Flitwick was busy levitating a stack of books when they arrived and didn't look round when the classroom door shut with a click. Fred cleared his throat and the tiny professor jumped, losing his concentration and dropping the books. He spun around and rested a hand on his chest, sucking in a huge breath.

"Fright of my life you lot gave me." He breathed out deeply and stacked the books with a flick of his wand. "I take it Madam Pomfrey passed on my message?"

Hermione nodded quietly. She respected the charms professor, with his squeaky voice and elegant wand movements. When he noticed how she disliked being the centre of attention whenever she got a spell right first time he simply nodded quietly in her direction awarded the points under his breath. Hermione was allowed to read quietly at the back of the classroom and she was grateful for the attention he helped her avoid.

"Well, sit down then." Fred and George sat on either side of Hermione, both scratching their arms. Hermione had more restraint and simply balled her hands into fists, resisting the urge to claw her skin off. Flitwick winced slightly.

"I'm sorry about that. The spell is corrupting as your magic works against it. I'll remove it in a moment."

"Remove what, Sir?"

Flitwick sighed and leaned against his lectern. It seemed unusual for the professor to assume such a casual pose. They were more used to seeing his head peeking over the top of a tall stack of books.

"The glamour charm I placed on you. Normally it wouldn't be noticeable to you but this is a...different situation." Fred and George frowned. They hadn't heard an adult use this tone of voice since their beloved Uncle Billius had died. "Professor McGonagall has been informed of your situation and she has given me her full support. However, I must ask you not to impart any of this information lightly." He stared at the twins as he said this. "Obviously this is your choice. I am simply informing you of what I think is best."

Hermione snapped, hating the suspense. "What is it?" She blushed slightly and switched her gaze to her hands. "Sir."

Flitwick smiled slightly and pulled at his tufty white hair. "I put the glamour charm on you to prevent Professor Dumbledore from seeing the tattoos. The tattoos are the manifestation of your soul bond."

Aside from the slight widening of Hermione's eyes, the trio gave no reaction to the news. They simply sat frozen behind the desks, clutching at the hands of each other. Flitwick sighed and raised his wand. A simple flick later and the glamour charm faded and their tattoos fell into sharp relief against their pale skin.

Hermione stared down at her hands. The swirling pattern appeared from under Fred's sleeve, down to his middle finger, where it joined to Hermione's middle finger and continued. It ran continuously from Fred's hand, through Hermione and on to George.

"How?" Hermione shrank back. She'd never heard George sound so angry. On her left, Fred's expression was similarly thunderous. She flinched slightly and they pulled their hands from hers.

"When you fought that troll you went through an experience so significant together, that it bonded you together. The potential for the bond was always there but something sparked it two days ago."

"We cast together." Hermione's voice was quiet and empty. "The spells merged together."

Flitwick frowned. "That would probably do it. Although..."

"We have brother wands." The twins snapped their heads around to glare at Hermione and she shrunk back slightly. "Ollivander told me." She whispered. Angry adults, even bullies she could handle. But not the Twins.

"All three of you..." She nodded silently, willing back the tears. "Well, that explains it. Twins, identical twins at least, are one half of a soul. Which is why the twin bond forms. However, they are still not whole and usually go on to form soul bonds with their spouses. However, in this case, Hermione is the other half of both your souls. She's bonded to both of you."

"But we didn't want to be bonded to her." Fred scowled and advanced on Flitwick, aware of his brother on his right.

"We didn't want to be bonded to anyone."

"We were happy the way we were."

The tiny professor pulled his self up to his full height. "Well, I'd say that you're being bloody selfish. You've been given something so wonderful, many would kill for it." He glared at them in turn. "You two were always going to be bonded together. Would you rather live half-empty lives and confine her to an empty life as well? It's all right for you two purebloods. You grew up with the knowledge of bonding and souls. Miss Granger is a muggleborn. She's been forced into this world, with no choice or consent and has no understanding of what has occurred between you three."

"Well, it's not our ruddy fault she's ignorant."

