Harry Potter AU in which Fred and George are in different houses and they steal and wear each others ties whilst doing stupid things in hope of the others house losing points
AU where Fred and George are in different houses and they get their hands on house ties from the other two houses as well. By the end of their first year nobody knows which house either of them is in and just take points off a random house whenever they see a redhead getting up to something.
The confusion runs so deep by the time Ron starts that Snape once takes points off Slytherin for Ron fighting with Malfoy.
Thereâs a few months in Fred and Georgeâs second year when they successfully convince most of the school that theyâre actually quadruplets, one in each house.
After this confusing quadruple mess, a conspiracy theory emerges that Fred and George are actually just one person, and there were never any Weasley Twins. To add fuel to this theory, Fred and George make a point to never be seen together (publicly).
When asked about this theory, Fred/George subtly insinuates that he used Polyjuice Potion so that there could be multiple versions of himself at once. This goes around the Hogwarts Rumor Mill like fire. The Weasley family says nothing to dispute it, not even Percy.
Percy makes polyjuice successfully for the first time in his fifth year, when he finally has sufficient motivation. Fred, George, Edward and Hubert walk into the great hall one morning, identical but for their school ties, and the chaos is so great that nobody realizes Percy and Ron are missing.
Summary: After Ron insists Fred doesnât have a chance with Hermione, he decides to put money on it. The bet? Simple: Hermione must agree to go on a date with Fred before the New Year. Fred thinks it should be fairly easy to pull offâas long as Hermione doesnât kill him when he tells her.
Warnings: Language, American writer attempting to use British slang, mild Ron bashing (necessary for the plot and not exactly ooc)
Pairing: Hermione Granger x Fred Weasley
Word Count: 5.5k
Request:Â fremione fake-dating??? maybe someone did a bet that fred couldnât date her and everyone was being mean to her bc ron is w lavender and they expected her to be w him, and fred (who has feelings for her obv) is like ânot oN MY WATCHâ and heâs like âletâs fake date so weâll get money out of this suckersâ idk!!! hi hope youâre well
Fred watched Hermione smile the way one might watch a child fall off a training broom after trying to mount it for the first time: fond, pitying, just the slightest bit amused.
None of the others noticed it, the way her eyes didnât light up in joy or how her smile was a bit too stiff to be natural. But he did. Likely because he had been the only one to elicit a real, genuine grin out of the witch in the past six months or so. He spent enough time staring at her, he should certainly know the difference by now, even if no one else did.
Harry, he would give a pass to as he had his hands a bit full with his godson running around the room and being forced to sit through wedding planning with Molly as Ginny only rolled her eyes in the background. Poor bloke really was stretched thin these days, and Fred knew he still made a conscious effort to reach out to Hermione and include her in his life despite it. Not noticing her silent suffering in a room filled with noisy celebrations was almost understandable, all things considered.
The Time Hagrid Told Voldemort How to Take Out Something Protecting an Object that Grants Immortality When He Was Drunk and Other Well-Meaning Fuck Ups a lengthy chapter
That Time Molly Yelled At The Twins And Ron For Saving Harry From Abuse And Starvation, Thus Likely Communicating To The Abused Kid In Her Presence That His Welfare Was Less Important Than Not Borrowing The Car, That Time Molly Was Utterly Condescending About How Harry Is A Child And Doesnât Deserve To Know Anything In A Way That Probably Heightened His Determination To Prove Otherwise, That Time Molly Said The Twins Put Together Arenât As Good As Any Of Their Brothers Over OWL Results That They Worked Hard On And Were Proud Of, That Time Molly Forcibly Cut Her Adult Sonâs Hair Right Before His Wedding, That Time Molly Spent A Year Being Mean And Rejectful Toward Her Sonâs Fiancee, That Time Molly Sent Hermione A Deliberate âFuck Youâ Present For Easter Because She Believed A False Story Written In Witch Weekly Without Making Any Attempt To Ask The People Actually Involved, Those Times She Made Her Youngest Sonâs Christmas Sweaters His Least Favorite Color, And Every Time She Belittled Her Husbandâs Hobby, The Twinsâ Interests, And Billâs Appearance Because She Couldnât Be Bothered To Understand Or Value Or Even Be Kind About Them a detailed reminder that no oneâs perfect and sometimes what one person doesnât mind or see hits another person hard
Florean Fortescue Just Wanted To Sell Some Ice Cream And Help Harry With His Homework He Is The Only Adult Who Didnât Mess Up Until Getting Killed By Voldemort, RIPÂ an increasingly strident addendum by me
Summary: After Ron insists Fred doesn't have a chance with Hermione, he decides to put money on it. The bet? Simple: Hermione must agree to go on a date with Fred before the New Year. Fred thinks it should be fairly easy to pull off--as long as Hermione doesnât kill him when he tells her.
