Just Stupid (1/1)

By: granger2malfoy

Pairing: Fred/ Hermione

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Angst, Humor

A/N: This is the third and final part of my "Just-"series. :: Just Sex, first. Then Just Don't Know is the prequel. And this is the ending to their tale. :: Sorry for the delay, the muses finally figured out they wanted this to end.

~~*~*~*~*~ Just Stupid*~**~*~~*

Hermione's handed gripped the chain on the swing in the small play yard in the neighborhood she grew up in. Often she came back here to clear her mind and think as she was on this night. The silvery moon shone down on her as she tried to clear of her mind and dried her eyes on the jumper sleeve. It was October and there was a bit of a chill to the air, but nothing really kept her away from coming here to think at her favorite place.

She felt stupid and considering that she was known as the smartest witch of her age, which was saying something. But didn't love make fools of the brightest people and noblest of leaders. Maybe love shouldn't count against someone's intelligence, because love was and will always be just stupid.

Since January, she had been made a fool by love, twice. Just stupid love. Love, sesh. Doubt it was love. With Adrian, many nights were full of romantic trips all over the world and long nights being wooed by the sexy Slytherin. But her heart would not let him claim her heart. Oh he had tried and last night, a dinner on a floating platform with floating candles and her favorite meal. But she had to end the night early and end it with the young man. He didn't deserve a young woman who didn't even have a heart to give.

Her feet dug into the gravel at her feet as she just sat in the swing swayin' from side to side but a small meow caught her attention. A long, ginger colored cat jumped on the empty swing seat to her right side. A small smiled crept on her mouth as she reached over to scratch the top of its head. The cat reminded her of her old Crookshanks, but a bit thinner and much less fluffy; yet the coloring was similar maybe a bit deeper orange color.

"You probably don't have to worry about things like love," she spoke as the cat rubbed against her hand for more scratching. Hermione continued her inner thoughts but the purring creature absentmindedly, "It would've been so easy to have taken things to the next step with Adrian. He is successful, handsome, snarky. But it's hard to give your heart when you gave it away to someone else."

She moved her hand back to her swing and began to lean back to start to swing as she continued her musings with the feline, "Never give your heart away to someone who doesn't want it. I've decided that love is just stupid. I need to throw my life back into my work and give up on the whole love notion."

Hermione sighed as she swung back and forth not really noticing anything that it had started to dip a few drops of rain. Nor did she notice that the swing next to her began to swing too, well at first. The sudden sight of a pair of shoes reaching out further than hers caught her attention. She quickly looked over to see Fred swinging in the seat where the cat had been. "Where's the cat?"

Fred gave a committing shrug as he said, "So, gave your heart to some else, eh?"

She stopped swinging abruptly but the seat was not happen with change of motion and twirled her a bit around to look around the play yard for the cat. "What did you do with cat?"

He continued his swinging as he yet again ignored her question, "So, the eligible Paucy could not earn your favor, huh?"

Hermione rose and stood up with her hands on her hips, "Did you kick the cat off?"

He rolled he eyes at her question and then let go of the swing as he flung himself into the air but then slowly morphed into the same ginger feline she had just scratched its head a few minutes again. The cat sat on the ground with a slight smirk on its face, 'Do cats smirk?'

"You were spying on me! How dare you?!" she yelled as she began to walk out of the play area as the rain began to turn from dips to slight sprinkling.

Fred in feline form started to half stalk, half chase after the fuming female as she continue to rant at the four-legged creature, "No one knew I came here and I came out here to be alone, Mr. Weasley. And alone means no one else. "

They passed an older woman getting out of her automobile who paused to look at the young women berating the cat as she walked quickly in the rain on the sidewalk. The cat politely nodded its head as it noticed the woman watching them. The lady shook her head as she start for her safe of her home from the rain and said, "Betty had to have put something strong in my evening tea."

Hermione pulled open her small bag and pulled a long umbrella out, like Mary Poppins since it had been her favorite movie growing up. She opened and raised it above her head as she continued to complain at the cat. "Haven't seen you for months and now showing up like that? How dare you? When did you even learn to become an animagus anyways?"

He shifted back into his human form as he tried to keep up with her, though he was drenched for running around as a cat. Fred replied, "First of all, sometimes it is better to have someone to talk to. Second, Dare is my middle name. Third, I learned after the war as a way to get some alone time and plus, chasing pigeons is more fun than you can imagine."

Hermione scoffed as she returned with, "Alone time means alone time, without another person, to be single individual in an area. And your middle name is Blair not Dare. So, so I have to be an animagus to get some time alone!"

She so fuming in her own rage, she almost walked straight into a car taking the corner too quickly and closely. Luckily, Fred grabbed her and pulled her against him to save her but both got drenched as the car douched both of them from a puddle also at the corner of the street.

Hermione gasped and Fred just starting laughing as water began to drip from her nose. She glared at him as he continued to laugh and began to clinch his side from all laughing. Her toe tapped as she began to fight a smile creeping upon her lips. They both stood there and laughed as the rain began to turn into a shower. His eyes lit up as he reached out and moved a strand of wet hair out from in front of her eyes. Both of the laughter started to slow as his hand cupped her cheek. He spoke softly as her umbrella kept most of the rain from drenching their faces even more as his thumb traced along her lip, "Love can make people stupid and afraid. I was stupid for being afraid of stepping up and making our arrangement more. I thought you deserved more than me but then I didn't want anyone else to have you."

Hermione lowered her eyes and looked to the side as tears threatened to start again. "Yeah, that's stupid too. I had wanted you since you kissed me on New Year's Eve. But I was sure I had just been the girl closed to you."

"Silly girl, I had been stalking you all that night. I just didn't know how to get your attention and if you even wanted to date another Weasley," he admitted pulled her chin up to look at him as he continued, "I got drunk on purpose the night of the party, because I wanted a reason to flirt outrageously with you to see how you would take it."

A smile rose on her lips as she responded, "I had save kicking you out to the last, so maybe I could round up some courage to flirt with you. But you beat me too it."

"You could've flirted back," Fred said as he used his other hand to wrap around her waist to pull her close.

She put her hand against his chest and stopped his movement, "What do you want from me, Fred? I can't take any more 'just sex' between us."

He looked deep into her eyes as smiled and spoke softly, "Good because I don't want that either. I want another chance; start dating like a normal couple. I want to take you to the cinema to see funny muggle movies, to ride on my broom with you holding on to me tightly as we chase the stars, and do anything to never make you cry ever again."

"Really? I mean you are not just saying that," Hermione said as she relented to letting him pull her against his own damp shirt.

"I want it to be just you and me today, tomorrow, and the day after and maybe for forever one day. But let's start with dinner and movie and see where that leads," he whispered as he lowered his head to hers and kissed. Even though both of them were drenched, standing there in his arms with her lips to his, maybe love is more than just stupid. Just maybe.

*~*~*~**~*~*~ The End ~**~*~*~*~