To you I say Hello and welcome to another Burning-candlelight fan-fiction. There are some things I want you to know about this fiction. 1. it's an AU, the battle against Hogwarts was fought in Harry's Sixth year of school (silly I know but it was the best I could come up with). 2. It might not be that good haha and 3. I hope it's funny enough to make you laugh.

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Harry Potter…which is depressing lol

At the Dinner Table

"Dinner's ready everyone! Come on inside," called Molly Weasley from the back door step of her house. As she watched the rolling fields in the distance she heard the sound of feet stampeding towards her. Her son Charlie was the first person to appear and jump over their back fence. He had come back from his job in Romania for the summer. She was glad he had because she always got so worried about him over in that, what she thought a, dangerous country.

Her two beautiful twin boys Fred and George were the next two to jump the fence. "Hey mum," they both said in unison as they past their mother. No matter how much trouble and mischief they got into, she was very proud of her boys. She'd never have imagined them owning their own successful business.

Ron, her youngest son was next to hobble over the rickety garden fence. He was by far the tallest in the family. She loved him so dearly and she was proud that he was now one of the best goal keepers in Hogwarts. She mussed his hair as he went past. "Oh mum!" he exclaimed behind her as she smiled warmly to herself.

The last three people to jump the fence were her daughter Ginny and Ronald's two best friends Hermione Granger and the legendary Harry Potter. Harry got over first and then stayed behind to help the two girls over, not that Ginny needed much help considering she had lived her life in a house filled to the brim with boys.

"Alright birthday girl, I've made your favourite dinner. Lasagne with roasted potatoes and mixed salad," Molly said to her daughter Ginny. Ginny beamed up at her mum and then started salivating as her mother brought over to the table the biggest lasagne she'd ever seen.

"OH thanks mum, you're the best!" she said as she took the knife her mother handed to her and cut herself a piece.

Hermione Granger smiled as she watched her friend dig into her dinner and as the food was passed around the table she couldn't help but feel at ease with the world. Her summer had been busy to say the least. After the defeat of Voldemort in her 6th year of school, she thought her life would have gotten that little bit easier, but she was wrong. She had her NEWT's to worry about now and she'd spent most of the summer revising. Even when her parents had taken her to Spain for 2 weeks she had packed her suitcase with books just to revise.

"Oi Herms…are you alive in there?" came a voice from beside of her. Fred Weasley was sitting to her right and was holding a bowl of mixed salad. "Well good morning sunshine, glad you could join us," he said with a chuckle as Hermione took the bowl from him.

"Oh shush Fred," she said with a giggle as she started to put salad onto her plate. She took a sneaky glance at his plate and then stared at him.

"Something wrong dearest?" said Fred as he cut up his Lasagne without even looking at her. "Didn't you take any vegetables?" she muttered. Fred laughed, "Me…take vegetables? Never I'm a carnivore, I hate that rabbit crap."

"Suit yourself, you don't know what you're missing," she said as she handed the bowl to Ron who was on her left and was having an in-depth conversation with his best friend Harry who was sitting beside his sister.

"I do know what I'm missing. It all tastes like water!" Fred exclaimed in a voice of disgust. Hermione, without even looking over at him, laughed and ate a bit of lettuce.

"What's so funny?" he asked as he put some pepper onto his potatoes.

"It's funny, you say they taste like water but water has no taste so how can you not like them. You're drinking water aren't you? And why do you eat potatoes, they're a vegetable too," she said and with that she devoured a rather thick piece of cucumber.

Fred now looked at her incredulously. "Well…I…you see…water!" he babbled, he knew he had been beaten. Hermione was always able to beat him and that's what he liked about her, not that he'd ever tell her…Or would he?

Dinner passed by calmly and as the slow eaters, i.e. the women as George had so nicely put it, finished eating Arthur Weasley stood up and got the attention of the table.

"Now I know this should have been done before the start of the meal, but because you were all so hungry I thought I'd leave this until after," he said as he looked at his family and their friends. "Now it's not everyday that my daughter turns 16," said Arthur as he went off into a little speech. Hermione felt Fred shifting in his chair and looked at him, "What's wrong?" she whispered. "I hate it when dad does his annual birthday speeches. 'Now it's not everyday that my son or daughter turns blah blah blah!'" said Fred as he imitated his father. Hermione choked back a giggle that was working its way up from her vocal chords. Fred was so good at imitating his father; he could always make her laugh by doing it.

"'I remember the day Molly gave birth to Ginny...pushed, shoved and screamed like a real trooper!'" Fred whispered again mocking his father. Hermione bit her finger to stop her from sniggering as Fred continued on, "'I also remember the look on Molly's face when the pain relief charm wore off and shouted 'Get this damn thing outta me!' Really brought a tear to my eye.'" Hermione and Fred had now both fallen into fits of sniggering and giggles and they heard Molly make an aggressive cough in their general direction.