Warnings: Language, American writer attempting to use British slang, mild Ron bashing (necessary for the plot and not exactly ooc)
Pairing: Hermione Granger x Fred Weasley
Word Count: 5.5k
Request:Â fremione fake-dating??? maybe someone did a bet that fred couldn't date her and everyone was being mean to her bc ron is w lavender and they expected her to be w him, and fred (who has feelings for her obv) is like "not oN MY WATCH" and he's like "let's fake date so we'll get money out of this suckers" idk!!! hi hope you're well
Fred watched Hermione smile the way one might watch a child fall off a training broom after trying to mount it for the first time: fond, pitying, just the slightest bit amused.
None of the others noticed it, the way her eyes didnât light up in joy or how her smile was a bit too stiff to be natural. But he did. Likely because he had been the only one to elicit a real, genuine grin out of the witch in the past six months or so. He spent enough time staring at her, he should certainly know the difference by now, even if no one else did.
Harry, he would give a pass to as he had his hands a bit full with his godson running around the room and being forced to sit through wedding planning with Molly as Ginny only rolled her eyes in the background. Poor bloke really was stretched thin these days, and Fred knew he still made a conscious effort to reach out to Hermione and include her in his life despite it. Not noticing her silent suffering in a room filled with noisy celebrations was almost understandable, all things considered.
Ron, on the other hand, was on thin fucking ice.
He should have noticed how uncomfortable Hermione was the second he announced that Lavender Brown would be coming to their family Christmas. Should have given in when Hermione politely tried to extract herself from the event in anticipation of the unbearable awkwardness that was sure to come with attending a dinner with your ex-boyfriend, his annoying new (old) girlfriend, and said ex-boyfriendâs entire family.
But then again, Ron did have it right when he (rather untactfully) pointed out that she didnât exactly have anyone else to spend the holiday with.
He was supposed to be the one who knew her best though, despite their (mostly) amicable break-up nine months ago. They were still friends, after all, and they were better as such anyway. But it would be uncomfortable for anyone to watch their ex-boyfriend/best friend intermittently sneak off with his new girlfriend that he just so happened to have a rather spotty history with, only to come back to engage in conversation about their other best friendâs wedding and oh Won Won, I just love the way the cream napkins set off the lavender table clothes. I do hope we can incorporate that color scheme in our wedding, never mind that they werenât even engaged.
Fred was feeling rather nauseous himself, if he was being honest, and he had never been in a relationship with either of them. He couldnât imagine how Hermione felt, standing with her back against the fireplace as though she were just waiting for the opportunity to make a quick escape through the Floo network. But the forced smile and uncomfortable way she was hugging herself as she clutched her wine glass in a vice grip told him enough, even if no one else could be bothered to notice.
âYouâre staring again,â a voice nearly identical to his own warned from next to him, and he immediately averted his gaze. But it was too late.
âStill pining, eh Freddy?â Charlie teased, flopping down next to Fred on the sofa, throwing his arm over his shoulders.
