A Christmas Miracle
Summary: Hermione is spending the Christmas holiday at the Burrow, and the entire family is waiting for her to get a clue that a certain redhead fancies her. With the help of the meddlesome Weasleys, can Fred get the bookworm to look for a romance that isn't in one of her novels? One-shot. AU.
"Thank you so much for letting me stay with you, Mrs Weasley," Hermione said, helping the older witch to clean the table after dinner. It was just a couple of days before Christmas, and she, Harry, and Ron had opted to stay with Ron's family instead of at Hogwarts. Her own parents had taken another trip to France for the holidays.
"Oh, nonsense! We love having you here," Mrs Weasley answered, with her typical warmth. Hermione smiled. She did really love the Burrow, and its occupants, and she had been quite excited to spend Christmas with them. Hogwarts had been a bit tiring this year, with Voldemort back in the open, yet another huge workload, and her own rather unnecessary quarrels with Ronald.
It wasn't because she had a crush on Ron herself that she was so against his relationship with Lavender. Hermione had always thought of both Harry and Ron as brothers, not lovers or boyfriends. It just annoyed her seeing how badly they treated each other. They never seemed to actually talk, or get to know each other – Lavender expected cliché cutsieness, while Ron just wanted to snog. Theirs was a doomed relationship already from the start. But, Hermione had realised, that it would probably be best if they found that out for themselves, and so she had buried the hatchet with Ron. In turn, he invited her to the Burrow.
"Well, this is all done. Why don't you go out to the others? I think Ginny wanted to have a snowball fight," Mrs Weasley said, wiping away the last bread crumbs.
"I don't know. I'm not very good at snowball fighting… I might just read a book," Hermione answered, thinking longingly of her copy of The Dragon Slayer's Wife, a romantic adventure written in the 14th century. Usually she read more informative books, but to her surprise, she greatly enjoyed her novel. It was a birthday gift from her mother, a rather blatant point from the woman whom Hermione knew was excited to see her with a boyfriend. Mrs Weasley looked disapprovingly at her.
"You shouldn't be cooped up with a book all the time! Go out and have some fun, I'm sure the boys would be happy to have you join them, and Ginny will be delighted. And then we can all have some warm cocoa when you get back."
Despite not looking forward to running around outside in the cold, Hermione bundled up with the others, in a dark blue coat and a similar hat. She liked having well matched outfits, even if she rarely used them. When they got out in the large garden that surrounded the Burrow, Ron and George immediately started throwing snowballs every which way. Hermione shrieked when one hit her in the back, and soon everyone were involved in the sophisticated art of snowball throwing. Ginny and Bill teamed up, and they were a force to be reckoned with. Bill, being of age, used his wand to create snowballs, and Ginny, even though she had a rather slim figure, had a great throwing arm. Charlie and Harry seemed to take the opportunity to fight each other outside a Quidditch pitch, Seeker v. Seeker, although without a Snitch. Hermione saw George trying to pull Ron down into the snow. He didn't succeed, Ron being a lot taller than him, and they both tumbled down. Hermione ran to hide behind a tree.
"Holy Hercules, they take this seriously," she muttered, just as a snowball flew past her hat. She quickly turned around, coming face to face with Fred. He grinned cheekily.
"Of course we do! This is incredibly important!" he said, throwing another snowball her way.
"Well, you aren't very good at it, you've missed me twice now," Hermione commented, carefully scooping up some snow to make a ball of her own. She best be prepared, after all. Fred looked at her and smiled, in a more genuine way than his usual grin.
"I don't want to mess up that pretty face," he said, and Hermione felt herself almost going red, both out of confusion and embarrassment. Then he winked, and she realised he was joking. Quickly, she heaved away her snowball, and it made impact with his shoulder. Fred's eyes narrowed, Hermione yelped, and started running, with a laughing twin behind her.
"Take that!" Ron yelled, and threw a clumsily packed snowball in Fred's direction. Hermione retaliated with her own, which landed on Ron's back as he bent down to pick up more snow. She and Fred had, after him winning their little hunt, decided to team up to take out the others. Well, Fred had given her a choice – either she teamed up with him, or he would push her entire face down into the cold whiteness. It wasn't hard for her to choose. Even though the twins and Charlie weren't as tall as Ron, Fred was still a head and a half taller than her, and a lot stronger. It turned out they worked pretty well together – they even got a hold of George at one point, showering him in sloppy snowballs. George looked sourly at Fred but there was laughter in his voice when he said "I see how it is! You find yourself a cute girl and all of a sudden you turn against me!" Hermione smiled at that, knowing that absolutely nothing would get between the twins, and certainly not her.
"Alright, I think it's time to put an end to this feud!" Bill said, loud enough for them all to hear. "I don't know about you, but I'm soaked and I'd love to get inside for some tea," he added, already turning to walk to the door. Hermione looked down at her watch, and was surprised to see that they had been outside for almost two hours. It was growing rather dark, and she realised that she, too, was very cold. She had managed to get snow down her jacket at some point, her jeans were dark from the melted water, and snow flakes glistened in her hair. She quickly followed Bill inside, and heard the others deciding to finish too. Once inside, she changed to a warm, red jumper, and dried her jeans with magic. Her hair was a worse mess than usual, so she put it up in a loose bun. It would look a fright in the morning, curly and frizzy, but she'd take care of it then. She went downstairs to the living room, wrapping herself in a blanket, gratefully accepting the cup of hot cocoa Mrs Weasley handed her.
oOo
Fred sighed deeply, sitting down on his bed in the room he shared with George. His brother looked up from pulling on a fresh pair of socks.
