Chapter Four: The Plan.

AN: Sorry for the long await guys! Work and men basically suck in my life at the moment! Hope you can forgive me?

I decided that the only possible way I could get my plan into action was to get George involved so I agreed to meet him after his last lesson that week, which happened to be DADA , now let me explain something here. I knew of this new Professor Umbridge I mean that much was obvious, I'd had lessons with her, had lessons with her sitting at the back coughing and she had, on numerous occasions, interrupted Dumbledore's speeches. However, being the good Hufflepuff I am I rarely got into detentions, except with Snape and that was just because he was evil, so I did not know the full extent of Umbridge's ways, yet. Fred and George were the last two out of the class room and it was clear they had been held back on purpose and they showed their resentment for this treatment by slamming the door shut behind them.

"Stupid evil…" Fred started

"Vindictive, spiteful…" George continued then I walked forwards and their scowls softened.

"Boys." I smiled at them even with their nasty words towards Umbridge.

"V!" George grinned. "You are a sight for sore eyes…"

"And what sore, sore eyes they are." Fred growled glaring back at the classroom door.

"What did you do this time?" I laughed they mocked innocence.

"This time it wasn't our fault I swear!" George moaned out putting his hands in the air in a defeated manor, I smiled squeezing my way between the two of them as they started walking. They both placed an arm round me.

"She was bad mouthing Harry," Fred explained from my left.

"She totally deserved the puking pastille we gave her." George grinned from my right, I laughed.

"She took a sweet, off of you two?" I squealed, George laughed "Even I'm not that dumb!" I laughed.

"Excuse me Miss. Stockhart?" I heard a woman's voice from behind us, as I turned the small cough quickly informed me who it was.

"Sorry Professor Umbridge, it was merely a joke." I mumbled, noting Fred and George's sudden angry glare aimed at Umbridge.

"A joke that is going to pay you dearly Miss. Stockhart, you will be joining-" but before Umbridge finished her sentence George cut her off.

"Please Mrs Umbridge it was simply a joke between friends…"

"Yeah surely you've at least heard of people having a joke before?" Fred joined his brother in defending me, gaining them both a scowl from Umbridge.

"Do you two wish to add to your, already long, list of detentions?" She growled George stepped towards her.

"If it gets you off Verity's back, hell yes!" I blushed at George's protectiveness of me but decided enough was enough and as Professor Umbridge's evil smile grew on her lips I stepped forward.

"No please Professor, I was the one who made the remark, there is no need to punish the boys any further just for defending me. I will take the detention." The boys glared at me but Umbridge just nodded letting out a giggle.

"A Hufflepuff showing some back bone! That is a sight; I will see you at five pm tomorrow night Miss. Stockhart!" And with that she turned on her heel and left, I just glared at the back of her for her snide remark on Hufflepuffs then turned to the boys.

"She is a pain isn't she?" I laughed, they just sighed still frowning at me. "What?" I squealed.

"You haven't had a detention with her Verity, she is evil!" Fred explained, I just frowned at him, looking at George but he just shared Fred's worried stare.

"She is a cruel woman!" He chimed in glancing at his brother; the twins looked at each other "Shall we show her?" George asked his brother, Fred nodded and with that the two boys pulled up their sleeves to reveal something I didn't expect to see written on their hands. I took a more careful look 'I will not be so mischievous.' It read across their hand, but this was no writing, it wasn't written with a quill or a muggle ball-point pen, this had been scratched into their skin.

"Wh-What is this?" I growled glaring at their hands. "Who done this to you!"

"Who do you think?" They said in unison.

"Umbridge?" I questioned, the boys nodded. "But… She's a Professor, she couldn't have the power for this, it's… it's disgusting, it's cruel… It's just down right evil!" I hissed the boys cheered, like I had just come to the biggest epiphany of my life. They quickly stopped the sarcastic applause and their faces became serious once more.

"Now you see why we can't have you going to that detention!" George explained.

"What you thinking George? Dung bombs? Maybe some Whizzing Worms?" Fred asked his twin, George shook his head.

"No, I'm thinking this has got to be dealt with through some of our Weasley Wizard Wheezes!" The former twin grinned at his brother's idea and just as the pair went to run off to their common room I squealed grabbing hold of George's arm causing the pair to look at me.