George scoffed into his glass of firewhiskey at his other side, and any gratitude Fred held towards him for the too-late warning faded instantly. He caught Billâs eye from where he sat in the armchair to their left, and his rather wolfish grin told him that he had noticed as well, though he kindly chose not to say anything.
Which was precisely why he was his favorite brother. After George of course.
Well, after George on a good day. Today just happened to not be.
âOf course,â George said, rolling his eyes in what could only be described as fond exasperation. âI donât know if he could make it more obvious at this point.â
âI am not obvious,â Fred hissed, hoping they would understand and lower their damn voices before they drew even more attention to his unfortunate state of being.
That is to say, his rather inopportunely timed attraction to one Hermione Granger, of course.
âYou stare at her,â George said, tone flat and uncharacteristic frown tugging at his lips. âYou send her âtrialsâ from the shop like a dedicated husband would send his wife flowers. You have dinner with her once a week just to âcatch up,â like either of you are really that interestingââ
âOi!â
ââand you get this look on your face whenever she laughs, like sheâs made your entire day just by existing.â
âRight,â Charlie said, though he sounded a bit unsure. Fred didnât blame him. No one knew him like George did, and usually his twin had the good grace not to blab his business to anyone else. But apparently his tongue got a little too loose after three glasses of firewhiskey and four months of watching his brother pine after a certain curly-haired witch. âWhat he said. But you know that nothing can come of it right?â
Fred grit his teeth and ignored the sympathetic look George was pulling in an attempt to convey his own feelings on the subject. He simply sipped at his drink and hoped that his obnoxious and overly intoxicated brothers would find something else to talk about before he lost his temper.
And really, when had that been a problem before? Fred and George were both known for their laid-back and carefree demeanor, but he supposed there had always been something about Hermione Granger that got under his skin and brought out the worst (and best) in him. Thoughts of his fourth year and an attempted attack on Malfoy came to mind, and his lips twitched up without his permission as they so often did when he thought of Hermione.
He really was in trouble, despite his efforts to play it cool. But no one else needed to know that.
âLay off him,â Bill finally cut in, taking pity on him. âHe knows better, no sense in rubbing salt in the wound, yeah?â
And suddenly Percy was Fredâs favorite brother, which was a rather clear indicator of where all of the others currently ranked on his shit list.
âDo I though?â Fred couldnât resist challenging with a mischievous smirk, if only because he was completely over this conversation and everyone telling him what he can and canât do and who he can and canât fancy.
âFred,â George warned lowly, regret for having started his conversation clear on his face. âLetâs not get into this here, yeah?â
Fred inhaled deeply, ready to concede and make a quick retreat to his room before another voice cut in.
âGet into what?â
All four Weasley brothers turned their head as one to look at their youngest brother. Fred would have been amazed that he had managed to extricate himself from his lovely girlfriend who had a habit of clinging to him like an octopus in heat were he not so concerned that he had just overheard every word they had said leading up to this interruption.
âYouâre not talking about âMione, are you?â
Which he had, apparently.
Fred shrugged, feigning indifference even as his heart started beating uncomfortably fast in his chest.
George, ever faithful to his twin, downed the rest of his (rather full) glass of firewhiskey and used the subsequent burning of his throat as an excuse not to respond.
Charlie shifted uncomfortably and looked at a particularly fascinating wall across the room, far away from Ronâs expectant eyes and Hermioneâs completely oblivious form, still reclined against the fireplace.
Bill got up and walked away without a word. Fred had always suspected he was the smartest of them all.
âYou are!â Ron exclaimed, and Fred braced for the impact of his anger, fingers twitching against his wand in anticipation of casting a silencing charm before he could cause a scene. But then Ron was laughing, and Fred almost wished he would yell at him instead.
âCâmon mate,â Ron chortled, falling gracelessly into the seat Bill had vacated. âHermione? You canât be serious!â
âCareful there, Won Won,â George cautioned when Fred only raised a brow in a bid to keep things from escalating and catching the attention of a certain witch. âWe havenât questioned your current⌠romantic interests. You would do well to return the favor.â
Ron snorted and Fred felt his temper rise in kind.
