A/N: Hello! Sorry for the wait, but I am back! I have to say, there may only be one chapter left of this, perhaps I could stretch it to two, but they would be very short ones. So yeah, really only one which will include the epilogue as well. I want to thank everyone who reviewed! I hope this chapter is all to your liking! It's 6 pages long, to kinda make up for the long absence! heh heh. I am already starting on Chapter 4 and you will all be pleased to know, that I finally used my one paragraph thing that gave me the whole idea! Yey! It didn't turn out as great as I thought it would, because i kinda forgot what my paragraph was (I know, memory like a goldfish!) but I think it sorta works? Anways, you can tell me in your review if you wish! Also feel free to leave any critisim, (i'm sure i've not spelt that right) as it will definately help, just don't be too cruel! Right, I shall leave you to read the chapter now! Byee!

Disclaimer: Yeah, I wish! I'd be rich enough to be on one gigantic long cruise rather than stuck at home all summer working, but ahh well!

Chapter 3.

In the morning, Hermione woke up at 7:45am as usual and proceeded with her morning routine of brushing her teeth and such. Then she made her way down the stairs into the kitchen, grabbing a slice of toast and a mug of tea that'd she'd created with a flick of her wand. She was leaning against the counter top and looking at the rain pouring outside the large kitchen window. Lost in her thoughts for a while, she gasped as she noticed a figure hunched over and sat by the lake.

'Who the hell would be sat outside in this weather?' she thought. Hermione placed the remnants of her teas on the unit and made her way outside.

Fred had woken up at 6:30am and so decided that was as good a time as any to get breakfast. Getting dressed quickly and silently so he didn't wake his twin, he walked downstairs into the kitchen and straight out the door, totally forgetting about food. He sat himself down by the lake as he did for breakfast now and stared at the sky's reflection in the surface of the lake.

His dream had been what had woken him up. It had been Ron and Hermione's wedding day, she was walking up the aisle, crying her heart out. Fred seemed to be the only one to notice this as everyone else was grinning at her. Sobbing the whole way through the ceremony, she and Ron made their vows and became man and wife. Fred was frozen throughout the whole thing, as desperate as he was to rush to her side and comfort her, he couldn't. As the couple walked back up the aisle, Hermione looked at Fred and started crying again.

"Why didn't you do anything Fred? I thought you would save me, help me, but I guess you just don't love me enough." she said and walked off with her husband, none of the guests having noticed their conversation.

He woke with a start and realised he needed to rethink his decision. He'd thought about not saying anything, he'd decided to be happy for the couple and leave them be. He was sure he'd get over these feelings in time.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the first little drops of rain, nor did he notice the steadily increasing downpour, in which he was getting soaked to the bone. He didn't notice his teeth starting to chatter and he stayed that way for nearly an hour.

Then he thought he heard someone calling his name.

"Fred! Fred! Answer me!" the voice was saying.

Blinking water out of his eyes, he looked back up to the lake and then to the side. His gaze landed on a dripping, worried Hermione.

"What are you doing out here? And why are you all wet?" he asked looking her over with a bewildered stare.

"It's raining! And I saw someone sat outside in the rain and I wanted to make sure they were ok," she said. "Are you? Ok I mean?"

"It's raining?" he asked and looked heavenwards. He closed his eyes and relished the feeling of the cool rain on his feverish skin.

Hermione watched him as he grinned at the rain, and she smiled as well. "Yes you idiot! It's been raining for a while now!" she laughed.

Fred looked back to her and smiled. "You didn't need to check up on me, I would've worked it out sooner or later."

"Yes but much later and you'll get pneumonia!" she grinned.

"Well so will you now!" and then he sneezed.

She repeated the action and the two burst out into fits of laughter. "Well at least we can be sick buddies!" she said.

"Yeah, come one best get inside." He leaped up, grabbed her hand and pulled her up also.

Hermione noticed that all the time they had jogged back to the house, he never once let go of her hand. He even tightened his grip when she stumbled. Grinning manically, she thought how Ron would never do this with her. He never thought she could be so impulsive.

