The zombie has risen and finally managed to finish this chapter. Good news: the next two are more or less ready and will be published faster ;) The next one will be up in two weeks: pinky promise!
I hope someone is still out there, reading this story, and leaves me a little review. ;)
Big thanks to my betas: Foxesrun and rubandepluie, who helped with finally finishing this thing. Big thanks also to Moonfairy13, who always helps me with brit stuff even if I ask the weirdest questions.
ooo
WHAT IF
Chapter 33 - The Christmas Date
On December 21, Hermione woke up hours before she needed to. It was Saturday after all, and the first day of the holidays. She could have slept in until midday if she wanted to. Her parents certainly would allow it.
But Hermione had already slept fitfully, afraid she would miss the alarm, sleep the whole day, and miss out on her date with Fred. Not a likely scenario, but her nervousness sparked weird ideas.
Hermione decided to get up instead and do something useful to calm down. It would do her good to just do something and not think so much. An hour later, her parents came down to witness the surprise Hermione had prepared.
"Amazing," Hermione's mother sighed with wide eyes.
Her parents had seen magic before. Of course, they had. On all of their trips together to Diagon Alley or King's Cross, they had witnessed all kinds of magic. However, Hermione had always had the impression that her parents had been overwhelmed, and a tad frightened, by this new world their daughter suddenly belonged to.
They had shared Hermione's wonder, but there had always been a barrier between them and magic. But now, since Hermione was seventeen and of age, she could finally show her parents what she had learned, and share her love of magic with them. She hoped it would normalise magic for them.
Hermione had decided to show them the more 'practical' charms she had learned. With her parents seated at the kitchen table, Hermione used what Mrs. Weasley had taught her, and made a full English breakfast. Everything was flying and working on its own, while Hermione was on the lookout in case a neighbour decided to peek through the window.
Meanwhile Hermione's parents just stared at the scene in awe, even though they twitched a bit every time some cutlery was flying too close around them. They were thoroughly immersed, wowed by the things their daughter could do with a flick of her wand and some muttered words.
"This is not a The Sorcerer's Apprentice scenario, right?" Her mother asked with a smile tugging on her lips. "We won't have out of control tableware and brooms any minute?"
"Jean, don't be silly. This is Hermione," her father beamed. "Our brilliant daughter would never lose control over some plates." He winked.
Her mother swatted his arm. "I know that. I just wanted to tease her. Honestly, you have to admit it looks a bit like this Disney movie Hermione loved so much as a child."
Her parents both laughed at the memory and Hermione's chest felt heavy and light at the same time as he laughed with them.
Light because she loved her parents so much and it felt good to know they were proud of her. And heavy because she knew she kept far too many secrets from them.
The whistling of the tea kettle signalled that everything was almost finished, and pulled Hermione out of her thoughts. She levitated the plates in front of her parents with a satisfied smile. At last, the teapot flew over and served them all a hot cup. Milk and sugar offered themselves up right after.
"Bon appétit." Hermione grinned, making a few sparks with her wand just for the sake of putting on a little bit of a show.
Cautiously, her mother grabbed her fork and tasted one of the sausages first. "It tastes normal," she grinned, "very good." Hermione laughed. The ice was broken, and now both of her parents enjoyed their breakfast. It was almost a normal family breakfast, just with the added thrill of sausages and eggs serving themselves.
"Hermione," her father took a sip from his tea, a smile tugging on his lips, "your mother told me you will be out for the day?"
Hermione felt her face heat up, as her parents grinned at each other. Of course, she had to tell her parents about her date. She could not vanish for the day, and lying was unthinkable- she already kept enough information from them. But she hadn't expected to actually have this conversation with her father. Normally, it was her mother's job to be nosy and embarrass her with these kinds of topics. In fact, she already had done that the night before when she had reminded Hermione that staying overnight would only be allowed after the third date.
"Yes, Fred will pick me up around 3 pm." Hermione stared at her oatmeal, and thought about how she could get out of the conversation. This was new territory for her. This was the first time her parents would get to know a boy. Since Hogwarts was a boarding school, Hermione never had to experience a boy picking her up for a date. If Hermione would visit a normal school, things like this would be no big deal.
