I woke up suddenly, like someone had slammed a door or dropped a book next to my head. My eyes darted around the common room and I was momentarily confused as to why I was waking up here instead of in my dorm. My eyes didn't find anything that would have woken me up as suddenly as I had and I moved to sit up. I then noticed the arms that were circled around my body; strong, well-muscled arms that I knew to belong to only two people in Hogwarts. Only one of which would be holding me. I shifted my head to look at Fred, who was still sleeping, snoring slightly. His snore wasn't as obnoxious as Ron's was; it was softer, little more than a heavy breathing. I grinned and lay back into his arms again.

My eyes searched the common room, it was dark now; the fire that had once been roaring reduced to shimmering embers. We were the only ones left and judging by the moon outside the window, it was very very late. I was glad to have Fred's arms around me, without the fire going it was pretty cold in the common room. Even though it was dark, the common room was still welcoming. Even though I would never admit it to anyone except maybe Fred or Harry, I had a small fear of the dark. Or rather I had a fear of the things that lurked in the dark. The common room was one of those places that didn't frighten me no matter how dark it was. I always felt safe here, especially when I had Fred's arms around me.

"'Mione?" I heard Fred whisper.

"Yea?"

"What are you doing awake?"

"I just woke up, go back to sleep."

"Only if you do."

I smiled at this and turned to look at him, rotating in his grasp. He smiled back at me, his teeth glinting even in the dark.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked softly, his eyes searching mine.

"The dark."

"What about it?"

"I was making the connection that I'm not really scared of the dark, but what hides in it."

"I feel like darkness has a reputation it doesn't deserve," He said with a thoughtful look on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that people always say 'I'm afraid of the dark', when really they are what you just said. They're afraid of what's in it. They're afraid of the mystery of it. They lose control in the darkness, they have no idea what's there because they can't see it. Just because you can't see something doesn't mean you should be afraid of it. You never hear people saying they're afraid of the light or the sun, because they have a handle of everything in it. The light bathes everything so there is no mystery, nothing to guess about. I feel like people should give the dark a chance, realize that just because they aren't in control of everything doesn't mean that they should be afraid of it."

I had never heard Fred so serious about something before. He looked down at me his serious demeanour vanishing to be replaced by his usual smirk.

"You look surprised, Granger, what didn't think I was capable of anything but pranking and Quidditch?"

"No, I had just never thought about it that way."

He nodded. "Most people don't."

I set my head on his chest again and I felt one of his hands lazily brushing up and down my back, unknowingly sending tingles throughout my entire body.

"Go to sleep, 'Mione," Fred whispered. I happily obliged as I sank back into sleep.

(F-H)

When I woke up again it was bright out and someone was poking me incessantly in the back.

"Hermione, for Merlin's sake wake up!"

"Stop it." I moaned weakly batting away the hand that was poking me.

"Hermione you need to wake up before everyone else is awake, or you'll never hear the end of it."

I groaned again and tried to snuggle back into Fred's chest.

"I didn't want to do this," Ginny said right before I was pushed onto the floor.

"Wass goin on?" Fred asked from out crumpled heap on the ground.

"Your lovely sister decided to wake us up," I said untangling myself and sitting up.

"I'm trying to help you. Do you guys really want to deal with everyone talking about you? Or worse having Ron find you guys like that?"

"I hate when you're right." I muttered standing up.

"I almost always am."

"Come on, Fred, up and at 'em." I said shoving his shoulder.

"I'm good here." He mumbled trying to hide his face in the threadbare carpet.

"I'll get George." Ginny threatened and he sat straight up.

"I'm awake!" He rubbed his eyes and squinted up at us. "What time is it anyways?"

"Around seven."

"Ugh, I haven't been up this early on a Sunday since I was a first year."

"Same." I said with a glare at Ginny.

"God, last time I try to help." She said returning my glare.

"Well, since we're up fancy some breakfast?" Fred asked standing up and stretching.

"Why not?" I asked and Ginny nodded.

Fred led the way out of the common room, he slipped his hand into mine and I grinned. I could definitely get used to this. I caught Ginny smirking at our entwined fingers, but she didn't say anything.

