Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they all belong to Mrs Rowling.

Chapter 10

"You look pleased with yourself," George smirked as he entered their dorm after a long, tedious detention with Snape. His hands were red and raw from the hours spent cleaning countless jars that simply refused to dispose of the dust and dirt that coated them.

Fred only nodded, pretending to be engrossed in his charms homework. George, who had known his twin his ENTIRE life, could instantly tell that Fred was ticked off with him. There was silence whilst George dressed into his bed clothes and Fred sat feigning interest with his homework.

"You know," George said breaking the lengthy silence, "that book is upside down."

Despite how hard he tried, Fred couldn't help but crack a smile at his own foolishness. "You know, I was going to kill you when you locked me in that cupboard." Fred laughed casting aside the book of charms he was expected to learn for his NEWTs. Fat chance of that happening.

Leaning closer, George grinned from ear to ear, keen to learn of what events unfolded down in the cupboard with Hermione. Various possibilities flitted through his mind of what could have happened. Something good, obviously, since Fred had used past tense when he had spoken of his plans to murder his brother. He was a genius, George decided of himself and his grin impossibly widened. "You were?"

Fred nodded. "I was."

"So why aren't you going to do it now?"

Fred's ears went a shade of pink at the harmless question. Fred was blushing! Over a girl! That had to be the first both twins thought.

"Come on. Spit it out Forge," his twin demanded.

"Well I might have kissed her," and as Fred uttered these words an involuntary smile at the memory spread across his face.

"Our Freddie's got a girlfriend!" George yelled jumping around the room stirring the others in the dorm who were sleeping.

"George." Fred hissed, protesting. "And I haven't actually asked her to be my girlfriend yet."

"What? Are you mad? You have to ask her! I need to see Ron's face when you tell him." At the thought of this George began to chuckle.

"GEORGE!"

"Sorry brother dearest. But come on! It's not like you to be shy around girls!"

"I don't know what it is. I just really like her." Fred confessed. It was true. He'd never felt like this when he was dating Angelina.

"Merlin's beard." gasped George. Fred looked up in alarm but George was striding towards him and was shaking him roughly before he could react. "You're in love Fred!"

"I am not!" But he wasn't sure. He couldn't love Hermione after only having a crush on her for two and a bit weeks could he? Surely not. Nope. But then again he had known her for five years; he'd always had feelings for her. Just not romantic feelings. Maybe he did love her. He thought hard about it. Yes, he had come to the realisation quite some time ago that Hermione was pretty but only now did he think of her as beautiful. He loved her personality, her fiery temper that she usually came out when she was dealing with him and George. He'd heard that when you truly loved someone you'd do anything for them. He thought about this statement now. If Hermione was dying he admitted that he would sacrifice himself for her. If anyone hurt her in any way he'd kill them. Maybe what George was saying had some truth in it. The realisation hit him like a bludger to the head.

"Bloody hell! I think I'm in love Gred!" The words left Fred's lips before he could stop them. Soon him and George were jumping up and down like mad men at Fred's comprehension. George was glad for his twin and Fred was over the moon that he'd found love.

Love, love, love, oh what a beautiful thing it is to see, love, love, love..." George sang as he made up a tuneless song to the brothers' awful dancing.

Suddenly, Lee Jordan flung open the curtains around his bed with an angry groan. "What. In. Merlin's. Name. Are. You. Doing." He growled, the sight of two red heads doing their own made up jig before him only annoying him further.

The twins turned to greet Lee with two identical grins that resembled the look of two mischievous children (which they were).

"Fred's in love!" George announced with a dramatic wave of his arm whilst he slung the other loosely around his brother's shoulders. Fred nodded, continuing George's terrible song of joy.

"Good for you, but some of us NEED SLEEP!" Lee screamed, drawing the curtains back around his sleeping quarters with a whoosh.

"Way to go to Gred."

"Couldn't you have waited until morning to realise that you were in love?" George teased.

Fred snorted before tossing himself back onto his bed.

*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Hermione hadn't slept a wink. She'd been awake until dawn thinking about the night before and Fred. The way Ginny and George had tricked her and Fred. How Fred had apologised to her. How Fred had kissed her. Fred.

