:CRASH:
Glass shattered on the floor around Hermione's feet, the firewhiskey splashing back on all of their shoes.
"'Minnie!"
"Oh my gosh!"
"Are you alright?" shouted her friend's in unison, crowding closer to Hermione, who was staring fervently at Fred, who looked startled. A few moments passed before Hermione leapt up, hugging Fred around the neck tightly.
"Fred! I can't believe it's you! I haven't seen you since graduation. How are Ron, Harry, and Ginny? Why isn't George with you," she babbled excitedly, letting go of Fred's neck. He blinked bemusedly at her for a couple of seconds while his brain caught up with Hermione, then something clicked and he realized why she was so familiar.
"Hermione? Merlin, no wonder I thought you looked so familiar! How the bloody hell have you been?" he asked, pulling her into a bone crushing hug, while they began excitedly chattering questions at each other, Hermione's friends looking on with confusion. The group let them prattle on for a couple of minutes longer before Karen spoke up.
"Um…Hey….you two want to share the moment?" she asked, doing her best to sound politely curious.
"Oh! I'm sorry guys, this is Fred Weasley, we went to Hogwarts together, his younger brother is Ron, you know, my ex-boyfriend I told you all about. This is one of the legendary twins!" Hermione beamed up at him as she formally introduced him. Brian clapped his hands together and shouted, "Fred Weasley! Oh, you and your twin are the Hogwarts legends who created that incredible swamp and showed that Umbridge witch, who I gather was a real piece of work, just how high she could shove it! Man, you guys were heroes at my school." Fred didn't bother to try and hide his pleasure at this statement.
"Oh, you're too kind. It was nothing really, nothing no self-respecting pranksters with wit, charms, intelligence, and devilish good looks wouldn't have done in our place. But I am a bit surprised that news of our wondrous deeds have made it as far as America." He threw a dazzling smile at his captive audience and Hermione wondered if he'd always been this charming. She remembered him as the annoying prat who caused her and the other prefects endless amounts of trouble. Not that he and George hadn't come to bat for her a few times when someone had hurt her. I guess I was a bit too hard on them….she thought, bringing her mind back to the present.
"So Hermione, I am dying to catch up with you," he stated, turning back to her. "Could I take you out for coffee or something?" He flashed another smile that would have done Gilderoy Lockhart proud and waited expectantly for her answer. She looked up at her friends and Karen immediately said, "Oh you know what, before you guys came back we were just saying we were all a bit tired and thinking of going home, right guys," they all nodded quickly, assuring Hermione this was true. "Why don't you two go catch up and we'll talk to you later." Hermione silently thanked her friends for understanding, and hugged them all goodbye before leaving the club with Fred.
"Ok, dish. What the hell has everyone been doing since I left? I assume you and George are huge successes, and Harry and Ron as well. What did Ginny end up doing?" Hermione queried excitedly, flopping down on a couch with her coffee. After they left the club, Fred and Hermione had walked to the end of the block to Hermione's favorite coffee shop Bean Time – they had the best couches to sit in and talk with her friends over coffee.
Fred hopped onto the cushion next to her, nearly spilling his drink. "Well, Hermione you've missed a lot since you abandoned us all, " he said forlornly, putting on a wounded face. Hermione batted his arm, saying defensively, "Oh, come on! Can you blame me? You of all people should understand the need to just get out." Fred nodded solemnly.
"That I do. Of course I don't blame you! And I had to knock some of the sense into him, but Ron came around eventually. I tell you, though, no one was angrier than Ginny."
"Ginny? Why was she upset," she asked, surprised.
"She had her knickers all in a bunch because you didn't take her with you! She rather fancied the idea of you two being single gals out on an adventure, taking on the world, " he laughed, shaking his head at Hermione.
"Oh, I didn't even know she wanted to come. Well, it's for the best, your mother would have murdered us both."
"No, just Ginny I'm sure. You're the mature one, remember? Anyway, Harry became an Auror, like we all knew he would. Things got a little rough for a while when Lupin died, but Harry snapped out of it, he always does." Hermione put her hand to her mouth as he said this.
"Oh no, when did Remus die? I didn't even hear about that," she murmured, feeling increasingly guilty.
