Winston Churchill

Hermione was startled by the noise of wand on glass. Completely forgetting her attire or lack thereof, she bolted out of bed to see what was going on outside. Clad only in her underwear, Hermione tugged open the window. A gust of cooler air greeted her as well as the familiar sight of the twins floating on their brooms. She didn\'t even think anything of the two of them flying next to her window until she went to cross her arms over her chest to ask them what they were doing. It was at that moment she realized she was nearly nude and dashed over to her bed to retrieve a sheet to cover herself.

\"Evenin\' Luv,\" Fred said with a sort of glee.

\"What\'re you two doing outside my window?\" Hermione charged as she sank back to her knees in front of the window.

\"Just wanted to see if you fancied a midnight ride,\" George explained innocently.

\"It bein\' so bloody hot and all,\" Fred continued for his twin.

Hermione knew there somesomething going on behind their eyes. After catching them in the middle of so many rule breaking acts, she knew what the \"I\'m being perfectly perfect, Miss Prefect\" face looked like. She should have been much more wary with the two of them and would have, had her skin not been blazing from the heat of her room.

\"Is it just me, or is it cooler outside than it is in here?\" Hermione thought to herself.

\"Where are you two planning on going on those things?\" Hermione asked curiously. \"You know your Mum doesn\'t want you flying about where muggles can see you .\"

\"We\'re perfectly aware, Miss Granger,\" Fred explained.

\"We just thought you might want a dip in the pond to cool you off before bed,\" George elaborated.

There was that \"perfect prefect\" face again. Hermione almost shook her head no, but then she saw a gleam in Fred\'s eyes she\'d never seen before. It was a mixture of deviousness and anticipation at the same time. She brought her head back to center for a moment to look at the pair of them. The split second before she decided whether or not to go for a swim, Hermione saw a look only George had ever seen before. Desire, longing, and vulnerability meshed to make up Hermione\'s mind for her. She gave a little shiver and stood up from the window\'s ledge.

Fred sunk lower on his broom for a moment before she called over her shoulder, \"Just let me get my suit and I\'ll meet you down there.\"

George had known all along that Hermione was going to come with them. He could see it in her eyes whenever she looked at one of them. It was as if she was trying to puzzle them out. Up until this point, the twins had yet to give her any chance to spend any time alone with them. They were waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. It had driven Hermione crazy.

At school she spent nearly all of her time studying or with Ron and Harry. She hadn\'t given much thought to them until they shocked everyone with their exodus from Hogwarts. After that display of tremendous magic and courage she just had to know what was going on in their heads. They seemed to almost work as a unit, seemed to almost be one person, split into two bodies.

\"Don\'t worry \'bout that, Mione,\" Fred said quickly. \"We\'ll give you a ride down, so Mum doesn\'t hear you climbing down the steps.\"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Fred and then shrugged her sweat sodden shoulders and said, \"Alright, give me a minute, I\'ll be right back.\"

As she walked out of Charlie\'s bedroom, suit in hand, Fred had very nearly said she could just change right there for all he would mind, but a look from his twin kept him cool and collected.

\"Not much longer now, mate,\" George said with a smile. \"Bet she\'s in the loo still puzzlin\',\" he supplied.

\"Wouldn\'t be what I\'d be doin\' in the loo,\" Fred joked.

\"Nor I, brother dear,\" George admitted.

\"Finally agreein\' with me then, George?\" Fred asked with a tilt to his head.

\"Just maybe,\" George admitted as he watched Hermione walk towards them in her bathing suit with a towel draped over her arm.