made their way down the hall, but 
Hermione still felt a few reservations. 
     "What about Harry?" 
     Ron shrugged, "Something will pop up. We can talk to Lavender or Parvati in 
Transfiguration." 
     Hermione was about to voice her doubts when she was suddenly knocked down 
by someone racing down the hall. 
     "Hey, watch it," Ron warned the offender, who turned out to be a very shaky 
Neville. 
     "S- sorry." 
     "Whatever is the matter now, Neville?" asked Hermione, slightly 
exasperated. 
     "Their after m- me." 
     "Whose after you? Not those little orange monsters again?" 
     "No. Worse," he leaned panting against the wall. 
     "Who?" 
     They heard two bright voices coming down the hall and Neville’s eyes went 
wide, "It’s them. Pretend you haven’t seen me. 
Please, Hermione." 
     Before she had a chance to answer, he had already dashed down the hall and 
out of sight. Hermione turned bewilderedly 
to Ron, who shrugged, but didn’t get a chance to say anything because Lavender 
and Parvati had just turned the corner. 
     "Hey, Ron. Hermione," giggled Parvati, "You haven’t perchance seen Neville 
anywhere?" 
     "No." 
     "Too bad," sighed Lavender, "He left breakfast before we had finished 
talking to him. And I was so enjoying it." 
     Ron shot Hermione an amused look, "I’m sure. Listen, guys. What do you 
think of Harry?" 
     Lavender looked surprised, "He’s okay. Not as cute as Neville of course-" 
Parvati giggled again, "-but… hey, do you guys 
think you can help us? Talk to Neville, get him to notice us?" 
     "Oh, I think he notices you," answered Hermione airily. 
     "I knew we could count on you. Tell him we’ll be waiting out by the 
Quidditch fields tonight for him. Parvati and I…" 
     "We’ll be sure to," Ron said hurriedly, who had grabbed Hermione’s hand and 
was trying to subtly back them both away. 
When it came apparent Lavender wasn’t going to stop, he decided to make a run 
for us. 
     "Thanks!" called Parvati as Ron and Hermione rushed away. They didn’t stop 
until they reached a staircase nearly a floor 
away. 
     "Can’t- blame- Neville for- running," panted Ron as he collapsed down on a 
stair, "Those two- are worse- than any 
monster." 
     "I’ll say," Hermione said, sitting down beside him, "Since when has this 
been happening?" 
     "Since forever," said a glum voice sitting down below them on the stairs. 
     "Seamus- Dean?" Hermione jumped up, "What are ya’ll doing here?" 
     "First things first," said Ron, "What the heck is the matter with Lavender 
and Parvati?" 
     Dean sighed, "Professor Trelawny told them she saw Neville figuring 
importantly into their future happiness- and ever since 
then-" 
     "Divination?" scoffed Hermione, "That’s what this is all about?" 
     Seamus nodded, "Depressing, eh?" 
     "That’s not exactly the word I had in mind. But what does it matter to 
you?" 
     Both Dean and Seamus flushed bright red and Ron rolled his eyes, "Should of 
guessed. What do you expect us to do 
about it?" 
     "Nothing…" Seamus muttered, "We’d better get to class." 
     Hermione sighed, "Listen. Come out to the Quidditch fields after dinner 
tonight. Lavender and Parvati will be there. Neville 
won’t be in sight. From there it’ll be up to you, okay?" 
     They brightened immediately, "Gee, thanks, Hermione." 
     Ron waited until they had left before he turned on Hermione, "What was 
that? As if we didn’t have enough in trying to 
make sure George never finds out he’s ‘meeting’ Cho tonight? Trying to find 
someone besides you that will meet Harry out 
there tonight? Trying to keep Neville away from Lav… well, at least if this 
works that’ll be one problem solved." 
     "Exactly. Besides, I felt sorry for them. Haven’t you ever wanted someone 
you thought would be impossible to get?" 
     A curious look passed over his face, but he only answered lightly: "No. 
Come one, we’d best get to class, too." 
~ * ~
They didn’t get a chance to talk to each other again until lunch. 
     Hermione sat down in between Ron and a very nervous-looking Neville, who 
kept glancing anxiously down to the end of 
the table where Lavender and Parvati were waving at him and giggling. Dean and 
Seamus said across from them, spending 
half their time gazing adoringly at the girls, and the other half sending 
Neville death stares. Harry seemed absorbed in his 
food, and only once looked up, to give Hermione a small smile as she sat down. 
     "I’m really looking forward to tonight. Thanks for understanding." 
     "It’s… er… okay," she said uncomfortably. 
     "It’s more than okay," he grinned, "You don’t know how nervous I’ve been 
about this." He gave her a wink and got up to 
leave. 
     Hermione leaned close to Ron and murmured in his ear, "We’ve got major 
problems." 
     "Hold that thought," he whispered back, nodding his head towards a very 
angry looking Alicia Spinnet, who had just taken 
Harry’s empty seat and was looking at them expectantly. 
     "Well?" she asked impatiently. 
     "Well what?" Hermione answered cautiously. 
     "Just what do you think your doing, Granger? Setting George up with that 
Ravenclaw?" 
     "He’s not…" started Ron. 
     "All I’m saying is that I’m going to be out at that Quidditch field 
tonight, and if George and that hussy are there… well, 
let’s just hope their not. For all of our sakes." 
~ * ~
By the time Potions came around, Hermione was a nervous wreck. It didn’t help 
that Snape was in a worse mood that 
usual. She was very thankful when class ended, even though that meant only a few 
more hours until she was supposed to 
meet Harry on the Quidditch field. 
     Ron waited for her outside the door as she gathered her stuff up and 
pretended to listen to Snape’s oily lecture. As she 
exited the group, he grinned at her slyly, "I’ve got everything all worked out." 

     "Oh, really? Even Harry?" 
     "Yep. I wrote that Slytherin, Calli something-or-the-other. Just got her 
reply. She’ll be out there for Harry. And we can 
pretend this whole thing never happened. 
     "Let’s hope so." 
~ * ~
They ate supper quickly and reached the Quidditch field before anyone else. The 
only had to wait a few minutes, however, 
until they spotted someone coming out. 
     "Cho?" asked Ron hopefully. 
     Hermione frowned, "Neville, what are you doing here?" 
     "I- was trying to get away from Lavender and Parvati and those little 
orange monsters who have begun chasing me again. I 
thought this would be the safest place." 
     "Of course," muttered Hermione, "Neville, you need to go back right now." 
     "Why?" he started to ask, but at that moment they heard chattering voices 
approach. 
     "That’s why," Ron said, looking around in an exasperated manner for a place 
to hide him, "Quick. Under that bush over 
there. Unless you want to be a permanent part to play in Lavender’s future 
happiness." 
     Neville’s eyes grew wide and he ducked under the bush, just in time. 
     "Is he here yet?" asked Lavender as soon as she approached, "Parvati and I 
are just so excited…" 
     "He’s not here yet," interrupted Hermione, trying to ignore Neville’s 
scuffling from under the branch, "You're early." 
     "We just couldn’t wait," sighed Parvati, whom Ron hushed quickly as they 
heard someone else approaching. 
     "Hurry!" Hermione hissed, "Get out of sight!" 
     They looked around wildly and ducked for the bush Neville was currently 
seeking shelter in. "No! Not that one!" cried Ron, 
scooting them under another one near his feet. He turned to Hermione, who was 
staring disgustedly at their next visitor as he 
approached, "Who is it? Wha- What the heck are you doing here, Draco?" 
     Draco looked insulted and held out a sip of paper, "Good question. I 
received this note this afternoon. What’s the big idea, 
Weasel?" 
     Ron took the piece of paper, "What? I gave this to Goyle to give to that 
girl Calli. How did it get to you?" 
     "So who is it that wants to meet me?" 
     "This isn’t happening," muttered Hermione, as she heard two more voices 
coming up over the hill, "We’ll explain later. 
Just get out of here now." 
     Before they could stop him, he ducked under Neville’s bush. There was a 
loud squeak, but they didn’t have time to think 
about it, because just at that moment Seamus and Dean had arrived. 
     "This is the right place?" said Seamus hopefully as he spotted Hermione and 
Ron. 
     "Er… yeah. Lavender and Parvati…" Hermione paused. What could she say? 
Lavender and Parvati are waiting for you 
under that big bush over there? "They’ll be here in a moment." 
     "Hopefully no one else shows up," muttered Ron, but he had spoken too soon. 
There were sounds of someone else 
approaching, from the sounds, two someones in the midst of a very big argument, 
"Great. Hurry and get the heck out of 
dodge." They made a diving leap for Lavender and Parvati’s bush and Dean had 
just pulled his leg in when the next two 
arrived. 
    The arguers turned out to be George and Alicia. They reached the field a 
moment later, and Alicia looked around 
suspiciously, "There’s no one here." 
     "No one but Hermione and me," Ron said easily, slipping his arms around 
Hermione’s waist, "And we were quite enjoying 
being alone, so if you’ll kindly leave…" 
     Alicia turned to George, "So you were telling the truth when you said you 
didn’t know anything about it." 
     George shrugged, "It was bound to happen sometime. Next time I’ll go back 
to lying to you, no worries." 
     "If you didn’t here me clearly the first time…" started Ron, but before he 
got a chance to finish, Cho suddenly arrived 
without any warning. Alicia’s eyes flashed and she turned to George. 
     "So you weren’t lying, were you? You were going to meet her here!" 
     George looked helplessly at Cho, who was blushing rosy, "I- I-" 
     "George?" asked Cho. 
     "Right here," said Fred, stepping melodramatically out of the nearby trees, 
"I’m really George, Alicia. You’ve been actually 
dating Fred this whole time, eh Fred?" 
     George eyes lit up, "Exactly, George." 
     Alicia turned to George, "So you're really Fred?" 
     "Yep," George nodded, "Terrible, isn’t it? We can’t even keep ourselves 
straight. Right Fred?" 
     "I'm George, remember?" said Fred, "See what he means? Why, sometimes I 
wake up in the morning and I have no clear 
idea who I am. Am I Fred? Am I George? Am I the little orange monster that lives 
under Neville’s bed? Awful." 
     There was another squeak from under Neville’s bush. 
     "Horrible," agreed George solemnly, eyes twinkling with fun, "Shall we 
leave, Alicia? Or are you Cho?" 
     Both she and Cho looked terribly confused, "Er… okay, George. I mean- 
Fred." 
     Fred sent Ron and Hermione a wink as the four began to walk back up to 
Hogwarts. 
     Hermione let out a long sigh, "That was odd." 
     "Most definantly," agreed Ron, "Seamus? Dean? Ya’ll can come out now." 
     Seamus and Dean emerged from under the branch with Lavender and Parvati 
behind them. 
     "What are they doing here?" Lavender flashed, "And where’s Neville? Are you 
telling me he never even bothered to show 
up?" 
     Ron shook his head gravely, "Some guys are nothing but trouble, Lavender." 
     "Well what are we supposed to do now?" 
     "Do you wanna go back to the common room?" asked Dean shyly, "We’re not 
Neville-" Ron coughed to choke back a 
laugh, "But you know, we’d be happy to…" 
     Lavender looked startled, "I guess. I mean…sure. We’d like that, right 
Parvati?" 
     Parvati giggled and shyly took Seamus’ hand, who blushed scarlet, "Sure." 
     "Talk about odd," Ron muttered, as they watched them leave, "Well, so far 
it’s working out, hey, Hermione?" 
     "But what about Harry?" she asked, "You don’t expect him to take to kindly 
to being set up with Draco?" 
     "Er…" Ron answered intelligently. 
     Hermione sighed, "I guess I’ll just pretend it was me who was supposed to 
meet him here. It was me he was expecting 
anyway. And it won’t be that bad. I mean, it is Harry, after all…" 
     "It wouldn’t be fair to him. Or you," Ron flushed bright red and muttered, 
"Or me." 
     Hermione looked rather astounded, and unconsciously stepped towards him, 
gently touching his arm, "What do you 
mean by that?" 
     He blushed even redder but didn’t break eye contact, his eyes searching her 
own contemplatively, drawing closer to her to 
him and- 
     "Hullo!" called a cheery voice and Hermione jumped away from him as if 
electrically shocked, to see Harry coming merrily 
towards them, "You guys don’t realize how great it feels to actually have you 
guys know. I was a little nervous, but-" he 
looked around curiously- "Where is she?" 
     "Right here," Ron said gruffly, motioning to Hermione. 
     Harry looked confused, "I don’t see her. Is she wearing the invisibility 
cloak?" 
     "No," said Ron, looking as confused as Harry was. 
     "Who are you talking about, Harry?" asked Hermione. 
     Harry raised an eyebrow, "Who are you talking about? Ron told me that ya’ll 
knew all about it and Ginny was going to 
meet me here tonight so we could come out in the open with it- but she’s not 
here. What’s going on here?" 
     "Ginny?" repeated Hermione, suddenly feeling as if a great weight had been 
lifted from her shoulders. She turned to Ron 
and laughed, "It was Ginny, Ron!" 
     Ron laughed too, enveloping her in a big hug, "It was only Ginny," he 
whispered and kissed her. 
     Harry looked even more confused, "I have the feeling I missed something." 
     Hermione laughed again, slipping her hand into Ron’s, "Come on, Harry. 
We’ll explain it to you on the way back." 
     "Okay," he said, joining them, and together the three friends walked back 
to Hogwarts, into the setting sun. 
  
Later that night… 
     "Do you think it’s safe to leave yet?" a wide-eyed Neville asked a very 
shaky Draco from their hiding place under the bush, 
"Or do you think the little orange monsters are still out there?" 
     Draco looked terrified, "It’s dark out there…" 
     Neville drew a shaky sigh, "A little longer, then." 
     "You know, Neville, I think this could be the beginning of a very 
interesting friendship…" 
  
The End ;) 
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            Title: Of Love, Fools, and Little Orange Monsters
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