Keep reviewing! This one gave me a bit of trouble. But please enjoy!

I don't own anything, but I wish I did.

Ch.3: Shepherd's Pie and Taking Chances

When Fred returned to the shop, he was in a wonderful mood. "Brother-mine, do you have dinner plans tonight?", he practically yelled into the store room.

"Oi, bring down the noise, I'm concentrating." George gruffly answered. He was perched over a reasonably sized cauldron, stirring intently in an odd pattern and reading from a manual to his left. He was also frowning. "In fact, I do have plans, Angelina doesn't have practice and she's leaving for a 3-day tournament in two days. Why? Do you have a date or something?" He finally turned to look at Fred when his cauldron commenced boiling. "You do have a date!", he exclaimed reading the grin on his twin's face. "Who's the lucky bird, do I get to meet her?"

"Hold up!" Fred said, raising his palms in surrender. "You do know her, it's not a date and she's cooking dinner in our flat. Shepherd's Pie. She remembered it was my favorite."

"Oh, so it's Hermione then!" George was quick on the draw.

"Bollocks, I was hoping you'd guess around a bit.", Fred said laughing. "Anyhow, it is Hermione. I requested dinner when I went to Flourish and Blotts earlier."

"That's what took you so long! I was beginning to wonder if you were coming in to work at all. I was hoping you'd be here since there's still some things I need to take care of. The plan's been changed." He said, looking panicked. 'The plan, wha—no. He's not doing this tonight, there's too much he still has left to do!'

"Merlin, George why didn't you say anything?! I'd have come in earlier, or given you the whole day off! So, you're doing it tonight then? You're going to ask Angie to marry you?" Fred was just as panicked at this point. This was a big change for them. "Why tonight? Wait… where's the tournament going to be?"

"Stop with the questions! Angie came by earlier and told me that they added a new tournament to the schedule. It's in Tokyo. It's the farthest away she's ever been and I know she's being scouted, so I want to propose now before she leaves. I just want to be with her and I want her to know I love her and that I want this to be for life. If she does get traded or scouted, I want there to be options for us. I won't make her choose me over Quidditch, but I just want her to know…", he trailed off, suddenly out of breath. George had been planning to ask Angie for weeks, but was waiting for her birthday in October. This tournament being scheduled had changed everything in a matter of minutes. "I asked her if she'd like to go out for dinner, gave her an outfit request and told her I'd pick her up at 7. I made reservations for dinner and requested some flowers. I have to go pick up the ring and get ready myself. I am so nervous that I'm going to mess this all up-"

Fred grabbed his twin by the shoulders roughly and looked him square in the face. "George, breathe. Angie's great, she's going to say yes, you aren't going to muck up anything. When you come back to our flat, whenever that may be, you will be the future Mr. Angelina Johnson."

George's sanity must have disappeared between the stress and that last statement of Fred's because by the time Fred finished up, George was laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight. Fred began to laugh as well. "Are you better now, brother-mine?", he asked through sputters. "I believe you have some things to do."

George instantly sobered, "I do! I've gotta go!" He scrambled around, trying to pick up all his supplies but was failing extensively.

"I'll get it, you need to get going!" Fred took over with the cauldron, trying to keep George from spilling its contents. He had some things he wanted to check out with his new manual anyway.

"Thanks!" he yelled as he went back out onto the sales floor towards the flat, practically running.

"You're welcome!" Fred yelled back.

Fred turned the charms manual over in his hands and placed it on the work bench. He made a decision. Quickly, he picked up his pen to owl Hermione that his twin would be out for the evening. If George could ask the woman he loved to be his wife tonight, Fred could ask Hermione on a date tonight.

