Chapter Nine: I'm A Fool For You

Disclaimer: The plot is mine, the song belongs to American Hi-Fi, but the game "Truth" is taken from the book "The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen. The game just fit really well into this plot. Also, Sarah Dessen is an awesome author and I would recommend her books to everyone. They are so good; it almost seems as if she is writing a story about a real person, instead of a fictional character. BTW, the movie How to Deal was based off her books. Now that I'm done rambling…………

Got nothing to lose this time

And I'm bored with the same old lines

I never knew what to do or say to you

One look and you'll knock me out

Put me on the floor with the ten count

I don't wanna make a scene, gotta make you see

That I've been waiting for a girl like you

And I know, there's nothing I can do

Don't it make you hurt, don't it make you feel

Like the world ain't on your side

Like you're never gonna get it right

No, I can't fight it, I can't sleep at night

Just thinking about you girl,

I'm a fool for you,

Yes I am

I'm A Fool For You by American Hi-Fi


"You don't think that will happen do you?" I asked Lavender, my heart pounding so hard against my chest I thought it would explode. "Tabloids would love this. Best-selling author cheats on actress/model with news reporter. Oh Merlin, I can see the headlines now."

Lavender contemplated it for a second. "I don't think that this will come out. First of all, Marie isn't that famous. You didn't even recognize her. Pierre isn't that famous either. Nobody cares about authors."

"You're right," I said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Of course, if I'm not, you'll finally get your wish. Everyone will know who you are."

"That's a lot of help."


"Hey, where are you going?" I asked George as he headed out the door. It was nearly two days since the big Pierre/Hermione disaster.

He stopped and turned around. "I worked the morning shift, remember? You work night with Ginny."

"Right, I forgot, sorry." I said and George just gave me a look.

"I'll see you guys later. Gin, don't forget to owl the rent bill to the shop owner."

"I have never forgotten to pay the bills. I'm not Fred," Ginny said chewing bubblegum and flipping through a magazine from behind the counter.

"Ha, ha, very funny," I snapped.

"Well, I can see that things won't change while I'm gone, so I'm gonna go." George said, waving as he went out the door.

Ginny kept her eye on the door until George was well down the street before turning to me and saying, "Okay, did you see where George put the bill?"

"You're supposed to be the financial person in the three person company! How could you lose the bill?" I asked her as I re-shelved the tongue twister truffles. See, this job has helped me multi-task. I can talk and shelf at the same time. Amazing, I know.

"Shh!" Ginny hissed as if George could possibly hear us from wherever he apparated to. "George lost it! Not me!"

"Uh, huh, sure,"

"Will you just help me find it?"

"Isn't it like the same every month? Can't you just write a check and mail it?"

"I don't remember what it was last month!"

"Did you like switch brains with George or something? He is the one reminding you about the bills and you are the one losing them? Am I on some hidden camera show? Where are they?"

"Where are what, Fred?" Ginny asked, letting out a gasp of annoyance.

"The cameras."


"Listen, I have to meet Seamus, but I will call you later." Lavender promised, now changed and making the final touches on her hair.

"Do you have to go? We can listen to that new cd you bought. I swear I won't make fun of his voice."

"He does not have a girly voice!"

"Yes he does!"

"I can't stay anyway. Seamus and I are going to see his mother." She winced.

"Ooh, good luck with that." I told her. I'd met Seamus's mother a couple times before. The crazy obsessive Irish quidditch fan. I must have told her twenty times at the Quidditch World Cup that I supported Ireland before she would believe me. Needless to say after she found about my friendship with Viktor Krum, she hasn't spoken to me much. Not that I'm complaining…

Lavender had been gone for only twenty minutes before I realized that I was bored beyond belief without her. She really was one of my only few friends. She was my roommate and co-worker. She and Seamus were the few people that I hung out with. I mean, I have other friends. I still talk to Ginny once in awhile, even though none of her family knows. She's not sure how her brothers would react, all though I don't think that Fred would take it as bad as maybe Ron. And then there's Fox and Mandy, two of Sam, our cameraman's, assistants. But they are the kind of people that you hang out with after work once in a while. I certainly wouldn't just call them up some random Saturday afternoon to hang around and listen to music and maybe discuss world politics. Not that I ever do that with Lavender and Seamus. Lavender's idea of the news is Inside Scoop: The Gossip on the Famous Witches & Wizards and if it doesn't contain soccer or quidditch, Seamus doesn't know it exists.