Once back in the kitchen, they took in one another's soaked appearance and burst out laughing once more. Laughing so hard, Hermione was clutching her sides and Fred was leaning against a countertop for support. Just as the hysterics were starting to dissolve slightly, Harry, Ginny and Ron came into the room and stared at them with strange looks on their faces. This made Hermione and Fred burst into fresh peels of laughter that had them rolling on the floor and gasping for breath.

Fred was the first to recover slightly, so managed to drag himself up of the floor into a standing position as then pull Hermione up as well. Both were still chuckling, but more composed and quietly now.

"Er... should we ask why you are acting like maniacs and are soaking wet?" Harry offered when no one started to talk.

Fresh giggles were brought by this comment and the to just shook their heads, unable to answer.

"Hermione... has Forge given you something? You never act like this normally!" Ron started.

"Ronald Weasley! If you knew me at all, you would know that I am perfectly capable of making sure I do not fall for the twin's pranks!" she said in a mockingly snooty tone.

"Err... ok. Gred, what did you give my girl?" Ron asked moving his stern gaze towards his brother, still unsure of which of the two twin's he was looking at.

"Your girl? YOUR GIRL! I am not an object Ron! I am my own person and you would treat me as such if you cared for me in any way!" she yelled, then stomping off up stairs to change out of her wet clothes before she got any sicker.

"I'm Fred, and nice going pillock!" Fred added to his brother. "I'll try to go calm her down." then chased after Hermione upstairs.

"What the bloody hell was up with those two?" Ron cried incredulously.

"Well, they've been working together for nearly a year now, so i would have thought that Fred and George would know better than to try and trick Hermione. And I think she was rather insulted you didn't believe her." Ginny supposed out loud, with a helpful look on her face.

Ron's was turning a slight shade of red, and then ran to the bottom of the stairs shouting, "Fine! I'm going out! Don't expect me back because I don't know when I will!" then apparated to who knew where.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other before they sighed and continued the scavenge for breakfast.

Hermione sat in her room, sniffling. She hadn't quite managed to start getting changed yet, but had laid out her new, dry clothes on the bed next to her. Once she managed to hear the gentle tap at her door, she moved over to it, thinking it might just perhaps be Ron coming to apologise. She wasn't really all that surprised when she opened it to find Fred smiling sympathetically at her.

He'd opened his mouth to say, 'He didn't mean it.' when Ron decided to shout up the stairs to his upset fiancé, "Fine! I'm going out! Don't expect me back because I don't know when I will!"

This brought a fresh wave of tears to the young woman's eyes and she left the door open before sitting on her bed, bringing her knees beneath her chin to rest her head on.

Fred winced at the sight of her, then shut the door silently behind him. "He's just a tad upset."

"Oh yeah! What about me? He doesn't give a damn!" she yelled towards the door.

"I'm sure he does, deep deep deep down!" Fred chuckled trying to make the atmosphere lighter. He sat down next to her and rubbed her back with small soothing circles.

"Why did I even agree to marrying that twerp?" Hermione muttered to herself.

Fred stayed silent for a moment, pondering on his decision. Then he voiced his thoughts out loud, "I was wondering as to why you did it myself."

"Oh Fred, please don't start!" she said as she moved of the bed to pace around the room.

"Hey! I'm not the one who keeps running away! I decided last night, that I was just going to be here for you as a friend, especially as you weren't willing to talk to me without getting violent in some form!" he said half serious, half jokingly.

"What? I haven't run away once!"

"Yes you have!"

"Argh! I can't deal with this!" then moved towards the door. Fred's voice halted her escape out of the room.

"And she's scored a hatrick!"

She whirled round at this, leaving the door open with one hand on the doorknob. "Fine! Then you leave! Go on, get out!"

"No! Not until you've finally listened to me!"

"What's there to listen to Fred?" she shouted.

"Close the door."

She slammed it shut.

"Firstly, yesterday when you stormed out, you didn't listen to what I had to say, so I couldn't correct you on your assumption." he said quietly, still sat on the bed.

"And what assumption was that?" she asked harshly, arms folded in front of her.

"That I was going to apologise for that kiss. Or that I regretted it."

Hermione was silent, her arms fell and she stared straight into his eyes, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not.

"Fred... this cannot be happening."

"What can't?"

"This! Us! I'm engaged to your brother!" she stressed.

"So? Break it off!"

"What? I can't do that! It would crush him and totally break this family apart!"

