Forge And Gred - Literally

by EndlessDaydreaming

A/N: I was supposed to be editing one of my stories, The Laws Of Attraction, but this story concept just popped into my head and I knew I'd lose it if I didn't type it down quick. So enjoy, and don't forget to drop a review!

FRED. IS. ALIVE. I refuse to have it either way. No war. Fred and George 7th year. 'Mione, Harry, Ron are in 5th.

This is dedicated to all the wonderful and sane *cough* insane *cough* people over at the Twin Exchange. You guys are awesome, thanks for making me feel welcome even if I'm a newbie!

Chapter 1

The Gyrffindor common room was roaring with laughter and cheering as Fred and George Weasley re-told the happenings in the Slytherin versus Gryffindor Quidditch match with as much actions and sound effects as they could muster.

"And then Malfoy's face was like this when George hit him with a bludger!" Fred said, opening his eyes and mouth as wide as he could, his nostrils flaring and eyes bulging.

"Don't forget the sissy scream, Fred! It was beautiful! He was like, 'Eeeeeeeeeeek'!" George squealed, as the numerous Gryffindors who were celebrating their victory against the Silver Snakes this afternoon erupted into more laughter.

They were standing in the space between the couches and the fireplace, while a crowd of students were seated around them. Food and drinks nicked from the kitchens were all over the place, and even if it had been four hours since the party started, everyone was still in no mood to sleep despite the late hour.

Fred clutched his stomach in laughter as George made more Zabini impersonations of getting hit by a bludger. Feeling his throat turn dry, he excused himself and stepped over a few heads to walk to one of the tables that held the refreshments.

It was then he noticed that there was one bushy brown head who was seated with her back to everyone else, bended over what must be the thickest book in the world.

Sighing and shaking his head, Fred walked towards her, thinking about how she should take a break once in awhile. But then again, she was Hermione Granger, and "breaks" is not her middle name. It was actually "Jean".

"Granger, learn to have fun once in awhile, why not?" Fred said, leaning on the table she was reading on. He looked down at her, noticing once again how her brown hair just glowed under the light, how her porcelain skin brought out her chocolate eyes, how her lips looked so soft...

Hermione tilted her head up a bit, smiling. "I am having fun, Fred."

Fred raised a brow at her. "Oh, thick books. Joy. And I'm George, by the way."

He had always loved the "I'm George" game. It worked every single time. It was amusing. But if he was to be completely honest with himself, that "game" had long since evolved into a test. He loved George, but he was sick of being mistaken for someone he wasn't. Despite how identical they looked and acted, they were still different people. And though getting mixed up with George is fun and entertaining, he did mind that even their own mother couldn't tell them apart.

Hermione propped her head on her hand to support the weight of her head as she tilted up further to get a good look on Fred. "No, I'm quite sure you're Fred," she smirked.

Half of Fred said Drat! While the other half was squealing with ridiculous joy. Of course, only Hermione had ever managed to pass his and George's little test every single time. Though he wanted to believe someone out there really knew him as him and not as Fred and George, he also doubted it and made excuses every time she got it right. Maybe it was because he didn't want to get his hopes up just to get hurt in the end.

"It was that obvious, I reckon, since I'm the better looking twin, after all. Or was the blue sweater a dead give-away?" Fred grinned, gesturing over to George who was wearing a green sweater.

Before Hermione could answer, Angelina Johnson walked towards them.

"Hey, George. Would you mind handing me drink?" She asked, smiling.

Hermione was about to protest that he wasn't George, but Fred cut her off by patting her head before he handed Angelina one out of the numerous filled goblets on the table.

"Thanks," she smiled one last time before heading back to the crowd who was still roaring along to George's show.

"I guess I have my answer – the sweater colors don't give anything away at all," Fred chuckled, running a hand through his flaming hair. Silently, he was still making excuses to himself on why Hermione was able to tell them apart.

"Doesn't it annoy you?" Hermione asked. She closed her book and took one of the goblets beside her. She eyed it warily. "What is this, exactly?"

