CHAPTER 8
Pairing: Fred W/Hermione G
Rating: K+
DISCLAIMER: Only the plot is mine. J
Last time on "A Place to Say and a Heart to Love":
Fred leaned back on the headboard of his bed, resting his head against the wall as he continued to comfort the witch in his arms. He felt Hermione shift against his chest, snuggling deeper into his warmth. It seemed the crying had tired her out, for she had fallen right to sleep in his embrace.
Making himself more comfortable, Fred also settled down for the night, propping himself up on several pillows and pulling his blanket over the four occupants of the bed.
With a smile and a sigh, he too fell asleep.
Present:
Soft snores filled the room, slowly waking Hermione from her sleep. She kept her eyes closed, reveling in the warmth that surrounded her like a cocoon. She shifted a little bit on her pillow, burrowing her head deeper into the warmth.
Her pillow snorted, and then gave a loud sneeze. She giggled, hugging the covers closer to her body.
Wait a second. Pillows don't sneeze. Nor do they snort. With a squeak, Hermione jumped up off the bed, landing on the floor in a heap. Poking her head over the side of the bed, her eyes caught the amused face of one Fred Weasley looming over her.
"What are you doing on the floor, love?" Fred couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Hermione lying on the floor.
"It's not funny, Fred," Hermione yelled indignantly. The nerve! Fred opened his mouth to placate the ruffled witch, but was stopped mid-thought by a loud wail.
"How is it someone so small can make so much noise," Fred asked, as Hermione rushed over to her son to comfort him. Hugo gurgled in his mother's arms, content at being held. Hermione rolled her eyes at the red head, and continued to bounce Hugo up and down. Not a moment later, a groan issued from behind Fred. A little head popped over Fred's side, tousled brown hair sticking in all directions.
"Mummy?" Rose yawned, stretched, and rubbed her eyes. Blinking owlishly for a moment, she took the time to register the presence of Fred in the bed.
"I'm right here, Rosie. Good morning!" Hermione smiled at her daughter. The little girl sighed, rubbing her eyes once more.
"Unca Fwed! Why's you in mine bed?" Fred chuckled at the girl's grammar. Rolling over, he turned so he was face to face with Rose.
"Well, Rosie-Posie, you're actually in my bed!" Rose looked at her mother for confirmation of this statement, and Hermione nodded encouragingly.
"Oh. Well… I'm hungwy! Unca Fwed, gimme food," Rose demanded. At a glare from her mother, Rose added a "Pwease," to her demand. Fred smiled, and picked the child up.
"Sure thing, Rosie!" Fred winked at Hermione, and whisked the little girl towards the kitchen for eats. Hermione blushed at the wink. Was Fred flirting with her? Blinking a couple times, she shook her head vigorously and walked out of the room towards the bathroom to clean up.
Creeping towards the kitchen, Hermione smiled to herself at the giggles and laughs emanating from the room. A loud shriek followed by more giggles issued from the doorway, prompting Hermione to poke her head around the corner to see what was going on.
The sight that greeted her almost made her drop her son. There stood Fred, covered head to toe in white flour, a batter pooling at his feet from the whisk in his hand. A huge smile graced his handsome face, making Hermione's breath catch in her throat. He had never looked more gorgeous to her.
Tearing her eyes away from the magnificent view that was Fred, Hermione searched the kitchen for her daughter. Her eyes roved around the kitchen three times before she spotted a white lump bouncing in her spot on the counter, batter dripping from her hair as well.
Sighing to herself at the mess that was made, Hermione decided to make her presence known to the inhabitants of the kitchen.
"What in Merlin's name has gone on in here," she cried, half-amused, half-exasperated. Fred smiled sheepishly at her.
"Um…. Pancakes?" Rose nodded in agreement, better flinging from the bouncing strands of her hair. Hermione sighed again. With some difficulty due to the squirming baby in her arms, she pulled out her wand, waved it around, and vanished the entire mess.
