Author's Note: So since Time to Celebrate (My marriage law fic, in case you have found this story first) is going to end eventually, I figured it was time to debut this story that I've had on the back burner for awhile. It's another Fremione, so naturally AU where Fred survives the Battle of Hogwarts, because he should have to begin with. There's another AU that is the premise of the story, so I'll just let you all read and figure it out :)

I got the idea for this while rereading Order of the Phoenix over the summer, and wanted to write a love story where they didn't like each other very much at first, because they do bicker an awful lot.

I do promise that until it is finished, TTC is my first priority. I also don't have all the chapters plotted out like I did when starting TTC, but I've got a half dozen finished chapters of this and an ending in mind, so why not share it with the world while I figure things out. The gears in my head are already turning I'll try to post a chapter at least once a week with this one, maybe more if I'm feeling generous.

One last note before I let you actually read the story, this might end up changing it's rating to M for very good reasons, so if that's not your thing, it's not too late to back out. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1 – Anyone, Anyone except You

Fred wasn't expecting much from this year's Destiny Day. The last two years he had gone without knowing his soul mate, and he doubted this year would be any different. Last year, the letters had come in and while George had found that his perfect match was Seamus Finnegan (while they were a little surprised at first, they soon discovered how happy they were together, as most couples did), Fred had received a letter apologizing that his match either hadn't been found, or hadn't come of age.

"Why so glum Freddie, it's Destiny Day!" George beamed as they made breakfast. This year it had been postponed due to the mess after the war, but Fred wished it hadn't. That way he could have been prepared for another year of waiting back in June, rather than now, in September.

Despite himself, Fred cracked a smile. It was difficult to be sad when George was around. "I'm just a little anxious." He replied. To be honest, Fred wasn't sure how he felt about the whole being told who your soul mate is thing. It seemed to take a lot of the fun out of the equation. Where was the thrill of the chase?
A tawny owl tapped at the window, holding a tell-tale purple envelope in its beak. Fred let it in and it dropped the envelope before flying back out again.

"This could be your year." George said as Fred viewed the envelope warily. He chided himself for being so moody about the whole thing. He could be with the love of his life today.

He opened it, skimming the message about how the pairings were found (a mixture of divination, psychology, and archaic love magic), and how they weren't required to be with the person they were given at all, but good luck with anyone who wasn't their soulmate. What he read next he wasn't expecting of all. His pairing had come of age. She was Hermione Granger. He almost dropped the letter.

"So, what's her name?" George asked, mistaking his horror for simple surprise.

He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't. Not her. She was so bossy and loud and right about everything. Not little miss perfect. Not her. He could just hear her now, complaining about how the products in his and George's store were disruptive, or telling him off, or proving him wrong yet again. He could never fall in love with her.

"Another year to wait?" George asked sympathetically.

Fred shook his head, still unable to articulate what was going on in his head. She was Ron's best friend, for Godric's sake. Wouldn't they be better off together? He didn't seem to mind her. "It's Hermione." He said finally.

"Granger?" George laughed. "Nice try Freddie, but you're not fooling anyone. Who is she? I bet she's hot."

Fred handed George the letter. He read it through, then started laughing. "You and Hermione Granger. Someone is playing a joke on you."

Fred chuckled a little, but he didn't find it as funny as George did. "I hope so."

Hermione was rather excited about Destiny Day. The idea that there was certainly someone out there for her, and she didn't have to leave the library to find them was rather exciting. She wasn't much of a romantic, but there was a part of her that really did want to be with someone, especially the someone, the one she was meant to be with.

Harry and Ron received their letters first, tearing them open excitedly, but frowning as they found out that they would have to wait at least another year. Ron insisted that he had better things to do this year than date, soulmate or not, but Hermione could tell that he was upset. Harry, however, was in good spirits about the whole thing.

"It's normal for guys to have to wait a year or two, right?" Harry said, "Because they're usually older than their match."

Ron grudgingly nodded his agreement. "Lots of guys have to wait."
"Isn't one of your brothers still waiting on his?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded. "Fred is, Bill was, but he got his last year, finally. Charlie was told that he didn't have a match, and he seemed rather happy about that. Mum wasn't, but she just wants grandkids."

Hermione was silent, looking around the kitchen of the small house the three of them shared. She didn't even notice when an owl swooped in the open window and lay a deep purple envelope beside her.

"Hermione, your letter is here." Ron said, getting her attention.

Hermione picked it up excitedly and opened it. Her pairing was of age, older than her, and had been waiting a couple years. That was promising. Her excitement faded however, when she reached the name. Fred Weasley. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"So who's the lucky guy?" Harry asked.

