𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝟔.𝟒 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐩𝐬

Y/n's POV:

(at the same time as last chapter)

"Slughorn's going to have a Christmas party, Harry" I said to Harry in the middle of Herbology. "I knew you'd love to know!"

Harry groaned.

"There's no way you'll be able to wriggle out of this one because he actually asked me to check your free evenings, so he could be sure to have it on a night you can come."

Meanwhile, Ron, who was attempting to burst the pod in the bowl by putting both hands on it, standing up, and squashing it as hard as he could, said angrily, "And this is another party just for Slughorn's favorites, is it?"

"Just for the Slug Club, yes," said Hermione.

The pod flew out from under Ron's fingers and hit the green house glass, rebounding onto the back of Professor Sprout's head and knocking off her old, patched hat.

"Look, I didn't make up the name 'Slug Club' —" started Hermione.

"'Slug Club,'"repeated Ron with a sneer. "It's pathetic. Well, I hope you enjoy your party. Why don't you try hooking up with McLaggen, then Slughorn can make you King and Queen Slug —"

"Stop it!" I said as another one of Ron's pod almost flew out of his hands. The two were acting like absolute children. They knew exactly what they needed to do, yet neither wanted to.

"We're allowed to bring guests," said Hermione, who had turned a bright, boiling scarlet, "and I was going to ask you to come, but if you think it's that stupid then I won't bother!"

At this point, I turned away in hopes that if I gave them a bit of privacy, Ron wouldn't be an idiot and actually accept Hermione's offer. I shuffled away, yet still eavesdropped on their conversation.

"You were going to ask me?" asked Ron, in a completely different voice.

"Yes," said Hermione angrily. "But obviously if you'd rather I hooked up with McLaggen..."

There was a pause while Harry continued to pound the resilient pod with a trowel.

"'No, I wouldn't,'" said Ron, in a very quiet voice.

Harry missed the pod, hit the bowl, and shattered it. "Reparo," he said hastily, poking the pieces with his wand, and the bowl sprang back together again. The crash, however, appeared to have awoken Ron and Hermione to Harry's presence. I glared at him.

Hermione looked flustered and immediately started fussing about for her copy of Flesh-Eating Trees of the World to find out the correct way to juice Snargaluff pods; Ron, on the other hand, looked sheepish but also rather pleased with himself.

"Where's Y/n?" asked Hermione who hadn't seemed to notice my absence. Harry pointed to me.

Hermione followed his finger. She motioned for me to join them again, and I shuffled my away over sadly. I wished something would have happened.

"Hand the pod over, Harry," said Hermione hurriedly. "It says we're supposed to puncture them with something sharp..."

Harry passed her the pod in the bowl; he and Ron both snapped their goggles back over their eyes and dived, once more, for the stump.

"Gotcha!" yelled Ron, pulling a second pod from the stump just as Hermione managed to burst the first one open. The rest of the lesson passed without further mention of Slughorn's party.

Although Harry and I watched our two friends more closely over the next few days, Ron and Hermione did not seem any different except that they were a little politer to each other than usual.