A/N: I own nothing besides my sanity and I'm not sure if that's even mine. Its a long one.


Fred Weasley, the man with a plan, didn't have a good plan. He kicked at the bottom of his kitchen cupboards. The cat he'd gotten Hermione on their first wedding anniversary looked at him. "Sod it!"

Fred exhaled, as he went to the pantry. He pulled out the well used picnic basket. "Perfect." Fred poured the next hour and a half preparing the perfect date to win back his wife. He took it to the little pond out in back of the property he owned. Far enough away from the house he'd built with Hermione that she wouldn't realize that she was where he'd proposed to her.

Fred took a deep breath, before going back to the house. He took a quick shower before changing into something more date appropriate. He was trying to woo a woman. No it was more than that. He was trying to woo his wife.

Fred pulled a blue button down out of the closet. One she had gotten for him. He sighed. The shirt still smelled like the last time he'd warn it. He took a deep breath of the cologne she favored. A scent he couldn't bear to wear in four years. The woody scent hit him like an ax. He exhaled and put the shirt on. "I can do this," he said, "I'm a successful businessman. I can do this. I've done it before."


Hermione was running around George's flat the back of her dress open as she chased Gideon, who was trying to escape his pyjamas. George had Alexander dressed and cuddled up on the couch. Hermione caught the offending toddler and started to button the pyjama top.

George went over to Hermione and zipped the back of her dress. "That's a beautiful color on you."

Hermione stood up once she was done with Gideon. She brushed out the fifties Americana style skirt. "You don't think its too busy?"

George studied the mint green dress and whit polka dotted dress. "Its perfect."

"Thanks. Its a work dress. I bought it for meetings and lectures and what not," she said, "I don't know about this George."

"Do you still love him yes or no?"

"Yes," she said, with out hesitation.

"Then you can do this," George assured her. "Finish getting ready. This isn't my first rodeo with them. I can get their stories read and in bed by 8:30."

"8:15 George."

"8:45, gotcha."

"8:15, George," Hermione repeated.

A knock on the door sounded. George went to answer it. Hermione took a deep breath when she saw Fred. She recognized the shirt he was wearing instantly. Her heart sank.

"Hey Hermione, George, boys I have something for you," Fred said.

Alexander and Gideon jumped up from their spots running to Fred. Fred pulled two blue bags from behind his back. Hermione watched as her boys chorused 'thank yous' and tore into the bags.

The boys pulled out two small back packs each their favorite colors with their first initial on it. "There's stuff inside," Fred said.

That was all the permission they needed to dive in, pulling out an assortment of cars, trucks, and little magical toys. And books.

Hermione looked up at Fred. "Curious George?"

"George was a good little monkey and always very curious," Fred replied.

"You didn't have to do that," she said, smiling at him.

"I did. They said that they love the zoo, maybe while they're here we can take them to the muggle zoo in London," Fred suggested.

"Fred you don't have to step up, I'm not asking for anything. They want for nothing," Hermione stated.

Fred pulled her out into the hall. "I'm their dad Mione. I want to be in their lives. I want to be in your life. Let me do that."

Hermione thought for a moment, before turning on her heel to hug and kiss her boys. She gave George a quick peck on the cheek. "8:30," she conceded.

"Score!" George said throwing a fist up in the air.

Fred watched these exchanges wanting nothing more than to be a part of them. He was frowning when Hermione got back to him. "Think long enough?"

"Let's go talk," she said, smiling.

Fred held out his arm for her. She studied it for a moment before taking it. She closed her eyes. She had a fear of along side apperation. She took one last deep breath before they apperated.

"You can open your eyes," Fred said, with a chuckle.

Hermione opened her eyes and I'm smiled, "I missed this place."

Fred's mouth hung open. "I didn't think you'd recognize it. I thought that this was the best option for privacy." He led her to the blanket he'd spread out earlier.

She sat. "I can't forget it. I don't know how many dreams I had about coming back here and reading here like I did."

"We had a lot of picnics here didn't we?" He reminisced.

Hermione's thoughts turned to the early days of their engagement and marriage, and how they would sneak off down to the little pond with it's weeping willows and cherry trees. They would have lunch or dinner and lay in the grass and talk or do other things. She blushed at more of the rogue memories she had from their time spent at the pond.

Fred laughed. "I think we both went there. "

She shook her head, trying to dispel images of her husband thrusting over her. She exhaled. "Which memory?"

"Right after you said yes. The second I saw this place I knew it would be home. I just didn't know it would only be my home," he said acid in his voice.

Hermione sighed, "I'm sorry for that night and my part in it. I really am."

