"Are you ready?" she asked Oliver while strapping on her shoes.
"Yeah, I just need to finish up. Accio tie," he said and it came flying to him from a drawer nearby, "you look lovely by the way!"
"Thanks," she smiled, "I feel a bit out of place though. I miss my pyjama pants.." she pouted.
Oliver laughed, "you've practically been living in them all Christmas."
"Why stop now?"
"Because it's new years," he winked at her, "and that dress looks so good on you. You have very good taste!"
"You bought it," she laughed.
"Yeah, well I do have good taste," he smiled and turned towards her, "how do I look?" he held his arms out to the side and let her examine him.
"Very handsome - I guess I have good taste too," she smiled and let him kiss her.
They had spent the past few days in a state of intoxication never leaving the bed. She had missed him dearly, and truly enjoyed being back in his arms.
"I'm sorry," she broke off the kiss, "but we are very late! Come on, Mr. Bond," she grabbed Oliver's arm.
Oliver groaned as she retracted her lips from his but took her arm and let her apparate them to Ron's new years party.
She hadn't seen any of the Weasleys since she had abandoned them on Christmas morning. To be honest, she wasn't exactly ecstatic to see Fred again and tell him that she had gotten back together with Oliver the night after they had shagged.
She hadn't told Oliver about the episode either. It wasn't as if she regretted sleeping with Fred - she just didn't want to jeopardize her relationship with Oliver by telling him about it all before everything was back to steady.
As Oliver and Hermione arrived at Ron's party, Hermione was surprised to see that Ron had actually made an effort in decorating his flat. The ceiling was full of balloons that shifted colour every few seconds. A lot of people had already arrived, and Hermione scanned the room for people she knew. She quickly found Ginny's eyes across the room and the redhead's face erupted in a smile when she saw her friend.
"Hermione," Ginny called from across the room, walked over to them, and captured Hermione in a tight embrace. "...and Oliver!" she hugged him too and held both of them out at arm's length, "so I'm guessing you two are back together?"
Proudly, Oliver took Hermione's hand in his and said, "Yeah.. happened Christmas morning."
"Glad to see it!" Ginny nodded, "I need to hear the entire story but seeing as I'm on sober-duty, I'm also on ad hoc-duty and I actually promised that I would help Ron get more lemons," she sighed, "you would not believe how demanding he's been all day - and look! He's even giving me the death stare right now for standing still for two minutes while talking to you - I'M COMING RON!" she shouted to him before turning her attention towards Hermione and Oliver again, "I have to run, but I'll catch up with you later, yeah?" she said and started walking away from them with a small wave.
"Of course," Hermione smiled, "I'll see you later."
As soon as Ginny was out of earshot, Oliver pulled Hermione close to him and said, "you didn't tell her about us?"
"Err, no.."
"Why not? She's your best friend?"
"I guess I've just been too caught up in you," she smiled at him although the truth was gnawing at her insides. She had wanted to let Ginny know straight away but also knew that Ginny would've told the rest of the Burrow - along with Fred.
Right now she cursed herself for not having let everyone know. It would have saved herself from an awkward conversation with Fred later tonight as he was bound to find out about her and Oliver as soon as he saw them hand in hand.
Oliver, however, seemed content with her response and gave her a small peck on the cheek, "you're so sweet. I'll go get us a drink. I'll be back in a second," he said and gave her hand a tight squeeze before he headed for the self-service bar.
Hermione took another look around the room to scan for Harry or Neville but her stream of thoughts was interrupted by a familiar voice calling her name.
"Hermione?"
She immediately recognised the mischievous voice and braced herself for the worst to come. Slowly, she turned around and was met by a smiling Fred wearing a dark green suit. He looked handsome.
"FRED!" she exclaimed. She could feel herself getting nervous and wished she had had a few more drinks before confronting him, "uhm...hi!"
He sent her a blinding smile, "hi - where have you been? Why didn't you come back for Christmas? Mum has been going mental," he laughed, "wanted to go looking for you all over - we all convinced her that you just needed some time to think things through and that you weren't lying dead in a ditch somewhere."
