N.E.W.T.S.
The air in the Gryffindor common room was thick with nervous energy. Hermione sat by the window, her fingers anxiously tapping against the worn wooden armrest of the chair. The clock on the wall ticked away, each second dragging longer than the last. It was the day of the N.E.W.T. exams, and Fred and George had just finished theirs. Hermione had been pacing for what felt like hours, a pit of worry growing in her stomach as she waited for the twins to come through the portrait hole.
She had tried to distract herself by reading over her notes one last time, but the words on the page just wouldn't make sense. Her eyes flicked repeatedly to the clock. It was almost over. They were almost done.
The pressure of their N.E.W.T.s was heavy, not just for the twins but for her too. After all, she had been there for them in every test and challenge. She could hardly sit still, her thoughts racing as she imagined what the exams had been like. Had they done well? Was George nervous? Had Fred aced it like he always seemed to do, or had he stumbled?
Just as Hermione was about to get up and pace again, the door to the Gryffindor common room creaked open. Her heart jumped in her chest as Fred and George strode through the portrait hole, their faces a mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration. They looked tired, their robes slightly rumpled, and their hair a little more windswept than usual, but the familiar mischievous glint in their eyes told Hermione they weren’t as defeated as they might have appeared. She could tell that, despite the long and stressful N.E.W.T. exams, their trademark sense of humor hadn’t completely deserted them.
Her pulse quickened, her nerves immediately resurfacing as she jumped to her feet. "Well?" she asked eagerly, her voice coming out a little more breathless than she intended. "How did it go? What happened? Did you survive it?"
Fred and George exchanged a long, silent look. Their eyes twinkled, and without missing a beat, they both broke into wide grins—the kind of grins that could only mean one thing.
"Honestly, Hermione, it was a breeze," Fred said, stretching his arms above his head with exaggerated ease, as if the weight of the exams had never been on him in the first place. "Piece of cake."
Hermione’s shoulders dropped with a relieved sigh. A wave of tension flooded out of her, but she couldn’t shake the lingering nerves. "A breeze? Are you sure?" she pressed, her voice high with disbelief as she took a step forward, her eyes scanning their faces. "You two are the kings of charm and mischief, but N.E.W.T.s aren’t exactly a joke."
George let out a loud laugh, his eyes still glimmering with the satisfaction of having made it through the N.E.W.T.s. He leaned casually against the arm of a nearby chair, a relaxed posture masking the faint exhaustion that lingered in his posture. "Don’t worry, Hermione," he said, his voice light but with an underlying confidence, "We’ve been through worse. Besides, we had the best preparation you could ask for." He nudged Fred, who was standing beside him, and Fred returned the gesture with a lazy, exaggerated yawn as if he’d just finished a nap instead of the most intense exams of their lives.
"What George means," Fred clarified, his tone suddenly playful as he made eye contact with Hermione, "is that we knew we’d be just fine. Thanks to you, of course."
George shrugged with mock nonchalance, his grin widening even more. "The way you practically tortured us with those study sessions. You really pushed us to our limits, Granger." He placed a hand over his heart as if he was pretending to be offended, but the playful sparkle in his eyes gave him away.
Fred nodded dramatically, matching George’s tone. "Yeah, it’s all your fault we’re this brilliant, Hermione," he said, his grin cheeky and teasing. "Who else would have gotten us organized enough to actually study for once?" He glanced at George, who just rolled his eyes in response, but it was clear they both appreciated her relentless effort to make sure they actually focused during their study sessions.
Hermione’s cheeks flushed slightly at their praise, but she tried to hide it by crossing her arms in front of her. "Well, I just didn’t want you two to flunk out of school and disappoint everyone," she muttered, her tone still playful but with a hint of warmth. "I wasn’t about to let you ruin your chances of actually doing well."
Fred and George both chuckled at her response, the sound so familiar and comforting that it eased some of the tension Hermione had been carrying with her throughout the entire waiting period. For a moment, she forgot about the exams entirely and felt a sense of peace settle in. It was just the three of them, laughing, joking, and sharing a moment of simple camaraderie.
