Your Mother Thinks I'm Fat!

During the next few weeks, Hermione and Fred got adjusted to living together and slid into the lifestyle pretty easily. Hermione worked at the shop almost as much as Fred did, either helping on the sales store, brewing potions, or experimenting with different recipes to make new products. In the evenings, she would disappear thirty minutes before the store would close and start dinner so that they could eat as soon as the doors were locked.

One Saturday evening, Fred and George sat in the potion room making potions while Hermione kept Angelina company. George didn't want Angelina to be by herself when she was so pregnant, knowing that twins usually come early.

"So has Granger brought up the engagement yet?" George asked as he sprinkled in some ground gillyweed root.

Fred sighed and sat back in his chair. "No. She hasn't said a word. She has been acting like nothing is different. Sometimes in public, I notice she even turns the ring around so that the diamond faces her palm." Fred told Hermione that he would give her time to navigate their engagement, but he never thought she'd try to hide it like she had been. He was heartbroken with the way she'd been acting.

George hissed. "Ouch… that's rough."

"What if she doesn't want to marry me? It's almost like she's embarrassed to be with me." Fred shook his head as he cut up mint leaves.

"I don't think she's embarrassed of you, Freddie. She adores you."

Fred chewed his lip. "I just wish she'd communicate with me. I want to be open with her, but I'm worried it'd scare her away even more. I know you've been joking about that double wedding… but I kind of think that's a brilliant idea. One last hoorah… after we're married, we won't be Fred and George. We'll be Fred and Hermione, George and Angelina. This could be our sending off, Georgie. We're already living and working separate. Once we're married, we'll probably be seeing even less of each other."

"I wasn't joking about it… I just teased Hermione because I thought it would never happen." George explained.

"How does Angelina feel about the idea?" Fred asked as he stirred his potion.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She'd probably be happy that all the attention wouldn't be on her. She already mentioned she's worried she's going to feel like a fish in an aquarium while everyone stuck their face to the glass to watch. Have a talk with your witch first. She's the harder one."

Fred sucked in air through his teeth and winced. "I don't think I can, Georgie." He spent his whole relationship tiptoeing around Hermione's feelings because she was so broken. Now, he didn't have the guts to.

"Do you need to borrow a pair? Do you have no bullocks of your own? It's your wedding too!" George admonished.

"You know how hard feelings are for Hermione! The last thing I want to do is scare her off because I'm trying to-"

"Boys? Are you down there?" Hermione's voice rang out. They could hear her descending the stairs from the open doorway.

George grinned at Fred. "Fuck. George! Don't! I'm warning you…"

"We're here, Hermione!" George answered. "Where's Ang?" He asked as she entered through the doorway.

"At home. Her mum came over with baby clothes and wedding magazines. She's in good hands." Hermione answered as she sat in a stool across from them, leaning over the table to kiss Fred.

"Wedding magazines, huh?" George asked. He grinned, hearing Fred's teeth grind together.

Hermione nodded. "Even had some muggle ones. I gave up and left after what must have been the twentieth wedding gown Angelina showed me."

"Have you found one, yet?" George asked nonchalantly.

"Honestly, I haven't looked."

"Have you got a date in mind?" George pushed.

"Well, I was hoping that Fred would be my date, but I'm open for suggestions if you have someone in mind…" Hermione mentioned, her face completely serious.

"Have… huh?" George asked, losing his train of thought. Hermione grinned. "Oh, don't play daft! When do you want to get married?"

"We haven't talked about it." Hermione said, looking over at Fred.

"Well, have you asked Fred's opinion?"

"Like I said, we haven't talked about it." Hermione said, getting frustrated. "What are you on about?"

"Why don't you ask him? It's his wedding, too, you realize?" George urged.

"Goerge…!" Fred warned, keeping his eyes on his cauldron.

"Of course, I realize! I can't marry myself now, can I? I don't appreciate you stuffing your nose into our relationship! If Fred has something to say, he knows he can tell me!" Hermione stood up, gripping the edge of the counter. She didn't understand why George was being so pushy.

