"You look stunning."

Hermione preened, spinning in place to show off the pretty sundress she'd bought just for the occasion. "Why thank you, good sir. You should have some breakfast before you head into the night shift," she pointed out, waving her wand towards the kitchen and summoning some pastries she'd bought that afternoon. "Are you excited for your first shift in the emergency ward?"

Theo shrugged, finishing his bite before speaking as any gentle-wizard would. "Should be interesting if your stories were anything to go by."

Hermione shuddered in remembrance. "The places people will put things in their bodies are surprising."

"I thought you'd be gone by now, wasn't Fred supposed to be here at 7?"

Her eyes glanced at the clock and saw that they'd just ticked past 7:30, and she smiled sheepishly. "He was."

"As eager as he's been for your first date, he's stood you up?"

"No," she reassured Theo, patting his shoulder as she stood to shrug into a light sweater. It was late September and still warm enough not to need it but she didn't want to risk her charm wearing off and the scar on her arm being visible to the strangers. "I imagine he's gotten caught up in something." Theo looked unsure so she explained. "I've known Fred for eight years, being on time is not his strong suit. I made the reservation for 8 for a reason. I'm going to head over to the shop and check on him. Worst case scenario, we can reschedule and I'll come curl up with Mueller's Magical Malady Manual and be better prepared for the exam next month."

"If I had a first date with a prat who dared to be late, he wouldn't be getting a second one," Theo said acerbically, disappointed that Fred would be so careless with Hermione's feelings. She on the other hand didn't seem to mind and laughed.

"It really doesn't bother me, Theo. Given my job, I'll probably be late to a few of these dates in the future, might as well start off on a forgiving foot." She was right, as she'd already had several shifts that had run over by an hour or more due to an emergent case that couldn't be left until stabilized.

"Already planning on more dates?"

Her eyes shined with intent and a blush rose from her chest into her face. "I've got a whole list of things I want to do to Fred."

"With Fred."

"No, I spoke correctly." She grabbed her bag and reached over to press a kiss against his cheek. "Make sure you imperviate your clothing. Tends to be a lot of vomiting in emergency."

Despite the hour, the streets of Diagon Alley were still bustling with activity. In the short walk to Weasley Wizard Wheezes Hermione ran into two of her former classmates and had a brief conversation that was only ended by the promise of grabbing tea in the future. It was an empty platitude but she was eager to chase down her missing date and didn't mind a small white lie to get away.

The shop had closed almost an hour before, but Fred had added her to the wards so as she approached the lock clicked open and she could easily enter the empty shop. The brothers had clearly already run a few cleaning charms, there were no empty wrappers on the floor nor detritus from exploding pranks. A sliver of light leaked out from the second floor workroom where the men conspired on new projects and products so she made her way up. As she approached she heard what sounded like one of the twins, but the tone of voice was clearly stressed and panicked and it leached out the bit of amusement she'd held onto for the last 45 minutes.

The door swung open silently and she only just barely kept in her bark of laughter by biting her lips.

George was jumping from one desk to the other, looking at ingredients before dumping them into a cauldron that was already almost bubbling over from the volume of liquid inside. Standing out of the way and squeaking indignantly was a six foot tall bowtruckle that Hermione very much suspected was Fred.

"Yelling at me isn't going to speed up this process, Forge, go plant yourself somewhere while I work out the antidote." Another indignant squeak emitted at almost an ear-splitting frequency. "No I wasn't making a pun, I'm not laughing-"

Squeak.

"Yes, I know you're supposed to be on a date with Hermione-"

Squeak.

"-I told you it wasn't ready for testing-"

Squeak. Squeak.

"-I did not put it next to the breath mints on purpose! You touched them last-"

Squealing squeak.

"-I think if we add a drop of clover root-"

Hermione quietly shut the door and stepped back, clutching her sides as she fought the urge to laugh out loud. She rolled her eyes as she moved for the exit, already formulating how to adjust the night's plans.

