A/N: I'm posting this ahead and I'm going to edit the format of the other chapters.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter
Chapter 6
Harry and Ron noticed that Hermione was in a better mood at breakfast today than yesterday. They asked her again about what happened yesterday but she just shrugged and replied, "I'm getting behind schedule of my preparation for OWLS."
"Blimey Hermione! You need to relax. OWLS are still months away." Ron reacted.
Hermione countered him by stating the exact months, days, hours, and minutes before the OWLS examination and that made Ron pause from gobbling his breakfast.
"Merlin! You're taking note of that?!" Ron exclaimed.
"Of course I am! I need to prepare. You should too. I don't think cramming will help you get high grades in OWLS." Hermione scolded.
Ron made a face and whispered, "She's really mental if she also counted the seconds."
Harry snickered.
"As also should you, Harry. I don't think getting detention from Umbridge will help you either." Hermione continued.
"It's not like I'm happy being in Umbridge's presence longer than others, Hermione." Harry sobered and scratched a part of his arm just above his wrist.
"Oh Harry I know! But I still think it would be best if you tune her out whenever she voices her opinions." Hermione said softly.
"I know Hermione and I'm trying, okay? I really am." Harry nodded solemnly and ate his breakfast.
Hermione was about to respond when Ron glared at her to stop. She closed her mouth, put it in a straight line and then sighed, "I'll go ahead. I still need to revise my essay. I'll see you in Potions."
She stood up and walked towards the double doors of the Great Hall.
"Good morning, Granger." Fred Weasley greeted in a jolly tone when they met at the door.
"And good morning to you too, Weasley." Hermione greeted him back.
Fred paused, "Huh. That's strange. I think I never heard you address me as Weasley before."
"Well observed but I noticed that you kept using my surname. I thought I should return the favor instead." Hermione replied in a dull tone.
"That makes sense." Fred hummed, "It looks like you're not in the mood this morning. Is this about yesterday?" Fred leaned closer to her and whispered, "Want me to help you out?"
"It seems that you awfully have a lot of free time to make you offer your services, Weasley." Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe, but you should know that I don't offer my services just to anyone." Fred countered and wiggled his eyebrows.
Hermione chuckled at his stupid actions, "Just go. I think you need food, Weasley." She playfully shoved him and walked away.
Fred snickered and walked towards the table. He sat beside his twin and piled up his plate, "Merlin, I'm starved."
He ate his food when he noticed his twin eyed him strangely. "What?" Fred asked.
George shook his head and muttered, "Nothing." He continued to eat his breakfast. Fred waited until he noticed that his twin didn't plan to speak again. He continued his breakfast just as the owls swooped in to deliver the mail.
Hermione and Ginny chatted near the fireplace of the Gryffindor Common Room while Harry and Ron played Exploding Snap. Fred and George approached them and teased their little brother. When George stayed to watch Harry and Ron play, Fred approached the girls.
"What are you doing here?" Ginny eyed his older brother suspiciously.
Fred faked a gasp, "Why are you like that, Gin? Why do you sound like you don't trust your older brother?" He acted and wiped his tears.
"Because I really don't. No one would trust you because of your love for mischief." Ginny retorted.
Fred grinned and turned to Hermione who stayed quiet during the interaction of the siblings.
"So," Fred started.
"No." Hermione cut off. She had the feeling that she knew what he was about to say.
"Are you sure?" Fred leaned to her.
"Yes I am." Hermione sat still and didn't plan to back away.
"Granger," Fred said firmly.
Hermione shook her head, "I already said no."
Fred grinned, unfazed by her answer. "Don't worry Granger, I'll find a way to change your mind."
"You won't. I already decided." Hermione prompted.
Fred leaned closer to Hermione, "I'll take that as a challenge."
"Am I the only one who's lost here?" Ginny blurted.
Fred chuckled and leaned away.
"What are you both talking about? What is he talking about, Mione?" Ginny turned to Hermione.
"Nothing for you to worry about, dear sister." Fred said in singsong, "Granger here just wanted to challenge me."
Hermione rolled her eyes.
Fred wiggled his eyebrows in delight.
Ginny looked confused.
The next three days, Fred kept popping in front of Hermione anywhere and anytime. She almost shrieked when he did it for the first time and Fred laughed so hard even though he ended up unable to convince Hermione. He decided to convince and at the same time caught her by surprise to capture her amusing reactions. He might be unsuccessful but at least he annoyed her while doing so. He could hear her curses whenever he left her after his scare.
At one point, Hermione pointed her wand at him which resulted in Fred raising both of his arms up in the air. Their interaction left everyone bemused. They wondered what the hell was going on between the two. Even the twin and the best friends of the two have no idea what was happening.
The Ancient Runes class just finished and Hermione gathered her things to leave. She prepared herself because Fred might be outside and waiting to scare her. "That moron." She mumbled. She inhaled deeply and went out of the room, expecting Fred's brainless antics but only to come face to face with Draco Malfoy.
"Malfoy!" Hermione said in surprise.
Malfoy lifted an eyebrow at her.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked.
"None of your business." Malfoy grumbled and entered the room.
Hermione watched him approach his desk. He grabbed something that he left behind and placed it inside his satchel.
Malfoy noticed Hermione still standing in front of the door. "What do you want, Granger?"
"Nothing." Hermione replied.
"Do you still think that I'm the one who sent you those disgusting love letters?" Malfoy scowled as he walked towards the door.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, "I admit that was a foolish judgement on my part."
Malfoy snorted.
Hermione ignored his reaction and continued, "But I'm still convinced that you sent me a letter, Malfoy. A letter of advice or warning."
Malfoy's face remained stoic, "And if I may ask, what did the letter say?"
"Something about tuning out a certain Professor's words and controlling the emotions. A bit similar to our conversation last patrol, don't you think?" Hermione lifted an eyebrow.
"And just because we had a similar conversation to that bloody letter, you think I'm the sender?" Malfoy chuckled sardonically, "Why don't you ask other students about the subject? I'm quite sure you would be having the same conversation about how Scarhead is an idiot for arguing with the toad all the time."
Hermione groaned, "Why won't you just admit it?!"
"You're just pissed that you don't have enough evidence to prove that it was me." Malfoy retorted and walked past her. "Good luck finding evidence, Granger." Malfoy sneered, "If you ever find one."
Hermione scowled after their conversation. "Malfoy's right. I can't prove it. I need a plan." She thought.
Fred talked animatedly to George and Lee Jordan in the corridor. They discussed their latest prank and when they're going to do it. In the middle of their conversation, Fred felt a tug on his robes. It was just a light one but Fred turned to see who did it. He found no one but when he looked ahead, he saw a familiar back of a witch a few meters away. He eyed the bushy haired witch and excused himself from the conversation when he noticed her turned right to the next corridor. He quickly walked towards the corridor to catch up to her. He saw her standing near one of the benches.
Fred coughed to let her know his presence and was about to tell a joke when Hermione looked at him and said, "You want to help me, right? Fine. I'll accept it. I'll let you know later how you'll help me. I still need to figure that part out."
She said it quickly, bid goodbye, and left an open-mouthed Fred in the corridor.
Fred wanted to call out to her but then he realized she was no longer in his view. "What was that?" was the only thing he could mumble.
In the evening, Hermione received a letter. She instantly opened it away from the view of her best friends.
Dear Hermione,
How are you? Are you still busy preparing for your OWLS?
I advise you to take a breath from studying or else you'll drown yourself with no way out. Mind you, I still believe you'll be able to save yourself with that intelligence of yours.
Hermione, I realized that the hints I gave you before were too vague for you to figure it out alone. So, if you know someone who's as brilliant as you then I absolutely wouldn't mind if you ask for that someone's help.
