Warring Weasleys

Chapter Two: Hermione's Hideaway

Hermione finished dinner quickly; afraid Fred and or George might come by to see her in the common room. After their strange staring at the dinner table, Hermione was suitably uncomfortable in their presence. She hoped Percy or Ron might be able to figure out what was going on with their brothers, but in the meantime, she had work to do.

Checking the corridor to make sure no one was coming, Hermione crept out and made her way to the library. Luckily, Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris were also away for the evening, leaving Hermione to peruse the books throughout the library at her leisure.

She'd been perplexed to hear that Gilderoy Lockhart would not be producing any more texts until he'd regained his memory, and had to settle on something else for her extra credit project. But what? She'd read almost every book in the room, from Hogwarts, A History to Spells Through the Ages. Hermione ran her finger across the binding of each book, moving slowly along the shelves. She tilted her head to the right, almost touching her shoulder, so she could get a good look at the titles.

Suddenly a shadow cast over her and she turned to find Fred Weasley standing next to her, thumbing through a thick, dusty book. Hermione squinted her eyes and pushed the book up toward Fred's nose to read the cover.

"A Master's Guide to Shape-Shifting," she read. "Fred, that book is from the restricted section. Put it away before you get caught!"

Fred peered over the edge of the book to see Hermione glaring at him, her lips pressed together tightly.

"Why do you always do that?" he asked without thinking.

"Do what?" she cocked an eyebrow quizzically.

"Pinch your face up like that."

"I don't know what you're on about, Fred."

"How'd you know I'm Fred?" he said indignantly.

"Because your voice is just a half step deeper than George's," she said proudly, as if she knew everything there was to know about the Weasley's.

"Really?" he said, his voice cracking into the next register.

"Yes. And your hair is just a fraction of an inch shorter than George's as well."

Fred was impressed with Hermione's knowledge of his features. He smiled sheepishly. "Mum cuts our hair. I don't think she's got the spell just right."

"She cuts your hair with a spell?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?"

"My parents insist on taking me to a hair styling parlor," she said fretfully. "I'm sure I could do the job much more easily if they'd allow me to . . ."

"What's this then?" Filch's angry voice grated through the hallways. He was making his way up the stair and would be upon them momentarily.

Hermione whispered fiercely to Fred, "Put that book back now!"

With no time to think, Fred raced to the restricted section and shoved the book back into its place. He stepped quietly toward the shelf where he had just been speaking to Hermione, but she had gone. Looking around, he saw Filch's shadow moving toward him. He darted past the old man, causing him to shake his lantern and shout, "It's after hours! If I catch you I'll . . ."

Fred didn't wait around to find out what Filch would do to him. He skidded on the library floor and came face to face with Mrs. Norris, who was sitting on top of one of the bookshelves, ready to pounce. She roared a "meow", alerting her Master to the intruder. As Filch shuffled toward them, muttering angrily, a hand poked out from around the corner and yanked Fred back and into a dark room. The door in front of him closed tightly, leaving Mrs. Norris in a bewildered state on the opposite side.

Fred almost fell backward but caught himself, turned, and looked around. A shaft of moonlight shot down from a window in the ceiling, illuminating stacks of books that lay about the cubicle. In one corner sat Hermione Granger herself, looking lovely as ever with moonlight streaking her hair and the same familiar scowl on her face.

Fred opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione put her finger to her lips, motioning him to be quiet. Filch could still be heard outside but his ranting was strangely muffled. After a few minutes, the shuffling receded into the night and Fred and Hermione let out a long held breath.

"What is this place?" Fred whispered.

"It's a secret. It's where I come to study sometimes. No one knows about it, and you'd better not go blabbing to anyone. Not even your brother. I mean it, Weasley."

"I wouldn't tell, honest!" said Fred, sincerely.

Hermione whipped out her wand and pointed it at Fred's nose. "I'm not afraid to use this if I hear otherwise."

He held up his hands in surrender. "You won't, you won't!"

"Well then. Do you want to sit down or just stand there?" Hermione said. "You're blocking my light."

Fred skittered out of the way and moved his lanky form off to one side.

"It's awful tiny in here."

Hermione didn't answer; she was engrossed in a gigantic book, which teetered on her lap and threatened to fall off.

"What're you reading?" he tried again.

"If you must know," she said without looking up, "it's about dragons."

"Dragons, eh?" he said with interest, and plopped down at Hermione's feet. "My brother Charlie's off in Romania learning about dragons, too."

Finally he'd said something to wake Hermione out of her dull spell of reading. When he mentioned Charlie she snapped the book shut and it fell with a thud right onto Fred's hand.

"Ow!" he cried.

"Sorry," she said matter-of-factly and went on, "I'd love to go to Romania. It's so exotic!"

"Charlie doesn't think so. He sent a long distance owl home and said it was dead boring except for the actual dragons, of course."

"I don't believe it. Romania is a splendid place!" Hermione argued.

Fred wondered why she was so interested in a place she'd never been, but did not dare ask. He was having too much fun being her captive audience. He listened rapturously as she got into a long spiel about the wonders of the Romanian people and landscape, her eyes twinkling with excitement. She even rose from her stuffed chair at intervals, gesturing wildly with her hands. Fred was glad she'd put away her wand.

"Anyway," she finished, "I had better go back. It's getting really late, and you've got Quidditch practice tomorrow."

Fred had forgotten that Wood ordered daily evening practices after class for the rest of the week in preparation for their match against Slytherin.

"How'd you know about that?" he asked. Maybe she really did like him!

"Harry told me. I wanted to play Exploding Snap with him and Ron, but he told me he had to practice."

"Oh yeah," said Fred, dejectedly.

"Come on, the coast is clear!" Hermione had opened the door a crack and was peering out.

Fred followed her all the way back to Gryffindor's common room and the two of them entered to the shocked faces of George and Harry.

"Where've you two been?" said George, loud enough for everyone – meaning Harry--to hear.

Seamus Finnegan and Neville Longbottom didn't bother looking up from their game of wizard chess, and Ron was already asleep. The rest of the girls were up in their dorm. Percy marched in behind Hermione and Fred and issued a stern warning.

"You're not to be wandering about at night, you know that well enough. If I catch you at it again I will have to report you!"

Fred rolled his eyes at Percy's back as Percy left the room. George was not about to let Fred off the hook so easily.

"Well, what were you two getting 'at' to make Percy so uppity? C'mon, spill the Bertie Botts Beans!"

"I," said Hermione with great stress, "was reading a book in the library. I don't know what Fred was doing. We only just met coming up the stair."

Fred caught on. "Yeah. I was...I was..."

"Coming from the direction of the dungeons," finished Hermione.

"The dungeons?" asked Harry dubiously. "At night? Was Snape there?"

"Yes, he was, actually," said Fred, grasping for an explanation.

Hermione eyed him curiously, as if she were watching a cat play with a mouse.

"What was he doing?" continued Harry.

Fred had the strongest feeling he was being led into a trap, and there was no way out. Deeper and deeper he sank. "I wanted to ask him about next week's potions exam. He answered my questions and that's all. Goodnight, all," he said quickly and took the stairs three at a time. He jumped into bed fully clothed in his school uniform and pulled the covers up over his head. As the others shuffled in and prepared for bed, Fred pretended to snore.

"Snape was in the teacher's meeting called just after you left the Great Hall, Fred," whispered Harry, close to Fred's ear. He stopped snoring for a moment, then turned over and shoved his head under his pillow. All he needed was for Harry to suspect that he was in love -- with Harry's own girlfriend. He could almost hear the rumor mill churning as he drifted into a fitful sleep. It was going to be a very long night.