Chapter 5 part 2—I believe I can fly

Usual disclaimer: Chill, I don't own anything. Stop freaking out.

As if the cold wind blasted sense into him, Harry regretted saying that he never wanted to see her again. Despite the time of the harangue, Harry felt better when he acknowledges that Hermione is just there. He can't just live without her.

Yes, he made up his mind. He and Hermione can fight as much as to their delight, but she has to be there in his life! She just HAS to!

"A lot on your mind, son?" gruffed Moody through the ferocious winds.

Startled, Harry glanced sideways. Moody's electric blue eye whizzed around dizzily but his normal eye stared at him.

"Err…yeah. It's just Hermione and I…well, we aren't on the best of terms right now. You see, Hermione was wandless during our battle. She ran for cover, leaving Ginny and I to the 10 Death Eaters. We were screwed. She knew that. I knew that. They knew that. Yet, we escaped. Anyway, the point is, Hermione ditched us, after all we've been through! I thought, I thought—"

Harry breathed heavily and tried to dictate the right words.

"I thought that maybe, just maybe…I know this sounds egotistical. But I thought that she would die for me as I would for her. Maybe I'm thinking this all wrong—"

"No. Granger is smart. She is strong; physically, mentally, and faithfully. She must have had other reasons. Hmm…has anyone told her that she ought to pursue a career as an Auror?"

Harry grinned.

"Yeah. You did actually, Moody. My fourth year? Well, no. You-you didn't. It was Barty Crouch Jr-You that recommended it…"

The pair drifted into an awkward silence. Harry knows that this is a twitchy subject for Moody when Harry's fourth year is recalled.

"So, "Harry started again, flexing his fingers on his broom. The cold atmosphere seeped through his clothes. He wondered how Hermione could stay on in such a weather. Or even if she's still in the air?"

"…I'm so confused right now. I feel like I'm betrayed—"

"SHH!" Suddenly, Moody rammed into his broom. A large calloused hands wrapped around Harry's mouth.

"We are being watched, followed, and surrounded. Fly straight forward, wands out. Now. Follow me."

Harry looks around the clouded atmosphere. He sensed no one but it's Mad-Eye. He felt the hand leave his face and Harry obeyed orders.

**********************
"Yo, Fred, how long have we been up here?" George asked his twin.

"About a couple hours. It's 3:30am." Fred lifted his jacket sleeve to glance at his watch. "Man that Hermione better be up here. If not, I'll kill her when we do find her."

George suddenly slapped Fred in the arm. "There." He directed.

Fred looks forward.

"No, up you idiot." George pointed up.

Fred looks up. A darker figure evolved from the foggy darkness.

"Lum—"George started to light his wand when Fred cut him off.

"Don't! It may be Hermione or a Death Eater. Wands out, Georgie."

Georgie. The name that Fred calls George whenever Fred's nervous.

The twins rose quietly on their brooms. Advancing toward the figure, the twins quickly deducted it either is Hermione or a polyjuiced potion Hermione.

They finally arrived at the bushy girl's side. He eyes were closed and her head lay on her broom. Ice dripped from her hair, sleeves, eyelashes, and brooms.

"Lumos."

"Lumos."

"Hermione, hey, hey—"Fred lightly shook her. "Hermione, c'mon, wake up, Herm—"

Suddenly the brooms shot upward.

"Whoa! Whoa! George!" Fred launched forward to catch up with Hermione.

"C'mon!"

"After her!"

With both twins being Quidditch players, they easily caught up to Hermione as her broom suddenly halted, almost jerking the poor girl off.

"Fred! The broom's jinxed! That's how she's up here—"

The broom rocketed upward again.

"FINITE INCANTATEM!" Fred aimed perfectly at the broom and it halted. They zoomed toward her.

"Jeez, she's freezing!" George felt her hands.

"Whoa! She better be breathing! Bloody hell, Fred! She IS breathing, right?"

"She better be or else Mum would think we did something to her. Pepper up Potion, George?"

"Nah, better. The waking end of a Puking Pastille." George fumbled with one of his pockets. "I feel sorry for the poor bloke who swallowed only the vomiting end." He opened Hermione's mouth ad slipped the pill inside.

"Tilt her head back."

