ââË.âSummary: When Umbridge enforces a rule banning students from being alone together, you and Ron turn the library into your quiet loophole. Until a shared afternoon turns into something more complicated than studying: detention
ââË.âAuthor's note: I was re-watching Order of the Phoneix and was reminded how much we despise Dolores Umbridge, so here you go.
The entire Great Hall went silent. Then exploded.
"That's completely ridiculous!"
You pushed through the crowd gathering around the newest Educational Decree hanging on the wall.
Written in bright pink ink were the words:
Educational Decree Number 97
"Students are forbidden from spending time alone with other students without educational supervision."
You read it again for the third time, just to make sure it still made no sense. Because surely that couldn't be real. Across the hall, students were already arguing.
"What if you're working on homework?"
"What if you're friends?"
"How is she even supposed to know?"
"Knowing Umbridge, she'll find a way."
Behind you, someone scoffed.
âThatâs ridiculous.â
Ron Weasley was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking genuinely offended on your behalf, or maybe just offended in general.
âEverything she does is ridiculous,â you said. âYeah, but this oneâs⌠extra ridiculous.â
You almost smiled. Almost.
Because the truth was, youâd already done the math in your head. Most of your conversations with Ron happened alone.
Accidentally alone. Quiet corners of the library. Empty corridors. After-class detours that somehow always ended in the two of you still talking.
Now, apparently, that was illegal.
"Educational supervision?" Ron repeated. "What does that even mean?"
"Probably a teacher," you said.
Ron pushed off the wall. âSo what, weâre supposed to just- what? Stop talking?â
"That's mental," he said.
A ravenclaw student crossed her arms. "It's another way to control students."
"Because she can." The answer seemed to satisfy absolutely no one.
The next afternoon, you were sitting alone in the library when a chair scraped across the floor.
Ron dropped into the seat opposite you.
"I'm here for educational purposes."
Ron dramatically pulled a book from his bag and dropped it onto the table.
Introduction to Magical Creatures: First Year Edition.
You laughed quietly. A few tables away, Madam Pince narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"If we're studying, she can't complain."
"We don't even take this class."
"So? Listen, if Umbridge asks, we're discussing..."
His eyes scanned the page.
"...the migration patterns of magical slugs."
Neither of you lasted more than three seconds before laughing.
A sharp "Shhh!" came from Madam Pince.
You immediately lowered your voices.
Unfortunately, Ron's terrible plan worked.
Every afternoon after that, he would appear with a random textbook and an even worse excuse.
One day it was vampire habitats.
The next it was the history of cauldron thickness regulations.
The day after that he spent twenty minutes pretending to explain Goblin tax law. You were fairly certain he didn't understand a single word he was reading.
"You don't actually care about any of this, do you?" you asked one afternoon.
For the first time all week, he didn't have a quick answer. His ears immediately turned pink. Interesting.
"I just thought it'd be nice."
The unfairness of the decree quickly became obvious.
Students started avoiding each other, people kept looking over their shoulders, and nearly every conversation felt like it might get someone in trouble.
But somehow, your corner of the library stayed the same.
Safe.Normal.Away from Umbridge.
One afternoon, as rain tapped softly against the windows, Ron arrived carrying three books.
"Why do you have so many?"
"If someone sees us, they'll think we're studying really hard."
"That's not how camouflage works."
"It should be." Ron grinned.
For a moment, neither of you looked away. Something warm settled in your chest. Something that had nothing to do with magical creatures or fake study sessions.
"You know," you said quietly, "this whole rule is stupid."
"We're literally just sitting in a library."
"We're not doing anything."
His ears immediately turned red.
"You absolutely did not."
Ron buried his face in one of the books.
You were still laughing when a shadow fell across the table. The laughter died instantly.
Professor Umbridge stood over you.
Smiling. The kind of smile that made your skin crawl.
"Well," she said sweetly, "what do we have here?"
Umbridge's eyes moved between the two of you.
"You seem to spend quite a lot of time together."
Her voice suggested this was a crime.
"We're studying," Ron said.
The smile never left her face.She reached down and plucked a book from the table.
Her eyes scanned the title.
You watched her expression carefully. Waiting.
"There appear to be very few notes."
"We finished earlier," Ron said.
"Yes." You said at the exact same time.
Ron looked at you. You looked at Ron.
Umbridge's smile widened.
"Oh, come on," Ron muttered.
"They're books. Weâre studying.â
Several students nearby had started watching.
Nobody was pretending to read anymore.
The library had gone quiet.
âAllegedly.â Umbridge hummed.
"You made a rule saying students have to be supervised."
"We came to the library."
You saw several students exchange looks. Ron looked genuinely offended.
"So we're following the rule."
Umbridge's smile tightened slightly.
The first sign she hadn't expected someone to argue back.
"You are testing the spirit of the decree."
"The spirit of the decree?"
"We're sitting at a table."
"There is no need for insolence, Mr. Weasley."
"There is no need for ridiculous rules."
Your heart stopped. So did everyone else's.
The library became silent.
Even Ron seemed surprised he'd said it.
For a moment, Umbridge just stared. Then her smile returned.
âFor What?!â you question.
âEducational Dishonesty!â
âThatâs not a thing!âÂ
âEnough! Detention for a week, each of you.â She gave you a narrow stare.
"But Iâve barely said anything at all!" You argued.
"Association, child!" She spat.
The unfairness of it hit you instantly.
You were being punished simply for being there.
For sitting with a friend. For existing in the wrong seat.
"That's not fair." he mumbled.
Umbridge's smile widened. "Hogwarts is not a place for students to decide what is fair."
Then she turned and swept from the library.
A moment later, whispers erupted across the room.
Ron groaned and dropped his forehead onto the table.
You couldn't help laughing.
"We got detention." you exhale.
"We got detention for sitting."
"You argued with Umbridge."
"So did you, besides someone had to, She's insane!."
You smiled.Ron lifted his head.
The annoyance was still there. But so was something softer. Something that appeared every time he looked at you lately.
"You know," he said. "I'd still come sit here."
"Even with Umbridge stalking us?"
His ears immediately turned red.Again.
You were beginning to enjoy that.
Ron looked down at the table.Then back at you."Because I wasn't really coming for the books."
A smile tugged at your lips.
You nodded. "Because I wasn't coming for the books either."
For a second, Ron simply stared.
The biggest grin you'd seen all year.
Together, you left the library, still smiling despite the detention waiting for you.
At the nearest corridor intersection, you paused.
"I should go this way," you said.
Ron nodded, though he looked reluctant.
For a moment, neither of you moved.
Then Ron groaned dramatically.
"I'll see you in detention."
"That sounds significantly less romantic."
"I wasn't trying to be romantic."
"You were absolutely trying to be romantic."
His ears immediately turned red.
Ron pointed at you accusingly.
"See? This is why we got detention."
"I'm fairly certain we got detention because you started it up with Umbridge."
Despite himself, he started smiling too.
For a second, neither of you looked away.
Then a bell rang somewhere in the castle.
Classes. Homework. Detention.
Ron shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'll save you a seat."
"For educational purposes?"
With one last grin, the two of you headed in opposite directions, already looking forward to seeing each other again, even if it was in detention.