Clothing flew from Hermione's black luggage to various drawers around the small, violet-colored chamber. The Weasley's had placed another cupboard beside Ginny's original set, providing Hermione with just enough room to fit her clothing and other belongings. Currently, said witch was hurling objects around with flicks of her wand, much to the amusement of three particular observers.

"Do you think she realizes she only requested to stay for three weeks?" Harry Potter asked the two redheaded occupants in a whisper.

Too engrossed in the show, the others simply shook their heads in a negative. Finally, Hermione looked up from her work, tucking her wand into the rear pocket of her skirt and nodding her head approvingly. "There we are. Are you positive you don't mind the intrusion, Gin?"

"Bloody Hell, 'Mione," Ginny grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest, "No matter how many times you ask -and I've already counted at least ten-, the answer is an absolute 'yes.' I don't mind at all."

Ron and Harry chuckled as Hermione smiled apologetically, "Ah, but that was before the beginning of my unpacking spree. I'm sure I've brought enough clothes to suit both of us and the two dunderheads that are drooling intelligently over there," she threw a pointed glare at the two men, "for the entire summer. Never mind, three weeks."

"I'm not really sure how they would look in one of your skirts, though," Ginny laughed.

"I would imagine that they would compare, rather amusingly, to a skinny walrus."

"Nice analogy."

"Thank you, Ginny, you're too kind," Hermione said, smiling brightly at her best, female, friend. There weren't many girls that she shared common interests with. After all, she had spent numerous years of her life with only Harry and Ron as her close companions. She didn't really understand what she was missing out on until she had finally started to give a hippogriff's right-wing about her appearance. Then, it all seemed too obvious.

The two boys in question seemed a tad more than offended at the girls' conversation. "You women will do well to remember that we will not stand to have the Mickey teased out of us." Ron's pout clashed with his pitiful excuse of a demanding voice. Harry nodded with a firmer expression on his chiseled face than his friend had managed to scrounge up.

Ginny and Hermione gave each other a raised eyebrow at the boy's supposed authority before bursting into fits of laughter. "Oh Merlin, you two are pathetic," Ginny giggled, shaking her head as Hermione bent over, clutching her sides in hysterics at their annoyed scowls.

Suddenly, two arms were wrapped around each of the girls in iron-like grips, toned from years of Quidditch. Harry threw Hermione over his shoulder and started running down the hall, Ron hot on his heels with Ginny over his shoulder. They both pounded down the many steps towards the first level of the Burrow. Each victim began shouting various threats at their captors; though, Ginny's threats were a tad bit more frightening than Hermione's, simply due the likeness' between her temper and Mrs. Weasley's.

"Stop what you're doing!" Molly's voice shouted as they made their way through the kitchen. Ron and Harry turned to her with sheepish grins. Fred and George looked up from the dinner table to observe the scene with mild interest. Mild only until they caught a pleasurable glance at the object of their current interest's bum.

Harry noticed them staring in his direction a bit more intently than Ron's and looked to his side, only to stop when he found himself staring right at Hermione's bottom. When his face turned bright red, George laughed and elbowed Fred. Both shushed up, however, when their mother threw a heated glare at them from over her shoulder.

Harry pretended to look out of one of the kitchen's windows, allowing him to turn so Hermione's head was now facing Molly and the twins. This had Fred shaking his head with amusement. Molly was staring at the faction of four accusingly, standing akimbo with a wooden spoon pointed at Ron. "Where do you think you're going, Ronald Weasley? What in Merlin's name are you doing with your poor sister and our guest?"

Hermione glowered at the twins, who were still staring even if not as crudely. George finger waved back at her and at least attempted to rip his gaze away from her and to his mum. Fred, to her chagrin, continued to stare at her intensely.

His gaze bore holes into her skin as his eyes darkened, similar to earlier in the living room after her arrival. The original sky blue, with traces of green, became midnight black. Fred's eyes roamed hungrily over her until they stopped and burned into her warm, chocolate eyes. Hermione found herself short of breath and joined Harry in his quest to stare down a crow. In fact, they would probably do anything instead of facing their embarrassment.

Ginny had remained quiet. Every once in a while she would kick Ron or punch his back. Mrs. Weasley continued to stare before unexpectedly pointed a firm arm in the direction of the door, "Finish this funny business away from my kitchen. Lunch will be ready in ten minutes tops. Stay within the area, I won't be looking left, right, center for you all. Hermione, dear, you have my permission to test any hexes you can imagine on these two." She gestured to Harry and Ron with a sharp frown to prove her point.

Hermione and Ginny chuckled quietly as Ron looked affronted, "Now you're bullying us, as well? Me, your own son!"

