Hogwarts High II
By Siriusly Amused

Author's Note: Anyone ever read Shakespeare's Richard III? Boring play. And I'm a fan of Shakespeare too. I just spent the past hour skimming the first three Acts and…yeah…I can't continue it at the moment, so I thought I'd write. I wasn't actually planning on starting this chapter so soon; I wanted to get ahead in my homework before I did, but I have gotten some really nice reviews, and…well…I guess I like you guys too much. Oh, and Lost But Found…I think you gave me the longest review in history! It's huge! And it was actually your massive review that made me decide to neglect my homework somewhat this weekend and write this. So everyone thank Lost But Found!

Another Author's Note: I've been wondering for awhile now whether or not I should up the rating of this fic. Movies automatically get an R rating if they have the F word in them, and this fic has the F word at least once per chapter, I think. Granted, HHI also had a few F words thrown about and no one has ever complained about them to me, so they can't be all that offensive. Plus, anyone who has gone to high school has heard the F word at least once per day, if not more. But it's not only the F words (which, like I said, don't seem to offend anyone), but now that sex has finally come into the picture (although it's not explicit), I just really wonder about whether or not I'd be safer with a higher rating. A part of me feels as though the T rating is fine, but another part of me worries that someone will read this fic and be offended by more than just OOC characters. So…any comments about what I should do with that? Ponder it while you read the chapter, and get back to me later.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns most of the characters…I also don't own many other things…like Power Rangers…and the song Zoot Suit Riot.

Chapter Ten
Publish My Love

••• Bill •••

"I don't want to know," I said hollowly as I stared at the sight in front of me. It was the Monday after Thanksgiving and I had just gotten off of work when my cell phone rang and a frantic Ron ordered me to meet him at the mall. Thinking something was wrong, I quickly sped over and found Ron, the twins and Noelle in the juniors section of some department store. Both twins were clad in dresses and appeared to be arguing ardently with Noelle; Ron merely watched this exchange, his face contorted between horror and amusement.

Fred, who was dressed in a low cut, burgundy dress, immediately looked at me.

"Bill, look at this!" he demanded, pointing to his exposed chest. "Look how effing low cut this dress is!" he continued. "You can see my nipples if I bend over!" And to prove his point, he bent over.

"For the last time, Fred," Noelle huffed exasperatedly, grabbing a hold of Fred's shoulder and forcing him to stand upright before his exposed nipples scared some small, impressionable child. "The reason why the dress appears so low cut on you is because you have NO BOOBS!"

Fred blushed and crossed his arms over his chest as if shielding his nonexistent boobs.

"Well, okay," George piped up angrily, "so we have no boobs. That still doesn't change the fact that this dress is WAY TOO SHORT!" He pointed to the dress that he was wearing: a short, one shouldered, emerald green thing. "You can see my boxers when I bend over!" He also bent over to prove his point, and I caught a glimpse of his Power Ranger boxers before I closed my eyes and shook my head, willing it all to be just a bad dream.

"You're too tall to be wearing that dress, George!" Noelle explained. "Of course it's short on you!"

Both twins suddenly glared at me.

"What do you think, Bill?" Fred asked. "Would you let Ginny wear these things?"

I blinked stupidly for a moment as I caught on to what was going on.

"Oh, these dresses are for Ginny!" I exclaimed loudly, relief flooding my chest. "I thought that maybe you two have chosen an alternate lifestyle that I needed to be supportive of or something!"

Fred and George's jaws dropped in shock and Ron laughed.

"Good one, Bill," Ron commented. The twins looked as though they were contemplating my death.

"I dunno," I said at once, glancing at the dresses my brothers were wearing and scratching the back of my neck. "I think Ginny would look cute in those," I admitted. The twins opened their mouths to protest. "But maybe we could find something else?" I asked, giving Noelle a pleading look.

She looked thoughtful for a moment, biting her lip in concentration as Ron and I stared at her and the twins fumed.

"Well, I did find another dress that would look fantastic on Ginny," she admitted. "But it's a bit pricey," she added, blushing slightly.

Fred and George immediately pulled out their credit cards. "If it's modest, we don't care what it costs!" Fred announced, brandishing his credit card in front of Noelle's face.