"Oh a couple of years back. You saw how exhausted he was. He just wasn't up to dealing with much else and he just got sick and faded away. Tonks actually dealt with it pretty well, but she has the baby to think about," Fred added thoughtfully.
"Oh dear, I didn't know they had a baby either. Geez, I guess I did miss a lot. Well, what about Ron, how is he?" she asked tentatively.
"Ah, well, he seemed a bit depressed for a few months, but then all of a sudden he was fine. He told us that he thought you were right, that you guys shouldn't have been getting married because it was just what was expected of you. He's got a great job now as the manager of the 'Shooting Star' broomstick company, which has made a real comeback. He also got married a year ago," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh God that makes me so happy. So who did he marry?"
"Well, this may seem surprising, but he married…." He stopped, taking a moment to look over his shoulder before leaning in closely and whispering into he ear. "Cho Chang." He drew back, smirking at the look on Hermione's face.
"Cho! No way, she was such a bitch to Harry," she shouted, laughing, trying to ignore the little butterflies in her stomach that had appeared when Fred whispered in her ear. "How did that happen?"
"Ah, now that is quite the tale, but I'll make it brief. It seems the lovely Miss Chang became something of an alcoholic and wisely sought help after an incident which she continues to gloss over whenever asked about it. After going through a 12-step program she came round the burrow to see Harry and apologize for the way she treated him. As luck would have it for our Ronnikins, Harry was out and they got to share a nice cup of coffee while they waited for him to return. And the rest is history," he ended with a flourish.
"Well that is surprising, but I'm so happy for them. Please tell me Harry has someone," she asked, touching his arm. "I always hoped Harry would find someone good enough for him."
"As it happens, Harry is engaged to an enchanting young Weasley lady, which brings me to my next point. It's a good thing I found you when I did because Ginny will kill you if you miss her big wedding to Harry." Hermione jumped up excitedly.
"Oh, I just knew they'd get back together! How did it happen?"
"Harry is a bit of the jealous type, as it turns out. After Ginny tried for years to get him to come back to her and he would only say he wasn't good enough for her and walk away, she decided to move on and start dating again. She ran into one Seamus Finnegan one night at a bar and they started seeing each other….and when Harry walked in on them snogging in the living room one night Seamus started seeing Harry's fist. To make a long story short, Ginny and Harry argued until Harry, as it's been told to me, kissed her, and did not engage in unspeakable acts with my sister in the house of our childhood," he uttered sarcastically, while Hermione giggled. "Naturally, Mum is beside herself with joy." Fred stopped and stared at Hermione for a few moments.
"So you'll be coming back, right? For the wedding I mean." He added hastily.
"Oh of course I'll be there for Ginny's wedding! I really miss everyone," she said softly, staring up at him. "So wait, tell me about George. Why are the terrible two traveling apart?"
"As you know, I have always been the more attractive, generous, and kind twin." Hermione giggled as he went on. "It seems Katie Bell, knowing she could never aspire to have such a wonderful guy as me settled for George. It breaks my heart knowing she'll pine away, married to the lesser twin, so when they returned from their honeymoon I tactfully requested a couple of weeks vacation to do my own sightseeing."
"That's you, always the picture of modesty and generosity," Hermione guffawed, snorting into her coffee. "Well, congratulations George and Katie!" Hermione stifled a yawn. She was having so much fun but she could feel that persistent drowsiness settling in.
"Oi Hermione, I didn't mean to keep you out so late," Fred exclaimed, looking at his watch. "It was so great seeing you tonight, Hermione. How about I take you out to dinner tomorrow night. You can show me around New York a bit." Hermione nodded, pulling a small card out of her purse.
"That has my number on it. Call me later and I'll give you directions to my place. It was so nice seeing you, Fred, " she smiled, feeling a little shy, as they walked out of the coffee shop.
"I'm glad, I aim to please." He winked, touching her hand. "Until tomorrow." With a pop he had disapparated, leaving Hermione alone with her thoughts, wondering at just how much she really had changed that a touch from Fred Weasley could send shivers up her spine.
Authors notes:
TwilightsEnd and Ydnas5: Thanks so much! I've never done the fan fiction thing before, but I thought, 'Hey why not.' I'll do my best to update regularly, but you never can tell when a professor is going to bog you down with homework….
AmberJupiter: This chapter should have answered your question. Thanks for the review!