Everyone in this fanfic is a bit out of character, and I apologize, I mean it is fanfiction after all. Here's chapter 2, enjoy!

Hermione woke up with a start after a not-so-great night's sleep of tossing and turning in her bed. Yes, she had refused to sleep there during the previous night, but she had been smart enough to return to her dormitory long after everyone should be asleep. The thing, or rather person, that had invaded her mind all morning was Fred. Fred Weasley.

Yes, she knew that he was older, popular, and would never probably give her a thought. But the way he had addressed her last night made her feel terrible, even after he had tried to cover it up with compliments. It had disappointed her because; well she just had thought that he was different. And why, might I ask, did it pain her so?

Oh yes, that's right. She fancied him. She had fancied Fred Weasley, the brother of the man (or rather the boy) that she was destined to be with. She fancied a boy whose aspirations in life were a joke shop. She fancied a boy that was popular beyond belief and got all the girls. She fancied a boy who would never give her a second look.

Push it to the side, she thought. She then threw on her clothes, with a little bit more caution for once, actually caring what she was going to look like. Yes, no matter what she would get Fred Weasley to like her.

After almost skipping down the steps, she met Harry and Ron and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast, and smiled at the twins who had already been seated. She took a seat close to the twins then usual; one right across from them, and as she gracefully (well, with as much grace as she could scrape up) sat down.

What she didn't notice, however, was that Lee and George had both elbowed Fred in the ribs as she had sat down. He threw them both a glare, and then looked across the table to where Hermione was sitting. She looked… different. Her shirt was tight showing her curves? Since when did she have curves, or even a chest for that matter? Why hadn't anyone contacted him sooner, she was beautiful. Well, he had liked her for the other attributes that she possessed before but this was just… wow.

"Fred? Fred? Are you paying attention to me or what?" George asked with a mischievous grin, he was always up to something.

"What? Oh, oh sorry mate I was just er…" Fred began.

"Checking out Granger?" A voice snarled. And then came none other than the Heir of Slytherin, a total prat, the same twat that had called Hermione a mudblood.

"Sod off, Malfoy. I was admiring her… shirt." Fred retorted as Malfoy swaggered off with the other Slytherin baboons that were on his left and right.

"Don't listen to him Fred," Hermione comforted. "He's an arrogant prat, and doesn't know what he's talking about half the time, which I'm pretty sure you already knew." A blush crept up her cheeks as she placed her hand on his, which was under the table so no one else would see, and sudden warmth filled her. She smiled and then George cleared his throat, causing everyone to stop ogling Fred and Hermione.

"So mate, you came into the dorm pretty late last night, where you?" Lee Teased. Hermione's eyes grew wide with horror, and then realized that everyone was exiting the hall; breakfast was over. She attempted to dart out of the room, when she was pulled over by none other than Fred Weasley.

He dragged her over to the corner so no one would hear him. He placed both hands on her shoulders and bent his head next to her ear. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I shouldn't have said the things that I did last night, and I want you to know that I admire you for being different. You're wonderful; brave, beautiful, smart, funny, and all the traits most girls would kill for." He whispered. His voice was soft as honey, and Hermione wrung her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she whispered walking away. "I really needed to hear that." She smiled warmly and darted out of the Great Hall. Fred had an accomplished grin on his face, and strutted out of the hall to pats on the back and whistles from his best friend and brother. Right behind them were two girls that were giggling hysterically, having witnessed the scene.

"So she was with Fred! I knew it, she wouldn't have blown up otherwise," Lavender mused.

"Are they together in secret? Oh, that would be adorable!" Parvarti squealed.

"They must be! They were together yesterday and you saw her back there, she was completely flirting with him!"

"Hey Padma!" Parvarti called to her twin sister, "Did you hear about…"

Ginny was behind Hermione as she skipped to the library, hot on her heals. But Hermione, being on cloud nine, didn't notice. She was still tingling from her encounter with Fred, and grinning and feeling warm all over. She went to sit down in her favorite chair, and then realized that Ginny was standing behind her, tapping her foot.

"Oh, hello Ginny! I didn't see you there, how are you?" Hermione asked with glee. She honestly didn't care how Ginny was at the moment, all she could think about was… well her brother.

"I'm fine, thank you. I was just in the Great Hall and I saw something… oh but no, it couldn't have been. Well, all the same I was just wondering if you could clear something up for me." Ginny ask sarcastically. Hermione froze, she had known Ginny for four years now, and she was her best girl-friend. She knew that Ginny could read her like a book, and her brother for that matter.

"S-s-s-sure," Hermione stuttered.

"Since when do you fancy my brother? Don't bother hiding it Hermione, I saw the way you were looking at him! It's the same way that I look at… oh that doesn't matter. When were you planning on telling me this?" Ginny pestered. She had been in love with Harry forever, and everyone knew it. Maybe even Harry did, but he liked Cho, not her. She tried to get over him by dating other boys, but it just didn't work.

"When I figured it out for myself," Hermione muttered, defeated. There was no point in arguing with Ginny, so she mumbled something about homework and stalked off to the common room. As she turned the corner of one of the halls, she ran into someone she really didn't want to bother with.

"Well well well, if it isn't little Hermione Mud-Blood Granger- or should I say Weasley?" Snorted Malfoy. Oh yes, the rumors had spread to him.

"What are you going on about now, ferret?" Hermione spat. She had not even spoken to Ron this whole afternoon, she thought, completely forgetting Fred was in fact, a Weasley.

"Don't be daft, Granger! The whole school knows about your little façade now! Huh, and I always thought you'd end up with The Weasel, not a Weasel." Draco sneered.

