Hermione's POV
To say that McGonagall was mad would have been an understatement.
Umbridge whisked us away to the stone gargoyle, excitedly saying the password. As it revealed the staircase, she shooed us up it, seeming to forget who we were in her excitement. Fred and George shot her deadly glares as she opened the door to the office, and I couldn't help but agree. She was finding too much enjoyment out of this. It was suspicious.
Sitting down in the offered chair, I decided to steal a glance at the twins. George was smirking slightly, whispering something to Fred. The latter hissed menacingly under his breath, mopping the blood from his nose with a conjured handkerchief. George just shrugged, winking at me. Wait, he winked at me?
I didn't have long to dwell on it before McGonagall rushed in through the door, Madame Pomfrey behind her. She glared at the twins, her mouth a thin line of anger. Madame Pomfrey rushed to Fred, moving his hand so she could examine his nose.
"Broken, with a slight concussion." The medi-witch mumbled to herself. She straightened up, turning to face the Headmistress. "Send him to me when you are through, please, Minerva. I must go see to Mr. Malfoy." She left promptly, muttering to herself.
Umbridge strode forward, standing near the desk. Her gleeful smile was hidden behind a mask of fake concern. "Minerva-"
"Not now, Dolores. I know your thoughts, but I would like to hear why this happened before we discuss punishment. Miss Granger, would you care to explain?" Clearing my throat, I began to talk.
I related the story as best I could, omitting only hitting Fred. McGonagall's temper flared further during my narration. Her death stares lost the icy calm she operated with and slowly gained the fire of her anger. After a few moments, I stopped, allowing Umbridge to say her piece.
"I was alerted by the screams of young Mr. Malfoy, Minerva. After seeing him safely to the Hospital Wing, I set forth in the direction he had pointed to. Who should I stumble upon but the Misters Weasley and our Head Girl? I immediately brought them here."
McGonagall stood up from behind her desk, coming to stand in front of it. "Is that what transpired?"
Umbridge coughed slightly. "Yes. I should think that an appropriate punishment-"
"Thank you, Dolores. You may go." McGonagall interrupted, fixing her with a glare.
She huffed crossly as she left. As the door closed behind her, McGonagall muttered a spell, locking it. Once done with her task, she returned her gaze to us.
"Wandering about the school at night, pranking the Head Boy? Do you two know no shame?" She said pointedly to the twins. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"
George looked at her, the trademark Weasley grin on his face. "Well, Minnie, I do think the spell was a success. It needs a little tweaking before we market it, mind you."
The Headmistress's nostrils flared, her eyes blazing. It was a shock to me that the twins weren't cowering, but then again, they had been caught before.
She walked to her desk, drawing parchment from a drawer. Her quick writing soon filled the page, and when she was done, she attached it to her tawny owl's leg. It took off out the window, heading for the Forbidden Forest.
"Your mother has been notified," She informed them. The twins gasped. "And you receive two detentions each and ten points will be taken from Gryffindor. Now, Mr. Weasley, do take Mr. Weasley straight to the hospital wing."
George stood, dragging his brother with him. Fred stood, glaring at the professor. His eyes passed over me, but George leaned down, whispering "Nice job" in my ear before leaving. The door shut with a click, leaving only McGonagall and I in the office.
She looked at me, a mixed expression taking form. Her eyes were sympathetic, but her tone was still stern as she began to speak. "Do not think I don't know it was you who hit him, Hermione."
I paled slightly, looking down. This was it. She was going to take away my badge. She let out an exasperated sigh.
"While I do not condone violence, I do not blame you for your actions. You remind me a lot of Mr. Potter's mother at times like these. In her seventh year, James stole some of her personal items and displayed them quite publicly. Enraged, she stalked over to him and punched him in the middle of the Great Hall. It was quite a sight, even though I was forced to give her detention. You will not receive one, but five more points will be taken from Gryffindor."
With a sigh, I stood, ready to leave. "Do stop by the Hospital Wing and get your hand checked. Goodnight, Miss Granger." I nodded before slipping out the door.
The halls remained empty as I walked to the Hospital Wing. Light shone from the open door. I stepped in, looking around. Draco was asleep on a bed, his face covered in scratches and bites. I winced in sympathy, my eyes continuing their circuit. George leaned against a sill while Fred was in Madam Pomfrey's office, having his face fixed. Walking over to the former, I was relieved to see he was smiling.
"Hello, Hermione." He said cheerfully. I kept a guarded expression on my face. It was nice he wasn't furious at my actions, but what he did to Draco was still angering. "Relax, 'Mione. I swear, if looks could kill..." He trailed off as Fred emerged from the office.
