"Five!"

SLAP! "Dammit!"

"King of hearts again, Gin?" Ron snickered.

"Shadap," she grumbled, scooping up the cards she had earned herself.

"No, really, are you taking the Micky?" he asked, promptly ducking the wad of sweater she chucked at his head.

"Morning all," George greeted, descending the stairs followed by his yawning duplicate.

"Oi," Fred managed through his gaping yawn, "What was going on last night? I thought the poltergeist was at it again, but then I kept hearing these tiny feet and this funny chuckling..."

"Crookshanks," Hermione groaned. "Thought he'd bring Ron a present. He still hasn't forgiven me for letting it get away." An orange blur seemed to be sound asleep in a far chair with a sulky back facing her. "Every once I a while he looks over his shoulder to give me a look," she shook her head.

"Oh, good, you got the gnome then?" George asked casually, helping himself to a glass of orange juice.

"I hope you received our greetings as well?" Fred surfaced from a glass with a thick milk moustache.

"You let him get it?" Hermione demanded, aghast.

"No, of course not," Fred replied indignantly.

"We just granted him entrance."

"And passed along our very best regards."

"Oh, thanks a bundle," Ron replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You had me chasing after him all over the house!" Hermione exclaimed. "I had to re-right the whole kitchen, by HAND! I'm just glad they didn't break anything."

"It's alright, we would've fixed it for you," Fred said, the closest that could be expected to an apology.

Hermione, only slightly appeased, still vented the events of the night with only a vague air of amusement. "The only time I actually caught up with him for a bit was when he cornered that wretched gnome in Ron's dresser. He curled right up on Ron's chest."

The twins grinned mischievously, looking suddenly as if the whole thing was rather worth it.

"There now, see, Ron got some company in his bed, it all worked out."

"WHAT?!" Hermione and Ron exclaimed simultaneously, their faces glowing a deep shade or red.

"Uh...we meant the cat..."

"But as long as everything worked out."

Expertly with holding snickers they settled down to eat, leaving two very startled, stuttering teenagers in their wake. Neither of which could seem to bring themselves to look one another in the eye.

"Right then," George nabbed Hermione's pile of cards.

"Seven was it?" asked Fred, seizing control of Ron's pile and placing down the top card.

"Six," Ginny corrected. "Seven," she put down her own card.

"What?"

"Eight," George put down his.

"I...think I'm going to go take a shower," Hermione hastened away from the table.

"Me too," Ron got up as well, all eyes suddenly focused upon him. "After! I meant after!"

He groaned, flopping down on his bed heavily. What was going on these past couple of days?! It wouldn't be so bad if his family would just keep out of it. Maybe then he'd have at least a vague idea of why he kept flushing when Hermione was around. He was used to Fred and George's sense of humour, even Ginny's, this was all just so very pointed!

Damn, he was being paranoid! Maybe if they left him ALONE in regards to her he'd know why his heart kept skipping beats in her presence. What??

He grabbed up a Quidditch magazine, burying his nose in it and glaring at the writing, trying to make sense of those blasted symbols. It was a moment before he realized he had it upside down.

Boy was he glad the twins weren't there at that moment! Glad that they couldn't read minds... He shuddered visibly. Wishing that they would quit the subtle matchmaking hints. What??

Shouldn't Hermione be done with the shower now?

Grabbing up his stuff he hurried down the hall, bursting into the bathroom with relief. He'd feel better after a shower, his mind would be clearer...

"Ron!"

He burst back out the door, slamming it quickly behind him. "Oh crap." That image was still fresh in his mind though.

If only he'd been a few minute later! It wasn't sooo bad; he HAD just seen those particular garments the previous day, if somewhat by accident... The image was still vivid in his mind even as he tried to force a feeling of revulsion instead of this... What if he'd been a few minutes earlier..?

"WHAT?!"

He groaned, "Oh god."