A/N: All right, I stand corrected. Instead of e-mailing me saying Fred can't be in love already, people are e-mailing me saying you can! Well, that's good. at least my plot line is a wee bit more believable. Also, the test George performs is an idea stolen from "Friends," so if you recognize it, that's why.

Thank you all so much for reviewing my story and telling me how much you love it. I want to say thank you to each of you, but there's so many that it would be a really long thank you. So, just one big THANK YOU!!!!!!! To all of you… you know who you are. I used the word thank you a lot… oh well! On to chapter eleven:

:*: 11 – Lessons in Love :*:

Did you know that it takes me more than three months to sort through fuzzy, swirly feelings?

Well, it does.

And did you also know that after three months, said fuzzy, swirly feelings have yet to be sorted out?

Well, know you do.

That's right, I, Fred Weasley, had yet to figure out how I felt about Hermione. Don't take that the wrong way because I still have feelings for her and such… I just don't know what they mean.

I've seen her about five times in the last three months. Two Hogsmeade trips on her part and three random Hogwart's visit's on mine. I thought after those trips I'd be able to figure it all out… but no. I still have no idea.

But then, maybe I'm not supposed to?

No, that would make no sense. You'd think I'd have the mental capacity to at least know how much I care about Hermione, but I don't.

I also don't know what to get her for Christmas. I'd say a book, but that's just so predictable.

I just jumped from totally important relationship talk to totally unimportant Christmas present talk.

But then again, maybe presents are part of a relationship…

Has anyone noticed yet how I have no idea how to act in a serious relationship? I'm a complete idiot when it comes to things like this. If you want me to blow something up or turn someone into a canary, I can do that… but if you want me to say things about how I feel about a person, nope. I'm completely stumped.

None of that seemed to make any sense. It's another of my rambles, I'm sorry. I thought I was cured form the rambles, but obviously not.

Anyways, like I said, it had been three months since I had almost said, enter dramatic pause, "I love you" to Hermione and I still didn't know if it was true or not.

"Hey, George?" I asked him one night over our wonderful dinner of cereal, the only thing we can make without an explosion.

"What?" he asked, a mouthful of food.

"Dumb question, completely hypothetical and it has no real meaning – "

"Just ask the damn question."

"How do you know when you're in love?" I said, expecting George to laugh or tease me.

"How the hell should I know. All of my relationships have lasted the same amount as Hermione and yours… combined," George responded, rinsing out his bowl. "Why? Do you think you love Hermione?"

"You're not going to tease me?" I asked, shocked.

"Not really something to tease someone about," he responded. "We're not twelve anymore. So, do you?"

"That's the thing," I said. "I have no idea. I like her a lot and I love spending time with her but I don't know if I love her or not."

"Well, you should probably figure that out," George said.

"That's why I asked you!" I said.

"Calm down, Fred. I'm joking," he said.

We sat there in a pensive silence until George exclaimed,

"I've got it!"

"Good. What is it?"

"Okay, it's this… thing. I'll say something and you say the first answer that comes to your mind!"

"What?" I asked, apprehensively.

"Just do it, okay?" George said. I nodded. "Okay, clear your mind," he said in a Trelawny type voice.

"Done," I said. It was always clear.

"Good," George responded, still sounding like Trelawny. "I'm going to ask you a series of quick questions and respond to them with the first thing that comes to your mind, alright?"

"Yes," I said.

"Mum or Dad?"

"Dad."

"Jackets or shoes?"

"Shoes?"

"Cats or dogs?"

"Hamburgers."

"Good grades or good jokes?"
"Good jokes."

"Hermione or Harry?"

"What?"
"Clear you mind!"

"Fine."

"Hermione or Harry?"

"You're a sick freak."

He sighed.
"Owl or rat?"

"Owl."

"Do you love Hermione?"

"Maybe."

"Dammit!" George and I yelled at once.

"I thought that would work!" George wailed, annoyed.

