"Gaaaahh," said George as he pulled at the tie around his neck, "leave it to Percy to put us in this get up for his wedding." His face was full of disgust.

"It's a plain back suit, Georgie," said Fred. He understood though. Judging from the shop he could tell he wasn't predisposed to the simple, yet elegant. He glanced around uncomfortably, looking for Hermione. They had sat in her room for hours, him comforting her until she fell asleep, but morning came and his brother was getting married. They would have to talk more later.

"Exactly. Rubbish. Could he be any plainer? When I get married I won't torture you all so," he said to the rest of the wedding party as they stood around waiting for the nuptials to begin.

"I'm not sure how Angelina will feel about that," said Ginny, laughing at her brother's shocked expression.

They all laughed as his face turned bright pink and he muttered under his breath.

"What about you, Hermione?" George asked, suddenly, as she walked up.

"What about me?"

"You would be down for a loud, colorful production, I'm sure."

"Well," she said, "that is...I'm not-"

"See, Freddie?" George said, beaming. "There's hope."

"Hope for what?" Fred asked before realizing what his twin was insinuating. He glared at him, knowing it was way too soon to even hint at a relationship between himself and Hermione.

Ginny glanced back and forth between the three of them, picking up that something was different. He knew she was about to ask when his mother showed up to usher them all to their correct spots.

There's an expression "she could start an argument in an empty house," and that described Auntie Muriel to a tee. Tonight was no exception. The deep wrinkles on her face and weathering of her skin tried to mask her stubbornness, but Fred was pretty sure she wasn't fooling anyone. George had warned him about her, but experiencing it in person he wondered if his twin had not downplayed it a bit. The woman was just contrary.

"Ronald," she said, "you have got to cut your hair. It looks like you are wearing a mop on your head. And Ginevra, that dress is much too risqué for such a formal occasion."

Fred watched as Ron muttered unpleasantries under his breath and Ginny got ready to fire back at their elderly aunt. Thankfully, his father managed to interrupt just in time, saving them all. Well, saving him at least.

"Fred, may I have a word?" his father asked, his expression strained as he looked around the group. His Dad had never liked conversation with Auntie Muriel any more than the rest of them.

He immediately jumped up, thanking his father for the interruption with a grateful look.

"You're welcome," his father whispered. "Now, how are things going? Your Mum and I were worried you might feel a little overwhelmed, what with so many people here." He gestured around the tent that was being used for Percy and Audrey's wedding reception. It was true it was a lot of "new" people to him.

"I'm doing alright," he said. "George has been helping me."

"Looks like a certain witch might appreciate if someone were to ask her to dance." His father gave him a knowing look. "She's been a help, too, in a lot of ways, I think."

He glanced over to where Hermione was sitting with Mr. Lovegood and Luna. He couldn't decide if she looked bored or annoyed, but gave a chuckle when he saw an exasperated sigh escape her lips. "She's pretty awesome," Fred agreed.

"Do me a favor and hang on to that one."

"We're not dating, Dad," he said.

"You're as good as," he said, quoting his wife.

"Hermione?" Fred asked, albeit a little awkwardly. Even with his memory loss he had never really felt shy, but even speaking to her right now was tripping him up like a bloody first year. "Would you like to dance?"

She looked up at him uncertainly, searching for something in his eyes, but agreed. She took his hand as he led her out to the dance floor.

It was a slow song and they swayed together silently for a few minutes before she whispered. "Fred."

"Yes?" he asked.

Her voice hitched. "I'm so sorry."

"I know, love," he said, spinning her around and back to him.

"Well, the thing is," she said, "I'm not really sure that you do."

"What do you mean? Any bloke could see you are sorry. It's what comes next I'm worried about."

"There's more," she said, but a fast (and loud) song game on effectively interrupting any conversation that might be had. They continued dancing, bobbing around to the beat of the music and he even managed to get a few laughs before it happened.

George and Angelina had pulled along aside them, along with Percy and Audrey.

"Perce," George cried, "you're dancing!"

"Any bugger with one good ear can dance," Percy answered with a grin.

"Wait," George said. "Are you joking? You are! Percy, you're really joking!"

Immediately, memories began to flood Fred's mind. Letting go of Hermione he stepped back grabbing hold of his head to try and stop what felt like spinning.

"You actually are joking, Perce...I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-"

The air exploded. They have been grouped together, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and Percy, the two Death Eaters at their feet, one Stunned, the other Transfigured; and in that fragment of a moment, when danger seemed temporarily at bay, the world was ripped apart. He felt himself flying through the air, and all he could do was hold as tightly as possible to that thin stick of wood that was his one and only weapon, and shield his head in his arms. He heard the screams and yells of his companions without a hope of knowing what had happened to them.

And then the world resolved itself into pain and semidarkness: He was half buried in the wreckage of a corridor that had been subjected to a terrible attack. Cold air told him that the side of the castle had been blown away, and hot stickiness on his cheek told him that he was bleeding copiously. Then he heard a terrible cry that pulled at his insides, that expressed agony of a kind neither flame nor curse could cause..."

Hermione.

Another flash. She kissed Ron. He had just seen her kiss Ron. He had waited months, even years, to tell her, but she was with Ron. Hurt and dread filled his body as everything drifted to black.