Ch. 10 Did It, or Didn’t It?
It seemed Hermione had just fallen asleep when the sun beamed onto her bed, informing her it was morning. She was lying on her stomach with her head under the pillow, and she did not want to get up yet. However, she knew she hadn’t finished her assignments yet, and she had to get working on those right away. But something felt strange; she wasn't sure what it was. Did boys wake up feeling confused all the time? No wonder she couldn't make sense of Ron if this was how he started each day. Something was definitely different this time. Reaching under the pillow, she rubbed her eyes, but something hairy tended to get in her hand’s way. She rolled over and brushed long strands of hair from her eyes. Oh, no, was she in someone else's body?
Think quickly, she thought, check under the pyjamas, lumps in the right places, slightly enlarged teeth back in mouth, YES! She was back in her own body! Now, where was she? Peep out from the covers, look around the room, yes, back in the girls' dorm!
Hermione searched hastily around the room”no dirty pants owned by boys on the floor, no beds with thrown-on sheets practical like a boy to put no actual thought into making it properly. A wide grin shone on her face as she squeaked while jumping up and down in her seat.
“Are you okay?” asked a soft sounding voice. Hermione looked over at one of the four-poster beds, staring face-to-face with Lavender Brown. That statement drowned all hopes for Hermione, and she quickly turned her attention to the mirror next to her bed. A brown haired, brown-eyed girl stared back at her. She was back!
“I’m me again!” Hermione exclaimed.
“When were you never you?” Lavender asked, unsure whether her friend had fallen out of bed at some time during the night.
“Never mind,” Hermione said blankly as she continued to stare at herself. Lavender gaped at Hermione, but turned and left the room.
Hermione couldn’t believe it. She had her own body again.
“I’m back, I’m back, I’m”OW!” Hermione cut herself off as she accidentally bounced out of bed onto the floor.
***
Running down the steps to the Gryffindor common room, Hermione pushed open the door and charged right over to the boys’ dormitories with her knapsack over her shoulder. A few students resided in the common room, and watched Hermione beeline her way to the boys’ dorm. A few suspected she was in another one of her cross moods and decided not to ask questions”though most didn’t care otherwise.
She climbed the steps and pushed open the door to Harry and Ron’s room.
“Ron, are you”” she began, but was cut off by the sight of no one being there, just the clutter and smell she didn’t miss one bit. Where could they be? She went back down to the common room and out the portrait hole to the Great Hall.
On her way there, many questions filled her head that couldn’t be answered. Did what happened really happen? What day is it? Where are Harry and Ron? It was becoming quite a pain in the”
“Hermione!” a voice shouted down the corridor, breaking her train of thought. Hermione looked up and saw Ginny running towards her. “Hermione, where have you been?”
“Um…sleeping,” she answered, though a little unsure herself.
“Oh, well are you heading to the Great Hall? Harry and Ron are there.”
“Yeah.”
The two walked to the hall and found Harry and Ron sitting with Neville, Seamus, and a few other Gryffindors eating breakfast. Hermione went up behind Ron and said, “Ron, we need to talk.”
“Uh oh, mate,” Harry said in a serious tone, “nothing good comes after those words.” He smiled and looked up at Hermione, who didn’t seem to be enjoying Harry’s little humour. “They’re cursed,” he added in a whisper towards Ron.
Ron sniggered and asked, “Oh, so you’re talking to me now, is that it?”
A bit confused, she answered, “I’m serious. I have to ask you something.”
He waved his hand snobbishly, and said, “Ask away…”
She looked around at the other Gryffindors to see if they were all distracted by other things, and leaned in, asking, “Can we go some place in private?”
“Is that your question?” he asked with a slight chuckle. “Sorry, no. I’m much too busy with the affairs going on here.” He panned his hand out at the table of Gryffindors throwing bits of food at each other.
Hermione took in a deep breath, and quietly asked, “Did all that really happen yesterday?”
Ron looked baffled over at Harry and then up at Hermione, and answered, “Did…what all really happen yesterday?”
She froze and deciphered what Ron had just said, making sure she heard correctly, and said, “Never mind, Ron. Just forget it,” and sat down next to him. Ron sent Harry a puzzled look, and continued eating and going about the conversation he was having with Harry.
If he’s not going to talk about it, then neither am I, she thought, poured her self some orange juice, and pulled out her homework from the week before.
“You would not be able to handle that!” she heard Harry say to her left and immediately became intrigued by their topic of discussion.
“What are you two talking about?” she asked.
“Ron being a girl for a day,” Harry answered. “He wouldn’t be able to handle it. He’d break down, crying or some sort.”
“I would NOT cry! I’d merely entertain myself in a broom closet,” Ron corrected with a big grin.
“Excuse me?” Hermione asked, placing her hands on her lap and becoming more interested in the conversation.
“Hermione,” Ron said with a grin as picked up a napkin, “watch where you place your hands. You’re supposed to use a napkin, not your clothes. And it’s not like it would be your body,” he assured. “I would never do that to you…” The last sentence he added with a serious yet somehow jokingly tone to it. Was he trying to secretly tell her something?
Hermione was completely lost now, and she only responded with a perplexed expression.
“Oh…” Harry added, leaning towards Ron, “it’s that time of the month. She never finds anything amusing then. Her dreams must be plain and boring as well.” Hermione’s eyes went wide, and she sent Harry an annoyed, cursing expression. Though losing his smile, Harry added, “See you would not be able to handle that. You laugh at every bloody thing in sight.”
“Eybefoowood!” Ron spat with bits of food coming out.
“I think you two should stop talking about this conversation,” Hermione intervened with a slight disgusted face as she looked over at Ron. “It’s something that clearly wouldn’t happen, so why bother yourselves about it anyway?”
Harry and Ron sat bewildered for a moment, looking at her and then at each other. When words were finally spoken, they both smiled and answered, “Nah!”
“Don’t even try to pretend, you wouldn’t be able to handle it!” Harry exclaimed, turning back to Ron.
“Come off it,” Ron rebutted, “I’m strong enough to handle anything a girl’s body can dish up.”
Harry’s laugh echoed throughout the Great Hall, and the boys continued their friendly row. Hermione shook her head and went back to her homework, ignoring Harry and Ron completely. She checked her schedule planner for the date: Saturday, 25th of April. Wait a minute, she thought. Yesterday was Saturday.
“Harry, Ron, look at this!” Hermione exclaimed in a whisper. “Look my planner says it’s Saturday. Yesterday was Saturday!”
Harry and Ron stared at the planner for a moment until Ron leaned over and turned its page. “There,” he said. “Now it’s Sunday.”
They both laughed annoyingly, and continued their conversation. Those two would never admit to the amount to insanity they went through yesterday, but they’d always find the simplest ways to torture her about it. Though she may not have shown it, the dilemma her and Ron went through ate at her insides. Who or what did this? Why did this happen? Would she encounter it again? Periodically, she’d turn her attention back to Harry and Ron to see if they began a new topic of discussion. However, it didn’t happen any time soon.
The Great Hall soon became befuddled by the commotion of students entering and leaving, and practicing their incantations for Charms class. As the boys continued to quarrel and Hermione studiously worked, the Headmaster of the school gazed down upon the three from his seat at the professors’ tables, smiling with a little twinkle in his eyes.