Willow

ALOHOMORA CONFLICT: The authors of Willow would just like to announce that the Alohomora spell, in this fic, could not be used in the Trophy Room because of three main reasons. A) It houses many valuable trophies which can be stolen, so a door that locks from the outside would prevent anybody in the Trophy Room intending to steal a trophy to get out. B) It is also the site of many detentions for students, so, if you were in detention, it would be pointless if you could get out, even though you are under the supervision of some watchful scum like Snape or Filch...but, nevertheless, this is why you can't use the Alohomora spell in the Trophy Room. C) This is the lame reason, but you can't use the Alohomora spell in the Trophy Room because it's supposed to set the whole story...and because Hermione, knowing Hogwarts: A History by heart, knows that you can't use the Alohomora spell...no point trying, and Fred knows because he's been on detention WAY too many times to not forget.

Chapter 3

"It's most definitely locked," Fred announced.

"Nice work Sherlock," Hermione replied and rolled her eyes. Fred had been rattling the handle to the door of the Trophy Room for at least 5 minutes.

"If somebody doesn't come around soon, we'll have to stay here the whole night. But I don't think anyone is going to come to rescue us this late." He looked at his watch, it said 10:30.

"What?! We can't stay here all night! What are we going to do?" Hermione asked frantically. Her mind was running over the consequences of a whole night of missed homework.

"Well, unless you can come up with some brilliant plan, it doesn't look like we have much of a choice does it?" Fred was leaning against the door calmly, but Hermione was pacing the room. Suddenly she turned and strode up to the door. Fred jumped out of the way just in the nick of time.

"SOMEBODY GET US OUT OF HERE!!! SOMEONE HELP US!! ANYONE!!! HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? LET US OUT!!" Hermione was pounding the door with closed fists and yelling at the top of her lungs. Fred just stood in silence. When she finally stopped for breath, Fred spoke.

"That was your brilliant plan?" He asked and raised an eyebrow. Hermione turned to him, she was out of breath and Fred thought she looked one of Hagrid's dragons, any angrier and smoke would be coming out of her nostrils.

"Have you got a better idea, Einstein?" she said breathily. Fred chuckled, in the space of ten minutes Hermione had referred to him as two of the smartest figures in history. Ironic coming from her.

"Well... no, not exactly. But short of breaking the door down, that is not going to help." Fred gestured towards the door. "It's too thick," he shrugged nonchalantly, but was smiling inwardly at Hermione. She was looking at the floor, embarrassed at her sudden outburst of insanity. She looks so cute when she's embarrassed, he thought.

"Sorry," she mumbled, "I guess we better settle down here then."

"That sounds like the best idea you've had all night." Fred grinned and started walking over to the corner, taking of his robes and undoing the belt on his school pants.

"Umm, Fred, what are you doing?" Hermione was a little surprised at Fred, undressing in front of her.

"Well, I don't know about you, but it's late and I'm going to bed," Fred sat down in the far corner of the room and prodded the stone floor. "Not made to be the most comfortable bed, but it will have to do."

The corner of Hermione's mouth twitched up involuntarily at the thought of spending the whole night on the floor of the Trophy Room with Fred Weasley. She walked over to where Fred was sitting and kneeled next to him before taking off her robes for a blanket and making her jumper into a pillow.

"Take off your shoes," she ordered. Fred, who looked a bit bemused at the sight of Hermione undressing, complied. He kicked his shoes off, put them next to Hermione's and lay down next to her underneath their makeshift blanket.

"It's cold," Hermione shivered and Fred started taking off his shirt. "Fred! What are you doing!?"

"Don't worry, we learnt in Muggle Studies once how explorers and stuff shared body heat to keep warm when it's really cold." Fred turned to Hermione and grinned mischievously, still unbuttoning his shirt.

"Right..." Hermione said slowly and then Fred could see her fiddling with something under the covers. Finally Hermione brought her arm up and in her hand was a pair of stockings.

"Body heat," she explained and winked at Fred. As soon as she did that she regretted it. What the hell are you doing Hermione Granger? You are lying next to Fred Weasley in the middle of the night; I don't think flirting is an option!

"Good night Fred," she said and rolled over onto her side. She didn't care that her hipbone was digging into the rock-hard floor; she just needed to turn away before things got to far. They weren't in first year anymore...

Fred lay there in silence for a few minutes, trying to sort out his feelings.

"Hermione?"

"Mm?"

"... Nothing."

"Mm."

"Goodnight."

~*~

Hermione woke up with a start. She had no idea what time it was but it took her a while to realise where she was. She could feel the cold seeping through the thin school uniform underneath her.

"Mmm... Hermione." Hermione's eyes widened when she heard a low mumble coming from the figure lying beside her. She turned her head to answer him but was shocked to notice that he was still asleep. He looks almost innocent when he's sleeping... am I insane? This is Fred we're talking about... But Hermione's train of thought came to an abrupt halt when Fred stared mumbling again.

"Oh, yeah, yeah." Fred started twisting and kicking his legs. Hermione felt her stomach lurch as she realised what sort of dream Fred was having and she prayed that she was mistaken when she heard him say her name earlier. She lay for a few seconds before making up her mind to wake him up. After all, she didn't want things to get messy... She leant up on one elbow and shook the sleeping Fred.

"Fred, wake up. You're having a bad dream." Fred's eyes parted slightly and he groaned.

"Hermione?" he whispered, "I love you."

If Hermione's eyes could get any wider they would have rolled down past her gaping mouth and settled on the floor. She tensed up and stared with a horrified expression at Fred, hoping she had heard wrong. But to her relief Fred was already fast sleep, breathing softly.

She lay back down and started at the ceiling.

He was half asleep; he was just having a dream and was sleep-talking. That's all!

A second voice joined in on the conversation in Hermione's head.

Oh stop kidding yourself. He knew perfectly well what he was saying.

He did not. He had no idea what he was saying!

But you want him to say it don't you? You can't deny your feelings anymore now you know he feels the same.

Oh shut up. This is Fred we're talking about! Troublemaker extraordinaire, older brother of my best friend! I could never like him in that way. Besides, why would he ever like someone like me? You know nothing about my feelings.

Maybe I know more than you do...

"SHUT UP!" Hermione yelled and sat up. She half expected the door to fly open any moment because of the amount of noise she had made. But all was silent and she glanced over to Fred. He was still sleeping. Hermione smiled to herself. He could sleep through a hurricane.