The Abandoned Classroom
A/N: Written for a contest on The Forbidden Forest. :)
Hermione woke up to the feeling that something was crawling on her arm. She kept her eyes closed tight, fearing that if she saw what it was, she might scream. The thing, whatever it was, was making its way up her arm, and would be reaching the sleeve of her t-shirt, with the option of crawling over it, or sneaking up it. She decided she better just find out what it was, and get it over with. She cracked one eye open, and looked into down at her arm, to see the eyes of a black, hairy, spider peering up at her. She screamed and shook her arm, sending the creature flying onto the floor. She sat up in bed panting, and looking around to find some way to kill the ugly thing, when she heard someone chuckling. She turned her head to the door to see George Weasley standing there, shaking his head.
"You!" Hermione yelled.
"Me." He said, smirking.
Hermione lay back down on the bed, forgetting about the spider exploring the space under the dresser.
"You know, Hermione, I would think you'd be used to this kind of stuff by now." He walked over to the dresser and reached under it, grabbing the spider. He held it in his hands, and let it crawl up his arm. Hermione glanced at him and made a face.
"Yeah, I know that."
"I mean, you are married to one half of the famous Weasley twins."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't say you're quite famous anymore, dear."
George pouted. "We are so! The shops got a great reputation. We're a household name!"
"Yes, but you're known for your products, not your pranks." Hermione smiled. "I remember a time when you and Fred would play pranks on a daily basis. When is the last time you've done that?"
George thought about it. The fact that he had to think about it was evidence enough that she was right. He frowned.
"Could you please go give Colin and Cullen their spider back? It's irking me." She interrupted his thoughts. George nodded and walked out of the room, and into the only other bedroom. His twin sons were still asleep, so he slipped their tarantula back into its cage, and tiptoed back into his bedroom.
"Hey, wait a second. I just played a prank on you with the spider."
"But George, it just wasn't the same…Remember that big prank you played on me?"
"Which one? There were so many." George grinned, remembering.
"The one where I admitted being in love with you."
"Oh, the one that backfired?" He teased.
Hermione stuck out her tongue.
XxXxXxXx
Flashback
"This'll be great! Granger won't even know what hit her!" Fred was rubbing his hands together.
George just nodded. The plan was simple, really. A few drops of love potion, a few drops of Veritaserum in her pumpkin juice, and then sticking her in front of Malfoy. "Malfoy won't know what hit him." George grinned.
Lee looked nervous. "Guys, what happens when Malfoy flips and hexes her?"
Fred frowned. "That won't happen."
"How can you be so sure?" Lee didn't want to be connected with the death or permanent disfiguration of the smartest witch at Hogwarts.
"George will be there, somewhere, keeping an eye."
George nodded. "He touches his wand, either one, and he gets hexed first."
So the plan was set. Lee was going to give her the pumpkin juice in the hallway between classes, and then he was going to make sure to get her into an abandoned classroom, where George would be hiding. It was Fred's job to get Malfoy there, and they didn't know how he planned to do it either. But he promised he'd get it done.
At last the time had come. Lee bounded up to Hermione in the hallway, who was on her way to Transfiguration.
"Hey, Hermione!" Lee stopped in front of her. "My mum sent some of her home made pumpkin juice! Do you want some?" He grinned.
Hermione looked at him skeptically. "Why are you offering it to me?"
"Sorry, Hermione. I thought we were friends." Lee pretended to look hurt.
Hermione felt bad. "I'm sorry, Lee. Sure I'll have some. It is my favorite, after all." She took the bottle of pumpkin juice from him.
"Brilliant! Oh, by the way, I wanted to show you something…in here!" He took her arm and pushed her into a nearby classroom, shutting the door behind her.
"Lee! I'm going to be late for Transfiguration!"
Lee grinned at her from the other side of the glass and bounded down the hallway. Hermione tried the doorknob and found it was locked. "Wonderful…" She muttered. After 5 minutes of trying every unlocking spell she knew, she gave up and sat down on one of the desks.
XxXxXxXx
Meanwhile, in another part of the castle, Fred was trying to get Malfoy to go along with his plan. The plan that didn't exist.
"Come on, Malfoy, I've got something you'll really like." Fred tried.
"If it doesn't involve your family spontaneously combusting, then I'm not interested." Malfoy sneered and turned away.
"Malfoy, come on…"Fred was about to resort to begging. A little voice in the back of his mind was screaming 'Abort! Abort!'
"Get out of here, weasel. Go worship potty, or hang out with the Mudblood."
Fred sighed and walked away. He really should have thought this through more…
XxXxXxXx
George was sitting in the broom closet inside the abandoned classroom. He had left the door open a crack, and was watching Hermione, who had given up trying to unlock the door, and was reading a book. Only Hermione would read a book in this situation. He watched her pick up the bottle of pumpkin juice, and unscrew the cap. He hoped Malfoy didn't try anything stupid. George always had a soft spot for Hermione. Okay, so who was he trying to kid, anyway? He fancied her. Big time. But he was aware that he had no chance, because she was in love with his little brother. George craned his neck, trying to see if anyone was at the door, but he saw no one. In the effort to see the door, he managed to knock over a broom, which clattered onto the floor. Hermione finished taking a sip of the juice, and turned to look at the closet door.
George froze. This was not going to be good.
She stood up and walked over to the closet, and opened the door the rest of the way. George had his eyes shut tight and was awaiting her wrath. But it never came. He opened one eye and looked at her. She had this dreamy expression on her face.
Oh no.
"George?"
"Hermione."
"George I…I…" Hermione threw herself at him. George collapsed in a heap on the broom closet floor, Hermione on top of him, trying to claw off his shirt.
"Hermione!" George struggled. Hermione clawed. George grabbed her arms. "Stop! You don't know what you're doing!"
Hermione sat up and looked at him. "I know exactly what I'm doing, George. I love you."
George's jaw dropped. "What?" There was no way she was lying…it was Veritaserum, stolen straight from Snape's storeroom.
"I always have…I've been pretending to like Ron so no one would know."
"That ashamed of liking me, Granger?" George asked, cracking a Weasley grin and sitting up as well.
"No…just…I don't know." She looked lost. Then she raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing in here, anyway?"
George grinned. "Waiting for you…" He then leaned over, and kissed her.
XxXxXxXx
George sighed, remembering that day in the abandoned classroom. "What would you say was the best part of that day, dear?"
Hermione smiled. George lay down on the bed next to her, and she played with his hair. "Probably getting caught by Fred and Lee."
George grinned. "That was pretty funny. I thought Fred was going to have an aneurysm."
"Mmm."
George sat up. "I think its due time Fred and I got pranking."
Hermione pouted. "But, the kids are still asleep…" She bit her bottom lip. "I was hoping maybe we could recreate that day in the broom closet. I seem to have forgotten exactly what happened."
George wiggled his eyebrows. "Shall I refresh your memory, Mrs. Weasley?"
"Mmm, okay, Mr. Weasley." Hermione grinned and kissed her husband.