“How do you do it, Lee?” George asked as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower from the Great Hall from breakfast, Fred was no doubt still asleep. The day after his ban from Quidditch really made the thing a lot more real.

“Do what?”

“Spend your time not playing Quidditch. I’m going to have so much extra time to kill. I mean, I don’t study, and now I don’t play Quidditch. All I’ve got is the joke shop I suppose.”

“Nah, you just need to get yourself a girl mate.”

George’s stomach gave a horrible lurch. He immediately thought of Andrea, but he quickly pushed those thoughts out of his head.

Lee mistook his silence. “All right, girls are a bit complicated. Exploding Snap then. There are those sixth years who play Exploding Snap every free moment they’ve got, you know them, Edward Abercrombie and Roderick Benning.”

George nearly tripped over his own feet at the mention of Andrea’s brother.

“Hey,” Lee laughed at his clumsiness, “this no Quidditch thing is hazardous to your well being I see. We’ll figure out something, I’m sure.” As they reached the portrait hole, it swung open of its own accord, letting out a string of their fellow Gryffindors.

There were a few first years, and then a knot of fifth years, consisting of Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Sophie Smethwyck and Andrea Benning. Andrea told the others to go along and that she’d catch up with them in a minute.

She approached Lee and George, smiling. “Good morning.”

“Same to you Andrea,” Lee said cheerfully. George contented himself with a nod and a weak smile.

“George, I just wanted to thank you for that bit of Fainting Fancy last night, it was just the what I needed.”

“Good, I’m glad it worked out. Thanks again for treating my battle wound, it’s a million times better this morning, almost nonexistent.”

“No trouble. Mum showed me a few tricks. She’s always patching up some sort of Quidditch injury around the house. Well, I’m going to go catch up with Sophie and the others.”

“See you around,” George said as she turned and left. He smiled, watching her go down the corridor.

Lee just watched him for a moment, then he laughed. “So what about Benning then? She’d make a good girlfriend. She’s totally gorgeous, not to mention smart.”

“No,” George said hastily. “No way.”

“All right. What about Selene Grading?”

“No.”

“Delia Wellington?”

“Come off it, Lee.”

“All right, not now; but later, you, me, Fred, we’re going down to the Library and we’ll start our evaluation of the best candidates for dating. First, I think we’ve got to take advantage of this glorious snow we’ve got outside. Perhaps bewitch some snowballs to zoom around and annoy people.”

~*~*~

Madam Pince glared suspiciously at the Terror Trio as they entered the library later that afternoon. She felt they had to be up to something, they were never in the library on the weekends, and today was Sunday. Fred and George came in to look up bits of information on weekdays at lunch now and then, but this was highly suspicious. They’d even brought their schoolbags with them, putting on the illusion that they were here to work on some class work. The three surprised her even further by coming straight over to her desk.

“Afternoon, Madam Pince,” Lee said in a cheerfully quiet voice.

“Not causing trouble boys, I hope,” she said it more as a warning than anything else.

“Come now Madam Pince,” Fred looked hurt.

George matched his look and his tone, continuing his brother’s thought, “Would we ever cause trouble?”

She scoffed.

“For you, that is,” Fred amended.

“You do have a clean record in my realm of the school, but you are up to something, I can feel it in the air.”

“It’s nothing that will disturb the others,” Lee reassured her.

She gave them a scrutinizing look, but gave a nod allowing them to proceed.

~*~*~

The Hogwarts Library was in no way something to sneer at. Rows upon rows holding shelves and shelves of books, scores of tables scattered around here and there across the floor. The walls of the library itself were three stories high, every inch of it housing some book or other.

Fred, George, and Lee all quickly climbed one of the spiral staircases leading to the platform of an isle that went all around the walls so that students could get to the books on the second level. Then they climbed a ladder to one of the private study tables on the third level. Lee was the first up, and when the twins had appeared, he said, “Hope you don’t mind, but I thought we might need the inside scoop,” he indicated his cousin, a sixth year Ravenclaw, Elsie Smoot.

