Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait for an update! I got really busy, but, hopefully, I'll be able to update this story a little more frequently!
Tomorrow came like a flash. Today was the day all students returned to Hogwarts; as usual, Mrs. Weasley woke everyone up for breakfast. She, however, seemed more urgent to wake the twins up than anyone else.
"But Mum…" George groggily groaned, stuffing his face into his pillow.
"You all have to get ready!" Mrs. Weasley said shaking Harry and Ron awake. "You don't want to be late for you first day back, do you? Come on, Fred!" She rushed to the edge of Fred's bed and ripped his pillow away from him. "I'm going to wake up the girls. I expect you all to be ready for breakfast by the time I come back."
Mrs. Weasley's eyes narrowed at Fred and George, speaking more to them than Harry or Ron. She blatantly shut the door behind her, and the sound of creaking stairs eventually died down.
"Funny, it doesn't feel like it's time to go to Hogwarts." Ron yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"Does it ever?" Fred said tiredly. He stood up from his bed and crouched down to search for any clothes that looked as if a muggle would wear.
"I can't wait for Quidditch to start back up." Harry happily said, picking out the clothes he was going to wear to Platform 9 and ¾.
"You'll get to see Angelina again." George sneered to his twin, lightly bumping him in the ribs. Fred being a beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, no one wasn't truly surprised to hear that Fred fancied Angelina.
"Shut up, George!" Fred growled, his cheeks turning scarlet.
"I wonder what's going on with Mad-Eye Moody right now. He's been awfully popular in the Daily Prophet recently." said Ron.
"He's probably attacking a cat, thinking it's an escapee from Azkaban." George laughed, pulling on his jeans.
"Oh, god! Everything about him screams lunatic! His clothes, the way he walks. Even his eyes! Or should I say 'eye'?" Fred added, buttoning his collar.
Fred's long, ginger hair fell in front of his eyes like a scarlet curtain. He blew his hair out of sight, though he did not do a great job, for it just fell back into place.
I need a haircut, Fred thought, followed by an annoyed sigh.
After dressing up, the boys raced down the stairs, Harry and Ron in the front of the pack. Once they landed on the first floor, the two raced to Hermione, who was sitting next to Ginny at the kitchen table. Mrs. Weasley began pouring scrambled eggs into six plates, each for the hungry children. She threw the now-empty pan into the sink, where magical sponges began to swiftly scrub the pan.
"Eat up!" Mrs. Weasley said. "The…the – uh – taxi will be here in a few minutes! Make sure your trunks are ready!" She was running to and fro across the kitchen, making sure all of the bewitched tools were doing their jobs properly.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were whispering to each other in careful tones. Whatever they were talking about must have been important; Fred only caught a few words from Harry.
"Hedwig sent…letter…Snuffles…"
"Fred," George whispered to him, "remember the Canary Creams, okay?"
"I'll bet it'll be finished soon. Maybe near Christmas. And you know what's near Christmas? A feast with lots of desserts!" Fred murmured with enthusiasm.
George's eyes lit up in mischief. They both menacingly chuckled, causing Mrs. Weasley to glower suspiciously at them.
"Anything you have to tell me, boys?" Mrs. Weasley asked irritably, placing a hand on the cloth-covered table to lean in closer to the twins.
"Nothing, Mum." Fred and George answered together, though their smiles said otherwise.
"I hope so. I do not want another letter from Hogwarts about your pranks!" Mrs. Weasley barked, storming off to get everyone's suitcases from their rooms.
The children were soon outside where the hailed muggle taxi awaited them. They filled the trunk to the brim with their suitcases and cages stuffed with their pets. The muggle driver was having a difficult time carrying everyone's things into the car, especially Crookshanks, Hermione's cat, whom seemed to not like muggles as much as his owner.
"Crookshanks!" Hermione wailed, "He's not a scratch tower!" The orange cat was clawing desperately up the muggle's leg, leaving countless tender scratches on the poor man.
