Author's Note: Hey, I'm glad people are glad that I'm writing agian! Just makes me want to write more. I do need peoples opinions on one matter: as per usual with my stories, this one is leading to lots of kissing and more 'adult' situations. Not porn, but very suggestive. Should I change the rating of this one, and keep going, or try and write a K rated romance story and post the other version on my own site? Again, thanks for your reviews, and your opinions. Enjoy
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
"You can't be serious," Hermione asked. "You want me to help you with something, some project you know is against the rules, and you won't tell me what it is?"
"It's for your own good!" Fred offered. The look she gave him could have curdled milk.
"It's nothing technically illegal or dangerous," George assured her. "We just need your help with a bit of reconnaissance."
Hermione looked suspicious. "What kind of information do you need gathered?"
"The useful type," Fred quipped. This earned him another glare from Hermione. "It's nothing bad, we promise."
"Then why can't you get it yourself?" she retorted.
"You're just in a better position to acquire the information we require," George explained with a grin. He leaned back and placed an arm around her shoulders. "You have connections, my dear."
She scoffed, "I have Harry and Ron, you can get any thing you need out of them." Suddenly a horrible thought occurred to her. "You're not asking me to tell you about the other girls in my dorm, are you?" she pleaded.
"Aww, she's jealous," Fred teased.
"Am not!" Hermione objected.
"I think you are," Fred countered. "Don't you think that she sounded jealous, George?"
"She did indeed, Fred. Quite jealous," George agreed.
"I'm not jealous!" Hermione protested. "What would I have to be jealous about?"
"It's alright, luv," George assured her, squeezing her tight with the arm at her back, batting his eyes at her. "You don't need to worry; we only have eyes for you."
Hermione huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, mock pouting. "You're ridiculous," she told them.
"Might be we are," Fred said with a smile. "But it's not your roommates we're interested in. Most of their lives are public knowledge, anyway."
Hermione knew it was true. "So, what do you need me for?" she asked.
"Well, it might sound strange, what we ask you for. We need you to get…closer. To Krum," George explained.
"You want me to get closer to Harry's opponent?" Hermione gasper, shocked. "What kind of information are you going for?" Her expression changed from shocked to puzzled. "Why would I have better access to Krum than any of you? I'm still another Hogwarts student."
"C'mon, Hermione, you know he follows you around like a puppy dog," Fred admonished.
"Some people enjoy the library as much as I do, you know," she protested, though she was beginning to see what they were talking about. She was in the best position to get information out of Krum, for whatever reason. But she wasn't going to let them know that.
"Have you ever seen him actually reading?" George asked. When Hermione didn't answer, he grinned. "He spends the whole time watching you, or trying to avoid his fan club. I think you could really help us out here."
"Well, what exactly do you want me to ask him?" she queried. "I don't think he'd tell me about his secret Quidditch moves, of the location of Durmstrang."
"Oh, nothing like that," Fred said. "We just want to know how he's feeling, if he's nervous...,"
"If he knows what the tasks are and how he plans to handle them," George cut in.
"You-you want to know how he feels?" Hermione was completely perplexed.
"Well, not all the time. Just around the tasks," George added.
The pieces began to fall together in Hermione's mind. Her eyes snapped open wider when she figured it out. "You two are running a book! You're taking bets on the Tri-Wizard Tournament!" she accused.
"See, I told you she'd figure it out," Fred sulked.
"You're too smart for us, luv," George said, his mouth close to her ear, making her shiver in an unfamiliar way. She shook off the sensation and stood, turning to face them.
"I can't believe you're going to be betting on the champions! You're going to be taking bets on if Harry lives or dies!" she shouted.
"Well, just on whether or not he succeeds, really," George corrected. "Its nothing that isn't going on outside Hogwarts, we just want a little of the action ourselves."
"And we figure we have the best chance of setting odds accurately," Fred stated.
Hermione looked from one twin to the other, not believing what she was hearing. But as she thought about it, it didn't seem so bad. All she would be doing would be helping them to set odds. While not exactly fair, it was hardly illegal, since none of the champions would be involved. And something about the way the presented themselves, the gleam in their eyes and the smiles they beamed at her… "I'll do it," she declared.