"What's the matter? You seemed happy enough out there," he waggled his eyebrows. "Teaming up with the sweet Hermiiiioneee," he said, teasingly adding length to her name. Fred sulked.
"Yeah well, it's not gonna happen. She's just assuming I'm joking, every time I try to give her a compliment," he said, not caring that he sounded like a whining child. It was just George listening, and he told his twin everything. Naturally he already knew that Fred was harbouring a rather strong crush on his brother's friend. Well, by now the entire family knew, something Fred blamed Ginny for. She wasn't a gossip, but she did like to meddle in her brothers' affairs. George shrugged.
"So keep talking to her. She'll understand eventually, I heard she's supposed to be like, really bright," he joked. Upon seeing Fred's tired expression, he sighed. "Or you could just ask her out like a normal person!"
Fred snorted. "Yeah right!"
When he came down to the living room, most of his family had already gathered in the many different chairs and couches. Hermione sat alone in a big armchair, already engrossed in a book. Fred watched her for a minute. Her cheeks were still rosy from the hours outside; curly strands of hair fell out of her hairdo and framed her face. Her petite yet gorgeously curvy frame was covered by a big, brown blanket. Fred went over to her and sat on one of the armrests.
oOo
"Good evening," someone said, and Hermione looked up. She had been so invested in the happenings of her novel, that she hadn't even noticed Fred sitting down right next to her. She closed the book and smiled at him.
"Oh, hello."
"The Dragon Slayer's Wife?" Fred read the title, and Hermione felt her cheeks grow a little redder. "That sounds terribly much like a romantic cliché; I didn't know you liked those?"
"Normally I don't, but it's actually pretty good. My mum found it in Diagon Alley last summer, and naturally I have to read it, since she normally doesn't buy me stuff from magic shops," she explained hastily. Fred raised an eyebrow.
"Naturally. So, that's the kind of man you're looking for? A dragon slayer? I had no idea McLaggen had the guts to do that, but hey. Just don't tell Charlie, or he'll have a fit!"
Hermione looked at him, confusion written on her face. "McLaggen?"
"Yeah, I heard you went with him to that Christmas party," Fred said in a calm voice, but he didn't look her in the eye. Hermione couldn't look at him either. Ah. That. She had agreed to go with Cormac to Slughorn's Christmas party, to try to show Ron what a great date could look like. In hindsight it hadn't been a very good idea. Cormac was… Well.
"Surprised me, to be honest," Fred continued. "I remember him as an arrogant git, but clearly, I was wrong." This time she did look up, and was taken aback by the tentative look he gave her. What was that?
"You're not wrong," she said with a defeated sigh. "He's an idiot, I really don't know what I was thinking," she added. Hermione looked down at her hands, feeling a bit stupid for not getting it earlier that Cormac McLaggen would just try to get into her pants. She had literally had to abandon him under a mistletoe. By looking down, she completely missed Fred's smile of relief.
oOo
Ginny woke slowly, drifting away from her dream. She turned, sunk deeper into her pillow, trying to catch it again, but alas, it was no use. She was awake, and the sounds of the house got to her. From downstairs she could hear her mum tinkering with breakfast, from upstairs the low murmur of people waking up and getting out of bed. And from right beside her, someone muttering spells. She groaned, and rolled around to see Hermione in front of the mirror, desperately trying to tame her hair with magic.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Hermione greeted her, before letting out a frustrated sigh. "Ugh, this is no use! I swear, it's like my hair is immune to magic!"
Ginny sat up, running a hair through her own red mane, and yawned. She got up, and went over to Hermione.
"Here, let me. If we can't tame it properly, we can at least lock it in," she said, grabbing a hairbrush. Five minutes later, her friend's wild curls were tucked away in a large but neat braid. Ginny had let some strands of hair fall down, giving it a casual look. Hermione thanked her gratefully, admiring her new hairstyle in the mirror. Both girls dressed and hurried down to the kitchen, where everyone except Harry and Ron were already seated. Hermione sat down next to Bill and George, and Ginny plopped herself down beside Fred.
"Good morning! Here, have some tea," her mum fussed, and Ginny helped herself to some toast and fruit. She saw Fred watching Hermione admiringly, and winked at him. He bumped into her shoulder with a small frown, but she knew he wasn't really angry at her. She just liked teasing him.
It was a wonder, really, that nothing had happened with those two yet. As far as Ginny knew, Fred had fancied Hermione pretty much for the entirety of last year, starting with him noticing her as interesting when she helped organise the DA. Those feelings had, according to George, only grown stronger, yet to this day he had done nothing to get Hermione to see that. Of course, Hermione was completely oblivious to the fact that people would like her, but Ginny had taken it upon herself, and her family, to get her to understand. She wanted to try already last summer, but the twins hadn't been home a lot with their newly opened joke shop, Hermione spent most of the summer at her own house anyway, and the added tension of the news of You-Know-Who just didn't spell romance. This holiday however, was different. Christmas was cosy and warm and romantic, and she was hell bent on getting her brother and Hermione together. Ginny wanted Hermione in the family, and she was absolutely sure that Fred would be really good for her, and she for him. So she had talked to her other brothers, to get them to help her. So far, they hadn't made much progress. Fred was still acting like a nervous first year, and Hermione was as clueless as ever.
