Waking up to a Weasley

A/N: Sorry for the delay, I got caught up in Pottermania as most of you might have! And if you have finished Deathly Hallows all I want to ask Ms Rowling is WHY? I cried and cried. Even just seeing the name makes me emotional, because well part of the character was in me! It's like I've kind of died in some way. All I can say is GO MRS. WEASLEY! For her fight with that Death Eater after the comment she dared make. I read somewhere that you can have soul-bonded with a character, and I must've soul-bonded with the character (not mentioning the name incase you haven't finished – if you haven't…HURRY UP!). Though the next comment might make it blatantly obvious – sorry! This fic has to be now AU…so sad; never could I have foreseen the day this happened. This fic will now be in memory of that character, and I will do my best to make it a brilliant fic, but I'll need you guys to help!! Sorry for the long A/N!! The quote is for the character, it's actually more of a saying.

Disclaimer: its all J. K. Rowlings. Loved Deathly Hallows, but am still reeling over the loss of my favourite character.

Quote: "You'll get over it…" It's the clichés that cause the trouble. To lose someone you love is to alter your life forever. You don't get over it because 'it' is the person you loved. The pain stops, there are new people, but the gap never closes. How could it? The particularness of someone who mattered enough to grieve over is not erased by anyone but death. This hole in my heart is in the shape of you and no one else can fit it. Why would I want them to? – Unknown.

Hermione rose from bed the following morning at ten. It was Thursday and she had no work anymore so put on her slippers and padded downstairs into her kitchen.

"Morning Hermsy" Fred greeted her from a counter on which he was sitting.

"Fred? Why are you in my kitchen?" Hermione asked cautiously, peering around the door frame for George.

"I live here now. Or have you forgotten already?" He smirked at her.

"Sorry, just slipped my mind. Got any plans for today?" Hermione inquired as she turned on the kettle to boil for a cup of coffee.

"I've got work. Then I'll probably go and collect my stuff from my old house"

"Oh, well try and have fun at work" She tried to make him feel bad about having to work while she had none.

"I will, I own a joke shop incase you've forgotten!" He taunted with a grin.

Hermione glared at him, "Well, you're late. All shops in Diagon Alley open at nine"

"Like I said, I own the joke shop!" He gave her a look that plainly showed he thought her naïve.

Hermione started muttering under her breath about how she'd made a mistake by letting him live with her.

Fred then laughed and started calling her Kreacher which Hermione didn't take kindly to.

She pulled down a cup from a cupboard and set it on the counter so hard that it smashed.

"Oooh, is it someone's time of the month?" He smirked at her.

"FRED! YOU ARE SO ANNOYING" She shrieked at the red head.

"You're so touchy; it must be your time of the month. Need a pain reliever? We've been inventing a new range for girls!"

She charged at him but before she reached him, he waved, at her and Disapparated.

Breathing heavily, Hermione stalked back to the cup and repaired it with a flick of her wand. Exhaling heavily, her nostrils flaring, she voiced her thoughts.

"How did he know it's my time of the month?"

Hermione heard a gleeful laugh and turned to see Fred standing in the middle of the kitchen, his arms folded, and a huge grin on his face.

"A Weasley always knows! Well most of us Weasleys. Trust me, I had to grow up with a hormonal sister, I know the symptoms!"

"What do you mean, you 'had to grow up'? You'll never grow up you're always going to be a child!"

Cackling madly he Disapparated and did not return, leaving a very red faced Hermione Granger in her kitchen, clutching a cup of steaming coffee.

Two hours and many apparitions later Hermione sat in the living room surrounded by boxes and tins of paint. She picked up a paintbrush and dipped it in to the dark purple paint.

"Here goes nothing" she whispered to herself and started painting.

An hour later Fred apparated into the kitchen, then he heard an "Ooof" coming from the living room. As he entered he saw it happen in slow motion, probably thanks to the years of being a beater had helped with the fact he had developed a slow motion way of viewing of incidents.

Hermione lost her balance and toppled backwards off of the crate she'd been standing on. Fred raced over and caught her round the middle, but lost his balance too and they both crashed onto the floor.

