Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition by Beater 1 of the Appleby Arrows.
The theme was Shakespeare and I was given the task to write something relevant to Much Ado About Nothing.
Prompts:
(quote) 'Never tell a girl you like her, it makes you look like an idiot' - AVPM
(song) Titanium by David Guetta ft. Sia
(word) burning
Note: This is a very fast paced story and that was how it was intended to be. It is very hard to fit Shakespeare into a one-shot without there being too many details. Thank you for reading :)
"What is all this?" Hermione asked, looking around, bewildered. The trees around her were all lit up like decorations in Christmas. There was a small fire that her companion had just lit, and the smell of burning wood (her favorite) filled the air. The foggy night gave it a very enchanted look and the sound of the waterfall next to them was equally as soothing.
"My paradise," Fred answered, smile on his face. He turned his head down to hers and grabbed her hand. "And maybe yours too," Hermione felt something slide onto her finger, but kept her eyes on Fred, "if you'll have me," he finished.
She couldn't breathe. She could barely even control herself as she looked down at her hand to see the strawberry flavored ring pop on her finger, and she laughed and she cried.
They were meant to be together. No ifs, ands, or butts. She was his everything and likewise for her. The clever bookworm and the hilarious prankster, an odd couple, yet one that makes so much sense.
So she said yes and kissed him. And that's how the story begins, with a strawberry flavored ring pop.
Six months later...
"You're getting married!"
"I'm getting married!"
"You're going to be a wife!"
"I'm going to be a wife!"
"Oh, imagine all the kids you'll have! Why at least ten so-"
"Woah there, Gin, we haven't made it that far yet." Hermione smiled at her redheaded friend and looked into the mirror to make sure everything was perfect. It had to be. It was her rehearsal dinner after all, and there were hundreds of people attending. "Now, I know you're not that big of a fan of Harry-"
"Eurgh!"
"-But please, please, please play nice. Then after the wedding you never have to speak to him again, promise."
Ginny rolled her eyes, taking her hand to flip her hair out of her face. "I've spent the last five years avoiding him, I'm sure I can handle a few mere months."
Hermione sighed. "You guys are going to have to speak to each other at some point, even if it's all weird talking to your ex."
"We dated for, like, a year. It doesn't count."
"Whatever, just no fighting at my party."
Twelve minutes later...
"Oh, well I'm sorry my inheritance can't buy me some fake friends and the government. 'Oh look, I'm Harry Potter, I'm so cool! I saved the world from Lord Voldemort, did you know I'm the Chosen One?' Get over yourself, Potter, not everyone loves you." Ginny was gritting her teeth, furious.
"Why pay people to be friends with you when you just go ahead and sleep with them anyway?" Harry retorted, the fire burning just as bright behind his eyes.
"Ooh, is someone jealous that I actually got laid at Hogwarts?"
"Why be jealous of something-"
"Really guys?"
Ginny and Harry, both fuming, turned their heads to look at the tall lanky redhead next to them. George Weasley was grinning ear to ear at the couple in front of him. "This is Freddie and Hermie's night before their big day, I say we all get super drunk, forget about the past, and enjoy this night together. Yeah?"
Ginny grabbed the wine glass from her brother's hand and downed it one go, wiping her mouth with her hand. "I doubt the Boy-With-A-Stick-Up-His-Butt even knows what a good night is."
"Now, now, let's play nice," George said, and he grabbed both of their hands to lead them to the open bar. "And let's get drunk."
Six hours later...
"Freddie, oh Merlin Freddie, Freddie, Freddie. Oh, no," George was stumbling around towards his brother, who was watching with amusement on his face.
"What's up my beautiful, wasted brother?" He laughed, causing his friends around him to laugh as well.
"Not good, not good at all. C'mere and see for yourself."
If there was a moment where any and every God in the universe just made it so George had never made his way to Fred, so Fred wouldn't have followed him to Hermione's hotel room (where they were having the rehearsal dinner) then Fred wouldn't have heard all the loud (and clearly inappropriate) noises coming from the other side. Since he himself was a bit tipsy too, he wouldn't have been unable to tell the difference between Hermione's voice and the girl that was in her room having a great night. He wouldn't have punched his brother Ron in the face when he came out of that room only a few minutes later, and he wouldn't have assumed that the girl in the hotel room was Hermione, when it was really Lavender Brown.
And then the next day would have gone a million times better.
o.O.o
"AYE! Gred, Forge! What's up my homies? What's crack-a-lackin?" Harry Potter was complete and utterly wasted with his tie around his head, his socks on his hands, and his arm around Ginny Weasley, his ex-girlfriend who he had sworn to hate for the rest of his life. He didn't notice how incredibly livid Fred was (who stomped right by them without a word) and turned his head to look at George questingly. "What do you look so happy for? Did you meet a girl? You didn't tell her you liked her though, right? Never tell a girl you like her, it just makes you look stupid."
For someone who had just thought to have caught his brother's fiancé cheating with his other brother, George sure did look ecstatic. Anyone who had been watching George throughout the night would have right away noticed the mischievous glint his eyes. "I just pulled an amazing prank, best part is I didn't even have to do anything! Just brought Fred up with me to see it. Doesn't seem too happy now, but man it was hilarious! Should have seen his face!" Although as George was saying this Harry had lost interest and instead was staring intently into Ginny's eyes, who was staring back. Laughing to himself, George just walked away.
Eighteen hours later...
"I can't believe he just left her at the altar like that."
Ginny looked puzzled at Harry, "didn't you hear what happened?"
Harry nodded, "I don't believe it though. That's not like Hermione, she would never ever sleep with Ron. Besides, she spent last night in your hotel room feeling sick. And it was probably George's fault, he is the one that sent him up there in the first place. She was feeling sick, not cheating on the love her life."
"Feeling sick or feeling guilty?"
"Come on Ginny, I know you don't believe it. We just have to figure out the truth. Start from what you remember, and we'll work our way there. When did Hermione go to your room...?"
I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose
Fire away, fire away
Ricochet, you take your aim
Fire away, fire away
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
The lyrics hummed in the back of Hermione's head as she tried to keep herself grounded to the world. She was determined to find out what happened and why in the world Fred thought she supposedly had slept with someone else last night. Though she was far from sober herself, she did remember enough to know that nothing happened between her and anyone. She had had too much to drink leading to a very upset stomach which led to her being in Ginny's hotel room bathroom the entire night, as she had given her key to Lavendar so she could use her shower.
o.O.o
"What do you mean it was all a big misunderstanding?" Fred was furious and scary looking as his form took the entire door frame. "I just called off an entire wedding in front of hundreds of people, and you think it was a mistake? My fiancé slept with my brother!"
"Well..." Harry started, "here's the thing. It wasn't Hermione. It was Lavendar. Hermione had given her the keys to the room, for some reason, and Lavendar used it to her advantage."
There was a pause.
"Er, Fred?"
"Hello?"
"Anyone in there?"
"I think you killed him."
Fred stared into nothingness, unable to gather his thoughts. "So what you're saying... is... Hermione didn't cheat on me.
"Nope," said Harry, "never did. Never will."
"Oh Merlin, what have I done," Fred moaned, falling onto the ground dramatically.
"It's not what you did," Ginny started, "but what are you going to do? How are you going to win her back?"
Fred opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again with a slight smirk. "Why, I'm going to get her a strawberry flavored ring pop."