Chapter 27 – Experimenting


HG


"George, Rusty!" She called over to the twins after dinner. The boys stopped in their tracks and slowly turned to her.

"Lady Granger, what can we do for you?" The twins bowed deep in the crowded corridor.

"Can you come with me to the library?" She asked putting her bag on her shoulder. Whatever the boys thought she would ask, this wasn't it. They looked surprised from Hermione to each other.

"You want us to-" Fred started in a whisper.

"Go to the library -"

"When there are still people around?" The twins finished together in a whisper as they leaned closer, their eyes comically wide.

"Yes, you dumdums." She grinned and linked her arms with the twins and dragged them with her, before they could protest.

"Thank Merlin, she's taking charge." Fred laughed once he recovered from Hermione's forceful hand.

"Yeah, wouldn't know where to begin. Where is this library you speak of, Hermione?" George inquired with fake interest.

With a nudge in each twins' ribs, she ignored them as she walked to the library. Once they reached the large double doors, Hermione stopped. She was sure she saw Blaise still at the Slytherin table before she caught up with the twins, but just to be sure. She turned to the twins and put her finger up. "Wait here a second." And she darted between the rows of books.

"What?" The two boys called surprised after her, receiving a glare from madam Pince. A minute or so later, Hermione appeared again.

"First you drag us here and then you let us hang here next to madam Pince." Fred said dramatically.

"Don't be such a baby." Hermione rolled her eyes laughing. "Come on."

The twins followed her through the library, passing rows of shelves and books before she finally made a last left turn. It was a remote table, hidden behind the shelves with two chairs around it, one occupied by Cedric.

"I thought Hermione was joking." Cedric laughed as he saw the twins standing behind Hermione.

"No, we're really here." Fred grinned as his finger went over the shelves covered with dust.

"We didn't have time to Polyjuice ourselves."

"Yes, what will happen if someone recognizes you in the library." Hermione rolled her eyes as she took her seat across from Cedric. Cedric waved his wand and transfigured two books into chairs for the Weasley boys to sit on.

"So, what's the reason you dragged us here, little Granger?"

"Well, uhm..." She started slowly, fidgeting with her sleeve. She knew Snape talked about the twins, but the third person could've been Lee or Cedric. But since she already studied with Cedric all the time, she thought this was the easier option. "Professor Snape, uhm, suggested that I experiment with potions. I can do my normal potions during my class with you." She gestured to the twins. "But during my second-year class I get a chance to experiment, because even though I followed the instructions, my potion wasn't what it's supposed to be." She pursed her lips as she thought about the potion.

"Wait, I think I'm out of the loop." Cedric shook his head slightly. "You have potions with the twins?"

"Oh, yeah. I haven't talked to you since Professor Snape picked me up at the train station." She looked to Cedric. "I have potions with the third years on Monday and Friday for the rest of the year, it's during my free periods. Because I – we already did the second-year potions this summer. But that's where I need help… I'm not one to experiment. You two do it daily and even you, Digs, you experiment with potions too. I was wondering if… if you guys wanted to help me." She mumbled the last part as she looked down. She never was the type to ask for help, always wanted to do things, learn things herself, but now… She didn't want to get hurt or worse if she did something wrong.

"Of course, we will help you." The twins chimed.

"We just need to see when, cause Wood already called for a team meeting tonight." Fred groaned.

"I can help you when they can't." Cedric offered. "We can use the empty classroom we used at the start of the year. My training schedule isn't as intense as theirs." He chuckled as he pointed his thumb at the twins.

"Thank you." She sighed in relief. "You three are amazing."

"We know." The three of them said together. Hermione snickered at their own surprised faces as they looked between each other.

"Do you have time tonight?" She asked Cedric.

"Uhm, yeah. Let me finish my paper and we'll head out. Don't worry, it won't be long."

"We let you two to it." George said as he stood up. "We will go over our free time when we get back."

"If we get any." Fred said looking grim and with a last wave they disappeared behind the shelves.

Cedric was already busy writing his essay when she looked back, so she went to grab the potion's book out of her bag to prepare herself. But before she could even find the correct page, Cedric was waving his hand over the ink to let it dry faster before he rolled up the parchment. He stuffed everything in his bag and stood up, he held out his hand to Hermione. She placed the book back in her bag before she accepted his hand and pulled her up.

"Told you I was nearly finished." He grinned as they walked to the front of the library.

"Yeah, but the twins say that all the time and 20 minutes later, we're still waiting." Hermione chuckled as they walked the corridor.


HG


Hermione had found an old cauldron in the empty classroom and put it on the desk as she took out her ingredients. Cedric was sitting on the desk in front of her as he flipped through the potions book Professor Snape gave her.

"So, you want to start with the Shrinking Solution?" He asked as he stopped at her bookmark.

"Yes, I have time tomorrow in class to try it." She said as she rounded her desk and stopped next to Cedric.

"This is very interesting." Cedric mumbled as his eyes scanned the book.

"It is, isn't it?" Hermione hopped on the desk next to him as she watched Cedric turn the pages. "Who knew there are so many different ways to cut caterpillars." Hermione chuckled as she pointed at the page.

