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Submission for IWSC Summer Camp – Round 8 – Fire Pit

Malfoy Cabin - Don't get burnt! Write about a late night beach party

Submission for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry forum – August Auction 28/8 – Hermione/Fred

Summary: Fred and George host a latenight beach party. Fred notices Hermione sitting by herself reading, he takes it upon himself to make her have some fun away from her book.

A/N: AU – Fred lives

Thanks for the beta: secretfanficlover, Claude Amelia Song

Title: Fun and Fireworks

WC: 1083

It was supposed to be warm. It was summer after all and someone— the twins—had decided that it was the perfect time for a beach party. The twins had built a massive bonfire, and everyone was huddled around it. Fred looked around and chuckled when he saw that the only person not by the bonfire was Hermione, who was instead head first into a book. He strode over to her and sat down on the log next to her. Peering over her shoulder, he saw a rather big book; a novel it seemed. Only Hermione Granger would bring a book to a party.

"Granger, what are you doing?" he asked, pulling the book from her hands. It was difficult as she had a vice-like grip on her precious tome. With a tug, he pried it from her clutches. "It's a party, come on… try socialising!"

"You know as well as I do, that this sort of thing isn't my scene," she said. She looked distraught over the loss of her book. "I only came because Harry insisted." She looked over and saw Harry holding hands with Ginny. Fred noticed that Ron seemed to be chatting to a large group of girls from their year. They had broken up a couple of months ago.

"Ignore him, Hermione, you can have fun, even with my daft younger brother here," Fred said and levitated the book into his bag on the other side of the party. Hermione tried to protest, but Fred raised his hand with a mischievous smirk. "Trust me."

He looked into her warm brown eyes and felt himself falling. A crash brought him to his senses and Fred saw his partner in crime with a whole crate of fireworks. Some of which had fallen out and 'somehow' ignited itself in Fred and Hermione's direction.

"Oi! Do you mind?" Fred yelled over to George. His cry was drowned out by the cheers as Lee arrived with the butterbeer and firewhiskey.

Fred took Hermione's hand with a sheepish grin and pulled them both up. "Let's get something to drink."

"Fred, it's fine, you don't need to babysit me," Hermione muttered and tried to pull away. Fred pulled her closed and tightened his grip.

"It's not babysitting if we both have fun."

He grabbed a bottle of butterbeer for each of them and handed one to her. With a swig of the creamy drink, he sighed. "I needed that," he said, feeling the heat warm him. "It's supposed to be hot, it's summer."

Hermione giggled. "It's only the beginning of June, what did you expect?"

Fred shrugged and looked around at the party. "Well, everyone seems to be having a great time at least."

Ron was now flirting with a girl from the year below them, someone Fred didn't know the name of. He quickly moved them so Hermione couldn't see his brother's antics.

"Why don't you help me set up the fireworks with George?" he asked. Hermione looked around, luckily she didn't seem to see Ron. She nodded and Fred led the way.

Soon they approached the shoreline where George was gesturing wildly to Lee who looked annoyed.

"What's going on guys?" Fred asked, pulling Hermione along with him, just in case she tried to reach for the bag with the book in it.

"Oh, Lee is being boring," George said and Lee protested. "I wanted to use the bonfire as the platform for the fireworks, but Lee says that that is a safety hazard." "He's right, you know," Hermione said, crossing her arms across her chest, bottle of butterbeer still in one hand.

Fred laughed. "I said, trust me, Granger, and that also means you can trust George."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at them. "I wasn't born yesterday."

"Thank goodness for that." Fred flirted, grinning when she blushed.

He allowed himself to place his arm around her and was surprised when she didn't stop him. "Yes to the platform on top of the bonfire but be careful," he instructed his twin. "I don't want to lose my duplicate." George laughed and started setting up the fireworks.

"Fred?" Hermione asked as they walked away.

Fred looked at her and nodded for her to continue.

"How can you be so… okay after what happened the past year?" she asked, her hand brushed a bandaged arm with a mark that Fred wished wasn't there.

"It's easy to get lost in the loss and the hurt from the war Hermione," he responded after a while, , pulling her over to a log where they both sat down. "I almost died, you too… we lost people, and we need to heal." He looked thoughtfully at the sparks of fire that blew off the bonfire. "If I didn't find time for fun… I wouldn't be able to continue."

Hermione shuffled closer to him as a cool breeze flew by. Fred allowed himself another chance to place his arm around her. "I have to live, Hermione, we all do. That's the only way we will be okay after what happened."

Hermione sighed and seemed to relax in his arms. "I guess you are right…"

"Oh, I know I am," he said with a gigantic smile as he looked at her. Her face was lit up so beautifully in the moonlight.

Hermione looked over at the group of people around the fire and Fred followed her eyes to where Ron was standing, kissing the same girl from earlier. Fred looked over at Hermione worried and was relieved to see that she seemed okay.

She looked back at him. "It was a good thing we broke up." He was happy to see that she was smiling. "Ron and I are better off as friends, I know that now."

Fred smiled, maybe there was a chance for him after all. She was over Ron, Fred could feel his heart flip for joy.

"Thanks for making me join the party, Fred," she said. He was so tempted; she was so close, their lips growing closer. He had to do it, it was his chance.

Just as George launched the first firework, Fred planted a kiss on Hermione's lips, and they had fireworks of their own. They came up for air and Fred smirked at her. "Want your book now?" Hermione shook her head with a smirk of her own.

"No, I would rather have fun with you instead."

"That could be arranged." Fred winked and the fireworks faded into the background as their lips met again.