Chapter Ten

The three met up the next morning on Diagon Alley. "Got everything?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded. "Even got Professor Flitwick to review the spell and make a few improvements. Your part done?"

"Yeah. I sent Hermione an owl last night saying I needed to meet with her at the Leaky Cauldron at the time you said. I told her it was urgent. I'm sure she'll show."

Ginny smiled at Ron. "Thanks for helping."

"Are you kidding?" Ron rubbed his hands together. "Wouldn't miss this for the world."

They synchronized their watches and split up. Harry took off for the Leaky Cauldron and Ginny situated herself on the street so she had a clear view of the front of the shop. Ron gave her a thumbs up and then entered the store.

Fred looked up from the counter. "Ronald! To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Ron launched into the cover story they had developed the night before. "I need your help, Fred. I was in here with Padma the other day and she was quite taken with one of the items in your WonderWitch line. I was going to pop back in and buy it for her as a treat but, dunderhead that I am, I can't remember what she wanted. Can you help?"

Fred gave him a dubious look. "How am I supposed to know what your girlfriend fancies?"

Ron put on his best puppy dog eyes. "Please! If you go over them with me it might jog my memory. Come on. I'm your brother."

Fred looked unconvinced. Ron pulled out his wallet. "And I have money."

Fred's countenance changed as he hopped out from behind the counter. "Always willing to help a paying customer! Step this way Ronald and I will walk you through the new line, specially created for the modern witch."

As they passed by the front window Ron discreetly turned one of the display boxes sideways, signaling Ginny that the coast was clear. She snuck in the front door, silencing the bell with her wand. She took a quick glance around then sprinted noiselessly up the steps.

A few minutes passed. Suddenly there was a loud BOOM and the store began to fill with a thick, purple smoke.

Fred began to cough, "What the…?!"

Ron covered his face with his shirt. "Looks like it's coming from your flat!"

Fred charged up the stairs with Ron close behind. They reached the door and Fred ran inside to see Ginny calmly standing next to an open window, waving her wand in slow circles, causing just enough of a breeze to begin clearing the smoke from the room.

Fred stared in disbelief. "Ginny! What…?"

Ginny ignored him and continued removing the smoke.

Fred looked back at his brother, who was now standing in the doorway, effectively blocking that exit. Ron shrugged.

"What the hell is going on?! What are you two doing?!"

Ron folded his arms, leaned against the door frame and grinned. "We're doing you a favor, mate."

Fred looked dumbstruck. "By burning down the bloody store?!"

Ginny called across the room to Ron. "Time?"

Ron checked his watch and nodded. There was a loud crack and suddenly Harry apparated into the room, Hermione in tow.

"…Potter! What are you doing?!" she was shouting. She spun around, trying to determine where she was. Harry released her arm and walked over to stand next to Ron.

Hermione caught sight of Fred. "Fred! What is this all about?"

Fred seemed just as confused as she was. "Hell if I know! One minute I'm downstairs and the next my family are trying to burn the place down!"

"Right then." Ginny crossed over to the table and depositing an envelope with Hermione's name on it. "All you need to know is in there. Come see us when you get yourselves sorted."

With that she joined Harry and Ron by the door. The trio grabbed hands and with a "Ta!" from Ginny they apparated out.

As soon as they had left, three things happened in quick succession.

The door to the flat slammed shut and the sound of heavy locks could be heard engaging. Every window closed firmly and shutters materialized to seal them. The fireplace with the connection to the Floo network was suddenly bricked shut.

Fred stood dumbstruck. "What is going on?!"

Hermione opened the envelope that had been left for her and scanned the contents. She let out an indignant huff, rolled her eyes and began to read aloud:

"'Dear Hermione. You aren't the only one who knows where the library is located. The flat is now enchanted and neither of you will be able to leave until you have an honest conversation about your present situation.' "

"Oh please." Fred snorted. He pulled out his wand and cast a spell at the door.

"Wait!" cried Hermione.

It was too late. The spell rebounded and hit Fred square in the chest, knocking him back hard onto the sofa. Hermione ran to his side. "Fred! You okay?"

Fred was doubled over, trying to catch his breath. "Yeah. Just got the wind knocked out of me. What happened?"

Hermione sat on the opposite end of the sofa, holding up the note. "You didn't let me finish." She cleared her throat and continued.

"'P.S. Don't even try to counteract the spell. I had Professor Flitwick check my work. Love, Ginny."