I'll be looking forward to your confrontation once you figure out who I am.
Sincerely,
Someone
Hermione was irritated once she finished the letter.
She hoped that she would be able to get some hints in the latest letter. As she continued to read it earlier, she could clearly see who wrote it. Though the signature was Someone, Hermione was not stupid to not realized who the real sender was. Hermione roamed her eyes around the common room to find her target and she saw him enter through the portrait hole with his twin. She quietly stomped her feet as she intercepted the pair. One twin was confused when he saw Hermione in front of them while the other twin snickered lowly.
Hermione faked a smile and said quietly, "Fred Weasley, may I talk to you for a moment?"
Fred covered his snicker but it was no use because his eyes were shining in mirth, "If Ms. Perfect Prefect is asking for my time, I would gladly give it to her." Fred even bowed down a little.
Hermione scowled at him and walked towards the exit.
"I'll talk to you later." Fred tapped his twin and followed Hermione eagerly outside.
"I really have no idea what's going on in your mind Fred." George sighed as he watched his twin go.
When Hermione and Fred found themselves in a quiet corridor near the portrait hole alone, she jabbed the letter to Fred's stomach.
Fred winced and chuckled, "How did you figure out that it was me?"
"I'm not dense. It has you all over it." Hermione huffed, "And why did you bother to send me a letter when I already accepted your help?"
"I sent it before you accepted my offer and I couldn't do anything after that." Fred pointed out and tsked, "What a waste. I thought you won't easily figure it out. I even tried my best to imitate the handwriting."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "I'm not stupid Weasley. And besides, you could've just used a spell that can imitate others'.. oh..Oh..OH!"
Hermione suddenly realized something, "I need to go." She said then walked away quickly from Fred.
"What? What did you realize, Granger?" Fred caught up with her.
"Just something. I'm not yet sure if it's possible." Hermione muttered.
"What is it? Where are we going anyway?" Fred asked.
"I'm going to the library. Do you want to accompany me? Do you even go to the library?" Hermione questioned.
Fred made a face and slowed his steps down. Hermione laughed at his reaction.
"I thought so. I guess I'll tell you the details later when I'm 100% sure that it's possible." Hermione said and ran off. Fred scratched his nape. He realized Hermione has the tendency to leave people behind when she realizes something. He was curious as to what it was but maybe he would wait for her at the common room instead of going to the library with her.
Fred waited for Hermione until after curfew. He already thought of an idea on how to know who the senders were. He was excited to share it with her. He waited until his eyes started to drop. He was already sleepy.
"Who would've thought Granger is willing to bend some rules?" he mumbled.
Fred planned to go to the library to check if she was still there but he thought he might miss her if he ever walked out of the room. "If only I still had the Marauder's Map." he grumbled.
"Forge?" George called out as he climbed down the stairs.
"Gred." Fred replied using their nicknames.
"Why are you still up?" George asked as he rubbed his sleepy eyes.
"I'm about to go to bed." Fred stood up and climbed up the stairs. He ushered George to go back to the dorm. George went ahead. Fred took one last look at the portrait hole before he followed his twin inside the dorm.
Fred found Hermione together with her best friends the next day. He approached them. "Young lads," Fred greeted jovially, "May I borrow your lady friend for a moment?"
Ron narrowed his eyes, "What for?"
"I believe it has nothing of your concern, dear brother." Fred quipped.
"Are you trying to prank 'Mione?" Ron pressed.
Fred rolled his eyes, "Oh bugger off Ron. We just need to talk. Granger?"
Hermione nodded and turned to her best friends, "Don't worry. I'll catch up to you guys later."
"Alright. We'll see you later, Mione." Harry replied and dragged Ron, who glared at the two, away with him.
Hermione turned to Fred sheepishly, "I'm sorry. I forgot to inform you about my plan."
"It's alright. I came up with something of my own yesterday while I waited." Fred said.
Hermione looked curious, "What was it?"
Fred looked left and right, and dragged Hermione to the corner of the hallway. "I think that you should send another letter to your mysterious suitor and -"
"He's not my suitor." Hermione scoffed, "There's no way that'll ever happen."
Fred lifted an eyebrow at her reaction, "I'll assume that you're talking about the warning sender." He noticed her clutched the warning letter the night she showed it to him.
"Of course. Who do you think it'll be?" Hermione countered.
Fred hummed, "I was thinking along the lines of 'the sender who's interested in you'."
Hermione ohhed in reply.
Fred crossed his arms in amusement. "Granger, are you saying that you aren't curious about that admirer of yours?"
"Of course I am curious!" Hermione responded, "Something else just needed my attention first." She added slowly.
Fred chuckled. He thought all this time they were curious about the same person but all along he was curious about the admirer while she was curious about the other one. "Should've expected it from her to be more focused on the one who sent a warning rather than the one who talked about his teenage fancy for her," he thought.
"Oh that poor lad," Fred expressed his pity.
"Anyway, let me tell you what I found out last night," Hermione changed the subject. Fred looked at her in interest. "I found a potion that could reveal the identity of the sender. It needs two days to brew it successfully." She continued.
"Alright. I have some potion ingredients stocked up in my dorm. It was for our inventions.." Fred started.
"There's no need. I already started it." Hermione interrupted.
"Where did you get the ingredients? I'm sure it's not part of your Potion requirements for this year." Fred queried.
Hermione flushed in guilt. Fred smirked, "Granger? How did you get it?"
"You don't need to know about that." Hermione dismissed it quickly and that made Fred more interested. She sighed, "I'll tell you about it at the right time, okay?"
He looked at her with teasing eyes, "I'm looking forward to it." She rolled her eyes in return.
"Now that you found a way to know who is who then does that mean I wouldn't be able to do my idea?" Fred checked.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, "What were you planning to do? Well, besides asking me to send letters?"
"Just a little trick to identify who is who too." Fred smirked.
"You're going to do something with the letters." Hermione accused him.
"Just a little magic. No harm will happen to the recipients." Fred snickered.
Hermione looked at him dubiously. "Well, I don't think I can send one without their owls."
"That's easy. We just have to go to the Owlery. I'm sure their owls' there." Fred waved off, "Did they send you another letter?"
"I didn't respond to the last one." Hermione answered, "He said he was going to reveal himself soon so maybe it's not a good idea to send him another one? Like you said, I don't want to throw him off at his own pace." she pointed out, "The other one…"
Fred pouted in disappointment, "You know it's going to be fun if you send them a letter."
Hermione shrugged and insisted, "Let's just wait for the potion."
Fred wanted to argue but he knew that he wouldn't win so he sighed defeatedly instead.
Hermione occupied one of the tables in the library and became engrossed in a book.
Cedric noticed her as soon as he stepped inside the library. He was surprised to see her occupy one of the tables of four. She usually used the individual desk. Cedric contemplated what he should do. He breathed deeply and with a determined look on his face, he walked towards the table.
"May I sit?" Cedric asked while he gazed at Hermione. Hermione looked at him in surprise. He gestured to the seat in front of her and Hermione arranged her books while she replied, "Of course, you may. I'm sorry about my things..."
"It's alright." Cedric consoled her. When she finished, Cedric took a seat. He placed his books, quills, and parchments on the table. He smiled at her and started to read. Hermione smiled back in confusion and ducked her head in the book.
Awkward silence was observed between them. They took turns glancing at one another and smiled embarrassingly when the other caught his/her glance.
Cedric pondered what he should do next. Should he talk to her? What would be the common topics for them to talk about? Should he reveal himself? How should he do that? Does she still even want to know? She didn't respond to his last letter when he wrote that he wanted to reveal himself.
