Thanks to everyone who reviewed - I'm glad you're enjoying it! Anyway, here's part two...
Fred raced helterskelter across the common room and charged straight through the portrait hole, causing the Fat Lady to shriek in surprise. He could hear George yelling at him to come back but he didn't care. Professor McGonagall and Ron?! It was horrible! It was disgusting! To think that the strict, uptight deputy headmistress was secretly seducing innocent young boys! She was probably blackmailing Ron, Fred decided. The poor boy would be terrified of saying anything in case he was expelled. He was too scared even to tell his own brother! And who knew how many others there were? It was a good job that he and George had found out: now they could put an end to this shameful business.
Unfortunately Fred was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the figure on the fifth floor landing until he had almost crashed into it. When he realised who it was he stopped abruptly.
"Weasley!" barked Professor McGonagall. "You know the rules about running on the staircases. I need hardly remind you that it's extremely dangerous to say the least."
"P...p...professor-" Fred stared in horror at his teacher. How could she just stand there and look at him like nothing was wrong? His face grew red with anger.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry, anyway?" Professor McGonagall peered curiously at him over the top of her glasses.
"You... you..." Fred stammered.
"He feels sick, Professor!" cut in a familiar voice. George was leaning over the banisters from two flights up. Quickly he ran down the remaining steps and patted his brother on the back.
"We were finishing up our sweets from Hogsmeade," he explained. "I think Fred had a bit too much chocolate. He was running to the bathroom. Come on, Fred." He grabbed Fred's arm and dragged him hastily in the direction of the bathroom. Luckily, by now Fred was making quite a nasty choking noise.
"Weasley..." She didn't sound convinced.
"Sorry, Professor, can't stop! I'm feeling a bit ill myself now!"
George pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, held it over his mouth and started making loud retching noises. He risked a quick glance back only to see Professor McGonagall frowning suspiciously at the pair of them. Before she could do anything more, however, they made it into the bathroom and the door banged noisily shut behind them.
"That was close!" George said in relief. "Honestly, Fred! What were you going to do, accuse her right there?"
"How could she?!" Fred hissed angrily. "He's our brother, George! Aren't you angry, too?" And then his face went white and he stared at his brother in shock.
"She's done it to you, too!"
"Fred-"
"She has! That's why you stopped me saying anything, isn't it? I bet she told you they'd expel you if you told anyone what she was doing to you! Oh no, she-"
"FRED! She hasn't done anything to me, you idiot." George sighed loudly in frustration. "We can't just confront her. We have to speak to Ron first."
"Oh, yeah. Better go down to Hagrid's, then."
When they stuck their heads cautiously through the door Professor McGonagall had gone. The two boys made their way down the rest of the staircase, out through the entrance hall and down to Hagrid's hut. When they got there, Hagrid was sitting outside smoking a rather smelly pipe and grinning broadly at them.
"All right, yeh two?" he boomed loudly. "What're the pair o'yeh up to now?"
"We're looking for Ron," Fred explained. "He said he was coming down to say goodbye to you with Hermione and Harry."
"Is he still here?" George asked.
"Nah. Yeh missed him. They've already gone back to the castle. Say, how would yeh boys like some cake?"
He was talking to thin air: the Weasley twins were already running back up towards the school. Hagrid shrugged. "Never mind," he said, "all the more for yeh and me, eh Fang?"
Back up in the Gryffindor common room there was still no sign of Ron, Harry or Hermione. George slumped exhausted in an arm chair. "I don't get it," he said. "Where have they gone now?"
"Beats me. Maybe we should just stay here. They're bound to come back eventually."
"Yeah." George was too tired to suggest anything else.
The two boys sat in silence for a while, each wondering what they should say to their brother when they eventually caught up with him. Finally Fred suggested a game of Exploding Snap but before they could even deal the cards the portrait hole opened again, and this time Percy stepped him. Ginny was with him, her face red and tearstained. Before either of the twins could say anything, she rushed off towards her dormitory.
"I found her crying downstairs," Percy explained. "She won't tell me what's wrong. I think she's still upset about everything that's happened. Anyway..." He puffed up his chest importantly. "I must get back downstairs. Professor Dumbledore wants to see all the prefects immediately and I can't possibly keep him waiting."
"I expect he's ordered a new hat for you to fit your big head, Percy," George yelled at Percy's departing back. "Come on then, Fred, deal the cards."
"Don't you think we should see if Ginny's all right?"
"You heard Percy. If she wouldn't tell him she's not going to tell us, is she? Anyway, we're not allowed in the girls dormitories."
There was a sudden loud sniff from the doorway behind them and the twins whirled round so Ginny stood there. She was holding what looked like a photograph in her hand.
Fred and George stared at each other.
"What's the matter, Gin?"
Ginny started to cry again. "Oh, it's awful!" she sobbed. "I went to borrow a book from Hermione and she wasn't there so I looked for it myself and I found this!"
She handed the photograph to her brothers. It showed Hermione sitting on her bed but she wasn't alone.
Hermione was kissing Professor Snape.
