Fred stared at the book in front o him, the words all but blurry. He had no idea what any of this meant. Well, to be fair, he could practice this spell just fine, but Hermione had shoved this book down his throat when she had found out he didn't know the basic structure of the spell's build up.
Who needed structures when he could produce the stupid spell on a whim. Chin, resting on his hand, he lazily flicked his wand and chanted the spell in his mind. The desk across the room turned into Hermione. He stared at her for a while before he heard some shuffling from outside and he quickly discarded the spell.
Annoyed, he looked at the book. He hadn't meant to turn the desk into his brown haired tutor. He scowled and tried to read the words again.
"Aargh!" He slammed his head on the book. He was getting nowhere with this.
"Need some help?" A sweet voice questioned.
Looking up, his eyes met curious green ones which belonged in a girl's face. She looked curiously from the open book to his weary face.
Fred tried to place the face and recognized her as one of those girls who liked to hang around him and George. He didn't know her name. However, any distraction was welcome, so he grinned and leaned back in his chair and winked, "Got a dragon breathing down my face so I got to finish this chapter."
The girl looked startled, "A dragon?"
Wondering how dumb she was if she actually believed that, he nodded somberly, "Yeah, one of those brown bushy types."
She looked terrified and yet fascinated, "A dragon is making you study?"
He couldn't help it. He let out a shout of laughter.
"If this is how you study, I'm not surprised you're failing this course." Hermione's terse voice made him spin around. She stood in front of the door, her arms crossed over her chest and she was frowning, "Stop flirting and get on with it."
"Let him study, Granger. A dragon is stalking him."
"Huh?" Hermione's expression ranged from confused to disbelieving.
Fred rushed to stop the girl from saying anything but it was too late. Hearing the words, 'a brown bushy one', a spasm of hurt crossed Hermione's pretty face before she composed it. But Fred had already seen the pain flash in her eyes.
With an easy smile, his brother's friend marched forward, "He's talking about me, Jackie. I'm helping him with this subject. Honestly, " Hermione shook her head, "Don't go believing everything these two say."
Looking wary, but offering a nervous smile, Jackie nodded and then rushed away, reminded of some previous appointment.
"I didn't mean it." The word blurted out before Fred could refine them.
Hermione's smile was strained. "It's okay. If I were to burst into tears every time somebody says something nasty about me, I would be best friends with Moaning Myrtle."
The red haired Weasley scowled, as he pushed his chair back and stood up. "What is that supposed to mean? Is somebody picking on you, Granger?"
Feeling crowded, Hermione pushed her chair back and tried to look annoyed, "That's not what I said. Sit down!"
Staring at her, his scowl not fading, he sat down. "Who is being mean to you, Granger? George and I still have some of those Whizzelpoppers." A malicious smile crossed his features, "We'll teach that little punk a lesson."
Weakly, Hermione tried to halt his rant, "Nobody, Fred. I don't know why you're getting so worked up over this."
Her words washed over him and he tried to look past the red haze in front of him. Ron had mentioned once that he had found Hermione crying a few times but she wouldn't tell them why. He deliberately calmed himself down.
"I didn't mean it."
Hermione smiled, "If I were a dragon would you be able to focus better?"
Fred grinned, "It depends. If you threatened to set my arse on fire, then yes."
"I have a spell for that," Hermione pulled out her wand, "Anything for a good cause."
"Hermione!"
His panicked expression made her laugh.
"Relax," She chuckled, tucking her wand back in, "I'm not going to set you on fire."
He visibly relaxed and then eyed her suspiciously, "You have a mean streak."
She just smiled, angelically.
Crossing his elbows on the table, he settled his chin on them and studied her, "Are you here to check up on me?"
"Yes, and no."
He raised a brow and she offered, "I had to send an Owl. And I thought I'd see if you needed any help."
He grunted, "I'll manage. Where is my idiot brother and Potter?"
Hermione looked away from him, not meeting his gaze and shrugged.
So her friends had ditched her today. He wondered why. It annoyed him that she seemed hurt by their actions.
"So nobody to hang out with, huh?"
Hermione fidgeted in her chair, and stammered, "T-That's not true. I just thought I'd come and see what you were up to. I mean, if you needed my help."
He didn't see her with anyone else aside from Ron and Harry. No one hung out with her. They only came to her when they needed help. Just like him. He looked away, guiltily.
The scraping of the chair got his attention as Hermione stood up. Her cheeks were red as she looked at the floor and said brightly, "Well, I'll be off then. I'll go to the Librar-"
Fred reached out and grasped her wrist, marveling at how tiny it was. She froze.
Clearing his throat, he asked, "Well, if you have time, mind sitting with me? I focus way better when you're here."
A hesitant smile and she sat down, "Yeah. I can do that."
"Don't talk, Granger. I need to study." He warned.
She nodded, and smiled happily.
It stroked something inside him.
He hadn't realized how lonely Hermione was.
"Oye. Thing One and Thing Two!"
Harry frowned, "Seriously George?"
George grinned and looped his arms around the necks of his younger brother and his best friend. "Where's your pretty friend?"
Harry and Ron stared at each other and began simultaneously, "Well - "
"Excellent!" George rubbed his hands and grinned cheerfully, "So what are we doing today?"
Ron looked vaguely annoyed, "Why are you hanging out with us? Where did Fred go?"
George gave him a mysterious smile, "He had some studying to do."
Harry grinned at that, catching on while Ron just looked confused, "What are you talking about? Do you guys even know what a book is?"