Cedric braced himself inwardly. He coughed a little to capture the witch's attention and asked, "It's your OWL year, right?"
"Ah yes." Hermione answered.
"How's your preparation?" Cedric asked again.
"A bit behind schedule but I'm coping." Hermione replied, confused about what's going on. She wondered why he chose to share a table with her and apparently wanted to chat with her.
"So, you and Fred Weasley are close?" Cedric changed the topic. He noticed the two interacting these last few days.
"No, I think not. He just likes annoying me." Hermione huffed as she remembered the scares he did before.
Cedric hummed in response. He cursed inwardly for his lack of response. His nerves were trembling and he couldn't think straight. "Bollocks. She might think I'm a weirdo now." he thought. Cedric pressured himself to think of another topic to talk about when suddenly a chair from their table screeched and someone sat on it. Cedric looked at the newly seated person and saw Malfoy.
Malfoy gazed at Cedric strangely then turned to Granger and showed her a page of the book he held, "You should know Granger that I prefer to do this alone so we'll divide the load into two. I'm doing these runes while you do these." Malfoy instructed.
Granger glared at Malfoy, "You're late."
Malfoy rolled his eyes, "I'm aware and I also have to go."
"This is a pair activity, Malfoy. Just in case you don't know, there's a word called 'teamwork'." Granger stopped him.
"I know, Ms. Know it all. Why do you think I divided the load into half?" Malfoy's voice was laced with sarcasm.
Granger grumbled. Malfoy examined Diggory who was seated in front of them for a moment then stood up, "This ends our discussion. I'll do my part and you do yours." Malfoy walked away after that.
"That prat!" Hermione cursed quietly.
Hermione hurriedly gathered her things, smiled politely at Cedric then ran after Malfoy. Cedric's eyes followed her until she reached Malfoy and they started to argue. He watched them until they left the library together. "They don't like each other... right?" He contemplated in doubt.
Fred whistled when he arrived at the Common Room. He just sent a letter to Hermione's mysterious suitor despite their agreement. He subtly asked her about the owl's features during lunch earlier and she didn't bat an eye while she answered. He intended to send an identical letter to the other one but he was afraid that Hermione would realize his plan. Fred applauded himself for his acting and she wasn't even suspicious for one bit of his question.
Hermione's attention got captured when she saw Fred in a cheery mood. She was astonished earlier when Fred pointed out that she was more focused on the warning sender rather than the other one. In all honesty, she was curious about the two but her attention was more on the other because she was convinced that Malfoy sent it and she wanted to know why.
Fred felt Hermione's eyes on him but he ignored it. He doesn't want to look fishy even though he already had a feeling that she's suspicious.
Ginny stared at Hermione carefully, "What's going with you and my brother, 'Mione?" she asked.
"Huh? Nothing's going on with Ron and I." Hermione baffled.
"Not Ron. I meant Fred." Ginny emphasized.
"What about Fred?" Hermione asked in wonder.
Ginny shrugged, "I just think you two talk a lot these days."
"You mean, I scolded the twins a lot these days?" Hermione stated.
Ginny mumbled, "Yeah, something like that."
"Of course I scolded them because they never follow the rules! They even dared to urge the younger students to try their unknown inventions…" Hermione rambled.
Ginny sighed exasperatedly, "It's a lost cause to talk to Hermione about her relationship with boys." she thought.
Some time in the evening, Fred and Hermione had the opportunity to talk with lesser people in the common room. Her friends retired early to bed as well as his friends and twin.
"What did you do?" Hermione immediately accused when they sat at the corner of the room.
Fred gasped playfully, "Why do you think I had done something?"
"Your jolly attitude is suspicious." Hermione explained.
"Now Granger, just because I'm happy doesn't mean I did something awful." Fred tutted.
Hermione looked skeptical.
"Any updates about the potion?" Fred changed the subject.
"It's brewing nicely. I checked it earlier." Hermione responded. Fred nodded in understanding.
"Do you happen to know where the Slytherin Common Room is?" Hermione suddenly asked.
"Of course. George and me usually pull pranks outside their Common Room." Fred shared.
"George and I," Hermione corrected, "Have you been inside their Common Room?" Hermione inquired.
"Hmm, once or twice." Fred shrugged, "Why?"
"I just think I need to form a back up plan just in case the potion doesn't work." Hermione waved off.
Fred's eyes shimmered, "Are you planning to.."
"Just in case." Hermione asserted.
Fred grinned in excitement, "I'd never thought I'd see the day that you, Granger, initiate to break the rules."
"Then you didn't really know me yet." Hermione quipped.
"But why Slytherin?" Fred asked in wonder.
Hermione smirked, "Soon."
She ended their conversation with that and walked away from him.
Cedric ate his breakfast as the owls swooped in. When he saw his owl, he was confused because it wasn't the usual day when his mom sent him something. He got excited when he saw his owl held a letter instead of the big box that his mother usually sends.
"It must be her reply!" Cedric thought happily. He waited until the owl dropped the letter in his hands. He suddenly felt hot on his hands. Cedric winced when he felt it grow hotter.
"Bloody hell!" James reacted when he saw Cedric's hands. He instantly poured his juice to Cedric. Their friends' eyes widened as they watched Cedric's hands and lower part of his body get wet. James almost choked because of his reckless action while Cedric glared daggers at him.
James coughed, "Sorry mate. It was a reflex. Here, let me help you go to Madam Pompfrey." James looked at Cedric's hands and added, "What are those anyway?" He looked disgusted when he saw the tiny circles on Cedric's hands.
Cedric, tired of glaring at his best friend, shrugged and replied, "There's no need. I can go to the Hospital Wing on my own." He stood up and slung his satchel on his shoulder. He winced a little because of his hands.
"Are you okay mate?" Liam asked.
"I'm alright." Cedric replied shortly and walked away from them.
His mind was full of questions about what happened. What happened to his hands? Was it because of the letter? Was the letter jinxed? Did Hermione jinx it?
He never even had the chance to read it. The damped letter was now inside his pocket. "Hopefully, the ink won't fade until I can dry it out." Cedric hoped.
Madam Pompfrey observed Cedric's hands and muttered, "Boils." She looked at the handsome young man and asked, "Are you and your friends pranking each other?"
Cedric shook his head, "No, I don't think so."
"How did you end up with those?" She asked as she rummaged through the shelf.
"I received a letter and when I held it, my hands suddenly heated up." He explained.
She looked at him in sympathy, "It must be one of those hate mails. A student received a lot of hate mail last year. Nasty bunch."
Suddenly, the door banged open.
"Madam Pompfrey! Blurrgh" Fred Weasley called and held his stomach. It looked like he was about to vomit.
"Oh dear." The nurse reacted. She quickly summoned a bucket and handed it to him. She helped him sit on the bed beside Cedric's.
"What happened to you?" Madam Pompfrey asked.
"I ate something weird this morning and my stomach's blurghh!" Fred vomited and wiped his mouth, "acting up." He breathed heavily.
The nurse rushed towards the shelf, grabbed the respective potions for the two, and gave it to them.
"Drink up you two. Mr. Diggory, I'll handle your problem half an hour after the potion took effect and Mr. Weasley, let's hope the potion will ease down your aching stomach." Madam Pompfrey informed and proceeded to her office.
Cedric smelled the potion then gagged.
"Huh. That smells nasty." Fred commented and placed his potion bottle on the table.
Cedric agreed, "I wonder if it tastes the opposite of its smell." He remarked and looked at Fred, "Aren't you going to drink that?"
Fred shook his head and grinned. He revealed a tablet and popped it into his mouth.
"Ahh. That feels so much better." Fred expressed as he massaged his stomach.
