The next morning, Fred woke up unsettled by the night before. The staircase leading to the girls' sleeping quarters turned into a slide anytime the boys stepped foot on it, preventing Fred from being able to go up and talk to Hermione. Because of that, he spent most of the night tossing and turning, clueless to if she were still frustrated with him and wondering why he cared. But today wasn't a day to dwell. It was the second task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and he and George had business to attend to.
The joke shop wasn't going to become a fuctioning business on it's own, Fred reminded himself as he put on one of his nicest shirts and his business smile. He would talk to Hermione after the task, when she couldn't get onto him again for running a gambling ring because at that point, the bets would have already been placed and cashed out. Hermione would be so happy that Harry had survived, even if he didn't win, and Fred would be content with the amount of money him and George had made, that there was no way the two of them could argue. Yes, Fred told himself as he straightened his shirt in the mirror, today was going to be a good day.
"Place your bets here!" Fred hollers out, holding the betting box him and George had made, walking away from the Black Lake. It was an excellent marketing scheme George had come up with, being able to pass more potential gamblers if they walked away from the crowd instead of with it.
"Who will come out alive!" George yells, walking beside his brother.
"Place a Galleon on the winner!"
"A Sickle on the champion!"
"A Knut on the survivor!" They both yell out in unison before bumping into Ginny.
"You two are cruel." She says with disgust, looking from one brother to the other before walking on.
Looking at each other, the twins shrug before continuing to call out for bets to be placed.
"See your odds" Fred yells out, not paying any mind to his sister's comment
"Place your bets" George continues.
"Win with the winner!" They both call out, matching smiles covering their faces.
Yes, Fred thought to himself as Seamus came up and placed his bets on Harry, this is the life. This is the way it's supposed to be. He now had 17 galleons sitting in his pocket, 12 in Geroge's and they were dispursed evenly on who would win the Task, most of the bets aimed towards Cedric or Krum's victory.
"Excellent choice on Harry, mate." George says with a smile, happily taking the coins from Seamus' hand.
"Thank you for your business." Fred replies as they hear Dumbledore's voice ring out from behind them.
"Think that's all we're getting for now brother." George says, placing the three Galleons Seamus had handed him in his pocket.
"I think you're right Georgie boy." Fred replies, "We will get more once the task gets started and potential customers can see the odds for themselves."
"To the lake, then?" George askes with a smile.
"To the lake." Fred answers, him and his brother walking side by side down to the bottom.
"There is something, a treasure persay, waiting for you at the bottom of the lake." Dumbledore calls out, his voice echoing through the multiple levels of the dock floating on the water. "You have an hour to retrieve it and return to the surface."
Fred and George walk up to the front of the dock, standing on the third level, high in the crowds where their voices could ring out as they called for betters and let others know the progress of the tournament. Looking down, Fred scans the edge of the lower levels, looking for Hermione.
"Ronnikins hasn't placed his bet on Harry yet." George says, holding the betting box as he counts up the bets against each competitor. "Think he's fallen back in love with Krum?" He asks, laughing at his own joke.
"Highly doubt it." Fred laughs back, trying to hide the look of concern on his face, sure that he had overlooked her bushy hair somewhere in the crowd. "After Krum took Hermione to the Yule Ball, I don't think Ronnikins much fancies even hearing Krum's name."
"And you, my brother?" George asked, leaning against the railing to move closer to his twin and avoid being overheard. "How do you feel about Granger talking to Krum?"
"If you are still paying attention to my right hand," Fred answers, starting to grow concerned as the buzzer goes off. "You aren't noticing my left."
"Excellent point, Freddy, excellent point." George laughs, patting his brother on the back.
"Did you see that?" Fred asks, looking down at Harry as he jumped into the water and disappeared beneath the surface. "Harry swallowed something before he jumped in."
"He did, ay? Harry might just have himself a plan then." George said with a smile before calling out. "Competitors are in the water. Who will come out alive? Will it be Beaubaxton's beauty, Fleur Delacour-"
George stopped, looking over at Fred, who was still searching through the crowds. Where is she? Surely Hermione wasn't so upset that she didn't show up. She should be right there, waiting for Harry to resurface.
"Focus Fred, business." George says, nudging his brother.
"Sorry brother." Fred answers before calling out. "Will it be Charming Cedric from Hufflepuff?!"
"Will it be Courageous Krum from Durmstrang?!" George yells out as a group of Beaubaxton girls come up, placing their bets on Fleur.
"Or will it be our very own Harry Potter!?" The twins call out together, grabbing even more people's attention, mostly with stares and snarls.
"Place your bets now!" Fred yells out as Harry jumps out of the water and into the air, causing a loud cheer.
