Forever Yours

Chapter 34: Dodging Hogwarts, Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people or places that belong to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, as they belong to J.K. Rowling. The OCs (Katherine, Septimus, Serenity, Helena, Christoph, Elisa, Henry, Nick and any name you don't recognize and isn't from the HP universe) are entirely my own.

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"Ronald!" Hermione hissed, as she lightly smacked the red headed boy on the shoulder.

"What!?" Ron exclaimed, as he rubbed his shoulder. "Bloody hell 'Mione! I can't help it. Last thing I suspected was for someone to look like Snape sitting with you!"

"That's enough Ron!" Hermione hissed again, before looking apologetically at Septimus. "Sorry about him. He often forgets to think before he speaks."

"Hey!" Ron shouted, as Hermione causally conjured three more seats for the boys.

"So Septimus," Neville started as he sat. "Luna tells me that you're here to harvest Aconite."

"Yeah, we are."

"Brilliant!" Neville smiled, as Harry waved Aberforth over for three more Butterbeers. "There are several large patches of them in the Forbidden Forest. Never actually harvested them myself, but I've helped Sprout out quite a bit with the cleaning of their roots and flowers."

"We're going to be doing that too, but Slughorn said he'd show us in the lab," Septimus stated, as he took a swig of his Butterbeer.

"Yeah," Ron snorted. "Good luck with that."

"What?"

"What Ron means is, that Slughorn tends to wander with his thoughts," Hermione explained as she settled into Ron's side. "Don't let him get going on one of his stories from the past, or you'll never get the plant harvested properly in time, before its' potency is gone bad."

"Hey Harry," Ginny started, nudging her boyfriend with her elbow. "Septimus is a seeker too."

"Are you?" Harry piped up for the first time. "What broom do you have?"

"A Firebolt II."

"Merlin!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes widening into dinner plates. "How'd ya get one of those? They've only made two hundred of them throughout the world! Even Harry doesn't have one, and he's the bloody 'Chosen One.' OWWW! HEY!"

"Chosen One?" Septimus asked, playing dumb. He could only assumed that Ron had just been kicked by Hermione or Ginny, or even possibly bother, as he watched the red-haired boy's hands disappear beneath the table to rub his shins.

"Please don't mind him," Ginny smiled as she turned back to Harry. "Septimus said he brought it with him, and that I can take a turn on it when we get back to Hogwarts!"

"That's great Gin," Harry said, smiling softly back at his girlfriend.

"Anyone can ride it if they like," Septimus said quietly. "It doesn't bother me in the least."

"Just be careful," Ginny smirked. "If Ron gets a hold of it, you might not get it back!"

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"She's really good," Septimus commented, as he and Harry took a seat in the stands. Ron had borrowed Harry's broom and was soaring, not very gracefully, across the pitch after his sister. Hermione had headed off to the library to study for her NEWTS after they arrived back onto the Hogwarts' grounds, while Luna and Neville headed off towards the lake.

"Yeah, she is," Harry replied; his green eyes watching Ginny's every move. "I am sorry about earlier."

"It's fine..."