Cedric lifted an eyebrow at him, "Was that one of your creations?"
Fred chuckled in delight. "A bloody brilliant one, if you ask me. I can skip classes whenever I want."
Cedric looked amused but later on winced because of the boils in his hands.
"That looks awful." Fred said.
"And the potion looks similar." Cedric sighed.
Fred grinned and showed him another tablet, "Take this instead."
"What's that?" Cedric looked suspicious. It was a well known fact to never trust something a Weasley twin will offer. You're just a step away from being pranked.
"A remedy for your boils." Fred stated knowingly.
Cedric was shocked, "You.. did you.." Madam Pompfrey didn't mention what happened to him earlier so how did he know?
"So, you're the mysterious admirer." Fred smirked.
Cedric looked gobsmacked by the revelation.
"Here, take this first so the boils will stop." Fred encouraged him. "I sent you the letter and jinxed it."
Cedric hesitated.
Fred grinned in bemusement. "If you don't believe me, open the letter and you'll see the word 'Gotcha' on it."
"I.. I don't want to be rude.." Cedric uttered in disbelief.
"Go on," Fred gestured to open the letter.
Cedric paused and slowly pulled out the letter from his pocket while he winced the whole time.
Fred snickered every time he noticed Cedric wince, "Sorry mate. Can't help it."
Cedric smiled tightly in return. He opened the letter and true to his word, Cedric did find the word 'Gotcha' in a huge handwriting.
"How is that possible.. Did she tell you?" Cedric inquired then winced again.
"Take it first and I'll tell you." Fred gave him the tablet.
Cedric looked at it for a moment then took it. "It tastes weird," he commented. He watched the boils on his hands lessen and the pain started to fade away.
"Congratulations, Diggory! You're the first one to try our Wincing Boils!" Fred announced mischievously.
"You experimented on me?" Cedric reacted.
"Oh, don't throw a wobbly. I already know it works. George and I test our inventions to ourselves first before giving it to anyone." Fred waved off and muttered, "Like I said, no harm done."
"I beg your pardon?" Cedric queried.
"Nothing." Fred singsong.
"I don't understand. How did you know?" Cedric asked in disbelief.
"I wasn't sure at first but then the boils are proof. I was the one who sent it." Fred informed him.
"Does she know?" Cedric whispered. He's uncertain of what he was feeling at the moment.
Fred didn't reply immediately. He wanted to leave him in suspense.
When Cedric noticed that Fred didn't answer, he concluded. "She knows."
"You look edgy, Diggory." Fred chuckled, "But nope, she doesn't."
Cedric widened his eyes, "She doesn't?"
"She doesn't." Fred confirmed, "Forget that minor detail. So, you were the one who sent Granger those letters." Fred eyed Cedric firmly.
"Did she tell you?" Cedric asked.
"Again, minor detail." Fred waved off and stated, "You wrote that you're planning to reveal yourself."
"I did." Cedric replied.
"When?" Fred raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know.. Maybe this month?" Cedric answered unsurely.
Fred hummed, "You should do it soon. We both know that it's not a good time to be a secret admirer. You, of all people, should understand why."
"I know." Cedric sighed, "Are you going to tell her?"
Fred stared at Cedric for a while, shook his head, and stood up. "You should reveal yourself soon, Diggory. You never know, someone might claim your identity and send her letters too."
"Did someone send her a letter using my signature?" Cedric was shocked.
Fred spared him a look and smiled tightly. "You should stay here for a while until the boils are all gone." He told Cedric and walked away.
Cedric's mind was overloaded with information that he didn't bother to call him out. Fred gave him many things to think about but two questions were on top of his mind. Did Hermione tell Fred about his letters? Who sent her a letter and disguised it as him?
Fred left the Hospital Wing satisfied. He thought he did a very good job on pressuring Diggory to reveal himself. Fred was alarmed since the night Hermione showed him the letters. Well yes, he found it interesting to know that someone was actually acting as her secret admirer. He thought it was a splendid teasing material but later on, he realized it was also dangerous.
When Fred found out that there were two senders posing as one, he decided he should get the bottom of this. Especially now that Fred knows there's a spell to imitate the handwriting and even he had a firsthand experience for the imitation. It was already a risk that Hermione responded to the letters and knowing Hermione, she couldn't resist not to reply.
Since her attention was more on the one who sent a warning, Fred took it upon himself to figure out the admirer. It wasn't like he was against it. He just wanted to stop the anonymous chunk of the situation and eliminate the potential dangers that could happen. After all, it's currently a terrible time to have an unknown sender. You wouldn't know what kind of person was behind the honeyed words.
"So, it was indeed Diggory huh."
Fred looked up and saw Malfoy leaning on the windowpane a meter away from the Hospital Wing. Fred was puzzled.
"What?" Fred questioned.
"The one who sent her the letters." Malfoy stated.
It was Fred's turn to look gobsmacked, "How did you know about the letters?"
Malfoy ignored his question and asked, "Did you tell Diggory to reveal himself?"
"It has nothing to do with you, Malfoy." Fred narrowed his eyes.
Malfoy lifted an eyebrow and mocked, "Oh?"
Fred thought about all the facts he knew of the situation and widened his eyes, "You're the one she confronted?!" he reacted outragedly.
"I believe it's none of your business too, Weasley." Malfoy smirked.
"Why? And you knew all along that Diggory was the anonymous sender? Why didn't you tell her?!" Fred interrogated.
Malfoy scoffed, "I'm not obliged to answer your inquiries."
"Are you the other one?" Fred asked quickly.
Malfoy lifted an eyebrow in question.
Fred noticed his expression, "You're not." he concluded.
Malfoy narrowed his eyes, "Tell your friend, Diggory, to reveal himself soon if she doesn't want any harm to come to her." Malfoy sneered and walked away.
Fred was baffled by their interaction. He doesn't understand why Malfoy got mixed up in the situation. Diggory was the one who sent the letters. Granger was the recipient. Fred knows because she told him. But Malfoy.. why did Granger think that Malfoy was the one who sent her the letters?
Fred couldn't even pinpoint which part of the letter indicated that it was Malfoy. No one in Slytherin would even write that kind of sappy letter. So, why did Granger confront Malfoy of all people?
Since the night Hermione confronted Draco and leaked the plan of her nitwit admirer to reveal himself, Draco decided to have a search of his own. No badly concealed person can escape from keen observation. Especially to a sharp eyed Slytherin.
He felt the need to know who sent her those awful nauseating letters. He only read one but it was enough to conclude that the writer was a sappy one. Draco had suspicions. He wondered why Diggory was present both times Granger was in a terrible situation. He noticed Diggory was behind the pillar when Granger got stuck. He was also there when she slipped on the staircase.
Draco pondered if it was just a coincidence that Diggory was present in both times like Draco was or was it a forethought plan to make Diggory look like he was her knight in a pathetic shining armor. Draco snorted at the thought.
Most importantly, what he witnessed in the library strengthened his suspicions.
Draco was already at the library when Diggory approached Granger. He was in between the bookshelves near her table. He stood away from their view but close enough to hear their chat. Both exchanged glances. The wizard sent a nervous glance while the witch did a confused one. He also noticed Diggory was anxious while he talked to her.
He had enough of scrutinizing the scene and decided to make his presence known. He asserted his preferred teamwork to Granger and eyed Diggory carefully before he left the table. He heard Granger's footsteps as she ran after him. She argued how they should work together instead of dividing the workload but he insisted that he didn't want to work together with her and had a lot of other things to do. She stormed off after that.
