Hello there! This is my second Harry Potter fanfiction, but I hope this one will be better than my last one which I ended up deleting. So, here's to trying new things and the potential for anything happening.
Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling and therefore do not own anything besides the plot.
The snow fell softly outside her window, snowflakes flurrying around the sky as they drifted to the ground. Hermione sat in the library, trying to focus on her Potions essay but was failing miserably. She couldn't help but stare out the window enchanted by the oncoming winter wonderland. Her eyes sparkled with joy and longing- longing to go outside and watch as the snow danced among the clouds as it fell. Grudgingly, she turned back to her essay and thought for a moment. She had already finished what was assigned with an extra two feet no less. She smiled to herself and thought, 'I can go outside now.' Quickly, she gathered her notes and textbooks together before departing her beloved sanctuary. Through the corridors she walked, nearly running, trying to get to the Common Room to drop off her homework before going for a stroll.
~oOo~
In the common room, a fire crackled in the hearth, spitting embers at the grate occasionally. The room was empty save for a few first years, silently working away at their homework in the corners as they tried to avoid the mischevious Weasleys. The twins finished their classes for the weekend a half an hour ago, and were beginning to unwind. Their ties were strewn on the floor in a pile with their robes. Their shirts were unbuttoned at the top and untucked as well. They lounged around the fireplace bouncing ideas off each other. It had been ages it seemed since they had last pulled a prank and they were long overdue.
"I don't know about charming the Ravenclaw's textbooks shut, George. They haven't done anything to us yet." Fred stated, hanging his head off the foot of the love seat.
"Well then what do you propose we do?" George huffed at his twin. The boys were having a rough bout of pranking block. They were bored out of their minds and they couldn't think of anything that could be considered worthy of the Weasley twins. They let out a groan simultaneously, knowing they had come to an impass. The common room was silent for a moment as they strained to think of something...anything that they could do. The portrait door swung open, revealing a nearly out of breath Hermione. The moment she set foot in the room, the twins were flying out of their seats and hurdling themselves at her. She barely had any time to figure out what was happening when Fred and George were surrounding her.
"Hey Hermione!" the twins said in unison as they each draped an arm across her shoulders.
"Those look heavy. Here, let me take them off your hands," George said, swooping in and relieving the young witch of her books. Hermione opened her mouth, ready to object before Fred whisked her away to the couch he and George were previously lounging on.
"It's positively freezing outside, 'Mione! Sit here and relax. It must be hard carrying all those books," Fred insisted. The tall Weasley sat down on the plushy, velvet couch, pulling poor Hermione with him. Fred sat back, letting out a content sigh while Hermione on the other hand, sat ramrod straight, refusing to relax. What were they up to?
Fred sneakily moved his arm from her shoulders to her waist to pull her back into a more comfortable sitting position. She squirmed a bit, and remain sitting in a way that she could escape easily if she needed to. George smirked, bright blue eyes sparkling, as he saw his brother's failure at trying to get the bookworm to unwind a bit. He slunk over there and sat down on the other side of Hermione, leaning back against the couch like Fred was. George winked at Fred and they both stared at her. Hermione looked absolutely stunned. Her hair had started out somewhat compliant in the morning, but was slowly unfurling into her usual mane of unmanagable curls. Her unidorm was in line with all the rules, tie perfectly tied, shoes shiny as ever, shirt tucked in, and robe wrinkle free. Her eyes though, were clouded with confusion and worry. She looked back and forth between the two nearly indistinguishable twins and narrowed her eyes.
"So..." George started out, a smirk creeping its way onto his face.
"So, what?" Hermione replied.
"How've you been?" Fred asked.
"Perfectly fine."
"Really? Nothing new? Nothing exciting I suppose?" George inquired, sitting up a bit.
"Not really. Hogwarts is still Hogwarts and I still have homework."
"So absolutely nothing new what so ever?" Fred asked, a bit excited.
"That's what I've been saying, you nutters," Hermione muttered, exasperated by her friends. "Why?" she question, suddenly curious why the twins wanted to know about what was going in her life.
"Well, you see 'Mione. Fred and I we have a bit of a problem," George explained.
"A problem?"
"Yes. A very grave problem with the utmost importance," George remarked.
"Okay. What is this very grave problem that you two have?"
"George and I have hit a dry streak," Fred stated, a bit sadly at that too.
"A dry streak?" Hermione asked, becoming more and more puzzled. The twins nodded at her in reply to her answer. "What kind of a dry streak are you guys talking about?"
"We can't come up with any good ideas," George whined.
"Good ideas for what?" Hermione inquired, becoming more impatient and curious with each vague remark.
"For pranking of course!" Fred boomed. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. The twins looked worried. She was their last resort, and after her they were toast. The pranksters slid off the couch and knelt down in front of their now slightly annoyed friend. The each took one of her hands, and looked her dead in her eyes as they said in perfect unison, "Hermione Granger, O master of ideas, we beg of you to please help us create new pranks."
Hermione was silent. She blinked looking from Fred to George and back again. They had hit rock bottom and she knew it. A devious smile painted itself on her face as she thought about this for a moment. She had at her disposal, two very capable pranksters who would be willing to do anything to get out of their dry spell. She giggled in her head before saying, "And what would I get in return?"
