Disclaimer: They aren't mine! Honest!
A/N: You can all pay homage to the snow god, 'cause if it weren't for the snow day, this chapter wouldn't have been up for a good long while yet.
"Oh." Hermione said. "Oh… That was the plan?"
George nodded slowly, relieved that she wasn't going to hex him. "That's it." She had listened stone-faced as he told her about Fred's plan to get her a life, and George was worried that he had seriously offended her. Luckily, she didn't seem angry.
"Okay." she said, shrugging. "I'll be in my room."
That went well, George thought. He breathed a sigh of relief as Hermione turned and headed up the stairs. That same breath caught in his throat as he heard her slam the door and scream into a pillow.
Hermione managed to hold her temper until she got into her room where she slammed the door, flung herself face-down on the bed, and let out a scream of rage.
The nerve of that stupid Weasley! How dare he mess with her life like that!
The anger crumpled into sadness.
How could he do this to her? How could he mess with her heart! Couldn't he see how she felt about him?
She started to sob. She had trusted him! Not only that: she had kissed him, and not the way she would kiss just anyone! She thought she meant something to him.
And now it turned out that he was just taking her out because she was such a social misfitand nobody else would! Hermione had never felt so betrayed. Then again, she thought bitterly, he had never actually said that he loved her… It was still a heartless trick to play on her!
Suddenly, the door opened. Hermione bolted upright and blinked at her visitor through blurry eyes for a moment. When she saw who it was, she mopped up her tears and stood up. "George! It's not- I didn't- That's not why I'm crying!" she said quickly.
Looking worried, he crossed the room, cupped her face in his hands, and gently wiped at her tears with his thumbs. "What's wrong?"
Damn, Hermione thought. It's Fred! "You…Fred…I…" she stammered. All of the anger came rushing back.
"Shh." Fred murmured soothingly. "Tell me what's wrong."
"I…You…Urrgh!" she stuttered accusingly.
Fred placed his finger on her lips. "Just calm do- OW!" He jerked his hand back. "You bit me!" he said in disbelief.
Hermione glared at him. "Get out!" she fumed.
"But, 'Mione?" Fred said, shaking his injured hand. "What did I do?"
Hermione turned her back on him. "You know, you…"- she searched for a word bad enough to describe him, but found nothing- "You stupid jerk!"
Fred was really confused. Knowing he was risking her wrath, he said, "I really don't know."
Hermione rounded on him, her eyes glittering angrily. "Oh, yeah? What about "the plan"?" she asked scathingly.
""The plan."" Fred muttered, running a hand through his trademark Weasley hair. He didn't know how she'd found out about it, but he knew he had to fix it before he lost her…or she bit him again. "'Mione, listen."
She turned away from him again. "Don't call me that."
Her tone broke Fred's heart. He had really hurt her. "Hermione." he said slowly. "I can explain."
"You can?" she said, just a hint of hope in her voice. Then it disappeared. "Explain." she said flatly, still refusing to look at him.
Fred took a deep breath and started talking. "I never wanted to hurt you. It really started out as a plan to get you to have more fun. That's all. So I took you to the party and you went out with Dean and I taught you how to dance…and everything changed. It wasn't about changing you anymore. It was about being with you." he finished softly. He came up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist. "Do you believe me?"
"Why should I?" Hermione said, her voice cracking.
Fred understood her skepticism, but it hurt him just the same. "I know I betrayed your trust, but I would do it again." Feeling her stiffen in his arms, he continued, "Hermione, if I hadn't tried to change you, I never would have gotten to know you. I never would have fallen in love with you. And I would never give that up, even if you stay mad at me forever." He paused. "Which I'm hoping you won't." Fred knew what she needed to hear, so he said it again. "I love you, Hermione." He waited tensely for her reply, but she remained silent. "Forgive me." he said, his voice raw with emotion.
Slowly, Hermione leaned back into his arms, which he took to be a good sign.
Hermione tilted her head back to look at him. In a voice still thick with tears, she said, "You're lucky I love you, Fred Weasley."
Fred nodded. "I know." Leaning down he planted a deep kiss on her lips. Without removing his lips from hers, he sat on her bed and pulled her into his lap.
Hermione's arms circled his neck, when suddenly she remembered something and pulled away. "Don't tell George I thought you were him." she pleaded.
Fred laughed. "It's the least I can do."
"Darn right." Hermione replied, smacking him on the back of the head before leaning in for another kiss.
A/N: Would you look at that? This story is practically over. I guess I'll just do an epilogue and be done. Me, finishing a story! Ah. Please, please, review and tell me what you thought of this chapter!