âRelax, Iâm not trying to start anything. Just surprised is all,â Ron answered, voice a bit calmer, though the amusement was still clear on his face. Fred knew that he really had gotten a better handle on his temper after the war, but he suspected his laidback attitude had less to do with self-control and more to do with a complete lack of concern. He tried not to be offended by the implication.
âI mean, really. Hermione?â Ron said again, as though just repeating her name would make Fred realize how hopeless it was. As though he didnât already know. âI couldnât make it work with her, and weâve certainly got more in common than the two of you would. It just doesnât make sense.â
Try as he might, Fred was officially offended. And when Fred was offended (and admittedly, slightly inebriated), he tended to make poor decisions.
âOh really? Care to make a wager?â
Ron scoffed, George paled, Charlie choked on his drink, and Bill circled back around to listen in at a careful distance. Fred didnât care. Ron was being a gitâto both him and Hermioneâand if he had to do something that was extremely likely to blow up in his face to make a point well⌠no one had ever accused him of making sensible decisions, had they?
âA wager? What are you on about now?â
âWell, Won Won, you just implied that Hermione would never date me,â Fred answered, speaking slowly in the way he knew made Ron feel like a bit of an idiot. Which he often was. âI think youâre wrong. Are you willing to put money on it?â
âFred,â George cut in as Ronâs face turned an alarming shade of red, âI donât think this is a great idea. Maybe just let it go, yeah?â
For the briefest moment, Fred considered taking his twinâs advice. He was, after all, the closest thing Fred had to a voice of reason.
But then, from across the room, Fred heard a simpering voiceâ
âOh Hermione, didnât you bring someone with you? You look so lonely over there all by yourself!â
âand he knew that this had to stop, one way or another.
âNo, George, I donât think I will let this go. If Ron is so sure that Hermione would never be interested in me, then what does he have to lose by putting a little money on it?â
Of course, Fred was smart enough to know that there was plenty of things wrong with making Hermione the object of a bet, but he also knew that he would deal with that after he wiped that smug look off of Ronâs face.
And if the fierce frown on his bright red face was anything to go by, Fred had already succeeded there.
âAlright, fine,â Ron seethed, âif you want to be a git about it, sure. Twenty galleons says you canât get Hermione to go on a date with you by the end of the year. Deal?â
Fred knew he should refuseâtwenty galleons was a lot of money, New Yearâs Eve was only six days away, Hermione would kill him when she found outâbut what he said was, âDone.â
And then he stood up and strode over to the woman of his dreams without another word and, realistically speaking, without a hope in the world of getting her to agree to a date with him once she knew what heâd done.
.:.
The holidays were the hardest, Hermione knew.
At first, it was just the reminder of all they had lost during the war. Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Dumbledore, Moody, even Snape. Her parents were the worst though. Despite the fact they were both alive and perfectly happy in Australia, it stung to know that they would never know they once had a daughter who had to erase their memories of her to keep them safe.
(And, if she were being honest, thatâs what hurt the mostâknowing they were so happy without her, even if she was relieved that they were able to live safely without knowledge of her world.)
But it also reminded them of what they still had but very nearly lost.
Fred, who was in a coma for weeks before finally waking up after the wall collapsed on him.
Lavender, who Greyback had mauled, but had thankfully been ripped away by Hermioneâs hex before he could do any fatal damage.
Which brought her to why holidays still sucked, three years after the war and nearly a year after her split from Ron.
âOh Won Won, come over quick! Thereâs mistletoe in the kitchen that I didnât notice before!â
Hermione was over Ron, she really was. After two years of giving it their best, their relationship never did feel as comfortable as it had when they were just friends: they fought too much and shared so little in common interests once defeating Voldemort was taken out of the equation. He could never follow her when she talked about her workday or projects she was working on, and it only served to make him feel stupid and lash out.
