As the days went by, Hermione spent her time studying for her owls, practicing with Dumbledore's Army, and as one may put it; would sometimes be found 'snogging in an upstair corridor'.
Though it wasn't just the kissing that drew a majority of her attention to Fred Weasley.
It was the way his eyes caught her's across a room. The way his breathing felt when she lay in his arms as they read different books. The feeling of his hair in her fingers, or the way he'd run his hand through her's. The smell of his jumpers and sweaters. The constant flirtatious jokes, the winks. The hugs from behind, and how he'd tuck his chin on her shoulder. Or how he'd randomly spin her around. The broom rides. The way he'd say her nam—
"Hermione." His voice called, pulling her from her thoughts.
She lifted her head. "What is it?" She asked softly.
He was sitting across the table from her, at a table tucked away in the library. "You've been on the same page for a few minutes now."
"Have I?" She answered rhetorically, her thoughts dazed.
She gave a small grin, thinking over her thoughts. The montage of the days with him replaying in her mind. Him, sitting there right now.
"What?" He asked, wondering what caused her to be so happy.
"It's Nothing."
"Well it's obviously something, if it is causing The Hermione Granger to halt the act of reading." He set down his quill into its stand.
"Alright, I'm just happy is all."
"Why?"
"You." Her eyes looked into his blue, and she saw him biting back a smile to no prevail.
"Why Granger, you're making me blush." He joked.
"No I mean it." She leaned forwards, about to steal a kiss—
"Ahem." A voice coughed.
They both turned their heads. "George you really do have impeccable timing." Fred lamented.
"Sorry, but you two haven't been separated for the past seventy two hours. Excuse me for wanting to spend time with my identical half."
"You've had him for seventeen years haven't you?" Hermione commented. "No it's alright." Hermione packed up her assignments into her book bag.
"Where are you going?" Fred asked, rather disappointed in her leaving.
"To the kitchens. I thought between studying and snogging my boyfriend, I'd rescue some house elves."
Fred raised his eyebrows in revelation.
"What?" Hermione asked, stacking the final book onto the pile within her arms.
"You said the b word Granger." George whispered, leaning down from where he stood behind her. She turned around and flashed him a look of annoyance.
"So what if I did? I was not aware it was a federal crime? Shall I pay penance in Azkaban while we are on the discussion of such obscenities."
"No need to be so sarcastic." George replied.
Hermione rolled her eyes ever so slightly. "I'll see you later." She said in a kinder voice to the other twin. The one that she actually enjoyed spending time with.
She made to leave the library, but a thought interrupted that simple task. She halted, turned back around. Before he could realize, Fred Weasley was entangled in a brief yet passionate kiss.
"Get a room." George complained but with humor in his tone.
Fred was highly disappointed as the witch pulled away, and disappeared from sight. His lips still felt warm, but he was already beginning to miss her presence. He inhaled her scent that lingered in the air, before sighing and looking toward his brother.
"What?" Fred asked, wondering George's objective.
George raised his eyebrows up and down. "Want to wreck havoc with peeves on Umbridge. I've been in a quite rebellious mood."
Fred stared at him. "Why not?" He answered after a dramatic pause.
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Hermione was very concerned. That was, her dependency on Fred Weasley was increasing to an unhealthy degree. She considered herself an independent witch. Though any activity she performed independently, lessons, talking to Harry or Ron, studying, sleeping; she felt in longing.
"Miss Granger." Snape called on her for the first time all year. Perhaps he noticed her hand was not stuck in the air.
"Sorry sir, what was the question?" She asked, embarrassed with herself. She had been lost in thought, zoning out on the reading they had been assigned for the last five minutes or so.
Snape continued to look at her with disappointment. She considered he would have rolled his eyes if it were appropriate. "Class, has ended."
She looked around, noticing no one left in the room. Even Harry and Ron had left. "Oh, right." She closed her textbook and made to turn in her homework. Though as she handed him her assignment she stayed put.
"Professor, I think you would be a marvelous Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher." She said it with sincerity. He was always foul, but not nearly as much as Umbridge. He wasn't evil, just cold.
"I did not ask for your opinion." He grumbled. "Five points from Gryffindor."
She looked at him with contempt. "I just thought you'd like to know. I'm sorry if I offended you." She then left the classroom, letting out a sigh. No good deed went unpunished it seemed.
But then she felt fingers on her waist. Before she could scream, she was nose to nose with Fred Weasley, his arm was wrapped securely around her, her front flush with his own.
"What occasion spurs you to capture me so?" Hermione whispered, trying to hide the fluttering feeling in her stomach as she spoke.
"I've missed you." He whispered next to her ear. He brought his lips close to her own, but instead kissed her forehead.
"So you've been just waiting here?" She tried to remain calm, but willed more than anything for him to just kiss her already.
"Something like that." She looked up into his eyes, bringing her hands to rest on his shoulders.
He made no indication of initiating a kiss. She dropped her gaze from, raising an eyebrow with skepticism.
"What's wrong?" He inquired as she attempted to pull away from his being but his arm was still securely wrapped around her. He loosened his grasp so she stood in front of him.
