Draco met Fred's inquisitive gaze.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," said Fred, though the lines around his mouth were tight. It wasn't a frown per-say, but it wasn't a smile either.
Draco felt his own mouth tilt down in response.
The wine was going to his head a little and so he poured himself a glass of water and downed it quickly.
"Lets play go fish again," said Hermione dispelling some of the tension.
Draco sat beside her gave the deck a shuffle dealing out the cards.
Half way through the second game Hermione asked for the third time in a row if Fred had any sixes.
"Hermione," said Fred biting back a laugh. "I do not have any sixes because there are only four in the deck and I gave you my last one. There is no way you even have any in your hand right now."
"Oh," Hermione looked at her hand. "Right, sorry," she suddenly burst into giggled and Draco and Fred both watched as she rolled back tittering with laughter until she was sobbing about how her sides hurt.
Then she got the hiccups.
It was cute to see her bounce with each one-though Draco worried it would make her sick.
"More water I think," he said re-filling glass.
She drank readily and smiled up at him with glistening eyes that were so open. Draco felt her eyes on him, he wanted to fall into them, fall into her.
"You are drunk," said Fred, breaking the moment. It wasn't an accusation more of an observation.
"Yes I am," said Hermione swinging her head over to look at Fred. "But I feel amazing!" she threw her hands up in the air and smacked Draco across the face with the back of her hand as he was trying to sit down.
"Owww, watch where you are flailing those things," said Draco without any real anger.
"Oh no, I'm sorry!" Hermione threw her arms around Draco's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Forgive me."
"Its alright, its alright Granger, I'm not mad."
"Good," she said and sat upright. "Because I want no one fighting tonight."
"Okay," said Draco.
"No one," she said turning to Fred and wagging her finger emphatically.
"Promise," said Fred.
"Good," said Hermione and yawned, then she turned and rested her head on Draco's shoulder. Draco looked at Fred and Fred seemed to pretend he wasn't seeing his little brother's love interest leaning on Draco Malfoy's shoulder.
A few moments later a soft snoring reached Draco's ear and he looked across at Fred.
"Is she asleep?"
"It would appear so," said Fred.
"I think we should let her sleep."
"Agreed."
Draco shifted.
"I'm awake!" said Hermione sitting up with a start.
"We know you are," said Fred. "But you forgot to tell that to your eyeballs."
"They just have issues with the..." she yawned. "Things..."
"Yeah things like staying open," said Fred taking a swig of wine.
Draco stood.
"Where are you going?" protested Hermione grabbing his pant leg on the good side.
"To get you a pillow so you don't get a crick in your neck," he answered rolling his eyes.
"Oh," she blinked and he watched his words make it through the haze of alcohol and to her brain. "Okay."
She let go of his pantleg reluctantly and yawned.
Draco went to the couch returned with a cushion and handed it to Hermione who fluffed the pillow dramatically and held in close to her chest waiting. When Draco sat down she plopped in on top of Draco's leg, gave it a good thwack with her hand and then hunkered down like a little kitten.
"You two keep playing," she said waving her hand in the air above her head-her eyes already closed. "I'm just going to take a nap. Wake me up in fifteen."
"Sure," said Fred shaking his head.
Hermione's soft snore was Fred's immediate answer.
Draco looked at Fred.
"I have no intention of waking her up."
"Me neither," said Fred letting out a little puff of air.
"Okay." An awkward silence filled the room.
"You wanna keep going then?" asked Fred breaking the silence as he picked up the deck of cards to shuffle.
"Sure," said Draco, surprised, though pleased, at the offer.
"What do you want to play?" asked Fred and a card flipped out of his hands.
"Do you want me to shuffle?"
"I got it," said Fred, though he sounded more determined than angry at Draco asking.
Fred shuffled the deck carefully splitting it for a game of war.
Draco was thankful for the choice considering they had both imbibed enough to warrant a simpler game.
They played in silence.
