18 – Quality Time
"Ugh!" Katie groaned as she dropped her head on her transfiguration book. She was studying with Katie in their room, since the library was closed because a run-down fifth year, who tried a spell and flooded the entire library. "I need a break! My eyes can't focus anymore." She said as she rubbed her eyes.
Hermione looked up from her book and saw the tired look on her face. "I have an idea. Why don't we ask the twins, if we could borrow their brooms and we can go practice, you can give me some pointers."
"That would be great, and after we can raid the kitchens!"
"Sure, we can do that too." Hermione smiled as she put a bookmark between the pages and closed her book. "Let's go find them."
They quickly made their way down to the common room, finding Alicia and Angelina in front of the fire.
"Do you know where Fred and George are?" Katie asked the girls.
"I think their up in their room, Lee just walked down saying he needed to get something." Alicia answered as she looked up from her potions book.
"Oh, alright."
Katie and Hermione turned and looked at the boys' staircase with their head tilted to the side.
"Can we go up there?" Katie whispered.
"Officially no, but I've already seen girls go up." Angelina said as she looked at the two first years, who were still eyeing the staircase. "They are probably working on some joke stuff, so best knock before entering."
"Thanks for the warning." Hermione grinned at Angelina.
"With those two, they should wear a warning sign." Angelina chuckled before turning back to her own book.
"Let's go." Hermione said as she pulled on Katie's arm and made their way up the stairs, they climbed until they reached the second landing. When she went to knock on the door, she saw it was ajar. Hermione gestured Katie over and they both glanced inside. The twins were sitting in the middle of the room, still wearing their pjs', Hermione's joke products she got them for Christmas spread on the ground between them. She glanced around the room, it was exactly like the girls, only mirrored and a lot messier than their room, clothes scattered across the floor, beds unmade, closets open. When Hermione pushed the door a little more open, the door creaked.
"Oh, Lee. You're back." Fred said, not looking up.
"Not quite." Hermione said as she pushed the door all the way open. The twins jumped in surprise and tried to hide the products. "What are you hiding?"
"N-nothing. What are you two doing up here?"
"You do know this is the boys' dormitories, right?" George asked, still using his foot to hide the little boxes on the floor.
"Of course, I do." She huffed. "And I don't care what you are doing with my gift."
"We just come to ask if we could borrow your brooms." Katie said, as she stepped a bit more inside.
"Our brooms?" They asked surprised, looking at each other before glancing back to the girls.
"Why do you need our brooms?"
"For cleaning our dorm." Hermione said sarcastically, making Katie chuckle. "Flying, of course."
"We just need a little break from studying, and we don't have our own brooms, so we thought we could borrow yours?"
"You want to go flying?" Fred asked surprised. "Without us?"
"Well yes, need to try it someday and Katie is a great flyer. We've had about 10 lessons now, don't you two think I'm capable?" Hermione asked a bit hurt.
"No, it's not that." George quickly added. "We just don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't. You know we've studied the books Professor McGonagall got me, remember? And I taught Katie the ones that may come in handy."
"We promise, we'll be careful." Katie said pleadingly.
"Fine, but don't break them!" Fred said as he jumped on his bed, flat on stomach as he searched under it, George doing the same.
"Got it!" They yelled simultaneously, holding their brooms in the air.
"Thanks, Rusty." Hermione said as she took the broom from Fred's hands.
"Thanks, George." Katie said, grabbing George's broom.
"We'll be back in an hour or so."
"Okay, just – don't let us meet up in the hospital wing." George added as they walked to the door.
"I promise." She chuckled as they walked down the stairs, both holding their brooms.
"And what are you two up to?" Angelina asked as she heard them walking down.
"Just a bit of flying. Need a break from all the studying." Katie said, as she leaned over the sofa to look at their schoolwork.
"I get that; besides the studying, we still have three papers to write." Alicia sighed as she shook an essay in her hand.
"Too bad, we have tons of work, or else we would've joined you." Angelina said, looking over at all the work. "I would love to see you fly, Hermione."
"Maybe after exams? Before school ends?" Hermione offered.
"Deal! Now let us work, firsties!" Angelina joked.
HG
"Thank Merlin, it stopped raining!" Katie said as they walked out the doors, onto the grounds. It rained for almost a week, the wet earth underneath their feet, still squeaked from all the rain. Now the sun was shining brightly above them, only a few clouds in the sky. Katie and Hermione quickly shed of their jerseys and hoped on the twins' brooms. Hermione started low, getting the feel of the broom again before she followed Katie up in the air. They practiced some of the movements Hermione read in the quidditch book she got from Professor McGonagall. Katie did every movement without fail; Hermione was also successful but slightly less graceful.
"Hermione, you're getting really good!" Katie called over the soft breeze.
"Thank you, the twins are actually great teachers." Hermione said as she stopped next to her best friend.
"Want to try something else?" Katie grinned, searching her pockets.