"C'mere, Crookshanks." Fred called to the cat. He crouched down, holding his hand out to him. Crookshanks slowly bounded down the man's leg and padded toward Fred much gracefully than a few moments before when he subdued the taxi driver into fear. He curled up right next to Fred, purring softly, and Fred carefully picked him up whilst petting its soft pelt.
"Mug – er, taxi drivers aren't toys, Crookshanks." Fred explained to the cat as if it could understand.
The muggle walked off to open the taxi door, muttering awful words to himself, "I don't get paid enough to deal with this nonsense…"
Hermione walked up to Fred, her arms open so she could carry Crookshanks. "Sorry about that." She said apologetically.
Fred leaned in and lowered his voice. "Tell that to that muggle." He chuckled.
Hermione weakly laughed, still full of embarrassment.
Once things calmed down, everyone crammed themselves into the taxi. It was to everyone's surprise that the entirety of the group was able to fit into such a small compartment. There were a lot of "move over"s and "stop hitting me"s being tossed back and forth during the entire trip to King's Cross. Mrs. Weasley did nothing to hush the children or engender more space using a spell; what could she do with a muggle watching them in annoyance?
Everyone was relieved to finally get to King's Cross. They all hopped out, taking long breaths of fresh air. The taxi driver forced himself to pull everyone's suitcases out of the trunk, weary of Pigwidgeon, the owl Ron was bringing to Hogwarts.
Once the taxi driver escaped from the Weasleys, Fred retrieved his suitcase and hugged his mother good-bye after everyone made their way into the barrier of Platform 9 and ¾.
"See you soon, Mum." Fred and George said simultaneously to Mrs. Weasley.
"No letters about your mishaps this year, got it?" She ordered, crossing her arms as they pulled away.
"We can't promise that." Fred and George both wore mischievous smiles that signaled the beginning of their troublemaking. Mrs. Weasley couldn't help but smile.
"Alright," She sighed, patting them on the backs, "Have a wonderful year! Send letters back home!"
The red-haired children turned back to her and said in unison, "Yes, Mum."
"Goodbye, Harry! Hermione! Stay safe!" Mrs. Weasley frantically waved goodbye to them as they walked closer to the Hogwarts Express.
Fred looked up at the train. Grey, frothy smoke billowed from it as its whistle echoed across the entire platform. Crowds of parents guiding their children aboard stood like a wall against the side of the train. Fred and George acted as shields to the door of the train for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. After a bit of pushing against the crowd, everyone made it safely aboard.
Ron, Hermione, and Harry were already making their way to their own compartment as usual, until Crookshanks leapt out of Hermione's hands and pawed urgently at Fred's leg.
"Crookshanks, Fred's busy! Come to our compartment!" pleaded Hermione. She crouched down to pick up her cat, but he immediately hid behind Fred, swooshing its tail left and right in defiance.
Fred leaned over and picked up Crookshanks. "Don't worry, Hermione! George and I'll take care of him for the trip. We'll make sure he doesn't jump out the window or anything." Fred rose the cat up and gazed into its bright eyes. "Right, lovely?"
It mewed back, making its admiration for the Weasley twin known.
Hermione finally said, "Fine…Bring him back by dinner, though." She gave Fred a stern, rather disapproving look.
"Of course." He nodded his head and walked away, the opposite direction in which Hermione was heading; he patted Crookshanks on the back when his tail brushed against his arm.
Fred followed George to their usual compartment, where – once they slid the translucent door open – Lee Jordan was occupying a space on the seats.
Lee asked in confusion, "What's with the cat?"
"Holding him for a friend." Fred simply said, as if it were absolutely normal for a person to go wandering around with someone else's cat on a train.
George scoffed, plopping down on a seat, "A friend? Fred, ever since I brought up Angelina you've been ogling at Hermione! What's up?"
"Hermione Granger?" Lee breathed, taken aback. "Isn't she that fourth-year that spends way too much time in the library?"
