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Hermione frowned as they sat down in the uncomfortable plastic chairs in St Mungos’ waiting room. The room was decorated with sparkling garlands and floating candles, which Hermione didn’t think were altogether safe for a hospital waiting room.
“I can’t believe you dragged me here. Why me?” She grumbled.
“No offence, Hermione dearest, but you’re the only one who wasn’t with someone. I didn’t think you’d mind as much. Not that I don’t value your company, you know that, I just-” Fred shrugged. “It was you who introduced us to the bloody game, too.”
“I didn’t foresee this happening, though. I thought it would be a bit of fun. I forgot how competitive you and George can get. You’re 25! Charlie didn’t help either. I’m sure he gave George the idea.” She huffed. “How does your arm feel?”
“The numbing spell that mum put on is starting to wear off, so not great.”
“It doesn’t seem to be too busy, hopefully you’ll get seen quickly.” She slumped slightly.
“Sorry for ruining your Christmas Eve, Granger.”
“It’s alright. I wasn’t all that keen on spending much more time with Won-Won and Lav-Lav, anyway.” She frowned.
“I thought things were ok between the two of you now.”
“So did I, but when Lavender turned up she began spewing a list of rules about what I can and can’t say and do to Ron and I’m his friend, y’know? It hurts a bit that he’d be ok with that, but I guess love makes people blind. I mean, I’d never want to get back with Ron. We weren’t right together, and I recognise that now. I just wish he had better taste.” She looked over at Fred. “What about you? No Alicia this year?”
“No Alicia ever again.” Fred said quietly, “She decided she was much more into Marcus Flint. Especially since he had his teeth done. She said there was no crossover between our breakup and them getting together, but I’m not convinced.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“I only told George and Ang. Didn’t want the pity.” He looked up at her, “I figured that you know what it feels like, being left for somebody else.”
“I do know what that feels like.” She nodded, “And I’m sorry that you do too now. It’s not a great feeling is it?”
“I’ve definitely had better.” He winced as he moved his left arm slightly. “Yeah, the spell is gone.”
“I could redo it but I don’t want to interfere with anything they might want to do. The sooner we can get back…”
“The sooner we go back to being the only two who aren’t happily coupled up. Bill and Fleur are expecting baby number two, Charlie’s planning to propose to Emma, George and Ang are loving married life, Ron and Lav… I don’t even know, but they seem happy enough, and Harry and Ginny are probably going to announce that Ginny’s pregnant any day now.”
“You picked up on that too?” She laughed softly.
“I’ve never seen that girl turn down one of mum’s Irish hot chocolates. Not since she started Hogwarts and mum first let her try one.” Fred grinned, “I’m happy for them. I really am.”
“But you wish you had someone, too?”
“Exactly.” Fred nodded.
“I know how you feel.” She returned the nod, “It used to be Ron, Harry and I against the world, and now it’s all changed. I suppose it’s been the same for you and George. I know things have to change, but I still miss how it used to be.”
“Frederick Weasley?” A voice called. Fred stood up slowly and started walking towards the healer who had called his name.
“Are you coming?” He asked over his shoulder and Hermione got up and walked quickly after him.
Fred sat on the edge of the hospital bed and held his left arm steady with his right hand. “You injured yourself falling off a chair, is that right?”
“I fell through it, my brother vanished it from underneath me, but yes.” Fred’s eyes flicked to Hermione. “We were playing musical chairs, it’s a muggle game where people walk around chairs until the music stops and there’s not enough chairs for everyone, but when the music stops you have to try and sit on a chair, and my twin brother didn’t want me to upstage him so he decided to vanish the chair and I fell on my arm.”
“Ah, I see.” The healer looked like she most definitely did not see, “I need to do a quick scan to check for any breaks.” She waved her wand slowly at Fred’s forearm. “Ah, yes, a clean break at the wrist. Easy to fix, you’ll be glad to hear. I’ll need to keep you in for an hour just to make sure that you’ve responded to the charm, and have had no side effects.”
