A/N: This is my first Fred x Hermione one-shot. I've done some drabbles before, but this is my first full on one-shot. I think it came out pretty good. It's obviously a bit AU—as in Fred-doesn't-die in DH. And Ron and Hermione is a no go. There is some minor Ron bashing in the second paragraph. I apologize if you're a Ron lover, it's not meant to cause any offense (though I enjoyed writing that small portion :D) Anyway, enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Abandon Subtlety

Hermione Granger had a crush on Fred Weasley for most of her time at Hogwarts (until he and his twin made their dramatic exit, then her feelings only resurfaced when she was by chance in the same room as him). He had never noticed and she assumed he never would—because she did very little to show it. In fact, she hid it out right. She wouldn't have been able to stand it if one of her schoolmates, or worse one of the Weasleys, had figured it out. That was, until the war ended.

Her relationship with Ron had pooped out rather quickly—none to her surprise. They remained good friends, however, and she often visited him at work for lunch in the following years. There in lay her problem. Ron had forgone a position at the Ministry for he had no political aspirations. He had rejected the suggestion to enter the Auror training program, for he had no tactical force aspirations (nor an unfailing hero-complex as their dear friend Harry did). He refused an offer to enter into professional Quidditch, for he had no athletic aspirations. He really had no aspirations to speak of, which was how he found himself working for his brothers, keeping shop at Weasley Wizard Wheezes. So every time she went in to see Ron, there he was.

Fred Weasley, the object of her affections for God only knew how long (eight years, seven months and three days, okay, so she had been counting).

As she began to see him regularly again, her feelings not only resurfaced, they persisted. Before she knew it they were growing into something much more than a silly schoolgirl crush. Now, she realized, it was much different from when they were at Hogwarts—different situation, different circumstances, plain different. Before, she had to dismiss the crush, hide it away because everyone around her had expectation. The plain Jane girl was always meant to fall in love with the best friend who knew her well (at the time she had a choice between Ron and Harry, and she had inclined toward Ron for obvious reasons). She surely wasn't supposed to deviate from that storybook fantasy by expressing feelings for the pseudo-leading man's older brother. At the time, she believed she could set the unwanted feelings aside and pursue the "healthy" (she couldn't help but laugh at that, her attempt with Ron had been anything but healthy) relationship with Ron. And for the first time ever in the history of the universe as they knew it, Hermione Granger had been wrong.

Hermione found that this time she had nothing to stop her from beginning a relationship with Fred, if he wanted one from her as well. They were both mature, single adults capable of making their own decisions pertaining to their love lives. Her spirits brightened at this realization. Now the only question was did he feel the same way about her? Being the confident, knowledge-seeker she was, she set forth to find out. She wanted to do so subtly, that way if her feelings were unrequited then she could attempt to move on without utterly humiliating herself.

She began first with spending some time testing the waters. When she visited Ron, she would include Fred and George if he happened to be around, in her conversation with Ron. She figured if he was repulsed by the idea of even speaking to her then she could give up then and there. However, he wasn't repulsed in the slightest. On the contrary, once included he tended to dominate the conversation with her while Ron listened in with an odd perplexed expression on his face. Within a couple weeks, she had learned more about Fred than she had learned about him in all the years she had known him. It was progress. At the very least, she fancied him even more as she got to know him.

Seeing as he enjoyed her company fairly enough, Hermione decided it was time to step up her experiment. She started stopping in the shop on days when she knew Ron wasn't working. She always gave an excuse—that she thought Ron was supposed to be in, or she was so flustered from work, she had a day off, anything remotely believable really. She would never leave though. She claimed she had nothing better to do on her lunch hour as she had planned to spend it with Ron.

"You'll have to do," Hermione said once, smiling brightly. She had agreed to help Fred with some tidy up jobs around the shop, so he could still give her his attention while she was there.

Fred chuckled, "Happy to oblige. I'll be sure to grumble a lot and stuff my face at any spare moment so you can pretend I'm Ron."

