"I'm sorry, Aubrey, but I need to get going," Fred said a couple of hours later, "I need to get some sleep; I have shop duty tomorrow morning," he pulled his sister-in-law in for a hug before he waved goodnight to the rest of the booth.

Hermione contemplated going after him but eventually decided against it. If this was how he wanted to play it out, then so be it. This time, she wouldn't force him to do anything.

About an hour later, she was ordering a beer at the bar when George walked up to her.

"You should have gone after him, you know," he said.

"Come on George.." Hermione scoffed, "He's royally pissed at me!"

"No, he's not.."

"Then how come he didn't spare me a single glance all night?"

"Don't be so sure of that. I caught him staring at you on numerous occasions when he thought no one was looking. And he kept fidgeting anxiously with the label on his beer bottle all night."

"But he didn't say a word to me."

"Did you say anything to him?"

"Well, no.."

"You both ought to grow up," George gave out a sigh before he took out a small wooden coin from his wallet. It had WWW inscriped in gold on the backside, "take this and go to his place. It will ward off any of the anti-apparition spells that he has put on the place."

"George," Hermione sighed, "he finally seems to be doing well. I don't want to ruin that."

George rolled his eyes at her in a very Fred-like manner, "so just because he's started working out instead of wanking off, you think he's doing well? I'm telling you; go talk to him! For my sake! I can't stand listening to how much he can bench press when the only thing I'm currently lifting is my 14-pound son"

"Are you sure that he'd even want to talk to me?"

"Positive! He's downright stupid if he doesn't."

Hermione had an inner debate with herself on what she should do. It couldn't get any worse than this, she thought to herself. But then again, she had told herself that before and it had gotten much much worse since then. She had also promised herself that this time she would do things Fred's way. If he needed her to stay away, she would stay away. Yet George, who was the one person who knew Fred better than anyone, was urging her to follow him because he knew what was best for his twin brother.

George eventually broke her stream of consciousness, "Just take the bloody coin before I change my mind and tell him that you wrestled me to the ground for it."

Hesitantly, she took the coin from his hand, "Thank you, George." She said quietly and studied the inscription on the back, "I have no idea what to say to him.."

"Does it really matter?"

"Maybe not.." she breathed.

"Just do it, Granger," George encouraged her.

"Okay," she whispered

"Excuse me? I didn't quite catch that," George pretended he didn't hear her.

"Okay!" She repeated with more determination in her voice, "I'm going to do it!"

She grabbed her jacket before she could regret her decision and ran out into the cold November air. She heard George call out a 'good luck' before she spun on her heel and apparated to Fred's flat.

George's coin had worked impeccably; when she opened her eyes again, she was standing in the stock room of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in front of the staircase leading to Fred's flat.

She walked up the 18 steep steps and took a deep breath before she knocked on the front door.

No answer.

She tried knocking again.

Still no answer.

She knocked a third time and decided that it just wasn't meant to be if he didn't come to the door after three attempts.

Unfortunately, he didn't. Not a single sound could be heard from the other side of the door.

She felt stupid as she climbed down the stairs again, cursing herself for having believed he would actually want to talk to her.

As she reached the floor of the stock room, a glimpse of light caught her eye and she realised that there was a lamp on in the room where her and Fred had been brewing the potion for the day dream charms.

Carefully, she tiptoed to the door that was standing slightly ajar. Fred was standing over a cauldron with his sleeves rolled up and his long hair sticking up in every possible direction, "stupid bloody beetle," he was muttering to himself as he caught a beetle that had escaped from his box of elixir ingredients.

He held the beetle in the palm of his hand and spoke to it, "listen, I don't like it anymore than you do, mate.. But your sacrifice is going to make me a very rich man, so please don't try and escape again, okay? Your days are numbered anyway. Your lifespan is approximately two weeks and I've had you in here since last wednesday. Might as well go out with a bang wouldn't you say? I'll make sure you don't feel a thing." He tapped the beetle with his wand before he dropped it in to the cauldron, "sorry mate.." he muttered under his breath.

Hermione couldn't help herself and cleared her throat before she repeated Fred's words from last Christmas, "Have you finally gone mad? Talking to yourself like that."

Fred gave a startled jump. He calmed as his eyes reached hers, "oh... it's you. I wasn't talking to myself. I was actually talking to my favourite leaf beetle.." he said matter of factly. He didn't sound angry with her.

"You have a favourite leaf beetle?" Hermione joked.

"You don't?" Fred joked back.

Hermione took that as an invitation to step inside, "I thought you had shop duty tomorrow morning."

"I do. I just thought I would finish this potion first. It needs to rest for 14 hours so if I finish it now I can bottle it up tomorrow after work."

"Smart thinking. What are you brewing?"

"Something that goes into a new type of candy for the skiving snack boxes. A piece of gum that makes your teeth fall out."

"That sounds...unpleasant," Hermione laughed. She would never understand how the skiving snack boxes had become the most popular item in the shop.

