Luck o' the Irish

Luck o' the Irish

A/N: Hey, everyone. This is a little fic that was originally inspired by St. Patrick's Day, but really is dedicated and inspired by the Evil Leprechaun Family, who are now and forevermore reduced to three in membership.

Description: It all started out as a foolish game, whimsical and non-sensical, but what came from the game would change their lives.

Chapter 1:

Evil Leprechauns?!

I really don't know where all the nonsense started. I don't even remember why I agreed to be the Vice-President of the stupid club. Which really wasn't a club, in the beginning. It was more of a stupid way to act stupid together. I still don't know why we couldn't have just done dumb stuff without the club, but whatever. All I really know for sure is that it was all Ron's fault for starting it after his “inspiration” from the Irish team's mascot at the Quidditch World Cup.

During the match, the veela angered the leprechauns, and they made a formation to flip off the opposing team. How immature can it get? But, whatever. Anyways, Harry and I were just watching the leprechauns when Ron turned to us with a stunned look on his face.

“What's wrong with you, mate?” Dang it, Harry. You just had to ask.

“They're bloody evil leprechauns!”

“Ronald, what's your point?” Being the only girl in a group of guys, it is normally my job to make sense of their often-pointless ideas.

“We should be the evil leprechaun family!”

At this point, both Harry and I just stared at him blankly.

“Uh, mate? Have you been sneaking firewhiskey when we weren't looking?”

Ron sighed, exasperated. “Of course not! We can start a little club, just the three of us! We'll be the leprechaun family, and it will give us an opportunity to do dumb stuff without shame!”

I couldn't help but roll my eyes and sigh. “Sorry, but Harry and I aren't…”

“That's a brilliant idea, mate!” I couldn't believe that Harry agreed with Ron on such an idiotic subject!

“I can be prime minister, since it was my idea, and Harry, you can be the whole Parliament! But what should Hermione be appointed?”

“Nothing,” I hissed. “Because this is absolutely idiotic! What's the point of being an evil leprechaun?”

“What's funnier than a crazed leprechaun? Hey, she could be a vice-president of sorts!”

“Great idea, Harry! What do you say, Hermione? Please join us! It won't be any fun if it's not all three of us together.” At the same time, Harry and Ron gave me identical puppy dog pouts, making my frown falter. I had to join. Who else would watch out for them?

“All right, you two. I give in.” Harry gave a whoop and Ron jumped into the air with glee. When Ireland won the match, their enthusiasm for the club was intensified greatly. We all reached our tents, but instead of sleeping, the guys snuck me out of the girls' tent and took me into a clearing in the woods, complete with a little stump for a table and logs for seats.

Ron cleared his throat and pulled some papers out of his pocket. “We are gathered here today to create the rules of the Evil Leprechaun Family, or E.L.F., as it will be more commonly known. First, we need to develop a motto of sorts.”

“Ooh, I know!” Harry waved his hand in the air, making my hair fly up as he accidentally hit it. “The first line can be `We are the Evil Leprechaun Family, we can't be trusted by anybody!'”

“I like that! `If you see us, you better run…'” Ron stopped and searched his little pea-sized brain for a rhyming line. A series of words struck my mind, and even though I thought the whole idea was stupid, I couldn't help but tell them!

“Cause we'll chase you with a green coffee mug!” I blurted before clasping my hands over my mouth in my daring. Harry and Ron looked at me in shock. Ron finally smiled and repeated the whole motto back to us.

“We are the evil leprechaun family, we can't be trusted by anybody.

If you see us, you better run, cause we'll chase you with a green coffee mug!” I couldn't help myself; I collapsed against Harry's shoulder in hysterics at the stupidity of it all. True, it was stupid, but it was actually kinda funny. Ron gave me a pleased look and got down to business.

“We need a mascot. I have an idea.” He pulled out a crude drawing of a leprechaun with glowing red eyes, left hand clenched in a fist and the right holding a wooden club above his head. “I call him Ian McSnaughtermanjenkins.”

“Oh, he could have a little enemy called `The Treasure Hunter'! He can have high water pants and jelly stains all over!” Okay, what had gotten into me? This idiotic club was making me act like a fool!