Fred winced as he sat up. "Bloody Flit. Miserable little goblin."

They sat for a while in uncomfortable silence, deliberately not looking at each other. Finally, Fred spoke. "So – honesty then."

"Apparently," said Hermione, staring at one of the Quidditch posters on the wall.

"Right. Okay." With forced nonchalance he proceeded. "So…How've you been?"

"Fine. You?"

"Fine."

Both looked at the door which remained stubbornly closed. Apparently this strategy wasn't working. Fred tried again. "School?"

"Good. Shop?"

"Great."

They glanced at the other exits. Still nothing.

They sat a while longer. Hermione finally rose and began to walk slowly around the room in an exaggerated show of indifference. In a tone meant to sound like she couldn't possibly care less about the answer, she casually asked, "Sleeping well?"

Fred leaned back and seemed to find something of great interest in regards to a stain on the arm of the sofa. "No problems." He glanced over at her. "You?"

Hermione shrugged. "Glad to hear that Angelina is helping you with that now."

Fred looked confused. "Angelina?"

Hermione continued to avoid looking at him. "Yes. I am sure that her services as a security blanket are more than satisfactory."

Fred's expression indicated that he was now having great difficulty tracking the conversation. "Security blanket?"

Hermione made a show of inspecting the dust collecting on the mantle clock. "You know – a security blanket. An item that a person uses when they can't sleep or needs help coping with a difficult situation. The kind of thing that they quickly outgrow or replace. Old ones usually end up in the rubbish bin."

Fred started to put two and two together. He looked at her in astonishment.

"First off, I haven't seen Angelina in ages – not since she stopped by to let me know that she and Lee Jordan were dating and inviting me to party they were having for a bunch of friends from the Quidditch team."

He stood and stepped towards her. "And are you seriously implying that I see you as a piece of cloth?"

Hermione was still avoiding his gaze. "That would certainly seem to be the function I served until recently."

Fred stared at her before turning on his heel and disappearing into the bedroom. He returned a moment later grasping the flannel blanket that they had used when sleeping on the couch in the lab. Fred thrust it in her direction. "Smell it."

Hermione looked at him in utter bewilderment. "W-What?"

"Just smell it."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Really, Fred. I don't see the point in my smelling your unwashed laundry…"

Fred stepped closer and in a distinct, clear voice he repeated, "Smell. It."

Grudgingly Hermione leaned forward and took a tentative sniff. She stopped, glancing up at him. She leaned slightly closer, inhaling more deeply this time, trying to untangle the combination of aromas.

"It smells like…"

"Save you the trouble. It's vanilla, Earl Grey and old books." Fred paused to let that sink in. "In other words - you."

Hermione stood very still. Fred crumpled the flannel and tossed it onto the sofa.

"You see - I can get any kind of blanket I like – even make it smell like you. But it isn't the same. It isn't you. That blanket isn't here out of pity and it won't drive a knife in my heart to see someone else holding it."

It was Hermione's turn to look lost. "P-Pity?"

"Why else would you have stuck around like you did, giving up the Herbology Intensive?"

"What are you on about?"

"I talked to McGonagall. I know you gave up a chance for something really important because you felt 'obligated' to be here. I can't let you do that. I won't be one of your causes. You have far too bright a future in front of you to be wasting your time on a sorry, broken git running a stupid joke shop."

In a flash, Hermione crossed the room and slapped Fred hard across the face.

"Bloody Hell!" Fred exclaimed.

Hermione's eyes flashed in anger. "You listen to me, Fred Weasley! Let's get a few things straight! First off, my declining that Intensive had nothing whatsoever to do with you. I had to tell Professor McGonagall something because I couldn't very well admit that the instructor they choose was incompetent and that I could learn more from Neville in one afternoon than wasting two weeks with that idiot."

She inhaled sharply. "And as for you! You….you are not a "cause". You are perhaps the most remarkable man I have ever met. You are brilliant, handsome and inventive. You have built an incredibly successful business from nothing. You are kind and gentle and thoughtful and brave..."

The words just kept pouring out. "You stood up for what you believed in even when it was dangerous to do so and you fought your way back from a devastating loss. Any woman in the world would count themselves lucky to have you even notice them. So I will thank you to never repeat such rubbish in my presence again!"

Time seemed to freeze as the two stood staring at each other. Neither seemed to know what to say next.