She rolled her eyes at his antics.

"I'll go find one in my size and put it on to give you guys some idea of how it'll look on Ginny," Noelle continued, turning on her heel and disappearing among the racks.

"So why are you guys buying Ginny a dress?" I asked Ron, who appeared to be the sanest, and therefore the most likely to give me a straight answer.

"Winter formal," he replied simply, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Ginny doesn't have a dress for it and thinks she can't go. Broke our hearts, so we're buying her one as a joint Chistmas present. Who are you calling?"

Ron gave me a questioning glance as I whipped out my cell phone, tears forming in my eyes at my baby sister's predicament. I waved Ron off impatiently as I listened to the phone ring.

"Hello?"

"Charlie! It's Bill. Our baby sister doesn't have a dress for the school dance!"

"WHAT!?"

"I KNOW! So the twins, Ron and I are pitching in to buy her one for Christmas. You want to contribute?"

"HELL YES! GINNY MUST GO TO THE DANCE! HER LITTLE HEART CANNOT BE BROKEN, I WON'T STAND FOR IT!"

"Great, I'll let you know how much you owe after we buy the dress."

"Should I call Percy?"

"Yeah, he'll probably want to be in on it. Tell him a money order is fine."

"Will do."

"Thanks, man."

"No problem. Let me know how much Perce and I owe."

"Okay. Bye."

I snapped my cell phone closed and grinned at Ron. Ron, however, didn't appear to notice me. His eyes were focusing intensely on something over my shoulder. I turned and saw Noelle. She was blushing slightly, the corners of her mouth pulling into a shy smile as brought her arms to indicate the dress she was wearing.

"Well?" she asked.

"We'll take it!" the twins, Ron and I all exclaimed.

••• Tonks •••

"Dora! I need your help!"

I glanced up from my beer to see Bill slide in the booth across from me at the bar.

"I would love to help you, Bill, but I'm currently trying to drown my sorrows," I replied melodramatically, waving a hand at my booze. Bill furrowed his brow in concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I sighed and leaned back against the leather of the booth. "I think I really hurt Remus. The look on his face when he saw the hickeys…"

"Oh, Dora, I'm sorry," Bill apologized, reaching across the table to cover my hand with his own. "I shouldn't have let myself get so carried away."

"Well, it's not exactly like I stopped you," I reasoned, offering my best friend a small smile. "Anyway," I continued, "what do you need help with? Is Fleur here? Do I need to kiss you or something?" I looked around the bar, half expecting to see a beautiful blonde somewhere in its midst. Bill, however, shook his head.

"For once this isn't about me," he explained. "I need your help with Ginny."

"What about her? Is she alright?"

"Yes, she's fine," Bill replied quickly, waving off my concerned expression. "It's just that…Hogwarts is having a winter formal this Friday."

I groaned audibly. "Don't remind me," I whined. "I had to draw straws with Snape today to see which one of us has to chaperone. I'm convinced the bastard cheated. I now have to put on my dancing shoes and get hit on by drunk seniors."

"I could come with you," Bill offered brightly. "Glare at the inebriated boys and look menacing."

"Well, you do look good in a suit," I reasoned.

"I look fantastic in a suit!"

I smiled at him. "Alright, Weasley, you can come."

Bill grinned widely.

"So what about Ginny and the dance?" I urged, curious as to what he wanted from me.

"Oh right," Bill continued, shaking himself slightly. "So anyway, Ginny's currently under the impression that she can't go because she can't afford a dress. What she doesn't know is that her loving brothers have bought her a dress."

I raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"You guys picked a dress out for her?"

Bill blushed and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, Ron's girlfriend picked it out. We just paid for it. And the shoes. And jewelry. And a purse thingy. Being a girl is so expensive!"

"You have no idea."

"Anyway, we're going to surprise her with her gifts Friday after she gets home from school. But we think she might need some help with her hair and make-up on such short notice."

"Say no more, Weasley; I'm there."

"Yeah?"

"Of course." I grinned at him, and he returned my smile while reaching into his wallet and pushing some money across the table.

"How about a round of drinks?" he asked.

