All rights to JKR even if she doesn't deserve it. Trans rights are human rights.

Hey, everyone. This is my first Fremione multi chapter fic. Please review and let me know if you like it!

Chapter 1: The Suggestion

-The Burrow-

Sunday, July 8

Cheers erupt as George sweeps Angelina into a dip and kisses her deeply. Laughing, Fred raises his glass to the pair and bellows above the carousing crowd, "Congratulations to the most love sick pair of kids I have ever had the displeasure to know! You make me absolutely sick." And with a devilish grin, he drains his mug of butterbeer in one go. Taking a step back, Fred accidentally knocks into someone. "My bad, Granger, my bad."

"Oh, no, I think it was my fault. I snuck up behind you." Hermione replies as she moves to grab a butterbeer.

Fred grins down at her. "Why, Granger, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to wriggle your way into my arms."

"You only wish," She calls back over her shoulder as she makes her way back to the sitting room.

Fred laughs as he calls after her, "Oh, don't I!"

Hermione lowers herself onto the couch beside Harry and tucks her legs underneath her. Fred comes along after a minute and plops himself down on the other side of her, knocking into her arm and nearly spilling her drink.

"My bad, Granger, my bad," He echoes from earlier.

"It's fine. I suspect that gigantic ego of yours makes it difficult to fit into tight spaces." Hermione snips as she steadies her mug.

Smirking, Fred leans forward and sweeps his gaze down her oversized jumper and leggings. "I could show you all kinds of little nooks I can fit into if you'd like, Granger. For example, I know this great little closet upstairs we could head up to. I'm sure no one would think to check there for us for at least a couple of hours. We could talk about my 'gigantic ego,' as you called it. And I'm sure we'd find some other interesting topics to discuss."

Hermione rolls her eyes. "Hmm, tempting. Unfortunately, I seriously doubt we'd both fit in a closet with the oversized balloon you call a head."

Fred screws his face up in feigned pain and lays a hand on his chest. "You wound me, Granger. Truly you do."

Hermione snorts and takes a sip of her foaming mug. "Somehow I doubt that. So what will you do now that George is engaged and Angelina is moving in? Won't it be a bit crowded with the three of you?"

Taking a gulp of his newly topped off glass of butterbeer, Fred shakes his head. "Great brother that I am, I've offered to move out so the lovebirds can be alone."

Ron shakes his head and swallows a mouthful of butterbeer. "I don't buy it. I'll bet a galleon George is kicking your sorry arse out on the street."

Ginny laughs and points a finger at Fred. "No way. I bet you just can't stand walking in on them doing it on the couch or kitchen table anymore." Ron and Ginny shake hands and look expectantly at Fred who laughs and shrugs.

"A bit of both actually. I've been looking for a flat ever since I walked in on them the first time, and George talked to me about finding a new place the night before he asked Angie to marry him. Trouble is, I can't find a decent flat anywhere 'round Diagon Alley, and muggle money confuses me, so muggle London is out. Can't very well pay rent to a muggle with galleons, now can I?" Standing, he laughs at his own joke and drains the last of his drink. "Ah, well. I'm up for another butterbeer. Ginny, Harry, Granger, could I get one for any of you?"

"I'd take on," Ron says, downing the last of his own drink.

"No takers? Suit yourselves then."

"Oi! I said I want one, you tosser!"

"Didn't ask you though, did I?" Fred smirks and swaggers off in the direction of the kitchen.

"Prat," Ron mutters and looks 'round at his friends. "No wonder no one will take him for a flatmate"

Harry looks thoughtfully at Hermione. "He could stay with you, 'Mione."

Eyes wide, Hermione chokes on her drink and Harry pounds on her back to ease her coughing. "Excuse me?" She manages to choke out.

Harry hesitates, hastily removing his hand from her and withers under her heated glare. "Well it's just-just that- I uh… I only thought that-"

"That could actually work." Ginny breaks in at that point and Harry shoots a grateful look at his girlfriend.

Hermione's glare melts into shock as she turns to the red headed girl. "What?"
Ginny shrugs, "Think about it. You have that extra room you're using for storage. You need someone to make sure you eat every once in a while - oh, don't look at me like that, 'Mione. Eating a single biscuit whenever you remember to doesn't count. And takeout everyday cannot be good for you," Ginny pauses long enough to smirk and place a single finger against Hermione's mouth to stop her indignant protests. "Hush, grownups are talking. You've enough space not to trip all over each other. He'll be off at work most days, so you'll only see each other in the evenings." Ginny breaks into a broad grin after a moment, "And I'll bet Fred would even be willing to help out around the bookshop if it meant not having to live with two very loud newlyweds that seem to always forget that silencing spells exist." Ginny knew very well that Hermione is low on staffing at the bookshop cafe she owned and desperately needed help staying abreast of all the work that had to be done.

Hermione leans back and crosses her arms over her chest, glaring at the lot of them. Finally she looks to Ron and sighs, "What do you think?"

Ron looks taken aback and glances around first at his best mate then to his sister and finally back to his ex. His expression is absolutely bewildered as he points a finger at himself in question.

Hermione huffs out a breath and runs a hand through her hair, disheveling her carefully tamed curls. "Yes, you, Ron. Even though it didn't work out between us, I feel like it might be at least slightly awkward to have your brother living with me. And you just said you'd pity the person that'd take him as a flatmate!"

