Weasley and Granger

Chapter 23

(Use OOTP as reference for what they hear in the hall)

A/N: I know it's been awhile, but I've been moving into my new house. Please cut me some slack, here you go though. I'm thinking about changing the name of this story, if you have any suggestions please comment them.

They stood close together, listening intently to the strange ear. But all eyes were trained to look at the door below them with suspicious and inquisitive eyes.

But some charm seemed to be put on the kitchen downstairs. Because not any of them could hear a word that was said. No matter how low or high they tried, Fred and George's genius invention didn't stand up to the charm placed on the door.

Giving up, they were about to return to Harry and Ron's room, when the downstairs door slightly opened. Quickly the trio of friends rushed into the boy's room and the twins grabbed Ginny, quickly vanishing from sight.

A set of footsteps could be heard coming up the flights of stairs and a small knock was at the door before Mrs Weasley pushed it open. She invited them downstairs to discuss some things and they followed suit.

They arrived downstairs after Mrs Black's painting had to be resilience, after Tonks had caused it to reawaken. They had enjoyed a pleasant enough dinner with Harry, as they answered some of his longing questions.

The next few days consisted of them trying to clean out the different rooms of the house. Sirius didn't seem to care for most of the things that people suggested to be thrown out. Hermione had found this such strange behaviour.

Surely if she was cleaning out her childhood home, she would care about many of the things that were being asked to be thrown out. But it was not only Sirius' behaviour that Hermione found strange, but also Kreacher's.

After they had finished cleaning out Grimmauld Place's drawing room, and the other's had left the room, Hermione turned to Fred. 

"I find it particularly concerning about Kreacher's behaviour. He has been completely brainwashed. All he wants to do is work and for no pay." She threw her arms up in the air as she put down her wand on the desk that was one of the few remaining things in the room.

Looking at her, thinking Fred replied, "Hermione, you know that I'm all for your idea of 'let the house elves be free' and all that. But it's just, they don't know any better. Besides, what would they do if they were all not employed at people's houses."

Shaking her head, Hermione replied, "But that's the thing, Fred! They are NOT employed. They are NOT paid. But above all they DON'T know any better. So why is that? Because no one gives them that option."

" 'Mione please."

"Don't 'Mione me. You can't change my mind."

"You're right."

"I am?" Hermione said looking flabbergasted at his response.

"Well, it would be like if you were trying to talk me and George out of..." He trailed off as he looked out the door, which was mostly closed, lowering his voice he said, "It would be like trying to talk George and I out of making and selling our products to our devoted customers."

"I wouldn't quite call a bunch of naive first and second years, 'devoted customers'" Remarked Hermione.

The tall redhead took a step closer to Hermione, making it only their faces a short distance from the others, this was partly because of their height differences. With inches between them, Hermione closed her eyes and stood on her tippy toes, closing the gap between them.

Fred cupped her face and kissed her with passion. Hermione smiled into the kiss as she felt her bushy hair being pushed out of her face by Fred. The door opened slightly and in shuffled a small mumbling figure which was dressed in a single filth covered rag. The pair pulled away from each other but stood where they were, simply waiting for the figure to realise their presence.

His pointy ears stuck out from his head and wrinkles covered his body. Despite the wrinkles, he was mostly just skin and bones. He had a largely hooked nose that was the main feature on his permanently scowling expression that he wore.

Kreacher shuffled towards the drawing rooms desk. He continued to mumble as he walked to it, "Kreacher will serve the noble house of Black. But my master is an unfaithful blood traitor who allowed a filthy mud blood in...."

"HEY!" Fred shouted at Kreacher, furious that he had referred to Hermione in such a terrible way.

"My deepest apologies sir. Kreacher did not mean to insult anyone."

"Well you did, besides you should knock before entering a room."

"Fred!" Hermione lightly hit his shoulder with a serious look, she looked at Kreacher, "Kreacher, there is no need to talk about any one like that. But I'm sure if you had been in a different household or even if you not as brain washed as many other houses eleven have been, you would see that your life could be more worthwhile than unpaid labour."

Her reasoning went straight through the house elf's ear and out of the other. "Kreacher is born to serve the noble house of Black. He will serve them until the day that he dies. Kreacher continues to serve even though his true master has died and the other does not realise that Kreacher is his."

"Sirius is aware that you are his house elf" Fred stated.

"Only master Black has claimed Kreacher, for Kreacher really belongs with his mistress."

"Who's your mistress?" Hermione asked intrigued.

"Kreacher mistress is mistress Lestrange."

Fred's look turned pale. "What is it, Fred?"

Looking at her, he paled more, "Lestrange, that is the name of a pair of well known Death Eaters."

"What?" Hermione said quietly, turning pale too.

"Yeah, there was a woman. Bellatrix Lestrange." He said while thinking, then looking at Kreacher he said, "Is Bellatrix Lestrange, your mistress?"

Kreacher nodded slightly at the pair of them.

"Wait, how do you know that?" Hermione asked shocked that Fred had knowledge of a pair of well known Death Eaters.

"Before you got here, George and I were able to get some of the Order's conversations from the Ears. We heard them talking about some Death Eaters, the Lestrange's were mentioned amongst some others."

"Is that all sir wishes of Kreacher's presence." The house elf said before anyone could say anything.

"You need not ask that from me Kreacher, as you may do as you please," Hermione said proudly.

Through gritted teeth, Kreacher said, "Kreacher must only do what Master Black, tells him to do."

With that, he quietly left the room and did not return. But his mumbling about 'serving the house of black' continued throughout the hall. "That house elf is not right in his mind," Hermione said with her eyes of where Kreacher had stood before.

Shaking his head, Fred replied, "Never mind him. Where were we though?"

"I think I remember." Hermione smiled at him.