CHAPTER 7.
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Hermione was a bit shaken up when she reached her flat. But a good hot bath later she had found her nerve and she had to admit. That Fred Weasley certainly had style.
He had waged war so smoothly and she had without even once opposing to the idea risen to the prospect of the challenge.
She had dismissed the prior incident of being in such close proximity with Fred to something that she would expect the twins to do.
She knew he was only trying to unnerve her. But he dint know her yet. She certainly wanted to win this game. Fred dint know who he was up against. She thought smugly. You my dear Weasley have met your match.
She curled up on her comfortable couch in her favourite position with her legs curled under her wearing only her old soft azure bathrobe.
Sipping a cup of hot tea, she graded a few essays the 9-10 class had written.
When she had only a few last ones left she fell asleep with the parchments strewn across her lap and a red pen in her hand still in position between her thumb and index finger.
Thus she was in the same position when there was an audible pop and Fred apparated right in the middle of her living room with a few bags of packeted food in his hand.
She dint stir. Clearly she hadn't heard him and continued to sleep with her head tilted against the back of the couch mouth slightly open and a small trail of drool collected at the corner of her right lip.
Fred smiled at the sight of her. So typical of Hermione. She hadn't even bothered to get dressed after her bath and had immediately jumped into teacher mode. That girl really needed to unwind. Maybe this joke war might really do her some good.
He was just going to wake her up when he noticed the pile of done essays neatly on the table. He swallowed a chuckle and suddenly an idea came to him. He pointed his wand at the essays and changed all the gradings to Outstandings! Boy! She was going to be soooo mad at him! Well at least he was making her students happy.
He proceeded to place her now empty mug of tea in the kitchen sink and the food packets on the kitchen counter. He purposely was a bit noisy so he could see the surprised look on her face when she saw him when she woke up.
Sure enough he turned and was facing a post sleep Hermione with arms crossed over her chest and a very questioning look on her face.
He laughed inwardly again. I bet that's a look permanently plastered on her face. What with all the questions she must bombarding on her poor unsuspecting students.
"Well?" she questioned vocally this time.
"Well?" he repeated.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked with no hint of pleasure in her voice at all, eyeing him warily.
"If you must know Granger, your little stint today cost me a date. And you should be happy that the only penalty you have to pay for that is to have dinner with me. Since I was mentally prepared to be going out today and all." he said cheekily. "And besides if you ask anyone they would say that a meal with me is not a punishment but actually a prize! Not that you've done anything to deserve the prize. It's just that I thought since you rendered me dateless today, you could entertain me tonight."
"Have you completely gone mad? You practically wage a bloody joke war this afternoon with me and here you are thinking of having dinner with me? Do you really think I am that naïve? And if you think I'm going to put even one morsel of the so called food you've brought into my mouth... Dream on! ", she said slightly out of breath.
"Why Granger? Do you think I've tampered with the food?" He said with mock hurt.
"Think? Think? I know you have." she said. "To think you haven't would be insulting your and my intelligence both."
"I would never do that" he said with a poker face. "And that too so soon. When I know you'd be monitoring every move of mine and expecting something. I would be pretty foolish to do something like that, no?"
"Oh you're capable of anything Fred Weasley. I wouldn't put anything past you. Why are you really here?" She asked again.
"Seriously. I had a date tonight which thanks to the wonderful body odour you gave me, I lost. So I figure ok let's go have dinner with George tonight. Turns out he's taking Angie out as a celebration for her getting into the team. So I pop into the burrow and mum and dad are going to some ministry dinner which Harry and Ginny are also attending. Then I think. Hmmm. Since Hermione Granger got me into this predicament in the first place let's go have dinner with her." He explained all in one breath.
It seemed like a well rehearsed answer but Hermione dint know if it was indeed because he had rehearsed it or because he just wanted to give it a rehearsed effect.
"And pray tell why the hell can't you have your dinner alone?" Hermione asked.
He gave her a shocked expression that said don't you know me at all. "Are you mad Granger? Me? Fred Weasley! Have dinner alone?"
"Oh come on" she said settling on her couch again and removing the towel she had wrapped against her wet hair which she had forgotten to remove and slept dint do any good to her already wavy hair. So much for drying my hair the muggle way she sighed and quickly dried it magically.
"Don't tell me you've never had dinner alone. Poor Angie. I feel for her if you have been dining with her and George everyday for the past 4 years."
