"What should I do?" Hermione asked aloud, not knowing anyone else was in the common room so late at night. "About what?" Fred asked, a grin stretching across his face. She looked at him with disgust, not in the mood for his games. "Does the princess want me to leave her alone?" Fred asked, pretending to be taken aback by her glare. "Yes." she hissed. "That's not going to happen." Fred said with a laugh, crossing the room in a few strides, his long limbs floating him across the floor. He sat next to Hermione on the cushy sofa. In a more serious, yet light tone, he asked, "Really, Hermione, about what?" She jumped on the chance to talk about her inner doubt. She didn't have girlfriends to talk to and Harry didn't know a thing about girls and feeling, having been raised the way he was. She of course could not tell Ron anything.

"I've liked Ron for a while now and I don't know what to do! He is always with me, but something makes me feel so far away from him. I know he doesn't like me like that, he never looks at me the way that guys look at their girlfriends. It's like I am just another face, another face that happens to be his friend. What should I do?" Hermione rushed, stumbling over her own words, slumping into Fred's shoulder, which she was unaware of.

Fred tensed up and Hermione noticed what she'd said and done and who to. She picked up her head and hastily grabbed her face as she began to shake. "I can't believe I did that. I'm sorry, Fred. I'm just so tired of having to think about this all alone. Please don't tell anyone about tonight, not even George."

Fred sighed, draping his arm around Hermione, lightly holding her shoulder. She peeked through her fingers at him, a small, understanding smile creeping across his lips. She released her hands and began to quietly sob, Fred pulling her close into a hug. "It's okay, Hermione. I won't tell anyone. Not even George. Promise."

Fred felt his heart rate increase as Hermione hugged him and Hermione felt terrible for depending upon him, but he was the only one that knew. She felt like she had to keep him there a little longer, even if the whole thing was just an accident.