I snatched up the money and rose from the booth. "Sounds good, Weasley. Your usual?" He nodded and I walked to the bar to order.

"Hey, you know you look good in that little skirt?"

Some large, leather-clad, lamewad, had the audacity to lumber up to me. He put a big, beefy hand on my shoulder, his garlic-smelling breath blowing past my cheek.

I shrugged his hand off of my shoulder and grabbed my drinks, turning to make my way back to Bill, but was prohibited by leather-clad lamewad, who wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him.

"Get off of me, asshole," I threatened, turning my face away as he drunkenly attempted to kiss me. I caught a glimpse of a hand tapping lamewad on the shoulder. Garlic breath bastard turned, revealing a pissed off Bill, who punched him.

The gargantuan, leather-favoring idiot fell to the floor, leaving Bill and I to both stare at him incredulously.

"Oh my God!" Bill exclaimed, blinking rapidly at the man he had just throttled. "I've never been in a bar fight before! This is so awesome!"

Lamewad groaned from his spot on the floor, and Bill's eyes suddenly widened in fear.

"Come Tonks," he said, grabbing my hand and making a mad dash to the door. "I don't think I can do it again."

••• Hermione •••

My brain vaguely registered that I was shaking and staring up at Victor with wide, tear-rimmed eyes.

The night had started innocently enough. He had successfully snuck into my dorm for a study session, and our studying was soon interrupted by stolen glances that were replaced by chaste kisses.

One thing led to another.

I had gone as far with him as I did with Ron, and then I kept going; my mind, hazy and lethargic, barely registered what was going on until we were both lying naked under the covers and I felt him pressed up against me. That's when the shaking kicked in.

Victor paused, not daring to go any further when he saw himself reflected in my tears. His thumb gently brushed one off of my cheek, and I turned my head away from his caress, my eyes seeking out the framed photo on my nightstand.

The photo was taken on Ron's sixteenth birthday and contained almost everyone I loved: Ron, Harry, Ginny, the twins, Noelle, Draco, Seamus, Dean, Lavender and Parvati. There were so many of us posing for the camera, that we were all crowded together; I was ensconced firmly between Ron and Harry, safe and sound between their reassuring bodies.

Victor sighed and rolled off of me, staring sadly up at my ceiling.

"Go home, Hermione," he said softly.

"My parents are away on business this week," I replied pathetically, my eyes never leaving the photo. "The house is locked up, and I lost my key."

Victor chuckled hollowly.

"Go home, Hermione," he said again, pointing to the picture. "They're your family."

Victor sat up and reached for his clothes. He dressed silently as I continued to stare at the picture. Could I go home?

Victor finished dressing and crawled over me to get to the window. He opened it and perched on the sill.

"Victor, wait!" I said suddenly. I sat up, using my sheet to cover my chest. He paused and looked back at me, his eyes dull.

"I really do like you," I told him honestly. "I do."

A small smile played across his lips.

"I know," he replied confidently. "Write to me?"

He climbed out of the window and stood on the branch, gazing at me inquisitively.

"Of course I will," I replied adamantly.

He smiled again; I could barely see it in the darkness. "Goodbye, Hermione Granger," he said.

And then he was gone.

For the longest time, I sat naked in my bed, staring out at the darkness that had swallowed Victor up. My mind was filled with soccer players and state lines, of motels and dorm rooms, Ron and Victor.

I reached for my clothes and dressed slowly as my mind became blissfully clear. My legs were shaking and my breathing was erratic as I crossed my room and threw open my closet door.

I reached for my suitcase.

••• Noelle •••

It looked as though every light in the Weasley house was turned on. Each window was golden, shining brightly in the gathering dusk as I pulled into the driveway and put my car in park. The car's interior lights came on and I took the opportunity to look at myself in the rear view mirror.

I had left school an hour early that day so that I could go to the salon. The year before, Ginny and the others had given me a makeover, and throughout the year, I had done nothing to change what they did to me. My hair grew out from the bob cut, but I continued to religiously dye it the red color that they chose for me. I wore the clothes that they had picked out and had done my makeup the way they had showed me every day. And, with a simple trip to the salon, I had changed all that, completely throwing away their guidance to pursue my own look.