"Fred?" Her father grinned. "Well, make sure to introduce the young man to us, would you? I would like to meet him. Maybe I can scare him a bit," he winked. Hermione didn't have the heart to tell him that Fred wouldn't be scared, since he was scared of no one and nothing, and would probably charm them with his natural wit before her father could even think of trying to be scary.
"Of course." Hermione had the childish – or rather, teenageish – instinct to grab Fred as soon as he arrived, and leave with him. She didn't want her parents to make a big deal out of it. But, it was a big deal. Because Fred wasn't just a boy Hermione had a date with, he was her soulmate. However, Hermione wasn't sure if she should tell her parents about it. They surely would be sceptical of the concept of soulmates.
And so, she just took a bite of her oatmeal and smiled as her parents started to retell stories of their school dates.
OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO
It was exactly three pm when the doorbell rang. Hermione thought her heart would stop at any moment. Nervous energy was coursing through her with an alarming speed. Her heartbeat was a lot faster than usual, and her skin was prickling with hot and cold shivers. She wasn't sure if it was supposed to feel like this, but she knew it was stupid either way.
She knew Fred. They were friends. They had written letters. They had, for Merlin's sake, just seen each other a few days ago and snogged in front of the Fat Lady. There was no reason to be nervous. It was just stupid. It didn't help that her parents hovered around the corner, trying to appear engaged with something else, as if they weren't spying on their daughter.
Hermione took a deep breath before she opened the door. She was sure that nervousness would overwhelm her any minute. Hermione took the time to smooth over her jumper- a red one made out of the softest cashmere wool- and take a last glance at the mirror in the hallway. Her hair was braided into a thick plait. She wore mascara and some lip balm, which gave her lips a slight reddish tint. She looked fine, good even, and everything was fine. Then Hermione opened the door, and forgot what the word 'fine' meant.
Fred was in muggle clothes, making her heart jump with surprise. He wore jeans with black sneakers and a grey wool coat with a dark blue scarf. Hermione was so used to bright and clashing colours when it came to Fred that this attire was almost too normal, and it made Hermione even more nervous. Nervous and a bit flustered, because he looked so unbelievably good.
"Hello, Hermione," he smiled. It wasn't his usual confident smirk or flirty smile; it was a simple, nice smile. He was smiling like he was simply happy to see her. And that, alone, was enough to settle Hermione's nerves instantly.
"Hello, Fred." For a moment, Hermione wasn't sure how to proceed. She wanted to embrace him, but it felt weird to do so while her parents lurked in the background, eager to get introduced.
Fred decided for her, giving Hermione a friendly half-hug, squeezing her slightly. Then he made a big step towards her parents, and Hermione prayed to all gods that this would go well. Hopefully, her parents wouldn't embarrasses her. Surely they loved her enough to not do that, right?
"Mister and Missus Granger, it's nice to meet you again. I'm Fred Weasley. We met a few years ago in Diagon Alley."
There was a curious flicker on her mother's face, and Hermione realised that her parents probably hadn't expected Hermione's Fred to be the same Fred as Ron's older brother. But the surname Weasley and the red hair didn't leave any room for discussion. Maybe she should have mentioned it, but, to Hermione, it had been obvious.
"Nice to meet you, Fred." Her father offered Fred his hand first, and Hermione could see that he put more force into the handshake than necessary. But Fred just smiled, while her mother gave him a curious one over.
"I think I might remember you and your brother. You have a twin, right?" Her mother smiled, but Hermione knew she was still making up her mind about Fred.
They exchanged some more pleasantries while Hermione hurried to get her coat and bag. She safely stored her wand in the bag, which earned a curious frown from her mother, and then purposefully stepped into the conversation.
"I think we need to hurry a bit to catch the bus." She took Fred's hand, which made her skin tingle, and, thankfully, he said nothing. Hermione had no idea if they would take the bus –probably not – but she didn't want to give her parents the chance to ask. They would probably worry if they were using magical transportation. They were still wary of their fireplace, ever since Arthur had used it the summer of the Quidditch World Cup.
