It didn't take much persuading from Fred to get her to come along with them. After the date he had just taken her on, she was putty in his hands, and she was sure she would do anything for him. She felt a bit underdressed but Fred and George assured her it would just be a casual night. A few drinks with the family. When Angelina arrived at the shop, George pulled her up into a big hug, swinging her around and kissing her sweetly. They were childhood sweethearts. Fred had taken Angelina to the Yule Ball, but she had spent most of the night dancing with George. Fred only saw Angelina as a friend, while he could tell his twin had deeper feelings, as George couldn't keep his eyes off her from the beginning of the night. Deborah found it so romantic that George was so openly affectionate with Angelina, and she hoped one day, her and Fred would be like that too.
Angelina and Deborah shared a sweet introduction, acting like two old friends reunited, rather than two near strangers. They all apparated to the Burrow, landing just up the path from the front door. George and Angelina walked in first, hand in hand, already laughing and playing with each other. Fred put his arm around her.
"Are you ready for this?" He whispered, lowering his head to her ear. "I have a feeling Ginny is going to be very... well Ginny like."
"Oh god." Deborah hadn't thought about this. Ginny was feisty at the best of times, add alcohol and going on a date with her brother to that mix. She would have to be ready for suggestive looks, and a barrage of sarcastic, joking comments.
"Ginny is nothing we can't handle." He winked at her, dropping his arm from around her shoulder. She realised she would have to completely follow his lead. They had been touching and kissing each other all afternoon. Alone. But now he was around his family, so he would want to be publicly affectionate. He ran ahead to open the door for her, and she stepped in with him close behind her. Absorbing the warming atmosphere of being in the Burrow.
"I wondered when you two would be arriving!" Ginny shouted from her seat in the living room, drink already in hand. At Ginny's words, Hermione snapped her head up and smiled, standing from her seat.
"I have to go over some stuff with you, upstairs. You know, wedding things." Hermione said, motioning for Ginny to come along.
"What wedding things?" Ginny trailed off, before Hermione gave her a suggestive look. "Oh yes! Lots of lovely wedding things!" Ginny backtracked and sprang from her seat, taking her glass of wine with her. Deborah knew what they were doing.
She looked to Fred, who shot her a very amused look. Ginny and Hermione were by her sides, each one linking with one of her arms and practically dragging her up the stairs and into Ginny's room.
"Well?" Hermione looked at her, after shutting the door behind her. The three of them squeezed onto Ginny's bed, Hermione and Ginny sat side by side facing Deborah.
"You guys are so not smooth. Wedding things?" She laughed at her friends.
"Never mind that! Just tell us how the date was!" Ginny said excitedly, as though she might burst at the seams.
"It was really good actually." She smiled to herself, replaying the day in her head. "I think it was the best first date I've ever had."
"Oh my god. What's that look on your face? Did you two... you know?" Hermione questioned, desperate for the details.
"No, I didn't sleep with him! Gods Hermione!" Deborah blushed at her friend.
"But you kissed, I can tell by the look on your face! He must be a good kisser, you look like you are in a day dream." Ginny leant forward to pinch her arm, and Deborah swatted her hand away.
"Ginny, you don't want to hear me talk about what it's like kissing your brother!" She giggled at the redhead.
"Don't be so boring! You know your dramatic retelling of dates is my favourite thing to listen to when I'm drinking!" Ginny held her glass up in the air, swinging it from side to side. Deborah had to indulge her. She gave Hermione and Ginny a great retelling of the date, from the walk, to the view, warm coffee and chaste kissed, only leaving out the bit right at the end where he had her pressed against the wall. Just thinking about it made her breath catch in her throat.
"Dee, that is so romantic!" Squealed Hermione, her hands pressed to her heart. "I had no idea Fred was like that!"
"I knew you two would be good together, I am such a good Cupid." Ginny smirked, finishing her glass of wine. "Now, Hermione and I need a refill, and we need to get you a drink, big evening ahead girls." She raised her eyebrows, and Deborah could only dread whatever plan was forming in Ginny's mind. They all headed downstairs and into the kitchen, grabbing a fresh bottle of wine and three glasses, and pouring them.
"Sorted whatever you had too?" Ron asked Hermione, as she sat down next to him. Everyone was sat in couples: Ron and Hermione; Ginny and Harry; George and Angelina. So Deborah took the seat next to Fred, as it was the only one left.
"All sorted. Napkins can't choose themselves." Hermione shrugged at the group.
