Chapter 13: Amortentia

Hermione was fed up with the flirtatious back and forth with Fred. It was just flirting. Always flirting, and it never seemed to go anywhere. She was tired of getting her hopes up again and again, only to be disappointed by being his friend every time. She didn't know why she was so surprised by it – both the twins had a reputation for being smooth with women. But Hermione was finished with it. She would go to work, and interact with Fred as minimally as she could, and then when George got back, she would do everything in her power to interact only with George. And then once her feelings were gone, things could go back to normal. And if that didn't work she could look for another job until it was time to go back to Hogwarts. But she was not going to let herself be led on any longer.

There were only a few days left of George and Angelina's honeymoon, before George would be back at the shop. Surely Hermione could make it through a few more days with just Fred in the back room for company.

It was hard work, making excuses about things she needed from the store room every time he came into the back. Her work was taking twice as long as usual, which was why she was still in the shop that night so late after closing. Fred had gone up to the apartment a while ago and she was more than happy to be alone, without worrying that he'd be back again.

Hermione's hair was even frizzier than normal as she leaned over her cauldron, adding ingredients and stirring her latest potion. She was just putting the finishing touches on a WonderWitch love potion, and then she could finally go back to the Burrow and shower and get into bed.

"Merlin, Hermione. It's past midnight, why didn't you tell me you were still here? I could have helped." Fred was concerned about Hermione. She'd been so strange since the elevator yesterday. He wondered if she hadn't been entirely honest about seeing him have a panic attack.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Fred. I'm almost finished," she replied, without looking up at him.

"Nonsense, please, let me help—" he reached for the ladle that she'd set down.

"No, it's fine—" she said, stretching her hand out for it

"I insist," he said, pulling it out of her reach.

She leaned towards it, knocking into the cauldron. It rocked back and then tipped towards her, spilling love potion all down her front.

"Shit, I'm so sorry, Hermione."

"No—it's my fault. It's fine Fred. I'm fine. Just stop!" she said in exasperation. She sighed. Get yourself under control, Hermione. You have to stop – her train of thought vanished into the delightful sensation that was seeping through her nerves.

"Hermione, is everything alright? You haven't been yourself today."

Hermione didn't respond. Her head was feeling a little fuzzy. Was her exhaustion catching up to her? She felt a little drunk. And Fred had never looked so gorgeous. Wow. Is it because I've hardly looked at him all day? Did I really forget how handsome he is in one day?

She stared up at him for what felt like forever. His eyes were so blue. And his freckles…there were so many of them but they were so perfect to frame that perfect grin. And those lips that were always smiling and teasing. Always making her want to kiss him. She really wanted to kiss him right now. She leaned across the cauldron, never taking her eyes off of his handsome, freckled face.

"Whoa there, Hermione," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently pushing her upright. "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you, Freddie," she responded matter-of-factly, leaning forward again, this time letting her eyes flutter closed as she puckered her lips. When he didn't lean in to kiss her, she opened her eyes and pouted at him. "Why aren't you kissing me?"

Fred's ears turned bright red, but he brushed it off. "Pretty sure that's the love potion talking there, pet."

"No, I'm talking! It's me! Hermione? Remember me? I work here," she said, her pout becoming more pronounced.

"Of course I know that, pet," Fred said, taking her hand and leading her to sit in one of the desk chairs. "But I do think that the potion is affecting your judgment and making you think that you like me a bit more than as a boss or a friend."

Hermione frowned, feeling confused. She did like Fred as more than a friend or a boss, didn't she? That's why she was trying to ignore him today. Granted, ignoring him seemed a terrible decision. But she did fancy him.

"But Freddie, I do like you. Didn't you know?"

Fred shook his head. This girl was going to be the death of him. Here he was, hearing all of the words he wished she would say on a daily basis, but he couldn't take a single one of them seriously because she was under the influence of a love potion.

"Mione, why don't we get you home? We can talk about this tomorrow, but right now it's late and you've been working for far too long. It's bedtime."

