Fred sat in the common room that night wondering when he would ever see Hermione again. He hadn't seen her since the night he almost told her he fancied her. As he stared around the room he couldn't help but think that perhaps she was ignoring him.
He groaned loudly and tried to think of anything but Hermione. He tried to think about perfecting the puking pastilles George and he had been working on.
In order to finish the tricky product they needed some ingredients. Originally they were just going to steal from Snape, but when they had snuck out to get the ingredients there were no more left. Apparently Snape had run out of them in his Third year class which conveniently used all the things they needed.
So tonight Fred, George and Lee were going to use one of the secret passages they had found back when they had the Marauder's map. They were going to go to the potions store in Hogsmeade. This was, of course, not the first time they had done this. They made regular visits a couple of times a year. Madam Rosmerta even kept it a secret when they came in for Butter beers.
"Oi, Fred!" George called. Fred looked up and saw George and Lee waltzing towards him.
When they sat down on the armchairs across from him, Lee said in a quiet voice "You ready for tonight?"
Fred grinned and said "Hey! Madam Rosmerta can serve us fire whiskey now!" George and Lee laughed and high-fived Fred.
At twelve o'clock that night the three boys were creeping down the hallways. Everything was going the way it normally went, and they were near the statue soon enough.
Then there was a cough. A sickly sweet cough. Lee looked at the twins in horror. They recognized the cough the new DADA teacher's, Dolores Umbridge. George ran and hid behind the curtain, Lee behind the statue and Fred looked around for more hiding spots.
The pink monster was about to turn the corner and Fred quickly ran for his life around the other corner down the hall. He pressed himself against the wall and was trying not to breathe.
"Miss Granger, you should not be roaming the halls at this hour." The horrid woman said.
"As I've told you three times already professor, I'm a prefect" She paused and Fred assumed she was pointing at the golden badge on the front of her robes. "And in being a prefect, I am required to roam the halls of the school to make sure no students are walking out of their dorms."
It was silent for a moment until Umbridge said "Very Well." Then went back the way she came.
Hermione sighed in relief and then said "You can come out now."
Fred's eyes widened as he stepped out from his pathetic hiding spot and saw Hermione looking expectantly at him. "How did you know?"
"I saw you turn the corner right as I walked in here with Umbridge." She said. Then she looked around and noticed a pair of feet sticking out from under the curtain. "George!" she said exasperated. Then as an after-thought she said "Lee, I would bet ten galleons you're somewhere here too, so just come out!"
The two boys stepped out from their hiding spots with sheepish expressions on their faces. "So are you going to turn us in?" Lee asked.
Before Hermione could answer, Fred walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "Of course she won't." he said confidently.
Hermione stepped away with an incredulous expression on her face. "Really? And why is that?"
"Because you don't want to miss a fun night with your favorite boys at Hogwarts." He said, and with that he grabbed her arm and began pulling her towards the statue that allowed their entrance to the secret passage that led to Hogsmeade.
"Where are you taking me?" she hissed.
"Why are we taking her?" George asked in a joking voice.
Fred shot a glare at George and said "We're taking her so that she can see how much fun it is to be a little rebellious." Then turning towards Hermione a grin appeared on his face as he said "As to where we're taking you is a surprise."
George and Lee snorted as the statue jumped away from the passage entrance. Lee entered first and together Fred and George forced Hermione through the entrance. When they started walking Hermione finally stopped struggling and instead began complaining.
"What if we get caught? It would be just my luck to be caught up in mischief right when I become a prefect! Then Dumbledore will probably expel-"
She was cut off by Fred covering her mouth with his hand and said "Why don't you learn to live a little?"
She stomped her foot but didn't say anything else.
A few minutes later they showed up in Honeydukes basement. When Hermione realized where they were she nearly exploded. "You brought me to Hogsmeade?" she screeched.
All three boys turned on her and said "Shut up!" She scowled and crossed her arms.
They made it out of the sweet shop, which happened to be closed right now. They looked around the empty village of Hogsmeade and decided to get the ingredients they needed for their inventions first. When they entered the store, Hermione kept glancing around thinking that someone would see her.
Luckily they were soon out of the store and heading towards the three broomsticks. Hermione had decided that since she was already forcibly taken, she might as well try to have a good time. "So what do you guys need all of that stuff for anyway? "She asked.
George grinned mischievously and said "The less you know 'Mione, the better."
