Disclaimer: As per usual, none of this is mine. Shame, that.

A/N: All done! It's been quite a while since I've actually gotten to mark a story as complete, so I'm quite pleased! Thank you to everyone who read this story (and extra thanks to those who left reviews)! It means so much to me that people have enjoyed my stories. This one may be all done, but I'll be updating some WIPs soon, and I have one or two new story ideas in the planning stages, so watch this space ;)

Part Five

Hermione spent the next few weeks avoiding many of her usual hangouts. Despite missing Molly and Arthur, she continued to make her excuses every time she was invited to the Burrow. She completely stopped showing up to the regular Friday pub nights at the Leaky Cauldron without any explanation to the group, and she exercised a great deal of caution when walking through Diagon Alley.

About one month after the Ministry Christmas party, Ginny unexpected showed up rather early in the day at Hermione's flat. Striding through her door, Ginny flatly stated, "Right, Hermione. We need to have a little chat about what's been going on."

Still in her pyjamas and bathrobe, Hermione crossed her arms at her best friend's accusatory tone. "Why? What exactly has been going on?" she asked, knitting her eyebrows in confusion.

Ginny sat down on Hermione's sofa. "That's what I need you to tell me! I haven't seen you or Fred in ages! Not on Fridays, not at my parents' house, nowhere!"

"You haven't seen Fred?" Hermione asked, sitting beside Ginny.

"Not outside of his shop, no! It just seems really weird, both of you disappearing at the same time. Did something happen? Did you have a falling-out of some kind the night of the Christmas party? Did he play some sort of a horrible prank on you? He wouldn't say anything to me," asked Ginny.

"No!" answered Hermione. "No, nothing like that at all. We didn't fight. We haven't spoken or seen each other at all since that night either."

"Right then," said Ginny. She twisted her hands a bit in her lap, and bit her lip. "Did he talk about anything that night that he was upset about then?"

Hermione shook her head and shrugged.

"And are you okay?" Ginny pressed.

Hermione sighed. "I suppose I will be eventually." Noticing Ginny's quizzical glance, she hastily said, "I'm fine. Really. Totally fine. You have nothing to worry about. I've just got a lot on my mind, that's all."

Ginny let out a deep breath. "All right then. Well, could you do me a small favour, then?"

"Anything," Hermione said, relieved that Ginny was dropping the line of questioning.

"Just… if you see Fred around, could you talk to him? I'm worried about him, and… well, I don't know, you were with him last, so maybe you'd know what's been going on with him," finished Ginny.

Hermione shook her head again. "I have no idea what's been going on with Fred, I assure you," she said. "Like I said, I haven't seen him since the night of the party. But yeah, sure, I'll, uh… I'll talk to him if I see him. I think that I probably have to exchange a few thoughts with him, too."

Ginny patted her best friend's knee. "I appreciate that," she said. "And you'll let me know if you need anything? To talk, or whatever? I don't like your disappearance any more than I like Fred's."

"I'm sorry," said Hermione, hugging Ginny. "Of course, if I need anything from you, I won't hesitate. Okay?"

"Okay," said Ginny. "So will we start seeing you again soon? On Fridays, and… you know, just around, in general?"

Hermione smiled. "I'm sure you will soon," she assured her. "Like I said, I've just got a lot on my mind. I'm sorting out a few things. That's all. I won't be away forever."

Ginny got up, and headed toward the door. "All right. I hope whatever it is that's weighing on your mind is cleared up soon."

After seeing her friend out, Hermione said quietly to herself, "So do I."

The talk with Ginny had her feeling a bit rattled, and Hermione decided to go for a walk to clear her head. Determining that a visit to Flourish and Blotts would have the appropriate therapeutic effect, she started getting herself ready to go.

While taking a soothing, hot shower, Hermione couldn't help but let her mind wander back to her conversation with Ginny. She understood her own reasons for disappearing from the group's outings, but couldn't imagine why Fred would. He had walked out on her, not the other way around!

Fred. Hermione sighed. She had been trying not to think about him, but couldn't seem to avoid it. When she had been cross with Roger, there was just anger there. This was just so much more… complicated. How was it possible to feel so furious with someone, so mortified by one, and yet to still, on some level, have such a strong attraction to that person?