"What are you all going to do today?" her mum wondered, just as Harry (sporting a terrible case of bed head) and Ron (still in his brown pyjamas) came down the stairs. They simply shrugged, making their way to the table, looking more interested in the food than in any conversation. Bill planned to spend most of his day in Hogsmeade, saying he wanted to meet up with some friends. The twins needed to overlook some business regarding their shop.
"Dad promised to take me Christmas shopping when he gets back from work," Ginny said, happily looking forward to their little tradition. Ever since she was a child, the two of them took a few hours to go through the stores in Diagon Alley, looking for Christmas presents. It was a nice thing to do, and she loved to have that time alone with her dad. This year was extra special, since they hadn't been able to do it last year, because of that whole snake-at-the-Ministry-dad-almost-dying thing. Ginny still had nightmares about that, but now she was focused solely on having the best Christmas ever.
"I need to give Crookshanks a bath," Hermione said with a sigh, frowning a little. "He's going to hate me all week for that."
"Well, do you want me to help?" Hermione looked at Charlie, surprised.
"Are you sure you want to? He is quite hopeless when it comes to water."
"Sure! It's been a while since I cared for smaller animals, it'd be fun," he said, and she smiled gratefully at him. Ginny gave Charlie a look, and he met it with a nod. Clearly, he was on board regarding the plan to get Hermione to see that Fred fancied her. He even shared a look with said twin, probably to make sure that it was okay. Fred merely looked annoyed that Charlie thought he would mind, but Ginny could see the tiny smile forming on his lips, too. She knew he was secretly happy his family helped him – and it was all thanks to her!
oOo
Hermione surveyed the scene in front of her. They were standing in the bathroom, and had somehow managed to cover most of the floor in water. Well, she and Crookshanks had made the mess, until Charlie stepped in. To Hermione's great surprise, her cat had stopped his squirming once in Charlie's gentle grip, and he had talked soothingly to the cat, getting him to calm down, and accept his bath.
"You really are great with animals," she said, sitting down on the toilet, thinking it was probably for the best if she kept some distance. Charlie grinned back at her.
"I love animals, and I've had loads of experience by now. I absolutely adore my job," he turned back to the tub, massaging soap into Crookshanks tousled fur. "What about you, what do you want to do after Hogwarts?"
"I'm not sure, but I think I would really like to get into creature's rights and try to modernize the views most of the wizarding world hold, since, when it comes to many cases, they are outdated and ignorant. Fighting for equality, basically. Should we win this war," she added, thoughtful. "If we lose I don't think equality stands much of a chance."
"That's probably true, but hey, we'll make it. Anyway, I think it's great that you want to do something like that! And I'm sure you would be brilliant at it," he answered. "What about family, do you have any dreams regarding that?"
Hermione was a bit taken aback by the direct question – it wasn't something she thought people asked each other. Then again, Charlie was a very easygoing guy, and he probably didn't mean to make her uncomfortable. She wasn't , however, quite sure what she wanted to answer. Of course she dreamed of having a family sometime in the future, but that seemed distant, and her vision of it often changed. It was in no way as clear as her academic and professional dreams.
"I don't know, I mean, I do, but nothing's especially solid. I guess if it happens, it happens," she said after thinking about it. Charlie nodded, still focusing on Crookshanks, now showering all the soap away.
"Sounds good, leave some room for spontaneity. What about boyfriend, you don't have one at the moment, do you?" he looked up, seeing her surprised face. "Sorry, mum's a gossip." She smiled at that, but shook her head no. "Well, I'm sure my brother is happy about that."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron doesn't like me like that, and he's like my brother too, so I'm glad," she said, taking it for granted that that was who he was talking about. With their constant bickering she could see why people thought they liked each other, but really, they were a lot more like siblings.
Charlie carefully rose, holding onto a now happy-looking cat. "Didn't say I meant Ron," he said, as he handed Crookshanks over to Hermione, who began to wrap him in a soft towel. She started at his words, wondering if he was joking, but Charlie only winked at her in a friendly but almost pointedly way, as if saying "you know what I'm talking about", before he left the bathroom. Hermione stayed frozen. She had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Crookshanks meowed, and she continued carefully drying him. What in the world did Charlie mean by his words? That one of his brothers actually liked her? That was absurd. The entire Weasley family saw her as a surrogate sister of some kind. Fred was especially protective of her, always asking about the guys she was seeing (in the rare case she was, that is). He took even closer note of her than of Ginny, but Hermione guessed that was because they had actually grown up together, and everyone knew Ginny could take care of herself. She was a master at hexes, while Hermione had had some problem with such spells in the past, and the Weasley boys had probably picked up on that. At least the ones that were in the DA. She thought about it. It wasn't as thought the male Weasleys were unattractive by any standards – rather the opposite. Same went for their personalities, as she had learned through the years that they all had great traits, humour and intelligence being two that she personally cared a lot for. But it still didn't make any sense for any of them to like her as more than a sister. Figuring in the end that Charlie had most likely only meant it as a joke, she let Crookshanks go when he was finished, and went downstairs herself to join the others.
oOo
"Hey Hermione!" Harry called to one of his best friends, as she came down the stairs. His other one sat opposite him, putting together the chess board for another match. "Will you please take over for me? I'm getting slayed over here," he said, as Ron grinned proudly. The redhead had won over him five times in a row, and Harry didn't really fancy trying another round. Hermione came up to them, and sat down next to Harry on the couch.
