Hermione raised her hands to her face protectively, trembling with fright
and waiting, waiting for a steaming ball of liquid flame to hit her. To
lick the flesh from her bones; to sizzle away her life slowly and
painfully. But unexpectedly and to her surprise, amongst the deafening roar
of screaming and growling and the awful crackling of a fire sent to kill
her, there was a hoarse cry of "Icicuss!" and the wind was knocked out of
her as she was knocked aside. She scrunched her eyes shut and clung
desperately to the figure that was now leaning on top of her protectively.
She heard the distant sound of the flames smashing against the wall and
exploding into a shower of embers, and what sounded like a tinkling of a
huge block of ice shattering on the floor, but it was all so distant, so
far off. She opened her eyes in a desperate attempt to keep herself
conscious; she noticed that the person who had saved her had a bundle of
ginger hair that was splayed messily over his forehead, and an array of
freckles.
"Fred . . . ?" she managed to gasp out. But immediately after, like water trickling down a drain, all conscious thought fell away from her and her mind was engulfed in the darkness of unconsciousness.
She was awoken some time later by a bustling Madame Pomfrey fussing over the state of something Hermione couldn't quite catch (she seemed to spend most of her time fussing and moaning about something). She felt groggy, but she stubbornly opened her eyes to find that she was in the hospital wing of Hogwarts, and was surrounded by a crowd of now excitedly chattering students, the closest of which were Harry and Ron.
"Is it true you were attacked by a Wolfin?"
"It breathed a whole ball of fire?! WOW!"
"And she survived!"
"Only because Fred Weasley saved her though,"
"Oh that Fred, he's so heroic!"
Hermione listened dazedly to this excited murmur of questions before Madame Pomfrey shooed them all out impatiently, only leaving her two very concerned best friends. On a bed next to hers was Fred, awake and totally ignoring his bandaged arm as he and George sorted through a pile on Ton- Tongue Toffees he must have smuggled in.
"Oh, look Fred, your girlfriend's awake!" Fred turned slightly pink and looked away, hissing, "She's not my girlfriend!" in a purposefully audible voice. Ron ears also went crimson upon hearing this, just confirming Hermione's suspicions that he was uncomfortable with the idea of his brother and best friend fancying each other. Hermione rubbed her forehead dizzily.
"What happened?" she asked in a hoarse, croaky voice. George smirked.
"Maybe your boyfriend can tell you, he was the one that cast a freezing spell on the Wolfin and shoved you onto the floor to stop you getting burnt. Got a few nasty scolds yourself though, didn't you, hero boy? You've earned yourself quite a reputation now. How do you expect us to be known as the dirtiest pranksters in the school when you go and do a thing like that, hrm?"
"Not really much left for me to tell now, is there George?" he said, going even redder (if that was possible). Hermione felt the memory dribble into her conscious mind. She dearly wanted to thank Fred, but knew that George would make some snide comment. To her relief, Madame Pomfrey bustled up to hurry them out with the rest, so Harry, Ron and George left after an encouraging "get well soon" to both Hermione and Fred. Once gone, she turned to the blushing boy next to her.
"Erm, Fred?" he looked up, golden eyes glinting green in the hospital room's bright light, "I just wanted to . . . I mean I . . . Thank you. For saving me." She said awkwardly, looking everywhere but his face. He grinned his grin, the grin that made her melt with desire and emotion, and his eyes locked with hers.
"No problem. I couldn't just let that thing kill you, could I?" she smiled. They stayed that way for only moments, but it felt longer to Hermione as her eyes searched his and she felt herself realising that there was now no competition between him and his brother.
She was totally in love with Fred.
It was Professor McGonagall that shattered their eye contact moments later. She sat herself on the wooden chair directly in between the two beds and shifted her glasses up her old, wrinkly nose, a habit she had picked up ever since Harry, Ron and Hermione had had a slight "incident" about a month ago, involving the Firebolt and a "rapidus" spell that was performed maybe a bit too well. The twins had been thoroughly impressed; Professor McGonagall felt quite the opposite, even though Ron insisted that her glasses could be fixed easily. Fortunately, Professor McGonagall was so happy with Hermione about being in a higher class for DATDA, she had overlooked it for her. Harry and Ron hadn't come off so lucky, however. The stern teacher raised an eyebrow at Fred's bandaged arm.
