I know that it's been a year since I last updated this work. But I hope you still remember it. So I wrote this chapter hoping that it'll make you at least a little bit happier.

FW&HG&GW

Despite the fact that in the castle, almost completely filled with students of different ages, it was the beginning of December, representing the fun and joy of the upcoming holidays, the atmosphere was as dull as ever. Umbridge still hung her precious educational decrees one after the other, and it even went so far that boys and girls were now forbidden from being within six inches of each other.

The latter, to everyone's surprise, annoyed Hermione too, although she herself was not a fan of public displays of affection. It's not that Hermione - after that evening in the Gryffindor common room - was suddenly filled with an uncontrollable desire to cuddle with the Weasley twins in front of everyone. No. But lying about the fact that the dynamics of their little strange trio had not changed was pointless. Only a blind person wouldn't see how their friendship affected the Gryffindor' prefect, and vice versa.

The sight of a smiling Hermione Granger was no longer a rarity, as it had been in all her previous years at Hogwarts. She became more relaxed and confident. Not that anyone could say she lacked confidence before, but those tense shoulders and furrowed brows were gone. Students and teachers could still see how she scolded others for breaking the rules, but at the same time they noticed that she let go of violations of educational decrees with the most imperturbable look on her face - only the twitching corners of her lips betrayed her. It was as if the entire castle was watching with bated breath as the Brightest witch of her age grew into someone truly valuable in the eyes of all the students. As if just now, a general insight descended on them that Hermione Granger is not only a fancy title, a brilliant mind and the status of Harry Potter's friend, but also a warm heart, a loyal friend and courage bordering on insanity and much more.

The Weasley twins also underwent some changes that not everyone was able to see at the beginning. If the pranks that Fred and George Weasley played almost always went on the verge of being funny and cruel, now they have found a barely noticeable soft side - unless, of course, your name was Dolores Umbridge, because they did not joke with her at all. During their friendship with a particular Gryffindor, the students saw the sight of a smiling Luna Lovegood, whose hair changed color to different pastel shades of blue once an hour. They had no doubt that if someone looked at Granger the wrong way by the twins' standards, they would not escape their wrath, and in this case, they were unlikely to get any beautiful colors. And for the first time ever, younger students of Slytherin saw Fred and George smile their way rather than be coldly ignored. Of course, this did not mean that they were immune from the twins' pranks, but still, the little Slytherins began to secretly buy all kinds of WWW's products. Rumor has it that even good old Filch doesn't grumble at them as much as he used to, after the twins accidentally - as they say - tidied up in the hallway, where the younger students had the brilliant idea to arrange a battle with dung bombs. In general, if anyone noticed Granger's proud smile and the twins' identical crooked smirks in response that evening, they decided to keep it quiet.

However, make no mistake about these changes. Both Fred and George and Hermione did not pretend to be someone else or change themselves to please each other. No. They simply had the opportunity to show those sides of their personality that they once considered unnecessary, weak and unworthy.

Along with these changes, no one noticed the melancholy that sometimes shrouded their unusual trio, whenever they were out of each other's company.

HGHGHG

Hermione Granger had already forgotten what it was like - to feel guilty towards someone. Except for that incident with Firebolt, that nearly ruined the then-fragile friendship of the Golden Trio, Hermione almost never felt this way. It's not that she doesn't care about what others feel, it's just that she's rarely ever wrong. And this time was no exception. But even her famous cold logic could not convince her that she was being extremely foolish.

I can't just switch from one brother to another, Hermione mentally berated her stupid, stupid heart. Especially when they are twins. It doesn't matter that George has no idea, that she's in love with him. That he would never return her feelings in return. That there will be no happily ever after for them. That he would never look at her like... like... like Fred!

Because for the first time ever, she knew that someone genuinely cared for her too, not including her parents. Of course, she has her sweet, kind Harry - her first friend, the brother she always wanted. But he never knew how to express his feelings - all feelings except anger, really. He still feels lost at the sight of her being upset. Looks at her guiltily, choosing Ron once again when he knows perfectly well that she's in the right. However, he also knows that Hermione is strong, that she will understand. And Ron... Ron wouldn't forgive him if Harry took Hermione's side. And Granger understood him, but that doesn't change the fact that she also wants to be someone's first choice. For someone to always choose her, even if she was wrong. And not just because they had no other choice, and her argument was ironclad.

That's probably the reason, why she's been spending so much time with Fred Weasley lately. He makes her feel seen. He doesn't roll his eyes behind her back because she's yet again started her tirade about house elves. He doesn't get mad at her for not wanting to do his homework for him. Although, we all know, the latter sounds just ludicrous. It would be better to say that Fred doesn't sulk when she once again rejects his proposals to skip class. But the fact remains. He never blames her for simply staying true to herself.