"Krum has the head of a shark." A second year Ravenclaw whispered to Fred. "Three Galleons on him."
"Good choice, my friend, good choice." Fred answers, taking the coins from the young boy's hand.
"Three sickles on Cedric." Another second year says, handing George the silver coins. "I know he'll win."
"Here's hoping," George answers, happily taking the money.
"How many does Potter have?" Draco Malfoy laughs, walking up to the twins with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.
"Nine Galleons on his head." George says, trying to keep in mind that it was business he was attending to and that, even as a horrid slimeball, Draco Malfoy was still a customer and still had money.
"I'll match it." Draco said with a laugh. "Nine Galleons on each: Delacour, Diggory and Krum."
"Fair enough," Fred answers, knowing that with Malfoy's stupidity of betting on all three, they would be getting money out of him one way or another.
"Oh, I take that back." Malfoy laughs, pulling his hand away from Fred's and curling his fingers back around the gold coins within. "Krum took that MudBlood to the Ball, didn't he?" He says as George watches his twin's gaw clench.
"Yea, he did." Goyle laughs. "Don't tell me your going to bet on a muggle lover."
"Excellent point Goyle." Draco says, sticking nine of the Galleons back in his pocket. "Maybe him and Potter both will drown. Nine on Diggory, Nine on Delacour."
"And good luck to you." George replies, quickly stepping between Draco and Fred and taking Draco's money himself.
"Worthless piece of-" Fred mumbles as Draco walks off, laughing with Crabbe and Goyle.
"It's business brother," George answers, "And stupid betting on his part. Prat just wanted to show he has money, now here." George hands Fred the money which he quickly pockets, turning back to the lake. "Calm down."
"I'm fine," Fred answers, "Just wouldn't mind slipping some puking pastries in his pumpkin juice."
"You and me both," George laughs. "You and me both."
Fred's heart sank as he continued to search the crowd for Hermione's face. She wasn't here. That's all there was to it. She was supposed to be over there, waiting beside Neville for Harry to resurface and she wasn't. Where was she? Bets were already placed and Harry had been underwater for nearly fourty-five minutes now. He should be resurfacing any moment. Where was Hermione? Ronnikins. That's it, he would ask Ron where she was. He would know. But...
"Ronnikins isn't here." Fred whispered to George.
"Interesting," George answers, taking another Galleon from one of the Beaubaxton girls, kissing the back of her hand with a wink as he did so.
"Neither is Hermione," Fred says, his face growing white with concern. "Surely she didn't-"
"She wasn't that mad at you Freddie boy. Not like it's hard making her mad." George says, reaching into his pocket to give a first year change for the Galleon they had handed him. "Thirteen sickles, my friend."
"She was pretty upset but-" Fred stopped himself. No, Georgie boy is right. Hermione's not the type to get revenge. To be pissy, maybe but revenge, never. Stop overthinking it.
"Fleur's resurfaced!" Lavender yells from a few rows over. "She doesn't have her treasure!"
"That's one down!" George yells out. "Three left! Who will come out alive!?"
"Who will survive?!" Fred yells along, pushing his suspicisions to the back of his mind once more.
"And time is up!" Dumbledore calls out.
"That's it people." George yells as well.
"Betting box is closed!" Fred calls.
"Good luck and good day!" They call out to the crowd in unison.
"That's 25 Galleons now in our favor." George whispers to Fred with a smile. "A good day for business brother, a good day."
"Yes it is." Fred answers.
"Surely you don't think-"
"I don't know what to think anymore, Georgie boy." Fred answers, sighing as he rested his head on his hands. "It's weird."
"Your getting soggy for a girl, huh?" George asks, nudging his brother in the rib cage. "Guess that's the end of Gred and Feorge's escapades."
"I'm not getting soggy for her." Fred answers, "I just...care."
"You're sick. It's puppy love and my brother has fallen hard." George laughs.
"Maybe I have," Fred answers, "Maybe it's just that-"
"Maybe it's just wanting what you can't have." George asks as Cedric resurfaces with Cho, both of them gasping for air. "Needing in the knickers of Hermione Granger?"
"I could care less about her knickers though," Fred answers honestly, "That's the problem."
As Fred sighs, confused by his own emotions, Krum resurfaces with Hermione in hand. Hermione gasps for air as Fred jumps to attention, looking Hermione over from what he can see. Hermione wasn't unfaithful. Fred tells himself, now kicking himself in the arse and overwhelmed with guilt for thinking such a thing. She was beneath the water the entire time. It's not that she didn't care, she was just submerged. I have to talk to her.
"Yes, my brother." George answers, patting Fred on the back. "You are falling hard."
