Broken Bits

5. Golden Pancakes

"We'll be fine." Fred promised, tugging Hermione past their cabin and up towards the lodge. They were already running behind, and ducking inside to get changed would only increase their tardiness. Further annoying the other campers, and their insufferable leader. 

"My hair is a mess Fred!" Hermione swore, but let Fred pull her away by the arm. Stumbling over a few loose sticks, relying on Fred's strong grip to keep her upright. 

"As is mine." Fred gestured up to his hair, stopping them in the middle of the path but Hermione was looking at his chest instead. Momentarily distracted by the fact he was still bloody well shirtless, despite the fact they had left the lake a near hour ago. 

"Put a shirt on." Hermione insisted, and Fred looked at her confused for a moment before smirking.

"Why should I?" Fred asked, stepping closer but Hermione pulled away to fling her bag down on the ground and rummage through it.

"I don't want to stand next to you while all the girls stare at your.." Hermione broke her sentence off as she tugged her own sweater over her tank top.

"My bronzed, mouth-watering, gorgeous chest?" Fred questioned, accepting the shirt that Hermione held out to him.

"Exactly!" Hermione insisted, but then her face fell into a panic expression, "I mean no! Ugh, just put the shirt on Fred!" Hermione shouted, turning away to pull her backpack back on as a blush invaded her cheeks.

"You can admit you find me attractive Granger." Fred teased, falling into step next to her as they continued up the path to the lodge.

"Once you admit you were staring at my ass while you were supposed to be fishing." Hermione prodded back, and Fred flushed instantly. 

"I..I was not!" Fred stuttered out, shoving his hands deep in his pockets to try and ground himself. Failing miserably, because he most definitely had been staring.

"You can admit you find me attractive Weasley." Hermione grinned, taunting him back, glancing over at him but her smile faltered as Fred pulled her arm. Causing her to stumble to a stop next to him.

"Fred, Hermione! Wait up!" Whatever Fred was going to say died on his lips, as they both turned to see Seamus running up to them with a Slytherin girl they didn't recognize following him.

"Merlin's beard save me." Seamus hissed the moment he walked up on the two, before Fred or Hermione could respond the girl was swooping in grabbing Hermione by the elbow.

"A girl! I can talk to a girl! Not an insufferable hot-headed, lousy, no-good, slimy Gryffindor!" The girl growled, shooting the darkest glare Hermione had ever seen at Seamus.

Seamus gulped, and took half a step towards Fred who held his hands up in surrender immediately. The girl tugged Hermione's arm until they fell in to step with one another.

"I bloody well hate him. He's a know it all, rubs his stupid facts in my face and, oohhh the best part, he's bloody attractive without a shirt on!" The girl whisper shouted, her grip still tight on Hermione as they made their way up the lodge steps.

"Who are you?" Hermione asked, shrugging off her backpack as an elf standing by the door snapped his fingers for it.

"Pansy. I was a Slytherin, I hated your guts at Hogwarts but right now, you are my best friend." Pansy pulled her away again as Fred and Seamus came up the steps. Pansy pointed a finger at Hermione, who only grinned weakly back before following her into the lodge. 

A glass of wine was shoved in Hermione's hand but she didn't sip at it, she instead choose to watch Pansy glare at Seamus.

She never, never, would have thought Seamus would end up with a girl like this. Pansy pulled Hermione towards the bookshelves, leaned her shoulder against it and continued on with her rant. Hermione was completely fine simply listening. Every few moments she allowed a flash shot of Fred shirtless cross her mind, before she shoved it away.