Two days later, Hermione came home to an owl hooting happily on her windowsill. The small grey owl was excited to see her as it often carried letters between her and George.

"Hello Vincent," Hermione smiled and let the small owl nibble on her finger before she fetched him an owl treat. While the owl was munching, she released the note from his small leg.

H,
Had fun the other night.
If you don't have any plans, Angie and I would like to invite you for dinner tonight.
Come whenever. Fred's coming too.
/G.W

Hermione's stomach looped. She was going to see them tonight. She was going to see him!

Just as she was about to do a happy dance, she stopped dead in her tracks; what was going on with her? Why was she this ecstatic for a night with Fred? She had just seen him a couple of days ago.

Much more composed, but still with the ecstatic feeling running feverishly through her body, Hermione grabbed Vincent, and together they flooed to George's and Angelina's place in Kent.

The minute Hermione stepped out of the fireplace of their villa, she was met by heavenly smells coming from the kitchen.

"Hermione!" Angelina exclaimed, "good to see you! I see you brought Vince," she gestured to the happy owl under Hermione's arm who wrestled free from her grasp and zoomed to his cage in the windowsill.

Angelina pulled Hermione in for a hug, "I'm so glad you're here. They are being extra horrible today," she said mockingly.

"What have they done now?" Hermione laughed.

"Actually, it's not as much George as it is Fred. He's in such a good mood and I know it's because he's either hiding something or he has something big planned," she groaned, "come - lets get you a glass of wine."

Hermione wondered if the reason for Fred's sudden good mood had anything to do with her and she couldn't help but smile to herself.

"It smells lovely in here," Hermione said, "what are we having?"

"Salmon. I read somewhere that it's supposed to be good for the baby," Angelina smiled and rubbed her stomach. She laughed when Hermione squinted her eyes, looking for the smallest trace of a bump, "you can't see anything yet. But I can feel her!"

"Her?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Just a feeling," Angelina winked and handed Hermione a glass of wine, "the boys are in here," she smiled and gestured to the next room.

Angelina led Hermione to her favourite room in the entire house; the glass extension facing the beautiful garden. The rain was drumming heavily against the glass ceiling, and the many plants around the room gave a nice atmosphere of being in a tropical rainforest with soft sofas and armchairs.

Fred and George were sitting in the middle of the room talking about new inventions for their shops. Their faces, however, lit up when the two girls entered the room.

"I thought we agreed on no business-talk tonight?" Angelina said and put down a small tray of appetisers on the table in front of the twins.

"Sorry love," George said and kissed his wife's cheeks as he pulled her down on the sofa next to him.

Hermione took the grandfather chair next to Fred.

"What - no alcohol today?" Hermione laughed at him when she noticed the glass of pumpkin juice in front of him, "or is it spiked?"

Fred groaned, "I'm still very much hungover from the other night!"

"No surprise - Angelina, did you know that these two shared an entire bottle of firewhisky?"

"Lee had a couple of glasses as well," George stuck out his tongue.

"I can't believe I married into this," Angelina laughed.

"Hey, if you're eating for two, it's only fair that I'm drinking for two!" George said mockingly, making Fred laugh loudly. It made Hermione's pulse quicken.

Turning her attention away from George, Angelina looked to Hermione instead, "A bit of advice, Hermione. Never marry anyone who'll use that as an excuse to go out with his mates when you're pregnant," she laughed.

"I'll see what I can do," Hermione smiled.

"Speaking of," Angelina said carefully, "how's your love life going? Are you still seeing that dark and handsome man? Matthew, I think?"

George's face whipped around. With huge eyes he was staring at Hermione, "you never told me about anyone named Matthew..."

Hermione cleared her throat. Out the corner of her eye, she could see Fred looking carefully at her, "No, well," she cleared her throat one more time, "it was just a couple of dates back in the fall. Nothing more," Hermione felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

"Oh, that's a shame," Angelina sighed, "he seemed so perfect for you!"

"Yes, well on paper I guess we would've made a perfect couple but in reality there was far too little adventure in him."

"A shame, really. He was quite handsome!" Angelina turned towards her husband, and continued explaining, "He was very tall and he wore black robes from top to toe making him look very dark and mysterious with these very high cheekbones and his..."

Fred cleared his throat interrupting Angelina, "I think we can all imagine Matthew," he said, his ears bright red.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hermione! I didn't mean to stir any old feelings." Angelina said.

Hermione chuckled a little, "don't worry. It was only a couple of dates. Nothing more. But yes, he was very handsome," she said carefully keeping an eye on Fred's reaction to her words. He didn't say anything but his lips were pressed firmly together in a thin line as he grabbed his glass of pumpkin juice and leaned back in his chair.

-oOo-

After a lovely dinner completed with lemon drizzle for dessert, Hermione had to fight to hold back a series of yawns.

"Merlin, you're tired, love," Fred laughed at her, "just go home."

"But I'm having so much fun!" Hermione groaned.

"Actually, I'm quite tired too," Angelina admitted.