“Don’t worry, I know what is a secret,” she smiled at them.

“That, we’re sure of, but will you keep ours?” George asked apprehensively.

It was well known around Hogwarts that if you wanted even the most obscure tidbits of information on anyone inside Hogwarts, you could easily get what you needed from Elsie Smoot. She was the queen of the gossip mill. If anyone knew it, she would. If you didn’t want your information noised abroad, you could either pay her off to keep quiet, or keep it quiet yourself in the first place, making sure you didn’t let your secrets leak any farther than those you knew wouldn’t talk.

“Lee and I have already discussed the terms of my being here. I’ve prepared a little profile that I need each of you to fill out. Based on your answers I will tell you all the information I know about the girls who would most likely be compatible, and you two can just listen. I’ve made a list of eligible bachelorettes fifth year and above. So, do come sit,” she motioned to the seats at the table.

She pushed a roll of parchment each to Fred and George. It was rather lengthy. There were questions about everything, including how the questioned would react in different scenarios. Fred was done a few minutes before George and handed his parchment to Elsie. She pulled out another roll of parchment, and started crossing off a few names here and there. When she was finished, she handed her modified list to Fred, then took George’s profile and began crossing names off of another list. She then took out a last piece of parchment, another duplicated list of the eligible bachelorettes, and marked on her list which ladies she had indicated for each twin. She then handed Fred and George their respective lists.

“Take a look at that for a minute, I’m going to look and see if any of the candidates are in the library right now.”

She scanned her list and the floor below alternately. “Ah, there’s one you might try George,” she pointed to a table where there were a few people studying. “Sophie Smethwyck,” George immediately looked to see just where Elsie was pointing, particularly because he knew who Sophie’s best friend was, and indeed, he was not disappointed. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Andrea, and he studied her while Elsie went on about Sophie. “Fifth year Gryffindor; really intelligent. Her father works at St. Mungo’s and that’s her plan as well. She’s not beautiful, but not plain either. Really loyal and ambitious.

“Okay, Fred, right below us is Daphne Greengrass. . .” George didn’t really pay attention as Elsie went on and on about girl after girl. He’d pretend to be listening when she mentioned a prospective candidate for him, nod his head, whatever needed to look like he wasn’t watching Andrea as she moved around the library, collecting different books, putting them back after she’d found what she needed, laughing with Sophie, concentrating hard on what to write next. He couldn’t help his fascination.

“Now, to discuss my payment,” Elsie said, thoroughly in a business voice. “We have the consultation fee, as well as the confidentiality fee. The confidentiality isn’t really an issue since you two didn’t tell me any of your feelings other than what you wrote down generally on your profile, but most of that is easy for anyone to figure out if they want to.

“Seeing as Lee is my cousin, and you two are his best friends, I won’t tell anyone you came to meet with me about your love lives,” she smiled. “Now, consultation fees. . . hmm, let me think. . . I’d say ten galleons a piece.”

“Are you bloody serious?” Fred exclaimed, totally surprised.

“You can’t put a price on love,” she smiled with satisfaction.

“But I haven’t even got any girls in Gryffindor on my entire list!”

“I suggest that you don’t get involved with any girls in your house for the time being; perhaps much later, but not now,” she said pointedly. “Any more concerns?” she asked. “All right then. You can pay me in gold or in goods, I hear you inventions are top notch.”

The twins smiled and dumped their pockets, depositing one fake wand, and then various skivving snackboxes and other things. Looking over the goods, she nodded, pleased with her payment, and started collecting it into her school bag. The boys thanked her and Fred and Lee started down the ladder first. George waited until Lee’s head was below the platform level and then quickly sat down again next to Elsie.

“I had a feeling you and I weren’t quite through yet,” she said.

“Five galleons for a question and then your silence about it.”

“Deal. Go ahead.”

“Well, there’s this girl that I know, and I know her a lot better than anyone on my list, so-”

“Say no more,” she interrupted. “You’re wondering why someone you think you would be a lot better going after isn’t on you list.” He nodded. “Who is it? I promise I won’t tell a soul.”

