Dearest reviewers! Thank you for your lovely reviews, they are much appreciated! But can we please stop damning Fred?! The poor bloke is just a boy in love… or infatuation… hmmm, probably the latter but still! Trust me! You will all get your fluff if you just let Fred live! (Well, it'll happen whether you let him live or not… but anyway)

That was just a little note, as I feel quite attached to Fred in this story, this is just motherly protection. Everyone deserves a little bit of love so cut him some slack.

As always, love and thanks to you all,

Happy reading

Raindrop

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Again, a week past swiftly by since the night that Ron and Hermione had almost kissed. The night that would always be known as "the night they nearly but not quite let their feelings take over their relationship." "That night" in short. Ron and Hermione had been trying, and failing, to hide the fact that something wasn't quite right between them whilst Fred was avoiding both of them at all costs.

George was even beginning to suspect something after his twin had tried to climb out of the bedroom window, the only other exit from their room, to avoid Hermione when she had come to ask George about one of their products. He was worried that Fred was preoccupied and not thinking straight, as he would usually have used any excuse to be able to disapparate from a room. Instead that idea didn't seem to even cross his mind when trying to escape.

Ginny also had a good idea of what was going on, for a sixteen year old she was rather intuitive, not that there weren't enough clues to follow of course. She had been awake when Hermione had returned from her evening venture "that night" and had heard her mutter, 'what am I doing?'

Then next morning both of them had been avoiding each other, not wanting to look one other in the eye. The two of them were making it abundantly clear that they were making at least a five meter gap between them at all times and could barely stand to be in the same room as each other for more that five minutes or so. What had become their regular morning walk had now drifted into non-existence, whilst if they were left in a room alone together one would always make an excuse to get out. Ginny was becoming rather suspicious as to where Hermione had been that evening, probably with Ron, and exactly what had gone on between them.

Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs Weasley were oblivious to anything being wrong with almost half of the household and continued to be blissfully happy over having such a lovely family which to their knowledge was not dysfunctional in any way.

Days went by quickly as avoidance became easier and every teenager in the house seemed to spend more and more time in his or her own room. Before any of them knew it, Bill and Fleur had arrived to make the final wedding preparations.

It was a week before the wedding and the moment they had set foot in the house they had felt that there was something wrong, yet they were unable to put their finger on exactly what it was. It wasn't the kind of atmosphere they wanted at their wedding, as Fleur kept pointing out, and nobody was telling them anything so they decided to do a little investigating for themselves. Bill decided to take the unsubtle approach and have an intense, blunt conversation with George and Ginny.

'Ok, tell all little sister,' Bill said bluntly as he dropped into the chair across from Ginny in a village café, pushing a second mug of hot chocolate across to her and a coffee to George. Back at 'The Burrows' Fleur and Mrs Weasley had cornered Hermione to sort out the final changes to her bridesmaid's dress. It wasn't going to be a nice atmosphere between the bride-to-be and the future mother-in-law so everyone had scattered to their own places as quickly as possible.

Ron was already barricaded in his bedroom and therefore was unaware that he should have got out of the house, Fred had joined his father in the safety of the garage and Bill had offered to take George and Ginny into the village for a while to discuss "issues." This opportunity had been grabbed with both hands by both siblings and ten minutes later they had ended up in a quaint café on the corner.

'I have no idea what you mean, dear brother,' Ginny replied, being the only girl in the family she had a way of manipulating her brothers to meet her needs. Already she had managed to con Bill out of two hot chocolates, a slice of cake and the promise that she wouldn't have to wear a hideous tiara that Fleur had given her for the wedding.

'George?'

'She knows more than I do,' George replied, equally as unhelpful and pointing to Ginny half-heartedly. Bill had been trying to get information out of them for the last fifteen minutes and was being constantly re-buffed. Ginny seemed to be remaining faithful to her best friend whilst George was maintaining the dumb and deluded image.

'Honestly, it's like getting blood out of a stone with you two! Why won't you just tell me what's going on between Fred, Ron and Hermione?'

'Nothing's going on, why do you say that?' Ginny asked innocently, sipping some hot chocolate and raising her eyebrow.

'It's just that me and Fleur felt a strange…' then it hit him, the ideal blackmail, 'If you don't tell me, I'll give Fleur the permission she needs to redecorate your bedrooms for you. Did I ever mention that she's been wanting to decorate them for when her relatives come to stay?'

'There's a good chance Ron and Hermione may have kissed,' Ginny babbled as her resolve broke down before she could stop it. The idea of Fleur being let loose in her private organised chaos filled her with dread.

Bill smiled smugly; he had known they'd break eventually, even if he had had to play dirty and use Fleur against them. However, as Ginny's explanation began to sink in and he thought about the situation, his smile disappeared as suddenly as it had formed. It wasn't possible; they must be lying to him. That excuse left a lot of unanswered questions, 'But how does that affect Fred? Why is there tension if they have kissed? Ron and Hermione have liked each other for years, haven't they?'

Ginny glanced sideways at George, 'there's a good chance Fred also has a crush on Hermione,' he said dubiously.

'And the rest?' Bill wanted all of his questions answered.

'Fred was out of bed the same night as Hermione, there may be tension if Fred walked in on them kissing…'

'… if they kissed,' Ginny pointed out.

'Which would already mean tension on Fred's part,' George continued.

'And the tension between Ron and Hermione?'

'There is a slight chance that both of them are in denial over what happened, if it happened.'

'Why?'

'Because Ron and Hermione are not ones to admit feelings, they think that it would ruin their friendship to get too close,' Ginny explained, exasperated as she thought of how ridiculous the two love-sick teenagers were being.

'How do you know this?'

'Hermione told me and Ron told Harry, then Harry told me and I kissed Harry,' she stated.

'Didn't really need to know that last bit, Gin,' George said as he wrinkled his nose at the thought of it. In response Ginny stuck her tongue out at him, George hit her on the arm playfully and she kicked him in the shin.

'Back to the subject in hand,' Bill interjected impatiently, 'why the tension?'

'Well, if they did kiss then they would be trying to make sure it didn't happen again by keeping their distance…'

'… and if they almost kissed then both of them would be avoiding each other to make sure that it never happened in the first place,' George said, still rubbing at his bruised shin.

'Of course, it doesn't help that mum told both Ron and Fred not to fall for Hermione…'

'… and that Ron was already mad about her, whilst Fred has a tendency to break the rules.'

'Ah,' Bill said bluntly.

'Is that all you can say? "Ah"?' Ginny looked at him sceptically.

'What else is there to say?' Bill took a mouthful of coffee, swallowing he continued, 'I only needed an explanation, I never said I was going to pass judgement or do anything about it.'

'You're useless, are you aware of that?' Ginny sighed.

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