Hermione is prompt every morning and seems to enjoy working alongside Lee creating potions. She always puts her foot down against love potions, though, so I decide to wait until they've finished everything else to ask her to do those. George is sure we can convince her.

"This really is some extraordinary magic," Hermione says, running her fingers along one of the shelves as she and Lee wait for a giant batch of Portable Swamp to set the week before the Cup.

I still remember the first time she ever said that and it still makes me feel warm all over. I pull a Patented Daydream Charm, the product she had referred to all those years ago, off the shelf. "You want another one?"

She laughs, but is cut off by the bell ringing as the front door opens. We stare silently as Kingsley Shacklebolt walks through the door, shocked. Hermione recovers first. "Minister, it's good to see you. What brings you here?"

"You actually," he replies with a nod to the rest of us. "I have some business that I think you can help me with. I'm sorry I didn't write first, but it's a bit urgent."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Come with me. The matter is private, as well as urgent."

She takes his arm and they Apparate out of the shop. Ron comes in not five minutes after they've left in an obvious bad mood. "Where's Hermione?"

"With Shacklebolt," George replies. "He needed her help with something."

"Her?" he says, disdain in his voice. "What could she possibly do that Harry can't?"

That's it. I point my wand at Ron, forcing his tongue to stick to the roof of his mouth. "You listen to me, Ron Weasley. I've had enough of listening to you put Hermione down and having a go at her every chance you get. If you don't start treating her with respect, I'll hex you so badly you won't be able to sit for months. Understood?"

I drop my hold so he can answer. He massages his jaw, glaring at me the entire time. "Go to hell."

I raise my wand again, but George beats me to it. Ron stumbles backward, clutching his face, redness and swelling starting immediately. A Stinging Jinx.

"Good one," Lee says after Ron leaves the shop.

"He deserved worse," George replies.

We agree and go back to work, trying to guess what Shacklebolt could have needed Hermione's help for. Lee, with his wild imagination, thinks they're taking on the escaped Death Eaters single-handedly. I just roll my eyes.

She doesn't come in the next morning, but an unfamiliar owl brings us a message telling us not to worry, that she's fine. I hope she comes to the shop before heading to the Burrow. I want to know what's going on before the rest of them do.

But she doesn't. Mum had a letter from her too, but she doesn't know where she is either. Just as we're sitting down to dinner, Hermione comes rushing in, her cheeks bright red. "I'm so sorry for being late!"

Mum hands her a bowl of potatoes. "You're right on time. Where have you been the last two days?"

Hermione spoons a few pieces onto her plate before passing the bowl to Ron. "Lucius Malfoy is missing, so Mr. Shacklebolt wanted me to go to Malfoy Manor with him and another Auror to question Draco and Mrs. Malfoy. He figured I could coax the truth out of Draco and, if he wasn't being truthful, I would know. But he has no idea where his father is."

I see Ron mutter something and I'm sure it's something like, "I can't believe you're friends with him."

"You interrogated them for two days?" Harry asks.

She looks down and I see the muscles working in her throat. "No. Mr. Shacklebolt also took me to Australia and to my home here to collect anything I find valuable. My parents died in a car accident a few months ago."

Mum immediately jumps up and rushes to her side to hold her and I feel a lump forming in my own throat. Hermione doesn't start crying, which surprises me. But I know that she hates people seeing her weak, even though crying over your parents' death is not weak.

We finish our dinner and just hang out for a while. Ron is extra cuddly with Hermione as he plays Wizard Chess with Harry and I end up having to turn my head. Something is off, though. Hermione's physically here, but her mind is a million miles away. She doesn't even react when Ron kisses her neck, just stares blankly toward George and me.

"She's probably still in shock," George says softly.

But I pull Hermione aside before we leave. "If you need anything, I'm here for you, okay?"

She smiles. "I know. Thanks, Fred."

I feel a rock hit my shoulder after she goes inside and turn to a red-faced Ron. He has his wand pointed at my head. "Leave her alone. She's my girlfriend. I'm not letting you ruin it."

"What are you so worried about?" I reply flippantly. "It's not like she has feelings for me."

A shadow crosses his face, a little bit of doubt. "Just stay away from her." And he walks away.