"Something else?" Hermione asked confused. Then Katie pulled a bright yellow tennis ball out of her pocket.
"Angelina gave it to me, she transfigured it, said it was from a muggle sport name teenis."
"Tennis." Hermione corrected.
"Yeah, that." Katie snickered. "I thought we could try throwing it to each other. It's not too big, like a quaffle, so it doesn't unbalance you and bright enough so you can see it."
"A-alright, we can give it a go." Hermione said unsure.
But she had nothing to worry about. They started close, flying back a couple of feet every time they caught it successfully. They even tried it, when the other was on a different height. The sun was already starting to descent when Hermione caught the ball and called over to Katie to lower herself to the ground. When they landed Hermione tossed the ball back to Katie.
"We better get going, or the twins might start to worry about their brooms." Hermione chuckled.
"You're right, let's head to the kitchens first, we can bring it upstairs." Katie said as she rested the broom on her shoulder. "Let's grab something for the twins too, to say thanks."
"Thank God, the elves already know what they like. Maybe something for the girls too? They've been sitting inside the whole day, studying."
"We can ask if they got those salted caramels cupcakes, they both love so much."
HG
"You know, I was wondering... Have you ever seen the twins study?" Hermione asked as they walked out the kitchen, with their arms full.
"No, not really." Katie frowned as she thinks back. "I've seen them working on their essays, but really studying... maybe in their room? You know they're always up there."
"Yeah, and we've seen first handed what they do up there and it's definitely not studying. And I've never, but I mean never seen them in the library."
"Me neither, but they must've studied, they passed last year. Let's ask Ange and Alicia."
When they entered the common room, the girls were still seated in the same place, going over their schoolwork. Katie and Hermione agreed to take the brooms up to the twins first and silently walked by the girls, trying not to disturb them. They placed the food they brought for themselves and the girls next to the staircase, behind a chair before heading up the round staircase. The door was now firmly shut, Katie knocked on the door with George's broom handle.
"Just a minute!" They heard three voices yell behind the door. Hermione and Katie looked at each other trying to hold a giggle, before the door creaked open, and Lee's head popped out.
"Ladies!" He said over extravagant. "What can I do for you?"
"We're here to bring the brooms back." Hermione said, shaking the broom in front of him. Lee looked over his shoulder, back in the room, before he opened the door fully. Hermione and Katie walked in, looking around suspiciously, when they found nothing, she looked back at the three boys in front of her, all trying to look innocent, which wasn't working. "Thanks for letting us borrow it." She placed the broom on Fred's bed, Katie doing the same.
"Oh, and we got you something." Katie fished a bag of cupcakes out of her robe and tossed it to George, who caught it immediately. "As a thank you."
Fred and Lee looked over his shoulders and glanced alongside George in the bag. Their eyes growing big and already licking their lips as they saw their favourite dessert in the bag.
"We should borrow you our brooms more often if you come bearing such delicious gifts." Fred grinned already taking one out of the bag.
HG
"Hey, why don't you two take a break?" Hermione said as they came back down to the common room and sat across from the girls. Katie sat down next to her and when the other girls looked up, she tossed them a bag. With a quirked eyebrow, Alicia opened it and peered in, Angelina looking in the bag over her shoulder.
"You two are the best." Alicia grinned and pulled out the cupcakes, handing one over to Angelina.
"You've been stuck in here all day, we thought you could use a break." Katie grinned, opening the last bag, handing a chocolate chip waffle over to Hermione. Hermione pulled out a bottle of pumpkin juice and poured everyone a glass.
"Thanks." Angelina grinned. "So, how did it go?" She asked biting in her cupcake.
"It went well." Katie tossed the yellow tennis ball back to Angelina. "She's getting good at flying." Katie smiled, nudging Hermione's shoulder, who smiled back.
They ate their snacks in silence for a bit, just enjoying a moment of peace and quiet, away from studying, away from the boys. But that, of course, didn't last long as the three boys bounded down the stairs and immediately started to talk excitedly and already snooped through their bags, for more food.
"Don't hog our snacks!" Hermione snickered as she grabbed the bag away from George. "You got your own."
"But ours is already empty." George pouted. "You already know about the Weasley family appetite."
"Fine, but you'll have to share." Hermione tossed George a waffle, he eagerly grabbed it and tore it in two, handing on half to his twin. "Now that you two are all fed, I have a question."
The twins both looked up from their piece of waffle and cocked their heads to the same side, waiting for her to continue.
"How are you planning to pass your exams, if you don't study?"
"Hmmm, that little Granger -"
"Is a Weasley twin secret." They both grinned.
"Oh, they study." Angelina interjected, ignoring the glares from the twins. "Maybe not as much as you, Hermione. Or even us, but they do. I've caught them once or twice." Angelina snickered. "When I stumbled upon them, you would think I've walked on them in their underwear."
"That would probably be less embarrassing to them." Lee laughed, clapping George on his shoulder. The twins just grinned in agreement.