My second Fremione! Hehe I'm pretty proud of this one since I had a lot of fun writing it. I've always thought it would be SO CUTE if a guy used that "I needed an excuse to kiss you" thing on me. R&R, and you'll get an R&R from me. Please excuse any mistakes. I wrote this between twelve and one a.m. My eyes were literally drooping.

Disclaimer: You know the drill, everything you recognise belongs to the great master of words, J.K. Rowling.

"Hippogriff," I said to the Fat Lady. She swung open and I stepped into the warm common room. Harry and Ron immediately waved me over. I crossed to where they were sitting and flopped down on the floor, exhausted.

"Long day?" Ron asked sympathetically. He lifted me up to sit on the sofa between him and Harry and as always, I was shocked by his strength. I guess Quidditch really did pay off. I simply groaned in response to his question. The whole day had been spent in the company of Hagrid, who was tracking Thestrals and tagging them so that they could be found easily. The tags would let off a shrill beeping noise when one activated the spell, which could be done by pressing a button, since Hagrid wasn't allowed to do magic.

"I think we walked about fifteen kilometres. While cutting away branches and things from the path, I might add. Merlin, I'm so tired. And hungry."

"At least you got out of classes for the day," Harry offered. "Slughorn was in a particularly bad mood today."

"You just think that because he was always nice to you back in sixth year. Now you've gone and lost that book…" Ron accused.

"I didn't lose it!" Harry cried. "it's not my fault the Room of Requirement burned down!"

"Your fault for hiding it in the first place. If you'd handed in the book and used that new one, Slughorn wouldn't be so sad about the deteriorated state of your skill." I snapped, never having gotten over that stupid Half-Blood Prince book.

Commotion in the corner drew my attention away. I turned to see Fred and George entertaining a group of seventh-years, including a simpering Lavender Brown and, oddly enough, Luna Lovegood. How had she…? Oh. My thought trailed off as I noticed Ginny beside her. The two had become even closer, although Ginny and I remained best friends.

I saw Ron gaze longingly at Luna and I grinned. About time he realised his feelings for her.

Harry, Ron, Fred, George and I were part of a new Ministry law that called all students who hadn't managed to complete their seventh year back to school, whether they were dropouts like the twins or busy fighting like us. I had expected the twins to protest, but they'd come back quite willingly, on the condition that if Umbridge ever showed her face at Hogwarts, they'd be allowed to blow a Wildfire Whizbang in her face.

Harry and Ron had been chomping at the bit to start their Auror training but I'd said – and Kingsley agreed – that saviours or not, they needed NEWTs to get started with their Auror training.

After the year of pining for each other – and the kiss – Ron and I had decided that we were better off staying as friends. This decision had arisen from a relationship of two months, during which time we fought almost every day about the most banal of things, such as leaving the toilet seat up, or spending too much time in Flourish and Blotts. After two weeks of long, exaggerated silence, Ron had finally grown a pair and come to me with the intent of breaking up. However, I'd surprised him with an almost identical speech and the night had ended in laughter. And, under the influence of Firewhiskey, he had confessed that he had his eye on someone else. I had said the same, but I had refused to say who.

Not even Ginny knew. She'd probably fall off whatever she was sitting on if I told her.

Really, Hermione, I scolded as I watched him across the room. You couldn't have picked anyone more likely to take you?

It wasn't as if I were ugly. No, I'd grown into my curves and my bushy hair had calmed down over time.

But judging by the group hanging around him (Romilda Vane included – sometimes I didn't know who was worse, her or Lavender), he was going for hot, not pretty.

Harry was relieved, of course, that Romilda Vane was now hanging around them. Harry was the only one who knew, partly because he had seen me staring and partly because he had read my diary.

There had been a lot of changes in Hogwarts and in the wizarding world. Kingsley had been named permanent Minister and life improved at a steady pace under his leadership. The few remaining Death Eaters were rounded up and holed up in Azkaban, although the Dementors' ranks were now bolstered by a group of highly trained wizards. If the Dementors should ever choose to change sides, the humans would take charge.

Lucius Malfoy was one of these Death Eaters, although his wife and son were pardoned as Narcissa had been forced into it by the circumstances and Draco had never really killed anyone. He was currently in attendance at Hogwarts and he certainly seemed to have changed. He had started off by shooting me small smiles in the corridors and eventually, the smiles developed into conversations and conversations into a tentative friendship. Since he was so alienated by the majority of the school, I tried to make him feel less so. Although not Head Girl (I had declined the position because I wouldn't be able to deal with it on top of school work), I still had a rather big influence on the rest of the school. They did not understand our friendship at first, but bit by bit, they warmed up to Malfoy too.

I had decided on a profession for myself. Although I'd desperately wanted to improve House Elf rights, I had remembered Sirius and the Veil and resolved to work in the Department of Mysteries.

Harry and Ron, of course, were set on becoming Aurors. Even with Voldemort gone, there was a lot of crime and Harry and Ron were sorely needed.

