September 1, 1989

Hogwarts, Fred grinned looking around the great hall in awe only taking breaks as his brother shoved or poked him to get his attentiom long enough to point out something. After the 10 or 12 shaves Fred decided he needed to shoved back which triggered a playful shaving war that got them singled out by the old witch with the sorting hat. Not even officially sorted into her house and already getting scolded by her. George stood up straight with a triumphant expressions on his face, he was the last one to get a shave in, but Fred couldn't help but be proud of himself to. They were no doubt going to have so much fun messing with her.

Everyone in their family was a Gryffindor so there wasn't a chance they'd be anywhere else. Fred could see the gears in his brother's brain turning, probably thinking of pranks they could pull on their future head of house. Fred grinned and began formulating his own plans. The best part was their mom was a few million miles too far, give or take but it certainly felt like that long on the train, to give them a hiding if/when they got caught. You need to get caught in order to take credit.

"Fred Weasley" she called his name but his own second to slow and his brother all but skipped over to the stool and planted his butt on it. Fred couldn't hold his giggles, he never could. There was just something so funny about switching places with his identical twin all the time. The fact no one could tell as the old witch put the hat on the wrong boys head.

However the smile on George's face disappeared quickly and he appeared to be arguing with the hat in his brain. After a few sort minutes the hat called out "Slytherin!" and left Fred's mouth to fall to the floor.

His own brother was a slimy SNAKE. All the Gryffindor stared in shock at the Weasley and few Slytherins clapped. A snake with a ponytail was clapping loudly to make up for it and he bloody elbowed the boy beside him to get him to do it to. That action alone proved he was a decent sort of snake.

"George Weasley" Fred stared at his brother in shock and worry. They weren't going to be in the same house. The realization nearly knocked him off his feet "George Weasley!" one of the other first years, Fred couldn't remember how, gave him a nudge reminding him that was him... it wasn't funny anymore

He slowly stepped to the stool looking at his brother and a decision was made seconds before the hat was put on his own head

'Slytherin!' He screamed in his brain.

'No need to shout' the hat insisted 'now lets see what's in here'

'No need to see just put me in Slytherin' he ordered

'Well you're certainly cunning enough, resourceful, intelligent but not the slightest taste of ambitions. You're content chasing your brother's dreams'

'Slytherin it is' Fred pretended to misunderstand

'You're courageous, a warrior at heart'

'NO!' Fred nearly screamed out loud

'It's the best place for you. You'll do well in-'

'Slytherin' Fred interested

'It could be good for you, spending time away from your brother. Learning to stand on your own two feet' that thought nearly gave him a panic attack 'Very well if you insist. It better be-'

###

"Fred" Neji threw a waded up parchment at him braking away his trip down memory lane "You're late. You should have been in Snape's office ten minutes ago"

"My progress meeting!" Fred's eyes widened. Snape made all his snakes talk to him about their dreams, their goals, their problems, ways to improve their grades if they needed it which Fred didn't but some did.

"I got it" George hopped off the couch and ran out the door before Fred had a chance to object leaving him alone with Neji. Fred hadn't really talked to him since the kiss, not that George new that was the reason or even that it happened.

George just liked pushing Snape. The man was psychic or something because he seemed to always know which twin he was talking to and it irritated George to no end. Fred actually kind of liked it. Messing with people was fun but not even their parents could tell them apart.

Slytherin house was probably the best thing that ever happened to them. To think if Fred had actually taken his place first like he was supposed to they'd be in different houses either that or George would of begged harder to be a Gryffindor. Honestly Fred couldn't see his brother flat out disgracing himself like he did so they wouldn't be apart. George could handle being in a different house it was Fred that felt they had to do everything together. Hell they used to pee in the same toilet until they were seven because Fred didn't like leaving his bother's side. George wouldn't let him follow him into the bathroom if he had to do anything else so Fred would wait outside the door.

Being in Slytherin Snape forced them to spend time apart. Their mom had agreed with the seemly evil potions master that it was for the best but Fred thought it was the worst thing ever that they each had a class the other wasn't allowed to take. It was working out okay.

Fred was taking Astronomy with Neji and he found he really liked it. George got bored in that class and didn't want to take it which meant Fred couldn't take it but Snape insisted that was a foolish reason not to take a class. It was hard the first month but Neji being in the class to made it better. It had gotten to the point Neji and him would send time together with no George at all...

