A/N: A rather boring chapter, in my opinion, but rather necessary. They talk about *grimace* feelings… I hope I don't bother you too much with it. There'll be some action in the next one, I promise. A bit of fluff at the end.

Chapter 7: Talk of Feelings

"Hermione! Hermione! Open up!" Fred rattled the doorknob of Hermione's room to no avail, knocking at the same time. "Hermione, you're being childish!" This was apparently the wrong thing to say, since an irate Hermione yanked the door open to stare furiously at him. Or the right thing, since she did open the door.

"Tell me, Fred Weasley, that you didn't just have the guts to call me childish." He slipped past her into her room and turned around to face her, grinning widely.

"I might have." When she didn't crack a smile, his dropped a bit. "Oh, come on, Hermione. Don't let anything that prat says get to you." He knew enough not to tell her that what Ron had said hadn't even been all that bad. As a smart man, a very smart man in some people's opinion, he knew when to back off and not push the issue. It might not seem like it most of the time, but he and George both knew where to draw the line.

"I—it's not that, not really. I guess it's just been a long day. His tactless comment was just…"

"The last straw? The cherry on top of the cake? The final push?"

She snorted. "D. All of the above. I just… I wish I had my friend back, but the way he's been acting…"

"Well, it's obvious isn't it?" He was sure she knew what he was talking about.

"You mean his jealousy? Well, it's his fault and no one else's. He had his chance and didn't take it, and the only thing he did during that time, was look for ways to break my heart. You ever heard of that stunt he pulled with Lavender?" He nodded to tell her he had, indeed, heard about it. "I guess that's one of many things that showed me he just wasn't for me."

He cocked his head to one side. "Explain."

"He used her, Fred. He used her because he was jealous. I admit, I didn't do much better, taking McLaggen to that Slug Club party, but I had the sense to make it clear it was just a friendly date. Not that McLaggen listened to any of it, but that's beyond my control. Ron, however, had a relationship with her. He kissed her, he… made her believe he cared and then when it was rather obvious he did not, he didn't have the balls to break it off with her properly. He broke her heart. I may not have gotten along with her very well, and her glares did nothing to endear her to me, but you don't know how long she cried for him, Fred. I do. I had to hear her cry herself to sleep every night for weeks. That's when I started to… fall out of love with him. Then at your brother's wedding…" her voice trailed off, but Fred understood. That had been the last straw. They had all had a horrible day, she had needed comfort and he had been anything but.

"Come on, come here." He opened his arms, offering an embrace. She stepped into it and rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair smelled of vanilla and something floral he couldn't quite place. "There's something else, isn't it? Apart from the long day, there's something else on your mind that made you react like that." He knew her enough to know that a long day of work, however stressful it had been to both of them, would not bother her so much that she walked out of a meeting. He knew he was right the moment he felt her tense in his arms.

"There's nothing else."

He smirked at her. She had the decency to avoid eye contact after having lied to him. "You're a better liar when I can't feel you tense up, you know."

"I know. Can we just… not talk about this now? I need to think on it, first."

"Anything you want, Hermione." He let go of her, but on an impulse, did something he had never done before. He leaned over and placed a brief kiss on her cheek. When he left, she was still in shock.

He walked to his room with a small smile on his face, not noticing the person who was following him. He was inside his room when he felt someone latch himself on his back. Surprised that he hadn't realized he'd been there before, he lost a few precious seconds in their mock fight, causing him to lose his footing and take a nose dive on his bed.

"George! Gerroff me!" His face was against the bed, so his words were barely understandable, but his flailing arms got the message across. However, instead of letting him up, George opted for sitting on his back, freeing his head to move from side to side but not letting him sit.

"Have you thought about what I said?" Fred suppressed the desire to huff. Of course he had. Bloody conversation had been on his mind since they'd finished it. That was why he'd kissed her cheek, wasn't it?

George smirked. "Of course I am. But you do fancy her, right?"

"I… yes. Yes, I do."

"Good for you, brother, good for you! So what are you going to do about it?"

"Do about it? Well, nothing!"

George rolled his eyes.

"You, brother, are an idiot."

"I'm still smarter than you."

"And I'm better looking, but this has nothing to do with that. You like her, she obviously likes you, you should go for it!"

"You're talking non-sense, brother. She doesn't like me."

"Now you're just being stubborn. Not to mention you sound like a girl…"

Fred's face of indignation was worth galleons. "You did not just say that!"

"She doesn't like me!" he mimicked. "Make a move, you'll see."