"No it wouldn't! He'd get over it, you're just looking for excuses!" he raised his voice.

"Well here's my best yet! Have you thought that I love him too much to just break it off for a fling with you?" she shouted back.

"You don't love him! I know!"

"How? How do you know?" she yelled right in his face.

"Because! –" Fred started.

"Go on!"

"Because..."

"You see! There's nothing! You just get me so angry Fred, so egotistical –"

"That's it!"

"What?"

(a/n: HERE IT IS! THE PARAGRAPH! lol)
"That! I am the only one who can give you this fiery glint in your eye! He can't get to you like this, because you don't care that much about him to let him get under skin like I have! I'm the only one that can get you this riled up, and find it one of your most attractive features! It's one of the things I love most about you!" he yelled.

Hermione was stunned into silence.

Breathing slightly heavily from his rant, Fred just glared down towards her. His look almost challenging her to deny anything he just said.

When neither said anything for a while, Fred backed of slightly. "I would never treat you like Ron does. I know each and every little habit of yours, I even knew what time you have breakfast, and what's your favourite meal to start the day! And I just simply picked this up! I don't even know how I know! I just do and the only reason I can think of, is I love you." he finished quietly.

"Why Fred? Why are you doing this, why now?" Hermione started crying again, tears of frustration and confusion this time.

Fred swiftly moved over to her, flinching at the fact he'd made her cry. "I'm sorry Mione, I didn't mean for this to happen. I was all set on doing as you asked, and being happy for the two of you, but after this morning, I just couldn't stand back and hold this in, without ever knowing what you felt." he whispered in her hair, holding her as she clung to him sobbing.

When her sobs and lessened to small hiccups and sniffles every so often, he prised himself out of her hold. "I'll go, let you think. I'm sorry for hurting you," he mumbled, opening the door and jogging slightly to his room down the hall.

Hermione just watched him move out of her slowly disintegrating world, tears still blurring her vision slightly.

Ginny walked up the stairs, after hearing the raised voices and just glimpsed her older brother walking quickly into his room and shutting the door behind him. Then she glanced down the hall to see Hermione looking shell shocked with bloodshot eyes.

"Hermione? What happened?"

Coming out of her trance, Hermione looked over to Ginny and simply said, "Oh Ginny, I've made such a mess of things!"

Ginny rushed over and hugged her best friend. She moved to the bed, still holding Hermione and had managed to shut the door.

Through the occasional snuffle, Ginny managed to hear the full story more or less, right down to Fred's confession.

"I think you need to talk to him."

"Who? Ron or Fred?" Hermione laughed bitterly.

"Both. But Fred first I think. Mainly because he's only down the hall."

"Yeah, you're right." she said, and shuffled off the bed, and out of the room, down the hall.

As Fred burst in through his bedroom door, George swiftly sat up in bed, "I'm up mum!"

"Oh, sorry mate. Didn't mean to wake you." Fred softly replied, moving to sit on his bed.

"Fred? What's up?" George sat up fully, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and glancing at the clock. 8:57am flashed garishly at him.

"Nothing, just talked to Hermione is all." he brushed his brother off with.

"Oh... ohhhh! I'm guessing it didn't go so great?"

"I don't know, I left before she said anything. All she did was shout and cry, so I don't think it went as well as it could've done."

"Well, at least she didn't laugh in your face!" George offered, trying to cheer up his miserable twin.

"Yeah, true." he grinned slightly. His twin always managed to inspire hope in one way or another. When they had been turned down on a generous offer to take over a competitive joke shop, George had said, "Oh well, it just means we can rub it in their faces when we take all their custom and leave them with nothing!" Fred smiled at the memory of fulfilling that statement.

"There you go! Hope is not lost yet! And mate, why are you soaking wet? She didn't hex a bucket of water over you, did she?"

Fred laughed, as he noticed his brother's grimace. "No! I got caught in the rain!"

"God, you sat in that?"

"Not intentionally! It wasn't raining when I went out!"

"Oh, so still holding onto some form of sanity then?" George joked.