"Well – yeah." Fred answered blandly. Whether he liked it or not, he couldn't deem what Lee said as false. Everyone in Gryffindor knew that Hermione was that one scholar who would rather complete a five-page essay on cauldron bottoms with Percy than dab on makeup and straighten her hair.
But she never really needed makeup, anyway, Fred thought.
Suddenly, the compartment door slid open, revealing a blonde young girl behind it. Her unblinking eyes pierced the three boys, keeping them in silence. She carefully stepped inside the compartment, and said with a curious voice, "Have you seen Ginny?" She then gave them an unexpected curtsey.
Fred and George vaguely recognized her as Luna Lovegood, a third-year Ravenclaw and an…acquaintance of Ginny. Ginny had conversed about Luna every now and then at the Burrow, describing her as if she were a new patient at a mental institute.
George was the first to speak bravely. "I think she's off with the other third-year Gryffindors."
"Oh." murmured Luna. She bounced back out of the compartment, still full of her unusual curiosity.
Hey, this could be the perfect time to test out those Canary Creams, Fred thought. George must have thought the same thing, because the two met each other's scandalous eyes.
"Why don't you stay for a bit?" asked Fred, reaching out a welcoming hand.
"I s'pose." Luna sighed; she gracefully sat down next to Lee, who was staring at her with frightened eyes.
"Care for a snack?" George asked, rummaging through his bag.
"Sure!" Luna showed a bright yet small grin. "I hope it's sweet. I tried this colorful muggle candy once because I heard it was actually chocolate, but it was actually sour."
"Oh, well it is sweet." the twins said with amused smiles. They could barely hold in their content chuckles.
George held out a tiny pastry ball half the size of his palm. It was golden-brown with what seemed to be pale custard in the middle. Lee's eyes widened in fear and amazement as Luna politely plucked the treat out of George's hand. She made a small bit into the pastry, taking time to grasp the taste of it.
"Quite good." She said in the middle of chewing. "Could use some more sugar, though." She finished it off swiftly and backed into the hallway, almost bumping into the trolley stationed across to the other door. She waved awkwardly goodbye, and slid the door closed.
Fred and George stood dumbfounded at the now-closed door. They were obviously expecting their treat to work, but Luna stayed perfectly normal!
"Sh-She was supposed to be twittering like a bird by now!" Fred squeaked, jumping up from his seat as if it were on fire. "Why didn't it work?"
"Here, let me try one." said Lee.
George handed him a pastry in defeat. He and Fred were already too depressed to care what Lee did. Lee swallowed the entire pastry in a single bite, and he first acted as if everything were normal. The boy opened his mouth to give the twins' his review of the food, but all that came out were dying bird sounds.
"Close enough!" Fred cackled as he and George burst into laughter. "Don't worry, it'll wear off soon…I hope."
The Hogwarts Express found its way back to the majestic castle; everyone changed into their school robes and bounded off the train, anxious to get to the Homecoming feast traditionally served each year. The sky was black with starts dotted here and there; the moon shown bright against the silhouette of the castle; several windows glowed orange in the darkness.
Fred brought Crookshanks to the Great Hall. After skimming through his textbooks to find the correct spell, he managed to transfigure that cat conveniently into a glass. (Though, he was never really good at Transfiguration. The goblet still possessed a waving orange tail)
"Feraverto." Fred said, pointing his want at Crookshanks.
Carrying the goblet carefully, he, George, and Lee took their seats at the packed Gryffindor table. Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet joined them soon after. Conversation immediately turned to what everyone had done the past summer, including, for some people, the Quidditch World Cup.
"I was able to visit Germany this year." Alicia explained happily.
Lee muttered grouchily, "Please shut up for once."
"Come on, Lee!" groaned Alicia. "It's the first day back! You can't be mad at me still!"
Lee said nothing else; he focused more on his thumbs than the rest of everyone's conversations.
