A/N - Written for Samhain Smut fest 2011 which was definitely written for fun ;D

Prompt : Tainted Halloween Candy, someone (Fred and/or George?) is giving out Halloween candy tainted with a potion that lowers inhibitions and leads to some interesting situations

Warning: AU because I couldn't bear to kill off Fred. M rating for a reason. And dub-con.

Thanks to Heart of Spells, an awesome beta :D

At Midnight They Gathered

.

Hermione huffed in annoyance as she snuggled under the thick quilt that someone had tossed over her shoulders. Her body ached with tiredness and her eyes drooped constantly for need of sleep. But still Hermione stayed where she was, perched dangerously on a log that was too far away from the fire for her taste, on a cold night that made her curls whip dangerously close to her eyes because of the strong winds. If the fire wasn't magically protected, it would have blown out several minutes ago. However, as she watched the fiery flames dance while it cast an eerie glow on all those who had attended this little gathering organised by Ron's older brothers, she couldn't help but feel thankful that the biggest concern she had was how to sneak out and go back to her comfy bed rather than anything that could be remotely related to the issue of life and death.

To her right sat the Gryffindor Quidditch team, laughing and joking as they shared sips from a bottle of Butterbear that she knew housed Firewhisky. Ogling them and sitting opposite her were a few girls from her year including the Patil twins as well as Lavender, whose magical treatments hid the scars that Fenrir had sliced through her skin barely a few months ago. And to her left housed the rest of the boys including Dean, Seamus, Ron, Neville and Harry as they discussed the oncoming Quidditch match that was to be played against Hufflepuff.

Hermione sat silently as she watched them all, a small smile unconsciously playing on her lips. She never thought that she would ever get to experience a moment so mundane for the rest of her life, and she found herself thankful that she could appreciate it with all her heart.

"Cold?"

Hermione looked up, eyeing the bottle of Butterbear that Harry held out to her. "Not at all," she said haughtily before she pulled the quilt tighter around her.

Harry laughed as he stepped closer to her. Recognising that he needed a seat, Hermione shifted on the log to give him more room, which was no easy feat considering that she was wrapped twice over by a soft, thick material that could have easily smothered someone in their sleep.

"You know, you could always place a warming charm on yourself," Harry said casually, his eyes twinkling with humour.

Hermione chose to glare at him. He knew that she planned to feign suffering from the freezing cold and leave as soon as possible, but she was determined not to confirm his suspicions by stating it out loud. "I could, but then I won't have this," she said with the sweetest smile as she tightened her grip on the quilt.

"You should have just said that you didn't want to come."

Her lips parted in mock surprise. "I did say that. And more than once. But you and Ron just had to have me here."

"C'mon, Hermione." He bumped his shoulder jokingly against hers. "It wouldn't be any fun without you."

Despite the cold, the weariness and the slight feeling of annoyance she felt, Hermione smiled, immediately forcing her lips into a grim line when her best friend sent a cheeky grin her way. "Honestly, Harry, just because we're technically adults now doesn't mean that we should take part in these types of sordid activities."

Even though she knew the twinkle in his eye wouldn't diminish when she reminded him that she was against what they were planning to do, it surprised her when his grin widened. "You're not trying it, then?"

How could he ask her that? Of course she wasn't going to. "Not as long as I have my wits."

"What would you rather do then? Stay in your bed reading a book while the rest of us are out here?"

She looked at him pointedly.

Harry shook his head. "Right. Dumb question." He took a sip of his drink, his demeanour thoughtful before he turned to face her. "But, why not do it? Just once."

"Harry-"

"I'm not asking for a lecture. I'm simply saying that it could be fun."

Hermione pulled the quilt tightly around her, while her gaze fell on all those who had decided to come to the Forbidden Forest at midnight for the promise of this apparently elusive entity that was called 'fun'. Hermione knew what fun was. It was opening a book for the first time, letting the smell hit her nostrils as her fingertips touched the coarse paper and her mind thought of all the possible new things she could learn. Fun was finally, after trial and error, doing something right and getting praised for it. Fun was feeling content after a hard day's work and planning out what she was going to do the day after. Fun was seeing Harry and Ron beat the Slytherin Quidditch team time and again while she watched Malfoy sulk and kick things randomly. But what her housemates were planning on doing on this night that happened to be Halloween didn't seem like fun to her; it seemed mad.

