Courage

-85-

Book: Courage
Chapter 85
Word Count: 4766

Halfway through October came their first trip of the term to Hogsmeade. Layla would be going on another date with Dean, and Dean had insisted on planning the day's activities; she had felt somewhat obligated to allow it. Dean had, after all, kept good on his word. The day after the Quidditch trials, he was all smiles and politeness, and he had not let that up over the rest of September and beyond. It was now the middle of October and Layla had to admit that if one wanted to draw up a diagram of what the model boyfriend was, Dean had been it for the past month.

Layla woke early on the morning of the trip, which was proving stormy, and stifled a yawn. It was far too early to be up, especially considering the late-afternoon-into-early-evening Quidditch practice that Harry had scheduled to, again, coincide with one of Slughorn's parties. He did it, Layla knew, to give himself an easy way out of attending, but it did have the secondary effect of placating Ron's ego. It also gave Ron a chance to talk about Hermione under the guise of taking the mickey out of her when, in truth, he simply liked to talk about Hermione.

"What do you suppose Hermione's doing now?" Ron had badgered Layla and Harry for the twelfth time, as the three of them were locking up the equipment.

"I haven't the slightest, Ron," Harry had replied with exasperation. "I'm sure she's having a good time."

"Ha!" Ron laughed. "You think she's having a better time with Zabini or McLaggen?"

"You know, Ron, I've noticed that Hermione and Cormac have been talking quite a bit in the hallways and the common room. Have you noticed that?" Layla had smirked teasingly. "Do you think something might be going on with them?"

This had shut Ron up, and he had quickly turned and hurried back towards the castle.

"Do you really think Hermione and McLaggen are getting involved?" Harry had then asked Layla.

"Doubtful," had been Layla's response. "What on earth would Hermione have to talk about with that dunderhead? She would just as soon date you."

"I think you may be trying to insult me, Lays," Harry had answered with a grin.

"Oh, no," was Layla's mock protest. "I am most definitely, without question, trying to insult you. No 'maybe' about it."

Layla brushed off that memory with a smile, climbing out of bed to get ready in warm clothing for Hogsmeade, and then headed down to breakfast with Hermione. Ron and Harry soon came down, and Ron immediately began to tell the girls about how he had been woken up by Harry accidentally using the spell Levicorpus non-verbally, which had caused Ron to dangle upside-down in the air.

"...and then there was another flash of light and I landed on the bed again!" Ron grinned, helping himself to sausages.

Hermione had not cracked a smile during this anecdote, and now turned an expression of wintry disapproval upon Harry.

"Was this spell, by any chance, another one from that potion book of yours?" she asked.

Harry frowned at her.

"Always jump to the worst conclusion, don't you?"

"Was it?"

"Well... yeah, it was, but so what?"

"So you just decided to try out an unknown, handwritten incantation and see what would happen?"

"Why does it matter if it's handwritten?" said Harry, preferring not to answer the rest of the question.

"Because it's probably not Ministry of Magic approved," said Hermione. "And also, because I'm starting to think this Prince character was a bit dodgy."

"It was a laugh!" said Ron, upending a ketchup bottle over his sausages. "Just a laugh, Hermione, that's all!"