I had visited Australia about a month after the Battle of Hogwarts, when things had cleared up a bit. The castle had been repaired, apart from the Room of Requirement, and I wasn't needed.

It wasn't hard to find my parents. They had a small dentist's clinic set up in Perth and they were doing fairly well, closing the clinic on weekends to go hiking and such. It almost hurt to remove them from such a happy lifestyle, but it hurt more to think of leaving them and returning to England parentless. So I'd followed them home one day and lifted the Memory Charms. They weren't happy, but they understood why I had done it. However, they still retained the memories of their time in Australia and did not want to leave. I let them stay, promising to visit often, and grabbed a Portkey back to England.

I had arrived at the Burrow just in time for the announcement of the new law. I had been quite looking forward to applying for a job and getting an apartment and such, but going back to Hogwarts was better, in my opinion. It was such a memorable place; some of the best and worst times in my life had been spent there. I sometimes still shivered as I passed certain parts of the castle, remembering an incident or a death. A spot about twenty metres from the lake made me think of Colin Creevey; he had been hit by a stray Killing Curse from Anton Dolohov. A wall opposite a tapestry made me remember how it had collapsed on Fred, almost killing him. I still thanked my lucky stars every time I passed the spot.

By unspoken agreement, Harry, Ron and I avoided the Room of Requirement. None of us wished to know what had become of the room, home of so many happy DA memories.

And now we were all back at school, halfway through the year. I was happily immersed in studies, but everyone else was losing weight from the amount of work. Seventh year was, if possible, even worse than fifth year. We had such an enormous amount of material to cover – seven years of every subject! – that most of what we did in class was revision. I fully intended to start revising four months in advance and I would have – if he hadn't changed my plans.

It was a Tuesday, and I was already sweating from the homework load. Holed up in the library, I feverishly scribbled out an essay on the application of Charms in a dangerous situation. Flicking through the pages of a tome the thickness of a wall, I noted down fact after fact with growing exhaustion. Finally done, I pushed the essay aside and slumped to the table, almost overturning my ink bottle.

I snoozed for about fifteen minutes before reluctantly sitting up again. Just as I was pulling out a fresh piece of parchment, a hand slammed down on the table. A very familiar hand, one that I had stared at as it rested around someone's chair, wishing I'd been in that chair.

"Hey, Fred," I said without looking up. I heard a sigh as he sat down opposite me.

"What are you working on?" he asked. I tried not to shiver as his deep voice washed over me.

"Just finished Charms. Must start on Potions." I stood and grabbed another book off the shelf, as much to get a bit further away as to get the information I needed for my essay.

"Which one?"

"Effects of Felix Felicis mixed with liquor versus Strengthening Solution mixed with liquor."

"I've done it, you can get some ideas if you want." I looked up, watching as he unzipped his bag and pulled out the completed essay.

"You did homework?" I asked sceptically. He chuckled, the sound raising goosebumps on my arms.

"Yes, I've been known to do that now and then."

I took the essay with a murmur of 'thanks' and took down some notes regarding it.

"This is really well-written, Fred. Are you sure you didn't get someone to write it for you?"

I still avoided his gaze as I handed it back, instead focusing on his neck.

"Positive." I laughed, looking back down at my homework planner. The Potions essay wasn't due until Thursday, so that could wait. However, I had an Arithmancy worksheet that needed doing and I pulled it out of my bag wearily.

"Hermione," I heard him ask amusedly. I heard his chair creak and flinched as I felt his breath blow across my face. "Why are you avoiding my eyes?"

"I'm not!" I cried, too fast. And perhaps in a slightly higher octave than the norm.

"I'm not!" he mimicked in a high voice. I glared at him, finally meeting his eyes.

"I do not sound like that."

And then I realised that I had fallen straight into his trap. "Damn!" I cursed out loud.

I went back to avoiding his eyes and tried to focus on my worksheet, but it was kind of hard to do when I could hear his even breathing and feel his body heat even from across the table. Or maybe it was just me.

"Is there a reason why you're here, Fred?" I finally asked, throwing down my quill as I made the same mistake for a third time.

"I need your help," he promptly answered.

"With what?" I asked suspiciously.

"Angelina. I want to ask her out with a kiss, and the kiss needs to be mindblowing. She's a picky girl." My heart sank. Of course. Angelina. But I was confused.

"What are you saying?" I asked, bewildered.

"I need you to teach me how to kiss in a way that'll have her keel over," he told me without a shred of embarrassment. I stared at him in shock for a moment before bursting out into peals of laughter, rolling around in my seat. I saw a little bit of hurt in his expression and tried to control my giggles.

"Oh, Fred," I gasped. "You – haha – are asking me – me! – for help in kissing?" My voice was slightly shrill from the laughter and I saw Fred's expression become inquisitive.

"Have you ever kissed anyone before?"

"Of course I have!" I cried indignantly.

"Then you should make a great teacher. Come on, we have business to take care of," he said, glancing at his watch. He flicked his wand at my books and bag so that every thing packed itself and I slung it over my shoulder.