"Why do you want to do this? You know that it's not a healthy way to spend your time."

Harry frowned. "I'm not planning on doing this all the time, just once."

"And what if you like it?"

He grinned. "Then I'll do it again."

Hermione couldn't help it, she rolled her eyes. "I still think this is a stupid way to spend Halloween."

"And staying in the library would be better?"

"Well...not exactly." She eyed him critically. "It's just that I never thought you would be the type of person to do this. Him, I knew." She gestured lightly to the red head who was laughing at a re-telling of Seamus's latest disaster of a date. "But, not you." She never intended her tone to come out with a sense of disappointment, but it did nonetheless.

Harry stayed silent for a moment, his gaze on Ron. "Doesn't it ever bother you that we never had a proper childhood? I'm seventeen and I feel too old."

Hermione studied the fire, watching the flames lick the logs time and again even as her curls continued to brush against her cheek. "It does bother me, a little. But right now I'm happy to be alive. And I'm happy that you're alive."

Harry looked up at her with a grateful smile. "I'm happy that you're alive too."

Their eyes met for an intense moment before they burst out laughing. "Okay, that was cheesy," Hermione mumbled amidst her own giggle.

"It was, wasn't it?" Harry said with a laugh. "I told you I'm too old." But just as fast as he had started laughing, he stopped. "I'm not joking, though. I haven't done anything remotely crazy in my whole life. How can I leave Hogwarts at the end of the year having done none of the things that I would have probably done had I been someone else? I can't leave Hogwarts like that, Hermione. I can't leave my childhood having done nothing."

"Maybe if you-" Hermione couldn't finish her thought for at that moment, a booming voice broke through the hushed whispers.

"Gentle ladies and pretty men, greetings!" Everyone turned around to see a familiar red-headed Weasley as he came into the clearing from the thick brush of the forest. "I am your host for the evening, Fred."

Behind him came his twin holding a wooden box that would have looked inconspicuous if it weren't for the three orange 'W's that decorated the lid."Oh brother, my brother," George cried with all the flair of a salesman. "Tell us, what is this wondrous product we have come to see?"

A light laugh escaped everyone around as they took their seats surrounding the large fire while Fred and George made their way to the middle so they could face them all.

"We, from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes are known for items of high quality-"

"Years worth of durability."

"Fool proof directions."

"Ron proof warranties."

"Oi!" Ron cried out, earning a hearty laugh from all.

George turned to his younger brother. "It had to be done for the good of the business."

With a grin, Fred continued. "Our jokes are user friendly-"

"Enjoyable."

"Mischievous."

"Suitable for any witch or wizard from ages five and up."

"Outlawed in several countries."

"And dare we say...magical?"

"Why George, this product just happens to bemagical."

"You don't say, Fred. How did that happen?"

Ron let out a loud groan. "How long is this going to last?"

His brothers had the decency to look affronted. "Now that you interrupted us, I don't think we have any choice."

"Right you are, George. Let's start from the beginning."

The collective groan and the solo cry of 'boo' from a certain Lee Jordan who decided to accompany the twins worked perfectly in giving everyone something to laugh about, including Hermione.

"Fine, fine. C'mon, you ungrateful tossers." George opened up the box with a flair, alerting everyone that what they had been waiting for had finally arrived. Practically everyone got off their seats and headed towards the Weasley in a way that reminded Hermione of a herd of sheep. "Single file, people. Single file."

Hermione watched them all form a line as they each plucked, what turned out to be, pieces of candy from the open, wooden box while Fred continued to speak. "Everyone take one, mind you. Anything more and we'll have to send a search party after ya." He noticed Harry and Hermione sitting and waiting. "C'mon, Harry. We made one especially for you. It's shaped like that scar of yours."

With a quick glare towards Fred, Harry turned his attention towards her. "Are you sure?"

Hermione nodded, positive that someone needed to be responsible and 'not under the influence'. Although, she couldn't help but notice that George and Fred weren't taking any either. "I'm sure."