Draco did have something to do but it was only one thing. He planned to go to the owlery. He heard the snippets of the conversation between Weasley Twin 1 (Fred) and Granger earlier. He wanted to find out what the twin had planned. Earlier that week, he realized Granger and that mischievous twin interacted a lot more than usual, he concluded that the twin knew about the letters. He wondered how the twin reacted. Was he alarmed or did he poke fun about it?
He also found it interesting that the Weasley Twin 2 (George) looked lost and confused about his twin's actions. "So, they don't share everything with each other after all." he smirked.
Draco stepped inside the owlery. He saw Weasley Twin 1 searching for a particular owl. He was so absorbed with his search that he failed to notice Draco's presence.
"AHA!" Weasley exclaimed in joy and called out the owl. He gave it a letter and said, "Give this to your owner tomorrow at breakfast. He'll be delighted when he receives this." The twin smirked. He gave the owl a treat and the animal flew away.
Weasley grinned, turned around and saw Draco. He narrowed his eyes, "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"
Draco arched an eyebrow, "I didn't know this is a private property, Weasley."
Weasley glared at him.
Draco showed him a parchment, "What else should I be doing here? I'm sending a bloody letter."
Weasley stared at him in scrutiny and stepped aside.
"Run along now, Weasley. I don't see any reason for you to watch me send a letter." Draco sneered.
Weasley glared harder at him. He contemplated whether he should drop a dungbomb before he left or jinx him a tickling charm.
Draco knew the expression that Weasley wore on his face. "No funny business, Weasley. I'm a prefect and I can deduct points when you misbehave." he warned.
Weasley scoffed at his warning. "Maybe I should slip something on his drink at dinner instead when he's not on guard." he decided. He watched as Draco called his owl and left the owlery.
Draco just patted his owl as he watched Weasley leave the place.
At breakfast the next morning, Draco spotted a commotion on the Hufflepuff table. He saw Diggory leave the Great Hall quickly and Draco's eyebrows furrowed at that. When students made their way to their respective classes, he observed Weasley Twin 1 take a pill discreetly and swiftly walked in the corridors towards the Hospital Wing. He followed him and stayed outside the room. He didn't bother to go inside since his suspicions were confirmed.
He waited for the twin outside and checked if he was smart enough to advise Diggory to reveal himself to Granger. Draco received his answer even though the twin evaded the question and he was satisfied with that.
Having a devious streak in his nature, Draco slyly informed the Weasel Twin that he wasn't the only one who figured it out. That he, Draco Malfoy, knows about everything. He aimed to leave Weasel with a lot of unanswered questions on his mind.
"Hello." Cedric greeted as he approached Hermione.
"Diggory?" Hermione was perplexed by his presence. She was waiting for Ernie for their scheduled patrol this evening.
"Macmillan swapped schedules with me. He mentioned something about the Potions assignment." Cedric explained. He left out the part wherein he heard Ernie moaned about his scheduled patrol with Granger in their Common Room and how he volunteered himself to swap places with the younger.
Hermione nodded in understanding and they started to patrol.
"I really don't get why most students like to cram." she murmured.
Cedric grinned knowingly, "Maybe because they procrastinate a lot."
"Procrastination. The greatest enemy of every student." Hermione shook her head.
"Agree." Cedric smiled.
Hermione glanced at him, "How about you? Do you tend to procrastinate?"
Cedric was happy that she asked him something rather than letting Cedric think of another topic to talk about. He hummed, "I do, sometimes. When I wake up tired, I tend to procrastinate for the whole day. You?"
Hermione shook her head adamantly, "I would never. I don't like finishing assignments near deadlines."
Cedric snickered at her response.
Their conversation died down after that. They continued to walk through the corridors silently. Suddenly, they heard footsteps. They glanced at each other and took out their wands. They slowly stride towards the person.
"Harry!" Hermione gasped when Harry entered their view.
"Hermione!" Harry uttered in shock. He noticed Diggory beside her. "Diggory."
"Potter." Cedric greeted back.
"What are you doing here?" Harry questioned Hermione and tilted his head.
"We're doing rounds. What are you doing here?" Hermione asked back and scanned his hands if he was using the map.
"I've got detention with Umbridge, remember?" Harry replied.
Cedric noticed Potter stretched the sleeve of his robe to his wrist.
"Oh yeah. You should go back to the tower. We need to finish our rounds." Hermione instructed.
Harry sighed in relief when Hermione didn't notice his wrist. "Alright. I'll meet you there." He eyed Diggory and nodded his head. Cedric nodded back. Harry left the two.
Hermione breathed tiredly, "Come on." she said and continued to walk. Cedric followed her.
"He's been having a lot of those lately, right?" Cedric inquired about Potter's detention.
Hermione massaged her temple, "Yes. He always ends up arguing with Umbridge during class hours."
"He's having a hard time." Cedric noted.
Hermione hummed in agreement, "He's also furious at how the Ministry is acting right now."
"Can't blame him. After what happened last tournament and the Ministry's actions recently, I'd be furious too." Cedric stated.
"Why aren't you?" Hermione asked him.
Cedric turned to her and smiled tightly, "I am... Granger."
Hermione was startled by his response, "I.. I didn't notice. Harry's was so evident. I assumed.." she muttered.
Cedric shrugged, "It's alright. People have different ways of dealing with their anger."
"What do you do during Umbridge's class?" Hermione questioned.
"I don't listen to her." Cedric simpered, "I just read and write what she asked us to do."
"Someone told me she helped him improve his writing and reading skills." Hermione shared and chuckled lightly.
Cedric beamed at what she said, "Yeah. She's fantastic, isn't she?" Cedric replied knowingly and watched if she understood the hint he dropped.
"He said that too!" Hermione chuckled, "He wasn't the only one who thought about it huh."
Cedric almost groaned when he realized that she didn't understand what he implied.
"If only Harry would do the same." Hermione sighed, "But he's so mad to think straight. He thinks the Ministry is being irresponsible for not preparing the student for what's about to come."
"Minister Fudge doesn't want to accept that You Know Who's back." Cedric pointed out.
Hermione nodded, "First, they didn't disclose to the people what actually happened in the maze. Next, the articles they published through Daily Prophets. And now their interference in Hogwarts, giving Umbridge the privilege to inspect all the Professors."
"They're afraid that Headmaster Dumbledore would influence the students. They need someone to watch out for them." Cedric mentioned.
"I also don't like the method Umbridge uses to teach. 'A carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic' She said!" Hermione narrated, huffily.
Cedric was amazed by the fact that she still memorized what Umbridge said during the first day.
"It's Defense of the Dark Arts! How can I get an O in OWLS when I haven't had the chance to practice the spells." Hermione ranted.
"You can practice it on your own. Take an hour after class. Find an empty place and practice. I usually do that." Cedric suggested.
Hermione hummed, "I could do that but it would be nice if someone could teach me how to do it properly." she muttered thoughtfully.
Cedric tilted his head and thought, "Is she.."
"Oh! We're done!" Hermione exclaimed when she noticed they're back at the meeting place. "I'll go ahead Diggory. I still need to see Harry."
"Huh? Sure." Cedric was lost for the sudden change of subject.
Hermione bid goodbye and walked away quickly. Cedric watched her go.
Fred was appalled to see Diggory in the kitchens late at night.
"Never thought I'd meet a prefect in the kitchen after curfew." Fred quipped as he sat in front of Diggory.
"And I never thought I'd go here after curfew." Cedric replied tiredly.
"You look glum." Fred commented and interacted with the house elves.
"Well spotted." Cedric grunted as a house elf gave him the food he requested.
"Did Granger react poorly?"
"She still doesn't know."
Fred lifted an eyebrow at him.
Cedric sighed, "I patrolled with her earlier. We didn't talk a lot. I got tongue tied most of the time."
Fred snorted in amusement, "Really?"
