Round 3, Challenge 7; Drabbles & Voting
Here are the drabbles for the final challenge. The two last remaining participants came up with a challenge for the other, and they had to write a response to both challenges.
Remember, no voting for yourself, and do not get people to vote for you.
Drabble #1:
Title: Hogwarts: A History (Revised Edition)
By: luvscharlie
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Hermione's daughter is reading Hogwarts: A History.
Prompt: "Well-behaved Women Rarely Make History." -- Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Word Count: 492
Hermione's ten year old daughter sat in the chair turning the pages of a large book. Rose had always enjoyed reading, but Hermione had never seen her read such a large book.
"What are you reading, dear?" She placed a plate of biscuits on the side table.
Rose held the book up and Hermione gasped. Hogwarts: A History. Oh, this was a proud moment! Hermione beamed. She was thrilled that Rose showed an interest in learning the history of the school she would be attending in less than a year's time.
--
It was well past Noon when Rose entered the kitchen yawning. "Mornin'."
"Afternoon's more like," said Ron. "Had a bit of a lie in, did ya?"
"Stayed up all night reading. Sorry, but I couldn't stop once I started." Rose took her seat after making a sandwich.
"So, tell me your opinion of the book. Isn't it wonderful? It's so rich with history, obscure facts and details. Oh, you must be so excited about attending Hogwarts next year? Are you, dear? I know I was and…"
"Hermione!" Ron interrupted. "If you'll stop prattling on, Rose might tell you what she thought of the book."
"I'm sorry. I'm just a little excited. I finally have someone to discuss my favourite book with, and I know I get carried away and-"
"Hermione!"
"I'm doing it again, aren't I? Oh, dear. I'm sorry. Go ahead, Rose."
"I'd hurry if I were you," Ron said grinning. "She'll only hold her tongue for so long, ya know?"
Rose bit into the sandwich, chewing slowly. Hermione grew more anxious with each passing second her daughter did not answer. "Well?" Hermione asked, when she could stand the silence no longer.
"How heavy was Norbert when you and Uncle Harry carried him up all those stairs, Mum?"
"He was-what does that have to do with anything?"
Rose shrugged and rolled her eyes in typical girlish fashion. "Did you really nick ingredients to make Polyjuice Potion from a professor's private stores?"
"Yes, but I don't understand what-"
"And you served detention your first year in the Forbidden Forest. That must have been so scary." Rose's tone grew excited.
"Yes, it was. What does that have to do with Hogwarts: A History?"
Rose looked perplexed. She stared at Hermione as though she didn't understand how her mother could ask such a foolish question.
"Why don't you run along and fetch your book, so we can have a peek?" Ron said.
Rose returned moments later with the large volume tucked beneath her arm. She passed it to her mother, and Hermione gasped when she read the cover:
Hogwarts: A History (Revised Edition)
Additional text and revisions by Romilda Vane and Lavender Brown
She opened the cover, fearful of discovering her beloved book had been defaced. She was outraged when she scanned the table of contents and found a new chapter entitled: Hermione Granger's Youth: Abundant Debauchery and Rule-breaking.
Drabble #2:
Title: Waiting for Ginny
By: minervasrevenge
Rating: All ages
Warnings: N/A
Summary: Boredom engenders childish behavior.
Pairing: N/A
Word Count: 312
Ensconced in one of Diagon Alley’s numerous nooks was a perpetually-sunny spot. In the spot was a bench circled by patches of grass and occupied by a witch. Normally, a charmed cove such as this would be coveted but it was forgotten and a little too tucked-away to be popular. Because, really, what was the point when there was no one passing by to be jealous of you possessing it?
Hermione wished she’d brought a book. She’d had no idea that Ginny’s owl saying that she’d be late meant more than twenty minutes.
The sunlight was gentle on her shoulders and chatter floated from around the bend in the alley, creating a pleasant lull in her ears. There was a good chance Ginny would be waking her up if she didn’t arrive soon.
Hermione’s two-thousandth expectant glance towards the main alley revealed a pair of eyes staring back at her and her heart skipped. She giggled as she recognized her observer to be a cat. Hermione gave it a polite nod - in case it was an Animagus - and watched it trot slowly towards her.
The animal slunk to her shoe and sniffed. Hermione no more than leaned forward to offer her hand than the cat leaped, twisting in midair, and skittered away, tail straight up.
