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Chapter 3

After breakfast, Fred had gone outside to the spot he and George had always frequented as kids. He needed time to think after the events of the morning. Maybe it had been too much. He knew Hermione wasn't really the flirtatious type. And despite her short tryst with his brother, she was still relatively young and inexperienced. He didn't want to scare her off before things even began.

He couldn't back down now though, could he? He was pretty sure that would be even weirder at this point. No, he'd have to find a way to show her he was serious without scaring her off. He was pacing back and forth, considering his options, when he heard the familiar sound of footsteps. He stopped, not bothering to turn around, knowing who the intruder would be.

"A ball?" he asked, raising his eyebrows as his visitor revealed himself. "How am I supposed to put together a ball? And you really had to lay it on thick about the perfect etiquette, didn't you? Now she's going to be scrutinizing every detail!"

"It'll get her attention, I reckon," his twin just shrugged in response.

"Well, yeah, George, I'm sure it would impress her pants off, but what do you think I know about planning a ball?"

"How hard can it be? Mum and Ginny will help."

He sighed. Sometimes his twin's lackadaisical attitude drove him nuts. Wait, what? He was usually the more laidback and spontaneous of the two. Bloody hell, what was this bird doing to him? He was acting like a complete nutter.

"It's in four days, Forge." Fred was an optimistic kind of guy, but this seemed daunting even for him. Hermione would think he was a complete joke if he couldn't pull this off.

"You're a wizard, mate," George said, clapping him on the back. "Magic and all that. We've got this."

"What if nobody comes?" Fred's eyes widened in horror as all the possible issues came flooding into his thoughts. He groaned as he considered all the ways that all of this could blow up in his face.

George just shook his head. "Man, you've got it bad. You're sounding like a girl. Snap out of it. Granger's coming, isn't she? She all but said so at breakfast. Does it really matter if anyone else comes?"

"I guess not," he muttered. Honestly, he didn't care if Hermione was the only one that showed up, but somehow he didn't think she would be too impressed by a ball consisting of two guests.

"Right-o. So let's go talk to Mum and Gin. They'll know what to do. Come on now, stop moping. It's making me mental."

He threw a rock at his twin's head as he sauntered away, but did reluctantly follow him. What in Merlin's name had he gotten himself into?

George had been right. His Mum and Ginny were more than enthusiastic to help. Fred had never even heard of some of the stuff his little sister was going on about. He finally had to put his foot down a few times. He was footing the bill, after all, he ought to be able to make a few decisions at least.

There were only three days left until New Year's Eve. It was taking every possible wand they could find to get things ready in time, including Hermione's. Fred knew that wasn't ideal, but at least he got to spend time with her. Besides, he was saving the finishing touches for the last minute. He had been working tirelessly to make sure he knew all of her favorite things. He and George would take care of all of those details themselves. Some things would still be a surprise at least.

He saw her standing alone, seeming to admire the work they had completed thus far.

"A sickle for your thoughts, Granger," he said, trying his best to sound casual.

"Fred!" she whirled around, nearly slamming into him. "You scared me."

Breathlessly, he took her in. Her hair was slightly disheveled from the work they had been doing all afternoon, but man, she looked gorgeous. Her face was flushed, whether from exertion or embarrassment he wasn't sure, but either way, he liked it. "Sorry," he said softly. He hadn't meant to frighten her, but she seemed fine now. Deciding to shrug it off, he gestured towards the tent. "It's going to be great, don't ya think?"

"Oh, yes," Hermione answered. "It's lovely." He watched her carefully, but she seemed sincere. He decided to take a chance. Baby steps. He had three whole days, didn't he? He almost rolled his eyes at the absurdity of it all. Three days to woo the girl of his dreams.

"George and Percy are working on the dance floor now," he winked. "Might I have the honor of the first dance with you, Hermione?" he asked with a flourish, bowing down in an exaggerated manner.

She laughed. Was she laughing at him? No, wait, she was curtsying back. Was she blushing? Startled, he almost missed her response. "Why, of course, Mr. Weasley!" His head shot up. Yep, definitely blushing. No denying it this time.

"Fantastic!" he exclaimed. Feeling a little more confident by her reaction, he grabbed her hand and gave it a soft kiss before grinning up at her. Oh, Merlin, those eyes. He forced himself to leave, but then decided to turn back once more. "Three days," he whispered.

He walked away grinning to himself. That had gone a little better than expected. Maybe, just maybe, he stood a chance. He was definitely able to get a reaction out of her at least. Well, one thing was for sure, he wasn't going down without a fight.

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