If anyone recognises this, it's because I had it up under a different penname originally. Original documents and proof can be provided.


Summary: Fun loving Fred Weasley has always been carefree, going through life with laughter and fun, fastracking through everything he does. But when his younger brother's friend comes under his radar, he finds himself taking a different perspective.

Disclaimer: All characters and general plotlines belong to JK Rowling. Anything you do not recognise, is mine.

Pairings: FW/HG ; HP/LL


FRED

"Happy Christmas!" The excited call came from my younger sister as she burst into the room I shared with George. I awoke instantly, for years I've been a notoriously light sleeper. For the hundredth time I thought about how we should have locks on our doors, and decided to feign that I was continuing to sleep, contemplating how long I would have befo-

"WAKE UP!" I gave up. Partly because I was now awake, and wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. Partly because who knew what Ginny would resort to next, if she was insistent we should wake up. I opened my eyes and leaned up to look at her. Her beaming face contrasted completely to the drowsy one I'm sure she saw looking back at her, and I groaned. Throwing my pillow in her general direction I fell back down again, knowing that the second thud I heard was George doing exactly the same thing.

Though Ginny's a Weasley, and she doesn't hold that last name for nothing, she threw them right back at us, doing no less than we'd probably expected of her anyway. It fell a few feet to my left, and for a few minutes I groped for it uselessly. Giving it up as lost, I surrendered, raising my hands as I threw back my covers.

"We're up!" My twin and I said in unison, and she smiled sweetly, the traditional Weasley spark shining in her eyes.

"It's not even Christmas until tomorrow, Gin." I stood up, stretching, and she shielded her eyes, her cheeky grin evaporating to be replaced with a grimace as she turned around and made to leave the room.

"It's still the holiday's Fred! And give me some warning next time!" She called over her shoulder, and I smirked, turning to meet George's eyes, who'd got up at what I would bet was the same time as I had.

"What, it's hot." I gestured towards my boxer shorts, rolling my eyes at his blue cuddly pyjamas. He rolled his eyes right back, exaggerating the gesture as he leered at me, scratching behind his ear.

"Not the problem that we're all exposed to your oh so hairless chest, Freddie." He said, a sarcastic lilt infecting his voice. He walked past me, ruffling my hair teasingly as he walked past and into the hallway. I frowned, and looked down in spite of myself.

"I have got hair on my chest!" I called after him as he walked into the bathroom, getting an odd look from Harry, who had been walking through the hall at that time.

'Wow, way to look like a complete idiot in front of the famous guy.'

I sort of shrugged at him awkwardly, and searched my brain for anything, anything atall to make that less weird. Nope, I had nothing. Deciding that the way forward, as always, was comedy, I puffed out my chest and gave him a suggestive look. He looked horrified.

"I'm sure you have, Fred." Harry said, uneasily, raising his hand to awkwardly mess up his hair as he walked down the stairs, slightly faster than he may have had our exchange not happened. The second he left I deflated, groaning amidst peals of laughter from my brother, who had ducked out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand, shaking his head.

"I think you've got a little too much, er… Christmas cheer, if you catch my drift!" He raised his eyebrows, laughing, and after a quick look down, I took a few steps back, slamming the door I'd been standing in, flushing for a moment.

I paced up and down our room, straightening the sheets across my bed and retrieving my lost pillow from where it had fallen behind my bedside table. For the sake of it, I moved a photograph of George, Lee and I so that it was angled with the corner of the table, drumming my fingers against the wooden surface as I contemplated how long George was going to take in the bathroom.

"Fred?" my eyes widened as a certain girls voice came from outside the door. Wasn't Ginny, wasn't Fleur… of course, I was only humouring myself going through the possibilities in my head, for a reason I still didn't want to admit to myself, I could recognise Hermione Granger's voice only too quickly. And it was reminding me of the dream I'd been having before Ginny had woken me up. Though her voice had been saying something slightly different last night…

Shaking my head, I pulled on my dressing gown and made towards the door.

"Fred, are you in there?" I quickened my pace, and put my hand on the doorknob. Really. Feeling awkward in my own house. I opened the door.

'Please don't have heard what George said…' I prayed mentally as she smiled at me, and I gaped back at her, momentarily stopping all trains of thought at the sight of her. She wore simply jeans and a red shirt, it was nothing to get excited about, yet I couldn't help letting my eyes drift over where her shirt strained slightly, to the small expanse of skin where the waistband of her jeans and the hem of her shirt hadn't quite met...

'Stop staring, stop staring… stop talking to yourself mentally'.

"What can I do for you then Granger?" I greeted, marvelling at how calm I sounded. I even added a suggestive wink, and she rolled her eyes, shaking her head at me.

"Breakfast is in ten minutes." She said simply, and I nodded my thanks as she turned away. I watched her walk a few steps, and then she looked over her shoulder.