"Yeah, well..." his voice trailed off, "Hey - how did you get in here?" He asked her, "I thought I had protected the place impeccably since last time you came barging in during the night."

Hermione held up the coin, "George gave it to me," she smiled.

"Of course he did," Fred sighed and shook his head, "always the meddler.."

"Although, he will probably tell you that I wrestled him for it, he did actually just hand it to me," she grinned.

"And you took it?"

"Yes of course."

"So let me get this straight," Fred said, smacking his lips pensively, "you took the coin and decided it would be a great idea to come here in the middle of the night even though I told you that I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore?" Every trace of friendliness that his voice had possessed just a few seconds before was now gone.

The blood in Hermione's veins froze and she could feel the blood drain from her face. He had gone from friendly to hostile in a matter of seconds.

She thought of George's encouraging words back at the Leaky Cauldron and suddenly couldn't help but wonder if this was George's way of low key taking revenge on her for breaking his best friend's heart. But then she remembered that George was sensible and sweet. He would never do that to her. Or to anyone for that matter. Fred might, Hermione thought to herself although she knew he would never do that to anyone he cared for. Finally, she came to the conclusion that George had sent her to Fred's flat because he in all honesty had thought that her and Fred would reconcile. He was clearly wrong.

"You're right," she said, "I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry." She started walking towards the door. She needed to get out of there.

"Wait a minute, Hermione," Fred said behind her and started following her out the room, "you're not getting away that easily."

"I already apologized," she huffed, "What else do you want me to do? It won't happen again, I promise." She was almost at the door now.

"I want to know why you came," he said sincerely.

She turned around, facing Fred who was standing a few feet away from her.

"George talked me into it."

"Come on, Hermione - why did you come here tonight?"

"I don't know," she said, "I honestly don't know what I wanted to gain from this.."

"You do," Fred crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at her. He almost looked as if he was having fun."You definitely do," he repeated and took a few steps closer to her. His scent of pine and gun powder and cloves filled her nostrils in an painfully familiar way. They were standing so close that she could feel the warmth radiating off of him.

She looked up at him without saying anything.

"I know you," Fred said quietly and brushed his long fingers along the length of her arm before he gripped it loosely, "I know how stubborn you are. You would never have come here if you didn't really want to see me despite me having told you not to. So tell me why you're here.."

She tried to look away from him but his grip on her arm tightened slightly, forcing her to look back up at him. He lifted his eyebrows at her, urging her to speak. "Tell me.. tell me honestly..." he whispered.

Hermione gulped, "because I'm in love with you."

"I'm sorry but I didn't quite catch that - did you say that you think you're in love with me?" He teased her.

"This time I'm sure," Hermione whispered.

Fred smirked, "then say it again."

"I'm in love with you," she said, "I am so in love with you that it hurts horribly whevener I think of you. I miss you every day. I think about you all the time - And today," she took a gulp of breath to keep the tears at bay, "and today when I saw you I just wanted to touch you so badly. I wanted to hug you. To feel you in my arms. I wanted to touch your hair, kiss your freckles. I wanted to make a fool of myself just to make you notice me. I am so absolutely in love with you that it hurts every time I think about how you'll never be mine. And I know that it was selfish of me to come here tonight when you explicitly asked me to stay away but I just needed to tell you that I love you and that I'm choosing you. One hundred percent. That's why I'm here. I know I bugged up in the past but if you'll -"

Fred cut her off by caressing her arm, "you don't have to say more.." he said.

She looked up at him with huge eyes.

He took a small step closer to her and started pulling her into his arms, "it's okay, Hermione. I'm not mad at you anymore," he hummed above her, "Gods, I have missed you too," he chuckled.

He brushed one of her curls out of her face and cupped her chin. Slowly, he leaned his face down so their lips were only inches away from eachother.

"I'm going to kiss you now," he whispered, "and this will all be forgotten, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered before she closed her eyes and let his lips meet hers.

His lips burned against hers with such familiarity that it was hard for her to believe that their lips had only met once before. She had been craving this for so long and indulged in how he took control of the kiss. How he took complete control over her.

His lips danced carefully over hers, his tongue moving behind her teeth. His movements quickly went from sweet and suspenseful to desperate and frantic.

Her hands snaked their way up to his flaming red hair while his hands danced all over her body.

"I'm sorry.." she mumbled in between kisses, "I'm so so sorry!"

"Shut up, Hermione," Fred growled before he claimed her lips again and backed Hermione up against the wall behind her. His hand was locked on her jaw, craning her neck upwards. He was leaning into her while rythmically grinding his hips against hers. He was already hard.

Her hands moved from his hair to his chest where she started caressing him with hungry hands. He pulled off the shirt he'd been wearing, revealing his muscular stomach and chest. Her hands ran over his panting chest as he was kissing her neck and nibbling the skin just below her left ear. She threw her head back, enjoying the sensation of his burning lips against her sensitive skin. Fred's fingers found the zipper on her dress and watched how it fell to the floor.