Still, I was now temporarily friendless and bored. I considered just remaining in bed but I knew I would go crazy. After all, it had only been two nights since my break-up. I needed a distraction and I could think of the perfect one….


"Fred!" A voice from the front of the store shouted. He shouted so loud in fact, that Ginny, who is in the middle of blowing a bubble with her super duper double bubble gum, fell from her stool, bubblegum covering her face. She looked quite upset but hey that comes with the job. Rule number one, if you hate messes or surprises, never work in a place that is run by George and I.

Oliver walked towards me, a piece of parchment in one hand and Marie's hand in the other. Well, not just her hand, I mean she was there too, not in his hand, she was attached to her hand which was in Oliver's hand. Merlin, I hate explaining things.

"This is for you." He said, handing me the parchment. Marie just smiled happily.

Fred,

Hello. It's me. I mean, Hermione. Merlin, I should have specified that. I cannot believe I wrote "it's me". That just seems so Lavender-like. Now, I can't believe that I'm going off on a tangent. I really ought to get another piece of parchment but I don't think I will. Besides, you will probably find this amusing.

I was just sort of wondering if maybe I could take you up on your offer from earlier. Well, maybe not the sky diving part. Just the hanging out part. It was nice talking to you the other night.

Well, I was just wondering. If you don't want to and that offer was just a courtesy thing, then forget I said anything. I guess I'll hear from you later.

Love you,

Hermione

"Did you see what she wrote?" Marie said, pointing to the closing.

I saw it. My heart was soaring up, higher than a quidditch pitch. I was on cloud nine. I wonder what happened to the other eight clouds. Huh, I may have to look into that.

"Ginny, I'm leaving!" I called to her, hopping over the counter.

"You do realize that it probably would have been easier to walk around it?" Oliver pointed out.

"But ze jumping over ze counters zo meet 'is girl is so much more romantic," Marie sighed, latching onto Oliver's arm as if she expected him to leap over the counter as well.

"But she wasn't even here to see the romantic gesture!" Oliver replied.

Marie sighed again. "You are so not romantic," she told him, but held onto his arm none the less.

"Where are you going?" Ginny called from the backroom.

"Meeting the guys for a quidditch game." I lied but Ginny seemed to buy it.

"Good," she said, emerging from the back, still rubbing her face with a washcloth. "You were getting on my nerves anyway."

"See you later," I said, rubbing her head like she was still five. She growled and I backed off, apparating away.


- Mione

Of course I want to hang out. I'll pick you up in half an hour. Oh, and the beginning? Very amusing

- Fred

It had not actually occurred to me that Fred might respond back. But he did, and now I had no idea what to do. I just changed into jeans and my favorite polo shirt and sat waiting for him to pick me up.

It seemed like forever but there was eventually a knock at the door. Thank, Merlin!


"Hi!" She squealed, whipping the door open so fast it startled me. "I'm sorry to bother you, it's just you said if I ever needed you to call and I –"

"Mione," I interrupted her. She was rambling a mile a minute.

"What?" She said, neglecting to take a breath between her ramble and the response.

"Here," I said, thrusting a flower into her hand.

She looked shocked and sniffed the pink flower. I could feel my ears burn.

"Um, it's plastic," I confessed. "The lady at the shop ask me what kind I wanted and when I said I didn't know which ones, she got all hyper and I got a headache somewhere between the explanation on carnation care and rose thorns. So I bought plastic."

Hermione laughed and waved me in. "You didn't have to bring me flowers. This isn't a date." Hermione must have seen my face fall and quickly added, "But I love this. Now I can keep it forever."

"Forever, huh?" I said, nodding. Forever; that was a good sign. You don't make a forever promise to someone you don't like. Yup, Hermione Granger likes me, although I sort of already knew that from the fact that she invited me to hang out with her. You know, I would make an awful detective.