Harry made his way to the group that had cultivated around George, many of them nibbling the piece of candy while some had taken the small piece in one bite in their haste.

"Now, remember," Fred cried out, arms waving to get everyone's attention. "We came here without telling anyone and we'll leave without telling anyone."

Seamus looked around with a bored expression. "What happens now?"

"What happens now?" George asked him as he closed the box, and Hermione couldn't help but notice that he asked the question a tad more dramatically than was needed. "Your senses will swirl, your memories will fail, you will think anything is possible. You. Will. Fly."

Hermione snorted. "Seriously?"

George shrugged. "Not really."

Fred turned towards Seamus. "You'll just experience what a large consumption of Firewhisky would give you but without the hangover."

Seamus grinned. "Brilliant. And now I think it's time to go back." Without another word, he turned on his heel and left, leaving everyone wondering exactly why that felt so sudden.

Hermione found herself distracted from Seamus's cryptic behaviour when Harry held out a piece of candy. "I saved one for you."

Hermione sighed. "Harry..."

Fred suddenly appeared right next to them. "It's not dangerous, Hermione. And it's only for one hour. Live a little. Even Ron is-" He stopped when their gazes fell on her former boyfriend who had found himself dangerously close to Lavender. Hermione felt the corners of her mouth tighten.

While the boys looked on as Lavender kissed Ron on his cheek, Hermione took the candy from Harry's outstretched hand and popped it in her mouth without a second thought. She had never been accustomed to letting Harry and Ron do something without her and after seeing the one person who she thought she was going to end up with happy without her, she couldn't help but flame the little part inside her that wanted to be just as happy without him. It was only for one hour. She would gladly embrace that hour of distraction.

But when Harry felt the weight of the candy leave his hand, he frowned. "Maybe you shouldn't have-"

"But I did." She stood up, feeling the weight of the quilt so much more than before. "We should really get back. I have a chapter to finish reading."

Harry stood up quickly as Hermione charmed the blanket to shrink and stuffed it in the pocket of her robes. "Hermione, what about-?"

She didn't let him finish. Instead, she stormed off towards the direction of the castle and after a few steps she couldn't help but hear Fred's voice say, "You better go after her, mate. She seems pissed enough to hex someone." And then a moment later, she heard Harry's cautious footsteps behind her while he kept quite a distance between them.

As Hermione slowed down, she could hear Harry's footsteps quicken suddenly, and not towards her. Turning around, she stared incredulously as she saw Harry abandoning the path they were on and heading through the trees.

"Harry! Where are you going?"

"Dunno," he called back over his shoulder before he continued on.

Swearing, Hermione followed, which later she would realise was very uncharacteristic. "You always do this," she said angrily as she stomped her feet over fallen leaves and twigs, hoping the frustration she felt would stop from what she was doing, speaking her mind even though she didn't know why. "You always go off and do your own thing and expect me to follow."

Harry suddenly stopped and turned on her. "I don't expectyou to follow, I don't need to. You never let me do anything without you." His eyes narrowed. "And there you go again rolling your eyes at me."

Hermione huffed, purely intending to deny that she had ever rolled her eyes at him. Instead, she found herself saying, "I wouldn't need to roll my eyes at you if you actually listened to what I have to say."

"And do what you say to do."

"Of course." Hermione frowned. She hadn't intended to say that. "I mean..." This argument was ridiculous; that was, if she could even call it an argument. How it started and how it ended up where they were confused her greatly. "I just want you to pay attention when I say something and not disregard it." There, that sounded better. Not exactly what she thought of telling him but close enough.

"Because you're always right..?"

Hermione's jaw dropped. How could he say something like that? Of course she wasn't always right. But what came out of her mouth was a confident, "Yes." And surprisingly, Harry didn't appear half as appalled as she felt. He actually smirked.

"And Ron says you're modest."

"I'm not." Mostly to change the subject, she asked him, "Where were you going?"

Harry gestured to a small clearing behind him. "I thought I saw something over there. I wanted to know what it was."

Usually, Hermione would have made a teasing remark; instead, she mumbled, "Why do you haveto know what it was?"

