Chapter 2

Rituals

Fred was waiting in his room, Hermione was supposed to meet him again as she had been doing for the last week since their first meeting in the kitchen. She was running a little last normally they met at midnight and the only reason that he could think of was that she finally came to her senses and didn't want to talk to him anymore. But there came the knock at the door that was specifically Hermione's. He could tell it anywhere even if they were at Hogwarts again.

Fred opened the door and she dragged herself in looking quite tired.

"Sorry, I would have been here sooner but I and Ginny stayed up talking." She told him as she walked in and sat on his bed.

"It's alright, at least you're here now."

"Yeah, at least I'm here now." Hermione muttered, as she laid back.

"You don't have to be here you know." Fred told her, his voice sounding more defensive then he meant it to. "You can go back to Ginny's room and go to bed."

Hermione sat up with a start, she hadn't meant it like that. She was happy to be out of Ginny's room and in Fred's. Hermione loved coming in here, it was one of the few times she could open up and say whatever was on her mind. "I don't want to go back to Ginny's room, I happen to like coming in here and spending time with you."

Fred's heart skipped a beat, she actually liked spending time with him. Him, Fred Alexander Weasley, he would have never thought that Hermione of all people would like to spend time with him. "Sorry, I like you being in here, too. It's one of the few times that I enjoy anymore."

"Why? What's the matter?"

"Well, George is always with his Susan and when he's working that's all he talks about. All I do is work anymore and I think I'm in love with a girl that doesn't know it."

"How don't you know if you're in love with her?"

"Well we've talked a few times over the last few years, but lately I've been talking to her more and more because she comes and sees me. And I've always thought of her as just a friend but lately anytime I see her my heart jumps but my problem is I don't know if I truly love her or if she's just another girl that I'm lusting after. And I don't even know if she loves me back or just likes me for a friend." Fred told her with a sigh. He looked up at Hermione to see her with her eyes closed and lying down on his bed again. "Hermione!"

"I'm listening, I swear I am but I'm just so tired. What I think you should do is talk to the girl as soon as possible and tell her how you feel, like you just told me, and see how you and her feel after you tell her. Maybe she feels the same way, maybe that's why she's been coming to see you a lot more lately." Hermione yawned at the end of her sentence.

"Thanks Hermione but I think you need to go to bed."

"But I don't wanna." She whined.

"Go Hermione, get out of my room." Fred sounded demanding, but he was just joking. Fred really didn't want her to leave, he enjoyed her company, even if she was half asleep and not much company at all.

Hermione got up and left the room out of the door he was holding open for her. As she walked by him Fred gave her a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good-night Hermione."

"Good-night, hon." Hermione muttered, Fred's heart gave another jump as Hermione walked out of his room and down the hall to Ginny's room.

X

Hermione woke with an odd sense of comfort. She rolled over in her bed and snuggled into her pillow and tried to fall back into her sound sleep. Fred's words kept ringing in her mind, all I do is work anymore and I think I'm in love with a girl that doesn't know it. She wished that girl was her, she'd fallen in love with him in the last few days that they had been talking. She'd told him things that she had never told anyone, not even Ginny who had become her best friend. And in return for her telling Fred everything about her, he told her some very personal things, things that Hermione hoped he hadn't told anyone but her.

Hermione gave a sigh and turned to get out of bed, she knew falling asleep again was never going to happen, not now, not with all that was on her mind. So she got out of bed and wandered over to the dresser where her clothes stayed while she was here. Hermione changed into a pair of tight blue jeans and a black tank with skull and crossbones that said 'Wicked' underneath it. She had to try to make Fred like her, well actually she knew he liked her, she wanted him to love her. Hermione figured that the only way she could make him notice her enough to fall in love with her was to make him want her body, that if nothing else.

Hermione left the room and headed for the kitchen, when she arrived there she found that everyone was already up and getting ready to eat the breakfast that Mrs. Weasley made. She caught Fred's eye when she sat down but all she did was smile at him and grabbed a plate from the stack in front of her. Breakfast was served shortly after Hermione arrived and as soon as it was set out all the boys dove for it. Hermione and Ginny waited patiently for the boys to finish grabbing at the food before they helped themselves to the breakfast that they boys thought was their last.

"So how did you sleep last night, Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked her.

"Fine, I'm still a little tired but other then that I slept fine." In truth Hermione hadn't slept fine, she kept dreaming of Fred with another woman and happy as could be.

Fred looked at Hermione with questions in his eyes that she pointedly ignored while everyone was around. He wanted to know why she was so tired when she went to bed relatively early, at least for her. All through breakfast Fred stared at her while they ate. He was trying to figure out what to tell her when he saw her that night, providing that Hermione came that night to see him after what he told her. Fred kept trying to figure out a way to spend time with Hermione without it seeming suspicious by being around her.

Today was a Saturday, that would give him time to spend time with everyone and it wouldn't seem odd to anyone. Fred usually spent his weekends with them because George usually took over the shop on the weekends along with a few days during the week. All through breakfast Fred contemplated the best way to be around Hermione, Quidditch would leave Hermione out, so that was out of the question. Everyone would think him sick if he suddenly sat down to read with her, so that was out too. The only thing he could think of was to go to Diagon Alley and exchange some money for muggle money and take them all out to shop in muggle London, which actually wasn't a bad idea.