For all her intellect, Hermione didn't understand it. But, as she had during every shower over the last few weeks, still found herself leaning against the wall, adroitly bringing herself to a powerful climax with the assistance of her detachable showerhead, while memories of time spent with a certain redhead ran through her mind. And, also as she had every time for the last few weeks, felt vaguely repulsed with herself while towelling off, somehow dirtier than before she got in.

Hermione eschewed her usual Saturday casual wear of loose jeans and sweatshirt, reasoning that she needed to feel good about herself, and should dress accordingly. The unseasonable warmth of the late January weather allowed her the option to not have to pick her cosiest, heaviest clothing. Opting to wear her dark blue skinny jeans, a soft grey top with a low cowl neck, and a pair of black ankle boots, Hermione polished her appearance with a slick of pink lip-gloss. After a failed attempt at taming her curls, and a dab of vanilla behind each ear, Hermione grabbed her short black trench coat, and left the flat, ignoring her unconscious mind's gentle chastising about her possible intentions for putting thought into her outfit.

Hermione's visit to Flourish and Blotts, to anyone who knew her well, would have seemed shorter than usual. While she could easily spend hours thumbing through the shelves, carefully examining all the new releases, and taking extra care inspecting the store's "rare books" section, she spent a comparatively efficient twenty-five minutes browsing before selecting the new title by Rolf Scamander about his search for rare magical creatures in the Amazon Rainforest.

She continued to walk around Diagon Alley, trying to clear her head of all the confusing emotions that had seemed to be casting a fog over her mind for the past month. While she had been unsure of her feelings on the night of the Christmas party, she was even more muddled now. Part of her was livid with Fred, humiliated by him, never wanted to see him again. Another part of her wanted him back in her bed, to explore the chemistry they had discovered that night, and was certain, as well, that it was more than just a physical connection.

A third part of her wished she had never taken him up on the offer for the stupid pretend date. Then everything would be as it was before – Friday nights at the Leaky Cauldron, occasional dinners at the Burrow, just complication-free.

She started to question why she was even so cavalierly walking through an area she had been carefully avoiding for the past month. Was this just a walk to clear her head, to walk off her anger with Fred? Or was she hoping to run into him? Why did she spend so much time making herself look nice? To attract him if she saw him, or to spitefully show off what he was missing? She really didn't know.

More baffled than ever, she sighed and plunked herself down on the nearest park bench, figuring she'd relax and look through her new book for a few minutes before moving on.

"What are you doing here?" she heard asked of her from the next bench.

Turning to her right, she found herself facing a glowering Fred, sitting one bench over with a half-eaten sandwich.

Hermione turned on an icy manner. "I'm free to go where I like," she replied flatly.

"You – never mind," he said, wrapping up his sandwich, and leaving his bench. "I can't deal with this. I don't have to put myself through this."

"Excuse me?" asked Hermione, leaving her own seat to follow him. "You can't deal with this? You don't have to go through this? What about me? How do you think I feel?"

Fred turned around abruptly, causing Hermione to jump back. "Why should I care how you feel? You used me!" he said loudly.

"I used you?" repeated Hermione. "I used you?"

Fred sighed. "You're starting to get shrill. If you really want to have this conversation, then fine, we'll have it. But let's get off the street, so we don't end up looking like a pair of banshees, all right?"

Hermione crossed her arms. "And where would you suggest we go? I hardly think this is appropriate for the pub or the coffee shop."

Fred snorted. "As if I was inviting you there. Back room at number 93. George has the day off, Verity is managing the store and won't ask questions."

"Fine," answered Hermione, and followed him in silence through the storefront of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

As the door of the back room closed behind them, she cast a silencing charm on the door and started to yell. "What the bloody hell do you mean that I used you? I woke up and you were gone! Haven't heard so much as a word from you since! What am I supposed to think? How do I know that you didn't use me?"

"Hey, I was doing you a favour!" he shouted back. When Hermione merely raised an eyebrow in response, obviously starting to boil over in anger, he continued, exasperated. "Not the sex! The date! I was trying to do a friend a good turn, that's all!"

