Hermione sat beneath the willow tree and leaned against its trunk. "It's quite dark this morning," she commented as she looked out at the moonlit pond.

"That's because it's midnight," replied Fred.

"What?" responded Hermione. She looked over at Fred and her eyes bulged. "What are you doing?"

Fred's cloak lay at his feet and he was removing his shirt. "I thought you might like to join me for a late night swim."

"What?" Hermione repeated. She turned away quickly as he began removing his trousers.

"I thought it'd be a nice night for a swim. You should join me." Fred tossed his trousers unceremoniously on top of his cloak and shirt. "It's okay. I've still got my boxers on. I'm not suggesting we skinny dip. Well, unless you want to… then I'm all for it," he laughed.

"Ugh," Hermione huffed indignantly, still looking resolutely over the pond.

"I'm only joking," assured Fred, although he had to admit to himself that he was only half-joking. "C'mon, let's go for a swim."

"I don't have a swimsuit!"

"And how very different are your bra and knickers from a bikini?" Fred reasoned. "Just as my boxers are much like swimming trunks. It's not as scandalous as you make it seem. Either way, I'm going for a swim. And you don't have to keep averting your eyes, I'm not that hideous."

Hermione looked back at Fred. He was far from hideous. He stood smiling before her in a pair of blue striped boxer shorts. His pale chest stood out in the darkness. She could see the muscles of his arms that had held her so firmly just minutes ago. She was happy that he could not see her blush.

Fred turned on the spot. He ran quickly toward the pond and preformed an animated cannonball into the water. Small waves extended across the still surface. Fred broke through the surface of the water and shook his wet ginger hair out of his face. The pond was shallow enough that, from where he stood, his feet could touch bottom and the water rose only to his shoulders. "Oh, c'mon, Hermione," Fred prompted. "Come join me. It's not as fun without you."

Hermione looked around nervously, trying to decide what to do. Fred was, again, asking her to step out of her comfort zone. She sighed. Looking back, every time he pushed her into something, she had a lot of fun. She didn't want to go back to the Weasleys' house, wondering what a good time she might have had.

She got to her feet and she saw Fred's smile grow. "Don't look while I undress, okay?"

Fred turned obediently. He didn't understand what the difference was between seeing her undress down to her underclothes and just seeing her in her underclothes, ('Especially because I've seen her without…' he thought wickedly.) but he wasn't about to argue.

"Okay," she said. Fred turned to her and tried to keep calm as his heart rate increased. She was as beautiful as he had remembered. She wore a light blue cotton bra and matching panties. His gaze started at her feet, rose up her long lean legs, up her slim sculpted figure and modest chest to settle on her beautiful bashful smile. Fred felt relieved that Hermione seemed not to have noticed his wandering eyes.

"Don't just stand there. Come in."

Hermione was covered in goosebumps. Fred may have thought it was a good night for a swim, but it was rather chilly, in her opinion. She stepped down to the water's edge and dipped her foot into the water. She gasped and grimaced as the cold water sent shivers through her. Her foot sank to the bottom and the water lapped at the lower calf. After a second to recover, she placed her other leg beside it. Her feet were becoming numb from the cold while her upper body shivered. The silt moved under her feet with every slow step she took. She stopped when the water was up to her knees. Fred was laughing.

"It's cold!" She explained.

"At this rate, it's going to take you all night to get in. Just dive in and get it over with," Fred advised.

Hermione took a deep breath and, in one quick motion, bent over, brought her hands out in front of her and dived gracefully into the water. Her head broke the surface near Fred and she had to tread water to stay afloat. The moonlight glanced off the water and illuminated her shining smile. Her hair slicked smoothly down her back, appearing dark and heavy. It made her facial features stand out; her profile looked softer and more delicate.

"See? Now isn't that better?" Fred asked.

Hermione's entire body was becoming numb with cold, but she decided that she preferred the numbness below the water to the cool of her face as a light breeze blew past.

"Yes," she admitted.

They swam silently around each other, neither knowing what to do or say. But it was a comfortable silence. Fred turned away and dived beneath the water. Hermione smiled but waited uncomfortably when he didn't come back up. She shrieked when his hands grasped her ankles. She had just enough time to close her mouth before she was dragged under. Fred came up laughing and Hermione looked playfully cross. She snorted the water from her nose and pushed her hair out of her face.

"You're going to pay for that!" she threatened. She whipped her hand through the water, directing a splash at the laughing boy. Fred leaned to the side, missing most of the spray.

"You couldn't catch me in you tried," he taunted.

Hermione lunged toward him, but he stepped easily to the side. He swam a circle around her, not taking his eyes from her. He stayed close enough to encourage chase, but far enough away that she labored to catch him. Every time she got too near, he would quickly push off from the ground to further their distance.

"No fair!" Hermione cried. "You can touch and I can't."

She lunged for him again but he danced nimbly around her and grabbed her around the waist. He audibly took a large breath, giving her fair warning before pulling her beneath the surface of the water with him. He pushed off the ground, swiftly pushing their heads above the water.

"Okay, okay, you win," she laughed. "I forfeit."

Fred still held her waist, holding her head easily above surface. He leaned in close and spoke in a small voice, "You didn't stand a chance." He slowly released her waist and she was forced to tread water again.

Fred pulled up his feet and began to float on his back. Hermione decided that might just be the break her legs needed. They sighed together as the laid upon the pond, staring at the starry sky above them. Hermione's legs enjoyed their rest, but her body was again submitted to the cruel breeze.