She just smiled and motioned for me to follow her into the apartment. "Um, thanks for staying with me the other day," she said, not facing me.

"No problem," I told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said, quite unconvincingly. "Um, what do you want to do?"

I smiled to try and make her lighten up. She seemed so tense and uncomfortable. "Just relax, I have the whole night planned."

Of course, I didn't. I'm not the planning type, Hermione should have known that, but she lapped up my lie anyway.

"So what are we doing?" She asked, scooting closer.

"It's a…surprise?" I said, quite unconvincingly.

"I love surprises!" She said, happily.

Dinner, I could take her to dinner. Now, there's an idea.

"We are going to dinner." I told her.

"Let's go." She said, conjuring her purse up.

I lived just awhile away from Hermione; we both lived in the Hogsmeade area, but I didn't really know much about this little community. I mean, when we walked outside, I just picked a direction and started walking, praying that there was a restaurant in that vicinity. Vicinity, that's a pretty big word. I know it's a big word because Percy said it once.

"So,…" I said, for once in my life, quite uncomfortable.

"Yeah, this is a little weird." Hermione said, nodding her head.

I desperately racked my brain for a conversation topic. "Let's play Truth."

"Truth?" She asked, her eyebrows moved up.

"It's a game where you go back and forth asking each other questions. They must answer truthfully or not at all. If someone decides not to answer, the person who asked that unanswered question gets asked one more question. If they answer it, they win."

"Okay," Hermione replied with a smile. "You ask first."

"I'll start with something easy. Name a band or singer that you would never admit to anyone that you listened to."

"You are going to laugh but there's this muggle singer that Lavender listens to, Jesse McCartney. He has the prettiest love songs," she said, blushing.

Now, seeing as how I am sort of unfamiliar with the muggle world, I had no idea what was supposed to be funny about this. Hermione saw this, "It's just he sings these pop songs that are kind of boy-bandish."

I was still confused.

"You aren't supposed to listen to boy-band pop past the age of twelve, it's just like some coolness code." She said, now blushing worse than she was before.

"Ahh," I said, nodding although I was still in the dark.

"Okay, my turn. Who was your first crush?" She asked with a smirk that I swear she stole right off of Malfoy's face.

"My first sort of crush……that would have to…….um, Katie Bell. I met her first year but didn't really have a crush on her until third year, I remember I spilled ink all over her parchment one day when we were working at the table in front of the fireplace in the common room. I remember thinking she was so cool, because instead of getting mad like most girls would, she laughed and then rubbed her finger in the ink before smearing it across my face." I reminisced.

" George's wife? Did you ever tell her that you liked her?" Hermione asked.

"Hey, it's not your turn to ask questions." I teased. "Um, let's see, who was your first crush?"

She whispered something but I couldn't hear. "What?" I asked. She blushed and mumbled it again. "What?"

"OLIVER WOOD!" She shouted before giggling.

"No, freaking way," I said, not able to help myself from grinning.

"Like, every first year girl had a crush on him. He was cute." She said, the red in her face, slowly fading. "Now answer my question."

"I guess I never really told her. George knew I thought she was cool, but I never fancied her like he did, I guess, I kissed her a couple of times though, but they were more the kind of kisses that a guy friend gives a girl friend, not like boyfriend girlfriend kisses, you know."

"No, I don't know. I've never had a guy friend give me kisses." She said.

"Harry or Ron never kissed you?" I said, not even thinking. At the mention of Ron, we both shut up and walked on, hands in pockets, eyes fixed on our shoes. A million things were running through my mind. "Of course, he kissed her you idiot, they dated for nearly four years. Four years. And now you have a crush on her, which is never going to work out because one, Hermione would never go for a loser like you, and two, she dated your brother. That what just be weird. And uncomfortable. And wrong. What if you got married? What would you tell your kids? Your mum almost married Uncle Ron? Plus, you would never know for a fact that they were truly over each other. What if your brother still loved her? What if she still loved him? And you were the only thing standing between their true love? Huh? What about that? Didn't you think about these things Fred, before you started getting all buddy-buddy with her? Did you?" My conscience was practically interrogating me.