Finally Fred cleared his throat. "Sorry. Not sure I caught all that. Could you start over again with the 'handsome' bit?"

Against every bit of her will, Hermione began to smile. She chuckled softly as a tear streamed down her cheek.

"And perhaps most importantly," she managed to get out, "you made me laugh again when I was fairly certain that I had lost the capacity to do so."

Fred moved towards her but she stepped away. "Which is what makes it hurt all the more to know that it would be you that would end up leaving me." She dropped dejectedly onto the couch.

Fred felt like he had been struck again. He sat beside her, shaking his head. "Come again?"

"Oh please, Fred. Look around!" She gestured at the brightly colored walls and vividly mismatched furniture. "Look at this room and this shop. Fred Weasley loves flash and color and dazzle and fireworks! Boring old Hermione and her books must seem very 'beige' by comparison."

"BORING?! Do you really…" He couldn't even finish the sentence. He turned her so she was looking directly at him. "Boring? Are we talking about the same Hermione Granger? The one that tackled a mountain troll when she was 11 years old? The one that used time travel to free a condemned hippogriff, blasted a man out of Azkaban prison, was the founding member of an army not to mention taking on hordes of death eaters, destroying horcruxes and battling a dark, bloody lord?"

He shook his head. "Luv - If that's boring then spare me excitement, please." He stood and took a couple of steps away from her.

"And you are anything but beige. You are the most dazzling woman I have ever known and if décor is all that is in our way here then…." He raised his wand and with a flick of his wrist the room began to transform. The posters lining the walls transformed into floor to ceiling bookshelves, crammed full of volumes of every shape and size. The furniture transfigured into elegant leather sofas and chairs. A delicate little table with a steaming cup of tea appeared next to her.

"Happy? I'll change the whole place into a book shop if you like."

Hermione shook her head sadly. "Please, Fred. Don't. Put it back the way it was."

With a wave of his wand the room returned to its previous state. "I would never want you to change anything." She bit her lip, blinking back tears. "I just want to know that my heart won't hurt like this again."

Fred seemed to consider something briefly before reaching over and abruptly pulling her off the sofa. He clasped her firmly by the wrist, arms extended, so they were facing each other. He stared at her intently and stated in a clear, deliberate voice, "Hermione Jean Granger. I am prepared, at this very moment, to make an Unbreakable Vow. I am willing to vow that if I ever cause you any sort of pain for the rest of our lives that it will rebound upon me 100 fold."

His eyes remained locked on hers as he took two deep breaths and raised his wand hand.

Hermione broke from his grasp before he could attempt to cast the spell. "Stop!" She reached for his arm and lowered it slowly. "Don't be daft." Then, without thinking, she added, "How would that work out for you when I'm in labor?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes flew open, mortified at the realization of what she had said. She blushed furiously and covered her face, turning away from him in embarrassment.

Fred dissolved into relieved laughter. He spun her around and lifted her off the ground in a warm embrace. "Oh, luv! It would be worth every bit of that for the chance to see a little red headed girl with your eyes terrorizing the halls of Hogwarts."

He set her down gently and buried his face in her hair. "I do have one request."

Hermione pulled back and gazed up at him. "And that is…."

Fred held her face in his hands and looked directly into her eyes. "Promise me that I'll die first."

"Fred – don't even talk about…"

He placed a finger on her lips. "Let me finish. Promise me that I'll die first because I don't think can survive that again. George may have been my other half but you are my heart and I refuse to live for even one day in a world without you in it."

Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly. "We'll have loads of time to discuss the future. I don't intend on going anywhere for a very, very long time."

She leaned back and brushed her fingers across his cheek before running her thumb lightly across his lower lip.
She stood on her tiptoes in order to move her face closer to his and whispered, "The real question is - What now?"

He leaned in and pressed his lips gently against hers. He then pulled back and gave her a questioning look. Her eyes gleamed and she drew him back to her, the kiss deepening this time. They finally broke for air and he wrapped his arms protectively around her, savoring the moment. Her hands caressed his neck and she raised her face towards him once again.

This time, just before their lips met, they both whispered, "I love you."

As soon as those words were spoken the shutters on the windows disappeared, the barrier vanished from the fireplace and the door to the flat unlocked and slowly swung open.

Without breaking the kiss, Fred flicked his wand towards the door, causing it to shut quietly and relock – this time for privacy.