Harry smiled and took a piece of paper from Ron. “As all the divisions of Parliament, I make and second the motion that we need to get some rules for this club.” He took out a quill and wrote E.L.F. at the top, writing an exquisite looking number one beneath it. “On St. Patrick's Day, you must wear all green and talk like a true Celtic.”

“That's a good one!” Ron was getting excited. “And we have to eat Lucky Charms!”

A flicker of an idea flashed in Harry's eyes, and, abandoning paper, stood up and went to the side of the log.

He stuck out his left foot before saying, “Hearts, stars, and,” he extended his left arm over his left foot. “Horseshoes!” Out went the right foot. “Clovers and,” Out went the right arm. “Blue Moons!” The left foot was leveled with the right. “Pots o' Gold and,” He gave two bunny hops. “Rain-Bows!” I began to laugh uproariously at the next part when he began to wiggle his butt uncontrollably. “And the Red Balloons!” He walked calmly back to the paper and began to write again. Ron looked at him goggle-eyed.

“THAT WAS BRILLIANT! THAT HAS TO BE OUR OFFICIAL DANCE!”

“Ron,” I hissed, “You can't expect me to ever do that!”

Harry grinned. “I can teach it to you both!” He grabbed my hands and dragged me over to the clearing, and advanced to teach me the most idiotic thing I've ever done in my life. After a while, it did become a bit fun, and I couldn't believe how liberal I was behaving! Nobody outside of the clearing could ever know that I had ever participated in the “lucky charms dance.”

“Okay, guys.” I breathed slowly, moving my hands to show that I meant what I said. “I know what the third rule should be. The E.L.F. must be a complete and total secret.”

“Done,” Harry said as he wrote it down on paper. “Now, we all have to sign our names to approve the rules and consent to our positions.” Three blank lines appeared. When Ron signed the top one, Prime Minister popped up to the right of his name. Harry signed the bottom line, and Parliament popped up as his title. He handed the quill to me, and I took it shakily. I signed my full name and watched hypnotically as Vice-President popped up beside my name.

If I had only known what I had just gotten myself into, I would have run from the clearing and never turned back for anything in the world.

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Chapter 2:

A/N: I'd just like to say that, 1.) This story is based off of something that has happened to me in my life, but well, duh. All of my stories are based off of real life inspirations. It is NOT, as according to belief, based off of inside jokes, because if it was, I wouldn't even be writing it, because no one I know comes on this website. 2.) The Evil Leprechaun Family isn't really a family, it's more like one of those “secret clubs” that everybody on the planet has created with their friends at one time or another. 3.) Why is it that all the people who are overtly critical of stories, aren't even authors on Portkey? I don't mean to offend anyone, but it just really ticks me off.

Disclaimer: Don't own HP.

Breaking Hermione's Rule (Harry's POV)

Hermione will never admit the fact that she actually loved the E.L.F. from the beginning. When we went shopping before we went back to Hogwarts, she disappeared for hours, finally showing herself at lunch. In her hand was a huge paper shopping bag.

“Are you hiding something from us, Hermione?” I flirted with a waggle of my eyebrows, knowing that Ron wouldn't notice my intentions. Sure enough, he sat there without moving, inhaling a plate of French fries. Hermione only smiled at me sweetly before pulling three huge, bright green felt hats with a band and a buckle with four-leaf clover poking out of the band. She fluffed one up so that it was at its full, two-foot height, before plopping it soundly on my head. She gave Ron his and put one on herself. Even when Ron tried to take it off an hour later, she forced him to keep it on.

Yup, she was going, going, gone on our little madly insane secret society.

The whole ecstasy of the leprechaun lore kept us busy our whole fourth year. We would sneak off at random times during that year, meeting in the room of requirement, to do secret “rituals,” which were generally just our term for playing truth or dare, talking, and doing stupid stuff together. Our play was innocent, completely pointless, and oddly amusing. We added rules such as, “You must speak in a Celtic accent on St. Patrick's Day,” and “You must wear a bit of green everyday.” On our first St. Patrick's Day together, we spent the whole day at the lake, performing the leprechaun dance and eating Lucky Charms, along with the corned beef and cabbage that the school served for the holiday. That summer we wrote back and forth in a “secret code,” using green parchment that Hermione had charmed to sparkle magically. Our society of friendship and brotherhood (sisterhood, if you counted Hermione) was perfect. Then, when our fifth year started, things started to go…bad.

