Fred and George hurried back to the Gryffindor Common Room, their faces bright, eager to tell the other what indeed happened as they had stood outside of Snape's office. Climbing through the hole and into the common room, they were happy to notice that Harry, Ron, Hermione as well as Ginny were all there, sitting by the fire.

'What happened to you two?' asked Ginny as she noticed that their faces were bright as ever.

'Yea what did happen after we left?' Hermione asked.

'Well, we', and Fred winked at his twin, 'overheard a very heated exchange between Snape and Kate'.

'But we choose to spare you the details, since you didn't bother to stay', George continued in a dramatic depressed tone.

They sat down on the floor and looked up at the others until Ginny kicked Fred on his shin.

'Oh tell us what happened, or you want us to ask so you can feel somewhat important?' she demanded and Harry smiled.

It was these moments that he found humorous when Ginny would act just like Mrs. Weasley would, placing her hands on either hip and furrowing her eyebrows with anger.

Ron was busy trying to finish off his essay for Defence Against the Dark Arts for Snape, which was due the following day. He didn't want a big fat F on his paper because he knew Hermione would be on his case if he did. In fact, he was the only one not paying any attention the twins at all, as they told their story. Fred cleared his throat then looked at George. Knowing them, one would expect a bit of humour to come into everything they had a part in, so they were rehearsing their version of the story well enough, before speaking.

'Apparently Harry, Kate was indeed a brilliant choice because...'

'She's your mother's cousin and blimey, did she traumatise poor Snape when she told him!' George continued.

Harry was shocked at such a discovery and found it quite mysterious that Kate was indeed his aunt and she never seemed to have looked him up nor own up to being such a relation. He wondered why she never did tell him and then realised that maybe she had her reasons.

'Wonder why she never looked you up', Hermione said as if reading his mind.

'Yea you would have expected her to come looking for you or something, especially with you being Harry Potter and all', Fred said smiling broadly.

'Anyway, moving on', George continued, 'what happened next was a bit muffled at first, because we didn't get to hear a lot using the extendable ears. You see...'

'Snape jinxed his door so we couldn't hear much after that. We suspected that he knew someone would be outside listening...'

'So he knew it was us?' Hermione asked, cutting Fred, 'oh please tell me he didn't know it was us.'

'Well we didn't hear much after that but what we're guessing, is that he doesn't have a clue as to what was going on because...'

'Before we knew it, the two of them were at it, against the door!' George exclaimed and it took a while before all of them could get what he was saying then they all gasped.

Even Ron who was deep into his essay looked up, mortified at such news.

'At it?' he asked still not believing what he was hearing, 'against the door?'

'Yes', Fred confirmed, looking mischievously at him, 'Snapey banged her...'

'Or the other way around, not sure, but what matters is that, Snape proved himself!' cried George.

Hermione as well as Ginny were staring dumbfounded at him then the former gathered herself together and refused to believe a word of it. Ginny however was in awe because she didn't expect that part of the plan to come so soon.

'Well I think it sounds a bit fictitious to me', Hermione said, 'are you sure you didn't make that bit up?'

'No we didn't!' both of the twins cried looking at her.

'I don't believe you either', Harry said, siding with Hermione.

He just couldn't believe Snape made out with Kate so soon. It was their first supposed date and he had already done that? What a frivolous thing to force himself to believe! Snape had to be the boss to be so quick and thorough. Harry just couldn't imagine the man being romantic at all, much less gathering the courage to sneak a kiss at Kate so he wasn't convinced.

'Well we don't either', Fred said, 'but since we know our ears never have deceived us, we have to force ourselves to believe that Snape DID bang the lady...'

'Oh stop using that phrase!' Hermione cried, 'why say he 'banged' her? I just don't get that!'

'We prefer to use the word 'bang' because what we heard Snape do to her, it sounded...'

'Please', Hermione begged, cutting Fred off, 'spare me the details.'

'No wait', Ron piped up, looking alert and happy, 'what exactly DID you hear?' and Hermione threw him a 'how dare you!' look.

Harry didn't feel like saying much at this point because all the others were talking and asking questions he wanted to be asked and heard answered. He just sat with his legs curled up under him, watching and listening to the twins and wondering what Snape was doing right that minute. Probably going for seconds with Kate, he thought to himself and smiled. Someday he might have to thank me for what I did, but I'm not willing to admit I did anything.

'Well obviously it sounded like Kate was against the door', Fred was saying and Hermione had both hands on her ears looking angrily at Ginny who was smiling and listening attentively.

'Go on', Ginny urged, eager to hear what happened.

'And well, they were moaning and sighing and rocking all the way down to Buckingham Palace', continued Fred and Harry, as well as Ron laughed.

'Nice expression', George said thumping him playfully on his back, 'all the way to Buckingham Palace.'

'I suppose Snape finally released some of that tension in him tonight don't you think?' Ron asked and he as well as the twins laughed loudly, with the later having to lean back, holding their tummies to catch their breath.

'Yea, all that tension finally gone, I bet', and Fred guffawed, 'I bet the git finally felt manly tonight!' and they pealed with laughter, forcing Harry to smile a bit even though he didn't want to.

He somehow didn't want them to be insulting Snape like that and wondered why he was thinking that way. It seemed as if he suddenly cared for the man, the one person he seemed to hate the most, apart from Voldemort. Looking over, he saw that Hermione had slid on a pair of mufflers on her ear, her head buried in a copy of that day's Quibbler. Ginny was beginning to show a sign of frustration at the twins as well as Ron and her face was becoming tense minute by minute. Harry could sense a Mrs. Weasley outburst coming soon.

'I mean Kate probably helped him oil his springs', Ron added, wiping his eyes and nose as he laughed, 'always as stiff ain't he? Maybe tomorrow Snape will be walking with his legs...'

'Merlin's beard!' the twins exclaimed and they laughed louder than ever, 'walking', and Fred tried to catch his breath, 'walking bowlegged!' and they collapsed again.

'SHUT IT!' Ginny finally yelled and Harry smiled because he knew it was coming.

Immediately the laughter died down but they were still trying to catch their breaths as they stared at her.

'Enough of that nonsense', she said, 'just get a grip of yourselves!'

'Why our dearest sister', Fred said but never got to finish because Angelina came through the doorway, flushed, her eyes darting this way and that then when she found Harry, she came hurrying over.

'Harry', she said almost breathless, 'Snape wants to see you.'

'What?' Harry asked looking around then at her.

'Snape!' she cried, 'he wants to see you in his office, NOW!' and she collapsed into a nearby chair, her head bent back.

'Oh my God he knows!' Hermione frantically whispered, as she had take off her mufflers to listen.

'Blimey', Harry said looking at them, 'you think I should go?'

'You have to go!' Hermione exclaimed and Ginny nodded, then gulped nervously.

'Go on', she said and Harry got up and went out the doorway, throwing one last nervous glance back at them.