Work passed way too fast for Fred. He looked at the clock, Hermione would be home by now, probably even started dinner already. 'I don't know how to approach this. Maybe just come right out with it? Over dinner? Over dessert, maybe? Maybe during the movie? Or just before? Maybe she won't want to watch the movie. Bloody hell…' He had gotten far enough with his plan to know he wanted to help with dinner if he could, or help with setting the table. He was going to buy a wine he knew she liked, since it was Saturday. He knew she only drank on weekends, if at all, but the wine was mostly for him. He really needed to loosen up a bit. He'd also remembered she liked the movie "It's a Wonderful Life", and he'd already bought it with the intent to give it to her for Christmas. He was pretty sure it was a Christmas movie, but he didn't think she'd mind if he asked for them to watch it tonight. He closed up the shop swiftly, went down the alley to the liquor store, bought the wine, and returned to the front door of the flat. 'This is my own place, why am I so nervous?' Finding his Gryffindor courage, he opened the door.

"Hi Fred! How was work?" She sounded so cheerful. 'Merlin, I hope she says yes.'

"It went great, once I got George out the door. Can I tell you a secret 'Mione?" He set the wine on the island and she turned to look at him and then at the wine.

"That's my favorite, I need it tonight," she said, laughing. "I had a group of young teenage girls come in today looking for a new young adult romance novel. They sounded American though, no idea where they found Flourish and Blotts. Author makes Lockhart look tame when it comes to women falling all over him." She made a face and scrunched up her nose. "I'm a relatively romantic person, but this was just… ick. 'He's so handsome, do you think he's married, his books are so romantic.' Yuck." She mocked the girls and he just laughed. "What's your secret, Fred?" She leaned over the counter and put her chin on her hands.

"George has a special date tonight…. He's going to ask Angie to marry him!" Fred beamed at her.

"REALLY? That's wonderful! I really like her, and they're great together. She adds some balance to George. Is that what the wine is for? Are we celebrating?", she asked.

"No, it's just us, they're going out for dinner at some fancy restaurant. He'll be picking her up in about an hour or so. I think he was going to check on the reservation and get her after that." Fred moved around the island towards her.

"Well that explains the rush when I got here, didn't say much other than 'Hi and Bye' before he flooed out…I was just getting started on dinner." She went turned back to the mash on the counter behind her.

"I'll help you! I did ask for dinner, after all." Fred was all too eager to be here in the kitchen with her. "I'll work on the meat while you work on the mash, and while you put the pie together, I'll set the table and open the wine. Does that tickle your fancy?" He hip-checked her lightly as he moved past her to the icebox and gave her a sly grin.

Hermione giggled at him. "Works for me."

"Did you have any plans for after dinner? If you do, that's okay-" He started.

Hermione cut him off and smiled quizzically. "No, I don't. I am content to stay in for the evening. Why, did you have something in mind? Or do you have plans?"

"Actually, I found a movie some time ago and wanted to watch it. I originally planned to give it to you for Christmas, but I'd kind of like to watch it tonight if you want to watch it with me. I remember you saying you liked it before." He grinned at her and walked to his bedroom.

"Fred Weasley, did you buy me 'It's a Wonderful Life'?!" She sure sounded excited.

He returned a moment later, VHS case in hand. "Yeah, I did. I knew you didn't own it and I ran across it in Muggle London a few weeks ago. This is it, right?", he said, showing her the tape.

"Yes, it is… And you really want to watch it with me?" She sounded confused.

"Well, the way you talked about it, made it sound really good. And the girl at the shop said it was great too, that it was her mom's favorite and that they all watched it at Christmas. Do you mind watching it in September? Or does that go against some Muggle tradition I am unaware of?" He grinned broadly when she laughed.

"No, it's not against any traditions and I'd be willing to watch it any day, any time. Let's do it!" She smiled one last time and went back to the mash. He grinned like a fool over his pan on the stove for a time. This was going great. When he turned the pie over to her, he went to set the table.

'If I got a couple candles, I wonder if that'd be too much. Don't want to overdo it… oh bollocks, if this goes right, hopefully it won't matter. Candles it is. If this goes to hell, call it blind stupidity. Maybe I'm overthinking this.' His brain was trying to run away with him. He got out the nicer silverware his mum and dad had given them when they finally came around to the idea of the twins being on their own, and two pretty, single candlesticks and set the table to his liking. He then turned to the wine, a sweet red and opened it to let it breathe for dessert. He'd also snuck in a Cheesecake to the icebox under her nose. He knew it was one dessert she couldn't resist.

