In Need of Saving

The club was hot and stuffy. It was near impossible to dance without accidentally bumping into someone. Hermione felt as if she was suffocating, but this was what Ginny wanted to do for her birthday, so she didn't say anything about it. She just smiled at her redheaded friend and tried to keep dancing without getting stepped on by the guy next to her.

"Is this great or what?" Ginny yelled, her eyes sparkling with delight and glee. Hermione just nodded and tried to make her smile convincing. Apparently it worked, because Ginny laughed heartily. Of course Hermione couldn't hear the laugh, but she saw it clear as day.

This was Ginny's 22nd birthday that they were celebrating in the new, hip wizarding club 'The Dancing Toad'. Of course Ginny also had her boyfriend, Harry, there. They were inseparable, but since Harry didn't dance, he was sitting at the bar next to Ron, Fred and George. Only Hermione and Ginny were dancing. It was Ginny' favourite past time, after Quidditch of course. And Hermione had to admit that she kind of liked it as well. Not the club – Good Merlin no, not that! Too many people and too little space. But the music, the beats, the rhythm flowing, coursing through her body, filling her with a single need to just move.

All of a sudden Hermione felt someone bump into her. She turned her head and saw that it was the guy she had tried to avoid. He was grinning broadly, looking down at her with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. It didn't take a whole lot of imagination to figure out what was on his mind.

He bent down till his lips were touching her ear and said, "You're a pretty little thing."

Hermione took a step back and away from him, giving him a little half smile as she did.

"Thank you," was her only reply and then she turned back to Ginny, hoping he would go away. But that, apparently, wasn't in his nature. Suddenly she felt his fingers in her hair and his lips to her ear again.

"And sexy as well," he purred, his innuendo not at all veiled. He was stroking her hair suggestively, making Hermione feel very, very uncomfortable.

"Again, thank you," she said, trying to put a note of finality into her voice, but if she succeeded he didn't heed her at all. His hand wandered from her hair down over her back until it settled on her buttocks. She tried to wriggle away from him, but before she had a chance, he had grabbed her forcefully and turned her around. She was now locked tightly in his arms, her face mere inches from his. Again she tried to get away, but his grip was firm and unrelenting.

"Please let me go," she demanded, trying to sound strict and harsh, but knowing that it didn't come across as much more than a feeble plea. He laughed throatily at her.

"Come on babe," he said, "I can tell you want me, the way you've been rubbing up against me all night."

"I have not!" she exclaimed loudly. "Now let go of me!"

"No chance, baby doll, 'cause we're going to have some fun, you and me!"

His lips pursed and she knew just what he was going to do next. She closed her eyes and tried to turn her head away, but he gripped her head and held her completely still. There was nothing she could do.

"I think she told you to let her go," a wonderfully familiar voice sounded from behind. The guy eased up just enough to look at the intruder over her head.

"It's none of your business," he growled.

"I would say that it is, since that's my girlfriend you're pulling a move on," said Fred, sounding as composed as ever.

A flash of insecurity and doubt manifested in the stranger's eyes, but it was gone faster than it had appeared. He was not the insecure type, it seemed.

"I don't believe you," he said simply. "And if it is true, then you must be a terrible lover, because she wants me."

"I'm a phenomenal lover," Fred said with pride lacing every word. "You're just so desperate that you're imagining things."

The guy apparently forgot all about Hermione at that comment. He let go of her and pushed her to the side, right into Ginny's arms.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked in concern.

"I'm fine," Hermione said simply, looking at the stranger, who was now standing right in front of Fred, his whole body shuddering in anger. Fred just stood before him, calm and collected as if nothing or no one was going to touch him.

"I went and got Fred as soon as that guy grabbed you," Ginny explained. "I don't know why he said he was your boyfriend, but at least it made him let go of you."

"Yeah," was all Hermione said. She was pondering just that one thing as well. But she wasn't angry that he'd said it at all – it might not be true, but it worked. The guy had now shifted his focus from Hermione to Fred, who, somehow, managed to look really scary. Hermione had never ever thought she was going to think Fred, the sweetest and funniest guy alive, scary. But right now, looking at him balling his hands into fists, his eyes practically shooting lightning, he was actually just that. Scary. For some reason the thought of Fred as her big bad protector made a shiver run through Hermione's body.

"What did you say?" the guy hissed angrily, taking a step closer to Fred so that they were now only inches from each other. Instantly the mood of the room shifted. Everyone stopped moving, the voices disappeared and the people standing closest to Fred and the stranger backed away, leaving a cleared ring around the two of them.

"I called you desperate," Fred answered calmly. "And now I'm going to call you deaf, since you had to hear it twice."

"Don't play smart with me!" the guy yelled and pushed Fred hard in the chest. A unison gasp went through the crowd. Hermione cringed, hating to think what was going to happen next. She was prepared for an all out fight, but luckily it didn't come.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just do that," Fred said, still calm, but his eyes angrier than ever before and his teeth clenched harshly together. "I'm going to walk away from you, take my girlfriend home and shag her senseless. Enjoy your right hand, my good man."

With those words he clapped the guy's shoulder, who was too shocked to do anything, went around him to Hermione, put his arm around her waist and started guiding her towards the exit saying, "Let's go love."

Hermione didn't protest. Not even when he stopped in the door looking at the guy at added, "Oh and by the way..." after which he leaned down and kissed her. She was immobile, shocked to say the least. All she could do was close her eyes and enjoy the strange and yet satisfying feeling of Fred's lips on hers. She'd never thought of this happening, but now that she felt his mouth moving against her, she was powerless to resist and even more powerless against the growing need for more that spread through her body.

All too sudden the kiss ended and Fred pulled back saying, "Now we can leave." And with a tip of his head towards the stunned crowd he let Hermione out into the crisp London night.

This story is the first chapter in a story requested by Aleicia Wolfe, who wanted a multi-chaptered Fred and Hermione story, and since they are such a cute couple I just couldn't say no. So here's the beginning, hope you'll all stay around until the end.