Gemini

The music blared. Celestina Warbeck had never been my cup of tea, but I could stand it in small amounts. But when the song was playing so loud that my eardrums have exploded, even I know when enough is enough. Alicia was off dancing with some "dreamy 7^th year" (as she would put it), but I didn't really care. We weren't even very close friends, let alone a couple, but Fred was set on "Fred and George" going with "Angelina and Alicia." It's like we're the same person, always combined just because we're twins. It is here that I'd like to point out that I'm not the one hopelessly devoted to Angelina who would do absolutely anything (including force my twin brother to go out with someone) just to get her attention. But never mind about that.

With all of this in mind, I was just a bit more tired than usual and certainly more low key. I couldn't be a prankster 24/7, could I? I kept the idiotic grin, just in case, as I stepped outside to gaze at the stars. I've always loved the constellations, ever since I was little and thought Ron's freckles were tiny stars. Mum threw a fit when I drew all over my baby brother's face and my love for astronomy and practical jokes began simultaneously.

"Gemini." That's when I heard her voice. It was slow, even, with a certain knowing air to it. I turned to the speaker. It was Hermione Granger, and she was gazing thoughtfully at me as I gazed thoughtfully at the sky. "Twins. Like you and Fred."

"Like me and George, you mean," I corrected her, "since I'm Fred."

"'Like George and I,'" she muttered offhandedly.

"What?"

"You said 'like me and George.' It should be 'like George and I.' Grammar, you know." She paused. "And I know for a fact you're George."

"How's that, Granger?" I asked curiously, still hidden behind the goofy Weasley smile.

"You're more indecisive. Fred's so sure about his soul mate in Angelina and his career in Quidditch, and it shows. You have more uncertainty in your eyes."

"Really?" I replied, vaguely annoyed she could read me so well. "And how do you know I'm not madly in love with Alicia?"

"What's her last name?" Hermione countered immediately.

"Uh..."

"I rest my case," she murmured smugly.

"Well...well..." I stuttered, trying to come to my own defense. "What about Viktor? You two aren't exactly out there dancing."

"I went with him so he wouldn't feel bad." She took a deep breath of the night air. "And to make Ron jealous," she added with a nervous giggle.

"He likes you," I confirmed, glad to be off the subject of my own insecurities.

"I thought I did, too," she said abstractly, staring into the sky. She paused. "Liked him, I mean. Not myself." For some reason, we both found this absurdly funny, and we burst in laughter. As it died out, we could only stand there in silence, listening to the crickets chirp and a song pound in the background. "So, what's it like to be a twin?" Hermione wondered, breaking the silence.

"Much like being a regular person, I suppose, except it's like there's two of you. Twice the trouble, you know. People don't really care about distinguishing us apart."

"Angelina does." she reminded me with a half-laugh.

"That she does."

"And so do I."

I didn't quite know what to say to that, so I kept my mouth shut. A slow, halfway tolerable song was playing inside the hall, and I held my breath. What could it hurt? "Hermione, would you like to dance?"

She was noticeably startled, but a tiny voice said "yes" and we gently began to sway to the music. We both obviously had very little experience, and often tripped over each other's feet with nervous giggles. I couldn't help but notice how different she looked in the dim moonlight, with her near-perfect skin and glowing brown eyes. It seemed like she'd always been like that - so beautiful, so perfect - but I'd never really taken the time to notice.

It was a short song, and the music began to wind down gradually. I was almost sad as the chorus began a final time, and I looked at Hermione wistfully. I'd never had so much fun dancing with a girl before, especially one so clearly my opposite. "Hermione?" I mumbled, almost without realizing it. She looked up at me in response. The song echoed in our ears, and the moment was almost too much. We leaned in, slowly but surely, and our lips were millimeters away from touching...and the song stopped.

She pulled away, as if scarred, and stared self-consciously toward the ground. "Er...um...thanks for the dance," Hermione said quickly, amazement evident in her usually bossy voice. I could only gape at her. She turned her eyes toward mine, both sets full of a strange sense of hope. She turned away abruptly and her voice sort of cracked. "I...I've got to see how Viktor's doing." There was another pause. "G'bye George," she added hoarsely. With that, she stepped back into the hall.

I was still amazed (and even more confused) but I knew one terrifying thing for sure: I had just fallen in love with my little brother's best friend.