Happy birthday to cr8vgrl! Have a great one! Huge thanks go to the talented Clover Bay for beta'ing this!
Hermione sat at the Weasley's dinner table, sipping her Elderflower wine. She was more than aware of the unusual seat she had been shuffled into. To her left, sat George, to her right, Fred. She felt almost certain that Fred had positioned her there on purpose, which made her highly suspicious.
"Alright children," Mrs. Weasley said with a sigh as she joined them at the table, "tuck in."
Instantly, freckled hands shot out to grab various dishes and passed them around, plates piling high. Hermione, like Harry and Fleur waited patiently to be handed a dish.
Fred passed her the boiled potatoes, which George snatched away before she could take any.
"Hey!" she grabbed for the bowl, but he had already handed it to Charlie. "I wanted those."
"Oh, sorry." George shrugged but handed her the smashed potatoes.
Annoyed, she put a spoonful on her plate, knowing the boiled ones would never survive a full circle of the table.
"Here you go, Hermione," Fred said, distracting her. He was already scooping beans onto her plate. "Mum's beans are the best." His wide grin did not inspire confidence.
"No!" George half yelled, taking her plate and scraping the beans back into the bowl. "Peas. Peas are much better." He slopped some on the plate.
"George, let the lady pick her own food." Fred frowned at George.
"I'm just helping our friend get the best meal possi- Don't eat that!" His hand whipped out and grabbed the roll that was nearly to her mouth.
Hermione scowled at them. "Chicken. Can I have some of the chicken?"
"Of course you can," they replied in unison.
"Then maybe you could pass it over?" She gestured to Bill, holding the plate out to Fred.
"Oh! Right." He slid a breast onto her plate. She frowned at him. "Oh, sorry; did you want dark meat?"
She gritted her teeth and said, "No thank you." All around her Weasleys, and Potters, were digging into their food. Hermione stared down at her sloppy plate and compared it to Molly's; they were identical. Taking that as a good sign, given the circumstances of how her plate had been filled, she took the first tentative bite.
The moment the creamy potatoes touched her tongue, she was delighted she hadn't taken the boiled ones. She forgot her anxiety and enjoyed the well prepared meal.
Belly full, Hermione relaxed in her chair. She glanced up when Charlie started giggling; he sounded like a six year old little girl, which was even more bizarre because he was just about the manliest thing Hermione had ever had the fortune to lay her eyes upon.
"What's wrong with you, Charlie?" Ginny asked, eyes narrowing over at the twins.
"Don't, haha, know," he collapsed into another fit of giggles.
"Fred! George!" Mrs. Weasley began, but was interrupted when Harry, Mr. Weasley, Ron, and Percy joined in giggling.
Another moment and Fleur let out a high tinkling laugh.
"Not you, too," Bill groaned.
"No, of course not. Ginny's 'hair, it eez blue."
Ginny growled, grabbing a lock of electric blue hair. "This had better wear off soon," she threatened.
Instead of playing innocent, they both laughed and nodded. Arthur giggled even harder when he saw his blue hair reflected on the back of his spoon.
"I love you," Harry suddenly announced, staring at Ginny. The young woman sighed at her giggling husband. "That shade of blue matches those fuzzy-"
She slapped a hand over his mouth, muffling his words. "What did you do?" she asked, red-faced.
"Let's just say," Fred began.
"He's going to be brutally honest," George continued.
"For about two hours," Fred finished.
"We're going home," she glared at them, hand still blocking Harry's words.
Through his giggling, Ron choked out, "They match a pair, ha, of fuzzy handcuffs. I saw them, hehe, in Ginny's drawer when I helped them, ha, move."
"Shut it, Ron!" Ginny drug Harry to the floo.
"I also saw that little yellow-"
But Ginny had ran over and dragged him by the short blue hair and shoved him through the floo with Harry.
"Ginny?" Molly looked displeased.
"Sorry, Mum, gotta go keep those two out of trouble." She practically threw herself into the floo.
"How, haha, long?" Charlie giggled.
"It, hehehe, hurts," Percy gasped.
"About two minutes," George grinned. "Where's it hurt, Perc?"
"Stomach."
"Cheeks," Charlie added.
"Infants," Fleur waved a hand in parting, heading for the Apparation point, not waiting for Bill to follow.
"Are you going to tell her that her hair is blue?" Hermione asked.
"Nope." Bill waved as he trailed after his wife.
Charlie and Percy stopped giggling, each sighing in relief. And without another word, rose simultaneously and exited out the front door. Mr. Weasley had also stopped giggling, but he still chuckled at his hair.
