"Hey, Hermione," Harry asked curiously from his place at the fire, where he was getting pummeled by Ron at chess. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere," Hermione said shortly, grabbing her wand and stuffing her Transfiguration textbook into her bag. Ron looked up.

"Does this have anything to do with what you were talking to McGonagall about the other day?" he asked curiously.

"I'll see you later, Ron. I've got to run."

Hermione hefted her bag and crossed the common room. She was almost at the portrait hole door when it burst open and Colin Creevey came barreling in.

"Hullo, Colin," Harry said wearily as the younger boy almost collided with his chair, brandishing a camera frantically.

"Harry! Harry! You've got to see this! I couldn't believe it either, but I got a picture of it, and I couldn't find you all yesterday so I came here to show you, and -"

"All right," Harry amended. "Let me see."

As Colin was about to hand over the camera, Fred and George Weasley came by. Fred passed Colin, looked at the camera, did a double take, and wrenched it from his hand. Fred's mouth fell open. George grabbed the camera from his brother and gaped.

"What?" Harry asked impatiently. George handed him the camera. Ron leaned over to see it.

"Uh, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"What, Harry?"

"Did you - ?"

"NO!"

"I was just going to ask if you did your Potions homework."

"But are you meeting -" Ron interrupted.

"Ronald, shut your mouth," said Fred. "It's Hermione's business if she wants to date -"

"FRED!" yelled Hermione.

"Yes," said George. "You're absolutely right, Fred. Ronald, dear brother of ours, do shut your mouth. We'll handle the interrogations."

The twins came around the couch and plopped down onto it.

"So, Hermione." George waggled his eyebrows. "Since when do you have an interest in blonds?"

"I do not!"

"Are you certain?" Fred asked innocently. "I hear they -"

"Yes! I'm quite certain!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's it. I'm leaving."

"Was that a confession?" George asked slyly.

"For your information," Hermione hissed, "I'm tutoring him in Transfiguration. Not anything else."

"That's your story, anyway."

"What?" Hermione sputtered.

"So what are you really teaching him during those cozy little library sessions, anyway?" Fred asked languidly, stretching out across the couch."How to perform perfect French kisses?"

Hermione went crimson. George grinned.

"And next week, you'll move on to -"

"George," said Hermione calmly, though her cheeks were still flaming, "If you value your neck in one unbroken piece, I invite you to shut up."

She stalked out of the common room, slamming the door behind her. Fred and George grinned.

"Well, that went well," said Fred.