"'And I say to you that Goblins will rule the world and we shall be their sex slaves!'" Fred said, barely able to imitate his father anymore for he and Hermione had now turned their sniggering and giggling into full blown laughter. They suddenly heard a loud cough from the head of the table and they looked up to see the whole table glaring at them. Fred rubbed the back of his head and put on an impish grin, "Continue," he said to his dad with an echo of laughter still on his voice. Hermione grinned in an embarrassed fashion and reached for her glass as they toasted Ginny's birth.

"Happy Birthday dear Ginny, Happy birthday to you!" sang the whole table as Ginny blew out her birthday candles.

As Molly handed out pieces of birthday cake to the table Fred turned to Hermione. She lowered her glass of pumpkin juice and looked at him vacantly. "Earlier, out in the field when we were all playing that muggle game you taught us 'Hide and Go Peek-," he began. "Seek," Hermione said interrupting him.

"Yeah whatever," he chuckled, "But when we were playing it and I fell out of that tree, why'd you get so worried?" he asked as he took the cake from his mother.

"Thank you Mrs Weasley," Hermione said as she took her desert. She looked down at the table and for a while refused to look at Fred and answer his question.

Flash Back

"I found you I found you!" yelled Charlie as he looked up at Fred who was lying quite comfortably in an oak tree. Fred stuck out his tongue at his older brother and laughed. "You're it now squirt come down from there!" Charlie said as he tried to coax Fred down.

"I'm not 'it' if I don't come down," said Fred in a rather brassy tone.

"Oh yes you are now come down!" said Charlie as he took out his wand. He cast a simple green flash of light at his brother who moved to avoid contact. "Missed me!" he shouted at his brother. "Oh no I didn't," said Charlie as he cast several flashes of light. Fred shifted to avoid them but lost his balance and fell from the branch he was on. He hit the ground with a thud and passed out.

"Oh shit!" yelled Charlie as he ran to his brother's side but before he could touch him a mass of brown hair was pushing him out of the way. Hermione had emerged from a nearby bush and was now talking to the unconscious Fred.

"Fred can you hear me?" she said calmly, everyone had emerged from their hiding places and were now gathered around the unconscious twin. George looked sick as he looked at his brother on the ground. Hermione peered into Fred's eyes and then moved his head onto her lap. She took out her wand and conjured up a cold compress, she was so glad she was 17. As she placed it on Fred's forehead the boy started to stir. His eyes fluttered open and started to focus on Hermione's face.

"What…happened?" he mumbled as he felt the cold compress on his forehead soothing the headache he didn't remember having.

"You fell out of the tree mate," said Ron as he fiddled with his t-shirt. Ginny who had buried her head into Harry's shoulder looked up and looked at her brother. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah I'm alright, and Charlie mate don't worry about it," said Fred as he looked over to his older brother. He then looked up at Hermione who had his head on her lap. She smiled tenderly at him and moved his hair away from the cold compress. She gave a sigh of relief and their eyes seemed to bond.

"Thanks," Fred whispered.

End Flash Back

Hermione looked up at the Weasley twin and gave him a small smile. "Well you were unconscious, everyone was worried," she said as Fred took a bite of his cake. He licked away some cream that had settled onto the side of his mouth and said, "I know but why'd you do what you did?"

"Because…I was the closest to you," she said as she broke off a bit of cake. "No you weren't, Charlie was and I'm sure he'd have sorted me out," said Fred coyly, still looking at Hermione.

"Well I…I just felt better, knowing that I had done it myself," she said swallowing what was in her mouth. Fred eyes seemed to twinkle as he finished the last of his cake in one go. He let Hermione finish her piece and then, unnoticed by anyone else, slipped a hand under the table and grabbed Hermione's hand. He laced his fingers with hers and squeezed gently. Hermione's cheeks had flushed a light shade of rose pink and she glanced at him through the corner of her eyes. His sparkling blue eyes reminded her of the ocean and she knew that if she gazed into them for long enough, she's surely drown in them but she'd never tell him that…or would she?

"Thanks Hermione," he whispered again and brought out his wand and as quick as a flash pointed it at their enclosed hands. Hermione felt something grow in between their hands and as Molly started to collect the plates Fred's hand left hers and he got up from the table and followed his twin brother into the living room. She blinked a couple of times in bewilderment and then brought her hand up onto the table. She opened it and there concealed in her palm was a piece of parchment. She looked around to make sure nobody was watching her and secretly opened the note.

Meet me by the oak tree an hour and a half after the party has started x

Hermione's heart seemed to skip several beats as she read and re-read the note. This was surely going to be an interesting night.

"Hey Herms come on they're getting started in here. They have punch and a piñata!" came Harry's voice from the living room doorway. Hermione looked around and seen her friend's head poking through the entrance. "I'm coming!" she said sweetly. Yes this really was going to be an interesting night.

A/N: I'm going to do the next part of this story as a Sequel so if you enjoyed this piece of writing REVIEW and watch out for the next instalment entitled 'By the Oak Tree'