CHAPTER 12: George's Little Implications
(Author's Note: the story will be temporarily told in third voice)
A week after the incident at the Burrow, Ron was released from St. Mungo's and was allowed to return home. Mrs. Weasley tended to his needs until he felt better. After the fainting stunt, everyone noticed that Ron was a bit jumpy and sullen all the time. He locked himself a lot in his room, and the strange eagle owl kept on visiting his window. Mr. Weasley asked him if it was the Malfoy owl, but he just sneered at him. No one really knew him now, even his mother.
And soon enough, it was time to return to Hogwarts. It will be the start of the trio's fifth year and the twins' seventh.
After their severe fight and his flight to the Diagon Alley, Fred had been distant to Hermione. He came back to their house two days after, but his warmth towards Hermione was never the same. It didn't take even half of her brains to notice that. As the two empty their house with what stuff they have to take to Hogwarts, Fred looked at Hermione with a pained look at his face. Finally, he spoke the words Hermione painstakingly waited for so long.
"We can't start the year like this. In a few months I'll be leaving Hogwarts for good. And I want our last months together to be the best we ever had."
Instead of a smile, Hermione responded with an ample whack on Fred's head. They burst out laughing.
The train ride to Hogwarts was the worst the trio had in years. Ron rode with them as usual, but was trying so hard to ignore them. After a couple of hours, he gave up and went out of the compartment. Harry noticed that he was headed in the direction of the Slytherin compartment, but as he went to tell Hermione this, Fred and George went in.
"Oi, don't mind the bloke. He'll come to his senses some old time." George said.
Fred didn't say anything. He didn't have to. He jailed Hermione in his arms in an instant.
"Maybe we shall start hugging too, Harry?" George said with a smirk, jarring them apart. "You'll have to save that for the dormitories Freddie!"
"George! Hermione will never consent that. Will you Hermione?"
"Don't even think about asking again."
"Last time I heard, start of term should be celebrated, not celibated."
"Shut up George. And the word is celibate. Freddie here will be able to wait till I'm ready, don't you love?" Hermione said with a just-say-yes expression.
"What else can I do?" Fred conceded.
Shortly after that, the train came into Hogsmeade, and they were in Hogwarts again in a jiffy. The twins devoured the Feast mouthful by mouthful, only to feel nauseous at the sight of their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. It was the toad-like woman called Dolores Umbridge.
The twins have a bad feeling about their last year. Luckily, they have lots of stuff up their sleeves, quite literally and figuratively.