"Hey, George," Fred called from the back storage room at the shop, "where did you say the extra Skiving Snackboxes are located?" They really need to clean this place up he thought as he struggled to push a heavy box out of his way. There were boxes everywhere, in no apparent order, and various spell books open throughout the room. The cauldron in the corner was letting out an odd odor that he wasn't entirely sure was safe for him to be breathing.

"Under the puking pastilles!"

"Where are they?"

"Beside the Nosebleed Nougat!"

"Where's-"

"On top of the Fainting Fancies...look, right here," George said walking in and immediately digging out a box of snackboxes from somewhere. Fred still wasn't sure.

"Do you think we should organize things a little back here?" he asked.

"Never been an issue before," said George with a shrug.

"Yes, well, I don't really remember that now, do I?"

"You don't really remember much of anything these days. Except for Hermione. You remember everything about her."

"I don't remember everything about-"

"More than the rest of us! More than your own family. Your own bloody twin." George's face was red, his breathing heavy, and Fred couldn't tell if he was mad or about to cry. He wondered if he had ever seen his twin cry. They really didn't seem the type from what little he did remember.

"George-" he started.

"I know, I know. You can't help what you remember, but really, Fred? Granger? I thought we were past all this." He rubbed his hands over his face in frustration.

Fred was startled. "Past all what?"

"Your weird infatuation with her. I'm starting to think maybe you really do fancy her."

"What?"

"This you don't remember? Really? So, all of this time you are spending with her now has nothing to do with before?"

Fred looked at him blankly. "I have no idea what you are talking about right now. Hermione has been helping me remember. I keep remembering her because she is the one that is helping me."

George sighed. "I don't think so, mate. I think you've got it bad." He pulled out a chair and sat down backwards banging his forehead against the back.

"Now you're just being dramatic."

"Am I?" he asked, looking up. "I had to listen to you go on for years about how brilliant she was, how brave she was, and so on. I told you to either ask her out or shut up. You said you didn't like her like that. That she was Ron's girl. You had finally stopped talking about her all the time until the three of them left during the war. I thought you were just worried about them, but now, well..." He threw his hands up. "Now I think you really do fancy her. Or still fancy her. I don't know. You better figure out something before Ron finds out though. Oh, and make it quick, I could really use my twin back."

"I thought she and Ron agreed to just be friends?"

"They did, but it wasn't his idea. And you aren't denying that you fancy her."

"I don't. She is a friend."

George rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure. Friends. I looooove my friends, too."

"I'm not in love with Hermione."

George held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, you're not, but Freddie, it wouldn't be completely terrible if you were. Well, Ron might be pretty pissed, but I am of the opinion that old Granger turned out alright despite how annoying she was at Hogwarts."

"She threatened to call Mum."

"Heck yeah she did. I'm pretty sure that's when it all started. You could not shut up about it."

"Well, I was under the impression that people didn't stand up to us often. It was brave."

"Sure, sure. I always find people bossing me around and threatening to call my mum hot."

"I didn't say-"

"You don't have to, mate. Twins, remember?" He shook his head. "I can't believe we are doing this again. I really thought you had let it go because of Ron. Nicer than I am, by the way, which is weird because you are normally the mean one."

Fred had no idea if that was true, so he just let it go. The whole conversation was ridiculous. He didn't fancy Hermione. She was a friend. He liked hanging out with her. She was a beautiful girl. That didn't mean he was in love with her. He really wanted to stop talking about it.

"Let's just organize this room. If I am going to be any help at all around here I have to know where things are."

"Fine, but this really is such a Hermione thing to do." After the look Fred gave him he raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I rest my case."

Back at the Burrow, Fred stretched out on the couch trying not to think about what George had said. That got quite a bit harder when Hermione herself walked in. She plopped down beside him, lifting his feet and placing them gently on her lap. It was a simple thing, they had sat like this many times, but it suddenly felt much more intimate to him. He sat up.

"How was your day at the shop?" she asked.

"It was okay. Had an interesting conversation with George." He hadn't been planning on saying that, it just kind of came out.

"Yeah? About what?"

