Ok I know it's been way to long since I updated this. And I am truly sorry. I just ran out of ideas. Please forgive me.

Chapter 3: The war Begins

Hermione sighed as she exited her last class of the day. Her teachers were loading on the homework and the work was harder than ever. Add the fact that Hermione was still taking more classes then the other 5th years and you had one overloaded girl. She sighed again and rolled her head, tying to loosen up the muscles in her neck.

"You ok 'Mione?" Harry asked, slowing down so she could catch up with him and Ron.

"Yea" Hermione murmured back, "Just a stiff neck that's all."

Harry smiled sympathetically and swept her bag off her back, slinging it over his own shoulder in one smooth move. She gave him a grateful smile, which got wider when Ron reached over to take the books she held in her arms.

"We can't have you breaking down on us." Harry said with a laugh. "We wouldn't get anything done."

"Yea" Ron chimed in, "Who else would make us do our homework so we get it in on time. I swear Hermione, if it wasn't for you we would have flunked out years ago."

Hermione laughed feeling her muscles relax just from their concern. "I'm sure Ginny would keep you on track." She assured easily, earning a grimace from Ron and a grin from Harry.

They made their way down to dinner and the conversation ceased as they dug in, hard work having given them large appetites.

XXXX

Once they were back in the Gryffindor tower and doing homework, Hermione's neck and back were still sore, she knew stress was to blame but there wasn't much she could do about it. Stress was stress and there was just no getting rid of it. After a few hours of work, Harry finally got sick of the tension he could see in Hermione, he hated seeing his friend in pain.

Moving off his seat on the couch he picked up a cushion and dropped it at Hermione's feet pushing the table out of the way.

"What?" Hermione looked confused and raised an eyebrow when Harry point at the cushion.

"Sit." Harry commanded gently. When she didn't move he sighed, "Just do it Hermione."

She shrugged and slipped off the couch onto the ground frowning up at Harry as he took her seat behind her. The frown melted away when he gently started to massage her shoulders, working out the stiffness with quidditch strengthened hands. Closing her eyes she leaned back against his legs, the stress slowly melting away. She opened her eyes only briefly to give Ron a smile when he started to massage her hands and arms.

With her eyes closed she didn't see Fred and George huddled in a corner talking in hushed voices and sneaking quick glances at her.

Harry and Ron continued to help her relax until Harry struck a bright idea.

"I'll tell you what, Hermione." He said with a smile. "Why don't you go to the prefect's bathroom and take a bath. Me and Ron can finish the last of our homework without your help."

Hermione looked sceptical. "Are you sure?"

Ron laughed, "Have a little faith Hermione, you don't help us with everything, you know." There was a slight pause as Harry and Hermione exchanged glances and Ron frowned.

"OK so maybe you do, but I'm sure we can manage just this once."

Hermione laughed and tried to protest but a half hour later found her slipping into a huge tub of hot water, bubbles skittering over the surface and swirls of steam and incense rising into the air. She had to admit Harry had been right, she needed this. His massage had been wonderful, but the hot water released the last of the tension where his hands could not. And just the chance to relax and pamper herself a bit would help her through the next week. She sighed and slipped deeper into the water going under to swim a few laps of the tub.

Unbeknownst to her, Fred and George had followed her from the common room and all the way into the bathroom. It was the perfect time to put their plan into action and they weren't going to let the opportunity go to waste. As she swam underwater they struck, switching her bottles of shampoo and conditioner for identical ones of their own. Her bath gel was also switched, so was her soap and face wash, they even went so far as to charm the mirrors, just in case she looked in one before she left for the common room. They ducked back out of sight as she surfaced, knowing they would have to stay hidden until she was done. They couldn't leave now without her noticing, which would lead to awkward questions about why they were spying on her taking a bath. So the two boys hunkered down, fists in their mouths to stop any laughter from reaching the girls ears.

Their eyes lit up when they heard the girl start to wash her hair, though the soft tune she hummed made them pause in their delight, who knew Hermione could sing, well hum, but still. A touch of remorse hit George, the poor girls was stressed, he had seen her friends trying to help her relax. He almost felt bad that they were going to stress her out even more. When he tried to whisper this to Fred his twin gave him a shocked look before quickly smothering his fears, saying the thought of them getting their revenge was probably the thing stressing her out most, if anything they were doing her a favour. This calmed George and he happily returned to his earlier delight.

Hermione was washed and calm and she finally dragged herself off, using a charm to dry her hair and another to warm her clothes so they would be comfortable to put on. She took her time in drying herself, not wanting to leave the peacefulness that had stolen over her as she bathed. She finally pulled on her underwear and slipped on her bra, clipping it up slowly before stretching up on tiptoes, arms reaching for the roof, to release the last of the kinks in her back and neck.

Fred chose that moment to glance out of his hiding place, checking to see if the girl was gone. He almost gasped at the sight before him. Hermione Granger, his younger brothers best mate and secrete crush was standing in only her underwear, back arched as she stretched. His gazed followed her arms, down the line of her body to her long, uncovered legs and he gulped. Quickly snapping out of it he pulled back, shaking his head at his twins questioning look. They waited a while longer before he looked again, the only sign of Hermione was the door slowly closing after her.

And that's all for now folks, hope you enjoyed it.

Wildcat out