They really just werenât suited for domestic bliss, something they had both finally admitted and come to terms with. Luckily, they were still friends thanks to this mutual understanding.
However, there were certainly downsides to remaining close friends with your ex, and one of those happened to be sitting through an awkward holiday celebration where said ex swapped a concerning amount of spit and wedding talk with a woman she had once been terribly jealous of.
Now, it was just annoying and uncomfortable, watching a family she considered her own in so many ways fawn over Ronâs new girlfriend and leave her to hold up the fireplace all on her own without so much as a âHow have you been Hermione?â.
It was preferable to conversation though, as whenever she did engage it was always met with comments like oh Hermione, you really would have made such a beautiful bride, but I suppose itâs all for the best now or Hermione, did you know that Lavender works in the Ministry as well? Sheâs already been promoted after a year! Isnât that just so impressive.
She knew they (as in Molly Weasley specifically of course) meant well, but it still stung to be treated like old news when she had been assured (and perhaps foolishly believed) that she was still family, with or without her relationship to Ron.
She was beginning to think staying at home alone would have been preferable after all.
âHello, Ms. Granger.â
Her head whipped around, shocked out of her silent self-pitying by Fred Weasleyâs smooth baritone and warmth as he sidled up next to her, firewhiskey clutched tight in one hand while the other draped itself across her shoulder. Her lips twitched up without prompting, perhaps the first genuine smile of the night, even if it was a rather pathetic one.
âFred,â she greeted in return. âI take it youâre enjoying yourself?â
âNot really,â he answered in that casual way of his even though his eyes appeared to be piercing straight to her soul in their intensity. âJust came away from a rather unfortunate conversation with Ickle Ronniekins.â
Hermione glanced over Fredâs shoulder, unconsciously looking for the spot across the living room where she had been stealing occasional glances at Fred (and the rest of the Weasley brothers of course) throughout the night. What she found were three Weasley men staring at them in intense captivation and a fourth with seething irritation, and she winced in sympathy. She couldnât imagine what sort of âunfortunate conversationâ resulted in a stare down like this, but she knows that she feels bad for Fred for being on the receiving end of it. Even if he did probably deserve it.
âOh Merlin,â she sighed in what can only be described as fond exasperationâa common occurrence since she started to become better acquainted with Fred. âWhat have you done now?â
âSomething I probably shouldnât have,â he replied before draining the rest of his firewhiskey in one gulp and turning to face her more fully, completely obscuring her view of their audience.
She only raised a single eyebrow, a practiced move that typically had Harry and Ron spilling their guts but only served to make Fredâs lips twitch in amusement.
Though he did appear almost⌠nervous. A strange look for Fred Weasley, and one that made her a little apprehensive of what exactly he did do. But in the blink of an eye, the look was gone and suddenly his face was much closer to her own.
âIn the spirit of honesty,â he murmured, the whisper of his words brushed against the shell of her ear, the warmth of his breath on her skin and the smell of the Firewhiskey on his tongue causing an involuntary shiver to run down her spine, âI need to tell you something.â
âOh?â she returned, trying to keep an air of calm unaffectedness despite the goosebumps that started where his lips had brushed against her skin and spread down her neck like wildfire. She sipped on her wine and stared at the Christmas tree that she could just see over Fredâs broad shoulder, pretending that her attention wasnât entirely focused on Fred and the way his lips were still so close to her now hyper-sensitive skin. And if his responding chuckle was any indication, he very well knew it.
âMmmm,â he hummed, the sound and vibration causing a flush to rise to her cheeks in a way she hoped could be attributed to the drink in her hand and not the man draped across her. Honestly, how had no one noticed that he was practically absorbing her into his own body at this point? Were they all really that oblivious or was she simply imagining things? Or were the four Weasley brothers still just watching this rather strange show in silent fascination, placing bets on what would happen next? âBut I canât tell you here.â
He pulled back abruptly, and Hermione instantly felt bereft of his heat, though the feeling was immediately chased away by her annoyance at that fact. It took her a moment to even recall what it was he was saying (which was, admittedly, not much).