"Boys," Molly scolded, "we are your family, not test subjects. And Hermione...I'm very disappointed you were involved in this little stunt."
"What?! No! I wasn't."
"Please, don't deny it. I've heard it all before. Fred, George, go to your room."
"But, Mum," they protested.
"Now!"
They bickered all the way up the stairs to the old room they used to share.
Arthur had spiked his hair up, pointing in all directions. "Do I look Muggle?"
"Um..."
"Arthur dear, would you clear the table?"
"Course Mollywobbles." He kissed her blushing cheek. "Why don't you slice up that cheesecake?"
"Lovely idea. Would you like a slice, Hermione?"
"Yes, please."
Molly handed her a plate with a small slice. "I wouldn't normally indulge, but since the others have left..." She took a slice for herself.
Two bites in, Fred and George could be heard thundering down the stairs.
"Don't eat it!"
"Don't eat the cheesecake!"
"Oh no." Hermione dropped her fork, wide eyes turning towards Mrs. Weasley. Nothing physically changed on the older woman. They stared at each other for a minute, before Molly's mouth widened into a large gooey grin. She turned adoring eyes on her husband and giggled flirtatiously.
"Molly?" Mr. Weasley's voice was a bit higher than normal.
"Don't eat it!" The twins charged into the room and froze. They looked a little queasy upon seeing their parents plastered to each other, tongues down each others throats.
"Guess they ate some," George said, unable to tear his eyes away.
"Two plates. Damn, Hermione's safe." Fred huffed. He turned to see Hermione smiling up at George. "Or not." Laughing, he pounded his brother on the back and left to head back to their flat.
"Wait, Fred!" George called, but it was too late. Hermione ran her hands up his chest. "Oh man."
"Oh, George," Hermione said wistfully. She leaned into him, kissing his throat.
"No! None of that, now."
"Why not?" she pouted, still rubbing against him.
"Because you'll kill me later."
"No I won't. Why would I hurt you for giving me what I need?"
"Need?" he whispered, throat going dry.
"So badly." She licked the hollow of his throat, which was the highest she could reach, without him bending down.
George moaned and pulled away from her. "You'll regret it."
"Not possible."
He ran a hand over her wild curls. "I wish that were true. But, in an hour, you're going to be very angry at me."
"Please, George. I promise to forgive you for anything you think will anger me."
"Let's just...let's just walk. Okay?" He held her hand, engulfing it with his own large one.
"Alright. Anything so that I can be with you." Her free hand curled around his bicep, holding his arm softly to her body.
George led her out of the house, away from his randy parents. They didn't talk as they circled the backyard pond. For his part, George just enjoyed the feel of her hand in his, her other one gently squeezing his arm.
"Let's sit." She gestured to the bench, overlooking the dark water. "The sun will set soon," she whispered, pressing herself to his side.
"Yeah," he sighed. He forgot to check his watch, but he knew the potion would wear off soon. Now or never. He angled towards her, slipping a few fingers into her curls. "You're really beautiful in this light."
"George, I-"
"No, please, let me finish." He took a deep breath. "You're beautiful, no matter what the lighting."
Hermione blushed and looked down to their intertwined fingers, resting on her lap.
"When this wears off and you've eventually forgive me, I hope you'll consider dating me." His finger was stuck in her hair, he tugged gently, but it stayed trapped. "I know you don't like our pranks, but-"
"You tried to keep me out of it." She looked up at him, squeezing his hand.
"What?"
"Everything you wouldn't let me have during dinner was spiked. And you almost got to me before I ate the cheesecake."
"I did." He nodded, surprised that she was still sitting calmly, holding his hand. "How long-"
"Since you called me beautiful." Slowly, she leaned into him, lifting her face to his.
George dipped his head to capture her lips in a soft kiss. Lips only slightly open; it was quite possibly the sweetest kiss of George's life. Hermione pulled away with a sigh.
"About that date," he led.
"I'd love to." She smiled, but looked up at the bright moon. "We should head back in."
"Er...I'm stuck." He grinned goofily and tugged his hand.
"Honestly." She rolled her eyes and worked his finger free. "Now can we go in?"
"Yeah, we'd better get rid of that cake before anyone else has some." She chuckled, but nodded enthusiastically.
Entering the kitchen, they ignored the toppled furniture and the likely cause of it. The cheesecake pan lay empty in the sink. But the remains weren't in the garbage.
Frowning, George checked the ice box. On the bottom, in the very back was a large container labeled with a giant heart. "Oh, that's just- I don't want to know." He shut the door and tried not to imagine what his parents were saving it for.
The End.