Late Lunch, Chapter 4


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"Are you not going to eat that?"

Hermione blinked. "W-what?"

A few seconds passed before she realized what her friend had said, and scooted her plate of chips across the table.

"Thanks," said Harry. He began picking them of the plate and while he chewed, asked, "So what's got you so worried?"

She scoffed. "You know what."

Harry shrugged. "It's only going to be for a few weeks. Remus stopped by yesterday and told us Teddy's growing by the minute, so his leave might not even be for that long."

Hermione's mood softened slightly at her friends attempt to cheer her up. "That baby's lucky I adore him, because I don't think I could deal with the devil incarnate of a substitute his father left us with otherwise."

Harry laughed. "You know, I think she looks more like a toad than a devil."

Hermione grimaced at the image that popped into her head. "Oh, god, you're right."

This made Harry laugh even harder.

"What's so funny?"

The two of them looked up.

"Hi, Ron," said Harry, greeting his classmate. "Thought you were having lunch with the rest of chess club?"

Ron released his right hand's hold on his tray and, using his thumb, pointed to the far end of the dining area. "Was on my way. Just heard you laughing like mad man and figured I'd check in."

"First of all, I do not laugh like a mad man-"

"Actually, you kinda do, mate."

"Second," continued Harry, ignoring his friend, "Hermione and I were discussing the toad."

The other boy pulled a face. "Nasty piece of work, that one. Did you know she made Patricia Stimpson storm out of class?"

Hermione clucked her tongue impatiently. "Yes, everyone knows. Also, I was there."

Ron seemed to only have just noticed her, but she could tell he was already fighting the urge to roll his eyes at her. "Anyway, should get a move on. See you later, Harry."

"Tell me why you're friends with him, again?" said Hermione, once Ron was out of earshot, feeling bitter about not even being granted a simple 'goodbye' by the boy.

Harry sighed. "Oh, come on, he's not all bad. It's just your personalities clashing, is all. If you spent more time together then maybe you'd find you have some things in common."

"Highly doubt that."

Harry sensed he wouldn't win this one and picked up where he left off with the chips. "Speaking of Ron, though," he said, dipping his food in ketchup, "Dad told me his brothers were at the station two days ago."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, they had set off some fireworks in town."

"Blimey, you were there?"

"James didn't tell you?"

"No, he just mentioned a pair of twins getting thoroughly scolded by their mother," said Harry. "I do think he secretly found them hilarious, though."

Both teenagers briefly shared a grin at James Potter's youthful nature.

"Well, I'm glad he didn't say anything, or else Mrs. Weasley surely would have arranged a lecture for him as well. And who knows how that would have ended."

"Awfully familiar with the rest of the Weasley's, are we?" teased Harry.

Hermione crossed her arms. "We engaged in conversation, yes."

Since Hermione hadn't specified that it had been Mrs. Weasley she'd spoken with the most, her friend asked if she'd also 'engaged in conversation' with the twins. Though his tone remained teasing, Hermione couldn't help but frown slightly.

Despite having spoken to the twins, and left on what she felt had been amicable terms, they hadn't approached her or given any hint of even remembering her past their encounter. She realized, of course, that it was naïve to assume that they would be on speaking terms simply because they'd exchanged a few words-well, her and one of the twins, since she hadn't actually spoken to the other-but something about the words 'See you in school' had led her to believe differently.

"I sort of spoke to them," said Hermione. "Well, one of them."

Harry didn't even attempt to hide his surprise. "Really? Which one?" At her stare he quickly realized his mistake. "Right, twins, yeah," he said and smacked his forehead.

Hermione laughed. "Actually, I can tell them apart, I think. I just don't know which one's named what."

"Well, what did the one you spoke to look like?"

Hermione bit her lip. How to explain?

Harry noticed she was having trouble and looked around the room. "Oh, I know! Just point him out. "

Hermione looked over her shoulder to where Harry was looking. Sure enough, there sat the twins, laughing and talking to their huge group of friends. Among them, Hermione's classmate Katie Bell. Katie was covering her mouth at something a boy to her right said, and the boy watched in amusement as the she tried to hold her chuckles in. On the boy's other side (Hermione finally recalled his name being Lee Jordan) sat the twin she'd spoken to at the station, and whom she knew was the boy from the car.

"That one," Hermione said.

Harry looked to where she nodded. "Okay, let's see. I play football with them now and then and have gotten fairly good at telling them apart, but…" He drifted off, face scrunched up in concentration.

"Today, Harry."

"All right," he said, looking none too pleased with her impatient tone of voice, "That one, I'm pretty sure is…Fred." He eased back in his seat and nodded. "Yeah, that's Fred."

Hermione looked at the twin, taking in his broad shoulders and bright expression. Huh, she mused, Fred…

Just as she finished that thought, the boy seemed to sense someone watching him and looked up. Both froze as their eyes met, Hermione in mortification at being caught staring, while Fred appeared to mostly be surprised. For a second they remained like this, gazes locked onto one another, until finally, Hermione snapped out of it when spotting a smirk build on Fred's lips.

Blushing, she turned away.


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A/N: Eeeep! I'm so pleasantly surprised at how people are reacting to this story!

Thank you for all your kind words, and thank you to all who followed and favorited last time.

Some clarifications though: Fred and George are seventeen, Hermione is sixteen, and Harry and Ron are fifteen.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
Until next time!
/Primrue