༓ V ༓

- THE BURROW

By the time dinner rolled around, Hermione was dreading going downstairs. She cursed herself for promising to let Fred know how the charm went. How was she going to face him and somehow not let it show how practically everything had shifted from her perspective?

"Hermione," Ginny called, opening the door to their room. "Come on, Mum says dinner's almost ready."

"I'll be right there," Hermione said distractedly.

Ginny was about to leave when she turned back on impulse, doing a double-take on Hermione.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, fine," Hermione said quickly.

Ginny walked closer, closing the door behind her. She narrowed her eyes on Hermione. "Seriously, what's going on?"

Hermione kept her poker face for about ten more seconds before falling back on the bed, letting out a groan of frustration. "Your brother is what's going on!"

"Ron?" Ginny asked. "Not surprising he's done something stupid, but I'm surprised you like him enough to finally feel the need to rant about it."

"Ron?" Hermione questioned, looking up at Ginny. "No, why would I be frustrated with Ron?"

"You don't have a crush on him?" Ginny asked.

"What? Ron? No! Oh Godric, forget it, never mind," Hermione babbled. She couldn't believe Ginny thought she had a thing for Ron. Maybe at one point, but when he tried to shame her for not being happy about him asking her to the Yule Ball as a last resort, it's like some sort of switch flipped off and she just couldn't see him that way anymore.

"Oh," Ginny said, processing it. "Wait. If not Ron, then which of my brothers has you in a ball of nerves?"

"None of them," Hermione mumbled covering her face. "Forget it, Ginny!"

"No, tell me," Ginny cried, jumping on the bed and shaking Hermione. When Hermione didn't answer, she started going through the options one by one. "Well it can't be Bill or Charlie, you barely know them. And I can't see it being Percy; he's too stuck up, even for you. So one of the twins?"

Hermione mumbled an incoherent no, rolling over away from Ginny. The persistent girl merely climbed onto the other side of the bed so Hermione had to see her anyway.

"So which twin? Fred or George?"

"No."

"Come on, stop being stubborn. Either way, it's a shocker, no one expected you to fall for one of the pranksters."

"No."

"Hermione!" Ginny cried, shaking her again.

Hermione glanced up at Ginny, slowly holding up one finger. For a second Ginny just looked at her confused before the wave of realization hit her.

"Fred?" She whispered for confirmation. When Hermione nodded with a sheepish grimace, Ginny squealed. "FRED? Seriously?"

"Shhh!" Hermione whisper-cried, finally sitting up. "We don't want your whole family knowing!"

"Well when'd this happen?" Ginny whispered again in excitement. "It was after you saved him isn't it? It had to be!"

Hermione grinned at Ginny, one of the few girlfriends she really connected with and that was mostly because of her no-nonsense attitude. She began her story from the hospital wing and the summer and continued right up to the potions lab in their shop and the daydream charm.

"'Mione, he's definitely into you!"

"No, he's not. He's just a flirt."

"I know my brother," Ginny insisted, shaking her head. "There's something there. He's flirtatious, not tender!"

"He was tender in my daydream, Gin! My mind made all that up! He hasn't been tender in real life!"

"What about that business in the potions lab?" Ginny defended. "Now that is not just casual flirting, and I'd wager I have a bit more personal experience to draw from about this."

"So what am I supposed to do when I go down there and face him?" Hermione finally asked the question that'd been plaguing her.

Ginny pondered for a second before a devilish smile snuck onto her face. "Nothing."

"That's not funny," Hermione frowned.

"I'm not kidding- do absolutely nothing."

"I thought you claimed he liked me!"

"Exactly," Ginny emphasized. "Fred is many things, but that man is not patient. You don't have to do anything. In fact, I bet you could try and ignore it or deny it outright and he'd still get it out of you by the end of the night."

Hermione frowned. "Well I'm not that easy," she said, faintly insulted.

"I'm not saying you are," Ginny clarified. "Fred is just that persistent. If he likes you, and there's something to be found in your feelings, believe me- he will find it."

"Well I was honestly planning on trying to avoid it anyway, so I guess we shall see."

"Okay challenge aside, why the bloody hell would you ignore it?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Because," Hermione cried, throwing her hands in the air. "We're completely different, he's already out of Hogwarts now, and he might just be really grateful I saved his life."

