A/N: To sum up this chapter, I'm going to quote Despicable Me. "IT'S SO FLUFFY, I'M GONNA DIE!"
So, fluff…but a bit of angst…we're use to that by now though. ;)
Thank you to my reviewers, followers, and those who favorited. Pushed to get this done tonight for you all since Fred was missing in the last one.
Hermione tried to focus on her schoolwork the next few weeks, but the nagging feeling from the day of the quiddich game wouldn't go away.
She kept going back and forth with owling Harry and asking him to send her one of Ron's shirts, but she knew it would hurt Fred's feelings. Also, she wanted to wear Fred's jersey and then that made her feel extremely guilty.
How would Ron feel about all of this? If the other students noticed that it wasn't his number, what were they thinking or saying behind her back? Was she a traitor? She moved on and it was with his own brother! Maybe she moved on too fast and she wasn't respecting his memory like she should.
The Hogsmeade trip was today and her mood kept her from wanting to go. She just wanted to hide behind a good book for the day and stay in bed.
"You've got to go!" Ginny whined, pulling Hermione's curtain back.
"Gin…I just don't feel like it."
"Well, that's tough! We haven't seen each other very much and I want some girl time." Ginny told her.
"Ginny…" Hermione began.
"No! Get up and get dressed or I'll make you go in those sweatpants!" Ginny pulled open Hermione's drawer and threw her a pair of jeans and jumper.
Hermione huffed and grabbed her clothes before disappearing behind the seventh year dormitory bathroom.
Twenty minutes later they headed down the stone steps arm in arm and out to the grounds.
"Glad you came." Ginny mentioned.
Hermione snorted. "I didn't have much of a choice now did I?"
She heard Ginny sigh. "You've been acting strangely for awhile now. You haven't been speaking to me or owling anyone. Bill owled me to make sure you were still breathing. He said he hasn't heard from you in weeks."
"I've just been busy. Have a lot to study for and been immersed in some good books lately."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Do you even miss home?"
"Of course I do."
"Then why haven't you asked the boys to call?" Ginny asked.
"It's hard. I miss Fred, but then it makes me feel guilty that I do want to see him, so I don't. So then I feel guilty that I don't see him and now he's probably angry and so it's eating me up. It's a two edged sword."
"So, you're still in love with Ron?" Ginny asked, squeezing her arm.
"That's why I feel so guilty…cause I love Ron, but I'm not in love with him anymore. I'm in love with Fred." Hermione told her.
"Don't feel guilty."
Hermione let out a laugh. "Right. My boyfriend dies and I not only move on months after his death, but with his own brother!"
"Ron told you to." Ginny mentioned.
"Cormac noticed I wasn't wearing his number. What if everyone noticed? What do they think of me?"
Ginny shook her head. "All of this over a shirt? A shirt that Cormac noticed? Of course he would notice! He's an arse. He wants to get under your skin. You're putting too much into it."
"Maybe." Hermione said quietly.
"Do you miss Fred?"
Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at her feet while they walked. "So much it hurts."
"Then tell him. Stop ignoring him." Ginny said.
"I will. I'll owl him as soon as we've finished." Hermione said, nodding.
"No. I think you should tell him now."
She looked up at Ginny, her brows creased. They just made it into Hogsmeade and now she wants to turn back?
Ginny met her eyes and nodded toward the front of them. Hermione looked up, and felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.
She stood, locked in place as she stared at those beautiful amber eyes. Ginny nudged her, bringing her back to the present and she ran the fifteen feet to him. He opened his arms and once she made it to him he picked her up and spun her around.
She locked her arms around his neck, gripping her own elbows.
"Took you long enough. Thought you might start running the other way." Fred told her, gripping her tighter.
She laughed. "Sorry. I forgot I had legs for a moment."
Ginny came up beside them. "Will you put her down?! People are starting to stare!"
He lowered her to the ground and she let go of his neck only to grab ahold of his abdomen and bury her head in his chest. He rubbed her back up and down.
She looked up at him, setting her chin on his chest. "I've missed you."
He smiled down at her, searching her eyes. "Me too."
She turned to look for Ginny, but she was gone.
"Don't worry, she went to look for Harry." He told her.
He pulled her back to him and bent down to bury his head into her neck, breathing in her scent.
She reached up and slid her fingers through his hair, raking her fingernails against his scalp, making him shiver.
He heard her laugh and pulled out of her neck. "You did that on purpose."
She smiled. "Yes, I did. What's your point?"
His eyes narrowed and she smiled up at him. "You're lucky you're cute." He told her, grabbing her hand and pulling her along the street.
She matched his pace, holding his hand in hers and clasping her other hand around his inner elbow, laying her head against the outside of his arm.
"You're so warm." She mentioned, tightening her grip on his arm.
He let go of her hand and slid his arm out of her grasp to pull her to him, his arm resting on her waist. She slipped an arm around his waist, squeezing him.
After a short walk, he pulled them into the quiet bookshop Tomes and Scrolls and to the back into a corner behind the bookshelves that housed a small sofa and coffee table.
"I never knew this was back here." Hermione mentioned quietly, while unzipping her pink jumper and pulling it off. She straightened her white long sleeve shirt and sat down.
He sat next to her, his arm slipping behind her to rest on her hip while he lifted his wand and did a silencing spell so they wouldn't be heard.
"Not many do. Since the doorway is mostly blocked, no one bothers to look."
She raised an eyebrow. "How do you know where it is?"
He smiled. "I was hiding from Katie one day after I gave her a nosebleed nougat. She followed me and I hid back here."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I take it, she didn't find you?"
He shook his head smirking.
"Shame. You deserved it."
"Probably."
He slid closer to her and wrapped his other arm around her, burying his face in her hair.
