Title: Much Mistletoeing
Author: Sneezy Mouse
Rating: PG/PG-13 due to overwhelming Christmas fluff, slight inebriation, children out-of-wedlock (GASP!), naughty language, naughty situations (as well as some nice ones; it is Christmas after all), snogging, mistletoe and heavy sexual tension (as always...)
Summary: Best-selling author Hermione Granger has spent the past six years touring the world to showcase her novels. Now, she receives an out-of-the-blue letter asking her to join the Weasleys for Christmas at the Burrow. A fluffy, Christmas-y Fred/Hermione fic.
Author's Note: Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I hope you like this chapter just as much. After all, the sugarplum fairies of romance have begun to dance around in Fred and Hermione's heads. Enjoy!
Much Mistletoeing
● Chapter Two ●
"There'll be parties for hosting,
Marshmallows for toasting and
Caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories and
tales of the glories of Christmases
long, long ago.
It's the most wonderful time of the year."
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Eddie Pola and George Wyle
December 19th
Part Two
The Burrow was exactly as it had been in Hermione's memories. The light dusting of snow had not deterred the chickens or lawn gnomes from scurrying about. From the front lawn, Hermione could see Arthur?s shed where he kept all of his Muggle contraptions. Hermione hoped he enjoyed the toaster she got him for Christmas.
"Mum?" George called out when he, Harry and Hermione stepped into the house from the front porch.
"George!" Molly called out from, where else, the kitchen. She leaned her head out into the doorway, obviously preoccupied with something else. She seemed ready to ask George something, but noticed Harry and Hermione before she had a chance.
"Jonathan!" Molly called out, swooping the little boy into her arms.
"Grandma!" he replied happily.
"She has a tendency to never notice anyone but her grandchildren nowadays," George told Hermione. "And Jonathan is as good as hers. You know how she always used to coddle Harry. Don't take it personally, Hermione."
"Oh dear!" Molly cried, actually taking notice of Hermione after George said her name. She rushed over, Jonathan still in her arms, and hugged Hermione. A familiar rush of breathlessness followed. Hermione never thought she'd miss being choked by Molly Weasley.
"I am so sorry, dear," Molly said, releasing Hermione and readjusting her hold on Jonathan. "How have you been, Hermione? Oh, I was so happy when he responded to my letter saying you were coming. You are staying here, are you not? Oh, of course you are. And Percy and Katie will be here as well! The whole family will be here. Arthur! Arthur, Hermione's here!" Molly yelled suddenly, causing Hermione to give a bit of a start.
"Hermione?" Arthur's voice came from the sitting room. Soon, Arthur's shiny bald head was poking in the kitchen and he smiled warmly when he saw Hermione standing between George and Harry. He puttered towards Hermione, his cane still in use from her seventh year, and hugged her like a father.
"It's lovely to see you, Hermione," Arthur said. "As always, of course. And Harry, I'm assuming you brought Jonathan?"
"I have him, Arthur," Molly said, still holding onto the young boy. Arthur went over and the two Weasley grandparents began what was to be a whole week of spoiling the young Potter boy.
"Is Ron out in the yard?" George asked.
Molly nodded. "Luna is out there with him, of course. Fred, Bill and Fleur are as well. Oriel and Henry are napping upstairs. Henry was all tuckered out from playing earlier in the morning."
Taking his cue from Hermione's expression at "Ron," George excused the three of them and walked out into the backyard.
It was so comforting to see that very little about the Weasley backyard had changed. There was still the giant picnic table they had eaten dinner at the night before the Quidditch World Cup in fourth year. There were garden gnomes, of course and in the distance Hermione could see the reeds surrounding the small pond. It was probably iced over by now and Hermione hoped she'd be able to skate on it before the week was over. But by far, the best thing about the back yard was the tall, gangly red haired boy that appeared to be trying to unstick a garden gnome that had bitten down on his hand.
"Stupid bugger!" Ron Weasley yelled, flailing his arm about. "Get the hell off of me!"
With one last dramatic flail, Hermione noticed that a small potato with legs was currently flying right towards her head.
"Duck!" Ron yelled.
"Jesus, Ron!" Harry yelled. "I would've thought you would have been happier to see Hermione. Throwing garden gnomes at her, honestly."
"Shut up!" Ron yelled, looking at Hermione and grinning. "It's been awhile."
"It has," Hermione agreed, opening her arms too give Ron a hug. He reciprocated, which made Hermione remember all the times when she showed emotion and Ron got twitchy. He seemed secure with her emotions now, or it could be that it's been ages since he's seen Hermione.
"You don't have any huge news, do you?" Hermione asked when their hug ended.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"Well," Hermione explained. "George is married; Harry has a child... things of that nature."
"No, Hermione," Ron said as Luna walked up and he laced his fingers with hers. "Luna and I are still just engaged. And as far as I know, we don't have a child."
