Author's Note: AU where Ron dies but Fred lives in the Battle of Hogwarts, and George is openly gay.

I've been wanting to write a Fremione marriage law fic for a long time and finally decided to just do it. For all my Lucy and Mara fans who are reading this, I'm not giving up on their story, and will try to update both equally.

Chapter 1 – The Enchanted Library

It had been a month since Ron's funeral and spirits were low in the Weasley household. Even the twins had trouble finding reasons to smile, and their lack of pranks left the burrow quieter, but not happier.

Hermione and Harry, who had been living at the burrow until they found places of their own (which could be never, if Mrs. Weasley had her say), were in the lowest spirits of all. Since going from the golden trio to the golden duo, they didn't feel quite so golden anymore. Harry had taken to sleeping most of the day, which Ginny did her best to keep him from, but their relationship, which had never been a strong one, was failing faster because of it.

Hermione did what she did best, she read. Having set up camp in a large armchair in the living room, she could be found there at most any hour of the day or night, surrounded by stacks of books. If she wasn't reading, she was being dragged to the kitchen by Mrs. Weasley, or she had fallen asleep in her chair and was carried to her room (shared with Ginny) by Fred after he carefully bookmarked the book she was reading. She was usually asleep by the time he and his twin returned from the joke shop, but if she wasn't he would wait until she did.

"Ginny, will you please wake up Harry for breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley asked her daughter as the twins set the table.

"He won't get up for me Mum, he said if I tried to wake him again he would never talk to me again."

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Fred, George, will you go get Harry and Hermione?"

They nodded and passed the dishes off to their sister.

"Hermione, it's time for breakfast." Fred said softly, having braved the labyrinth of books beside her chair.

Her eyes scanned two more lines before she looked up at him. "Okay, just let me finish this chapter."

Fred nodded, sitting on the couch.

She looked up. "You don't have to wait for me."

"Am I bothering you?"

She paused, then shook her head. "No. I just didn't want to make you wait."

"I don't mind."
She looked down and read a few more lines before looking back up. "Do you know of any more nearby libraries, I've cleared all the ones with a few miles out."

"I know of a few. George and I have been kicked out of all the nearby ones."

Hermione chuckled. "Of course you have. Would you mind taking me?"

"You want me to go with you?"

"Well, if you promise not to get me kicked out."

"You have my word."

Just then, there was a commotion upstairs.

"Looks like The Boy Who Lived is awake." Hermione said, returning to her book.

Fred looked towards the sound of the stomping to see Harry storm down the stairs. George, following after shot his twin a look that said you can wake him next time.

"What's your book about?" Fred asked as she closed the book.

"This one's not actually that interesting."

"Oh, okay."

"Anyway, we had better go eat."

Fred nodded, and the two made their way to the kitchen.

Breakfast was a stressful affair. Harry snapped at everyone who tried to make conversation with him, especially Ginny, who seemed near about in tears already.

Hermione nibbled at her toast and made quiet conversation with Fred and George, who were seated on either side of her.

"What are your plans for the day?" Mr. Weasley asked his twin sons.

"We decided to close the shop and take the day off." George said. "I might go in to work on inventory though."

"I'm going to the library with Hermione." Fred said, and Hermione nodded her agreement.

"Well that's nice." Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at the hope that at least half of the duo was breaking out of their solitary ways. "You two have fun. And don't get kicked out of this one." She said directly at her jokester son.

"Fred has given me his word not to ruin my library experience." Hermione said, smiling at him.

"He better keep that word too."

"You are obsessed." George said to his twin as he got ready to go the library.

"What do you mean?" Fred asked, looking up from his open dresser drawer.

"Since when do you spend fifteen minutes deciding what to wear? You're going to the library, not getting married."

"I hope I would spend more that fifteen minutes deciding if I were getting married, George." Fred said as he finally found matching socks.

"That's not my point."

"What is your point?" Fred asked, knowing he would regret it.

"How late were you up last night waiting for her to fall asleep?"

"I don't know, not that long."

"Are you going to ask her out or not?"

"I'll see you later George, don't do all the inventory without me." Fred avoided the question by heading out the door.

