Laws of Engagement

Chapter Four, Employees And Slytherins

Hermione was fed up. She wasn't about to let him get away with this! He will talk to her, whether he wants to or not.

"Ginny." Hermione said. The two girls were watching Harry and Ron play Quidditch. It was after lunch and Mrs. Weasley had been beaming the whole time while giving Hermione and Ron meaningful looks.

"Yes?" Ginny said she was still staring at Harry so she didn't see the nervous look on Hermione's face.

"I think we should go to Diagon Alley, to see them." Hermione said as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. Ginny looked at her and saw that Hermione really wanted Fred to like her, if not in just a friendly way. It would be better than him ignoring the poor girl until the wedding day.

"That'd be good. I could use some time out of the house before I'm off to school." Ginny said getting up from her spot on the lawn. She offered Hermione a hand and helped her up.

The girls Flooed into Madam Malkin's so that Ginny could look at dresses for the seventh year graduation bash before they went over to the WWW.

"So, who are you going to the ball with?" Hermione asked as she held up a crème colored dress. Ginny shook her head before saying,

"I really don't know anymore. I mean now that Harry… well you know. So would he get mad?" Hermione thought for a bit before a mischievous grin spread across her face.

"What do you say we sneak the 'Golden Trio' into Hogwarts as surprise guests?" Hermione asked. Ginny stopped looking at dresses and turned to Hermione with a big smile.

"Brilliant! Although, now we both need dresses." Ginny said as she picked up a long red dress.

They spent a couple more hours in Madam Malkin's before walking down the street to Fred and George's store. The bell above their heads clucked when the two girls came in the door. Hermione rolled her eyes at this, but smiled all the same. Ginny wandered toward the new section, while Hermione started at the beginning. Hermione was greeted by who she guessed to be an employee.

"Hello, Miss. Do you need help finding anything?" The man asked. He was of medium height, and very toned. He had bright hazel eyes and brown hair that was spiked up on top.

"Erm, yes…" Hermione read his nametag and continued, "Caleb. Do you happen to know where the owner is?" Caleb grinned a pearly white smile.

"Depends on which one you want to yell at." He said. Hermione let out a small laugh at this, they must get a lot of the victims of their jokes coming in and screaming at them. "I think they both are in the back though." He continued.

"Alright, I'll just wait for them. Thanks anyway." Hermione said before turning back to the shelf she had been looking at.

"Hey, I get off for my lunch break in a couple minutes. Do you want to go get something to eat?" Caleb asked. Hermione's eyes got wide.

"I would, but I've just eaten." Hermione said giving him an apologetic smile. Caleb frowned at this.

"Oh, I see." He said. His face clearly said that he thought she didn't like him at all.

"It's not that I don't think you're good looking," Hermione said in a rush, "I do, but really I did just eat lunch." Caleb's face brightened and he smiled.

"How about tea then?" He asked. Hermione opened her mouth to reply but someone beat her to it.

"She can't. She's busy." Fred said. It seemed he had appeared out of nowhere. Hermione frowned, and Caleb raised an eyebrow in questioning.

"Says who?" Hermione asked putting her hands on her hips and facing him with a scowl.

"Says, me your fiancé." Fred shot back. Caleb's jaw dropped and he looked between the two.

"The fiancé who has ignored me all day!" Hermione half screamed. Her anger was steadily building. "You've not said one word to me since last night! And even then you sounded like you hate me!" By now she was loud enough to draw the attention of the customers in the store. Ginny walked over to them and stood by Hermione.

"What's going on here?" Ginny asked Fred. He just glared before stomping off.

"See! There you go running off again!" Hermione said before following him.

"You were the one cheating!" Fred said as he suddenly spun around to face her.

"I was not." Hermione said crossing her arms.

"Then what was that?" He asked pointing at Caleb. When he was pointing something seemed to click. "YOU!" Fred bellowed, "This is your fault!" Suddenly he was stomping over to Caleb. Just as Fred was about to lunge George grabbed him by the robes and pulled him back.

"Fred, calm down!" George said to his struggling brother. "Caleb, take your break." The employee seemed to think this was an excellent idea, and quickly dashed out of the shop.

"Where were you?" Ginny asked George. It seemed she had been following Hermione and Fred around the whole store, for she was half out of breath.