However, these things did not make Fred Weasley weak-willed. No. Fred still gets on her nerves and bothers her if she stays too long in the library by his standards. And he still hides canary creams in the Gryffindor common room, hoping to catch her – The Hermione Granger, as he said – off guard.

"Don't you even dare, Weasley," Hermione raised her eyes from the parchment and shook her head. "As if I'd be stupid enough to eat the something that was left in the common room. Honestly."

"Of course! How could I forget about it," said Fred dramatically. "But what if you find a sugar quill on your bed in the dormitory? A simple sugar quill. Innocent looking…"

His blue eyes sparkled mischievously, and his lips were stretched into a familiar crooked grin. Hermione involuntarily thought that this look on his face must be her favourite. There was something warm in him that comforted her lonely, tormented heart, which had long become accustomed to the idea of where, after all this, she would live in a small cottage on the seashore with Crookshanks.

"If you can get through the enchanted stairs, I promise I'll eat any candy you leave on my bed," Hermione promised and chuckled to herself. Who would have thought that the day would come when she herself would not mind participating in one of their antics?

Recently, Hermione often finds her mind wandering. And now, instead of getting ready for the Quidditch practice, she once again thinks about the twins. Today is the first group practice of the Gryffindor team, in which Hermione will participate. Ginny has been training as a Seeker for a while and joined the team without any problems, feeling like a fish in water. But Hermione isn't Ginny, and that's why she finds it strange that she isn't shaking from nerves.

"Well, Granger, welcome to the team!" the twins said in unison, giving her a mock bow, and even managed to set off a few small fireworks in the process. Orange, purple and periwinkle went together surprisingly well.

"We, the best beaters in the history of Hogwarts, Fred and George Weasley..."

"Are happy to announce..."

"That Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age..."

"Founder of the S.P.E.W..."

"Is finally ready to conquer the Quidditch pitch!" again, the brothers said together and smiled widely, clearly expecting some positive reaction from the brunette at the end of their little speech.

However, the emotions raging in her are far from the joyful, and she does not really want to laugh. If it had been two months ago, she would have thrown her broom far away and happily ran towards the library in search of new knowledge. The only problem is that she has changed. She still cherishes the Hogwarts library, but now she enjoys it in the company of red-haired devils - as Ginny Weasley put it once. Even if they wreak havoc there with their mere presence, disrupt Hermione's – and Madame Pince's – peace and get expelled from the library. After which, of course, they immediately grab Hermione's arm and drag her away, despite her screams of protest. And although she sometimes misses her hours spent in solitude, Hermione, to her surprise and chagrin, found out that when a person gets used to the constant presence of someone else, solitude can become somewhat lonely. Many may say that the Gryffindor witch is not new to the constant company of two guys. After all, she is a part of the Golden Trio. But not everyone realizes that Harry and Ron prefer not to interfere with her personal projects, endless visits to the library, attempts to free the elves and much more - although that does not stop them from rolling their eyes at her and shaking their heads in disbelief. Therefore, they are only together during the lessons that coincide with their schedule, and during lunch and dinner hours - can you even imagine Harry and Ron not being late for breakfast? Now, let's just say, with the constant presence of Fred and George in her life, Hermione either spends almost all her free time with the twins, or just a few steps away from them in the same space, where they persistently continue to flicker on the periphery of her consciousness. And that's why...

"So... Does that mean that we won't have this lessons together anymore?" the brunette asked, avoiding their gaze. Although her voice came out even, you could definitely detect a barely hidden bitterness in her words.

"Granger," Fred was the one who broke the brief silence after her question, and when she didn't immediately meethis eyes, he called her name more insistently. "Don't you even dare to hope that you will be able to get rid of us so easily. Plus, we still have five more wishes."

Hermione unabashedly stared at Fred's soft, soft smile and felt her heart skip a beat. She wonders if he always had that smile?

"We believe in you, Granger," George added hastily, drawing her attention to him. "But that doesn't mean you have the right to skip our private lessons. Understood?"

"Understood," Hermione repeated after him, and smiled broadly, and this time her smile reached her eyes.

Hermione groaned inwardly at her inability to focus on the present and lightly patted her cheeks. Get it together, Granger, she mentally scolded herself, and continued on her way to the Quidditch pitch. They believe in you and won't be happy if you fall off your broom in front of all their friends. Hermione wonders about how Quidditch practices generally happen when the whole team is complete. She didn't often attend Harry and Ron's training, but even on those rare occasions she preferred to spend her time reading a book. Also, speaking of books... Maybe today she could sneak out to some quiet place. But first, she would have to ask Harry for the Marauder's map...

"Oi, Granger!" a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. And if she strains her ears just a little bit more, she could hear the twins picking up their speed to catch up with her.