Cedric rolled his eyes, "Why do you sound so amused?"
"I'm astonished that of all the ladies here in Hogwarts, Golden Boy Diggory got tongue tied to our lovely resident bookworm." Fred snickered, "I didn't hear you got tongue tied asking Chang to the ball last year."
"It's because I didn't." Cedric countered and was annoyed by the nickname used.
"But to our lovely Granger," Fred wiggled his brows in a teasing manner.
"I really don't appreciate your silly remarks right now." Cedric grumbled, "I dropped a hint earlier that I was Someone but she didn't even give it a thought. I didn't know she could be dense at these things."
"Oh, you might be surprised to realize how dense she is." Fred grinned.
Cedric sighed defeatedly, "I really want her to know that I am Someone. Besides the warning you gave me earlier, I also want to really get to know her, talk to her, and hang out with her."
Fred noticed how stressed out Diggory was to the situation and sobered up, "You really fancy her, don't you?"
"I do." Cedric admitted.
Fred noted the time and stood, "Alright, I'll try and help you out mate. Make sure you'll reveal yourself to her." He saluted at Diggory and grabbed the treats the house elves readied for him. "I need to go. George's waiting for me. I'll talk to you soon."
Cedric looked surprised and replied with uncertainty, "Thanks."
Fred nodded and left.
"Fred. George. Wait."
The Weasley Twins stopped and turned. They saw Hermione run up to them.
"May I have a minute?" Hermione asked.
The twins glanced at each other. George shrugged. It indicated that he let Fred decide.
"What? Are you going to threaten us about telling mum again?" Fred grumbled.
Hermione heaved a sigh, "I know it was a low blow to threaten you using your mum. I apologize." She looked at him sincerely.
"Setting aside our differences, I'm here to inform you to drop by at the Hog's Head during Hogsmeade visit, if you have time." Hermione continued.
"Why?" George asked.
"I can't tell you yet but if you have time, just go. It might pique your interest." Hermione said and left.
"What do you think it was?" George asked.
Fred shrugged and eyed Hermione discreetly. George noticed his twin wasn't in the mood so he turned to the newly arrived Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, and Alicia Spinnet. He observed that his twin was already preoccupied so he slipped away from the group and followed the younger witch.
He grabbed the witch's wrist and dragged her to an alcove. Hermione shrieked just in time Fred covered her mouth using his hand. When Hermione recognized him, she pushed his hand away and scowled.
"FRED WEASLEY! DO. NOT. EVER. DO. THAT. AGAIN." she emphasized.
Fred laughed at her reaction and Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"Did you just drag me here to laugh at me?" Hermione was annoyed.
Fred shook his head while he laughed, "I just can't help it. Your face was priceless!"
"I'm leaving!" Hermione declared.
"Wait." Fred held her wrist to stop her, "Alright, I'm sorry."
Hermione scrutinized him and crossed her arms, "Let's call it even since I also did a low blow threat at you."
Fred looked at her, amused. He always knew there was something more to Granger than being the righteous bookworm.
"What are you planning? What's in Hog's Head?" Fred asked.
"I can't really say anything yet. I still couldn't convince Ha…" Hermione hesitated.
"Is this about the mysterious.."
"NO!" Hermione cut off. Fred was surprised with her high tone.
"I mean no." Hermione repeated calmly this time.
"What happened?" Fred asked in concern, "Did he send you another letter again? Which one?"
Hermione shook her head, "They didn't. It's the potion. I think it's not working."
"Did you make a mistake?" Fred inquired.
"Of course not!" Hermione looked defensive. Fred stared at her knowingly.
"Okay. Maybe I did something wrong. I'll test it again later." she conceded.
"Are you planning to test it on both letters?" he checked.
"Just the warning sender." she answered.
"Why only him? What about the admirer?" He raised an eyebrow.
She looked at him with uncertainty, "Don't you think I should just wait for him to tell me himself?"
Fred almost groaned. Okay, that thwarts his plan that Hermione will discover who her admirer was through the potion and then he will encourage her to confront Diggory about it.
"I will wait." Hermione declared.
"Then why don't you also wait for the warning sender to reveal himself too?" he countered dully.
"I can't do that. I need to know." she argued.
Fred sighed. It actually makes sense that she needed to know who. The sender is obviously aware of what is truly happening inside of Hogwarts and possibly outside of it too.
Hermione stared at him and bit her lip. Fred noticed her actions.
"What is it?" He lifted an eyebrow.
"I have a favor to ask you." She said. He looked at her with interest and encouraged her to continue.
She glanced at her watch and gasped. It's almost time for her next class. She looked at him and quickly said, "I need to go. Meet me later in the Common Room at midnight. Make sure you're alone!"
"Wait Granger.." Fred started but Hermione already ran away from him. He sighed and ruffled his hair. He decided to attend his next class instead of skipping. He needed to something to think about than the favor she wants to ask.
Fred watched as the clock struck midnight. He was alone in the Common Room and waited for Hermione to show up. He noticed her walking down the stairs. "Very punctual." Fred thought and shook his head. She greeted him and he greeted back.
"I know it's a big favor but I'm going to ask you to sneak into the Slytherin's Common Room." Hermione cut to the chase.
Fred's jaw dropped after he heard that.
"Why?" He uttered when he recovered from his shock.
"I need you to find something for me from the room of Draco Malfoy." she stated.
"You're joking." He was flabbergasted. She looked at him seriously in return.
"What item am I looking for?" He checked.
"A letter that can be identical to the one we've read or a letter that came from me." she answered.
"You can't be serious, Granger. Do you really think that Malfoy sent you the warning? Why the hell would he do that?!" He replied in a disbelief tone.
"That's what I want to find out but I need proof to say that it's truly him." she explained, "I can't keep confronting him without one."
"So it was really him you've confronted!" he exclaimed, "It's Malfoy!"
"Now I truly believe that you're blood related to Ron." she quipped.
Fred gave her an exasperated look, "Why would Malfoy send you a warning? I know he'll be the first one to be overjoyed when something bad happens to you."
"You don't know that." Hermione replied softly.
He shook his head, "No. I don't think that it's him. It'll be a wasted effort to sneak into Slytherin's territory just for that, Granger."
"You can't assume that, Weasley!" She argued.
"Tell me why you think it's him and I'll do it." He said firmly.
"Even if I tell you, you won't understand." She sighed, "Look, I know it's risky. I understand that you don't think it's him but Fred, please." She requested.
He stared at her intently. She gave him a couple seconds of silence then sighed.
"If you won't do it. I will." She looked determined. He protested.
"I only asked you to do it since you said that you've sneaked inside their Common Room before." She pointed out.
"Fine. I'll do it!" Fred replied in frustration. Hermione smiled widely at him.
"Thank you!" She said happily. He smiled at her a little.
"I can't tell George about this, am I right?" Fred checked.
Hermione shook her head a little, "I hope you won't."
"Great. I need to figure out how to sneak on my own then." he muttered.
"I already figured that out for you!" she said excitedly and grabbed her bag, "Promise me you won't tell anyone about this, okay? Not to George, Lee, or Ginny. Most importantly not to Harry!"
Fred was interested. He wondered why she was so secretive about her plan.
"Here." She revealed an invisibility cloak. His eyes widened in amazement. He received the cloak and raised it in front of him.
"Wicked." Fred beamed.
"I took it from Harry without permission. So, I need you to sneak into the Slytherin dorms as soon as possible." Hermione informed him. She noticed him not paying attention to her so she smacked his arm. "Fred!"
Fred winced. "You don't have to be so violent, Granger."
"You were not listening." She rolled her eyes. "You better not use the cloak for other purposes." she warned.
