Kissing and Telling

Hermione had Herbology first thing the following morning. Harry had been unable to tell Ron and Hermione about his lesson with Dumbledore over breakfast for fear of being overheard, but he filled them in as they walked across the vegetable patch toward the greenhouses.

"Wow, scary thought, the boy You-Know-Who," said Ron quietly, as they took their places around one of the gnarled Snargaluff stumps that formed this term's project, and began pulling on their protective gloves. "But I still don't get why Dumbledore's showing you all this. I mean, it's really interesting and everything, but what's the point?"

"Dunno," said Harry, inserting a gum shield. "But he says it's all important and it'll help me survive."

"I think it's fascinating," said Hermione earnestly. "It makes absolute sense to know as much about Voldemort as possible. How else will you find out his weaknesses?"

"So how was Slughorn's latest party?" Harry asked her thickly through the gum shield. "Oh, it was quite fun, really," said Hermione, now putting on protective goggles. "I mean, he drones on about famous ex-pupils a bit, and he absolutely fawns on McLaggen because he's so wellconnected, but he gave us some really nice food and he introduced us to Gwenog Jones." "Gwenog Jones?" said Ron, his eyes widening under his own goggles.

"The Gwenog Jones? Captain of the Holyhead Harpies?"

"That's right," said Hermione. "Personally, I thought she was a bit full of herself, but —"

"Quite enough chat over here!" said Professor Sprout briskly, bustling over and looking stern. "You're lagging behind, everybody else has started, and Neville's already got his first pod!" They looked around; sure enough, there sat Neville with a bloody lip and several nasty scratches along the side of his face, but clutching an unpleasantly pulsating green object about the size of a grapefruit.

"Okay, Professor, we're starting now!" said Ron, adding quietly, when she had turned away again, "should've used Muffliato, Harry."

"No, we shouldn't!" said Hermione at once, looking, as she always did, intensely cross at the thought of the Half-Blood Prince and his spells. "Well, come on . . . we'd better get going..."

They began working, and the two boys threw glances back and forth between them at Hermione's response to the Prince's spell. They didn't say anything, however, and Hermione pretended she didn't see their looks of disdain. She still had more reason to mistrust the book's owner than to trust him.

"Anyway," said Hermione, continuing their interrupted conversation after a particularly harrowing moment with the plant that kept trying to attack them, "Slughorn's going to have a Christmas party, Harry, and there's no way you'll be able to wriggle out of this one because he actually asked me to check your free evenings, so he could be sure to have it on a night you can come."

"Oh yeah, another party for you lot that Slughorn just loves, eh?" Ron said, his voice turning as venomous as some of the plants in the greenhouse.

"Yes, it's a Slug Club party," Hermione responded, but she knew it was a mistake as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

"Ooh, the Slug Club. Yes, you're part of such an exclusive club. You're his collectibles, his future prodigies." Ron retorted meanly.

"Look, I didn't come up with the name Slug Club, so don't be snotty with me about it." Hermione fired back, getting worked up.

" 'Slug Club,' " repeated Ron with a sneer worthy of Malfoy. "It's pathetic. Well, I hope you enjoy your party. Why don't you try hooking up with McLaggen, then Slughorn can make you King and Queen Slug —"

Hermione's face turned a bright, boiling red. She sputtered for a moment, as though Ron had smacked her right in the face.

"Not arguing, eh? I knew you liked that pretty boy. I guess you can go have famous futures together, and all that." Ron kept pushing when she didn't respond.

Harry looked on in confusion, but he could sense that Hermione was just about to pop. He tried to put a calming hand on her shoulder, but she chucked it off. Things were about to go very poorly.

"Not that it's any of your business, Ronald, but I have a boyfriend. So I don't think I'll be going to 'hook up with McClaggen', or any other crass thing you might feel you have the right to say about me. If you don't mind, how about you keep your nose on your own love life and not have a go at mine." She kept amazingly quiet for how mad she was, Harry thought. The same could not be said for Ron.

"Boy...boyfriend?" He cried weakly. Lavender Brown, only a table over, turned to look when she heard his voice. Harry was sure they would table this discussion for later, if only to avoid the drama of onlookers, but Hermione was fired up.

"Yes, boyfriend. I have a boyfriend. And he wouldn't appreciate you insinuating that I'm a slag who's ready to jump into the arms of any kid with connections and a pretty face." She said acidly, and Ron had the decency to look ashamed of himself. He looked like he might say something, but Professor Sprout had once again seen them not working.

"If you lot don't get to work, I will separate you." She warned. They quickly lowered their heads and got back to work. No one had any discussion left in them, with the bomb of Hermione's new relationship still hovering in the air.

When the lesson was over, Hermione stormed off ahead of the boys by herself. She was absolutely mortified that she had been baited into saying such a thing. Ronald had just been unbelievable, though. It was like Krum all over again. He was so jealous of others that he couldn't see all the things he had going for himself. Perhaps it was one of the traits that had really drawn her to Fred over Ron. Fred was so much more sure of himself. He didn't get jealous. He didn't take his jealousy out on her, instead of just talking about it.

She avoided the boys for much of the day. It wasn't difficult, for Ron wasn't too keen on talking to her at the moment either. He didn't seem mad, per se, but he was terribly confused. Hermione had the presence of mind to know that she'd dropped a big piece of information on him, and that he still had some feelings for her. Even if he hadn't been ready to admit them. It was clear from the way he had lashed out. Which made it even harder that she was soon going to have to reveal who her "boyfriend" was.

