Competitions and Hogwarts

George's moment of bliss was shortly ruined. Almost as soon as they were alone in their room Fred demanded to know what was happening between George and Hermione. George, unable to lie to his brother, admitted that he did find her attractive.

"She's grown up a lot hasn't she?" Fred remarked

"Yeah but she is always going to be our baby brothers friend isn't she?" George replied, a frown was set on his face.

"Well we can change that," Fred said with a large smile plastered across his face.

"How?" George questioned his brother. He was almost regretting asking as he knew the meaning of the smile Fred now gave him and it could only mean one thing, trouble.

"I propose a bet, dear brother of mine," Fred answered adding a wink.

"A bet?" now George was confused, he'd been expecting Fred to announce that they should send her a box of chocolates filled with love potions or even try to seduce her with a song, but a bet? That was unexpected.

"I have to admit you not the only person who finds her attractive," he paused and waited for his brother's reply. He took his brother's silence as a sign for him to continue. "I've always thought she was very pretty and that is why I am proposing a bet. We both compete for Hermione and whoever she chooses wins the fair maiden and the other has to back off," he added with a chuckle.

George paused to consider this offer. He has never competed against Fred in anything and was slightly worried about it considering what he knew his brother was capable of.

"Deal" he said, placing a hand in front of his brother.

"May the best twin win," Fred joked as he took his brother's hand and gave it a firm shake.

The long, hot days of summer gave way to the cooler autumn days and not before long Hermione found her way on the train back to Hogwarts. She was excited to be getting back as it had been a long, eventful summer however a part of her felt nervous. The last school year had ended in Cedric dying at the hands of Lord Voldermort and many in the wizarding world refused to believe he had returned. Hermione herself had doubted it, only for a moment, however when she arrived at Grimmauld Place and been told of the Order of the Phoenix she knew the dangers were all too real.

She felt someone bang into her and she turned round.

"Watch where you're going Ronald," she hissed however Ron, who had only moments ago been behind her, had been replace by another member of the Weasley clan. "Fred…I'm…err sorry, I thought you were Ron" she apologised.

"Don't worry about it Hermione," he said giving her a wink before walking off. A blush began to crawl up her neck and she cursed herself for being so stupid. She looked up and found herself staring into a pair of deep blue eyes. A cough brought her back to reality and once again she had managed to embarrass herself in front of a Weasley twin.

"You ok Hermione? " George joked "you look a little lost,"

"I'm fine…I errr just bumped into Fred," she cursed herself again for being embarrassed in front of him. They had spent three summers together by now and communication had never been a fact she has never had an issue with disciplining the twins when they played pranks on her. "Although I didn't realise he was that attractive then," she thought to herself.

"Hermione? Are you in there?"

Her attention was brought back and she managed to mumble something about needing to find Harry and Ron before walking off.

"Why did you act like an idiot?" she mentally asked herself. She paused as the realisation hit her, she fancied George Weasley.

George to, was deep in thought as he walked towards the carriage. "She said she bumped into Fred" he thought "And she was all flustered. What had Fred said to her?" he entered the compartment wondering if he'd lost the bet before it had even started. He knew his twin was good with women. Both twins generated a lot of attention from girls not only ones in Gryffindor but also other houses as well. Although identical in every way, the twins' relationship with women was completely different. Fred was much better at getting the girls however he often got bored quickly or annoyed them to no extent. George however liked to take things slower though this plan always ended almost as badly and as rapidly as Fred's relationship had.

Lost in thought George had forgotten that he had entered the compartment until the trolley came round with the food. He bought a chocolate frog and turned to his friend Lee Jordan and became enveloped into an interesting conversation about which girls Fred was most likely to conquest this year.

Fred held a hand to his heart and feigned hurt "You wound me mate," he said to Lee.

This caused both Lee and Fred to double up with laughter. George usually joined in with his brother's humour however this time he sat silent. They were competing for the same girl this time that made things a little different. Whilst Lee was distracted getting his uniform from his trunk, Fred gave George a wink which George returned with a small smile. "Oh yes," he thought to himself "this year is going to be very different."

Little did George know how right he was as sitting in Dumbledore's office as they spoke was a women dressed entirely in pink with a girlish smile on her face. A woman by the name of Dolores Umbridge.