"There we are!" George exclaimed, and Fred pulled away from Hermione, sitting down instead. The boys filed back into the compartment and Ron shut the door on Crabbe's fingers.
"Expolding Snap, anyone?" Fred asked. The boys were very focused as the went about their game, but Hermione simply sat beside Fred and pretended to read. When George and Ron had started arguing over something, and Harry was very intent on the placement of his cards, Hermione looked up discreetly.
"That was a warning wasn't it?" Hermione whispered, "What George did?"
"He's not that ignorant Hermione," he answered out of the corner of his mouth, "Besides, would you rather we continued and Ron had seen?"
"What?" Ron said, glancing over.
"Ah!" Harry exclaimed as the cards exploded. Then he asked after the entire blackmail situation, and Hermione was relieved to hear that they'd given up on Bagman, who was quickly becoming a very desperate man. They explained everything, even that they'd lost their entire savings. Hermione leaned against Fred, trying to comfort him without being openly affectionate. She felt that her few sickles from the twins' birthday meant that much more now.
Then the train stopped back in King's Cross. Hermione reached up to get her trunk, and Fred helped get it down, still looking as miserable as ever. Hermione and Ron went ahead of the others, maybe Harry wanted to harrass them, or the other way around. By the time Harry, Fred and George had caught up, not only were the twins looking at Harry as if he'd gone mad, they also looked themselves considerably happier. Hermione shot Fred a confused look, and he grinned happily in answer.
Hermione saw Harry's wretched Uncle standing outside the platform, and to make the point to Harry, and his Uncle, that he really did have a second, more reliable, family, Hermione did something she'd never done to Harry.
"Bye, Harry," She said, kissing him on the cheek.
"Harry," George said, no longer smiling, "Thanks."
Hermione could've sworn she saw Harry wink at the twins. Hermione frowned at Fred. Harry left with his head held high. His wretched family cast nervous glances about, afraid to be seen with the wild haired teen and his owl. As they left, Mrs. Weasley came bustling into sight, going immediately to her youngest. Hermione regretted not being able to say a proper good-bye to Fred, turning to wave lamely.
"Don't worry," Fred said, "I'll write you."
"Like hell you will," Ron laughed, seeming to think it was a joke, "Bye, Hermione."
"Bye, Ron," Hermione said, waving slightly more genuinely as Mrs. Weasley lead her children away. Hermione scanned the passerby's for her parents. She moved away from the platform slightly, then froze with fear.
"Granger, isn't it?" A cold, female voice said behind her. Hermione turned to face the woman, "We haven't met, I'm Narcissa Malfoy."
Hermione realized that there were no other wizards nearby. No muggle would understand or even think to blame Mrs. Malfoy if Hermione were to suddenly drop dead. Not that Mrs. Malfoy looked like a woman used to doing her own dirty work. She had a derranged sister for that.
Still Hermione put on her brave face and smiled politely, "It's a pleasure."
"My son talks of you often," she said, peering at Hermione with her head slightly tilted, "Says you think you're the best in your year."
"I doubt that," Hermione said, for it was true. But had she just called Mrs. Malfoy a liar? "I mean, I've never once said that."
"You were somewhat of a celebrity for a few days there, did you enjoy your time in the spotlight?"
Hermione turned a delicate shade of pink, "Not particularly."
Malfoy glanced at the doorway, "Where is my son, Miss Granger?"
"Umm-"
"Hermione!"
She turned, beaming, as a slight frame crashed into her body, hugging her fiercely, "Mum!"
"They are Muggles," Mrs. Malfoy said, almost amazed, and Hermione surprisingly enough did not detect the disgust that she'd though would be present.
"C'mon, Mum," Hermione said softly, taking her hand thankfully.
"Why did she say that?" Hermione's mother asked proudly, "They don't think someone so smart could've come from such boring people?"
"No, mum," Hermione said quietly, swiftly grabbing her trolley and pushing it away from the barrier, "Remember when I told my friend Harry was special because he'd stopped a very horrible man?"
"Yes," she said, "Now, do you have any pictures of this Harry, I need to see-"
"Mum, I am not dating him!" Hermione said, a little angrier than perhaps she should've been.
"Sorry, darling," her mother mumbled, sensing the topic's need for delicate handling.
"Well Harry did stop the bad guy," Hermione murmured, "It's hard to explain, but some wizards, bad ones, hate people like me."
"Why?"
Hermione took a deep breath, "In the Wizarding world, blood status is important to some people. Not to everyone, but enough people that the bad guy-"
"The one who Harry only sort of killed?"
"Right, well he gained a following," Hermione said, and her mother rushed ahead to hold the door for her so they could fit the trolley through. It rattled loudly, and Hermione struggled to get it over.
"Need some help?" There was Fred, leaning against a column.
"No, I'm-uh- I'm fine," Hermione frowned, beyond confused. His mum was going to skin him alive and sell him to giants if he wasn't careful.
"Care to introduce me?" Her mother looked Fred up and down. Hermione noticed that she looked- not quite pleased- but impressed.
"Mum, this is Fred," Hermione said, "Fred, this is my mum."