Quidditch practice kept the boys busy in the early evening, and Hermione sat by the common room fire to write a quick note to Fred.

Hello!

I told Ron that I had a boyfriend. Surprise! I haven't told him it's you, yet. But I suppose I'll have to do so soon. So, I am writing to invite you to a Christmas party. What better way than to just let him see you, right? I'm so sorry.

Temperamentally yours,

Hermione

Hermione got a kick out of her own sign off, feeling it was an appropriate juxtaposition to his own "troublingly yours". She had set a falling set of dominos in motion, and now she just had to hope that Fred was as ready to come into the light as she now felt she was. She wasn't scared anymore to admit it. She really liked Fred Weasley.

Fred was surprised to see Hedwig tapping at his window in the middle of the afternoon. He had just come up to the flat to grab a quick lunch, so it was a miracle he had even caught the bird on arrival. He knew it was a letter from Hermione even before he saw his name scrawled in her quick, neat writing. He gave the snowy owl a treat and rubbed her on the head as he read through the note.

"Oh Hermione, what a way to do this." Fred said. "It must be tons easier being an owl. No brothers to piss off." He picked up a quill and sent back his reply.

Hermione,

Of course I'll go with you. We're in this together, after all. Happy to know you're admitting it finally.

Your boyfriend,

Fred.

Fred grabbed a quick sandwich and scurried back down to the shop, bursting to tell George about this newest development.

Hermione felt like she might just kill Ron. He had been moody and surly with her lately. If he spoke to her at all. He had apparently had a row with Ginny about kissing Dean in the hall. She had spoken to Ginny in the aftermath, and apparently the girl had pressed Ron about his own lack of experience with girls. Hermione felt like this was the worst possible time to point out Ron's lack of girlfriend. It was no wonder that Ron wouldn't look at her.

She had felt that she might adjust to that, until Harry's terrible trick during the Quidditch match. She was sure the boy had put his prized Felix Felicis into the boy's morning pumpkin juice.

"You'll be in tons of trouble. It's against the rules to use it for a Quidditch match!" She lectured Harry quietly.

"I didn't put it in, though." He told her, and Ron was dumbfounded.

"But I wasn't rubbish!" Ron said.

"Right, but it was all you. I just felt you needed the confidence." Harry said, proud of his deception. He hoped this would be enough to take Ron out of his funk, but instead it gave him just the amount of pompousness to throw back at Hermione.

"See, I didn't need any help. You just can't believe I'm any good on my own." Ron boasted.

"Fine, Ronald. I'm sorry I doubted you. You're a god among mortals." She sassed, and then stomped off. She couldn't wait to tell him the truth. One way or another, this petty little fight had to end. She was tired of his treatment of her. She wandered off, not wanting to head to the Gryffindor common room and join in the post Quidditch celebration. She wanted to talk to Ginny, because she was feeling so lonely of late. She dawdled for as long as she dared, then finally headed up to the tower.

Shock was the only way to describe the emotion that washed over her as she entered the Fat Lady's portrait. Shock, because Ron Weasley's face was glued to that of Lavender Brown's. At least she didn't have to worry about his jealousy anymore.

The Saturday of the Christmas party dawned with Hermione once again sitting far away from Ron Weasley and his new face-sucker of a girlfriend. Though she was not in the least bit jealous of Lavender for dating Ron, she had to admit it was hard to see them together. Fred was busy with work, and was no longer a student. They couldn't spend every waking free moment attached to one another. On the other hand, she was glad that she didn't look like some strange set of conjoined twins at every moment of the day.

Ron had been awful to her lately, however. So that tiny part of her inside that craved a bit of mischief took over at breakfast. Lavender and Parvati had come to sit with Harry and Ron, and Lavender had already wrapped herself around Ron, and Hermione was overcome with an urge to give Ron a hard time.

"Hi, Parvati! Are you going to Slughorn's party?" Hermione asked, careful to avoid looking at the couple. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Harry, because she knew she was being a bit vindictive.

"No, I wasn't invited. But you're going, right?"
"Yes, my date is coming at 8, and then we'll head up to the party together."

"Your date?" Ron asked, pulling away from Lavender abruptly. "I thought you were making that up, just trying to make a scene."

"Well, sorry to say I'm not." She retorted.

"Ooh, Hermione who is he?" Parvati asked, her eyes glowing with the desire for gossip.

"You'll just have to hold on for the suspense. I am sure you'll hear about it by tomorrow. But let's just say he's very funny. A good Quidditch player. Polite and thoughtful."

"Aw, you do like your Quidditch players, don't you Hermione? First Krum, and now this guy." Parvati sighed dreamily.

"I like really good Quidditch players," Hermione said, taking her chance for one last dig. The smile never left her lips. "Well, see you... I have some work to finish up before I start getting ready for tonight"

By the time Hermione reached the Gryffindor common room, she was filled with conflict. She felt more than a little vindicated at taking her little bit of revenge on Ron. However, now she had made the night even more difficult. She sighed, and only slightly wished she could take it back. What had been done was done, though. So she went to finish her last essay before the official beginning of the Christmas holiday.

Author's Note: There is more Fred and Hermione action to come. I just like to stick close to some of the story elements, in order to help this be a re-imagining. Not to mention, this would have been the alternate source of their conflict. Now things will probably divert much further from the original story. (And, the Christmas holiday comes after the party. So we'll have more Fred and Hermione time together.)