Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns everything you recognize from the Harry Potter books.

PART ONE

Hermione sat on the Weasley's couch downstairs, looking into the fire, a book on Horcruxes sitting open on her lap.

Sometimes, she wondered who made the decision for this war to be fought by children. Some could say that she had been a soldier since she was eleven, when she helped Harry face a form of Lord Voldemort. She was seventeen now, of age in the wizarding world. Would it ever be over?

She leaned back on the couch, appreciating the peace and quiet that one didn't normally get at the Burrow. That was probably due to the late hour; Hermione had snuck back downstairs when Molly and Arthur had gone to bed, to try and do some research. She found she had trouble sleeping lately.

Hermione looked around her temporary sanctuary and sighed. Tomorrow, Fleur's family was going to arrive, and even this late, the house wouldn't be quiet.

A noise behind her made her sit up, whipping around to see what it was. She put a hand to her wand, then relaxed when a twin came into the light.

"What are you doing up?" Hermione asked. It was Fred. She would have known before, but she did admit, George having a bandage on his ear did make it easier to tell the two apart.

"A better question is, what are you doing up?" he countered. "I would think you would be snoring in your bed, like the other two. Mum's got you working so hard on the wedding, after all."

Hermione groaned. Molly was doing her absolute best to keep her and Harry and Ron apart, as if by preventing them from talking she could keep them home, safe. Fred sat down on the couch next to her. He looked at her sideways.

"I know what you three are planning."

Hermione stilled. "Do you?" she asked. "Do you really know?"

"Well…." He drawled. "Ron's clothes are going missing, Harry's clothes are going missing, you asked Dad for the tent we used at the Quidditch Cup…it doesn't take a genius to find out that you all are planning something." He nudged her. "But of course, I am a genius."

She giggled. "I know."

"What gave it away?" he gasped. "Was it the joke shop of inventions my brother and I set up? Or maybe it was our famous exit from Hogwarts…"

The two laughed. Hermione turned her head to tell him something, then froze. As they had talked, they had slowly moved together, until when she turned her head, their faces were close together. Close enough that she would barely have to move to touch her lips to his.

She did.

Later, she would blame it on the stress, on the impending Horcrux hunt, on the wedding that would be happening in less than a month.

But in the moment, when he kissed her back, all she could think was: This is Fred. This is Ron's brother Fred. Fred is kissing me, and I think…I think I like it…

It should've felt wrong. But it didn't. And when they barely talked the next day, the next week, it almost broke her heart.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She saw him at the wedding, dressed spic and span in new dress robes. He came up to her as she parted from Ron, and held out a drink.

"You look beautiful," he said, blue eyes boring into her brown ones.

"Thank you." She broke his gaze looking away.

"Hermione…" he started. She looked up, but at that moment, a Patronus whipped through them.

The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming.

Hermione only had time for one panicked look at him before they were separated by the crowd.

A minute later, she had apparated herself, Harry, and Ron into muggle London, apparated into a new set of problems.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

a/n: This is a rewrite of a one-shot I had published. It will now be republished in three parts, with some edits. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first version, and inspired me to rewrite it. Read and Review :)