The reflection in the rear view mirror showed a girl with a short, choppy haircut, blunt bangs swept to the side and the rest of the hair gathered into a tiny ponytail. The hair was dark red, darker than the red I normally dyed it, and much darker than my actual fiery locks.

My gray eyes were rimmed with black: mascara, eyeliner and a light, shimmery eye shadow. My lips were a glossy red.

My dress was a short, white strapless that I complemented with red, high heeled pumps and a red clutch. My only jewelry was a ring on my finger.

I liked how I looked, but was terrified of what others would think.

"Well, sitting in your car worrying about it won't help," I scolded myself, turning the engine off and getting out.

I walked up to the house, ignoring the chilly wind. No one answered when I knocked, but judging by the loud voices from within, people were home. I opened the door and walked through the darkened laundry room, stepping into the brightened kitchen.

I vaguely registered the twins, who were leaning against the counter, one of them dressed in a suit, the other in casual clothes, staring at me, but I walked past them, my eyes searching for their sister.

It didn't take long to find Ginny. I had only taken one step into the hallway when Ginny dashed from her room, dressed in the outfit I had chosen her, her hair half up. She appeared to be on her way to the lighted bathroom, but she stopped in her tracks when she saw me.

"Noelle!" she exclaimed loudly, her smile reaching her eyes as she rushed towards me and threw her arms around me. "You look so beautiful!" she exclaimed, pulling back to look at me.

"You do too!" I replied, smiling at her, pride welling in my chest as I looked at her.

The dress I had chosen for her was a shimmery gold that ended just above her knees. A large, black, silken belt wrapped around her waist, and golden strings stemming from the bust tied around her neck. Her shoes matched mine, only they were black. She looked gorgeous!

Our moment was suddenly interrupted by Tonks, who stuck her head out from the bathroom, a curling iron in her hand.

"Ginny, come back here, girl, I'm not done curling your hair! You look cute, Noelle," she added as Ginny squealed and scampered back to the bathroom.

It was then that Ron emerged from his bedroom. He looked as though he had just managed to successfully tie his tie, but it only took one look at me for his finger to immediately tug at the garment. It was as though he had trouble breathing. Bill appeared behind Ron. The older Weasley smiled at me before pulling his brother into his bedroom and shutting the door. I wondered what was going on, but decided I probably didn't want to know.

Ginny reappeared from the bathroom, her hair and makeup completely done.

"I just need to grab my clutch!" she said quickly. She pounded on Ron's door as she made her way to her room. "Let's go, Ron!" she yelled.

Ron's door opened and Ron stumbled out, Bill following with a large grin. Ginny joined us happily, grabbed our hands and led us out to the car.

••• Ron •••

Noelle and Ginny entered the gym ahead of me, their hands interlocked as they scurried to our group. I followed and nodded my hellos to Dean, Seamus and Neville as the girls all complimented one another on their dresses.

I felt a slight swell of pride when I realized that Noelle and Ginny were more beautiful than the other girls: Parvati and Lavender had shown up in the same bright pink dress and were upset about it, their despondency downplaying their otherwise good looks, and Luna looked nice in a bright blue dress that was…floaty, but her curled hair had a few too many blue gems in it; I was vaguely reminded of a doll Ginny had when she was little that had gems in its hair.

The music was upbeat with a fast tempo, and it didn't take the girls long to prance away from us guys. They took over the middle of the dance floor, shimmying and grabbing one another. Neville handed me a glass of punch, and I joined my friends in standing against the wall until a slow song came on and the girls fetched us.

With her girlfriends gone, Ginny stood in the middle of the swaying couples looking lost and alone. It was as though her happy bubble had popped, reminding her that despite being surrounded by people, she was still alone.

George, who was still dating his senior girlfriend, Katie, noticed Ginny's predicament. He shuffled Katie over to our sister and put an arm around her while still dancing with his girlfriend. Ginny giggled and swayed with the couple for a moment before taking George's arm from her shoulders and putting it back on Katie's waist. She then turned and waved to me and Noelle as she made her way to the punch table.

"I guess I should dance with her during the next slow song," I commented, jerking my head over towards Ginny.

