September came and went along with the summer weather. Fred listened to the crunching of leaves under his shoes as he and George, along with many other Hogwarts students, made their way to Hogsmeade. Fred shoved his hands in his jacket pocket as the cool breeze picked up and smiled at the scenery around him.

He fiddled with his left hand, noticing how it no longer hurt, despite the ugly scars and bruises on his hand. It had been over a month since his run in with Umbridge.

It had also been over a month since he even acknowledged Hermione. Fred felt a knot in his stomach as he remembered the night that had pushed him to avoid her. He remembered how it felt to have her hand in his. Fred shook away the thought and continued walking with a happy smile on his face.

"What do you suppose Ron and Harry have planned?" George asked Fred. He had been wondering the same thing since Harry and Ron had asked him and his brother to meet them at Hog's Head for a meeting about the Order.

"No idea," Fred told him honestly. "I mean, only seventh years here are old enough to be in the Order. Do you reckon their planning to recruit?"

George shrugged. Fred spotted Angelina up ahead of them and called for her. She turned around and shot the boys a smile. George jogged up to her and Fred started to follow but something tugged on his right arm and he stopped jogging at once. He turned around to see Hermione. Fred saw George smile at him before he turned around and followed after Angelina.

Fred' eyes grew wide while Hermione stood behind him, holding his sleeve tight. Her expression softened and she began to walk in step next to Fred. He relaxed a little as they walked casually down the cobblestone path. They said nothing for a long time, but once they had fallen behind the pack, Hermione spoke up.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" she asked him plainly. He knew she knew the answer but he also knew how stubborn she could be. She wanted to hear it from him.

"I haven't been," Fred told her. "I've been busy hiding the jokes from you and Ron seeing as you threatened to write my Mum last time we even tested them."

Fred gave her a friendly smile and hoped he had redirected the topic. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him a smirked. Her brown eyes scanned his and she sighed.

"I'd appreciate if you could just tell me the truth instead of covering it up with a joke," she told him.

"What do you want me to say?" Fred asked defensively. He bit the inside of his lip as he waited for her response.

"I want you to tell me why you ran away the night you had your first detention," she told him bluntly. "I want to know why you've hardly spoken to me since."

"Hermione, you're smart. You already know the answer to that."

"I want to hear it, Fred. You owe me an explanation."

Hermione spoke to Fred with authority and he felt his nerves beginning to surface as the silence dragged on between them.

"I'm sorry but I don't want to talk about this now," Fred told her. Frustration began to overtake his body and he just wanted to get out. "We can meet somewhere later and talk then. Don't you have a meeting to run?"

Hermione didn't scoff or scowl at Fred, she simply gave him a small frown before walking out ahead of him.

Fred stopped for a moment, took a deep breath and then continued towards Hogs Head where an anxious George would surely ask him questions he didn't want to answer.

"It's worth it, Fred."

George pushed his red hair back as he encouraged his brother. He threw his feet up onto the wooden table and waited for Fred to respond.

"I don't think it is," Fred told him. He let out a long breath.

Fred glanced around the Gryffindor common room before continuing. When he spotted no one, he spoke.

"I can't do that to Ron. I can't."

"Sometimes you need to do what's best for you, mate," George told Fred. "Ron will get over it. Hermione has made it clear to him."

"That doesn't mean it's right for me to just step in," Fred argued. He groaned in frustration and tried to make his brother see his side.

"Fred, I'm not encouraging you to hurt our brother, but honestly," George paused and waited for Fred to look back at him. "I'm encouraging you to do what's best for you."

Fred looked at his brother. He hated it when George was right but he also loved it. He needed someone behind him and George was always the first in line. Fred smiled at him and nodded his head lightly.

"I really like her…" Fred admitted quietly. He didn't resist the smile that played across his face. George chuckled and walked over to his brother. He patted Fred on the back and squeezed his shoulder.

"That's what I like to hear," George told Fred. He let go of his shoulder and wandered slowly up the stairs. "You coming?"

"In a minute," Fred told him, grabbing the spare piece of parchment that laid on the coffee table in front of him. He walked over to the small desk in the corner of the room and retrieved a quill and some ink. He sat down and scribbled down a quick note, folding it neatly. He withdrew his wand from his back pocket and enchanted it to float. Fred watched the parchment glide through mid-air, up the stairs, heading towards the girls dormitories.

Hermione,

Meet me in the common room at midnight tomorrow. I promise, I'll explain everything.

Fred