"Oh, like you've made a move on Angie?" His tone was slightly defensive.

"Leave me and Angie out of this. It has nothing to do with you."

"Then me liking Hermione has nothing to do with you either."

"There's a difference. Angie and I have a history. Make a move, brother." He was about to say more, but in that moment, Lavender entered their room without as much as a knock to thank Fred for saving her. George's look promised that this was not over yet.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know." He sighed, not mentioning the brief kiss he had given her. He knew there was something there, if he was honest with himself, he had known for a long time. Even before their antics that morning. That had just made it impossible for him to continue denying it. The way his pulse raced when he was near her, how he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders when he could see she was safe. The way her skin had felt under his lips… He almost slapped himself after thinking of that. No need to make it any more complicated. He would wait. His father had always said: If you don't know what to do, wait. You can't go wrong and something might happen that'll make you see what is right.

He would wait for now. Wait and hope that everything would be alright in the end.

"You know, if you don't change your expression, your face will be stuck like that…"

Hermione started when she heard Lavender's voice. She forced a smile on her face. "I know. My mom used to say the same."

Without waiting for an invitation, Lavender entered her room and sat herself on the bed. "I came here to thank you."

Hermione cocked her head to one side. "But you already did, remember? You came by to thank me before the meeting."

"I know. I came to thank you for what you said. They're allowing me to stay and help. I don't know if they would've done that without your support." Hermione was sure they would've sent her elsewhere. Not just anyone was allowed into headquarters.

"I'm glad." In an effort to avoid the other conversation Lavender wanted to have with her, she faked a yawn. "I'm sleepy, so I'll go to bed now. It's been a long day, you should do the same."

The grin on Lavender's face could only be described as wicked. "Ah-ah, Hermione! Don't even think you're getting away from this one."

She thought playing dumb was her best shot. "Away from what?"

"You owe me a conversation."

"No, I don't!"

"Mione! Please?" Her eyes suddenly seemed larger and her pout made her look like a pleading child.

"Oh, no. That's not going to work on me!"

"I had to try," she said, her features back to normal. "Come on, what's the deal between you and Fred Weasley? I thought you and… Ron would be together by now." Despite her trying to hide it, she could hear Lavender's voice almost cracking at Ron's name. Looks like she wasn't over him yet.

Hermione sighed and took a seat on her bed with Lavender. She ran her hands through her hair slowly, disentangling it, like she did every night before bed. "You won't tell anyone about this?"

She made a zipping motion over her lips. "My lips are sealed."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"I don't really know, to tell the truth. I—something happened over the summer and Fred was there to comfort me. Then, at Bill and Fleur's wedding we were attacked, did you hear about that?" She barely waited for Lavender's nod of confirmation. "Well, I fought with Fred and George and they saved my life. After our visitors had left, I went to thank them, but apparently, that didn't sit very well with Ronald."

"But what does that have to do with whatever it is between Fred and you?"

"Well, everything. I was already half out of love with Ron by then, and that fight was just… too much. And Fred was there for me. After the fight and then while we trained. Even the occasional mission we've done along with George for the Order. We've been working closely and…"

"And now you fancy him."

"I don't know." Besides, she added in her mind, it doesn't matter how I feel. He'd never like me back, so why chase someone who won't ever return my affections?

"You should take a chance, Mione. You don't know if both of you will get through everything, you should make use of the time you have. It may be cut far too short." Her faraway look told Hermione Lavender was thinking about her parents. With a small shake of her head, her smile came back twice as big. "So there's nothing going on between you and Ron?"

"No." She was confused by the rapid change in topic.

"And you wouldn't mind if I made a move on him?" Was she really asking that? After everything he did to her?

"No…"

"Good." She jumped up and made to leave, but Hermione caught her wrist.

"Why would you chase him? After the way he treated you…"

Lavender's grin softened into a warm smile. "It's obvious, Mione. I love him, and when you love someone, you make a move. No matter how he behaved in the past, you don't love him, so I have a chance. He'll have to let you go eventually, and I'll be there to take a place in his heart." The look she gave her seemed to say just like Fred did in yours. Hermione wasn't so sure about that, but she let Lavender go. Both of them had had a long day and she needed to sleep.

As she waved her wand to turn off the lights, she thought how odd it was that she'd been confiding on Lavender of all people. "Well," she murmured against her pillow. "It's not like I have that many girl friends here to share with. Who knew…?"