“Er, well, it’s Andrea Benning. We’ve been pretty friendly over the years.”

“Benning. You’ve got good taste; high hopes as well. She’s in the top of the game, but there are two simple reasons she’s not on anyone’s lists. Malfoy is after her, and though it’s obvious enough she hates him, Malfoy isn’t about to give up and you don’t want to cross him. Besides that, there’s Neal Thatcher.”

“Oh, well, no matter,” George shrugged. “I was just curious. Thanks again,” he said

~*~*~

Andrea looked up from her essay when she heard footsteps coming quickly towards the table where she and Sophie were studying in the library. It was Edward, minus Roderick, and he had quite an apprehensive look on his face. He motioned for Andrea to follow him, evidently not wanting Sophie to know he was here. Andrea quickly muttered to Sophie that she had to go for another book and followed the path that Ed had just taken a second before.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s Rick. I won’t dance around it. We were sitting in the common room, in the middle of a spectacular game of Exploding Snap. All of a sudden he looks at his watch, stands up, and declares that he has to go meet Sarah Edgewood. Then he leaves, just like that.”

“Sarah Edgewood?”

“I know! Not to mention the fact that we were in the middle of Exploding Snap!”

“Like that’s the most important thing,” Andrea’s voice was bitterly sarcastic. “I’m wondering why he went to meet Edgewood at all.”

“I know,” Ed agreed. “I was of course curious as well, so I followed him. They met up in the entrance hall, and she’s all smiles, and then,” Ed paused.

“And then what?”

“He kissed her.”

Andrea’s jaw dropped. “This is terrible! I thought Sophie and Roderick were together, and here he goes cheating on her! They were studying together just last night!”

“They’ve been studying together almost every night,” Ed’s face was full of shock, and Andrea knew her face must match it.

“Well, what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to tell my best friend that my own brother has been playing her?”

“I’ve no idea, I just figured I’d give you the heads up. I do not envy you one sickle.”

“Thanks for your support,” she rolled her eyes. They both walked down the aisle looked around the corner at the table where Andrea left Sophie. Ed and Andrea both gasped at what they saw. Sophie was no longer studying. Instead she was paying attention to a Ravenclaw named Terry Boot who was whispering something in her ear. Sophie giggled and then kissed him on the cheek. He smiled and then stood up and walked out of the library.

Andrea and Edward hid behind the row of books again. They were beyond shocked, only a notch above dumbfounded.

Ed was the first to be able to speak. “I think something has gone seriously wrong with Operation Sophie-Roderick Romance.”

“My brother is playing my best friend who is playing him in return.”

“You find out what is going on with her and I’ll find out from Roderick what his story is.”

Andrea nodded and they each went their separate ways. Andrea sat back across from Sophie as she had been before. Sophie looked up, and seeing the look on Andrea’s face asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Yes, something is very wrong. I’m really confused.”

“Oh, is it something in this Transfiguration essay? Let me have a look,” she said reaching for Andrea’s work.

“No, it’s about you and Roderick,” Andrea indicated.

“Oh,” Sophie looked a bit uncomfortable as well now. “I guess you saw Terry.”

“Pretty much. Care to explain?”

“First, it’s not what you think. I would never do that to Roderick.”

“Well, you’d better keep explaining because so far all I can see is that you and Roderick have been studying together an awful lot and yet you’re kissing Terry Boot on the cheek? I’m trying to understand, but things just aren’t adding up.”

“Okay, we do study together. Roderick and I find that we’re able to study really well together, but that’s all. Roderick has someone else as well,” she was speaking very quickly, no doubt trying to get everything out in the open as quickly as she could before Andrea changed from stunned and unbelieving to angry. “I mean, the first couple of weeks back from the summer holidays Roderick and I tried giving a relationship a go, so we studied together and the like, but we never were able to click, other than being able to study and help each other out that way. We both kind of found other people at the same time; for me it was Terry, for Roderick it’s Sarah Edgewood, the Hufflepuff prefect.”

“So why didn’t you ever tell me or Ed?”