"I'm stuck waiting, too." She shrugged.

"Liar." Ron said. "I saw the look on your face, who is it?"

"Come on Hermione, we won't laugh. He is your soulmate, so we'll have to like him." Harry assured.

Hermione stood and slipped the letter into her pocket. "I'm going to get ready for work."

Ron grabbed the letter as she walked by. She snatched it back angrily, but by the look on his face, she knew he had seen. "That was rather rude." She snapped.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it, seeing who you're meant to be with."

Harry gave him a confused look. "Fred. My idiot brother." Ron explained with a disgusted look.

"Go on, laugh." She said, tears forming in her eyes. She stormed out of the kitchen and to her bedroom. There had to be a mistake. There had to. They couldn't really expect her perfect match to be that idiot prankster, could they?

She decided to go down to the ministry after work and insist that the matchmakers look at her case again. They had to have done something wrong.

When another letter didn't come, Fred tried to make the best of it. It's not like she was awful, after all. She was rather pretty, and intelligence had to be a plus, but her bossy voice still rang in his head. You mustn't, you really mustn't!

Business was slow, as it was every Destiny Day. People were out buying chocolates and sweet little presents, going on first dates. Portable swamps and nosebleed nougat was not appreciated on days like today.

She was his soulmate. He had barely even noticed her before, and she was his soulmate. Shouldn't there have been a spark between them, something, anything that might have told him that she was the girl that would make him happier than anything else in the world?

He tried to think.

You see this, it's an age line. Dumbledore himself drew it. He isn't going to be fooled by something so incredibly dim-witted.

He had to admit, she was right that time. She was right about everything, and very smug about it too.

"Thinking about Granger, I see." George said, setting a box beside him.

"How can you tell?" He asked, leaning against the counter.

"You've got this look on your face like you just bitten into a stinkpellet. It's not like you have to be with her, it's just a suggestion, really."

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life alone, either."

"She's not that bad. A little bossy, but she's cute."

He had a point. "Yeah."

"Remember how she looked at the Yule Ball?"

Despite himself, Fred smiled. She was gorgeous, that was something. Attractiveness wasn't everything however. "I remember." He also remembered him and George trying to cheer her up after Ron had made her cry, that git. She had laughed at their antics, instead of getting irritated like she usually did. "This isn't as bad as I'm making it out to be, is it?"

"It never is."

Hermione poked at her ice cream sundae with her spoon, ignoring all the couples around her. Her trip to the ministry had not gone as planned. The matchmakers had insisted that she and Fred were a perfect pair, indeed, one of the most perfect pairs they had ever found. At this point, her only hope was to wake up and find out that today was just a dream, and that her letter would come in with a match that would actually be good for her.

She looked down the road at Fred and George's shop. Should she go see him? She hadn't even spoken to him in months. She looked down at her ice cream, which was melting pitifully in the heat.

Well, it couldn't hurt to see him. Maybe there would be magical chemistry between them that she hadn't noticed before.

Still feeling like this was someone's idea of a sick joke, Hermione walked into the twin's shop, a bell tinkling behind her.

She looked around, but saw neither of them. "Hello?" She called out.

With a crack, one of the twins – she couldn't tell which, appeared at the counter. "Well hello." He grinned.

"Hi." She said tentatively, walking up to him. She was suddenly struck by the sheer awkwardness of the situation. Hey, I'm your soulmate apparently, want to go out sometime?

The other twin appeared though a doorway behind the counter. "Do we actually have a customer -" He paused when he saw her. "Hermione, hi." That one had to be Fred.

"I'll leave you two lovebirds to it." George winked, making himself scarse.

"Um, hey." She suddenly felt rather blushy as Fred walked over to her.

A blush invaded his cheeks as well. "Hi."

Neither of them seemed to know what to say for a few moments. Given any other circumstances, Hermione would have felt proud to make a guy, especially one as confident as Fred, lost for words, but now it was just uncomfortable.

She decided to speak. "So we're soulmates, apparently?" She could have chosen something more intelligent.

"Yeah. Weird, right?" He said, then immediately looked like he regretted saying that.

This was going well. The desire to cry hit her hard. "Um, I should probably go, it's my turn to cook dinner." It was always her turn to cook dinner, Ron and Harry were useless. She turned to leave. He didn't stop her.

I hope you enjoyed! Should I continue? If so, please review and tell me what you think!

-Zen and Sirius

PS - Sirius is my cat, for anyone confused. This story has only one author :)