"Hey Harry, look what Dad sent me."
Harry looked up from his breakfast to see Ron holding a giant tack board, looking at it in confusion.
"What is it?" Ron asked, setting it down and poking at the board with his wand.
"It's a tack board," Harry said, going back to his toast. "It's something Muggles use so they won't lose papers they need."
"Wait, there's a letter," Ron said, opening up an envelope. A handful of tacks fell onto the table along with a piece of parchment.
"'I got ahold of this artifact during a raid last night," Ron read. "You're mother wouldn't let me keep it, so I thought you might like it.' Well, isn't that just great. What the hell am I supposed to do with this thing?"
"I don't know," Harry said, not wanting to get involved. They went through the rest of breakfast without saying anything more about the board.
* * *
Hermione picked up a rubber band and tied her hair back. She wanted to look nice for her date with Ron tonight. When she'd first started dating him everyone had said they'd always thought she'd end up with Harry.
Hermione laughed a bit to herself. How could she ever date Harry? He just always seemed like more of a friend than a boyfriend. Besides, Ron had a better sense of humor.
Hermione finished with her hair and started up towards the boys' dormitory. Then, as she neared the door, voices from inside made her hesitate. She recognized the voice as Harry's and stopped cold.
"You just take this and push it in there."
* * *
"Come on Harry," Ron begged. "Please help me with the tack board. I have to do something with it."
"All right," Harry said coming over. He picked up a tack and handed it to Ron. "This is a tack. Now, you see the board. Okay, you just take this and push it in there."
* * *
Hermione didn't even have time to wonder if she'd heard wrong before Ron's voice could also be heard.
"I can't get it in, are you sure this is how it goes?"
"That's the only way it can go, Ron, you�re just not pushing hard enough. And stop trying to poke me, that�s not helping!"
"I only poked you once on accident and I am pushing! It's not that easy, ya know?"
�Well how about I shove it up your ass and see if that looks like an accident. Try again.�
Muffled grunting could be heard through the door.
"That's it! I'm getting my wand."
"Come on, Ron! Muggles use these things all the time without magic. Now, try it again.�
More grunting.
"It went in a little, but now I think it's stuck."
"Okay, well then pull it back out."
"I can't! Oh man, it's really stuck in there."
"Here let me try."
A little more grunting is heard, followed by a small pop and a thud as someone or something hit the floor.
"Oh that was brilliant Harry! Why didn't I think of that!" came Ron's sarcastic voice.
Hermione, deciding she'd heard enough, stomped down toward the common room, pulling the rubber band from her hair. She couldn't believe it! Of all people Ron could be cheating on her with.
* * *
Harry put up a hand to silence Ron. "I think I heard someone outside."
"So what?" Ron asked. "Forget it, I'll just throw the tack board away."
"Ron," Harry said, picking up a tack, "look." He easily pushed the tack into the board. "I'm going to dinner."
"Oh no!" Ron slapped his forehead. "I completely forgot about my date with Hermione."
"I'm sure she'll forgive you," Harry said.
"Thanks."
"...in about three or four years," Harry added and ducked as Ron threw a pillow at him.
"Not funny," he said and the two walked down to the common room.
Hermione stood up from where she sat on the couch, a look of disgust on her face. She walked up to Ron and slapped him right across the face.
"Hermione..." Ron started.
"Don't 'Hermione' me! People like you disgust me! I don't want to have anything to do with you," she looked at Harry and added, "or any of your other perverted friends." She stormed off, leaving Harry and Ron lost for words.
"Oh well," Ron said finally. "I was gonna break up with her tonight anyway, so no big loss."
"Yeah," Harry said, "though I don't know why she was so upset. All you did was miss a date. It's not like you cheated on her."
Harry and Ron walked the rest of the way to the Great Hall. As he walked, Harry thought to himself, maybe when all of this blows over I'll finally get the chance to ask him out.
_____________________________________________________________
Author's note: Hee hee, nice little ending there, huh? Before every fan of the my Order of the Phoenix story starts asking questions, this story is completely separate from that one (thank God). Also, I should acknowledge the fact that I got the idea for this story from another fan fiction called "Night of the Round Table" by Rhysenn. Actually I got much of the dialogue from it, just rewrote it with a tack board and the surprise twist at the end. Oh, and the fact that I changed Harry/Draco to Harry/Ron. Aw hell, just go to any search engine and search out Rhysenn's site. Her story's there, and it's better than mine.
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