After dinner, when Draco Malfoy, and the seventh year Slytherin and Professor Snape had left the Great Hall together, Fred and George Weasley, their eyes dancing, sidled up to Harry.
"Harry, Ron."
George smiled innocently at them both.
"What are you two up to?" Ron asked suspiciously.
"Ron, we're your brothers" Fred exclaimed piously.
"Exactly."
Ron crossed his arms and glared at his twin brothers.
"Harry," he asked "what do you think these two are up to this time?"
Harry just smiled.
"Well?" Ron demanded, "what is it this time?"
"Just a little" George started to say.
"Favour" Fred finished, smiling engagingly.
"Ron, do you remember when you wished you could be a fly on the wall, to find out what that guy said to Malfoy?" Fred continued.
"You're not turning me into a fly!" Ron practically shouted his face going red.
No no, brother dear" George reassured him.
"Though we could if you'd like" Fred added, grinning.
Ron glowered at both of them.
"What was the favour you wanted?" Harry asked them.
"Oh, if we could borrow your invisibility cloak to do our spying" Fred explained.
"Yes, and we'll bring it right back" George continued earnestly, "and tell you all the juicy details" Fred finished.
They both smiled winningly at Harry.
"Should I be worried Ron?" Harry asked, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile.
"Very worried" Ron agreed, still glowering at his brothers.
"Oh!" Fred and George exclaimed in unison.
"We just thought" George explained seriously, then looked over at Fred.
"That if we went, you wouldn't get in any trouble" finished Fred.
Harry looked from the two boys over to Ron.
"What do you think Ron?" he asked seriously.
"Well..." Ron seemed to be considering.
"We'll give it right back" George promised sincerely.
"Ron?"
Harry was smiling openly now, and the twins were almost jumping with joy.
"Alright" Harry agreed, and was practically pulled away from the table by the twins and rushed up to Gryffindor Tower.
Arriving in the common room, the twins waited downstairs while Harry and Ron went up to their room. Unlocking his trunk, Harry reached in under his Quidditch uniform to grab his invisibility cloak, and couldn't feel it.
"Huh?" he muttered, then began pulling his clothes out. A moment later, his trunk empty and his clothes scattered about the floor Harry looked up at Ron, his face white.
"It's not here."
"What?" Ron exclaimed, then turned and pounded down the steps to the common room. Harry could hear him screaming at his brother's about the cloak as he carefully checked through his clothes once more before placing them back in his trunk.
Harry was shaken and he felt sick; he knew he had put it away, he always put it back in the same place. Ron appeared at the door, Fred and George directly behind him. Ron's face was red from screaming and he still looked quite upset.
"They insist they didn't take it, Harry" Ron muttered, then was interrupted as Fred burst out "we didn't."
George joined Fred in protest,"take it."
Both boys looked at Harry pleadingly, and, though he was upset he didn't have the heart to cause them even more misery.
"Ron, I do believe Fred and George; I'm sure they didn't take my cloak" Harry soothed, then grinned at Ron, "though I have a very good feeling that I know who did."
"Who, Harry?"
Fred and George piped up and Ron nodded in anxious agreement.
"Hermione," Harry said, smiling broadly.
Ron looked at Harry in disbelief.
"Hermione?"
"Yes, remember Ron, when I said you two would have to use my cloak because I wasn't up to dealing with Snape if we were caught?"
Ron nodded, his forehead furrowed in thought.
"I do remember, and she did agree with you" he agreed, then glanced nervously behind him. From where he was standing, Ron could literally feel his brother's breathing down his neck.
"Well, do you think she went to listen in on Malfoy then, Harry?"
Ron had relaxed a bit, but he was still worried about what Fred and George might be planning for him and thought it best for his health to stick with Harry, and then make sure it was him, not the twins, that got to talk to mum first.
"Probably" Harry agreed, "lets wait in the common room for her, I'm sure she won't be long.
"I'll wait right there with you Harry, all night if necessary!"
Ron spoke fervently then followed Harry, closely, to a table in the corner of the common room and started to set up for a game of wizards chess. Fred and George preceded them and flopped onto one of the comfortable, overstuffed couches near the fire. They turned to look over at Ron and Harry, and when he turned to notice them, they were sitting, arms crossed, scowling directly at him, and regarding him with a fair amount of brotherly dislike.
Ron gulped.
He tried to ignore them and play chess with Harry, but he could feel them staring at him; it was one of the few games against Harry that he lost.