On September 1, when we took our usual train ride to school, we leprechauns got a car to ourselves to talk about our secret society. Well, Hermione and I got a car, anyways. Ron had met us at King's Cross and disappeared soon afterwards. We shrugged off his absence, figuring he was just chasing down Pigwidgeon or something.

How wrong we were.

Twenty minutes into the train ride, Hermione had just gotten her things rearranged and was settling down next to me on our seat. She leaned close to me to see my Chocolate Frog card when the cab door flew open, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and numerous other people behind him. Hermione's head jerked away from mine so quickly that I was sure the poor girl got whiplash. Ron merely looked at her before stepping into the car, motioning for all those behind him to enter. Not only were Ginny and Neville there, but Fred, George, Seamus, Dean, Luna, Lavender, and Parvati as well. The car was only big enough to seat 6 people, and seeing as how there were twelve of us, we were forced to set two to a seat. Hermione and I were squashed very tightly together, and her face was blushing a lovely shade of crimson.

“Ron,” she hissed. “Why did you bring nine people to our car?”

“They want to be inducted into the leprechaun family. Okay, guys, here's the gist of it.”

He began to explain to the newcomers all about the club. Something was tickling at the back of my brain, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. Something about Ron's bringing all the people there was wrong, but I didn't know why—until I noticed that Hermione had grown deathly quiet, a rarity for her. Her chocolate eyes were still and the usual sparkle had gone from their depths.

The reason why bringing the others into this was wrong struck me like a lightning bolt. Hermione had only made one rule about the club, and that was that no one else could know about our alias leprechaun lives. Suddenly I knew why Hermione was silent, and I didn't like it one bit.

The meeting went on, and when the train stopped, all nine imposters were officially leprechaun. Hermione hadn't spoken since Ron had trooped them all in, and her lips were tightly together in a thin line. When we got into the carriages to be taken up to school, I gave Hermione a reassuring smile and, whispering, asked if she was all right. She nodded firmly, but looked out the window silently. I could have sworn I saw a tear fall from her eye, but it may have just been the reflection of the rain on the glass.

I never would have expected for things to go as wrong as they did. The new leprechauns went stark crazy with the idea. Ginny began to control meetings, making them a formal affair instead of just a time to relax among friends and goof off. Fred and George had created new rituals that took hours to complete and were very practical, one thing that the leprechauns were not. And Dean, Seamus, Luna, Parvati, Lavender, and Neville were constantly talking about the leprechauns in front of everybody they possibly could, causing everyone at Hogwarts to know about the family and ask to join it. Before Christmas, there were a total of 37 members to the club, half of which Hermione and I barely knew.

That St. Patrick's Day was the biggest nightmare of my life. Ron had “the greatest idea in the world”: having a leprechaun festival in the room of requirement. The idea was pretty cool: we would have Irish food, Irish dance-offs, leprechaun related games, and a huge display by the main members of the club. I could tell that Hermione wasn't pleased with this idea at all, but she never complained once. But when Ron gave us the guide for what was to happen on March 17^th, things got ugly.

“YOU'RE MAKING ME AND HARRY WORK THE BOBBING FOR CABBAGE BOOTH?!”

“Well, yeah, I mean, we need someone to do the work.”

“Ron,” I said, clearing my throat, “Hermione is the vice president and I'm the parliament of this family. I don't really think it's fair that we don't get to do anything fun.”

“Well, that's what we need you to do. Is that cool with you guys?”

Hermione's face had turned a violent shade of purple. “No, Ronald, it is not cool. This family was supposed to be a secret. And you told everybody about it, making it a lot less fun. Now, we have to be structured which really is no fun whatsoever. And, you are just pushing me and Harry to the side, even though this is our thing, too.”

“You know, Hermione? You didn't even want to do this club in the first place, so why are you all defensive now? They actually like us, we're popular now! We've started a revolution at Hogwarts!”

“That's not what I wanted. All I want is for you to go back to the old Ron, and if that means having this stupid family disbanded, that's fine by me.”

“Well, this club is more important to me than anything else, so you're going to work the cabbage booth or I demote you!”

