Christmas was officially a terrible time of the year, in Hermione's opinion. At least this year's Christmas was. She and Harry had been coerced into staying at the Burrow over their vacation. Harry had not had any trouble adapting to the change in schedule, but Hermione had almost refused. She missed her parents, and she knew that they missed her, but they had told her that they were fine and that they wanted her to enjoy herself over her holiday. So, that was why she had stayed. And because of Fred.

Ever since she had helped him with his Charms essays, they had become closer and closer. Since that night when he had fulfilled her wish and had kissed her by the lake, they had had absolutely no time to themselves. The kisses that night might have been perfect, but they had not been able to repeat that night. Not once.

They had tried everything short of kissing in front of everyone, which Hermione definitely did not want to do. Fred had tried to "kidnap" her and pull her into a few secret passageways, but someone would always come up to speak to her just as he was about to deliver the fatal tug. They had tried to meet up in the library, but just as Fred had lowered his head to kiss her, Madam Pince had come around the corner and had exclaimed over the terrible ways her library was now being used. After the dressing down they received from her, they never tried to kiss in the library again.

In short, the couple wanted time alone. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no privacy at the Burrow. Fred had asked her to come along with Harry because he figured that they could at least spend more time together (which she truly was grateful for) but not even that had worked out. Mrs. Weasley needed Hermione for something when Fred was free, and Mr. Weasley was dragging Fred away as soon as Hermione finished her task.

And so, a day before the holiday, the two teens were anything but cheery. Hermione was lying in the bed that Fred had kindly transfigured for her, staring up at the ceiling. The twins were at the shop in Diagon Alley that they were fixing up and the rest of the boys, including the older Weasleys that had come home for the holiday, were outside playing quidditch with Ginny. For the first time in a long time, Hermione found herself alone and able to breathe. However, the silence was no longer enough. She wanted Fred. She wanted to talk to him, to hug him, she wanted to kiss him, and most of all, she wanted to give him her gift.

There was a knock at the door, and Hermione sighed. "Come in," she said softly.

The door opened and Ginny stepped in. "Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.

Hermione nodded. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Ginny shrugged. "I would've thought that you would be happy to stay here," she told her friend, "but you've gotten even more depressed-looking since you've arrived."

Hermione was startled. She hadn't noticed that she had been so affected by her inability to see Fred. She hadn't meant to cause her friend concern. "I'm sorry, Gin."

In a moment, Ginny's eyes widened and understanding dawned. "It's because of Fred, isn't it?" she cried, and Hermione flicked her wand at the door, silencing them within the room.

"Would you keep it down?" she cried. "We don't want the whole Burrow knowing."

Ginny took a seat at the edge of Hermione's bed, looking properly rebuked. "Am I right?" she asked. When Hermione nodded, Ginny went on, "I should've known. Fred's been moping around the place as well." She sighed. "Our family hasn't given the two of you any time together at all."

Hermione shook her head. "No, and I think it's beginning to get on both our nerves. We've wanted to go on a date since we got together, and we haven't even been able to do that." She sighed. "I really am grateful and happy to be here, I just want to spend some time with Fred, that's all. We wanted to wait until after our first date to tell everyone that we're dating, but at this rate, we'll never get the chance."

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment and then tugged Hermione up from her bed. "Come on," she said eagerly.

Hermione frowned in confusion. "Where are we going?" she asked as her friend literally dragged her out of her room.

Ginny didn't answer until she had accio'd Hermione's boots, scarf, and hat and had placed them in all their proper spots, arranging them to her liking. Then, she tugged Hermione towards the fireplace. "We're going to Diagon Alley," she said plainly. When Hermione started to protest, Ginny held up her hand. "It's high time you and Fred had some alone time. Now come on."

Before Hermione could even open her mouth, she had been shoved into the floo and she was rapidly tumbling out of the fireplace at 93 Diagon Alley, right into Fred's arms. "Oh!" she cried, and then groaned as Ginny came next, tumbling right into her back. "Ouch!"

Ginny blushed and murmured, "Sorry about that. Didn't have time to catch myself." She smiled at Fred, who was using this golden opportunity to hold on to Hermione, and said, "We just dropped by for some alone time." She winked and then asked innocently, "Where's the other one that looks like you. You know, the better looking one?"

Fred swiped at her playfully. "Shoo," he told her. "He's in the back room testing a color changing potion. Maybe you could be the tester? Purple would look lovely on you."

Hermione laughed as Ginny tossed her hair back and stalked out of the room. She glared at Fred playfully and told him, "You shouldn't say such things to your sister."

Fred laughed. "She's my sister. What am I supposed to say to her?"

Hermione shrugged and snuggled closer to Fred. "At the moment," she told him, "I really don't care." They stood there in the middle of the box-filled room for a while, not saying anything. Though 93 Diagon Alley was rather dark and cold at the moment, since the twins had just started to fix it up, Hermione couldn't think of a better place to be.

"Mione, I was thinking-"

"Uh oh," Hermione teased, interrupting Fred's "thinking" train of thought.