"You're welcome to be yourself," Hermione responded. "You're just as entertaining if not more so."

Fred paused in their activity, and watched her carefully as she continued to line the latest products on one shelf. He tilted his head to one side, "Are you sure you don't have something better to do than help me restock the shelves? You only get the one lunch break and you're working through it here. I know you came to see Ron and it's nice of you to keep me company, but you don't have to. I must be boring you to tears."

"Not today," Hermione shrugged. "You're as much of a friend to me as Ron is, and you're much more of a conversationalist—like I am. What better way to spend my break than with a friend?"

Fred looked mildly stunned, but composed himself quickly, "You sure?"

"Positive," Hermione grinned. "Besides, if Ron were here, I would be sitting behind the counter watching him checking out customers and sneaking chocolate frogs when no one is looking. Now that would bore me to tears."

"I knew he had sweets stashed!" Fred exclaimed as Hermione laughed. "I don't know how you put up with him 'Mione."

Hermione blushed at the nickname, but responded seriously, "Well I have you to break up the monotony."

"That you do," Fred agreed.

While Fred hadn't picked up on any subtle hints that she might care for him a bit more than Ron or that she enjoyed spending time with him alone, George began to give her knowing looks when she turned up in Ron's absence and Ron began to watch her closely as if he knew something was afoot even if he wasn't sure what. Hermione knew she would have to enter the final stage of her research quickly, before someone called her out on her behavior. Fred seemed to like her company when they were one on one, so the final thing to do was to initiate a flirtation. If he flirted back, then there was a good chance he could fancy her as well.

One day, she came into the shop after work as the twins and Ron were attempting to close up. Ron and she were meeting Harry and Ginny for dinner, because they had some huge announcement, and she was "picking him up." Ron was busy guiding a broom around the shop, lazily swishing his wand back and forth. He saw her come in and he called out that he needed five minutes. She was content to spend as much time as he needed, it gave her more time to spend with Fred. George was nowhere in sight, but Fred was behind the counter—he had his wand out and was tinkering with something on the counter.

"What are you working on?" Hermione inquired as she moved over toward Fred. He brought his gaze up to her. He was about to reply when Ron passed as he cleaned.

"Why do you care?" Ron frowned, "You hate all their pranks."

"That's not true," Hermione shook her head. She mentally willed Ron to walk away.

"But you said that they were all 'unnecessary delinquent, methods of chaos that'—" Ron rambled on until Hermione turned to glare at him.

"Shut up, Ron."

"Humph," Ron stalked a short distance away to dust a shelf and straighten some boxes.

"I merely disapproved of your testing them on first years," Hermione reassured, turning back to Fred.

Fred laughed, "It's alright 'Mione. Most of our pranks are 'unnecessary, delinquent methods of chaos.' That's why so many people love 'em."

"Honestly, I've always thought that many of your ideas and products were quite clever. And the charms work you've put into them is absolutely superb," Hermione murmured, as she gazed up at Fred through half lidded eyes. She was trying to put on a full show. She figured she must have pulled it off because out of the corner of her eyes she saw Ron's jaw hit the floor.

Fred swallowed hard, "That's the greatest compliment coming from you 'Mione. I'm honored." His eyes turned down and he looked as if he wanted to say something else but no words came out. Then abruptly he picked up what he had been working on, "I should put this away so we can close up. That's enough cleaning Ronniekins, get out of here. Make sure you two let us know what this big announcement Harry and our baby-sister have is."

Then he disappeared into the back room. Hermione smiled and gave herself a mental pat on the back. It was working and so far Fred's responses were conducive to a positive reaction to her feelings. She was thinking about what flirting technique to try out next—perhaps a soft touch on the arm, a little squeeze and batting of the eyes—when suddenly Ron was right in front of her. Hermione looked up at him as a scowl began to appear across his features.

"Were you just flirting with my brother?" Ron's voice was tense but lowered. At the very least, he was trying to keep her secret for her.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Hermione dodged. "We should get to dinner before Harry and Ginny get too anxious."