Fred smirked at her. "Firewhisky."

She raised a brow at him, smirking. "I don't believe you," she said before taking a sip.

"Good judgment. It's just pumpkin juice," Fred shrugged.

"You didn't answer my other question," Hermione said, setting the goblet down.

Yes it annoys me. "No, it doesn't."

"What doesn't?" George suddenly said, appearing at the other side of Hermione. He took one of the goblets and gulped it all fast. He set it down with a loud thud. "Ahhhh. Merlin, that wore me out," he grinned.

"Getting mistaken for each other," Hermione supplied before Fred could cut her off.

Groaning internally, Fred braced himself. George would say yes. After all, George was the more honest one among the two. He said what he felt with no complications, and proud of it. To George, it didn't matter what people thought of him. Fred, however, was a bundle of mixed emotions, and he was careful in expressing his real emotions.

George thought about it for awhile before answering. "Actually, it does."

Fred slapped his forehead mentally. He was right. Of course he was right, it's George.

"I can see how. If I was you, it would annoy me, too." Hermione said diplomatically.

Both Fred and George smirked at the tone. Personally, Fred found her braininess amusing. And sometimes cute. But he'd never tell her that. His reputation was at stake.

"I think I'm going to fix that right now," George grinned. Whipping out his wand, he conjured a tiny crystal bottle with brown liquid inside. "This is a new product – Hairy Putter. And yes, it's named after our favorite wizard of all time," George winked. He pulled out the rubber stopper and let a few drops drip on his hair.

His short haircut immediately grew longer, thus setting him apart from Fred.

"Oi! You lot! I'm George, the one with longer hair! Got that!" George announced to the room.

The Gryffindors turned to look at him, some laughing, and nodded.

"Nice hairdo, George," Hermione said, giggling.

Now that was just pure adorable. Not that anyone had to know Fred was thinking that.

"Granger, you wound me!" George said dramatically, clutching over his heart for emphasis.

Over Hermione's head which was turned to George, Fred tried to tell George that his trick wouldn't work. Fred slid a finger across his throat repeatedly, telling him to cut it out. As always, George went through with it anyway. He never listens, Fred thought, rolling his eyes.

"You're practically family and you can't even tell I'm Fred?" George said in a hurt tone.

Hermione laughed. "Nice try, George."

George looked at Fred and shrugged. "It was worth a try," he grinned. "Well, brother dear, I think I'm off to bed," George yawned, walking over to Fred.

Just when Fred was about to protest that it was too early, even if he was secretly tired as well because of the Quidditch match, the Common Room portrait slammed open and they heard the Fat Lady's muffled scream of protest as she hit the rock hard wall. In stormed a furious-looking Ron, an annoyed Ginny, an angry Dean, and a tried Harry.

"It's none of your business, Ronald!" Ginny snapped, as every Gryffindor in the room turned to look at the brewing scene.

Dean slammed the door close, making everyone jump in surprise.

"And it's not any of you lot's, either," Ginny said icily, glaring at the crowd by the couches.

A smart group, they were. They knew messing with Ginny when she was angry – or even when she wasn't – was very, very dangerous. They cleared out immediately, scuffling to their dorms.

When the only people left in the Common Room were Hermione, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Dean, and Harry, Dean made his way to the refreshment table, reaching behind Fred and George to grab a goblet.

"I think it is my bloody business if I manage to catch my sister practically shagging in the hallways!" Ron bellowed, his ears and face turning red.

Fred and George rounded on Dean immediately, placing one hand each on his shoulder. Anyone who defiled their baby sister was dead meat.

"Oh, so she's not allowed, but you are? Don't think I didn't see your face glued to Lavender Brown yesterday," Dean shot at Ron, ignoring the twins behind him.

Before the twins could do anything, Ron whipped out his wand and aimed an intangible curse at Dean. Dean ducked in time, causing the spell to hit the unsuspecting twins who was busy glowering at Dean. The whole room flashed and everyone was thrown backwards due to the force of the spell.

A few seconds later, Ron sat up, groaning. "What the bloody hell happened?"