"I'm hopeless," I said, well, hopelessly.

"No you're not!" George yelled. "By the end of the night, you will know if you love Hermione!"

"Well," I said, "that would be great and all, but I work in a matter of minutes, so… How 'bout you figure it out for me and I'll go to work?"

George glared and I immediately Apparated into work.

"You're not late!" Caitlin exclaimed. "And you're not wearing pants."

"What?" I said, looking down. Nope, I was in my boxers… my sexy red ones.

"Excuse me," I said, Apparating home.

George was laughing hysterically while I quickly pulled on my pants and Apparated back into work.

"Now you're late," Caitlin observed. "But you're wearing pants!"

I laughed.

"So what's on the agenda for tonight?" I asked.

"Well, nothing really," Caitlin said, obviously bored. "The Christmas sale isn't until Saturday, the last Hogwart's Hogsmeade trip until winter holidays, so no one really is coming. They're all waiting."

"So it's been pretty empty?"

"Yep. I think I have a permanent imprint of this stool in my ass," she said.

"Fun," I replied, pulling up a stool next to her. When I sat down, I realized something.

"Hey!" I said. "You're a girl!"

"You catch on quickly," she responded, laughing.

"No," I said, feeling kind of dumb. "I need a girl's opinion."

"About?" she asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Love," I stated. Caitlin's eyes widened.

"Not with me, right?" she asked.

"No," I said. "Hermione."

"Did Hermione tell you she loved you, but it's way too soon for you?"

"no. Vice versa… almost."

"'Almost?'" she asked. "How do you 'almost' say 'I love you?'"

"By saying, 'God Hermione, I – ' and then stopping," I answered, feeling more embarrassed. I barely knew Caitlin and here I was, telling her all of my relationship woes. But hey, she was a girl.

"Makes sense," she responded. "But would it have been true?"

"Well, that's where I'm all confused," I responded.

"How so?"

"Can this wait?" I asked, noticing some potential customers. Caitlin nodded and got up to help them out. She said some things to them, they smiled and exited the store.

"That was quick," I said, shocked that she basically kicked the customers out.

"I told them about the Saturday sale and they got all excited and decided to wait," she responded.

"Oh."

"So, where were we?" she asked.

"I feel weird talking about this with you," I said truthfully.

"Why?"

"Because I barely know you and you don't even know Hermione," I said.

"Well," Caitlin said. "That's understandable. I can try, though," she added.

I thought about it. On one hand, she knows nothing about my relationship with Hermione. On the other, she's a girl and should therefore know about love… how sexist is that thought?

"Well," I said, still thinking. "I guess you can try. If you have no idea about anything, I'll talk to someone else."

"Good," Caitlin said. "So, what's first?"

"What is love?" I asked, knowing it was kind of a stupid question.

"That's a stupid question," Caitlin laughed, confirming my suspicions. "Never being in love myself, I wouldn't have the best of knowledge on the subject – "

Dammit.

" – but I'll tell you what I hope it feels like."

I nodded.

"This may get a bit corny," she warned. I nodded and she continued. "Well, Fred, here goes:

"You know how you feel on the first sunny, warm day after a really dreary winter? The way it feels and the way it looks and the way it smells? That really happy feeling you get that lasts for hours on end? Well it's that, but a million times better.

"You trust the person with not only your life, but your heart and the person feels the same. You think about the future and one of the first things that you think of is, in your case, Hermione.

"This is really hard to explain. That's as best I can do," Caitlin apologized.

I nodded.

"Is that of any help to you?" she asked.

I nodded again and said, "So what now?"

"That depends on how you feel," Caitlin reasoned. "If you realize you don't love her, don't say anything and continue the relationship. If you do, I vote, go for it."

"And if she says no?"

"Then she says 'no,'" Caitlin answered. "It doesn't matter what her reaction is. What matters is that you told her."

I had so many questions. I felt like an annoying kid that needs to know everything. One of those kids who always ask "Why?" after you tell them anything.