Hermione had somehow turned around during the fall and was lying on Fred's stomach and elbowing him in the ribs as she tried to see who she'd landed on.

"Fred, you're home!" She squealed in surprise.

He chuckled as Hermione rolled off him and on to the floor beside him. "Yeah, I just, dropped in on my break – literally" He said still chuckling.

"I was just . . . painting" Hermione gestured lamely up at the wall that was now purple whereas hours before it had been white.

"I can see that"

"Do you like purple and cream for in here?"

Fred, still lying on his back gazed up at the wall, "Yup, I'm okay with that. But I'm guessing that even if I wasn't you'd do it anyway?"

"Good guess!"

"Gee, I feel so at home here, so welcome. Thanks for your consideration!" He said feigning indignance. He got up and pulled Hermione up. Looking around he nodded appreciatively.

"Nice job"

"Thanks"

"But, you do know there's a spell to do all this, yeah?" Fred pointed out, wondering how Hermione Granger didn't know that spell.

"Yeah I know that! I want to do it the muggle way so I can say, 'Look what I painted!' you get me?"

"I got you! Need any help? I mean I can't do it now but maybe later, I can help you paint?"

"Thanks, that'd be great"

"See ya" He said with a salute.

"Bye"

He Disapparated with a soft pop! Then, just as Hermione picked up the paintbrush, there was a loud CRACK!

"Fred! What-?" Hermione cried as she cast a spell to freeze the paint before it hit the floor.

"Sorry, forgot to get my measurements from my room!" He grinned sheepishly down at Hermione. He was smaller than Ron, but he was still taller than Hermione. Fred was the same build as Charlie, shorter and stockier than Ron and Percy who were thin and lanky.

Hermione had crossed her arms and was tapping her foot impatiently on the wooden flooring. Fred then ran up to his room, got the measurements and then raced back downstairs.

"Got them" He panted.

Hermione chuckled at his antics and conjured a goblet of water for him. He drank it all, winked (Hermione guessed in thanks) and then for the third time that day apparated to work.

Hermione shook her head ruefully before continuing on with the painting.

- - - - - -W-W-W- - - - - -

Hermione barely saw Fred over the next week and a half. Because when she got up he was gone and when she went to bed he was still out. It was the following Saturday and Hermione, who was still doing up the house, decided she'd go visit Ginny. She didn't bother changing, even though she was covered in paint and her hair was an absolute mess, because it was just Ginny, so she Disapparated to The Burrow.

"Hello?" Hermione called out gingerly as she opened the front door. The house was so quiet, it was an eerie quiet.

Hermione was just about to check if the Dark Mark was over the house – Voldemort had been defeated but there were still loads of Death Eaters at large – when she heard a giant roar coming from the kitchen.

Hermione crept over to the kitchen and opened the door and felt her eyes widen at the scene before her: the entire Weasley family plus Romilda were in the crowded kitchen and all of them were cheering. One of the twins spotted Hermione and ran over to her.

"Hey book-head! They're getting married! I mean, I always thought it'd be you but Romilda's great! Can you believe it?"

"Fred, what?"

"I'm George. Didn't you hear? Ron and Romilda – they're engaged!"

Hermione instantly felt faint and light-headed. George watched her wearily, eyeing her before making her sit down.

"George, make the room stop spinning. Make it stop" Hermione whined.

"Uh" George was at a loss towards what to do.

Hermione didn't want to draw any attention to her, so stood up, and stumbled out of the kitchen, into the back garden. She hobbled towards the old tyre swing and sat down on it, breathing deeply.

"Hermione? Are you okay?"

"Yes Ronald, absolutely perfect" She said sarcastically. Ron had obviously seen her leave and followed her out here, "Congratulations" She added.

"So, you, er, heard then?" He asked awkwardly.

"It was kind of hard not to"

He scratched his head, trying to think of what to say.

"Well . . . I've got to get back to Romy-"

"Romy?" Hermione asked in disgust.

"It's short for Romilda. Anyway, bye. Are you sure your-"

"I'm fine Ron, really. Leave!" She insisted. Thankfully he left. All Hermione wanted to do was to go home and curl up and die in her bed.