Ginny blinked blankly. "Wow... you've really thought through this."

"When do I not?" Hermione said sheepishly.

"Well, you can try," Ginny said. "But if you're going to play dumb, you'd best get down there before they arrive for dinner. Otherwise he'll know you're hiding."

"You're right," Hermione said in horror, leaping from the bed and briskly walking down out the door in a determined manner that was so uniquely Hermione.

Ginny chuckled, following after her more slowly. She couldn't wait until later tonight when she'd watch Hermione eat her words of denial.

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Dinner seemed to pass without a hitch. Hermione appeared perfectly collected at the dinner table, maintaining active conversations and not keeping her eyes on the twins for too long nor avoiding their eyes. Ginny had to hand it to her, she had a better poker face than she'd have expected.

The shenanigans didn't start until after dinner, and Ginny suspected much of it was orchestrated by George.

Molly had let them take their dessert dishes of ice cream to the dining room so they could play exploding snap. George, who usually sat next to Fred, took the empty seat next to Ginny, leaving the only remaining seat open beside Fred. When Hermione lagged in behind them after making her usual offer to help clear the dishes, Ginny smirked internally. George and Fred seemed entirely unaware of Hermione's brief conundrum, which made Ginny wonder if Fred really didn't have any feelings for Hermione.

But Hermione, determined to keep up her cool act, took the seat beside Fred casually. They played a few rounds of exploding snap with no hiccups. But then out of nowhere, George turned to Hermione, grinning mischievously.

"So, Hermione. How'd you feel about the daydream charm? Fred said he let you try out a pack."

Fred went still at the sudden question, glancing at Hermione from the side of his eyes. The others however, all started asking questions, not knowing what the product was. When George filled them in, they were all chattering about how they wanted to try one.

"Wait what did you daydream, Hermione?" Harry asked curiously.

Ginny had to bite back a loud laugh when Hermione's nostrils flared slightly. This crowd was not making it easy on her, that was for sure.

Hermione chuckled dryly. "What do you think? Being surrounded by books and cats, of course."

Ginny noted that Hermione's answer put a knowing smile of satisfaction on George's face while Fred's expression was strangely neutral considering he was the one who gave her the charms to begin with.

"Really?" Ron asked, his mouth full of ice cream. "I would've thought it was getting every single NEWT possible. Or maybe McGonagall singing your praises in front of the school."

"Hermione doesn't like attention," Fred said a-matter-of-factly.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione's heads swiveled to Fred in surprise. George merely raised an eyebrow at his twin while Ginny struggled not to bite her lip open in the process of keeping a smile off her face.

"But her boggart is McGonagall failing her," Ron said slowly.

"That doesn't mean her greatest pleasure would be excelling in front of her," Ginny said easily, sparing Hermione from Fred speaking up again.

"How would you know that about Hermione, though?" Harry asked Fred in surprise.

"Yes, brother. Do explain how you happen to know this," George goaded.

"Honestly you two," Hermione snapped at Harry and Ron, trying to distract the group. "The real question is, how do you not know I don't like being in the spotlight?"

"But you literally answer every question in every class!" Ron argued.

"For grades," Hermione argued. "Do you not remember when Skeeter tried to blast me in her column? I hated that." She shuddered just from the memory. She'd rather go unnoticed than have everyone be whispering about her all the time.

"Can we finish this round before Ron's piece explodes?" Ginny prompted, to which Hermione shot her a grateful glance.

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It was almost an hour later when Hermione finally managed to make her escape. Harry and Ron had broken off at the end of the game, setting up a chessboard next. Ginny excused herself to go to the restroom, which was when Hermione also took the opportunity to excuse herself.

She wandered aimlessly outside the Burrow, not wanting to coop herself back in her room. It was a calm night with a gentle breeze and a sky full of stars. Eventually she found her feet leading her to the swing under the tree by the pond. Taking a seat, she gently rocked herself on the swing, watching the small ripples in the water.

"What did you daydream?" A voice startled her out of her reverie.

She jumped in her seat, turning to see Fred leaning against the bark of the tree, watching her. "Didn't I tell you not to do that to me?" Hermione asked in a flustered tone.

"You answer my question and I'll answer yours," he grinned.

"Mine was rhetorical anyway," Hermione mumbled.