Oh well.

"So," I asked. "How do I tell her?"
"Does that mean you love her?"

"Yes."

(A/N: All together readers: AWWW!!!)

Caitlin hugged me and said, "I'm so happy for you!"

"Me too," I said, smiling from ear to ear. I had that happy feeling like when I first decided I liked Hermione. It was nice.

"So," I asked again. "How do I tell her?"

"Do you want to be romantic or like you?"

"What?"

"Well," Caitlin explained. "You can plan some elaborate candlelit dinner and say it suave and exciting or you can be Fred and just say it."

"How do I be like Fred?" I asked.

"Next time she says, 'Hi, Fred!' you casually slip in, 'I love you!' like it's an everyday occurrence."

"I like that," I said, nodding. "Is that how Fred acts?"

"That's how I would imagine you saying it," Caitlin said, smiling.

I nodded approvingly.

"I love you, Hermione," I said casually.

Caitlin laughed.

"Hermione," I said low and debonair sounding, "I love you."

"That sounds ridiculous. You don't want to make her think you're joking."

"I love you, baby!" I said enthusiastically.

Caitlin scrunched up her nose and shook her head in disapproval.

"I love you!" I cried desperately.

"You don't want to scare her," Caitlin said, laughing.

"Oh!" I said suddenly. "I've got it! How's this?"

"Hermione," I said seriously, "For the past few months, I've been experiencing these fuzzy, swirly feelings in my stomach and I think I've finally figured it out.

"Hermione Granger, I think I'm in love with you."

"Oh my God!" Caitlin said, sincerely shocked… but she wasn't the only one.

I quickly turned to the door.

Hermione was standing in the doorway.

JUST KIDDING!!!

"Oh my God," we all said at once.

"I think I hear some inventory beckoning me," Caitlin said, quickly retreating into the basement.

Hermione was still standing in the doorway looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Hi," I said casually.

Hermione smiled. That couldn't be good.

"Just to be clear, you did hear what I just said, right?" I asked.

Hermione nodded.

"And?" I asked, holding my breath.

"Why do you think I'm here?" she asked.

"Don't change the subject," I said.

"Trust me, I'm not," Hermione replied. "So why do you think I'm here?"

"Ron and Harry snuck out and you decided to tag along?" I answered.

"Good guess," she said. "But there's more. I'm not one to break rules- "

"Really?" I said sarcastically, then mentally kicked myself.

" – but unless there's some extenuating circumstances with the ones I love, then I'll go."

"Is there something wrong with Ron or Harry? Or Ginny?" I asked, confused.

"No," Hermione replied. "Are you that stupid?"

"I guess," I said. "Because I can tell you're trying to convey some message, but it just isn't sinking in."

"You'd think," Hermione said, tapping her foot impatiently, "That if someone said they loved you, they could tell that the other person felt the same."

Did she just imply what I thought she implied?

"Does that mean… are you saying that…"

"Fred Weasley, I love you too," she said, smiling a huge, happy smile.

You now when I first kissed Hermione and then I just stood there like an idiot, waving at her? Well, that's exactly what I was doing, minus the waving.

So basically, I was standing there like an idiot… a very happy idiot.

"Well," Hermione said, her impatience back again. "When exactly were you planning on kissing me?"

I snapped out of my "standing like an idiot" stupor, swooped over to Hermione, and kissed her like there was no tomorrow.

"So," I said a little breathlessly after a nice long snog session. "Do I have to buy you a Christmas present now?"

A/N: Okay, now that's the end of the chapter. I couldn't end it in the original spot because, well, that would be kind of mean. This story is almost over, but remember that this is like Fred TELLING this story. In chapter one, he said he was twenty. So, I juts thought I'd remind you, not because I think you're idiots or something (because I don't) but that I need to remind myself and so I can end it properly and so it makes sense. This A/N isn't making much sense, but oh well. Thanks for all the reviews!