Chapter 17, Without Debate

"speech" – speech
^speech^ - parseltongue

speech – non-verbal speech

'words' – written/emphasis/title

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Harry dragged Hermione towards the Great Hall. He could feel her mind clawing at his own. She was seeking comfort, understanding and forgiveness from Ron, and with him and his mind absent, had decided to use Harry as a surrogate.

Harry had no experience in giving those things to others and so fell back on his most used talents, faking sympathy and lying about interests. Or faking interest and lying about sympathies, either or.

"It'll be okay Hermione, you'll see. Ron will calm down and you can apologise and you'll be friends again," he said soothingly.

"But I was so mean about his brothers? What if he never forgives me?" Hermione bemoaned.

Harry fought his eyes, which were threatening to roll at the overdramatise antics of the girl, "He'll forgive you."

"I'm just a bad friend! First I fight with you and now with Ron. I'm clearly not meant to have friends… I'm unlikeable!" she wailed.

Some passing Gryffindors looked at them weirdly and Harry decided to take a different route.

Pulling Hermione into a hug, something Harry would normally avoid like the plague, he stroked her hair back and whispered into her ear, "You are a good friend," he casted about his mind a fact that might prove that to her, "You care about people. The fact that you are so upset at yourself for upsetting Ron is proof of how good a friend you are. It shows that you care about his feelings."

Hermione sobbed into his shoulder and with some disgust Harry realised that she was crying all over his robes. With a deep breath to help him ignore this fact he pressed on.

"Besides, I like you. I might not always agree with you but I do like you. You are smart and strong. Please don't be upset."

Hermione pulled back with a blotchy face and tear tracks down her cheeks but she was smiling, "thank you Harry. Thank you so much. We can go to breakfast now but can you help me if I fall apart again? I'm new to this friendship thing and, well, not so great at it."

Harry nodded, relieved that she was no longer weeping and clinging to him, "You just need some practise."

They continued on their way to the Great Hall. They were a bit later than normal but breakfast wouldn't be over for a long while yet.

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Gred swore and kicked Forge's bed.

"Get up you great clown!"

Forge moaned into his pillow, "Go away."

"Get the hell up, I've figured it out!"

Gred chuckled as Forge rolled over and quickly sat up.

"You did! How?"

"We need some sort of voice changing potion or charm. Something temporary for now until we can figure out something more permanent," Gred said proud of his find.

Forge frowned, "That's not really a solution. More like a delay."

Gred rolled his eyes, "It's better than spending all day reading obscure books at random hoping something pops out at us."

Forge slowly rose from his bed, "I guess this means another trip to the library."

Gred smiled at his twin, "You bet."

After a quick shower and a change of clothes the twins were heading towards the Ravenclaw side of the castle. They called it the Ravenclaw side because every morning and evening all the Ravenclaws would be flowing through that area, either because of their common room entrance or the library. So it was no shock to them when their little brother called out;

"Hey, Fred! George!"

With a shared look of exasperation they put on their normal bubbly personalities. It wouldn't do for someone, especially their all to serious brother, to realise something was off.

"Ronnie? What on earth-" Gred started.

Forge took up the sentence with, "-are you-

"-doing-"

"-here?" they finished together.

Gred smirked down at his brother and said the first vaguely teasing thing he could think of, "Since when do you Ravenclaw bookworms bother with trivialities such as breakfast?"

Forge gave him a quick look of 'that's what we're going with?' but continued the mockery anyway, "Yeah, I thought that you didn't need food like the rest of us who are human. You survive by reading, right?"

Gred winced at their lacklustre banter. Where was their usual wit hiding?

"How's 'Operation: Toilet Seat Extraction' going? Ginny is eagerly awaiting her gift."

Gred laughed with relief something they could work with. There was a thousand toilet related jokes they could rely on. A weird flicker went across Forges face but before he could throw a questioning look their little brother was on it.

"Are the two of you okay?" Ron asked.

Gred quickly nodded, cursing Ron for being so observant.

Forge luckily redirected, "Course. Isn't it you lot who are supposed to get that question. First week over and all that. You've survived okay?"

