A.N.: This chapter was kindly betaed by Multilingualism. Thank you, my friend!

Chapter 8: The deal

"Do you think we overdid it?" George murmured to his twin when they readied themselves for bed in the evening. "The poor girl looked like she was about to faint when you started making suggestions for her essay."

Fred snorted. "Well, I didn't lie when I told her that she doesn't know us very well. We need her to realize that there's more to us than the careless pranksters and Quidditch beaters, all the others seem to see when we want to win her heart. I mean, there is more to us, even though we usually do not advertise it."

George nodded and took off his hand-knit sweater. "I know. We usually cultivate this picture of us, but that won't win us any points with her I guess. It's just that she seemed a bit overwhelmed towards the end. Do you think she might suspect that we are up to something?"

Fred scratched his head with a chuckle. "We are always up to something, George. So I think that's a definite 'yes' to your question. And her pretty blushes give me hope, that she's not totally indifferent towards us either."

"You think so?" his brother asked in a hopeful voice and for a short, sad moment Fred realized that only one of them would be able to get the girl in the end.

"It's hard to resist the charm of a Weasley-twin," he agreed and clapped his brother on his back with a wide smile. "…even for somebody like Hermione."

"I hope you're right," George muttered and slipped on the shirt he'd use for the night.

"Me, too," Fred added in his thoughts. "Me, too."

ssssssss

Hermione would have thought that by now she would have mentally arrived in the new school year somehow, but right now everything seemed a bit different for her, but it was obviously much the same for the rest of the school. Both of her friends had changed rather substantially over the last weeks. Harry was very moody and broody most of the time and usually, he looked around with a permanent scowl etched into his face now. She could understand of course, as the Ministry and the Prophet still spewed their venom against him and turned him into a liar or an attention-seeking teenager, which was both objectively spoken, absolute nonsense. But more than half of the school seemed to believe the media's lies or find them pretty convenient and so her friend was faced with harassing comments day by day. And Hermione really felt sorry for him. Luckily Harry still somehow managed to hold his temper, but she could tell that the anger was simmering right below his surface and it was only a matter of time until he could no longer hold his frustration in.

Ron was an entirely different matter. He, too, had changed over the last weeks and even though he still seemed emotional or flustered from time to time, he managed puberty rather well. Ever since his confession that he was not the Open Link and the conversation that followed, Ron seemed to have established a new self-confidence that rather suited him. And Hermione really enjoyed this new side of him.

"Don't worry about those Slytherins," she whispered to him as they were just sitting over their breakfast. It was the day of the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match and it was no surprise that emotions were running high on all sides. "They think themselves so funny and sneaky with their little stickers, but I think they realized that they only have a chance of winning this game if they make you lose your nerve."

He looked at her with a grimace. "No pressure then, huh?"

Hermione smiled. "Don't worry, Ron. The last weeks have shown pretty clearly that you are capable of much more than you gave yourself credit for in the past. Just believe in yourself and they don't stand a chance." She put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him close.

"Thanks, Mione," her friend mumbled with rosy cheeks and a smile on his lips.

"Awww, you should start working as a team motivator or something, Hermione," she suddenly heard from behind her and when she turned around she saw Fred and George, who looked at her with twinkling eyes and a matching smile on their lips. It didn't even take a moment until the blush was back on her cheeks. By now it was almost permanently there, whenever she was in their presence.

"Maybe you should give us a hug, too? Just for good luck," Fred said and grinned handsomely. Merlin, it almost sounded like he was flirting with her. Was he?

"Oi, you two leave Mione alone," Ron scolded his brothers with a dark expression. "Stop making fun of her, I won't have it." For a moment both of the twins looked at their brother in surprise, but finally, George smiled and pulled him to his feet with a good-natured smile.

"Alright, alright, calm down little brother. Let's go down to the pitch, shall we? Then we can get you warmed up before all the Slytherin jerks arrive."

Ron still scowled at them, but finally, he nodded with a sigh. "Alright, let's go. I don't mind having some more minutes that I don't have to look at Malfoy's self-satisfied smirk. It makes my hand itch in anticipation."

George snorted and pulled his little brother between him and Fred. "We could deliver some Bludgers into his face if it would make you feel better." Hermione couldn't hear his answer, as they had already started to make their way out of the great hall, but as all three of them started laughing, it must have been a good one.

Sssssssss

George still wasn't sure how things could have gone south that quickly. The Quidditch match had gone so well and to his big surprise, Ron had performed above all expectations. He should have known that the Slytherins would try to deliver some sort of payback but he still hadn't been prepared for the cruel insults Malfoy delivered against his and Harry's parents.

"Well, gentlemen? What do you have to say to defend your violent actions towards Mr Malfoy?" Umbridge said in her sickly sweet voice and looked at the assembled culprits with shiny eyes. Today she wore a sky blue fluffy jacket and a huge bow in the matching colour and George asked himself if no one had ever told her how hideous she looked. They had been unlucky enough that their new High Inquisitor caught them first, as she had claimed the task of punishing them for herself, even though McGonagall had protested rather loudly. But it was of no use.