"Aren't you forgetting something George?" I hinted at him, he just frowned in confusion at me I sighed, "Before you go off doing your two's plan you got to help me with mine." I hinted, and this is when the penny dropped, I smiled.

"Oh yeah…" He grinned over to his brother. "You go get started without me, I've got to go to the library to do some revision." He lied, his brother frowned at him before he started laughing.

"You? Revising?" He said through the laughs. "Okay guys, come on what you planning?" He asked suspiciously after he had composed himself once more, I looked up at George then back to Fred.

"Nothing…" George said very quickly, I smiled.

"Yeah just some pay back against Everette." I lied, Fred frowned.

"Well I can help with that?" He questioned "What's the plan?"

"Nah mate, I'd like us to do this alone if you catch my drift?" George said, I frowned as the twins shared a look and suddenly Fred backed down with a grin set on his lips.

"Ohh, I see how it is brother." He laughed "Enjoy yourselves." He said sending a wink my way. I frowned now staring at George as his brother walked away, George looked at me, and ignoring my confusion he grabbed my wrist.

"Ready? Let's go!" He pulled me away.

The pair of us arrived to the library, Madam Pince gave us the most worried look I'd ever seen a member of staff give a student, she obviously knew who George was.

"Mister Weasley!" Her reproachful voice bellowed, I looked at George with a snicker in my eyes, he did not share my amusement and instead rolled his eyes. He turned to the librarian with a fake grin on his fake.

"Pincey!" George said with an over exaggeration that was so obviously fake.

"Please do not call me that Mister Weasley." She growled. "I do hope that your presence here today will not be alike to all the other times I have had the pleasure of yours and your brothers appearances." Madam Pince spoke slowly and carefully but with such sternness that it worried me to wonder what the boys had done here in the past.

"Don't worry Pince-" One look from Madam Pince cut George's voice quickly. "Madam Pince, today I have come with the wonderful Verity and she's not quite as good at trickery, especially when it comes to Nose-biting tea cups." George let out a snigger obviously reminiscing the alleged prank that had caused Madam Pince to have such a grudge against him.

"I'll keep an eye on him Madam Pince, don't worry." I said with a grin, Pince's head nodded curtly and she turned her back to us as we quickly snuck into a back section of the library.

"She's clearly not a Weasley fan." I grinned to George, he shook his head.

"No, not many of Hogwarts' staff are to be honest with you V!" He laughed as the pair of us sat down on a nearby table.

"Right so out with it V what's this big plan you have for Fred?" George asked, I grinned wildly at him.

"Well he obviously has feelings for my Tabs so…" I raised my voice slightly when it looked as though George was going to cut in. "I've decided on this upcoming Saturday I'm going to trick him into thinking he's in love with her to show how he really feels." I wickedly grinned after explaining my plan George just laughed.

"You really don't have a bad bone in you do you V? Right well besides the very obvious reason this isn't going to work how are you going to do this?" He questioned I smiled at him from across the table we had now sat at.

"With this!" And with those words I pulled out a small vial of the love potion I had made with Everette earlier that week.

"Is that what I think it is?" George asked eyeing the object as I placed it on the table between us. I nodded to him lifting it into my fingers.

"Amortentia. It's beautiful isn't it?" I asked as I pulled the small cork from its container and watched as the steam flew into the air spiralling around in different shapes some I felt that I recognised but would never know as soon after they would disappear. I smiled as I lifted it to my nose and took a large whiff my grin widening at the smells that rose through my nose.

"What do you smell?" I asked pushing it towards George he laughed and pushed it away from him shaking his head.

"That's personal isn't it?" He laughed at my frowning face. "What do you smell?" I eyed him suspiciously.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours!" I squealed very childishly, he let out another laugh and nodded.

"Yeah alright then!" He agreed, I grinned and quickly took another sniff although the smells were still fresh in my mind I just wanted to smell them again.

"Hot and sugary doughnuts like the kind you get at the beach?" The confused frown George sent me informed me that he did not get my muggle reference. "The smell of burning wood or like fire, reminds me of autumn bonfires." This George smiled to, he knew how much I adored the season before winter. "And… Gunpowder?" I questioned my own smells but it was definitely right, I laughed a bit. "Yeah gunpowder." I nodded, it was strange, that was the kind of smell I related to Fred and George. This thought made my cheeks flushed red as the red headed twin sat opposite me frowned in confusion at my last choice. I quickly changed the subject not wanting him to clue on and stuffed the potion beneath his nose.

