An hour and a half later, Hermione and Fred lay in their bed in their room, Hermione humming softly while she leaned on his chest and Fred running his fingers lazily through her hair. Hermione laughed suddenly.
"Hm…? What?" Fred asked, looking down at her.
"I just remembered the look on your mother's face when she walked in today…" Hermione giggled again and shifted so that her leg moved softly against Fred's. "I feel bad for scaring her like that…" Fred growled quietly and sat up on his elbow, starting to kiss her neck and jaw line.
"It was definitely worth it though…" He whispered between kisses. Hermione smiled and tilted her head back, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Fred was kissing down her shoulder, towards her belly button when the phone next to their bed rang. "Ignore it…" He breathed into her ear.
"Mmkay…" She closed her eyes and grinned. Fred continued kissing her, and Hermione continued running her fingers through his hair and down his face. But the phone would not be ignored. It continued to ring three more times before Fred groaned and slumped over on the bed next to Hermione. He ran a hand through his hair and buried his face in his pillow as Hermione reached toward the phone and picked it up.
"Hello?" She said into the phone, looking down at the frustrated man next to her and smiling. She reached down and pulled the sheet up to cover her chest.
"Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley's voice came over the line. Hermione's eyes popped open and she unconsciously blushed.
"Y-yes?"
"Um…well I was wondering—we need Fred to go with George and Bill to get Ron…but if you two are busy…" Fred rolled over and sat up, looked over at Hermione and mouthed, Who is it?
"H-hold on, I'll ask him." Hermione covered the mouthpiece of the telephone and looked over at Fred. "It's your mum…she wants to know if you'll go help get Ron." Fred rolled his eyes.
"He's coming home by Floo…maybe something changed, I don't know, let me talk to her." Hermione handed Fred the phone and he held it to his ear.
"Yes Mum…no Mum…But I thought—oh. I guess…alright then, I'll talk to you later. I love you too…yes Mum. MUM! I can't really tell you that right now—yes Mum, I am…yes, she's here. Yes Mum. Okay, goodbye." He handed the phone back to Hermione chuckling and shaking his head. Hermione leaned over and put the phone back in the cradle. She leaned back over and laid her head on Fred's shoulder. He put an arm around her drew designs on her arm with his finger.
"Well? What'd she say?" She asked finally after silence from Fred.
"She said that I needn't come in to help Ron that Dad would do it…and she asked if I was using protection." With that last comment, Hermione and Fred both fell into a lapse of giggles and buried themselves under the covers. Hermione nudged Fred and kissed him teasingly on the lips.
"I love you Fred." She whispered.
"Of course you do…now kiss me again you fool woman."
The last few days of Winter Vacation passed. Christmas came and went. Fred got Hermione a silver necklace with a heart charm on it, which she wore faithfully everyday. She even slept in it. Through the remainder of the vacation, they spent most of their time divided between the Burrow and their bedroom. Ron got gradually better to the point that he was walking around and joking around with everyone again…although he did get tired easily and had to rest often. He also seemed to forget everything that happened to make him angry. He was one of the gang again. His near death experience seemed to have snapped him back to reality and he was happy with his life again. Hermione's happiest moment (other than the ones spent with Fred) was when Ron looked over at her during dinner one day and gave her a big Weasley lopsided grin. Then after dinner he came up to her and Fred and hugged them both, telling them he was happy for them. With Ron's acceptance of their marriage, Fred and Hermione couldn't have been happier. Somehow over the Vacation, they'd evolved from friends who just happened to be married, to an actual married couple; head-over-heels, his-and-her towels, and never-endingly in love. And they couldn't have been happier. But, sadly, the day came when Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and Ron all had to return to Hogwarts. The Weasley's that weren't returning to the school took them to the train station the day they were to leave. Hermione and Fred met up with the rest of them at the station, because Hermione had decided to spend her last night at her home with Fred and not at the Burrow for Mrs. Weasley's special farewell party. They had celebrating of their own to do.
"Hermione!" Harry and Ginny yelled together. Hermione pulled on Fred's arm to hurry him up. He was pushing the cart carrying her trunk and Crookshanks' carrier. Fred slid the cart towards the boy loading trunks onto the train and grabbed Hermione's hand and ran towards the train. There were five minutes before the train left and Hermione needed to get a seat. Harry and Ginny had already gotten on the train and were waiting for her by the door.
"Bye Fred." She whispered in his ear as he swept her up in a long firm embrace. "I love you."
"I love you too Babe. I'll write and find out your next Hogsmeade weekend. Now go, you'll be late." He kissed her deeply, and pushed her lightly towards the train. She reluctantly climbed a board and waved as the train pulled from the station. When Fred was only a spot in the crowd, and the train station was growing smaller by the second, Hermione sighed sadly and went back to join Ginny, Harry, and Ron in their compartment.
"Aw, Hermione, cheer up." Ginny said encouragingly, scooting closer to Hermione and putting an heartening arm around her waist.
"Yeah, 'Mione…you'll see him in a few weeks. First Hogsmeade weekend is only a month away!" Harry said, finding his way to her other side and patting her back reassuringly.
"And we'll be here for you the whole way." Ron said, leaning forward and giving her hands a cheerful squeeze. Hermione smiled reluctantly. Then she nodded. Then gradually, she gave a pathetic excuse for jovial laughter.
"I'm fine…it's just strange. He's not going to be there when I wake up and—" Harry and Ron recognized the warning signs and jumped out of their seats.
"Now where has that sweets trolley gone? I could sure use a chocolate frog. Lets go find that trolley." Both of the fought to be the first one out the door. Ginny rolled her eyes and playfully smacked Hermione's knee.
"Men…you can't live with them, and you can't live without them." She said gaily.
"You've got that right…" And Hermione gave into her mood and let herself lean against Ginny and cry.