"Alright, but just a few matches, I wanted to take a walk outside before it gets too dark," she said, settling in by pulling up her legs under her. Her hair was still in the cute braid Harry was sure Ginny had made, and she had some water stains on her blue sleeves. Harry observed his friend discreetly. He could see what Fred saw in her, what Krum and McLaggen and probably some other guys had seen as well. She was rather pretty, with her kind, intelligent eyes, cheery smile, and small frame. Even more so now than at school, when she had casual muggle clothes, and wasn't being dragged down by her school robes or the hundreds of books she insisted on carrying everywhere. He really hoped Ginny would succeed in getting the pair together – he could hardly imagine anyone better for his friend. Fred was easygoing, carefree yet respectable, and a good laugh. Just what she needed, someone who could get her to calm down once in a while. And he knew Hermione admired the twins for their intellect, having mentioned in a few offhand comments now and then how clever many of their products were. Harry smiled softly. Just like the Weasleys, he considered Hermione family, and he wanted her to be happy.
"Oh bugger, how did I miss that?" she said just then, as one of Ron's bishops took her queen. Harry laughed heartedly.
"I know, it's insane. He keeps planning like five steps ahead! It's hard to keep up," he said, watching Ron, who looked smugly at the board. Oh yeah, he was definitely planning something. Hermione's slaughter, most likely.
"Maybe we should play with some of the others, they aren't as good. What about Fred and George, they should be back soon?" Harry said, trying to come across as casual. He wasn't as good at that as Ginny, being very aware of the fact that he had a different motive than simply playing chess. Hermione, being focused on the game however, didn't seem to notice.
"Sure, we should ask them," she agreed, and groaned again, as she lost another piece to Ron.
oOo
Fred stumbled out of the fireplace in the living room of the Burrow, just after George, quickly steadying himself on the mantelpiece. He wasn't as fond of travelling by floo compared to apparition, but sometimes it was almost easier. The floo connecting their office to their home took him from one warm place to another, where apparating would have him walk up to the house outside in the cold. Fred shook some ashes from his red hair, and looked out. It seemed a rather nasty wind had taken to howling around the Burrow, and although it wasn't entirely dark yet, there certainly wasn't much light outside either. He shuddered, and went into the kitchen to find something to munch on before dinner.
"Uuuh," came a sound as the door opened, and a gush of wind made the room suddenly seem colder. Fred looked up, wondering who in their right mind would have gone out at a time like this. Hermione stood in the doorway, currently placing a dry-and-warming spell over herself.
"Why were you outside?" Fred asked, without any other greeting. The girl jumped, obviously having thought she was alone. When she saw Fred she relaxed, and smiled at him.
"I just came back from a walk," she explained, taking off her jacket, gloves, and hat. He started at her.
"Now? Why?" he didn't mean to, but he sounded almost accusing.
"It was very refreshing, actually," she said, studying him, as if trying to make out if he was teasing her. Fred made sure to keep a gentle smile, and nodded politely.
"If you say so." He couldn't very well start criticising her for simply taking a walk, it wasn't his place. If they were dating, maybe... But they were very much not. He didn't like it though, fearing something would happen to her, outside all alone. There was a war going on, after all, and she was the best friend of one Harry Potter. He contemplated commenting on that, but Hermione had already started into the living room. He followed her, the snack he was planning to get forgotten.
In the living room, George had already agreed to a game of wizard's chess with Harry. Ron was watching silently, probably figuring out their tactics and playing ahead in his mind, as if he was playing himself. Hermione told them that she and Harry had both lost their fair share of matches to Ronald earlier that day, as she sat down next to George on the couch. Fred handed her a blanket, knowing she usually wanted one to snuggle up in, which she accepted. Hermione seemed surprised but happy at his gesture, and he exchanged a look with his twin. There, he'd done something to show her he liked her. George just rolled his eyes.
oOo
The day before Christmas Day came and went without any progress for Fred, and Ginny started to feel doubtful. It was clearly time for desperate and more direct methods, so when the girls had curled up in their beds in her room that evening, she asked Hermione straight out what she thought of Fred.
"Fred? What do you mean?" Hermione asked from under her covers. Ginny sighed.
"You know, what do you think of him? Do you like him?"
"Of course I do! He's great. Nice and funny and you know, I like him just as much as I do everyone in your family," Hermione answered, and Ginny had to hold in a groan. It was as if her friend walked the world blind and naïve, which was an odd thought to fathom, since in every other area, Hermione always caught on before everybody else.
"I just got a feeling you might like him," Ginny tried, "Like a crush or something."
She listened carefully, but Hermione was silent. Too silent, she couldn't have fallen asleep. After a few minutes Ginny spoke again, in a lower voice than before.
"I think he likes you," she said, more as a mumble to herself than something meant for her friend's ears. Hermione kept quiet, and it took Ginny a few minutes to realise that she probably had fallen asleep. Her breathing was slow and steady, and Ginny sighed. She could do nothing more tonight, but first thing tomorrow, she would go to Fred and demand that he used his Gryffindor courage and asked the girl out. This was getting beyond ridiculous. She could always threaten him with her Bat-Boogey Hex, should he refuse.
oOo
Hermione wasn't asleep. She was focusing on her breathing, making it seem like she was actually sleeping, but she wasn't. It was a bit of a childish move, but she didn't dare continue the conversation. She had no idea how Ginny thought she liked Fred. She used to have a crush on him, true, but that was over a year ago. She had realised that nothing would ever come of it, that Fred saw her only as a sister, and so she hadn't really entertained the thought. But now... Did Ginny really think that Fred liked her? No, he couldn't possibly... He did often times give her smaller compliments, and would call her endearments, like "love" or "sweet heart", but that was just him joking around as always, wasn't it? Or it was him trying to boost her self confidence, much like an older brother would. Although Charlie had implied one of his brothers liking her...
