A life without a Weasley, is no life at all

A/N: Okay, chapter number two. Er, basically its Hermione, her new houe and Fred. Won't reveal too much. Bring on the Mioned, (I pronounce it my-on-ed) incase you were wondering although you can also pronounce it as (my-own-eed) but I think the former is better! Tootles!

Disclaimer: As per usual, Joanne Kathleen Rowling owns it all. Even her story about a Rabbit, called – Rabbit!

Quote: Imagination is more important than knowledge – Albert Einstein.

Hermione couldn't stay in the house immediately; for one thing, there was no furniture, so she spent the night in her parents' house. She woke up and just stared at the ceiling for a few minutes.

I have my own house! I have my own house!

Hermione turned her head and her clock read quarter past eight. She jumped out of bed, work started at nine. So she grabbed a towel and went in for a shower. Ten minutes later Hermione was dressed in an old pair of jeans, a grey t-shirt with a heart design on it and a long, knee length black cardigan. Her long curly, slightly bushy hair was dry thanks to a bit of spell work and she'd put it in a ponytail, the same way she'd been wearing her hair to work since she started. She grabbed her bag and wand and ran down stairs.

"Honey, you'll be late for work. Here, eat up"

Hermione gratefully ate the food on the table, bacon and scrambled eggs – yum. When she'd calmed down a bit, and was nearly finished eating, she decided to broach the subject of leaving with her parents.

"You know the way I was planning, sort of, on moving out?"

"Yea-a-ah" Her mother, Jane said slowly, looking at her husband.

"Well, yesterday, I, uh, bought a house" Hermione said quietly to her plate.

"WHAT? HOW? WHY?" Her dad asked in surprise.

"It's perfect, three bedrooms, big spacious rooms, back and front gardens. It's beautiful; I have steps leading to the sea and onto the beach from my back garden!"

"But there's no sea in London" Her dad pointed out, obviously concerned for his daughter and her lack of knowledge of the area.

Hermione was realising that it would take her parents hours to come and visit her. But, she could apparate to and from. She could also try and connect them to the Floo network.

"That's because, it's not in London, Dad. It's, er, in Cornwall"

"CORNWALL?" Her father looked ready to faint.

"That's hours away" Her mother protested.

"Guys, please, it's my dream home and even though it'll take you hours to get there I can just apparate here to see you" Hermione tried to reason.

"Oh" This calmed them down immediately.

"Can we finish this later? Because I'm going to be late for work"

"Okay, but come straight home, we'll need to talk more about this" Her father warned.

"I will. Bye" She dissapparated with a soft pop!

She entered the Ministry at the apparition point at five to eight.

The day passed in a blur for Hermione. She avoided Ron at all costs, even taking to hiding behind a curtain while he searched for her. She felt mean for being so cold to him the last time she'd seen him. When he'd left Hermione stepped out from behind the curtain, to receive stares from colleagues as they passed.

At six o clock, when work finished, Hermione decided she'd let her boss, Dean Thomas, who also happened to be one of her old school friends, know that she was quitting the Ministry. Knocking on the door, she smoothed down her work robe; she kept it at work as she found it hideous.

"Come in"

Hermione opened the door.

"Hi Dean"

"Hermione, hey, anything I can do for you?"

"Actually, Dean, there is" She started, "I, uh, I'd like to quit" She said after closing the door behind her as she entered his office.

"Oh" Dean looked out the window and then back at Hermione, "Well, okay"

"Really, just like that?"

"Usually, you have to give us two weeks notice but since it's you, I reckon I could pull a few strings"

"Thanks"

"You just have to sign these" He said, conjuring up some sheets.

Hermione signed them.

"Done" She said happily.

"Well Hermione, you are no longer an employee of the Ministry of Magic and their Department of Magical Co-operation sector and frankly, I'm glad"

"What?" Hermione asked indignantly.

"You were meant for so much more than this" He said with a gesture to his small office, "I thought you would've left months ago"

"Gee, thanks"

"No offence meant. If you hadn't practically tutored our year in the Common room for the weeks before the N.E.W.T's, I wouldn't be here. So, thanks" Dean said with a smile.

She smiled back, "Well, bye Dean"

"WAIT!" Hermione turned towards him at his desk, "Your pay check, where'll I send it to?"