"Oh, were you?" she challenged.

"Yes, I was," answered Fred. "And then you had to go and arrange everything to get what you wanted."

"And how exactly did I do that?" asked Hermione.

"Stop playing dumb, it doesn't suit you. You know that you seduced me," he answered spitefully.

"I seduced you. Really. Do tell," she said, her mouth a thin, angry line.

"You know you did! I've never seen you look like that before. I see you practically covered head-to-toe all the time, and you open the door, and you're wearing that dress! The sexy dress that showed off your shape and so much skin and… why did you have to wear that dress?" he said angrily.

"I bought that dress weeks ago, when I thought Roger was taking me to the party. Well before you were my pretend date. It was by no means intended to seduce you," she answered simply.

"Okay, well, what about the glamorous hair and makeup?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged. "It's what girls do when going to a dressy occasion. Totally normal. Don't flatter yourself."

"Well, fine! What about the Amortentia?" asked Fred, voice filled with venom and triumph.

Hermione was taken completely aback. "What Amortentia?" she asked.

"Come on! You sprayed yourself with it that night! I smelled it years ago it Hogwarts, I remember what it's like," he pressed. "You're brilliant enough with potions to have brewed it. Just admit it, and we can move on from there."

Hermione shook her head. "I swear, Fred, I would never do such a thing."

"I told you that you didn't know what you were asking of me. When you said you did, when you made your move on me, I thought you understood. That I don't do one night stands. That I'm not a casual sex kind of guy. When you said that we should pretend again sometime, I knew I was wrong. I was awake thinking for hours before I left. I figured out what I had been smelling on you all night, and why I was feeling the way I was," he hissed.

Hermione's eyes widened. "And… just how was that?" she asked slowly.

"Exactly what you wanted. That I had never had such a good time with a girl before. That I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed how sexy as fuck you were before, and what great chemistry we have together. You know that by the end of the night, I had wished it was a real date, that I was ready to ask you out for real another time, when we weren't just playing pretend. You knew that I wouldn't be able to say no to you, that I was wanting you like crazy, because I had been breathing in your goddamn love potion all night!" he finished, almost shouting at her.

Hermione frowned. "Fred, smell my neck now," she said quietly.

"No way, I'm not playing any more of your games," he said.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, will you just sniff my neck and tell me if that's what you thought was Amortentia?" she directed, holding her hair out of the way.

Fred leaned in toward Hermione's neck, taking a deep breath in at the base of it. Hermione, still fuming, tried hard not to sigh with pleasure at the closeness, even as he took a second deep breath, reaching to hold her at the waist as he did so, but restraining himself.

"You're wearing it now?" he asked, backing away from her. "Did you plan all this? Running into me? Is that why you're looking all fit today?"

"Fred, that's not Amortentia, that's vanilla extract," she said.

"It's what?"

"It's ordinary vanilla. It's a habit I picked up from my mum. She always put a dab of vanilla behind our ears before going out. I still do it, for parties or if I just feel like looking nice in general. It's not Amortentia, or any kind of love potion. I can get the bottle from my flat if you don't believe me," said Hermione.

Fred reddened, and sat down. "Oh," he said, casting his eyes downward.

"Oh? Oh? That's all you've got to say for yourself? After sneaking out of my flat without so much as a word, avoiding me, then accusing me of using you for sex by means of a love potion, all you can say is 'Oh?'"

Fred mumbled something.

Hermione sat across from him. "Do you want to speak up?"

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Thank you," said Hermione. "I appreciate your apology." She paused, and then spoke again. "The question is, how do we proceed from here?"

"Hmm? How's that?" asked Fred, his eyes now meeting hers.

"Well, you seemed to have a lot of very specific thoughts about me on the night of the Ministry Christmas party," she stated matter-of-factly. As she saw Fred blush all the way to the tips of his ears, she felt rather satisfied that it was finally her turn to cause a visible reaction in him.

"Erm, yeah," was all he managed, before looking back at the floor.

"And the fact that you thought a smell associated with me was Amortentia surely has some sort of implications," she added.