George smiled at him and ruffled his hair, affectionately, "The real question is, my dear, dim witted brother, do YOU know what a book is?"
Harry laughed whilst Ron just grumbled under his breath.
"We're going to see Hagrid. You could come with us." Harry offered.
George leaned forward, a mischievous smile on his face, "Or, we can go spy on the two love birds."
"Wouldn't that be wrong?"
George shrugged, "Fred's had a thing for Hermione since First Year. It's always nice to see him lose his cool."
Harry and Ron looked at each other. Watching one of the overconfident twins stumble and stutter over a girl sounded so much more appealing than walking all the way to Harid's shack.
Harry took out a parchment, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." And then he touched his wand to the parchment.
Hermione burrowed deeper into her book, frowning as she reread the same thing thrice. She just couldn't concentrate. She snuck a look at her red haired companion. Ron and Harry had disappeared after breakfast and she had holed herself in the Library when she couldn't find trace of them anywhere. However, some Slytherins had showed up and once they started sneering at her and name calling her, she had slid away.
Coming upon Fred had been a stroke of luck and when he had asked her to sit with him, she had wanted to cry. This was the first time anyone had actually desired her company. For whatever reason. But now.
She snuck a glance at the red haired individual. Fred was flipping through the pages reading the material she had given him. His cheek was resting on his hand. Using his arm as support, he was wearing an expression she had never before seen on him. From afar she could have studied his face without fear of being detected but a few minutes ago Fred had changed seats so that he could ask her something and now he was sitting so close to her that their knees were touching and he had positioned himself in such a way that he had very effectively cornered her in her seat. Any movement would cause her to brush against him.
Her cheeks turned red as she sneaked another glance at his profile. Fred looked serious. She had never seen him look serious before and now she hoped in the hearts of her heart that she was the only one who ever saw this side of him. His lips were in a firm line, making her want to pet them and coax a smile out of them. A crinkle in his brow made her bite her lip and look away. He sighed and she melted inside.
She hated this. She hated the fact that she was this enamored with him when he felt next to nothing for her. She knew he saw her as his brother's friend and he cared about her to an extent but it tore at her that when he looked at her he didn't see a desirable woman, but a nerd, a bookworm.
The words on the page blurred and she grit her jaw. She shouldn't be getting upset over something so trivial. So what if she wasn't half as pretty as all those girls Fred flirted with. She had brains. She clenched the book tightly. She had brains and morals and those went a long way. However, her brain supplied helpfully, they don't prevent you from being lonely.
"Hey. Granger."
"Huh?"
She looked up to be caught directly in that powerful intense gaze. She opened her mouth and closed it. His face was too close. "Uh."
He leaned in closer making her stumble back.
Fred froze.
And then he smirked, "I'm not making you nervous, am I?"
"What? No! I was -" She looked around frantically and then, "The book was heavy. So, I - I backed away?"
He stared at her.
She stared back.
That was the stupidest excuse she could have come up with.
Fred grinned, "Whatever you say. Do you want to get something to eat? I'm starved."
"Yeah. Ahan." Anything to get him out of her face before she said something even stupider.
As he closed the book, Fred's foot brushed against something and he stilled.
There was nothing there.
He frowned, "Come on, Hermione. Let's go."
She followed, and then stumbled, letting out a squeak of surprise.
Closing her eyes before she could land face first on the floor, it was a jolt to feel two masculine arms encircling her waist and halting her descent. She was pulled back into a very firm chest and her eyes snapped open.
"Are you okay?"
The words were breathed against her ear and she bit her lip and nodded.
He didn't let go. She didn't say anything.
They stood like that for a few seconds before she made an attempt to speak, "F-Fred, you can let go now."
"Yeah." He released her immediately, making her reel for second, "Sorry. I was just -"
"No. I mean - "
And awkward silence followed as they looked everywhere but at each other.
A scrape of a chair made them jump and Fred looked around, his eyes narrowed. When he saw nothing, he pushed his hands in his pockets, "Food. Let's go get some food."
"Yeah. Yes. Food."
Hoping with everything inside that speaking in monosyllables was not going to last throughout her time with him, she followed him outside the dorm.
Silence ensued and then a snicker and a thud.
"What the hell, George? Why'd you stick your foot out?"
Three people showed up in the dormitory out of thin air as a cloak was tossed aside.
George wore a grin on his face, "Did you see the way he kept holding onto her?"
Ron just made a face, "Guys, this spying game is weird."
Harry groaned.
Fred watched Hermione as they walked together. She refused to look at him.
He had planned to get her worked up. He hadn't realized that he would affected too.
Sitting with her had been a calculated choice but then every brush of her knees made him want to squirm. The way she had been huddled against the wall, sandwiched between him and it, had made him want to loop his arm around her shoulders and make her fall into him. Her soft curves that she hid so well under her robes, he wanted them snug against him.
He knew he liked her.
He knew she was way out of his league but now that he had the opportunity to get to know her, he refused to let it pass, especially with those notes she was getting from this mysterious guy. Was she involved with someone?
He looked at her from the corner of his eye.
She didn't act like someone who was already dating.
He grit his teeth.
He could still feel her imprinted against his skin. The feel of her back against his chest, so tight. He had grabbed for her the second she had let out a cry.
Pulling her towards him had been instinct. Letting her go, he just wanted to remain that way for a few minutes.
He rubbed a hand through his hair, frustrated.
This was just a crush, right?
It had to be.
He refused to consider the other option.