Harry frowned. "I don't know. I just want to know."

Hermione didn't know what it was, but this seemed like a very odd conversation to be having with her best friend in the middle of a forest. On the other hand, it made perfect sense to her. But for now, what she felt like doing was going back to the Gryffindor common room, curling up with a book and munching on a biscuit, and she preferred going back with her companion rather than alone. "Let's go back."

"In a minute." Harry turned back towards the area he had been studying making Hermione let out a small sigh. "Go without me."

Hermione barely had to think before she replied a firm, "No." Even though she wanted to go back to Hogwarts, she wanted to stay with Harry more. And against her better judgement, Hermione followed her best friend and started looking for whatever he was searching for. She had no idea what it was, but she had the feeling that if she saw something unusual that could have been seen at such a distance, that would probably be what he was looking for.

They had barely fallen into a moment of comfortable silence when Harry broke it.

"I thought you were over Ron."

I am, she thought stubbornly. "I thought I was. Now...I don't know." Hermione frowned. Why did she just say that when she didn't mean to?

Harry stopped to look at her. "Why are you still pining after him? You were the one who decided that you didn't want him."

"I never said that I didn't want him," Hermione said defensively. That, at least, she intended to say. "I simply knew that we could never work. I would spend the rest of my life trying to change him and he would resent me for it." She paused, the thought she had always been afraid of creeping up on her. "I don't want to be hated."

Harry scoffed. "You're not hated."

Hermione's smile was sad. "I am, Harry. If not for my blood, then for my achievements. You and Ron are the only true friends I have. Everyone else would probably do anything to sabotage me the moment they're given the chance." Again, Hermione stopped, wondering why she had said what she did. Placing the back of her hand on her forehead, she breathed deeply. Logically knowing that this was an ill-advised way to check her temperature didn't stop her from thinking that she felt a little too warm on such a cold day. She looked at Harry, who had a thin layer of sweat on his own forehead while little beads of the salty substance travelled down his chin and neck.

"You're hot."

Harry looked at her in surprise. "What?"

Hermione touched the collar of her sweater, her fingers brushing her neck which seemed to be burning right under her skin. "I think I'm hot too."

Her friend blinked at her. "Are you sure? I feel cold."

Looking around, Hermione tried to find a place where she could sit down. She had read somewhere that whenever a person feels out of sorts and they are unable to discern the reason, rest is always a good place to start. But seeing nothing but broken twigs and crunchy leaves under her feet, she chose to lean against the thick trunk of a nearby tree, fanning herself with her hand to try to bring down her temperature.

"You all right?" Harry asked as he abandoned his search to walk over to her, his eyes narrowed in concern.

Hermione shrugged. "I feel fine. And cold," she added as an afterthought. She continued to fan herself, hardly feeling a breeze if there was any. "How long until whatever we took is supposed to take over."

"Dunno," Harry mumbled, distracted. "Forgot to ask."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Brilliant."

"Do you want Ron back?" Harry asked suddenly.

Hermione stopped fanning herself to eye her friend incredulously. "Why aren't you dropping this?"

"Because I want to know."

"You've never been interested in my love life, why now?"

"I've always been interested in your love life." He sighed, raising a hand to his temple so his fingers could rub small circles on his brow. "I just never asked you about it."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Your life is yours. I didn't want to intrude."

Hermione didn't know what it was, but she couldn't control the impulse to snort out a small laugh. "Don't be ridiculous, Harry. You and I know the only reason you've never been interested is because you never saw me as a girl."

"Bollocks! I knew you were a girl before Ron ever did."

Pushing herself away from the tree, Hermione gave him her best 'I can see right through you' stare.

"I did!" Harry cried in response to her all-telling look. And she had to admit, he sounded truthful.

"Fine," she stated grudgingly. "If you did know that I was a girl, why didn't you ever do anything about it?" At this, Hermione paused, her eyes widening. She hadn't intended to ask that. Actually, she hadn't intended to state any of the things that she had said.

"I..." Harry paused, and it seemed to her that he was really struggling with whatever he was saying; or what he was obviously trying not to say. "I wanted to," he said finally.

