Holly: "We're not giving up, Artemis. We're regrouping. There's a difference. We'll be back. Remember, it's always darkest before dawn."
Artemis: "What dawn? We're in the Arctic, remember."- Eoin Colefer

"I have a new plan, are you doing anything tonight?" I asked George, stepping up behind him as he stirred our supper. It was green and bubbling ominously. A strange smell was issuing from it and it was starting to stick to his spoon. "Umm, what is that?"

"Leftovers. No, I don't have any plans."

"Leftover what and from when? Awesome, you can come skate with me." I replied, leaning over his shoulder to look at the odd green stuff.

"No idea, it was the only thing in the fridge. What's skating?" Was George's instant reply, he kept stirring the stuff. It was starting to work its way up the spoon.

"So, Leaky Cauldron to go sound good? It's a muggle pastime." I answered, poking a fork at the green mushy leftovers.

"Yeah, how about we order the soup? What kind of a muggle pastime?" George asked, trying to pull the spoon out of the pot, the green stuff had really latched on to it.

"Yeah, I think tonight's soup is cheddar. It's a sport of sorts. You slide around on ice with special shoes." I answered, stepping around him and grabbing hold of the pot while he pulled the spoon. We played a round of tug-of-war before the spoon and green stuff went flying behind George, and I fell into the stove. A crash sounded from the living room and I righted myself stepping up next to George. He was staring into the living room with wide eyes.

"Are you flooing or am I?" He asked, eyes still on the dark living room, there was an odd squelching noise coming from it.

"I'll floo, you can take care of that." I said, and then I ran for the fireplace, George right behind me.

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"You want me to do what in these things?" George asked, staring at the knife tipped shoes in disbelief. I wasn't feeling any surer, but I had the image of Hermione's chocolate eyes in my head to get me up. Besides, if all those kids could do it, it shouldn't be a problem for George and me. With this positive, albeit extremely misguided thought, I grabbed the guard rails and pulled myself up, and fell promptly back down onto the extremely hard and cold ice. That would leave a bruise.

George's bright laughter rang out behind me, making me flush as I hastily tried to pull myself back up. My knifed shoes weren't cooperating though, and I kept slipping. I finally managed to right myself, and held onto the guard rail, locking my legs in place so I wasn't moving.

"Let's see you do any better, Georgie." I said, slowly turning around on the spot. George paled slightly but stood up determinedly anyway.

"Alright, I'll do it." He stood still for a moment, a triumphant look on his face, and then he fell down into a tangle of long limbs.

"Not so easy is it, Georgie?" He pulled himself up by the bench before attempting to stand again.

"Blimey, now that's embarrassing." He said once he was standing beside me, clutching onto the guard rail. "We are being shown up by kids, and they're all little ones at that."

"Now that's not true, that bloke over there is at least ten." I said, pointing out a brown haired boy that was doing some sort of twirly thing.

"Why are we here?" George asked, looking around the 'rink' with his mouth open. "Wait," he said, whipping his head back to me, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "This is about 'Mione!"

"Yes." Was my instant and unashamed reply. "She loves this 'skating' thing, so I'm going to learn how to do it."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Not in the least. I am going to learn how to skate for those beautiful brown eyes and that quick wit." I edged myself closer to the gate that would let us out on the ice. "Now come on, I only have tonight to learn how to skate. She's going to be here tomorrow. The rink closes at ten."

"You mean to tell me that you are standing on this ice with knives taped to your shoes because of 'Mione?"

"Yes, exactly."

"You're mental. You're more hopeless than I originally thought."

"I am not, this is going to be brilliant!"

He gave me a sidelong look, the one that meant he was so sure I was wrong that he just couldn't wait to let me find out the hard way. I ignored him and just moved my feet.

I made it about halfway around the rink and my arms were starting to kill me. I was using them to pull myself around the rink by the guard rail. I was being passed by kids left and right, but I was ignoring them. I was ignoring them and their constant laughter, I was not that funny.

"You know," George said from right behind me. "This really isn't all that bad." His voice drew nearer, and then I felt someone pass me on the right. I looked over and saw George skating in front of me. He wasn't holding onto the wall any more, he was actually skating.

"How are you…" He was already gone by the time I asked the question. That just brought embarrassment to a whole new level. My own twin was skating circles around me.

"Fred?" A lighter more musical voice asked behind me. I stopped pulling myself along the wall and turned myself around, moving my weight around so that I was leaning against the wall on one arm. I was actually holding myself up with it, my legs were already starting to slip out from underneath me. Hermione was standing in front of me with a beaming Harry right behind her.

Merlin, please just kill me now.

Harry did not take her out skating tonight when he promised me he was going to tomorrow. He did not take her out tonight after promising me he wouldn't until tomorrow. I was learning how to skate tonight so I could impress her with my mad skills, not so I could trip in front of her.

"Hey Hermione!" I said, ignoring Harry and his big grin. I put on my best winning smile, trying to stop my arm from shaking as it supported all my weight. "Fancy meeting you here!"

"I didn't know you could skate." She said, smiling softly.

"Harry was talking about it the other night, and I thought it sounded like fun." Was my reply, I was lying through my teeth, but hey, she was worth it. Hopefully she would skate away before she saw just how much I was lying.

"Do you know how to?" She asked, her voice soft and airy.

"No." I admitted honestly, cringing internally as yet another plan died before my eyes.

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed, making me jump and almost fall down. "Why don't you show him how, Hermione?" Hermione's eyes grew wider and an adorable blush lit her cheeks. I shot Harry a thankful look, instantly forgetting it was his dumb fault I was in this predicament.

"I'd love that." I said before she had a chance to refuse. I had to speak quickly because I was also mere seconds from slipping and falling flat on my face.

"Okay." She said softly, skating closer to me. She took my hand in hers and indicated I should give her my other one. I slowly released it from the wall, trembling as I tried to stay up right. She grabbed that hand too, and then slowly skated backwards, pulling me with her. She kept talking, giving me basic instructions on what do, almost all of which I missed because I was too caught up in the way her lips moved when she spoke and the way her hips swayed when she skated away.

I fell down at least a dozen times, but she kept helping me up. It was embarrassing, but I'd have done anything to keep holding her hand and skating with her.

"Okay, let's try one hand." She said after a few laps. She let go of my right hand and skated over so that we were side by side. I lost my balance, thrown off by her nearness, and I fell, pulling her with me this time. I collided with the hard, unforgiving, ice and she landed beside me, half on top of me and half on the hard ice. She let out a whimper of pain and snatched her hand back. She pulled her hand to her chest, crying openly. She pulled herself up and I tried to get up to, but I just fell back down. She skated away, crying as she clutched her hand. Harry appeared out of nowhere and pulled her too him, glaring at me. He examined her hand before giving me a disapproving glare.

"I think you've cracked your wrist. Come on, I'll take you home." The two of them skated away, and I tried to get up, just to fall back down. They left the rink hand in hand, and she was still crying.

"Need some help, Fred?" George asked, skating up to me. I looked up at him and glared as he grinned down at me.

"Don't even start."

A/N: This is my favorite chapter so far :) The green stuff was from a memory I had of my brother cooking dinner for me while he was in College. It was really funny xD