Author's Note: Thanks you all who read, and especially those who reviewed. I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one who finds something about these guys intresting. I know this is short, I usually like to write longer chapters, but I wanted to update tonight, for some reason. Which do you prefer, short frequent updates or longer chapters with a longer wait?
Disclaimer: See ch. 1
The next morning Hermione couldn't stop thinking about what happened with the twins the night before, couldn't stop thinking about what they had said. Well, not what they had said, but how they had said it. She would have thought, if they were trying to say they needed her specifically, that they would have put the emphasis on "you". But instead, they had said "We need you," and the range of possible implications of that simple fact had her reeling, which was problematic when she was supposed to be making a fairly complex potion.
As luck would have it, she was partnered with Neville Longbottom, who started to shake violently every time Professor Snape was near, and his nervousness combined with Hermione's preoccupation nearly resulted in a ruined potion. She was able to fish out most of the faerie wings Neville had added before powdering them, and in the end the pale periwinkle liquid was a little more opaque than the guidelines had specified, but it was still passable. Professor Snape looked up at her in surprise when she set the slightly cloudy vial on his desk, but Hermione let her face remain blank until she turned away, and she blushed furiously. She hated turning in poor quality work.
Neville met her at the door and apologized profusely for his poor performance in class, but Hermione shook her head. "You did fine, Neville. You know its just Snape making you nervous," she said, comforting him. "And I knew it and wasn't paying attention, which is my fault." Neville smiled his thanks, and continued to walk to his class.
She didn't hear him approach, so she was startled when a tall boy slung his arm around her shoulders. Hermione looked up to see one of the boys who had been on her mind all day, though she couldn't tell which one from the angle she had. "Tut tut, fouling up your potions doesn't sound like the Hermione I know," he joked, his voice low so only she could hear.
"What, are you thinking of holding your offer pending my marks?" she returned, grinning up at him. He slowed his steps and steered her right to another hallway, one less crowded with students trying to get to their next class. "My marks won't improve if you make me skip class!" Hermione objected, but didn't pull away from him.
"Not to worry, love, you'll get to class," he assured her, and turned her around into a little alcove in the hall. "You might be a bit late, but you'll get there."
"Fred!" Hermione playfully chided him, now able to see his whole face and identify which of the brothers she was talking to. He grinned, but said nothing to her, just stood in front of her, gazing at her face. "Well…what is it you wanted?" she asked finally.
"Oh, nothing, just testing your willingness to be led off with no explanation when you have other places to be," he answered cheekily. Hermione hit him playfully and walked off in mock outrage, only mildly annoyed that he would feel the need to test this considering all she and his younger brother had been through with Harry.
Fred caught her before she reached a more populated area, and spun her around to face him. "Can't blame a guy for trying to get a bit of time alone with you, now can you?" he asked, as he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Thanks for playing along," he murmured in her ear, before he walked off, presumably to go about his own business.