"If I were you Mr Weasley, I'd watch your tone." Flitwick levelled his wand at the twins, his voice dangerously calm. "Miss Granger is the brightest witch to walk through these halls since Rowena herself. Believe me, I would know. The staff are extremely fond of her and you've just sent her off in tears because you made her feel belittled and stupid. I hope the pair of you are happy." The Twins whirled, anger forgotten. The desk where Hermione had been sitting was empty and she had vanished.

Harry was sitting outside the first year's dorms on the staircase at lunchtime, waiting for the twins. They barrelled into him, almost knocking him over. Only Harry's seeker training stopped him from being sent flying.

"Have you seen Hermione?"

Harry didn't know which twin had asked and frankly, he didn't care.

"Yes, I do. She's in my bed crying her eyes out because of you two. She won't tell me what's wrong and you had better have had a good reason for whatever it was you did because our Hermione. Doesn't. Cry!" Harry growled at them, raising his wand. "Don't tempt me to use to the spells my Aunt Amelia taught me for disarming pushy wizards." He lowered his wands to the first twin's crotch and was gratified to hear them gulp.

"Look. We're really sorry. We just had a bit of a shock and we need to talk to her. We said some really stupid things which we didn't mean." They tried to push past him but Harry refused to move.

"Do you honestly think I'm letting you in there? You're obviously dumber than I thought. You can see Hermione when she wants to see you. Now piss off."

Harry turned and walked into the room, slamming the door behind him. Hermione glanced up at him from the bed and smiled weakly.

"Thanks for that."

He shrugged and sat next to her.

"It's nothing really. I meant it though. You're like a sister to me. I won't let them hurt you. Now, will you tell me what happened? I haven't seen you for days."

Hermione sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"We were in the Hospital Wing. We got cornered by the troll on Halloween, which we managed to survive unscathed. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it. Apparently we drained our magic. We woke up this morning in the Hospital Wing, none the wiser. Pomfrey let us go and we went to visit Flitwick. We got a letter from Sirius by the way. He invited us for Christmas."

Harry grunted. "Yeah, I know. He asked me if I'd like to have you round. Although I'm seriously considering uninviting the Twins."
"Don't do that." She murmured softly. "They're your friends."

"Yeah, and so are you. Tell me what happened with Flitwick."

Hermione sighed and held out her hands. Harry swore.

"Oh, bloody hell. That's a soul bond isn't it?" She nodded and Harry raked a hand through his hair. Then he flicked his head to the side and it lay flat again. Hermione tugged on her braid, self consciously "What did the Twins say?"

"They were furious. I've never seen them so angry. They were angry at me because I didn't tell them we had brother wands. I just forgot. Harry, they said they didn't want me. Why does nobody want me?" Harry felt his heart twist as she looked at him with those deep brown eyes which were filled with sadness and tears. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned on him for support. Hermione never gave hugs unless you were the Twins. It gave Harry a pretty good clue of how distraught she was that she let him hold her.

"Hermione." He asked carefully. "What happened to your parents?"

The answer made his heartache.

"Dead. Grandma disowned me. No other family. Too weird to be adopted, too weird to even share a room with someone that's normal. Fred and George were the first people who actually spoke to me in almost four years. Not even they want me." Her voice broke from the flat monotone and she started to cry again. "What's wrong with me?"

Harry sighed as he watched the witch break down in front of him. He held her close, trying to give as much comfort as it's possible for an eleven-year-old boy to give. But really he knew there was nothing he could do to help. While he and Hermione were close, she'd never let him in as close as she had the Twins. They were who she needed. He unlocked the door with his wand and opened it. They were slumped outside in a heap, tears tracks on their cheeks, wallowing in an air of regret and desperation. The hopeful glances they shot at him convinced him they were the only ones who could help. He stood aside.

"She needs you."

They barrelled past him into the dorm. Harry stood in the doorway watching as they broke down at the sight of their best friend in tears. One twin on either side of her they cuddled the broken witch close and sobbed. He sighed and closed the door.

It took twenty minutes of quiet crying before any of them were ready to speak. Fred sighed slightly.

"We're so sorry."

"We didn't mean it."

"We just got a shock and we're so amazingly sorry. Just please forgive us."

