"You know, you've been here for a while now, and I still don't know your name." One of the twins pointed out. "Oh, I'm uhm Hermione…" The thirteen year old Weasley laughed. "Which one are you?" She asked shyly. "Ah, I'm Fred." She nodded and went back to writing.
"We've got a few months off Hermione, why are you working now?" Ron asked sitting next to her, between her and Fred. "So that way I'll be all…done!" She put the cap back on her ink and rolled the parchment and slid it into her bag.
"Quidditch anyone?" Harry stood up; he was dying to practice, being at Hogwarts five years had gotten him addicted to it. "Oh I cant, I'm dreadful, and I really don't know how to play." Hermione said blushing. "You don't know how?" Fred raised an eye brow. "No…" He smiled. "Well, I can teach you." Hermione looked tentatively between Ron and Fred and slowly nodded her head."Great! Come on then!" Fred pulled her hand, placing a smile on her face. "I don't have a broom." She told him, stopping short. "It's okay, you can use a spare." Hermione nodded and got on the broom hesitantly, Fred sliding on behind her.
"Okay, now…" Fred explained the game fairly quick, soon taking time to do a few laps around the orchard, pulling the broom into a loop, Hermione laughed as Fred tickled her side, and they touched ground.
"Fred! Wow, I never knew I would be able to do that…" Hermione said blushing. "Any time, you're a natural."
"Luna?" Hermione rolled over, looking at the girl sleeping in the bed across the room. "Mm, yes?" Hermione met her blue gaze steadily before saying: "D-do you think that maybe Fred likes me?" Luna blinked a few times, waking up.
"Well, I don't know, he acts like it, but he is pretty goofy, and your best friends older brother…He seems just right for you though. He is a bit older…" Hermione let her words sink in before closing her eyes, memories of that day flooding in.
"Whatcha guys talkin about?" Ginny came back in. "Oh how Hermione likes your brother." Luna stated simply as Ginny resisted rolling her eyes. "Okay Mione, we all know you like Ron."
Hermione sat up and crossed her arms. Ginny took a few more steps, sitting on the third bed they had put in the room. "This is about Ron isnt it?" Hermione avoided her gaze, staring determinately at the carpet. "Hermione, which one is it?" Luna filled in again: "Fred, havent you noticed?"
Ginny's jaw dropped and she did nothing to stop it. "Fred? You like, you like Fred? Like my brother?" Hermione nodded, still not looking at her. "Oh, how come you didn't tell me?" Hermione thought for a moment:
"Well, I wasn't sure if you were going to tell… I mean he is turning seventeen, and I'm only fifteen, he probably doesn't like me…"
Ginny listened through her explanation before saying pointedly: "But, what if he does?"
"Fred! What are you doing here? Ron said you werent coming!" They were at a muggle carnival, which Hermione had dragged them to. "Aw, you're sorry I came?" Hermione smiled, and said: "No, of course I'm glad!" Ginny stifled a snort and pulled Luna onto a ride.
"Ferris wheel?" Fred asked gesturing to the slowly rotating wheel. Hermione nodded excitedly and ran to the wheel. Fred spoke in hushed tones to the man running it who nodded with a smile.
They sat down and the wheel soon moved, causing Hermione to sit closer to Fred. "Woh there Hermione, you okay?" Hermione nodded with a deep breath and looked down with a squeak, suddenly as the car neared the top it stopped.
People were looking up with interest as Fred began to tell Hermione a story. "Yeah, it was funny though, the fish was this big!" For emphasis, Fred stretched his arm over her shoulders, letting it rest there.
"Hermione…" Fred's face was close, his hair looked so soft, she longed to run her fingers through it, his blue eyes were shining; Hermione was growing more frightened she would do something she'd regret and embarrass herself. "I'm scared…" She mumbled, edging away from him. Letting his arm fall, Fred gestured to the man and the wheel started up again, rotating to the bottom, Hermione barely waited for the man to raise the safety bar before she ran away without a word.
Running into an abandoned tent, Hermione pressed her back against the side, pulling her knees toward her, resting her forehead on them, suddenly Hermione heard the whisper in the grass of someone approaching and she edged closer and closer to the side of the tent.
"Hermione?" Her heart rose, and then dropped, hammering in her chest; Hermione ducked from under the tent and ran back to the burrow.
"Dear! You gave me a fright! What's going on?" Mrs. Weasley noted the confusion covering Hermione's face.
"Mrs. Weasley, I don't know! I really like this one boy, but he's older…And I only really see him sometimes, which really isnt that much, and every emotion in my body has something to say about it!" Collapsing on the couch, Hermione buried her face in her arms as Mrs. Weasley patted her back soothingly.
"Now, now dear, it's alright." Hermione looked up as Fred walked through the door, noticing her distress, and apparently Mrs. Weasley noticed as well.
"Dear, run upstairs could you? See if my wand is on my bedside table?" And tugging Hermione's sleeve down to hear her briefly whisper: "Just tell Fred, dear, you never know." Hermione's eyes widened but she ran upstairs calling down that the wand wasn't there.