After breakfast Fred ran the idea by his mother, she wasn't exactly thrilled to have them all go out alone to muggle London but thought it was a good idea to get them all out before Harry got there the next day since Harry still was allowed to leave without Arthur, Molly or Dumbledore. Fred left for Diagon Alley while everyone was dressing in their respective rooms or relaxing in the Living Room. Diagon Alley was a gloomy sight with no one around when there were usually quite a few people, Voldemort was still high and mighty, along with his ego but all threats seemed to be stopping unlike it was the year before when his Death Eaters were killing everyone they met.

Everyone thought that an attack was soon to come, the calm before the storm. And Fred believed the same, but like everyone else he knew nothing of what was to come. So Fred simply made his way to Gringotts to exchange his money. As usual the goblins looked mad as hell and Fred's hands were itching to pull a few pranks on them to try and liven them up. He stood quietly waiting for the exchange and left as soon as it was done so he didn't end up in trouble for doing something stupid to the goblins whilst he was there.

Fred arrived at home to see Hermione sitting in the kitchen alone. She seemed to be waiting for something to happen but being impatient while she waited. Hermione looked up when she heard the pop and smiled when she saw Fred standing in front of her.

"Hey Fred."

"Hi Hermione," Fred smiled at her and stepped forward to give her a slight hug. "You up for some shopping today, I'm paying?"

"Well, how can I say no to that?" Hermione laughed, returning the hug with slight jump of her heart.

"Go get Ginny and tell her to get ready to go, I'll go get the boys."

"They're out side practicing Quidditch. Hey can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can." Fred looked worried, thinking of what was possibly so important that she had to ask the question now instead of that night when they usually talked.

"Did you mean what you said last night, that you love someone?"

"Yes, I think I'm in love with someone. But now's not the time for it, if you come to my room tonight I'll tell you about her." Hermione nodded in agreement and together they walked outside to get Ron and Ginny to go shopping.

X

After a long drive they finally arrived at a muggle superstore to do their shopping. Once inside the girls went one way and the boys to the other. They were headed nowhere in particular but all decided to make the best of Fred buying anything they wanted. Ginny and Hermione headed for clothes, as any normal female would, to pick out a few new outfits for the upcoming year.

Hermione wasn't as interested in clothes as she was in the undergarments, which she happened to be in desperate need of. As Hermione and Ginny wandered around the underwear and bra department the boys were wandering off in the direction of the toys and anything that would make a bang in school. Fred left Ron in the department of electronics, trying to figure out how the contraptions he was finding worked without magic. Fred found Hermione looking at random pairs of underwear not long after he left Ron and was intrigued to see just what kind of underwear she was picking out.

Hermione had gathered a random assortment of thongs and hipsters, all different colors and different pictures on the front. When she saw Fred coming towards her she held up the underwear and smiled.

"Unexpected enough for you?" Hermione asked with a grin.

"Completely unexpected for me, now do I get to see you in any of these?" Fred laughed, returning her grin.

"I don't think the girl you like would like that very much, but we'll see. Do you see anything else you would like to see on me?"

Fred and Hermione went through the entire underwear department picking up random things and trying them on, or Hermione was at least. By time they were finished Hermione had twelve pairs of underwear, five bras, and three negligees, of which Fred picked out for her. Fred was enjoying this new look for Hermione, especially since she was letting him pick it out for her. Ginny had seen what they were doing and just laughed, go figure that it would be Fred that would give Hermione a new wardrobe. So Ginny simply went off in her own direction to do her shopping and left them to have their own fun.

After three hours of shopping and playing around they finally left for The Burrow. Hermione now had a completely new wardrobe, Ginny had a few new outfits and a new collection of cds, and Ron left with a few new outfits and a new stereo that he didn't know how to work, yet. Ron figured that with Hermione's help he could set it up and figure out how it worked. The most important thing was that they all had their fun and Fred was able to spend time with Hermione without anyone questioning his motives.

When they arrived back home the girls went straight to their room to put their new things away. Hermione really didn't want Mrs. Weasley to know about the underwear and things Fred bought her. And Hermione told Ginny this, Ginny agreed to only tell her about the outfits that they got. When they were done putting away their things away they headed downstairs to help Mrs. Weasley with lunch.

X

Night came fast as they all settled down and relaxed from a day of work and fun. Hermione needed time to think about that day, she had to think that Fred wouldn't have helped her pick out all her clothes and underwear if he didn't like her. He even said that he wanted to see her in them, which he wouldn't have said if he didn't like her. Hermione decided that Fred just had to like her, everything he did today he wouldn't of if he didn't like her.

When everyone went to sleep Hermione dragged herself up and left once again for Fred's room. He was waiting for her when she knocked on his door and ushered her inside in a hurry.

"Merlin Fred, what's the rush, we have all night?"

"Hermione, I have to tell you something…"

A/N: Okay that's it for this chapter, hopefully you people can kind of figure out where this is going. But hopefully in the next chapter I'll be able to throw in a few surprises that nobody expected. I really hope you liked this chapter because it was really fun to write, especially the underwear scene. Just so you know this will probably be a semi-short story, my estimation right now is about twenty chapters or so but I'm still not sure. So please continue to read and PLEASE REVIEW!

Bee-bye for now,

BBR