Fred won the first round.
"I'm a little nervous for tomorrow," said Fred as the two shuffled their respective piles.
Draco blinked. Was Fred...confiding in him?
It felt strange to have someone else, someone who was older, someone who was also a guy confiding in him about being nervous.
Fred continued, either oblivious to or ignoring Draco's surprised expression.
"I have no idea how I'm going to get out of here alive, what with it being death-eater central and all," he lay down his first card of the round sweeping away the winning match with a flourish at odds with the serious nature of the conversation.
"I..." Draco swallowed. "You'll be fine." I hope, he silently added laying down his card.
"Do you have an actual plan then?" asked Fred as Draco swept away his win.
"Somewhat," answered Draco honestly.
"Your overwhelming confidence is sweeping away all my fears," said Fred sarcastically.
"I'm doing the best I can," answered Draco and Hermione shifted.
Draco looked down at her as she squirmed and cuddled closer to him, her one hand reaching out and resting protectively on his leg beneath the pillow.
"Are you?" asked Fred and Draco met the older boy's eyes.
He could see that Fred was asking honestly and only honesty in return felt like a fair response.
"I am," said Draco.
Their next set of cards tied and they each lay down three. Fred won the end match and picked up the cards flipping over to reveal that Draco had lost a king a ten and an ace in the match.
"You're luck seems to have left the building," said Fred gesturing to the cards.
"I still have some left in my potions room," said Draco and Fred narrowed his eyes looking at Draco.
"You were using Felix Felicis."
Draco nodded impressed that the twin had put two and two together.
"That's why you won all the early rounds," Fred nodded appreciatively. "It didn't last very long."
"That's because I was only testing it. I am saving the rest for you."
Fred looked at Draco expression blank and then he shook his head.
"I'm sorry, did I hear that right or is the wine hitting me a little harder than I thought? Explain."
"I have been working on it for the last six months-"
"Wait, you've been working on it?" Fred stopped shuffling his cards.
"Yes," Draco answered.
"That is one of the harder potions to make is it not? And kind of dangerous if you screw it up."
"Yes, and yes which is why I tested it on myself to be safe," answered Draco continuing to shuffle his half of the deck.
Fred set his down on the floor and waited for Draco to stop and pay attention to him.
"Let me get this straight," said Fred pausing and looking at Draco intently. "You tested something potentially dangerous and volatile on yourself instead of me...in order to help me?"
A strange jangle of nerves lit up inside Fred.
Why do you care so much what he thinks? Draco demanded of himself.
Last time he had attempted Felix felicis he had fed it to Crabbe and watched his so called friend suffer the ill effects of Draco's failure...this time he hadn't even thought to risk someone else.
That's because it looked right, because you were sure you hadn't messed it up, he tried to reason with himself.
Deep down Draco knew that wasn't true.
He hadn't tried it on Fred because he hadn't wanted to risk Fred getting hurt. Because Fred was Hermione's friend and Fred getting hurt would mean Hermione getting hurt and Draco would always rather be hurt himself then let her get hurt.
And because...well...because he didn't want Fred to be hurt for Fred's sake either.
Fred broke the silence when Draco didn't answer.
"Are you sure you're Draco Malfoy?" he asked raising a brow. "Seems to me that guy was a selfish asshole, and you're not acting like one."
Draco looked down at Hermione.
She's the reason, he thought.
"The Draco I knew was also a whining sniveling snitch, who turned others in not protected them," continued Fred.
Yes, thought Draco. I was.
But then she came along...
Draco reached down and moved a curl out of Hermione's face.
"So did the fairies swap and replace you with a changeling or..." Fred trailed off.
Draco looked up, unsure why the redhead had stopped talking. Then Draco realized how things looked from Fred's side.
Fred looked Draco dead in the eye.
"You're in love with her aren't you?"
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HOWS THAT FOR A POINT-BLANK QUESTION? Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did please leave some love.