AN: Written for Fire The Cannon's Quidditch league competition, round three. Prompt: Treaties.


Hermione was walking down the halls on her way to her common room when she ran into Collin Creevy.

"Sorry Collin." She said, grabbing her papers from the floor.

"No problem" he said, grabbing a few papers to hand back to her, but paused when he saw the titles.

"You interested in treaties?" he asked.

"Yes I find them fascinating, but neither Ron nor Harry understands them"

Collin smiles, "My dad works for a newspaper. Not the prophet, obviously, the muggle paper back home. So he knows about treaties before the general public does."

Hermione looks at him, interested "Any news about the nuclear weapon treaty?"

"The one about Ukraine?"

"Yes."

"Ya, my dad just sent me the specifics. Want to read them over with me?"

Hermione thinks for a minute.

"Why not?" She says.

Her and Collin go up to the common room and lay out their papers.

"So ", she said "when did they sign it, who signed, and what are the clauses?"

Collin opens the letter from his father. "Ukraine, Russia, Great Britain and the United States signed it yesterday."

"What did we sign?" asks Dean.

"That treaty about nuclear weapons in the Ukraine." Replied Hermione.

"Oh, alright, sorry to interrupt, mind if I listen?"

"Of course not." Collin looked up. "My dad wrote this in really simple terms, it's not formal or anything, so it won't be the actual wording, it will be the just of it."

Hermione shrugged "As long as it's accurate."

Collin smiled. "On December 5th 994 Great Britain, Russia, the Ukraine, and the United States of America signed an agreement to remove nuclear weapons from the Ukraine." He paused.

"It actually happened" Dean said.

"Yeah, it did" Collin hesitates before continuing.

"Clause 1. They all promised to recognize the Ukraine as its own country, independent and sovereignty and recognizes the existing boarders."

"Collin?" Dennis asks.

Hermione jumps slightly she hadn't even seen him come in.

"Yes?"

"That's basically saying they know it's a country is that really necessary?"

"Apparently"

"I think it's just a formality" said Hermione.

Devon nodded slowly

"That would make sense!"

"They promise not to use or threaten to use their weapons against the Ukraine." Collin reads.

"Okay, no attacking" said Dean. "Wouldn't that have gone unsaid?"

"No" responds Hermione. "They need something like that, trust me."

Dean nods in acceptance.

"Continue Collin, sorry for interrupting."

"It's fine." Collin says smiling. "Clause three. They promise to trade fairly."

We all look at each other.

"Fair? Since when has the world been fair?" asks Devin.

We all look at Colin who read the next part without any further prompting.

"Four. They will come to Ukraine's defence if someone threatens to, or actually does, launch nuclear weapons against them."

"So Britain, Russia, and the USA have the Ukraine's back if they got attacked by nuclear weapons? Interesting." Says Hermione.

"Well, saying as those countries have all the nuclear weapons…" Dean trailed off.

Collin laughed, "Yak, if they did get attacked, someone would have most likely broken the contract."

"What's the next one?" Dennis asks.

"They won't launch nuclear weapons at the Ukraine, unless the Ukraine launches nuclear weapons at them first."

"Oh that's likely" said Hermione "If the Ukraine had nuclear weapons to fire, they'd be breaking the first point."

"With all due respect, Hermione" Dean said "If the Ukraine is launching nuclear weapons at us, the USA or Russia, I highly doubt that they'd be concerned that they were breaking another clause."

Hermione sighed, "I know but it's still a horrible idea."

"Guys, you want to hear the last one?" Collin asked.

Everyone nodded.

"If any of these terms are broken, the parties involved will try to sort it out peacefully."

"That bloody likely" scoffed Dean. "Oh we're being attacked; let's go talk about it over tea!"

Dennis snorted.

"Language Dean!" said Hermione.

"Oh dear," said a voice.

"It seems that" said another

"Our dear Ronnie and Harrykinz have left Miss Rules unattended."

"And she"

"Has found a"

"New victim".

By the time they finished Hermione was on her feet, glaring at them.

"Honestly Fred and George, will you ever grow up?"

The twins looked at each other then back at Hermione.

"Nah." They said in the same time.

Hermione gave them disapproving looks. Collin stood up, leaving his dad's letter on the table.

"You guys can read it if you want," he tells the twins.

"Where are you going?" asked Dennis.

"I'm going to meet someone."

"A girl?" Dennis teases.

Collin blushes "N-no."

"Wait, I was right?" Dennis gasps. "I was only joking."

"Who is she?" Collin starts walking towards the door. "I don't need to answer you" he mutters before running out of the common room.

Dennis laughs. "Oh I am so finding out who she is!"

Hermione smiles, and then remembers she was still mad at the twins. She turns around to glare at them, but they were already running up the stairs to their dorm.

"Those boys," Hermione mutters.

Dean looks at Hermione, amused.

"They'll never grow up Hermione, and if they ever do, we'll probably wish they hadn't."

Hermione looks over at him.

"Why is that?" she asks.

"I would think it would be a wonderful thing." Dean shakes his head. "With those two, it would take a catastrophic event to mellow them out, or one of them almost dying."

"Wouldn't that count as a catastrophic event?"

"For them it would be considered worse than any catastrophe."

Hermione sighted. "I suppose you're right, but how their mother deals with them, I have no idea."

Dean laughs. "She just does Hermione. She cares about them a lot and therefore puts up with all their pranks, although I'm sure they've been punished more than once by their mother."

"Of course, but I'm surprised she hasn't gone insane yet. They drive ME insane and I don't even live with them." Dean smiles, but frowns when he notices the time.

"Sorry Hermione, I have to go. I promised Seamus I'd meet up with him five minutes ago."

She laughs, "Don't let me keep you."

Dean runs full speed out of the common room.

Just after he leaves, Ron and Harry burst into the common room.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Ron "We've been looking for you everywhere!"