A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters
This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Word count: 2376
It started with cauldron cakes. All Fred was trying to do was make the target's hair turn green. Since the cauldron cakes were filled, it only made sense to alter the filling. The thing is, no one would accept sweets from Fred. Nor would they accept them from George, but Fred took this personally.
"All I'm trying to do it offer you something sweet," he said, flopping down in the chair next to Hermione. She looked over the edge of her book.
"No, all you're trying to do is pull a prank. It's probably potioned or something. I think I'll pass."
"Would I do something like that to you?"
"The last treat you gave Ron made him grow spider legs. I spent three days dealing with that."
"But I like you so much more than I like him," Fred argued. Hermione raised an eyebrow and snorted.
"You tried to turn my shoes into fuzzy pink slippers that ran around the Burrow last time I stayed there," Hermione countered.
"That was George."
"Was not!" George yelled from the other side of the room.
"See. So, no, I won't be accepting anything from you, especially not sweets. I don't fancy having spider legs, or being forced to dance, or turning into a giant canary."
"I promise, it's not going to do any of those things," Fred stated, holding out the cake. Hermione laughed as she put her book back in front of her face.
"It'll do something, that's all I need to know."
Fred shook his head and got up from the table.
"She's never going to trust you," George stated.
"I know, we've gotten ourselves a bit of a reputation," Fred said, watching Hermione. He hated how she didn't trust him, although, she was right, the cake would have turned her bushy brown hair a lovely shade of emerald. Fred thought the color looked amazing against Hermione's skin, and it brought out the coppery sparks in her eyes.
"Give it up, go find a first year to try it on. They're always fun to prank?" George suggested. Fred shook his head. No, he wasn't interested in pranking some random first year.
"I'm going to get her, George. She's never going to see it coming either."
"If you say so. Hey, want to see if the squid's out? We need ink for that one thing, you know."
"Yeah, alright," Fred agreed, taking one last look at Hermione. She ignored him.
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"I want to go to Hogsmeade with you."
"So you can leave me somewhere, or tease me about my hair, or lead me to some giant bucket of water that'll fall on my head?" Hermione asked, wondering if there was a way to make herself invisible. There probably was, but she didn't know it at the moment.
"No, I mean like a date?"
"Did Lee put you up to this?"
"What? No!"
"Ron then, he's being a right git. Thinks I need to loosen up, was this his idea?"
"No, it was mine. I'm really asking you out," Fred answered, trying to sound truthful. He could think of a million ways to prank Hermione in Hogsmeade. All he had to do was get her there.
"Not interested. I'm going with Harry and Ron anyway," she said, shoving her book into her back and walking off. George shook his head, walking over.
"What are you trying to prove?"
"Nothing. She's just...she's impossible!"
"I think Ron's said that about her too. You're never going to prank her, she's too smart to fall for any of your ideas."
"I'll figure it out George, the perfect prank for Hermione," Fred vowed, giving his brother a solemn nod. George just rolled his eyes. It was becoming obvious to him that pranking Hermione wasn't Fred's real goal, he just hadn't figured it out yet.
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"The Yule Ball."
"Absolutely not, I'm going with someone."
"But we'd be so perfect together."
"You'll make my dress change colors, or spike my drink, or give me a flower that turns my skin blue. No thank you," Hermione stated, snapping the inkwell closed and stalking off. Fred had to admit some of those were good ideas. He was going to spike the punch regardless. He, George and Lee had already decided that.
"You asked her to the dance? That's not even a prank!" George stated, looking at Fred.
"It's a prelude to it. You wouldn't... I don't know, I think I'm loosing my touch."
"Or you're feeling something other than mischievous towards her? Something like a crush?"
"No! She's Ron's best friend, they'll probably end up together if he can ever figure out how not to be Ron."
"Or you could come clean, tell her the truth?"
"She wouldn't believe me. I've pulled to many pranks, we've pulled too many pranks. She'll never realize I'm actually serious about something."
"Dance with her. One dance, with everyone watching, she'll see you had the opportunity to do something and didn't," George suggested. Fred smiled.
"See, you're better at this than me, now we just have to get dates."
"Oi, Angelina, Alicia, go to the ball with us?" George called out. Fred felt his face flush. The girls agreed and Fred knew it was only a matter of time before he put George's plan into place.
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"May I have this dance?" he asked, taking Hermione's hand. She allowed him to waltz her out onto the floor. The music swelled around them, as Fred tried very hard not to step on Hermione's feet. He could be a good dancer, but right now he was so nervous he was forgetting the moves. Thankfully, Hermione took the lead.
"You're not planing something are you?" she asked, twirling him.
"No, I honestly just wanted to dance with you. You look beautiful tonight, although, you look beautiful all the time."
Hermione's face flushed slightly, just enough for Fred to notice.
"Um, thank you, I think you're the only one who's noticed."
The song ended and Hermione gave Fred a smile before returning to dancing with Krum. Fred watched her for a moment. He joined George over by the punch bowl, which was being watched by both Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.
"See, she danced with you without you doing anything stupid."
"She looks so beautiful tonight," Fred commented as Alicia glared at him.
"Sorry, right, I'm supposed to be dancing with you, care to dance then?" he asked, giving her a wide smile. She shook her head before dragging him out onto the dance floor. That night, as he headed to the common room, he saw Hermione walking the same direction. She smiled at him, pausing for him to catch up.
"Did you have fun?"
"I did, dancing with you was the best part though."
"I enjoyed it too, Ron was glaring at us the entire time. I think he's jealous."
"Probably, he's Ron though. I mean, he doesn't appreciate you, not really."
"He likes that I know all the answers and help him with his homework," Hermione said, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "You know, if you and I were dating, that would make him jealous, maybe enough to see how I deserve to be treated?" she suggested.