Chuckling at feline antics, Hermione sat back. Unconsciously, her eyes traced the cat’s path through the dirt. It had left little prints but, oddly, little dust clouds, too. Hermione gave the dirt an inquisitive scuff with her shoe and was delighted by its response. A puff of dust billowed, hung in the breezeless air for a moment, and then settled. Without really thinking about it, Hermione drew her wand to stir up more.
When Ginny finally arrived, she had to battle her way through a small dust storm in order to find her friend.
Drabble #3:
Title: Teenage Girls and Hogwarts' Letters
By: luvscharlie
Rating: PG
Warnings: Adult language, very mild sexual content
Summary: Ron and Hermione's children are on holiday from Hogwarts when an Owl arrives from the school that someone has been misbehaving.
Prompt: Childish Behavior
Pairing: Ron/Hermione; Rose/Scorpius
Word Count: 488
--
"Any astronomer can predict with absolute accuracy just where every star in the universe will be at 11:30 tonight. He can make no such prediction about his teenage daughter." ~James T. Adams
--
Ron entered the kitchen, whistling a cheerful tune.
"You're certainly in a good mood this evening," Hermione said smiling at her husband.
"Of course. Rosie and Hugo are home for the hols and- Bloody hell! Already? HUGO!"
"Ron, what are you shouting about?" He pointed his finger at the window where an owl was perched with a parchment attached to its leg.
"HUGO!"
"Whatcha shoutin' 'bout, Dad?"
Ron started berating their son instantly, and Hermione caught snippets of the conversation as she broke the seal on the parchment and began to read.
"Only halfway through the year… already fifteen owls… not even the twins… in such a short time."
"I broke Uncle George's record for most owls sent home before Christmas hols? Whoa!" Hugo was unable to contain his excitement.
Hermione, convinced her eyes were playing tricks on her, read the letter for a third time to be quite certain she had read it correctly. "Hugo, go to your room," she said standing.
"What's my punishment?" he asked warily.
"You're not being punished."
Hugo looked skyward. "Could this day get any better, I ask you?"
"ROSE WEASLEY! GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" Hermione shouted up the stairway.
"The letter-Rosie? No. Seriously?" Ron chuckled. "I didn't think she had it in her."
"You find this humorous?" Hermione looked at her husband with annoyance clearly evident on her face.
"A bit," Ron said trying to contain the smile that was causing the corners of his mouth to twitch in amusement. "Nice to know there's a little of me in there somewhere, you know?"
"Well, let me assist you in wiping that smug look from your face. Read the last paragraph." She pushed the parchment under his nose.
Ron's Cheshire-grin faded in an instant, to be replaced by a look of complete horror. His eyes widened. He choked on his tea, spewing it across the table, as the words tumbled out in an incoherent stream. "Astronomy Tower! Snogging! Broom Cupboard! Half-dressed! SCORPIUS-FUCKING-MALFOY!"
Knowing him as she did, Hermione had surreptitiously removed the wand from his pocket before handing him the parchment. His arms flailed when he reached for it and found it missing. He muttered under his breath as he searched wildly for his missing wand. "A fucking Malfoy! A bloody fucking Malfoy of all people!"
"Before you go over to the Malfoys' to murder their son, don't you think we should speak to our daughter first?"
"What? Speak to our-oh. Yeah, I suppose we should."
"Can't," said Hugo from the doorway. "She's not here. Left out her window about an hour or so ago."
"Don't be ridiculous, Hugo," admonished Hermione. "Her room is on the third floor and she left her broom at Hogwarts over the holidays."
"Didn't say she left on her broom, did I? Scorpius Malfoy was on a broom outside her window."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Hermione asked impatiently.
"You didn't ask."
Drabble #4:
Title: The Secret Gatherer
By: minervasrevenge
Rating: All ages
Warnings: Not epilogue compliant
Summary: Hermione ends her career with a bang.
Pairing: N/A
Word Count: 132
In general, Hermione enjoyed being an Unspeakable. The pay was good and she was never bored. The secrets, however, were rather difficult to keep. There were many wonderful things in the Department of Mysteries and most of them would never be seen by the public. It made her glad for The Quibbler because now she knew that the Lovegoods got quite a bit right.
After twenty-five years as a Ministry employee, the bright witch had accumulated more sensitive information than she knew what to do with. Actually, that wasn’t entirely true: she knew precisely what to do with it. She hadn’t created a second identity and maintained a strong friendship with Luna Lovegood for nothing.
The cover photo of her for The Quibbler issue in which she revealed all was very flattering.
Poll Round 3, Challenge 7
Please use the drabble NUMBER when voting. It makes collating the results so much easier. Thanks.