Chapter 10 - Hiding Places
That evening Hermione rounded the corner of a fifth floor corridor, her ears and eyes alert as ever. She took her Prefect duties very seriously, and since it was past curfew all students (apart from herself of course) should be in their common rooms. But Hermione heard laughter and loud voices from halfway down the corridor. She picked her ears up again, making her way towards the sound. She stopped in front of a painting of a young boy and girl sitting in a haystack in a field. They gave her a cheerful wave and went back to their conversation. They were not the ones making the noise, which had gotten much louder as she stood before the painting. Hermione leaned her ear towards the painting, placing a hand on the wall to balance herself. Yes, the laughter was definitely coming from behind the painting, just as she had suspected.
"Is there a room behind your painting?" she asked the young boy and girl. They looked at her, then silently to each other, as if asking a question. They then peered back at the Fifth Year student standing in front of them.
Suddenly there was a loud "BOOM!" from behind the painting, making Hermione jump back.
"If there are students hiding in there, you better let me in!" she demanded the two youngsters. "It's past curfew and I'm a Prefect!"
"Oughtn't to ma'am," the boy said in a thick country accent. "Is private business," he grinned, poking his young counterpart in the ribs. She let out a high-pitched giggle, and covered her face with her hands.
"I demand you let me in now!" Hermione ordered. "I have a nasty feeling I know who's in there anyway!"
"Not likely," said the boy, frowning. "Tis none of your business Ma'am. I mustn't let you in, tis Masters' instructions. And I no go against my Masters."
"How dare you! I know its students hiding in there; it's my duty to report them!"
Without warning the painting swung open and a tall red-head poked his head out.
"Quiet down will you Hermione!" Fred exclaimed. "I can hear you shouting all the way from my lab."
"Your…..what?" Hermione breathed. Fred rolled his eyes, grabbed her jumper sleeve and pulled her in behind the painting. Fred was already walking down a narrow passageway, which the painting had been concealing, by the time Hermione had caught her breath and took in her surroundings.
"Now Books," he was saying. "This is George and my secret and you're not to be going shooting your mouth off." Hermione had opened her mouth to protest, but Fred had stopped walking, whirled around with his hand up to stop her.
"I know you're a Prefect, blah blah blah, but for once, let it slide. We're doing this for everyone's amusement; give everyone something to smile about in the dark times like these."
"I wasn't going to say anything," she lied. Fred raised an eyebrow in disbelief, but chose not to respond. Instead he turned again, leaning her down the passageway, to Hermione's astonishment was quite long, and into a large room. It was as large as their common room, but in the middle there were roughly ten tables, all filled with cauldrons, that were bubbling and brewing, various potion ingredients' were scattered on the tables, some spilling onto the floor. Different coloured steam and smoke were rising to meet above her head. "I wish he wouldn't swagger like that", Hermione thought. "It's quite distracting".
"Merlin, Fred! What are you thinking bringing Hermione in here? We're in big trouble now!" George cried, breaking Hermione's concentration from Fred's behind.
"It was our dear little Hermione that was doing all that shouting, George. Had to bring her here to keep her quiet, didn't I?"
"And what makes you think she won't go running to McGonagall and we end up in a month's detention?" his twin asked.
"George, calm down, Books won't spill. I've a trick up my sleeve to keep her quiet," Fred grinned.
"Really?" George slid closer to his brother, intrigued.
"I am here, you know," Hermione spoke up.
"Course you are!" exclaimed Fred, throwing his arm around her shoulders. "How could we forget we are in the presence of our favourite little bookworm!"
"Less of the little," Hermione retorted wiggling from under Fred's arm. "I wouldn't be so small if you weren't so tall and gangly."
"Gangly!" shouted the twins in disgust.
"I resent that, Books, we're manly, not gangly," said Fred, rubbing his hands over his biceps. Hermione had to peel her eyes away before her thoughts got all in a tangle. Why did he have this effect on her? She wanted to reach out and feel his biceps herself. She cleared her throat and wandered over to the nearest table.
"What are you two up to?" she enquired, peering into a cauldron.
"I told you, Books, this is our lab. I thought you listened?" Hermione whirled around to tell Fred off but upon seeing the grin on his face stopped her in her tracks. He was only teasing she told herself, turning her attention back to the cauldron.
"This is where we make our products, for Weasleys Wizard Wheezes," Fred explained. "I've already told you George and I are going to open a joke shop, well, this is the beginning." George looked at his twin sceptically.
"It's ok," Fred whispered to him. "She's not gonna tell, trust me."
"What hold have you got over her?" George whispered back.
"He hasn't got any hold over me," Hermione chimed in. The twins gazed at her.
"Funny how men always think you can't hear when they're talking about you," she said, running her hands over a forgotten quill.
"Have you any products for girls?" she asked, peering into another cauldron.
"All our products are unisex Hermione," George said, thinking she was about to lecture them on equal rights.
"Yes, but products that would appeal more to girls."
"Like?" Fred prompted.
"Oh, I don't know, like a love potion or a daydream charm."
"A daydream charm?" George smirked.
"Yes, you know, something that will make you daydream for ten minutes or so, like a guy coming and sweeping you off your feet, but it feels real…" she said as her eyes lost focus and she looked like she had gone off on a daydream of her own. Fred hoped she had himself pictured in her mind.
George cleared his throat, making Hermione jump.
"Looks to me like you don't need a daydream charm Hermione," he teased. She blushed furiously, before meeting Fred's eyes briefly and started walking along the table again. "Like you'd ever get me up on a broomstick," she muttered. "What's this?" She asked, peering into yet another cauldron.
But before either twin could answer her question, she spoke again. "Or maybe some cute furry little pets," She went on, as if she had never asked a question. "Or a potion that makes you come out with cheesy chat up lines to every girl you meet!"
"Ah, now, you're onto something there!" George said, slapping his hands together in glee, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Hermione jumped at the sound, looking nervously at George.
"Oh Merlin," she said, realising what she had done. "Forget I said anything."
"Not at all Books, you have a few decent ideas for a goody two shoes. Anymore in that brilliant brain of yours?" Fred beamed.
Hermione rolled her eyes and made towards the exit. "I don't want to know. If I don't know then I don't have to report you." Fred reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Hold on a minute Books. We've told you our secret, now tell us yours."
Hermione laughed.
"What? I've no secret to tell. Anyway, George didn't have an option with your secret, you took it upon yourself to invite me in," she replied.
"What's the weapon? How come you have to be there to protect Harry? How come Dumbledore can't protect him, why does it have to be you?" Fred asked all in a rush.
Hermione snatched her hand out of Fred's. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she snapped.
"We heard your conversation with Dumbledore," George confessed. Hermione looked shocked.
"What did you hear?" she asked nervously shifting from one foot to the other.
"Everything," Fred breathed. Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"Are you a vampire? A werewolf?" George asked. Hermione's shoulders notably relaxed.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said again, before leaving the room and walking down the passageway back to the school.
"This is driving me crazy," Fred said, turning to George. "Why won't she tell me?"
"Tell you? Just because you fancy her Fred doesn't mean she's gonna tell you and not me," George said, sticking his tongue out. He knew however, of the late night conversations Hermione and Fred had at Grimmauld Place over the summer even though Fred had never mentioned them. He saw the longing looks Fred gave her whenever she was about and he knew that they had formed a bond that was starting to become very serious.
"Come on, we'd better get off to bed," signed Fred, giving up and lifting his schoolbag onto his shoulder, the twins ambling off to their dorm.