Accidentally In Love
Chapter 1: Cheek to CheekDisclaimer: Don't own them.
A/N: This was started and completely planned before the release of book 6, ill try my best to make adjustments wherever they can be mind, but while reading please bare in mind the time of the stories conception.
Heaven, I'm in heaven
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
And I seem to find the happiness I seek
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek
-Cheek to Cheek, Fred Astaire
"Oh fuck," Hermione heard Fred curse from the kitchen. Pining up the last section of her hair Hermione poked her head out of her bedroom.
"You'll do well to watch your language around my son Fred Weasley," she scolded.
"He just spilled juice all over his dress robes!" Fred defended himself.
Hermione darted into the kitchen and looked at her son.
"Ohhh fuck," she sighed. "Really Sam, how many times has Mummy told you not to take the lid off of your sippy cup? And honestly Fred, how many times have I told you, you have to watch him with his drinks? You know he's been doing this lately. And in his dress robes…" Hermione chanted a few charms, cursing as one after the other failed. "Now we're really going to be late."
"We're here, we're here," she called as she swung open Ginny's door. Ginny looked beautiful standing by the window in her snow-white robes. The dress made her skin appear to be made of porcelain and her hair created striking contrast. Hermione couldn't help but feel slightly inferior despite the effort she had put into styling her chestnut brown hair and how nicely her green bridesmaid dress fit her.
"Finally!" Ginny grinned. "And I asked you to be my bridesmaid because I though you were dependable…" the bride shook her head.
"You asked me to be your bridesmaid because I'm your best friend," Hermione replied.
"Only because you're the only other single girl I know," Ginny shrugged. This was true. All of the other women in the room, all of her other friends, were Ginny's sisters-in-law.
"Ginny," Molly Weasley came into the room, "everything's all set out back."
Hermione saw Ginny inhale sharply. "Ok mum," she eeked out, before looking at Hermione.
"You won't be single much longer Gin," Hermione smiled.
Without another word the two girls embraced each other.
"You guys are going to be so happy."
"Hey there," Hermione heard a familiar voice say as she felt someone sit down beside her.
"Hey," Hermione smiled at the glowing green eyes of the newly wed.
"What were you thinking about?" Harry asked.
"What do you think?" Hermione smiled a little bit.
"Ginny almost didn't have the wedding here," he replied. "She didn't want to take away from your memories of your wedding here…"
"I'm glad she did. It's beautiful."
Harry nodded.
"But not as beautiful as Ginny looks," Hermione smirked knowing what Harry had been thinking.
He blushed slightly. "Gods she's gorgeous. I've always known that… But tonight she just… How did I ever get so lucky Mione?"
"Karma," Hermione stated.
Harry blushed again and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "I'm gonna go find Mrs. Potter, try and think about something else for me?"
"I'll try."
As Harry walked off, Hermione looked around the gigantic tent. It was filled with hundreds of people, most of whom she didn't know. Harry had wanted a small, intimate wedding, but as they had made the guest list he thought of one person after the other that he would have felt horribly for not inviting, and in the end his small wedding had grown into the wedding of the year.
As many people, as she didn't know however, there were quite a few familiar faces in the room. All of the Weasley's of course, and several good friends from Hogwarts. Remus was there with his new wife, and people Hermione had known from the battle against Voldemort during her, Harry and Ron's seventh year.
She noticed one old friend, and Harry's old flame, Cho Chang, demonstrably flirting with a tipsy Fred Weasley, who was more than happy to return the favor. Hermione was simply happy to have been proven right. All through dinner she had noticed Cho eyeing her and Fred at the head table, clearly to displeased to see Hermione and Fred together. Fred however, had denied any possibility of the girl being interested in him.
Turning away, Hermione was surprised to find a man whom she was not familiar with had sat down beside her without her noticing.
"Flirtatious by nature I assume?" he said.
"Excuse me?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Your husband," he added, nodding towards the bar.
"My hus…oh you mean Fred!" she laughed. "Fred's not my husband."
"Fiance? Boyfriend?"
"Best-friend," Hermione corrected him.
"Ahh. Even worse."
"Even worse?"
"Well if he was your boyfriend, or fiancé….or even husband I may have still had a chance. A challenge, but still a chance; but best friend is just another word for soul mate."
"Fred? My soul mate? Now that's funny."