"You're growing a person, Angie. No surprise," Fred smiled, leaving his seat, "Thanks for a lovely dinner!"

"Yes, thank you," Hermione yawned.

"Come on, Granger, lets get you home," Fred laughed at her, pulling slightly on her arm.

"Could you floo me home?" she asked him.

Fred looked down at her with a small smile, "of course, love," he nodded.

Once more, they thanked George and Angelina for the lovely dinner before the green flames in the fireplace engulfed first Hermione and then Fred.

As they arrived in Hermione's flat, Hermione immediately turned on the radio while fixing her and Fred a cup of tea. When she re-emerged in the living room, Fred was looking around the room as if taking in even the smallest of details, "nothing has changed," he said in a weird voice.

"What are you on about?" she asked him.

"I don't know why I expected your flat to have changed," he said, "it looks exactly like it did two years ago. Almost as if no time has passed."

Hermione didn't know what to say, "yes, it's weird coming home from a travel like yours, thinking that you've changed a great deal, yet coming home to find that everything else has been standing completely still."

Fred looked at her, "is that how you felt after the war?"

Hermione shrugged, "I came back different, yes, but the world changed a great deal too while we were underground. It's not like your travels where absolutely nothing has happened back here."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Fred shrugged, "Georgie's made someone pregnant - and on purpose nonetheless - Harry and Ginny are trying for baby number two, and you're dating some bloke named Matthew."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, "not dating. I saw him a few times in the fall. Nothing more."

"Was he too dark and handsome for you?" Fred teased her.

"I'm not having this conversation with you," Hermione turned away from him and sat down on the sofa.

Fred followed suit and sat down next to her, "Come on, Granger. You can talk to me about this stuff. We're supposed to be friends, right?"

"Let it go, Fred. I'm not talking to you about my dating life. Just like you don't talk to me about yours."

"Not much to tell," Fred shrugged, "I'm too busy working to ever really get to know anyone."

"Oh, don't pretend as if you haven't taken home numerous drunk girls," she rolled her eyes at him.

"You said dating life not sex life," he winked at her.

A horrible image of Fred in bed with a stranger made Hermione change the topic, "Hey - I was wondering; for how long do we have the pleasure of you in England."

Fred shrugged, "I'm not sure yet. Lee is going back a couple of days after mum and dad's anniversary party. I might go with him. I haven't really decided yet."

Hermione nodded quietly, "can I ask you a question?"

"Always."

"What are you going to do when all the shops are done?"

Fred shrugged, "I don't know. Travel a bit more, maybe."

"Are you seriously not even considering coming home?"

"Love," Fred sighed, "as I said the other night, there really isn't much for me here, is there?"

"What about George's baby? What about me?" Hermione croaked, "you could come home for my sake."

Fred look her at with a surprised look on his face, "That would be nice."

"Very much so," Hermione agreed.

Fred shot back his head with a groan, "I feel like my head's going to explode."

"Hangovers?" Hermione laughed.

"Not entirely. There's a lot on my mind lately," he said looking at the ceiling, "I don't sleep that well."

"You're probably just stressed out from working so hard for so long."

Fred shrugged it off and sent Hermione a small mysterious smile.

"What is up with you tonight?" Hermione laughed a little as Fred plumped his head backwards again, his eyes still on Hermione.

A particular song by The Weird Sisters that Hermione and Fred had listened a lot to during the early years of their friendship had started playing over the radio, "Oi, I love this song!" Fred sighed softly before he started humming and singing along to the tune. Hermione followed the movements of his lips with her eyes as he worded every verse with grace. She could smell the pumpkin juice on his breath and as she studied his face, she could see that even though he too was tired, he was doing a brilliant job of staying awake, singing along to the slightly slow song. He ran a hand through his long hair and licked his lips slowly as there was a break in the stream of words coming from the lead singer of The Weird Sisters.

"I always think of you when I hear this album," Fred said and looked at Hermione with a small smile, "well, in all honesty I've thought about you a lot lately - even when I haven't listened to the album."

Hermione didn't know what to say to him. Truth was that she had been thinking a lot about him too - but probably for other reasons than him.

In that moment, she thought about that awkward night after George and Angelina's wedding, and she suddenly remembered how it had felt to kiss Fred. How right it had felt. As if they had been waiting for it for years. As if everything between them had led up to that moment. Hermione felt her stomach acting up again, and immediately knew that she wanted to feel like that once more. She wanted to kiss her best friend. She wanted to kiss Fred.

Their eyes were locked on each other and just as Hermione was about to take action and kiss him like she had done only once before, Fred got up from the sofa and said, "Wow, I'm tired. I better get going..."

Embarrassed, Hermione looked away from him. Clearly, she had completely misread the moment.

Fred caught her eye, however, "Goodnight, love. I had fun tonight!" He pulled her in for a hug. He smelled like heaven. He gave her a small peck on the cheek before he turned on his heel and with a wink, he apparated to his flat across the street.

The small kiss he had placed on Hermione's cheek probably hadn't meant anything to him, but she could feel it burn all night long.