Hermione let out a small groan, letting her head fall into his chest. Her hands were still braced on his shoulders. "Nothing." She spoke softly.
Fred gave a little squeeze to her sides, his hands still resting on her hips. "No what is it?" He lifted her chin gently so he could look into her eyes.
"It's just——I still don't know you. Like right now, I'm looking at you and have no idea what you're going to do next. You surprise me."
"Should I be less surprising?" He asked with a little smirk that she tried not to die over the cuteness it exuded.
"No." She shook her head. "That's not it. I quite like that about you. It's just—I've always been bad at letting people in. I hate vulnerability. I don't know if you've noticed I always put on this know it all bossy charade, almost to protect people from really knowing me."
Fred listened, glad she seemed to be opening up. "And?"
"With you—I'm vulnerable." She clenched her eyes shut, wondering on earth she was confessing. Perhaps she should stop talking. This was definitely becoming awkward.
Fred scrunched his nose up a little. "It's scary isn't it?" He whispered.
She was so reassured by the way he responded. She looked to her hand noticing he had been tracing little circles on the back of it. The act was completely endearing. He was trying to be comforting.
She gave a little nervous laugh. But then there was something in his eyes. A look of longing. A look of wanting to know her. She couldn't know exactly what he was thinking.
Though instead she chanced that a kiss could suffice in trying to know him. She brought her lips close to his, trembling despite having kissed him a hundred times. She let out a small breathe before connecting their lips.
She melted, lost from any previous form of consciousness. It was gentle, soft at first. There bodies were frozen still, untill it seemed to click they were kissing. Fred pulled her closer to him again, and Hermione had to stand on her tiptoes as he returned slightly to his full height.
There was a moment of breath before she moved her fingers to his red locks, pulling him closer. As their lips parted, she could feel him smiling.
She pulled away, catching her breath, that had grown increasingly raged. She placed one more quick kiss on his lips, before falling from her tip toes.
There was a cold low cough that gained their attention.
Hermione's fingers tightly gripped into Fred's shoulders in alarm.
"In light of recent events, I will restore five points to Gryffindor." His voice drawled.
Hermione and Fred broke apart, facing the professor but avoiding his gaze completely. They knew exactly who it was.
"—you spoke out of turn miss Granger. Though you're opinion I come to recognize was merely because your sense of reason is clouded by sheer young love." Snape continued.
The pair stood there not knowing what to do.
"Mr. Weasley. I have potions to be sorted. I will find your help quite useful this Saturday with Potter."
Fred nodded, knowing it better not to argue this disguised detention.
"Now. Get out of my sight. And preferably keep future liaisons far away from my classroom."
Hermione gave a little "yes sir." Before quickly continuing down the corridor.
As they both rounded the corner they kept walking briskly to put as much space between them and Snape as possible. "What just happened?" Hermione mumbled to herself.
"Note to future self, refrain from snogging right outside the potions classroom." Fred added light heartedly.
They looked at each other and broke out into laughter.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked running into the two as they had now entered the entry hall of the castle.
"Nothing." Hermione spoke, regaining her composure. "Care to eat I'm starving?" And she walked towards the great hall.
"I've just got Saturday detention with Snape. See you there mate." Fred informed Harry before following Hermione into the great hall.
"What for?" Harry asked, taking a seat at the Gryffindor table as well.
"Suppose I face him a wrong look or something." Fred said.
Hermione stayed quiet, focusing quite intensely on buttering a piece of bread.
"Where's George?" Fred pondered curiously.
"It looks like he's sitting with Johnson again." Harry mused.
A silence grew between the three of them after they all looked down the table towards him.
Neville luckily came sputtering over. "Harry! I'm really sorry, but I can't come to the D.A. Meeting this Saturday. Sprouts letting me do extra credit work for Herbology."
"It's fine Neville. Fred and I won't be there anyways. Landed ourselves detention." Harry turned to Hermione.
Though her attention was focused elsewhere. Her sights were traced directly to the head table, noticing Snape conversing with Dumbledore. As the headmasters gaze met her own she quickly glanced away.
"Hermione?" Harry called.
"What? sorry, I was lost in thought, for a second there."
"I was wondering if you'd lead the meeting this weekend." Harry continued.
"Yes. Of course. Should be no problem." She answered without really thinking. She nudged Fred in the side, gaining his attention and he looked to where she had been.
"Oh that can't be good." He spoke, once Harry was distracted in conversation with Neville.
"He knows. Dumbledore stared into my soul and I swear he knows." Hermione whispered blushing.
"Eh Granger. I'm proud of us. We're all the gossip at the teachers table. Must be because we're so bloody brilliant."
She gave him a serious look. "Well. Anyway." She let a small grin form. "At least it was worth it."
"Yeah?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I suppose." Then she took a sip of water to avoid his inquiring glare.
She smiled to herself as his hand rested on the top of her thigh under the table.
Perhaps good deeds did go unpunished. Though she feared philosophy was out to get her. And for the first time, she didn't really care.
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"There's something about Harry Potter that makes life richer. Like, when things get really dark and times are really hard, stories give us places we can go where we can (comment our favorite Harry Potter book) rest and feel held."
-Emma Watson