It wasn't abnormal to look out of a Hogwarts window to see a student or two sitting beside the lake, doing homework. Especially this student. Hazel Riddle was a Gryffindor, but she had definitely been a candidate for Ravenclaw.
The girl was a fourth year, the same year as Harry Potter. She was rather short for her age, and was very lovely. She had long, light blonde hair, high cheekbones, red lips, long eyelashes, bright blue eyes, and a light smattering of freckles over her cheeks and nose.
It was this particular appearance that had drawn the attention of not one, but both of the Weasley twins. They had been drawn to her ever since they laid eyes on her, and had an unspoken agreement to win her over no matter what. Which one of them would have her in the end was unclear.
So, it was not unusual to look out of a Hogwarts window to see the two flaming headed boys walking side by side to go see the small blonde haired girl that usually sat underneath the large beech tree.
Hazel wasn't really getting much work done today. She was having a hard time focusing on one thing, and this wasn't helping as the last thing she needed done was a potions essay due at the end of the week. Potions wasn't her worst subject, but the homework certainly was the nastiest of all of them. Snape delighted in handing out long, detailed essay assignments.
So the girl was rather frustrated when she slammed the book shut and threw it to the side. She didn't even know what was keeping her from concentrating. She was usually rather good about doing her work. Nothing was really out of the ordinary. Except she had skipped breakfast this morning to avoid the onslaught of Slytherins that delighted in her humility. She'd fallen off of her broom during the last Quidditch match (she played Chaser), and had been unconscious for a couple hours. Worst part was, she'd fallen because of a sneeze.
But she couldn't imagine that the lack of breakfast was what was keeping her from doing her homework. She wasn't even all that hungry. Usually she was able to concentrate on a paper with a growling stomach.
Whatever the reason, it was clear that she wasn't getting any work done today, so she began gathering her things so she could go curl up by the fireplace with a book, but was interrupted by the appearance of Fred and George Weasley.
The boys had been tailing Hazel for the past month or so, ever since they'd run into her while she was talking to their younger brother Ron and his friend Harry. Hazel really didn't have a lot of experience with boys, but it was rather obvious that these two liked her.
"Hello, love," George said, sitting on one side of her.
"Hope you didn't miss us, much," said Fred, on the other. Hazel rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Actually, I'd all but forgotten you existed," she said simply, pushing her books into her bag and sitting against the beech tree. She closed her eyes and tried to relax.
"Really, now?" George asked.
"Really," Hazel assured him.
"Ah, well. Guess next time we'll have to make you remember us."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, opening one eye lazily.
"It's really not much to worry about," they assured her.
Good enough for me, she thought. She didn't know the twins too well, but they really did seem to like her a lot. She didn't think they'd do anything to hurt her. They hadn't even pulled a prank on her yet, and they were the ones that were known for that sort of thing.
So basically, the twins didn't scare her, though they probably should have. The two boys cared very deeply about things like having a laugh, which just wasn't something that Hazel was used to dealing with. Her home was a humorless place.
"I think it's time for dinner," George said.
Hazel opened her eyes. The sun was beginning to set. She must have drifted off at some point. Yawning and stretching, the girl stood up. She was still drowsy, so she didn't object when the twins took her hands and led her to the castle. Next thing she knew, she was sitting in front of a table laden with food.
As she ate, she began to grow more aware of her surroundings. There was chattering, she was sitting in between the twins, and Harry and Ron were across from her. Nothing out of the ordinary.
But then she heard her name.
"Oi! Hazel! Kazoo-tight!" Someone yelled. Hazel sleepily looked around. It was Zabini, a particularly nasty boy that Hazel had refused a date with. She turned back to her food, not really caring about anything but ingesting as much chicken as she could. But it didn't take long for the Slytherins to realize that verbal abuse just wasn't going to cut it.
Something relatively large hit the back of her head. "Hey!" She turned around and looked to see what it was a box of tissues. Hazel wasn't even sure where they'd gotten those from. With a sigh, she turned back to her food, not noticing both of the twins standing up.
"HEY! If you're going to mess with someone, you might as well mess with us," Fred bellowed across the Great Hall. The chatter died instantly. The professors were looking on, trying to decipher whether they should intervene or not.
"Don't mind us, Weasley, we're just messing with your little girlfriend. It's not like she cares about you. If one of you gets messed up, she's got a spare." Hazel looked up and saw that the speaker was, yet again, Zabini. Both of the twins were red behind the ears.
"Really, guys, it's okay, let's just go," she said quietly. She didn't like where this was going.
"At least she fancies them, though, Zabini," said a random Gryffindor. The Slytherin boy suddenly didn't seem to tough.
"If the only opponent you can take on is a girl who you know won't fight back, you might as well keep your trap shut," George said menacingly.
"What, do you want a fight?" Zabini asked.
"Against you? Any day."
Fred and George started walking forward. Zabini looked rather terrified for a moment, as though he hadn't really thought they meant what they were saying. They didn't get far, though.
"Really, Mr. Weasley's, that is quite enough. Ten points from Gryffindor, now go take Miss Riddle upstairs to the common room. She looks exhausted," Professor McGonagall said, intervening. Zabini laughed.
"Guess you two are back on babysitting duty," he scoffed.
"As for you, Mr. Zabini, that is no way to speak to a lady, and instigating fights is not a proper way to behave. Thirty points from Slytherin."
Hazel missed the rest of the conversation, because she was trying to hustle the twins out of the Great Hall as soon as possible. Once they were safely about halfway back to the common room, she sighed.
"Really, you shouldn't even be bothered by him. He's just mad because I didn't want to be his little girlfriend," she said, exasperated.
"Hazel, no one is allowed to talk to you that way," George said. Fred agreed.
"That's not really up to you, though," she replied quietly.
"Well, if you won't stick up for yourself, we will," Fred told her. It didn't seem to be a negotiable subject, so Hazel dropped it as they reached the Fat Lady's portrait. "Tweak," the three of them said together. She swung open and allowed them inside.
"Goodnight, Hazel," Fred and George said in unison. They each planted a kiss on either of her cheeks and disappeared, leaving her a bit frazzled and very confused.