"Can he really, though?" George asked.

"Of course he can! He knows this!"

"You sure about that?"

"Are you inferring that my own boyfriend is scared to come to me about what's on his mind?" Hermione hissed through her teeth.

"First of all, he isn't your boyfriend… if you hadn't realized by that rock hanging off your finger, he's your fiancé, and second…yes, that's exactly what I am inferring!" George said, slamming his palm against the counter.

Fred winced, squeezing his eyes shut, wishing he could melt into the floor.

Hermione scowled. "Of course I realize what he is! I'm just not use to the term! Fred-"

George snorted, cutting her off. "You can't get use to a term that you refuse to use."

"Stop it, George!" She turned toward Fred. "Fred! If there is something you want to tell me, then say it before George and I kill each other!"

Fred kept his head bowed, lifting his eyes to look at her through his eyelashes. "It's nothing."

"My arse, it's nothing! If it was nothing, then George and I wouldn't be rowing!"

"Hermione, it's nothing. We'll talk later." Fred said, looking back down at his potion.

"George. Spill it." Hermione demanded.

"Fred wants a double wedding."

Hermione took a bit taken back by his statement, but quickly recovered. "Fred? Is this true?"

"Tell her, Fred."

Fred ignored them both.

"Fred?" Hermione asked again, her tone softening as she came around the counter and placed her hand on his forearm. "You can tell me. I hate that you feel like you can't. I want you happy. Do you want a double wedding?"

He turned toward her and laced their fingers together. "Yea… I do."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was worried I'd upset you and make you run. I told you I'd be patient, but I didn't expect you to ignore it all together."

"Oh, Fred. I am so sorry. I hurt you, didn't I?" Hermione's heart lurched at the realization.

Fred shrugged in response. "A little."

She pulled him closer and leaned up to kiss his chin. "I'm sorry, Fred. It was wrong of me. You forgive me?" She batted her eyes at him, making him grin.

"Of course I do."

"So double wedding, huh?"

"If you don't mind." Fred gave her a crooked smile.

She searched his face for a moment, mulling it over. "October…" Hermione said quietly as she mentally worked things out.

The twins looked at one another and back to her. She finally nodded. "Okay. I can do that. October it is."

Fred looked thunderstruck. "Baby, I… are you-are you sure?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes… Fred, never be afraid to talk to me about anything. Don't wait until it bubbles over, like it did today. Your feelings matter to both George and me and it isn't fair to put us against each other because you won't speak up. I'm always willing to listen… I don't want George to hate me or think I'm some sort of controlling wench." She leaned up on her toes and put her arms around his neck to hug him. "You're my world, Fred."

"I'm sorry, Hermione… I just didn't know how to tell you. You acted like the engagement never happened and I was worried you didn't want to marry me." Fred rubbed her back as he held her close.

"Again, I'm sorry I've been ignoring it. A lot has happened lately and it was hard to wrap my head around it. I like the way we are now… and I'm worried things will change." Hermione let go and leaned against the counter. Her eyes darted to George and she saw him bent low over his cauldron, trying to give them some privacy.

"Things are going to change, Hermione…but in a good way. It's only going to get better." Fred encouraged.

"How can you be so sure? How are you not terrified? You'll be stuck with me for the rest of your life." Hermione's eyebrows knitted together, her lip clamped between her teeth.

He let out a breath through his nose and stepped closer to her, pressing his forehead against hers. "You are everything I've ever wanted. Our worst days together are still better than the best days with someone else. I can't deny that it's intimidating, but we'll be fine."

She smiled. "I love you, Fred."

She watched his eyes light up. "I love you, too, Tink."

He leaned in and kissed her.

George snorted. "Okay… enough! Tink? Do I even want to know?"

Fred and Hermione laughed at his uncomfortableness.

"Tinkerbell… she's a fairy in a muggle movie. She's tiny, but very vocal and feisty." As Fred explained, Hermione could feel her cheeks grow hot.

"And what's Fred's nickname then?"

Hermione blushed crimson. "Well, I better go!"

