Summery: After the Yule Ball, 6th year Fred Weasley meets someone who will change his life forever... or so he hopes

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned "Harry Potter". Then I'd be writing an actual book and making money... but I guess fan fiction is a good way to be creative.

Author note: This is going to start off during "Goblet of Fire" (duh) and might keep going into "Order of the Phoenix". Aside from the Triwizard Tournament and the deaths, I'm going to venture off the books' path.

On with the story!

Footsteps echoed lightly in the dark corridor, betraying the youths who ran there to anyone attentive enough to catch them. They snickered quietly as they ran, but kept their eyes open for the teachers who might have caught them out of bed so late, putting an end to their mischief. They turned down a side corridor, slowing their pace, to catch their breath and quiet their steps.

"This is going to be great," one boy said to the other.

"A prank not to be soon forgotten," his companion replied. Another turn brought them to a better-lit area, where they ran smack into a rushing girl.

"Oi, you might want to be watching where you're going," one of the boys told her.

She brought her gaze up from the floor to glare at them. "You might want to be in bed. It's after-hours, you know. Long after-hours."

"What are you going to do, huh?"

"Report you to your Head of House and give you detention, that's what. I happen to be a Hufflepuff prefect."

"We're not scared."

"You should be, Fred and George Weasley. I'm sure Filtch would be more than happy to give you guys work to do."

Fred and George looked at each other and raised identical eyebrows. "You won't tell on us. Besides, why are you out so late?"

"I was talking to Professor McGonagall about some homework, not that it's your business."

"Oh geez, it's another Granger, George."

"Not another one."

The Hufflepuff sighed impatiently. "Why are you guys out of bed, then?"

"No reason."

"Yeah, we like night walks."

"You might want to get a move on, then. That is, unless, you want to get caught," she said to them.

"You Hufflepuffs are all alike. No offense, but you hide behind your 'work ethics' like cowards and are loyal only to yourselves," one of the twins said quietly.

"For lions, you Gryffindors sure do lack courage and loyalty. Some 'Kings of the Jungle' you are."

The twins and the Hufflepuff stared at each other silently for a moment. Movement from a way off sounded in their hearing. Fred took a step forward and asked, "Want to help us prank Snape?"

"Fred!" George said, surprised.

She looked behind her and let out the breath she'd been holding in. Nodding once, she followed them as they dove behind a tapestry. After several minutes of following a passageway and descending two sets of stairs, they emerged from behind a suit of armor near the Great Hall.

"What are we doing?" she asked in a bare whisper.

"Messing with Snape," George replied.

"But how?"

"Stop squawking and you'll see."

They crossed the entrance hall and entered the Great Hall, easing open the large doors to avoid making them creak. The Hall was cold and bare, save for the House tables already set for breakfast and the teachers' table that was set as well. Fred and George led her between two tables and right up to the teachers', following it for several feet before stopping.

"Right," Fred said, "Snape sits in this spot everyday. We've cooked up a spell to mess with him and we put it into powder form. We'll coat the inside of his goblet with it, and when he goes to drink his pumpkin juice, the fun will start."

"Wait... You managed to get whatever your spell is into a powder form, and you think Snape is going to just drink it down? You must be mental. He'll either taste it or smell it. And the house elves might give everything a cleaning before breakfast. And what if there are nasty side effects? You obviously didn't think this through," the Hufflepuff said to them.

Twins grins met her eyes. "Ah but we have, oh noble one of wisdom. Apart from the enterprise we are currently building, we've been working on this." George took a small glass phial from his pants pocket. "I won't say what it does, you'll have to see that in the morning."

"But--"

Fred cut her off by taking the phial from George. He picked up Snape's goblet and gingerly tapped some powder inside, spinning it so the interior was coated. Once he was satisfied, he put the goblet down and corked the phial. "Snape will see, smell and taste nothing. It took a while, but we based this off of Veritaserum. Trust us, it'll work."

"But--"

"But nothing. We Weasleys know how to properly prank people, right Fred?"

"Right George. That's all set, so we should– oh bollocks."

She and George turned to see Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, nose her way into the Hall. "Run."

The three of them slipped out the open door and dashed for the main stairs. They had to make a fast detour when they saw Filtch heading for the top stair so he could investigate what his cat found. Fred directed them up a different staircase that brought them out in the Charms corridor. "We should be safe here," he said tiredly.

"My common room is back the other way."

"Oh yeah." George swore. "We'll take you back so we know Filtch didn't catch you."

Down the hall they went, ducking behind statues when ghosts floated by. They had to go change direction abruptly when Peeves made an appearance and almost saw the trio. They made it to the last staircase the Hufflepuff had to go down and risk seeing Filtch. About to part, Mrs. Norris appeared out of nowhere.

"George, go! I'll get her back!" Fred said hurriedly and pulled the girl toward the stairs. She was caught off-balance and struggled to remain upright. She lost the battle as she started down the steps, crashing into Fred and causing them both to tumble the rest of the way down.

"Who's there? If you're a student out of bed, I'll catch ya!" a raspy voice called. Filtch had heard them fall, but didn't see them under the curve of the stairs. A distant cackle met his ears. "Peeves, you'd better not be throwing things again. By Merlin, I'll get Dumbledore to throw you out once and for all!" The angry man stomped away.

Once it was quiet again, Fred opened his eyes. "Are you ok?" he asked her in a whisper. She lifted her head off his chest where she'd landed.

"I'm alright. My arm hurts, and my ankle too, but I think I'll be ok. You?"

"Just my back where I landed." He looked down at her and in the scant light noticed her looking at him. "What?"

"Just looking."

"Like what you see, do you?"

"Not really." She turned herself so she sat on the floor next to Fred. "It really is getting late. It'll be hard enough for both of us to get into our common rooms now. You sure you're ok?"

By that point Fred was on his feet. He offered her his hand and pulled her up. "I'm sure. What about you?"

"Peachy. Well, have a good night." She turned to leave him there.

"Wait, what is your name? You never said."

She looked thoughtful as she half-turned. "You're right; I never did." She paused.

"Well?"

She started walking and called back to him, "It's Parker. Parker Levesque."

There's the end of chapter 1. I wanted it a little longer, this seemed a good way to end it. Update will be soon! Please review!