Authors Note:

In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the FremioneFairytales collection.

Hello, this story was written for The Princess and the Fool: A Fremione Fanatics Fairytale Fest 2022.

I chose the following claim:

The Lion and the Mouse: Character A catches Character B in a compromising situation, only to let them go. When Character A needs help later Character B helps them to return the favor.

I hope you guys enjoy reading this sweet little one-shot. 😀

(See the end of the work for more notes.)


Fred Weasley yawned as he stepped out of the large fireplace in his wife's library; it had been a very busy day at the Hogsmeade store as it always was when the students of Hogwarts were allowed to venture down to the quaint village. Fred loved his job; providing laughter, jokes and pranks to all who dared enter Weasley's Wizard Wheezers; he and George had ten stores across Europe now with plans to expand to the Americas in the coming years; he was very proud of what they'd accomplished in the decade since the war had ended.

"DADDY," an excited voice shouted as he exited the mahogany library, Fred smiled casting his eyes low, to the blur of curly red hair that was running towards him.

"Rosie-posy what are you doing up my love, it's past your bedtime," he asked his six-year-old as he lifted her into his arms, spinning her in a circle as he hugged her, Rose giggling happily as he did so.

"Neither of them will go to sleep," Hermione's voice called from down the hallway, Fred smiled at her; Hermione looked exhausted; she had one hand resting on her swollen stomach where their twins grew steadily while in her other, she held their son Fabian who looked just as tired as his mother, the three-year-old was sucking on his thumb, his eyes fluttering as he tried to stay awake.

"Have you two not been listening to mummy," he asked, tickling Rose's stomach, his daughter giggled reaching up to tickle under his chin in retaliation.

"We wanted you to tell us a story," Rose told him stubbornly, her brown eyes determined.

"I'm sure mummy could tell you a story," he said, Rose nodded.

"I did, several in fact," Hermione told him quietly.

"How are you doing my love," he asked as he walked towards her, he paused in front of the petite witch, tucking a curl behind her ear as he leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss.

"Better now you are home," she confessed.

"Mummy said the babies are devils kicking her intestines," Rose told him.

"Are they now," he asked, reaching out to rub his wife's stomach soothingly.

"They are playing quidditch with my internal organs," Hermione said with a grimace, Fred felt a firm kick against his hand and smiled.

"Not long now, my love," he promised, at eight months pregnant Hermione only had another month to go before they welcomed the newest additions to the family.

"Da-Da," Fabian cried, reaching out for him," Fred took his son with his other arm, keeping Rose on his right hip he rested his son on his left one.

"Hello," Fred said, kissing his son's fluffy brown hair, Fabian stared up at him, his blue eyes wide.

"So what story do you two want tonight," he asked walking down the hallway to his children's room, Hermione following them a smile on her face.

"No big bed," Rose protested as he went to open the door to her and Fabian's bedroom.

"Rose you need to start sleeping in your own bed," he told her quietly, Rose shook her head, a pout on her small lips.

"There's monsters under my bed," she protested, her doe like eyes watering.

"I'll check for monsters, I'm sure they aren't there and if they are Daddy will get rid of them," he said.

"NO," she shouted, with a sigh, Fred turned away from the wooden door and moved down the hallway to his and Hermione's room, he opened the door and entered, placing Rose and Fabian down onto the mattress, both of them scrambling to settle themselves in the centre of the bed under the rich midnight comforter.

"We need to stop letting them sleep here, or else we'll have four children in our bed every night," Hermione laughed patting her stomach as she settled herself down in the bed beside Rose, Fred smiled at his wife and took his spot next to his son.

"So what story do you two want tonight," Fred asked his children who looked at each other whispering between themselves, to decide what story Fred should tell that evening. After a few minutes Rose spoke, "Daddy can we have the tale of the Lion and the Mouse," she asked him sweetly.

"Again, I told you that one last night," he said with a smile, as he did every night, when Rose asked him to tell her favourite story, the story of how her parents got together.

"Oh Please Daddy," his children said together, their eyes wide and pleading, Fred locked his eyes on Hermione's brown ones and smiled tenderly, she smiled back her eyes filled with love.

"Oh, alright then," he smiled, "Once upon a time there was a magical school, a school where little witches and wizards learnt to harness powerful magic," he said.

"Hogwarts," Rose piped up.

"Yes, we will call the school Hogwarts," Fred nodded.

"The school was a happy place for many years and our brave lion, prince Fredrick lived his life by the code of aways causing mischief and laughter," he told them.

"Daddy you're not a prince," Rose laughed.

"Shush, am I telling the story or are you," he asked, bopping her little button nose with his finger.