"Let's get started before we're stuck here until after curfew." He smiled as he handed her the book and hopped off the desk. "Where do you want to start?"


HG


The next three weeks was filled with potions. Fred and George had more free time then last trimester after they all complained about the excessive practice schedule. So, the twins made time for her nights after they had potions together and she worked with Cedric on Wednesdays and the rest of the week she was studying in the library with Cedric or Zabini, or in the tower with the others.
After those three weeks she had more confidence to experiment on her own, so today was her last time she asked the boys to help her. She didn't want to drag them to much away from other activities. It was now the first and the last time she worked with the three boys together in the empty classroom.

Each had their own cauldron as they explored the possibilities of the potion they were making, all trying different things, different ways to make it. The twins had nicked the record player from the common room and music blasted through the room as they worked on their potions. Hermione was softly singing along with one of the wizarding bands, she just got to know, when George pulled her away from her cauldron and pulled him in his arms as he started to dance.

Hermione just rolled her eyes at the Weasley boy as she had gotten so used to their antics over the last year and a half. Even in those few weeks the twins always pulled her away from her potion when she was working on it for too long. Sometimes dancing, sometimes pranking an unknowing kid who walked by. Last Monday it was their own brother, Percy. The twins made his hair pink with a simple wave if their wands. Percy just scratched his head as he continued walking, only to realise when he stepped in the common room that it had changed as the others started to laugh.

"You were thinking too much." George grinned as he twirled her around.

"Or you were thinking too little." She prodded his chest before resting her hand on his shoulder again. She heard the other two boys snicker not too far from them as George used the whole room to waltz through. "I think I need to tell your mum about your dancing, you're really good."

"Aunt Muriel made us dance whenever she needed to babysit us."

"I still get the chills when I think about it." Fred said from his position behind his cauldron as he pretended to shiver. "Oi, Georgie. We better get going, we have our appointment."

"Appointment?" Hermione quirked an eyebrow at the twin in front of her. "A girl or a prank?"

"Prank." A sparkle in his eyes as he grinned. "It has been from before break since we had kissed a girl."

"Yeah." Fred called over as he put his things away, while they still danced. "Between classes, quidditch and helping you…"

"Sorry to keep you boys away from all of those lovely ladies." Hermione chuckled with an eyeroll as they stopped dancing, George still had his arm around her waist as they looked to the two other boys.

"Don't need to be jealous, little Granger. You're still our favourite girl." Fred winked before he padded her hair. Hermione just huffed as she walked to her cauldron.

"Don't you get caught! You guys already lost us points last week with that horrible prank."

"Horrible?" George gasped in mock hurt. "It may have not been our finest, but horrible?" George's voice shrieked.

"Fake spiders in the food of the Slytherin girls?" She looked pointedly at the twins, who were already packed and ready to go. "You can do better than that."

"What do you think we are going to do now?" Fred chuckled.

"Later, Granger." The twins said and leaned down to give her a sloppy kiss on the cheek and they ran out the room before Hermione had time to grab her wand and send a jinx after them.

"I really need to keep my wand on when they are around." Hermione grumbled with a smile as she turned to Cedric.

"You should know better by now." Cedric chuckled as he hopped off his desk.

"George dragged me away out of nowhere, my wand was next to my cauldron." She pursed her lips at him.

"Uhu." He grinned. "Want to continue or finish up?"

"Let's clean up. I need to work on my essay with Katie later."

Cedric turned again and vanished his potion before he started cleaning up his desk, Hermione did the same after she put the protection shield down. The twins had taught her, to always use a protection shield if you're inventing or experimenting. They would know, Fred had burned off both eyebrows last year when they forgot to put it up. Hermione reduced the record player, so she could fit in her bag, once that was in it, Cedric turned to her.

"All set?" Cedric asked when he turned around. Hermione nodded with a smile before they both walked out of the empty classroom.

What they didn't see, was the familiar crazy eyes just around the corner that watched them leave an empty classroom together. They didn't see that she had pulled her wand and aimed it at Hermione. Hermione and Cedric heard her whisper an incantation in the empty corridor but were both too late to see where it came from. And Oaklee's hex hit Hermione right in the face, making her fall to the ground. Cedric who had seen Oaklee send the hex at them, was too late to catch Hermione when she fell to the cold, hard stones. Hermione's head hit the hard cold floor and became unconscious. Cedric grew even more alarmed when her front teeth started to grow on a spectacular speed.

"Mister Diggory." Professor Snape slow deep voice said. "What are you doing out so-" He stopped when he saw Hermione unconscious on the ground. "What happened?"

Cedric's head snapped to the place Oaklee still stood, frozen at what she had done. Professor Snape followed his gaze and with a flick of his wand the girl stood in front of him. "Miss Dare, the headmaster's office, now." He sneered at the girl. Oaklee nodded her head, her eyes wide as they went from Hermione to Cedric and back to the professor before she climbed up the stairs.

"She needs to go to Madam Pomfrey." Cedric's voice shook as he looked at the professor. "Her teeth won't stop growing and she hit her head badly." He said as he lifted her carefully in his arms.

"Go then." He said and when Cedric nearly ran to the hospital wing, Professor Snape followed closely behind him, sending a message to Dumbledore as they walked.