"Are you saying we prank my brother by pretending we're dating?" Fred asked, almost unable to believe his luck.
"Exactly. Oh, look, he and Harry come," she said, nodding down the hallway. "Quick, we should hold hands or something," she said, grabbing his hand. Fred smiled widely as his brother stared at them, his mouth falling open before he and Harry darted into the common room.
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"Cauldron cake?" Fred offered. He and Hermione were sitting at the Gryffindor table.
"Thank you," Hermione said, taking it and taking a bite, her eyes on Ron the entire time. Fred watched as nothing happened, except Hermione licked the icing from her fingers. This was going perfectly. Ron thought they were a couple, he kept glaring at them and Fred was sure he'd written home to Mum about how Fred had stolen his girl. Fred hadn't gotten a howler yet, so maybe not? The truth of it was, he was loving every minute. He knew Hermione might only be pretending, but having her with him, spending time with him, was everything he'd been dreaming about.
"You know, we should go out and enjoy this nice weather," Hermione suggested, grabbing Fred's hand and leading him outside. Once outside, she dropped his hand, her fingers brushing against his for a moment longer than necessary. Fred noticed, but said nothing.
"He's really noticing us," Hermione said, sitting down at the base of a large weeping willow.
"He is, I think he wrote home about it."
"Figures. Is he trying to get you in trouble, or find a way to win me?"
"No idea. He just glares at us, but doesn't actually do anything about it."
"Maybe we should up our game, show him what he's missing?" Hermione suggested. "I mean, if he notices me and you, then he should be trying to win me, right?"
"Right," Fred agreed. "Ron's a bit..he can be a bit dens," he added, wondering if he could convince Hermione to kiss him. He wanted to suggest it, but if he seemed to eager, maybe she would figure out his real plan?
"We should kiss, and then we should break up, if we break up, he'll come to comfort me!"
"That could work, but it's really kind of cliché and why do you even like him?"
Hermione shrugged and Fred wished he'd just agreed with her, it would get him the kiss at least.
"I have no idea. I think I want him, my heart beats a little faster when I see him, but then... then he does something and I'm like ew and I don't know!"
"Fine, kiss and break up," Fred agreed. Hermione flashed him a smile and Fred hoped his kiss would be good enough to convince her to forget about Ron.
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The kiss occurred outside the common room. Hermione had been coming back from class and Fred had a free period. It hadn't been planned. It just happened. Their lips collided and for Fred it felt like every firework he and George had been working on had gone off at once.
Hermione broke the kiss slowly, her lips lingering on Fred's. Slowly, she looked into his eyes and brought her lips back to his. Fred returned kiss after kiss, ignoring the fact Ron was yelling at them. Finally, they pulled apart again. Hermione blinked and brought her hand to her lips before running off away from the common room. Fred started to go after her, what had gone wrong?
"You leave her alone!" Ron yelled, charging at Fred with his fists swinging. Fred didn't have time to side step as Ron's fist connected with his bottom jaw.
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"Don't try to talk, Madame Pomfrey's set your jaw, but it'll take an hour or so to heal. Did he really punch you?" George asked. Fred nodded.
"Is this over Hermione?"
Fred nodded again.
"Our brother punched you over a girl you're pretending to date?"
Fred nodded, rolling his eyes. He wanted to argue. He wasn't pretending to date Hermione. He was courting her under the pretense that it was fake.
"You really like her, don't you?" George asked. Fred could only nod again. He didn't know where she'd gone, why she'd run away. They weren't supposed to fight and break up until tomorrow! That had been the plan. Fred leaned back on the pillows.
"I've got to get to class. I'll send you a toilet seat though, soon as I figure out how to get it past Madame Pomfrey," George said, laughing as he slipped out of the infirmary. Fred closed his eyes, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.
"Fred?"
He blinked his eyes open when he heard Hermione's voice. He smiled at her.
"Hey, um, I guess...maybe we should talk?" she asked, sitting down next to his bed. "Ron's sorry by the way."
"He's not, he's just scared I'll tell Mum," Fred answered, realizing he could talk again.
"Probably, but he told me to tell you that. He did come find me, after he punched you. He asked me if I really liked you. I froze, Fred. I should have come clean, that we don't mean anything to each other, but after that kiss."
"Kisses."
"Fine, those kisses...I don't think this fake dating thing is working, not the way we planned on it working."
"Oh," Fred asked, wondering what exactly Hermione was trying to say.
"I want to date you, for real this time, I mean, we'll just keep doing what we're doing and go from there, but I don't want to end this. I think, I think I might actually be falling in love with you," Hermione admitted, reaching out and taking Fred's hand. He smiled, looking at her unable to believe that his plan had worked, and worked correctly.
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It had started with a cauldron cake, a stupid prank and now, now it was going to end with one. The war had finally ended with very little life lost on their side. The Death Eaters, well that was another matter.
"Cauldron cake?" he offered, holding out the treat. Hermione regarded it skeptically.
"It's not going to do anything," Fred promised. Hermione laughed.
"I've heard that before," she answered before taking it. Fred watched as she bit into it, her teeth hitting something hard. She blinked, pulling the cake from her mouth and looking at it.
"Fred, there's a ring in my cake."
"Yes, there is, and I was wondering," Fred paused to get down on one knee. He liked the traditionalness of it for some reason. "if you'd do me the greatest honor in the world and marry me?" he asked as Hermione pulled the ring from the cake. It was yellow gold with red and white stones in the middle. She looked at it, back at Fred on the floor and kissed him passionately.
"I'll take that as 'yes?" he asked. She laughed.
"Yes, it's a 'yes'," she answered, throwing her arms around him and kissing him again, the cauldron cake forgotten on the floor.