"You," she told him, Fred nodded and continued.

"With his pranking twin by his side, the lion brought happiness and laughter to the school every day, to the disproval of a princess, a beautiful rule abiding princess, the quiet mouse who enjoyed reading and homework," he said, Hermione laughed.

"Mummy," Rose nodded.

"Yes, mummy is the princess," Fred agreed smiling at his wife, who he adored.

"Now mummy disproved of daddies pranks, she was worried that they might be dangerous to the younger students," Fred continued, "this worry only grew when a horrible toad came to the magical school, taking away all of the joy that had once filled the hallowed halls," he said.

"Toadie," Rose scrunched up her nose disgusted.

"Yes Toadie, was a vial woman, an evil witch who dressed all in ghastly pink, when she came to the school she took away all of the light and happiness, leaving behind only sadness and darkness in a kingdom that had once been so joyful and bright," Fred told his daughter, Fabian had already lost his fight to stay awake and was fast asleep beside him, letting out sweet little snores.

"Now the mouse wasn't as quiet and stuck up as the lion had believed, in fact she had been known to break rules once in a while, usually to save the world with her two best friends," Fred told his daughter.

"Uncle Harry and Ron," Rose nodded.

"Yes, with your uncles, now the princess didn't disprove of the pranking completely, she thought that the lion and his twin were actually ingenious, and that the lion was very handsome," Fred told his daughter, Hermione snorted, her eyes amused. Fred continued as though he hadn't been interrupted, "Now the only thing she disapproved of was the testing of products on the first year students, you see she was in a position of power, a prefect and she didn't want the baby students to get hurt accidentally. One day she'd started shouting at the prince and his brother about their products, her hair was sparking, her cheeks were flushed, and the lion thought the mouse was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen," he said, Hermione smiled at him, reaching her hand over the children to lace her fingers through his.

"What happened next Daddy," Rose asked excitedly.

"To the princes twin's chagrin he agreed to a truce and promised not to test on innocent children; instead he decided all of the products would be tested on the toad in the hope it would get her to leave the castle," Fred told his daughter seriously.

"What did the toad do daddy," she asked, gripping the midnight comforter tightly.

"At first, she didn't know who was pranking her but after a while she found out that it was daddy. Now the toad had been known to hurt students for the smallest infractions and she ordered the prefects to fetch the lion and his twin to her so he could be most severely punished.

"Oh no," she gasped.

"Now the mouse new she couldn't let the toad get the twins, that they didn't deserve the punishments the evil toad wished to give them. The mouse though she may be small was very brave and she rushed through the castle using a magical map to track down the lion and his brother," Fred said.

"Did you really mummy," Rose asked.

"I did Rosie," Hermione nodded.

"Mummy found us in a secret lab and told us the evil toad was after us, now my twin and I new the time was nearing when we'd have to leave the school for good. We'd planned our escape for months and knew that it was now time for us to leave the magical castle that we loved," he told her.

"That's so sad," Rose said.

"It was sad leaving the school, but we had a plan, we set off every prank product we had left; fireworks whizzed through the school, swamps formed in corridors, and we'd distributed candies that had people turning into animals, their hair changing colour and them developing ailments that the school nurse couldn't seem to cure. It was mayhem at its finest and the toad was enraged, she wanted our heads." Fred said.

"What did you do," Rose asked.

"Before I departed the school, I found your mummy and the lion kissed the mouse for the first time, though they were different, opposites in fact, he'd grown fond of the mouse who had been brave enough to save them," Fred told her quietly, a reminiscing smile on his face.

"Yes, daddy kissed me before summoning his broom and zooming into the sunset," Hermione smiled, Rose yawned, her eyes fluttering.

"Then daddy saved you," Rose whispered, hiding another yawn with her hand.

"He did after the mouse saved the lion from the evil toad, the mouse entered a battle against masked men, when the lion learned that the mouse was in danger, he rushed to London where the mouse was and saved her life," Hermione smiled, leaning down to kiss their daughter's forehead.

"And they all lived happily after," Rose breathed her eyes falling shut as her breathing evened out.

"They did sweetie, we are very happy," Hermione whispered to the now sleeping child. They'd certainly had a difficult time during the war; both of them had been wounded, almost died at times but they'd made it through and now had a wonderful life together; a life full of joy and laughter with a family of their own, a family that was still expanding.

"I love you" he whispered, squeezing his wife's hand.

"I love you too Freddie," she smiled sweetly at him, Fred was happy; the lion prince had gotten his mouse princess and he wouldn't do anything differently because his life with Hermione was perfect.


A/N: Thank you for reading this fic, if you enjoyed it let me know by leaving a Review.