âAnd why not?â she shot back once she remembered that this was supposed to be a normal conversation with her ex-boyfriendâs brother, not an exhibition.
Fredâs grin was decidedly predatory, and Hermione tried her best to not relish in that fact but Merlin, had he always been this attractive, or was the wine getting to her?
âA couple reasons. But the one that really matters right now is that itâll really piss Ron off if we disappear upstairs together. So, what do you say?â
Hermione knew it was petty of her to get a little thrill out of causing one of her oldest friends any sort of irritation, but after the last four hours of standing by the fireplace with only backhanded compliments or outright insults for company, well⌠her answer was fairly obvious.
âYour room then?â
Fredâs grin only widened as she polished off the last of her wine, set the glass on the mantle, and led the way up the stairs.
If she had glanced back, she would have seen four identical looks of shock on Bill, Charlie, George, and Ronâs faces as she silently reached back and snatched up Fredâs hand on the way.
As it was, she kept her head held high and shoulders thrown back as she tugged Fred up the stairs, trying desperately to appear calm and collected despite the nerves that were tying her stomach in knots as she considered just what it was Fred wanted to confess to her.
.:.
âSo,â Hermione starts as soon as Fred has closed the door behind them, âWhat do you need to tell me?â
If Fred had looked slightly nervous before, he looks positively anxious now. All the smug amusement that had previously dominated his face was gone, and he stood with his arms crossed and back against the door, almost as far from where she stood in the center of the room as he could get. The change was off putting, to say the least.
She frowned when he didnât say anything for a long moment. âIs everything all right, Fred?â
His lips pursed and for a moment she thought he really wasnât going to tell her what this was all about, but then he said, âIâm not sure yet. Â I have a feeling youâre about to be very angry with me,â and she was both relieved and anxious all at once.
âWell,â she said after a moment, âbest to just get it over with then.â
Fred looked like he didnât agree with her, but he ploughed on regardless. âI made a bet with Ron.â When she didnât respond in the pregnant pause that followed, he continued. âIt involved you.â
âInvolved me how, exactly?â Hermione cut in when it seemed like he really was going to leave it there. And if her voice came out sharper than she intended, Fred didnât appear to notice, too caught up in trying to figure out how to say whatever it was he had to say.
He took a deep breath, then, and let it out in a rush of air: âI bet him twenty galleons that I could get you to go on a date with me by the end of the year.â
Whatever Hermione was expecting to hear, it certainly wasnât that and all she could think to say in response was a startled âWhat?â
And though she had to pull the truth out of Fred sentence by sentence before, the words came pouring out of him now.
âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry, I know it was a stupid thing to do. But I was just so tired of Ron acting like heâs the authority on you and telling me what I could and couldnât do. As though he really knows you that well, considering he practically forced you into attending a party you knew would be uncomfortable and then does absolutely nothing to make it easier on you. The bloke is completely oblivious ninety percent of the time, but anytime I try to talk to you or âtake your side,â suddenly heâs there and telling me to back off. Like heâs the only one that has a right to show any interest in you despite the fact you havenât been in a relationship for nearly a year and youâve barely even seen each other since. Not that I blame you of course. Iâd rather not see him myself, especially when heâs constantly attached at the hip with that whiny little girlfriend of his. I mean, I suppose she wouldnât be that bad if she could just stop talking about herself or her dear Won Won for more than a bloody minute. Honestly, George and I thought you and Ginny were exaggerating your sixth year, but obviouslyââ
âFred Weasley,â Hermione finally cut it once it was clear this confession had gone off the rails completely. âAre you rambling?â
âNo,â Fred shot back defensively, followed by a less sure, âwell, maybe.â
âDefinitely,â she corrected, grinning widely.