"Now," she huffed, "Fred, take Hugo and Rose, and set the table. Try not to make a mess of that too, please! I'll make the breakfast. Pancakes, coming up!" And with that, Hermione passed her son off to the red head, and pushed him out of the kitchen along with Rose.
She surveyed the kitchen, gauging to see what she needed, and with a determined look on her face, set about making the world's most delicious chocolate-banana pancakes with maple syrup.
It wasn't long before the aroma of cooking banana and chocolate wafted through the flat, permeating every little nook and cranny and making the atmosphere that much brighter. Fred's lips quirked up into a smile as he was strongly reminded of the mornings spent in his Mother's kitchen during his childhood.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, filling his nostrils with the heavenly smell and committing it to memory. Exhaling, he prepared himself to take another breath, when a loud grumble sounded from somewhere to his right.
"Unca Fwed? I'm hungwy. My tummy says so, right tummy?" Another grumble sounded from Rose's tummy. Fred crouched down low to her height, a mock look of deliberation on his face.
"Yes, yes. It seems, my dear, that your tummy monster has come alive! I have just the remedy, not to worry," Fred said, his voice imitating Percy during his period as "big-head boy". Rose giggled and bounced on her feet.
As if on cue, the door to the kitchen burst open with a bang. A large platter piled high with pancakes floated out from the kitchen, followed by a bowl of syrup, and a certain brown-haired witch.
Goddess is more like it, Fred thought, drinking in the sight of Hermione's curvy body and beautiful face covered in a sheen of sweat from the cooking.
"Breakfast, everyone! Come on, then! We mustn't keep our tummy monsters waiting!" Hermione levitated the platter and bowl to the middle of the table, and set them down gently. Stowing her wand in her pocket (the front one, mind, not the back; some things cannot be unheard, and Moody's warning of blowing one's buttocks off was etched permanently into her mind), she picked Rose up and sat her down in the magically enhanced seat/high-chair.
A kiddie plate with small pieces of pancake dipped in syrup was placed in front of the child, along with a sippy-cup filled with milk. Once Hermione was sure that her eldest was situated and alright, she set her sights on Fred. She smirked at the gobsmacked look on his face, and walked over to him with purposeful steps. The smirk on her face turned into a goofy smile as she neared her destination, her arms reaching out for her goal.
"Come on, Hughie! Let's go eat some breakfast, shall we? What'll it be for you? Milk? Warm milk? Cold milk," she cooed. Hugo gurgled. "Fresh, warm milk it is!" Hermione took her son from Fred's arms and cradled him close. Sitting down at the table in her spot, she picked up Hugo's bottle, tested the milk on the back of her hand, nodded in satisfaction, and very nearly stuffed the nipple of the bottle into the poor infant's mouth.
Immediately, Hugo began sucking and slurping away at his breakfast. Hermione looked up from the child with a fond look on her face. Her eyes fell on the still form of Fred, standing exactly where she had left him moments before.
"Fred? What are you doing?" At the sound of her voice, Fred snapped out of his trance. His cheeks heated up in a blush as he was caught staring at the object of his affections. He strode over to the table and sat down, immediately piling his plate with pancakes drenched in syrup.
Still not looking Hermione in the face, he grabbed his cutlery and began to stuff his face with the food.
A moan of appreciation escaped him once he took the time to process the taste of his breakfast. His eyes slid shut and he chewed his food slowly, savoring the taste.
"Hermione, you wonderful, wonderful witch," He said, and stuffed another large bite into his mouth, all previous embarrassment forgotten.
Hermione blushed at his compliment. So far, it was turning out to be a magnificent day.
A/N: LONG CHAPTER MEANS MORE REVIEWS PLEASE! I'm actually surprised – I hit over a thousand words! I wasn't intending on focusing on the breakfast that much, but it sort of wrote itself… this was more of a filler chapter, building on the budding relationship between Fred and Hermione. Next chapter is when it's going to get interesting, though, but you won't get to see what happens until you review! I'm trying to hit at least 75 reviews by chapter 10. Please leave a review – they make my update faster! Thanks!