But then, the atmosphere shifted slightly. The laughter softened, and for the first time, Fred and George looked unusually serious. Their usual playfulness faded, and there was a quiet moment between them that made Hermione pause. She looked from one twin to the other, noticing how their faces, usually so full of mischief, now seemed contemplative. The weight of their exhaustion—and perhaps even a touch of uncertainty—was evident, and Hermione felt a sudden lump form in her throat as she realized how much they truly valued this time together.
After a long, thoughtful pause, Fred cleared his throat and gave Hermione a small, wry smile. "Honestly, Hermione, it wasn’t too bad," he said, his tone quieter than it had been before. "I mean, the practicals were intense, but we got through it. The flying part was a bit nerve-wracking, but it was alright in the end. We didn’t do too badly."
George chimed in, nodding. "Yeah, the written part... well, that was a bit more of a headache. Some of the questions were tricky, especially with all the theoretical stuff they threw at us. But we survived."
Hermione listened closely, her heart lightening as they spoke. She’d expected them to brush off the intensity of the exams with their usual bravado, but this was different. There was a sincerity in their voices that told her they’d taken the N.E.W.T.s seriously—even if they’d never show it in the usual way.
"You know," George added thoughtfully, his voice a little more subdued, "we did have our moments of doubt. There were times when we wondered if we’d prepared enough, or if we’d made some stupid mistake." He gave a half-smile, trying to mask the vulnerability beneath. "But in the end, we gave it our all. I think that’s all anyone can really do, right?"
Fred nodded, his face serious for once. "Yeah, we did our best, Hermione. And that’s what matters. No regrets." He looked at her, his expression softening slightly. "I know we joke around a lot, but we do care about this stuff, even if we don’t always show it."
Hermione felt a swell of pride for them. She’d always known that beneath their jokes and pranks, Fred and George were fiercely dedicated to the things they cared about. Even though they may have seemed carefree on the surface, they were driven and passionate about their future.
"Well," Hermione said, her voice warm and reassuring, "whatever happens, I know you’ve both done your best. And that’s what counts."
Fred’s grin returned as he stepped forward, giving her a quick, brotherly hug. "Thanks, Hermione. Really. We couldn’t have gotten through this without you."
George echoed the sentiment, his voice sincere though laced with his usual playfulness. "You’re the best, Hermione. We couldn’t have done it without your... tough love."
Hermione laughed, though she felt a twinge of warmth spread through her at their words. "I just wanted to make sure you didn’t fail," she said, rolling her eyes but smiling nonetheless.
Fred pulled away, clearly delighted by their little exchange. "Now that we’ve got that out of the way," he said with a sly grin, "how about we go grab something to drink and celebrate? All this talk about exams has made me thirsty."
"Thirsty, Fred?" George raised an eyebrow. "You mean starving." He glanced at Hermione with a mischievous glint in his eye. "You know what that means, right? We’re heading straight for the kitchens."
Hermione’s eyes widened, and she shot them a look of mock disapproval. "The kitchens? You two are impossible," she said, though her smile betrayed how much she was enjoying this spontaneous adventure.
"Come on," Fred urged, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her toward the door, "what’s a little sneaking around? You’ve studied hard enough, you deserve a break, too."
"Besides," George added with a wink, "you know the house-elves always have the best snacks."
Hermione hesitated, but only for a moment. She could already feel the weight of the exams lifting, and the idea of sneaking off with Fred and George to the kitchens sounded like exactly what she needed. "Fine," she said, shaking her head in mock defeat. "But if we get caught, it’s all your fault."
Fred and George exchanged a look and grinned in unison. "Deal," they said together.
But as they all headed for the door, she couldn't help but feel a sense of peace. The tension of waiting was over, and whatever the outcome of their exams, she knew that Fred and George would continue to follow their own path—and, hopefully, drag her along for the ride.