Hermione mulled it over for a long time, feeling properly confused and uncertain, and when she finally fell asleep, she wasn't any closer to a conclusion that seemed to make any sense. Her last thought before sleep took her, was that she should probably not overthink it, and just wait and see. Maybe it was a joke the twins had come up with, that all the siblings were executing together, just for the holidays. Or maybe he really did like her... But then he was sure to do something about it, and so far, he hadn't. She shouldn't worry, and just focus on having a good Christmas with her friends.
oOo
"Morning!" The cheery greeting reached his ears just before something landed on his face with a low thud. Fred sat up sleepily in his bed, noticing the pillow that had fallen down on the floor. He chucked it towards George.
"Morning," he said, and tried to rub the rest of the sleepiness out of his eyes. George was already up, and changing into jeans and a brand new Weasley jumper. Their mother usually gave them the sweaters first thing in the morning, probably because she liked seeing them all wearing them for breakfast. George's sweater was a deep, wine red, with the typical, capital G on the front. Fred reached down to the box at his own feet, and found that his was much the same, but a brighter shade of red.
"Very festive, certainly appropriate for the holidays," he said some minutes later, when he got down to the kitchen, and kissed his mum on the cheek as a thank you. She smiled proudly at him, and they put out breakfast together.
The rest of the Weasleys came down the stairs one by one, all of them sporting a new, knitted sweater. Harry had one as well, a dark green that matched his eyes, and he had pulled it on top of his pyjamas. Ginny's was a couple of sizes too large, which didn't surprise Fred. She seemed to prefer really baggy sweaters, always stealing his and the rest of her brothers' old ones, and he guessed that their mother had finally caught on, and simply made her a big one already from the start. Ginny looked very plased with that, as she sat down next to Harry, and poured the both of them cups of tea. Fred looked around the table at all of them, happy that they could be together for Christmas, even with things being the way they were. Well, almost all of them – Percy had still to see sense, and so he was absent. But apart from that...
"Wait, where's Hermione?" he asked, suddenly realising that there was one chair still empty. The others, who also seemed to notice it for the first time, looked around, and then at Ginny, who shrugged.
"Still sleeping, I think. I couldn't wake her up, and she's always awake before me, so I figured I should just let her sleep." Their mum agreed to that, and said that she could bring up some breakfast after a while instead. Fred nodded thoughtfully. He'd be happy to volunteer to bring up a breakfast tray to Hermione, and he agreed that they should let her sleep. He hadn't been to Hogwarts this year, of course, but he remembered how often she would stay up late studying in the common room, and how, on some occasions, she would even fall asleep on top of her books. He could only assume that she had the same habits this year, and was only glad that she got some extra rest now. He looked up from his eggs to see George giving him a look, as though his twin knew exactly what he was thinking. George muttered something into his toast, that sounded suspiciously like "lame".
In the end they didn't need to bring Hermione breakfast, because after another fifteen minutes, she came down the stairs herself. She was dressed in a dark blue dress, with an old knitted cardigan thrown on top of it, and her hair was a mess. She looked absolutely darling, at least Fred thought so. He quickly pulled out the chair beside him, and she sat down.
"I'm so sorry I overslept-" she started, but Mrs Weasley readily assured her that it was not to worry, that she should sleep in every now and then because her body most likely needed it, and there was still plenty of food left. Hermione gave her a grateful smile, and reached for a croissant.
Fred was acutely aware of how close she was, and suddenly regretted having her sitting next to him. It meant that he couldn't look at her without being almost creepily obvious, but instead he had to feel her, all the time. How her leg would brush up against his, her arm softly pass his hand as she reached for something further down the table, even her curls at one point teasing his shoulder. It was, in short, torture. And all the while he tried focusing on the different conversations going on around the table, sometimes trying to chime in a few sentences himself.
"So, um, how did you sleep?" he finally asked her, when she stopped talking animatedly to Charlie about an article in some paper. She looked up at him, those bright eyes sparkling a little.
"Hm? Oh, very good, thank you. I must have been pretty out of it, normally I never let myself sleep for that long. Maybe I had a good dream," she mused, pouring herself some more tea. "Do you want some?" she asked, eyebrows slightly raised, and it took him a second to realise that she meant the tea.
"Oh, yeah, sure. Thanks," he said, as she filled his cup. He felt awkward and couldn't come up with anything else to say, and before he knew it, she was wrapped up in conversation with Bill. Fred held in a groan and put his head in his hands. He was embarrassingly bad at this, and it didn't help that all his siblings wore matching, knowing grins. He shot a glance at Hermione. Yeah, it just wouldn't happen. She didn't have a clue, and he had no idea as to how to give her one.
oOo
"You are hopeless!" Ginny proclaimed, having cornered him in the bathroom, just when he was on his way out. He had just brushed his teeth, and was on his way downstairs to see if maybe Hermione fancied a game of chess against him, instead of Ron. He looked at his little sister, who seemed exasperated. It was annoying, but he couldn't really argue with her though, so he just nodded.