"Napkins? That's a nice new nickname for you Fred." George reached to ruffle his twins hair, while the rest of the group laughed. Deborah tried to hide her blush.
Fred batted George's hand away from his hair. "Shut up you!" He turned to face Deborah, running his hand through his hair to tidy it. "Just ignore him, he just gets upset that I'm the older brother sometimes." And he gave her a little wink.
"Alright ladies and gents! You are probably wondering why you have all been summoned to the Burrow this fine evening." Everyone's attention was diverted to Ginny as she shouted over the laughs of the group. "No parents. Four couples. Four bottles of Firewhiskey. It's truth or dare time." The twins cheered along with Ginny. Harry looked completely unfazed, Ginny had definitely been talking to him about this all day. Ron and Angelina just rolled their eyes. While Hermione and Deborah groaned. They had played too many games of this with Ginny, she was devilish when it came to truth or dare.
"Rules are we go round in a circle, you pick truth or dare, don't do it and you have to do a double shot of firewhiskey. All good?" They had all gone from their previous seats, to sitting in a close circle on the floor. They were all nodding at Ginny's rules, all having played the game before.
Ginny started, dare obviously. Do an impression of someone in the room. She did an over the top impression of Harry without a second thought. Harry, dare too. Let someone write on your forehead, and within a minute he had 'scrawny, speccy git' written on him by Fred, earning a few giggles from the group. Ron, dare again. Eat a spoon of mustard. He was nearly sick and was redder than Deborah had ever seen him, but he did it. Hermione, truth. What annoyed her about Ron the most; easily answered when he chewed with his mouth open. Deborah was next, and she was dreading it.
"Truth." She looked at Ginny because she knew that the redhead was gonna try to rile her.
"I love the Hufflepuff in you, Dee. So predictable and safe." Ginny had a dangerous glint in her eyes. "We can start with an easy one, first person you kissed and the last person you kissed?"
"Surely that's two separate truths?" Deborah retorted.
Ginny raised her brows. "You can always take your shot there."
"You are so annoying. The last person I kissed was... well... Fred." Interrupted by George's piercing wolf whistle, and the rest of the group whooping and cheering. Once they had settled down, she continued. "And my first kiss was Cedric Diggory actually," the whole group quietened, "It was a game of truth or dare weirdly, Hufflepuff common room in fourth year, bit embarrassing."
Fred broke the quiet. "You played truth or dare in the Hufflepuff common room? Wouldn't it be boring, everyone going round answering truths?" He joked, lightening the mood and making everyone chuckle.
"Hufflepuffs do dares too!" She lightly smacked him on the chest.
He looked down into her eyes. "Prove it." He said cheekily.
"Just you wait." She flirted back.
The game continued. Fred was dared to plait Deborah's hair, which was a semi disaster, as he had no idea what he was doing. But the feeling of his fingers scraping her scalp and his hands tangled in her hair drove her wild. Ginny was angry that no one was drinking, so made them all do a shot at random intervals. But this made the game all the more interesting. The dares were becoming more wild and the truths were being answered very honestly. Angelina had admitted that she couldn't tell the twins apart when Fred had asked her to the ball. George had stuffed as many grapes as possible into his mouth. Harry had drank a shot while doing a headstand. Ron licked chocolate sauce off Hermione's face. Hermione blushingly admitted that Ron was a better kisser than Krum. All the couples were sat close together now too: Ginny was sat in Harry's lap, Ron had his arm around Hermione's waist, and George and Angelina were holding hands. Fred had slowly moved closer and closer to Deborah, smoothly putting his arm round her and rubbing her hip with his thumb every so often.
Deborah had just finished her dare, trying to woo each girl with the worst pick up lines she could come up with. It's was Fred's turn, and he chose a dare, as always.
Hermione piped up. "I have one! Kiss the most beautiful girl in the room."
Harry and Ginny smiled up at Hermione. "Good one, Hermione." Harry said to her.
"Easy." Fred grinned. Before Deborah fully comprehended what was happening, his hands were on either side of her face, pulling her up towards him. When their lips met she softened, giving in to the kiss. It was like their first kiss, sweet and gentle. She realised that she had been missing his lips since the last time they had been on hers, and she never wanted to part from them. But they were in a room full of people. He pulled away before anything had the chance to become more heated. As they settled back down, his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her in close to his side, so she rested her head on his shoulder.
"YOU GUYS." Ginny gushed. "You are gonna take her on another date aren't you, Fred?"