"That doesn't matter. What I want to know is what's going on here?" George said. Fred glared at Hermione and she glared right back. Neither seemed ready to say anything.

"You two obviously aren't getting along! So why don't you just end this?" Ginny said after a few more moments of silence. Hermione couldn't stand it any longer; tears began welling up in her eyes. Before anyone could see them Hermione tore out of there as fast as she could. Tears were, by now, streaming down her face. When she finally had to stop to catch her breath she realized that she was in Knockturn Alley. She leaned against the wall of a store and closed her eyes.

She stood there crying for a couple more minutes. No one bothered the weeping girl for a while. That is until they came along.

"Well if it isn't my fiancée." Came the drawling voice. There were sniggers following this statement. Hermione opened her eyes to see Draco Malfoy with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Incase you didn't get the owl, I refused Malfoy!" Hermione bit out. She glared at him before pushing herself away from the wall to leave. She got no further than that before she was roughly pulled back.

"Where do you think you're going?" Malfoy asked as he pinned her against the wall.

"Why do you even want to marry me?" Hermione asked, she wasn't afraid of him… much.

"Because, if I've got to marry a mudblood I might as well have the best." He sneered.

"I'm flattered that you think I'm the best," Hermione said rolling her eyes, "But I'm engaged."

"Don't you know the Ministry will sell anything? Even the rights to you." Malfoy said. "This isn't over." He said before letting her go. Crabbe and Goyle followed him down the street cackling. Hermione sank against the wall once again and sighed. 'If I don't get married before he bribes the ministry I'm screwed. Although the way Fred's treating me Malfoy might be a bit better.' She thought to herself. 'Probably not though.'

As it turned out Ginny and George both had a row with Fred after Hermione had left.

"Why are you ignoring her?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not!" Fred said defensively.

"Then why didn't we see you at all today?" Ginny asked placing her hands on her hips and taking her Molly Weasley tone.

"Because we live in the flat upstairs! I thought you knew that." Fred replied, "And why aren't you helping me?" He said rounding on George.

"Because Ginny's right! You have been avoiding Hermione. Which I don't know why, you were the one that wanted to help her out in the first place!" George bit back. A second later when her realized what he had said he clamped his hand over his mouth.

"Help Hermione? She was helping you, Fred." Ginny said then she remembered that day,

Flashback

They were met with a cloud of fog creeping along the floor and two twin boys scrambling around to find something on the floor while yelling angrily at each other.

"Oi! What're you doing here?" Fred said looking up and spotting them.

"We heard a crash." Ginny said eyeing them suspiciously. Only just then George seemed to notice they were there.

"Crash eh? From where, and how'd you know it was us?" George asked.

"Your room is the only one above mine for one you dolt!" Ginny said, "Now what's all this?"

"This, is a case of 'Fog Feathers'" Fred said motioning to the mess.

"Why's it here?" Ginny asked.

"You guys were listening in! That's what you were looking for that day!" Ginny screeched. Obviously she was mad.

"I just wanted to help." Fred said staring at the ground. George shook his head.

"A lot of help you've been." Hermione said from the doorway startling the three Weasleys. When George and Ginny gave her questioning looks Hermione looked straight at Fred, who was still staring at the ground, and said,

"I was just attacked by Malfoy and his lot!" Fred's head shot up and he looked her in the eyes as if to say 'Tell me you're not serious!' Ginny looked horrified and rushed over to Hermione.

"Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?" Ginny asked. Hermione tore her eyes away from Fred's and looked at Ginny.

"I'm fine, and all he did was say that he was going to bribe the Ministry to get 'The Best Mudblood if he has to marry one at all.'" Hermione said sadly. "I don't have much time." She added. Ginny gave Fred a scathing look that obviously meant 'Do something!'

"Then we should owl the Ministry to let them know we're engaged." He said not looking Hermione in the eye, for fear of seeing something he knew he couldn't handle… hurt.

"No…I don't think we should." She said before Fred heard the cluck of the door chime. When he looked up both her and Ginny were gone.

"Now you've gone and muddled everything." George mumbled to his twin before he walked away.

I am going to make the next one sad like Merlin's Mistress said on the one she started.