What Without the Dragon

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. No profit will be made from this, no copyright infringement is intended. 

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Chapter Four

Hermione went down her stairs, and through the common room to the other side within seconds. She grabbed the door handle and pushed open Ron's door. She looked around the room, and took a sharp intake of breath when she found him. He had obviously just taken off his shirt. He held it in his hands, and looked at her from over his shoulder. "I guess I should have knocked." She said trying to shake off her embarrassment. The last few years of vigorous Quidditch training had done him justice. 

Ron shrugged, tossing the shirt across a nearby chair. "S'alright." He told her sitting on the edge of the bed. He rested his elbows on his knees, and watched her fidgeting. He allowed himself a small smile, as Hermione tried to look everywhere but at him. Apparently he made her as nervous as she made him, because she wasn't succeeding. 

'Oh, come on, Granger.' She twisted her fingers together, staring at the Quidditch poster hanging on the wall. Her eyes cut over to Ron's chest, then his jeans, back to his chest, and then to his face. He was watching her, and that made her twice as nervous. For a few seconds she had forgotten what had made her storm across the common room to see him. "Magic." She blurted out.

Ron cocked an eyebrow at her. "Magic?" He asked. Was Hermione losing it?

She finally found her bearings and sat next to him on the bed, where she could not look so obvious about not looking at him. "My wand isn't working." She told him, handing hers to him. "I've looked it over and over, there isn't so much as a scratch on it, but it won't do anything."

Ron took the wand from her and examined it end to end. "It looks okay." He said, pointing it away from them. "Lumos." The end of the wand, which was supposed to emit light, stayed dark. "That's odd." He said, doing exactly what Hermione had done, shaking it then repeating the spell.

"Have you tried yours?" Hermione asked, the seriousness of the magical situation allowing her to look at Ron without her nerves jumping out of her skin. 

"I haven't seen the need to." Ron admitted, he leaned across Hermione and picked his own wand up off the nightstand. "Lumos." He repeated, and just like Hermione's, nothing happened. "If this had been my old wand, this wouldn’t be surprising." He said, scratching the top of his head with the tip of the wand. "But George bought this one for me with money from the shop. Just this Christmas, actually, isn’t more than a few weeks old."

"Have you ever heard of a wand losing it's magical power?” Hermione asked, standing back up and pacing across the floor in front of him. “I guess if the core was removed, it wouldn’t work, but they obviously still have those. The only other time a wand would malfunction would be if it was broken, but again, that isn’t the case here. Do you think that the battle with Voldemort caused this?” She asked Ron, then shook her head, answering her own question. “That must be it. Come on, then, let’s go talk to Dumbledore.” She stopped, and with her hands on her hips waited impatiently for him to come.

Ron just sighed, and pulled his shirt back over his head. Whether he had agreed or not, Hermione had made up her mind that he was going. Girlfriend or not, Hermione would always be a bit bossy. Not that he would ever tell her that. He stuck his wand in his back pocket and reluctantly following her. His nap would just have to wait.

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“Raspberry Sorbet.” Hermione told the large Phoenix statue. It slowly creaked open, and she and Ron stepped onto the rising spiral staircase. “Professor Dumbledore.” Hermione called finding the room empty. Ron walked over to Fawkes who squawked a cheerful greeting.