Fred hated muggle flying. It was loud and he felt claustrophobic inside the stuffed metal tube. It wasn't as bad as it could have been though since he was with those he cared for and cared for him. Mr Granger leant him his camera so he could focus on documenting the journey for his muggle fanatic father rather than the possibility of crashing, Mrs Granger helped him play movies on the screen set into the back of the seat in front of him, he particularly enjoyed all the James Bond films, and Hermione didn't let go of his hand the entire way.

It took a great deal of coaxing to get him onto the second leg of the flight after refueling at Dubai airport but many hours later they arrived back in England, safe but tired. The Grangers quickly settled back into their old house that Hermione had kept for them and the four continued to spend most of their time together until Hermione went back to to work, beginning the specialism part of her apprenticeship as a policy lawyer on the first Monday in September.

That Wednesday morning an old grey owl flew into the kitchen window at the manor house while it's four inhabitants and Fred, who had been sleeping over most nights since returning from Australia, chatted over breakfast. Harry, Ron, Ginny, George and Angelina were the only members of the extended Weasley clan who knew about Hermione and Fred's relationship and all had expressed their enthusiasm at the couple finally getting together.

"A letter from Mrs Weasley has arrived" Teak announced, bringing the envelope to the table while Flippy lovingly tended to the ancient bird.

"It's a summons for Sunday night dinner" Ron said through a mouthful of sausage, earning disgusted faces from the two girls "she says that now the summer is over she expects full attendance."

Hermione swallowed nervously but Fred gripped her hand firmly.

"She adores you, she'll be thrilled we're together. You should have heard her crying after you and Ron didn't work out" he soothed, rubbing the pad of his thumb gently across her jittery knuckles.

"Yeah she's always wanted you as a daughter in law" Ginny added with a kind smile.

"Just be prepared for the marriage and babies hints to start as soon as the shock wears off!" Finished Harry with a teasing smirk.

...

"Hey Mum" Fred's voice reverberated through the burrow as he stepped out the fireplace

"Oh hello dear" Molly gushed grabbing her son's cheeks and mock inspecting him for damage "what's wrong, you're early!?"

"I wanted to ask if I could bring my new girlfriend to lunch today" he asked, forcing a well practiced sheepish expression to mask his face.

"Oh, of course dear the more the merrier you know that" Molly's eyes seemed to dim slightly at the request though "but I thought you liked… never mind… go fetch her and bring her along now so we can meet her before the others all arrive."

Shooing him back into the fireplace Molly sighed and called Arthur down to join her.

"I really thought he might pluck up the courage to tell her during their time away together" Arthur sighed as he helped Molly dust off her apron and fixed her hair.

"Mum, Dad, meet my girlfriend!" Fred beamed and stepped out the fireplace a moment later clutching tightly onto Hermione's hand and squeezing it encouragingly.

"Finally" Arthur chuckled under his breath, just loud enough to be heard by the new couple, as Molly enveloped the younger girl in a tearful embrace.

"Oh I am glad" said Molly kissing both Hermione and Fred's cheeks "I had hoped this might happen, ever since you started fawning over her the first time she visited us the summer after your third year, but then there was Ron, and you are such a good brother, but everyone could see how much you were love with her and it just didn't seem fair and then that wall fell and I couldn't bear it but then you sat with him in that hospital so many nights I dared to dream that maybe you loved my little boy like he loved you and now, oh I'm just so glad you've finally worked it all out!"

"Molly dear, please take a breath and stop embarrassing the poor lad." Atthur laughed at his excitable wife and took pity on his bright red son "The others will be here soon, doesn't the gravy need stirring?"

And with that everything went back to normal, Fred set the table while Hermione helped Molly finish the dinner preparations and soon the house was filled with family.

"Anyone fancy a game of chess?" Ron asked as the family awaited the arrival of Charlie and Ashlynn who had come back to Britain for the weekend.

"I'll take you on" answered Bill, standing up from where he had been playing with Teddy's toy dragons with him and Victoire on the carpeted floor behind the sofa "but Percy will you play with me, maybe together we can end his reign of tyranny?"

The pair put up an admirable fight which, with the helpful suggestions added now and then by Fleur and Penelope, made Ron think about his moves much more than usual but even then he still managed to dominate the game. Just as he was about to put their king in check mate Charlie and Ashlynn arrived with news of promotions, moving to Wales and their engagement to share.

The burrow exploded into celebration and Molly gazed around the table in delight to see all her children together, alive, well and truly happy for the first time in many years.

"Ew! No!" Hermione ran back into Fred's room one Saturday morning covering her eyes and screeching in disgust "Your twin and his girlfriend are out there doing it on the kitchen side!"

