It was two days before Ron and Luna's wedding that Hermione got all of her mobility back. She was pleasantly astounded by how much time Fred would take out of his working day to check on her. When the shop was slow, he would even bring her downstairs, show her things they were working on, upcoming ideas, and the popular sellers they had. Though she was grateful for all of this, she was glad to stop being such a pest and do things on her own again.

After that night of them sharing the bed together for the first time, Hermione continued to stay and sleep in it with him. It was large enough where both the witch and wizard weren't too close that it was awkward. It kept Hermione at a constant battle in her mind. Was he okay with her sleeping in his bed, or was he being nice and letting her stay there? She never knew since he didn't say anything regarding it. Being the woman she was though, it would pain her to not analyze, but now it frustrated her by not knowing.

They were having their usual pleasant conversations over a dinner Hermione had made for the two. She hadn't really expected how Fred was going to react to the news, and it wasn't a pleasant surprise at how he had. It was quite eye opening on both of their parts to see such differing opinions over a certain belief.

"I heard back from the ministry today. They offered me a position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. It isn't my ideal position, but I know it can be easily worked up from," Hermione announced, feeling quite proud of herself.

"Yeah?" Fred asked through the small amounts of food his mouth contained. "I'm sure they took it hard about you refusing. You would have done brilliantly," Fred added as he swallowed the rest of his food.

The witch was stunned by his comment for a few seconds. It had really left her speechless. Her mind began hoping he was only joking, messing with her.

"Pardon?" she questioned warily. He hadn't erupted in laughter yet, not even a simple mock of the horrified expression that she wore.

Fred took his turn to look confused, he now eyed her guardedly. This was not how he had anticipated for her to respond. "You plan on working?"

"You planned on me not to work?"

"I would highly prefer if you didn't work, yes," Fred answered swiftly. Puffing out his chest much like he would watch his father when Arthur and his mum would get in a disagreement.

Hermione snorted and shook her head. "Well that isn't going to happen!"

"And why not?" Fred countered with ease, resting his chin on his hand.

"Because I want to work. I don't want to be a housewife!" Hermione explained, extremely baffled that the idea of her agreeing to such a thing would ever cross his mind.

"What is wrong with being a housewife?" He retorted, watching her with suspicion now. He already didn't want this disagreement to be happening as is. But he wouldn't hold his temper if he insulted something his mum was.

"I never said there was anything wrong with being a housewife, Fred," Hermione reminded, a rather unamused expression brushed on her face. "What I'm saying is, I need to work. Some people can be content and love being a housewife, and they do an amazing job at it. I'm not one of those people though!"

The red headed wizard sat quietly for a moment, defusing himself. He rolled his eyes and chuckled. He didn't want this argument and he would just have to live with what she was deciding. No matter how much he disliked it.

"I see that this isn't up for a real discussion without a fight, so we will drop it. If you want to work, work. I suppose I can manage knocking out one dream of having a housewife to come home to," Fred teased, a light smile on his face.

Hermione eyed him, waiting for him to change his mind and add something else, but couldn't even eye him without a smile.

"I will still get off before you. You will still get served dinner just as you are now."

"Thank the heavens, my worries are now completely gone and washed away," Fred responded playfully, picking up his clear plate and putting it in the sink.

Hermione giggled and shook her head. Appreciative Fred didn't seem to have the same temper Ron did when someone didn't agree with him. Compromise seemed to be rather easy with him.

"Speaking of which, we were finally mailed information from the ministry about our bond and more information of the law. It is advised we pick a date soon," Hermione added, tilting her head a bit, trying to assess what his reaction might be. Any talk of the marriage before and Fred would become so moody. With how he had been acting as of late, she wasn't truly sure how he would react now.

He turned and nodded, trying not to worry that much about the wedding. "I'm fine with whatever date you pick, as long as it isn't cliché!"

The bookworm smiled even more. "Great, cause I was thinking a fall wedding!" she exclaimed, like any girl, she had fantasied about her wedding loads of times. She just always imagined it in the fall, just when the leaves were changing.

"Fall wedding it is!" Fred agreed, leaning against the counter and smiling to the other. "Now lets read what the ministry wrote."

"We need to have a ministry official there, someone who has the power to seal the bond," Hermione explained as she read from the paper.