The Gryffindor' witch was within a hair's breadth of going insane. She was sure of it. As soon as she manages to not think about the twins, they would appear out of nowhere, invariably do something sweet, and the cycle repeated itself again and again!

"Oi, Granger," another voice – almost identical to the first one – sang out, and she felt two pairs of hands at the same time fall on her shoulders, thereby slowing her steps that were turning into a run.

"What?!" she barked loudly and threw a withering look at the twins. They were almost at the pitch, and Ginny and Ron could be seen flying impatiently on their broomsticks, obviously wanting to hurry them up.

"And after all of this, you women still complain that we don't understand you," Fred sighed dramatically, assuming an extremely exhausted look.

"Right you are, my brother!" George picked it up and continued with an equally tragic expression on his face. "First she almost cries at the mere thought of our absence in her daily life, then she looks at us as if we are not even worthy of a normal greeting."

"You hurt us," they exclaimed, but their hands still remained on her shoulders.

"Well, then your punishment will be a full day of quidditch practice paired up with George," Fred said casually, after which Hermione noticed for the first time that George was wearing his quidditch uniform, not Fred. If only Umbridge could tell them apart, she would have a field day, but, fortunately, only Hermione could do it at a glance.

"And pray tell, why is it suddenly my company equals to a punishment?" George said indignantly and pulled Granger towards him, and the witch prayed internally that no one would notice her suspiciously flushed cheeks. Besides, it's out of sheer frustration! And not because George almost buried her face in his neck and Fred is now breathing down her neck.

"It's obvious, I'm her favorite Weasley," Fred immediately replied, as if it was a matter of course, and he was an idiot who asked the obvious. Strangely, there was no response from George.

Since both Hermione and George were already dressed in their uniforms, they went straight to the others. It seems that everyone except them was assembled and was just waiting for the three of them. Crap. Just how can it happen when she was the first one to leave the Great Hall?

"Finally! Took you ages to get here," Ron groaned as soon as they got close enough to hear him complaining.

"Don't be a child, Ronald," George said rather sharply, and the relaxed atmosphere that had prevailed a minute earlier was gone.

Everyone present exchanged with each other an equally surprised looks, while Ron's ears turned red as expected. Hermione lightly pulled at George's hand, but he, as if sensing her questioning look, remained standing with his back facing to her. An awkward silence that seemed to last forever was broken by Angelina.

"So, let's start the practice. No need to waste more time than absolutely needed. For those who are playing on the team for the first time, the Gryffindor quidditch team will practice twice a week regardless of the weather. Try not to be late. Since everyone else already knows how it goes, I will tell you only the part with the beaters. One of the beaters will protect the players from the bludger, while the other will aim at the players to knock them off the broom, or make them drop the quaffle. George, you will defend, and Granger will attack. Is it clear?"

Hermione doesn't have to be Johnson's best friend to see Angelina being extremely skeptical of her newly discovered Quidditch talent. She knows that the twins acted as if they rightfully owned the place of the beaters on the team, they didn't even deign to hold a tryouts among those who wished, they simply made their mind about the whole thing and said: "We found a beater for you, do not thank." Hermione really wants to look at the situation from the older Gryffindor's point of view, but indignation threatened to break out in the form of a sharp remark. Only, it seems that the latter one was still noticeable, because in the next moment she felt Fred's hand, still resting on her shoulders, tighten ever so slightly. Grounding her. Hermione had to remind herself that she had changed into her uniform in the girls' bedroom – instead of changing rooms – to avoid that.

"Well, let's start then!"

FWFWFW

Until recently, Fred Weasley firmly believed that he had long lost the ability to feel. Otherwise, years of making fun of his younger brother and pranks on the inhabitants of Hogwarts would have been torture for his conscience. But it turned out that when it comes to a certain girl, it becomes clear that even Fred has exceptions to his seemingly non-existent rules.

It's been weeks since he had found out that he - Fred Weasley - was Hermione Granger's soulmate. A year ago, he would have announced this news right in the middle of the Great Hall, using the sonorus charm – just to be sure. But Fred was never a fool and he didn't intend to be one anytime soon. Telling people that they are soulmates, especially when there are three of them, would be like drawing a huge red target on their backs, almost the size of Harry Potter. However, this does not at all justify the fact that Hermione herself does not have the slightest inkling about this. And so every time Granger throws a questioning look in his direction after another heavy sigh, he promises himself that tomorrow he will definitely tell her about everything. His feelings, the labels that come with it, and what it all means. But deep down he could admit to himself that he was afraid. He was scared that she would not accept him or doubt his feelings, that she would say: "it's all because of the bonds, it's not real."

Maybe that's why he didn't dare to sit on the broom today. What if reality slipped out of his grasp while he was brooding and Hermione needed his help? He knew he was being paranoid, but he asked George to replace him in for today's practice anyway. It was safer that way. It's for the best, Fred thought to himself.