When I tell George about it later, he whistles softly. "It sounds like she does have feelings for you and he knows it."

I'm not getting my hopes up.

I'm happy when Ron and Harry leave for Auror training and the rest of us go to the campgrounds for Quidditch. Hermione, ever prepared, charmed her school bag to hold all the supplies we need. It's honestly incredible how much she fit in there. Even the tent.

George and Ginny help her set up the tent while Lee and I hunt for firewood. I had forgotten we would have to live like Muggles while we're here. People have decorated their tents in the team colors: green and white for Ireland and black and red for Malawi.

"This is so awesome," Lee says as we complete our task. "I've never been to a Cup before."

"It's fun," I reply. "Except for the Death Eater part last time. That was scary."

"Luckily we don't have to worry about that this time. The ones who are left are in hiding."

Hermione directs us to stack the wood in a pile when we get back and she strikes a match to light it. We all watch, fascinated, as she pulls out a huge pot and mixes containers of food and liquid from her bag together in it over the fire. A spicy scent emanates within a few minutes.

"That smells delicious," Lee says. "I knew having a Muggleborn would be useful."

She laughs. "Sit down. It will be ready soon."

The stew is delicious and everyone thanks Hermione for taking care of us before we retire into the tent. We all claim we're too excited to sleep, but morning comes before we know it.

We don our green and white clothes and paint our faces. George, Led, and I are covered; Hermione and Ginny have lines under their eyes. I go through my bag again. "I forgot my hat!"

Hermione smiles, reaching into her bag and pulling it out. "I told you I had everything." She reaches up to place it on my head, her fingers brushing my ears as she steadies it.

I shiver involuntarily. "Thanks."

Her eyes meet mine, those gorgeous pools of dark chocolate, and I want to just let myself melt into her. I'm vaguely aware that we're closer than we were a minute ago, but I'm not sure which of us moved. I lean in slightly, remembering how badly I had wanted to kiss her the day George and I put our names in the Goblet of Fire. She had been right there, doubting our ability to outsmart Dumbledore, and her sass had been so sexy.

"Come on," Lee says, poking his head through the flap. "Time to go."

We jump apart and Hermione hurries to catch up with Ginny. I fall back with George and Lee. "Sorry," Lee says. "Were you actually going to kiss her?"

"What?!" George exclaims. "She's dating your brother, Fred!"

"I know, I know," I reply hastily. I don't want a lecture. It's her eyes, though. They just draw you in.

"She would be better off with him," Lee says.

"We all know that," George replies. "But she's not with him now."

The conversation is interrupted as we enter the stadium and look for our seats. The view is incredible and I hope Hermione thanked Krum profusely for these tickets. We cheer loudly when Ireland flies out and I'm happy that Hermione, to my right, seems as excited as we are. I never asked her why she did so much research on the subject.

"Because it's something you're passionate about."

I hadn't realized I had spoken aloud. "Really?"

She nods, smiling shyly.

Before I can respond, Ireland scores and we all erupt in cheers. There's no time to talk; the game is exciting. Possession and scoring keep going back and forth; whoever finds the Snitch first is going to win. I grip Hermione's hand and she squeezes back just as hard. She actually spots the Snitch before I do, which gives me a surge of pride.

Ireland ends up winning and I'm suddenly being hugged and high-fived by strangers. Ginny and Hermione are both jumping up and down and yelling. Lee puts my hat on Hermione's head and I wrap my arm around her while all the Ireland fans cheer and sing. I'm glad we packed Firewhiskey.

Some of our friends from Hogwarts join us in a celebration that lasts a good portion of the night. Hermione doesn't drink, but still joins us for a rehash of the game, mocking of the other team, and general unruliness. Eventually, people start heading to their tents, so Hermione stays behind to put our bonfire out. I finish off the Firewhiskey while the others get ready for bed, but I'm actually not drunk, just a little buzzed. It seems like it's taking a long time for Hermione to come in, so I go out to look for her. It doesn't take long; I stumble over her as soon as I step outside the tent.

"Are you okay?" she asks, kneeling by my side.

"Fine," I reply, sitting up. "Why were you on the ground?"

