"Why were you singing with Fred?" Ron asked in Flourish and Blotts
"Why wouldn't I be able to?" Hermione replied casually while flicking through the new copy of history of magic
"Because its Fred!"
"So I can sing with George?"
"NO!" Ron snapped and grabbed Hermione's arm. "You can't talk to him! He likes you Hermione!"
"Ow, Ron, get off! So what if he likes me?"
"He'll try and get you!"
"So? I don't quite understand your problem here Ronald!" Hermione snapped and tried to pull away "Its like the Yule Ball all over again! You don't own me Ron! I can do what I like and if I want to speak to Fred I will!" Hermione said shrillily tears threatening to spill over. "You can't control me Ron!"
"No, but I can tell you what I think!" he snapped as she swept out of Flourish and Blotts in tears.
"So yeah, I fancie Hermione, but I can hardly get anywhere near her without Ron throwing a fit, you saw him in the shop when we had to go into groups!"
"Yeah I know, but it was kind of obvious you 2 just made that 3 to a group thing up!" Ginny replied, sipping her tea
"So what if we did? I only did it to at least have a conversation with Mione!"
"Mione?" Harry asked, grinning
"Its my nickname for her..." said Fred going very red, "Stop laughing!" he added when he saw George and Ginny practically wetting themselves
"So, how are you going to get her to like you?" Harry asked
"Oh, guys! How stupid are you?" Ginny laughed "She likes you already Fred! Isn't it the slightest bit obvious?"
"Nope." All 3 boys chorused together
"Ugh, honestly I do wonder whether you all have brains! Fred, take my word for it, she likes you back!"
There was a slam of a door and Hermione walked in, face streaked with tears and looking as if she could have killed someone.
"Ron's still in Flourish and Blotts, I think, not that I particularly care, I'm going back to the burrow as I really don't feel well, I'll see you all at dinner." She said very quickly and turned to go out the door
"Hermione! What's happened?" Ginny got up from the table and asked but she just got a shake of a head before Hermione vanished out the door.
"Ron, I bet!" Ginny sighed and sat back down again, "Honestly she and him fight like cat and dog!"
"More like cat and rat! Remember 3rd year?" Harry laughed
"Oh God, yeah! Crookshanks and Scabbers! Cept then we found out Scabbers was actually a man murderer who'd been sleeping in Ron's bed and it was all okay!" laughed George
"Fred, go after her if you're that worried!" whispered Ginny while George and Harry where laughing
"I'm not worried..."
"Yeah, course you're not, go on!"
Fred sighed and got up "I'm just going to check the shop okay?"
"Yep kool." George said not bothering to look around.
Fred rushed down the stairs and out into the back part of the shop to the fireplace which led to the burrow. "Burrow" he shouted as he stepped in and seconds later he was stepping out of the fireplace in the kitchen of the burrow
"Fred! What a lovely surprise!" his mum cried and hugged him tight "It is Fred isn't it?"
"Honestly, woman, you call yourself my mother?" he laughed "Hermione come through here?" he added trying to be casual
"Yes, she said she felt ill and is in the room she shares with Ginny. Why?" she added suspiciously
"No reason!" Fred laughed awkwardly and headed off to the stairs "Just going to see my old room!" he said and quickly sprinted up the stairs and to the 2nd floor where Ginny's room was. He knocked on the door and was answered with a silence. With a sigh he pushed open the door and inch. Hermione was sitting on her bed, arms around her knees, sniffing.
"Hey..." he whispered and closed the door behind him and went and sat next to her on the bed "What's the matter?" he asked and put his arm around her shoulders.
"Ron" she sniffed, tear falling onto the duvet.
"He's a git, Mione, we all know that!" Fred whispered and wiped away the tear from her cheek "Don't let him get you down!"
Hermione looked up at him and laughed softly, still crying. "I didn't think you were good with this type of thing!"
"Hey! Don't bet on that!"he grinned and grabbed her waist
"Fred!" she giggled and tried to swat him away but he hung on and pulled her onto his lap, hugging her tight, putting his head on her shoulder. Mione looked at him, and suddenly burst into tears, sobbing into Fred's shirt. Fred just sat there, in silence, holding her. After about half an hour of Hermione crying constantly into his shirt, she stopped and looked up at him.
"I am so sorry" she sniffed "You must think I'm a complete idiot!"
"Mione, I could never think you were an idiot, and my shirt needed a wash anyway!" he grinned and she laughed
"Thank you Fred, for everything"
"No worries, but I do have a favour to ask"
"What?"
"Would you like to come to diagon alley with me tomorrow, we can go shopping and go to the ice cream parlour and stuff!"