"Hermione." He breathed, looking at me. As he did, I felt all my earlier anger return, but forced myself to contain it. He walked over, stopping next to George. His brother tensed, giving me a cautious look.
"Fred, c'mon, let's go." He muttered quickly. Fred just shook his head, stepping towards me.
"Hermione-"
"It's over, Fred." He froze, his outstretched hand falling. I shut my eyes, unwilling to see his expression. The words had slipped out, but, strangely, I didn't regret them. With my good hand, I rubbed at my temples, trying to stop the impending headache. I turned to the window, pressing my forehead against its cool panes.
"Are... are you serious?" Fred said, his voice breaking. The pain in his voice was evident, and it hurt to hear. Was I sure? I didn't even know at that point. My emotions were a jumbled mess. So much had happened in the last couple months, and especially the last few days; I was having trouble processing it all.
"Yes." I whispered, holding back tears. Someone once told me stress was a killer, but thinking on it, they were wrong. Love is the killer, and we are its helpless victims.
George gasped. I wanted to turn, to take Fred in my arms and apologize, but something stopped me. It was the rational part of my brain, finally deciding to reappear. Thoughts of everything that had happened rushed through me, strengthening my fleeting resolve.
"Fine." Fred said softly. I listened as he left, his footsteps fading. George must have followed, because as I turned around I saw neither.
Forcing myself to remain impassive, I walked over to the door of Madam Pomfrey's office. She sat at the desk, busily ruffling papers.
"Miss Granger?" She asked curiously, looking up at me. "What're you doing here?"
"Professor McGonagall told me to have my hand checked before I went back to Gryffindor tower." The medi-witch nodded, standing up. She beckoned me closer, and started her examination. Clucking her tongue, she tapped my hand sharply, sending pricks of pain through it.
"A bad sprain, I'm afraid. That should fix it, but go easy on it for the next few days. Have your boyfriend help carry your books if you need to." I choked up at her words, willing her to be done. With a small smile, she released me.
The common room was quiet when I arrived back. Climbing up the girls' staircase, I could feel my exhaustion in bones. Without bothering to change, I flopped onto my bed, hoping the next day would go better than this one had.
I woke from my dreams with a small shriek. A cold hand was touching my face, and reflexively, I grabbed for my wand. A small chuckle made me open my eyes, and I saw Ginny standing over me.
"Good morning, sleepy." She said pleasantly. I sat up, noting how empty the dormitory was. "Don't worry. We have two free periods this morning, so I let you sleep in. We can get food down in the kitchens." I nodded numbly, the events of yesterday catching up with me.
Ginny watched me, concerned. She sat on the bed next to me, resting a hand on my arm. "What happened?"
Everything spilled out of me like a volcanic eruption. Ginny listened with a shocked face as I related the patrol, and she gasped when I told her of my hitting Fred.
"You hit him? Did you break his nose? Merlin's socks, this is priceless!" She exclaimed. I smiled a little at her antics.
"There's more." I whispered. She let me continue. When I told her of what happened in the Hospital Wing, I felt tears fill up my eyes. As I finished, I bowed my head, letting the salty drops fall onto my hands.
"Oh my..." She said quietly. I felt her arms engulf me in a hug, and I returned it, glad she wasn't mad with me.
"I'm going to kill him. How much more of a prat could he have been? Is he taking lessons from Ron or something?" Ginny ranted angrily as we walked down the staircase. The common room had few people in it, but all were younger years. I practically cried out with relief.
We took our passage down to the dungeons, walking towards the painting of fruit. I reached up, tickling the pear. The handle appeared, and soon we were standing inside the kitchens.
"How can we help, Misses?" A tiny elf squeaked. Ginny requested breakfast, and they scurried off, soon returning with a platter heaped with kippers and eggs. Sitting down at one of the small tables, Ginny kept ranting.
"We should die his hair green." She declared, taking a bite of toast. I laughed at her. Her ideas of revenge had gone from sane to crazy within a few moments, but it was a welcome distraction.
I ate my food slowly. In all honesty, I really wasn't hungry, but it was just easier to eat. Glancing at my wrist, I gasped when I saw we only had five minutes to get to Potions. It may be in the dungeons, but it was further back, meaning we would have to hurry. That, and it was better to be early. There was a lesser chance of Snape trying to dock points.
"Ginny, we need to get to Potions!" I said frantically. She rolled her eyes but finished, and we departed for class.