“You don't have to demote me, because I quit!” Hermione took off her clover brooch, and threw it to the ground before running off in tears.

Ron whistled softly. “What's her problem?”

I had had enough. “Ron, you are her problem. She had one rule to this club, and that was that no one could know about it. And now, you've taken it and turned it into something we're not.”

“I knew you'd take her side.”

I reached up and pulled the live cloverleaf from my collar. “Happy St. Patrick's Day, Ron.”

The cloverleaf fell to the ground and I turned away to go find Hermione. She was sitting in the Astronomy Tower, tears pooled in her eyes. I sat down behind her and stroked her hair gently, letting her cry everything out.

“I just don't understand, Harry! The E.L.F. was my sanctuary, my one place where I could be stupid and daring with my two best friends! And now, well, now it's over.”

I said something stupid about how it would never really be over, but I knew in my heart it was true:

The E.L.F. was gone, along with the naivety of our childhood.

A/N: R&R!

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Chapter 3:

“We can still be leprechaun…”

(Harry's POV)

A/N: I'm so excited to be writing again! Sorry I haven't written in several months, but a teacher at my school banned Harry Potter, and I only get to read it on breaks from school. Since my inspiration comes after reading JK Rowling's work…Well, you can see how this has become a problem. I am working on updating all of my stories over the holidays; however be warned no other stories will be finished until summer, unless a miracle happens.

God bless,

katie

Years passed. Ron was still there, but he wasn't as close to either of us as he had been. The euphoria of being leprechaun had fizzled out soon after the festival, and few remained who even remembered what the E.L.F. was. That night at the Astronomy Tower had changed Hermione and me both. In those dark hours, we both realized that the innocence and random frivolity of our childhood was over. I became a little more serious, and Hermione grew quieter. We both went on with our lives, although I knew that I wasn't the only one who missed the leprechaun family. Still, we moved on to bigger and better things. In sixth year, we started dating, and before we knew it, it was our last year at Hogwarts.

In March of our seventh year, Hermione was quieter than usual. One day, as we sat together in the Great Hall, my hand stroking hers, she suddenly looked at me, her eyes unusually bright.

“'Mione, what's wrong?” She pursed her lips in an adorable manner and turned her brown eyes towards the table.

“Sometimes I miss being a leprechaun.”

Her words surprised me. We had never spoken about the family since that night at the Astronomy Tower, and now, two years later, it was the last thing I expected to hear.

“What do you mean?”

“I just… being a leprechaun was actually really fun. And we had an excuse to do daring things, to be who we really were inside. And now, we're about to graduate and go out into the world, and I realize now that we really grew up that night. And I don't know if I'm ready to grow up…”

I sighed and kissed her forehead. “We can still be leprechaun…”

Hermione flinched. “What do you mean? I don't want that whole thing to start up again…”

“No, I mean…we'll do it right this time. We'll just have it, me an you, and we can just…I don't know…be those kids we once were.”

“Are you really sure about this?”

“Positive.”

That is why, on March seventeenth of our final year of schooling, Hermione and I were found sitting on a huge, checkered blanket by the lake, having a picnic lunch. Hermione had dug around and found our old leprechaun hats, and had brought them with her to our feast. I snatched one up immediately and plopped it on my head so it fell over my eyes. The feelings that flooded my body were astonishing! All those fun times we had flooded back to me in a moment, and I felt like the innocent fourth year I had once been. I could have filed through the memories forever, but I realized that Hermione had gone quite still. Pulling up the hat, I saw that she was gripping the hat tightly, staring with huge eyes at the tall, lanky shadow that fell over our blanket.

I really thought I might just throw up the corned beef I had just eaten.

“What are you doing here?”

Ron Weasley gave us a shrug and a sheepish attempt at a grin.

“Well, I was in the common room, and I saw the two of you heading down here, and… Well, I found this near the fireplace, I think you dropped it, Hermione.”

He extended his hand, holding out the third leprechaun hat. Hermione continued to stare at him, open-mouthed, as though he had just announced that he had just inherited Gringotts. Silence ensued as Hermione watched Ron, who watched me, who watched her. Finally, Ron threw his hands up and sighed.

“Listen, I need to say something, and I ask you both to just hear me out.