For the rest of the week, both Hermione and Fred found themselves blushing when caught staring at the other. When they found themselves alone, they couldn't help the smiles, the swift touches. A peck on the cheek became customary before sleep and when they met up in the morning. But still, neither said anything. The rest of the people living in Grimmauld Place (and even those who only swung by for dinner) noticed the wistful glances and the blushes, but said nothing.

Ron, for his part, was still quite mad at Fred and George, even though they had nothing to do with it, for 'stealing' Hermione away from him. He still couldn't see that it was his own attitude that had driven her away. After their disagreement at the meeting, he had taken to ignoring Hermione's existence. If he was serving something during meals, her plate was mysteriously skipped. If she talked, he'd ignore her. It was really grating on everyone's nerves, especially Hermione's. She assumed some of the adults would have to talk to him about his attitude and how detrimental it could be to the War, since whenever she addressed him directly he either started talking to someone else or left the room. Lavender had turned on the charm the very next morning following her talk with Hermione, and Ron was taking more interest in her. Whether because he really was interested, as a rebound or just to spite Hermione, no one knew, but everyone hoped for the first.

It was a Saturday afternoon and Fred, George and Hermione had been called to a meeting with Remus and Moody. They were the only ones at Headquarters, everyone else in their own mission. Lavender was at her house picking up some things with Harry's team, and the rest of the adults were who knew where. It was standard protocol to always have a team stay at Headquarters at all times, in case of an emergency and they had drawn the short stick this time. Remus and Moody shouldn't have been there as they had their own obligations, but some last minute information had apparently been made available to them and they needed someone to go confirm it.

"Most of the message was lost. That is why we need one of you to go and make direct contact with the person who gave us this information and confirm it." The three of them looked at each other. Only one? Usually they sent the whole team, or a pair, if the whole team couldn't go.

George spoke first. "Just one of us?"

"We can't leave the house unprotected and this person is trustworthy." Remus ignored Moody's snort. Even so, he must have trusted the source somewhat if he was willing to risk sending out a single person to meet with them.

"Who's the source?"

"Ah, I believe you know her, George. It's Angelina." George's eyes snapped up at that. Hermione hadn't seen him so focused since she had walked in on him and Fred in the middle of inventing something for the shop. She could tell he had the same passion for inventing and pranks than for Angelina. She wondered why they weren't together.

"I'll go. Where is she?"

Lupin looked a little uncomfortable at Fred and Hermione. "If George's going then, I'll have to ask you two to leave. This is on a strictly need to know basis." Once again the three of them shared a look. What was Angelina up to? With a quick squeeze to George's arm, Hermione left the room. She waited by the door while Fred shared some words with his twin and then they made their way to the kitchen together.

Hermione prepared some tea for them in silence. When she was preparing the two mugs, they heard the floo going off twice. Minutes later, George walked into the kitchen, dressed in some faded jeans and a Holyday Harpies shirt. His hair was no longer Weasley red, but a soft brown. He could no longer be recognized as a Weasley at first sight, but those who knew him well would take no more than a few seconds to place him. She guessed that that was why he hadn't gone for a full-blown disguise.

"I'll be back in an hour and a half. Two at the most." His voice was tense. Both Fred and Hermione found they couldn't say anything and just waved half-heartedly at him. They could all tell the smiles on the other's faces were forced. He walked briskly out of the kitchen and moments later, they heard the floo roar.

"I shouldn't have let him go alone. He was always hot headed when it came to Angie." Hermione looked up. If she hadn't known it was only her and Fred in the house, she might have thought someone else had spoken. His voice was rough with tension that it cracked towards the end. She tried smiling at him, but it came as more of a grimace. Instead, she stood up, mug in one hand and extended the other towards Fred.

"Let's go wait in the library." While once this would have elicited a bookworm comment from him, he was so worried he contented himself with taking her hand in his and letting her lead him to the library. They took a seat in one of the couches that faced the fireplace. Hermione knew it wasn't the healthiest thing to do, but it was all Fred would accept for the time being. She was surprised when Fred pulled her close, wrapping his free arm around her. Knowing he only needed comfort, she snuggled up close to him, resting her head on his shoulder, her hands cradling her mug for warmth.

They stayed like that, talking about inconsequential things or simply enjoying the silence for about an hour. Finally, Hermione resolved to ask the question that had been plaguing her since the meeting.

"Fred… um, I know it's not really my business, but… why aren't George and Angelina together? I mean, it's obvious he loves her and I know she at least has a thing for him. Or had, back in school."

