On Sunday Hermione seemed very busy. Fred watched her bustling in and out of her bedroom in what seemed to be a great hurry. Curious, Fred picked up his notebook.
'What'cha doin'?'
He levitated a pebble from the street to tap on her window to draw her attention and saw her skid to a halt. She glanced out of the window, rolled her eyes and grabbed her notebook.
'Working.'
'On what?'
'Tell you later.'
'You're no fun.'
'Leave me alone.'
That reply got her a pout from Fred. Then he got that grin which she had long learned to dread.
'What?'
Fred just continued to grin. Hermione indicated her sign, demanding an answer. Her increasingly emphatic gestures only made the grin get bigger. Frowning Hermione opened her window and leaned out.
"Oi! Why are you grinning at me like that?"
A few shoppers in the street below looked up at the apparently mad woman.
Fred snorted and opened his window.
"Yes, dear?" he said innocently.
"Don't call me that!"
"Then what should I call you, sweetie?"
"Don't call me that either!"
"Pumpkin?"
"Not a chance."
"Darling?"
"I am not your darling!"
Below the shoppers sniggered.
"Give it time." Fred winked.
"You are so full of yourself!"
"I don't see you complaining."
"Then what do you call this?"
"Flirting."
"Frederick Weasley, you are insane! How in the name of Merlin does this count as flirting?"
"You're talking to me. That's proof enough."
"Oh Merlin, could your head get any bigger? Just because I talk to you doesn't mean that I'm flirting with you."
"Well, I flirt with you whenever we talk so I just assumed you did too."
That took the wind out of her sails. "That's what that was?" then she laughed and he looked put out. "And here I thought the Weasley twins were experts at flirting."
"Sarcasm?"
She laughed again. "You know for someone as smart as you, you really are a dummy."
The grin returned. "You think I'm smart?"
"Yeah. I mean, you couldn't create all those pranks if you weren't clever. Where are you going?"
He returned to the window. "Where do you think?"
Then he left his room.
"Fred? Fred! You are not coming over here!" she watched him exit the shop and march determinedly to her front door, only to discover it was locked.
"Let me in." he called up to her window.
"Not a chance buddy."
"You know I could just apparate in. I'm only being polite."
"Do that and I'm telling the boys you forced your way in."
"Ooh, scary."
"Fine, do what you like. Just know that if you do apparate in, I'm telling your mother."
"You wouldn't?"
"Come on, we all know she's your Achilles' heel."
"And we all know I'm yours."
"Ooh, good comeback. I'm disappointed, I expected more from you."
"Anyway, mum's not my Achilles' heel. Not anymore."
"Really? Then what is?"
"Yeah, like I'd tell you."
"Do I have to tickle it out of you?"
"See, now that's flirting."
"It is not."
"By the way, feel free to tickle it out of me, I'm not that ticklish anyway and I think we'd both enjoy it if you know what I mean." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Well I can see where Ron gets his flirting skills from."
"But Ron has no idea how to flirt."
"Exactly.
"You're mean to me."
"Funny, that's what Ron says."
"Think maybe he has a point?"
"This is Ron. He never has a point."
"Look, girlie, are you gonna let me in or not?"
"No need to snap."
"Sorry."
"And I notice we've gone from darling to girlie. Bit of a big step down don't you think?"
"Just let me in."
"Why? Why do you need to get in so badly?"
"There's something I need to do."
"Like what?"
"Wait and see."
"I'm not letting you in until you tell me."
"Wait and see."
"Ugh! You're incorrigible."
"That's a good thing right?"
"And it looks like we've hit a wall."
"Compromise?"
"Fine. I won't let you in but I'll come to the door. Good enough?"
"Not perfect but it'll do."
Grinning Hermione hopped off her window sill, where she had been perched to talk to him, and calmly walked down the stairs to the door. She had to supress her giggle as she saw Fred's anxious face peering in at the shop window.
With exaggerated slowness she unlocked the door and put her arm across the doorway to block him from coming in. Not that it would do any good; Fred was older and bigger and had way more muscles. Hermione shook her head a little to prevent her mind from wandering and her body from betraying her thoughts about his muscles.
"Now are you going to tell me?" she asked, pursing her lips a little. Wow, she really did flirt with him didn't she? She blushed a little as the realisation hit her. Now things were going to get complicated.
Fred meanwhile had resumed his infuriating grin. "It's nothing I need to say, pet, it's something I need to do."
"Oh, and what's that?"
He brushed her hair out of her face. Then he was leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. One arm stayed at her neck and the other snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. Despite herself the hand which had been against the doorframe was creeping its way up his arm.
When he pulled away, far too soon for her liking, they smiled at each other affectionately.
"You really like pet names, don't you Freddie?"
He laughed. In the background George wolf whistled. They looked around. He was standing in the doorway of the shop watching them. George motioned for Fred to come and work in the shop. Fred rolled his eyes and pecked Hermione on the cheek before turning and heading back to the shop.
"And by the way," Hermione called, making him turn back to her. "You may not know how to flirt, but you bloody well know how to kiss."
He grinned triumphantly, blew her a kiss and ran back to his shop. Hermione laughed as she watched the twins; noting the slight resentment and George's guilty manner. Things weren't alright between them yet.
She spotted Angelina sneaking out of the shop door. Hm, maybe there was something she could do.
"Angie, I'd like a word."
Angelina's manner was rather sheepish as she approached.