“I screwed up, putting the E.L.F. before our friendship. I mean, I was so excited that the club was popular, and I just basked in the glow of popularity. I never should have gotten so carried away. And I know that I hurt you both—especially you, Hermione—and I just came down here today to…to…to apologize.”

I watched as a faint smile crept over Hermione's face and Ron continued with his speech.

“I know that this is our final year, and I really should have apologized sooner, but I've been a prat, and, well, I reckon our friendship's wrecked all because of me, and neither of you two should ever forgive me, but…”

“Ron,” Hermione interrupted. “Do stop being an idiot. The corned beef and cabbage is getting cold, so you better get your bum down here and eat it.”

Ron grinned sheepishly and slowly sat down in the empty spot. Hermione dished some food onto a plate for him and I dusted off the third hat and plopped it down on his head.

“You do know what this means, boys?” Hermione had a devious look on her face as we looked at her curiously. “Well, we're still leprechaun, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Your point?”

“As Vice President of this fine establishment, I make a motion that we begin this meeting.”

“Motion seconded by the president,” Ron said before shoveling cabbage into his mouth.

“As the Cabinet, I ask that we all join together in the leprechaun dance.”

Hermione, surprisingly, jumped up and held out her arms, forcing us all to link arms and do the dance as best we could.

“Hearts, stars, and horseshoes!

Clover and blue moons!

Pots o' Gold and *two hops * rainbows

And the red balloon!”

We collapsed in the clover in hysterics, each of realizing that, though time had passed, it didn't take much for a friendship like ours to be rekindled. Things had changed, and it would take a while to be where we had been at one time, but we would never be separated again. We all howled with laughter, only stopping our manic ways when Ron sat up rigidly and grabbed his butterbeer.

“I make a toast: to the real E.L.F., and to friends who are always willing to take you back when you've been stupid! May we always be the leprechaun trio, from now till forevermore!”

“Hear, hear!”

“Couldn't have said it better!”

Our bottles clinked, and we gulped down the sweet fluid. We sat in silence for a moment, enjoying each other's company, when I was suddenly affected by the greatest idea I'd ever had.

“GUYS! I have a great idea!”

“What is it, love?”

“Well,” I said mysteriously. “Do either of you have any plans right after graduation?”

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Ron's PoV

I can't decide which is more unbelievable: the fact that Harry came up with this brilliant plan all his own or the fact that we all jumped head first into it.

Graduation took place on the first Friday of June, and the very next Monday, the E.L.F. arrived in Blarney, Ireland.

True, we were fast friends before the start of the E.L.F., and we will be ever after, not because of the club but because of who we are. But, though not a main pillar for us, the E.L.F. is almost a defining point, like a symbol of who we are, unique specifically to us. Honestly, how many other Evil Leprechaun Families are running around in the world?!

Hermione couldn't contain her excitement as we walked together up the way to Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone. I must admit, it was an excellent idea, coming here. As everyone knows, leprechauns are native to Ireland, and the Blarney Stone is a main connection to Irish culture, supposedly bringing good luck or some other such thing. We, as leprechaun, want to make a point to kiss this stone so dear to our true native land.

We climbed up the stone tower, Harry listening bravely to Hermione's constant chatter. I know he must love her, to put up with that. Reaching the top where the Blarney Stone is located, we were all pleasantly surprised to see that the tower was empty, and the Blarney Stone lay before us.

Now, this was a great idea and all, but dangling far above the ground to lean backwards and kiss a stone was beginning to seem a little foolish. As always as the lady, Hermione went first. She leaned back cautiously as Harry held her, pausing only momentarily before kissing the stone with a smack. Harry went next, pretending he was going to make out with the stone (I protested, saying I wasn't going anywhere near it after that). Then it was my turn, upside down, kissing the stone. Surprisingly, it tasted like cabbage and firewhiskey.

We went back down to the pathway again, arms linked in brotherhood, er, sisterhood, with Hermione and all…

I don't know if the Blarney Stone really is lucky as some say, but as I walked with my two best friends through the greenest clover in the world, I felt as though I had the true luck o' the Irish. And that is better than a pocket full o' gold any day.

Fin

A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry it was a bit abrupt, just had to finish it up! Please read and review and feel free to read and comment my other pieces! LKB09

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