Hermione woke cautiously on April the first. Today was just the day that Fred would've paid some poor first year girl to do their dirty work for them. It was a Saturday anyhow, so Hermione rolled over for a few more minutes before finally getting up. An idea shot through her like electricity and she dressed hurriedly, going down into the Common Room. She checked her watch, confirming that the twins wouldn't be up for at the least another half hour.

So Hermione checked over some of Harry's homework assignments, scratching out things here and adding things here. She didn't have any of Ron's to look at, he was still sore over the Krum issue, even though Krum hadn't really spoken much to her. Then again, he'd never been much for talking, had he?

"Morning," George said blearily to the near empty Common Room. He paused for a moment.

"Why are we up so early?" Fred said, cutting off his twin. They meandered toward Hermione, who cautiously continued her work.

"I don't quite remember," George said, feigning thoughtfulness. He yawned as he sank onto the couch across from Hermione.

"Morning," Hermione said cheerily, though she bit her lip to stop her smile as she bent over Harry's essay again.

"Something about being 17?" Fred rubbed his face with a hand and sat on the arm rest of Hermione's chair.

"Fred, I'm trying to work," Hermione said with a frown.

"It's a Saturday," he said, his voice entirely devoid of tone.

George squinted as he stared at her, "You sure she's human, Freddie?"

"Oh, very clever."

There was a long pause where Fred poked Hermione's arm every few seconds.

"Say it," George prompted.

"Say what?" Hermione asked, though she could no longer stop her smile.

"Say it," Fred poked her again.

"Come on."

"I don't know what you're on about," Hermione glared at Fred for a moment when she accidentally striked something out on Harry's paper. Though perhaps it was clearer without- Had Harry been awake when he wrote this one?!

"Say it," George said with a falsely deep voice.

"Oh, it's April the first, isn't it?" Hermione said lightly. "Isn't it your birthday?"

"Give the woman a prize!" George boomed, snatching away her quill and sitting in her lap. Hermione stiffened as he wrapped his arms around her neck. "Now, I want a new broom, a Wizard's chess set that's made of gold and pearl, a new set of brothers-"

"Hey!" Fred protested.

"I think you're mixing up your dates," Hermione squeaked, "It's not Christmas and I am not St. Nick!"

"I think you're crushing her," Fred said, and George stood, with a great amount of fake effort.

"Breakfast?" he said lightly.

"Right behind you-"

"No," Hermione said curtly, packing away her bag and shoving it under her chair.

"Huh?" the twins said smartly.

"Can I borrow Fred for a little while?" Hermione asked, pulling herself out of her chair.

"It's our birthday," George said a bit indignantly.

"I'm borrowing Fred for a little while," Hermione said firmly. George frowned as she took Fred by the elbow and started marching him out of the Common Room.

"Duty calls," said a grinning Fred, saluting his brother. He wasn't surprised to find himself in the abandoned room with the staircase.

"Your brother is a pest," Hermione said lightly, leaning against the wall beside the door. Fred turned the lock on the door absent-mindedly.

"It's a serious affliction," he nodded gravely. He touched a strand of Hermione's hair, pulling it straight gently and watching it bounce back into waves.

"Congratulation on being able to legally terrorize your family for the summer," Hermione smiled.

"There will be no sleeping," Fred declared quietly. "But I don't want to talk about my plans with you just yet."

"Oh," Hermione said knowingly. "Then what do you want to talk about?"

Fred braced himself against the wall, one arm on either side of her. He relished the fact that she allowed him, him, of all people, to be so close to her. He smiled softly, "Who said I wanted to talk, 'Mione?"

"You always want to talk," Hermione whisper, reaching up and running a hand through his hair. He laughed and shook his head. Then she surprised him by holding out a handful of sickles.

"That's not how this works," said Fred with a frown.

"No-" Hermione blushed. "I didn't get you anything for your birthday."

"You don't have to," Fred pushed away her hand.