A crowd was gathered outside the door, a mixture of students from all four houses. Fred stood near the door, talking with George and Harry. He glanced at us as Gin and I walked up but quickly turned away. I didn't miss the hurt look on his face.
Ginny skipped up to Harry, kissing him on the cheek. She glared at Fred, opening her mouth to say something. Fortunately, she caught my warning look. Instead, she shut her mouth, her eyes shooting daggers at him.
I wandered to stand near Luna. Looking around, I didn't see Draco. Shouldn't he have been out of the Hospital Wing by now?
"Hello, Hermione. You are looking nicely Nargle free today." Luna said dreamily. I smiled at her words, silently accepting the compliment.
The door to Snape's classroom flew open, letting loose a tide of third years. They all stood at least two feet under most of the seventh years, making it almost comical to watch as they weaved through. When the door was cleared, I slipped in, heading for my desk. Ginny and Luna sat on either side of me, thankfully. I had forgotten that I normally sat with Fred.
"Sit down." Snape ordered coldly. He stood behind his desk, staring at the class. Quietly, I grabbed my textbook from my bag. "Five points from Gryffindor."
The students of said house moaned in unison. Every class with Snape left us with less points than before. He had become ruthless in his punishments, once giving a poor first year detention for breathing too loudly. Between him and Umbridge...
He walked to the black board, flicking his wand. Writing appeared on its surface. "Today we will be making one of the most complicated potions known to wizards. This potion, if properly brewed, will regrow bones."
"The method is in your textbook and on the board for those who were foolish enough to forget their books. Partner up!"
I looked at Ginny. She nodded, and set about gathering needed ingredients. Lighting a fire, I set up my cauldron. This was a complicated thing to brew, and I relished the challenge of it.
A half hour passed with no problems. Our potion was bubbling steadily, the murky green liquid slowly clearing of color. The potion was to be almost clear when finished, which would take a few days.
I walked up the store cupboard, putting away extra ingredients. Snape was sitting at his desk, grading papers and glaring at the students. My mind whirled with thoughts. He and Umbridge seem to have it in for the Gryffindors...
Snape looked up, seemingly oblivious to the fact I was watching him. He gazed about the room, his eyes finally landing on the twins. A small, dark smile lit up his face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. I finished quickly, hastening back to my seat. It couldn't be...
"Ginny!" I hissed, sitting down. She jerked, having been half asleep.
"What?" She muttered crossly, resting her head back on her arms.
"Those voices we heard, what if-" I trailed off, watching a black cloaked figure approach us.
"What if what?" She demanded, opening her eyes.
"Enjoying your nap, Miss Weasley?" Snape drawled, glaring down at her. Every one turned to look at us. "I think a detention will wake you up."
Ginny groaned audibly as Snape strode back to his desk. "Third one this week..."
"How?" I asked in disbelief.
"I hexed a Slytherin, got to Transfiguration late because of it, and now this." She listed off. I restrained a chuckle, adopting a stern face.
"Your brothers are a bad influence." I scolded mockingly. She laughed, winking at George and Fred.
"So, what were you saying?" Gin asked seriously, after making a face at the confused duo.
"What if those voices we heard were teachers?" I began. She raised a brow skeptically, but didn't interrupt. "Not just any teachers, though. What if those voices belonged to Snape and Umbridge?"
Her face paled, taking this in. She shuddered violently. "This is too many levels of creepy. The two most hated teachers at Hogwarts teaming up? It makes sense though; Umbridge would be going on about the Ministry. But who're they trying to expel?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but I wasn't able to. Across the room a potion had just exploded in a brilliant array of yellow sparks. Shrieks echoed in the room as it hit a Ravenclaw. The girl fell to the floor, out of my view. The class scrambled, each trying to get away. Grabbing Ginny, I pulled her under the table, hoping to not get hit with stray liquid. Her head banged off the top as she recovered herself.
"I hate Potions."
Fred's POV
"One day 'til Halloween!" I shouted at George, who was lounging on his bed. He fell off, landing on the floor with a loud thud. I shut the door behind me, struggling not to laugh.
"Way to alert me to your presence, mate." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. I flopped back onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. Excitement coursed through me at the thought of the next day. It was going to be a prank to beat all pranks. Our names would be going down as Hogwarts legends.
The door suddenly flew open, revealing figure of a girl. "Knock, knock."
"What do you want, Gin?" George asked, a maniacal smile spreading across his face. I caught his wink and sat up, joining in with my own evil cackle.
"You two can be scary sometimes, you know that?" She replied, sitting down next to George. "Madmen, the both of you. Sometimes, I feel like the only sane Weasley."
