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 III, Scene III
There's No Need To Keep Hiding Anymore
Once they had patiently answered their questions and endured a bit more teasing at their expense, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and George all left the pair in peace to enjoy the rest of their Saturday. It was all Hermione could do not to sigh in relief as they left.
After a while, Fred decided to put a momentary halt to their practising and suggested they go back to the Great Hall to eat lunch.
Hermione looked uncertain, "Together? Won't that seem a bit…I don't know…suspicious?"
"What? Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" Fred teased. "Come on, Hermione, all of our friends already now. There's no need to keep hiding anymore."
"I suppose you're right," she conceded, and they walked together towards the Great Hall for lunchtime.
"Nice of you two to join us," George greeted Fred and Hermione as made their way to the Gryffindor table. Fred sat down beside his brother, while Hermione sat across him, next to Harry and Ron.
"Hey, Hermione. We got you some food," Ron gestured towards a pile of fish and chips, as well as a steaming cup of what smelled like Chamomile tea. She smiled, her favourite.
"Thank you," Hermione told him and Harry, the latter of whom smiled back at her with a mouthful of mashed potatoes. She eagerly dug into her food and was more than happy to listen to Ron, Harry, Ginny, Dean, and Seamus all argue about which Quidditch Team was going to win this year's League Cup.
"The Holyhead Harpies of course," Ginny said matter-of-factly.
Ron looked offended at that, "What, against the Chuddley Canons? You're out of your mind, Gin."
"You're both mental," Dean inserted. "Ron, the Chuddley Canons haven't won since 1892, and Ginny, you only like the Holyhead Harpies because they're all girls."
"That's blasphemy!" Angelina shouted from their far left. "Gwenog Jones is the best beater around. End of discussion!"
At that, Alicia and Katie gave her encouraging noises of approval.
"Alright, Jones is pretty good, I'll give you that," Dean amended to them and to Ginny, who looked personally affronted by what he said awhile ago. "But the Wimbourne Wasps take the cake for best team all-around."
"Better than the Appleby Arrows?" George scoffed, "I don't think so, mate."
"You're being ridiculous, all of you," Seamus said, still chewing his roast beef. "Puddlemere United is inarguably the best."
"Boo! Boooo!" Harry shouted at Seamus, to which the rest of the table quickly followed suit. Soon, everyone from Gryffindor was booing Seamus, with some even flicking small bits of peas and fries his way.
Fred watched the conversation, amused. He chuckled and took a sip of his pumpkin juice when he caught Hermione's glance. Like him, she too seemed to be quietly laughing to herself.
He turned his face just enough for Hermione to see him curl his lip into a small smirk and promptly resumed arguing with the rest of the gang.
As the duel drew closer and closer, Fred and Hermione worked harder than ever at the latter's spellcasting skills. Much to their surprise, however, Harry and Ron had begun to train as well, though they tried their best to hide it and play it cool in front of the rest of the gang.
But as Fred walked Hermione to her Charms class that afternoon, Harry and Ron had quickly confronted them and took them aside.
"Er, Hermione? Can we have a word please?" Harry asked her.
"Yes, Harry?" Hermione answered coyly. "What about?"
He looked at Ron, who cleared his throat and began. "Well, we just wanted to ask you if...er, well...since you have Fred helping you out and training you, Harry and I feel that it would be unfair to have the duel so soon when you've had so much more time to prepare for it."
"Feeling a bit threatened now, are we, baby brother?" Fred smirked.
"No," Ron shot back evenly. "We just don't think it's right for you to have such an upper hand on us."
Harry nodded, "We didn't know you were going to take it so seriously."
"So, uh..." Ron rubbed the back of his neck and turned to Hermione. "What do you say, Hermione? Hold off the duel for another week?"
Hermione smiled a little at the imploring tone in Ron's voice, but quickly covered her mouth with her hand. She pretends to think about it long and hard before she answers. "I suppose...we could postpone it for now..."
"Alright then. Next week it is," Harry smiled, and he and Ron went ahead inside to take their seats before class started.
Fred and Hermione exchanged looks of triumph when they left. "Oh, this is brilliant!" Fred remarked gleefully. "We've got them running scared, 'Mione!"
"They're right to be scared," she said fiercely, smiling in satisfaction. "Maybe next time Ron will think twice before he questions my skill in magic."
Author's Note: I forgot to mention, for those of you wondering: the title is from a Dodie song called "If I'm being honest". Let me know if you enjoyed it, too, by leaving me a review :))