If that wasn't the case they never would have kissed and Fred wouldn't be feeling awkward being alone with Neji as the rich brat sat ignoring him reading a book. Still... that kiss was worth it all.

###

Snape stormed down the hallway, stealing points from Gryffindors along his way. It always made him feel better but only to the smallest degree.

Dumbledore had dismissed Snape's concerned as usual. He insisted that Naruto would be fine, that it wouldn't happen for at least a few years and even then the hanyou's mom was a kyubi (some powerful fox demon according to Dumbledore). That Naruto would "Probably" live through it! Snape admired the man but there were times he just wanted to shove his wand right into the crazy old sage's ear and stir it around. Maybe that way the man might have enough brain damage to actually feel sympathy for another human being.

Opening his door the potions master was shocked to find a mop of red hair attached to a child sitting in front of his desk. He'd completely forgotten he had an appointment with young Fred. The choas of the morning had consumed all other thoughts.

"Is Naruto okay?" The boy asked and Snape quickly wormed his way inside the child's mind long enough to tell which one he was. He just liked knowing who he was talking to and refused to get caught up in the boys' game.

"He's fine now where is your brother" Snape demanded walking to his chair

"I'm right here"

Snape stopped in his tracks and glared daggers at the boy. He was not in the mood for this and the boy obviousely knew that by how quickly he sank into his seat.

"I-I'll go get him" the lad hopped out of the chair and all but ran out the door.

Snape groaned, this day could only get longer by the looks of it, and took a seat. He pulled out the essays that still needed to be graded well about 20 fourth years whepped sencing an angry Snape grading their papers.

"I actually did need to talk to you" a hesitant Weasley peaked in the door

"Very well" Snape put the papers down and gave the boy his undivided attention

"Well see me and the other guys were thinking Harry is a really good flier and-"

"No" he went back to his papers

"You didn't even let me ask"

"Flint already did. There are rules involving first years and brooms. Is he or is he not a first year?"

"Well yeah but-"

"Then I see no point in speaking of this"

"Come on he's doing really well just ask Madam Hooch. We'll win a mountain of points!"

"Concerned about points now are we?"

Considering how many points his lost George wisely didn't answer.

"Next you'll be begging for Mister Uzumaki as well I imagion" Snape muttered

"Naruto no way"

He raised an eye brow at that

"Naruto's cool and all" George felt he had to explain "Really fast and great eyes but he can't fly with a sh-err darn" he saved himself from cussing in front of his head of house "I heard he hugs his broom for dear life when he floats more then a foot off the ground. He'll jump out a window but can't stand flying a broom! Hey is it true Dumbledore gave us 50 points for that?"

"Yes the headmaster believes he should encourage students to nearly kill themselves"

"I thought you said he was okay?"

"He will be now get your brother in here" Snape ordered shooing the boy out the door

A few short minutes later another red headed child peaked in. Quickly checking to make sure it was the right one Snape pointed to the chair in front of his desk "Sit" he ordered

Fred hesitantly obeyed wondering just how much trouble his brother got him in.

"Classes going well?" Snape asked

"Yeah, I... I'm really doing great in Astronomy..."

"Perhaps you may want to consider doing something in that field" the horrified look on the boy's face at the mere thought of a career without his brother proved otherwise. Snape could only sigh. Slytherin house was good for the boy, teaching him to stand on his own two feet, but still Fred couldn't consider working towards any other goal beyond his brothers joke shop. George was just as bad in a way but the thought of doing something without his brother didn't frighten him nearly as much. It was still a horrible case of separation anxiety. As far as Snape was concerned they were much too smart to waste their lives in a joke shop "It is only something you may want to think about"

"R-right... Professor?" Fred squirms in his seat as he got that look children got when they wanted to move into an embarrasing topic "W-what does it mean when... Somebody kisses you then pretends it never happened?"

Dear god it was THAT topic! Snape had no knowledge of relationships but it was the favored conversation piece for his teanagers. Minerva thought he should be flattered as his charges felt so comfortable with him they actually turned to him for help and answers as they should. However in this field they had better luck getting help from their pet toads.

The potions master was still pinning over his first childhood crush and he was more then aware how pitiful that was despite how much he loved her.

