Sledding
December 29, 1993
“You did what?” Ron hissed through clenched teeth.
“We invited Hermione to go sledding with us,” Fred repeated.
Ron glared at Fred and George. “What happened to this being ‘Weasley Family sledding’?”
“Harry’s coming, and he’s not a Weasley,” Ginny pointed out.
“That’s—that’s different,” Ron stammered.
“How is it different?” she asked.
“It’s different because Ron’s not refusing to speak to Harry for no good reason,” Fred said flatly.
“I have a reason!” Ron shouted, then gestured between him and Harry. “We have a perfectly good reason to be mad at her!”
“Are you still going on about the broom?” Percy asked with a sigh as he shut his textbook. “Honestly, it was the right call, if you ask me. If Hermione hadn’t alerted Professor McGonagall about it, I would have as soon as I found out.”
“Well, I didn’t ask you,” Ron snapped.
Fred sighed. “Not exactly helping, Percy. Look, Ron, it’s been four days, and Hermione’s supposed to be your friend, so can you just—”
“If she were our friend, she wouldn’t have turned the broom in,” Ron interrupted.
“What he said,” Harry added.
“Are we going sledding, or are we going to keep fighting?” Ginny asked, crossing her arms in a way much too similar to their Mum.
Fred looked at George for help, but he just shrugged. To be fair, he had said that inviting Hermione along might not go over well.
“If we’re not going, then I’m going back upstairs because I really should be studying for N.E.W.T.s,” Percy said.
“No, we’re going,” Fred said firmly. “Ron—and Harry, for that matter—figure out how to deal. It’s the holidays, and it wouldn’t be fair to leave Hermione alone in Gryffindor tower just because you’re deciding to be a tosser.”
Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Hermione came down the stairs, so he shut it again. He and Harry stalked toward the portrait hole, but they were the only ones to move.
“Well, let’s go before we lose daylight,” George said, then headed after Ron and Harry. Ginny and a reluctant Percy followed him, so Fred turned to leave, too.
After a moment, Fred realized Hermione wasn’t behind him, so he turned back. “You coming?”
“They’re still mad, aren’t they?” she asked. She looked down and wrung her gloved hands, which were the same cotton candy pink as her puffy winter coat, hat, and scarf. She looked a little like a giant pink marshmallow. It probably would have been cute if she didn’t look so sad.
“A bit,” Fred admitted.
“Maybe I shouldn’t come,” she mumbled.
“Do you want to come?”
Hermione looked up. “Well, it has been ages since I’ve been sledding, and I appreciate you inviting me, but—”
“Then you should come,” Fred said firmly. “You and your pink marshmallow coat.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I told my parents that it was too puffy.”
“Nah, it’s fun. I might ask Mum for one just like it.” He winked, earning a surprised laugh. “Now, come on. Forget Harry and Ron. There are hills to conquer. Plus, we managed to convince Percy to join, which is bound to be a laugh, so you don’t want to miss that.”
She gave him a hesitant smile and nodded. “Alright. Thank you.”
He grinned back. “Don’t mention it.”