"No, no, no, no. No changing the subject," Ron shook his head. He grabbed her arm to make her turn back to him. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Hermione answered, "That was nothing. I was talking to a friend that's all."

"Bullshite," Ron responded, "People don't talk to friends like that." Ron mimicked her earlier expression and put on a high pitched voice, "'Oh, you're so clever and so smart! I've always thought you were sooo amazing!"

"Shut up, Ron," Hermione replied through clenched teeth. "So I was flirting…is there something wrong with that? I'm a grown woman. I should be able to do a little harmless flirting without getting the third degree."

"Do you fancy Fred?" Ron questioned incredulously.

"So what if I do?" Hermione countered.

"Ah ha! I knew it!" Ron clapped his hands and grinned. "I knew something was up with you. So that's the game you've been playing. You've been trying to fish out if he fancied you. This is brilliant."

"You can't tell him, Ron," Hermione said. She hated the pleading quality her voice took on.

"I don't plan to," Ron responded. "I intent to watch not that I know what's going on. I've got a front row seat."

Hermione sighed, "Just a little longer. A little more time, that's all I need."

For a week straight after that night, Hermione continued her flirting game with Fred. He was very responsive, even flirting back as he got more comfortable with her more forward compliments. Hermione was nearly certain Fred had feelings for her. He had pretty much proven it to her, but she offered him plenty of opportunities to make a move and he passed on all of them. She began to think he was never going to catch on to her only gently subtle hints. As the week drew to a close, she gave up on him making the first move. She was going to have to do it herself. She marched into Weasley Wizard Wheezes the next day on a mission.

"What are you doing Hermione?" Ron questioned as she entered.

"Abandoning subtlety. If he can't pick up on the hints I've dropped, then I'll have to do something blatant and in his face," Hermione answered.

"Are you sure you want to do this Hermione? I'm sure if you gave it a little more time he will—"

"Shut up, Ron," Hermione put up a hand to stop him.

It was then that Fred came out of the backroom. He instantly caught sight of her and grinned as he began to walk over. She knew this was her only chance. Sure, there was a potential for embarrassment in her new plan—there were about twenty or so customers milling around, Ron was watching her from the counter and George had just exited the backroom to bear witness—but it was her last resort. She took a deep breath and did it before she could talk herself out of it.

"I fancy you Fred Weasley," Hermione yelled out, causing many pairs of eyes to turn on her and three Weasley mouths to fall gaping open.

"Huh?" was Fred's only response.

Hermione threw her hands up in the air, "Sometimes I think you're as daft as Ron! I was in and out of here for a week dropping every hint I could think of and I got nothing. I tell you I have feelings for you in front of everyone and all I get is a 'huh?' I guess I could list off all the things I love about you in minute detail but I'd probably only get a 'what?' and an even more confused expression. How many ways do I have to say I love you for you to get it? Seriously, I thought Ron was supposed to be the oblivious one in your family."

"Hey! Even I caught on faster than him!" Ron exclaimed, offended, from behind her.

"Shut up, Ron," Hermione and Fred both yelled, as they whipped around to face him.

Fred took the last few steps forward to stand in front of Hermione. He raised a hand to grip her chin. He tilted her face toward him, so she would look him in the eyes again, "Do you mind repeating that last part again?"

"'Ron's supposed to be the oblivious one?'" Hermione frowned.

"No," Fred shook his head as he laughed lightly, "Before that."

"'How many ways do I have to say I love you for you to get it?'" Hermione responded softly.

Fred leaned forward and kissed her square on the mouth. His hand moved back to rest at the back of her neck, his fingers tangling gently in her hair. Though caught off guard, Hermione was quick to respond and kissed him with every bit of emotion she had in her. Fred's other hand found her waist. He used it to pull her closer and let his hand slip to rest on the small of her back. Unaware of the people around them watching, they kissed until they had to pull away breathless.

"The answer to that by the way," Fred said with a lopsided grin, "Just one. I read you loud and clear that time."

"I'm glad," Hermione breathed. "It's about time."