Even with the help of Ginny, Verity and Lee they all were beat a the end of the day. When George closed the door to the shop that night they all fell to the ground in the middle of the shop sitting in a circle.
"I think every student of Hogwarts passed today." Fred sighed as he rubbed his face. "Thanks for your help today guys."
"Any time mate." Lee smiled at his best friends rubbing his feet. "Do you guys want to grab a drink and maybe a bite to eat?"
Fred and Hermione looked at each other. Trying to decide what to say.
"I -euhm." Hermione started.
"Just tell him, he won't say anything." George sighed looking over at Fred.
"Tell me what? What am I missing?" Lee eyes confused looking between all of them.
Fred looked over to his girlfriend, who smiled and nodded at him. Fred gestured her over and she cuddled in his side, his arm draped over her. "Hermione is my girlfriend. But we are keeping it quiet for now." He added as he saw Lee's wide grin.
"Fine, I won't say anything." He turned his gaze towards Hermione. "So Granger, did you loose your marbles going for a Weasley twin?"
"Oi!" The twins shouted, making the girls laugh.
"So, we'll have to pass on drinks tonight. I would like to spent some alone time with my girl here, before she's of to Hogwarts." He squeezed her even tighter to his side, placing a kiss on the top of her head.
"Awwww." The others chorused.
"How adorable." Lee chuckled, dodging a pack of screaming sweets that Fred tossed at him.
"But we are in." George said as he pointed to himself and Ginny.
"Me too." Verity chimed in.
"Let's go change Ginny." George stood up and pulled his baby sister up. "Then we can leave the lovebirds alone." He grinned as he wiggled his eyebrows at her.
Half an hour later Hermione and Fred were finally alone. Fred told her to go to the bedroom as he fixed up a something to eat. It was already nine at night when she changed in Fred's quidditch shirt. She dropped down on the blankets and grabbed the book that laid on Fred's nightstand. She was just flipping through it when Fred walked in with caring a plate of snacks. She placed the book back on his nightstand as he sat down next to her. They ate in comfortable silence as they leaned against each other. When they finished Fred sent the plate to the kitchen with a wave of his wand. They looked at each other for only a second before their lips crashed.
"Gods, I'm going to miss you." He sighed as they parted, his head resting against hers.
"I'm going to miss you too." She traced her thumb against his cheek.
"I have something for you." Fred grinned as he turned to grab something from under his bed. He turned back holding a rectangular box in his hands. "As am not seeing you on your birthday, I thought I give it you now."
"You didn't have to get me anything."
"I know but I wanted to." He smiled as he handed over the box. She let her fingers graze the box before clicking it open. Her jaw dropped as she saw the necklace. A blue dewdrop pendant on a white silver chain. Her fingers grazed the necklace carefully before looking up.
"Fred, it's to much."
"Nothing is to much for you. Don't you like it?"
"No I love it. It's gorgeous but.."
"No buts. I love you Mione. I love you more than I ever thought was possible."
The next moment Hermione had swung her hands across his neck as she kissed him fiercely tugging at the hem of his shirt.
"I love you too Freddie. Never loved someone like I love you." She said as he looked in his eyes. "And I have a surprise for you too. A going away present of sorts." She grinned seductively. She stood up from the bed and after a moment of hesitation she pulled of the quidditch jersey. Her nervousness completely gone as she looked at Fred reaction. Love, lust, shock, desire all crossed his face as he looked at her wearing a dark red lace lingerie set. Fred groaned as he looked at her, making Hermione giggle.
"Best. Going. Away. Present. Ever!" He chocked out as he crawled to her on the bed between each word. He ended up sitting in front of her on his knees as she stood there looking down of him. He placed his hands on her waist as he took her in once more. "Merlin! You are beautiful." He whispered before pulling her to bed with him as he kissed her.
-FWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHG-
George and Hermione were packing their stuff with trembling hands because in a few days they would change the past. They weren't afraid of the consequences if they were caught but afraid that all of their work would have been for nothing. It's been a week since they broke all of the protective spells on the charm. They had owled Harry and Molly but didn't tell them they would be back in England in a week because when they got back they wouldn't waste much time to go back to the past and save Fred. Mason worked with them all week to make out a plan, spending hours and hours looking for possible things that could go wrong. After a week they couldn't think of anything anymore and thought they were as much prepared as they could. They could have kept planning for years and finding new ways or problems. It was now or never. They are planning on having one last night in New York, getting dinner with Mason before the left for London the next morning. They already booked their portkey, that left the next morning at 10 o'clock with or without them. George decided to go without the felix but would put it on a statis so he could work on it when he got home. "You never know when we will need it." was George's answer.
"Can you check under the bed?" Hermione asked George as she packed up her books in the beaded bag. George flopped down on the ground as he poked his head under the bed, pulling out several items from the joke shop. "That's what I thought." Hermione chuckled as she picked up the things George found under the bed. George said something unintelligible from under the bed.
"What?"
"I said-" George started as he wiggled himself out of the bed. "You sound just like mum."
Hermione put her hand on her hip and pointed down at George. "George Fabian Weasley!" She put on her best Molly impression.
"Wow that's on point." George looked at her wide eyed.
"Had enough practice with your little brother. Even Harry on occasion." She chuckled.
"I'm sure you did, 7 years with ickle Ronniekens and boy wonder. I'm surprised you didn't go mad."
"I did sometimes." She laughed as she put her and George's stuff on the desk. She turned and leaned against it as she crossed her legs and folded her arms over her chest, looking at George who was sitting against the foot end of the bed. "You think we're ready?" She asked her face turning serious.
