King To Rook
The morning air was crisp as Hermione made her way down the corridors, her footsteps quick and purposeful. Her bag swung from her shoulder as she hurried to the Transfiguration classroom, the weight of her responsibility hanging over her like a constant reminder. She had been up late the night before, reviewing her notes, ensuring she was ready for the final tutoring session with Fred and George before their end-of-term assessments.
As she reached the classroom, she paused outside the door, taking a deep breath to steady herself. This lesson would be a tricky one—“King to Rook,” the incantation to transform a King chess piece into a rook, or rather, a bird. She knew it would take all her patience to guide them through it, and she was prepared for their usual back-and-forth.
When she pushed open the door, she was met with an empty classroom. The wooden desks were neatly arranged, the faint scent of parchment in the air. She glanced at the clock. The twins were late—only by a minute or two, but it was enough for Hermione to wonder where they were. She set her bag down on the desk and began organizing her notes, trying to push the unease away. The last thing she wanted was to come off as frazzled when they arrived.
The door creaked open behind Hermione, and she turned just in time to see Fred and George stepping into the classroom. Their usual grins were plastered across their faces, but there was something different about the way they carried themselves today—something more focused, perhaps even a little too casual for the seriousness of the lesson ahead.
“Sorry we’re late, Hermione,” Fred said, his voice carrying that familiar mischievous tone, though there was a glint in his eyes, something that seemed to promise both trouble and success.
“Yeah,” George added, his voice light but with an undercurrent of something more, “had to do a little… extra preparation.”
Hermione raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. She couldn’t help but let out a small, sceptical laugh. “Preparation?” she echoed, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied them both. “What exactly were you two preparing for?”
Fred and George exchanged a quick, silent look, the kind that spoke volumes. It was a shared glance, one full of that private communication only twins could have. They both leaned forward, clearly relishing the teasing moment.
“Well,” Fred began, drawing out the words, his smile never wavering, “you see, we were practicing a little before we came. Making sure we get the spell just right. It’s a tricky one, after all.”
Hermione’s curiosity spiked, but she tried to keep her composure. “You practiced... without me?” she asked, tilting her head. Her tone was a mix of surprise and disbelief, though part of her wasn’t entirely shocked. She’d known the twins to go off and do their own thing before—particularly when it came to pranks or schemes.
“Absolutely,” George said, his grin widening even more, the mischievous twinkle in his eyes brightening. “But don’t worry, we’re ready to show you how it’s done. We’ve been working hard, and if we get it right on the first try, we think we deserve a little positive reinforcement.”
Hermione blinked, taken aback by the casualness of his statement. “Positive reinforcement?” she echoed, her voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and caution. She glanced from George to Fred, who was still leaning forward, a glint of something more playful—and perhaps a little daring—shining in his eyes.
“Well, yes,” Fred answered, his voice dropping an octave as he leaned in a fraction closer, his grin almost predatory now. “If we pull it off, we think a kiss would be the perfect reward. A little something to show your appreciation for all our hard work.”
Hermione froze, staring at them for a moment, trying to process what they had just said. A kiss? She was taken aback by the boldness of their suggestion. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or feel exasperated by their audacity. Still, she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks despite herself.
She shook her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips despite her best efforts to stay composed. “You two really do have a way of making everything a game, don’t you?” she asked, her voice a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
Fred shrugged nonchalantly, his smirk only growing as he casually leaned back in his chair, unfazed. “Why not make it fun, Granger? It’s a long, hard road to get to a spell like this, and we’ve earned a little reward for our dedication.”
Hermione let out a soft laugh at his words, shaking her head. There was something endearing about the way they never took anything seriously—except when they did. Despite her best efforts to remain professional, the smile on her face was impossible to hide. “You’re impossible,” she muttered, her tone playful but resigned. She glanced down at her notes, trying to regain her composure, but the butterflies in her chest refused to settle. The atmosphere between them was suddenly thicker, charged with a kind of tension she wasn’t entirely prepared for.
“Well,” she said, her voice a little more steady now, “let’s see if your practice pays off, then. Show me what you’ve got.”
Fred and George exchanged a quick, almost imperceptible look, the kind of glance that passed between them when they were on the verge of something—something serious, or perhaps just something they found amusing. With a synchronized movement, they each picked up a small, intricately carved wooden chess piece—a King. The pieces were surprisingly well-made, polished to a smooth sheen, and they held them with the kind of quiet intensity Hermione wasn’t used to seeing from the twins.
For a moment, the playful energy that usually surrounded them faded, replaced by a quiet concentration that caught Hermione off guard. She couldn’t help but feel a small rush of pride—maybe they had been practicing harder than she gave them credit for.
They both raised their wands in perfect sync, their eyes focused on the chess pieces, the room suddenly feeling smaller, the space between them brimming with the anticipation of what was about to happen. The warm light from the overhead lamps danced in the air, casting long shadows on the desk as the room seemed to still.
“Ready?” George asked, his voice low but eager, eyes flickering toward Fred, searching for any sign of hesitation.