"Quite an ordeal you two have been through, I must say. You're lucky to get out so lightly, after what you did, Mr Weasley, although I must congratulate you on your quick thinking and quite admirable technique," she complimented, making Fred's ears go red as he grinned, "very impressive. 10 House Points for Gryffindor." Fred and Hermione exchanged smiles, but they were soon diminished by Professor McGonagall's next words.
"However, unless either of you are willing to point out the student that opened the cage, as none of the others did, I shall have to take 10 points from Gryffindor. We cannot have pupils feeling free to let wild creatures out into a room full of people!"
"Well it would have been fine if a certain teacher hadn't hidden under the desk like a kid . . ." Fred distinctly mumbled so the pointy faced teacher (who was pushing up her glasses again) could just hear him. She chose to ignore this comment.
"So, willing to tell me who did it?" Hermione had to pinch herself to stop her goody-two-shoes side making her blab it was in fact George Weasley. Fred just gave a look of practiced innocence.
"Nope, Professor, no idea. Sorry." Professor McGonagall gave them both suspicious looks, then handed them each a small slip of parchment.
"The Yule ball is in a month. You may both leave for your common rooms as soon as Madame Pomfrey feels fit. Again Fred, I congratulate your bravery, and would you please advise your brother not to pull anything like that again. Now I must be leaving, I have 10 points to add to Gryffindor." She smiled slyly as she left, leaving Fred and Hermione stunned and impressed at their "never break the rules" head of house.
Hermione loosened her grip on the piece of parchment in her hands as she realised she had been gripping it so tightly her knuckles were white. She glanced across the common room again at the two heads facing away from her, and wanted with all her heart to go over there and just blurt it out. It's not hard, especially when she knew word for word what to say. She'd been practicing it for the past two weeks, ever since Madame Pomfrey had let her out of the hospital wing after the whole Wolfin adventure. All she had to do would be to get up, walk over there, pull the unsuspecting twin to one side and just say,
"Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"
"Erm, no thanks Hermione, but thank you for the offer." Hermiones eyes snapped into focus as she was knocked out of her daze.
"Not you Harry. I was practicing for Fred." She muttered distractedly, glacing over Harry's shoulder at the twins.
"Well you better do it soon -I heard a rumour he's asking Katie from our Quidditch team . . ."
"Fred . . . ?" she managed to gasp out. But immediately after, like water trickling down a drain, all conscious thought fell away from her and her mind was engulfed in the darkness of unconsciousness.
She was awoken some time later by a bustling Madame Pomfrey fussing over the state of something Hermione couldn't quite catch (she seemed to spend most of her time fussing and moaning about something). She felt groggy, but she stubbornly opened her eyes to find that she was in the hospital wing of Hogwarts, and was surrounded by a crowd of now excitedly chattering students, the closest of which were Harry and Ron.
"Is it true you were attacked by a Wolfin?"
"It breathed a whole ball of fire?! WOW!"
"And she survived!"
"Only because Fred Weasley saved her though,"
"Oh that Fred, he's so heroic!"
Hermione listened dazedly to this excited murmur of questions before Madame Pomfrey shooed them all out impatiently, only leaving her two very concerned best friends. On a bed next to hers was Fred, awake and totally ignoring his bandaged arm as he and George sorted through a pile on Ton- Tongue Toffees he must have smuggled in.
"Oh, look Fred, your girlfriend's awake!" Fred turned slightly pink and looked away, hissing, "She's not my girlfriend!" in a purposefully audible voice. Ron ears also went crimson upon hearing this, just confirming Hermione's suspicions that he was uncomfortable with the idea of his brother and best friend fancying each other. Hermione rubbed her forehead dizzily.
"What happened?" she asked in a hoarse, croaky voice. George smirked.
