Chance--A Fremione OneShot

Fourth Year: The Kitchens

"'How do you get in there?' Hermione said in an innocently casual sort of voice.

"'Easy,' said Fred, 'concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and —' He stopped and looked suspiciously at her. 'Why?'"

—J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 21

***

Hermione had to wait three days before she ran into Fred on his own. Finding either half of the Weasley twins solo was a rare thing indeed. Fred and George spent most of their time together because of the obvious—being identical twins—and also from having all the same classes, playing the same position on the Gryffindor quidditch team, and sleeping in the same dormitory. In fact, Hermione suspected that Fred and George were only apart when they'd consciously decided to divvy up their homework in order to get it done more quickly. That is, if they were bothering to do it at all. She'd seen them try a similar tactic once or twice at the Burrow to shirk off chores, but it was hard to trick Mrs. Weasley when it came to housework.

It was getting late in the evening when Fred slipped into the library and ducked back into the restricted section. Hermione, who was doing a last bit of studying, spotted him at once, but Madam Prince had luckily had her back turned. Hermione's eyebrow raised involuntary, and her curiosity piqued. This opportunity of catching Fred alone was better than she had imagined, but the idea of cornering him while he was sneaking about made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Shouldering her nerve and leaving her bag on the table, she collected one of the heavy tomes from her finished stack and got up. She could feel Madam Prince examining her as she walked up and down the nearest aisle, so she pretended to look for exactly the right spot on the shelf to return her book. When the hawk-eyed librarian turned her back once again, Hermione darted into the restricted section after Fred. She found him devouring a book four aisles in.

"What are you doing in here?" Hermione hissed at Fred's back. Fred jumped a full foot into the air and made a jerking movement. Hermione half expected the book to come flying at her face, but Fred abruptly halted its momentum when their eyes met.

"Merlin's beard, Hermione! What are you on about?" Fred hissed back, breathing heavily and clutching the book to his chest. Hermione glared at the wild-eyed look on his face, then her eyes drifted to the book.

"What are you up to?" she asked quietly, cocking her head to the side as she strained to read the title of the book in his arms. Whether by accident or not, Hermione couldn't tell, Fred shifted slightly to cover the title with his left arm.

"Never you mind. Why are you tailing me, then?"

"I wasn't!" Hermione said quickly, but Fred narrowed his eyes at her. "All right, all right, I just wanted to catch you alone for a minute. I... I've been wanting to ask you something." Hermione fiddled with the corner of her tome as she avoided Fred's scrutinizing gaze.

"Well, ask away then."

"Can we, er, maybe go for a walk or something more private?"

"Hermione, there aren't many places more private than the restricted section in the library." Fred's squinted at her for a moment, his face oddly shrewd and serious, then a colorful grin spread across his face. He leaned in closer to Hermione. "Are you just trying to get me own my own? You know, some quality time with me? I wouldn't blame you, I am rather dashing."

"Oh, please!" Hermione huffed, but she felt her cheeks prickle with heat traitorously. Fred just kept on grinning and tossed her a small wink. "Fine, have it your way. I really wanted to ask you about the kitchens. Do you think you could get me in? Just for a visit!" she added hastily. The smile had slid off Fred's face as quickly as it had come.