Fred just threw a pillow at him before smirking at him. He used his wand to conjure up some new clothes, forgetting the fact he could simply use a drying spell. George got up to grab some breakfast as he was wide awake now, and was about to follow his twin out of the room when he saw that Fred was still dripping wet, stood at the door, clothes in hand and staring at whoever had been behind the door. Glancing over his twin's shoulder, he saw Hermione in a similar state to Fred. Looking between the two, he excused himself, "I'm just going to get breakfast, leave you two alone." Though he didn't actually get a response, he still slipped from between the two and out of the door.

"Come in." Fred said lightly, moving out of the way.

"Thanks." Hermione whispered back. She gingerly sat down on Fred's, or what she presumed was Fred's bed, and waited for him to close the door.

Fred did so, and moved to sit at almost the opposite end to Hermione on the bed.

Hermione sighed at this, and slowly moved up. She took the clothes out of his arms, placing them on the bed behind them and grabbed his hands. The couple looked down at their hands, and stayed silent.

Hermione finally got the courage to break it. "Everything you said... it's true. I don't care enough about Ron to let him get under my skin. I think I'll always just see him as a best friend. We were never really meant to be together; no matter how many times everyone else said we were. And you're also right, that I have been running off. I just didn't want to face rejection and was so scared that you were going to embarrass me with it, that I did it first. Kind of." she said with a shy grin.

"Wow, I never thought I could embarrass you! All those years of trying throughout Hogwarts, I never thought of this!" he joked, slapping himself on the forehead.

"Yes, well it would have. I'm glad you didn't though. You haven't, right?" she said doubting herself slightly.

"Mione, I thought it was you rejecting me. But then when you said 'Why did I say yes to Ron?' I knew that I should at least try something."

"Well, I'm glad you did! It made me realise some things."

"Such as?"

"Well, I obviously don't care that much for Ron. So I'm going to break it off with him. I'm sure that all you're family, excluding you and Ginny will hate me but it has to be done. I don't know how Ron will take it, but I think he'll be quite upset, so I'll have to sort out staying somewhere, rather than this house."

"Well, George won't hate you, and we'll let you stay in our flat above 'The shop' if you like?" Fred said, meaning the first shop they ever bought. It had it's own specially title and was above all the rest.

"Thanks." she laughed, "So it's really only you're parents and the rest of you're family!"

"Well, more Mum I think. Dad, Bill, Charlie and Percy aren't that bothered I don't think."

"Ha! That makes me feel better! Your mum's the worst!"

"Yes well, its worth it isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." she said, glancing back down.

"And…?"

"And," she continued. "I would like to see where this 'fling' could go. If you still love me that is?" she smiled hopefully.

"Hmm… I don't know. It took you a while to come running after me." he smirked impishly.

"Fred!" she cried, hitting his arm once more, thinking that he'd been serious at first.

"Ow! And that has to stop too! I'm not going to have a girlfriend who beats me up!" he feigned a hurt look.

"Yes well, your girlfriend will only do that when she feel it necessary!"

"Ahh, so you admit your going to be my girlfriend then?"

"Well, I suppose I might as well. After all, I'll need someone to rebound on after Ron." she joked.

"If you take that attitude, I might just turn you down!"

"Ok, I'll date Harry as my rebound, then you!"

"Hey!"

Hermione laughed and pushed Fred off the bed, laughing even harder at his irked expression.

Fred caught Hermione's infectious laughter, and started chuckling himself. He pulled Hermione down to his level, and then cupped her face with his hand.

Hermione tried to stifle her laughter but the odd giggle came out. Fred was still smiling as he leaned in for their second kiss. She responded and blocked out the fact they were still in their rain-drenched clothes, on the floor and the whole prospect of telling Ron ahead of them.

Pulling back, Hermione grinned evilly. "So, me being angry is my most attractive feature, eh?"

"Well, it's so rare... and you know, it's almost like you're secretly a ginger, like the rest of us! In fact, I proclaim you an Honourary Redhead!" Fred mock dubbed her.

"Well, I accept!" And then she got up and mock bowed. Then collapsed next to Fred, both in fresh peals of laughter once more.

Ginny and George entered the twin's bedroom, worried that they were unable to hear anything and that one of the two got be hiding the evidence of a grizzly murder. As they opened the door as quietly as they could, they glanced at the two people on the floor laughing their heads off and smiled. Then they backed out the door once more, the only nagging thought was what would Ron's reaction be.

There ya go! Please Review! Thanks!