George looked up at her. "I thinks so yes." He stood up and walked over to her and draped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her close. "We have it all planned out, we are doing this Mione. We are getting him back."
"I hope so."
"I know so." George said determined. He glanced over at his watch. "Let's go. Mason is waiting at the bar." He pulled her straight from the desk and apparated them to the alley behind the Lunar Eclips.
-FWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHGFWHG-
"Happy birthday Mione!" Ginny jumped up on her bed. Hermione jolted up from the impact and groaned.
"Merlin Ginny, I think a have some bruised ribs." Hermione was rubbing her ribs gently.
"Sorry, got excited." She grinned as she climbed of her. "Come on, get dressed."
"Alright alright, give me a minute will you." Hermione chuckled. She got dressed and walked downstairs to the great hall with the red head. When she sat down at the table Ginny placed a pink cupcake in front of her with one single candle.
"Make a wish."
Hermione closed her eyes and blew out the candle. When she opened her eyes Harry and Ron appeared in front of her.
"A wish? Why would you wish on a candle?" Ron asked as if it was the most absurd thing. He sat down next to Harry, opposite of her.
"It's a muggle thing." Harry answered.
"Yeah Hermione explained it to me last year when she asked me that question."
"So what did you wish for?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, what did you wish for Hermione." Harry wiggled his eyebrows at her, making Ginny chuckle.
"What's so funny?" Ron asked looking between Harry and Ron.
"Nothing and I can't say or it won't come true." Hermione said as she plucked the candle from the cupcake and took a bite. "Hmm my favorite. Thank you Gin."
"A little bird told me." She winked at her. The boys and Hermione exchanged presents at the table after she placed her presents in her bag the owls flew in. Hermione looked up as four owls swooped down carrying a parcel each. Everyone took one owl to untie the presents and let they fly away out the open windows.
"It's from mum." Ginny gave her a brown parcel. She opened it and was a big batch of homemade cookies. She also received presents from her parents, a muggle book. From George a skiving box if she wanted her birthday outside the classroom and one from Fred. When she opened Fred's parcel there were two things inside. The first one was a big box of sugar quills her favorite and on the second laid a paper which he suggested to open it in private. Ginny eyed the present carefully and wiggled her eyebrows at her grinning.
The rest of the day was like any other, going to class after class. Of course she didn't use the pastilles of the skiving box. But she had only one class after lunch and had the rest of the day of. Ginny asked her to meet her at the room of requirement after her last class for a small birthday party. When she reached the seventh floor the corridor was empty. She leaned against the wall waiting for Ginny or one of her friends, completely unaware when a door appeared beside her and an arm came out and pulled her in. Hermione shrieked at the sudden movement and looked up and saw her favorite Weasley in front of her.
"Fred?" She whispered with wide eyes.
"Happy birthday love." He swooped down and captured her lips after almost three full weeks.
"How?"
"You know me and George, we have our ways to get in. But I had a little help from wonderboy." He glanced over his shoulder were the invisibility cloak hung over a chair. Hermione glanced over the room, her mouth dropped a bit open. "You like it?"
There were streamers against the walls, balloons in her favorite color, which coincidentally was the same color of Fred eyes, deep blue. On the coffee table stood an arrangement of cupcakes and butterbeer. The room was lit with candles, making it very romantic.
"Fred this is amazing." She looked back at the handsome man in front of her. "I missed you." She wrapped her hands around his neck and hugged him tight. His arms wound immediately around her pulling her close.
"I missed you too." He whispered in her hair. Feeling his arms around her, inhaling his scent was nothing against the many letters they sent to each other over the past weeks. They stood there in each other arms before Fred walked over the sofa and cuddled up close talking about the last few weeks and eating cupcakes and drinking butterbeer.
"When do you leave?" Hermione asked as she put down her empty bottle of butterbeer.
"I have a little surprise." He grinned as he placed his bottle down and pulled her up.
"Another one?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow. Fred chuckled as he led her to the right side of the room, a door in the far back that Hermione didn't notice. Fred pushed the door open and let her pass. The only thing in the room was a king sized bed and a window with the view of the black lake.
"You don't have classes tomorrow and George can handle the shop. So if you want I can stay. Harry and Ginny will cover for you. Your roommates probably won't notice since you go to sleep later than them and wake up early." His voice sounded uncertain. Hermione turned as saw he nervously shuffling his feet, looking down. She walked closer to him and cupped his cheek. He looked up into her big brown eyes.
"I want you to stay." She said before kissing him. "Why are you so amazing?"
Fred smiled and captured her lips once again as he backed her to the bed. Their clothes disappeared quickly when they reached the bed.
After a couple of hours they got dressed, Fred brought another quidditch jersey from him and handed it to his girlfriend. They entered the other room again where an dining table had appeared covered with food. Hermione glazed over at Fred who grinned sheepishly.
"What?" He asked innocently. "I just asked Dobby and Trix for some dinner. I didn't think it would be this much."
She had the best birthday she could wish for with the man she loved right by her side. The next day they slept in late and Dobby and Trix arranged another extravagant breakfast. They talked more about school and about the shop, spending the whole day in bed before Fred reluctantly had to leave. Hermione almost had to push him out the secret passage because he kept stalling. But Hermione knew people would get suspicious if she stayed out any longer, especially Ron. She kissed him farewell before pushing hil the passage, a sad smile appearing on her face.
