Hello to all of you crazy enough to read this one shot. I wrote this for the Twin Exchange Monthly Challenge. My prompt is a mouse although I may throw in the fake flowers and cough syrup as well. The pairing is Fred and Hermione. The quote will be 'August is national eye-exam month, didn't you know?'
Mice, Floss, Flowers, and Eye-exams
Hermione woke up for the tenth time that night just to roll over onto her stomach and stare at the alarm clock. She could have sworn that it had been frozen at 12:47am. Instead of tormenting herself any longer, she swung her legs off the bed and headed down to the kitchen of the burrow.
It was the summer after sixth year and she and Harry were invited to spend the summer with all of the Weasleys. So far, it had been nothing but quidditch and talk of what seventh year would be like without Albus Dumbledore and the Horcuxes.
When Hermione reached the kitchen, she started to rummage through the cabinets for something to eat. She still had not found anything and was attempting to reach a higher shelf, when a pair of hands found her waist and raised her up.
Hermione had to fight the urge to shriek. Instead, she just slowly turned her gaze down to find Fred grinning back up at her impishly.
"Fred, what the hell are you doing?" Hermione asked in annoyance as her face turned a lovely shade of puce.
"I'm not Fred, Hermione, I'm George." He said in a matter of fact manner.
"No your not." Hermione said in a self-assured voice.
"How do you know I'm not, though, love?" the twin retorted with just as much confidence.
"Because, Fred, you have darker eyes than your brother's and you have one freckle just above your top lip that is shaped like a heart." Hermione replied in one of her know-it-all voices she so rarely employed this summer.
"Hmm you got me there. I thought you wouldn't be able to figure it out this time." Fred finally owned up. "But wait a second, why have you noticed that my eyes are darker than his?"
Hermione's face found that puce color again, much to her discomfort. She turned to face him completely and sat herself on the counter in the process.
"Didn't you know that August is national eye-exam month, Fred?" Hermione asked bashfully as she lied.
"It is? Well by Joe, let's take a look at your eyes then my dear." Fred said with a twinkle.
"No thanks, could you just lift me up again so I can reach that tall shelf?" Hermione said blushing ferociously.
Fred obliged and lifted her as though she were nothing more than a mere feather.
"Is that cough syrup?" Fred asked as Hermione pulled a bottle down from the cabinet.
"Yes it is, I have no idea what its doing in the kitchen though. Maybe Molly has Ronald cleaning again." Hermione said as she twisted in Fred's grip, indicating that she wanted down.
Then all the sudden Fred dropped her as he squealed like a little girl and clambered up onto the counter himself.
"Fred Alexander Weasley, what the bloody hell is your problem!" Hermione said as she stood to rub her bruised rear. Then she saw it, a plump black mouse.
She squealed as badly as Fred did and he pulled her up onto the counter with him and wrapped his arms around her waist protectively.
"Fred, does everyone else know you're afraid of mice?" Hermione asked as the mouse scurried away.
"N-no and if you t-tell anyone I-I…." Fred started but could not finish as he found himself staring into Hermione's eyes. His stomach knotted up and he felt as though there were a thousand Cornish Pixies fluttering inside of him.
"You'll what?" Hermione whispered before closing the distance between them and brushing her lips over his. She wished he would move. Just as she started to think 'Oh god, this was a huge mistake, I never should have done that.' Fred licked her bottom lip and deepened the kiss.
Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and suddenly realized they were both sitting on the counter and she broke the kiss, leaving both of them panting and out of breath.
"Mmm… That was…" Fred muttered, obviously at a loss for words.
"Wonderfully sweet?" Hermione offered.
"Erotic?" Fred also offered at the same time.
Both burst out laughing at the hilarity of their situation, whilst Fred hopped down off the counter and in turn offered his hand to Hermione. She let him fold her hand into his own and then he wrapped his other arm around her waist and lifted her off the counter.
"So umm, why are you up so late, Fred?" Hermione asked quietly as she avoided his eyes.
"I could ask you the same thing, love." Was Fred's reply.
They walked over to the large table and sat down facing each other.
"Nightmares." They both said in unison.
"What could you be having nightmares about, Fred? You and George know how to make everything amusing." Hermione said incredulously.
"Umm I'd rather not give you the details, but it had to do with Great Aunt Mildred, a box of floss, and fake flowers…" Fred trailed off as Hermione tried to obscure her mirth underneath a very atrocious mask of sympathy. It looked rather like a contortion of pain to Fred, though.
"I see…" Hermione said just before they both exploded into laughter yet again.
"Hermione…I don't know what to say…but I think we need to talk…" Fred said rather diffidently.
"Fred… ok, do you like me?" Hermione said in a tranquil and unruffled tone.
"Umm… only if you don't hex me for saying yes…" Fred countered, blushing profusely.
"I'm not going to hex, you, Fred. I like you and you like me… What are we going to do about this?" Hermione asked.
Fred declined to answer. He stood and leaned over the table to incarcerate Hermione's rosey red lips in a staining, zealous kiss.
"I guess that answers my question." Hermione whispered against Fred's soft and swollen lips.