"Why didn't you talk to her at breakfast? She was sitting right next to you!" Ginny went on, before she calmed down. "On the other hand, she is hopeless too. A more clueless person, I swear, you'll be given a freaking Order of Merlin if you manage to find one... I tried to talk to her last night, even mentioned you by name, and she fell asleep! You seriously need to just ask her out," Ginny said, looking appraisingly at him.
"What do you mean, you talked about me?"
"I just asked if she liked you, but she didn't get it, and then she was asleep. I promise, she's never fallen asleep that fast before... But I checked her breathing, she was dead to the world. Would you just make us all happy and tell her you like her? And in no uncertain terms either, you're gonna have to be blunt as a frying pan to the face with that one..."
Fred scratched the back of his head. Maybe he should ask her out... But it was Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake, how could he? She was the best friend of his little brother and sister, she was smarter than all the professors at Hogwarts combined, and she was totally out of his league. More than that, she didn't seem to even think him an option. A guy needed at least a bit of incentive, he'd rather do nothing, than get humiliated and shot down. He said as much to Ginny, who scoffed at him.
"If you haven't asked her out by tomorrow morning, I am going to hex you. And that will be even more humiliating, believe you me. Now get out, I need a wee." And with those lovely words of motivation, Fred was pushed out of the bathroom.
oOo
Hermione was helping with the last minute decorations, putting magic snow on the Christmas tree, hanging up red and green garlands, and starting a fire in the open fireplace. Harry was also rummaging around a box with decorations, and put up angels by some hooks in the ceiling, so it looked as though they were flying above their heads. She didn't see him put up a bit of mistletoe over her favourite comfy chair.
Mrs Weasley wouldn't let her help with Christmas dinner, but she did set the table nicely. Hermione had always enjoyed folding napkins in fun arrangements, and did so today, one for each person. It was something her dad had taught her as a child, and she still remembered most of it. It had annoyed her last year when she realised that just because she was good at folding napkins, she wasn't automatically good at knitting, something Harry and Ron kept pointing out to her. She'd gotten better, but the Hogwarts house elves must not think her creations proper clothes, because they were always left in the places were she'd hid them.
Before lunch was to start, she went upstairs to shower and change. Her hair was somewhat easier to manage when it was wet, and with the help of a few spells, she got it to look almost nice, and curly rather than frizzy. It was still huge and a bit of a lion's mane, but it was the best she could do. She changed into a dark red dress with long sleeves, and put a crocheted vest on top, just to have something happen with the outfit. It wasn't that often that she could decide herself what she was wearing, since most days she just used her school robes, so she liked putting things together that looked good, whenever she had the chance. The others had also somewhat fancy clothes on, Mrs Weasley sporting a lovely green robe with shiny stars. Ginny had a small, silver dress on that sparkled, but she had opted to keep wearing her baggy new sweater over it, so only the hem of the shirt was visible. Hermione smiled at her friend as they sat down at the table. She did look adorable, and for once, Harry seemed to notice, which made Hermione glad. Maybe he would stop for a minute to realise that his perfect match was sitting right next to him, and something could finally happen between the two.
"Would you like some potatoes?" asked Fred, who again was sitting beside her. She accepted, and he served her gently, as if he were a waiter. She almost giggled at the thought, not quite being able to picture it. Fred was too much fun, to alive and animated, to work as a snobby waiter.
"What's so funny?" asked George, who sat right in front of her. She just shook her head no, deciding to not share that particular thought. Instead, they started talking about what they would do for the rest of the day, deciding that it was too cold for another snowball fight, and instead, they would play games and simply enjoy each other's company. Hermione, who only had a few chapters left of her novel, was planning to snuggle up in her chair, and finish her book.
She did so too, after having helped Mr Weasley and Charlie cleaning up the kitchen. Mr Weasley had insisted that his wife take the rest of the day off from any kitchen duty, and had instead poured her a glass of red wine and told her to sit down in the living room with their children. Hermione had smiled at that. It was lovely to see how much they cared for each other, even after so many years as married. She wasn't sure she could even imagine how much love and devotion went into keeping a relationship like that not only afloat, but sailing smoothly. Mr Weasley sat down next to his wife on the couch, and pulled her feet up in his lap. Bill, George, and Harry were playing a game of cards – the magic, exploding kind, as a soft bang would be heard every now and then, followed by a groan or a yelp. Ginny, Ron, and Charlie were in the middle of a chess tournament, that Ronald was undoubtedly winning. Fred had sat down next to her on the armrest of her chair again, seemingly engrossed in his own book.
She didn't mind having him that close, it was actually kind of nice. He generated warmth, and he smelled good, like soap and newly baked bread. It was a bit difficult, however, to not think about what Ginny might have implied the night before. He had his arm thrown leisurely around the top of the chair, and his feet were propped up next to her thigh. After a while though, she realised that if he could sit like that with complete comfort, she shouldn't pay it any more attention that he did. She went back to her book, and after a few minutes, she'd almost forgotten that he was there.
"Oh," she mumbled softly at one point, as one particular story line was concluded. She'd seen it coming, as the author had foreshadowed it, but it was still something to read it out. She felt Fred stir beside her, and reminded herself to be silent. He probably also disliked being interrupted in his reading. She finished the book, and sat for a few minutes, just looking down at the cover. It showed the back of a woman, her hair windswept to the side, and a mountain landscape around her. Hermione had to give it to her mother, that sometimes a really good novel might be a better read than a purly factual book.
"Was the ending what you hoped for?" Fred asked, and she looked up at him, surprised. She hadn't seen him put his own book down. She nodded slightly.