"Oh, like you won't get me something ridiculous for mine," Hermione rolled her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently, still holding out the money. "You need it."

"And you don't?"

"I'm not financing a business," Hermione said. Then she frowned, "Well, if you accept it, technically I am but-"

"This is for..." Fred wasn't sure what to say, if anything at all.

"As long as you keep turning Slytherin's into little birdies," Hermione shrugged, "I'm all for it. And if you don't take this money, I will personally bewitch them to follow you around... Or to find their way into socks so it'd be like you'd lost them... Or I'd give it to George. I could always sneak into your dormitory and put it in your trunk-"

"Is that what it'd take to get you up there?" Fred said, and she blushed again. He took the money reluctantly, reminding himself to double the amount when her birthday came around. He kissed her cheek, "Thank you."

"I still didn't get you anything," Hermione said, staring at their feet.

"Well, we are both great at improvising," Fred smiled as she looked up at him. Merlin, how was she always so beautiful? He kissed her softly, could feel her smile beneath his lips. She pulled away after a long moment.

"Happy Birthday, Frederick Weasley."

"At least you left out the Gideon this time," he said, catching her by surprise with a fiery kiss to her jaw. She gasped.

"I trust you don't want to talk anymore," she said, closing her eyes his his lips traveled to her neck. Her sentence was choppy, broken every time he touched her.

They jumped when there was a banging on the door. Fred snarled as he unlocked it and opened it. A 7th-year Ravenclaw boy and 6th-year Hufflepuff girl stared at him, slightly startled.

"Weasley, innit?"

"This room is very much occupied," Fred said lowly. Hermione was pressed very hard into the wall so as to not be seen. She didn't one more whisper about her love life.

"You made those things that make people birds, right?" the Ravenclaw said, actually very intrigued. The Hufflepuff rolled her eyes and tugged on his arm.

"God, you are blind, he's occupied," she hissed quietly. She smiled at Fred, "I'm really sorry about him."

"No, no," Fred scowled, "Just keep on hitting locked doors, I'm sure that's how they open."

"Well, you did open the door," the Ravenclaw pointed out. Hermione stifled a giggle at this. Fred turned his glare to her. "Come out and be friendly-"

Fred blocked him as he tried to stick his head into the room to see Hermione. "Why don't you go interrupt someone else's birthday present?"

"Hers or yours?"

"His, obviously," the Hufflepuff giggled as she gave Fred a once over and finally, finally, dragged the Ravenclaw away.

"Thank you," Hermione said with a quiet voice.

"Nosey git," Fred said sourly. "Come on, let's get breakfast."

In the pause where Fred made sure the Ravenclaw hadn't stuck around, Hermione grabbed his hand softly.

"Rain check on that visit to your room, huh?"

Fred grinned, "I'm not sure what that is, but I'm going to assume it's good."

"You don't know what a rain check is?" Hermione asked. Fred pulled her out into the hall. "It's a Muggle phrase."

"Do I look like a Muggle?" Fred inquired, making a grand gesture at his attire. Hermione laughed.

"The robes are a slight indicator."

They chatted amicably down to the Great Hall. Fred got torn away relatively quickly by friends and other well-wishers. Way too many girls tried to make a move on him, at least for Hermione's taste. They share a look that meant one thing; as soon as Skeeter was taken care of, they would be as obvious as George and Angelina.

"Will you get your tongue out of her throat?!" Alicia Spinnet snapped, smacking George's arm viciously, "It's not decent, there are 1st-years!"

.o0O0o.

This one's a bit late because I completely re-did it in the last 45 minutes. Didn't like my original version.

Thanks to all my reviewers!

Binka Fudge (Guest?): I am going to stick to canon as closely as possible, though I'll probably skip huge chunks of each year, especially Year 6.

badwolfinwinterfell: I never realize the length of my chapters until it's too late.

sdrlana21: While I have tried to work in as much of George as possible, it is a Fremione fic.

Kittyinaz: Thank you!