But then that other little voice appeared. "But she isn't with Ron. It's not like she's his property. She has her own say in who she dates. Obviously if she thought it would be uncomfortable she wouldn't be hanging out with you right now, would she? Of course, this isn't a date, but there is a chance it could become something more. And you know that she was never serious enough with Ron to consider getting married and having kids, so you would never have to tell your kids that Uncle Ron was almost their father. If you ever have kids, that is." I liked this voice a lot more than the other voice.

"Ahh, someplace to eat," I said, pointing to small little shop along what seemed like a boardwalk next to a lake. It was late and therefore there wasn't any line.

Turns out I was wrong about the reason there was no one there. That's because it wasn't a restaurant but a little place that you could order food and take down to the lake, not a place for a nice romantic dinner. At least, Hermione seemed to like it.

"Let's go sit on the wall down there," she said, directing me to a stone wall that bordered the area by the lake.

"I cannot believe that you put mayonnaise on your burger and fries," Hermione said, spreading ketchup on her own. "That is just so gross."

"It is not," I defended my choice of condiment. "Taste it."

"No," She said, but as soon as she opened her mouth to take a bite of her burger, I shoved a mayonnaise covered French fry in her mouth, which wasn't the smartest idea, considering I nearly choked her.

She ate it but made a face. "I won't be trading my ketchup in." She said, taking a sip of her iced tea.

After a few minutes of just eating, she suddenly said, "Who's the person you look up to?"

"What?" I said, through a mouth of burger. Smooth, Fred.

"We're still playing truth right?" She asked.

"Of course."

"So?"

"What?"

"My question?"

"Ahh! My answer would have to be George."

"Why George?"

I put down the French fry in my hand. "I don't really know. I guess he just has the life I've always wanted. He found true love, got married, is on his way to having a family. His life is so in order compared to mine."

"You want to get married and have kids? I can't picture somebody like you wanting to get married and already picked their kids' names out and stuff." She laughed.

"Whoa, I never said anything about naming the kids." I said, honestly.

"Fine, think about it now. What would you name them?" She asked, eyebrows arched once again. She really liked this game.

"Hey, it's my turn to ask the questions. You don't seem to be getting the idea of this turn thing, do you?" She laughed. "Um, what would you name your kids?" I asked, unable to think of an original question.

She smiled, like she knew it was coming. "If it was a girl I want Evangeline and if it was a boy I'd want Rory."

"So like how many kids do you want?" I asked.

"I want a boy and a girl." She answered, "Hey, that was two questions, I'm asking you two."

"Fine," I said, smug that she hadn't realized I'd asked her two questions until she answered them.

"What do you fear the most?" She asked, munching on a french fry. Why are they called French fries? 'Cause if the French made them wouldn't they have some French name, not some English word like fry?

"Ginny when she's pissed off," I laughed, recalling that time when George and I played a trick on her that resulted in her being trapped in our storeroom for a nearly six hours. Needless to say, when we remembered we had locked her in there, she was quite pissed.

"No, seriously."

"I am dead serious. Have you ever seen the wrath of Ginny Weasley? It is not a pretty sight, my friend."


Fred laughed again at something he had done that apparently invoked the 'Wrath of Ginny Weasley'.

I tried desperately to think of a good question. As much as I hated this game, I absolutely loved it at the same time. It was a great way to get to know someone. It was also a scary way for someone to get to know you. With this game, they were one question away from your most hidden secrets.

I felt something hit my shoulder. "Is it raining?" I asked Fred.

Fred burst out laughing. "Is that your question? Because no offense, Mione, it sucks."

I simply pointed to the sky. Fred stopped laughing and stared up at the night sky. "Oh," he said, as if it was slowly dawning on him. "Hmm, yeah, I think it is."

"We probably better head back then," I said, rather reluctantly. This night was fun, in an unusual sort of way. When Fred said he had something planned, I was thinking big, explosive, and loud, not quiet, thoughtful, and small. It was a pleasant surprise.

"We could go back to my place," Fred said, haphazardly picking up the take-out containers. Wait, did he say what I thought he just said?

