Author's Note: I own no person, no place, no thing – outside the plot. If you recognize it, it probably belongs to Ms. Rowling or some other awesome super-human.

P.S. I apologize for the long delay. ARL got in the way – massively. I don't know if you all are reading that story or not, but there were delays there as well – and all delays were noted and apologized for in detail at each chapter, AND ON TWITTER! Yes! I'm on Twitter too! It's not just for cool people, celebrities and teenagers, because now I'm there!

All right: Smut alert once again. If you're not into that kind of thing, or you're not old enough to get into an R-rated movie, this chapter is not for you. Actually the rest of the story probably isn't for you, because smut's going to be part of the theme from here on out. It's all in good fun, but it's not for everyone!

Mega-thanks to Phnxgirl for her beta-read. She helps me find ridiculously odd and awkward bits in my writing, and calls me out on the massively boring bits and Potter mistakes. Anything that is still awkward, boring, odd or incorrect is just plain my fault at this point.

acro

Chapter Four: Cocktail, Anyone?

The sun was setting behind their backs, casting a golden-pink glow on the distant snowy peak of Mount Baker. Hermione was busy helping three year-old Poppy skewer her organic chicken and apple sausage onto a ready stick while Fred and Rick, Sunny's Muggle husband, set up the two tents. Sunny stood in the last rays of the setting sun in Proud Warrior pose, and dropped her hands to the ground just as the last of the evening light dipped behind the trees. She flowed through several more poses as she sang a song to her daughter about evening birds, complete with amazingly life-like whistles and calls for the night birds of her song.

Hermione had intercepted several incredulous glances from Fred as the evening went along, but she just shrugged her shoulders. Sunny was an interesting character, no doubt about that. She was also a remarkably powerful witch.

"You guys don't mind if I set the wards around our perimeter do you? I don't mean to be so paranoid, but what with the Snargaluffs and the Crumplehorn Snorkacks on the island, we shouldn't take chances, you know?" And with that, Sunny had clapped her hands twice, and a burst of raw magic pulsed out of her in a huge bubble that flew outwards to the perimeter between the beach and the forest, and even fifty feet out into the water.

"There now, that's Muffliato, along with anti-magic detection, anti-Muggle – oh sorry, Rick. You stay here, babe," Sunny broke off as she tapped her husband on the head when he dazedly walked past her on his way towards the trailhead. "And there's animal deterrent, plant deterrent, rain deterrent, and sun screen for tomorrow morning. Now, who wants roasted sweet potatoes?"

Once dinner had been sorted, eaten and cleaned up, Fred sprawled out next to Hermione, who was perched against a large piece of driftwood. He grasped her hand in his, lacing their fingers together as he pulled her closer into his body. Hermione flushed at the heat radiating from Fred's body, and her toes couldn't help but curl in anticipation of what the night would bring. Fred grinned down at her and kissed her on the tip of her nose, then turned back to their friends and the campfire.

"Sunny, do you by chance ever read the Quibbler? It's this publication out of the UK-" Fred began, but was cut off by Sunny's tinkling laugh.

"Of course I do, Fred! How else would any self-respecting witch stay in touch with current events if not for the Quibbler?" Sunny asked happily as she brushed out Poppy's hair and settled it into a braid for bedtime.

"Sunny's cousin's the editor, man. She's all like, into animals and nature and magical events all over the world. Luna's super cool, you know? She's been out here to visit a few times…" Rick drifted off as his eyes focused on the flickering flames of the campfire.

"Rick, babe, drink your water. You have to stay hydrated. Sorry guys, Rick found a bag of mushrooms in the refrigerator this morning that I'd picked last night during the full moon. He didn't realize they weren't the kind you sauté with onions and serve over eggs. I guess I really need to start marking my potions ingredients better," Sunny said with a sigh.

"Luna Lovegood's your cousin?" Hermione asked in shock.

"You keep your potions ingredients in your refrigerator?" Fred asked in horror.

