A Christmas Engagement

Hermione stood in the kitchen of the Burrow taking large gulps from her wine glass and staring at the ring on her left hand.

"Pretty cheap."

"Shut up, Fred," she replied huffily to the red-headed man who had just entered the room. "It is a lovely ring and more than adequate in size."

"I meant that it is pretty cheap to give your girlfriend an engagement ring as a Christmas present," he explained. It sounded harsher than his typical jabs at her boyfriend because it wasn't accompanied by his usual easy going smile. "It's gift double-dipping."

"What a remarkably cynical way to see the world," Hermione informed him in a clipped tone.

"I don't know," Fred commented, taking a step closer to the brown-eyed girl. "Some people might argue that it is cynical to ask a woman to marry you in front of her family and friends, makes it much harder for her to refuse."

"What would you know about it?" Hermione asked defensively. "When is the last time you even dated a woman for more than three weeks?"

Fred gave her a rather inscrutable look, his mouth quirked up slightly. "There is a reason for that. I don't date girls for long periods of time because I don't want them to think they have a future with me."

"Have none of them struck your fancy?" Hermione was genuinely curious. Fred had dated some of the most attractive witches in London, but none of them ever lasted long. Molly was constantly complaining that Fred was too picky.

"Their alright," he replied, moving closer to her. "The problem is that I'm in love with someone. And until she's completely out of reach, I just can't make myself consider anyone else seriously."

Hermione's eyes grew round in surprise. Six months ago, she had acknowledged to herself being attracted to Fred. In response to these feelings, she had broken up with Ron and a few weeks later asked Fred out to dinner and Muggle movie. He'd turned her down gently, but Hermione had been left in a deep funk until she and Ernie MacMillan had started seeing each other. Now, after dating less than five months, they were engaged to be married.

"Who is she," Hermione asked before she could stop herself.

Fred took another step towards her. She could now feel his breath on her cheek. He reached out and gently stroked her jaw. "It's you."

Hermione's mouth dropped open slightly. Recovering quickly, she placed both her hands on his chest and gave him a hard shove. "You giant prat!"

A look of shock on his face, Fred stumbled backwards. "Hermione?"

"You are telling me now? After I've been dating Ernie for months, moments after he asked me to marry him? Now you are telling me you love me?"

Fred had the grace to blush. "Well, yea… you see…"

"I don't want to hear it," Hermione spat. "I never thought you were a selfish, self-serving git before, but I am rapidly revising my opinion." Her eyes were flashing, her cheeks were flushed, and Fred though she looked more attractive than he'd ever seen her before.

She went to move past him and head back into living room, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up against him. "Look, I was a right idiot. I see that now. But at the time I thought it was best."

"At what time?" she growled.

"When you asked me out after your break-up with Ron, I thought you were just looking for a rebound date and I didn't want to be that. I wanted more. Therefore, I was thrilled when MacMillan came along because I assumed you go out with him a couple of times before moving on. But he's been more persistent that I ever gave him credit for. I've been in agony these last few months, Hermione, angry at myself for not grabbing on to you when I had a chance. When I watched him propose today, I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I'm attracted to you, I want to be with you, and I've never desire anything more."

Pressed up against his chest, Hermione breathed deeply, trying to calm her pounding heart. "It is too late, Fred."

"It isn't," he whispered before lowering his mouth to hers.

-0-0-0-

When Ernie walked into the kitchen twenty minutes later, he found his ring on the kitchen table alongside a note, which read: Ernie, I'm sorry, but I must decline your proposal. I am not ready to get married or settle down. Please forgive me for telling you in a note, but I didn't want to embarrass you in front of the Weasleys. I'm going to spend the next week traveling around the continent, thinking about things. I'll Floo you when I return. At the bottom of the note scrawled in a different hand was a postscript: Next time you propose to a girl, don't double-dip!