She was somehow thoroughly amused rather than irritated as she knew she should be. Being the object of a bet between her ex and his brother should have infuriated her completely. Especially when it concerned her love life, something neither of them had any right to even discuss.
But this was Fred. Fred who was kind to her when everyone else in the Weasley family (save Ginny) was too afraid of Mollyâs wrath to even speak to her during the first month after her break up with Ron. Fred who sent her âcare packagesâ that consisted mostly of WWW products that she would never use but appreciated for their brilliance. Fred who went out of his way to make her feel included during the few Weasley family meals she still attended. Fred who was often on the receiving end of Ronâs glare as a result. Fred who made her smile for the first time that night. Fred who touched her so lightly but incited a warmth in her that she hadnât felt in ages. Fred who was so much taller than her, and warmhearted and funny and clever and brilliant andâ
Dear God, did she have a crush on Fred Weasley?
Well⌠that changed things a bit.
She bit her lip, suddenly unsure of whether the plan forming in her mind was wise or not. Hermione really wasnât one to rush into things or make a decision without thinking through all of the possible outcomes, but well⌠Fred was still staring at her with cautious, heartbreaking brown eyes and he looked so earnest and Ron really was being a bit of a git.
And if even one outcome resulted in her and Fred being happyâpossibly even togetherâthen she was willing to risk it. She was a Gryffindor after all.
âTwenty galleons you say?â
Fred blinked at her as though he didnât understand. âUh, yeah. Twenty galleons. That was what we bet.â
âSeems like a lot,â she teased, smile slowly forming on her lips as she became more confident in her decision. Â âYou must be very invested in my love life.â
Fred narrowed his eyes at her, entirely aware that she was taking the mickey out of him. But he answered her with a seriousness that sobered her quickly. âYou could say that.â
âWellâŚâ she swallowed, unsure of how to take that but hoping it meant what she thought it did. âI assume weâd split it then?â
âOf course,â Fred answered, though he suddenly looked uncertain, as though he couldnât possibly imagine where she was taking this. âItâs only fair.â
âThen are you free tomorrow?â
âAm Iâwhat?â
Hermioneâs smile only grew, finding Fredâs confusion endearing. She had never seen him so shaken before, and sheâd be lying if she said she didnât enjoy it.
âAre you free? For our date? I know itâs short notice, but he didnât exactly give us much time to work with, and the sooner the better.â
This may have had something to do with her fear that she would overthink it if given more time, but he didnât need to know that. Â
âYouâre serious?â Fred asked, looking like he had just been told Percy was quitting his job at the Ministry to become a pole dancer. âYouâre not mad at me? Youâre actually agreeing to go on a date with me?â
âWell, first of all, Iâm not agreeing to do anything. Iâm asking you to go on a date with meâa distinction you may want to make clear to Ronald,â Hermione corrected, smile turning less teasing and more sly. âAnd while I do wish you would have consulted me first, I understand that that wasnât exactly an option at the time. And⌠I appreciate your honesty. You didnât have to be up front with meâyou could have just offered to take me on a date and I would have had no idea it was with ulterior intentions. So⌠yes, Fred Weasley. I would like to go on a date with you. If not for the ten galleons, then to see the look on Ronaldâs face when I tell him.â
âAnd for my stimulating company, of course?â Fred waggled his eyebrows, looking much more like himself than he did only moments ago. Hermioneâs heart warmed at the sight, pleased that she had that effect on him.
âBut of course,â Hermione practically purred, her voice taking on a quality it had never possessed before. One that made Fredâs face flush and his heart beat erratically. âAnd make no mistake, Fred Weasley. Even if weâre going on this date to win a bet and prove your brother wrong, it will be a real one. I expect you to plan something nice, all right?â
âI can do that,â Fred agreed easily, grin only growing. âOn my honor as a wizard, it will be the best date youâve ever been on Hermione Granger.â
Her responding grin was just as bright. âIâm looking forward to it.â
âShall we then?â Fred asked after a pause that seemed to increase the temperature of the room by about ten degrees. He opened the door wide, gesturing grandly for her to go through first. Hermione rolled her eyes but walked through without complaint. Fredâs grin only brightened. Â
That is, until they reached the bottom of the stairs.