"Yes, and I've got five more where you came from. Ginny is my only girl," Molly smiled, dismissing Ron's sulk with a flick of her hand. Harry, on the other hand, was one step ahead, already running toward the door with Hermione now joining in his laughter. Ron followed, walking as politely as one can while hauling their dearly beloved sister over their shoulder like Father Christmas' sack.

Once in the fresh air, Harry made his way over to the lake. It wasn't a very long trek, but Hermione's constant struggle had him out of breath by time he reached a precipice that hung above the shore about four meters up. There, he playfully threatened Hermione with the fact that if she didn't apologize for her earlier comments, she would be swimming with the fish. Ginny received the same threats as Ron practically hung her off the edge of the rock.

"Let us go! You idiots are in for it when I get down from here!" Ginny screamed as she struggled in her brother's arms. Ron merely smirked and pretended to drop her, which caused a shriek to break from her throat. "Ronald Weasley, if you do not put me down this instance, I will personally saw off your you-know-what with extremely rusty and incredibly blunt hedge clippers!"

That had Ron jerking her away from the lake and setting her gently on her feet. Then, he proceeded to dust off her jumper and observe her for any injuries. Ginny smiled brightly before punching him in the gut. Ron doubled over in pain.

Just to their right, Harry refused to release Hermione. She, however, refused to struggle. Instead, she decided to test her passive aggressiveness. This caused a stalemate. They had already been at it for five minutes.

"C'mon, Hermione, apologize. "

"No, thank you."

"I'll drop you."

"You will?"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes?" His tone began to become slightly less affirmative and she smiled at the accomplishment. Harry was extremely bright and amazingly brave. Yet, when at the hands of the female intellect, he was as much of a disaster as Neville Longbottom during their Hogwarts years.

With a sigh, Harry finally gave in, releasing Hermione from his grasp and placing her on the ground. He flushed and quickly went to help her with her skirt which had risen up her glorious thighs. "Gods, I'm sorry, 'Mione," he said, his face a deep, bright red again. Weasley red, which in her eyes was an amusing achievement.

"No worries, Scar Head," she teased, laughing as he glared at her. This time, however, he glared playfully. His emerald green eyes flashed behind his round glasses. Harry opened his mouth to retort when a jolt to his shoulder had him flying backwards, plummeting into the chilled lake water below. A shriek was heard above him and the sound of a body hitting the water to his left had him sputtering to the surface and looking around in bewilderment.

Hermione surfaced beside him and muttered a band of colorful curses under her breath. "That little. . ," she started. Harry followed her gaze upwards, only to see Ron waving at them with a broad smile. Ron didn't bother to hide his fits of laughter and Ginny wasn't far behind him. It appeared that not even she could ward off the amusement of the situation.

Harry shook his head, "Thanks, Ron! Bloody wonderful to see you're my ally here!"

"You're very welcome, mate!" the chuckling redhead replied.

"Dimwit," Hermione muttered, "I'll hex him into oblivion . . ."

Harry opened his mouth to join Hermione in her plotting, when Mrs. Weasley's voice called from the house, "Lunch! Hurry your legs, Fred and George will bite your arms off to get their shares first!"

Inside the kitchen, the twins were seated at the table, eyeing the meal with famished eyes. "Someone would think you two were held in Azkaban for years without food," Molly chuckled.

"But, Mum, it's almost as if we were! What's the difference?" George asked dramatically.

"My handsome reflection is correct, Mum. You never cook for us the way you do when there is a potential daughter-in-law staying in the house," Fred chuckled. It was true. Their mum had always figured Ron and Hermione would marry eventually. Even the twins had thought this to be true. Now, however, they hoped it wasn't Ron who got to practice certain marital . . . liberties with her.

"George, you haven't any idea what you're talking about," Molly said, shaking her head in obvious amusement.

"I'm not George!"

"Oh! Heavens, I'm sorry, dear."

"Honestly, woman," the real George said, bowing his head. Hardly anyone could tell his twin apart from himself just by a simple glance. Ginny was the closest to doing so. But, she had to look at their eyes. People who did call them by their correct names, usually just had lucky guesses.

Just then, the side door slammed open. Ron and Ginny entered wearing victorious grins open their faces. Fred raised a curious brow at this, not understanding. Well, not understanding until Harry and Hermione entered a second later, drenched from head to toe. His eyes immediately sprung to Hermione who, in his eyes, was the most beautiful woman he had ever witnessed. Her face held an adorable pout as water dripped off the tip of her nose. It was obvious what had happened.

Harry shook his head like a dog and smiled as Hermione slapped at his shoulder. Ron ruffled Hermione's wet curls, as Ginny laughed at her friends and brother. It was a photo-opportunity like no other . . . If anyone had actually owned a camera, besides the muggle-obsessed Mr. Weasley. Arthur was currently at the Ministry, anyway.