"A thanks would be appreciated!" George called at him.

"How have I never been here before?" Hermione's grin grew and grew as they walked through the castle of a library.

"I don't know." Fred shrugged. "For as great as it is, it's not very well known. It's George and my favorite because the enchantments on the place keep us from bothering anybody."

"What kind of enchantments?" She asked, even more in awe.

"I'm not sure, but we do know we can have a screaming match from opposite ends of the place and the only people that can hear us are each other. The only person that can hear you talk is the one you're talking to."

"Sounds like a modified anti-eavesdropping charm." Hermione said. "That has to be really useful."

Fred nodded. "George and I have been trying to figure out exactly how it works, but we haven't had much time."

"Something new for the shop?"

"Exactly."

Hermione pulled out her wand. "Maybe I can help."

After a few hours of trying to figure things out, even Hermione's dedication was starting to falter. She collapsed into a bean bag chair in a reading corner, insisting that she hadn't given up, but just needed a break. Fred sat next to her, taking the larger bean bag chair that she had passed on.

"This place is an enigma." She said. "It's incredible."

Fred nodded his agreement. "Do you want to look for books for a while?"

Hermione paused. "Honestly, no. All I've done is read lately. It's gotten to the point that I can't even remember going to bed."

"Actually … that's because you fall asleep in your chair."

"I do? Then how do I – thanks Fred."

Fred smiled. "You're welcome."

"How long had you been doing this?"

"Since you started falling asleep while reading."

"I wondered what you were always doing in the kitchen at such odd hours."

"You weren't always asleep when I got home at night."

"Fred, you didn't need to –" She blushed. "Sorry I kept you up so late. If I had known I was keeping you up I would have gone to bed myself."

"It's alright." He said. "I just wanted to make sure you slept well."

"Harry and I have been impossible lately, haven't we?"

"Harry has been impossible. If he makes my sister cry one more time I will do to him what Voldemort couldn't."

Hermione was taken aback by his statement. "I didn't know you cared so much."

"She's a pain in the bum but she's still my sister."

"I'll talk to him." Hermione said. "He might listen to me."

"I think you're the only one he'll listen to right now."

Hermione nodded. "Do you want to go back now? I don't want to check anything out."

"It's about lunchtime. Do you want to get something to eat first? We could apparate to Diagon Alley or something."

Hermione nodded. "That sounds really nice."

"So what is it like, having a twin?" Hermione asked between bites of her sandwich.

"I don't know, it feels natural to me. What's it like not having a twin?"

"I have to find a partner in crime that isn't identical to me, I suppose."

"That sounds awful. What do you do when you don't want to do something and you don't have a copy that's willing?"

"Do you and George ever trade places?"

"Fred and me you mean, uh, oops."

"You're kidding."

"You'll never know."

"You're not completely identical anymore." Hermione said, regretting it immediately.

"I guess we're not."

"George is a little taller than you, for instance."

"I am not the shorter one."

"Keep telling yourself that." Hermione grinned before taking a drink.

"Alright." He put his hands up in mock surrender. "You've caught me. Just don't tell anyone else."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"So do you want to do anything after this, or do I have to return you to your stack of books?"

"I've read through my stack of books, so we can return to the Burrow whenever you're ready. I suppose you'd like to do inventory with George for a while though, so I don't mind heading back alone."

"No, that's not what I meant at all." Fred said, "I just wanted to make sure you weren't getting tired of me."

"I never get tired of you."

Fred blushed a little. "Would you want to do this more often then?"

"Fred Weasley, are you asking me out?"

"Um, well, if you want to look at it that way…"

Hermione looked down at her lap, blushing herself. "I didn't think you'd ask that."

"I'm sorry. Forget I said that. "

"I'd rather not forget actually." Hermione said, gaining her nerve. "Because I'm saying yes."

"You are?"

"If you're really asking, that is."

"Wait." Fred paused, drawing up his courage and taking her hand. "Hermione Granger, would you like to go on a date with me sometime?"

She giggled. "Of course I would."

Hope you enjoyed! Please review and tell me what you think!