Luna eyed Ron with a dreamy look that Hermione wasn't quite sure of the meaning. Surely they couldn't... no. Because Luna was now giving everyone else that dreamy look. At least one thing hasn't changed, in Hermione's opinion: Luna was still completely nutters.
"How are you, Luna?" Hermione asked, not sure how a hug would be received by the other girl.
"The snorkack sightings are becoming few and far between," Luna responded with a sigh. "They're numbers are dwindling."
"Oh," Hermione said, wondering if her question was answered or not. She gave Ron a quizzical look and he smiled.
"Luna's wonderful," he said. "Subscriptions to The Quibbler are getting higher every month."
"Ever since Daddy retired, I have been running the magazine," Luna explained.
"How wonderful," Hermione responded. She still didn't hold The Quibbler in too high of regard, even after what it did for Harry in fifth year. As far as Hermione was concerned, it was still just rubbish... but Luna ran it and Ron loved Luna. Hermione wasn't going to cause dissention. Instead, she finally acknowledged Fred Weasley, who had been standing off to the side since she began talking with Ron.
"It's great to see you, Fred," Hermione said, smiling widely. He opened his arms and Hermione gladly reciprocated the hug.
"You smell like fire," Hermione said, voice slightly muffled.
"What?" Fred asked, obviously taken aback by this comment.
Hermione laughed at Fred's face - a mixture of amusement and not knowing whether or not to be insulted - before responding.
"I meant, like wood and smoke."
"Oh," Fred said. "Dad decided he wanted a Muggle fire in the fireplace this morning. So I had to walk into the woods, cut some wood, start a fire without a wand - setting myself on fire twice, I might add - all because Dad wanted something special to welcome you here. So really, it's entirely your fault."
"Well, don't worry," Hermione replied. "I make it up to you somehow. Besides, it's a good smell. Masculine."
With his chest puffed just a bit, Fred answered this with a gruff cough and said, "Well, it fits then. Now if you need me, I'll be doing more manly things. Like... helping my mother cook."
Hermione watched him walk back into the house. As soon as the door shut there was a high pitched yelp of excitement and the door being thrown open again. This time, he lone Weasley daughter came barreling out with a manic grin on her face.
"Hermione!" she yelled happily, nearly toppling Hermione over when she was wrapped in Ginny's hug. "It's so fantastic that you could be here! I really do love those postcards you've sent me. I mean, obviously you can't write a lot on the bitty piece of paper. So I expect you to tell me everything that has happened in the past few years. There is so much to catch up on. Like - "
"Your engagement?" Hermione asked, half playful, the other half accusatory. It was Draco Malfoy, after all.
Ginny smiled, before it faltered. "Oh dear... I left Draco inside with Mum. And Jonathan! Oh, Harry is going to kill me!"
With that she scampered off. Ron quickly explained that Draco was the one to teach Jonathan to call Harry 'Potter' rather than 'Dad.' While a lot of the family secretly found this amusing, Harry did not in the least. Since then, Harry has done all he could to keep Jonathan from being alone with Draco; this, apparently, was also Ginny's job.
"Hello, er... Hermione," said a voice that made Hermione tense involuntarily. Even six years after her last contact with Draco Malfoy, he could still instill a sense of wanting to beat him senseless with two simple words.
Hold on... Hermione?
She turned around, ready to greet him when she was wrapped in a very stiff, obviously uncomfortable hug. Was Draco Malfoy actually touching her, let alone hugging her? She responded with an equally uncomfortable pat on his back.
"Ginny told me to do that," he replied sullenly when the hug ended. "Said she wanted us to get any uncomfortable feelings out of the way. Personally, I think that made it worse."
"Promise you'll never do that again, Malfoy," Hermione said forcefully. Draco nodded and turned to Ginny who was surveying the exchange with curiosity on her face.
"She's determined to make us get along," Draco said quietly, still eyeing Ginny. "I told her she's wasting her time."
"Honestly, Malfoy, it has been six years," Hermione answered. "Though in my eyes I will always see you as the little prick who got his jollies by tormenting me and my friends and who aided a very evil man for much longer than I approve of... Ginny is taken by you. And Ginny is my friend. So for now, I will be civil. Do not expect me to instantly warm to you."
"Fair enough," Draco responded, nodding. "But in all fairness, you liked Snape. He and I are fairly similar. I am much more attractive, however."
"You're just ugly in a different way," Hermione retorted. "Plus, I never really liked Snape. I respected him. And you have made some decisions in your past that I respect. I will always admire you for what you did for the Order in seventh year. But I will never forgive you for what you did in year one through six."