"He insulted our parents," Fred protested next to him and looked at the toady woman with a clenched jaw and a fierce expression in his brown eyes. George was pretty sure that his twin wanted to say more, but he was glad that he managed to hold himself back. They really couldn't use any more trouble.

"Does this give you the right to attack your classmates like some sort of wild animals? Such behaviour shows a substantial lack of self-control and sets a very bad example for all younger students. One should believe that students your age should be able to behave more maturely, but obviously, I was mistaken."

She looked at them with her blue eyes shining with disappointment but George couldn't help but think that this whole display of emotions was faked. He couldn't pinpoint if it was something in her voice or in her eyes, but he was pretty sure that the short woman was secretly pleased that she had found a reason to punish them. And this realisation let his skin crawl in dark anticipation about what was coming. "I am sure you understand that such behaviour cannot go unpunished, as this would encourage others to imitate these foul manners. And we don't need any more chaos in this school."

George looked at her with a scowl. Well, he could kind of see her point, but he still wasn't sorry for going after Malfoy one bit. And he still wouldn't be, after he served his detention with the toad.

"Alright, when are you expecting us for detention?" Fred asked and George was almost sure that his twin tried to imitate a friendly tone. But he could still hear the anger in his voice.

"Detention?" Umbridge asked surprised and looked at them with an unsettling smile. "Oh, no, boys, not this time. I think a temporary Quidditch ban until after the next game will get the message through more likely, don't you think?"

It was as if he'd been gutted, as all air suddenly seemed to have left him. Merlin, this witch was truly evil and she totally knew how to play her card right.

"You can't just ban three members of the Quidditch team!" Fred protested to his left and George could clearly feel his twin's anger through the twin bond. But the evil witch in front of them just widened her pseudo-friendly smile at his words. "Oh, believe me, Mr Weasley, I can and I will. So I would strongly recommend the three of you think carefully, before acting out the next time. Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," George grumbled and got to his feet. And right at this moment, he hated no one more than Dolores Umbridge, not even You-Know-Who himself. The woman had just made herself at least two very mischievous enemies, even though it would take her some time to realize that. Sooner or later he and his twin would deliver their payback, he told himself, but first, he'd have to survive the dressing down that was surely waiting for them, as soon as the rest of the Quidditch team realized that they were three players short.

ssssssss

"I need you to brew that Draught of Insight for me, Hermione," Harry mumbled a few days later when they were just busy doing their homework together. The Gryffindor common room was packed with busy students and there was the constant hum of voices in the air around them, but Hermione had long gotten used to the sound and had no problems concentrating on her work until Harry had interrupted her with his sudden request. He had been in an even worse mood ever since the fateful Quidditch match against Slytherin, but she also couldn't avoid noticing that her friend looked more and more tired day by day.

She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "We talked about this, Harry. First, I'd need a suitable place for brewing it. I can't very well ask Snape if I could use his lab, can I?"

Harry looked at her with a tired expression. "I know, Hermione. It's just that, there's really something wrong with me. I… my scar has started hurting again and lately I've been having really strange dreams. I… I really think there's something wrong with me and I just don't know what else to do!" Harry had leapt from the sofa at the last words and Hermione could see that half of the common room was watching them by now. Her messy-haired friend seemed to have realized it too, as his shoulders sagged and he sat back down defeatedly.

"Sorry, I didn't want to start shouting," he mumbled shamefacedly and stared into his lap. "I don't know why I get so angry lately. But you see what I mean. I haven't been like that in the past, but suddenly…" He buried his hands in his hair. "Hermione, please. We need to find a way to make this potion again. All we need is a safe place for some hours. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Hermione sighed. "Alright. I'll find a way. Just… give me some days and don't do anything rash. Keep your head down and try not to get in any more trouble, Okay?"

Harry nodded and looked at her full of gratefulness. "Yeah, Okay. It's not like I need any more trouble, right?"

Ron snorted next to him and clapped him onto the back: "Not really, no. Trouble keeps finding you, Harry, and in this school year it seems to be right on your heels."

Hermione wholeheartedly agreed with her friend's statement and so it only took her a few minutes to make up her mind. She had helped Harry countless times but he had rarely asked for her help like that. He was desperate and Hermione had helped him with much more difficult or dangerous things in the past. Brewing a potion that only took some hours was compared to that almost not even worth mentioning.

With a defeated sigh she excused herself from her friends and strolled over to the other end of the common room, where Fred and George were lounging together on one of the Gryffindor-red sofas. She had mostly avoided them in the last days in the hope that her confused feelings would finally settle down, but she hadn't been that lucky. All it took for her was one look into their brown, sparkling eyes and she felt her heart flutter in her chest like some sort of trapped butterfly. Brilliant! But what didn't she do for her friends?

"Fred? George? Do you have a minute?" she asked hesitantly and waited in front of the sofa. They looked up at her in surprise.

"Hermione," Fred said and smiled. "Sure, sit down." He patted the sofa right between him and his brother, who moved aside to make a bit more room for her. Then he looked up at her with an inviting smile.

"You don't just want to stand there, do you?"

Inwardly she sighed, but on the outside, she plastered a happy smile on her face. Harry was definitely owing her, that much was sure. "No, of course not," she said and she sat down. Even though the sofa was quite big, their legs still brushed against each other, when she only moved a bit. The twins didn't seem to care though, as George promptly put his arm around her shoulder, while Fred put one of his around her back. And for a moment she really considered to just bolt from the sofa and tell Harry to finally start solving his own problems.

"So… what can we do for our favourite Prefect? Need any help with your homework?" Fred said cheekily and looked at her with sparkling eyes. But for a moment she had totally forgotten the reason why she went over to them at all. It was probably because her heart was occupied with pumping all her blood into her skin so that not a drop was left for her poor brain.

"I…" Hermione started, but suddenly she felt Fred's hand move just an inch on her back and her train of thought was lost to her again. She groaned inwardly. Were they doing this on purpose? "I wanted to ask your help," she finally bit out, before her speech left her again because her voice really did sound kind of squeaky already. "…not with homework, don't worry. I… I need a place where I'll be undisturbed for a few hours."

Fred looked at her with a wide grin. "Don't tell me you need the place for a rendezvous that you want to keep a secret from our High Inquisitor."

Was it possible to get any redder? She hadn't thought so, but Hermione had obviously been wrong. "No, nothing like that," she groaned and looked at them with a scowl. "I need the place for brewing the Draught of Insight, without anybody noticing."

George studied her with a curious expression. "Draught of Insight, huh? Well, we might know a place for that, don't we Freddy?"

"Yeah, we actually might," Fred said, leaned back on the sofa and folded his hands behind his head. "Do we get something in return?"

For a moment she just stared at him with wide eyes. "You want something back? I…errrr… well…"

Both of them looked at her with an amused grin. "You could, for example, agree, to accompany us to Hogsmeade the next weekend," George suggested with a small smile. "Just Fred, you and me, what do you think?"

She thought that she must have finally snapped and started imagining things. Or that they were probably just trying to tease or to trick her and would start chuckling just in a moment. But nothing like that happened and they just waited for her answer with a patient smile on their lips.

"Are you serious? You… you want to take me to Hogsmeade? Like on a date?"

Her words must have turned shrill towards the end, as she could finally feel several pairs of eyes on her. She closed her eyes in mortification.

"If that's alright with you?" George said with a happy smile and didn't look embarrassed in the least. He actually looked quite smug, now that she thought about it.

"I…" she really didn't know what to say. Well, that was not true, because she definitely wanted to go on a date with them. She had fantasised about the Weasley twins for the last weeks, for Merlin's sake. So why was she afraid to say yes?

Fred looked at her with an encouraging smile. "We would only make a quick stop at Zonko's and then we could browse the book store together. How does that sound?"

"And in return, we show you our secret hide-out," George added and squeezed her shoulders. "What do you think, Hermione?"

She thought that she had gone mad. "Alright," she answered with an audible sigh. "But there is no way you can drag me to Madam Puddifoot's or something equally embarrassing, is that clear?"

"Totally," they answered in unison and with a wide grin. The view made her heart beat frantically in her chest. Merlin, could it be that they were truly interested in her, too? But how should that even work? She couldn't very well date both of them, could she?

"Well then," George interrupted her thoughts. "I would say you prepare your potions equipment for tomorrow afternoon. We'll meet you at the portrait of the Fat Lady around 4."

She nodded determinedly before she leapt from the sofa. "Alright, see you tomorrow then," she said hastily and almost ran back to the spot, where Harry and Ron waited for her with wide eyes. Oh Merlin, she still couldn't believe that she had agreed to go on a date with them.

"Hermione? Did you just…" Harry started carefully but closed his mouth like a fish after only a few words.

She sighed. "You mean if I just agreed to go on a date with Fred and George in exchange for them to show me a room, where I can brew your potion in?" she asked in a clipped voice. "Yeah, I did. You owe me for this, Harry Potter. I am in the right mood to demand your first-born child or something equally important in return for this."

Ron looked at her with total disbelief, before his eyes turned towards Harry. "She has a point, mate. Merlin Hermione, I can't believe you agreed to this. What if they prank you the whole day or if they try to kiss you?" he said and sounded like the second option was significantly worse than the first. "Sometimes I think we really don't deserve you, you know?"

Ron's words charmed a small smile on her face. "I know, boys, believe me, I know."