"Just for a little while," Fred pouted. Hermione snatched his advertisement away with a scowl.

"You can test them on yourselves, but you can't give them to people and wait to see if they bleed to death!" Hermione said, drawing the attention of several third year boys.

"That's only the Nosebleed Nougats," Fred said, his voice just a little too loud. "The Puking Pastilles are perfectly alright, and the Fainting Fancies, well, we just need a few-"

"I will give you detention," Hermione said firmly. Fred only smiled.

"An evening with a beautiful woman, I can imagine no better thing," this caused some quiet mutterings amongst the third years. Fred caught Hermione's wrist as she went to throw the paper in the bin. "That cost money."

"People need to know about the Hogsmeade dates, more than they do about hurting themselves," she said testily.

"If anyone asks, I've kidnapped our delightful Prefect and will release her for a bounty of no less than one knut!" Fred called, pulling Hermione slightly with a roguish grin.

"I will shove your nose up into your brain," Hermione said, though there was very little venom in her voice. Fred let her go but snatched his poster back. "How many of those do you have? I've already taken down one."

"Of course that was you," Fred muttered, and she followed him out of the Common Room. "And here I thought Professor McGonagall had taken an interest in our activities."

"Are you even taking her class?" Hermione asked, lengthening her stride so she could keep up with him. He waited for the corridor to empty then flicked his wand at a tapestry of a forest. It lifted itself upward and Fred opened the obscured door for Hermione. He followed quickly, and Hermione heard the muffled flap of the tapestry as it fell back down. Fred kissed her.

"You know how gorgeous you are when you're mad?" Fred murmured. Hermione scowled and set her hands firmly on his chest.

"Answer my question," Hermione said.

"You first."

"You seem to think I am, but I doubt many people agree," Hermione said resolutely. "What classes are you taking? You only got 3 O.W.L.s, what the hell are you doing?"

"I got Herbology, Charms, and Transfiguration O.W.L.s," Fred shrugged. "George got Potions, Herbology, and Charms. We switch on and off who goes to Transfiguration and who goes to Potions. Snape not only dresses like a bat, but he is also as blind as one."

"And McGonagall?"

"I'm absolutely positive she knows we switch, but she doesn't have any clue about which one of us is in her class at any given time," Fred said with a grin.

"You're going to extra classes," Hermione muttered. "I never thought... what about Defence?"

"That's required," Fred rolled his eyes, "but it may as well be a free period."

"What if I only get 3 O.W.L.s?" Hermione whispered, staring through Fred as though he was a ghost. She wouldn't be able to get a job anywhere, except with Fred, and even then what if Fred's business didn't do well? She couldn't become an Auror with abysmal grades and no practical experience with Defence Against the Dark Arts. She would fail her D.A.D.A. exam anyway, there was an entire section devoted to performing spells that the toad wouldn't teach her. Did she even want to become an Auror? She wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing that a Death Eater thought she'd be good at it. She wanted to make a difference though, and catching Dark Wizards definitely did-

"Hey, no panic attacks," Fred said, making Hermione blink and look up at him. "And no boils either."

"Why did you put Bulbadox Powder in Kenneth Towler's clothes?" Hermione asked. Fred turned red and she smiled. "Oh, there was a really good reason, wasn't there?"

Her tone made clear that he'd better have one. Fred mumbled something that Hermione didn't catch, likely a string of cussing, and cleared his throat. "He made some comments."

"Comments?"

"About you," Fred muttered.

"What?!" Hermione asked, taken aback. She'd seen Kenneth Towler once or twice coming in and out of Ancient Runes. "What did he say?"

"I don't-"

"Fred."

"I didn't hear all of it," Fred said. "And I don't like to think about it."

"But this was before the Yule Ball," Hermione muttered. She started, "I was fourteen!"

"I know," Fred snapped. His hands were shaking, his ears glowed red. Hermione smiled.

"We weren't dating yet."

"Are we dating now?" Fred asked. Hermione sent him a blank look. "We haven't been on any dates, sorry."

"Why'd you put Bulbadox Powder in his clothes if we weren't together yet?" Hermione asked.

"Because I had the vague idea that I'd fall in love with you some day," Fred grinned and kissed her again. "I had to protect your honor."

"Oh, really?"

"Since then, I've stopped," said Fred, his fingers playing idly with Hermione's robes. "I think I like you better without it."

"'Cept last week you nearly killed that McLaggen boy for saying that I had legs a mile long," Hermione murmured. "And he'd like to see where they meet."

"Only I get to see that," Fred said, his voice wavering. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"I don't want anything," Hermione said quickly. Fred narrowed his eyes. "Really."

"Well, I've got until next Tuesday," Fred muttered. "Don't worry, I'll find the most expensive thing possible-"

"Don't you dare!"

"And give it to you in the middle of your Runes lesson," Fred finished. "So that all the Ravenclaws can see I've given you some dusty, priceless manuscript from Ancient Egypt-"

"Even you couldn't get one," Hermione scoffed.

"I'm still getting you something nice," Fred said thoughtfully staring at her as if he could pull the answer out of her eyes.

"Maybe you could just get me the same thing I got you," Hermione murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"That's an interesting idea," Fred mumbled, pulling off Hermione's robe with a grin. She kissed him with a happy sigh. With any luck, Fred thought, he would be able to get her away from her studies with the 'purpose' of getting her to relax a little bit all year. There was a thud from the door, and Fred yanked Hermione out of the way as it flung open. She pulled away from him with a gasp, taking some of his hair with her. Fred's eyes watered.

"Fred?!"

"George?!"

"What in the bloody fuck are you doing in here?!"

Hermione grabbed her robe off the floor, then scurried out of the room, muttering a stream of apologies.

"You are the worst human being imaginable," Fred said.

"You should've locked the door, Fred!" George said, almost as red as Hermione.

"I put a fucking tapestry over it, you daft moron!"

"Well, that only draws attention to the fact that a bloody door went missing."

"Where is Angelina?" Fred demanded knowingly.

"Oh, shit, you better leave before she gets here," George said hastily.

"You say a word of this to anyone-"

George scoffed, "Forge, you couldn't hurt me if you tried."

"Don't test me Gred," Fred warned.

"Oh, dear, I've never seen you fight before," Angelina commented from the door way.

"It's nothing," said Fred a little too quickly. Then he gave George a neutral look, "I'm warning you now, we'll be in here next Tuesday."

"Who is we?" Angelina demanded the moment Fred had left.

"I'm not allowed to say," George sighed.

"Really?" Angelina frowned. "Did you walk in on them just now?"

"Maybe," said George miserably.

"Interesting," Angelina murmured. "She's younger, isn't she?"

"Ange," George said.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll corner him later," she smiled her blinding smile. "Right now I've got you."

.o0O0o.

Happy New Year/'s Eve, depending on your time zone! I hope no one has bothered with resolutions that they'll give up halfway through February. The fact that I have nearly 200 people following this story blows my mind.

There was a bit of confusion on my part because a guest left a review on Chapter 1 requesting updates...

animelover5107: Hermione takes authority figures very seriously.

cochran4444: Hahaha thank you! Thank you, thank you so very much... Wow. I really don't know what else to say.

Fandomqueen104: I hate to disappoint, but the rest of the family finds out during book 7's timeline. But Angelina, Angelina is a different story altogether.