"It's obvious, I'm her favorite Weasley," Fred instinctively threw back and immediately regretted it when he saw George's gloomy face. He knew that George still had a hard time believing this whole soulmate situation, even if he saw Hermione looking at him like he was Merlin himself. Fred even started blaming Angelina for it! The more he thinks about it, the more it seems to him that she is the reason why George can't believe in Hermione. Or why George considers himself unworthy of the soul bond.

"Try not to be late ... George, you will defend, and Granger will attack. Is it clear?"

Fred is sure he's never been so angry at Angelina before as he is right now. Even that incident with the kiss pales in comparison. She could at least see Granger's abilities first, before implying that she didn't trust the younger Gryffindor with the team's safety. Fred noticed how George's grip on the broom handle tightened to the point that his knuckles turned white from the tension, but he made no movement towards Hermione. And it was this that prompted Fred to squeeze the girl's shoulder in support, letting her know that despite George's doubts, she had him. And George... Forge will get there with time, of that he had no doubt.

And so, putting all his worries about their – so far – troubled trio aside, Fred decided to focus on the practice. Hermione, of course, did not do any tricks in the air, but she played her best: her blows were well-aimed and quite strong, it was clear that George would not have time for jokes today. There were a lot of people in the stands, tho. On any other day, Fred would have declared that it was all the effect of Granger on a broomstick. But for some reason his insides suddenly twisted from a bad intuition. More than half of the students in the stands were Slytherins. And if a moment ago they only boredly watched their team and from time to time shouted insults, now they were whispering among themselves, exchanging meaningful glances. But George's surprised exclamation made him turn his attention back to the pitch.

"One of the bludgers is missing!" Fred heard George shout, gesturing for everyone to stop the game. Something is clearly wrong, Fred thought. It has never happened that the bludger is lost from sight. It's not the fucking snitch.

"We should continue playing! We have new players, George. We don't have enough time as it is. Maybe one of the bludgers got stuck somewhere, it's not a big deal," Angelina voiced her decision, and Fred barely restrained his impulse to call Hermione and leave everyone behind. If only he knew how much he would regret this barely.

Fred saw everything like in a slow motion. Hermione hitting the bludger with all her might at Angelina, who in turn passed the Quaffle to Alicia without noticing it. And there was nothing wrong with that, because George was flying right in the middle of Angelina and Hermione - he would have had time to block the bludger. But then… The missing bludger suddenly appeared a few meters behind Granger.

"Angelina!" Katie yelled, alerting her friend of the bludger and bringing them to the attention of almost the entire Gryffindor team. At the same moment, Fred saw George notice the bludger flying towards Hermione.

Hermione doesn't have enough time to dodge it. It all happened so quickly that it took Fred a few seconds to comprehend the whole picture he saw. But George could still make it, Fred thought, he just needed to turn the broom in Hermione's direction. Angelina will be able to dodge, Fred himself was more than once frustrated at this ability of hers during the training.

"Hermione!" and only now Fred heard that all this time he was shouting her name until his voice got hoarse from it. "Hermione!"

Brown eyes met his blue ones. Second. And she was already falling.

Fred had never gone down the stairs as fast as he did now. Even when their mother was chasing after him and George, or when they were running away from an angry Granger that time when they accidentally set her book on fire.

He was the first one to arrive at Granger's side – the others descended to the ground right after him. Fred breathed a sigh of pure relief when he saw that Hermione looked completely fine. Except for a few scratches and, judging by the way she held her arm, a broken collarbone.

"Granger, at this rate, you'll be the cause of my hair going white, not the other way around," he muttered softly so that only she could hear him, and held out his hand to help her up.

"I like seeing you worried about me," came the equally soft reply.

"Fred," George's worried voice called out to him, breaking his moment with Hermione. "I..."

But Fred, for the first time ever in his life, didn't want to hear his twin's voice, to look at the all-too-familiar features, knowing that George was standing next to Angelina. That he hadn't turned his broom, that he hadn't even tried. For Fred, even the fact that George did not fly towards Angelina, but only hesitated in his decision, was tantamount to a betrayal.

"Just… stay away from her," he said before leaving the pitch, holding Hermione, who was slightly limping.

Maybe I was wrong, thought Fred. Maybe this time Forge won't be able to catch up...

GWGWGW

George Weasley is ashamed of himself. He just can't seem to get over the desperate thought that went through his head when he saw that damned bludger heading for Granger. Which now stubbornly refused to leave his mind, mocking him.

What if the soul mark appears if... If he sees her falling?

But the thought brought only a moment of hesitation, an ache in his heart and the cold blue eyes – nearly identical ones to his own. And also...

Just... stay away from her.