"And while i'm sure you've got loads of chest hair, Fred, you shouldn't be mentioning it to Harry. Ron and I had to calm him down..." She gave me a cheeky smile, and I laughed. The casual joke she'd slipped in had surprised me, and i'd never seen her smile like that before.

"You'd love to see my chest hair, Granger." It'd escaped my mouth before i'd really thought about what I was saying. It was so easy to flirt with girls. To make them blush, make them giggle. George and I were notoriously flirtacious bachelors, but it wasn't something I should turn on in front of the bookworm. I was surprised to see her cheeks turn pink as she turned back to face me, and we were now standing a few feet away from one another, ridiculously, and she put her hands on her hips.

"Oh, of course Fred. When I lie awake at night, I just dream about you, coming into Ginny's room shirtless, and ravishing me." She put overexaggerated emphasis on her tone, yet the sarcasm was evident.

Well. The bookworm could give it back as easily as she could recieve. I didn't show my further surprise as I stretched, studying her face as she watched me. Everything in her stance and tone suggested she'd been joking, of course she had. But there was a slight uncertainty there, as if she felt she'd crossed some sort of line. Of course, I was probably just looking for that, overanalysing the situation. It was banter, not a declaration of love for me.

I walked towards her. The few steps seemed like a mile, and she looked at me, and I noticed her a wary look in her eyes before she quickly cast it off, pretending to swoon. I stopped in front of her, realising how comically short she was in comparison to me. All i really wanted to do was hug her.

'Don't be stupid, Fred...' My inner voice was definitely telling me this was the wrong idea. It was the wrong idea that I could suddenly smell a flowery perfume, and the apple shampoo i'd seen in our bathroom over the last few days.

I took a step closer, we weren't touching, but centimetres from each other. I was pretty certain I was breaking the barrier of personal space that not many best friend's brothers cross, but she hadn't backed away.

"Someday that fantasy will come true, Granger, except I won't only be shirtless." I said to her, the last word in a comic whisper, and bent my head towards hers. Neither of us moved. My eyes flicked towards her lips, and she mimicked the motion.

'Kiss her'

'No, don't kiss her. You don't even know if you like her'

'Of COURSE you like her'

'No, think about how incredibly awkward that would be'

'Kiss now think later'

'Do SOMETHING'

"And it'll be the best night of your life." I said finally, though in reality it'd been about fifteen seconds. It'd seemed like a lifetime to me. She seemed taken aback for a second, and blinked once. Whatever had happened between us then was gone, but I pondered whether it was just me who felt that neither of us had wanted it to.

"You think entirely too much of yourself, Fred Weasley." She said finally, her eyes never leaving mine. She pulled away from me, and whatever had happened, whatever electricity had passed between us for those few seconds was gone, and I straightened up.

'Snap out of it.'

She smiled at me, question in her eyes but at the same time there was a sparkle there, and I winked at her.

"And you're wrong, Freddie." She called over her shoulder as she walked down the stairs.

Freddie? Really?

"It'd be the best night of yours." She said this facing the other way, so her expression was unreadable. What had that meant? Did she know? God. The ridiculously worrying mess this had turned me into was not appealing. Not one bit. This crush on Granger was something that had to go.

I watched her walk down the stairs, shaking my head experimentally as I walked into the bathroom, wondering whether i'd dreamed the last minute or so. I'd lost myself, forgotten for a minute that she was Ron's friend, most likely Ron's girl. I couldn't flirt with her, talk about that stuff with her. Or could I?

I couldn't exactly forget that she hadn't pulled away from me. Had looked up at me, not closing herself off to the possibilty we'd danced around, however briefly. I couldn't ignore the niggling feeling that Hermione Granger would have kissed me back, had I gotten up the nerve.

I looked into the mirror, loading up my toothbrush and swilling it around my mouth, considering it.

Could she feel something for me too? Then again, i wasn't exactly sure what I was feeling for her. The weird feelings for her, the wildly inappropriate dreams..

I spat, and rinsed. This really wasn't something I could even consider. And overthinking whatever had just happened would just cause awkward tension between us, which I didn't want.

"Fred, you aren't even dressed." I jumped at George's voice and he held up his hands, shaking his head.

"What's with you?" George's uncanny knack, in fact, our uncanny knack to know exactly when something was amiss with the other, was not exactly helpful.

'I just had a conversation with Granger that I probably won't ever forget. And I think she wanted me to kiss her. Oh yeah, I think I want to kiss Granger.'

That would have been the wrong thing to say, anyway. He knew he wanted to kiss Granger.

"Nothing. Just running slow. I'll be a minute." I swatted as his face as I walked past him and back towards our bedroom. Listening for the telltale footsteps that would indicate that he was following me, and hearing none, i breathed out. Changing quickly, I ran my hands through my hair and headed downstairs.


Next chapter tomorrow night if I get reviews :)