Author's Note: Oh, boy, this story has gone so long without an update. But here it finally is! School's been a pain and taking time away from me to write this story, but I haven't forgotten about it. No beta reader this time, for I've been working and holding onto this for a long time, and some friends have given me advice on the chapter anyways.

"Boys, would you two kindly do me a favor?" Professor McGonagall told Fred and George in the hallway.

"Certainly, Professor," the twins said.

"I would like you two to go fetch me Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley for me and bring them to my office."

"How come?" Fred said.

McGonagall's mouth twitched, hiding what looked like an amused smile.

"That information is classified," she said forwardly. "Now then, go fetch Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley, if you would."

"Yes, Professor," the twins said, and they darted off across the lengthy corridor.

"Why do you think McGonagall needs Hermione and Ron?" George told Fred.

"I dunno," Fred replied. "Maybe the teachers need extra help finishing the task area."

"Well, I guess that would explain why they need Hermione, but Ron?" said George with a cackle.

"Where do you think they are, though?" said Fred.

George pondered for a moment. "Wherever they are, they'll probably be with Harry."

"You think they'll be in the common room?"

"Nah, we've just been there, remember?" George emphasized, giving his brother a mawkish look.

"True." Fred hesitated momentarily. "Maybe they're at the library or something. That sounds like where Hermione would be at least."

When they entered the library, surely enough, Ron and Hermione were with Harry, the three flipping furiously through book-after-book. They were so deeply engrossed in their frantic search that they didn't even notice Fred and George approach their table stacked high with books.

"Oh, this is no use," Hermione said, snapping shut Weird Wizarding Dilemmas. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind," said Fred. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked up.

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for you," said George. "McGonagall wants you, Ron. And you, Hermione."

"Why?" said Hermione, looking surprised.

"Dunno . . . she was looking a bit grim, though," said Fred, dismissing the actual fact that McGonagall was in-fact ecstatic over whatever was in store for them.

"We're supposed to take you down to her office," said George.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry with extreme worry before they got up to stand beside the Weasley twins.

"We'll meet you back in the common room," Hermione told Harry. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?"

"Right," said Harry uneasily.

Fred and George led Ron and Hermione out of the library and into the corridors, on their way to their Transfiguration teacher's office.

"W – We're not in trouble, are we?" Hermione told Fred anxiously.

"I don't think so," said Fred. "If you were in trouble, McGonagall would be fuming!" He then added, "What were you all doing in the library?"

"Helping Harry find a way to beat the second task," Hermione growled indignantly.

"Why so mad at that?"

"He should've started researching how to actually do the task months ago, instead of starting a day before!" Hermione said crossly.

"What is he looking for exactly?" Fred said.

"A way to breathe underwater," Hermione said, her eyes glowing like hot coals.

"Hey, look!" Ron cried, pointing out of a window and toward the lake shore. "What's Viktor Krum doing? It looks like he's trying to hex himself!"

Fred, George, and Hermione looked out the window to peer at Krum muttering words as he flicked his wand through the air; parts of his skin were beginning to turn a rough, grey color.

"Come on, everyone," said Hermione urgently. "L – Let's go to Professor McGonagall's office, shall we?"

Hermione prickled with nervousness. She wouldn't dare look Fred in the eye after that. It wasn't because Ron brought the topic of Viktor up, but because she never told Viktor about her and Fred. She was too uneasy, too scared to follow through and tell such a kind and generous person that she didn't want to be with him anymore.

They finally came to the door of McGonagall's office, and Hermione only needed to knock once for the door to swing open.

"Come inside, you two," McGonagall said to Ron and Hermione, who quickly did as they were told. "Thank you very much, Mr. Weasleys." And she shut the door behind her.

The Hogwarts lake was disrupted by hundreds of cheering students. The second task was bound to begin at any moment. The three Champions, Fleur, Cedric, and Viktor, were currently at the starting point, their wands gripped at their sides. Everyone around Fred in the stands were wondering where Harry was.

Then, Harry came barreling across the grounds, tripping on rocks and fallen branches. He made his way to the starting position with the other Champions, out of breath and already exhausted.

Ludo Bagman's voice boomed across the dark water toward the stand.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One . . . two . . . three!'

The whistle blasted through the cold, still air; the stands erupted with cheers and applause; Harry began taking off his shoes and socks. Laughter exploded from the crowd as he waded into the water and deposited something into his mouth.

"What's he doing?" George said, stifling a cackle.

"If he thinks he's gonna impress the judges doing that, then he's wrong," Fred sniggered, shaking his head.

But where's Hermione? he wondered; she couldn't be found anywhere in the stands.

Hermione felt herself breaking the surface of the water and being dragged along somewhere. She opened her eyes and noticed a shark pulling her to shore. She shrieked and cried out for help, until she noticed that the shark's torso and legs were that of a man's.