Fred gasped dramatically, "I would never." His eyes tell otherwise. She eyed him warningly.
He grinned and folded the cloak. "Now that I'm doing you a favor, it is only fair that you should return a favor too."
She looked at him questioningly, "What favor?" She was worried.
"The day for Hogsmeade visit. Three Broomsticks." Fred grinned.
"You know that we'll meet at the Hog's Head, right?" Hermione pointed out.
"Afterwards then," he shrugged.
"Fine." she agreed.
"Brilliant." he replied.
"Now, I'm going to bed. Keep this a secret, okay?" Hermione reminded him.
Fred smiled. "You know I've been keeping a lot of secrets for you lately."
"I noticed." Hermione smiled sincerely, "Thank you for that."
He waved off. "I found it quite fun to share secrets with you."
She chuckled, "Good night Fred."
"Good night Granger." he replied.
She looked at him and grinned, "Stop calling me Granger. Use Hermione instead."
Fred was taken aback by her sudden suggestion.
Hermione giggled at his reaction, "Your face was priceless." She bid goodnight again and ran up to her dorm. Leaving Fred, still shocked.
"Hermione." he whispered and grinned, "That's not so bad."
After the eventful meeting in the Hog's Head, Hermione and her best friends slowly walked along the streets of Hogsmeade. Harry was busy asking about how Cho Chang reacted during the meeting earlier. Ron also commented about how Chang's friend, Marietta Edgecomb, looked forced to be in the meeting.
"If she doesn't want to be there, she should've just left." Ron grumbled while Harry just nodded absentmindedly, still lost in his thoughts about Chang. "And about that Boot…" Ron continued to rant.
"Irked by that Ravenclaw Boot, eh little brother?"
Hermione squeaked when another voice suddenly sounded from her back. She turned around and scolded, "Fred!"
The older Weasley twin just smirked at her reaction.
"What do you want? Where's George?" Ron grumbled angrily. Fred motioned to the group at his side. His twin was busy talking with their other friends and just nodded at them.
"Thought I should find out what got my little brother's knickers twisted." Fred grinned mischievously while Ron's face turned red, "It's none of your business!"
Harry was alarmed by his best friend's tone and inserted, "Come on Ron. Let's check out Zonko's. You're off to buy some quills, right Hermione?" Hermione nodded her head. "We'll see you at Honeydukes then." Harry waved his hand and dragged an angry Ron with him.
"I swear Ron's more cross with me than George and he was the one pranking him lately together with Lee." Fred bemused.
"I thought you would never prank someone without each other." Hermione lifted an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm the one who plotted the ideas while they're the executioners." Fred grinned and Hermione shook her head in disapproval. "Enough about that. Don't forget Three Broomsticks at 12:30." He reminded her.
She nodded her head and asked curiously, "Will you be done by then? It's almost 12. Isn't it difficult to sneak into their Common Room?" She whispered the last part and he leaned a little to hear her.
"Now that I have a special garb, it'll be a piece of cake." He smirked at her while she rolled her eyes and stated firmly, "Don't let anyone know about the cloak, Fred."
He wiggled his eyebrows in reply as they stopped in front of the Quill Shop. A group of students caught his eye and he quickly turned to her. "I've got to go. I still need to grab my fancy wardrobe." Then he looked at her seriously, "Are you sure that I should sneak in for that purpose? You don't really believe that it's him right?"
She gave him the same serious look, "I'll be only convinced that it wasn't him if you find nothing in his room."
"Alright I'll do it but you have to give me the privilege to tell you 'I told you so' when I found nothing later." He stated in mirth.
Hermione scoffed, "Don't get your hopes up."
Fred chuckled at her reply and said, "I'll see you later, Hermione." He winked at her and walked away.
Hermione glanced at her watch as she continued to read her book. She settled down at the corner booth of the Three Broomsticks as she waited for Fred to arrive. She told Harry and Ron to go back to the castle without her because she still has something to do. They were reluctant at first but then agreed when Dean approached them and talked about Quidditch.
A soft knock on the table made her look up from her book. She was surprised to see Cedric standing in front of her. He touched his nape nervously and greeted softly, "Err, hi."
"Hello." Hermione greeted back with a confused tone.
Cedric shifted a little and explained, "Weasley told me to be here."
"Oh, Fred Weasley? I'm actually waiting for him too." She replied and gestured for him to sit down. "I think he's running late." She looked at her watch again while he just nodded his head. They waited in silence and as the clock ticked by, they started to feel restless of the atmosphere. Fred was already twenty minutes late. "He's not the punctual type, isn't he?" She murmured and he shook his head.
"That's weird. He should be really... here by now…" She trailed off when she finally understood what was happening and turned firmly at Cedric, "Did he set us up?"
He gave her an awkward smile and replied, "I believe so."
She gasped in disbelief, "That git!" He let out a soft chuckle because of her reaction. She flushed a little and muttered an apology. "He could've just told me the truth. He led me to believe I was meeting him here instead." She explained.
"If you're uncomfortable…" Cedric's voice trailed off and she shook her head, "Oh it's alright. I was just caught off guard. That's all."
He sighed in relief after what she said while she stared at him thoughtfully. "But why did he set us up?" She wondered. He paused and bit his lip for a moment. He looked at his watch and flashed her a charming smile. "Why don't we order our lunch first and let's talk about it after? It's past lunchtime already."
Hermione nodded her head in agreement and they picked their orders. Cedric returned back to their booth after he told Madam Rosmerta their orders. "Our food will be here in a few minutes." He informed her and she smiled back at him.
As they waited, he asked her about the book she was reading earlier and she started to explain. It was the start of their light hearted conversation. When the food arrived, they were now comfortable with each other's presence.
Hermione gave Cedric a piece of parchment as she further explained the purpose, "Just write your name here and maybe some of your friends who you know are willing and can be trusted about this. You can give it back to me when you're finished tomorrow." She said slowly.
He read the names on the parchment and smiled at her in amusement. "I'll ask my friends about this. It's a brilliant idea. How did you come up with this?"
"I got it from you actually." She smiled sheepishly.
"From me?" He was taken aback.
She nodded her head, "I don't know if you remember but we patrolled together…"
"I remember!" He blurted out. He realized what he did and smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Please continue."
She glanced at him weirdly for a few seconds and continued, "You suggested it when we talked about OWLS. You mentioned practicing the spells on my own. I realized it would be better if it's a group too, especially when it's DADA spells."
He hummed in approval and she looked at him with uncertainty, "After I convinced Harry, I planned to invite you to the meeting earlier too but I wasn't sure how you would react if I approached you in the corridors unexpectedly."
Cedric's eyes widened as he imagined Hermione approaching him out of the blue in the corridors. There's a huge chance that he would've just stood frozen while she talked to him or maybe he would be stuttering and got tongue tied.
"Though I invited Cho Chang and I thought she would tell you about it." She pointed out. He sat still when he heard what she said. "Oh Cho and I… we're not… you know, together… since last school term." He stuttered as he explained.
"That's a relief." She breathed which made him raised an eyebrow. "I really don't know what to think about the way she stared at Harry earlier and you two are widely known to be together in school since Yule Ball." She said in a half serious and half joking manner.
He chuckled reassuringly, "We're just friends. I think Cho started to notice Potter recently. She told me he asked her to the Ball… If I had known he likes her, I wouldn't have…" He left his sentence unfinished.
She lifted an eyebrow, "Then why did you ask her in the first place?"
He gazed at her softly and muttered, "Because the person I planned to ask, already had a date."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."
He shrugged, "It's alright. It was entirely my fault. I was too nervous to ask her immediately after the announcement."
Hermione felt the awkwardness of the atmosphere and chose to change the topic. "So, are you going to tell me why Fred set us up?"