"Oh, just some shop talk, you know..."

"I see," she said. "Well, I'm glad you two are spending more time together. Things can't be right with the world if the Weasley twins are not on the same team."

Ha. He hoped that he would get back that same closeness with George at some point, but right now he felt closer to Hermione than anyone else. He tried to convince himself that was just because of all the help she had given him, not because of any real feelings.

"Had any new memories?" she asked hopefully.

"No, just a few things George reminded me of is all. I don't really remember it." Bloody hell this was awkward. He silently cursed George for putting him in this situation. "What did you do today?"

"Oh. Well, I am trying to decide between going back to Hogwarts and finish my last year or just going ahead and getting a job. I have been invited to join at the ministry."

"What are you going to do?" His mind raced. If she went back to Hogwarts he would barely see her. Not that it mattered for any romantic reason, of course.

"I don't know. I know I don't really need my last year. I mean, I learned so much in practical experience. It goes against everything I believe in though to not finish school. Going back to Hogwarts though? That is going to be tough. No matter how much they do to fix up the castle, it will still be a constant reminder of everything that happened there. We lost so many. And you...I will never forget..."

Fred was startled. "Never forget what?"

"I saw it, Fred. I saw when the wall fell."

"Oh."

"We thought you were dead, you know. George, Percy, and me. It was awful."

He could see the tears forming in her eyes and he reached out to comfort her. "Hey, it's okay, I am still here." He pulled her chin up to look him in the eye. "I may only have half a brain right now, but I made it." She laughed, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it. He knew they had lost a lot of friends that day. Maybe it was better if he didn't remember.

"I was so scared, Fred," she said. "You were...you probably should have been..."

"Ssshhhh," he said, pulling her in close and rubbing his hand gently back and forth across her back. He hated seeing her like this, but he also really didn't want to think about how close he came to dying.

"I should have known you were too stubborn for such a thing." She laughed again, lightening the mood.

"You know it."

"So, what will you do about Hogwarts?" he asked.

She sighed. "I don't know. Harry and Ron are refusing to go back. Ginny really wants me to go since she has to. Which reminds me that I'm surprised that Harry is not since that is where Ginny will be."

"Yeah, I rarely see one without the other."

"I know. It will be weird without Harry and Ron though. I spent all my time with them. I would be glad for Ginny, but it would bring up a lot of memories and a lot of them are not very good. Besides, one year without the Weasley twins at Hogwarts was quite enough." She grinned up at him.

"Something of a legend, I believe you said."

"Oh, yes, I think there is still a portable swamp there to carry on your legacy."

"A portable swamp?"

She looked up, confused. "Has George still not told you? About when you left Hogwarts?"

He shook his head. "No, not yet."

"That's strange. I would have thought that would have been one of the first things you talked about."

"Well, he's been telling me things gradually."

"I can't wait until you know about it. It was pretty awesome."

He grinned. "You think I'm awesome, do you?" he teased.

"Hey, now, I didn't say that," she said as she punched him lightly on the arm. It felt comfortable. Normal, even. Sitting close, the back and forth banter...no, he couldn't go down that path.

"Well, as far as Hogwarts goes," he said, "you should do what feels right to you. You...you don't need money do you? Because I can help. From what I hear we are quite successful."

"No" she said defensively. "I don't need money. It's not about that."

"Okay, I was just making sure..." He paused for a moment. "I will miss you if you do go back."

"Oh, you will, will you?" She smiled at him. "I suppose I would miss you, too."

He thought about what it would mean, if she did go back. Only seeing her during breaks or, if he was lucky, a Hogsmeade weekend. He wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but it had popped into his head, so he figured it must be a thing.

"Well, I need to go finish helping your Mum with some things in the garden," she said. "I will see you at dinner."

"Don't go," he said suddenly.

"What? I have to go your Mum is waiting on me. Is something wrong?"

"I meant- no, sorry, I was just wondering if you would mind finding a potion for me, my head is hurting terribly."

"Oh, of course," she said. "I'm sorry, Fred, I should have asked how you were feeling."

"Thanks." He leaned back against the couch and sighed.