In response, Fred pinched her arm. "Hey!" he complained. "It happened to be a good idea!"

Hermione squeezed her arms around him, resting her head on her chest. "Couldn't resist. Go ahead and tell me about this great idea of yours."

Fred huffed sarcastically and then pressed his cheek against her head. "I was thinking that we could go on a date after Christmas before we have to go back to Hogwarts. Everyone will have gotten the holiday madness out of their system and won't pay any attention to us."

Hermione looked up at him, a twinkle in her eyes as she asked, "What makes you think I'd want to go on a date with you? So presumptuous of you! Ginny did say that George was the better looking twin."

Fred's mouth dropped open in shocked delight. He was the only one that could make Hermione loosen up as much as she had at that moment. He pushed her away from him and said, "You're being cheeky!" She raised an eyebrow and he said, "Are you being cheeky?"

Hermione's grin widened. "Only if you'll do something about it," she told him with a straight face that quickly melted into a grin.

He laughed and then pulled her close, saying truthfully, "Mione, I love you."

Hermione's mouth fell open and her heart sped up. She blinked, looking up into Fred's hopeful face, and raised herself up on her tiptoes. "I lo-"

"Hermione!"

Fred jumped back from Hermione and she struggled to keep her balance. She looked up to find George bounding down the stairs, not paying any attention to the couple. She smiled back as he picked her up and whirled her around. "How are you?" he asked. "Fred and I haven't seen you for hours!" He winked at her and she couldn't help but laugh. When she chanced a glance up at Fred, however, she noticed that he wasn't smiling.

Ginny came into the room next, looking regretful and bashful. "Sorry," she whispered to Fred. "I tried to keep him occupied without doing any damage to myself in the process. That only works for so long."

Fred turned to his little sister, keeping his voice low so that his brother, who was trying to coerce Hermione into trying one of their canary creams, wouldn't hear him. "What have I always said was the most important rule of quidditch?" he asked her.

Ginny paused, surprised at the change in subject, but then guessed, "Win at all costs?"

"Besides that," Fred conceded.

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know."

Fred bent and put his lips right next to her ear. "Sacrifice the body. Take the hit." When he pulled away, he was grinning, so Ginny guessed that he was only teasing her.

She put her hands on her hips and glared at her brother. "There was no way I was letting him turn my body into that horrid shade of purple he had in mind. Absolutely no way. I love you, but I don't love you that much."

Fred laughed and walked over to pull George away from Hermione. "Don't test that on her, Forge," he told George, deftly plucking the canary cream out of his twin's hand and pocketing it so that George couldn't "accidentally" slip it into some food substance of Hermione's.

"Fine," George said with a huff. "I still say that she'd make a pretty cute bird."

"She is a pretty cute bird," Fred said without thinking. His eyes snapped up to Hermione's and then flitted to look at his brother, who was blinking at him.

"I'm not a bird, Fred," she said, blushing.

"Well you're certainly not a kid anymore," Ginny piped up, desperate to save her brother. "You are a bird. And a very pretty one at that, if you'd only tame down that hair of yours." There, the trap was set, and just as she had expected, Hermione launched into a debate about how her hair was not bushy anymore, it was simply wavy, effectively changing the subject without realizing it.

When Ginny finally "conceded" to her friend, she sighed and said, "I guess we'd better get home, huh?"

Hermione nodded. "I guess so." She turned and smiled at both Fred and George. "Thanks for showing us the shop. Will we see you at the Burrow for dinner?" Instantly, she realized her mistake. Of course they would! It was Christmas Eve!

"Of course!" George said, and Fred nodded as well, his eyes fixed on Hermione. Tonight, she knew, he would want her to finish what she had been about to say.

"Great!" Ginny chirped. "We'll see you there."

They flooed back to the Burrow and tumbled out, breathing deeply. "That was close," was all Ginny said as she tried to brush herself off.

That night, the Weasley family, along with Hermione and Harry, gathered around the table to celebrate the season. Many of their family members would have to leave early the next morning, so they had planned on exchanging presents tonight instead. As they passed food around, exchanging conversation and jokes, Hermione couldn't help but smile. Every light at the Burrow was on, twinkling merrily along with the candles that floated above the table. Charms kept the food piping hot, and the mugs kept refilling their hot cider and cocoa.

"Would you pass the potatoes?" Harry asked Hermione, and she leaned over to grab the bowl, only to find that it was slightly out of her reach. The bowl suddenly lifted off the table and floated over to Hermione's hands and she looked up in surprise to smile broadly at Fred across the table.

"Showoff," Ron muttered.

Hermione handed the potatoes to Harry and focused back on her food. Her heart was beating faster and faster as the time for gifts drew closer. Would he like her gift? Should she have gotten a newer model, despite his comment to her months ago? What if he didn't like it? "Of course he'll like it!" she told herself in order to stop her nerves from getting frazzled.

