"Your brother came to the hospital again today," Hermione said absently as Ginny sat down at their shared table. "Managed to grow horns out of his toenails this time."

"He did?" Ginny said with a groan, happy to finally be off her feet. "That's what, the third time this month? He's never been this clumsy before, especially not where potions are concerned. It's almost as if," Ginny paused in untying her Quidditch boots as the thought struck her.

No.

Surely not.

Fred. Fred of all people? George, she could see. He was more the type; quiet, intellectual, a closeted history geek. But Fred?

"Almost as if what, Gin?" Hermione asked as she stirred something on the stove.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Ginny said as she hurried to tie her boots back up. "Save a plate for me. I'll be back later, forgot something at work," she threw over her shoulder as she ran out the door.

"Frederick Gideon Weasley, you absolute wanker, why didn't you tell me?"

Fred turned from where he'd been restocking the sweets display to find his sister stalking towards him. "Didn't tell you what dear sister of mine?"

He winced as Ginny greeted him by slugging him in the arm. Fred didn't know whether to be proud that she'd taken his lessons in throwing a punch so seriously growing up or irritated that she'd decided to use his own lessons against him.

"About Hermione you cad," she hissed. "All this time I thought you'd been moping about over your break up with Esmerelda, come to find out you'd been chatting up Hermione at the hospital."

Fred frowned and glanced around the shop. Any interest Ginny might have garnered had quickly dissipated by Lee's arrival with a new crate of Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow cream. He quickly shoved the rest of the sweets into the cabinet and nodded towards the back offices, turning before she had a chance to argue. Ginny rolled her eyes and followed him to the back, closing the door behind her.

When her brother went over to check on the cauldrons instead of giving her an explanation, Ginny raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Well?"

At her prompting, Fred sighed heavily and ran his hands through his hair. "It's weird, isn't it? It is, I know, but it just. It just happened. And then there's her whole history, non-history with Ron, not to mention I don't even know how she feels about me. And even if she does, there's Mum to deal with, not to mention Ron and Harry. And George. I don't even know what I'd do about George finding out. He'd give me grief over this the rest of my life, especially when he finds out how long I've been hiding it from him. Sure, he had his suspicions in seventh year but -"

"Seventh year?" Ginny yelped. "You've liked her for that long?"

Fred shrugged and looked away from her. "Don't have to make it seem like such a shock," he mumbled. "Besides, it was just a schoolboy crush is all."

"Doesn't seem like such a 'school boy crush' nine years later," Ginny shot back. "Besides, when has she ever been your type?"

Fred scowled and picked up the cauldron he'd been stirring. "I didn't realize I had to have a type," he muttered as he carried it over to the suspension area.

"Well, you do tend to go more for the buxom blondes," Ginny noted. "Generally the ones without much more than two galleons to rub together between the ears."

Fred set down the cauldron with a grunt before turning to look at his sister. "Did you ever think that maybe those were the girls George set me up with?"

Ginny picked up a sugar quill and twirled it between her fingers as she thought. "That would explain why they never lasted longer than a week. What about Hermione?"

"What about her?"

"How do you think she feels about you?"

Fred shrugged. "I'm Ron's older brother. She's obligated to at least humor me."

"You and I both know your more than that to her. Friends, at least," Ginny pointed out. "Besides, when has Hermione ever humored anyone she didn't care for?"

Fred sighed and sat down heavily in his office chair. "Fine. She seems to like me about as well as a friend. At least she asked if I'd be up for lunch tomorrow."

Ginny's ears perked up at the mention of lunch. "Fred, Fred, that's a good thing. It's lunch, don't you see?"

Fred looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "That's what I just said Gin. Lunch. The meal in the middle of the day."

"No I mean look at it this way. It's during the middle of the workday, and she almost never takes a lunch break. If she does it's ten minutes and then she's back on duty. But she's setting aside an entire hour for you, don't you see?"

Fred grinned and Ginny bounced on her toes as all the possibilities came to her. If this worked out, she'd get the flat to herself most nights, not to mention the added bonus of having Hermione around for all the family events she'd been able to duck out of by not technically being part of the family.

"Lunch it is then."