Hermione awoke the next morning feeling a lot less anxious than she had done in the days following the war. Finally, the weight of her relationship with Ron had been lifted from her shoulders and they could get back to being best friends. Hermione checked the time on the clock next to her bed in Ginny's room, she looked over and saw that the girls' bed was empty, Hermione smiled to herself that girl needed to be more discreet sneaking out to Harry's room if Mrs. Weasley or any of Ginny's brothers found out they would both be in for a world of trouble. Then Hermione realised that today the house would be surprisingly quite because Mr. Weasley and Percy had left extremely early for meetings and Mrs. Weasley had left at a similar time to start to help with the wards over at Hogwarts and everyone else would be returning to work, George had returned to the flat above the shop ready to start making products for the opening of the shop late last night leaving only Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Fred at the burrow. Hermione headed to the bathroom for a shower and then decided that she would prepare breakfast for everyone else before helping Fred get ready for his appointment.
When Hermione stepped off the bottom stair and into the kitchen, she was surprised to see the youngest Weasley sitting at the table cradling a mug of tea with bags under her eyes.
"Ginny, are you alright?"
"oh" Ginny jumped with surprise "morning Mione, yeah I'm just tired, sleeping in a single bed with Harry is getting to me that boy takes up so much room and now he's relaxing enough to sleep he's like trying to move a rock and I don't want to wake him and ruin his sleep he needs to be able to concentrate and not be too tired for Auror training."
Hermione smiled she couldn't remember the last time Ginny and herself had talked about a problem so trivial. "Gin, I'm not trying to make you both feel silly but, have you tried enlarging the bed"
Ginny let out a chuckle and smiled, "Hermione you forget whose room harry is staying in. the charms won't work on the bed in Charlie's room. I think mum must have heard about Charlie's playboy ways and made it, so he at least didn't have a girl stay the night. It is laughable really because I'm pretty sure if Charlie was going to have sex, he wouldn't have bought a witch back to a house where his six siblings and parents were." Hermione and Ginny both laughed at this and Hermione started to prepare breakfast with Ginny standing up to help. When breakfast was ready she asked Ginny to go and wake Harry and Ron while she placed the food under a stasis charm so that it wouldn't go cold and spoil.
Harry and Ron appeared downstairs with Ginny tucked under Harry's arm and Ron rolling his eyes at them, Hermione chatted with them about their day ahead as she plated up food for her and Fred. "Guys I'm going to go and eat breakfast with Fred and help him get ready for the hospital. Boys have a good day and Gin get some rest please" she said pressing a kiss to the boy's cheeks and squeezing Ginny's shoulder.
Hermione knocked on the door to Fred's room and entered when he answered levitating the food in front of her before sitting next to him on the bed. The two of them chatted whilst they ate their breakfast and when they had finished Hermione left to let Fred change and to take the plates back to the kitchen. When Hermione returned to the kitchen Ginny was washing the dishes, Hermione added hers and Fred's plates to the sink and picked up a towel to dry the dishes settling in companionable silence with Ginny. Both girls often washed the dishes without magic as Mrs. Weasley had made all her children do until they were of age. Hermione was deep in thought chewing on her lip when Ginny interrupted her. "Mione, what are you worrying about? If you keep chewing your bottom lip like that you're going to hurt yourself"
"I guess I'm a little apprehensive about going with Fred today. I know he would much prefer it to be George, your mum, or your dad going with him."
"Hermione, that's just Fred trying to be macho, he knows it's going to hurt like a bitch and he doesn't want you to see him hurting or in pain. But to be perfectly honest with you I think it will do you both good. He needs a friend to be close to that isn't George and someone who will remind him that he's going to need his Gryffindor strength to get through this. You are the perfect person for this job. Mum and Dad will worry about every wince he makes and that will make it a longer process for Fred and he's less likely to tell the other three when the pain is too much. And you will only have to use your prefect's voice to keep him trying his best at it."
Hermione nodded and smiled at Ginny "been thinking a lot about this haven't you Gin"
Ginny laughed "I had plenty of time last night and I know you and Fred. Until after Malfoy manor you weren't that close and you will both be worrying about spending this time with each other"
"Yeah, I guess your right Gin I'm going to apparate him downstairs and wait for the medi-witch now. are you going to get some rest?" Hermione said heading upstairs with ginny following her
"yeah, thanks Mione I'm going to take the time to have a relaxing bath you know I've always struggled to do that with the house being so busy and Fred and George made me some wonder witch products for my birthday. Now I've got the time today I think I'm going to use the new conditioning mask on my hair."
"that sounds amazing Gin go and relax I will see you when I get back" Hermione and ginny hugged and parted ways on the landing.
After apparating Fred and his wheelchair to the front room, Hermione and Fred only had to wait a few minutes for the medi-witch to arrive and take them both through the floo network along with Fred's chair to the waiting room.