Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. I like reviews and sometimes I write faster if I get them (Hint, Hint). Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.
The next morning Fred's head was pounding before he even opened his eyes. He could barely remember leaving the wedding and he wasn't really sure how he'd gotten back to the small apartment above his shop. He tried to think clearly for a moment when suddenly he realized that there was movement in his kitchen. He got up and headed for the source of the noise. He was surprised to find Hermione in the kitchen cooking bacon. She was wearing one of his larger T-shirts. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and her shorts looked suspiciously like a pair of his boxers. He wondered what on earth she was doing there.
"Here" Hermione said not really explaining her presence. She handed Fred a glass of a strange green potion. "It tastes horrible, but it also gets rid of a hangover very well."
"What are you doing here? The last thing I remember you were making out with Ron at the wedding." Fred said he took the glass and drank it. He grimaced slightly."This stuff is horrible."
"I tried to warn you but you were the one that took such a big drink."
"My heads still pounding." Fred complained.
"Even in the magical world remedies aren't instantaneous." Hermione explained
"Going back to our original discussion," Fred said irritated. "What are you doing here?"
"Wow. You really did get drunk last night." Hermione teased Fred managed to smile.
"I don't remember much." He admitted.
"Well after you ran off without letting me explain anything at all, I came to the shop and waited for you. At one-thirty Angelina brought you home totally smashed. I dressed you and tucked you into bed. I was going to leave but you asked me not to."
"I'm sorry." Fred managed.
"Well I really shouldn't forgive me, I mean you didn't even have the nerve to stick around and find out what was really going on with Ron."
"I thought it was quite obvious."
"You thought wrong."
"Well then tell me Hermione, what does it mean when I find you kissing my brother?"
"It means that Ron kissed me."
"Ron kissed you, right, but you didn't have to kiss him back Hermione." Fred nearly screamed now. "You could have pushed him away."
"I had to know." Hermione screamed. "I had to know if I still had feelings for him."
"Why?"
"Because, I didn't think that I should start something with you if I was still in love with him, I just don't think that would be right."
"So you kissed him?"
"I said before he kissed me." Hermione explained she had calmed down slightly now. "After he asked if he could cut in, he asked if he could talk to me alone. I thought I needed to forgive him. It's long overdue. I went back behind the tent with him and he told me that he still loved me and that he had broken up with Lavender."
"And then he kissed you." Fred said at this he smacked himself on the forehead. "I'm such a git."
"I didn't pull him away immediately because I wanted to make sure he was out of my system, I didn't think it was fair to either of us if I discovered eventually that all you were was a substitute for Ron."
"So what's the verdict?" Fred asked he seemed much more laid back now.
"Would I be here if I had chosen Ron?" Hermione said at this she felt Fred put his hand on hers. She turned to flip the bacon not letting Fred loosen his grip. He turned her back to face him.
"I'm sorry Hermione." Fred said gently Hermione let her eyes meet with his.
"I'm sorry too." She said in a mere whisper. She saw him lean in toward her. She'd seen his gesture many times in the last few days, but this time there was nothing to interrupt it. There was nothing to get in way. She reached up and placed her hands around his neck. Seconds later their lips finally touched. Hermione felt as if her knees might give in at any moment. She finally fully understood the expression 'weak in the knees'. She let her hands find Fred's hair pulling him deeper into the kiss. She parted her lips to allow his tongue access. Fred did things with his tongue she'd never imagined were possible.
"Wow." Fred said as he was finally forced to take a breath. Hermione couldn't help as tears formed in her eyelids. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing." Hermione smiled, she still had her hands around his neck.
"Then why are you crying?" Fred said he reached up and wiped away the tears.
"I was just thinking how close we came to never getting to do that."
"What do you mean?"
"It's just that we almost let one kiss destroy us before we ever started." Hermione explained "I'm just so glad you gave me another chance."
"Hermione, If I hadn't given you a second chance I would have been crazy." Fred smiled now. "Here you are telling me that you chose me over Ron, and you actually thought I wasn't going to forgive you."
