After the War

Chapter 30

Thursday, October 28

"Pass this around, please," Hermione said at the front of the Prefects' office, handing a clipboard to the nearest student. "It's a sign up sheet with all the jobs we need to get done on Sunday, so put your name down for at least one thing."

"There are a couple of things to do before Sunday too, though," Luna added, her soft voice floating over the assembled students. Hermione nodded from next to her, watching anxiously as students wrote their names within her carefully ordered squares.

"Right. The date and time to show up is listed next to each job. Once you sign up, you're free to go! But, please stay if you have any questions," Thomas Murphy finished, smiling at the Prefects from beside the Head Girls. Slowly, the room filtered out and the clipboard was filled with names. With a wave, Murphy left the room and joined his friend waiting at the door, leaving the three girls to themselves.

"Excellent! And we all know what we're doing, right?" Hermione beamed at the other two girls.

"Yes, we do. Now let's get out of here before midnight, please," Ginny responded shortly.

"All right, all right! I was just making sure!"

"You've made sure quite a few times already, Hermione," Luna said.

"Sorry. Force of habit, I suppose," she sighed. "We can go." Hermione turned and pinned the sign up sheet onto the cork board behind her and when she turned back around, they had both already collected their things.

-----------------------------------

Friday, October 29

"But you already said you'd come!" Ginny's fork slammed onto the table of the Great Hall heavily.

"I know, I know... but, to be fair, when you asked, you didn't really say when it was." He ran a tired hand through his hair and looked pleadingly at Hermione.

"Come on, Harry! We need a certain number of professors to be there, otherwise McGonagall won't let us have the fair at all!" Ginny said, her hands braced against the table, pulling his eyes back towards her stubborn face.

"Can't you just ask another professor?"

"Most of them want breaks themselves," Hermione answered calmly.

"How about Bill?"

"He's already coming," Luna answered.

"Hagrid?"

"Coming."

"Slughorn?"

"Busy."

"Literally any other professor?"

"Please, Harry," Ginny whined.

"Can Ron stand in for me?"

"I doubt he'd qualify as a responsible chaperone." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"He's already coming as a... helper anyways," Hermione added, stumbling over the words slightly.

"Look... I'm sorry, but I'm not coming," Harry said with a tone of finality and he grabbed his goblet of pumpkin juice from off the table.

"How about just the second half? Maybe we can get someone else to agree if it's for less time," Luna asked.

"I really do not want to go, okay? Just leave it."

"Okay," Hermione responded, holding a hand up to Ginny to stop her impending flow of interruptions. "We'll find someone else. Just... come if you change your mind, okay? It'll be fun!"