Chapter 4:

"I'm gonna go for it", Fred said as they got up from the table. "I'm gonna ask her to the Yule Ball."

"Well good luck", Harry responded. "Knowing Hermione she won't make it easy."

"Thanks for the pep talk, Harry."

"It's okay Fred, I think Harry's right about Hermione liking you. Oh, and she also likes corn dogs!" Ron said taking out his notebook.

"Corn what?"

"I don't know, it's American. Americans are all strange so…"

"Ron, I stopped listening to you two minutes ago. Now I've got to go find Hermione."

"Library!" her two best friends shouted.

"Thanks guys! Oh man, here it goes."

He was about to walk into the library when he noticed his reflection, never mind, the soot-covered figure was just George.

"Man, I just shot a doozy of a firecracker off in the women's staff bathroom with Umbridge in it. You should have seen her come running out of there. I wish I could have, I was hiding in the Marauder's passageway."

"George, I'm kind of busy."

"Hermione?" he nodded. This twin thing got old. It didn't help that he had no reason to be in the library other than to see her.

"What are you planning to do?" his brother asked.

"I was going to ask her to the Yule Ball. It's coming up in a few weeks, isn't it?"

"It was, until Umbridge cancelled it."

"I hate that woman. Now what am I supposed to do? There's no privacy anywhere in this bloody place!"

"I've got it! The passageway to Hogsmeade!"

"But we're not allowed to go to Hogsmeade…"

"Fred, when has that ever stopped us before?"

"It's not me I'm worried about", He motioned toward Hermione who they could see through the archway into the library.

"If she likes you she'll go along with it! Or would you rather have a private moment in the Gryffindor common room?"

"I'll think about it…"

"Well good luck, I have to wash off before Umbridge finds me, or else we'd both be in trouble!"

Fred rolled his eyes and entered the library. He saw her sitting there. She had her hair tied back and she was concentrating on a huge book in front of her. He could see her neck and it was very tempting…

He jerked out of his stupor and walked toward her. He sat down across from her and waited until she noticed him. She looked up at him through her eyelashes and smiled.

"Hello again Fred"

"Hello Hermione"

"Is there a reason you keep coming here to talk to me? Is Umbridge after you or something?"

"No she's after George, but the twin thing…"

"Ah", she looked back down at her book.

"But that's not the real reason I'm here, with you that is."

She looked up, "Then what is the reason?"

"I keep trying to get up the nerve to do something…"

"What?" she looked at him confused.

"I've kind of been trying to get up the nerve to ask you to be my girlfriend." He blushed, it was a redhead thing, and he hated how obvious it was.

She looked at him oddly, then turned around to see who he was talking about. She looked at him again and let out a shuddering breath, "Me?"

"Yeah, Hermione. And I'm sorry about Ron."

"Ron?"

"Yeah, it's kind of my fault, how he's been acting."

"Oh well…Are you serious? Me?"

"Yes! Hermione, will you be my girlfriend?" he said, clasping her hand across the table.

"Uh, yes!"