"I've never taken the Muggle bus before," Fred said thoughtfully, as they finally left the house. "Might be an adventure."
Hermione elbowed him lightly. "I just didn't want them to ask any questions. I'm not sure how my parents feel about magical transportation. They would surely be horrified if they heard about apparition."
They didn't take the Muggle bus. With a wink, Fred offered his arm and took Hermione via side-along apparition.
Hermione needed a minute take in her surroundings before she realised where they were: in London, near the River Thames. The sky was already getting dark, today was winter solstice after all, but the city's lights and Christmas decorations were already on. There was a bridge, which Hermione, as a born and raised Londoner, recognized as the Waterloo Bridge.
"We're near Covent Garden," she gasped in delight. "But that's Muggle London."
Fred offered her his hand. "'Course it is. I thought it would be nice to enjoy something Muggle today. And, I just couldn't resist the chance to buy a new outfit for our date," he added with a wink.
"It's a rather dashing outfit." Hermione grinned. It felt like her lips didn't know how not to smile.
They walked towards the heart of Covent Garden, where a big skating rink was built right in front of the famous old market building. Around the skating rink was the Christmas market, with lots of different booths selling mulled wine, crêpe, waffles, fries, and other typical stuff. Other booths sold typical Muggle Christmas stuff like candles, decorative items, or kitchenware.
The plaza was brimming with life. People were walking around in little groups, enjoying their food and drinks, while others were hurrying around shopping for last-minute gifts. It was truly magical even though it was Muggle through and through.
Hermione loved Covent Garden around Christmas time, but the truly amazing sight was Fred. He was staring with true wonder at the different booths, his eyes wide and his mouth frozen into a silent 'wow'.
"A Christmas market? How," Hermione was almost speechless. "How do you know about it?"
"Angelina told me," Fred's ears turned red. "I might have forced her and George to help me with making the plans, getting some ideas. We only ever spend time together in the magical world and I thought it would be nice to do something different. You're muggleborn, so I want to get to know the world you grew up with."
"That's very sweet." Hermione grabbed his hand and squeezed it softly. "Have you ever had Muggle mulled wine before?" Hermione prompted. If Fred wanted the Muggle experience today then mulled wine seemed like a good starting point.
"Nope," he grinned. "But I can't wait to taste it. I'm buying of course. I'm excited to show off my Muggle money using skills." He winked.
"You actually need to," Hermione paused. "I just remembered that the drinking age is 18. I'm not allowed to buy alcohol, but I'm allowed to drink wine when someone older than 18 is with me and buying it." Normally, her parents were the ones who bought Hermione a cup of mulled wine or cider for dinner.
"So, you're still a minor in the Muggle world? That's crazy." Hermione just shrugged. Technically, she really was even though it didn't feel like it. She realised she had somehow distanced herself from the Muggle laws during the last few years.
They got their mulled wine from a busy booth that offered all kinds of different hot beverages. The older woman selling the wine was a funny one, who instantly started a little chat with Fred and winked at them, muttering something about 'new love'. Hermione blushed, while Fred just grinned.
As soon as they had their drinks, Fred softly took Hermione's hand and squeezed it gently. "Ready to explore?"
They started their stroll with a series of booths that sold all kinds of arts and crafts: woven baskets, handmade paper stars, beeswax candles and fresh honey, knitted wares like socks and scarfs, and more. There was one booth specialising in wood crafted kitchenware like spoons, bowls and cutting boards. It was fine woodwork, and Fred was obviously amazed.
"You're doing them all by yourself?" He asked the booth owner, who took it as an invitation to explain how he made certain products and how long it took, how he learned from his father and loved his job. Most Muggles would probably be bored and not at all impressed, but Fred was genuinely interested, and Hermione enjoyed watching him.
The whole time, Fred held her hand, and every now and then he quietly asked if everything was okay or if she was bored. He made sure Hermione had as much fun as he did, and she felt butterflies the whole time.
It went on like this with a few more booths. Fred started little chats with the owners, asked them about this and that, and most of them seemed to love his honest curiosity.