"You never know…"
"Yes I do."
"How could you possibly be sure?"
"Because my soul mate died two years ago," Hermione stated, suddenly making the air between them more the awkward.
The man looked away for a moment before holding his hand out to hers.
"I'm Karl," he said, blushing lightly.
"Hermione," she took his hand and smiled, attempting to make him less uncomfortable. "How do you know Harry and Ginny?"
"I went through the academy with Harry. We've worked together ever since."
"Oh! You're an auror?"
Karl nodded in response. "How do you know them?"
"Oh I've been friends with Harry since we were first years."
"And you didn't manage to pin down The Chosen One for yourself?"
Hermione laughed. "I spent my time at Hogwarts letting Ron Weasley make me blush." Hermione shook her head at her childhood romance. "We got together just before our seventh year…and it was a disaster."
"But you stayed friends?"
"The breakup was more than amicable. I was so worried about breaking it off, and then when I finally did Ron let out a breath it seemed he'd been holding for months and thanked me with a hug that nearly smothered me."
"How could a guy ever be happy to lose a beautiful woman like you?" Karl cocked his head at her, causing Hermione to blush. "Would you like to dance?"
Hermione nodded and placed her hand in his, and he led her to the dance floor.
As the last dance began to play Hermione and Karl where separated when Fred tapped him on the shoulder.
"Do you mind if I cut in?"
"Not at all," Karl graciously bowed away.
Fred clasped Hermione's hand in his and slid his other arm around her waist.
"Who's your new friend?" he whispered in her ear. She couldn't see his face but she could hear his smirk.
"Karl," she replied shortly.
"Karl?" Fred wrinkled his nose.
"What's wrong with the name Karl?" Hermione inquired.
"Nothing…nothing. Just don't you think its kind of an old man name?"
"And Fred isn't?" Hermione accused.
Fred let his jaw fall open in feigned shock. "Well I never…"
"How's Cho?"
"Looking to be invited back to my place for the night…" Fred sounded completely turned off to the idea. "Don't reckon she ever got over Harry."
"Guess Ginny beat her to the snitch again," Hermione smiled.
Fred did too. He'd always been proud of his little sister's adventures in Quidditch, especially her triumphs as a reserve seeker.
"So are you and Karl in looovveee?" Fred went back to the subject Hermione was sure he'd been dying to discuss with her all night.
"Yes Fred. I do think I'll marry him."
"You know what I mean Mione," he smiled.
" Yes I know, but I don't know Fred, I don't think I'm ready to be dating…"
Fred simply nodded and continued the rest of the dance in silence. As soon as the song ended Fred quickly slipped into the Burrow and away from Cho's preying eyes. Hermione went to gather her purse and found Karl standing beside it when she did.
"May I owl you sometime?" He asked politely.
Hermione found her voice caught in her throat. She nodded before choking out, "Yes. Yes of course you can. I'd be happy to hear from you."
Karl nodded in return and told her he'd be sure she heard from him soon.
Collapsing on the couch beside a droopy eyed Fred and with a sleeping Sam in her arms, Hermione yawned.
"Why don't you all stay here for the night? No sense traveling this late in the evening."
"Oh no Mrs. Weasley we couldn't. You have a full house as it is, and it's not as though we live far."
All of the Weasley children and their spouses, save Ginny and Harry who had left for their Honeymoon, were bunking up in the Burrow for the night.
"Nonsense. There's plenty of room. I'll move George and Angelina into Ginny's room, and you three can go into Fred' and George's old room. We'll all have a family breakfast in the morning."
Hermione nodded, knowing there was no point in fighting Molly Weasley.
Mrs. Weasley smacked Fred across the head as Hermione stood.
"Show Hermione up to your room!" she commanded.
Fred let out a sleepy groan and curled back into the couch.
"She knows the way."
"Fred Weasley!"
"I'm going. I'm going."
Clumsily Fred made his way up the steps and into his old bedroom where he immediately crashed into his bed.
Hermione laid Sam into George's bed before stealing left behind clothing from Fred's drawers to sleep in. She quickly changed and returned to the bed where she found Sam was no longer. Looking across the room she confirmed her suspicions when she found her son comfortably curled up in the arms of Fred. Hermione smiled and pulled back the covers of George's bed.
"Knox," she whispered, turning out the lights, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.