/…../

Several more hours passed before Sunny and her family said goodnight and clambered into their tent. Hermione and Fred crouched in front of the entry flap of their own tent. Hermione looked up at the night sky. The stars were so bright above them it would be a shame to sleep indoors.

"Freddie?"

"Mmmm?"

"Ever had sex on the beach?" Hermione asked.

"You mean that cocktail you and Ginny were drinking at the Ministry Christmas party?" Fred asked cheekily, and then reached into the tent to Summon their blankets and pillows to settle in a relatively flat spot on the pebbled beach. With a wave of his wand, he combined a Cushioning Charm with a Warming Charm, ensuring their outdoor bed would be five-star hotel comfortable.

Hermione kicked off her shoes and crawled between the blankets, then patted the spot next to her. Fred sat down to take off his own shoes as Hermione waved her wand and settled an additional Notice-me-not and Muffliato in a ten foot perimeter around their outdoor bed, in case any of Sunny's family happened to wander outside of their tent during the night.

"That should do- mmph!" Hermione broke off as Fred tackled her in a heated snog as he pushed her deeper into the blankets. He quickly unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off her shoulders as he slipped his tongue between her lips to taste the warmth of her mouth. Hermione quickly caught up with Fred's mood. She locked her legs around his waist as he settled himself on top of her and ground their pelvises together.

Fred lifted his mouth off of hers long enough to ask her one question. "Now?"

Hermione nodded her head urgently. "Now, Freddie. Oh, Godric yes, now."

"Oh thank Merlin!" he groaned as he dove in to kiss her neck and lick his way down to her chest. "Gods, I just want to feel you everywhere, 'Mione," he murmured against her breast, then snuck his hand behind her back to unclasp her bra. Then he sat back on his knees and tugged his shirt over his head.

"Now you. Off," he ordered, and pulled her up to strip her shirt and bra away from her body. Hermione sat before him under the light of a nearly full moon, and the starlight fairly glowed off of her flushed cheeks and pale breasts.

She reached out a trembling hand and ran it across his chest, drifting across his pectorals, and wantonly she flicked one nipple, then the other.

Fred jerked, and chuckled. "Naughty minx," he mused, then ran his own hand across her chest. He caressed her left breast carefully, delicately curling his fingers around the tip of her nipple before he suddenly grasped it and lightly tugged.

Hermione gasped in surprise. "Ooh, yes," she groaned, and then her arms shot up and around him and dragged him down onto her as they collapsed into their makeshift bed.

Sometime in between their mutual squirming out of their trousers but before Fred had managed to pull Hermione's orange knickers off, Hermione laid her head back against the pillow. She wound her fingers into Fred's hair as she relished in the sensation of his lips and fingers memorizing the curves of her body. As she opened her eyes wide to take in the myriad stars that lay in shattered piles and swirls across the night sky, a waving light crept across the edge of her peripheral vision.

Just as Fred pulled one decadent nipple into his mouth, Hermione gasped. "Freddie!"

"Mmmmm…"

"No, Fred, look! It's the Aurora Borealis!" Hermione tugged harder on Fred's hair, and he let go of her nipple to look up at her in confusion.

"'Mione, what is it? Don't you, I mean, did I…" Fred trailed off as Hermione pushed away from him so that she could sit up.

"No, Freddie it was lovely, but just look!' Hermione cried as she gestured up to the wavering, pulsing green ribbon of light that shifted across the inky horizon. "It's the Northern Lights! We've only gotten a couple of tiny views of them since we've been here, but look at them now! Oh, I've wanted to see these my whole life! Did you know the Lights are a form of wild magic, drifting across the sky from the poles? Sunny told me that the Lights are the reason why the Wizarding schools in these northern areas here on the west coast don't teach wand-based magic. There's no need for a wand to focus when there's so much raw, wild magic to use. A wand is seen as a detractor, when one's magic must be so thoroughly focused by one's mind in order to keep it from going astray. That's why Sunny's magic is so different than ours, and why the magical community here is able to be so large, yet so well hidden from Muggles. The magic is-" but Hermione was cut off by Fred's mouth on hers as he pushed her back down into the blankets.