"Your turn!" I said quickly, the sudden shock to his nostrils ended up making George throw himself backwards, obviously a little too hard as he threw himself into a book case knocking a few books off of it. The noise gained a vicious scowl from Madame Pince, I just innocently smiled back at her and she turned around. I turned back on George to see him shaking his head.

"I don't want to smell that. Besides you do know your plan is going to fail right?" He said stubbornly, I sneered at him in a way that would have mimicked Malfoy.

"I told you mine! And what makes you say my ingenious plan is going to fail?" I whined George shook his head.

"Well for a few reasons really, one Fred would never drink or eat something he thinks has been spiked, two Tabs herself would have to be seen spiking it for him to think he's in love with her and three, and probably the most important reason, he doesn't fancy her, he just doesn't I know, she's far too young for him!" George explained but before he had even properly finished I was already arguing my case.

"This is where I need you to come in! You have to purposely mix around the drinks so he isn't sure which one is which, and I'm going to get Tabs to do it don't worry about that part and as for the third reason well… wait…- what?" I cut myself off because of shock more than anything, is that really how the boys felt? Me and Tabs were too young? We weren't old enough for them like the rest of these girls.

"Well yeah, she's the same age as his sister! It'd be weird like dating Ginny." George explained, my mouth was still hung open slightly and George frowned at me. "Verity? You alright? Don't worry chick, it was a good plan, just not the right couple I guess." But I wasn't disappointed for that reason at all, I felt upset, really cut up over the thought that George felt like that, does this mean he just saw me as 'too young' 'like dating his sister'? Why on earth did I feel so hurt about this point? I felt myself holding back tears, usual Verity then, far too emotional for my own good. I just sucked in a breath and let out a not very convincing laugh.

"Yeah I suppose you're right, silly idea really, those two." I faked another laugh. "Let's just head back to our common rooms eh?" I let out a breath as I stood up still holding back the water that I so did not want in my eyes. As I passed George ready to leave he grabbed my arm and stood up so he was now stood with my head barely reaching his chest.

"Don't worry V, I'll find you someone else to ruin the relationship of!" He laughed out giving me a hug, I fought back the tears even harder as I felt his embrace around me.

"Ch-Yeah." Is all I said before rushing back to the Hufflepuff common room with claims of important Herbology homework. I came to the kitchen corridor and walked down the small hole that hid the entrance to the common room and once I saw the many barrels I burst into tears. I cried as I walked over to it and tapped the second from bottom one to the tune of 'Hel-ga Huff-le-puff' the barrels rolled out the way to reveal the entrance of the common room I climbed through the gap and felt slightly comforted when I saw the round room I had come to call home here at school. I adored my yellow, warm and cosy common room, many a time have I fallen asleep on the sofa down here from the sheer comfort factor. I walked towards the round doors that opened to the girls dorms side and glanced at the very small devils snare that sat in the corner of the room, which would normally twist it's long veins in as attempt to grab me, fortunately Professor Sprout had made it so it was not large enough to harm any of her house students, this normally didn't stop nosey first years from getting caught up with the silly thing. As I passed for once it did not try to grab me, I felt this was an act of sympathy as though the plant had seen my state and allowed me to pass. I rushed straight into the room I shared with Tabitha and three other Hufflepuff girls with tears streaming down my face and instantly Tabitha pulled me into a hug.

"Verity!" She squealed as her arms wrapped around my sobbing shoulders, I didn't speak however I just continued to cry letting out a tiny squeak in reply.

"What's happened this time?" One of the other girls, Rebecca, said in a form of a joke, however I wasn't humoured by it what so ever. Rebecca had always found my soft ways a little laughable and I had always found her hard exterior a little cruel. I took a deep inhale of breath as the four girls watched me.

"Nothing, just…" I sighed and rubbed the wet off my cheeks. "I found out something I never knew before tonight." I growled my red eyes glaring at nothing but my mind imagining George in my sight.

"Oh you've got to give us more than that!" Danielle another of the girls whined, she was the gossip of Hogwarts, if there was news to be told somewhere down the line she would have told it. She and Rebecca went hand in hand, much like Tabitha and I. I shook my head and let out a small laugh.