"Did you hear about the Dark Mark at the World Cup?" Katie asked, lowering her voice to the point where Fred had to lean in incredibly far to understand what she was saying.
"Of Course! It's all over the Daily Prophet." George cried, his voice slightly booming over the table; a few Ravenclaws nearby turned around in curiosity, but returned to their own table soon after.
Fred said in a hushed tone, "Dad's been running around trying to clean up the mess that Rita Skeeter has been putting down."
"Can you blame her? You-Know-Who hasn't been around for years, and all of a sudden his mark appears? Kinda suspicious if you ask me." Angelina quickly explained.
Fred was turning scarlet. He hated Rita Skeeter as much as his father did. But before he could yell at Angelina, Dumbledore stood up from his throne-like chair, quieting everyone in the Great Hall.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" He announced. "Now, shall we get along with the sorting of our newly beloved students?"
Professor Dumbledore sat back down as Professor McGonagall entered the room with a patched-up and battered hat, which was recognizably the Sorting Hat. She placed the hat on a wooden stool and unrolled a large piece of parchment.
"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool." McGonagall explained. "When the hat announces your house, you will go and sit at the appropriate table."
"Can we get on with it?" Fred moaned tiredly.
It took a few minutes for the Sorting Hat to filter the first-years into their houses, all to the twins' boredom. Dumbledore took to the eagle-crested podium once again; he wore a friendly grin.
"Now, I have two words to say to you." He told the students. "Tuck in."
Almost in an instant, the empty plates and bowls on the tables were piled high with food. The twins dove straight into their meal, dumping mounds of food on their plates like starving wolves.
"I f'rgot how goo' Ho'warts food tashte." George pleasantly remarked, his mouth already full of steak.
Fred looked down the table to see Hermione's plate still shining like the stars above. He wondered why she hadn't begun eating yet. He slid away from his group of sixth-years as Alicia began talking about her visit to Germany, whilst George and Lee were pretending to spread gossip about her to the first-year Gryffindors. Fred made his way to Hermione; he tapped the brown-haired girl on the shoulder to get her attention.
"Not hungry?" He curiously asked. Harry and Ron were shaking their heads desperately and waving their arms at Fred, trying the best they could to stop him from talking.
"Not when this meal was the product of slave labor!" Hermione hissed, her arms crossed in defiance.
Fred backed away, leaving the three to their conversation. The last thing he heard of them was Hermione yelling about house elves.
Once dinner and dessert had been finished off, Professor Dumbledore stood up behind the podium once again.
"Now," He started, "before we all go to our common rooms for the night, I would like to share some important news to you al. A very important even will be held at Hogwarts this year."
"The Triwizard Tournament!" Lee cried as he, Fred, and George climbed the staircase leading to the painting of the Fat Lady.
Fred groaned, "We'll be-"
"-seventeen in spring!" George continued. "The age limit is-"
"-unfair! Balderdash!"
The painting of the Fat Lady swung open, and the three climbed into the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room. Only a few students were still loitering around, including Hermione, Harry, and Ron. The boys climbed the spiral staircase to their dormitory, where they toppled onto their beds in relief.
"I'm so full…" Lee breathed.
"I'm going to stay here for a bit." Fred overheard Hermione say from the common room. "You too, get some sleep."
Footsteps could be heard pounding up the tower and Hermione plopping down upon a chair.
Fred sat up and began rummaging through his bag. He secretively took out a tiny box of cookies George helped him steal from the Burrow.
Hopefully Mum hasn't found out I stole this yet, Fred cowardly thought.
He got up from his bed with the box and walked out the doorway as he told his roommates, "I'll be back in a bit."
Fred raced down the staircase and jumped over the last stair. He spotted Hermione relaxed on a large, red lounge chair reading a rather thick book. Her eyes were dull and glued to the pages in front of her.
Fred hopped over to Hermione's side, holding his hands behind his back. "What's up, darling?" He asked with a bubbly expression.
Hermione let out a disgruntled sigh; she seemed to not be in the mood for company.