"If you don't mind I'd like to have my father or even Percy do it." Hermione nodded in complete agreement to his offer. It would feel right; they were so family-orientated it would just feel wrong with a stranger.

"If we decide the marriage isn't working, we have five months to get the bond revoked. After five months it is no longer an option," Hermione continued to read, Fred nodding along so she carried on. She paused and reread a section before mentioning it; flabbergasted they would have such a rule.

"That just isn't fair! It's rather demeaning!" Hermione exclaimed to herself.

"S'wrong?" Fred asked quietly as he shoved a piece of bread into his mouth.

"You and your partner have a year to conceive, if failed appointments will be head for further examination!"

"I am not to keen on them thinking something is wrong with my boys down there," Fred replied bleakly. Finding it odd that it was repulsing Hermione, despite it being harsh.

"No! That isn't the point. This law would basically force you to bare children if you wait too long to get it revoked. Investigations take months. So if someone were to wait a month after the marriage to realize it isn't working, they would still expect a pregnancy to occur. They won't revoke the bond or marriage until it is proven you are unfit for one another," she explained, exasperated still that they would do such a thing.

"That does seem rather unfair."

Hermione shook her head and placed the letter down. "It doesn't matter I suppose, it isn't like they withdraw the rule."

"It'll get better with time," Fred replied in a comforting tone, walking over to put a hand on her back. Fearing in the deepest part of his mind she was already considering trying to get their marriage revoked. To not even try.

Hermione rested comfortably in the large bed, curling with the cozy blanket with her eyes shut. They had mailed to the ministry and Molly about setting the date for October fifteenth. After that they separated, Hermione went to go read and Fred to make up some potions for some new idea he and George had today.

After a couple minutes of peace reading her novel, and explosion caused by Fred made her decide to tuck in for bed. Following her decision, Fred went to take a shower and call it a night as well. He and George were doing inventory over at the shop tomorrow and it was always a long process since the two never failed to get distracted by their own products in the process.

The prankster changed into his pajamas behind the closed door of the bathroom. Sure, they slept in the same bed, despite the furniture George gave them; Hermione seemed to have no interest occupying the other room. Fred wasn't going to push her out possibly by changing in front of her. He grew quite comfortable with them sharing the same bed, he found himself more relaxed going to sleep with her near. He presumed the work of the spell being the reason.

Exiting the bathroom, he left his dirty clothes and used towel at the door, opting to clean it up in the morning rather than now, and sunk contentedly into his warm bed. He watched with quiet eyes at the girl before him, she looked so peaceful and at ease lately. A soft smiling sketching to his face as he realized her bushy hair seemed to almost ensnare her small framed face.

Rolling over to turn off the lamp, Fred shut his own eyes. Quite glad he wasn't staying up rather late. He knew his body would thank him for this later.

He was close to falling into complete sleep when he heard the person beside him wrestling around with the covers. He was about to say something when he stopped himself after hearing her distressed sigh.

"Do you think… despite this law, we would have ever…. I don't know, try to date?" Hermione whispered the question into the dark.

It left Fred speechless; shocked by her question, he remained immobile, only light breaths escaping him. It caused Hermione to believe he had gone to sleep and she rolled over, her back facing his now.

"Right…" she mumbled, forcing herself to a quick dreamless sleep as Fred stayed up for a few more hours in wonder why she brought such a thing up.

Aimlessly she ambled around the clothing store. She had managed to sway Fred to accompany her to a town she knew of from her mother taking her dress shopping there. She fancied the accustomed place rather than the store Fred had in mind. Plus this was more of her setting; it gave her an opportune to see how Fred would react in this area. She couldn't be expected to never return to places she loved like the theatre and stores like this ever again.

It seemed like she didn't have to worry about that though. Fred didn't stick out like a sore thumb. She watched him seem almost helpless in picking out a regular suit for Ron and Luna's wedding. With a tilt of her head, she smiled. The towering red head seemed to struggle with Hermione's decision to not have bold colors. Rather light blues. Originally she was against the idea of matching, but when Ginny had informed her most of the partners there would be, she had no desire for the ministry to question them. Especially given that it was one of her best friends wedding.

"Ya sure you don't want to consider magenta or a bright orange?" Fred called over as he pursued in finding a matching tie.