"Hermione!" Ginny cried, looking at the brunette with annoyance. "I know he was a complete ass to you. But... he did a lot. He risked his life for us! Can't that, for a week at least, overshadow everything else? I love him. I don't need you to love him, but if you could at least like him. Ron does. And that would be sad if you managed to be more stubborn than Ron."
Hermione took a deep breath and stared at Draco. He still had light blond hair, grey eyes and a pointy little nose... but something was different, Hermione had to admit.
"I suppose," Hermione said. "It is good to see you, Draco."
"You too, Hermione," Draco said with equal amounts of enthusiasm; meaning none.
"You two are awful!" Ginny said angrily, grabbing Draco gruffly by the arm and dragging him into the house. Hermione couldn't help but laugh when Malfoy turned and smirked at her.
"He has a very odd inability to not let red-headed women boss him around," Ron said, laughing as well. "Ginny has Draco completely under her thumb and he really doesn't seem to mind that much."
"Maybe he's a masochist?" Hermione offered.
Ron laughed, and then realized the implications of this comment. He then looked horrified.
"Oh, I've missed you, Ron!" Hermione said, laughing. Ron threw an arm around her shoulders and escorted her and Luna back into the house where Bill and Fleur, Charlie and Tonks had arrived. Lavender was there as well. Hermione exchanged pleasantries with them until dinner was ready. Everyone laughed as Bill and Fleur's daughter Oriel wedged herself between Harry and Jonathan, seemingly taken with the younger Potter boy. A fact that Jonathan didn't seem to keen on. When Oriel sat down, Jonathan fixed his eyes - round in fear - on his father. Jonathan's dislike was later reinforced when Oriel pecked the boy on his cheek and Jonathan began wailing.
"Obviously he takes after Potter's abilities with women," Malfoy commented, making everyone laugh but Harry who was too busy trying to calm Jonathan down.
"Mama!" Oriel said, tears listening in her blue eyes (so like her mothers'). "Why doesn't he like me?"
Fleur smiled a very knowing smiled and said, "Give 'im time, Oriel. 'E is just a boy."
"If you are anything like your mother," Charlie said, laughing, "You won't have any problems getting the boys' attention."
"But I want Jonathan!" Oriel yelled. Hermione had a feeling that it wasn't often that Oriel didn't get what she wanted. She looked the part of a very spoiled little princess with her large blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair and clothing that had to be nicer than even what Hermione was wearing.
"Hermione, could you pass me the rolls?" Fred asked. Hermione was seated with Fred on her left, Ginny on her right. This odd seating arrangement just dawned on her; why wasn't she sitting next to Harry and Ron?
And then, right at the Weasley's dining room table, it finally hit her. They had lives. Yes, she knew Ron was engaged and Harry had Jonathan. But actually watching Ron talk with Luna, his hand gently laid over hers, his thumb stroking her palm; Harry bouncing Jonathan on his knee, convincing him in a soothing voice that it will be okay, the little girl won't hurt him. Even glancing down and seeing Malfoy's hand resting on Ginny's knee in a semi-private romantic gesture... all of it was too overwhelming for Hermione.
"Excuse me," Hermione managed, pushing herself out of her chair and hurrying out of the dining room.
"Fred!" Hermione heard Ron say. "What the hell did you say to her?"
But Hermione didn't hear Fred's answer. And the reason why became quickly apparent: he was standing in the kitchen with her, having followed her in after she abruptly left the dining room.
"Hermione," Fred began; his voice gentle. "If I'd have known those rolls had meant so much to you, I never would have asked you for them."
This made Hermione laugh and she finally turned to face Fred.
"It's not that, Fred," Hermione said quietly. "It's everything."
"Except the rolls."
Another laugh.
"Yes," she said. "Everything except the rolls."
This time it was Fred that laughed.
"It's... its just hard, seeing all of them," Hermione said. "How stupid is that? My best friends are making me upset because they are happy. All I ever wanted was for them - all of you, for that matter - to be happy. And now you are and I feel..."
"Feel what?" Fred prompted, sensing Hermione trailing off.
"It's too awful," Hermione insisted. "Never mind."
Fred looked at her with a 'yeah right' expression before walking over and leaning against the kitchen counter next to Hermione.
"I feel angry," Hermione continued, looking at Fred quickly, expecting to see a disgusted look across his face. Instead, she saw a comforting one, one that was urging her to continue explaining. So she continued. "Not really at you all. Mostly at myself. I really could have done a better job staying in touch but I just... didn't. There really isn't a good excuse. But honestly, part of me expected to come back just to how I had left it. With Ron trying desperately to find the best way to commit to Luna. To Ginny not being with Malfoy. Hell! To Ginny being still with Harry! Even to you and George still with just one joke shop."
"Oh, don't say my life is upsetting you," Fred said, placing a comforting arm around Hermione's shoulder. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "It really isn't all that glamorous. I rarely get to spend time in the shops anymore. Even less time is spent inventing. With George being so busy getting his life with Lavender in order, I am responsible for more. I have to pay people to invent joke products now, that's how little time I had. I don't even get to do the fun part of my job anymore."