She rubbed his back, enjoying the way his muscle felt against her fingers.
He lifted his head and looked at her. He missed those dark brown eyes, her little nose, her lips. He stared down at her lips and watched as her tongue flicked out to lick her bottom lip.
He bit his own, his heart racing. He lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Can I?"
A small smile formed on her lips. "What took you so long?"
He smiled, searching her eyes, taking in her features while he tried to calm his heartrate.
She cocked an eyebrow, a smile appearing on her face. "You going to do this soon or do I have time to write my Herbology essay?"
She started to lean forward to get up and he pinned her to the couch. "This isn't a joking matter Mione. This is serious business."
"Oh?" She asked. "Hiding in the corner in a bookshop snogging is serious business?"
She watched his lips as his right side curled into a faint smirk. "It is. You don't know how long I've been waiting to kiss you."
Her brow furrowed. "I believe I do know, since I've waited just the same! Besides, we did kiss at the platform."
He shook his head. "You have no idea. You were too busy with Ron to notice. I've waited years for this. You don't know how many times I've watched your lips at the burrow angry that Ron was too much of a prat to kiss you. When I heard about he and Lavender, it took everything in me not to tell you then, but I saw how confused and lost you seemed while dealing with your emotions and I knew I'd only make things worse. I've dreamt about those beautiful pink lips. And you kissed me at the platform by the way, so now it's my turn."
"No pressure living up to your dreams then…" She said sarcastically.
He smiled and shook his head. He cupped her face with his right hand and leaned in, watching Hermione's eyes flutter shut right before his lips met hers.
He heard her whimper as he pressed against her lips harder, their lips moving together. A few moments later he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.
He saw that her eyes were still closed, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath.
When she finally opened her eyes, she saw a smirk on his face. She licked her lips and let out an airy laugh.
He leaned in and gave her another short kiss before sitting back and taking her hand.
"Now that my mind isn't so foggy, I wanted to speak to you about something." He told her.
She turned and folded her foot under her, leaning up against the arm rest.
"I'm listening."
"Harry told me about McLaggen. I can't help, but think that has something to do with the fact that you've been ignoring me." He told her, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.
She sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Well…it started with his comment about your shirt and it made me think that if he noticed, everyone would notice and I was worried what they would think of me. I felt like I was somehow disrespecting his memory. I felt terrible thinking that I was a traitor, that I not only moved on so fast, but that I moved on with his brother. I feel terribly guilty."
She sighed, looked up at him and felt tears starting to fill. "I…well…I was feeling terrible about myself and wanted a break, so I took one of the daydream charms. I wasn't sure how it worked, so I just left my mind open and let myself dream whatever."
She shook her head, not wanting to go into this.
He slid closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Tell me what you saw. I won't be angry."
She took a deep breath and stared down at her legs. "I was in my room at the burrow and Ron was there. He was smiling at me and I hugged him. He told me he was in love with me and I started to say it back, but then realized I didn't. I just looked at him and then I heard you call for me and I turned to look at you and when I turned back he was gone. You pulled me into the kitchen and it was Christmas and we got stuck under the mistletoe. We snogged and then when we pulled away, I looked out into the snow and saw Ron out the window with a sad look on his face. He was all alone and he was transparent. I could see right through him. I started toward the door, but then he disappeared and then I was back in my bed at Hogwarts."
She sniffed and he kissed her temple. "He was just so sad and so alone. What if he feels that way now?"
Fred sighed. "Those daydream charms are subjective. They can't possibly know what is really happening to Ron. They show how you feel about it. I don't think Ron is sad or alone. He has the Potter's, Sirius, Lupin and Tonks, and even Lavender."
Hermione scrunched her nose and smiled at the last one causing Fred to laugh.
"I'm sure Lavender is doing a great job at keeping him busy." Fred mentioned.
Hermione nodded. "That was her forte."
"Are you jealous?"
She shook her head. "No. I just want him to be happy. If he and Lavender are really together and happy in the afterlife then I can't complain."
Fred nodded. "Exactly. That's how he feels about you too. Ron and I talked about it. He wanted me to take care of you, make you happy. He didn't want you miserable."
She smiled up at Fred. "Thank you. I feel much better."
He squeezed her. "That's what I'm for."
She looked at the time.
"In a hurry?" He asked.
"I just have to buy a new toothbrush. I wonder if they sell those in Hogsmeade."
"Why don't you just owl Mum? She'll send you a new one." He told her.
"She's done enough. They don't need to keep buying for kids that aren't even their own. I feel bad enough for having to stay this summer with no job." She told him, picking at his sweater.
He snorted. "Don't feel too bad about that. I deposit galleons into their vault every month."
Hermione's mouth dropped open. "And they know this?"
He shook his head. "No. They would never take it if they knew. Dad thinks he gets a monthly bonus for the work he does…so don't feel bad about anything moneywise. Just tell yourself its from me."
Hermione looked at him in amazement. "You are the most amazing man… but I really don't feel much better that my boyfriend is basically paying for my room and board."
He laughed. "Don't worry about it. We'll be married one day anyway." He watched Hermione's eyes bug out of her head. "One day…when we're both ready…if you'll have me."
She shook her head smirking. "You are something else, you know that? Of course I'll have you…in the future, that is."
He saw her cheeks turn pink. He smiled wickedly, wanting her to blush further. "Just think, we'll have our own little quiddich team worth of curly, red-headed babies…"
On cue, she turned bright red and hid her face in her hands. He mentally high fived himself and laughed.
"I love making you blush." He told her, pulling her hands away from her face and leaning in again to kiss her.
"Now that we've got that all figured out, we can move on to more pressing matters." He told her, pulling her body down onto the sofa until her head rested against the arm rest.
He leaned against her and pressed his lips against hers.
Let the snogathon begin! ;)