"That would be sweet, Ron," Noelle replied, gracing me with a brilliant smile. "Maybe while you're dancing with her, I could get Bill to take me for a spin on the dance floor?" she suggested, her eyes finding my eldest brother, who was dancing with my history teacher and sending random boys dirty looks.

I pulled Noelle closer to me protectively. "Don't go falling in love with Bill," I told her, half joking.

She smiled again, relaxing in my embrace, her eyes glancing down at my chest.

"You, uh, really do look gorgeous tonight," I told her quietly, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. Noelle's large eyes gazed at me. I leaned in, my lips close to her ear. "I like what you did with your hair; it suits you."

Noelle stepped closer to me, bringing her own lips to my ear. "After you dance with Ginny, let's leave."

I pulled away from her slightly, shocked. "Leave?" I asked. We hadn't been at the dance fore more than twenty minutes.

Noelle was blushing slightly, but she didn't break eye contact. "We'll come back, obviously. We're Ginny's ride after all, but…let's go somewhere where we can be alone, Ron."

I found it difficult to breathe. Bill had warned me that this would probably happen; I myself half expected it to, but to actually hear her suggest it…

The slow song ended and was replaced by Zoot Suit Riot.

"GINNY LIKES TO SWING DANCE!" I said rather loudly, breaking away from Noelle to take my sister for a spin on the dance floor as quickly as possible.

••• Fred •••

I was slouched on the couch in the darkened living room, aimlessly flipping through the channels on the TV in an effort to amuse myself. Everyone was gone. Mom and Dad had left to go on a couples' weekend to a local winery, and the majority of my siblings were at a school dance that I could not attend. I had called Charlie in the hopes of being able to hang out with him, but Charlie apologetically informed me that he was out at a bar, and seeing as I was only eighteen, I couldn't join him.

Which left me home. Alone. In the dark. With nothing on TV.

I was about ready to give in and call Percy, just to have someone to talk to, when the front door opened and Ron and Noelle stumbled through, kissing one another fervently.

"Is this the night?" I asked awkwardly, my words breaking them apart.

"Fred…hey," Ron greeted. The idiot was beet red. "We were just…uh…"

I sighed and turned off the TV.

"Don't mind me," I said, rising from the couch and entering the kitchen. "I'll just go put the Christmas lights up outside or something."

"Thanks, man," Ron said quickly, grabbing Noelle's hand and leading her into his bedroom before she changed her mind about the whole thing.

I couldn't help but smile a little: Baby Ronnie was going to become a man.

I put my shoes on and went into the laundry room to find the box of Christmas lights. I had just found them when there was a soft knock on the door behind me. I turned, noticing the shadow of someone standing outside, waiting to be let in. I opened the door.

"Oh fuck!" I swore as I gazed down at her.

"Well hello to you too, Fred," Hermione greeted, placing a hand upon her hip and sending me an uncharacteristically sly smirk.

I couldn't help but notice that Hermione had grown beautifully over the last seven months. She wasn't much taller from what I could tell, but she had matured in other ways. Her hair, that she had painstakingly straightened all last year, was back to being curly; but the curls fell softly on her shoulders, and it appeared as though she had cut some bangs. Her bangs – that also curled naturally – were brushed to the side, complementing her pretty face. She was dressed in a teal and white striped T-shirt, with a long-sleeved white shirt beneath it. Her shirt pulled snuggly across her chest, and I found myself gazing from the curve of her breast to the curve of her hip.

I was so entranced by her that I barely registered her hand coming to my chest, shoving me gently back so that she could enter the house. I did, however, notice her luggage.

"You're back," I stated stupidly as she brought her suitcases into the kitchen and set them down upon the floor.

"Yep," she replied, gracing me with a slight smile. "Where is everyone?"

I opened my mouth to answer but was cut off by a thump sounding in Ron's room. Hermione turned her head in the direction of the bedrooms inquisitively.

"Let's go out!" I exclaimed suddenly, rushing into the kitchen and gently taking one of Hermione's hands into my own. Hermione turned back to face me, raising a surprised eyebrow.