Hermione was a smart girl, and had finally figured it out. Someone had seen her with Fred. Bugger, she thought, whipping out her wand and lunging at Draco's throat. "Listen up, Malfoy. You will tell me exactly who you've heard that vile lie from, understand? If not, I've picked up a quite remarkable technique for the Bat-Bogey hex from Ginny Weasley." She demanded, Malfoy trembling under her grip.

"Parkinson. I heard it from Pansy Parkinson." He gasped, the wand was blocking his ablility to breathe, and then ran off to the Slytherin dungeons.

Hermione then confronted Pansy, who had heard the rumor from Padma, who had heard it from none other than the incredibly annoying duo, Lavender and Parvarti.

"Who the hell do you two think you are? Spreading rumors about me? There is nothing going on between me and Fred, we're just like… brother and sister," Hermione flinched. She knew this wasn't true, it was more than that. Well, on her part anyway.

"It's not a rumor, and you know it. We saw you in the great hall with our own eyes! Don't even try to lie, and you know what? You deserve it! You're hurting Ron, he obviously has feelings for you and everyone thought you did too! But you're running around with another boy, let alone his brother? You hurt him once already by going to the Yule ball with Viktor Krum, don't you think that's enough?" Lavender exploded, she had enough. She fancied Ron, and seeing the way Hermione treated his love made her feel terrible inside. Like Hermione was taking advantage of something that she wished for on every eyelash, on every birthday candle, on every 11:11 wish.

Hermione was roaring with anger. She was not running around with Fred! She could not, would not, hurt Ron that way. What in the world was she thinking? Liking Fred was a mistake. A mistake she had to fix. She barged out of the room and into the boys', wanting to tell Ron before he found out from somebody else.

"Hermione?" Harry asked cautiously, he knew the rumor, and the effect that it had on his best mate. "I would, er… leave if I were you. Ron is pretty cut up about, well you know. I know it isn't true, but it's like a Krum all over again."

Hermione stepped over towards Ron's unmade and terribly messy bed hesitantly. She tried to put a hand on his shoulder, but he shoved it off.

"I thought you were better than that." Ron huffed with a sour voice. "I thought that you would tell me if you were sneaking around with someone, especially my own brother. I thought our… friendship meant more to you than that." He said it calmly which was very unlike Ron, but he was hurting so bad it was all the same to him. What did it matter what tone of voice he used? Right now his mind was in a blur, and wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a yell or a whisper.

"Ron, Ron please just let me-"

"Explain?" He snarled, his temper rising. "You know as well as I do that there's something going on between us! There always has been, and there always will be! Merlin, one of the greatest qualities you have that others don't is honesty. But I guess that just means you are another stuck up slut. Get out of my face." He shoved her out of his way as he stalked out of the room. Hermione was frozen. She would not be able to move, even if a piano was about to fall on her head.

Ron stormed down the common room stairs and came face to face with his lovely brother.

"I cannot believe you! You knew I loved her for a long time but you go ahead and sneak around with her anyway? You unbelievable, vile, creature! I can't believe it, my own bloody brother! You'll pay I swear to you!" Ron charged at Fred, but a hand held him back.

"It's not worth it Ron, not losing your brother over, and not worth getting points deducted from Gryffindor." Harry stated with a tad of annoyance, but tried his best to undermine it. He then grabbed Ron's elbow and ushered him out of the common room, and headed towards the kitchen so Ron could eat his heart out.

However, back in the common room a bewildered Fred stood in the middle of the room. "What in Godric's name was that about?" Fred questioned. George stood there, attempting suppressing a snicker.

"You haven't heard? You and Granger are a couple now! It's all over the school now, but I assume you two are the only two who don't know." Stated Lee like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Fred gaped, he had no clue that a rumor had been spread around about him. This wasn't good, this really wasn't good. Hermione didn't know that he had feeling for her, she just thought him a brother.

Wait, said that annoying voice in the back of his mind. If she didn't reciprocate my feelings, or the rumor for that matter, then why had Ron stormed off? I mean, the only thing I can assume, being his best mate and all, that Hermione had already explained the situation they were in. If she told Ron that they were like brother and sister, he would understand and not almost pick a fight with Fred… right?

Wait, who was he kidding? This was Ron we're, well I'm, talking about. The short tempered, ignorant git that can't express his feelings like a normal person.

Boy, was he a fucking hypocrite.

"George, what do I do? Should I go talk to her or leave it be, I mean she has to be pretty upset." Fred moaned. He had no clue what to do, which was actually a first. He had always known what to do what it comes to girls. But, this wasn't just a girl. This was Hermione.

"Well mate, if I were you I would…" but George was cut short by Fred who had run to the steps to the girls dormitories. He went to take a step, but the stairs had turned into a smooth slide and before he knew it, he was at the bottom at the steps once again.

"Hermione! Hermione come down, I need to talk to you!" Fred beckoned. His heart skipped a beat as the door opened.

"You're little slut is not here." Lavender snarled. Her voice was ice cold as she snickered menacingly, "You might check a whore house."

Fred thought that they were being rather tough on her. It wasn't like it was her fault that Krum asked her out last year and that I… wait! I didn't do anything, he once again thought to himself.

He pondered where she might be, but he checked everywhere, almost every inch of Hogwarts. The library, her other friend's common rooms, teacher's classrooms, and even the secret passages he knew that she probably never even thought to find. He was actually getting quite worried, where could she be? He asked a good deal of people that might know an inkling of where she was, but no one did and their suggestions didn't hurt.

Hermione was in the one place no one would look. She didn't want to be here to tell you the truth, but she knew that no one in their right mind would look for her here, especially someone who knew her. It was the only place of sanctuary she could get right now, or so she thought.

A/N: Oooohhhhh a cliffy! Well I think the story can pan out in two different directions at the moment, and I'll try and get as many chapters up before school starts, which is going to be rather hectic.

I apologize in advance for any misspellings, that is a weak point in me.