"Hermsy?" Looking up Hermione saw Fred – she could tell it was Fred because he was dressed differently to his brother – leaning against the back door, a huge smirk on his face. She looked back at the ground.

"Freddie" She replied, with her head between her legs.

"So, you've heard?" She needn't say a word; the look she gave him was enough of an answer. He continued, "I take it they won't be getting much of a wedding present from you then?"

"I'm not going to become bitter over the fact that the guy I've been in love with for eight years is marrying Gryffindors number two slut – he dated the number one slut in sixth year – and she's the founder of Magik Mirror the free supplement with the Prophet on Fridays and the daughter of the Minister for Magic, if that's what you think" She said in one breath.

"Well, great thing you don't hold grudges then, eh? Oh, wait, you do hold grudges! I'll never forget those scars your birds gave him!" He said with a dreamy look on his face.

"Can you leave me alone please, I don't feel to well at all and I don't think I'll be able to apparate. Can I borrow some Floo powder?"

"No" Fred replied, suddenly serious.

"Why not" Hermione sulked and pouted her lips – a thing she rarely did!

"Because you'd be in a right bloody state when you get home plus you'd more than likely vomit all over the new floor"

"So what'll I do?" Hermione now couldn't see very clearly, everything was a blur, and her stomach didn't feel so good either.

Fred strode over to the swing and picked Hermione up with both hands and walked back in the door, not even bothering to stop her head hitting the door frame. He then carried a now, near unconscious Hermione up to his old room. He laid her on his old bed and pulled off her t-shirt – it was clung to her with sweat - he tried not to notice the figure on his brothers' best friend. She sleepily pulled the big jersey over her head that he'd just handed her. He then pulled back the blankets and she fell onto the bed. Fred pulled off her track bottoms aswell, determinedly looking at the headboard.

"Thanks" She muttered as he tucked her in.

"Sweet dreams Hermsy" He whispered into her ear as her eyes drooped closed and she entered the realm of sleep.

- - - - - -W-W-W- - - - - -

Hermione opened one bleary eye and knew she wasn't in her own room at home in Cornwall. She was in somebody's room, but didn't now whose. The walls were black in one half and blue in the other. Her side was the blue side. The entire wall space was covered in Posters of bands Hermione didn't recognise except for the shrine to the Weird Sisters. Looking at the duvet she was wrapped in, she noted it was white. The other duvet on the unoccupied bed was green. It was a totally mismatched room.

The door opened and George Weasley entered, carrying an empty breakfast tray.

"Morning Granger! Sleep well?" He smirked.

"Fine actually, no thanks to you George Weasley" She retorted coldly, but with a small smile to show she didn't totally hate him.

"I'm Fred, you know, your new housemate?"

"How do I know you are? How do I know you're not trying to trick me?"

"I'll prove it. Do you remember a few days ago when I offered to do the washing?"

"Yeah"

"And absolutely everything turned out pink!"

"You could've told the 'other twin' that anytime at work"

"I doubt I'd advertise how inept I am at washing clothes!" Fred asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Oh, well sorry for being cold to you. How do I tell you guys apart anyway?"

Fred stretched his t-shirt and pointed at a tiny dot on his chest, Hermione couldn't see it, "You see that Granger?"

"See what?"

He walked over to the bed and pulled out his t-shirt again.

Hermione put her hand up to the tiny mole (that was more like a freckle) and traced it with her index finger. Fred involuntarily shivered and Hermione pulled her hand away, slightly pink in the face.

"Want some breakfast?" He asked, breaking the tense silence.

"I'd love some but your trays empty, plus, I really need to get up"

Hermione pulled back the duvet and flung her legs over the side of the bed. Only then did she notice she was not wearing her grey trackend and lemon top that she'd had on the previous day. Instead, in its place was a huge Ireland Quidditch jersey.

"From the world cup" Fred quipped.

"Did I change into this last night?"

"Yeah, I might've helped though" He replied slyly.

"WHAT?"

"Sheesh! You're definitely trying to burst my eardrums!"

"DID YOU CHANGE ME?"

Fred didn't reply but grinned and left the room. He closed the door and gave an evil laugh – a Weasley twin laugh, leaving a seething Hermione in his old bedroom.