Fred pulled away from her for a moment. "In a little while, love. I promise. For right now, my mind is thoroughly focused on something else." And he slipped his right hand down between her legs to tease at the heat that waited for him. He groaned and dropped his forehead to rest against hers when she hissed and her hips jerked against his hand. "'Mione, I barely know what I'm doing here. Just…help me out, all right?" he mumbled as he slid his fingers under her knickers and rubbed hesitantly into her delicate flesh.

Hermione's legs went taut and her back arched as she bit her lip to hold back a loud moan. "Ah, Freddie! Just…ah, get these…damn it, oh Godric, Fred do that again…" her hands scrabbled at the blankets beneath her as Fred found and teased her clit, and she threw her head back and cried out as he slid one, then two fingers inside her body.

Hermione nodded her head rapidly. "Yeah, yes. That's, ah," she moaned as she writhed against his hand. She blinked and blinked and tried to keep focus on the dancing lights as Fred learned her body. Her back arched, and her hips bucked and she wanted more…

Hermione pushed Fred's hands away from her and sat up, shaking from head to toe, and pushed him upright as well. Fred's eyebrows shot up. "Wha?" he asked, but Hermione was still in motion as her hands dove for his boxer briefs.

"Now, Freddie. I want you now; I can't wait anymore…please," Hermione gasped as she tore his pants down his legs, freeing his straining length to her eager hands.

Fred pulled in a quick breath of shock as Hermione attacked him, and nearly collapsed at the exquisite pleasure of her small fingers caressing his erection. "Holy shit…that's bloody…oh, where's my wand…right, hang on a mo'" He grasped her hand before he lost his mind entirely, and hurriedly grabbed his wand to cast the Weasley Contraceptive Charm, then Vanished the last remnants of clothing from their bodies before he pressed Hermione into the blankets.

Hermione blinked as she gazed up at Fred, who hovered over her as he lined his warm body up with hers to join them together for the first time. His eyes were huge and glassy as he stared down at her.

"Merlin, you're beautiful, 'Mione," he whispered brokenly, and then he was sliding into her, and it was exquisite, the stretching and delicious fullness of him as he pushed into her.

Hermione wrapped her arms around Fred's neck as he pulled back hesitantly, and gasped as he filled her again. And again. And again.

Fred ducked his head into Hermione's shoulder as he set a slow rhythm that he hoped he could maintain without embarrassing himself too badly. Hermione's soft gasps and cries of, "So good! Oh, Freddie, please! Yes!" were doing very little for his self-control, but his male ego was enjoying the hell out of her apparent delight in his lovemaking. Because that's what this was. This wasn't mere sex, for either of them. Fred knew beyond a doubt he was in love with Hermione, and he was pretty damned sure she loved him as well. Hermione Granger had never been one to jump into any serious situation without careful consideration, and what they were doing was plenty serious by anyone's standard.

There was nothing like a really excellent shag…Godric, yes…an unbelievably mind-blowing shag…to get a bloke thinking about things like long-term commitment to ensure more opportunities for excellent shagging. Securing Hermione in his life and his bed was Fred's number one priority, which was why it was vitally important that he not bugger up and come too soon-

"Ah, almost, oh, Freddie, harder! Right – yes! Ohmygodyesfreddietheretherethere- ahh!" Hermione wrapped her legs around Fred's waist as her orgasm crept over her senses and left her trembling. She opened her eyes wide and saw stars…

Fred bit her shoulder as he drove into her harder and harder – bloody hell that was lovely – and Hermione's head snapped back as Fred rose up and pinned her shoulders under his hands as he sped up, seeking his own release.

Suddenly he snapped, slamming his hips forward with a sharp cry, and Hermione arched her back and gasped as Fred's orgasm set off another mini-orgasm of her own. Heads pressed together, they fell into a breathless peace where only the two of them existed, entwined and consumed with each other.

The swirling Northern Lights shifted, green and gold and sparkling, above Fred's head as he sat back on his haunches and gazed down at her.

