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CHAPTER 13.
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Monday morning started as usual. Hermione got the kids and breakfast ready. Fred for some reason was up early too.
He had been silent and awkward the night before after the massage. Hermione had profusely thanked him and apologized a million times for falling asleep in the middle of his massage. But she remembered how amazing it had felt and had complimented Fred on his techniques.
She was behaving normally. And why shouldn't she? Fred thought wryly. It wasn't her who was having weird thoughts. In fact to make matters worse, last night Hermione had rather sheepishly asked him if he would be alright with handling the twins at night alone since she had a date.
He couldn't make out if she seemed embarrassed while asking him that because she was unwilling to disclose that she had a date or because it made things uncomfortable between them.
But he deduced that she was fine talking about the date with him around. Maybe he had lost his mind.
He had barely slept, trying to make out his sudden change of thoughts towards the bookworm. She was young and single. Not to mention very smart and beautiful. And when she tried using Ginny's hair spells, she looked absolutely radiant. She was kind and always thought of other people before herself. She had offered to keep the twins in a heartbeat only so that Angelina wouldn't have to worry.
Wait what was he talking about before? He had lost his train of thoughts while counting the positive traits of a Ms. Hermione Granger. This seemed to happen a lot lately. Maybe it's because we live together. He thought. Yes of course. That's it. Anyone who lives with someone will spend a large part of their time thinking about that other person. Right?
Did this mean Hermione thought about him a lot too? Why did he care what she thought about him? She was going on a date for crying out loud. It was perfectly natural for her. She was single. She had every right to date someone. Just like him. Then why did he not feel like going out and picking up women?
He was not your usual playboy but he had had his fair share of girlfriends. And he was committed to them then. But neither had worked out. But that didn't seem to faze him. He had only thought that he was better off single for the time being.
But something was gnawing him about Hermione going out with someone else. And he couldn't put a finger on it.
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Hermione came home slightly later than she had planned on coming.
She felt guilty about leaving the twins with Fred alone. But she would make it up to him. Today, she had planned on a quick dinner, only to get to know the other Fred. If things went well then they could have more dates later.
But what she didn't count on, was hitting it off with the other Fred. Before she knew it, they had finished dinner, dessert and coffee and the restaurant staff had politely informed them that it had passed closing time.
Red faced, she decided it was time to leave. But the other Fred asked to walk her home. Grinning at the prospect of spending some more time with him, she agreed. She was not the type to ask someone on the first date to her flat. But today, feeling bolder, she thought she would have made an exception.
Luckily Fred and the twins would be at home. Most likely asleep. But still. That was the only thing preventing her from asking the other Fred to come up.
They bid each other goodnight and promised to owl each other the day and venue of the next date.
Feeling giddy, she popped into her flat.
Surprised to see Fred awake and reading she asked. "Not sleepy?"
Fred looked up; shutting his book he said "No. Tried it but seems like I'm wide awake."
"Looks like we need some dessert for you to fall asleep. Last night also I suppose you didn't sleep well. "She said.
"How did you know?" He asked curiously.
"You were up early today. Also you didn't make fun of my schoolwork before I left. "She shrugged."Only a not so well rested Fred would let me go without poking fun at me. "
Fred laughed.
"You seem like your date went well." He said, changing the subject.
Hermione's face flushed with excitement. She seemed like she really wanted to talk about it. But for some reason she couldn't get herself to tell Fred. Maybe she needed Ginny and Luna for such type of talks.
"I had a very good time." She smiled.
Relieved that she left it at that, Fred said good night and retired to his room.
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"This is amazing! We can finally triple date", Luna said excitedly.
The 3 girlfriends had met up for lunch the next day since Hermione had no classes after lunch on Tuesdays.
"Relax Lu. I'm not telling anyone about the other Fred yet. Let me see where it goes. It's only been one date yet." Hermione insisted.
"But one helluva date", Luna said.
Hermione smiled.
She had told them how good her date had turned out to be. Time had flown when she was with him.
He was an intelligent, soft spoken man but had a hidden sense of humour which was not in your face. He read various muggle literary works and also wrote muggle literature under an alias. He was also an editor for Luna's newspaper.
In other words he almost was a male version of Hermione itself. He even hated Quidditch. Well that would fetch negative points already in Harry's and Ron's eyes. That alone could be reason enough for them to demand that she stop seeing him.
But Hermione didn't care. She had felt him worthy of a second date. And only when she was absolutely sure about him would she declare a status on her relationship.
Ginny surprisingly had looked at Hermione curiously the entire time. As if trying to study her. Of course she did this with her own expertise, without letting Hermione or Luna for that matter take notice of her scrutiny.
In between she had added her own bits of advice etc albeit half-heartedly. She wasn't as thrilled as she had expected she would be.
What she had noticed at lunch on Sunday certainly was not nothing. There was something going on between Fred and Hermione. And yet here she was, gushing about her date with the other Fred. Ginny mentally cursed herself. She wished that she had not pushed Hermione so much into meeting the other Fred. That way she would have time to sort out situations with her brother Fred.
She didn't know for sure, but Ginny had never been wrong about such things in her whole life. Ginny Potter knew Chemistry between a couple when she saw it. And what she had witnessed on Sunday was testimony to a growing chemistry that would one day be sufficient to blow up a lab.
So she sat there, absentmindedly listening to Hermione, fervently hoping that something would happen between Hermione and her Fred soon.
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