'Wish I was!' Hermione thought to herself. "Yeah sorry," she finally said.
"You look really nice," he said and gave her a small hug and a peck on the cheek, "if you're still up for that Christmas morning stroll, the offer still stands," he said.
Hermione could feel the heat rise to her cheeks and decided that it was better to tell him now rather than postpone the inevitable, "a stroll would be lovely. Listen...Fred, I've been thinking about it a lot and I think we should talk."
He seemed to interprete her tone completely wrong and Hermione had to painfully watch how his face erupted in a grin instead of falling into folds, "yeah, I'd like to talk to you too!" He said eagerly.
Hermione was just about to open her mouth and tell him that it probably wasn't what he wanted to hear when she was interrupted.
"Weasley!" she heard Oliver exclaim behind her, "good to see you, mate!"
"Wood?" Fred said with furrowed brows looking between Oliver and Hermione with a confused expression.
Oliver handed Hermione a drink which she accepted sheepishly. He grabbed her waist, pulling her close to his side.
It suddenly seemed to dawn on Fred, "Oh!" he spluttered, "Oh! You're back together."
Oliver nodded and pulled Hermione closer, "yeah... She can't get rid of me that easily."
"Great," Fred said with a fake smile, "just...super. Congratulations you two!"
Hermione couldn't look at him.
"Yeah, thanks," Oliver smiled, "where's your date?"
"Yeah.. I'm not seeing anybody," Fred said and took a large gulp of his drink. Hermione could hear a hint of anger in his voice.
"Wow, I've rarely seen you without a bird on your arm - and George isn't even here. I was starting to think you weren't capable of being on your own!" Oliver laughed and gave Fred a hard pad on the back so Fred almost choked on his drink.
Fred sent him an annoyed smile while drying his chin with the back of his hand, "Yeah, no.. I'm highly dependant on him that way," Fred said through gritted teeth. His face was turning red now, but he managed to keep his voice calm, "speaking of: I better go see if I can find him."
"Alright mate, good seeing you," Oliver said, "I'll catch you later."
"Right," Fred nodded and stormed off without sparing Hermione a glance.
They both looked at Fred walking away with balled up fists pushing a few people to the side to clear his path.
"Wow!" Oliver said, "he still has a beater's temper.. Do you have any idea what all that was about?"
Hermione sighed, "actually, yeah...Can we go somewhere private?"
"Private?" he asked her with a puzzled expression, "why?"
"I need to tell you something..."
It suddenly seemed to dawn on Oliver, "hold up - you weren't dating him...were you?"
"Let's just go somewhere private," she said and turned around before he could ask more questions. She didn't stop walking until they had reached Ron's bathroom. Hermione sat down on the edge of the bathtub as Oliver locked the door behind them.
"What do you need to tell me?" Oliver said and took a deep breath, bracing himself for the worst.
"Sit down," Hermione said.
He remained standing, "what's going on, Hermione?"
"Please don't take this the wrong way.." she sighed, "but the night before Christmas, I kind of slept with Fred."
"You did what?" his normal soft expression had turned to anger, "You kind of slept with him? What does that even mean?" Oliver said, frustrated, "Either you did or you didn't! What is it?"
"I did.." Hermione said in a small voice.
Oliver threw up his arms in frustration, "I don't bloody believe you, Hermione! And with Fred Weasley of all people? You realise that he shags just about anything with a pulse, right?" Hermione didn't answer him. In fact, she was a bit offended by his words. After all, she knew Fred much better than he did.
Oliver went to the window sill to look out the window, "My girlfriend...slept...with one of my mates... with Fred Weasley.." he muttered to himself before he fell quiet for a few seconds. Suddenly, he turned towards her with a pained expression, "with Fred fucking Weasley?"
"Oliver, I'm sorry," Hermione cried out. A knot of guilt forming in her stomach. "But I was heartbroken and I didn't know that you and I would reconcile the very next morning. It meant nothing to me, okay?"
"Yeah, but it clearly meant something to him," Oliver muttered.
"Don't take his feelings out on me. I did nothing wrong. You and I were broken up. You broke up."
