A Mid-Summer Night's Game

Voldemort was back. Dumbledore refused to let them tell Harry anything and he was stuck at privet drive for four weeks. Hermione was staying with the Weasley's for her own protection and the Order of the Phoenix was being regrouped. So, for their own protection and for their utter frustration, Bill and Charlie had been assigned to "babysit" and they weren't even allowed to go outside and play quidditch. Not that they would have played today anyway because it was pouring down rain. But just the thought of not being allowed was exasperating. So, the somber group sat around the lounge sighing and shifting around on the furniture. Fred jumped up so suddenly that he knocked George off the couch and on to the floor.

"This is ridiculous."

"Too right old boy" George chimed in with gleam in his eyes.

"We are too creative—"

"And too talented—"

"To permit ourselves—"

"To be this bored." George and Fred finished together. Both had that mischievous twinkle sparkling in their eyes.

Bill, who could always be counted on to be a good sport layed down some ground rules. "Now that's fine if you want to have a little fun to break up all this tension (he slyly smirked in Ron and Hermione's direction and winked at Ginny) and boredom (his gaze glanced to Charlie tapping his fingers on the end table), but this creativity must remain inside and since three of us can't use magic, I think it's only fair… that none of us do" he finished with a chuckle.

"Bad form!" the Twins shouted with big smiles on their faces. Bill could swear he could see the wheels turning in the cogs of their brains. He knew they loved a challenge. Charlie stood up stretching with a smirk of his own, "I think that being testers of anything magic should also be off limits." Bill nodded with a grin. "Yes, yes old chap, I agree. We do like a challenge don't we." He smirked as the twins brows furrowed in utter concentration. Suddenly, the twins eyes widened as if they had read each others minds. They nodded to each other and shoved Ron away from Hermione as they each sat on a side of her, each taking one of her hands in their own.

"Granger," Fred began from her left looking deeply into her eyes.

"What we need" George continued drawing her attention towards him.

"Is for you" Fred grinned

"To teach us" George grinned

"Muggle fun." They finished with an extremely proud look on their faces.

Hermione looked from one to the other and back again. Then glanced warily around the room. "Anyone want to read Hogwarts—a History" she asked with a gleam in her eye. She tried to resist the smirk tugging at her lips and kept her face as strait as she could. Ron totally missing the sarcasm grunted in disbelief. "Come on Granger," Fred coaxed patting her hand with his. "You can do better than that." He stared at her so hopefully that she burst out laughing, not able to contain herself any longer. "You are incorrigible," she said airily standing up, "But I do have an idea."

"Would've expected nothing less." George said as he high-fived Fred over Hermione's head. Charlie laughed out loud. In the short time he had known Hermione Granger, he had learned that despite her scholarly demeanor, she had a wicked sense of humor. He eyed her warily as he waited for her idea. He worked around dragons for a living, but he had learned being around Ginny that caution was called for around clever witches. Ginny sprung up from her seat clapping.
"What game is it?" Her excitement was contagious and every head in the room was turned towards Hermione. "Well," she began hesistantly. She didn't want them to think she was the biggest prat in the world, but as lame as it would sound she knew her idea would be fun. "The Burrow is the perfect place to play the game I have in mind."

The Burrow was an amazing place. It had started small with a couple of rooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and lounge, but as the family grew the house grew with it. It was a tribute to magical fun. Arthur and Molly had added bedrooms, an extra bathroom, and closets whenever they needed them. Yes, the Burrow was absolutely perfect.

"I think." She paused nearly causing pain for the twins with the anticipation, "that we should play…"She paused enjoying the overeager exuberance of the twins. "Oh just spit it out already Granger" Fred cried out in impatience.

"Sardines." Hermione said finally.

"You want us to play with fish?" Ron asked looking very confused.

"No, it's a muggle game. Have you ever heard of hide and seek."

"Sure" said Ron, "Wizards play that game all the time."

"Well, Sardines is kind of like Hide and Seek only in reverse. In Sardines, the person who is 'it' hides and then everyone has to find him or her and hide with them. The last person to find them is 'it' for the next round. According to the house rules," Hermione paused smiling at Bill and Charlie, "you can't apperate or disapperate looking; no wands using silencing charms or searching charms. Muggle fun was your idea remember," she chuckled at the look on George's face. "Whose in?"

"Me" yelled Ginny.

"Me too" Ron said more calmly.

"Count us in" the twins said with a bow.

"I'm game," said Charlie.

"I'm in too" Bill added, "Who is going to hide first?"

"Me!" shouted Fred as he started to run out of the room. He stopped suddenly and whirled around. "How long do I have to hide and how long do you have to find me?" He asked rapidly.

"Two minutes to hide" said Hermione thinking, "and fifteen minutes for us to find you. Anyone who hasn't flips a coin to see who hides next. Agreed?" Everyone nodded, the excitement of finally having something to do building.

"Wait Fred!" Ginny squealed, "Is there anywhere off limits to hide in?" She looked at Bill and Charlie. They eyed each other for a moment and then both said "Mum and Dad's room."

"Okay Fred, we will shut the door and wait here for two minutes. Ready. Set. Go" Bill said looking at his watch. Fred fled. The door clicked shut behind him.

"This isn't going to take long to find him you know." George commented. He'll go where he always goes where we play hide and seek." All the Weasley siblings nodded knowingly.

"Yep, the only challenge with him is who will get there first. Or last." Ron chuckled with his eyes sparkling.

"And just where might that be?" Hermione attempted to innocently ask.

"Now, where would the fun be in that? You are supposed to find him, isn't that the whole point of your game?" Charlie challenged.

"Well, don't you think you are at a slight advantage here having known him and this house better than I do?" Hermione shot back.

"Well," Charlie sidling up to Hermione and laying his arm around her shoulders, "we won't know where to look for you in the next round either." Everyone laughed as Hermione threw her elbow into Charlie's stomach and moved over by Ron.

"Won't you at least tell me where to look?" Hermione asked batting her eyes at Ron. Ron looked uncomfortable with her unexpected flirtation. "Well, I…uh…you see…" he stammered while his face turned the same color as his hair.

"Don't tell her" Bill whispered behind his hand loudly enough for the whole room to hear. "As fun as it is to watch Ron and Hermione flirt badly" he paused grinning and winking at them as they blushed and looked at their feet, "it's time!" he yelled as he ran out of the lounge and up the stairs with George and Charlie close behind jockeying for position. Ginny was right on their heels. "Sorry" Ron shrugged as he bolted out of the room too. Hermione knew she had lost, so she followed so she wouldn't embarrass herself by being too far behind. George had pulled Bill back and knocked him into Charlie on the third flight of stairs and reached the upstairs loo first. He hopped into the tub behind the shower curtain. "Hiya Gred!" "Hey Forge!" Fred responded with a twinkle in his eye. "However did you find me?" Bill and Charlie crashed into the tub at the same time, tearing the shower curtain. They were followed in quick succession by Ginny and Ron with Hermione bringing up the rear. "The loo, Fred. I am disappointed in your lack of imagination." Hermione said with her most sarcastically disappointed tone. The laughter in her eyes was unmistakeable though. "Okay boys and Ginny, go back to the lounge for two minutes and will see if I can't make this more of a challenge."

"Wait!"said Bill. He whipped his wand out muttering "Reparo" at the shower curtain. "I thought magic was out" Challenged George. "Yeah, well, I don't fancy Mum coming home to destruction after your room last week do you?" Bill returned with a knowing look in his eye. George and Fred both faintly blushed. Everyone else laughed as they left the room. "He's got a point there mates." Charlie laughed as he patted the twins on the heads and ran down the stairs.