Meanwhile, Hermione was smiling into her mulled wine and buying little knickknacks from every booth behind Fred's back. She thought they would make wonderful gifts next year in an Advents calendar. At least, she hoped that by next year their relationship would have developed enough so she could make such romantic gestures.
The best thing was the normality of all of it. It almost felt like the magical world didn't exist. Like there wasn't a war brewing. Like they didn't have a complicated relationship. Hermione looked around, trying to imprint this moment in her memory forever. By now it was completely dark, and the Christmas lights and decorations were shining and twinkling in all colours. The people around them were happy, some already a bit drunk, and there was laughter everywhere. This was a perfect moment, and Hermione thought that the magical world also needed moments and places like this.
"I never thought about it before," she turned to Fred. "Are there magical Christmas Markets?"
"Oh, yes. There's actually one in Diagon Alley. We went there every year before we entered Hogwarts. I think Mum still goes; she buys the yarn for all her sweaters there. But," Fred smiled sadly into his wine, "this year it was cancelled because of… you know. Diagon Alley is becoming a ghost town more and more every day, and most shop owners were not interested in doing the market this year."
"Maybe next year," Hermione tried to shrug off the chill running down her back, reminding her that the world only appeared peaceful.
"Next year," Fred nodded, and laced his fingers through hers again. "You will love it."
Hermione pushed the thought aside, that maybe next year everything could be even worse, instead of better. She rather liked to hope that next year everything would be back to normal - whatever normal was.
They wandered over the market for a while longer, just chatting and looking at the different products. After finishing the first round – and having seen all of the food stands – they decided to get chips with sausages, classic fish and chips, and some potato pancakes with sour crème and apple sauce. Hermione and Fred had decided to share everything so they could order a larger variety of dishes.
On the far side of the market, they managed to find a free high table where they unloaded their food and started to dig in. Hermione found that even something like sharing food was more fun with Fred.
OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO
An hour later, Hermione and Fred found themselves on a bench in a little park nearby. Fred had secretly cast a warming charm around them and a muffliato, so that they could talk about anything without fearing some Muggle might hear them. Not that they were talking much.
They were too preoccupied with kissing.
Even with a warming charm it was still a bit chilly, and so Hermione had cuddled closely into Fred when they had sat down. Her nervousness about the date had been long gone, and she had hoped Fred wouldn't be opposed. Of course, he hadn't been. He had just pulled her closer, and, after a few minutes, he had kissed her. Just once, softly on the lips. Absolutely innocent. That had been half an hour ago now, and they hadn't stopped since then.
Not that Hermione was complaining. She very much enjoyed herself. And, it helped against the cold. In truth, Hermione almost felt a bit too hot.
Heat was surging through all of her veins and pooled in her belly, making her squirm ever so slightly. Hermione knew enough to know what kind of heat it was. She was sure her face, and other parts of her skin, were flushed, and Fred had undone her plait approximately twenty minutes ago. She must look a fright, but Hermione couldn't care less right now. Not when Fred kissed along her jawline, beside her ear, along her throat, trying to pull her scarf down...
"Your scarf is in the way," Fred suddenly mumbled against her skin, sounding frustrated and amused at the same time. The movements of lips sent electric shocks through her skin.
Fred raised his head, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "I suppose I can't convince you to take it off, can I?"
Oh, Hermione would have probably taken everything off for him if he had been serious. But, Fred was already busy with setting the scarf right so Hermione wouldn't be cold. Then, he pulled slightly back and took a deep breath.
"Sorry, I didn't plan... well," Fred shrugged, his lips curling into a sheepish smile. His hand went through his hair, and only now did Hermione realise that he looked thoroughly snogged as well.
"To snog me senseless on a bench in front of half the population of London?" Hermione grinned. "I very much enjoyed it."
Instead of answering, Fred bent down and kissed Hermione again. A soft kiss, just a peck, like before. And then another. And another. And then his arm was around her waist again, and his other hand was on her neck, half-way buried in her hair. Soon their mouths opened and their tongues started to dance. Hermione's hand wandered to Fred's neck and started to play with the soft strands of his hair.
Circe, she started to regret their choice of location. It was terribly inconvenient to snog on a bench. They just couldn't get as close as they wanted. Which was probably for the best, some small part of Hermione's brain remarked.