Once we entered the Great Hall I could feel eyes on Fred and me. There weren't a ton of people awake this early, but there was still a fair amount. Enough to make me feel uncomfortable anyways. Fred of course didn't even notice everyone staring at us, or if he did he didn't make any comment about it. As we sat down I could swear I even felt Dumbledore's eyes on us, but when I looked up at the Staff Table he was engrossed in what looked to be a muggle magazine on knitting patterns.

"So what are you up to today?" Ginny asked.

"I actually have Quidditch practice at eleven. Want to watch?" He asked turning to me.

I had never been interested in Quidditch whatsoever, but I figured I'd go to make Fred happy. Ginny offered to come with me, to watch Harry and so I wouldn't be alone.

"Excellent!" Fred said looking ecstatic.

(F-G)

"I would have never believed it." A voice drawled behind me and I frowned. I so didn't want to deal with Malfoy right now. I ignored him and continued down the hall. I had to get back to the common room to meet Fred, and then we were going to walk down to the Pitch together.

"Don't ignore me you filthy little Mudblood." He snapped and in spite of trying to ignore him I turned around at his words.

"What do you want, ferret?" His pale cheeks reddened a bit at my words but he continued.

"I would have never believed another male had been crazy enough to touch you, even if it is a blood traitor."

"Shove off; don't you have some first years to terrorize?" I asked trying to move past him and his two brainless cronies.

"Right now I feel like reminding you of where Mudbloods belong." He said pointing his wand at my feet. Before I could do anything they were locked together and I fell to the floor. "At my feet."

"Wanna know where you belong, ferret?" I heard a voice say and I struggled to look up. "With my foot up your ass." With a flick of his wand Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were thrown backward and were now hanging upside down from the ceiling. There robes hung down covering their faces. Malfoy began to curse at Fred and struggle to find his wand, with another flick Malfoy was silenced and his wand was in Fred's hand.

"Keep away from her, understand?" He called up dropping the wand and kicking it into a corner.

"Alright, 'Mione?" He asked pulling me to my feet and unlocking my legs with yet another swish of his wand.

"Yea I'm fine." I said brushing the dust from my clothes.

"Good, let's get out of here before the Toad or Filch come 'round." He pulled me behind a tapestry and before I knew it we were outside the common room.

"You're going to have to teach me some of these passageways. I thought Harry knew them all."

"Harry knows about a quarter of all them." He said giving the password and stepping through the portrait hole.

"Hermione what took you so long?" Ginny asked as we entered.

"Had an issue with Malfoy." Fred said answering for me and sharing a look with his twin. Something told me that a simple hanging from the ceiling wasn't the last Malfoy was going to hear of the twins.

"Angelina is going to kill us if we don't get down there quick." Harry said shouldering his broom and leading the group back through the portrait hole.

"Too right you are, Harry." George said as we hustled down to the Pitch.

When we finally made our way down, Ginny and I separated from the rest of the guys and climbed into the stands.

"What happened with Malfoy?"

"Oh, just the normal stuff. He calls me a Mudblood, and then goes on about how I don't know my proper place."

"Good thing Fred showed up." I nodded only half listening now that the team was zooming onto the field; Fred and George wielding Beater's bats. For the next hour and a half I watched Fred and George practice hitting Bludgers at targets, and practice different manoeuvres that Angelina drilled them through.

"They're pretty good." I said returning a wave from Fred.

"Unbeatable." Ginny said quoting the twin's favourite adjective for themselves. "You really fancy him, don't you?"

"What?" I asked tearing my eyes away from Fred to look at Ginny.

"Fred, you really fancy him."

"Of course I fancy him."

"No I mean you really fancy him fancy him."

I blushed at her words but nodded. "I really do."

My thoughts about Fred were interrupted when Ginny stood up and screamed.

"Harry!" She yelled and before I could even comprehend what was happening, Fred and George were bolting for Harry, who was falling through the air unconscious.

A.N.

Yea, I know I'm sort of evil. Sorry for this chapter it was a bit of filler but I had to show a little Fred/Hermione interaction before things got heated up. I want to thank my amazing readers for everything; I hit five thousand views today. I got pretty excited. I also found this cool little thing on Word which makes my language go from English (U.S.) to English (U.K.) which helped with spelling and grammar of certain words. I am a proud American attempting to write in a British way so I'm sorry for any actual Brits out there who are reading my sorry attempt to sound like J.K. Rowling. Well keep reading, and if you really want to make my day, review!

Love, Alexis