"You aren't sane; you're just better at hiding your crazy." I shot back. She laughed, leaning against the bed post.
"So, what dastardly plan have you three concocted this time?"
George and I exchanged looks, opting to confuse her instead of just telling her. "What three?"
"We don't know-"
"-what you mean, little sister, but-"
"-last we checked-"
"-and it was only yesterday-"
"-there are only two of us." We finished in unison. She let out a very unfeminine snort.
"Try again."
I startled rambling. "Well, there was Lee, but he's gone-"
"-Oliver, too, but he left-"
"-Peeves is always helping us-"
"-like with the pink bow we put in Snape's hair our first year-"
"Stop." Ginny demanded, shaking her head. "Two things, one, I know you are working on a prank with Harry. Second, oww, my head! Seventeen years of living with you two and that still gets me."
I high-fived George, enjoying the moment. Since Hermione and I ended, I'd been throwing myself into pranks and Quidditch. Thinking about her hurt, so I did the next best thing: I ignored it. Some part of me was hoping I'd wake up and it would all be a dream, even if it was a crappy one. Regretfully, that wasn't the case. Ginny coughed, drawing my attention once again.
"So what do you have planned?"
"Something that Hogwarts will never forget!" George said, a serious look on his face.
"You say that every time you pull a prank, George. Just tell me!"
Her pleas were interrupted by Harry entering, the Invisibility Cloak held tenderly in his arms. "Hey, you guys read- Ginny?"
Ginny stood up, walking towards him. "How'd I guess you'd show up here?" She reached up to kiss him quickly, leaving. He just stood there with an expression dreamy enough to match Luna's.
"Hey, Potter, when you stop fantasizing about snogging my sister, we can go." George snarled, his laugh breaking into it halfway. I coughed, half heartedly trying to cover my own laugh. Harry didn't even notice.
"You know, Gred, I think he needs a Weasley special." I said, watching the Boy Who Lived.
"Forge, I think you're right." Waving his wand, George conjured a bucket full of water. I grabbed it, walking over to Harry. Somehow, through this all, he remained completely out of it. George followed, grabbing the Cloak. With a laugh, I dumped it on Harry's head, watching as he yelped in surprise and shock.
"Cold!" He nearly screamed, shivering madly. When he looked up and saw us watching him, the confusion shifted to a mocking form of anger. "Gits." He then reached for his wand, charming himself dry. George snickered as Harry pulled off his shoes, dumping water out of them. He finished his task, standing up straight to glare at us.
"Feel better?" I asked, putting on an innocent face. He shot me a pointed look, and I then realized the bucket was still in my hands. "Oh, ah, pay no attention the the bucket in the handsome young ginger's hands."
George snickered, tossing the Cloak to Harry. "Let's go."
We filed out the door, stopping at the top of the stairs. Boys from the younger years stood below us, chatting. With a grin, I moved to stand by the railing, kicking the base shaped like a lion's paw. The stairs shifted quickly, morphing into a slide much like the one on the girls' staircase. The gathered slipped on it, falling down to the common room.
"Wow." Harry breathed, staring open mouthed at it. Without a second to lose he jumped onto it, sliding down. "Yeah!"
Sharing a look with George, we stepped on together, racing down.
At the bottom was a crowd of Gryffindors. The boys that had fallen were either lying in a heap on the ground or standing nearby, watching curiously. Harry neared the bottom, jumping over the students on the floor. He landed easily next to a beaming Ginny.
George and I reached the bottom, which was now clear of persons. The crowd applauded as we bowed.
"C'mon, Harry, we need to get foods from the kitchens."
With that, we were out the portrait hole, and under the Cloak. We traveled in silence until we reached the second floor, ducking into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. The door opened noiselessly.
Harry wandered over to a sink, figuring the spout with an odd expression. I sat down on the floor, pulling out parchment and the Marauder's Map. George started whistling, watching the ceiling from where he lay.
"Peeves?" I called.
A loud raspberry sounded. Peeves shot down from the ceiling, landing just over where I sat.
"You called, me thinks. Tomorrow will be great, oh yes. The toad shall see her doom!" He cackled happily, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
I spread out the parchment, watching as the moonlight lit up its words: Operation Orange Avengers.
Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.
Author's Note: I get the feeling that someone will want to throw tomatoes at me for this. -hides- Anyway, another regular update from yours truly. My beta doesn't think that there would be watches in the 90's. I think she forgets what decade she was born in sometimes...
Reviews are like sunshine on a cloudy day! :D