Cedric clenched and unclenched his fist. The time has finally come to reveal himself. This is the moment. There's no turning back. "Because he found out something about me." He started nervously.
"And that is?" She prompted. She looked at him in curiosity as if he was going to present her a problem she needed to solve.
He stared at her for a moment and bit his lip. He looked away with a tint of redness on his cheeks and uttered slowly, "That I'm Someone."
His voice was low but she could hear him clearly. Her mouth hung open a little because of the unexpected revelation. She couldn't believe what she just heard. "Wha… How.. Wh.. Huh?!" She ducked her head in embarrassment because of her incoherent reaction.
Cedric let out a shy chuckle and scratched his nape, "It's true. I'm him." He muttered softly. An unnerving silence enveloped between them after his declaration. A lot of things ran through their minds and they processed it in their own way.
He waited for her reaction until she looked at him seriously, "When did you send your first letter?"
He blinked and answered, "During summer break."
"What was my first reply?"
"You doubted if the letter was genuine."
"What did I ask you after the first week back in Hogwarts?"
"If you're hard to approach and if you're intimidating."
"Did you advise me what to do about Harry and Umbridge?"
He furrowed his brows in surprise at the question. "No."
"What was the last hint you wrote me?"
"That we had more tête-à-tête in that week than we had in years at Hogwarts."
Hermione paused. She recalled all the letters she received in the last weeks and confirmed the suspicion of having two senders. Cedric stared at her as she was lost in her thoughts. He found it amusing that the first thing she did was to confirm if it was truly him who sent the letters. She asked questions that had specific answers. Clever witch indeed.
She gasped when it finally sank into her, "You're Someone! Then that would mean… you… to me…" She blushed in realization and murmured, "Impossible."
He might be anxious while talking to her but he could clearly guess her line of thought at the moment. He leaned closer and tilted his head, "Why would that be impossible?"
She looked at him defiantly and hissed, "You're Cedric Diggory!" She said it like it already explained everything.
"And you're Hermione Granger." He countered firmly. He didn't like that way she implied that she was way out of his league when in all honesty, it was the other way around. Her reaction made him gain his confidence. It made him determined to show her that she is the loveliest girl and she should never feel inferior.
"I have feelings for you, Hermione." He confessed softly. "Is that so hard to believe?"
She opened her mouth to answer 'yes' but the sincerity in his eyes stopped her. She felt her cheeks become more heated and she shyly ducked her head a little and touched her cheeks.
He simpered at her shyness and leaned closer so she could hear his next words, "I know this is sudden but I really want to be friends with you and to get to know you more. Is that alright with you?"
She was quiet for a minute then took a glance at him and nodded her head. He grinned and sat straight as she also did the same. She smiled at him in return, feeling bashful of the situation. He chuckled lightly and offered his hand. She looked at him questioningly.
"If I want to be closer to you then I better start it right." He explained jokingly, "Hi. I'm Cedric Diggory." He gestured his hand towards her and she giggled. She took his hand and shook it, "I'm Hermione Granger."
"Lovely to meet you." He quipped as they let go of their hands. "You may call me Cedric, may I call you Hermione?"
She looked at him in surprise by his change in demeanor. He was also shocked by his confident actions but he decided to use most of it before his anxiety comes back.
"Yes.. you may." She stuttered in response. He noted that she was still uncomfortable so he opted to use it when they became more familiar with each other. Seeing that she seemed lost in the situation, he took it upon himself to take the lead.
"So, do you have plans for the rest of the afternoon?" He asked and she shook her head in reply. He hummed and stood up. "Is it okay if we walk around Hogsmeade together before heading back to Hogwarts?" He offered his hand to her. "There's a book shop I wanted to show you."
She perked up at the mention of a book shop. Her eyes twinkled in anticipation and she took his hand to stand up. "Well, it would be such a waste if I decline such an offer." She responded in jest. She realized that spending time with him would not be so bad. She did enjoy the written letters they exchanged and the conversation they had earlier prior to the awkwardness. Maybe this is an opportunity for her to get to know the real Cedric Diggory too.
He grinned wider when he saw that she was giving him a chance. They let go of each other's hands and walk their way out of the Three Broomsticks while consumed in an easy conversation. Unaware of the handful of eyes that were watching them since the moment he knocked on her table.
After their walk around the village, Hermione could say that she got to know more about Cedric and his personality. They played the game of ten questions to get to know more about each other though they didn't divulge any personal questions. It was a simple game to see how many things they have in common. When they stopped at the bottom of the stairs towards the Gryffindor Tower, Cedric asked her. "Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you to your House Tower?"
Hermione nodded and laughed a little, "It's alright. I can manage. I've been doing it since my first year."
He hummed in response. He was disappointed that their time together was about to end. It felt like they were just together for a few minutes and not the entire afternoon. He shifted a little and said, "Well then, I'll see you around." He looked at her hesitantly, "I guess."
She smiled at him, "I'll see you around Diggory." She widened her eyes at her mistake while he chuckled lightly and corrected her, "Cedric. Don't worry, you'll get used to it."
She nodded furiously with a tint of redness on her cheeks. He tilted his head and chuckled at the sight in front of him. "Cute." He thought.
Cedric tapped Hermione's arm lightly and waved goodbye. She waved back and started to climb up the stairs. Her head lowered as she could feel the gazes at her. He turned to head towards his own House dormitory and noticed the stares on him. He lowered his head and bit back from smiling widely. On their way back to the castle earlier, they could feel the confused gazes on them but they never voiced it out. She was too wary to mention it while he was too ecstatic to care. It was one of his wishes to be able to spend time with her and no one, not even thousands of stares could ruin it for him.
As Hermione stepped foot on the Gryffindor Common Room, she saw her two best friends playing Exploding Snap. She approached them breathlessly, her mind was still replaying what happened in the afternoon. Harry noticed her presence and greeted her while Ron followed suit.
"Want to play?" Harry offered.
She shook her head and said, "Continue, I'll just watch."
The two boys continued to play and she watched while they recalled what happened at the Hog's Head earlier. They were busy talking when Lavender and Parvati approached the trio while exchanging giggles.
"Hermione! Why didn't you tell us?!" Parvati squealed.
"Yeah! How did you got close to him?" Lavender questioned.
Harry and Ron exchanged confused looks while Hermione closed her eyes, understanding what they meant.
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked in confusion.
"We're talking about Cedric Diggory!" Lavender squeaked.
"We saw her walking with him around Hogsmeade earlier." Parvati gasped.
"WHAT?!" The two boys reacted and turned quickly to Hermione. "HERMIONE!"
Hermione eyed the two boys warily, "It's not what you think…" She started to explain when a loud sound disrupted them. The quintet and the other people in the Common Room turned to see where it came from. They saw a solemn Fred Weasley who just arrived stomped his way towards the quintet. He stopped in front of them and pointed at Hermione.
"We need to talk." Fred stated seriously. He swiftly moved beside Hermione and took her hand.
"Where are you taking her?!" Ron reacted as he stepped forward to stop them.
"It's okay Ron, Harry." Hermione stepped in and looked at the two boys. "The two of us just need to talk in private." She reassured them and turned to Fred. He nodded his head and they walked away quickly towards the portrait hole and left the Common Room.
Harry and Ron exchanged muddled looks while Parvati and Lavender started to whisper about what happened. George, who was waiting for Fred to come back earlier, saw the questioning looks of their set of friends. He shook his head and mumbled, "I honestly have no idea." Though his mind was already processing some ideas of his twin's behavior.
A/N: A long update:) I'm sorry if you got confused in the middle of the chapter. I really tried my best to blend the different perspective of the characters. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
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