"Put it in my account in Gringotts, thanks"

"You know" Dean said as he got up form his chair and walked around his desk, sitting on a corner of it, "since I'm no longer your boss, would you like to go on a date with me? To get to know me as a guy, not as Dean from school or Dean your old boss"

Hermione was startled, "I'd love to-"

"-but?" He asked tiredly.

"But, I'm in the middle of moving house and I have to decorate it and I'll have to find a new job. So can you wait until I'm settled?" Hermione wasn't used to having male attention and was a bit flustered.

"For you, I'd wait until the end of the world" Hermione blushed but didn't reply to his cheesy line.

"Bye" She left closing the door behind her softly; through the blinds she could see him. He must've realised what he'd said because he was now banging his head softly against the wall muttering 'Worlds end?" over and over again. Chuckling to herself, Hermione checked her watch. It was ten past six. Her talk with her parents, she'd almost forgotten it so apparated straight home.

After a long talk in which Hermione managed to convince her parents it was in her best interests to move out, she packed her clothes and said goodbye to them, promising to be in touch soon. So Hermione went furniture shopping to celebrate. She found a gorgeous king sized four-poster bed, the same as the ones in Hogwarts, but bigger. She also bought a beautiful cream corner sofa that she knew would go perfectly with what she had in mind for the living room. Hermione also ordered her kitchen appliances and thanked the assistant who told her they'd be delivered there straight away. Hermione loved magic for this! She decided at eight o clock she better head home. But first thought she'd drop in and tell Harry her news.

Hermione walked down the street on which Harrys' house was located. It had started raining again and Hermione was getting soaked. She saw, from a distance, a red haired man standing outside Harrys' house, he was holding an umbrella over his head. Hermione stopped short and her breathing rate increased rapidly. Ron was here. She turned to go but dropped her bag, and in the unusually quiet London street, it made a lot of noise as it clattered to the ground. The man turned to the source of the noise. He saw Hermione on all fours in the pouring rain and grinned, Hermiones heart stopped. It wasn't Ron at all - it was one of the twins. She picked up the contents of her bag and let out a shaky laugh.

"Hey Hermione, er – you okay?" He asked when she'd stood up. He then covered her head with his umbrella while doing so.

"Perfectly fine thank you George. What are you doing outside Harrys house in the rain?"

"I was going to ask you the same question! I'm, uh, waiting for him to get back from wherever he is. And I'm Fred by the way"

"And why are you waiting for him Fred?" Hermione said his name as though she hadn't gotten it wrong and confused him with his brother.

"Because I need a place to crash for awhile, Angelina's moved in. So, I had no other choice but to move out." He said, somewhat bitterly.

"Oh. Well, sorry" She sounded it.

"What are you here for anyway?"

"Harrys my best friend" She said, stating the obvious but continued, "As it so happens I've bought a house, in Cornwall, and wanted to tell Harry about it"

"You bought a house?" Fred asked sceptically, raising one eyebrow.

"Yes, I did"

"What, does it have like the largest home library in Britain or something?" He snorted at his own joke.

"No" Hermione replied coolly, "In fact it hasn't got a library"

"Yet" Fred added chuckling.

"Well, I better be off. Tell Harry I say hi" Hermione told him, she seemed to be ignoring his jibes at her fetish for books.

"I will"

"Bye Fred"

"Bye Granger"

He watched her go. She walked down to the end of the street and turned the corner.

"Why does she walk in the rain when she can just apparate?" He wondered aloud.

The rain kept pelting down onto the pavement. He could only see depression in the droplets. How Granger walked in the rain and seemed to enjoy it, he'd never understand, he thought to himself as he ran a hand through his slightly long red hair. It was long, as in saying, that it was still standing on end as though he'd been electrocuted, but it didn't lie flat on his head, kind of like Harrys.

Hermione bought a coffee before apparating to her house in Cornwall.

