"You've told Fred. HE's the one who'll react the worst. No one else's opinion even matters." Ginny soothed. Hermione nodded absently. She seemingly had calmed down, until she heard the doorbell go off.
Hermione was pacing in the back room like mad.
Of course it was perfectly normal of her to be going out of her mind. After all, what person wouldn't when they're about to remeet their former boss, and friend whom they haven't spoken to in over three years?
"Will you calm down?" Ginny interupted her freaking out as she walked into the kitchen. Hermione immediately sat on top of the counter like she used to. She picked up an orange and started to toss it between her hands as Ginny eyed her.
But before anything else couldbe said, the doorbell rang, and a few minutes later, George walked in and nodded. Hermione nodded back, before setting down the orange before heading out of the kitchen and towards the sitting room where she knew that Fred, Harry, and Kingsley would be. Once she'd reached the door, she cringed for a moment.
When did this happen? When did she start having mini-panic attacks like this?
"When Karma came back to bit you in the ass." a snide voice, that sounded a lot like Fred, sounded in her head. She shook the thoughts away, before slipping inside the door, catching Harry, in teh middle of a sentence.
"Erm...well, we've got some news for you--"
"Hey," Hermione said softly. Kingsley broke out into an immediate grin when he caught sight of her, and pulled her into a hug.
"How've you been?" he asked. "The American Ministry, still wickedly boring?" She smiled and nodded, before catching sight of Fred's face. Great. Just great.
"Kingsely, I have someone that I want you to meet, but you can't tell anyone. They're in grave danger." Kingsley nodded immediately.
"You have my word." He said. Harry silently slipped out of the room, and a few minutes later, he came back followed by Ginny and George whom were carrying the boys. Hermione saw Kingsley's jaw plummet for a mere second, before it was replaced with a look of nonchalance. The thought made it smile. Out of everyone else, he was the only not to let his surprise be widely known.
"This, is Sirius James Granger." she said, pointing out the child, that was dangling from Ginny's neck, before turning to Remus. This caused her old friend's jaw to drop, and he mouthed wordlessly for a moment. Not something that anyone in the room had been prepared to see.
"I'm touched." he finally said.
"Boys, this is Mr. Kingsely Shacklebolt." Their eyes widened at the sound of his name, but it was Sirius, not Remus whom spoke up.
"Did you steal his name?" he asked sounding shocked. Everyone bit back smiles, as Hermione shook her head.
"No, Remus is named after him." Sirius continued to eye Kingsley for a moment. "Do you guys want slushies?" This of course distracted them and they soon were both begging to get to Hermione. Once they were finally back in the kitchen, everyone sat down in the sitting room that they were in to talk.
"This is all very...odd." Kingsley finally said. "Do you have any clue who this might be?" Everyone shook their heads, before looking over to Hermione.
"Other than the usual suspects? NO idea. I mean, I've put away a lot of people; Death Eaters, and we've broken up new rings of them over there, but I don't go advertising about the boys, because I"m worried about something like this." She could have sworn she heard Fred snort. But she ignored it. She was going to be the bigger person.
"What worries me the most is how they got in here and at Hermione's house; after all it has the Fidelius Charm placed on it." Ginny said in a low voice. Eventually the discussion continued onward until Kingsley had to go. Standing up he gave Hermione a tight hug.
"We've missed you kid. Anytime you want to come back, you're welcome." She smiled at him and nodded. Slowly everyone filed out of the room, in order to walk him to the door, but when it came time for Hermione to walk out as well, it swung shut and locked. She jumped in surprise, before turning around and immediately relaxing when she saw Fred.
But then she realized that she was facing 'angry Fred' and angry Fred was one that had actually intimidated her. But of course, seeing as she was an auror, she wasn't going to let him know that she was intimidated.
"Fred, what's going on?" she asked tiredly.
"We're going to talk." he simply said. "Kingsley knew where you were? This whole time." Great. Precisely what Hermione was so worried about.
"What's your point?" she asked shrugging. "It's not that big of a deal."
"Oh come on Hermione!!" he yelled suddenly, causing her to jump. "Everyone knows where you've been for the past four years except me! Yeah, you're right. It's not that big of a deal!" he added sarcastically. "After all, it's not like we had kids or anything."
"Why are you doing this?" she finally asked. "Why do you have to pick fights over nothing?"
"I don't think this is over nothing." He hissed. "You stole four years from me with the boys; the four most important! The ones where you actually get to see them grow!" Hermione was a bit stunned; really, she hadn't been expecting that. "Yet, everyone seemed to know, but me!"
"That's absurd!" she yelled. "Kingsley was my boss! I had to tell him, because I had to resign! He hasn't seen nor heard from me since I left." Fred grimaced at this point.
"Really?" he growled, "If that's true then why didn't he show an ounce of surprise when we brought the boys in? Please answer me that." Hermione threw up her hands in exasperation.
"Because! He's an auror, he's been through years of training and field work to not show emotion!" she hissed. "God Fred,"
"Oh please, that's a line straight out of a recuiters mouth!" he yelled again stepping towards her.
"It doesn't make it any less true!" She stared open mouthed at him. "Why do you have to be such a jerk all the time?" she finally yelped.
"Same reason you have to be a bitch all of the time." he said smirking. "Don't blame me, I'm not the one who up and ran away Ini." Hermione flinched at the nickname.
"Do not call me that." she hissed. "You know nothing, so don't even think about judging me."
"Really? What, Ini, don't like your nickname anymore?" He hissed back. "As for not knowing anything why don't you enlighten me? After all you haven't even bothered with the truth!"
"Stop it!" she yelled. "God! I shouldn't have to explain what obviously standing right in front of you! It's not my fault that you can't figure it out!" By now, Fred and Hermione were both shouting at the top of their lungs, and standing less than a foot away, and that distance simply kept diminishing.
"You know Hermione, contrary to popular belief, I'm not a mind reader." Fred said sarcastically. He looked down at menacingly as she glared back up at him. It was then that IT happened. Neither could explain what it was exacty. But it happened.
In the next instant, neither knowing who iniated this kiss; but neither wanting to finish it. Hermione's hand grabbed the back of his neck, while Fred's snagged her waist, both dragging the other towards them. Hermione gasped, as the intensity increased, allowing Fred to slip his touge inside her mouth, where he began to roll it, like he knew she loved.
Hermione moaned aloud as this occured, before he slid her out of the jacket she'd been wearing. A moment later and both their shoes and Fred's shirt followed it. Somehow, in the amazingness, they appeared in Fred's bedroom; but they weren't exactly sure how, nor were they concerned in the slightest.
Merlin she'd missed this.
He knew exactly what to do to make her go insane.
Exactly what she loved, and what would make her want more. Much, much, more.
The next morning, Hermione woke up wrapped up in his arms. She sighed in contentment, before realizing how messed up everything was. She couldn't explain what had happened. Other than the fact that for some reason or another they'd felt compelled to sleep with one another, she knew that beyond a doubt, he didn't want a relationship with her.
She fingered the ring that only she could see.
The ring that she would be the only one to ever see, well, at least those living in England would never see...
Knowing that it wouldn't be a good idea to be found here, she quietly stole out of the room, heading straight for her own so that she could shower before getting up for the rest of day.