She hadn't thought it was possible, but Fred seemed to blush even deeper, his face a darker crimson than his hair.

"I suppose," he said.

"Surely it's not going to be that easy still being friends with someone you think is… What was the term you used? Oh, yes, I believe it was 'sexy as fuck?'" she continued, grinning.

Fred hid his face in his hands. "I said way too much, didn't I? Do you think we can ever get past this?"

Using Fred's obscured vision to her advantage, Hermione got out of her chair and surprised Fred by sitting in his lap. He uncovered his eyes, and saw her smiling wickedly at him.

"I think we can," she answered, before capturing his lips in a searing kiss.

He responded quickly, sliding his hands up her sides, underneath her silky top, but soon broke away. "You're not mad?"

"Are you?" Hermione asked.

Fred shook his head. "I feel like a right prat, though. How can you not be mad after everything I said?"

"Oh, I was angry. Sickened. Livid," she said, shifting her position in Fred's lap to press her bum closely against his groin, pleased at the sharp breath he took as she did so. She leaned back to whisper in his ear. "But despite all that, I couldn't stop thinking about that night."

Fred held her tightly by the hips. "This definitely isn't some kind of prank? To get revenge on me for leaving you that night?"

Hermione got up and turned around, sitting back on his lap to face him, frowning.

"Do you really think I would do something like that?" she asked. "I thought you said that nobody should have to work so hard to prove their sincerity."

"You're right," he nodded. "This whole thing has just been so confusing to me. I mean, the fact that I thought that… well, that you smell like Amortentia…" he trailed off.

"Yes?"

"You said that has certain implications, and… I really don't want this to be just pretend. So I want to be sure that, well, this is more than just physical for you?" he asked.

Hermione wrapped her arms around the back of Fred's neck. "Look, I'm sorry if I sounded too casual that night," she started. "I don't typically look for casual encounters. I thought it was possible that might have been all I needed that night, because I really missed having a physical connection with someone. But I didn't really know what I was feeling. I didn't even know at the start of the night that I was going to want something physical with you; it was just something that happened. But I know that when I woke up, it hurt not just because you walked out on me, but also because I was looking forward to you just… being there. Whatever the implications are, for you or for me… If I'm being honest, I don't know what this is exactly, but I can tell you it's more than just physical."

Fred smiled. "I'm glad," he said. Wiggling his eyebrows, he added, "The physical part seemed pretty great, too, of course."

Hermione sighed over-dramatically. "It's been a whole month though. Maybe my memory needs some refreshing," she said, edging closer to him in his lap.

No further invitation was required for Fred, and he quickly held her tight to him and pressed his lips against hers, claiming them.

Breaking away, he explained, "Just so you know, I don't normally move quite this fast."

"That's fine," answered Hermione, reinitiating their embrace.

A few moments later, he stopped again, adding, "That is, I really don't just hop into bed with any pretty witch that I like."

"Whatever," she replied, finding his mouth again.

Fred pulled away a third time. "I'm just saying, so you know that –"

"Fred!" she nearly yelled, interrupting him.

He went silent, surprised at her outburst, and she immediately softened, seeing him disconcerted.

"Fred," she repeated, running her hand through his hair. "I get it. I take you seriously. I know you're not some prankster playboy. Like you said, you're not so one-dimensional as people might think."

Fred grinned. "Right."

"But we're never going to accomplish anything if you won't stop talking. Now, how long can Verity watch the storefront for?" she asked.

"As long as there aren't any emergencies, she'll be fine on her own. I can always make it up to her with some extra time off, if she wants. Why?"

Hermione put on her most Weasley-twin-like smirk. "I just want to know that we have time to stop playing pretend and start playing for real. Now, let's get your sexy arse up to your flat so I can do all the things I want to do for you."

"Rubbing off on you already, am I?" asked Fred, his hands sliding up her back.

"Not in the way I'd like you to be at the moment," Hermione answered cunningly. "What exactly are you waiting for?"

With a wicked grin, Fred left his seat, slinging Hermione over his shoulder to carry her upstairs. As she yelped with excited laughter, she knew that she'd never need to pretend anything with this Weasley twin again.