Ron smiled weakly and took Harry's hand, "It's okay."

I pulled Ron into a man-hug. "'Sides, your hair isn't ginger, it's fire engine red."

Ron laughed and embraced Harry's hug, "And your hair looks good messy."

I watched Ron's reaction. Priceless. Then we were laughing hysterically. ((yay!))

"Yeah, but it's a real pain trying to comb it every morning. I have a plan. I'll grow it out." I laughed right along with him.

"Then you'll have more hair to comb!" Said Ron who was still laughing.

"As long as it doesn't come to life and try to kill me, I really don't care. I'm just trying a new look. Besides, Clarice'll help me manage it."

I nodded. "I approve of Harry growing out his hair."

"Thanks, love." I smiled at her. "Oh,.Merlin! What about my crazed fangirls?"

"As long as I don't have to help..." Said Ron. "Crazed fangirls?"

"Yeah, the ones that obsess over my hair. It won't be short and messy anymore."

"Sorry to break it to you mate, but nobody really likes you right now..." Said Ron, "With the whole You-Know-Who thing..."

"They'll come around. They probably won't believe until Voldemort's on their doorstep." I clenched my fists at the reminder of the outside world.

Ron flinched at You-Know-Who's name. I flinched too, but only slightly. "Yeah, because of the Ministry. Dad's told me that they don't even want to hear HIS name....or Dumbledore's."

"Fudge is an idiot. How he ever got to be Minister, I'll never understand." I ignored the flinches. Will they ever learn?

"And now we have to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts from that....Woman." I said joining their conversation.

"Umm, hello? Savior of the Wizarding world here?"

"Oh yeah..." I said with a laugh, "So are we still doing that secret club thing then?"

"I would assume so."

"Alright, I hope we start soon....I'm getting tired of reading out of a book." I said.

"Yes. Please, let's do it soon." I said.

Neville ran out of the Dormitory, like a child running after candy. Neville was happy. Well...now...anyway. "I heard you talk about the secret club." Neville said in excitement. He ran down stairs and sat on the floor, cross legged.

"Well, I guess we'll meet on Wednesday night to get started."

I sighed, "I have DADA tomorrow. I guess I'll just have to...." Suddenly Hermione's voice could be heard coming out of her dormitory.
"Will you please stop talking and go to bed? I can hear you from up...."
She stopped at the top of the stairs at the sight of Ron. Hermione nervously averted her eyes.
"Ronald." Said Hermione coldly.
"Hermione." Said Ron with the same amount of coldness.
Then she turned and went back into her dormitory without another word.

((ooh....now what?))

Neville stood up. He walked back to the dormitory and laid in his bed.

I could feel my slender (oh fine, skinny) frame shaking as I tried not to laugh. "Ron…when will you just…admit you love her?" I asked as I started having a fit of the giggles.

"WHAT!?!" Ron yelled.

"Oh my god, Ron, don't deny it. You should tell her." I said.
"No! You never tell a girl you like her! It makes you look like an idiot." he argued.
((AVPM reference!))

"Come on, mate. I told Clarice. You can't possibly look like more of an idiot."

"I don't like her..." said Ron

"Yeah right," I scoffed.

I knew the perfect way to bribe Ron to do it. "Ron, if you admit to Hermione that you like her, I'll get you a giant chocolate bar."

((yes. we just had an AVPM reference moment there.))

Ron looked at Harry with one eyebrow raised trying to decide what to say, "But...I don't..." Said Ron, "Can...Can I have the chocolate though?"

"Only if you tell Hermione how you really feel. And if you lie, I'll eat it right in front of you."

I smirked at Ron. "You better do it." I teased.

"Um...I'm going to bed..." Ron quickly walked over to the stairs and into the dormitory.

"Should I tell him about the Redvines in my trunk?" I smirked.

"Harry!" Neville shouted from the dormitories. "Can I have some?"

"Wait until Ron's asleep!" I yelled back.

"Yeah!" I agreed.
I yawned. "I'm tired. I think I'm gonna go to bed, okay?" I asked.

"Okay. 'Night." I gave her a quick hug before heading up to my own dormitory.

It took me no more than five seconds to realize I would never fall asleep. My mind was racing. I couldn't stop thinking about everything. I was running in circles and chasing the stuff that had happened.
I was never hyper like that, hardly. I don't know.

Neville looked at Harry as he entered the dorm.
"Ron isn't asleep." Neville observed from his bed. Neville slowly laid in his bed.

"It won't take him long to…hheehee…drop off," I told Neville. Dad would be so proud of me.

Neville sat up, again. "I've got a great idea for a prank." He got out a jar if muggle marmite.

I was up for maybe another hour before my eyelids started getting heavy and I couldn't stay awake anymore.
Ugh. I hated mornings. When I stumbled out of bed, I felt like my hair was a rat's nest and I feared that I looked like a zombie.

After pranking Ron's bed more thoroughly than a hundred Marauders could have done, Neville and I finally fell asleep. But not until after I cast a couple spells on my hair to grow it out.
I woke up the next morning to a brand-new hairstyle. Instead of the close-cropped birds' nest I had for fifteen years, my hair looked a lot like Hermione's, except that it reached my shoulders.

Ron woke up the next morning, "Bloody Hell." He said in reaction to the various pranks on his bed.