"It was very well written, but not quite what I thought it would be. Well, a few things were, but some had a twist... I liked it though, that it took me by surprise a bit," she told him, happy to share her thoughts on the novel. It was nice of him to show an interest. He smiled at her.
"I'm glad. And I'm also glad that you've finished it, then you might want to socialise a bit as well?" he added, a teasing twinkle in his eyes. Hermione frowned at him, but couldn't keep the smile off her face.
"I'll have you know that I am the resident Hogwarts book worm, it wouldn't really do for me to stop reading books to socialise, now would it?" He raised his eyebrows at her, probably because she seldom joked, and she stuck out her tongue at him. It wasn't very sophisticated, but there was just something with the situation that made her feel giddy. It was Christmas, she was spending time with a family that she loved almost as much as her own, she had just finished a brilliant book, and Fred sat next to her, always joking. He seemed to have a knack to pull it out of her too, at least nowadays, since he and George had left Hogwarts. Back in last year, she had been too busy to try to get them to follow the rules, that she hadn't really noticed and appreciated how relaxing it could be to spend time with Fred.
"That may be true," he said, "But you aren't at Hogwarts now. You're at the Burrow, it's a holiday. Surely you can take a vacation from book worming, I mean, it's not like they'll revoke your licence to being a snotty know-it-all when you get back, right? Mrs Pince won't claim you can't get back into the library unless you've spent the entire Christmas with your nose in a book?"
Hermione pretended to think about it. "I guess... You may have a point," she conceded. She liked their banter, it was fun and carefree. She didn't even mind him calling her a snotty know-it-all, because it was so obvious that he was joking. He pulled at one of her curls in a teasing manner.
"Then, let's put that book away, and instead play a game of chess. That's right, I'm challenging you to one!" He looked over to the chess board. "As soon as Ginny's beaten Charlie, that is." Hermione agreed, and decided to watch the last minutes of the current chess game. Without really thinking, she snuggled up closer to Fred, and leaned her head against his side. He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling it down from the head of the chair.
"My, don't you look cosy," said Bill, who came back in from the kitchen, carrying a tray of cups and two pots. Behind him floated another tray, filled with chocolate and biscuits. "Now, I've got tea and hot cocoa, which one would you like?" Hermione accepted a cup of hot cocoa, and held it gingerly in her hands. There was something about hot cocoa that always transported her to the past, back to when she was a little girl, and she would sit in her mother's lap, and they would read a book together. Sometimes her mum would read out loud, and when she was really small, Hermione used to fall asleep halfway through. As she got older, she asked to read out loud for her mum instead, and they would always do it at Christmas, drinking hot cocoa. She smiled at the memory.
"You two look positively adorable!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed from her seat on the sofa, smiling pointedly at the two in the chair. Hermione willed her cheeks to not flare red at the remark, but at Mrs Weasley's next comment, she couldn't. "Have you noticed that you're sitting under a mistletoe?" she asked, and Hermione's eyes widened as she looked up. She had not, but there, from a small hook in the ceiling, hung indeed a mistletoe. She tried to laugh it off.
"Well, you know what they say, if you're caught under a mistletoe with someone and you don't kiss them, years of bad luck will befall you," Mrs Weasley continued. Hermione had never heard that particular part, about the bad luck, and she wondered if that was a wizard's saying, or if Mrs Weasley maybe had had just a bit too much wine. She looked around the room, only to realise that they were all looking at her and Fred. Great.
"Guys, I don't mean to add any pressure or anything, but I seriously cannot handle any more bad luck right now," Harry said, earning a few laughs. Hermione scoffed, but she heard, or rather felt, Fred chuckle. She looked up at him questioningly.
"He's right, if I were him, I would be very paranoid. The lad's got worse luck than anyone, I reckon we should just kiss to make sure he doesn't almost die again," Fred said, sounding completely unfaced by the prospect of kissing her. He looked at Harry. "I mean, it was over half a year ago since the last time you almost died now, wasn't it? Wouldn't wanna take any chances." Harry nodded, grinning despite the unpleasant memories.
"Yeah, come on," George chimed in, and Hermione thought she heard Ginny mutter something which sounded like "Just kiss already". Before she could wonder at that, Fred took her chin in one hand.
"Will you mind terribly? It's a mistletoe at Christmas, after all," he said, and she thought there was a hint of nervousness in his voice and eyes. She liked that he asked for her consent, and in such a nice manner too. Merlin knows Cormac wasn't as chivalrous.
"I guess... I mean, we can't have Harry die yet..." she tried joking, shooting a glance at her friend, who nodded encouragingly. "It's not like it's a big deal," she smiled, and promptly kissed Fred, softly on the lips. He lingered slightly and his thumb graced her cheek. Her smile was still intact when they broke apart, seconds later. "There," she said, "No bad luck."
oOo
It was later the same evening that found Fred lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, muttering under his breath and looking uncommonly vexed. George asked him what was wrong, thinking that for someone who just hours before got to kiss the girl he loved for the fist time, Fred didn't seem particularly happy.
"What's wrong? Didn't you see her? She just kissed me like it was no big deal, and then went on like normal! Just 'oh, we need to do this', and then 'okay, time for chess!' I give up," he said, sounding as miffed as he looked.
"You know, you kinda looked like it wasn't a big deal either," George said, trying to calm him down. "What did you expect, for her to just snog you senseless right in front of mum and dad?" Fred shot him a look.