"How does she know?" Hermione mumbled as she looked out the window, her elbows pressed against the sides. "Maybe because everyone seems to see things we don't." Fred startled her as she heard him cross her doorway.
He stood next to her soundlessly as the two looked out the window. It was beginning to rain and everyone was running back to the Burrow, pulling their coats above their heads, but both Hermione and Fred had noticed two figures kissing under the tree, directly across from the window.
Hermione saw that the girl had long dirty blonde hair, and the boy, shocking red hair. Hermione at first thought she saw Ron but then saw him running in with everyone.
Finally the two had pulled apart and Fred was outright stunned to see a mirror image of himself with Luna Lovegood. They watched George and Luna run into the house, their hands clasped together before Fred muttered: "Bloody bugger, get's everything he wants." Hermione was almost positive that she wasn't supposed to hear him but didn't say anything.
"Hermione?" Fred had turned to her. Placing a quick kiss on her cheek Fred exited the room with a crack. "Was someone just in here?" Luna came in, shaking her hair of the water. "Fred had to talk to me." Hermione explained shortly before laying on her camp bed, facing away from the door and Luna.
"Fred!" Hermione called after the quickly exiting red head. She was running in a circle, it was flat and white, twelve numbers carved around the edge. Three long metal poles were placed around it, one ticking, almost always pushing Hermione away.
Jumping the minute hand on the giant clock she was running on, Fred evaded her once more as Hermione was hit hard in the stomach with the hand. "Fred…" She called weakly holding her stomach.
Suddenly time stopped as she saw an image of herself wrapped in Fred's arms, kissing him like she had never kissed anyone before. The image glued itself to Hermione's mind, all was bliss before the three hands started spinning outrageously fast, the images were blurring around her before another couple presented itself in front of her.
Fred was standing in front of her with a broad grin before dipping an unknown witch over his knee, twirling her, her skirt flying, they were dancing closer and closer until the witch leaned in and kissed him long. The image was tearing at her heart, pouring tears out of her eyes but suddenly she woke up.
She felt as though she had just stepped out of a hot shower. Her tears and sweat were intermingled. Nobody was in the room, but she felt like she was in the middle of a huge crowd, people on her every side, her sheets were all clinging to her, encasing her. Ripping off the sheets, Hermione sat upright, waiting for the pictures to fade out of her head.
"Mione? You okay?" Ron slipped his head through the door and looked at her with concern. "I'm fine, just a nightmare." Hermione brushed past him to go down for dinner. Thoughts raced through her, spinning her mind, as she tried to chew Molly's excellent food, but her gaze was repeatedly resting on him.
"Hermione?" She was suddenly snapped into real life as Fred spoke to her. "Could you pass the peas please?" He grinned happily as she passed the food to him, and resumed pushing the food around her plate.
"Alright, dear, what is upsetting you? Do your parents not agree to my son? You certainly have my blessing; he seems to have taken quite a liking to you as well…" Mrs. Weasley spoke to Hermione as she curled up on the couch with a book.
"Mrs. Weasley… My parents do not mind if I date an older boy, I'm glad you would be okay with us being together, and, I'm not sure that he really has taken a liking to me, like you say." Molly pursed her lips.
"Hermione, I can see it in my sons eyes, he cares about you. And I know that you feel the same way about him." Hermione pushed roughly against her eyes as she felt them dampen.
Mrs. Weasley braced her self for a longwinded explanation of logic and love but was mildly surprised when Hermione bowed her head and whispered: "Really?" Mrs. Weasley laughed and wrapped Hermione in a hug and nodded.
"Well, what do I do now?" Mrs. Weasley told her exactly what to do and Hermione quickly scurried upstairs. "Aaa young love, when it was simple…" Molly smiled and wiped eyes on her apron and began cooking.
"So!" Hermione paced in front of her mirror agitatedly. Raking her fingers through the jungle of brown curls she called a hairdo, Hermione sat on her bed.
Scattered on her third of the room was pretty much Hermione's entire wardrobe. Trying to figure out what to wear on the Weasley's annual carriage ride, Hermione was a mess. Molly had told her that in mid July, there were carriage rides in the village, and the Weasley's always went.
Trying to escape her own thoughts Hermione laid her head down on her pillow, but within minutes she was asleep.
"Hermione! Mum says we're going to the carriage ride, come on!" Hermione's head shot up as she heard a thumping on the door.
"Coming!" She yelled out in a daze. Pulling on the closest outfit she had; Hermione ended up in jeans and a silver tank top, pulling on her denim flip-flops, Hermione hurried out of her room.
"There you are dear! Now we're apparating in pairs, you with Fred," He waved. "Luna with George, Ron with me, Ginny with your father, and Harry with Charlie, Bill will be by himself." Everyone took one another's arm and spun on the spot.
Hermione shut her eyes tightly, anticipating the awkward feeling of apparition. "Hermione, we're there." Fred whispered closely. Hermione squeezed one eye open, then the other, running to meet up with everyone else, dragging Fred along with her.
"Oh gee, I didn't need that arm anyway!" Fred exclaimed as he massaged his arm. Hermione blushed as she led onto the carriage, Fred following, George behind him, and tugging along Luna as well.