"We never thought anything this..."

"Chaotic would happen to us. It's so unusual."

She hiccuped slightly.

"Chaotic? You two are the princes of chaos."

"Yeah but that we control. We know how everything fits together and how each variable works out. It's controlled."

"We never want to hurt you like that again. We didn't mean it."

"We weren't angry at you."
Hermione stared at the red-eyed boys and tried to believe what they said was true.

"If you didn't mean it then why did you say it?"

Fred looked at George and George looked at Fred.

"We have no idea."

"Our Mum is going to kill us."

She sighed again and smiled slightly.

"You two are idiots."

It took another week before things were close to normal between the twins and Hermione. They all wore long sleeves and had taken to wearing their Quidditch gloves to classes. Only Harry had seen the bond marks and that was how they intended to keep it. Yet some differences were harder to hide.

"How did you bloody know?" Oliver Wood bellowed at Fred. "That bludger was behind you, there was no way you could've seen it heading for Hermione. So how did you know to stick your bat out and stop it?" The rest of the team had gathered around. Oliver wasn't annoyed. In fact, he was ecstatic that one of his beaters had become seemingly telepathic.

Fred and George had sighed and ignored Wood as he threatened to make them practise with invisible bludgers. They were only slightly sure he was joking.

It was mid-way through November before they worked up the courage to visit Professor Flitwick again.

"What can you tell us about...this?" Fred made expansive sweeping gestures with his hands and Hermione smiled slightly. Only Fred could take a life-changing event and sum it up in one gesture.

"A fair bit, I suppose. The bond is permanent but it must be cared for. You can't allow it to wither and die, for to do so would allow a piece of yourself to die." The Twins flinched and looked guiltily at Hermione. "The bond doesn't make you do anything. You were already incredibly powerful wizards, however, when you work together the power will be legendary. Unstoppable. This castle came into being because of a soul bond. The four founders were bonded together and with their magic raised this castle from the dust. The whole building was constructed from magic. Merlin was believed to have a similar one although this was never confirmed." They nodded slightly and he continued. "Your bond will ensure that you'll be friends and extremely close for the rest of your natural lives. Were you to become Aurors you would probably be the most powerful ever seen."

"Hang on. I thought we were all linked." George frowned in confusion and Flitwick laughed.

"Oh no. Of course not, that would be quite unorthodox. For two brothers to be bonded...is wrong. Fred is Bonded to Hermione and George is Bonded to Hermione. She is bonded to both of you."

Fred snickered slightly.

"That's okay. We're used to sharing."

Hermione punched his arm.

"Ow."

"This bond is platonic and shouldn't affect your everyday lives. Unless you have a habit of getting into dangerous situations. Why are you wearing gloves inside?"

As one they peeled off a fingerless leather glove and showed him the bond.

"I could glamour it for you again."

They shuddered.

"Thank you for the offer Sir but the itching was terrible. We'll just keep our gloves on. It's winter so no one really minds. Although the Twins are struggling with having to get changed for Quidditch matches. These tattoos go all the way up to our shoulders." Hermione's voice wasn't petulant, just calm and serene as she stated pure fact.

Flitwick nodded. "I may be able to do something about that but it will take me some time." The trio nodded and left, pulling on their gloves.

I did something that day that I'm not very proud of. Just like Albus Dumbledore, I lied to them for what I believed was their own good. Telling a twelve year old girl that she has a romantic bond with two teenage boys could not be good for her. The amount of pressure she would have been under...no I stand by my decision. She didn't need to know then. They never would have turned out right otherwise. Bonds aren't instantaneous. They needed to arrive at the same place together.

"Oliver is starting to get suspicious that me an' Fred change in the toilets now."

Hermione smiled slightly.

"Tell him you've been kissing girls and you don't want anyone to see the marks. Should get him off your backs, although you might get a lecture about Quidditch coming before dating."

They frowned. "Why would they mark us?"

Her eyes widened and Hermione stared at them in amazement. "You're serious aren't you? Oh dear...HARRY HELP!"

Hermione eventually tracked Harry down in the common room, dragging the confused Twins behind her.