"Nothing."
Fred sat down on the arm of the lounge chair, holding out the box willingly to her. He watched as her eyes lit up in interest, taking in the faint smell of cocoa from the box.
"What's this for?" asked Hermione.
"You ought to be quite hungry. You didn't eat anything downstairs, did you?" said Fred.
"No…" Hermione hesitantly grumbled, burying her face in her book.
"Don't go starving yourself! Here, take it!" Fred told her and moved the box closer to her face.
Hermione shyly grabbed the box and pulled off the lid to reveal homemade chocolate-chip cookies inside. Before she could open her mouth to speak or even eat, Fred swooped a hand between her face and the cookies.
"Ep, ep, ep! Not so fast! Give me a bit. Scoot over, will you?" He deposited himself beside her, almost knocking her out of the chair. Fred picked up a cookie and smiled down at her.
"You're just like Ron, always eating." Hermione murmured.
"Oh, right! Forgot about this for a second." From Fred's robes pocket, he pulled out a glass goblet with a waving orange tail attached to it.
Hermione's eyes widened, baffled by what she saw. "I-Is that Crookshanks?!" She gasped, swiping the goblet out of Fred's hand.
"It was the only way of getting Crookshanks into the Great Hall. You don't see me carrying a bright orange cat everywhere I go, do you?" explained Fred quickly.
"I suppose not…" Hermione mumbled, lowering the goblet.
Thank god she's not mad, Fred thought, and threw an arm around her, squeezing her tightly. With that unexpected force, the glass goblet slipped from Hermione's hands, and it sliced through the air like a blade. She whipped out her wand and, before the goblet could shatter on the ground, waved her wand sharply, transforming the cup back into Crookshanks. The cat landed onto his paws, and immediately bounced up the chair and onto Fred's lap, curling up into a large, warm ball of fluff.
"Well," Hermione whispered, staring at her pet, "I think you should head back to bed."
Fred laughed, "Leave while a cat's on my lap? No thanks!" He then added, "I'll probably have to spend the night here."
"Well, I'm not getting up." Hermione countered. "I'm too upset to go upstairs."
"I hear that I'm a nice pillow." Fred said.
Hermione blushed, but it quickly faded as she hissed, "I hear that a chair all to me is nice as well.
"Well, we can't have everything in the world now, can we?"
Hermione remained silent as she glowered up at the Weasley twin. She observed Fred for a few moments, listening to the crackling fire near them. Slowly but surely, she relaxed herself on the chair.
"Whatever anyone says, I'm only doing this because I'm tired." She said in a firm voice.
"Whatever you say." Chuckled Fred.
Hermione waved her wand once again and called out, "Accio blanket."
A rolled-up red blanket levitated up from a couch nearby and soared toward them; it drifted down onto them, covering them from shoulder to foot.
Fred looked down at Hermione, observing her reaction; she was unexpectedly calm about the predicament. She was warm to the touch, and he felt her hand brush against his at one point. Hermione was already a powerful witch. She was only starting her fourth-year, and she could already perform transfiguration spells without saying the spell's name like Professor McGonagall! (Fred could barely produce a simple "Expelliarmus" spell at that age. He never paid that much attention to Hermione before due to her being somewhat of a teacher's pet, but whatever quality he admired about her had been affecting him to a great extent. Perhaps it was because of the popularity of her with Ron that got him more interested for her. Nevertheless, George and Lee would be sure to make fun of him because of his new blossoming friendship with Hermione.
"Goodnight, darling." Fred whispered, carefully wrapping his arm around Hermione.
"Quiet." She said, her eyes closed. "Trying to sleep."
Fred agreed to remain quiet for the last moments he would be awake. He closed his eyes, waiting for the blanket of darkness to pull him into a peaceful slumber. He quickly fell asleep right after hearing a set of girlish chuckles and laughs through the darkness.
It was rather strange to Fred that Hermione never kept him from wrapping his arms around her that night.
