Hermione was focused on her book. She did not notice him stalking over to her untill he was right there.
"Hello, Granger." He spoke, sitting on the bench next to her.
"Aren't you supposed to be practicing? You asked me to come watch-" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, causing her speech to halt.
They were currently sitting in the Quidditch stands, only a few Gryffindors were practicing on the pitch.
"I thought you might be cold, so I brought this"
Hermione looked down to the maroon jumper he placed on her lap, the visible F embroidered on the front. She took the fabric in her slightly numb hands, "I couldn't possibly wear this-" She began.
"Why not?"
"People might assume things"
He dropped his arm from around her, so that he could sit facing her on the bleacher below. "Let them assume." He gave a wink.
She stared at him dumbfounded and yet completely in love with his flirtation. "Fred Weasley, you are-"
"-handsome, charming..?"
She let out a small laugh then poked him in the chest. "I was going to say insufferable."
"Your laughter is completely insufferable, because it is just so adorable." He spoke, catching her sole attention.
She looked into his eyes, something swelling in her chest. The wind blew lightly, cold and fridgid, yet so a strand of her hair fell in front of her face. And then it happened, his own hand reached out and tucked the lock behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her neck.
"-umm" she shook her head, blushing feverishly as he held a smirk.
"Seriously wear the jumper." He stood up, then mounted his broom and soared into the open air.
The entire time she watched his figure keenly, trying to shake the goosebumps that crawled on her skin; most definitely the result of his touch. The place where his arm had rested on her shoulder had felt warm, as ridiculous as it was to admit.
Every time he flew past her spot in the stands she felt a longing for him. It seemed her silly schoolgirl crush was surmounting into so much more. And on Fred Weasley?!
Fred Weasley
She smiled to herself, and waited at the end of practice in quite a giddy nature.
She waited outside the locker rooms, already hearing the cheery banter of the twins as they spotted her on the field.
"Why hello, Hermione." George exclaimed cheekily slinging his arm around the girl. He took a moment to whisper in her ear "He's madly infatuated with you."
She laughed. "George, what did you just-" Fred began, having noticed the encounter.
"Not to worry dear brother, just a secret between myself and Hermione here."
Fred caught her eye, and she gave him a reassuring smile.
When they reached the castle, Harry, joined the trio, having spotted them in the corridor and was keen to rant about Umbridge.
"Cheers Gred, But I've got to run." George slapped him on the back before running after Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson. "Oi, Johnson!"
Harry looked at the duo. "Where are we going by the way?"
"Library." Hermione supplied. "Fred And I we're going to do some research."
Fred nodded in affirmation.
The lot ended up joining Ron and Dean in the library.
"Hermione thank goodness you're here. Snape's essay is mad. Do you know where wolfsbane grows?" Ron expressed, looking up from the table in confusion.
"Maybe you should have done it earlier Ronald." Hermione mentioned, and provided that wolfsbane was the previous weeks assignment.
"Can't you help?" He begged.
"I'm sorry, but I have other research to do." She plopped her bookbag down on the table and left to go find material on edible potions.
She was ever so happy to find Fred had followed her. It had been her intention when she left.
"You don't have to help research now, if you don't want to."
"I know." She answered, reaching up to get a book.
"Let me." He grabbed the title from the shelf and handed it to her.
"I admire your chivalry." Hermione answered, receiving the book.
"We should go back-"
She ignored his comment, paying him a side glance, and then continued pulling books from the shelf. "Do you know why I like spending time in the library so much?"
"No, why is that?"
She outstretched her hand, until he clasped his fingers in her own. "I'll show you."
She pulled him from the row into one of the main isles, and began walking deeper into the library. The noise became more muffled as they strayed from the main workspaces.
Eventually she turned into a completely abandoned row, where the books seemed ancient. She pulled him to the very end. "Sit." She ordered, and he sat beside her, back leaning against the bookcase. "Now close your eyes." She said in a softer tone.
"They're closed." He chuckled.
"Very good." She took the moment to observe his features, his red hair tilted back against the shelf, his lips pulled into an amused smile. "Now-" She began, closing her eyes as well. "What do you hear?"
The air was silent. Perhaps they could hear footsteps drifting occasionally through the isles, or the scratching of quills. But mostly there was no sound at all, except a silent hum.
"Nothing." He answered. It were a lie. He could hear her soft breathing from beside him.
"And smell?"
The particular section of books had a distinct smell of aged parchment. The wax of the torches had an unnameable but familiar smell. "Something flowery." He answered.
She smiled at this, and secretly inhaled the new scent of his Spearmint toothpaste. "I could spend hours sitting here." She admitted, now very calm.
She opened her eyes, not noticing he was watching her. She reached for the pile of books. She handed him one, and they both began to read. She tried to ignore it when he nudged her hand with his, but willingly let her fingers interlace with his own.
It wasn't addressed, but they both knew they wished they could sit there forever.
That night, when Hermione returned to her dormitory she fell onto her bed grinning so wide it hurt. She eyed her book bag, and removed the jumper within. She pulled it over her head, falling asleep into a wonderful dream.
<><><><><><><>
"I mean, it's sort of exciting, isn't it, (commenting and voting) breaking the rules?"
– Hermione Granger