Twenty-one year old Hermione Granger sat at the desk the guest room of the Burrow engrossed in Ancient Puzzles and Ciphers. She had been invited to stay with the Weasleys at their home over Christmas, and had gratefully accepted, seeing as how her parents would spend the week engaging in her least favorite winter sport: skiing.

There was a knock on the door. "Hermione, is there any tape in there?"

Hermione looked up. "Excuse me? Tape?"

"Yes, tape. You know, as in clear sticky stuff that allows you to fasten-"

"I know what tape is!" Hermione answered. "If you're determined to argue, will you come in here and do it?"

The door opened to reveal a slightly frazzled looking Fred Weasley. Hermione had learned to tell him apart from his twin, George, a long time ago, after they had played a joke on her involving a strobe light, blackstrap molasses, and herself not knowing which Weasley to scream at. She just figured that when it came to the Weasley twins, it was safer to know which was which and where they were at all times.

"Tape?" Fred said, bringing her back to the present.

Hermione rummaged through the desk drawers, coming up with a roll of Spellotape and a box of tacks. She spotted a tube of Infini-stick Superglue, but decided not to mention it, figuring that, in Fred's hands, it would probably be a factor in some illegal and potentially painful experience.

She handed him the two items. "Will these work?"

He shook his head. "I'm wrapping Christmas presents. I'm just looking for regular Scotch tape."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, are you a wizard or aren't you?"

Fred grinned at her. "It's more fun wrapping them the muggle way."

Hermione grabbed her wand and waved it at the box of thumbtacks in Fred's hand. "Transfiguro." It immediately became a roll of Scotch tape.

"You take all the fun out of everything, you know that?" Fred asked.

"Thanks. You too." Hermione said distractedly, absorbed in her book once again.

Fred shook his head and walked out. Oh, well, he thought. Once a bookworm know-it-all, always a bookworm know-it-all!

Ron Weasley, one of Hermione's best friends, brought his fiancée to dinner that night. Her name was Danielle DeFazio, and she was very pretty. Mrs. Weasley, predictably, greeted her with a bone-crushing hug.

"Mom!" Ron cried, his ears burning with embarrassment.

Hermione giggled. "Get used to it," she advised Danielle.

Danielle laughed it off. "Don't worry about it." she soothed a still-blushing Ron.

Hermione smiled. Ron had been her best friend since she was eleven and she was glad he was happy. Speaking of best friends, she snuck a glimpse at her other best friend, Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived was just now in a corner whispering with Ginny Weasley, his girlfriend and the youngest of the Weasley clan. From the way they looked at each other, she suspected he would be engaged soon, too.

At the moment, Hermione didn't have a boyfriend. She told herself that she was just too concerned with work at this crucial stage in her career to have time for dating. Straight out of school, she had gotten a job at the Ministry of Magic cracking codes. She was currently working her way up through the ranks, and was expecting a promotion at any day. She was fine with that. They had the loves of their lives and she had the love of hers: work.

But, watching the two happy couples from across the table, she wasn't sure if that was how it should be…

A/N: After reading all these great Fred/ Hermione stories (and George/Hermione) I was inspired to do one of my own. Please let me know what you think! It's kind of short, but I'm planning on having chapter two up soon.