"If she will have me, Gin." He squeezed her, and Deborah nodded.
They carried on round the circle, everyone now feeling a good buzz. More time was spent laughing and drinking than doing actual truths or dares. Eventually they got to Hermione, and for the first time in the game, she picked to have a dare. Everyone looked around the circle, seeing if anyone had any good ideas.
"I think I have the perfect one." Fred interjected after a minute, and everyone around the circle nodded for him to go ahead, while Hermione's face paled slightly. "Hermione, kiss the most beautiful girl in the room. Not a peck, a proper kiss." The whole circle made ooohhhhing sounds, while Ron's eyes went wide. No one thought she was going to go through with it. Even if she did, Deborah knew Ginny and Angelina were both better looking than her, so she wouldn't be being kissed by her best friend.
Hermione looked at Ron for permission, he shrugged. "It's only a dare, go for it." Hermione shifted in her seat, and she began looking at each girl intensely, she had obviously never considered who was the most beautiful because they were all just her friends. After a minute of deliberation, she had made her decision.
"Right, fuck it." Hermione built herself up. She turned to her left, grabbed Deborah's cheek, turned her face and kissed her. Deborah was shocked, but her eyes closed. Hermione was quite rough, and her hand rested on Deborah's neck with a thumb on her chin, to keep her from moving. She had never seen Hermione be so rebellious, so she supposed Hermione wanted to get it over and done with. And Hermione pulled away, blushing intensely.
"Bloody hell." Ron's jaw was on the floor. So was everyone's in the circle.
"That was so hot!" Angelina screamed, hands fanning herself. Ginny next to her, nodding violently in agreement.
"Fuck." Fred cursed, as she repositioned herself in his arms, putting her head back on his shoulder.
"So Deborah, are you gonna pick truth again? Because I need to know who is a better kisser out of Fred and Hermione!" Slurred Ginny, who was easily the drunkest person in the room.
"Nope, not gonna answer that! Someone will get upset." Deborah pouted back.
George chimed in, "Fred needs his ego squashing down a bit, just be honest Dee." Fred lightly punched his brother on the arm and rolled his eyes.
The game was halted as the group reached a mellow level of drunk. Conversation flowed between them all, it felt good to feel part of a strong family unit, the Weasley's at the centre of this happy group. After another hour or so of happy drunken ramblings, it was time for everyone to go their separate ways. Harry and Ginny had gone to her room, they were house sitting for her parents while they were away. George and Angelina had gone ahead to the twins flat, and Hermione and Ron had gone to collect a few of Hermione's things from his room before she would go back to the flat with Deborah.
Fred and her were alone, he pulled her around to face him. "I will be seeing you again, won't I?" His confidence seemed to waver as his eyes were pleading with her.
"Yes, I'll write you to arrange something." She ran her hand through his hair to push it out of his face. And they came together, naturally, tasting the firewhiskey on each other's lips.
"Good." He mumbled into their kiss. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her onto his lap, her hands resting behind his neck. The kiss had began sweetly, but that soon disappeared as they became more desperate, and the kiss became more heated. One hand travelled underneath her jumper, stroking the bare skin of her back, while the other held her bum, giving it a light squeeze. She pushed deeper into the kiss, tangling her hands in his hair and pulling slightly, causing him to hum against her lips. She was craving more, but now was not the time or the place. They could hear footsteps descending the stairs, and drew back from each other, both slightly panting.
He pressed his forehead to her. "I can't believe I'm lucky enough to have you kiss me like that." He gave her a peck. "You're incredible."
She blushed, and smacked him playfully on the chest. "Stop it! You think I'm better than I am!" She started to get up as Hermione and Ron reached the bottom of the stairs, helping Fred up with her. They all said their goodbyes to each other as Hermione and Deborah prepared to leave.
"Walker, you better write me, or I will bother you forever!" Fred shouted after her, as they walked up the path. "And Hermione, no more snogging her! Don't want you stealing her away from me!" The girls giggled, and waved.
Once back in the flat, Deborah gushed. "I can't believe the Hermione Granger, thought I was the most beautiful woman in the room!" Poking fun at Hermione.
"Come on, you know you are!" Hermione laughed in return. "Besides, you should have seen how Fred was looking at you all night, he looks smitten."
"He really is something." She grinned to herself. "If this goes wrong, it's going to shatter my heart. But if it goes right, it's going to be fucking sensational."
