The 6 Month Anniversary.
I lay there beside the gorgeous woman I was going to marry, remembering all the great times we'd ever had together; remembering all the times I'd kissed her – remembering the first time I'd kissed her. I looked down at her, her hair fanned out on the pillow, her dark lashes casting shadows on her cheeks, her lips slightly apart. I knew exactly how soft her lips were…
The First Kiss.
I was making my way back from the kitchens, arms ladened with food. I could smell the pumpkin pasties and the half melting Muggle chocolate that the House Elves always seemed to have. I hummed merrily, knowing the way even without the Marauders Map that George and I had given Harry 3 years ago. I was walking through one of the lesser used corridors when I heard it: a soft sobbing, the sound of someone crying.
I followed the sound, coming to one of the closed doors. I shifted the food so it was in one arm. I knocked softly. The sound stopped and the door swung open despite no one visibly opening it. I entered cautiously – entering a room where an emotional witch or wizard was is always dangerous. Then I saw her, head bowed sitting on one of the desks, her back to the door.
"Hermione?" I asked carefully. I didn't want to set her off again and the young witch and I had had our fair share of rows for me to know she was a formidable opponent. Plus she was the brightest witch of her age. She merely sniffled at my question. "'Mione, what's wrong?" I moved across the room, depositing the food on another table. Her body shook with sobs. I softly patted her back, at a loss. Hermione never let her guard down – at least not around me. She drew in a shaky breathe.
"R- Ron is kiss-sing another gi-irl." My gut clenched at her words – she had a thing for my clingy younger brother?
"'Mione, I'm sorry. I didn't realise it would affect you like this." I really didn't know what to say. She turned to look at me, her normal quite pale skin red.
"You think I'm jealous?" she asked softly. I knew I was on dangerous ground.
"Well, that's the only conclusion I came to – I didn't realise there was another one." I felt safe speaking as though she and I were discussing another product at the soon-to-be shop George and I were opening.
"I'm not jealous – not of Ron. I'm upset and I suppose a little jealous because he has something I want."
"Lavender?" I asked, my nose wrinkling in disgust. Hermione let a small giggle escape her.
"I mean, having that closeness with someone. I guess I want a boyfriend, just like any other girl," Hermione Granger? Wanting a boyfriend?
"I … don't understand." I admitted.
"Neither do I, at times." She admitted in return. Hermione looked up at me smiling. Slowly her face was returning to its normal pallor. She looked very pretty in the light of the moon streaming in. I took a tentative step forward. We were so close I could practically smell her.
"'Mione, I –" I began, not knowing where I was going with this. She pressed her fingers to my lips, standing so we were pressed against each other. Her fingers trailed across my face, coming to rest on my neck. I couldn't look away from her eyes. I leaned forward, eyes flicking from hers to her lips. Her breath rushed across my lips. I kissed her, pressing my lips against hers. Her hands moved to my hair as she deepened the kiss. My hands gripped her hips, pulling her, if possible, closer to me.
We broke the kiss and she looked up at me, a little worry in her eyes. I pressed a kiss to her nose and she giggled.
"Will you go out with me, Hermione?" I asked, smiling.
"Yes, Fred." She replied causing me to pick her up and swing her round.
"Fred, as adorable and moving as that was could you bring the food back to the common room before you start kissing damsels in distress?" Asked George from the door. Hermione and I sprung a part like children being caught by their parents. "Oh, please, I'm glad. Just make sure Ron doesn't kill you okay?" With that George grabbed the food before walking off.
Hermione and I decided to keep our relationship on the downside; meeting in secret generally in our class room. We dated for a few months, having no one but George know. With Hermione not speaking to Ron and barely speaking to Harry, George and I generally had 'Mione to ourselves. George and Hermione got on well, making it very easy for all of us to hang out.
After Dumbledore's funeral, Hermione had told me she had to end things, she was leaving with Harry and Ron on some kind of mission. She promised she would come back and we would be together. I did my best to believe her. But I couldn't get my hopes up, in case she didn't return. The 'Mudblood' that had been engraved into her arm reminded me of that. I had almost lost her.
When they returned I noticed differences in her. She acted as though she and I had never been. I felt my heart being ripped out – or so I thought. Then she and Ron announced they were getting married. The pain I thought I'd felt before was nothing compared to how I felt after that. I avoided the Burrow at all costs, feigning illness and work to escape family dinners that I knew Hermione and Ron would be at.
And then, on their special day that I grudgingly attended, I finally got the girl I'd been in love with for 3 years. And she finally said she loved me too.