"Go out?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah. Let's get something to eat," I clarified a bit. I realized that I was talking quickly and that it was obviously apparent that I was trying to get her out of the house, but I had to try anyway. "I haven't eaten yet, and I'm sure you miss Ern's pizza."

"Well…" but Hermione was cut off by another thump, followed by a laugh.

Her hand slipped through my fingers like water and she was across the kitchen before I could stop her. "Hermione, wait!" I called after her as she walked down the hallway. "Mione, no!" But it was too late; she quietly opened Ron's bedroom door.

She gazed inside for a moment before calmly closing his door again. As far as I could tell, neither Ron nor Noelle had noticed her slight intrusion. She backed up and leaned against the wall, her eyes staring resolutely at the ceiling.

"Hermione," I whispered, coming up to her and cupping her face in my hands. "Hermione, I'm so sorry."

Her eyes left the ceiling and looked right at me as one of her hands circled my wrist.

"Yes," she said quietly, her mouth pulling into the tiniest of smiles.

"Yes?" I parroted in confusion.

"Let's go to Ern's," Hermione continued, gently pushing me away as she turned and reentered the kitchen. She smiled at me over her shoulder. "I'll drive, but you're paying. I ran away from my parents and am broke now."

I smiled and followed her through the kitchen.

"Don't worry, Hermione; I'll take care of you."

••• Draco •••

It was past midnight when I arrived at the darkened Weasley house. I walked up to Ginny's window and tapped lightly, fully expecting her to open it, and when she didn't, I tapped again.

"Ginny?" I called softly, peering in through the window. Her room appeared empty, so I opened the window myself and climbed in. A half an hour later, the door to Ginny's room opened and she stepped in.

"There you are!" I said getting up from my spot on the bed. I blinked as I took her in. "Oh wow," I whispered stupidly.

Ginny smiled and looked down at her gold dress. "Hogwarts had a winter formal tonight," she explained softly. "My brothers made me go."

"Did you save the last dance for me?" I asked, sending her my award-winning smile.

She laughed.

"You're such a dork, Draco."

"No, I'm serious," I replied, walking over to her stereo and finding a slow song on the radio.

"No, you're a dork," Ginny reiterated as I took her into my arms.

"Fine!" I consented. "But I'm your dork."

She smiled once again and took a step closer to me as we danced, resting her head upon my chest and wrapping her arms around my neck. The song ended, and I reached out and turned her stereo off before some loud DJ ruined the moment.

Ginny raised her head and looked right at me; her gaze was like a punch to my gut.

"Ginny," I started, but she reached up and kissed me before I could continue.

A voice in the back of my head told me that I was kissing Potter's girl, and I felt momentarily guilty until another voice told me that Potter's girl was now Jaclyn. This thought reassured me enough to edge Ginny over to her bed.

"I missed you," she whispered between kisses as we settled onto her mattress.

"I know you did," I replied.

My hand snaked up her leg, exploring the smooth skin under her dress as I continued to kiss her.

"Um," she stated uncomfortably as I kissed her neck. "Um, Draco, I…I'm…"

I pulled away slightly, my eyes focused on her face that was flushed with embarrassment. Realization dawned on me, though I found it difficult to understand how Potter had never…when she looked so beautiful.

I kissed her lightly once more before pulling back and getting out of the bed. "G'night, Gin," I said, heading towards the window. "I'll see you next week."

"You…you don't have to go!" Ginny said, following me. I smiled at her.

"Believe me, Gin, I do."

"But…"

I kissed her again.

"I'll see you next week," I told her yet again, climbing out of the window and walking away.

••• Hermione •••

It was close to two in the morning when Fred and I returned to the Weasley house. After Ern's we had walked around town, and I had told him about my horrible experiences at boarding school while he filled me in on Weasels. He didn't mention Angelina once, and I had to wonder whether or not they were still seeing each other.

"You can sleep in here tonight," he whispered, bringing my suitcases into his and George's room.

"Where's George?" I asked, stepping into the twins' room for the first time. It was a mess and smelled strangely enough like burnt leaves.

Fred set my stuff down between the two beds and grinned slyly back at me. "He's not here," he answered simply. My question was truly answered by what Fred didn't say. I blushed and adverted my eyes.

"Oh."

