Chapter 2

Present

Percy smirked a very un-Percy-like smirk as he watched Hermione pale at the mention of talking to Oliver. He'd had to put up with his unlikely best friend ranting on and on about how stubborn and irritating Hermione was for the last two days and knew from experience that it was likely to last at least another couple of days.

After the incident during the Quidditch match when Hermione had charmed Harry's glasses to repel water Oliver had droned on about how brilliant Percy's little brother's best friend was for a whole week.

In all the time he'd known him he'd never seen anyone get to his normally cool, calm and collected friend like Hermione had.

As odd a combination as most people thought they were, Oliver truly was Percy's best friend and he for one thought that it was about time that he found someone to be as passionate about as he was about his Quidditch. And from her reaction it seemed that the object of Oliver's unconscious affections might well feel the same way.

Now all Percy had to do was make them see it. Thankfully if Crookshanks had impregnated Oliver's cat he and Hermione would be forced to talk. Hopefully that would make Percy's mission a little easier.

"Oh! Oh OK, I guess I'll go talk to him then." Hermione said finally.

And with that she left the common room with the female cat still held in her arms and Crookshanks still following.

'He's just another stupid boy. You are not nervous about speaking to him. You will not let him embarrass you or drag you into another argument. You are in control.' became her mantra on the way down to the Quidditch pitch in a futile attempt calm her frantic nerves.

Unfortunately all of it went straight out of the window when she saw him jump off of his broom and stride towards her looking impossibly handsome in his Quidditch kit.

"Um hi Oliver. Percy told me that this was your cat and I thought we should talk because she and Crookshanks have been getting rather um… friendly. She finally managed to stutter out.

"Oh really and just how friendly have they been getting?" he asked in his soft Scottish burr, thoroughly enjoying the way she turned crimson. She'd blushed so prettily the day of their argument that he'd been dying to make her do it again. 'Hang on a minute; did I just think that Hermione was pretty?' He thought suddenly.

"Err I really don't want to think about that." She admitted, cursing her English rose complexion for making her embarrassment with the subject so obvious.

"No I don't think I do either." He agreed, no longer questioning the appeal of her flushed face.

"Well I think one of us needs to because Crookshanks hasn't been neutered." She told him, desperately trying to ignore the things his dazzling, mischievous smile was doing to her insides.

"Oh well we might have a problem then because Kimba hasn't been spayed either." he told her. "I was going to let her mate once I found her the right Tom, but if your common little alley cat has had his paws all over her I guess there isn't much chance of that." He joked, trying to dispel the panic he could see rising in her eyes.

Hermione however didn't get the joke instead she immediately saw red. It was one thing to hold her tongue and be the better person when the Slytherin's called her a common little mudblood, but there was no way she was going to stand back and let someone from her own house belittle her beloved pet.

"How dare you blame Crookshanks for this?" She hissed, thrusting his cat at him. "If it wasn't for your little hussy following him around we wouldn't be in this mess." she insisted. And with that she scooped up Crookshanks, turned on her heel and stalked back up to the castle in a foul mood.

Oliver stared after her in shock and then seeing that she wasn't planning on stopping, called after her.

"Hermione it was just a joke! Hermione?"

She either didn't hear him or wasn't listening because she didn't even turn around.

"Stubborn, infuriating wench, it was just a bloody joke!" Oliver muttered to himself as he watched her go.

"I think she's been called a 'common little mudblood' by the Slytherins one too many times to find that one funny though mate." Said George appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

"That's disgusting." Oliver spat, so angrily that George was fairly certain that the next Slytherin to utter those words to Hermione would find themselves in the infirmary.

"I know mate, but other than the pranks we keep pulling on them in retaliation there's not much we can do." George grumbled unhappily in reply.

"I just don't understand why they're so hung up on being purebloods. I mean there are loads of pureblood families who don't take that attitude. Both of our families are pure-blooded but you wouldn't catch any of us thinking like that." Oliver grimaced.

"Believe me mate I know, I don't get it either. It's certainly no secret that my Dad hasn't gotten far in the Ministry because of his fascination with Muggles." George confided. Then he laughed.

"You know he grilled Harry and Hermione for hours the first time they stayed at our place. He asked them so many questions that Harry just got stumped in the end, but not Hermione and he was asking some really technical questions. Apparently it isn't just the wizarding world that considers her a bit of a prodigy."

"I think that's the most annoying thing about the Slytherin's insulting her. She's probably smarter than all of them put together." Oliver agreed.

"Ah bollocks I'm going to have to apologise to her now." He said, wincing at the thought of the ear bashing he was likely to get.

George grinned as he nodded, but patted him on the back in sympathy nonetheless.

When Oliver thought about it later and think about it he did, he realised that the unholy light that suddenly lit George's blue eyes should have warned him to cut and run while he still could. But even six years at Hogwarts couldn't have prepared him for the following conversation.

"So what exactly is going on between you two anyway?" The redhead asked slyly.

"What you mean other than getting into an argument every time we speak to each other?" Oliver snorted derisively, thinking that George was just fooling around.

"Well I think it only fair to warn you that if you plan on making a move on her you'll have to ask Weasley family permission first. Just like Harry had to when he asked Ginny out." George said, making his captain's mouth hang open in shock.

"WHAT!" he yelled once he'd finally stopped catching flies.

"You heard me." George replied taking great enjoyment from Oliver's shocked expression. "Ah so denial is not just a river in Egypt." The prankster twin quipped as Oliver's mouth opened and shut several times while he tried to think of a reply.

"You're as barmy as Dumbledore." He said finally, turning his back on George and heading back up to the castle after Hermione.

"You know Harry only had to ask me, Fred, Percy and Ron, but I think I'm going to make you write to Bill and Charlie too after that comment." George yelled after him.

Oliver didn't turn around but flipped him the finger in response making George cackle like a hag. Eventually though he regained his composure and raced off to share his discovery with his twin.