Hermione rolled her eyes and suddenly felt fear ripple through her. "Won't Madam Rosemerta turn us in for being here?"
"Nope." The three boys said together.
Lee laughed and said "Madam Rosmerta adores us, we're her favorite customers."
Hermione still felt nervous, but let Fred lead her into the restaurant. The second they walked in Madam Rosmerta spun around to meet their grinning faces.
"School has barely started and you're already sneaking about?" she reprimanded, though Hermione could see the smile on her face.
"You know us, Madam." Fred said.
She laughed and said "That I do." She led the four to the table and suddenly noticed Hermione.
"Ms. Granger, I must say I'm quite surprised you're here with these trouble makers." The pretty woman said.
"Well it was against my will." Hermione said. She meant the words to have a little menace in them, but that was taken away by the small smile that spread across her lips.
As they sat down Fred pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "They grow up so fast!" He pretended to blow his nose. "It seems as if just yesterday our Hermione was busy hiding in the library with some books, and now she's sneaking around at night with the biggest pranksters Hogwarts has ever seen."
Hermione kicked him under the table while Madam Rosmerta set down four glasses of butterbeer on the table. "Right you are, Fred. You boys give James Potter and his crew a run for their money." She said in reminiscent voice.
Hermione reached out for a butterbeer and sat back taking in what was happening. It was hard to believe, but she was actually having a good time.
"You know this is the second time you have kidnapped me, right?" Hermione said.
Fred looked at her with a huge grin on his face and said "Yes, but you know you have had more fun than you've ever had."
Hermione laughed loudly and Fred closed his eyes. Her laugh was amazing. It wasn't like most girls giggles, but it was a full out laugh, but not obnoxious like Pansy Parkinson's.
George was in the middle of telling a story about a prank they pulled on Ron when they were children, when Hermione checked the time. She jumped when she saw it was nearly three o'clock in the morning.
"We need to get back!"She said loudly.
Fred looked at the time and was surprised himself. "You're right!"
She grabbed his and Lee's arm and shot a look at George that told him to follow her. They walked back through Honeyduke's and ten minutes later they found themselves back in front of the statue leading back towards Hogsmeade.
They were walking back to the Gryffindor common room when Lee said "You know I'm a bit hungry, how about you George?"
George was about to say 'no' when Lee elbowed him hard in the ribs and looked at Fred and Hermione. George's eyes filled with understanding and he said "Oh yeah, me too."
Fred looked back suspiciously at the two who gave him angelic faces. "How about you bring our darling little Gryffindor prefect back to the common room and we'll meet you up in our dorm?" Lee said.
Fred nodded and gave a glare towards his brother and friend. Hermione turned around and gave them serious looks. "Don't get caught. You're lucky I saved your arse's earlier!"
They both just chuckled and waved goodbye, and now Fred was all alone with Hermione.
It was a very awkward silence and Fred thought it felt very unnatural, he was never the type of guy who let an awkward moment stay the way it was. So being the idiot he was he said the next worst thing next to an awkward silence.
"So about what I said the other night…."
Hermione stopped walking and wouldn't look at him. Suddenly she seemed to find her shoe laces quite interesting. "I've been really busy with school and prefect duties, so that I never got a chance to say…I'm sorry."
Fred was about to say "Thank you so much for forgiving me!" when he realized what she had actually said. He put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around to face him.
"Wait, you think you did something wrong?" Fred asked in shock.
She nodded and said "I completely over reacted. You have nothing to be sorry for. You were just being you," she grinned up at him "and without your pranks, it seems as if the time we're going through right now wouldn't be nearly as fun."
Then with a sudden pluck of courage she gave him a quick hug. Fred hugged her back and he mentally photographed this moment to remember until he could actually have her. He wanted to take her face in his hands so bad and just give her a kiss that would make her forget Ron, but he couldn't. Fred wanted Hermione to like him when she wasn't with his brother.
So with very much reluctance he let her go, but kept an arm around her shoulder- in a strictly friend way, of course.
All too soon they reached the Gryffindor common room and they said goodbye. If things were the way Fred wanted he could give her a good night snog that she would all too willingly return. He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand, trying to convince himself to stop thinking of 'what if's'
As he walked up the stairs to his dormitory, he realized how exhausted he was and when he walked into the room he went straight towards the bed and collapsed on it, where he could still almost feel Hermione's arms around him.
Please Review! Tell me what you think of this chapter.
Question of the day: What did you all think of A very potter Sequel?