“Well, we knew that you and Ed prided yourselves on the fact that you were running, what is it, ‘Operation Romance?’”

“Operation Sophie-Roderick Romance,” Andrea offered.

“Yes,” Sophie laughed. “So we couldn’t very well disappoint you two now, could we? Besides, it gave us a good cover so that we could find our own relationships without any meddling best friends, as much as we appreciate the both of you.”

“So that’s it?”

Sophie nodded, laughing.

Andrea joined her, “Well, that’s a relief. I was dreading having to tell you that my brother was going with another girl.”

They continued to laugh until Madam Pince swooped down on them, shushing them.

“Actually, do you mind terribly if I leave you here? Terry and I made plans to meet up.”

“No,” Andrea smiled, “Go ahead.” Sophie gathered up her things and left the library. However, Andrea wasn’t alone for long.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Andrea looked up and into the face of Neal Thatcher but said nothing. This just felt awkward. Why did he have to go and kiss her? She dipped her quill in the ink pot on the table and went back to writing her Transfiguration essay.

Since she didn’t make any sign of protest, Neal sat down. A couple of Ravenclaw fifth years walked past, waving sheepishly at Neal and then turning the corner and giggling. Andrea couldn’t help but snicker at the display.

“It’s not like I ask for it you know,” he groaned.

“Really? I thought you could sign a list at the beginning of your first year for that kind of thing, I think they post in on the bulletin boards in each of the houses.”

He laughed softly at her sarcasm, then they let the silence build between them. Finally Neal took a deep breath and then said, “I can’t make any excuses about the other night, but I needed to tell you that I am really sorry, about you know. . .”

“Kissing me?”

“Yeah, that.”

“I know you are. I accept your apology,” she smiled, knowing that she may have acted the same way he did if their roles were reversed. Then her smile grew and the mischievous glint returned to her eye as she added, “Besides, it’s not as if I can really blame you for wanting to kiss me.”

Neal laughed again. “Thanks.”

Andrea again continued her essay and Neal pulled out his own homework from his bag. They worked until it was time to go down to the Great Hall for dinner, their friendship beginning to repair itself again. It had always been easy for Andrea to forgive people after she’d had a chance to think things over, and as long as they came around with a sincere apology. As they walked from the library, Andrea couldn’t help the feeling that she just needed to share what was going through her mind.

“I can’t be anything but friends with you. I need you to understand that. I’ve totally gotten past what happened between us. The end wasn’t so good, but other times will remain fondly in my memory. But you HAVE to understand, there is no way; because of our history, and because I don’t fancy you any longer, we can be nothing more than dear friends.”

“I really do understand, and I feel awful about jeopardizing our friendship like I did. I just, got caught up in the moment. I’m really sorry. But I do have a question.”

“Yes?”

“When you say you no longer fancy me, it seems that there is an underlying current that you might-”

Andrea cut him off, “When I say friends, I do have one condition: we will never be talking about who I do and do not fancy, unless of course you want to talk about how much I hate Malfoy, because I’m all for that avenue of conversation.”

They both laughed. “I can live with that. So, that Draco Malfoy, he’s a great prat, no?”

~*~*~

Sunday was indeed the beginning of the new era. Edward and Andrea finally found out that Sophie and Roderick were no more than friends and that they each had found someone else. Andrea and Neal were able to patch things back up and be friends.

George was realizing more and more that there was no girl he’d rather spend his time with than Andrea, but it was just like Elsie had told him: she and Neal came to dinner together and sat with some of their friends; Draco even tried to ambush her on her way out after she was finished eating, but Neal waltzed up and saved her just in time.

Fred’s conquests began almost immediately. He decided he’d take it alphabetically. He made a calendar with a different girl’s name for every week. George would have been appalled if he hadn’t also found it a bit funny. Now he fully understood why Elsie Smoot hadn’t put any girls from their house on Fred’s list. There would have been quite a problem and Fred wouldn’t have been able to sleep in safety. Of its own accord Fred’s new reputation of simply wanting a few good meetings in the broom closet and nothing more preceded him and not too many girls seemed to mind.