"Which, lucky for us, means that we have a spare bed for you," Fred continued, indicating the bed on my left. "Oh wait," he continued once he saw me inch closer to George's bed.

Fred went to their closet and pulled out some laundered sheets.

"George has a bit of a drooling problem, so we might want to change these," he explained as he began stripping the sheets off of George's bed.

With Fred preoccupied, I walked over to their closet and began looking for a shirt that would be large enough for me to sleep in. Their closet was actually pretty bare, considering that most of their clothes were on the floor. After a second of searching, my hand came into contact with nylon, and I discovered Fred's old Hogwarts High soccer jersey, the number 13 standing out vividly against the red.

I glanced over my shoulder at Fred who had his back to me and appeared to be having trouble changing the sheets. I changed quickly, barely believing that I had the audacity to do so in the same room as Fred.

"There we go!" he said at last, turning around happily. His smile quickly disappeared and his eyes widened as he saw me clad in his soccer jersey. He stared at me intensely for a few agonizing moments before the corner of his mouth pulled impishly upwards. He pulled his shirt over his head and shrugged out of his jeans.

"Goodnight, Granger," he said, getting into his own bed.

"Only Draco can call me Granger," I replied softly as I stepped around the mess on the floor and crawled into George's bed.

"Then what should I call you?"

"Goddess Divine."

Fred laughed and ran a hand over his face.

"It's good to have you back, Hermione."

"It's good to be back," I replied softly, lying on my side and gazing across the room at Fred. He was lying on his back, one hand under his head as the other rested upon his chest. I noticed that he had not bothered to cover up to his chin, opting to show a little skin. I smirked, knowing full well that the twins typically slept in pajamas and that he was showing off. His eyes were closed, though I knew he wasn't asleep yet and could probably feel my gaze upon him.

His lips twisted into a grin.

"I knew you loved me," he said, keeping his eyes clothes.

I dropped my arm to the side of the bed and picked up a balled up sock, throwing it at him.

"In your dreams, Weasley."

"Only Draco can call me that."

"Then what should I call you?"

He opened his eyes and turned his head; the impact of his gaze startled me.

"Fred," he replied before rolling over and falling asleep.

••• Ginny •••

Still clad in their suits from the night before, George and Bill stumbled into the kitchen as Ron and I were silently having breakfast. All four of us looked like hell, and I figured that none of us had gotten much sleep the night before. The two nodded their hellos to us before sitting down at the table and pouring themselves bowls of cereal. Several minutes of silence passed before Fred came into the kitchen from his bedroom. He looked well rested.

"So," he said brightly. "I hope you're all stable because your lives are about to receive a big blow."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Bill moodily asked George, as if expecting a translation. George seemed genuinely confused and shrugged. We all looked at Fred, who smirked and stepped aside.

For a few moments, the silence was deafening. And then…

"HERMIONE!" I exclaimed, rushing forward and tackling my friend with a hug. I vaguely registered Ron swearing under his breath, but I didn't care. Hermione was back.

•••

From: Harry
Sent: December 6
th, 11;45 PM
To: Everyone
Subject: Hello?

Where the hell is everybody tonight? Hello? Did you guys forget me?

Harry

•••

End Author's Note: I am evil; you all know this.

Anyway, I got to the end of this chapter and realized that I forgot Harry in it. Hence the e-mail.

Also, I once said that I expected this story to only be 12 chapters or so. I didn't lie; I really did expect that. But what I didn't expect was that this story has more of a plot than HHI did. Yeah, there's no mafia in this one, but all the characters are dealing with growing up and growing apart. Anyway, this story will end at the end of the school year like HHI did, and seeing as we're now in December, I say we're about halfway.

Before anyone asks, Hermione's still a virgin. Ron is not. Ron's the first out of the trio to lose it, wtf? Eh, he was the only one out of the trio that seemed ready in this fic. I can't help it. My muse is weird and Ron-loving.

And Ginny's dress is the one that Katie Leung wore to the UK OotP premiere.

There's parts of this chapter that I really, really like, and parts that I don't.

It's 3 in the morning; I've been writing for nearly 7 hours straight. I must sleep now. Please review. It makes me happy.