When Ron grinned, Gred breathed a sigh of relief alongside his brother. Thank Merlin for small miracles.

"Oh, by the way these are my friends Hermione and Harry. These jokers are my brothers."

Gred, realising that, yes, there were two others behind his brother for the first time, grinned widely like a Cheshire cat and exclaimed, "Ah! So these are your infamous friends!"

It was true that they were infamous in the Weasley house what with their mother's mutterings and their father's vague interest in them. Two muggle raised friends was always going to noticed, ones that owled at all hours were definitely going to be talked about. And that was without mentioning that one of them was the bloody boy-who-lived!

The shy girl, Hermione, gave a small smile that looked more like a grimace. Harry however greeted them with enthusiasm.

"Pleasure to meet you. Ron's told us a lot about you two. The adventures the two of you get up to, it all sounds amazing. Know any good secret passages to the Great Hall?" and then he winked.

Forge gave Gred a small gesture as if to say 'this guy is way cool'. And he couldn't help but agree. But there was a code to adhere to.

"Ah young ones, we couldn't possibly-" Gred said knowing that Forge would pick up on the enforcing of the prankster code.

"-just give away that knowledge."

"If you truly want to be great pranksters-"

"-then you have to discover these things for yourselves."

Gred gave Harry a 'bad luck mate' smile and clapped his shoulder.

Harry smiled back at him, "Well it was worth a try."

And if that sentence didn't prove that Harry Potter was a prankster at heart Gred didn't what would.

"We can't blame you from trying-"

"-we are the most knowledgeable people to ask about the school."

Gred winked at Forge for dropping the subtle hint about the map, nothing like showing off your superiority without the other party in question even realising it. Speaking of the map perhaps young Harry could become a part of the new Marauders just like them, of course they'd include Ron and the girl. He'd have to mention it to Forge sometime.

"Well short people, we are off to the library-" Forge said obviously deciding they had wasted enough book time with the firsties.

"-someone needs to take up your shift. You bad little Ravenclaws-"

"-are neglecting your house given duties."

"Seeya Roniekins!"

With a wave back at Ron, his shy friend and his friendly one, the twins carried on their way to the library. It wasn't lost on Gred that their fake cheerfulness had been transformed into real happiness. He had a good feeling about their voice changing plans.

Once in the library Gred let Forge handle finding the books. Instead he made his way over to Percy's usual table. The last time they had been in the library, yesterday to return their books, they had found him and Adam practically buried in books. George picked up 'Godric Gryffindor, the Man and the Legend' and looked up a Percy, who seemed annoyed that he was touching the book.

"This yours or your boyfriend's?" he asked casually.

Adam, for once, appeared to be absent from the table and so the jib was not quite as effective as it could have been, however it still made Percy splutter and blush a dull red colour.

"He's not my boyfriend. We're study partners. Though I was wondering who started that rumour. I should have guessed," Percy hissed.

That had been revenge, Percy had dobbed them in on a prank against Quirrell, it was only right they get him back.

Gred chuckled nastily, "didn't answer my question, Percy."

Percy snatched the book out of his hands, "Mine, thank you very much. Now go bother someone else."

Gred ignored him and lent over a massive pile of books to look at his parchment, "What's that?"

Percy covered the writing with 'Strange Powers You Never Knew You Had!' and scowled, "Nothing."

"Love note," Gred concluded, "Has Adam popped the question yet."

"Get lost Fred," Percy snarled.

"Actually I'm George."

"I don't care which one you are, just leave me alone."

Gred had to chuckle at the way Percy was desperately stopping himself from yelling in a library.

At that moment Forge entered the scene, "Fred, I got the books. Oh hello Percy, where's your boyfriend?"

Percy turned a strange violet colour, as Gred held back his laughter. He could almost feel the steam coming off of his older brother. Actually he wouldn't be surprised if Percy melted from the stress of keeping his anger contained. It might seem like a little thing to go nuts over, but Gred and Forge had been mentioning Adam like this since the second day of school. Usually four or five times a day in library where Percy couldn't rage at them. Sometime soon he was sure to snap.

"Five points from Gryffindor each for disturbing a prefect who is trying to study and five more for insulting other students. Now get the hell out," Percy snapped.