"Everyone gather around the tree!" Molly Weasley ordered, happily buzzing from one place to another in her excitement. Hermione picked a spot on the couch, across from Fred, who was seated close to the fireplace on the floor next to George. Bill, Fleur, Charlie, and Percy, newly reconciled to the family, all sat on another couch, and Ron, Harry, and Ginny seated themselves next to Hermione. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat in two chairs close to the large tree so that they could hand out the gifts.

"Charlie," Mrs. Weasley said, handing Charlie a gift marked for him from the twins. He opened it and found a slip of paper with a charm on it that would keep the dragon fire from touching his skin.

"Thanks, guys!" he said, truly appreciative. "That'll be very handy."

Bill came next, along with Fleur, and then the gifts were passed around one after the other. It was going to be a long night, Hermione knew, but it was so much fun to wait anxiously to see what you got, and what the people around you received. As Mrs. Weasley reached down and pulled out Hermione's gift for Fred, Hermione felt herself tensing. She had placed it in a large box so that he wouldn't be able to guess what it was immediately. Mrs. Weasley struggled with the box for a moment, and then her eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at Hermione. "It's for you, Fred," she said, curiosity plain in her voice, "from Hermione."

All eyes turned from Hermione, to Fred, and back again. Fred stood up slowly and took the box from his mother, returning to his spot so that he could unwrap it slowly, his eyes occasionally turned back to Hermione's. When the paper fell away, Fred's eyes widened and his head shot up to look at Hermione once more.

"Do you not like it?" she asked worriedly. "I got the right one, didn't I?"

"Well show us, Fred!" George cried, unable to see what was in the box.

Slowly and carefully, as though he might break it, Fred pulled out the polished Cleansweep Five, holding it up so that everyone could see it. George's eyes nearly popped out of his head, and since Fred made no move to say anything, Hermione spoke up quickly. "Fred and George played a brilliant prank of Malfoy a few months ago," she told the stunned audience. "Apparently, Malfoy had said something rather degrading about me, and so they pranked him. When Malfoy found out who was responsible, he cursed the first twin's broom he saw, which was Fred's. That's why Fred hasn't played quidditch in months." Hermione looked shyly at Fred, who was watching her with a soft look on his face. "I figured that it was a befitting gift, but I didn't buy anything newer because you said you wanted you old broom back." She bit her lip. "Is it alright?"

"It's perfect," Fred said softly. He didn't need a Nimbus, or a Firebolt. This present from Hermione must have cost her quite a lot, and he would treasure it forever. "Thank you," he said softly.

"You're welcome. It's charmed against spells and the elements, so it won't break or warp," Hermione said softly.

There was silence in the room for a moment before Mrs. Weasley pulled everyone's attention back to the presents. Throughout the next round, Fred and Hermione exchanged several meaningful looks, and Ginny had to nudge Hermione to get her attention back to the gift exchange. "To Hermione, from George," Mr. Weasley said as he handed the small pouch to Hermione, looking startled. The twins always gave one gift to each person from both of them, never separate.

Hermione took the pouch and opened in carefully, half expecting it to blow up. Inside, she found a handful of canary creams and a note that read: To my favorite little bird, Happy Christmas. She smiled brightly at George, who was waiting for her response, and said, "Thanks, George."

Hermione waited anxiously as the round of gifts started all over again, knowing that the only gift she had left was from Fred. When Mrs. Weasley passed her the small box, all eyes once again turned to her. Gently, Hermione unwrapped the box and opened the lid, taking in a short intake of breath when she saw the charm bracelet within.

She'd heard of so many people having been given charm bracelets that she had always thought that it would be redundant to get one herself, but this gift topped them all. The chain was of magicked, unbreakable silver that shimmered on its own. The charms were small and delicate, and Hermione knew that Fred had chosen the size to accommodate her busy lifestyle. A silver quill, a silver wand, a silver book, and a silver beater's bat hung down from the chain. On the bat, in very tiny letters, it said, To Mione, with all my love, Fred.

In that moment, it didn't matter that they had never gone on a date. It didn't matter if the whole Weasley family and Harry were watching her as she carefully slipped the chain onto her wrist, only to watch as it adjusted to her small bone structure. It didn't matter that they had wanted to wait to tell everyone that they were dating. Nothing mattered at that moment except for Fred.

In one, smooth movement, Hermione was up off the couch and launching herself at Fred, knocking him backwards and kissing him with all the passion that had been pent up for so long. It took Fred only a moment to respond to her, pulling her closer and twining his hand into her hair as he smiled into the kiss. He understood. Secrecy didn't matter anymore.

She pulled away from him, smiling wider than she had in a long time, not caring that everyone but Ginny was staring at them open mouthed. "I love you too," she told him. "I love you so much, Fred."

Fred's smile broadened and he pulled her back for another kiss as Ginny grinned at George, whose grin was now just as wide.

"Wicked," the siblings said.

A/N: And there you have it!! To those of you that asked for a "sequel-ish" fic, I hope you enjoyed this. This IS the last chapter, there won't be another one, but I really hope you liked it. :D Please review and tell me!!