“Ready,” Fred replied with a spark of competitiveness, his tone carrying that familiar challenge, but there was something else too—something deeper, as if the moment held more than just the spell they were about to attempt.
The room fell silent, the usual hum of the castle far away now, the soft scraping of their wands the only sound that broke the stillness. Hermione watched them both closely, her eyes trained on the two chess pieces—a small, carved King—resting on the desk in front of them. She had no doubt the twins had practiced, but something about the intensity between them now made her wonder if their usual easy confidence was actually hiding a sense of anticipation, of quiet determination.
They both muttered the incantation under their breath, their voices blending together like a harmonious echo, synchronized yet unique. There was no mistake, they had practiced this—probably more than she realized.
"Regalis transformare!" they said together, their voices almost melodic, perfectly timed as they flicked their wands with precise movements.
For a split second, nothing happened. The chess pieces remained static, seemingly unaffected. Hermione’s breath caught in her throat, a sense of doubt creeping in before she could push it away. She could see the slight tightening of Fred and George’s expressions—their focus sharpened, their wands held just a little more tightly as they waited for something to happen.
Then, slowly, the transformation began.
The pieces shimmered, a faint glow surrounding them as the magic took hold. The smooth surfaces of the wooden Kings warped, their edges stretching and reshaping as they transformed. The once rigid chess pieces seemed to come alive, their forms melting into something new—something much more delicate. The pieces shifted, feathers appearing where wood had been, their forms turning into soft, birdlike creatures. The newly formed rooks flapped their wings gently, testing their newfound freedom before they fluttered lightly in the air above the table, their movements fluid and graceful, like they had been flying for years.
Hermione’s heart skipped a beat as she watched the transformation unfold. It was impressive—beautiful, even. She hadn’t expected them to get it right on the first try, but here they were, their hard work and focus paying off in real-time. The birds fluttered in the air, delicate and elegant, their wings brushing against the light as they hovered in place, almost as if waiting for her approval.
Fred and George looked at each other, and Hermione could see the thrill in their eyes, a shared satisfaction between them that was evident in the way their smiles widened. They had done it. They had actually done it. They turned to her, their faces full of expectation.
“Well,” Fred said, his grin spreading wider, “I think that’s our cue, Granger. Positive reinforcement?”
Hermione shook her head, her lips curving into a soft, reluctant smile. “You two are unbelievable,” she muttered, though there was no real annoyance in her voice. It was hard to stay upset with them, especially when they had worked so hard—and had actually pulled it off. It had been a tricky spell, one that not even the most experienced students in the class would try lightly. But here they were, grinning like they had just won a prize.
Fred’s grin only widened at her words, as if he had been waiting for her to admit it. “You can’t deny it, Granger. We’ve earned our reward.”
Hermione couldn’t help but chuckle, a small, breathy sound that escaped before she could stop it. They were relentless. “Alright,” she said, her voice softening, the playful edge lingering, “you did it. I’ll give you your reward.”
Fred’s eyes lit up in triumph, but Hermione’s attention shifted for just a second, catching George’s expectant gaze. Her heart gave an unexpected lurch, but she shook it off, focusing on the task at hand.
With a sigh that was mostly feigned exasperation, she leaned forward, her face flushed from the intensity of the moment—and from the warmth spreading across her skin. She pressed a soft, gentle kiss to Fred’s cheek, her lips lingering for just a moment longer than necessary before she pulled back, her heart fluttering in her chest.
Fred’s expression was one of pure satisfaction, his grin wide enough to rival the Cheshire cat’s. He leaned back in his chair, looking both smug and pleased with himself, as if he had just been handed the finest reward in all of Hogwarts.
George, ever the observant twin, raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently for his turn. “Well, looks like I’ll have to get a little something too, huh?” he said, his voice teasing, but there was something in his gaze that made Hermione’s breath catch—an intensity that wasn’t there before, something different about the way he was looking at her.
Hermione felt her pulse quicken. She glanced at him, her eyes meeting his, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like the whole room had narrowed down to just the two of them. The teasing tone in his voice, the warm smile tugging at the corners of his lips—it felt as if he was asking her for more than just a casual kiss. But before she could think too much about it, she leaned forward once more, her lips brushing softly against George’s cheek, just as she had with Fred.
The kiss was light, lingering only for a heartbeat before she pulled away, her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air felt heavier now, charged with something Hermione couldn’t quite place—something electric.
The twins, for once, weren’t grinning like mischievous troublemakers. Instead, there was a softness to their expressions now, something almost… grateful? The usual teasing was gone, replaced by a more sincere warmth that Hermione hadn’t expected.
“Well, now that’s the way to start the day,” George said softly, his voice laced with a quiet satisfaction, looking over at Fred, who was still beaming.
Hermione couldn’t help but smile, though it was a little more subdued than usual. “Just remember, no more tricks for the rest of the lesson,” she teased, though there was no real edge to her words. She was still recovering from the moment, trying to steady her breathing as she tried to refocus on the lesson at hand.
Fred and George exchanged another look, their grins widening to the point of near ridiculousness. “No promises,” Fred said with a wink, clearly enjoying everything.