Disclaimer: I still don't own the twins, darn it! :( Thanks again to the awesome 93 Diagon Alley for beta reading this for me ;)
Chapter Two: In which rules are broken and Errol passess out
"I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid - we know we're called Gred and Forge."-Philosophers (or Sorcerer's) Stone
"Muuummm!" Fred called out, dragging the word out in a whiny voice in a last, desperate attempt to get his mothers attention. She couldn't stand when they whined, so, while it promised trouble, it also promised results. George shot him a warning glance when their mother straightened and turned towards him.
"What do you want, Frederick?" Of course, she would know exactly which one he was now.
"I can't find Errol," Fred declared, bouncing on the balls of his feet eagerly. He wanted to write a letter to Hermione. He hadn't gotten a chance to tell her that he'd like to talk to her again. He wanted to introduce her to George. It would be smashing to have a new friend - the two of them were bored out of their minds at the Burrow, especially since Percy, Charlie, and Bill were gone. Only Ron and Ginny were left. He couldn't actually tell his mum about Hermione though, she'd disapprove because she was a muggle.
That was partly why she was so fascinating though. She was a muggle, and completely different from anyone Fred had ever met. Even her hair was unusual, all bushy and crazy.
Still, that didn't change the fact that he wasn't exactly allowed to see or interact with muggles. There was always the off chance that he might give away something about the Wizarding world.
"Well of course not," Mrs. Weasley snapped, turning back towards the dishes in the sink. "He's avoiding you. He doesn't like being stuffed in your robe pockets and dragged through the mud with you."
"Ruddy owl's mental if you ask me," George muttered next to Fred. Fred flashed him a grin and promptly covered it with his most solemn face.
"Could you tell me where he is, so that I could apologize?"
"Honestly, Frederick, he's in the sitting room on his perch." Fred glanced at George and before Molly could so much as blink the twins were up out of their chairs and in the sitting room.
"Are you going to tell her what we're doing?" George whispered as his brother tugged the owl off of his perch. He opened one sleepy eye wearily and let out a startled hoot when he saw who was disturbing his nap.
"Of course not, here, roll this up and attach it to his leg," Fred ordered, handing his letter over to his twin as he tightened his hold on the owl that was now trying desperately to escape from his captor's clutches.
George did as he was ordered and tightly secured the letter to the owl's shaking leg. They carried him to the window and whispered the location in his ear before tossing him out the window.
Now all they had to do was wait for a reply.
-o-O-o-
Hermione was sitting on her bed reading a book. She had been berated for half an hour by her mother when she finally went inside. She understood that her mother was worried, but it still felt unfair that she had been punished. She wasn't allowed to go outside until next week, which, coincidentally, was also when school started back up. So, Hermione Jean Granger had to spend the rest of her summer vacation cooped up inside with nothing but a book to keep her company.
Oh well, at least she did have her books. Her mother had even threatened to take those away, which, in her opinion, was an extremely low blow. She changed the page and then started when she heard a strange noise. It sounded like tapping, as though someone was actually tapping on her window.
She set her book down on her bedside table and climbed off her bed before making her way across the room to her window. The strange tapping noise came again and she froze for half a second before gripping her curtains and jerking them open. A familiar grey, rusty old owl was flying outside her window, looking at her with wide eyes as he began to wheeze. She threw her window open and Errol collapsed onto the floor, his wings spread out and his foot sticking up. It looked as though the short flight to her house had done the poor old owl in.
Hermione knelt by him and lifted him up, bringing him over to her bed and lying him on her pillow. He let out a contented hoot and closed his eyes. He stuck his foot up higher and she noticed the letter attached to it. A grin lifted her lips when she saw it and she removed it from his leg, grinning even wider when she saw her name was spelled correctly.
Hermione,
Thanks for letting me in on the Snipe. I had no idea they weren't real. You saved me and George a lot of searching, and from looking like complete nutters.
Speaking of George, I was wondering if you'd like to meet him. I had fun with you this afternoon, and would like to play with you again sometime.
Would that be okay?
You can send a reply back on Errol. Might want to give him a few minutes to rest though, he might pass out mid-flight otherwise.
Thanks!
Fred
A radiant smile lifted Hermione's lips as she crossed the room to her desk, rereading the letter - the first letter she'd ever received from someone that wasn't a relative.
She sat down at her desk and grabbed out a pen and sheet of notebook paper. She wasn't really sure what this letter was written on, it was too thick to be normal paper…
She didn't dwell on it long, though, as she began to eagerly write a reply.
Fred,
I would love to meet George. I had a great deal of fun this afternoon, even though I did get lost. Unfortunately, I shall be unable to meet with you this week as I have been grounded for being out so late. My mum has banished me to my room and I am not permitted to leave except for meals.
