Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter and subscribed to the story C: Due to the positive reaction, here's chapter two!

"You don't actually like Hermione, do you?"

"Who do you think I am? A git? Of course not. She's nothing to me."

"What about the whole scene you caused in the shop?"

"Bloody hell, George. Have you forgotten who I am? I'm a prankster. I'll mess with her for a week, and then it's over. I can't believe you couldn't see through me yesterday."

"Might I say, brother mine, your acting was top notch."

"Thanks. She'll never know what hit her."

Hermione listened quietly from the front door of the shop until she realized tears were streaming down her face in rivers mercilessly. She slammed the shop's door and ran. She didn't know where she was running and for how long she needed to run or even why she was running, but all she knew was that she needed to distance herself from the shop and the heartless owners who she once called friends. She couldn't stop thinking about how betrayed she felt, their exchange sounding like that between Draco and his companions, not from the two boys she trusted. After running for at least seven minutes straight, she collapsed near a wall and proceeded to sob. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you, Fred Weasley…"

"I...hate…you…Fred…" Hermione grumbled before realizing that she was just awakening in the safety of her own bed at her flat. Suddenly, the bright witch felt bombarded with emotion. It was a mixture of depression and pain and anguish, yet she was filled with so much relief that everything was merely a figment of her own imagination. She ran her fingers across her face to discover tears still flowing from her eyes. She buried her face into her pillow and sobbed to let every single tear escape from its captivity in her tear ducts. She found the feeling of crying to be comforting. To her, it felt as if an anchor that was being heavily weighted upon her heart was slowly being lifted through the form of the droplets pouring from her eyes.

After she felt that everything had been successfully let out, she gazed at her wall and read "7:50" in bright red on the face of her digital clock that Mr. Weasley had given her for Christmas two years ago due to his fascination with muggle products. It was still a bit early to head out to Fred and George's, seeing as their shop opened at 9 A.M. sharp. However, she refused to fall asleep, truly afraid that another horrible nightmare would await her in her unconscious contemplations.

Hermione slowly got up from her bed to get ready. She figured she could use a long shower anyway to help alleviate her worries for what was to come today.

"Day one…" Hermione muttered as the cold water flowed down her golden brown locks. She applied her vanilla-scented shampoo and conditioner and lavender-smelling body wash as she attempted to drive her thoughts away from a certain ginger-haired boy who had a week to attempt to sweep her off her feet. When there was nothing left to clean, she sat down and allowed the water to cascade her body.

After looking at her clock and seeing it was 8:32, she stepped out of the shower and cast a drying spell on herself. She walked over to her closet and decided to throw on a simple white t-shirt with an intricately designed cardigan over it and her sleek dark blue jeans. She left her slightly bushy, brown hair alone to flow down her shoulders and she looked herself over in the mirror. She did a twirl before wondering quietly to herself why she cared if she looked good for the prankster who had starred in her nightmare last night. She brushed off the thought before grabbing her bag and apparating out of her flat and to Diagon Alley.

Hermione glanced at her pocket watch and saw it was 8:47 when she arrived in front of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. She paced in front of the store for a while before seeing movement racing across the store. She ducked down so that whoever was running frantically across the store could not see her. The window on her other side opened and before the person could open the one that she was ducking under, she heard a distressed shout.

"George! Where's my white button-up shirt?" she heard from a distance. George's reply sounded extremely close to Hermione when he answered back, "It's folded on top of my dresser!" Hermione could hear more shuffling around from inside the store and soon she started to hear two pairs of feet scurrying.

"Calm down, brother of mine. You don't want to scare the poor girl on the first day." She heard George joke around as he settled somewhere on the other side of the store.

His other half was still running around when he replied, "Calm down? I have seven bloody days to make her see something in me! Even so, the first day is the most crucial because-"

"Because if you mess up today, it could ruin her every thought of you for the next six days. I know, I know. You kept us both up until 4 A.M. going on about it, remember?" George finished his brother's sentence for him and Hermione thought she heard a tone of annoyance behind his slight taunts.

"I'm sorry, Georgie. I truly am. You know, you can always cast a silencing charm around your bed and pretend to listen and then slowly fall asleep." Fred suggested as he too chose to situate himself on one side of the shop.

"Then what kind of a brother would I be? A darn right crummy one and you know it." George took the time to walk towards his twin, who was currently struggling with the buttons of his shirt, and pat him on his back encouragingly in an attempt to comfort his brother before he continued. "Anyway, you have nothing to worry about, Gred. When has the Weasley charm ever failed us before?" George light-heartedly questioned.

Hermione heard a loud sigh followed up with low laugh and an, "I suppose you're right, Forge."

There was an odd silence before one twin spoke up. "Well, it's two minutes to nine, brother of mine. Are you ready to woo Hermione into falling for you?" he practically sang.

Hermione could have sworn she heard a "Not really…" before crawling away to stand up and brush dirt from her cardigan and jeans. It wasn't until she reached up to brush dirt off of her cheek that she realized that she had a smile plastered to her countenance. She let out a deep breath and walked to the entrance of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes with newfound confidence.

X-X-X-X

"Good morning, Hermione," George greeted the brunette nonchalantly when she walked into the store. Hermione smiled sweetly at him and nodded with a, "Morning, George." She looked around until she caught Fred fidgeting with his hair in the reflective surface of one of their product's covers.

He immediately turned around and attempted to redeem himself with a wink as he charmingly greeted her. "Good morning, doll." He was wearing a collared white button-up shirt that had its sleeves rolled up to his elbows and blue jeans that complemented his eyes quite nicely. Her smile shone brighter when she acknowledged him with a "Good morning, Fred."

She couldn't help but notice, however, that he wasn't in his usual formal suit attire with George, who was dressed up formally like he usually did on days that the shop was open. Fred saw her glancing between the two and he explained, "I was thinking that I could take you out today instead of staying in the shop like we usually do." Hermione looked questioningly into his eyes and asked with a hint of worry, "And where would you be taking me?" Fred chuckled and sent her a gaze with a glint of excitement in his eyes, "It's a surprise, 'Mione. You'll just have to wait and see."

Hermione stared into the depths of his blue eyes and her breath caught in her throat when he smiled and apparated to her side. She jumped slightly at the shock and he laughed in response and held out the palm of his hand as he added, "Trust me." Hermione's mind raced with thoughts, but in the midst of deliberating with herself, she spoke out spontaneously. "I trust you," she declared as she placed her hand in his and the two apparated out of the store together.

In the next chapter: We get to see what the Weasley twin has up his sleeve.