"I didn't know, I could see the hurt in your eyes when I was kissing him, I didn't know." Hermione said. She looked down at the floor then muttered. "I was scared."
"I was scared too." Fred paused. "When I saw you kissing him, I figured everything that might have been would never be. For as long as I've known you, everyone has always said that you would end up with Ron. I was afraid they were right." Hermione didn't speak, she grabbed him and pulled him into a second furious kiss. This kiss was even more powerful then the last Hermione felt Fred's hands exploring her entire body. He pushed her against the counter and began to kiss the area near the nape of her neck. Hermione smiled.
"My bacon's burning." She said strangely. Fred looked confused for a minute.
"What?"
"The bacon it's burning." She said pulling away and grabbing the plate. She dumped the slightly blackened bacon onto it.
"It still looks edible." Fred teased as Hermione began to fret over the bacon.
"I think it will be all right." Hermione smiled. "Hear"
"Hey you know you were right, the headaches gone now." Fred said as if he just realized it.
"I told you."
"So let's see, in the past week you've saved me from bleeding to death, fixed my broken arm, healed by spranged ankle and cured my hang over, what exactly have I done for you?"
"You've made me laugh." Hermione said. Fred rolled his eyes. "I'm serious, do you know how long it's been since I really laughed?"
"No, I have no idea."
"I would say about six months."
"No one should ever go six months without laughing." Fred said as if he believed Hermione had committed some kind of crime. He sat down at the table and ate his bacon. Hermione took hers and sat next to him.
"I was going to make eggs or pancakes but you didn't have any eggs or flour and I really wanted to be here when you woke up."
"The bacon is fine." Fred said "I've never been a big breakfast person anyway."
"Me neither," Hermione said "I usually don't eat it at all."
"Well I guess that's something else that we have in common." Fred said. Hermione smiled
"I guess that makes one thing." Hermione teased.
"So please tell me that I didn't say anything too embarrassing last night."
"You called yourself Studid, but other then that not really."
"Well that's a relief." He said at that he got up to put his plate in the sink.
"You also told me you loved me." Hermione said. Fred stopped dead in his tracks.
"What?" He asked as if he'd heard it but didn't really grasp the concept.
"I said you told me that you loved me." Hermione explained. "Is it true?"
"I..." Fred trailed off. "I guess it is."
"You guess?" Hermione asked. Fred smiled awkwardly now as if saying the words aloud was something he didn't quiet grasp.
"I love you, Hermione." Fred said Hermione smiled
"I love you too, Fred." She said. At these words, Fred threw the plate he'd been so carefully carrying into the sink and he dived at Hermione. She pressed herself against him, finding the curves of his body. She seemed to fit perfectly into those curves. She smiled now.
"Well I guess it's all finally out on the table now huh?" Fred said as they pulled apart he was stroking her hair as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I guess so." Hermione smiled
"So I guess you and I are an us now then?"
"I guess we are." Hermione verified to Fred. Fred kissed her nose. He had his arms wrapped so tightly around her she wondered if she would ever be able to get free.
"Did you tell Ron?"
"Yeah actually I talked to him again before I came to find you, he seemed ok."
"Good, so we don't have to hide and we can just be together."
"Yeah." Hermione smiled. She looked at the time. "I hate to do this but, I have to be at class at ten."
"I guess it is nine-thirty." Fred said "You should probably get home and change."
"I don't want to go." Hermione admitted Fred starred at her.
"Don't worry I'll still be here when you get back." Fred smiled
"I guess I'll come back after class, maybe we could . . . " Fred kissed her. Hermione smiled
"I've got some ideas. I'll see you then." Fred teased. Hermione got up and put her plate in the sink now.
"I need to get out of your shirt first."
"Keep it." Fred explained "It looks much better on you then me." Hermione just smiled
"I'll see you later then." She kissed him again.
"Yeah." Fred started just as Hermione was about to apparate. He looked at her strangely. "I love you."
"I love you too." She said quickly and it was followed by an instantaneous pop.