He was looking at her with a flustered face, clearly liking her lace underwear. His long fingers brushed against her hips while he took in the sight of her. His hands went to her backside and he easily picked her up and carried her over to his work station. He sat Hermione down on the edge of the table next to the bubbling cauldron and got down on one knee. She buried her hands in his hair as he kissed her through her pantyhose. She hummed as she felt his breath against the sensitve skin on her inner thighs. He grabbed the thin fabric of the pantyhose and pulled them off her, ripping a large hole in them in the process.

"Fuck, sorry," he groaned and got up on his feet while sending Hermione an apologetic look.

"I don't care," Hermione reassured him as she craned her neck to claim his lips once more.

Her hands opened his belt buckle, and he kicked off the blue slacks that now were lying around his ankles. He discarded his underwear as well and bend his torso over Hermione, forcing her to lie down on the table in front of him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and felt his body heat against her center.

"Fuck me," he whispered, "you should always lie like this; writhing beneath me, desperate for me to touch you."

He took his member and started moving it carefully against her, never completely entering her. His thumb was massaging her but he never touched her where she wanted him to the most.

With a desperate look in her eyes, she writhed underneath his touch as she whispered, "please...please Freddy,"

He sent her a devilish smile and prodded her entrance slightly. She tightened the grip she had around him with her legs, forcing him closer.

He finally decided that he had teased her enough, and thrusted inside of her, causing her to moan in bittersweet agony. He moved slowly inside of her continuing his teasing. She could tell that he was far more desperate than last time they had been together. He was pouring himself into this simple act, each of his careful movements doubling as a way to communicate what he had been through. How much he had thought of this too. No words were necessary. She understood completely as she looked at him. He leaned down to kiss her sweetly before he picked up his pace. Everything she felt for him built up inside of her and she could feel her breathing becoming more and more rapid as every muscle in her body started tensing. She could feel every movement he was making, every touch of his hands along her body.

He ran a hand through his flaming locks to keep it out of his eyes. He looked at her with concentration written on his face. With his lips slightly parted, his breathing became hushed and shallow, a hushed moan escaping him every now and then. Every feeling she had ever felt for Fred exploded inside of her as she came undone under his touch. In between loud moans, she called out his name and pulled him even closer to her.

Fred soon followed, spilling his seed inside her with a roar. He was panting above her, his eyes forced shut and his movements suddenly mechanical.

As his movement had stopped completely, she sat up straight and kissed his freckled shoulder. He pulled out of her and stepped back a few inches to catch his breath. Unsure of what to do or say, they started laughing.

"That was amazing," Hermione finally breathed.

"Yeah.." he panted, "I could procure ten patronuses right now just thinking of you lying here," he laughed, looking her over, "I still can't believe you're here.."

"Me neither," she smiled at him, "I'm sorry about everything."

"I know," he said, licking his lips, "I'm sorry for coming between you and Wood. If it hadn't been for me, you'd still be together and happier than ever."

"Maybe," she said, "but he would never have been able to make me as happy as I am when I'm with you."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Fred, I know that up until now, you didn't even want to see me, but please give me a chance.." she said, raw emotion spilling into every word.

"Hermione," he said and looked into her eyes deeply, "I never wanted to not see you. I only said that because I was angry with you and because I thought you'd be happier with Wood. The night you came to my flat you were so...distressed. And I looked at myself and said 'look at what you did, Freddy. You caused this' and after that realization, I decided to let you go. Honestly the worst night of my life."

Hermione's face flushed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing; he had done it to protect her.

"I know I was distressed at the time but I truly only wanted you. I thought you knew that.."

Fred shrugged, "you had me believe that before."

Hermione got a bad taste in her mouth. She was so ashamed at herself.

Fred laughed, "come on Hermione, don't give me that look. I did believe what you were saying - hell, I had wanted to hear you say those words for so long - but you were also drunk and crying. I couldn't let you make that decision in the state of mind you were in."

Hermione gulped, "are you telling me that if I had handled things differently and hadn't come to you drunk in the middle of the night that things might've gone differently?"

Fred shrugged, "maybe.. but it doesn't matter, love. It all worked out," he smiled at her.

"What about Oliver? You aren't on speaking terms anymore. Not even him and George are talking and they used to be good friends."

"It's hard being mates with the man who's dating the woman you love.." he said with a sad smile, "and George's loyalty will always be with me."

"I don't want to be the type of girl who splits up friendships..."

"I think it's out of your hands, love" Fred said and kissed her, "come on, don't look so sad. I'm sure he also thinks that everything worked out for the best.."

"You're just saying that because it worked out for you," Hermione laughed at him.

"Well, yeah," Fred laughed, "I've never been a patient man, but I've always known that good things come to those who wait for it. And bloody hell; were you worth waiting for!"

"You too," she whispered and kissed him, "I love you."

"I love you too," he answered.