Fred appeared to think his wise head of house just needed more information so he began to explain "See we were talking, well I was talking Nej- err the person who I was talking to was reading, anyway out of no where he gives me this really great kiss... But then he tells me to shut up and goes back to reading like nothing happened but I don't think he meant that cause despite what people think Nej- this person isn't a cold jerk. He's really passionate about the things he cares about, he's just shy, which doesn't explain the kiss because he won't do something like that just to make someone be quite... would he?"

"I don't think so but then again I haven't the slightest clue who you're talking about. Wait, wait, if you put an 'i' at the end of Nej you get... 'Neji' gasp the scandal!"

"S-Snape!" Fred blushed right to his ears but it was fair game as far as Snape was concerned. He couldn't resist teasing the boy at least a little as punishment for making him have this conversation.

It wasn't really uncommon for boys to experiment with each other, especially with purebloods as most weren't even aware that muggles claimed it "sinful", and some boys never grew out of that phase. Snape himself had done a bit in school but it was mostly just for fun, a result of curiosity and peer pressure. He was madly in love with Lily however so it ended at fun and he'd never had anything close to a relationship with any of his dorm mates.

"What do I do?" Fred demanded face still flushed

Snape signed "Maybe you should ask Neji. He might be just as nervous as you" Snape knew for a fact the boy was.

Neji came into Snape's office about once a week to complain about how his cousin, the heir of his family, was shaming that family. How she could never do any spells and how she embarrassed them all by exsisting but mostly about her being in Hufflepuff. The Hyūga were made up of either Slytherin or Ravenclaw with the occasional Gryffindor but never a Hufflepuff until now. Neji was probably the only one in his family who cared but only because he was incredibly jealous of her.

His father died when he was very young in the battle against 'You Know Who' like many other parents. The boy's mother before that in childbirth. Neji was taken in by his uncle, the head of the family. The boy strived to impress the man in his every action but he couldn't help but feel out of place in the happy family dynamic. He was jealous of the man's real children.

Slytherin is the house of ambition however no one, not even the teachers, stopped to think where that ambition came from. Most of Snape's charges were very insecure and the many purebloods being strived to perfection by their family. Anything less was shameful and berated. The other houses hating them and shunning them out of jealousy or blaiming them for the sins of not only their parents but in many cases (like Neji's) someone elses parents hardly helped matters. Snape was adamant about his little snakes staying united as they needed each other to get through all that.

But back to more pressing matters, the love life of 13 year olds, joy.

The boys were just that, boys, with all the irrational leaps posed as attempted logic that creates. Neji, however mature he tried to be, was no different. He was still in the 'I've got a crush on someone but I'll never admit it so let me just ignore them and pull their pigtails' phase. Fred was very fortunate he had no pigtails.

On one of Neji's trips to Snape's office the boy simply stormed in, barked out he'd kissed a Weasley, then attempted to storm out however Snape forced him to take a seat. Even with how much Snape hated talking about this sort of thing children don't do things like that unless they really needed to talk.

Snape didn't get much comprehensive information but it was more about allowing the boy to get it out more then the kid wanting advice. Neji actually didn't want much advice just someone to talk to.

The boy explained how he had kissed a Weasley, but not saying who or even if it was one of the twins or a Gryffindor. He informed Snape that he found all Weasleys to be nothing but annoying, despite his closest friends being the twins, in a hardly believable way.

Snape got the feeling that although Neji would never ask he wouldn't turn the other down. Those feelings were normally right.

"Maybe you should ask him out on a date" playing match maker to teenagers, what fun, who wouldn't want Snape's job?

"A-a date!" Fred exclaimed before muttering "a date..." He looked at Snape a measuring look "I-I don't have any money... for something like that..." he admitted

"I'm sure a picnic would do"

Fred nodded, steeling his nerves, before running out of the room. Snape could only sigh. This session was supposed to be about Fred's school work.

###

Fred ran into the common room and easily found Neji still reading. Taking in the Gryffindor courage that ran through his family's blood, but of course never in his life admitting to using it to his fellow Slytherin, he marched up to him

"Neji" He spoke strongly "For our next Hogsmeade trip we'll be going out on a date. We're having a picnic" he declared

Neji looked up from his book and studied the red head for a moment "No we're not" Fred felt himself being crushed by those words. Neji went back to his book "We're going to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, I'm buying" he informed asserting that he would playing the dominate role in this adventure.

"O-okay" Fred blushed as Neji went back to ignoring him but this time only pretending to read as he dreaded over the date.