"Oh, my goodness, this looks really nice Fred." He jumped and spun around. Apparently, she put the pie in oven already. "It'll be about 10 mins for the pie.", she said, surveying the table once more.

"I thought it might be nice…", he answered. 'Oh Gods, I overdid it.'

"It looks wonderful." She eyed him suspiciously and gave him a sly smile. "Are you buttering me up for something you did, or have yet to do?

His face had to have paled. 'She thinks I'm pranking her. NO! I swear on my new owl's life, I'm not.' "No! I'm… I'm just trying to be nice. I thought it'd be nice to have a nice dinner together. We aren't doing anything else anyway—" 'I'm rambling again.'

"Fred." Somewhere during him falling all over his words, she'd walked closer to him. "It's okay. A nice dinner is okay. I didn't mean anything by it, although I have been on the receiving end of yours and George's pranks before, if you'll recall." She gave him a small smile, but then she asked, "Are you okay? You seem a bit odd this evening, not odd as in odd-bad, but odd- different."

"Mione," 'Here goes nothing.' "Do you trust me? Tonight, I mean? If I seem odd, it's because I've got something on my mind, but I swear, I am not pranking you in any way. Wizard's Honor." He gave her a salute and she laughed.

"Alright, I trust you."

*DING*

She started. "Oh, that's the timer. I'll be right back!"

Dinner went by very nicely, they talked about any number of things. Fred had made a point though, to ask her questions about herself. But, Hermione had figured out he game, or so he believed, as she started to ask him questions right back. By the time they'd gotten to dessert, he'd learned her favorite color (cornflower blue), her favorite food (lasagna), her favorite book (Jane Eyre), and an array of other things. He went to get the cheesecake, cut it, handed her the slice and cut his own. She eyed it, only for a second, and took a bite. He poured her a glass of wine and himself one. After they'd enjoyed their dessert, he escorted her to the couch.

"M'lady." He grandly bowed in front of her, gesturing her to sit. "Your film awaits you."

"Why, thank you, kind sir, this has been a wonderful evening thus far." She giggled, unable to keep a straight face at this silliness.

He played the movie and she sat surprisingly close to him as they watched the trials of George Bailey. Fred loved the character of Clarence, his spirit and optimism had a lot to do with that. He did think it odd that the mean old man had the same last name as Harry. He reminded Fred of the way some of the Purebloods could be with their high and mightiness. His favorite scene was the swimming pool, he laughed so hard. The scene following with George and Mary was sweet and just romantic enough to make Hermione shift ever so slightly in his direction on the couch. He placed his arm behind her, but she didn't notice. He didn't care. This was the most comfortable she'd been with him. As the scene changed, he reached down and paused the movie.

"Something wrong?" she looked up at him, a bit concerned and suddenly seemed to notice that they were closer together, but she didn't move.

"No, at least I don't think so. Hermione, if I ask you something, will you promise not to laugh? 'Don't panic, just ask her.' I know that might be hard to do, as I am quite hilarious." He puffed his chest out a bit, but deflated when she smiled next to him.

"I'll certainly try not to. What's on your mind?" She searched his face for any clue about where this was going.

"Okay, so… I had a bit of a motive this evening." She stiffened a bit. "Nothing bad or anything, just that I set a bit of a plan in motion and now I'm derailing from it." 'That's a lie, you had no plan. But if this works…' "Hermione, I'd like to take you out on a date. A real date, to dinner… and a movie if you'd like! I just really need to tell you this and I need to not mess it up—"

"Fred. Stop." She put her tiny hand on his arm. 'Oh, Gods she's going to say no.' She took a deep breath and he really started to panic. "That's nice of you, really it is… but… Why do you want to go out with me?" She dropped her eyes and almost looked sad. He wasn't able to answer her though, because the fireplace glowed green and George stepped through, hair messed up and bow tie askew. "She said YES!"