"Harry and Hermione, please, dry off before sitting at the table," Mrs. Weasley asked in a firm, yet somehow loving, tone. It was no hidden fact that she was outstandingly gentler with her guests. And Ginny, of course.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," Harry and Hermione chorused. They smiled at each other as they pulled their wands from their back pockets. Fred felt a jolt in his stomach and his eyes burned in their sockets. He glanced at George who had narrowed his eyes at Potter, as well.

"Jealous, boys?" The voice of their sister whispered in their ears. Both twins jumped and looked at Ginny as if she had three heads.

By the time Ginny finished lecturing them on keeping their relationships with Hermione on a strictly platonic level -in hushed tones, of course-, both guests were dried and taking their seats opposite Fred and George at the table. Hermione looked at each remaining seat and attempted to take the one across from George. Harry, sensing her nerves, laughed and quickly took the chair to himself. This left the flushed witch to sit across from Fred. He was obviously tuned into her dilemma as he eyed her across from his own seat. He smirked, feeling a lovely sense of pleasure well up inside of him at knowing he made her nervous with his mere presence.

Ron was sitting on the opposite side of Hermione. The Golden Trio bands together once more, no matter how many years it has been. The very idea had Hermione smiling back and forth between her two best friends. She couldn't even put into words how glad she was that they were so accepting of her return.

"Well, tuck in! Don't just sit there and let it get cold," Molly commanded, clucking her tongue at them before beginning to pass around the food.

"Everything looks delicious, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said politely, smiling at the woman she had always thought of as a second mother. Molly had been especially caring after her Muggle parents were killed by Death Eaters who were hunting for her, Ron, and Harry.

"Thank you, dear. So . . . Hermione, what have you been up to these past three years?"

Hermione felt the atmosphere become alert around her. Every eye was on her. Molly had asked the exact question that every one of them had been holding in. Hermione looked around at all of them, stopping at Fred who was still looking at her intently. Actually, she was pretty sure he had been eyeing her since she came inside.

"Oh! Well, this and that," she said, before Harry laughed at her evasiveness, "Oh, sod off." She shook her head and nudged him in his rib.

Ron chuckled, "C'mon, Hermione. We want details. Anything!"

Ginny giggled, "Any love interests?"

Hermione blushed at her friend, "Well, there was…"

"Ahha!" Ron shouted, "I knew it."

"Excellent job, mate, now if you would be so kind as to-"

"Shut the bloody hell up," Fred finished his twin's request. He was very curious to know about her love life. He tried to tell himself it was simple inquisitiveness. He wasn't really a girlfriend type of guy, after all. And Hermione was the trophy of all girlfriend types.

George, unlike his twin, was surprised at where this conversation had turned. Sure, Hermione was beautiful. Any guy would think impure thoughts the moment her toned legs and luscious curves were in sight, but he hadn't even had the slightest thought that she was dating someone. The idea of it, at all, had him slightly put off.

Ginny was getting impatient, "So? Who is he?"

"He is no one. Not anymore," Hermione sighed. It surprised her when four other sighs of relief joined hers. She looked up from her plate, where she was playing with her food absently. Three sets of cheeks flushed red under her gaze. The only guy who didn't blush was Fred who was still throwing that heart-wrenching smirk at her. Ginny caught her friend's eye and nodded for her to continue, "Oh! Uh, he was a Muggle. I met him the summer before seventh year."

"What?" Harry interrupted, "You never mentioned you were seeing anyone."

"That's because we weren't dating. We were friends."

"With benefits," Ginny whispered on an amused chuckle. George nearly choked on his pumpkin juice and Fred ducked his head to avoid his mum's harsh, scolding look.

Hermione laughed and, to their surprise, didn't deny it, "What can I say? He was gorgeous." Ginny smiled and Fred glared at Hermione. He could tell she wasn't lying but, still, was only throwing in that extra information for his benefit. Every time she tossed in a tidbit about this mystery man, she would glance in his direction slyly, as if gauging his reaction.

"Anyway, it wasn't until after seventh year that we really did get together. I had been owling him throughout the year, since we didn't go to the same school, obviously."

"How did you explain the owl?" Harry chuckled, imagining a Muggle receiving their post from Hedwig.

"I was reckless and wasn't really thinking about it, too caught up in our relationship. So, I didn't speak about it at all and he didn't ask. Far too many unexplainable things happened around me, apparently. He later said it was part of the attraction. Anyways, when we finally got together I was just about to turn eighteen and Jayden was nineteen. So you can imagine his parents' shock when they figured out our mistake."

Fred narrowed his eyes in confusion, "Mistake?"

"I got pregnant."