"Erm… where are we going?" I asked as I hurried after Fred.

"Secret passageway back up to Gryffindor Tower," he answered before opening a door and pushing me inside, shutting the door behind us. I tried to move forward but met a wall.

"Fred? There's a wall here."

"Oh, shit," he cursed. "Wrong door!" he tried opening it, both manually and with magic, but nothing worked.

"You had to pick the one broom closet with a locking charm on the door?" I snarled, my wand shooting out sparks in my agitation.

"My bad," he said sheepishly, rubbing the light stubble on his cheeks. It suddenly struck me that he was close. Very close. Almost too close. I sighed.

"What are we going to – " The rest of my words were cut off by Fred's lips, and I gave up on talking.

He kissed me gently, slowly, and as soon as I started to kiss him back, he became more passionate. He sucked on my bottom lips and I slid my hands up his chest, around his neck. Kissing down my neck, he bit and sucked a spot which I was sure would leave a mark later and I almost moaned with pleasure. My back against the wall, he continued to kiss me until we were both gasping for breath.

"We are going to wait," he told me, panting slightly, "until someone finds us and releases us." I looked up, straight into his blue eyes and was immediately captivated.

They were a shining, cerulean blue although slightly darkened from the recent make out session, with spokes of black. I wanted to look into them forever…

And then I remembered that he wanted to ask out Angelina, and my dream shattered.

Yes, Fred Weasley had been the one who had caught my attention at the Burrow, that summer after the war. Everything he did, from efficiently managing a shop to inventing new products to playing Quidditch ensnared me again and again until I was in way too deep. I should have realised that coming back to Hogwarts would ensure that I'd never get a chance with him. He was no Quasimodo; he was strong and handsome and funny, caring and kind and smart. He could even cook, as I'd seen one morning at the Burrow. He was the ultimate package and every girl wanted either him or George.

But as I looked around for a bucket or something to sit on and wait, Fred caught my chin with his warm fingers and pressed his lips to mine again. Lost in the kiss for a moment, my hands twined into his red locks and his slid to my waist. His fingers had just slid under the hem of my shirt when I pulled away.

"Fred – what?" I said, slightly dazed from the kissing. He looked worried.

"Sorry, Hermione. I just got a bit carried away, I didn't mean to steer things that way…"

"No, not that," I interrupted. "Everything. I mean. What the actual fuck? You like Angelina. Why the hell are you kissing me?" He grinned widely, showing white, even teeth. I melted slightly; I had a thing for perfect smiles. It probably stemmed from my own overlarge front teeth, which (thankfully_ were a normal size now.

"Hermione, do you fancy me?" he asked suddenly. I had just taken a mouthful of water (from my wand, using an Agaumenti charm) and I almost spat it out. Forcing myself to swallow,I managed to stammer out an answer.

"That's neither here not there. You answer my question first."

"Please?" he asked, unleashing the full power of his eyes and smile. I felt my willpower shrinking back. "I promise I'll answer, right after you answer me."

I sighed, realising any attempts to dodge the question would be futile. "Yes, Fred. I do fancy you." I blushed heavily as I said is, and he reached out to touch my cheek softly.

"Thanks," he said. "I know it must've taken some guts to admit that."

He was right, it did.

"Okay, so now you – " Once again, my voice was cut off by a pair of lips. I forgot my question. He pulled away, beaming, and pulled a Galleon out of his pocket.

"All right, George. Let us out now."

"Coming," came George's voice from the Galleon. I started in shock.

"Is that a - ?"

"Modified DA Galleon, yes," he answered me. I opened my mouth to ask another question but he kissed me again, his tongue slipping into my mouth.

As he pulled away, I was more confused and dazed than ever. "Why on earth would you ask me for kissing lessons? You're bloody amazing by yourself," I said, and then clamped a hand over my mouth in horror. Seeing the amusement in his eyes, I dropped my hand with a sigh. "Angelina's a lucky girl."

"Oh, please," he laughed, kissing my nose lightly. "I don't even like Angelina," he told me as a key clicked in the lock.

"Wait, what?" I stammered, unable to process this turn of events.

"You heard me." He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder just as the door opened. "I just wanted an excuse to kiss you, that's all." And then he sped off, leaving me in a broom closet with a hand to my throbbing lips in disbelief. George stared down at me with laughter clear in his eyes.

"Oh, shut up," I snapped, although with less venom than usual.

I cornered Fred after dinner. "Fred," I said quietly. "I have something to show you." He looked slightly wary, but allowed himself to be led out of the common room. Replying on memory to guide me, I opened a nondescript brown door by tickling it and pulled Fred in after me.

"Weasley," I said sternly. "This is a broom closet."

I waited for him to understand. And then it clicked, and I could see the delight in his eyes. "All right, Granger," he said with a smirk. "We'll make use of it, shall we?"

And I felt his smile, bright and happy as he crashed his lips to mine.

So what'd you think? Like? Dislike? HATE? LOVE? Let me know. There's that button down there that says "Review", go on and click it. ;) xoxo Tara