"Maybe your boyfriend can tell you, he was the one that cast a freezing spell on the Wolfin and shoved you onto the floor to stop you getting burnt. Got a few nasty scolds yourself though, didn't you, hero boy? You've earned yourself quite a reputation now. How do you expect us to be known as the dirtiest pranksters in the school when you go and do a thing like that, hrm?"
"Not really much left for me to tell now, is there George?" he said, going even redder (if that was possible). Hermione felt the memory dribble into her conscious mind. She dearly wanted to thank Fred, but knew that George would make some snide comment. To her relief, Madame Pomfrey bustled up to hurry them out with the rest, so Harry, Ron and George left after an encouraging "get well soon" to both Hermione and Fred. Once gone, she turned to the blushing boy next to her.
"Erm, Fred?" he looked up, golden eyes glinting green in the hospital room's bright light, "I just wanted to . . . I mean I . . . Thank you. For saving me." She said awkwardly, looking everywhere but his face. He grinned his grin, the grin that made her melt with desire and emotion, and his eyes locked with hers.
"No problem. I couldn't just let that thing kill you, could I?" she smiled. They stayed that way for only moments, but it felt longer to Hermione as her eyes searched his and she felt herself realising that there was now no competition between him and his brother.
She was totally in love with Fred.
It was Professor McGonagall that shattered their eye contact moments later. She sat herself on the wooden chair directly in between the two beds and shifted her glasses up her old, wrinkly nose, a habit she had picked up ever since Harry, Ron and Hermione had had a slight "incident" about a month ago, involving the Firebolt and a "rapidus" spell that was performed maybe a bit too well. The twins had been thoroughly impressed; Professor McGonagall felt quite the opposite, even though Ron insisted that her glasses could be fixed easily. Fortunately, Professor McGonagall was so happy with Hermione about being in a higher class for DATDA, she had overlooked it for her. Harry and Ron hadn't come off so lucky, however. The stern teacher raised an eyebrow at Fred's bandaged arm.
"Quite an ordeal you two have been through, I must say. You're lucky to get out so lightly, after what you did, Mr Weasley, although I must congratulate you on your quick thinking and quite admirable technique," she complimented, making Fred's ears go red as he grinned, "very impressive. 10 House Points for Gryffindor." Fred and Hermione exchanged smiles, but they were soon diminished by Professor McGonagall's next words.
"However, unless either of you are willing to point out the student that opened the cage, as none of the others did, I shall have to take 10 points from Gryffindor. We cannot have pupils feeling free to let wild creatures out into a room full of people!"
"Well it would have been fine if a certain teacher hadn't hidden under the desk like a kid . . ." Fred distinctly mumbled so the pointy faced teacher (who was pushing up her glasses again) could just hear him. She chose to ignore this comment.
"So, willing to tell me who did it?" Hermione had to pinch herself to stop her goody-two-shoes side making her blab it was in fact George Weasley. Fred just gave a look of practiced innocence.
"Nope, Professor, no idea. Sorry." Professor McGonagall gave them both suspicious looks, then handed them each a small slip of parchment.
"The Yule ball is in a month. You may both leave for your common rooms as soon as Madame Pomfrey feels fit. Again Fred, I congratulate your bravery, and would you please advise your brother not to pull anything like that again. Now I must be leaving, I have 10 points to add to Gryffindor." She smiled slyly as she left, leaving Fred and Hermione stunned and impressed at their "never break the rules" head of house.
Hermione loosened her grip on the piece of parchment in her hands as she realised she had been gripping it so tightly her knuckles were white. She glanced across the common room again at the two heads facing away from her, and wanted with all her heart to go over there and just blurt it out. It's not hard, especially when she knew word for word what to say. She'd been practicing it for the past two weeks, ever since Madame Pomfrey had let her out of the hospital wing after the whole Wolfin adventure. All she had to do would be to get up, walk over there, pull the unsuspecting twin to one side and just say,
"Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"
"Erm, no thanks Hermione, but thank you for the offer." Hermiones eyes snapped into focus as she was knocked out of her daze.
"Not you Harry. I was practicing for Fred." She muttered distractedly, glacing over Harry's shoulder at the twins.
"Well you better do it soon -I heard a rumour he's asking Katie from our Quidditch team . . ."
