Fred Weasley flopped onto his bed in the Burrow. Rolling onto his stomach, he buried his face in his pillow. His almost-kiss with Hermione was burned into his memory. He kept rewinding those precious few seconds back in his mind, wondering what would have happened if Ron had just kept quiet for a few more seconds. Fred could tell that Hermione remembered that moment just as well as he did – every time they ran into each other around the castle, she maintained a polite distance from him, making sure they were never alone for too long. Not knowing what else to do, Fred reciprocated these actions. He didn't want to push Hermione into deciding anything. For all he knew, she still had feelings for Ron and their moment in the Room of Requirement had been a fluke. Hermione was younger than him, but Fred knew for a fact that fifteen year olds had hormones. He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. He was getting bloody tired of thinking about Hermione all the time. It was getting to the point where George asking pointed questions about Hermione when they were eating dinner with Mrs. Weasley. Luckily, she had been so irritated with them about starting their joke shop that she missed the innuendos George had launched his way. Fred had lobbed a few jibes about Katie Bell at George, but this had hardly seemed to faze him. Instead, an infuriating grin spread across George's face every time Fred mentioned Katie, which made Fred less keen on mentioning her.

"Brooding about Granger as usual?" George asked as he walked into their bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"I wasn't –"

"Fred, I'm not an idiot. I know what you're like when you fancy a girl. I'm surprised the quiet, sullen phase has gone on for so long. I think Hermione has a good week on Angelina."

"Ron's the sullen one," Fred reminded his twin, turning to face George. George paused for a moment and nodded thoughtfully.

"You're right, Ron's is more sullen than you are," George conceded.

"I'm not sullen! We're the unflappable pranksters of the wizarding world, I can't be sullen," Fred protested, throwing a pillow at George's head.

"Well then," George said, catching the pillow and tucking it under his head. Fred scowled. "You need to get out of this funk and make your move."

"It's not that simple," Fred sighed, "She's been pining after ickle Ronniekins for five years now."

"Fred, you can be really thick," George laughed. "Was I the only one who saw you two in the Room of Requirement? Or have you somehow lost all memory of what happened?"

"What are you talking about?"

"If she still had feelings for Ron, do you think she would have let you kiss her…almost?" George amended.

"Ron might try and murder me if I made a move on Hermione," Fred casually remarked.

"Ron has had five years to admit his feelings for Hermione, and by the pace he's going, I'd say he won't do it until absolutely necessary. Besides, since when has upsetting Ron ever bothered you?"

"True," Fred agreed, stretching out on his bed. In spite of himself Fred asked, "How are things with Katie?" He saw the familiar grin spread across George's face.

"Rather well, actually," George replied. "Very well."

Fred mirrored his grin. "Do tell."

oOoOo

"Did you see where Harry got off to after the meeting?" Ron asked, blearily rubbing his eyes and trying to focus on the text swaying before his eyes. He unconsciously fiddled with the gauze on his right ear. The Stunning Spell that Cho cast a few days ago had actually grazed his ear and left a decent burn.

"N-n-no," Hermione replied, stifling a yawn behind her hand. "He was with Cho last I saw." She wearily struck out some of her sentences in her term paper and corrected them with her wand.

"I can't believe we actually have an exam in Divinations," Ron muttered, reading the same page for the third time. Hermione made a sympathetic sound behind her paper and nodded.

"At least we have the D.A. All of us would have failed the practical section if it wasn't for Harry," Hermione remarked.

"Speaking of, did you see George and Katie?" Ron smirked. "I was wondering when George was going to man up and finally ask her out."

Hermione looked at Ron at little uncomfortably. The memory of their row at the Yule Ball still stung a bit and she couldn't help but remember that Ron hadn't "man"-ed up and asked her to the dance before Viktor. Her mind flashed to another Weasley and she hastily pulled herself back into the present. "Good for them," She replied absently.

"It's about damn time George got going with her," Ron added emphatically, reminding Hermione of Fred once again. Ron shifted a little closer to Hermione as he rearranged the configuration of his notes and textbooks next to her. Hermione flashed back to Fred, his tall frame leaning over her, his face inches from hers –

"This doesn't look right," Ron muttered, turning a chart around in his hands. "That can't be Saturn…"

"You're holding it upside down, Ronald," Hermione sighed, flipping the chart to its correct position. Ron brought his head to the table. Lifting it back up, he began correcting his observations on his piece of parchment with a stony expression. Hermione had an odd look on her face before she said, "Oh, give it here. I've finished studying anyway." Ron handed over his piece of parchment to Hermione who began correcting his work quickly.