"Morning Hermione, dear. Did you sleep well? Fred told me you were a bit unwell" Mrs. Weasley said as she hugged Hermione tightly.

"I'm fine now, thanks" Hermione, now dressed in what she'd had on yesterday, said as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"Have you heard? Ron and Romilda they're-"

"Engaged, I know"

"Isn't it wonderful?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she served Hermione a plate of eggs and bacon.

"Fantastic" Hermione said dryly.

"Yes it is. You know, I always thought it'd be you becoming a Weasley, but we're all wrong sometimes aren't we? Eat up, you're looking a bit peaky"

Hermione, all of a sudden wasn't hungry, so she played with her food, Ginny came into the kitchen bickering with Charlie.

"Ireland has no chance without O'Brien" The latter was saying.

"But if they transferred in Kavanagh, they're chances would totally improve" She said heatedly.

"Except transfer periods over"

"What are you-" Hermione started to ask.

"Quidditch" They answered simultaneously.

"Oh" Hermione returned to playing with her food as the two Weasleys continued on with their conversation, now changing the subject to Bulgaria. Then, the one thing that could make Hermione feel even worse happened. Romilda entered the kitchen, wearing one of Rons t-shirts; the same one Hermione had once worn on a morning very much like this one.

"Morning Ginny, Charlie, Molly" She said, her hair swinging behind her up in a ponytail, "Oh, and Hermione" she added with a sneer only Hermione saw.

"Morning love" Mrs. Weasley answered. Romilda sat down opposite Charlie and Ginny. Mrs Weasley, then went out to the back garden

"What are you guys talking about?" She inquired.

"Quidditch" Ginny answered before her brother could even register what was being asked.

"You're talking about Bulgaria?" She asked. Charlie nodded, "I think they should get rid of Krum and get Dugger to play Seeker. They should also so their old formation, the whole Wronski Feint thing isn't working anymore" She said importantly, but when she mentioned Krum and how he wasn't that good anymore, she glanced at Hermione, hoping to make her angry. Hermione wasn't though, she still wrote to Viktor, but he was just a good friend.

"Exactly" Charlie readily agreed.

They then proceeded to talk about the rest of Bulgaria's problems, which apparently, was a lot, Hermione was forgotten. So she got up and started emptying her ruined breakfast in to the bin when the twins came in.

"Fred! George! Romilda's just solved Bulgaria's problem with Krum"

"Really?" They then pulled up a chair each and joined the conversation. Hermione swiftly left and once she was in the hallway, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Hermione, hey"

Turning Hermione saw it was Romilda.

"Hi Romilda"

"Did you hear?"

"Uh, huh – congratulations"

Before Hermione could blink, a hand was blocking her line of vision.

"Do you like it? Its ten carat gold" Romilda said of her ring, it was huge.

"It's lovely. Really" Hermione lied. It looked tacky and cheap, obviously something Romilda had chosen. She turned to leave but before she could take more than two steps, Romilda had pinned her against the wall.

"Get over him. He loves me, not you. He's marrying me, not you" She snarled.

"You don't think I know that? It's been over between us for seven months now. I think you're a bit paranoid"

"Yeah, but you can't get over him, can you?" Romilda accused Hermione.

"Let go of me, I'd like to leave" Hermione muttered knowing, that Romilda had touched a nerve with what she'd said.

"Ha!" She said triumphantly, "I knew it! You actually believe that he's going to leave me and return to you?"

Hermione got a sudden surge of Gryffindor bravery and courage.

"I know exactly where he got you your ring, or should I say, won it. There's a small muggle arcade down the side street by the Leaky Cauldron. There's this machine that helps you pick things up in a box, and your ring is one of the prizes, it costs one pound to play which means your 'precious' ring is only worth one pound and I hope it turns your finger green you whore!" Hermione spat at her, pulling herself free of Romilda's grasp.

Romilda turned a puce colour, "You're lying", she nearly shouted.

"You think so?" Hermione smirked.

"I'm gonna kill you"

Hermione gave a harsh laugh, "Voldemort failed to kill me, and you think you'll be able to?"