"Where are you going?"

"Going back to Angelina. I'm going to need those magazines after all."

When she disappeared, George looked at Fred and cocked his eyebrow.

Fred grinned widely.

XxXxXx

Hermione and Mrs. Weasley spent the next two weeks at George and Angelina's, planning as much of the wedding as they could before the girls came. Angelina was never comfortable, making for an extremely cranky witch. The healer told her it was safe for the babies to come and she was constantly begging her stomach to go into labor.

"Come on, Angie. Let's get you walking." Mrs. Weasley told her.

"Are you calling me fat?"

Hermione held a hand to her mouth, suppressing a giggle.

"No, dear… it'll make the babies come faster."

"Really? I don't believe you!" Angelina scowled.

"It's true! Muggles even do it. And… if I were you, I'd take all the pointers I could get from the woman who's birthed seven children." Hermione said.

Angelina eyed her for a moment and then went to get up. The two other women watched her struggle and she gave up.

"A LITTLE HELP HERE!" Angelina yelled. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley both hurried to the couch to hoist her up.

They paced the length of the flat back and forth, Angelina leading with Mrs. Weasley and Hermione tailing behind her.

"Why are we pacing?" Hermione asked Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm not doing this by myself! I look like an idiot!" Angelina admonished.

"If one person paces and it looks silly…then wouldn't three people pacing look that much more silly?" Hermione asked.

Angelina turned around and growled at her. Hermione laughed and placed her hands on Angelina's shoulders.

"Ang… calm down. It's just us. No one here is going to make fun."

Angelina turned back around and the other women continued to pace with her.

"Too bad we don't have a muggle car…muggles purposely drive over train tracks to jostle the baby out… not sure if it really works though…" Hermione mentioned.

"You know what does work? Sex!" Mrs. Weasley told the girls, making Angelina snort.

"Yea… right… cause that's what I want to do when I have an oversized beach ball filled with cement on my stomach!" Angelina yelled.

The door to the flat opened and George and Fred came through.

"I heard you yelling from downstairs! What are you on about?" George asked, watching the girls continually pace.

"Your mother thinks we should have sex!"

George laughed. "I'm not having sex with that mean thing! She bites! And not in the fun way! I rather like my bits, thanks!" He told the others. Angelina growled at him as she paced.

"What are you doing?" Fred asked as the girls turned and started walking toward the left.

"Your mother thinks I'm fat!"

Hermione's head fell back in a silent laugh, her stomach shaking in silent laughter.

"I do not! Walking will help the babies come." Mrs. Weasley corrected.

"So you all have to walk? Mum… is there something you need to tell us?" Fred cheeked.

"You hush, Weasley! And don't think I don't hear you snickering back there, Granger! You just wait until you go through this!" Angelina complained.

Hermione let out a laugh. "I promise to let you have your fun when it happens to me then."

"Ha! You'll hex me for even thinking about it!"

"Well, then why haven't you done the same?" George asked, grinning maliciously.

"They took my wand!" Angelina whined.

"Why?"

"Well… she got angry at a wedding magazine and hexed it… and she sort of caught it on fire…" Hermione said, trying her best to keep a straight face.

"How do you get angry at paper?" Fred asked.

"It was mocking me! Bloody skinny model…" Angelina plopped back down on the couch and pouted.

"Aw… my poor baby…" George patronized, hurrying over and snuggling against her.

The others watched as she ate it up, enjoying the one-on-one attention her fiancé was giving her. Hermione rolled her eyes. She felt like she was dealing with a manic-depressive.

"It looks like you're in good hands, so I'm going to head home. We have a lot of paperwork to fill out for our healer's appointment tomorrow." Hermione told Angelina as she grabbed her bag and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Oh! Is something wrong?" Fred's mum asked.

"No, Mum. Just the standard premarital physicals. Figured we'd get them out of the way." Fred explained.

"Oh, I see. I'm sure everything will be fine! I'm going home to start on dinner. I'll see you all on Sunday!" Mrs. Weasley grabbed her things and disappeared in the floo.