(Hermione's POV)

Slowly, Hermione stirred. Her iced eyelids fluttered open. The red hair popped out of the darkness.

"Ron?" she whispered. A hearty laugh echoed in the air and slightly warmed her up.

"Ron? You're getting that git confused with me! Now, now, dear. I believe I can say so myself; I am definitely better looking than him!"

She cracked a smile. However, she leaned her head back on her broom.

"I'm so cold."

"Well, let's get you back down first. Meanwhile—"

Both twins donated their large overcoats to Hermione. She felt warm immediately.

"Wait, what about you guys? I can't take this!" Hermione protested.

"Chill, 'Mione. We're fine. Don't worry about this." George tried to reassure her but a noticeable shudder could be seen.

"Hold on, we've got to alert the others. EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A silver coyote leaped out of George's wand and instantly warmed the air.

"Tell the others, 'We've found Hermione and we're heading back now.'" The coyote nodded and vanished at once. The cold slowly seeped back in.

"Now, how far are we up in the air?" Hermione peeked below.

"About 3 and a half hours." Fred replied cheerfully.

Hermione's stomach plummeted. Her fear of brooms once again resurrected.

"Unless you want a side-along apparition, of course—"George asked.

"Yet, we're not fully sure how. You see, we've tried side-along apparition only once." Fred added.

"Yeah, that ended terribly. We tried to apparate Ginny with us to Diagon Alley—"

"But she ended up splinched so badly she looked like a Frankenstein movie!"

Hermione grimaced.

"Right. Taking that into consideration, we'd better get moving. But go slowly on me, please. I'm not fond of broomsticks." Hermione said.

They started descending.

"But you would risk your life to pry Death Eaters away from your friends by flying." Fred smirked. Hermione shot him a furtive look.

They descended quite fast yet somehow Hermione didn't notice. The sky started to lighten and the twins noxed their wands.

"Hey!" Fred shouted in the wind. "About another hour left! We'll be home, safe and -"

A green light rocketed a couple inches in front of Fred. He jolted backwards.

"BLOODY HELL!"

"FRED!"

"You alright?"

"Yeah, man. I'm cool. But, where did that came from?"

"Uh oh."

Another collision of curses sprang all around them. The previous apprehension returned to Hermione. She instinctively swerved and dodged.

"Hermione!"

She sneaked a glance up at Fred. He disappeared into a huge fluffy cloud. Finding safety, she zoomed straight in. In there, Fred and George greeted her in the gray bubble.

"Ugh! It's like being in the shower!" Hermione complained.

"But, they can't see us and we can see them." George said.

"Sure?"

"Positive."

A green light sprang up meters away at a safe distance. That curbed her doubts.

"So what do we do now?" Jump from cloud to cloud." George contemplated.

"No. Too risky. What if the weather down there is clear?" Hermione pointed out.

"Hey! I've got an idea." Fred exclaimed. Hermione arched an eyebrow.

"No seriously. This is good. Remember the fake Professor Moody? Remember one of his quotes was 'Play to your strengths'?"

"And Constant Vigilance!" George added unnecessarily.

"Right, well. George and I are the ultimate Beaters. We'll bounce spells back down to the ground like beaters rebounding bludgers."

"How?" George looked excited and flexed his fingers.

"With that transfiguration spell we used on those Protego Hats! We'll use it on our wands. *Transfiguration Spell*! "

Fred transfigured George's wand to a Beater's club. George did the same with is wand/club.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on, what about me? I cannot play quidditch! I do not play quidditch! I cannot fly in general! " Hermione intervened.

"But you're doing pretty well, darling." George drawled.

"You can be like a Chaser. Pretend you're holding the Quaffle and all you do is dodge and get to the other end without the other team stealing the ball. In this case, when the other team steals your ball, you're dead with a spell. We score we touch ground!" Fred said.

"C'mon, let's get this game going!" George urged.

Game! Hermione thought uneasily. This is a life and death situation. And all they can only compare this to a mere quidditch game!

"Wait, wait, STOP!" Hermione tried to get her head together. She glanced at the boys. Both are poised downward, ready to zoom.

"Are we going fast?"

"Oh, baby, we're going to go so fast that you'll need to bring your A game to keep up." Fred winked. George high fived him. A sense of girl power revived Hermione.

"OOHH! I'll BRING it, alright!"