"You bitch!" Romilda raised her hand and made to slap Hermione, who shut her eyes, waiting for the impact and getting ready to strike back, though her bravado was starting to falter, she didn't know if she could stand much longer. She'd love nothing more than to go home and collapse onto her bed.

"What are you doing?" A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts

"Ronny! I was just showing 'Mione, here, my engagement ring. I had to put it into the light, to get its full effect though" Romilda lied instantly, dropping her hand. Hermione opened her eyes and saw Ron at the foot of the stairs; he looked freshly showered, and was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. His hair was still a bit damp and he smelled delicious. He looked past Romilda, straight at Hermione.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his features covered in concern.

"Fine" Hermione managed, trying not to breathe in his wonderful scent, afraid in case she might just faint.

"Come on Ronny, Molly's gonna make breakfast for us" Romilda said sweetly, tugging on his arm and pulling him towards the kitchen. Ron let her drag him away but kept his eyes on Hermione until the kitchen door swung shut, once the door closed Hermione apparated back home to Cornwall.

She undressed as she filled the bathtub in her newly refurbished main bathroom. Minutes later Hermione was in the bath that was now filled with bubbles. She muttered a spell and flicked her wand and she lit the candles around the bath and just lay there, listening to the rain outside. Hammer against the window panes.

After nearly an hour in there, she got out, nearly shrivelled to a prune She changed into her favourite pyjamas, a Gryffindor lion on a red shirt and gold trousers, and she climbed onto her window seat in the bay window in her room, staring out at the turbulent sea, getting wrapped up in its ferociousness.

Her room was painted a chocolate brown colour. Then her bed spread was turquoise – her favourite colour. The window seat was turquoise aswell, but it had pink and turquoise checked cushions all around it. A pine floor and dressers filled the room, but the paintings and pictures around the room finished it. There was one above her bed, of Harry, Ron and herself, they'd gotten it done in their last Christmas at Hogwarts, one each. But, Hermione thought, Rons has probably been 'accidentally' burned by Romilda.

She sat there for hours. Hermione heard Fred come into the house. He watched TV for awhile, Hermione had taught him how to use it on his third day, but didn't hear him enter her room, she was, once again, after being mesmerised by the sea and its motions.

"Granger, you okay?"

Hermione didn't hear him.

"Hello? Earth to Hermione!"

"Fred! What are you doing in here?" Hermione yelped in surprise.

"I came up to check if you wanted any dinner. Do you?"

"No thanks"

"You've got to eat. I know you didn't have any breakfast and nothing was touched downstairs, so you haven't eaten here either"

"I'm not hungry" She retorted defiantly, then, betraying itself, her stomach gave a loud rumble.

Fred smirked, "Okay, whatever you say"

He turned to leave-

"WAIT! Maybe, I am…a little hungry" Hermione said looking at her feet.

Fred grinned and Hermione, despite her mood gave him a small smile. She put on her slippers and followed him downstairs.

"So, what do you want to eat?" He asked once in the kitchen.

"Er…what do you want to eat?"

"I could murder a peetza" He said licking his lips.

"Fred, I think you mean, pizza"

"That's what I said, peetza!"

"Okay, Peetza it is!" Hermione smiled.

"Granger, we don't have peetza!" He pouted.

"Hold your horses"

"My what?" He asked indignantly.

"Horses" Hermione replied absent mindedly as she turned on the computer her parents had let her take from their house.

"Why would I want to mind horses? I don't have any horses"

"It's a muggle saying"

"A saying about what? Horses?" He scoffed.

"It means – slow down"

"Oh, well, why don't muggles just say 'Slow down' instead?"

"I don't know"

"Why can't they say, Hold your brooms?"

"Yeah, because every muggle has a broom, come on Fred, I thought you were smart!"

"You did?" He asked, surprised.

"Yup"

"But you always gave out to us in school-"

"You didn't start Weasleys Wizard Wheezes out of having dung for brains did you?"

Fred was stunned, he never thought in his entire lifetime he'd hear Hermione Jane Granger praising him and his brother, though, technically, she never mentioned George, so she really was praising him.