Hermione felt her skin prickle instantly as her gaze met his. Surely he hadn't said what she thought he had said. There was a misunderstanding here. It had to be the candy. The stupid candy that she really shouldn't have taken in the first place.

"Me too."

It took a nanosecond for Hermione to realise that she had been the one who had said that. Under normal circumstances she would have blushed crimson red, averted her eyes, made a stupid excuse and flee as fast as her legs could take her. Instead, she took the three steps that brought her closer to her best friend, pulled him by the cuff of his sweater and kissed him. Her senses immediately exploded with toe curling ecstasy which only seemed to increase when Harry responded eagerly, before his arms surrounded her and pulled her body flushed against his. Truth be told, Hermione wasn't that much of a snogger. Her experience included a chaste kiss here and there from Viktor and long, loving kisses with Ron; but in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, drugged by something that should probably be outlawed, Hermione snogged Harry in a way that she didn't think was possible. Their kisses were quick, breathless, with tongues meeting and teeth nipping. She had never felt such need within her and she knew what she wanted.

With her mind chastising her by saying that what she was doing was wrong, that she wasn't thinking, Hermione couldn't bring herself to care. When Harry nudged her towards the tree so her back hit it painfully, she allowed it; when he fumbled with her own sweater, t-shirt and bra, she arched her back and helped him; when he bit her neck possessively in a way that she was sure to get bruises, she succumbed to it, while her own fingers divulged him of his own clothing quickly and her nails raked his skin in need. The way they were acting was bordering on animalistic but that didn't mean that she didn't want it.

It wasn't long before her own jeans and knickers joined the pile that rested on the forest floor and she pushed down the last bit of Harry's clothing, leaving him standing to attention as he continued to shower her with kisses; a trail that started from her lips before travelling down to her neck, her shoulder, and then nipples. Hermione had read once how important foreplay was for girls, especially if it was their first time. She knew that even though her body was saying that she was, she couldn't possibly be ready for what they were obviously going to do. This thought didn't stop her from noticing how wet she was and how much she needed to be sated. Without further thought as to possible repercussions or the fact that this was going to be her first time, she grabbed him with firm fingers and guided him to her centre.

Harry barely paused before he yanked her leg up so she could rest it on his hip before he pushed forward, his breath coming out in short gasps against her neck. Hermione expected it to hurt, but it didn't, and she couldn't help but keen in pleasure as little by little he entered her, his pulsing member strong as it pushed through and buried itself in her. He didn't wait until she was used to him, but started moving immediately; slowly at first, but then faster and faster. Hermione held onto him for dear life as she met him thrust for thrust, her back hitting the tree uncomfortably while she found her concentration divided between his breath against her neck, his fingers bruising her hips and the tightening of pleasure in her lower belly.

She wasn't sure how long it lasted, but before long she felt that familiar toe curling feeling before she felt the coil of need at the bottom of her belly snap accompanied by a few seconds of unbelievable pleasure. Slumping against Harry, she felt him pump into her a few more times before he braced himself against her, a grunt escaping between his teeth while a shudder wracked his body.

They stayed like that for a moment; their hands still holding onto each other and their sweat-slicked chests falling into a similar rhythm.

"I was going to hex Fred and George..." he mumbled against her neck.

Hermione suddenly noticed the position they were in, choosing to lightly caress the messy dark strands of hair she had been clinging onto for the past few minutes. "And now?"

Harry raised his head so his eyes could meet hers in the dim of the moon. "Now I don't think I want to." He bent his head and captured her lips with his, the kiss needy and slow.

Hermione knew she was supposed to talk about this. What they had done was monuments. What she had willingly participated to was confusing her to no end. Yet, when he kissed her, she kissed back, and before long she felt him stiffen once again against her stomach. It was an awkward descent to somehow move their activities to the forest floor which was littered with so many uncomfortable entities like twigs and stones, and still, they didn't seem to care. They spent time exploring each other with hands, lips and teeth while Hermione felt completely opposite of the prude she had always considered herself to be.

