When she first came to Hogwarts, she beamed at the newfound opportunities to prove herself. However, as happy as her classes made her, she had not made any real friends and it was already mid-October. Of course, she occasionally sat and made small talk with her classmates, but she never had the chance to walk alongside someone on the way to her classes, nor does anyone save her toast when she's late to breakfast. These activities were often only for her classmates who were quick to win each others hearts.
However, she remembers to this day her first interrupted stay at the library. She was studying on the only free table when she was startled by the pelting of books on the ground followed by passionate, colorful language.
Hermione grunted in annoyance and decided she should investigate the nuisance. Sauntering to the source of the sound, she found a pile of books decorating the ground in an immense clutter. Hermione stood in awe as she finally counted 26 books in total. She wondered how anybody could make such a horrendous mess in one sitting. That was until she saw the culprit.
"Oi Lee, what was that about, you filthy bloke!" Yelled the floored Weasley. His shouting was answered by laughter and chasing footsteps.
"Have fun cleaning, you muggle!" Came another voice.
"Muggle?" The redhead muttered. Hermione could not decide which twin she was confronted with. "What's he on about?"
Hermione could not lie that she was glad to see at least one Weasley twin get what they deserved. However, she was ready to demand for the end to this degrading prank when Madam Pince neared the two. Afraid she would be thought to have assisted the boy's demise, she pretended to pull out a book.
"Mr Weasley?" She commended through a tight line on her face. "Why am I even shocked in the first place? I honestly do not understand why you would think to bother the quiet of the schools library but-"
"Madam Pince!" He interrupted, still on the ground but peering at her with begging eyes. "Honestly, this time was an accident. I was looking for a book on Quidditch when a Slytherin boy hexed the bookcase before I could even say Quidditch!" He said.
Hermione was now flabbergasted. It was obvious he knew who actually hexed him, and yet he still managed to lie behind the facade of innocence and jokes. It was this impeccable behavior that had Hermione always rolling her eyes when they fooled around school.
"Ah," Madam Pince smiled. "Miss. Granger, would you happen to know the truth behind Weasleys words?" She asked dearly.
The Weasley twin whipped around with bug-like eyes and noticed Hermione's presence for the first time. With profound worry and a new wave of fear written across his face, he stared pleadingly at the first-year loner. Hermione smiled, and was ready to admit the truth behind his clever lie, until a thought came to her.
Perhaps he did deserve a taste of his own medicine, and it would be nice for the other third years plan to backfire as well. However, why would this boy cover up for the same people that tried to get him detention? Not only this, but Madam Pince will for sure dock them points for the Weasley's maneuver, and she would definitely dock more if Fred had been caught lying.
She looked up at the librarian and shot her a warm, but fragile smile. "I, myself, was searching for a specific book when I heard laughter from the other side followed by the collapse of the whole aisle. Of course, Mr Weasley also went down rather embarrassingly enough."
Madam Pince scoffed at her story, while the boy stared in shock at the rumored, teachers pet standing before him.
"Did you see who hexed him, Miss?" Madam Pince asked.
Hermioned dreaded this question, and as a consequence she stumbled over her next words.
"Well, um," She began. The redhead began to smirk, finding her inner struggle more amusing than the trouble he was causing her. "I actually, may have, um, missed them," She stated while glaring at the ground loitered with books. "Mr Weasley must have been blocking my view at the time," She stated to the ground.
He held back a chuckle. However, Madam Pince scoffed but nodded at the bushy-haired girl.
"Very well then," she said. "Five points from Gryffindor for not cleaning this mess sooner, and five points from Slytherin as a result."
The boy in subject was opening his mouth when Hermione kicked his back causing him to shut his mouth in better taste.
"Wise choice Weasley," Madam Pince said. "However, I will ask you to replace each book in its proper position without the use of magic. Consider this punishment for every idiotic deed you have yet to be punished for," she said before departing.
They both sighed once she left. "What a woman," he said. He groaned and sat a moment to admire the mess his brother made, before he looked up at the stiff figure enclosing him with judging eyeballs.