"Thanks, Hermione," Ron said weakly. He leaned back to rest his head on the sofa for a few moments before getting back to work. He looked back at Hermione correcting his work and his mouth twitched as though he wanted to say something. Hermione caught him looking at her and she look back with an amused, albeit puzzled, expression.

"Are you having separation anxiety from your homework?" She asked sarcastically.

Ron looked at her for another long moment, his expression unfathomable. Clearing his throat, he said, "No, no. Of course not." Hermione tilted her head at him, confused at his sudden seriousness. "Hermione, listen –". Harry burst into the common room with a dazed expression on his face, interrupting whatever Ron was about to say. Ron looked up, alarmed. "What happened to you?"

"What? Nothing," Harry replied unconvincingly, unable to keep a grin from his face.

Hermione smiled knowingly. "You did it then?"

Ron's eyebrows disappeared under his red hair. "Did it? Did what?"

Harry said nothing and sat down, still grinning.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron. "Harry kissed Cho."

Ron's mouth fell to the floor. "Really?" He grinned broadly at his friend. "So, how was it?"

Harry thought about this for a moment. "Wet," He answered honestly. "She was sort of crying."

Ron snorted. "You'd reckon a bit of snogging would cheer her up."

Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Cho's sad because she misses Cedric and confused because she likes Harry, and honestly, she's a bit of an emotional basket case."

Ron shrugged. "I stand by what I said earlier." Harry laughed to the pair of them, still feeling as though his insides has evaporated in a very, very good way.

"Here," Hermione handed Ron this Divination homework. "Maybe now you can get some sleep. The Quidditch match is tomorrow morning."

"You're a lifesaver, you are," Ron said, taking his homework from her. Hermione smiled tiredly at him. "Let's go, Harry. It's almost one." Harry got off the sofa and joined Ron in trudging up the steps to their rooms. As they dumped their belongings next their beds, Harry sensed Ron was restless.

"You all right?" Harry asked, crawling under his comforter.

"Just worried about the Quidditch match," Ron lied unconvincingly.

"You seem a bit – never mind." Harry decided not to push the matter further as Ron crawled into his own bed.

"Good night, Harry."

"Night, Ron." The lights switched off and the pair of them fell into a deep sleep.

Morning came too quickly as usual. Their alarm rang noisily, jumped up and down and quickly scuttled away when Harry tried to press the snooze button. The two of them dressed in silence, slightly irritable from sleep deprivation. Harry pulled on a sweater with red and gold stripes. He felt hollow, realizing that he would probably never play Quidditch again after Umbridge's life-long ban. Harry pulled on his robes and waited as Ron finished putting on his uniform. Ron and Harry made their way to the Great Hall, found Hermione and sat down. Ron eyed the food on the table warily, as if he were unsure he would be able to keep it down before the match.

"You need to eat," Harry said firmly, handing Ron a blueberry muffin. Ron took it and nibbled on it. Hermione's eyebrows rose in alarm.

"Harry's right, Ron. You don't want to pass out on your broom," She said. "At least drink some pumpkin juice." Ron grabbed a glass of pumpkin juice and swigged it down. He immediately seemed to feel better. "You'll be great, Ron," She reassured him. Ron merely nodded. He seemed to be temporarily incapable of speech.

"Come on, Ron. We've got to be at the pitch in ten minutes," Angelina walked by and tapped Ron on the shoulder, gesturing him to follow her. Ron got up shakily and walked behind her, casting a rueful glance at his half-eaten blueberry muffin. Harry and Hermione quickly made their way over to the Quidditch pitch and got decent seats before the rest of the crowd made their way in. Soon enough, hordes of students were rambunctiously entering the stands, showing off their decorations and sporting their House colors.

"Hey, Luna," Harry greeted the blonde girl as she sat next to him. The lion on her Gryffindor hat roared thunderously.

"Hello, Harry," She said dreamily. "It's a shame you're not playing today. It's beautiful outside."

