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Ron didn't talk to either of them the first week. It got her mad at first. When she complained about it to Harry however she received no sympathy.
"Of course he's hurt Hermione." He replied, looking at her "He can be a real git sometimes, I'll be the first to admit it, but he's your friend. And yet you couldn't be bothered to tell him that you were seeing his brother for two whole months."
Hermione didn't feel like it was completely fair to put all the blame on her shoulders. She didn't do anything wrong trying to figure out her feelings for Fred before Ron finding out about it but she could at least understand where Ron and she assumed Harry as well were coming from.
A few days after the article came out owls started to arrive for her. All letters telling her what a terrible human being she was for playing with the hearts of two respectable young boys. Some really went over the top.
"You better watch your back!" Harry read one aloud at the table as he went through the pile "This is insane!"
"Mental!" Exclaimed Ron who was sitting a few seats further with Seamus and Dean.
They all looked at him and he shrugged when he noticed their looks.
"I still don't like what you and Fred have been doing but that doesn't mean I think you should receive any threats over it." He took a big bite from a chicken leg and continued his previous conversation with Dean.
Hermione and Fred shared a look, it would all turn out alright in the end. However, it wasn't until the very next day that the worst of all the letters would come (and that included one with bubotuber pus), a howler of Mrs. Weasley herself which started screaming at Hermione. With one flick of his wand Fred had it disintegrated before it could do much damage. Hermione stared at him in shock.
"Fred… your mother is upset. You can't just… You can't…"
"I can't what? Let her letter scream at you in front of the entire hall because she didn't bother to ask how her son was feeling before making assumptions. She's known you for four years now and she chooses to believe that rag. I'm not standing for it. You don't have to listen to her berating you for something you didn't do. I'll write her tonight after class."
Hermione still glared at him "I don't need you to fight my battles."
"Hermione… this has nothing to do with fighting battles. If you want this to work you'll have to accept that we have each other's back. Who is she going to listen to? Her heartbroken son or the girl she just send a howler to?"
And with that Fred got up and gave her a kiss for everyone to see. It felt weird to finally receive his kisses in public. As if she had been conditioned to be careful. Perhaps it had been time to come out into the open. If only she had some control over it.
The whole situation bothered Hermione so much that for the following weeks her side project to have revenge on Skeeter took in a lot of her spare time. It was a good thing then that her boyfriend and his twin happened to be first rate schemers who were more than happy to help.
"It's not just your reputation she's ruined. She printed out Fred's slimy little love declaration." George complained "People are going to believe I have no game! Girls even might start to think I'm looking for a serious commitment."
Fred shook his head. Ever since he had started to date Hermione his twin only had eye for one girl and that was Angelina. However, it wasn't going as smoothly as he had thought it would go.
While Angelina did enjoy George's company she gave absolutely no indication or sign that she wanted more. In fact George was completely in the dark about where they stood.
"I'm telling you Freddy! She's the most difficult person to read ever! She won't be receiving any invitations to poker night any time soon."
"Have you actually tried asking her?"
George looked shocked at the suggestion. "Are you mental brother? I don't want to scare her away."
Fred reminded George that not too long ago he had told him to just go for it. And that Hermione Granger and her hexing capabilities was far more scarier than anything Angelina would do.
"Besides have you tried her friends yet?"
George shook his head "The minute they catch on they'll tell her for sure."
"George, you're a disgrace to Gryffindor."
It was at that moment that Hermione dropped a huge tome on magical listening devices on their desk. Something in both brothers minds clicked at the same time and they looked at each other with a mischievous grin.
"What? I don't like that look. Tell me." Hermione's alarm sensors went off especially when they turned their gazes towards her with the same mischievous grins.
"Hermione… how good are you at girl talk?" They both asked in unison.
"Oh very good… that's why my two best friends are boys. I just fit right in."
"But you have a tendency to be very good at everything you set your mind to. Don't you." George replied, trying the sweettalk route.
"Get to the point George, flattery won't get you anywhere, what do you want from me?"
They started to explain the entire situation to her and when they were done Hermione started to laugh at them. When they looked at her with two identical confused looks she stopped.
"Oh! You're actually serious? Boys, in case you didn't notice Angelina and I don't even talk, let alone that she'll spill her undying feelings for George to me. It's not like me walking up to her and straight out asking her wouldn't make her suspicious."
The next morning she, Harry and Ron made their way to the owl wing extra early to send a letter to Sirius. Hermione and Ron still weren't talking to one another but Harry had insisted that both of them tagged along. It was his way of trying to force some sort of truce but as things stood it just made for a long and awkwardly silent walk.
They had just bound the letter to one of the school owl's paw when they heard someone coming up the stairs.
"I'm telling you Fred, if you write that down it's blackmail. You're going to get us into trouble."
"We tried being nice George."
"You're going to get us into…" the door flew open and both brothers noticed the trio "… trouble."
"What are you doing here?" George and Ron asked in unison.
"Sending a letter." Harry replied.
"So are we…" Fred said, hiding said letter behind his back.
Hermione eyed him suspiciously and silence fell for a few seconds, George being the first to break it again.
"Right! We won't ask what you're up to and you won't ask what we're up to. Deal?"
George, Ron and Harry nodded but both Fred and Hermione eyed each other up. Both sure there's be an interrogation later, which there was.
"Who are you blackmailing?" Hermione asked furiously once she and Fred were alone.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Fred replied as he tried his most disarming smile.
"Oh stop it! That works just as well with me as it does with your mother." Hermione replied and she continued to stare at him.
"Disconcerting… Can't you just trust that whatever George and I are doing, it isn't malicious in any way? It's not only my business to tell but George's as well. Besides… I'm sure that whatever we were doing there is far less illegal or dangerous than whatever plot Potter's got you involved in again."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked scandalized.
"It means that you can come up to me and interrogate me with that judging look of yours and expect me to tell you everything while I'm sure that I won't get a word out of you about what the three of you were up to. The three of you are always getting into messes with him and always breaking the rules. And it's not just you but also my baby brother involved there. Do you have any idea how worried we always are." He knew that he was probably getting her angry but at this moment he didn't care, he felt justified, in fact he was angry with her "It means that you just assume the worst of me, don't deny it, otherwise you wouldn't have used that tone with me. And guess what, whatever George and I were doing up there, it's justified and certainly nothing that makes me deserve that tone of yours."
And with that he turned around and walked away, not wanting to be on the other end of another furious rant of hers.
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