He was driving her mad. She couldn't banish his red mop of hair; his face that always seemed to have a smile plastered onto it and those brown eyes out of her mind. He was invading her thoughts in class; it was noticeable; all of her teachers had commented on her lack of focus. She was 99% positive that she was losing her marbles. It wasn't until she saw Ron scowling at her from the other side of the dinner table that she was dragged abruptly out of her thoughts.

"Is that scowl imprinted on your face?" she snapped, frowning at the amount of chicken wings that he'd managed to stuff in his face. He made a face of disgust but otherwise said nothing, choosing to listen to what Harry was saying instead.

"- I'm going to fail! I can't make head or tail of it." Harry muttered, his brows knitting together in concentration.

"What can't you understand harry?" Hermione asked.

Ron made a sneering remark that went unheard to Hermione but not to the red head who'd just taken her place beside Ron.

"How could you say such a mean thing Ron!?" Ginny exclaimed in apparent revulsion.

"Because it's true." He spat back at her harshly.

"Sometimes I'm ashamed to call you my brother," she said before storming back out of the great hall without even having eaten.

Hermione shook her head at what was supposed to be one of her best friend's and rushed after Ginny.

"Ginny! Ginny!" she called until the younger girl turned around. "Ginny-" Hermione breathed, trying desperately to regain her breath. "I- Are you... okay?"

"It's nothing."

Quickly scanning the corridor they were stood in, Ginny grabbed Hermione by the arm and pulled her through a tapestry. Hermione screamed only to have Ginny clamp a firm hand over her mouth. They were stood in a small room with barely enough space for them to both stand in.

When Ginny finally let Hermione speak the first thing she said was, "An illusion charm!"

Ginny rolled her eyes at her friend. She hadn't dragged her in here so that she could talk about what various spells had been placed around the school. "So what happened last night?" Ginny whispered despite the fact that nobody could hear them. She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively much to Hermione's amusement.

"Nothing," she smiled innocently.

"Hermione," Ginny whined - over and over - until Hermione finally caved in.

She explained what had happened once they'd locked Fred in with her; how she'd slapped him thinking that it had something to do with him; how she'd admitted she had feelings; how he'd kissed her and apologised; how Filch had discovered them; how they ran off having set off the dungbombs; how they'd walked back to their common room with their hands still intertwined and how he'd kissed her goodnight. Once she'd finished a smile bloomed on Ginny's face at the success of her plan and the happiness of both her brother and her friend.

"I'm still not letting you off the hook." Hermione announced when she had finished crossing her arms over her chest in an attempt to show she was angry.

"What why? The plan got you and Fred together didn't it?" Ginny fake pouted.

"Yes but you stole my wand Ginny! Nobody steals my wand!"

Ginny laughed, "But I gave it back."

Hermione rolling her eyes, nodded, "But I got detention from McGonagall!"

"Oh no! Little miss perfect got DETENTION!" she mocked, receiving a playful hit on the shoulder from Hermione.

"Ouch!"

*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

"I can't believe Fred would do that!" Ron complained for the umpteenth time to Harry. Harry nodded like he had done every single time Ron had said this. "Harry, what would you do?"

Harry sighed, having been forced to look up from his Potions homework that was due in tomorrow and needed to be finished unless he wanted detention every night until the end of term.

"Ron. He only kissed her and he said it himself that it was only an experiment. And it's up to Hermione who she chooses to fancy Ron. Maybe if you made a move or were nice to her you would have had a shot."

Ron sighed but didn't reply. He knew Harry was right, that it was his own bloody fault, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it.

Just at that moment, the twins along with Lee Jordan and a few of their 7th year friends shuffled into the common room laughing at some joke the twins must have made. They sat themselves just out of earshot from Ron and Harry. Harry had been consumed once again in the parchment in his hand that he was scribbling frantically on. Ron decided that he wouldn't notice if he left for a quick word with a certain older brother of his.

Carefully he rose out of his seat (as predicted Harry didn't notice) and walked over to where Fred was starting a game of exploding snaps with George.

"Fred I want to talk to you." Ron demanded but much to his surprise Fred as well as the others ignored him. Ron had thought that he sounded quite threatening! "Fred!" He tried again, louder this time.

"Not now ickle Ronnekins."

"FRED!"

Sighing, Fred turned around to face his younger brother who he could immediately see was beginning to get angry. "What?"

"I - I want you to stay away from Hermione." Ron declared in a shaky voice.