An hour later Fred was storming out of the workroom towards his flat; his carefully chosen clothing was a mess of holes where small branches had grown through during his transformation. He had leaves in his hair, and his mouth tasted distinctly like chicory, and he was livid with himself for not recognizing the experimental candies and for ruining the night. It was almost two hours past when he was supposed to pick Hermione up and trust him to muck up the best thing that-

Hermione was standing in his kitchen pulling down plates to set the table. "Finally transformed back, I see."

"Blimey, you look gorgeous." Fred wondered again at why she was interested in him, especially given he'd just demonstrated how reckless and unreliable he could be. "Are you mad?"

"No," she answered, tilting her head with a grin, "I am hungry though. Why don't you shower and come back and we'll eat?"

"Is there enough for three?" George asked from the door with a hopeful look, sweat pooled under his arms from his efforts over the last hour.

Fred shot a quick spell his way, slamming and locking the door between them. "No."

"Oi, rude! This is my flat too!" A muffled yell carried through the wood, though the couple heard George turn around and stomp away.

"There is enough for three," she pointed out, nodding at the big to-go containers on the counter.

"I'm not sharing you," Fred explained, pulling his shirt off as he headed for the bathroom. He was pleased when he heard her gasp, it was nice to see he affected her as much as she affected him.

When he'd walked in and seen her there, in his home like she'd belonged, had stirred an entirely different type of wood. The cold shower did more than just clean him and he was mostly back in control by the time he was done.

He'd remember that first look at her though, tuck it away in amongst the memories he never wanted to lose. Hermione with her hair loose and long, curling enticingly along her slim waist as she moved back and forth to the table, the hem of her dress fluttering along her thighs as she bent and twisted around the table, and the way his mouth had dried as he thought about her wrapping those gorgeous legs around him.

He'd tuck that memory between the giddiness of the first time the canary cream had successfully transformed George and the euphoric high of opening day for the shop.

They ate their way through healthy portions of the Leaky's meat loaf, his naturally a bit more healthy of a portion, but he helped her finish her's too so she didn't feel wasteful. She laughed at his stories of the antics of that day's batch of customers, confiding that she'd actually seen a few of them at the hospital before she'd left and that the hospital was now stocking the antidotes for many of the Weasley pranks for when victims either forgot about the counterpart or were denied by the pranking perpetuator.

Afterwards he pulled her towards the balcony that overlooked Wizarding London and tugged her into his arms, where he'd wanted her to be all night, and honestly most of the past few months. Hermione twisted so they both faced outward, her back to his front, and they stood in silence and enjoyed the dark night air that felt far better than the heat of the day.

"Not bad for a first date, Weasley," she observed as she slowly passed her fingers over his forearms. He'd wrapped them around her waist and was quite content to leave them there.

"I know how to show a girl a good time," he defended, pressing a gentle kiss against her temple. "Wanna snog on the couch?"

She was laughing too hard to answer when they spun around and stumbled inside, but yes, she did want to make out on the couch.

"I don't understand why our third date has to include George," Fred complained, glaring at his twin over his girlfriend's head.

Hermione didn't know that he thought of her as his girlfriend, but he knew she'd figure it out eventually.

"It's called a double date, Fred! It's going to be fun!" Hermione explained, leaning up and pressing a kiss against his chin, waiting until he looked down to grin at him. "Angelina and I are going to win."

"We both know that Weasleys are natural athletes and you most certainly are not," Fred pointed out, pressing a kiss against her nose and enjoying the way her eyes fluttered shut as she waited for a real kiss. "Explain the rules to me again."

Hermione licked her lips and waited for her actual kiss before pointing to the sign on the outside of the building. "It's called paintball. We'll have two teams-"

"Charlie is going to be home this weekend, Theo, sweetheart, you should come over to Sunday dinner so you can meet him!"

Theo sipped his tea steadily, patting his mouth with the napkin before meeting Molly's gaze. "I've already met Charlie, Molly. He was there for the immolation of Nott Manor."

