Outside, snowflakes were falling, wrapping the earth in a white, fluffy blanket.
Hermione was sitting in an armchair in front of the window, cuddled in a wool blanket and a book in her hands. It was Sunday evening and everyone had gathered at the Burrow as usual for Molly's Sunday dinner.
They had just finished eating and everyone had retired to somewhere.
From the kitchen the voices of Molley, Arthur, and Bill could be heard as they sat at the dining table and sipped tea.
Footsteps could be heard from the upper floors.
Hermione was so used to the noises here that she simply blocked them out. That's why she didn't hear someone approaching her from behind. It was only when ice-cold hands were on her neck, that she winced and cried out briefly in shock.
"shit, why on earth did you do that?"
She jumped up to shake off her cold hands and jerked around to see who was tormenting her.
Fred stood behind the armchair, with his hands up, red cheeks and a big grin.
"Are you totally out of your mind?"
She exclaimed angrily and put one of her hands on the back of her neck to drive the cold out of her muscles.
"Nop, my mind works perfectly fine. I just wanted you to have some of the winter cold too."
He laughed and put his hands deep in his pockets.
Hermione rolled her eyes and sat back in her armchair. "Thank you, that wouldn't have been necessary." She put the blanket around her body and looked for the page in her book which she had read last.
Fred dropped into the armchair across from her and looked at her. Hermione tried to concentrate on the words in her book. But soon the look from him annoyed her so much that she looked up at him. She knitted her eyebrows in question and stared back.
After some time of silence she sighed and finally asked: "What do you want?"
He laughed and leaned closer, his forearms laid on his knees.
"Just one question!" he smiled at her. Whereupon she rolled her eyes and made a gesture that indicated that he should continue.
"Hermione, who's your favorite Weasley?" he asked, looking at her expectantly.
She blinked a few times and then looked like he'd asked a really stupid question.
"You're kidding, aren't you?"
Fred shook his head and looked serious."No! It really wants to know."
Hermione pressed her lips into a thin line.
"That's stupid. I like all of you guys."
"Of course you do. But who do you like best?" he was grinning again now and leaned a little closer to her.
Hermione, who just wanted to read on in peace, lay back in her armchair with a sigh and looked at the ceiling. She had to think about the answer ,she should give him, briefly. She liked all of the Weasleys in different ways and for different reasons. Choosing a favorite from among them seemed almost impossible.
Hermione pondered for a while. She tried to find an answer. She had the right answer to many question, but now she really had to think twice. Finally she looked back at him and replied: "Your mother, Molly."
"My mother? Not that I don't love her, after all, she is my mother, but why is she you'r favorite."
Hermione made a noise that sounded like a suppressed laugh.
She smiled gently and took a deep breath.
"She is my favorite because, she accepted me into her family when I no longer had one of my own. Because she brings me tea and strokes my head when I'm not feeling well. Because she is happy together with me. Because sometimes she is my voice of reason. Because she supports me in what I want to do. Because she has a big heart and treats me like one of her own children. Because has a big heart. She makes me feel loved."
A warm feeling had spread inside her and she pulled the blanket a little closer around her, still a smile on her face.
Fred looked at her in silence. The corners of his mouth slowly went up and formed a gentle, honest smile on his face.
"Well, it's hard to beat that."
Hermione looked back at him and blinked a few times. For a moment she was so lost in thought that she had forgotten that he was there.
He ran a hand through his hair and his smile was replaced by a teasing grin. "But I'll do my best. And I'll will change your mind."
She laughed ironically and put on a challenging look. "As if. Good luck with that. I know that you and your twin brother are capable of many things, but I doubt that even you can rewrite the stars."
He just grinned mischievously at her and whispered in a confident voice: "Just wait and see."
She watched as he got up and then went to the stairs. There he stopped, turned to grin at her and then disappeared up the stairs.
And she was left behind confused.
What was that supposed to mean?
Hermione dismissed it as one of the jokes Fred and George used to make and went back to her book.