"If there was any more would I really be telling you it Danielle?" My comment causing laughter to come from the other girls however it was only a sarcastic grin that appeared on Danielle's lips. I sniffed and shot a glance to Tabitha which told her that I didn't want to talk about it now, her look went from confused to understanding and she looked around the room.

"I think it's best we let her sleep girls, she looks like she's had enough drama for one night don't you think?" She smiled looking at the girls individually.

"Oh and here it goes! Tabitha swoops in to stand up for Verity, no change there then?" Rebecca piped up again, her words gaining some laughter from Danielle's corner. Tabitha just shot the pair a look that told them to shut up.

"Well someone has to Rebecca, remember that time V was being picked on by Everette in Herbology, it was just last year and V looked to her fellow roommate to help her out in her argument. She obviously didn't take into account that the roommate she was hoping to help her out was you and you're just a cold hearted cow!" Tabitha hissed at Rebecca gaining her a scowl from the latter girl.

"She's a grown girl Tabitha! She can stick up for herself, or at least should try to!" Rebecca growled back I just rolled my eyes and looked away from the argument; the pair had similar fights all the time, that's just what you get when you get two alpha females living under one roof. It drove Danielle, Rose, who was the third and extremely timid girl, and I insane, we three, would often come to agreements of leaving them behind and going to class or breakfast, but in the off chance it happened to be before lights out, like tonight, one of us would normally step in. I took it upon myself this time as my eyes landed on a bunch of roses that were freshly sitting on the chest of drawers. I wandered towards them.

"Ooh, whose are these then?" I asked to the room pointing at the new addition to our room.

"She's shy and very vulnerable! You can't just expect a girl like that to go shouting her mouth off to someone like Everette!" Tabitha ignored my question and continued in her argument.

"They're Tabitha's." Rose quietly informed me from the corner. "From one of the Weasley brothers or something." I grinned knowing exactly who they were from and as I stepped the final step towards the flowers and touched the beautiful glass vase they were in. The small petals of them started twisting and before I knew it they were all in the shapes of small mouths and from one of the mouths came out a small tune.

"Ooooohh yeahhhh" One flower sang out to me I stared in bewilderment.

"Girrl, sometimes it's really hard for people…

To come out and admit that they are wrong.

And although he won't be admitting it around the steeple

He's showing you he's like this in our song.

So although you may think it's unreasonable

And maybe you'll think it's a little measly

We are begging you for him to be reasonable

And please forgive Fred Weasley!" The tune ended and the roses twisted back round and went back to their usual beautiful pose I just stood in shock, it appeared that all the girls had stopped what they were doing in shock of the roses.

"Okay, I had no idea that was going to happen." I mumbled Danielle let out a cackle

"I don't think any of us did! Did you Tabitha?" Danielle asked I turned to look at the girl the question was directed at to see her grinning.

"Yeah I knew it was going to happen, I just wanted to see your reactions. It happened when I first picked them up outside. Obviously they react when someone touches them." Tabitha explained, I sharply looked back around at the roses as though expecting them to have smug little looks on their faces for their amazing performance that had the whole room in shock, they didn't.

"That was fantastic magic!" Rose squeaked out, being the book worm of the room she would be impressed.

"That was amazing." Rebecca finally commented. "You should marry that boy." With this the whole room laughed, except me, I just stared at the roses my eyes narrowing into a glare as George Weasley's words rang in my ears.

'He doesn't fancy her.'

'She's too young.'

Suddenly the roses didn't carry that much appeal to me anymore as I turned my back on them and walked over to my bed. I clambered into something to sleep in and quickly got into bed. As I sighed and laid my head down on to the soft pillow I couldn't help but think about George and what he had said to me, I frowned as his serious face appeared in my mind thinking about his words. How if he didn't feel like his brother should have the kind of morals where he dates girls the same age as his sister does this mean George has those kind of morals? And why on merlin's beard did I even care so much? It's not like I wanted George like that, did I? No, I couldn't, could I? Not George, it's just a school girl crush… Or maybe one of those moments when you know you can't have something so you just want it more you know? My head was beginning to hurt from how hard I was frowning at all the thoughts swimming through my brain. This made me decide I did no longer want to think about such things, I pushed the thoughts out of my head and thought about something else that had happened tonight instead. I had single-handedly managed to stop an argument between Rebecca and Tabitha without having to threaten to curse them or anything, and that thought left me proud enough to go to sleep with a smile on my face.