"What?" I said, slightly startled by his suggestion.

"We could go back to my place. I can make a mean milkshake." He said, nodding.

"That sounds good," I said, planning on continuing our game. "So, that rain question doesn't count, does it……"


"Here we are," I said, after we had apparated to my apartment building.

"You never answered my question." She teased.

"Let me find my keys," I told her before finding them in my coat pocket.

"Wow, this is nice," She said as we walked into the apartment. "Wasn't at all what I imagined."

"What did you imagine?" I asked her, closing the door quietly. I had no idea if Oliver was sleeping or not. When he has a big game the next day, he goes to bed early and is quite grumpy if you wake him up. I don't suggest it. If you want a picture of it, go poke a dragon with a stick. Same reaction.

She blushed a little. "I don't know. Messier, I guess, with marks and holes in the walls from explosions. Like back at the burrow."

"Hey, there was only one hole in the floor at our room in the Burrow and I still blame Charlie for that one," I defended myself.

"Charlie?"

"He was the one that told George and I that we could dig a hole to Australia. He didn't tell us we had to start on the first floor, not the third."

"I cannot believe that you believed him." She said, shaking her head.

"We were seven! That is a gullible age!" I snapped, not sure why I was getting so worked up. "He was twelve! He should have known better!"

"'ello!" A voice behind us said. Hermione and I spun around at the same time to find

"Marie!" Hermione said, shocked. "What a very small world!"

"I know, right?" Marie said.

"I have no idea what to say," Hermione replied; I was still unsure of what I should say.

"You could say congratulations!" Marie said, happily, clapping her hand together.

"What?" Hermione and I said in unison.

I looked at Oliver and then Marie. Suddenly it hit me like a cauldron upside the head. Their giddy faces, the occasion. "No………"


Author's Note: Hey, thanks so much for reading! I'm sorry it took so long for me to finish this, as many of you told me in your reviews. I am a senior in high school and I do have a life, and as much as I love writing stories, I have been really busy this school year. You know, college essays and applications, SATs, and a schedule full of all AP courses. My time has been pretty much used up lately. So today, as I sat inside because of the fourteen inches of snow outside my house, I was determined to finish this. In fact, I almost finished the next chapters of three of my other stories which brings me to my next note…

I know, I shouldn't be doing this, but I recently started a new story, Hanging By A Moment. I really like this story, and actually have the whole thing planned out from the beginning, so I am pretty sure the chapters will be posted a lot faster. (Especially now that those darn college essays over with) The story is actually sort of a cross between my stories More to Life and The Fall of Autumn. It is a Slytherin-centric story, revolving around Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. It has a mystery like the Fall of Autumn and the opening song and romantic plot like More to Life. I quite like this story and was just hoping for some reviews, good or bad, on it, so what do you say? Please? Pretty, pretty please?

Thanks to:

Intelligent Witch: I guess Hermione and Marie are a lot alike now but their differences will become more apparent in later chapters, I hope. Thanks for reading.

Silly Bandit: Thanks! I absolutely love pink! Sorry about taking so long to update!

Hye em yes: Thanks for reviewing!

Heart of Flame: Yeah, about that updating sooner thing….sorry! I'll try to post sooner next time. I'm actually going to start the next chapter after I post this one.

Courtney Anne: Thanks for the review!

Padfootedmoony: Yeah, I like them too. Thanks for reading!

Mjade-1: Thanks so much for reading!

MOONEYpadfootPRONGS: Thanks so much for the compliments!

Kail Ceannai: I think I did make Fred too gushy. I'll have to work on that. You really like the Hermione parts though? I think she's becoming tougher to write for. At least, while she's all mopey and everything, anyway. Thanks for reviewing!

Mystery of the Night: Ah, they will find out soon enough! Thanks for reading!

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Icee Queen: You spent three hours reading my story? Aww, thank you ever so much! You are awesome! Gracias!

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Ilovefredandgeorgew: You and your friend have awesome tastes in music! I love Good Charlotte and Simple Plan! Simple Plan's newest album has become one of my favorites. Thanks so much for the review!

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Love ya!

Preppy in Pink