AN: Oh my gosh, I am so so so sorry at how long it took me to get this out! This chapter is a bit shorter than the others as I wanted the next chapter to stand on it's own. I promise you all that I will have the next chapter out sooner than last time! In fact, I have already started it. Taking time off of my other Twin story for this one. Well, no longer shall I babble, read on dear...reader...
Fred rested his forehead on his palm in annoyance as George and Lee fell backwards onto their beds once more, tears of hilarity trailing down their faces at whatever Fred's most recently acquired hairstyle was.
"Bugger," Hermione's unexpected statement caused Ron and Ginny's eyes to widen in amazement and even more hoots of glee from the two Seventh Years across the room, Lee now on the floor as a result of convulsive laughter.
Fred, sitting on a chair placed in the center of his dorm room, turned and looked hesitantly into Hermione's distressed features. "That bad, really?" he asked.
She just nodded and gave his hair a contemplative look, "Chartreuse, I'd say. I'm sorry, this just isn't going well at all."
Fred gave her a look that could only be interpreted as, duh.
"It's the color, I can't get it right. And it's especially hard because I'm trying to reverse someone else's magic." Hermione sighed heavily and twirled her wand in her fingers as she struggled to think of a spell that could accomplish their goal.
She jerked her head to glare at George who was still sniggering as he helped his friend back onto his feet. "You two certainly aren't being any help," she shot at them.
"We're really...honestly sorry...Hermione..." Lee offered between wheezing laughs. Fred rolled his eyes. He knew that he would be enjoying this as much as his friends if only he weren't so obnoxiously aware of the fact that this was their fourth try, and if Hermione couldn't do this, they had no options left. George had also been annoyed at first, but apparently actually seeing Fred with electric blue hair along with eyebrows that insisted on remaining brown a few minutes ago had just been too much.
Ron and Ginny had mainly kept to looking mildly disturbed through all of the goings on since Hermione first attempted to Transfigure Fred's hair. No doubt they were involuntarily replaying through their minds near the same thing Fred was - only for Ginny it involved detentions, and for Ron it involved howlers from their mum.
Hermione centered herself behind Fred's chair and raised her wand, preparing herself once again to endeavor to Transfigure her friend's hair. Thankfully, she was as reluctant to give up as the twins were.
Everyone was anxious to see Fred Weasley's flaming red hair again. As Hermione spoke the incantation, the room tensed and George held his breath in anticipation. A sharp gasp was heard from each of the onlookers, including Hermione, causing Fred to look to his siblings questioningly.
"You...You DID IT, HERMIONE!!" George stepped forward and grabbed her into an unexpected hug as Fred jumped up from the chair, jubilant.
"Hermione, you are absolutely brilliant," Fred announced animatedly, over the whoops and cheers from Lee. Hermione broke herself out of George's arms and grinned at Fred, blushing at the compliment.
Ron stood by with a satisfied "told you so" smirk, and Ginny looked happy enough to cry, though Fred could still see the worry set into her eyes. But that was Ginny for you, somehow always practical for being so much fun. Lee took a look at Fred and laughed again, "We still need to do something about those eyebrows."
Fred laughed too and rolled his eyes upward, as if he were trying to see for himself. He turned to George and matched his victorious grin, "Still not quite identical, I guess." He started to point to his eyebrows, but stopped as George's face creased with confusion.
"Oh no," Hermione gasped, as everyone else fell silent. Fred spun toward her in alarm.
"What is it?" He looked urgently from her eyes to his sister's. "Somebody tell me what's happened," he demanded.
"You're...it..." Ron started, but Hermione cut in.
"Your hair just turned back...back to brown, Fred," she turned so she could address the rest of the group as well, "and the only thing I can think of to would cause that is another charm, one to make the change permanent or irreversible. Umbridge must have added one."
Fred and George set their jaws and stared coldly into nothing as they realized exactly what Hermione meant.
Hermione looked distressed and disgusted. "I just...just can't believe this," she breathed. After a few moment of complete silence, she brought the room back to life. "Hold still," she commanded, looking up at Fred, "I'm going to try again."
Ginny stepped back as Hermione repeated the words that she had used to restore Fred's hair to its original color. Starting at the roots, the hairs faithfully turned from brown to ginger, and now held everyone's attention as Fred stood apprehensively under his friends' gaze.
Thirty seconds passed, and Ginny let out a small sound of bitter disappointment as Hermione's work once again reversed. George looked ready to pummel something, and Ron looked a bit queasy.
Fred rubbed his temple and grimaced ruefully in Hermione's direction. "You're sure there's nothing else you can do," he asked, though there was no hope in his voice.
"I don't think there is," she replied apologetically to Fred's downcast attitude.
"Then we have two choices," George's voice was clear and determined. "We can give up, and go to that old toad's class like this tomorrow - " a general grumble passed through the room at that idea " - or, if Hermione would be so kind, she could help us out with a bit more of her Transfiguration skill."
Fred's eyes met his twin's, and he grinned appreciatively, and mischievously, as he was suddenly aware of everything that George had planned.
Okay, I swear I will not write any more on this if I don't get some serious reviews. I am feeling so bogged down. I think I'm gonna go watch Order of the Phoenix again...
