Seven

Everybody's gotta learn sometime.

Forgetting herself completely, Hermione stood with her mouth open in shock. She was brought back to the present by the cries of pain coming from her neglected patient.

"Oh Merlin! Sorry Neville! I , um, hang on a sec!"

Hermione quickly cleaned his wounds and applied dressings. The hospital wing was full of people and Madam Pomfrey was rushed off her feet. As soon as she had proved that she was not mortally wounded, Hermione had grabbed some supplies and started treating those with minor injuries. Until she had been distracted and left a sterilising potion on Neville's arm for a little too long.

The cause of Hermione's odd behaviour was several beds over, busily treating a wide range of injuries calmly and with surprising speed. The reason this medical treatment was so shocking for Hermione was because it was a Weasley twin being so disciplined and thorough. As soon as she was finished with Neville, Hermione just had to go over and get a closer look.

Fred was busy treating some particularly nasty burns on a small Hufflepuff when Hermione reached him. He didn't look up once as he registered her presence and asked her for a variety of odd things. Too surprised to argue, Hermione obeyed and was astonished at the results. When he had finished treating the boy, Fred looked up to see who he had been ordering around.

"Hermione? You ok?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm fine. You never cease to amaze me. First the ministry are buying your tricks for defence and surveillance, and now you're a talented healer?"

Fred grinned at her bewildered expression.

"Hermione, who did George and I test our inventions on before we paid first years to do it? And don't frown at me like that. Of course I learnt to heal. You don't give yourself a huge nosebleed without knowing how to stop one. And do you know how many times I've burnt myself on various exploding things? I'm not stupid, you know."

"Fred! I never said I thought you were stupid. I just said you used your intelligence on things that were beneath you. I, look I'll talk to you later, ok? Too many people to treat."

"Ok."

~~~~~~~

At 4am, Hermione collapsed into an armchair in the Gryffindor common room. She leaned forward and began massaging her temples in a vain attempt to relieve the headache, brought on by fatigue. After a few minutes the portrait hole opened and Fred came through. Hermione looked up at him in vague confusion.

"I'm sleeping in Ron's bed tonight. He's still in the hospital wing."

He set down two steaming mugs on the small table in front of Hermione.

"I didn't know if you had milk and sugar, but I decided that it would be better sweet seeing as we're both tired."

Hermione looked at Fred blankly.

"It's tea," he added by way of explanation.

Hermione looked less confused. Fred motioned for her to sit on the floor, and too tired to argue, she obeyed. He sat in the chair she had just vacated, manhandled her into a more appropriate position and gently began to massage her temples. He then moved to the rest of her head, her neck and then her shoulders. Occasionally, Hermione let out a soft moan of pleasure. She gradually relaxed against the chair. When Fred had finished, they sat in silence and drank their tea. Hermione leaned against his leg and he absentmindedly stroked her hair as he drank.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

She leaned her head further back to look up at him. Fred smirked at her in a mildly irritating fashion.

"Wouldn't you like to know" he said suggestively.

Hermione laughed. At last, a bit of the Fred she was used to. He sighed and put his mug down on the table.

"Come on then, time for bed. We won't be much use in the morning otherwise. Said I'd take over from Tonks at ten."

They both stood.

"Thanks, Fred."

"You're welcome."

They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, then he hugged her, ruffled her hair and went up the stairs.

"Good night," she said softly as he walked away.