"I am sure that's really sad for you," Hermione said honestly, thinking of all the times she yelled at the twins for using their joke products on the younger students at Hogwart's.
"It gets worse," Fred continued. Hermione didn't say anything, a silent message to continue. "I," Fred paused dramatically, "have to wear a suit."
Hermione was silent for a moment, mulling over what Fred just said. Then, she bust out laughing.
"Shut up!" Fred said, but he was now laughing too. "It's awful wearing suits. Stupid newly progressive wizard world, shifting from dress robes to suits."
This only spurred Hermione to laugh more, and soon she and Fred both had tears of mirth welling in their eyes. It soon died off, though, and Fred began speaking again.
"It's been a long time since you've laughed," he said. It was a statement, not a question and its startling truth hit Hermione like a ton of bricks.
"No," she replied honestly. "I have been working so hard lately. It's like there is no time for laughter."
"There is always time for laughter," Fred said, surprising Hermione with how serious he was. "If life ever gets too serious for you, just release a very loud, very mad sounding, cackle. Life's seriousness will diminish with astonishing speed."
Hermione was just about to say something else when the kitchen door swung open. It was Draco.
"Oh, sorry," he said, watching the two with interest. "Just came in because Mrs. Weasley wants the cake brought in. Thought I'd help her out, let her visit with the family. But if you two want to be alone..."
"Stuff it, Malfoy," Hermione replied. Fred however, straightened himself out and thanked Malfoy for helping out his mum and then walked back into the dining room, turning his head to smile at Hermione before the door swung shut again.
Hermione and Draco didn't exchange anymore words until Hermione was almost out of the kitchen entirely.
"Are you blind?" Draco said in almost a whisper.
"What?" Hermione asked against her better judgment.
Draco looked at her with his grey eyes, except for once there was no trace in them to show that he was making fun of her. Instead, they seemed to pity Hermione.
"Fred," Draco said. "Are you blind? Or are you just too wrapped up in your own misery to see how happy he was when talking to you?"
Shocked by this (especially having come from Draco), Hermione was quiet.
"Whatever, Malfoy," Hermione said, even though she knew how lame of a response that was.
"Just watch him," Draco said, grabbing the white-frosted cake from the counter. "I've been privy to seeing Fred over the past six years. Ever since his break up with Bethany, I've yet to see him that happy."
"Who's Bethany?" Hermione asked. No one had mentioned any Bethany over the course of the day, even when they had talked about Fred.
"Maybe you should be talking to Fred about this?" Draco asked. "As it is, would you really trust any information I, a Malfoy, would give to you?"
Hermione considered this, and then nodded. Draco smiled, catching Hermione so off guard that she smiled as well.
"Oh, my God! Is this a moment? A breakthrough in the Malfoy-Granger war?"
Both Draco and Hermione looked to the kitchen doorway to see Ginny with a huge grin on her face. She was looking at Hermione and Draco with such pride.
"I just came in to see where the cake was, Draco," Ginny explained. "I also wanted to see if you, Hermione, wanted to do some Christmas shopping tomorrow? I didn't know if you had any more shopping to do, but I do so..."
"No," Hermione said. "Oh, I have all of my shopping left to do. I didn't know who all was going to be here, who I needed to get gifts for. I would love to come with you."
"Fantastic!" Ginny said.
The three of them headed back into the dining room, Hermione taking her seat next to Fred. The pair caught each others' eyes throughout the rest of dinner, occasionally grinning at the other. Soon the conversations waned, the coffee and cocoa having been drunk and all the residents and guests of the Burrow headed up into their respective bedrooms.
As she drifted off easily into sleep, nagging thoughts about Fred and this Bethany girl began plaguing her mind. She promised herself to find out as much as she could tomorrow when she went shopping with Ginny. There was something so intriguing, so unfinished, about the topic. What had Bethany done to apparently make Fred so sad? And why was Hermione the one that was making him so happy?
-
Author's Note: Thanks to my 21 reviews (20 of which did not annoy me). Thanks specifically to: Courtney Anne, Mare Tranquillitatis, Kazte, Kaoru4, TomFeltonLova, coldie voldie, Jolly Rancher, topps, Purple Spotted Hedwig, HogwartzBoizRHottiez, LupinFan227, Alexandra5 (great to hear from you again!), Hiscefit, Seasonings, Tinkie192, Kon Shun'u, Cherdy the Molologist, Spordelia Chase, and TheEyeoftheTiger.
Chapter three will be out soon, I hope. I work a lot this weekend (all hail retail!) so writing time will be severely cut. But I'll update The Lucky One in a couple days, so look out for that as well.