Harry, a few feet from Ron, with his hair sticking out more than it did, shook his head to clear it. "We should ask you, you're the one who cast a spell."

Hermione rubbed her back, which hit the floor when the force of the spell caused her to fall off her chair. "Is everyone alright?"

Dean stood up from his spot on the floor where he was flung, glared at Ron, before storming off to his dorm. Ginny followed suit, heading off to the girls' dormitories. Fred and George stirred right after a loud slam was heard from upstairs.

"Ow, my head," George groaned, sitting up.

"Ow, my everything," Fred said, doing the same.

"Well, since everyone's alright, I suggest we turn in for the night. As for you two," Hermione said, standing up to face Harry and Ron. "Where have you been?" She eyed them angrily.

"Errr..." Harry said, mussing his already-messy-enough hair.

Ron grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him to the boys' dormitories. "G'nyt!" Ron called, bounding up the stairs two at a time with Harry in tow.

Hermione rolled her eyes, dusting off her robes. "Boys," she mumbled.

Fred and George gingerly stood up, testing all of their limbs, when they froze.

Hermione noticed that they were quiet, which was very unusual. "Fred? George?" she said, turning to look at them.

And she froze. There was something different...

"When did you two change clothes? And...hairstyles?" she said, surprised.

"W-what?" George stammered. He was already confused enough. He swore he was wearing a green sweater just a few seconds ago, and now...

"Oh bloody hell," Fred mumbled.

"What? What happened?" Hermione asked frantically.

Fred and George looked up at her.

"We switched bodies."

"Big deal, you're identical twins," Ron mumbled as he stuffed more food in his mouth.

Fred and George glared at him from across the table. It was breakfast, but the two weren't in the mood for eating. They had bigger problems to take care of than tackling food.

"Why don't you try being stuck in someone else's body, you prat," Fred hissed quietly, so that no one else could overhear.

"We may be twins, but we're still different. And being in a different body is not comfortable at all," George grumbled.

Harry studied them, confused. They looked just the same as always. Well, except the hair. If Hermione hadn't backed them up with their claims of switching bodies, Harry would have never believed it. The three had bounded on his and Ron's dorm door just after they had gone in and dragged Ron and He out. They had demanded that Ron fix them, but Ron didn't know what he did, exactly, so now the twins were stuck. They tried telling Ginny, but she was still furious about Ron, Fred, and George's actions towards Dean, and snapped at them to stop the joke. Now Fred and George were stuck in each others' bodies, not telling anyone, unless they wanted to be known as loonier than Luna.

Fred was miserable. Yes, people on the outside wouldn't understand just how difficult their situation was. They were identical twins. No one could tell them apart, except Hermione. They switched bodies. They're still identical. Still, no one could tell them apart. So, what's the big deal?

The big deal was that being in George's body was uncomfortable. It didn't feel like himself. Well, duh, because technically he wasn't himself. It looked the same, but it wasn't his body. Besides, George was flabbier. Fred missed his muscles.

"George!" Lee Jordan called from two seats over.

Of course, George-who-was-now-Fred was the one who responded, forgetting he was Fred now. "Yeah?"

"Nice try, Fred," Lee rolled his eyes. "Your game won't work, now that you have different hairstyles."

Fred groaned. There was the issue of the hair, too. Their new product was working too well. The whole gist of the product was that you could prank someone into taking it, their hair would grow longer, and when they'd try to cut it out it would just grow back out again. It was meant to last for a week, but since it was testing period, it could be longer...

He could have just told George who was now in his body with shorter hair to take the hair growing product as well. That way, they'd both have long hair. That can't work, though, because they only made one bottle and George finished it last night. If only waited until they could make an antidote for it before testing it...

New lesson learned: Always make back-ups and antidotes before testing.

Now he was really stuck being George, no thanks to George's announcement to the whole common room last night about his new hairdo.

They would just have to rely on Hermione's brilliant researching skills to help them out on this, since the brilliant Ron didn't even know what spell he used. According to him, he was supposed to be the jelly-legs curse, but because of his anger it went out all wrong. If they approached any of the teachers, they'd be in big trouble for making and testing their products again. Their mum would kill them – literally.

