"Follow me."
Fred looked at George, confusion in their gazes, as they walked behind the plump woman in her pink nightgown. She waddled down the empty corridor, her slippers making slapping sounds against the stone floor. The noise echoed off of the walls and made it seem eerily quiet in the hall.
The three of them turned into Umbridge's office which was decorated with a sickening amount of kitten plates, all meowing at the entrance of the new comers.
"Sit."
She looked at them menacingly and the twins sat lazily in the two wooden chairs set up in front of a desk. They exchanged looks and watched as their professor bustled around, grabbing parchment and quills.
"We're writing lines?" George asked in disbelief.
"That'll teach us," Fred whispered.
Umbridge smiled an ugly grin at them and smacked the parchment and quills down in front of them.
"Why yes you are, boys," she told them, glaring at them. "You're going to write I will not cause mischief on that parchment until I'm satisfied."
"We need ink," Fred told her plainly. He just wanted to leave. No matter how many times he wrote a sentence, it would not change his love for danger.
"No, not with these quills. Now, get writing."
Umbridge watched them intently as they wrote over and over again on the parchment, I will not cause mischief. Fred traced the imprint the quill made when he wrote lazily and glanced at George, who wore an ugly look on his face. Then suddenly. George's face began to contort and he let out a soft "ouch".
Fred's left hand twitched and he felt a burning on it. He and his brother both began to shake their non-writing hands. Fred looked down at his and when he tilted his hand over to look at it, blood splattered onto the parchment.
I will not cause mischief was carved into the back of his hand in his handwriting, blood smeared over the words. Fred looked at George nervously and his brother's hand was just like his.
Fred felt the anger rising up inside him and he saw it in George too. They glared up at Umbridge as she removed the parchment from in front of them. Fred's hand shook and burned, both from pain and from anger.
"You are free to go," Umbridge told them. "I hope you learned your lesson."
Fred walked out of her office without a word, George following close behind him. The twins walked in silence back to the common room, rubbing the back of their hands the whole way.
"Fred! George!"
Hermione flung herself at Fred who caught her just in time. She squeezed him tight and he felt himself blushing. The anger seemed to flow out of him at her touch and he held his breath for a moment.
"Whoa, someone's happy to see us," George joked. He looked happy, though Fred saw how upset he still was. George stuck his hand in his pocket and smiled at Hermione.
"I just got worried," Hermione admitted. "I knew you were going for a walk but it's been nearly two hours!"
Fred smiled at Hermione, who was always endearing when she was frazzled.
"We ran into Umbridge along the way…" George grumbled. "Bloody woman."
"She lectured us for about a half an hour," Fred lied.
"Well, I'm just happy you're back," Hermione told them. At that moment, Ginny came down the stairs and smiled at her older brothers.
"Safe and sound, I see," she said, smirking at Hermione. "I told her not to worry."
Hermione blushed and shot Ginny a fake scowl. Fred looked at George who was still hiding his anger under his smile.
"I'm off to bed. That ruddy woman wears me out," George told them with a huff. He nodded at Hermione and Fred before walking up the stairs with Ginny. Their conversation died out as they walked to the dormitories.
"Alright, I'm safe. Are you happy? Can you sleep now?" Fred asked Hermione playfully.
She narrowed her eyes at him but it soon turned into a smile. Fred crossed his arms and returned the gesture.
"Oh my god, Fred," Hermione exclaimed in a hushed voice. She reached out and grabbed his left hand that he had unknowingly showed her.
His felt himself tense up as her warm fingers lightly touched his and brushed across the cuts on his hand. They burned as she examined them and he pulled his hand away abruptly.
Hermione gasped softly when he did so and took a step backwards. Fred shoved his hand in his pocket and looked at the floor.
"Sorry, Hermione," he mumbled, not making eye contact with her. "It's nothing."
"Fred, just let me see," she whispered, reaching for his hand again. She gently pulled his hand out of his pocket and flipped it over. She ran her delicate fingers over it again and Fred felt his heart beat begin to race.
"Did she do this to you?" she asked, anger thick in her voice. Fred said nothing and watched her gingerly inspect his hand and then she wrapped her fingers around his.
He lifted his head up and looked at her. She wasn't smiling but her cheeks were a soft shade of pink. Fred held his breath and untwined their fingers slowly.
"I need to go to bed, Hermione. I'll see you tomorrow."
Fred gave her one last glance before walking slowly up the stairs towards the dormitories. He looked over his shoulder on the third step to find Hermione looking at him uncertainly.
Fred swallowed hard and continued to his bedroom without another hesitation.