No longer holding the laughter in Gred broke down.

As they left, still chuckling, Forge had the presence of mind to call back, "Is your boyfriend holding out on you Percy? You'd reckon being 'Head' boy and all…" he trailed off suggestively.

Gred quickly pulled Forge out of the library before Percy hexed him.

Lending against the wall just outside the library Gred grinned at Forge, who was struggling to keep hold of the books in his arms whilst laughing.

"That was awesome!"

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Harry guided Hermione into her seat and began piling her plate with food. Hermione mumbled a quick thanks and a small smile. Harry inwardly sighed to himself; it was almost pathetic how much Hermione cared about other's opinions, to let them get her like this.

"Eat," Harry commanded.

Luckily Hermione obeyed without hesitation.

"Are you alright?" asked Morag shyly.

Hermione responded with a harsh glare that made Morag shirk back.

Harry almost laughed but shook the urge.

Instead he gave Morag a warm smile and said, "Hermione isn't feeling very well. It's best just to give her space."

Harry had to warn a few others who tried to console Hermione. As each one met the same fate eventually the whole table just gave Hermione and him a wide berth. Harry would be annoyed at this out casting if it weren't clear that the table would be talking to him without the 'emotional baggage'.

"Ron will forgive me right? I didn't say anything too terrible?" Hermione asked for the fifth time.

Harry fought the instinct to throttle her and simply stroked her hair again. She seemed to calm down a bit every time he did it.

Harry didn't know why he did it, sheer coincidence most likely, but he glanced up at just the right angle to meet McGonagall's eyes. Green hawk like eyes studied him and Hermione, just like they had all week, and suddenly Harry felt himself hating it. It might have been a sudden break in Ron's mental wall, it might have been a surge in hormones or it might have been the straw that broke the camel's back but Harry found himself suddenly livid. And then his head started to hurt. He looked away.

He couldn't stop himself from rubbing his temple and hissing in pain.

"Are you okay Harry?"

Harry looked over and saw the concerned brown eyes of Hermione gazing at him in surprise. So she hadn't felt anything from Ron… or him. He had erected a mental barrier against long ago, what with her clingy mental state. Good thing too. Now he just had stop himself taking his anger out on Hermione.

"Nothing, just a head ache," he replied curtly.

Hermione frowned, "Worse than before?"

Briskly he nodded.

Hermione wiped a red eye, "You should go to the Hospital Wing then."

Harry shook his head, "what about you. Or the debate."

"I'll survive. And I don't think Ron or I will make the debate anyway. We'll just have to do without."

"But Hermione-"

She cut him off and Harry actually twitched with the urge to hit her. This rage fit was going to ruin everything.

"Does its still hurt?" when he nodded biting his lip and she continued, "Then go. You need to be fit for class next week."

Harry stood with his fist tightly clenched by his sides, "Are you-"

"Yes I'm sure. Go."

He head was getting worse and he was afraid he would do something stupid like yell at Hermione or curse her. So Harry gave Hermione a smile and mumbled thanks before taking off for the Hospital Wing.

He made it to the second floor and his headache, and irrational anger, was ebbing. He started to feel a little guilty about leaving Hermione behind.

"Harry!" a voice called out.

Harry spun around to see Draco leaning against a wall, casual as can be.

"Hello Draco," Harry replied, the last of his fury abating quickly, "What are you up to?"

Draco sighed, "Not much. Where are your usual two flunkies?"

Harry grinned despite the twinge of annoyance caused by the insult to his friends, "I could say the same thing."

Draco grinned back, "Do you want to test some duelling spells? My father just bought me a new book, it's pretty good."

And that was why he continued these pretences.

"Sure Draco, sound brilliant."

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Like most of my updates this seems to be a double whammy. So here is chapter 17 on the same night as chapter 16. Also keeping to tradition it is about three in the morning so its late night/early morning posting as per usual.

Sorry if the last (or this) chapter is a little erm… blunt? Forced? Abrupt?... something like that. Hopefully that will relax over the next few chapters.

As always please, please, please review. Just a few words to keep a poor muse fed.