At these words, Fred got out of his seat to loom over his brother. "And why's that?" By now the 7th years who he was sitting with had turned to see what was happening between the two brothers.

Ron gulped noticeably before building up the courage to stand up to his brother. "Because I love her! I've loved her for 5 years! You can't just come sauntering in and kissing her an-and trying to take her away from me! She's mine! It isn't FAIR!"

Fred was stony faced and he retorted with, "Hermione is NOT yours! She's not an object Ron! She's a person. She can have whoever she wants! You don't control her; she can kiss who she likes!"

Ron was lost for words. he hadn't meant to say that she was his property. It had just burst out. Finally he came up with, "But I love her!"

"SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!" Fred roared!

"WHAT? AND WHO DOES SHE LOVE? YOU?!" Ron countered.

Fred was silent. He hadn't seen Hermione all day. He hadn't had a chance to express his feelings to her and see if she felt the same. "She can love who she lik-"

Ron interrupted, "I've seen the way you look at her Fred! You like her but she'll never like you back!" Anger had overcome him and his thoughts had poured out. He loved his brother really and didn't want to hurt him but Ron was persistent that it was Fred's fault that Hermione didn't like him despite Harry's words and his mental admittance that it was his fault. He truly couldn't see it was his own fault anymore.

George had risen and joined Fred at his side. Ron was taking it too far. "Forge-"

"How would you know!? You're too much of a dick to notice ANYTHING! I don't know if she really likes me but it doesn't matter! You don't love her Ron! If you did you'd care more about her happiness than anything else! I LOVE HER RON! IF SHE DOESN'T LOVE ME BACK I'LL DEAL WITH IT! BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT LOVE IS RON! CARING ABOUT SOMEONE SO MUCH THAT YOU'D RATHER NOT BE WITH THEM IF IT MADE THEM HAPPIER!"

Ron was startled. His brain was failing to process this new information... Fred loved Hermione? Anger was blinding Ron's vision. This couldn't be happening! Could not be happening! The one thing in the world that was his and Fred was trying to take it away from him. No! NO! His hand curled into a fist and it collided with his brother's face. By now, Harry had realised what was happening and was dragging Ron away who was screaming bloody murder at his brother.

Fred watched angrily as Ron disappeared up the steps to the boys' dormitory. If Harry hadn't of been there he would have whipped Ron's arse. He wiped under his nose to feel a wet, substance staining his fingers. The bloody prick had made him bleed!

"He'd better watch his back," Fred growled as he grabbed his things and stormed out of the portrait hole.

Lee made to go after him but George stopped him. "I think he just needs some time alone."

*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Fred wasn't the only one who'd stormed out of the common room. Unbeknown to the occupants of the common room, Hermione had been on her way in when she heard something that had stopped her dead in her tracks.

"-loved her for 5 years! You can't just come sauntering in and kissing her an-and trying to take her away from me! She's mine! It isn't FAIR!"

Ron?

"Hermione is NOT yours! She's not an object Ron! She's a person. She can have whoever she wants! You don't control her; she can kiss who she likes!"

And Fred?

"But I love her!"

"SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!"

"WHAT? AND WHO DOES SHE LOVE? YOU?!"

"She can love who she lik-"

"I've seen the way you look at her Fred! You like her but she'll never like you back!"

"Forge-"

"How would you know!? You're too much of a dick to notice ANYTHING! I don't know if she really likes me but it doesn't matter! You don't love her Ron! If you did you'd care more about her happiness than anything else! I LOVE HER RON! IF SHE DOESN'T LOVE ME BACK I'LL DEAL WITH IT! BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT LOVE IS RON! CARING ABOUT SOMEONE SO MUCH THAT YOU'D RATHER NOT BE WITH THEM IF IT MADE THEM HAPPIER!"

She gasped, the tears swelling in her eyes. And she was running. She couldn't believe it! Fred loved her? She needed space. The library.

A/N: I haven't been active for months and I'm so sorry! This fanfic was never intended to be very long due to the fact it was my first attempt so soon I will be bringing this story to a conclusion and beginning a new Harry Potter fanfic. If you have any requests, questions or ideas for my new fic please feel free to inbox me :) Thank you to all of you who have stuck by the story despite my very long absence and I hope you enjoy!:) Also a big thank you to those who take their time to follow, favourite and review this story as it means a great deal to me!