Hermione was now logging onto WWWD – Wizarding Wide World Delivery. She ordered pizza dough, tomato purée, cheese, pepperoni, and on Fred's behalf, olives and artichokes. Seconds later the doorbell rang. Fred, totally puzzled, went and answered it. He came back in a minute later, carrying a small bag bearing the WWWD logo on it.

"Foods here" He said loudly, then he laid everything out on a countertop.

"What do we do now Hermsy?"

"We make peetza Freddie, we make peetza" Hermione replied simply.

The next thirty minutes were spent mostly laughing. Hermione soon realised Fred was no cook. His 'peetza' got stuck to the ceiling twice and had had to be remade. When everything was cooked they sat down at the kitchen table.

"So", Fred said as he admired his peetza, "What's the deal with you and Romilda? Her and Ron were having an argument this morning, went on for ages and then she huffed out upstairs. Then Mom made Ron go apologise though he really didn't want to"

"What deal? There's no deal" Hermione said weakly, ignoring the cheering that was going on in her head that they'd had an argument.

"Sure, and I'm not a Weasley"

"That makes no sense whatsoever" Hermione said shaking her head.

"Maybe to you and the sane man, you see, to the sane man it's totally insane, but to the insane man, it's totally sane"

"What about the women?"

"Huh?"

"You said 'the sane man' what about the women?"

"It's only a saying!" He said, mocking Hermione from before. He then bit into his olive, artichoke and pepperoni and cheese peetza. There was a comfortable silence between the two, maybe for five minutes.

"I guess I'd just not come to terms with him dating her, and now they're engaged. It's all after happening so"

"Do NOT say fast. You guys were over for four months before he met Romilda. So, I think your problem is that you haven't had a rebound guy" He said knowledgably.

"A what guy?"

"A rebound guy, you know, to get you over Ron, or as he's now to be known as - Ronny!" He said with an evil smirk.

They cleaned up and then moved into the sitting room chatting away about everything and anything. Then Hermione suggested watching a move. Fred readily agreed, he was in love with the TV set. Hermione put on Anastasia, an animated movie that was one of her favourites. Fred was not impressed.

"What's it about?"

"Its about this Princess - Anastasia. She's lost her memory and all she has is a necklace that says 'Together in Paris'. So she finds Pooka – a dog. And they both set off for St. Petersburg, it's set in Russia. There she finds Dimitri, a crook who's trying to find fake Anastasias, bring them to Paris and claim the reward money her grandmother is giving, and Vlad, his accomplice. But there's an evil guy and you're just gonna have to watch it" Hermione finished.

It turned out that Fred loved the film. He helped Hermione upstairs and under her covers.

"Night Granger"

"Fred?" She called out sleepily.

"Yes?"

"Will you be my rebound guy? To get me over Ron? Please?"

He chuckled softly, "No Granger, I don't want to be your rebound guy"

It occurred to him, while he was lying on his bed, trying to get to sleep, that in a way, Hermione was like Anastasia, trying to find happiness in the unknown, how she'd taken in an abandoned animal, how they both had to fight an evil guy. She'd confessed to wanting to be a princess, and wear a gown and tiara like in the film. But she didn't have her Dimitri. Sure she had Harry and Ron, who'd do anything for her but she wanted someone who'd do anything for her, but who'd love her too. Could she find her Dimitri?

Fred fell into a weird dream…where his name was Dimitri, but when he woke up at three in the morning he'd forgotten it, and turned over and fell back to sleep.

A/N: I hope this is okay and that you like it! Once again, sorry for the delay. Next chapter is her date with Dean! I'd like to thank all my reviewers kalian-blue, H Toones, SnarkyGirl91, MaskOfComedy, ThiefMaiden, Yzak Lover Extraordinaire, Zille, Trix are for kids, Alyssa Lew and SecretThought. Thank you all so so so much.

SnarkyGirl: Dean is here so that Hermione can date and Fred can realise he likes her!!

Zille: I am absolutley devastated, my A/N probably explains it all. Thank you, it was your comment that inspired me to keep going I thought no one would want a Mioned now because we know the ending. Thanks.

Love Always, FirebolT-PheoniX,

X x O x X

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