When they finally broke away for air, Hermione looked right at two older women on a bench nearby who eyed them disapprovingly. Hermione blushed at the sight of their witnesses, and then laughter bubbled out of her. Who would have thought she would ever behave like a hormonal teenager?
Fred quirked an eyebrow at her, but didn't seem put out by her sudden, slightly manic, laughing.
"It's just," Hermione gasped, and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I never thought I would ever snog in public and get judged by little old ladies for it. It's so..."
"Breath-taking? Thrilling?"
"Normal," Hermione smiled at Fred's pout.
"I think no one has ever called me normal before." He put a lock of her hair behind her ear, a gesture so soft and intimate that Hermione thought she had to snog him again right now.
"I'm not calling you normal; you are anything but." She kissed the corner of his mouth. "But this, right here, it's what normal people do. People who don't have to worry about dark wizards or... you know. With everything going on, I sometimes forget that I'm just a seventeen-year-old girl. It's wonderful to know I can still experience and enjoy moments like these."
"Then I will make sure you get as many normal moments as possible."
They cuddled together as close and innocent as possible, which made the two old ladies smile. Hermione giggled at their nodding and whispering. "Isn't it funny? To them, we're just a young couple in lo-"
Love.
Hermione almost bit her tongue. She wasn't sure why. She was in love with Fred - no, not in love, she loved him - and Fred knew. She had made certain he knew. And, he obviously felt similar for her.
If not, he wouldn't have visited Slughorn's party a few days ago.
If not, they wouldn't be sitting here.
If not, he wouldn't kiss her like that.
Hermione was sure Fred had the same feelings for her. They were soulmates, after all. It wouldn't make sense if not, right? Still, he hadn't said anything, and Hermione felt her throat clamp up, and she just couldn't finish the sentence.
Fred shuffled around, partly breaking up their cuddling so that he could look at her. He took her face in both hands. From the look on his face, Hermione was sure he knew exactly what was going on with her.
"I should have said it sooner," he said, as his thumbs drew small circles on her cheeks. "I planned this whole day just to tell you, to prove to you, how I feel about you. I'm sorry."
"No, it was - is - a wonderful day. I'm just stupid. You don't have to say anything at all."
"Oh, but I do want to say something." Fred kissed her nose. "Hermione, I'm very much in love with you. I have been for a while. I'm not sure when it started, but I think I was already halfway in love with you when you confessed to me. And afterwards, well I was just falling more and more for you. It took me a while to realise it, but when I got the letter from you about Ron," Fred's voice hitched. "Let's just say I wasn't as calm about it as I might have suggested in my letter."
A nervous giggle escaped Hermione. Still, she felt tears swelling in her eyes. This was getting more emotional than either of them had expected.
"I was suddenly confronted with the possibility of losing you to my brother, a scenario I already experienced once. And, before you say something," he hushed Hermione, who very much wanted to discuss the point that she would never get together with Ron. "You made it clear that Ron wasn't even an option for you, I know, but when I read the letter it didn't matter. I was shell-shocked by the idea to lose you like I lost Angelina."
"Fred, there's no way I-" Hermione started. She needed to tell him about the soul mark now. He needed to know he would never lose her. But, Fred interrupted her.
"No, just let me finish, okay?" His smile was easy and reassuring, and Hermione bit back her words. "I was not in a good place for a while, and, therefore, George decided that I needed someone to kick my arse. So, Angelina came to the rescue and beat me up for being such a git." Hermione couldn't help but laugh, which was exactly what Fred had seemed to intend. "Which would have been a really cool gig, but, in truth, we only went for a walk and talked for hours, and I realised something frightening."
Fred leaned his forehead against her, making them cross-eyed as they looked at each other.
"Hermione, losing Angelina to George gave me some trust issues. But, losing you would break my heart beyond repair. I love you, Hermione."
ooo
As you can see this chapter was clearly planned to be published before Christmas but... you know, life and everything. I hope you still enjoyed the Christmas vibes. You can't imagine how weird it was to write about people going to Christmas markets and do normal things...