"It really is a beautiful night," commented Hermione.

"It really is," agreed Fred.

"It's been a great week, actually," she admitted.

"It's not over yet though. We still have two more days."

"Yeah, but it feels too soon. I'm going to miss this."

"Me too," Fred frowned. He really didn't want this week to end. "Will you be able to come back over summer?"

"I hope so. I'm sure I'll be here a couple weeks." She hoped that she'd be able to stay more. "You should stay at my house for a few weeks," she suggested. She suddenly felt silly. Did she just invite him over for a few weeks? What would Ron say? Or Harry? Or Ginny? Or Mrs. Weasley?

"Yeah, I'm sure your parents would love that," he said sarcastically.

"My parents aren't the ones I'd be worried about." Hermione couldn't stay afloat any longer. The air was just too cold. But so was the water.

"Getting cold?" Fred asked perceptively.

"Yeah."

"Let's get out then."

Fred reached shore before Hermione. He grabbed his cloak and walked over to the tree. He laid comfortably on the ground and threw his thick cloak over him like a blanket. Hermione watched him and followed suit, lying down next to him. They stared silently at the stars through the gaps in the tree's hanging branches.

Fred didn't take his eyes off the sky when he spoke. "You know I've fallen for you, don't you?"

Hermione's chest seemed to tighten and her heart swelled. She felt heat rise to her cheeks as she smiled bashfully.

Fred turned onto his side, his head supported by his elbow. He stared down at her. "You know that I love you… right?"

She nodded, not knowing what to say. She had dreamt of hearing him say those words, but upon hearing them, she became speechless. It was a very rare thing for her – loss for words. But looking into Fred's eyes, she finally realized that her words weren't necessary.

She was glowing. Her eyes sparkled when she stared into his and he knew she loved him. Their relationship had been growing stronger day by day. Neither one had needed to say anything. Both of them just knew. He ran his fingers through her wet ropes of hair and slowly brought his lips to hers. Powerful sensations, emotions of love and completion flowed through their bodies. Before Fred could pull away, he felt her hand wrap around the back of his neck, her fingers entwined in his wet ginger hair. Their lips moved slowly and sensually together as if that was their sole purpose. Fred pulled his lips a small distance from Hermione's. His forehead rested against hers and he gently rubbed the tips of their noses against each other.

"I love you." The words finally came to her. The only three words she needed and the words that brought his heart close to bursting. He kissed her once more before laying down next to her. She turned to him and laid her head on his bare chest. He lifted his cloak for her to snuggle against him and wrapped it around them both. The cold seemed to melt away against the heat of his body.

Hermione opened her eyes slowly. The morning was so bright that her eyes stung. She sat up and stared out over the pond, then down at Fred's sleeping form. The night swim and the amazing kiss flooded back into her mind. Those thoughts were quickly followed by the thought of Mrs. Weasley. She suddenly panicked. It was too bright out – everyone was probably awake by now.

"Fred!" Hermione yelled.

Fred startled awake.

"Fred, it's morning! We have to get back to the house! They've probably already seen that we're missing!"

Fred rubbed his face and then his hair. He shook his head, trying to pull himself together. Finally he seemed to understand. "Get dressed quickly, then."

Hermione's underclothes were dry. She quickly threw on her jeans and shirt and shoved her feet forcefully into her trainers. She grabbed for her cloak hastily put it on, regardless that it was still damp. When she turned, Fred was already fully dressed and straddling the broom. More afraid of Mrs. Weasley than the broom, Hermione quickly jumped on and grabbed hold of Fred.

"If I knew my mum could motivate you so much, I could have had you flying ages ago." Fred laughed.

"Shut up and fly, Fred," Hermione chuckled nervously.

Fred kicked off from the ground hard and flew much faster than he had during their previous flight. Hermione squeezed him tight, feeling only a little anxious.

"I love you," Fred whispered to her again. All of her worries seemed to melt into the background.

"I love you, too, Fred Weasley."

Hermione saw her four friends below, combing the soggy orchard in muddy Wellington boots and shouting for her and Fred.

"Hey!" Fred called down. All eyes focused upon them. They were stunned, to say the least, when Hermione smiled at them from Fred's broom.

Hermione slipped carefully to the ground in the Weasleys' garden, followed by Fred. Fred looked into her eyes and took one of her hands in his. "Now don't let her scare you. Let me do the talking first, then play along."

As soon as he finished his sentence, Mrs. Weasley burst through the back door brandishing a wooden spoon and shouting. Usually Hermione would feel extremely guilty and upset, but she was having a very hard time regretting the evening she had. Fred held her hand through the entire lecture and as he explained that he had just taken Hermione out in the morning to make her feel better about flying. He squeezed her hand a little harder the few times that Mrs. Weasley had smacked his arm with her wooden spoon. But Mrs. Weasley eventually ran out of steam and stormed back into the house to finish breakfast.

Hermione and Fred enjoyed their last two days at the Burrow together, smiling at each other over meals at the table. The loud conversations around them melted into the distance as they looked into each others' eyes, and pretended to care about Mr. Weasley's muggle interests. Before they knew it, the time had come to return to Hogwarts again, but Hermione and Fred's relationship wouldn't be hindered by the return to school. They would spend many nights together in the soft grass of the grounds, by the sweet taste of daydream charms, and blanketed by the soft glow of the moonlight.

I'm so sad to see it end, but that's where my inspiration stops.

All good things must come to an end, I guess.

I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it.

Please let me know how you liked it.