Pairing: Fred Weasley/Hermione Granger

Note: Takes place during OOTP, Fred is 17 and Hermione is 15.

Disclaimer: All properties belong to their rightful owners.


Act IV, Scene II

Maybe I Just Miss You


"So why exactly did you drag me all the way out here tonight, Fred?"

"Ah, come off it, Angie! Can't we go out and get a drink every once in a while together? As friends?" Fred said, sipping his mug of butterbeer.

Angelina cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow at him, her smile knowing. "We never have before."

"Well, that's because we usually find better things to do with our time together," Fred smirked.

Angelina laughed at that. "Oh, Freddie. You may have Lee and your brother fooled, but you can't fool me. Tell me what's wrong." She put her hand on Fred's knee comfortingly, and he turned to smile at her with the bottom half of his face.

"Why does anything have to be wrong? Maybe I just miss you," he shrugged.

"Maybe you need to get better at lying, mate," Angelina shot back. "Look, we've been here for almost an hour now and you still haven't told me what's the matter—"

"Because nothing is!" Fred interjected.

She went on as if she hadn't heard anything, "—but Katie and Alicia are waiting for me, and I don't want to spend my last hour at Hogsmeade in the Three Broomsticks. So I'm going to get myself another drink, and when I come back, you better start talking."

Fred started to protest but Angelina was already too far gone. He sighed in defeat and watched the bottom of his mug as he sloshed his drink around, contemplating how to get out of this one.

"Oooh, rekindling some old romance are we, Fred?"

Fred jumped a bit at the sudden voice but tried his best not to show it. He turned around and saw Hermione Granger, of all people, standing behind him by the bar stools with a wide grin.

"Sticking your nose in my love life now, are we, Granger?"

"Sorry, couldn't help myself," Hermione chuckled. "I just saw you sitting here all by your lonesome and I took pity on you. Thought I should say hi to make you seem less sad."

"Ah, so you do have a heart. Could have fooled me, 'Mione," He rolled his eyes in an impersonation of her, and she smacked his arm in return. "What brings you outside of the library for once?"

"Just having a drink with some friends." She gestured towards a table in the back where Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, and Lavender Brown were all sitting.

Fred furrowed his eyebrows at the sight of them. "Um, Hermione? I don't know if you've noticed but um...why is your boyfriend snogging another woman?"

She followed his line of sight to where Ron and Lavender were kissing or, rather, violently attacking each other's mouths by the edge of the seat. Everyone had moved as far away from the pair as they could, and carried on the conversation as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

"Oh, that," Hermione wrinkled her nose. "That's just my roommate, Lavender."

Fred stared at her in disbelief. "Aren't you upset? If that happened to me, I'd be storming over there right now to go bat-bogey hex him." Suddenly, he got to his feet. "In fact, do you want me to? Because I'd be more than glad to—"

Hermione suddenly burst out laughing, which only served to make Fred more confused.

Why isn't she taking this seriously? And why aren't Harry and Ginny doing anything about it? Fred thought. How long has this been going on?!

Hermione put a hand on his shoulder to sit him back down and tried, with little success, to stifle her laughter at Fred's puzzled expression. "Oh, Fred. I never actually said Ron was my boyfriend. He's dating Lavender, not me!"

"What?" Fred exclaimed. "Then why'd you let me go on thinking he was, then?"

"Well, maybe if you had actually asked me instead of just assuming things like everyone else does..." Hermione trailed off meaningfully.

"Found yourself a new girlfriend already, Freddie?" Angelina teased as she came sauntering back to her seat, two mugs of butterbeer in hand. "I just left five minutes ago."

Fred frowned at her disapprovingly.

Hermione, on the other hand, flushed. "Hello, Angelina. I was just saying hi to Fred, but I'll be on my way now. Don't want to intrude, and all."

"Oh, nonsense! Here, have a butterbeer," Angelina handed her a mug. "Fred's paying."

With a small chuckle, Hermione graciously accepted the drink and waved goodbye at the pair as she sat back down beside Harry and Ginny.

When Fred turned back to Angelina, she was smiling. "So that'll be her then, huh, Freddie?"

"What are you prattling on about, Angie?"

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Why are you still playing dumb? I knew from the moment you asked me to come to the pub with you that something was wrong, and now I know why: you're in love with your baby brother's best friend."

Fred took a long sip of his drink before replying. "Seems like you've been hit by one too many bludgers, Johnson because you're delusional. I'd sooner start falling for Dumbledore than Little Miss Perfect over there."

"Is that so?" Angelina was still smiling like the cat who ate the canary, unconvinced by his words. "All George and Lee said was that some girl had stolen your heart, and judging by the look on your face right now, I'd say that was her."

"Oh, what do George and Lee know? Those nosy little gits."

She set her mug down on the table and held Fred's hand between hers, locking eyes with him. "Fred, look me in the eye and tell me the real reason why you asked me out today."

He paused and searched her eyes for something, though he didn't know what. He took a deep breath and said, "Maybe I wanted you back."

A beat.

"Oh, Fred."

Angelina got out of her chair to give him a hug, and he returned it in kind. It felt nice to be held like this by her again. He really did miss her. When they parted, she kept her hands firmly on his shoulders, and his on her forearms.

"I love you dearly. You are and always will be one of my oldest and closest friends," she told him quietly. There was a seriousness to her voice that he only ever heard from her the night they broke up, three months ago. She smiled again, this time softer. "You don't have to lie to me. If you're looking for permission to go be with someone else, then go. Believe me, it's okay."

He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

She hugs him again and whispers, "And if you're looking for encouragement from a friend, then let me give that to you, too."

Fred opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out, so he simply hugs her tighter in response.


Author's Note: That was the angstiest chapter yet! While I do ship Fremione so much, I love the friendly dynamic between Angelina and Fred, too. Only a few chapters left. What do you guys think of the story so far? :))