Flaming Red
By corset-rebellion-follower
Disclaimer: I don't own HP
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Chapter 11- Cinnamon CandlesHermione stared out the window of her room. Snow was falling peacefully outside, and the full moon illuminated the sky. I hope everyone is ok. Especially Lupin, at this time of month.
"Hermione, what are you doing?" She turned around. Fred was looking at her, sleepy eyed.
"Just watching the snow," she explained quietly.
"At two in the morning?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm watching snow at two it the morning. And if you don't mind, I would like to get back to that!" she snapped. Fred picked her up and laid her back down in bed.
"This isn't about snow, is it?" he asked, slipping in next to her. She slid her arms around his neck.
"No. I'm just worried about Ariana. Do you think she's alright?" Fred lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye.
"She's your daughter, Hermione. I doubt that it would be too much for her to handle," he whispered.
She sighed. "I'm glad she's coming home for Christmas tomorrow. After you raise her for eleven years, it's kind of boring without her around."
Fred smiled. "You still have me." She smiled back.
"Yeah, I guess you're ok." He grinned and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"I must be more than ok if I'm going to marry the brightest witch of her age."
Hermione blushed. "Don't act like you never heard it before," he teased. Hermione switched back to her worried-mother look.
"What is it now?" he asked.
"Ariana… she said she was bringing home guests. What if their boy guests? Ariana is surprisingly boy crazy for an eleven year old," she explained.
"It'll be fine. You worry too much. Promise me that you'll actually sleep tonight so that you have that cheery spirit that I love tomorrow when I bring Ariana and her friends home," he mumbled, nuzzling her neck. A small smile appeared on Hermione's face.
"Alright. I promise." She closed her eyes and tried as hard as she could to sleep.
The next day, Hermione spent most of the time Fred was gone to King's Cross Station pacing in the living room. She heard a sharp pop outside the front door. Immediately she ran to the door and flung it open. The first thing she saw was a Hogwarts robe. Not waiting to see who it was, she flung her arms around the person in a tight hug.
"Mum, what are you doing?"
Hermione opened her eyes. Ariana was staring at her with wide eyes, and Fred was cracking up. She let go of the person she was hugging and got a good look at him. He had messy black hair and shockingly green eyes. "Um… sorry, I thought you were my daughter, I wasn't looking at who it was," she explained, a blush growing on her cheeks.
The boy smiled at her. "It's alright." He, Ariana, and another girl walked into the house, and Fred leaned on the doorframe, smirking.
"Wow, Mione, I didn't think it was possible for you to be that dim." She hit him on the arm.
"It's not funny! Just an honest mistake." She turned away from Fred and joined Ariana and her friends.
"Hey Mum. How boring was it here without me?" Ariana asked, grinning just like her father. She was sitting on the couch, her feet crossed on the coffee table in front of her. Hermione felt tears rising in her eyes, just by how much her daughter resembled Fred. She snapped out of it quickly.
"First of all, young lady, get your feet off the table." Ariana sheepishly let her feet fall to the floor, and her friends giggled. Their giggles seemed to remind Ariana of their presence in the room.
"Oh, right. Mum, Dad, this is my friend Rachel." She pointed to a pretty blond girl with sparkly gray eyes. Rachel gave them a small wave. "And this is James." Ariana smiled widely at James, who grinned back. Hermione let out a nearly inaudible squeal. They are so cute together! "By the way," Ariana continued, turning back to her parents, "You might want to be mad at Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry." Hermione looked at her daughter with confused looks.
"Why?" Hermione asked. "Because James's last name is Potter." Hermione froze, and Fred grinned. Rachel, Ariana, and James all looked at them, waiting for the reaction.
"Like I said at King's Cross, it's good to see you again, James," Fred said loudly. James grinned at his uncle. Hermione was still frozen to the spot where she was standing.
"Dad, is Mum alright?" Ariana asked. Fred snapped his fingers in front of Hermione's face. She didn't move.
"Um… why don't you go unpack your things upstairs while I try to bring your mum back to planet earth," Fred suggested. Ariana nodded, and she and her friends ran up the stairs, pulling their trunks with them. "Hermione? Hermione! Can you hear me?" Fred asked. An idea popped into his head. He pinched her hips as hard as she could. Hermione gave a small yelp and she jumped. Fred smirked. "Come on, Mione, it's not like I've never touched your hips before." She glared at him, but her look softened.
"I don't believe it. Harry and Ginny have a son. A son in Hogwarts. Was I really gone that long?" Hermione asked quietly. Fred wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"To be completely honest, yes."
She looked up at him. "I'm sorry. All that time that I was keeping myself and Ariana locked away in here, I could have been in your arms, and Ariana could have had a father," she apologized, resting her head on his chest. He lifted her chin so she was looking straight into his eyes.
"Hermione, don't be sorry. I'm here now, and everything's going to be fine." He kissed her softly on the lips. "I promise," he added, gently whispering into her ear. Hermione shivered at the feeling of his breath in her ear. She could practically feel him smiling flirtatiously.
"Ah, Mione, how easily riled up you are. How about we use all that extra energy?" he suggested, squeezing her hips again.
"Fred!"
"Now, now, love, save that for when we're in bed," he murmured. She glared at him.
"When there aren't three eleven-year-olds in hearing range," she whispered. He smirked.
"Ooh, didn't know you had a wild side, Hermione. I can't believe I let you hide behind those huge stacks of books when I could have been feeling you up." She hit him hard on the arm. He still smiled widely.
Little did they know, Ariana, James, and Rachel were all talking about the couple as they unpacked their things. "I think it's great that your parents are finally getting married, Ariana," Rachel said dreamily.
"Yeah, it is," Ariana agreed, looking absolutely radiant.
"For the record, I think it's gross," James said defiantly. Ariana picked up a pillow from her bed and hit him with it. "What? They're probably downstairs snogging," James defended.
"I hope so. The more they like each other, the less likely they are to split up later. I am not letting my mum ruin my and her life by taking me away from my dad again," she said happily. James stared at her as if she was covered in stinksap.
"You are so gross. Stay away from me, you're probably riddled with cooties," James said, backing away from his cousin. Ariana and Rachel responded merely by making kissy faces at James.