"I didn't expect anything, I didn't even see the bloody mistletoe before mum mentioned it. I don't know who put it there, probably Ginny. She said she'd hex me unless I tell Hermione before tomorrow... But how could I? She clearly has no interest in me. Did you hear that she took McLaggen to that Christmas party? McLaggen!"
George let out a deep sigh. They had been over this a couple of times, and it was honestly getting tiring to hear his twin moan and groan so much about the same thing. "Yes, I know. And you talked to her about it a few days ago, and she agreed that it was a mistake. Can you please just tell her that you love her and be done with it? The worst thing that can happen is that she doesn't like you back," he said. It frustrated him to see Fred so infatuated, yet so completely useless in doing anything about it. "She might very well feel the same," he added, in a gentler tone.
"I'm not saying I love her, and the worst thing that could happen isn't that she might 'not like me back', the worst thing that could happen is that she might not like me back." George rolled his eyes at this.
"Right. You're in love with her, and you're going downstairs to talk to her right now, because otherwise you'll have both Ginny and me on your arse tomorrow. Come on, I think she was still in the living room when I went up."
oOo
Fred found Hermione alone in the living room, sitting in front of the fireplace, again snuggled up in a blanket. She was staring deeply into the flames, and seemed miles away. He gave a little cough to announce his presence, and she looked up.
"Oh. Evening. What brings you down this late?"
"Ehm, I came to look for you, actually. Any room under that blanket?"
She pulled the blanket over his back as he sat down close to her on the floor. He put an arm around her waist, without thinking. It just came so naturally with her, he never had to think, it just seemed right to touch her like that.
"Why the floor?" he asked. "Instead of the sofa?" She smiled slightly.
"I've always had trouble sleeping on Christmas Day. It's just... The flurry and excitement of the day is over, and I know it won't be back until next year... So, I used to sit and watch the fire before going to bed, even as a kid. A meditation of sorts, just to remember the day... Especially now, when you have no idea what's going to happen with the war, if there'll even be a next year..." she kept staring into the flames, and Fred observed her as she talked. He didn't like her saying it, but of course if was true, they had no idea what would happen. In a way he was glad that she realised that and kept a rational mind about it, but mostly he was sad, because she was way too young to think about the consequences of war. They all were. He pulled her closer to him, in a proper hug, and kissed her forehead.
"Next year... Who knows. But right now, you're here, and you're safe, and you've just had a great Christmas with some really rad redheads," he said, and she laughed a little. She was holding her arms around him as well, and seemed happier and more relaxed than she had just a minute ago. "I think it's nice though, just sitting by the fireplace like this. It's a good tradition," he said, and started to let go of her. He didn't want to, but he figured she wanted her space. He kept one arm around her waist though, for he couldn't make himself let go of her completely. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and they sat in comfortable silence for a while, both looking into the fading fire.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I forgot, you came down to see me? Did you want to talk about something in particular?" she suddenly asked, and sat up properly to look at him. Fred immediately missed having her that close. He coughed again.
"Right, yeah, actually I did..." he started, and decided to just get it all out, prove that he actually was a Gryffindor (because, as George had commented, last year he hadn't really lived up to the trait of being 'brave'). "I really like you. I care for you so much and I have for probably over a year now and I've tried to show you but you never seemed interested so I thought you weren't and I'm probably making a huge fool of myself right now by just saying this, but I really like you and feel like I have to at least try, so, Hermione, do you think you'd want to go out with me sometime, on a date?" He said it all fairly fast, and drew in a ragged breath when he was done. It wasn't very eloquent as far as proclamations of deeper feelings go, but at least he'd said something. Hermione looked at him, with those beautiful, big, brown eyes.
"Are you serious?" she asked, after seconds so many they felt like an eternity. He felt puzzled. Of course he was serious, why else would he make such a fool of himself? Why else would he care for her more than anyone else, hand her blankets, bring her tea, even go so far as to jealously question her about guys she was seeing?
"Of course I'm serious," he answered, trying to look as though he really, really meant it. Surely she must see how honest he was? Slowly, tantalisingly slowly, Hermione began to smile. Fred's mind was racing. She's smiling! What does that mean? What does it mean?!
"Okay," she said, and snuggled closer to him. Okay?
"Okay?"
"Okay. I'd love to go out with you."
Fred pulled her closer, his body seemed to be filled to the brink with a warm, orange joy and a relief so strong he hardly knew what to do with himself. He kissed the top of her head, and just held her close.
oOo
Ginny exchanged an excited look with George, who had an almost blissful smile on his face. They had spent the last twenty minutes crouched on the stairs, spying on their brother. Now they got up as quietly as they could, not talking until they were two stairs up. There they broke out in huge grins, and high fived.
"Finally!" Ginny squealed happily, making a little dance where she stood. George just sighed, eyes almost glazing over with relief.
"He will finally stop droning on and on about how miserable he is. I can scarcely believe it, I'm gonna be able to talk to him properly again!" he said, sounding as though he had found pure bliss. Ginny snickered.
"I doubt it. You do realise he's gonna fret horribly before their first date?" At that, George visibly paled, and slammed his hand onto his forehead. Ginny just laughed. She couldn't wait to have Hermione get back to their room, so that they could talk about it. She thought of Fred, and the huge smile he'd sported when Hermione agreed to go out with him. He had finally asked her, after months and months of prodding. It truly was a Christmas miracle.
Note: Hermione is 17, being born a year earlier than Harry, and thus allowed to use magic away from school. Percy is absent due to his support to the Ministry.