Hermione paused in her decimation of the treacle tart Molly had made for their tea date and glanced at Theo, then at Molly. She suspected she knew what the Weasley matriarch was getting at, but knew from experience that Theo would probably shut down any attempts at matchmaking.

"Well, yes, but he's a single wizard now, Theo," Molly explained gently. "You two should get to know one another."

Theo froze, his hand midreach for his cup before yanking his hand back and sitting up straighter. "I don't know what you're implying, Molly-"

"Theo, I'm not an idiot. I knew Charlie was gay from when he was a young boy. It's nothing to be ashamed of, Theo. We are all born the way we are meant to be."

Hermione swallowed the last bite of treacle tart and it felt caught like a lump in her throat. "It's not that, Molly. It's just that Theo is not…out."

"I won't tell anyone," Molly swore, a hurt look crossing her face. "I just happen to think that Charlie and Theo would suit. Think about it, you could be a Weasley! Hermione is well on her way, I'd love another son."

Theo's calm facade finally cracked and much to Hermione's relief it was a laugh that emerged and not sadness. "How did you know?"

"Well, it wasn't easy but the signs were there. You were the only one of the boys who wasn't looking at Hermione's chest after Fred pushed her into the lake last month for one. For another," she reached over and patted his cheek reassuringly, "You're such a sweet boy, so polite and mannered. Never even tried to talk Quidditch at the dinner table."

Hermione was scandalized and a bit offended on his behalf. "Molly, not talking Quidditch doesn't make you a homosexual!"

"Well, no, but it's a good sign," she argued back.

Theo did come to Sunday dinner as requested.

"Confessionary Confections?"

"Too wordy."

"Tattling Treats?"

"Better but not quite," Fred judged, lifting Hermione onto the work bench and sliding between her legs before she could cross them instinctively. He pressed a kiss against her sternum and enjoyed the way her back arched and pressed their hips together.

He was trying really hard to control himself as it was the middle of the day and she was only visiting on her lunch break, but now that he knew how she mewled when he had her cumming around his fingers, he'd promised himself he'd hear it as often as he could.

"I was thinking Mione's Mints," Fred confessed, his thumb caressing the sensitive skin of her inner thigh and thinking that if he shifted just an inch higher he'd-

"What? Why?" She pulled back, her brow furrowing in confusion. She pushed his hand away and hopped down, straightening her clothes and noticing belatedly he'd somehow gotten her blouse halfway unbuttoned.

Fred sighed and banged his head on the now empty table. "Well you did inspire them." He grabbed the pack of mints and pulled one out. "Well, partly," he clarified as he tossed it back and enjoyed the lush blueberry flavor. "You remember that movie we watched a few weeks ago at your flat? The night that Theo went out and we accidentally shagged on the-"

"Yes, I remember," Hermione cut him off, glancing over at the open door and hoping that George hadn't heard that. She knew George likely knew they were together intimately, but that didn't mean she wanted to witness him getting the details.

"Well, it gave me an idea and I thought about our first date and how I'd thought it was a breath mint but it was actually a Truckle Treat, annnnnd…" Fred ducked down and brushed a kiss against her lips, enjoying the way that even as he eased back she tried to follow and continue the kiss. "When someone takes one of these mints and kisses someone they like, the hormones flood their system and then-"

Hermione's eyes grew larger as she watched Fred slowly turn blue in front of her before his body began to round. "We are never watching Willy Wonka again."

Theo jolted awake and reached for his wand instinctively, pointing it at the shadows with a wordless lumos. There was nothing there, there never was, but his nerves quaked in the wake of his nightmare. Only after he confirmed no one was in the room with him was he able to sink back down onto his pillow with a sigh.

The dream was the same as it'd been for the past eight months; a variation on the recurring nightmare from his teen years. Then, he had dreamt of his mother's death, of his father's cold killing curse and the sound of her body hitting the ground again and again. After the battle it evolved and when his mother's body hit the ground she bounced up and was Hermione instead and they were holding the shield against his father but this time it failed and the killing curse slammed through them both. Green light would dance behind his eyes as he cycled through the sequence until he couldn't breathe and only then would he wake, his chest aching and his head spinning and the aura of green light flashing behind his eyes.