"There, you can ask Harry."

"Ask me what?" Harry scribbled onto the parchment and didn't look up.

Hermione smirked slightly. "I believe I have just introduced these two to the possibilities of girls and I think they need the Talk."

Harry went pale and knocked ink over his essay.

"Oh, Merlin. Hermione do I have to do this?"

Fred scowled. "Talk? What talk?"

"Yes, Harry you do. Because there is no way I'm touching this conversation with a barge pole." She retreated into a corner with her book, after syphoning the ink of his essay, occasionally catching phrases from the three boys.

She smiled slightly. Hermione had figured out the facts of life a long time ago. But that was mostly because of television, which wasn't carefully monitored at Lambeth. The Twins vanished up to their rooms looking equally confused and intrigued and Harry made his way over to Hermione. He sank onto the bench next to her and rested his head against the wall, screwing his eyes shut.

"I may never forgive you for making me do that."

Hermione chuckled.

"It had to be done. They were clueless the poor dears."

"Yeah, but did it have to be me? They really had no idea. They've always been so focused on pranks that no one thought to explain it to them. They flirt all the time and I guessed people just assumed they knew. I told them to go look up some books in the library and ask their brothers."

She smiled at him.

"So how do you know that stuff?"

"Sirius. He sat me down aged eight and explained the quills and the inkwells to me. A lot of his behaviour began to make sense after that." He glared at her. "But really Hermione. Did it have to be me?"

"Well, who else do you suggest did it? I'm a twelve year old girl. I'm innocent."

"Innocent my left...What?"

Hermione looked confused.

"What, What?"

"You're twelve."

She nodded slowly, eyes wide.

"And..."

"When did you turn twelve?"

Emerald eyes stared into hers as though suspecting she'd written the answer across the back of her eyeballs.

"In September. Same as every year. Why?"

Harry leapt up from the sofa and grabbed her shoulders, grinning from ear to ear.

"Why didn't you tell us? We have to have a party and presents and EVERYTHING!"

"Harry."

"We can ask the house-elves for cake and the Twins can do a run to..."

"Harry!"

"Honeydukes and we can invite the team and..."

"HARRY!"

He glanced up. "What?"

She grimaced at him.

"Thanks awfully but no party."

Harry seemed to deflate in front of her.

"But we missed your birthday...the Twins will definitely want to throw a party and get you presents."

Hermione stood toe to toe with him and scowled.

"You will not tell the Twins."

Harry grinned cockily.

"You can't stop me."

Quick as a snake she grabbed his ear between her fingernails and pulled.

"ARGH!" Harry flailed at her, trying to work out how to get her to let go.

"Swear you won't tell them." She insisted, staring him down.

Harry scowled and panted as he crouched to try and alleviate her pull on his ear.

"I won't. I won't. Dear Merlin just let go!"

Hermione let go and tugged on her school skirt to straighten it, smirking slightly.

"Thank you. I don't want the fuss because there is no reason to celebrate it. Just means it's another year since...Anyway. I want to see how many years it takes for the Twins to notice."

Harry sighed and rubbed his reddening ear.

"If you insist. I'm sure they'll notice eventually."

She laughed and picked up her book, a sure sign that the conversation was over.
"I seriously doubt it."

November pulled to a close and December drew in. It was the week before school broke for Christmas and they were gathered in the Great Hall, enjoying hot breakfasts before they had to brave the freezing corridors again.

"Will you meet us in the common room tonight?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at George. "At about three?"

"Technically," She complained. "That is the morning. I will have to check my reading schedule. But I should be able to fit you in."

George frowned. "Haven't you been sleeping again?"

Hermione looked him straight in the eye.

"I have slept recently."

Fred scowled and joined in.

"Twist, how much sleep do you get a night?"

"Three maybe two hours. I don't need much more." Hermione crunched her way through a slice of toast as the twins pursed their lips and frowned at each other. Fred leapt up and wandered down to whisper in Lee Jordan's ear. Both turned to look at her and she raised an eyebrow in question. Lee nodded and Fred clapped his shoulder, returning to his seat.