"Then why didn't you come home?" he asked, "You were pregnant alone in a different country and you could've came home."

She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "McGonagall said something to me once, she found me after one of our rows. She sat and talked to me for hours we'd had tea. The first of many teas I had with her. She said, 'Hermione dear a Gryffindor that's been hurt has more pride than the whole of Slytherin house.' Pride kept me from coming back, that pride turned into a force to prove myself. To prove to myself that I could do it on my own. I've done a damn good job by myself. Pride kept me from coming back."

Fred nodded, understanding. "I never thought that the next time that I saw you would be chasing two boys around. Hermione I'm sorry. I can't take back the hurt and the pain and the loneliness but I can be a part of their life."

"They would like that. I would like for you to be a part of their lives," Hermione said, "But that doesn't mean you need to be in mine."

Fred looked at her dumbfounded. "So I can help you raise our children but I can't be in your life?"

"I think we can arrange something between the two of us that works for all of us," Hermione said.

Her logic was killing Fred. He groaned, "So you want to marry that guy? Why don't you just send me the papers?"

"I'm not getting remarried. I've had enough of being married to last me a life time," she grumbled.

"What does that mean?" Fred said.

"Seriously I've been back a full day and damn it we're ready fighting," Hermione said.

"We're fighting because your damn pride is getting in the way. I want to be a part of all of your lives. Theirs and yours Hermione. I wanted you home for so long. I wanted to make it right. The second you walked out that door. I tried to find you. Bring you back. You still hadn't healed and you talked to me but I didn't understand what you needed. When Alexander found me and told me everything...Hermione I couldn't breathe I couldn't think. He suspected that you might have been pregnant. He had six daughters he could tell by looking at you. He apologized because I'd lost the most wonderful woman imaginable." He cleared his throat. "I thought that it was impossible, but obviously I was wrong. I'm wrong a lot apparently."

She smiled, weakly at him. "We'll figure it out. We always did."

Fred took her hand. "You don't know what that means to me Hermione."

You don't know what it means to me either Fred, she thought.

"I want to get to know you again. For the sake of the boys," Fred said.

"Ask away," she replied.

"What do you do?" He started going through the picnic basket, pulling out a bottle of wine.

"I'm the head of a team that translates and preserves old magical texts," she said.

"So you work with old books?" he clarified, pouring them both a glass of wine.

"Essentially, we do a lot of testing old spells and theories too. Its interesting work. For someone that likes books, and dust. A lot of dust," she said.

Fred laughed, "Just your forte." He held out the goblet of a deep red wine.

She accepted gratefully. "That's what I had wanted to talk to you about that night. Was about the job offer. One of the many reasons I was upset."

Fred squeezed the back of his neck, "I'll never forgive myself for that night. I just hope you can forgive me."

Hermione gave him a smile he hadn't seen in years. "I forgave you a long time ago. I had to when it came to the boys. I'd tell them stories of you and George and how we fell in love. Their favorite is the one where you left Hogwarts."

Fred laughed. "I can imagine. That story has probably gone down in the history books."

"That kiss you gave me in front of the whole school probably made it in there," she giggled.

Fred choked on his wine. "Probably. George said I was a walking boner until I was able to see you again."

Hermione shot him a dirty look over the rim of her wine goblet. "I remember when you met me at the train. The way you kissed me in front of your mother. She had a fit."

"Mum always has a fit," Fred commented, "We had more good than we ever had bad didn't we?"

"All of it was good Fred. The great made the bad, good. It was all good, and so strong I don't think I'll ever feel like that with anyone else but you." She toyed with the stem of her wine glass.

"Then give me another shot. I don't see the hurt in it. I don't see why we can't be great again," he proposed.

She frowned, "Fred I have a life in Portugal. A job I love, a home with a big yard and garden, a boyfriend unless you forgot that part."

"A boyfriend you don't want to marry," he stated.

"But that doesn't mean I don't care about him. What am I supposed to do drop my life and make our marriage work?" She closed her eyes. Her mind went back to one of their last picnics here. She could still feel Fred's hands and mouth roaming all over her. She shivered, not because she was cold.

"Do you love him?"

Hermione sighed. "No. I care but I gave my heart away a long time ago."

"Then come home," he stated.

"I'll think about it."

Fred beemed all he wanted to do was lean over and kiss her.

She smacked his arm. "That's not a yes, or a no. That's an 'I'm going to discuss it with Poppy Ginny and George, before I even start to think about it.' The boys get a say in this too."

Fred nodded, "Why don't we eat?"

"Let's." Hermione exhaled. What had she gotten herself into?