Flushing slightly, Ron interrupts her with a shrug, "When a friend asks for help, you help them." Ron winces then adds, "Even if they are the world's biggest prat."

Ginny shakes her long mane of hair and breaks back into the conversation, "Nonsense, Ron. He's only a prat to you. He's not all that bad otherwise. He's cleaner than you for one thing. He does his own laundry, he's handy with healing and cleaning spells, and he can cook."

"He's also the one that keeps track of inventory at WWW, so he'll probably be able to help you with keeping track of your horde of books at the shop." Harry chooses that moment to enter back into the conversation now that Ginny had done most of the damage control.

Knowing she was beaten, Hermione leans back and glares into her mug for a moment before sighing and looking up at her friends, "Alright, fine. But if you three try to coerce me into taking in another stray, you'll be in for a nasty surprise. And if this arrangement goes badly, I will not hesitate to say 'I told you so.'"

As Hermione stands up Ron snickers, "Have you ever?"

"Oh har har, Ronald. Very funny." Hermione snaps and stalks off to find Fred.

She finds him tying a trip wire at the bottom of the stairs and stands behind him with her hands on her hips. "Oh, this will never work."

Fred stands up quickly in surprise, but visibly relaxes and grins when he sees Hermione. "Oh, just you, Granger. Have you finally come to your senses and decided to drag me up to the closet to have your wicked way with me then?"

Hermione throws her hands up in the air and glares, "Oh, never mind! I don't know why I let them talk me into this."

As she turns to stomp off, Fred grabs her arm and pulls her back. "Sorry! I'm sorry. What was it that you wanted to say?"

Hermione glares at him in suspicion and finally softens enough to answer hesitantly, "I have a two bedroom flat above my bookshop. I'm not using the second room, and thought - okay Harry thought - that it would be alright if you stayed in the spare… Since you're in, well, need."

Fred smiles and laughs, "Need, indeed." He looks down at her, wiping all amusement off his face. "You'd offer this when all I did earlier was tease you?"

Hermione shrugs, "When a friend asks, you help them."

"I didn't exactly ask, Granger."

"Look, I can take it back if you want," Hermione huffs.

Fred puts up a hand. "No, no, no. I appreciate it. You're the best offer I've had in three months, so I'll take it. I have to admit, though, I never thought you'd be asking me to go home with you." Grinning he winks and wriggles his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Hermione smacks his arm lightly, "You're the limit. Don't make me regret being nice and offering you a place in my home."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, love. But the offer to take me to some hidey hole and snog me senseless is still on the table."

Hermione sighs and turns to head back to her friends, "Meet me at the The Voyage tomorrow and we can discuss the details."

Fred raises his eyebrows, "The Voyage? Already planning a lovers' getaway with me?"

Hermione rolls eyes, "Voyage of the Imagination is the name of my bookstore. Just stop talking and meet me tomorrow before I change my mind." With that she walks back to enjoy the rest of the party with her three best friends.

-Hermione's flat above The Voyage-

Later that night Hermione sits in her living room reading one of her favorite books when the fireplace in front of her erupts in emerald flames. She barely has time to wonder who would be calling at this hour when Fred stumbles through and coughs out a lungful of soot.

"Sorry, sorry. I know you said tomorrow, but George and Angie have been humping like dogs all night, and after the fourth-"

"Fred!"

"Right. Sorry." He shakes his head and takes a deep breath, "I just couldn't stand listening anymore, so I thought about your offer and knew you'd still be up, so I thought I'd come by and try my luck."

Hermione looks puzzled as she gestures at a chair from him to sit and slips an old bit of parchment into her book. "How did you know I'd still be up?"

Fred shrugs as he sinks into the chair, stretching out his long legs before him. "You always sat up reading until at least midnight at Hogwarts and the Burrow. I can't count how many times I saw you passed out in the Common Room and had to slip a blanket over you to keep you from freezing. And you'd always have a book clutched in one hand." Fred laughs and shakes his head. Hermione, however, has a politely confused look on her face and seems to have zoned out looking at the floor. "...So how about it then? Granger?"

Hermione head snaps up and looks back at Fred, "What? How about what?"

"Is it alright if I stay tonight?"

Hermione stands and stretches. "Well I suppose, but you'll have to sleep on the couch. Your room is still full of boxes. I'll grab you a couple blankets and a pillow."

"Oh, you don't have to go through so much trouble, Granger. I can just sleep in your bed with you. That way you're not put out for the night and I can protect you from any potential boogeyman."

Hermione rolls her eyes and looks back at him. "Fred. Couch. Now."

Fred grins and stands up to remove his shoes, "Just thought I'd offer. Gentlemanly thing to do, you know."

Hermione lets out a small laugh and turns back to gather some blankets from the next room, "Gentlemanly, sure."

She returns with two blankets and a pillow after a minute of foraging in the spare room and brings them back to Fred. "Here. I'll be up at 9 to go down and unlock the doors. I'll try not to wake you."

"Don't worry, I'm a deep sleeper. Thank you, Granger. I really appreciate this."

"Hermione."

"No, I'm Fred."

"You might as well call me Hermione since we'll be living together."

"Ah, right. Thank you… Hermione."

Hermione takes a step back as he takes the blankets. "You're welcome. I'll be going to bed now."

Just as she reaches her bedroom door, she hears Fred say something and turns back to look at him. He's still standing where she left him as if rooted to the spot. "What?"

"Nothing. Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Fred." She closes her door softly behind her and gets ready for bed.