V – Viktor? Hermione thought, shivering.

Once Viktor reached land, he supported Hermione to the judge's table, where Madame Pomfrey wrapped countless amounts of towels around her, Hermione's, freezing-cold and wet body.

"Th – Thank you," Hermione said to Viktor, shivering on the spot.

"All part of ze plan," said Viktor smiling. "Anyvay, I vas vondering if you vould like to come to Bulgaria vith me zis summer."

Hermione's heartbeat stopped for just a second. The moment of truth came sooner than she had thought.

"V – Viktor," she murmured, carefully choosing her words, "I –"

"Oh, vait," said Viktor, and he reached into her hair to pluck out a black beetle in which he flicked out into the wind. "Zere, zat's better."

"Viktor, I –"

She felt arms wrap around her, and when she turned her head around, she noticed it was Fred hugging her with extreme force to the point where she started gasping for air.

"I – I can't believe you were in that lake . . . w – with mermaids!" Fred gasped, holding her even more strongly. "What if you weren't saved? What if the mermaids turned on you? What if the breathing spell on you stopped working? Oh, Hermione, thank god you're safe!"

His grip on her was stronger than ever, and she felt like she could barely breathe.

"F – Fred, you're kind of choking me," Hermione coughed, and Fred quickly pulled his hands away, staring wide–eyed at her, as if he hurt her so severely.

"H – Hermione, I'm so sorry! P – Please forgive me! I – I . . . Oh my god, Hermione, what if I lost you?" Fred pulled her into another hug, and this time, instead of suffocation, Hermione felt warmth, as if her clothes were already dry. But she pulled herself out of the comfort long enough to see Viktor with sadness reflected in his eyes. He gave her a weak smile, and he turned and went over to talk with Cedric.

Hermione couldn't bear what it must feel like to hear that your love chose another person over you and didn't even have the audacity to tell you. Then Hermione thought of the predicament she put Fred in after the First Task. . . . She bit her lip to suppress the whimper of discomfort and guilt growing inside her.

"Mr. Weasley!" Madame Pomfrey hissed, stomping over to them with towels in her hands. "Only champions, victims, and staff are allowed over here! Get back to your seat!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Fred, half-frightened, and speed-walked away to get back to his seat. "Wait a minute – did you just say victims?" But Madame Pomfrey answered with only a strong shove away from Hermione.

Oh, Fred, Hermione thought, shaking her head and laughing. But then she was suddenly overcome with the betrayal and regret that had been cast onto her only moments ago.

The timer rang – the one-hour deadline was finished. But Harry, Ron, and Fleur's sister, Gabrielle, still hadn't returned. Where were they?

Then, bubbles floated on the surface of the water. Ron and Gabrielle's heads broke through the dark water, and then Harry appeared beside them. They hurriedly swam to shore, and Madame Pomfrey began bombarding Ron and Gabrielle with towel-after-towel.

Fleur dashed toward her sister, flinging her arms around her, whispering words of comfort and apology to the little girl. Hermione raced to Harry and Ron, pulling them into a hug as well.

"What took you two so long?" she said accusingly.

"I don't know," Ron panted, looking over to Harry.

"I – I had to save both of them," Harry explained, out of breath. "Fleur didn't show up."

"Harry, you prat," Ron growled. "You didn't take that song seriously, did you? Dumbledore wouldn't have let any of us drown!"

"The song said –"

"It was only to make sure you got back inside the time limit!" said Ron. "I hope you didn't waste time down there acting the hero!"

Harry was lost in discomfiture, chuckling weakly and glancing at Ron and Hermione.

The people on the stands were allowed to disperse, but the Champions and the "victims" were told to stay put as a precautionary measure by Madame Pomfrey to make sure everyone was still healthy.

Someone tapped on Hermione's head while she was talking with Harry and Ron.

"I'll see you in the common room, darling," said Fred, and he left the lake shore with George.

"Since when did you guys . . . you know – happen?" Ron said curiously.

"A month ago I guess," said Hermione uneasily. "Why, are you judging me like how you did with Viktor?" she added accusingly.

"No!" Ron quickly said. "Not at all! I mean, I knew it would happen someday. Me and Harry kind of interrogated Fred while we were sharing a room with him and George. We knew that he got a crush on you since the World Cup."

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"And you two didn't bother telling me?" she hissed.

"Well that'd just ruin the fun, won't it?" said Ron. "Back me up here, Harry!"

"I'm not getting into this mess," he said, and clapped Ron on the back. "Good luck, Ron." He walked off.

"Ron!" Hermione jeered.

"Hey, come on! At least I accept you and Fred!" said Ron.

Hermione chuckled, got up, and said, "Come on, let's go back inside. It's freezing out here!"