Fred walked over to her slowly, standing in front of her with his hands coming up and gripping the ropes of the swing, making her feel slightly caged in. "What was your daydream, Hermione?" Fred murmured.

"I told you," Hermione said quietly. "Books and cats."

Fred chuckled in amusement, looking at her with twinkling eyes. "You see when we made the charms, we put in this curious caveat. We wanted people to have wholesome daydreams or at least more meaningful ones than riches or physical possessions or power. So we created them to only give daydreams with other people."

Hermione blanched at the realization. George had baited her. And she fell for it.

"Well that's kind of problematic," Hermione said after a pause. "I mean what about the people who don't have any close family or friends?"

"That's why it's a daydream charm, Hermione. It fills in those roles for them depending on who they prefer deep down anyway." Fred answered with a smile. He had her cornered and the cheeky bastard knew it.

Hermione tore her eyes away from his stubbornly, looking out onto the lake behind him.

"Come on, Hermione. Who'd you dream about?" Fred asked teasingly.

Hermione's eyes flew back to his to see mirth dancing in his eyes. Oh hell no, she was not about to deal with another Ron. It was as if he thought he were the only person she could possibly dream of.

"Krum," Hermione said bluntly.

"Bullshit," Fred called immediately. "Try again."

"What are you playing it?" Hermione cried indignantly, pushing his chest to try and get him to back up. But she was met with the same hard wall of muscle from her dream, and only really succeeded in jarring her perch on the swing as he hadn't even budged a centimeter.

"I'm not playing," Fred said very seriously.

"Then who the bloody hell did you dream of?" Hermione asked, throwing his question back in his face.

"You."

Hermione blinked blankly, taken aback by his bluntness. "That's not funny," Hermione said shortly, sliding off the swing and making a beeline back to the house by ducking under Fred's arm.

Hermione had barely taken three steps before Fred's hand clamped down on her arm in a steely grip, gently jerking her back.

"I'm not playing, Hermione," he said again.

Hermione made to turn her head away when Fred's hands came up to gently cup her neck, tilting her jaw up to make her look him in the eye.

"I'm. Not. Playing."

"Then why...?" Hermione asked in genuine confusion.

"Because you're the most loyal person I've met other than George, and he's my twin so it's kind of in his job description. You're kind and good, and real. Plus it doesn't hurt that you're absolutely beautiful."

Hermione felt a flush of warmth run through her at the familiar words, internally panicking about the uncanny similarity to her daydream. She brushed his hands off, taking a step back.

"Fred, we make no sense," Hermione argued logically.

"Why not?"

"We're too different! You've already left Hogwarts so we wouldn't even see each other that often. Besides, you're probably just grateful that I saved your life."

Fred's eyes darkened as he suddenly advanced on her, snaking an arm around her waist and bringing her flush against his torso. "I think I know my own bloody feelings, thank you." He rumbled in annoyance. "Besides, have you ever heard of the saying that opposites attract?"

Hermione pushed at his arms fruitlessly as Fred maintained his unyielding on her.

"Why are you so resistant to this?" Fred asked confused. He suddenly froze against her. "Unless you don't want m-"

"No, Fred," Hermione reassured quickly, resting her forehead on his chest.

"Then what is it?" He asked softly, using one hand to brush aside a few flyaway strands of hair.

She shook her head against his chest, refusing to answer.

"Hermione," he pleaded. "Talk to me."

"We don't make any sense," she whispered.

"You're my bloody daydream," Fred scoffed. "Of course we don't make sense in real life. But that doesn't mean this doesn't feel right. That it shouldn't feel right."

Hermione looked up at him, feeling his intense azure gaze burn straight through her facade. "Are you sure? That I'm what you want?"

Fred leaned down, touching his forehead to hers. "Does this feel like I don't want you?" he whispered huskily, tightening his arms around her.

"No." Hermione tilted her jaw up fractionally, bringing her lips but a breath away from his.

Fred brushed his lips against her for the briefest second as Hermione's eyes fluttered closed before he leaned back suddenly. Her eyes opened in surprise only to see him smirking down at her.

"Who did you dream about, Hermione?" He rumbled in a low voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes in impatience. "You. Only you," she whispered, snaking a hand into the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling his lips down on hers.

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Fin.
Short and cute, I hope?
Let me know your thoughts!