"Care if I sit here m'lady?" Fred asked with a mock bow to Hermione who giggled and shook her head. Luna mutely reached out to hold George's hand who took it with a grin, sliding forward in his seat; George pulled one hand out of Luna's placing it around her shoulders as she leaned up against him.
George stroked his girlfriend's hair gently with a smug grin, noticing Hermione's crossed arms and slight shiver. Luna whispered quietly in George's ear who nodded. With a yawn, George removed his hand from his pocket where it had been sitting and reached over the back of the carriage.
Within a few minutes the ride seemed to have gotten a bit bumpier and Fred suspected it was his twins doing. Hermione was jostled every which way until George finally got tired and used his wand to place Fred's arm around Hermione, almost putting a stop to the constant bumps.
Hermione didn't shrug off his arm, which shocked him; lately if he even tried she put a stop to it almost immediately.
Molly had told Hermione that the carriages stopped at just about half past eight to watch the fireworks that almost always happened at that time of night. And as if on cue the carriages squeaked to a stop and George led Luna to a park bench near the carriages.
"Buggers…" Fred muttered as the two stepped off. Hermione grinned but felt her teeth bumping against one another as they shivered along with the rest of her body. "You cold?" Fred asked and Hermione nodded.
Taking off the dark blue denim jacket he had been wearing; Fred placed it gently on Hermione's shoulders, leaving her to shrug into it. "Thanks…" She mumbled and Fred nodded.
"Okay Hermione, this is supposed to be the part that's all romantic, but I'm not that kinda bloke." Hermione resisted the urge to laugh and nodded her head; Fred was speaking from his heart.
"Do you care about me or not?" He was blunt, some would say rude, but Hermione was in shock. "Y-y-yes…" Hermione half expected Fred to leap up, give George a high-five, and say something like he owed him a galleon or something but he did just the opposite.
Taking Hermione closer to him, Fred kissed her like she had never been kissed before. Feeling she loved nobody more, Hermione kissed him back. Finally after multiple minutes had passed, George and Luna made quite a racket stepping up into the carriage as it started to move.
"You kissed him didn't you?" Luna said; her voice traceless of emotion. Hermione felt a heat creeping up her cheeks as she nodded, sitting closer to Fred. "We shouldn't date." She finally blurted out to him, a bigger blush covering her face in the moon light.
"Why?" He didn't request an explanation but waited to listen. "Fred, tonight, I realized, I really, really care for you; but I don't want you to get hurt… Everyone thinks I belong with Ron, and I just…" She looked up at the couple staring at them and George conjured a pair of ear plugs for the both of them.
"Hermione, I understand." Hermione smiled a weak thanks and began to take off the jacket but Fred stopped her. "No, keep it, a token of our friendship." Hermione felt a tear leak from her eye and she gave Fred a hug.
"Hermione, will you marry me? I don't know where we'll end up but all I know, is I want to be with you." Hermione's eyes glimpsed up to where Fred stood with his date at Harry's twenty fifth birthday party. He gave her a quick nod, only noticed by her and smiled.
Her eyes looking back at Ron, now on one knee, and nodded. Everyone clapped and cheered and they were to be wed six months later.
"Fred, if anything, anything were to happen to me, please take care of Hermione." Fred nodded and clapped his brother on the back; appreciating the important statement. Ron stepped up and waited at the alter and Fred made his way to the back to accompany Luna to the front, two by two, everyone was at the alter, except Hermione, who soon enough stepped through the arch on the arm of Robert Granger.
"I do." Hermioen said at last. Fred blinked away the tear he saw rolling slowly down his eye and smiled. At least she's happy.
"Mommy! Where's daddy?!?" Hermione's three year old daughter Amber cried as Hermione's eight year old son Carter walked in, muggle headphones in his ears.
"I don't know sweetie, he'll be back soon!" Hermione put Amber in her seat at the table, ushering Carter to his own, placing the food on the table.
Hermione worried, Ron had never, not once missed dinner. No matter what the circumstances were. The Weasleys ate in silence for once, wishing they knew what was happening, but their worst fears were realized as the magical radio crackled on.
"M-muggle shooting in…ocery store." The radio cracked in and out but Hermione turned the knob slightly to the left.
"Wilmingt-t-t-tonss." Finally turning off the radio, Hermione told the two children to go upstairs and she would be up momentarily. As soon as the kids were out of sight, Hermione pressed her forehead against the sliding glass door, tears running down her cheeks to match the rain flying from the sky.
Hermione was praying with every fiber of her being that Ron would come running across the yard, apologizing for his tardiness, letting Hermione wipe the rain drops sitting on his nose; but no one came.
Finally, letting her knees give way, Hermione hit the tiled kitchen floor with a tiny thud, her body shaking with sobs. With a loud crack, her senses were increased; Hermione approached the hallway, wand arm shaking but was extremely relieved to see Fred Weasley standing there.
Running into his arms, Hermione begged him to tell her it wasn't true, tell her Ron was coming home, but tears ran down Fred's nose as he whispered:
"If only things went the way we wished."
Hermione held tightly to Fred, wishing as hard as she could.
Okay everybody who's thinkin it say it out loud: AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW