Caught up in a mischief called love (George X Reader)

Year three: Doubts and uncertainties

YN, the twins, and the rest of the school returned shortly after New Year, and the halls became crowded and noisy as ever. Lessons started again the next day and the last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours in the grounds on a raw January morning; but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing, while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs.

Ravenclaw played Slytherin a week after the start of the term and to everyone's surprise; Slytherin won, though narrowly. Thenceforth, despite having plenty of time till their next match, Cedric steadily increased the number of Quidditch practices. One such evening, after a draining practice, the Hufflepuff Quidditch team entered the common room, out of breath, their faces flushed due to the cold winter air. Wayde and Ernie soon took their usual places by the warm common room fireplace, where YN sat, in the midst of her notes, books and Arithmancy charts.

'Any luck with that?' Ernie asked, turning his back to the cracking fire.

YN offered a sheepish smile.

'Still having trouble with this.' she pointed her quill at the bottom of the parchment 'Guess I'll have to ask 'Mione to help me out a bit.'

Ernie furrowed his eyebrows.

'So she's taking Arithmancy, then?'

'Yeah?' YN said, as equally confused.

'That can't be right.' said Wayde, plopping himself down beside the two.

'Are you questioning my sanity?' YN smiled, leaning away from her notes and charts.

'Well she's taking Divination with me and Susan,' Wayde explained 'and half of the lessons are at the same time as yours.'

'Are you sure?' Ernie raised an eyebrow 'Cause she's never missed Muggle Studies.'

'Well she can't be at three places at once.' said YN, perhaps questioning the two, perhaps herself. 'Right?'

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YN decided that the mystery that was Hermione's impossible timetable was tomorrow's problem, and focused on her charts instead. The next morning however, when she found herself at the Gryffindor table in the attempt of getting to the bottom of it (and hopefully get some help with Arithmancy while she was at it), she found no sign of the bushy haired female, but a rather upset Ron. He made it very clear he couldn't care less about Hermione's whereabouts, but wasted no time explaining why.

It appeared Scabbers, Ron's rat that's been in the Weasley family for years, was gone. Gone for good. And all evidence, that being the blood stained bedsheet and a single ginger hair, pointed to Hermione's cat, Crookshanks. YN knew the two, much like their owners, have been at each others' throats since day one, yet she never expected such outcome. But Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed, and it seemed like the end of his and Hermione's friendship.

'Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was.' said Fred bracingly 'And he's been off-color for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly. One swallow - he probably didn't feel a thing.'

'Fred!' YN and Ginny said indignantly.

'All he did was eat and sleep,' George piped in,' Ron said it himself.'

'He bit Goyle for us once!' Ron said miserably.

'His finest hour!' said Fred, unable to keep a straight face 'Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory!'