Hello! I am so happy to have gotten as many reviews as I did! I really wasn't expecting as many as I got, for the first chapter anyways. I'm super happy you all like this! XD So, I saw the new movie at midnight last night, and every time Fred and George came on me and my friend Heather would giggle like little girls and hit each other. Just thought I would let you all know that. :D On with the story!
Disclaimer: Must I again say I don't own Harry Potter? Because nothing has changed since the last chapter.
Fred and George were nothing short of reluctant to go down to breakfast the next morning. They postponed it as long as they could, but decided it would look more suspicious should Snape come looking for them, and they weren't there.
"Fred, I don't want anyone to find out." George said quietly as they walked out of the common room.
"If I have anything to say about it, they aren't. Just leave it to me, George." Fred said, rubbing his hand over his brother's shoulder blades in a comforting gesture.
"This isn't like everything else, though! You can't just…pull another prank to offset the first one. This is serious."
"We don't know that yet. Snape could have told Dumbledore and he could have let Snape know he's a greasy git who was probably sleepwalking and imagining things. Snape is stubborn, but Dumbledore is ten times worse. Just don't worry yet, not till we know for sure. There's no point getting all worked up now." Fred said. "It's gonna be alright, George." He kissed his brother lightly on the cheek.
"I guess you're right. It's just hard not to worry over something like this. I mean, it's not just getting out of detention or something, you know?"
"I do, but we can't act like something's wrong, or else people will get suspicious." Fred opened the door to the Great Hall with a flourish, gesturing largely for his brother to go in before him. "Ladies first."
"Fred!" George said, playfully hitting his brother across the back of the head.
"That's the Georgie I love." he smiled smugly.
The two of them made their way down the aisle to their spot at the Gryffindor table. Ron was already there, knee deep in a plate of pancakes, Harry and Hermione eating thick slices of French toast. Fred and George sat on either side of Ron, shoving Harry and Hermione over to make room.
"Morning, Ronald." George said, ruffling his little brother's hair.
"C'mon, guys. I'm tryna eat." Ron said around a mouthful of sticky dough.
"That's evident." Fred said.
"What are you trying to do-?" George began.
"See if you can beat old Crabbe in an eating contest?" Fred finished, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the Slytherin table, where Crabbe's whole face was practically covered in syrup, and yet he continued shoveling more breakfast foods into his mouth. Harry and Hermione dissolved into a fight of laughter. Ron glared.
"Can't you guys ever just let me eat in peace?"Fred and George looked at each other for a moment. "Not likely." they chorused. Harry and Hermione laughed again.
"You guys are such a bloody help."
"Sorry, Ron." Harry snorted.
"They're right, though. You never stop eating. I don't understand how you aren't fat as…as…" Hermione trailed off.
"My uncle!" Harry finished, laughing fit started anew, Fred and George joining in. None of them noticed Professor Snape sidling over to their table.
"Sorry to interrupt your foolish laughter, but I need you two to follow me." All five of them looked up, Snape clutching the shoulders of Fred and George's robes.
"Mum's gonna kill you guys." Ron said to his pancakes.
"Oh, what have you two done now?" Hermione asked. The entirety of Gryffindor table was looking up at them.
Fred took a large over dramatic bow, faking grandeur. George fanned his hands out over his head, a routine they had perfected from getting dragged out of classrooms and the Great Hall countless times. "You have no idea." They said together, as usual.
"Stop your shenanigans. Come with me." Snape said, pulling them along. Once their backs were to the table, Fred and George exchanged a quiet look of desperation, unsure of what was going to befall them within the next few minutes.
Gryffindor wasn't the only house watching as the Weasley twins exited the Great Hall. Almost every other house was, all except Slytherin. Well, all except one Slytherin. Draco's blonde head had followed the scene as it unfolded and moved across the hall. He saw the look they had shared, and knew this wasn't just some prank. He knew it was something more. He knew it was something that he wanted to know before everyone else. He disentangled himself from the table and chairs and quietly exited the hall, and followed his head of house and his captives down the halls to the headmaster's office.
---------
Snape sat the two of them down in chairs opposite the headmaster's desk. His chair was turned, red velvet staring them both in the face. Snape crossed to stand to the side of the chair, behind the desk.
"You two are no strangers to those chairs, they remember you well. In fact, just the other day Fawkes was inquiring as to when you two would grace us with your presence again. He does enjoy your company so." Dumbledore turned around. "Lemon drop?" He asked, gesturing to the bowl of yellowish candies on his desk. Snape looked annoyed, yet bored.
"No thank you sir." The twins spoke in unison.
"It is good to see you again, Fred, George." Dumbledore paused, steepling his fingers. "Though I wish it were for the mere offense of turning a first year's hair purple." He laughed reflectively, as if recalling the exact incident. "I feel you two can sense the seriousness of this situation, as neither of you are sniggering or red in the face. Yet, anyways." Snape started drumming his fingers on the desktop, obviously getting impatient.
"Professor Snape has informed me that he saw you two out of your common room last night. When greeted with this information, I wondered what was so out of the ordinary about that. Are you boys ever where you are supposed to be? But when he told me what he saw you doing, I understood why I was notified." he paused again, looking each boy in the eye. "While normally things like this are none of my business, none of anyone else's business, Severus has urged me to talk to you two. I want you to tell me the truth." Dumbledore's eye twinkled oddly. "Were you or were not snogging in the east wing last night?"
George bit his lip and looked at Fred, who shrugged. "Might as well." He said under his breath. "Yes, we were." He said a little louder. "What of it?"
"What of it?" Snape bellowed, talking for the first time. "I'll tell you what of it-"
"Severus, please." Dumbledore raised a hand, shushing the potions master. "Thank you boys for being honest." he closed his eyes, and folded his hands, looking deep in thought.
"What are you gonna do to us?" George asked.
"What am I going to do to you?" Dumbledore laughed. "Oh, dear boy, I am not going to do anything." Snape looked like someone had caught the back of his robes on fire, livid and confused, like he could smell the smoke, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. "Though I do not condone such actions, love is too powerful an emotion to suppress, and I see no reason to punish you for it." Fred and George both let out a breath. "Though, Severus has convinced me to give you detention for being out after hours." Dumbledore smiled.
"Separate detentions." Snape clarified, the fire spreading up his cloak, into his eyes.
"Good day, boys. I'm sure I'll see you again soon." Dumbledore said brightly. The twins walked out of the headmaster's office. They stopped at the door, looked Snape dead in the eye and clasped hands. They could hear Dumbledore laughing as the door slipped shut.
"That went much better than expected." George said.
"I know." Fred answered, kissing George's forehead. "I told you everything would be fine. No one's going to find out."
George smiled as they walked down the hall. Neither of them noticed one Draco Malfoy standing hidden behind a column in the hall. "That's what you freaks think."
A/N: Again, I want to thank all of you for reviewing, and I do hope you continue! But I have to say that I'm not entirely sure how regularly I'll be able to update. Hopefully at least once a week, but if it ever ends up being more than that, I haven't abandoned it, I swear!