A snort escaped from the witch, as she gave a rather sarcastic roll of the eyes. "I'd like to not go out of our way to stand out as much as we possibly can. I told you, I'll even let you pick out a bright blue if you really want a bright color," she reminded, smirking to the wizard who now stared at her.

"Yeah, well I'm not exactly keen on bright blue. I hardly fancy the style of suit Mum is forcing me to wear!" The Weasley complained, letting out a childish huff for good measure.

"I swear you and George are so picky when it comes to fashion! Beside what your mother has requested is proper and dignified!" Hermione countered lightly, he really was such a goof ball sometimes.

"I don't exactly like proper and dignified, and here I thought you were getting to know me better!" Fred teased, finally snatching a tie he would assume to go with what he picked as he moved closer to the lingering brunette. His face twisting as she picked up a dress to examine.

"Oh for Merlin's sake! What is that matter with blue?" Hermione huffed starring at the other with bewildered eyes. She never knew anyone to throw such a fit over color.

"I just don't fancy blue," Fred replied with a proud smile. He couldn't deny that it was hard not to find Hermione cute in her vexation. It also didn't help that just like when he and George would exasperate his mother, he was highly amused by this.

"How can you not fancy it, Fred Weasley? Your own eyes are blue!" Hermione pointed out. Stamping off to the next section of dresses to find something else she might like. Her words put her in query; he probably had never assessed the profundity of his eye color like she has of late.

"Not everyone likes blue eyes you maniac woman," Fred teased, leaning against the nearest wall, his eyes dancing with his pure hilarity.

Unable to resist a smirk, Hermione shook her own head. "Most people adore blue eyes or envy those with it." She was speaking of behalf of herself; her own eyes could be quite dull sometimes.

"I've always liked brown eyes anyways," Fred mumbled as he moved across the room, heading back to the security of the men's side.

The bookworm tried to not stay there with such a baffled expression, her mouth slightly dropped open. It seemed like this as of late. There wasn't truly anything wrong with it… it just confused the girl. Nothing truly bothered her more than that, especially no theory she could think of helped her grasp even in the slightest bit.

She hadn't helped her own case, but she wanted to put more of the blame on him just because the only time she had done it, he was asleep. It always stumped her though. He would say comments like that and try to ignore like they had happened. It made the witch strangely more hopeful for this idea of more that he was portraying. She just never really knew if he was saying it being the jokester he was or because he actually meant it.

Too flustered with the situation, she snatched the first blue dress she eyed that she assumed she would like and fled to the nearest changing room to distract herself from being so preoccupied with the ludicrous problem she carried in her head.

Exiting the room, she went to the large mirror where Fred stood, examining an outfit he picked, that Hermione even approved of. She wore a simple blue dress; it framed her body well and exposed her back while still keeping her modest. She couldn't help but bite her lip when Fred turned around and she got a better look at him. He was becoming more handsome to her, it seemed, every day. A pull brought her close to him and she blushed as he smiled at her.

"I like that dress," he whispered, taking another step closer, making him look down on her. He felt the pull as well and wasn't going to try and fight it.

"I do too," Hermione whispered back, starring at his chest and sported a heavy blush. She felt his hand touch her exposed back and she stiffened.

"You really do have beautiful brown eyes… blue was a good choice, it helps bring them out," he continued in the soft-spoken tone. Watching the girl's every move now.

The brunette witch tilted her head a bit, amazed by how easy it would be to kiss him. She stared back into his breath taking eyes and fought a stronger urge to kiss him.

A sly smile crossed his face, and his eyes lit up with his mischievous thoughts. "That spell really does bring people closer together," he added in a good-humored manner.

The girl could only nod, she felt so foolish, being so awe-struck like this.

It happened in the slowest form. His hands slowly crept up her neck; he bent down in the slightest to seal the distance between their lips. It was the silkiest kiss she had ever had. It was also one of the sweetest kisses she ever had. She almost melted at the feeling of his soft lips pressed against hers. She became more intoxicated of his aroma of honey and the familiar smell of the burrow.

Her eyes fluttered open when he pulled away. She remained silent, only blinking at him. She couldn't read his face; she couldn't keep a single train of thought dedicated to what he might be thinking. She kept going back to the kiss and how much she enjoyed it.

"I'm going to go pay for these," he informed quietly, turning away from her and walking away as she now touched her lips.