"Brilliant," he grinned, "My pleasure, ma'am."
"Anyway, uh, mum," Hermione glanced back at Fred, who followed her out into the parking lot, "That woman was one of his followers, and her son kind of has it out for me."
"Why?" she asked again.
"Malfoy?" Fred asked, sounding concerned.
"His mum was by the barrier," Hermione nodded.
Fred said darkly, "Then it really was good we hexed him."
"Fred!" Hermione protested.
"You hurt someone?!"
"Mum, he called me a Mudblood," Hermione whispered.
"Wait, when did he do this?" Fred asked, crossing his arms and they stopped in front of Hermione's Mum's car.
"When doesn't he?" Hermione muttered. Fred made a sour, dark face, which told her that this was not the end of that discussion. Hermione asked, "Fred, aren't you supposed to be with your family?"
"I Apparated," Fred shrugged, "George'll cover for me."
"What is a Mudblood? Who is-" Hermione's mother put a hand to her forehead as she unlocked the boot of her car. Fred moved forward to put Hermione's things in it. She took a deep breath, "Hermione, you are going to explain this entire boy situation when we get home. And why you punched some poor kid-"
"Hexing is slightly more permanent than punching."
"Not helping, Fred. Mum, he hates you, and he hasn't even met you," Hermione said, "He is foulest, most discriminating person anyone has had the misfortune of meeting."
"So you hit him? That is not how problems are solved, darling."
"Oh, I like that one," Fred grinned, mouthing 'darling' to Hermione and closing the boot, "Might have to try it out sometime, huh?"
"Frederick Weasley, will you please be quiet?" Hermione said.
"Weasley?" her mother said softly, "As in your best friend's family, who is not only full of men, but I see now attractive men, though you are not interested in any of them in that way and that is the reason I should let you go stay at their house and go to the World Cup with them?"
"Mum, no," Hermione sighed, she'd never hear the end of this.
"Is there another Weasley family?!"
"Not interested in any of them?" Fred frowned. "Come on then, how long were you lying to yourself before-"
"I was not lying to myself!" Hermione said.
"You totally were! By the way, we have some very... interesting cousins, but they don't share our name."
"Interesting?!" Hermione snorted. "Try deranged."
"You haven't even met Muriel yet," Fred said darkly. Then he shrugged, "You know, Sirius doesn't seem half bad though."
"Sirius is all bark," Hermione rolled her eyes. "And what exactly would I have been lying to myself about?"
"Come on, love," Fred lowered his voice and gestured to her very confused and slightly angry mother, who was still trying to figure out the 'deranged cousins' bit. "Don't make me embarrass you in front of your mum."
"I have nothing to be embarrassed about," Hermione snapped, though a blush was already creeping into her face.
"Come off it," Fred said, grinning cockily. "You lied to your parents to spend the summer with me."
"I did not lie to my parents," Hermione said through gritted teeth. "When you asked- when Ron asked me to come to the World Cup, I did not like you! I tolerated you occasionally."
"Toler-occasio-" Fred spluttered. He was making a big show of it, hand over his heart and everything. "You liked me long before I kissed you."
"Of course I did, I wouldn't have let you kiss me otherwise!" Hermione huffed. "You liked me long before you kissed me!"
"Of course I did, I wouldn't have tried it otherwise!"
"I still don't see what I was lying to myself about," Hermione crossed her arms over her chest.
"Why the hell did you go with Krum if you liked me?!"
"Why the hell did you not tell George to buck up and ask Angelina out himself?" Hermione didn't quite know why they were fighting. She knew that she had been heading down the path to a fight with her mother. She had no idea why she had displaced it onto Fred. Perhaps it was because there was a guarantee that she could apologize, that they could move on from it. With her parents, she was always on thin ice and she very rarely got the chance to explain anything, much less herself.
So they stood facing each other, breathing as heavily as a runner after a light jog. Fred did not look particularly angry, just curious. She suspected he'd been asking himself these questions for a while.
"It was easier because I didn't care," Fred said after a long moment. "If she said no it didn't matter."
"He asked," Hermione said quietly. "You didn't."
"And it all worked out anyway," Her mother said, clearing her throat. Fred smiled and looked down at Hermione again. Her mother mouthed 'who the hell is George' at his back and Hermione stifled a giggle.
"I'm glad you stopped lying to yourself," Fred winked.
Hermione scowled at Fred playfully, "Next letter you get from me is a Howler."
"I'm looking forward to it," Fred grinned. Then, very much aware that her mother was watching them, he kissed her. Properly. "Bye."
Fred disappeared with a tell tale crack. Hermione sat down in the left side front seat.
"Why have I not heard about him before?" Her mother asked, shutting her door and starting the car. "You seem really close."
"Because I haven't talked about him before," Hermione mumbled miserably, thankful that Rita was stuck in the boot and couldn't hear them. "At least not in a singular context."
"And George is his friend, I assume?" Her mother carefully backed out of their spot.
Hermione shook her head, "George is Fred's twin."
"There are two of them?!"
Hermione couldn't stop herself from laughing. "You know, that's how most people feel about them."
.o0O0o.
I'm in a giving mood, don't question it.