She reaches under the collar of her shirt and pulls out a thin gold chain with a blue pendant on it. "This was my mother's turquoise crystal. According to her, it brings protection, health, confidence, and strength. I thought I had lost it."

"It's pretty," I reply, touching it with my fingers before looking up at her. "Just like you."

She rolls her eyes, but smiles. "You've had too much to drink."

"That doesn't make it any less true."

Our eyes meet again and I see something in Hermione's this time. I can't put my finger on the emotion, but I'm not losing my chance again. I close the small gap between us, pressing my lips against hers, expecting her to push me away. But she doesn't. She deepens this kiss, moving her hand up and resting it on the back of my neck, her finger on my pulse. Heat courses throughout my entire body as I wrap my arms around her and pull her closer. Merlin this is good.

When we break apart, my head is fuzzy and my heart is pounding. But panic crosses Hermione's face as she puts her hands to her mouth. "Oh no!"

Realization hits me like a bucket of ice water. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

But she cuts me off. "Keep this between us, all right? I don't need Ron finding out. I can't imagine..." Her voice trails off.

I touch her hand, then realize my mistake when she flinches. "Sorry. I promise I won't tell anybody."

"Thank you, Fred."

I toss and turn all night, conflicted. That was the best kiss I've ever had, but it was with my little brother's girlfriend. I could play it off like some guys do, justify it by saying I love her and he treats her like rubbish, but I can't. That's not me.

I'm afraid the kiss will make things awkward between Hermione and me, but our friendship doesn't change at all. You would have never known anything happened. Even though Ron's away, I'm careful when I'm close to her. I don't even hug her when George, Mum, and I see her and Ginny off on the Hogwarts Express. And bless her, she's already worried about the end of the year N.E.W.T. exams and classes haven't even started yet. So I give her a notebook I've put a Protean Charm on. "If you need me, just write in this. I have one too and I'll check it every night before I go to sleep. It's quicker than owls."

"Thanks," she replies, smiling. "It's going to be lonely without Neville this term, so I might need it."

I hadn't realized how close she and Neville actually were until she had told me that they spent almost every night in the library together because Ron and Harry were too busy for her half the time. He also comforted her when Ron was snogging Lavender all over the castle. She swears they're just friends, though.

"See you at Christmas," George says, ruffling her hair. "Don't study too hard."

She rolls her eyes, but smiles, something I'm all too familiar with. "See you both at Christmas."

I hope to see her sooner, but I know better. She writes to George and me all the time, filling us in on the goings on at Hogwarts. A former Order of the Phoenix member, Hestia Jones, is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and McGonagall is the new headmistress. She and Malfoy are Head Girl and Head Boy and McGonagall even has Hermione helping her out with First Years' Transfiguration classes, which Hermione loves. She enjoys being busy because she's a little lonely; Ginny is captain of the Quidditch team and it's gone to her head, and Luna has a lot of new friends from the DA, though she and Hermione do still spend some time together. Mostly, she spends her free time in the library with Malfoy. That really bothers me.

George, Lee, and I are busy too. We've been developing new products and fine tuning some old ones. We've condensed the Muggle Magic Trick section a bit and expanded the Love Potions. Why girls feel the need to trick boys into liking them is beyond me, but it brings in business. Hermione is still firmly against love potions, but she did help Lee make them. After we promised to buy her Potions ingredients for the school year, of course. It ended up being a good trade.

By the end of November, Hermione and I are using the notebook almost every night. Malfoy is busy now too; he's dating Astoria Greengrass. Good choice actually, despite being a Slytherin like him. She's a pretty girl.

"I was thinking about my first year on the Hogwarts Express today," Hermione writes. "I thought you were so conceited when I met you the way you called me 'the brave little First Year.'"

Me, conceited? "Funny, when you said, 'pleasure' in that condescending tone after I introduced myself, I knew were going to be a pain in my arse," I write back.

"That didn't stop you and George from coming to my rescue."

"It didn't stop you breaking my heart a little every time I saw you cry. What can I say, I've always had a soft spot for you."

She doesn't respond for a few minutes. I think I went too far. When she does respond, she tells me she'll talk to me tomorrow. Now I know I've gone too far.