Hermione wiggled her eyebrows at him. "It's bedtime? Are you coming with me?"

Fred sighed. If she kept this up, getting to bed would be a little…hard.

"No, you crazy little thing. You are going home to your bed, and I will come back here to mine. Trust me when I say that you'll be happy about this in the morning. Come on."

Hermione pouted but allowed Fred to help her put her coat on and pull her upstairs to his fireplace.

"Are you sure I can't stay here with you tonight?" Hermione said again, looking up through her eyelashes at Fred. It was a move that Hermione had seen Lavender pull many times, and it always worked for her. But it didn't seem to be working on Fred. Why didn't he like her the way she liked him?

"Hermione, my dear, I am sure. Let's get you home." Merlin, that pout is killing me. I just want to kiss it away. Well…she won't mind right now… But in the morning…well in the morning she won't remember, will she? One of the effects of the potion, Freddie. But that would be very wrong, and you know it. Fred's inner voice oscillated between sounding like his mother and his twin brother. They were clearly the angel and the devil on his shoulders.

He shook his head to clear it and then pulled Hermione into the fireplace, dropping the floo powder and shouting for the Burrow in exasperation.

He pulled her up the stairs as she continued to grumble.

"Shh, Hermione. We don't want to wake up my parents. Come on. I know you're tired. We're almost to your room."

He hadn't seen his old room since she'd redone it. It was very…her. So many books. And the yellow walls. It made him smile. She was so much different than she'd been in school. She seemed so much calmer, most of the time. At the very least she was much more relaxed about all the pranking.

"Alright, here you are. Goodnight, Hermione. See you tomorrow."

She frowned again. Those pouty lips were driving him crazy. He needed to get out of here before he did anything he, or she, would regret in the morning.

"Don't I get a goodnight kiss, baby?"

He frowned slightly, and strengthened his resolve as much as he could before bending down and kissing her gently on the forehead. It took everything he had not to kiss her the way he wanted to.

As he pulled away, though, she caught him by the lapel and pulled him back, bringing her lips to his in a kiss so firey it made him question whether the girl in front of him was actually Hermione at all. That was the last blow that his self-restraint could take. He wanted her so badly that he could no longer process the consequences of kissing her now. His mind filled with her explosion of passion. She was so beautiful. So brilliantly sexy. He gave in, one hand finding her waist and the other cradling her head, his fingers tangling in her hair and his thumb stroking her cheek. He pulled her close to him, her body right up against his, and he kissed her.

When she felt Fred kiss her back, Hermione responded instantly, opening her mouth to him, and pulling him closer against her. The kiss became deeper, rougher. Fred groaned. It felt so right to have her body so close, her mouth moving against his, her hands frantically pulling him closer, pulling the hem of his dress shirt free from his pants—

"Whoa, Hermione," he said, pulling away, breathing heavily. This was already more than he should have let happen

"But Fred…"

"Hermione that is more than enough for tonight. Please just go to sleep, and we'll talk about this tomorrow," he replied. Fred quickly backed out the door and shut it behind him, not stopping until he was back in his own bedroom. He leaned against the closed door, running his hands through his hair, still breathing heavily, the kiss playing over and over again in his head.

Now what are you going to tell her, Fred? You ought to be ashamed of yourself. That was such a terrible idea.

Fred groaned and couldn't help agreeing with his mother's voice in his head.

A/N: Hello, my lovely, patient readers. First, I'd like to offer my apologies for this update coming on Sunday, rather than Saturday as I promised. I was on vacation with my family and chose not to use my computer while I was with them. Second, thank you all for reading and sticking with this story. Your comments, and your presence here, means the world to me. I hope that you enjoyed the contents of this chapter (finally), although I hope it still came as a bit of a surprise. Many of you have been begging me for this moment for weeks now, so I hope it was everything you wanted ;)

Thank you again for your patience with me! I will see you back here on Friday, lovelies.

-E. Leigh