Hermione smiled lazily at Fred, and he chuckled. "What's so funny, hmmm?" she asked as she stretched languidly.

He shook his head slightly, and leaned over to stare at her. "You are literally glowing under those bloody Northern Lights, love. You've got stars in your eyes and your skin is shining as if you were some kind of pale goddess of the moon. I've never seen anything so beautiful…" Fred pulled in a shaky breath, "and I've never been so turned on in my entire life."

Hermione's smile turned into a smirk as she untangled her legs from Fred's, and reached across the blankets for her wand. She quietly cast a quick Scourgify on the two of them, and then scooted to the far left of the blankets. "Well, you might be turned on, but I'm all in, so, goodnight, Freddie my love," she sang, and cuddled up under the thick comforter.

Fred gaped at his snuggled-up girlfriend for a second, and then glanced down at his protruding erection. 'Sorry buddy, guess we're done for now,' he thought to himself. He glanced back up at Hermione, whose curling locks had fanned out decadently across her pillow – had she done that on purpose to tantalize him? Her puffy lips bowed in a tiny smile, even as her eyelids slid shut.

"Come lay down beside me, Freddie, and rest," Hermione whispered, and she tugged him down next to her.

With some uncomfortable rearranging on his part, Fred dropped his head onto the pillow next to Hermione, and sighed. His exhaled breath fluffed up the tendrils of hair that lay scattered across her forehead, and Hermione's smile grew. Fred slid his hand across her ribcage and around the smooth expanse of her back, and leaned in to press a kiss against her forehead even as he pulled her body closer to snuggle against whilst they slept. If he couldn't shag her anymore tonight, that was completely fine, there was always tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that… But Hermione hadn't said anything about no touching…

"Mmmmm," Fred growled as Hermione wriggled against him.

"Sssh, Freddie. I'm trying to sleep," Hermione whispered.

Fred felt marginally chagrined until he felt Hermione's hand stray away from her own hip and trail across his. There was no mistaking his erection still prodding between them, and Fred grunted when Hermione suddenly took him in hand and stroked him from root to tip.

"Sssshhh…" Hermione cooed as she stroked him again, slowly, and Fred gazed in wide-eyed wonder at the moon-goddess with her curls splayed all around her, curled up against him and tugging on his prick like –

"Bloody hell," he spat through clenched teeth. He squeezed his eyes shut and rolled onto his back. Hermione was bloody brilliant at what she was…doing…Merlin…what? Fred opened his eyes when Hermione's clever hand suddenly left his cock, and suddenly he found himself covered with roughly nine stone of goddess as Hermione slipped on top of him.

"See, Freddie, now you can see the Lights," Hermione whispered.

Fred groaned. "Is that why you were teasing me about being tired? So you could get me to lie down and pay attention to your nature magic lesson?"

Hermione bit her lip coyly as she nodded. "Yes, and it worked didn't it? Aren't they beautiful?" She leaned back so that she could look up at the sky, and her loose hair drifted across Fred's legs as she arched her back.

Fred, for his part, was torn between the shifting glow of the Lights and the pattern that played out on Hermione's bare skin as she bent above him. His judgment was still rather impaired by the driving need to be inside the twisting girl seated above him, and as Hermione wriggled against his erection, he decided to go ahead and push his luck.

In two quick moves, Fred plucked Hermione up by her hips, and guided himself into her, and let the chips fall where they may.

Hermione gasped and jerked upright as her eyes flew open wide with shock. She'd only been intimate twice before tonight, and the bloke she'd been with hadn't been as – erm, endowed – as Freddie. But all that aside, she'd only had sex three times now, and those three times had been with her partner on top, just as she and Freddie had done only a little while ago. And while she had just been teasing him, and she had been considering this very position to try – bloody hell! It felt like he was everywhere in her!

Hermione shuddered as she took a few short, sharp, calming breaths, and closed her eyes. She held perfectly still as she tried to get accustomed to the new sensation.

