Bitter Sweet ( A Fremione Love Story)

Chapter 7

Things did get better around Grimwauld place between everyone except Hermione and Fred. Their encounter on the stairs had left a weird tension hanging in the air between them. A weird tension that nobody seemed to notice other than the two of them, Theo and George. On the day they were about to start cleaning the drawing room Theo pulled Hermione aside. "Okay what the hell is going on between you two?" she asked as everyone else continued up the stairs to the drawing room. "Between who?" Hermione asked, because there was no way she was going to say anything. "Don't play dumb with me Granger, I'm not blind" she laughed but Hermione stood stock still. "I know" she said looking at Theo. "You know what" she asked. "I know about you and Fred, I know you've been sneaking up to see him every night". Theo looked like her smile might extend off the side of her face.

When Hermione continued to stare blankly at her Theo laughed. "Come here" she said dragging Hermione into one of the rooms they had yet to clean out. Theo shut the door hard behind her. "Like I would go near Fred" she laughed sitting down on an old stool that looked like one of the legs would snap under anymore weight. As the dust rose from her sitting there Theo sighed, the smile still not leaving her face. "It's George" and when she looked up the smile was still there but her eyes were now glistening, Hermione had never seen her so happy. "No way" Hermione said, grabbing the stool opposite Theo and sitting down. "Yes way, Fred knows but only because he kinda has to move out when I go up there". Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You and George, Merlins beard Theo" she said laughing. "I know, it just happened" she smiled.

Hermione pulled her into a hug but this seemed to be too much for Theo's stool as one of the legs snapped and they were both pulled off their seats and onto the dusty hard wood floor. When they were done giggling and attempting to wipe the dust off themselves Hermione asked "So where does Fred go?" Theo looked up suspiciously but said nothing. "He sneaks downstairs and sleeps in my bed, it's not like Ginny would wake anyways". Her and Hermione kept laughing to the door burst open. "Oh my goodness, girls what are you doing in here. Merlin knows what's inhabiting this room and...look at the two of you covered in dust come on up up" said Ms Weasley, bustling into the room and picking the two of them up by the arm and guided them out of the room.

When they were out of the room and the door firmly closed, Ms Weasley let go of the two girls who fell to the floor, still giggling maniacally. "What's wrong with them" asked Ron who was just making his way up the stairs with Harry. "I don't know" said Ms Weasley who's face was ghostly white. "Ron, go get Sirius" she said taking a step back from Hermione and Theo, Ron just stared at her. "Now Ron!" Harry went with him. Fred, George and Ginny walked out of the drawing room. "Mom? What's going on" asked Ginny. "Theo" said George rushing over to Theo's side and trying to help her up but Theo was going red and still laughing, as was Hermione. Fred just stared at Hermione desperately, he didn't know whether to help or just leave her alone. "There's something in that room, in the dust or in the air. They've had a reaction" said Ms Weasley who was now looking at George who was still attempting to help Theo off the floor but failing. Just then Sirius came running up the stairs "Molly what's wrong, where are the girls" he asked, his face nearly as white as hers until he spotted Hermione and Theo. "Oh my, what happened" he asked giving George a hand with Theo. "That room Sirius what is in it" she asked sternly, her face now red with anger. "They'll be fine Molly, Fred you take Hermione she seems to have reacted better. George we'll take Theo come on" he said, heaving Theo up and forcing her arm around his shoulder. "Where are you taking them" Molly shouted from behind them as Sirius made his way up the stairs. "I'm going to give them the antidote" he shouted back. Ms Weasley looked as though she may explode. "Antidote to what?! Sirius what is in that room" but Sirius didn't answer her. He instead rounded the corner at the top of the stairs making his way up to his bedroom.

Sirius had instructed for the girls to be taken to different rooms as the laughing was growing louder and prompting Hermione and Theo to just laugh even more. "What's the antidote?" asked Fred as Sirius handed him a wet cloth to hold to Hermione's head as she lay down giggling quietly to herself. "There is none, I just said that so your mom wouldn't kill me" said Sirius. Fred looked at him in dismay "What so they are going to be like this for the rest of their lives" he asked looking now at Hermione who he'd only ever seen looking gathered and collected. She was now rolling around on Sirius's bed giggling to herself as she did so. Even though Fred was scared out of his mind that she'd never get back to normal he couldn't help but smile a tiny bit, she seemed so happy, so carefree. it was good to see her like this even if it was the result of some reaction to a deadly toxin. Sirius caught Fred's gaze and laughed. "No, they accidentally inhaled my secret stash of viriditas, and quite a lot of it too" he said squeezing out another cloth and handing it to Fred, who looked at him. "Trust me, she's going to need it". Fred placed it on her head and she smiled up at him, her eyes were glazed over and as she smiled Fred felt a colony of butterflies erupt in his stomach. He took a sharp intake of breath and looked away from her to Sirius. "Viriditas...but that's...". "Illegal yes I know but I don't think anyone's going to really care are they" Sirius chuckled. "But how did the girls inhale it, I'm sure they didn't go and start sniffing it or smoking it or whatever you do with it" Fred said, clumsily placing another cloth Sirius had handed him on Hermione's head as he tried his best not to look at her. "Ahhh well, the other day I spilled it. Made quite a mess and I wasn't really bothered to clean it up so I just closed the door. I didn't think Molly would get round to doing that room for another while and I'd have time to give it a quick sweep" Sirius lifted the bowl, "Now viriditas effects everyone quite differently, some people laugh, some cry, some become geniuses and some become incredibly stupid but the one I'm most worried about is well..." said Sirius trailing off. "What? Sirius what it's it" asked Fred looking at Hermione and feeling an intense worry fall over him. "Well some people get awful...well...uhhh some people get very randy" he finally said looking as if he'd rather be anywhere else. Fred felt his cheeks go red as he jumped from the bed. "Well do you think it best for me to stay you know...in case" Fred said, stumbling over his words at the thought. "It doesn't seem to matter the gender, I'd rather you be here because if I send Ginny or someone up she could well, she could do something she regrets. Where as you may be able to hold her at bay" Sirius said. "Well I have to go refill this bowl I'll be back up in a minute" he said and with that he took his chance and basically ran out the door.