She felt his chest tremble as he chuckled. "Yeah, she still does. I don't really know why, to tell you the truth. I guess they're both afraid to commit. George was always the flightier one out of the two of us. It's thanks to him we both had a reputation back at school. He was the serial dater, not me, but since most people couldn't really tell us apart… Once he realized his feelings for Angie, though, and hers for his, they've been on and off. I wouldn't be surprised if they kept it up for years before getting married."

"What do you think she's up to?"

"Well, last we heard she was playing professional Quidditch for the Harpies. I supposed she has access to some people through her career that could help the Order. Or to information. She's a beautiful woman, and men usually run their tongues free when in front of beautiful women." He sighed, rubbing his face with his free hand. The other was still around Hermione, rubbing circles on her shoulder. They remained in silence for a few minutes, Fred half lying on the couch by now, Hermione lying on top of him.

"Hermione, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" Her eyes were closed, she was so at ease in his arms.

"That day we went to the Ministry, what did we go to retrieve?" Her eyes flew open and she raised herself to look at him in the eyes.

"Why are you asking?"

"I overheard Harry telling Ron talking about how 'it' was making him crankier and that they shouldn't be using it. Also something about some visions? I'm worried."

"They what? Oh, those idiots! I told them, I told them to keep it somewhere safe and not use it! Did they listen? Of course not, no one listens to me anymore! I might as well not exist!" She went on and on rambling so fast Fred couldn't follow until she said Ginny's name.

"Wait, wait, wait! What did you say about Ginny?"

"I said that apparently they want to end up the same as Ginny in our second year."

"Now you really have to explain. What does whatever we got at the Ministry have to do with that?"

She bit her lower lip, looking at him, seizing him up. "Look, Fred. I can't really tell you everything, and what I do tell you, you can't repeat. Not to anyone. Not even George. Can you agree with that?"

He was taken aback. He and George didn't really have any secrets. Everyone knew that. Of course, there were some things they withheld from the other sometimes, but never important stuff. Did she know what she was asking? He looked back at her, her eyes piercing in their intensity and knew that she knew exactly what she was asking of him. He nodded.

"I can't tell you about the visions or what it is exactly, but what we got from the Ministry was a locket. A locket that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin and went down through his line to his last descendant: Tom Riddle." Fred knew who Tom Riddle was and why Hermione didn't call him by his assumed name. Even though the Taboo didn't work when under the protection of the Fidelius Charm, it was still safer to get used to calling him anything other than Voldemort. No one liked it very much, since he was, essentially, winning that battle, but if one got used to it and then said it when out of the protection of the Charm… He nodded at her so that she went on. "This locket, along with a few other artifacts, has to be destroyed before he can die for good." She saw his confused face and elaborated a bit more, knowing she could trust him with this. "They anchor him to life. As long as they are not destroyed, he cannot fully die."

"Then why haven't you destroyed the locket yet? And why in the name of Merlin are Harry and Ron using it?"

"Can't be destroyed that easily, too many protection spells on it. So far, the only sure things to work on it are Basilisk venom and Fiendfyre, but we don't have access to the first and the second is too difficult to control. I won't risk it except as a last resort." She let herself lie back on top of him, her head nestled under his.

"And what does this have to do with Ginny?"

"Ginny came across one of these artifacts in her first year. It…" She stalled, not knowing how to tell him about it.

"It's the thing that possessed her, isn't it?"

She should be surprised he already knew, but wasn't. He was one of the Weasley Twins, after all. "Yeah. It was a diary and she wrote on it. And I warned the boys that using the locket might have a similar effect. I'll talk to them later again…" Apparently, the tense talk had gotten to her, because the last few words were no more than a sigh. She fell asleep and Fred couldn't help but smile against her hair.

"Sleep, beautiful. Sleep," he whispered against her hair, gently running his hands up and down her back, caressing softly. He wanted to be awake when George got back, but the soothing rhythm of Hermione's deep breaths lulled him to sleep. His last conscious thought was that she smelled of vanilla and some flower he couldn't name.

An hour later when George came back through the floo, he found them like that. Fred half lying on the couch, Hermione lying on top of him, his arms tight around her. They were both asleep with smiles on their faces.

A/N: I almost forgot to update today! Thanks to Harriettlovesbooks, 93 Diagon Alley and Blueeyes47, for their reviews last chapter. It appears that my motivational speech only lasted for one chapter, since reviews are once again down *cries*

Please review! I need them to survive! Review a story, save an author!