Fred cursed his stupidity. Gravity and surprise hadn't worked out in Hermione's favor, and it obviously had hurt. Bugger. "Um, 'Mione? Love, I'm sorry, I didn't think that through. We can stop, I'm so sorry."

Hermione held up a hand to stop him before he tried to move, then she braced both of her palms against his chest. "No, it didn't hurt, Freddie," she whispered. She wiggled a little from side to side as she tried to accustom her body with the position, and rocked her hips back and forth. Oh. She rocked them again. Oh. Her eyes snapped open.

"Oh my," she said quietly. Then her mouth opened in a tiny O of shock and pure pleasure as she rocked back and forth over and over again, and it was all Fred could do to hang on to his self-control as Hermione set her own pace.

Hermione lifted her hips experimentally. As she descended, Fred watched her skin glow in the shine from the stars, and her hair waved in the slight breeze coming off the water, and he was in awe of her beauty. The Aurora Borealis danced and trembled even as Hermione shivered above him, and Fred swore for the first time in his life that he could see pure magic. Wild magic, the locals called it. Fine, Fred could go with that.

Hermione rolled her hips and shuddered above him, and Fred cried out, desperate to drive into her even as she bore him down. He sat up quickly and pulled her into a scorching kiss, and Hermione threw her arms around his neck and tugged on his orange hair as they consumed each other.

One after the other they fell into a pool of bliss, and came up gasping, reborn and wide-eyed, and completely in love.

/…../

"Rah-rah-rah," Hermione chanted quietly as she lay in Fred's arms. She flapped her hands against his chest in time with her quiet tune.

"What was that?" Fred muttered as he peered down at her. Sleep was dragging at his senses. There was no teasing anymore. He was purely done in.

"Ah, that was me, doing my celebratory cheer after the Fred Weasley Experience. I forgot to pack the pom-poms. Sorry about that," Hermione said as she grinned cheekily up at him.

Fred groaned in mock-disappointment. "Worst girlfriend ever. I put out a huge amount of effort here, and a fantastic light show to boot, and you didn't even pack the pom-poms?"

Hermione giggled. "But you still love me though, because I'm amazing," she quipped, and then blushed as she realized what she'd said. They hadn't actually said those all-meaning words yet, and post-coital 'I love yous' were so cliché, they could hardly count.

Fred gazed down at Hermione. "Yeah, you are bloody amazing. And I do, you know. I love you."

"Freddie, you don't have to," Hermione started, but Fred raised an eyebrow as if to silently ask the question, 'since when does Fred Weasley do anything he doesn't want to do?'

Excellent point.

"You know, 'Mione, I am perfectly capable of reminding you of this sentiment tomorrow when we're packing the tent, and tomorrow evening when we move your things into my room – yes, yes you are moving into my room. My window has a better view, and then your room can be turned into our office and laboratory – and tomorrow night when I am shagging you senseless in our bed, and the next day during shop hours, and the next, and the next…" he drifted off lazily as he considered when else he should tell Hermione he loved her, and also his eyelids were very heavy…

"Wow," Hermione whispered.

"Hmmm…"

"That's a lot of love," Hermione said quietly. Her fingers traced circular patterns across Fred's chest as he slipped away.

"'S'pose it is. You can handle it, can't you?" Fred mumbled.

"Mmm, I think so. What about you, Freddie? Would you be able to handle it if I were to love you that much in return?" Hermione asked shyly as she continued to trace scrolls and winding spirals across his pectorals.

"Oh, absolutely. Bring it on, Hermione. I have to warn you though, neither Georgie nor I have been in love before, nor have either of us ever been loved, so there are bound to be unusual and unexpected repercussions." Fred yawned and rolled onto his side to gather her into an embrace. "Consider yourself warned," he murmured, and with that, fell asleep.

Hermione blinked. Oh dear. She hadn't considered what falling in love with a Weasley twin might mean in that sense. But Freddie wouldn't hurt her, and honestly just lying wrapped in his arms, with their legs all tangled together, was worth any amount of hi-jinks or tomfoolery the boys decided to play on her later.

To Be Continued.