Disclaimer: So, fun facts with ForensicGeek2: I don't own Harry Potter. Surprised? Well, it gets better- I also make no money from writing this story. I know- it's my dirty little secret.

A/N: Hello! One chappie a day untill Valentine's Day, however two today as I'm a day behinde. Written for my lovely PurebloodGirl, but I hope all of you enjoy it.

Chapter One: the Offer

Valentine's had always been a nuisance to Hermione. She had always firmly believed you should let people know you care about them year round, not just one day. However, this time Valentine's Day was going to mean something, and she was going to need all of her Gryffindor spirit. She just hoped he would ask her... Yes, it's true- Valentine's Day meant something to Hermione Jean Granger because the war hero was after a boy.

Fred Weasley had never had a problem with Valentine's day- in fact it was the perfect excuse to try out new love potions. But this year was the first Valentine's Day after the war and he wanted it to be special for one witch in particular. He wanted to show everyone that he had matured, and for the first time he didn't mind. If that meant that a certain bushy haired witch would notice him, Fred felt it would be worth it.

xoxoxoxo

It was the very morning of February 7th, and after Hermione and Ron's messy breakup, Hermione was hesitant to go to the Weasley family dinner alone. When Ron had once tried to get her to leave because he had a new girlfriend, Molly had just laughed and told him that Hermione was more family than Romilda could ever be. She knew that most of the family had hoped the pair wed, but Hermione felt they were just too different. That didn't stop Ron from making several rude comments about her that night, which lead to a premature departure. So when Fred had owled her earlier in the week asking to meet up and discuss something, she had a gut feeling that it would be related to that. Fred had stuck up for her whenever she and Ron had fought, and while it was annoying at first she found it was quite endearing.

"Hello there, love. It's been too long." The tall redhead had drawled, meeting her in a lovely little wizard cafe.
"It's been four days Fred." Hermione replied monotonically from her seat.
"Oh! You've been counting? Well then I guess I wasn't as unnoticed as I thought." Hermione had chuckled, greeting him with a hug.
"You? Unnoticed? Whenever you're unnoticed, I'm always worried you're plotting something."
He continued, easily being drawn in by her friendly banter,
"Good to know."

"Now- what did you ask me here for?" She found herself asking, as their drinks arrived.
"Well, we both know how Ron is...and we both know how he's going to try and make you jealous."
"Well," Hermione sniffed "it's most definitely not going to work."
Fred chuckled, "I know that, Mum knows that, and to be honest I think the Minister knows that. But when Ron was spouting bollocks about how he's going to get you back this Saturday, I started thinking." Hermione mock sighed into her hands.
"What did we do this time to invoke the thought process of Fred Weasley?"
"Anyways I thought- what if we showed up there together." He finished, breathless. She watched him warily, the slight flush to his cheeks and twinkle in his eyes which rivalled that of their deceased Headmaster.
"Us? As in you and I?"
He rolled his eyes, "No I mean you and Bellatrix Lestrange- of course I mean you and I! Just imagine his face..."
Hermione carefully considered her options: she could go alone and face Ronald's jabs, she could find some twat to come with her and pretend to care, or she could go with Fred...kind, funny, supportive Fred. Ron's older brother Fred. If she went with Fred, she could actually imagine the pair were a couple, maybe even keep that image up. However, there was always the fact that they could go back to friends and she'd just be all the more smitten. Was it a risk that she was willing to take? Looking at the nervous smile on Fred's face, she decided it was.