Fred and George looked at each other, seeming to have a telepathic conversation. Hermione tried to figure out what they were saying, but didn't understand even a fraction of what they were thinking. Then they nodded and broke eye contact.
"Hermione, after giving this a fair amount of thought, we have decided that we will each do you a favor," George explained.
"A favor? What kind of a favor?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, curiosity ravaging her mind like wildfire.
"Any favor. We will each owe you one favor that you can exchange at anytime," Fred added. "How does that sound?"
"That sounds like you've got yourselves a deal."
"So you'll help us think of new pranks?" George asked, hope dripping from his voice.
"Yes, I will help you." Smiles spread across the twins faces. They jumped up from their seats and highfived each other. Then, they turned to Hermione. Fred and George smiled at each other before bending down to look her in her pretty brown eyes. She looked at Fred and then George wondering what in the name of Merlin they were up to. They both leaned in and placed a fat, sloppy, wet kiss on each of her cheeks. Hermione gagged and wiped their slobber off. The twins smirked as they swept the disgusted witch into a hug that she happily, if not at first reluctantly, returned.
"Now what?" George asked, releasing his twin and Hermione from the hug.
"Well, I was about to head outside for a walk before you lot attacked me and persuaded me to become a prankster. You can come with me if you like," Hermione said.
"But it's cold out there," Fred whined. "And besides, we should probably get brainstorming."
"We can brainstorm while we're walking."
"Do we have to?"
"Yes," Hermione stated stubbornly. "Look guys, I haven't gotten to spend a lot of time outside lately. I don't play Quidditch and I have a lot of work to do, so whenever I get a break, I like to go outside. Not to mention that it's starting to snow." Fred and George looked at each other, then back at her.
"Well, are we just going to stand around here talking about going outside or are we going to actually go and walk?" George asked. Hermione smiled, and ran to grab her cloak, the twins following.
~oOo~
Outside, the snow drifted down from the sky, latching itself onto Hermione's eyelashes and falling delicately in her tangled curls as she giggled with delight. Around her, the brown grass was beginning to don it's wintery white carpet. The twins stood beside her. George looked up at the sky wondering how many meters of snow they would receive that weekend. Fred on the other hand, smiled down at Hermione, happy that the bookworm could take a break from reading and just enjoy herself for once. Hermione, couldn't care less about schoolwork or the Triwizard Tournament or anything in fact. She just stood there laughing like a madman as the snow descended upon them.
"So, we're out here now," Fred stated, plainly.
"Yeah, and?" Hermione asked, a little peeved that her bliss was interrupted.
"You said that we'd talk on our walk," George pointed out.
"Start talking missy!" Fred added.
"Okay, well, what did you guys have in mind for your latest prank?" Hermione questioned. An awkward silence filled the air as the trio walked along the path down to the freezing lake.
"Well, erm...nothing," Fred mumbled.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Hermione asked, bemused.
"We have nothing," George hissed.
"Nothing?" Hermione smiled. "Nothing? Nada? Nopa? Not a single solitary idea?" she chirped.
"Well, you don't have to go and rub it in," George muttered. Hermione laughed as the twins stood there, glaring at their friend. She bent over, clutching her sides as the effects of her hard laughter fell in.
"I'm sorry! It's just...the famous Weasley twins all out of ideas. That in it of itself is so absurd, it's laughable."
"Yeah, we noticed," Fred stated, staring at the out of breath witch.
"So, ideas for your next prank," Hermione remarked, calming down. When the reached the lake, they sat down on a tree root near the water. Hermione stood, looked at the twins, and asked, "Well firstly, who were you planning on pranking?"
"We haven't the slightest idea," George said. "Anybody do anything rotten to you lately?"
"The usual, Snape docking points for me giving an answer, Malfoy calling me a 'mudblood'," Hermione answered with a shrug. The twins sat, gaping at Hermione. "What?" she asked.
"Malfoy called you a what?" Fred asked, shocked at what Hermione said not more than a moment before.
"A 'mudblood'." George elbowed his brother and nodded.
"Hermione, since when has Malfoy had the audacity to call someone as amazing as you by that name?" George asked, anger evident in his voice.
"Since second year."
"Hermione, nobody, not even that smarmy git Malfoy, should ever have the right to call you something as horrid as that," Fred fumed, standing up behind her. He walked over to the young witch, standing so close he towered over her. "So, do you know who we're going to prank?"
Hermione thought for a moment, and replied, "Malfoy?"
"We're going to prank Malfoy!" Fred yelled, his voice booming loud and clear over the frozen lake.
"But don't you always prank him?" she asked, puzzled.
"Yes, but now we have a reason," George interrupted. They laughed and started swapping ideas on how to get back at the ferret when Professor McGonagall's voice rang out, relaying its message throughout the castle and surrounding grounds: "All Gryiffindors are to report to the Great Hall immediately for a special announcement."
"I wonder what this 'special announcement' is all about," George stated.
"Well, if we don't start heading back, I guess we won't find out," Hermione said. She grabbed Fred's hand as well as George's as she started back up the hill to the castle.
I hope you guys liked my chapter. I've already gotten over three hundred views! I know that's not a lot, but I'm glad that amazing people like you are reading it at all :) Please please please review as they provide me with sufficent motivation to keep writing. I might be able to post the next chapter by the end of the week if I'm not too busy. Thanks for reading,
-irishwerewolf.