"I know, I know.." Oliver had started pacing , "I'm just in shock. That's all. I know you had every right to do it."
Hermione stood up from the bathtub and hugged him, "Olli, it meant nothing to me. It was just a drunken shag, okay?"
"Okay," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I'm just in a state of shock.." he muttered.
"It meant nothing. I promise.." she said even though she hadn't exactly convinced herself yet.
"I need a drink," he muttered and opened the door to the rest of the party.
Hermione followed him out the bathroom. She felt like the biggest twat on the planet.
Oliver didn't speak to her until he had gulped down three gin and tonics. She didn't know what to say to him but had remained by his side.
"It's not that I don't trust you," he finally muttered to her between gin and tonic number three and four.
"I know," she said softly, "but try and look at it from my point of view.."
He nodded, "I know I shouldn't be so upset with you. You had every right to sleep with whomever you wanted. I just need to know...where there any others?" he looked at her with a pained expression.
"No. I promise. He was the only one."
"Good," he said and took a sip of his drink, "do you see him often?"
"Sometimes at the Burrow. Will that be a problem?"
"Of course not.." Oliver said, "if you say it was a one time thing, the least I can do is trust you."
"Good," Hermione said, "we should go find Ginny and tell her about our reconciliation - don't you think?" she smiled up at him as genuinely as she could given the situation.
"Let's do that," he said and squeezed her hand.
Hermione scanned the room for her but instead found Fred talking with Lee Jordan.
"Is it okay if I go check up on Fred?" Hermione asked him, "I feel like I lead him on.."
"Of course, love" Oliver said and pecked her cheek, "I'll go talk to Alicia."
Hermione walked over to Fred with heavy foot steps.
"..I know! And the way he just took the Quaffle and threw it in McArthur's face! You should have seen it, mate," Lee said and made Fred roar with laughter.
Hermione cleared her throat, "Sorry to interrupt," she said and saw how Fred's smile faded as he looked up at her.
"Can I talk to you Fred?"
"Yeah, yeah.." Fred said and stood up from the sofa, "I'll talk to you later, Lee."
Hermione sent Lee an apologetic smile and led Fred to a quiet corner of the room.
"How are you?" Hermione asked him.
"I'm fine, Hermione," he sighed, "what do you want?"
"I came to apologise."
"For what? For getting back together with Wood?"
"For leading you on.."
"You didn't lead me on, Hermione," he scoffed, "I just managed to live up to your impression of me; I'm just some 'hit it and quit it'-kind of guy, right?" He repeated her words from their stroll, "That's how you see me, yeah?"
"Fred..." Hermione tried.
"It's fine, Hermione, really. No need to apologise. You said that we should just do it and then see what happened. I was perfectly aware that it could end up as a one-time thing only."
"I still feel really bad.."
"Listen, Hermione, I'm not going to stand here and pretend that seeing you with Wood today didn't hurt like fucking hell. You could have owled me or something. But what's done is done and I'm honestly just glad to see that it worked out how you wanted it to in the end - and even though he's never been my biggest fan, he's a good bloke."
Hermione felt her stomach drop, "Are we good?" she said with a small voice.
"Of course, Hermione.. I'll talk to you later, okay?" He started walking away from her.
"When will I see you again?" she called after him.
Fred shrugged, "I have no idea."
"I don't want to wait another six months.. Could we maybe do something...just you and I? Go out to eat or something?"
"I don't think it's such a good idea, Hermione."
"Why not?"
"Imagine what Wood would say.."
"He doesn't mind - he trusts me."
"I still don't think it's a good idea.."
"Please?" Hermione pleaded, "I'd like for us to be friends again.."
Fred sighed, "Okay, sure... whatever you want.."
"Thursday?" Hermione smiled at him.
"Alright," Fred smiled a little, "god, you're insufferable."
Hermione laughed, "I'll come by your shop at seven, okay?"
Fred nodded, "yeah, that's fine," he said and started walking away from her again, "Hey - Hermione?" he turned around and called.
"Yeah?" Hermione said, scared that he might back out already.
"You're buying!"