Pairing: Fred Weasley/Hermione Granger
Note: Takes place during OOTP, Fred is 17 and Hermione is 15.
Disclaimer: All properties belong to their rightful owners.
Act I, Scene II
This is the Part Where You Run
"So what'll it be, little lady?" George asked the small Hufflepuff girl standing in front of him.
"I'll have the patented daydream charm, thanks," she replied in a soft voice.
George couldn't help but smile at her. "Excellent choice. That'll be five Sickles and ten Knuts, then."
Once she left, the other Weasley twin had reemerged from his inventory check in their room and took a seat at the table beside his brother. He rubbed his hands together and asked, "So Georgie, how's business looking today?"
"You tell me, Freddie," George gestured at the long line in front of them. There were dozens of people from different years and houses, all looking to buy their products, and the queue was growing longer and longer by the minute.
Just as Fred was about to congratulate his brother on their success, however, a stern, all too familiar voice rang through the hallways, "What is all this? Fred? George? Are you at it again?"
"Oh, bugger," George cursed under his breath. "It's the Prefect."
From what Fred could make out, standing at the very back of the line was a very angry and indignant bushy-haired brunette. She grabbed a flyer from one of their customers and read aloud, "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes? Fred! George! You know this is against the rules!"
In an instant, Fred got up from his seat and packed all their goods back into the box with a flourish of his wand. George turned to the crowd and shouted, "Oi! Everyone scram!"
Everyone in the crowd hurried to leave, and in the middle of it all was Hermione, walking towards the twins with thunderous footsteps. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do this? I'll be reporting this to Professor McGonagall!"
"What's there to report?" Fred smiled innocently at her. "I don't see any suspicious activity here."
"Right you are, Freddie," George agreed, quietly kicking the box of merchandise behind him and out of her view. "None at all."
Hermione folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at them, "Is that so? Then, I suppose you won't mind if I take a look at whatever it is you're hiding behind you?"
"Oh, no, no, not in the slightest. In fact, we'd be delighted," George said obligingly, though Fred noticed that his brother's smile was straining.
As George slowly picked up the box, there was a moment of tension, and then, suddenly, Fred flipped the table over and Hermione shrieked.
The two quickly made a run for it, George carrying the box in his arms. They sprinted as fast as they could to get as far away from her as possible, but Fred glanced over his shoulder and saw that Hermione had followed them.
He sighed, "Why can't she just let this go?"
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione said, and George's wand went flying out of his hand.
He made a noise of disbelief.
"Impedimenta!" Fred shot back at Hermione, who came crashing down to the ground at his spell.
Hermione let out a growl of frustration and spelt a puddle of water at the twins' feet, casting, "Aguamenti!"
Fred slipped on the water and fell, but George managed to narrowly avoid it. Still, he started to run back to help his brother up, but Fred swatted him away. "This is the part where you run!"
George hesitated, dawdling by the corner of the alleyway.
"Go!" Fred commanded. "I'll catch up with you!"
"Oh no, you won't," Hermione snapped. "Petrificus To-"
"Expelliarmus!" Fred sent Hermione's wand flying all the way to the back of the hallway. Fred shouted at his brother, "Go! Now! I can handle her!"
With a reluctant nod, George left, but not without hollering, "I won't forget you, Freddie!"
"Bastard," Fred muttered, laughing quietly to himself as he picked himself up. This was all getting ridiculously out of hand.
"Frederick Fabian Weasley," Hermione said menacingly as she approached him.
The Weasley in question turned to glare at his assailant. "Oh for Merlin's sake, Hermione, I'm really not in the mood for one of your sermons, so spare me."
At that, Hermione blushed. "Actually, what I was going to say was…that was some impressive spellcasting."
Fred blinked up at her. "What?"
"I...I have a proposal to make," she said warily, holding her hand out to him.
He accepted it begrudgingly. "Well, you've certainly got my attention."
"I won't tell McGonagall what you did if...you help me win a bet."
"What kind of bet?" He asked her with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.
"Ron said I couldn't beat Harry in a wizarding duel, but if I do, he'll give me thirty galleons."
"Thirty galleons?" Fred whistled. "Where's he going to get that?"
"I doubt he's worried. He's so sure he's going to win," Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Well, I'd love to prove him wrong." Fred grinned.
"So you'll help me, then?" she looked at him, hopefully.
Fred thought to himself for a moment.
"Alright, I'll do it," he agreed. But as Hermione stretched out her hand to shake on it, Fred pulled back his. "But only if you give me half of your winning share."
"Oh, rubbish!" Hermione scoffed. "What do you even need fifteen galleons for? You make more than that in a week with your business."
"That's true," Fred said, looking proud of himself. "But it's always fun to swipe some money away from my favourite little brother. Plus, having a few spare galleons lying around couldn't hurt."
Hermione shook her head. "You help me, and you'll be walking away from a week's worth of detention, scott free. I'd say that's more than enough of a reward."
At that, Fred's eyes lit up and an idea came to his mind. "No detention and you let George and I sell our merchandise openly."
"Absolutely not!"
"Just for a few months then?"
Hermione crossed her arms, "For the last time, Fred, no."
"Then I guess we don't have a deal."
She huffed, "Fine, then! Have fun clearing up your schedule to scrub the armoury all weekend."
"Have fun having Ron gloat his victory over your head for the rest of the year," Fred shot back.
For a moment, it was silent. They both glared daggers at each other for what felt like forever, until –
"No detention," Fred offered, "And we sell Wizarding Wheezes for a week."
Hermione frowned. "Provided that they're all well tested and safe to use?"
"Promise," He said as he made a little cross over his chest and smiled at her with a practised angelic expression. "You can even oversee it yourself if you'd like. With George and I as the only test subjects."
With that, Hermione shook his hand eagerly, "Deal."
"Well, then Granger, guess I'll be seeing you soon. Say, same time tomorrow?"
"Just as long as you're not going to be causing any more trouble," she warned him.
"We'll see about that," he said slyly.
Whatever Fred had gotten herself into, it was certainly going to be an interesting couple of week ahead of him.
Author's Note: Please leave a review and let me know what you all thought of this :)