"Lee says it's fine," he muttered to George who turned to Hermione.

"Okay. For the rest of the term, you can bunk in our room."

"No." She snapped.

"Yes." George looked mulish and she was reminded how impossible to negotiate with he was once he decided something. "We want you to sleep and you only seem to do it when we're around. Must be something to do with the..." He flicked a gloved hand. "Thing. We haven't seen you at meals recently either."

Hermione froze.
"Err, I forgot?"

Fred's voice could have matched McGonagall's for sheer disapproval.

"I see. How have you managed to hide this from us? We usually know."

Hermione bushed slightly.

"What did you do Amazon?"

She muttered something under her breath.

"Didn't quite catch that." Fred glared at her. "Tell us."

"Spell. Makes it look as though I've had a good nights sleep."

"So this isn't what you actually look like?"

Hermione sighed and glanced down at her breakfast.

"Undo it." George's voice was hard and unyielding and she knew this was one of their battles she couldn't hope to win. She flicked her wand and muttered the counterspell. Judging by their sharp intakes of breath she looked pretty awful. Ever since November, she would have nightmares which would feature the Twins spitting insults at her. Hermione spent her nights reading books borrowed from the restricted section, trying to find a way out of her bond, until she fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion. She knew the Twins didn't want this and if she could find a way to free them...

Hermione was dragged from her thoughts by a hand on each shoulder. Fred and George grabbed an arm each and frog marched her up to the Teacher's table, to stand in front of McGonagall.

"Let me go. I'm fine." Hermione snapped but was ignored by the Twins.

"Professor, we need a pass from our classes to look after Hermione."

"She's not well."

McGonagall took in the girl's sunken cheeks and the bruised look to her tired eyes. Her hair was limp and faded, braided in a long pleat down her back. She sucked in a breath and glanced at Filius who looked at the girl in shock. He nodded imperceptibly.

"Very well Messrs Weasley." McGonagall ignored the curious glance from Dumbledore and smiled at the trio. "I will notify the staff. I suggest that you take her to Madam Pomfrey for a Pepper-Up Potion. Then perhaps a relaxing day studying in the Library?"

The twins nodded solemnly and Minerva was surprised to see not a hint of levity in their eyes. They tucked the quietly protesting girl under their arms and left the hall.

"How odd," Dumbledore muttered. Nobody bothered to respond.

The twins nearly force-fed her the potion, glaring non-stop at her as they did so. Hermione gagged slightly as Fred sat the now empty vial down on the coffee table in the Common Room.

"For the love of Merlin will you two STOP!" Hermione spluttered, as the bright red potion began to spread through her limbs. It felt strangely like being warmed from the inside out.

They raised an identical ginger eyebrow.

"No."

George was the more serious twin, but when Fred got angry...Hermione pushed back the nightmares of the them hurling insults at her as she fell off the Astronomy tower and straightened her spine.

"I am fine. There is nothing to worry about and you two are being ridiculous."

"Oh really?"

"We wouldn't let Ginny or even Ron get themselves into such a state."

"There is no way we are not taking care of you." They grabbed her school bag and dragged her up to their room. They sat in near silence, working through their homework. Hermione refused to even look at the twins. She knew they cared about her but this was something else. The bond was forcing them to do things they didn't mean to do. They had no choice.

Discretely Hermione rummaged in the bag by her feet for the book she'd borrowed yesterday but hadn't yet had a chance to read. George glanced over and spotted the dusty tome she held lovingly in her arms.

"What's that?"

"Care of freshwater plants by Pomona Sprout."

George scowled. He hated it when she lied to them. He hated that she found it so easy to do so, as though it was second nature to her.

"Oh really. Then why does the cover read Greater Magic's...?"

She pressed the cover of the book into her knees so the rest of the title wasn't visible and didn't look up.

"I have no idea, George."

He snatched the book out of her hands. She could see his lips mouth the title before he passed Greater Magic's and Their Annulments to Fred. They looked up at her, eyes hiding an expression she couldn't quite figure out.

"Hermione. Are you trying to dissolve the bond?"

Updated 2019.