"What makes you think its George and Ange I'm having dinner with? Nope fair lady. You're mistaken. I have my fair share of dates and admirers you see." He said
"Hmmm. Yeah. Right. All things said and done I'm still not having dinner with you." She said.
"Come on Hermione. I'll taste the food in front of your own eyes. We can eat from the same plate if you want to. And dessert I'm going to cook here right in front of your sharp scrutiny. What more do you want?" He pleaded.
"Wow. You really are desperate. Since you called me by my name." She laughed.
"I won't go as far as eating from the same plate but yeah you have to sample every item you've got there from both our plates before I eat ok?"
"Deal!" He smiled.
"Ok. I'm going in to get changed. Behave yourself till then", Hermione said.
"I'm always well behaved, I'll have you know" he said.
Yeah right, she muttered as she closed her door and locked it twice.
She came out in black lounge pants and weird sisters faded t-shirt. She had humanised her hair and looked ready for dinner.
Fred looked at her and then looked at himself. He was wearing jeans and a checked shirt. Not too formal but definitely not as casual as her.
"What?" She questioned.
"It's my house and it's only a dinner. It's ok if I eat in my night clothes" she said.
"You have a point there", Fred shrugged and beckoned her towards a chair.
"I'm guessing the food is from The Silver Wand"; she said eyeing the Italian in front of her. It had opened up recently and served excellent Italian.
"Yup. One of my favourites." He said.
"Ok. So start sampling", she said as she got into her chair.
"Hmmm. Yes. A deals a deal."He said taking a bite from every dish he had out there both from her and his plate.
She waited for a few minutes to test the food. When Fred seemed apparently fine she looked convinced and started to eat.
Conversation flowed easily.
He made fun of her classes and she asked him about his new products.
He even convinced her to help him make a product out of her smell spell.
After they had completed every dish and were visibly sated, they magically washed the vessels and saw a bit TV.
Fred and George were quite acquainted with the uses of a TV and even had it at their homes. In fact Mr. Weasley also had also purchased one and they seemed to enjoy the muggle entertainment quite a bit.
After about 30 minutes he got up and announced "dessert time. Come on lazy bones. Help me. I'm not going to be making it alone so you can enjoy the fruits of my labour."
She groaned and looked at him pleadingly. She had settled into her corner on the couch comfortably. But then she remembered that she had to keep an eye on him so swiftly got up and proceeded to show him around in the kitchen.
"So what are we making?" she asked.
"Flambé." He said. "Apple flambé!"
"Sounds good." She said.
They were almost done when she realised she dint have any firewhiskey.
"Don't worry. I have the best of the Flying fetchers single malt", he said removing the seal.
"You've thought this through haven't you?" She said.
"Yup. Didn't have a choice though. That's the only dessert I know to make. Of course having firewhiskey as an ingredient is criteria enough to learn how to make it" he said.
She rolled her eyes as he plated up.
He put 2 bowls on the table and sat across from her.
"Ok chef. Taste now." she said still wary. She had eyed his every move as he made the dessert. Nothing seemed out of order. No hidden vials of liquid being sneaked into the mixture, no powders being added either. It seemed all pretty clean to her. But still she would make him taste before she put it in her mouth.
"Yummm", he said as he licked the spoon.
"Ok. Let's dig in." She said.
They watched a bit more of TV while they finished off the flambé.
"I'm positively full. Can't even breathe" Hermione groaned.
"You're welcome. I'll take that as a compliment to my culinary skills", Fred smiled.
"Uhhuh. Considering you know only one dish, you better be good at it" she said.
"True. Well if you want to have another fun filled indulging evening with me again your welcome to ruin my future dates", he said coyly.
"And here I thought we had called a temporary truce", she said sighing.
"Yup Granger. Temporary is the key word. I had fun. I'm sure you did too. I better get back now. Got to open the shop tomorrow it's my turn", he said.
Hermione nodded. "Thanks Weasley. Good food and good dessert. Who knew you could pull that off?"
Laughing, Fred waved goodbye and popped out of her flat.
That was fun. Hermione thought as she cleared the dessert plates.
She completed grading the last 2 papers that were left and went to bed.
She woke up to her alarm the next morning. This time to the right time.
She shifted out of her covers feeling extremely constricted and uncomfortable.
She yawned and made her way toward the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Toothbrush in hand she went ahead to place it in her mouth and looked up at the mirror as she did that, she screamed.
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Lol !
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