Harry felt another pang in his stomach, but he quickly replied, "It is."

"Well, you'll be playing soon enough, won't you?"

"No, I've got a life long ban, Luna."

"You've got a life long ban while she's still here," Hermione chimed in. This brightened Harry's spirits and he enjoyed the crisp spring air. It really was a beautiful day to be playing Quidditch.

"Move over, coming through," Came the loud voices of the Weasley twins, squeezing their ways past a couple of first years. Harry turned and grinned. The match would be bearable with Fred and George. They were banned as well. "Budge up!" Fred and George joined them in the stands.

"Are you insane?" Hermione hissed at them. "You can't be here."

"Relax, Hermione. There are too many students here. She won't see us. We're allowed to come see a Quidditch game," George replied, patting her on the back. George squeezed in between Luna and Harry while Fred took the seat next to Hermione. Harry cocked his head at the pair of them and noticed a weird tension between them. He hastily turned away to have a conversation with George.

"So, how do you reckon Ron will do?" George asked warily, munching on a Chocolate Frog.

"I dunno," Harry replied, "I've been watching him practice with Ginny and he seems to be getting better."

"Well, he would be if it was just the two of you. The real problem is him being nervous around all these people," George grimaced. "He better not cost us the House Cup." Harry merely nodded, unwilling to admit that that very thought had been skittering across his mind all week.

Hermione sat with her hands folded in her lap, casting furtive glances at Fred every now and then. Fred pretended not to notice the nervousness emanating from Hermione and tried to focus on the Quidditch match. Angelina threw the Quaffle through one of the rings, barely missing Marcus Flint's head. He stood up and cheered with the rest of the Gryffindors. Settling back into his seat, he sat quietly for a few moments before he decided he couldn't take the awkwardness anymore. Glancing around him before speaking, he turned to Hermione and said in a low voice, "Look, I'm sorry if I made things…uncomfortable between us. I didn't mean to."

Hermione looked at him for the first time the morning and she bit her lip. Fred's swallowed hard, forcing himself to focus on her response. "No, it's ok. I shouldn't have – I just feel weird because of Ron."

"Oh." Fred paused for a moment. "Because you still have feelings for him?" He asked in, what he hoped was, a causal manner.

Hermione squinted at him slightly. "What? No. I mean – I don't know."

"So you don't have feelings for him?"

"I know did when I talked to you in that classroom. But recently…" Hermione trailed off, unsure of what to say next. Shaking her head, she added quietly, "I've loved Ron for five years, but part of me just wants to move on. I think I have moved on. I'm sick of waiting for him." She sighed, running a hand through her curly hair and stared at the players zooming around the pitch. Katie scored this time and the Gryffindor cheers were deafening. Turning back to Fred, she asked with a slight smirk, "Why are you suddenly so interested?"

"You caught me – I'm secretly fascinated about the relationship status between you and my younger brother." Fred replied sarcastically.

"You brought it up!"

"It's nothing, I was just curious. I'm glad to hear that you're moving on," Fred added. He looked up and caught George's eye. George smirked and raised his eyebrows meaningfully before diving back into his conversation with Harry. Fred pulled a face at him before turning back to Hermione. Hermione had caught the face Fred was pulling and bit her lip to keep from laughing. "You caught that, did you?"

"Only a little bit. Charming."

"What can I say? I'm a charmer." Fred grinned, resting his arm behind Hermione and on the top of their seats. He looked smug.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's what you think." Hermione suddenly looked down, as if she was internally debating whether or not to do something. Then, she scooted closer to Fred and rested her head on his shoulder. Fred's face split into a wide grin as he lowered his arm to wrap around her. Harry turned around and his mouth twitched to keeping from smiling before turning back to George. He jerked his head imperceptibly at Fred and Hermione and raised his eyebrows at George. George nodded and gestured he would tell Harry about it later. Harry chuckled to himself and continued asking George questions about business at the joke shop.

"I guess this solidifies your argument about being charming," Hermione sighed, gazing up at Fred. "I'll let you win this one."

Fred laughed and took her cold hand in his and twined their fingers together. "I'll take it," He replied. The two of them watched the rest of the Quidditch game peacefully as the chorus of Weasley Is Our King rang out around them.