Hermione hadn't returned from her date with Fred by the time he'd gone to bed, but it was past 3 a.m. now and she'd definitely be back now, they had an exam at 10 and she'd have wanted enough sleep to be in top shape for it.

There was nothing for it, if he wanted to get some sleep he'd have to crawl in with her. He knew she wouldn't deny him, she still came to him when nightmares woke her. They were few and far between nowadays, for the both of them. Theo wasn't certain what he'd do when they no longer lived together; she had very much become a part of his everyday life but she deserved all the happiness that Fred could give her.

Theo walked carefully through the dark flat towards Hermione's room, mindlessly stepping around the furniture until he was outside her door. With a twist of the knob he was ready to step inside but he froze in the door frame because even with just the soft blue light of the bluebell flames she preferred, he could tell she wasn't alone.

Fred gazed at him sleepily from the bed, his wand in hand and pointed steadily, though once he realized it was Theo he dropped it immediately. "Nightmare?"

Theo nodded, crossing his arms uncomfortably as he started to back out.

"You can take the far side," Fred nodded towards the other side, easing back down and wrapping himself back around Hermione, who'd remained asleep through the quiet interaction.

"Are you wearing nightclothes?" Theo inquired, eyeing the two of them warily.

Fred looked at him with a devilish grin and waggling eyebrows. "Not much, but yes. She won't sleep naked if someone is in the flat with us."

Theo swallowed heavily and rounded the bed, sliding in next to Hermione and feeling the combined warmth of them encapsulating him as soon as he made himself comfortable. Still asleep she reached over and tangled their fingers together and Theo felt himself relax enough that he could imagine falling back asleep.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you," Theo whispered into the dark, his eyes slowly growing heavier now that he felt safe again.

"You didn't," Fred denied, nuzzling Hermione's nape and breathing deeply. She'd started to put her hair into a braid at night after almost strangling Fred several times in her sleep. "I was drifting a bit. Sometimes…"

"Sometimes?" Theo prompted, glancing over when the older wizard didn't continue.

"Sometimes it doesn't feel real," he confessed, running a finger across Hermione's cheek before wrapping his arms around her once more. "Sometimes I wake up and it's like we're still at war. But then I see her and I feel better. And then it's hard to fall asleep because I can't take my eyes off of her."

Theo offered, "I know what you mean. You should move in, she sleeps better when you're here."

"He'll move in when I ask him, not you, Theo," Hermione grumbled, reaching up and pressing her hand against his face in an attempt to cover his mouth. "Both of you go to sleep. You're too loud."

The men shared a conspiratorial look but did as the witch bid.

By the next weekend, her closet had magically expanded to include all of Fred's clothing, but the two wizards had agreed that experimentation was prohibited and would remain at the shop.

On Saturday mornings Fred and George made pancakes that had different flavors every time (once was bubblegum, which was incredibly difficult to eat as they couldn't stop chewing them). Theo and Hermione made dinner on Wednesdays that eventually included Harry, Ron, and Ginny. On Sundays they all trekked to the Burrow and enjoyed Molly's cooking and various attempts to expand her family via informal adoption and matchmaking, though once the grandbabies started coming she calmed down.

Molly did end up gaining another Weasley son a few years later. It ended up being Percy, though, not Charlie that piqued Theo's interest.

Hermione chose not to take Fred's name, no matter how much Molly tried to pressure her. She was the last of the Grangers and she wasn't willing to part from it. She explained over Sunday dinner with a curt look at the family and a protective hand on the small swell of her abdomen, their children would hyphenate.

You look beautiful undone (And my heart's connected)

My boy of blue (From a different view)

It's the cracks that let the light shine through

Author's Note: Happy Yule! I hope you enjoyed this, I really enjoyed writing it. I wanted something that really showed the immediate post-war life when people were very much sad but happy too, because we are all of us more than one thing, and there's nothing wrong with that.