It wasn't until many, many moments later with her head lying on Harry's shoulder while wrapped snuggly in the quilt they had decided to enlarge that Hermione felt the familiar stirring of doubt. There were so many things that were screaming 'wrong!' She was currently lying naked in the middle of the Forbidden Forest where any manner of creatures prowled, after having had sex, more than once mind you, with her best friend, who wasn'ther boyfriend. To make things worse, she felt exhausted while her body, which hadn't been hurting a moment before, was suddenly aching all over, especially in her lower region. It was with great trepidition that Hermione looked down at herself only to screw her eyes shut when she recognised blood. It was, therefore, no surprise that she sat up immediately and proceeded to hyperventilate.

Harry sat up too, his features grim. "I think it wore off."

Hermione glared at him, her breath still coming out quickly and deeply. Her chest hurt, her head hurt, even her eyes hurt from squinting in the moonlight.

When Harry patted her back, most probably to soothe her panic, Hermione jumped.

"I can't believe we..."

"I know." Harry didn't wait before he scrambled away from the quilt, getting dressed so quickly that Hermione couldn't help but be impressed. "This was..."

Hermione looked around. "Unsanitary." Groaning, she buried her head in her hands and whined. "Whatwere we thinking?"

"I suppose the point was that we weren't thinking," Harry muttered dryly before he picked up the pile of her clothes and held it out to her. Keeping her eyes down, Hermione grabbed them from him quickly, the violent blush on her cheeks doing nothing to help her forget what had happened. After handing her clothes over, he turned his back on her, which Hermione felt infinitely grateful for before she found her wand, cast a cleaning charm on herself and slipped into her clothes. She was straightening her sweater when a noise to her right startled her. Harry had already drawn his wand and stepped in front of her when George came bundling through, a wide grin splitting his face when he recognised them.

"There you are! Fred and I were worried. You two were the only ones who didn't make it back."

Harry didn't lower his wand. "What was in the candy?"

"Hm. What was in it, you ask?" George asked casually. "Um..." He then shrugged, squirmed and then shrugged again. "Fred and I might have accidentallyplaced the wrong potion in the candy. Accidentally."

Hermione stepped forward, automatically reaching for Harry's arm and coaxing him to put down his wand, which he did. "What potion was it?"

Again, George squirmed. "It's a funny story, really. Several months ago, this bloke came to the shop. He had this problem, with a girl. Although, if he had the problem with a guy that would have made this story that much interesting."

"George!"

"Alright, alright. Hold your Hippogriffs . The potion tends to make people act on their deepest desires without thinking about the consequences of their actions."

Hermione stiffened, just as she could feel Harry pause right beside her.

"You mean, something like telling the truth...?"

George nodded. "Had to go round up the cavalry. Found Ron telling McGonagall that if she was half her current age, he would have probably fancied her." He shuddered mockingly. "Seamus was on his knees confessing his feelings for Parkinson-"

"Parkinson?"

"Who," George said with much flair, "snogged the bugger right in the middle of the Great Hall. And that's not even the biggest news."

Hermione hesitated. "I'm almost afraid to ask."

"Parvati and Lavender are definitely friends who know everythingabout each other," George said with a wink. "If you know what I mean."

Hermione and Harry simply stared at him, completely flabbergasted.

"What about you two? Any interesting titbits come out?" the Weasley asked with a suggestive smirk.

Almost immediately, they looked at each other.

"Who? Us?"

"Don't be ridiculous-"

"Nothing happened-"

"If I knew what you and your brother-"

"-between us. Nothing ever, between us."

"Because that would just be barmy."

The moment they both fell silent, George blinked at them. "I meant about possible cheating on tests or something like that."

Hermione shifted nervously and so did Harry.

George's gaze narrowed at them and Hermione felt the distinct feeling that he was studying the truth on their faces. But in the next second, his easy going grin was back and he clapped his hands together mischievously. "Right. Shall we go back then?" He turned and started to leave, giving Hermione the chance to let out a low, relieved breath before she started after him, Harry only a step away.

They had barely taken more than a few steps when she felt his fingers grab hers gently. Hermione allowed him to hold on to her hand for a moment before she entwined her fingers with his. Slowly, she met his gaze and smiled when he smiled. It was obvious what had happened, and that they should probably discuss it at length.

Thinking of how Ron might react, Hermione groaned. How she hated Halloween.

.