Fred and George shouldered past Hermione, almost knocking her over. All she could here were shouts of "Let me go!" coming from their direction, but she could see nothing. Looking down at the snow, she saw two lines in the snow as if someone had been dragged right past her. "What are those two up to now?" Hermione muttered, her breath a cloud in the winter air. Rolling her eyes, she followed them quickly, but silently. They stopped in the top of the clock tower.
Hiding just under the stairs, she heard Harry's voice. "What was that for? I was going to Hogsmead!" he hissed at them. Soon enough, she could hear them saying something about a Marauder's Map and how they could see where everyone was, every minute of every day.
"See? There's Hermione." Fred said. Hermione's heart seemed to freeze. "She's waiting outside for you, probably waiting to say goodbye." George chuckles. Hermione mentally lets out a sigh of relief. "So, better not keep her waiting. Oh! And when you're done with it…" Fred continues. "Mischief managed." The twins say together. "Otherwise anyone can read it. Now, off with you!"
Hermione looks for a place to hide so that Harry won't spot her. The only place she finds in the rush and confusion is in a cupboard. Listening to Harry's steps, she times her shutting the cupboard with her in it perfectly so that Harry's step muffles the noise. When Harry's finally gone, Hermione listens to Fred and George talk for a bit.
"He needed it more than we do. We've memorized all the secret passages on that old map. We owe everything to those four." George says. "Yeah, we do. How are we gonna get around Filch and Mrs. Norris now?" Fred asks. "We'll find something. Anyway, I'm gonna head to Hogsmead. You coming?" George asks, stepping towards the stairs. "Yeah, I'll be along in a bit. I'll meet you there Georgie." George leaves down the stairs, like Harry before him.
Hermione finally comes out and walks up to the top level to see Fred gazing out the window across the snowy landscape. "So that's how you've been getting around?" she finally asks him, making her presence known. Fred merely turns around to face her with a smirk. "I thought it was a little odd. The thing with the clock tower is that it doesn't tell you what floor everyone's on. You must've been close enough to the outside wall to confuse even the map."
Hermione holds her ground. "That map should be turned in to Dumbledore!" Fred chuckles. "Hermione, how would you like a little wager?" Hermione looks a little confused and wary, but listens anyway. "Here's the deal. I bet that I can make you kiss me by the end of the week. If you don't, I'll get the map back from Harry and I'll turn myself in. Fair enough?" Hermione looks at him like he's lost his mind. "You might as well turn yourself in now because I'd never kiss you." She says, blushing.
Fred looks like he's just been slapped for a split second, and then his childish grin is back again. "We'll see, little bookworm." He walks past her and ruffles her hair. She tries swatting him off, but without success.
For the next few days, Fred shot Hermione winks and smiles, which only caused her to roll her eyes and walk away. He thinks that he can win me over with those cute looks of his? Two years and he doesn't know me better than that? On the third day of this, Hermione finally confronts him. "That wink and a smile may work on your little idiot fan girls, but it doesn't work on me. You'll have to do better than that if you honestly want to win this bet. I thought you knew me better than that." Hermione sighs in annoyance, turns on her heel, and walks off. What. An. Idiot.
The next day at breakfast, an owl comes to Hermione with a note and a rose.
You are a woman ever so rare
With beauty and wit beyond compare
Would I be crossing the line
If I were to ask that you be mine?
Meet me tomorrow night in the tower
I hope you'll be there at the strike of the twelfth hour
Hermione's cheeks turn as red as the rose. Ron tries to read the note as Harry picks up the rose in wonder. Hermione whacks them both away, and then runs off to the Gryffindor girl's dormitories with her gifts. She puts the rose in a vase and sets it by her bed. The note, she stores in her bedside table. Fred, you complete asshole! You're just trying to make a fool of me! Hermione rants internally for the next hour as she tries to focus on her potions homework.
Hermione goes to all her classes the next day as usual, but her expression seems far off the entire time. What's even worse is that Professor Lupin is absent and Snape has taken his place for the day. No matter how hard she tries to explain to Professor Snape that they haven't made it that far in the book yet, he keeps insisting that she be quiet and turn to page 394. Hermione sighs and does so. Werewolves?
Hermione decides to put the peculiarity off until later. Exhausted from her classes and all the extra problems all jumbled up in her head, Hermione takes a nap after class. When she finally wakes up, she sees the moon outside. Jumping out of bed, she checks the time. 2:38!? It can't be! Hermione frantically digs in her drawer to find it. This is the first time I've ever used this for personal reasons…
Hermione takes a breath in as she pulls the Time-Turner out and puts it around her neck. Turning it backward, she goes back to 11 that night. Quickly, Hermione brushes her hair and pulls it back in a neat ponytail. She then pulls on a nice red blouse and runs, hiding around corners so that she won't get caught.
After sneaking past all the talking portraits, Mrs. Norris, and almost getting caught by Peeves, Hermione makes it to the clock tower. When she gets there, she runs right into Fred as she comes through the door, causing them both to fall onto the cobblestone. Hermione blushes, but wipes away the tear she notices on his cheek. "You were crying…" she says, confused. "And you're late. It's 12:32." He says, trying to take the attention away from him. "I tried to get here on time! Peeves almost caught me! He may be YOUR friend, but he hates my guts for following the rules."
Fred can't help but laugh at this. Hermione just rolls her eyes. "So, you've lost the bet." Fred raises an eyebrow. "You came here just to tell me that? And what makes you so sure I've lost? I still have two days." Hermione sighs. Fred sits up, pulling her onto his lap. "And I'm quite sure I've won. You see the simple fact that you're here means I'm close to winning."
Hermione blushes. Why is my heart beating so fast? "You got rather cross with me when I acted in a less romantic way than you expected" He continues. "And on top of all that, you broke the rules to come and see me." More rules than you know… I meddled with time to see you… "Whether you're willing to accept it or not Hermione, you care for me." Fred smiles, and then leans in to whisper in her ear. "And I'm in love with you."
Hermione pulls away to look him in the eyes. "What do you mean?" "I mean" Fred looks right into her gaze. "Hermione Jean Granger, I am deeply in love with you. I mean that this bet was just a ruse to give me an excuse to get my feelings out. I was crying because I didn't think that you were coming. If you didn't come, that would mean that you obviously didn't feel the same. That was my final test to figure out your feelings for me." Hermione, her head spinning from all this, goes on instinct and kisses him.
Yes, I've lost the bet… but he's right. I love him, otherwise I wouldn't have come. If I didn't love him, why is my heart beating so fast? Why would I kiss him? Why did my heart leap when I read the poem and received the rose? The simple answer is that I am in love with Fred Weasley. I don't know what I'll do about all this tomorrow, but I won't worry about that right now. Right now, I'm just going to focus on loving him and being loved by him.