âMistletoe,â Hermione breathed as she came to a sudden, jarring stop at the bottom of the stairs, her gaze locked on the offending bit of magical flora that floated above their heads.
Fredâs gaze, however, was locked on a face nearly identical to his own, though his twin was smirking rather than glaring as Fred was. Next to him, Ron appeared ready to combust.
âIâm sorry,â Fred apologized immediately, gaze turning soft and pleading as he turned to look down at her. âI had no ideaââ
âI know,â she answered, already guessing at who had moved this wonderful bit of magic to trap them at the bottom of the stairs. Normally, she would be angry that yet another choice had been made for her. But after three glasses of wine, an intense conversation with Fred, and the promise of a wonderful date tomorrow, she was feeling a bit reckless. âMight as well let them know my answer now.â
âWhat are youââ
She cut him off with a press of her lips to his still-open mouth, and though she had initially intended for it to be chaste, she used the opportunity to slip her tongue inside and taste him properly. His answering groan told her she had made the right decision.
It was a bit uncomfortable, as far as first kisses go. He was a step above her on the stairs, and as he was already taller than her, it meant she had to stretch up on her tiptoes and yank him down by the collar to even reach him. Not to mention she could practically feel the eyes of their friends and family boring into her back. But when Fred stepped down and tugged her closer, never breaking free of her hold on him, they really found their stride.
She had no idea how long they stood there, her fists clenched tightly in his jacket and his cinching her waist despite his overwhelming desire to bury them in her hair, their lips moving and caressing each other seamlessly; but eventually someone cleared their throat and she pulled away with a pop that would have embarrassed her if Fred werenât currently looking at her as though she was the best thing he had ever tasted.
âWell,â Hermione said after an awkward beat of silence, turning to find that everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing to stare at them, eyes wide and mouths gaping. âItâs been lovely, but I think Iâll go home. Thanks for everything Molly, Arthur.â She nodded to his parents as she separated from him, heading directly for the Floo.
She picked up a handful of powder, ready to throw it into the fireplace, before she turned back to face him at the last second, grin mischievous. The sight nearly brought him to his knees. âOh, and Iâll see you tomorrow Fred. What time are you picking me up?â
âSix?â he suggested, lips curving up to match hers as his family continued to watch them in a sort of stunned fascination.
âIâll see you at six then,â she agreed before disappearing is a swirl of green flames.
Another tense silence followed her departure, and Fred took great pains to not meet the eyes of anyone in the room. If they were horrified, surprised, or disgusted, he really didnât care to know. He had just snogged Hermione Granger senseless, and he planned on ridding this high as long as possible.
âI think Iâll head out too,â Fred decided, sparing his twin one last glance as he made his way to the fireplace. âSee you at the flat, George.â
In the seconds it took him to grip the Floo powder and throw it down, the room seemed to come back to life. Molly Weasley started screaming questions at him so fast he couldnât even begin to decipher them, Ron called out âWhat in the bloody hell was that?â, Charlie was applauding, Ginny was wolf whistling, but Fred didnât care. He was already flying through the Floo Network, hoping that no one (save George) was stupid enough to follow him.
He had an important date to plan, after all. And if he had any hope of getting Hermione to agree to a second one, it had to be perfect.
Notes:Â This got a bit longer than I meant it to, so it's split into two parts. The second part should come later this week. Any thoughts on what our lovebirds should do on their date?
I HATE that âAfter all this time?â âAlwaysâ is used as the hash tag iconic Harry Potter quote when Quirrel and Voldemortâs âSo you came back...?â âI came home.â from A Very Potter Musical is RIGHT FUCKING THERE