She blew air through her nose in frustration both with herself and at him, causing Weasley to smile. He couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter at that very moment. He immediately shut his mouth with his hand to keep Pince from returning again, but failed to repress his amusement.
Hermione was taken aback. "Well, I am glad that you find lying and fooling people to be a nice source of entertainment for you lot, " she began sternly, allowing him to laugh even more. "However, I do not appreciate you interrupting my studies and you best hope I am not the one you're stuck with next time or I might just let slip more than one truth."
She began to turn away when the boy leaned forward and caught her robes by his fist. "Where you headed, Miss Granger?" he asked. "It is common knowledge I do not know how to stack books properly. Besides, you haven't let me the chance to properly thank you."
Hermione turned around and hugged her chest. "This is your mess Weasley, not mine."
"In case you're wondering," he hurriedly said. "I'm Fred, and the one responsible for this mess is George. However, I doubt that will help you tell us apart in the future," He laughed. "Anyways, would you please help me once more?" He asked again.
Hermione rolled her eyes before realizing that this boy might not know anything about cataloguing books. "Fine," she said. Kneeing at the chaotic mess, she started to pick up books. Fred looked up and smiled at the bushy-haired girl, before contributing to the clean up.
"Anyways," he began. "Hermione, right?"
Hermione nodded. Fred smiled. He remembered his brother complaining about her, amongst other things.
"Well, I've heard a lot of talk about you then," he said through a mischievous smile. "You already have quite the reputation, for a first year. "
Hermione continued to look down, refusing to acknowledge his statement.
Fred leaned in. "However, I wouldn't necessarily call it a good one."
Hermione immediately jumped up to stack some books. "The students can talk about me all they want," she declared. "I couldn't care less." She continued to rummage and line the books in their proper order, but now with a quickened manner.
Fred had yet to correctly line the books correct;y as his trips to the library rarely resulted in such chaos. "Not even curious about what the talk was?" Fred said with his usual mischievous tone
Hermione grew impatient, but she slowed her pace. "Actually, I am well aware of the talk. It just so happens that I don't really care what people say about me."
Fred nodded and decided to try stacking the books in their proper order.
"I ask because according to these rumors-specifically my brothers-you would be the last person to lie to a teacher," he softly said. "Am I wrong?"
Hermione sighed and accidentally let a few more books topple in Fred's area.
"Whoops," She said apathetically.
Fred laughed. "I was half sure you'd rat me out," He continued. "So why didn't you?"
She gave up on helping this pitiful redhead and proceeded to sit down and look through the books that had fallen, curious to know if any struck her interest.
"Doesn't matter," She said while flipping pages. "Especially since you won't be telling anyone anything, alright?" She demanded.
"Well, why not?" Fred asked confused. "I'm sure a whole lot of people would love to hear about the infamous goody-two-shoes disobeying-"
"Alright, Alright!" Muttered a reddening Hermione, who has now taken interest to the history of broomsticks.
Fred paused for a second, as a realization hit him. He doubted Hermione was telling the truth when she claim she couldn't care less about the students talk. Hermione set down her book.
"I did something I normally wouldn't do, simply because my curiosity got the better of me," she admitted through gritted teeth.
Fred raised his eyebrows and sat down next to her.
"I was curious to know why you would defend the same people who obviously set you up for a pitiful encounter with Madam Pince," she finally let out.
"Ah," Fred let go of his books and looked up at the reddening girl. He began to wonder why she never bothered with putting her hair in a different style. "Sure, they played a nasty trick on me," he said. "But they're still my best friends. Wouldn't you defend your best friends no matter the case?" He asked innocently.
After a few moments of silence, Hermione stood up and reorganized a large number of the books, while Fred stayed on the ground awaiting her response.
After awhile, he decided to say something.
"You know," he began. "I noticed you spend a lot of time here, why don't you go outside and enjoy your new home?"
Hermione then turned around and looked straight into the Weasley's eyes.
"I've done my part, now learn to hold a book for once," she announced. It was then he noticed that more than half the clutter has been reorganized and what remained was his portion. He felt immense gratitude fill his chest. He looked up to thank her but the bushy-haired first year had already made her disappearance.
"Huh," he murmured to himself. "Interesting."