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It was a beautiful Saturday morning as Ron and Harry made their way to the Great Hall.
Surprised at having arrived before Hermione, they took their seats at the Gryffindor table. Saving their friend a seat, the boys started loading their plates with breakfast.
"Hey, Parvati," Harry leaned in to talk to Patil over the buzz of the chatting students. "Where's Gen and Hermione?"
Parvati stabbed her sausage with her fork, "Last I saw, they were in the girl's dormitory."
"What are they doing?" Ron asked, taking a bite of his muffin.
"I don't know," Parity shrugged. "Girl stuff?"
Ron and Harry gave each other a look before quickly returning to their meals.
Finishing up, Harry pushed his plate away to make room to read the Daily Profit. Ron, spotting a fizzled-looking Hermione entering the Hall, waved his hand, grabbing the Gryffindor's attention. "Oi, Mione over here!"
Hermione made her way to the table. Ginny, holding a long list of who knows what, followed suit. Hermione let out a frustrated huff as she plopped herself down across from Ron.
"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry asked, laying down his paper.
"Nothing. Ginny is helping me prepare for my O.W.Ls. It's just... a lot."
"You're preparing for literally everything. Even things I don't think will be on the test," Ginny waved her ginormous list in the air.
Ron's eyebrows knitted together. If someone should worry about the upcoming tests, it definitely shouldn't be Hermione. She was at the top of their year.
"Mione," Ron said softly. "I don't understand why you're stressing yourself out so much. Everyone already knows you'll do amazing. You're smarter than all of us combined."
Ginny chuckled, "That's what I said."
Running her hands through her wild curls, Hermione sighed. "I've always been this way before taking a test. That's precisely why I get high grades." She turned to her study partner, "Ginny, start from the top."
Ginny squared her shoulders, "What are the ingredients for the Drought of Peace?"
"Powdered moonstone, hellebore syrup, powdered porcupine quills, and powdered unicorn horn," Hermione answered instantly.
"Correct," Ginny said, taking a bite from her apple. "And what color should the potion be when brewed correctly?"
"Turquoise blue," Hermione said, loading her plate up with food. "And it should be simmered before consumption."
Ginny smiled, "Correct as always."
"Ron, can you pass the pitcher of tea, please?" Hermione asked.
Without thinking, Ron took the pitcher of tea and poured it into her cup. Then, opening the honey jar and with a clean spoon, Ron scooped the golden syrup out and swirled it into the drink. Lastly, he poured her a little milk before returning to his plate, peacefully oblivious to the world around him.
"Ahem," Ginny coughed, getting Ron's attention. All three Gryffindors were staring back at him.
"What?" he said, swallowing, "Do I have food on my face?"
Hermione studied her tea, taking a sip. "You fixed my tea for me. Thank you. How did you know I liked honey?"
Ron shrugged, "I guess being around you for so many years, I just picked up on it."
"Hey, I've been around Hermione for just as long, and I don't even know how she takes her tea," Harry said, lifting a brow at Ron.
Heat crept up Ron's face causing his ears to turn as red as his hair. "You don't?" he asked, feigning innocence.
"No," Harry smirked, leaning back in his chair. "But who knows, I've been told I can be oblivious to things." He winked at Ron.
Ginny placed her list down on the table. "Didn't you just switch to honey last week?"
The corners of Hermione's mouth quirked up. "I did."
Looking up at Ron, she met his eye for only a few seconds. But in that short time, Ron was staring back into her chocolate eyes. It felt as if time had stopped altogether. He noticed his heart hammering against his ribcage when Hermione broke eye contact, looking down at her tea.
A smile on her face.