"Home sweet home" She muttered as she turned the key in the lock and stepped inside her home. She shrugged off her coat, and dried herself with a flick of her wand. Hermione then entered her kitchen that had new appliances and old counter tops. She conjured, out of nowhere, a freshly made raisin scone. With another flick of her wand it was sliced in half and had had some jam and cream put on it. Hermione bit into it, savouring the taste. Pretty soon after, Hermione made her way to her room, the medium sized one - she loved the sea view, and fell back onto her bed that had been assembled already. It had no covers on it at the moment so Hermione 'accioed' her rug from her parents house, out of one of the bags she'd sent here. She was exhausted but couldn't seem to sleep. She lay there for hours, tossing and turning, staring out at the turbulent sea that seemed to match her mood, wondering why she couldn't sleep. She finally found her answer when she caught sight of her flaming red coloured cuddly bear, the one she'd had since her first year at Hogwarts. In an instant she was up on her feet. She picked up her wand and thought hard, of her destination. Suddenly, she was being pressed in from all directions; she could not breathe properly, there were steel cords tightening around her chest, than as soon as it'd started, it stopped. She'd apparated to just outside Harrys front door, and as she was still regaining her balance, she reached out and rang his doorbell. After a few moments footsteps could be heard approaching the other side of the door, then it opened wide, revealing a raven haired, green eyed, bespeckled man, who looked quite surprised to find his best friend on his door step at eleven o clock.

"Hermione, what're you here for? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Harry, really"

"Come in" He stepped aside and she entered his hall. Hermione then continued until she was at the foot of his stairs.

"What are you doing? I thought you'd be at your house. Congratulations by the way"

"Thanks. Harry, do you like living on your own?"

"Yeah" He replied slowly.

"Well what about Fred?"

"What about him? He's crashing here for a few nights-"

"I think it'll be more than a few nights"

"Why?"

"Angelina's moved in with George"

"Oh"

"Hold on – FRED" Hermione roared up the stairs.

Harry stood stock still, wondering what on earth she was up to. Fred came thundering out onto the landing. He then roared back at her.

"WHAT?"

"COME DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT" Hermione bellowed back, she put her hands on her hips, imitating Mrs. Weasley. He grudgingly descended the stairs.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO BURST MY EAR DRUMS YOU DAFT WOMAN?"

"Yes I am as a matter of fact" Hermione replied smugly.

"May I ask why?"

"There's no need to ask my permission and the answer is…that, I'm here to offer you a permanent place to stay"

"Where?"

"With me, in my new house, in Cornwall" Both men's' jaws hit the floor. Hermione Granger live with Fred Weasley?

"Why?" Harry spoke for the first time since greeting her.

"Well, because he has no place to live and you like your privacy. Also, I know I'll be a bit lonely living in Cornwall in a big house by myself"

"But he's Fred. The exact same Fred you reprimanded at every opportunity during school for pranking people" Harry pointed out.

"I know that, I've not got amnesia. But I figure, what's life without a bit of Weasley in it?" She asked with a small smile.

"Not any kind of life at all" Fred said grinning while Harry laughed at the absurdity of it all, "So, Hermione" Fred continued, "How much do I pay you? And on what conditions do I live with you and your library?"

"Well, you don't have to pay me, except maybe, if you want to do the shopping once in awhile. Don't prank me. Help with the cleaning a bit, and, er, no more making fun of books and libraries infront of me"

"Not even a small prank?"

"Not even a teeny one" She said to him firmly.

"Well I suppose, it's a deal then, I'll get my stuff and I'll bring my bed from my apartment. Huh, isn't this great Granger? I'm your new house-mate!" He messed up her hair as she scowled at him. Fred then bounded p the stairs, leaving a stunned Harry, and a weary Hermione, wondering if she hadn't just made a very rash decision she could not take back, concerning, one Frederick Weasley, whose hair is the colour of fire.

A/N: Well, here it is folks, the second chapter. Sorry I took forever to update, I've been away and was hit with Potter fever and have been re-reading all the books before the release of Deathly Hallows on Friday night. Also, just thought I'd mention how totally awesome the new movie is, though, one of my favourite things was left out – the chant Fred, George and Ginny do when Harry gets cleared at the Hearing!

To Thief Maiden, sorry you had to review twice! Hope you like this instalment. Also, to x-Lazart-x, kalian-blue, SnarkyGirl91 and MaskOfComedy – thank you for reviewing!

Love Always, FireboltPheonix.

X x O x X

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