CHAPTER FOUR | BRILLIANT
He wants to slap himself, he really does. You'd think that with the opportunities that Fred has due to Hermione being in the Burrow until the new year, he would be doing his best to get closer to her. But no, because he just has to mess up again. He wakes up early and his bed feels like the best place in the world, making it difficult for him to keep his eyes open for longer than two minutes and so, he falls asleep. When he wakes up and goes down to the kitchen, Hermione is gone and he has to spend breakfast with George, who has a great time making fun of his devastation.
The rest of his day is spent at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, where business is going very well thanks to the holidays season. Fortunately, it means most of the time George is too busy to tease Fred further. The latter doesn't need his twin to feel bad — he can feel himself running out of chances to talk to Hermione before she'll leave the Burrow. He even wants to come up with some sort of plan during the day, but he doesn't have time for it, especially when an angry mother comes in with her daughter, claiming that one of the twins' products were used on the girl who now has a small bruise near her jaw. The said mother spent forty minutes yelling at both of the twins until she calmed down when they offered to let her get two items from the store for free.
By the time Fred and George are back at the Burrow, dinner has been over for almost an hour and everyone is in their rooms, aside from their mother, who makes sure they eat proper food. Even though his muscles ache and he feels like he might as well fall asleep right there on the dining table, Fred eats everything that's handed to him. All the food makes him feel better and George agrees by simply moaning in pleasure a few times, which is enough to make Molly go to her room.
"Hermione isn't back yet, so make sure that if one of you is here when the poor girl will come, show her everything there is to eat," Molly tells them with a stern look as she turns towards the stairs. "She has spent her entire day at the ministry and Merlin knows if they gave her time to eat there."
Fred's eyes light up at the mention of Hermione while George smiles at their mother and salutes at her.
"Of course, Mum," George replies and waits until she's gone to turn to his brother. "Well, Freddie, looks like the world isn't completely against you after all. I'll be out of your way, let you wait for Granger alone if I can take those three last chocolate frogs."
"Take it and go," Fred urges, though he isn't sure he will be able to wait for the said girl for too long.
After taking the chocolate frogs, George Apparates away, but not before sending his brother a wink. Finally alone, Fred closes his eyes and leans his cheeks on the palms of his hands. He wishes he could go to bed but after he already wasted time in bed instead of being with Hermione in the morning, he forces himself to stay in the kitchen. Not moving instead of lying down is good enough, he thinks in an attempt to comfort himself. At some point, he lays his arms on the top of the table and uses them as a pillow for his head. It's not ideal, yet it makes him feel better and it allows his thoughts to take him away for a while.
A pop sound makes Fred's eyes snap open as if he never closed them. It's an alertness that has mostly set into him since the war and his body relaxes when he sees a familiar curly-haired witch walk in. Hermione doesn't seem to be in a much better state than him with her curls slightly messier than usual and with her shoulders slumped. It takes her a few seconds to notice his presence, which causes her to mutter something under her breath and put her hand over her shoulder, startled. After relaxing, she meets his gaze and smiles.
"Hi," says Hermione and makes a short pause. "You're down here all alone?"
Fred, who by this point is sitting up with his tiredness partly forgotten, says, "I'm glad you noticed that and yes, I've been waiting for you since Mom ordered me not to leave this spot until you've eaten properly. Well, more or less. I promise I won't tell if you feel like just eating a massive piece of cake, though."
"I appreciate that, Fred," Hermione replies, smiling and slightly joking as well. She puts her bag on top of the dining table and sighs when she sits down. "I would love a normal meal though, I just want to sit for longer than a second."
"What in Godric's name were you doing in the Ministry till this hour?" he asks curiously. "I thought you didn't pick a job yet."
Leaning back in her seat, she explains. "I didn't, but there are all these people that want me to choose to work for them, so I've spent the entire day walking around all of these offices and listening to everything they have to offer. I was excited in the morning, but it became rather exhausting at some point. And then the lady that I had to meet with last insisted to take me out for drinks and talked my ears off."
Fred listens attentively to her answer while thinking that he should get up off his arse, make a move and get her a plate with whatever she wants. However, only the thought of walking around makes his muscles ache again. Damn the world for giving him the worst timings to impress a girl.
"You can always come help George and me at the shop. We actually have enough people working but I'd find you something to do there," he suggests, both of them knowing fully well that he isn't serious. However, he would do it if she would want him to. "Mom would probably kill me though, and I don't think you'd like it."
Smiling, Hermione replies, "Thanks for the offer but no, though I do love your shop."
Rather sure she has never told him that before, Fred looks at her with an utterly surprised expression. "You do?"
With a chuckle, she pulls herself up and turns towards the refrigerator. "I do. I think some of your products are… smart. You might now be working at a high position at the ministry, but it's obvious that you're quite brilliant by all the products you and George come up with."
She turns her back to him and heads to take a clean plate. In the meanwhile, a big smile crosses Fred's lips. If he'd has the energy and if he knew how to make her not see it, he'd jump up with his fist up in the air in victory. However, hearing these things from Hermione — the girl he likes more and more — is enough to make him stand up and follow her. He doesn't know what he's doing, he only knows that he can't hold this in him any longer and he has to do something.
"Remember when I told you that I fancy you?" he asks casually and she glances at him as she puts some vegetables on her plate.
"Yeah…" she says hesitantly.
Looking into her brown eyes makes it clear to him that if he's going to do it, he needs to it properly and make sure she knows he's serious this time. And so, he bites his lower lips, thinking, until he comes to stand merely a step away from her. Hermione's staring at him, her eyes slightly wide and he tries not to get nervous by it. Then, he can hear footsteps coming down, followed by Ron's voice shooing away the girl's cat. He needs to act fast.
"You thought I was joking, but I think I'm making myself pretty clear here with everything I'm doing," Fred tells her.
She titles her head to the side, possibly annoyed. "Fred—"
"You're brilliant, so think about this. Really think about this. You can figure it out yourself and all I want is that for you to know, nothing more," he insists.
Hermione is about to say something, yet her two best friends can now be well heard coming downstairs and it's enough to make her go quiet. Fred slightly raises his eyebrows at her as he steps back. He wishes her a good night, to which her reply is barely audible, and heads upstairs. When he meets Harry and Ron, they greet each other at the bottom of the stairs. Fred acts normal, but with a small movement of his wand, he makes his little brother trip on air, which makes both boys stumble into each other and nearly fall. It's only fair in Fred's eyes to have a little revenge on them and it does satisfy him, but he goes to his room with nervousness in his stomach, wondering what's going to happen with Hermione next.
Author's Note: I wrote this basically in one sitting, wow. As always, thank you for the comments, the follows and the favorites. I hope you like this chapter :)