"Yeah they tend to get distracted quite often" Fred pulled his girlfriend back onto the wide bed with a low laugh.

She snuggled back into his chest and he toyed with the hem of the t-shirt she had put on moments before to grab the morning paper from the coffee table where Fred's new tawny owl Tweedle Dee dropped it each morning.

"Did it get you feeling left out?" He murmured into her ear, gently biting on the soft skin by her small hooped sleeper earrings.

"No, that's gross, he's your brother!" she laughed pulling against his tight hold.

They wrestled and laughed heartily until she lay hovering over him panting, forehead resting against his and the sight in the kitchen long forgotten. Sometime during the wrestling her top had been removed and her nipples grazed against his chest with every laboured breath. The bulge pressing against her thigh twitched but the couple had decided to take things slow and hadn't progressed physically since returning from Australia despite spending most nights in the same bed.

"I have to go to work" Fred panted from beneath her, desperately fighting to maintain control "we're finishing the last of our new board games range off today so they should be ready to test tonight."

With a nod Hermione pushed herself up, grabbed her dressing gown and favourite book and left the room. The sound of the shower had just finished so she knew it would be safe again to leave the room now.

"Sorry about that Hermione" Angelina sheepishly called from the kitchen.

"Don't worry about it, you're in love" she smiled back, genuinely happy for the other couple who were thoroughly loved up.

"Tea?"

"Ooh yes please, there's a new box of Jasmine green tea bags in the bottom cupboard" it was both her and Angelina's favourite so the slightly older witch brought over a pot and two mugs to share with Hermione and joined her on the window seat.

"I'm going to ask George to move in with me tonight" whispered Angelina once the pair were settled facing each other in the cushioned bay window.

"Ooh that's so exciting!"

"Yeah, Ginny and I have got an afternoon match against the Cannons then I'm taking him to a new restaurant in Hollyhead just down from the stadium." Angelina explained with an uncharacteristically vivid blush staining her cheekbones "they serve authentic thai food and it is decorated like a bright and colourful thai street market so I think he'll love it!"

"Bright colours and spicy food, I'm sure he will." Hermione smiled and sipped her hot tea.

"We spend every night together anyway and we've been together for eight months now," Angelina's eyes adopted a gooey look "my place feels lonely without him and it would prevent things like this morning from happening again too."

While the girls chatted away amicably upstairs the twins were down in their workshop at number ninety three Diagon Alley, Verity and Lee were running the shop so that the twins could focus on product creation.

"Trembling Tower is all set and ready to go, I increased the vibration speed and added the last few dates to the bricks." George moved a post it note along the work shop's wall.

"So is Wingardium, everyone loved it at Sunday dinner last week, especially the floating game pieces" Fred added from his workbench across the room, they had adapted the popular muggle game Cranium to have a 3D floating game board and wizarding world related questions and challenges.

"How's the last game going?" George nodded and moved another post it, they were hoping to have the three new games ready to release at the start of November ready for Christmas shoppers.

"I'm just finishing the embroidery on the hummingbirds, the bowtruckle's been learning well so he'll be ready for you to give him a voice soon."

George walked over to marvel at the gorgeous tapestry Fred had created, a rainforest scene filled with plants and animals, both muggle and magical, of every colour swayed slowly in an imaginary breeze. He reached out and touched a leaping red tree frog which froze in place until he retracted his hand allowing it to complete the jump as though it had never stopped. A bowtruckle swung back and forth on a vine in the top corner watching the humans intently.

"You really do have a knack for beautiful things" George said quietly

"Speaking of beautiful things, you and Angelina seem to be getting on very well." Fred quipped back, glad for an opening to start the conversation he knew his twin needed to have.

"She's taking me out to dinner after her game tonight," George replied "I want to talk to her about me moving out of here and getting a place where she can move in with me. She loves her place though and that would be ideal for us but I can't ask if I can move in with her."

"No it wouldn't be very gentlemanly would it. Although, if you just talked to her about how you feel you might find a solution together." Fred advised "You're obviously welcome to ask her to move into the flat and I could move out if you wanted the privacy."

"No, the flat has always felt more like home to you than me. I fixed it up for you and Fleur did a brilliant job decorating it in calming tones with bright colours splashed around tastefully how you like. I'd much rather have the whole place in Fuschia and lime stripes like my room" George laughed "it's a good thing Ang loves the chaotic vibe too!"

"The offer stands anyway." Fred reminded him with a tight hug for his twin in encouragement "Now are you going to stand here and watch me work all day or are you going to get some useful inventory done so we know what needs doing this afternoon?"