To be continued...
Part three will be up shortly!
Fred raced helterskelter across the common room and charged straight through the portrait hole, causing the Fat Lady to shriek in surprise. He could hear George yelling at him to come back but he didn't care. Professor McGonagall and Ron?! It was horrible! It was disgusting! To think that the strict, uptight deputy headmistress was secretly seducing innocent young boys! She was probably blackmailing Ron, Fred decided. The poor boy would be terrified of saying anything in case he was expelled. He was too scared even to tell his own brother! And who knew how many others there were? It was a good job that he and George had found out: now they could put an end to this shameful business.
Unfortunately Fred was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the figure on the fifth floor landing until he had almost crashed into it. When he realised who it was he stopped abruptly.
"Weasley!" barked Professor McGonagall. "You know the rules about running on the staircases. I need hardly remind you that it's extremely dangerous to say the least."
"P...p...professor-" Fred stared in horror at his teacher. How could she just stand there and look at him like nothing was wrong? His face grew red with anger.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry, anyway?" Professor McGonagall peered curiously at him over the top of her glasses.
"You... you..." Fred stammered.
"He feels sick, Professor!" cut in a familiar voice. George was leaning over the banisters from two flights up. Quickly he ran down the remaining steps and patted his brother on the back.
"We were finishing up our sweets from Hogsmeade," he explained. "I think Fred had a bit too much chocolate. He was running to the bathroom. Come on, Fred." He grabbed Fred's arm and dragged him hastily in the direction of the bathroom. Luckily, by now Fred was making quite a nasty choking noise.
"Weasley..." She didn't sound convinced.
"Sorry, Professor, can't stop! I'm feeling a bit ill myself now!"
George pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, held it over his mouth and started making loud retching noises. He risked a quick glance back only to see Professor McGonagall frowning suspiciously at the pair of them. Before she could do anything more, however, they made it into the bathroom and the door banged noisily shut behind them.
"That was close!" George said in relief. "Honestly, Fred! What were you going to do, accuse her right there?"
"How could she?!" Fred hissed angrily. "He's our brother, George! Aren't you angry, too?" And then his face went white and he stared at his brother in shock.
"She's done it to you, too!"
"Fred-"
"She has! That's why you stopped me saying anything, isn't it? I bet she told you they'd expel you if you told anyone what she was doing to you! Oh no, she-"
"FRED! She hasn't done anything to me, you idiot." George sighed loudly in frustration. "We can't just confront her. We have to speak to Ron first."
"Oh, yeah. Better go down to Hagrid's, then."
When they stuck their heads cautiously through the door Professor McGonagall had gone. The two boys made their way down the rest of the staircase, out through the entrance hall and down to Hagrid's hut. When they got there, Hagrid was sitting outside smoking a rather smelly pipe and grinning broadly at them.
"All right, yeh two?" he boomed loudly. "What're the pair o'yeh up to now?"
"We're looking for Ron," Fred explained. "He said he was coming down to say goodbye to you with Hermione and Harry."
"Is he still here?" George asked.
"Nah. Yeh missed him. They've already gone back to the castle. Say, how would yeh boys like some cake?"
He was talking to thin air: the Weasley twins were already running back up towards the school. Hagrid shrugged. "Never mind," he said, "all the more for yeh and me, eh Fang?"
Back up in the Gryffindor common room there was still no sign of Ron, Harry or Hermione. George slumped exhausted in an arm chair. "I don't get it," he said. "Where have they gone now?"
"Beats me. Maybe we should just stay here. They're bound to come back eventually."
"Yeah." George was too tired to suggest anything else.
The two boys sat in silence for a while, each wondering what they should say to their brother when they eventually caught up with him. Finally Fred suggested a game of Exploding Snap but before they could even deal the cards the portrait hole opened again, and this time Percy stepped him. Ginny was with him, her face red and tearstained. Before either of the twins could say anything, she rushed off towards her dormitory.
"I found her crying downstairs," Percy explained. "She won't tell me what's wrong. I think she's still upset about everything that's happened. Anyway..." He puffed up his chest importantly. "I must get back downstairs. Professor Dumbledore wants to see all the prefects immediately and I can't possibly keep him waiting."
"I expect he's ordered a new hat for you to fit your big head, Percy," George yelled at Percy's departing back. "Come on then, Fred, deal the cards."
"Don't you think we should see if Ginny's all right?"
"You heard Percy. If she wouldn't tell him she's not going to tell us, is she? Anyway, we're not allowed in the girls dormitories."
There was a sudden loud sniff from the doorway behind them and the twins whirled round so Ginny stood there. She was holding what looked like a photograph in her hand.
Fred and George stared at each other.
"What's the matter, Gin?"
Ginny started to cry again. "Oh, it's awful!" she sobbed. "I went to borrow a book from Hermione and she wasn't there so I looked for it myself and I found this!"
She handed the photograph to her brothers. It showed Hermione sitting on her bed but she wasn't alone.
Hermione was kissing Professor Snape.
To be continued...
Part three will be up shortly!