I'm free next week though, perhaps we could meet some time then?
Sincerely,
Hermione.
Ps. Snipes are real. They are any of about 25 wading bird species. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and cryptic plumage. Their camouflage helps them to remain unseen by hunters in marshland. They also fly erratically, making them even more difficult to track. The term "sniper" is drawn from them.
She chewed her lip nervously and looked at the letter. Would he find the extra information about snipes strange? She'd written in pen though, so she couldn't erase it. Oh well, there was nothing for it now. She'd just have to hope he didn't find it too strange.
She stood up and folded her note as she made her way back to the bed. Errol wasn't looking as ill now, and he had managed to sit up. She gripped the leather thong tied around his ankle and undid the knot before she tied her own letter to him. She then went to the open window and set him on the ledge. He gave her a long look, and then, with a bow of his head, he jumped out of the window and flew off in a slightly erratic pattern.
She went back to her book, but she found it extremely hard to concentrate on it now. Her mind kept drifting back to the red haired boy with bright eyes and a large grin.
Her friend, she thought with a small smile, hardly believing it could be true.
She somehow managed to bring her attention back to her book, though. She let herself get lost in the mythical world of dragons and wizards and she hardly noticed as the time passed by.
She did, however, notice the extremely loud pounding on her window. She looked up from her book in surprise and let out a tiny gasp when she saw a flash of red hair. She hopped off her bed and ran for the window, giving a squeak of surprise when she saw Fred's face appear in her window.
"Oi," he called quietly, grinning largely, "wanna give me and Georgie a hand?" She stared at him dumbly for a moment, and then did the only thing she really could do. She reached out and grabbed hold of Fred by both his arms before giving him a tremendous tug. Her efforts, plus his forward momentum, saw him falling safely into the room in a tangle of limbs and cloth.
He stood up quickly and turned around, and with a quick wink to Hermione he was leaning back out the window, helping to pull George through. After a moment, the twins both stood straight with mischievous grins, safely inside her room.
They were perfectly identical, and if it hadn't been for the fact that she knew where Fred was standing, she wouldn't have been able to tell them apart. A radiant smile lifted her lips as she looked at them, scarcely able to believe they had just broken into her house.
What would her mum think if she ever found out? She could barely even count the number of rules she had just broken by letting the boys into her room. She'd simply have to make sure they stayed silent enough that no one knew they were here. She didn't even want to think about what her dad would say.
"Hello, Granger!" The one that wasn't Fred - so it had to be George - said. He stuck a hand out and his too-long robes barely covered his hand. He gave his arm a shake and his robes fell back so that his hand was free. Hermione took a small step forward and shook the proffered hand, still grinning like a nutter. "I'm George."
She inclined her head politely and answered him back. "Nice to meet you, but, what's going on?" She hoped she didn't come across as rude, she'd hate to make them think she was upset.
"Simple. We figured since you couldn't come out, we'd come in," Fred answered, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We can't have you trapped in here with nothing but books." He said the last word like it was something to be feared. As though the idea of being locked in a house with nothing but books was a truly terrifying thought.
He sank to the ground at the same time as George, both crossing their legs and resting their hands on their knees. Hermione looked at him with wide eyes, biting her lip nervously as she looked at him.
My, this is rather like Wendy in Peter Pan. I can't go to Neverland though, so what should I do with them? She couldn't be too loud lest her parents find out…
A game, that would work. She smiled at her guests and turned on the spot, crossing her room to the chest pushed against the wall. She opened it up and pulled out a few boxes, smiling in eager anticipation as she brought them back to the twins.
She set the board games out and let them pick out the one they thought looked like the most fun. After a few moments of brief explanations, they chose clue. Hermione explained the rules rather quickly, and then set the game up.
A night of chaos proceeded. They were laughing hysterically after a few minutes at a joke from Fred, and they only got worse from there on. Hermione had to stuff her fist into her mouth several times to keep from laughing out too loudly. It was a wonder her parents didn't come to check on her.
She managed to sit up, and clutching her stomach she looked at the twins. Fred was on his back, his head thrown back and his arms wide open as he laughed silently, tears of mirth falling down his face. George was the opposite, he'd curled in on himself, clutching his stomach tightly as he let out squeaky noises from where he was trying to conceal his laughter.
"Hermione?" Her mum's voice came from outside the room. Hermione and the twins all froze.
A/N: Alright, I have no idea how long this will be, but I want to go through a lot of the books. Suffice to say it will be long ;) Ron and Hermione's relationship will be complex, like always :D
Enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think with a review ;)
Mya