"Yeah, Lee?" Fred answered for George.

"Nice hair," Lee smirked. "Don't forget our arrangement later."

"A Weasley never forgets, Lee," Fred smirked, playing along.

When Lee turned away, Fred immediately whispered into George's ear, "What's with later?"

George whispered back, "He set me up on some sort of date. Said some girl had a crush on me and wanted to talk to me alone. During lunch, at the Common Room when no one would be there. He's being all mysterious about it, might be a prank so be careful. I have a prank back just in case, of course."

Fred sighed and nodded. His sigh turned into a grin, not being able to resist a jab at George. "You sure the bird wasn't asking for me? I am the better looking one," Fred smirked.

George mirrored his smirk right back at him. "But I'm in your body, so I guess I'm the better looking one now," he grinned. "Better get used to being the lesser one, brother. We might end up stuck forever."

Fred paled a bit. He did not want to be stuck in George's body forever.

George felt Fred tense and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Kidding, Fred."

Fred nodded. "'Course," Fred muttered. George had always been the stronger of the two. Fred tended to take everything seriously, thus being more sensitive.

"I'm going to Hermione," Fred whispered to George, stabbing the last of his sausages with a fork and shoving it in his mouth before leaving the Great Hall.

Fred entered the library. The room was completely empty, aside from Madam Pince who was in the other end of the room. He found Hermione seated in one of the desks by the windows. The morning sunlight hit Hermione hair just right, making it glow beautifully. She was so concentrated in researching, a large stacks of books on her left. The way he brows scrunched together and her eyes narrowing in concentration was adorable.

Slapping himself mentally, Fred shook his head. Now was not the time to admire his age-old crush. He walked over to her and pulled out the empty chair beside her.

"Hey, Fred," Hermione said, not looking up from the book in her hands.

"How did you know?" Fred blurted. The question had been on his mind ever since she asked when they had changed clothes and hairstyles.

"That something was different between the two of you after the spell Ron cast?" she clarified, turning a page of the book.

"Yes."

She turned to look at him then, and Fred new she would be in diplomat mode. "Well, I used to be able to tell you and George apart from your eyes. George's are actually dark brown and yours are a bit lighter if you look really well."

Fred blinked at her. "Even I didn't know that." And it was true.

She smiled and continued. "The way you carry yourselves are also different. You tend to put most of our weight on the right side of your body when you stand. George stands equally."

Thinking about it for a moment, he realized she was right. "You're right."

"Most of the time, though, I could just...I don't know, feel it," Hermione said, her voice suddenly softening.

Fred didn't know why, but her tone made his heart skip a few beats. "How?" he asked just as soft.

"I..don't know. There's just a...different feeling, when I look at you. If the..feeling's there...it's you. If it's not..it's George," she said, her cheeks flushing a bit, as she looked down at her book again.

His heart pounding madly, Fred shook away the hope inside that she might like him as he liked her. It's just something else, a second sense or something, he reasoned. "So last night, after the spell hit, that's how you knew we weren't...us? The 'feeling'?" he asked.

"Yes," she said confidently again, back to academic mode. She turned her head to look at him. "That and you were standing with your weight on your right side," she smirked.

Chuckling, Fred stretched his arm out to rest it on the back of her chair. "Thanks for helping us out," he grinned.

"You're welcome," she said, turning to her book again.

"So. Your payment's ready," he smirked.

Raising a brow but not tearing her gaze from the book, she replied, "Oh?"

"Yep. He's right here. We could do it now, or in the Common Room, or in my room, but then again I think between the bookshelves is much more...exciting," Fred joked.

Hermione swatted his arm and laughed. "Not going to to happen, Fred."

Fred shrugged. "It was worth a try, 'Mione. Just remember, a Weasley never gives up," he said, grinning.

A/N: Make this little girl's day and drop a review!

Okay, I know the title's cheesy, but..yeah. Couldn't think of anything else.