“Side effects?” Fred asked nervously.
“The most common one is nausea and possible vomiting, but if you feel anything at all out of the ordinary, please alert a healer at once. Are you ready? You might want to have your girlfriend hold your hand, it will hurt for a few seconds.” Hermione was already at Fred’s side and took his right hand in both of hers. Neither of them corrected her, there was no point. “Episkey.”
The noise Fred emitted was not quite a yelp, but definitely not far off. He squeezed Hermione’s hands tight and screwed up his face. As soon as the pain had intensified, it was gone. He opened his eyes and flexed his left hand slowly.
“Should be good as new. I’ll be back in an hour to discharge you.” She swept briskly from the room.
“How does it feel?” Hermione asked.
“Oddly stiff.” Fred moved his wrist slowly. “Like I’ve slept on it funny.”
“Any nausea?” Hermione looked at him warily.
“Nope, I feel alright, thanks.” He looked down at their hands, “Thank you for coming with me, Hermione. You could have said no.”
“I could, yes. I wouldn’t have let you come here alone, though.” Hermione continued stroking Fred’s hand comfortingly. “Us un-coupled people have to stick together.”
“What if we weren’t?” Fred asked quietly.
“Weren’t what?” Hermione looked consused.
“What if we weren’t un-coupled.” Fred’s ears were turning pink.
“I mean, I went on a date last week, but I don’t think I’ll be seeing him again. He was very dull.” She sighed, “Maybe next year we’ll have both met someone and-”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Fred?”
“If I asked if you wanted to go out sometime, would that be alright?” Fred looked almost bashful.
“You want to… with me?” Hermione’s eyes were wide and her hands had stilled. “Are you delusional from the spell? Should I get a healer?”
“Hermione, I’ve been dropping hints since Halloween. I visit you at Hogwarts, you’re always popping into the shop. You bake in my flat almost every weekend, because your quarters at Hogwarts don’t have a kitchen. I thought I made it obvious how I felt, sorry. I mean, I even made you amortentia scented sparklers for bonfire night.” Fred groaned.
“I thought you were just trying out products on me.” She whispered, “I thought… Oh Merlin.”
“Look we can forget I said anything, I don't want it to make things weird. I just thought I’d ask. You didn’t correct her when she called you my girlfriend.”
“They were amortentia scented?” Hermione said, suddenly.
“Yes, we devised a way to mimic the scent properties without it taking on any of the less desirable traits of the potion.” Fred stared down at the floor.
“I thought… I just… I thought you gave me sparklers that smelled like you. I thought it was a bit of an odd product line, to be honest.” She bit her lower lip, "I didn't even know you and Alicia weren’t together anymore. You could have told me.”
“We broke up in July. It was around your birthday that I realised that I’d started feeling…" He cleared his throat. “Wait, the sparklers smelled like me?”
Hermione nodded, “Smoke, parchment and spearmint.”
“I… I… I was so furious when I heard what Ron did, but I couldn't explain why at the time, I didn’t realise. I thought it was just the Gryffindor in me being angry with the unfairness of it all. I didn’t see you all summer and then I was so happy that you were going to be nearby.” Fred shrugged, “Then when I actually realised, I didn’t know what to do about it. I couldn’t very well just owl you and ask if you were over Ron and if you fancied giving his better looking, more successful and generally better in every conceivable way brother a go.”
“I’d probably have found that rather endearing.” She was smiling now. “I may have had a bit of a… thing, for you, in my fifth year. Between threatening to owl your mother about your product testing and seeing you excel in the DA…”
“You liked me?” He laughed, “Hermione, I was positive that you hated me that year.”
“Everyone expected Ron and I to get together. I never told anybody and after you left school, I thought it would just go away.”
“Did it?” He looked almost hopeful.
“I thought it had, and then I saw you unconscious in the Great Hall, and my heart broke, figuratively of course. By that point, Ron and I had already started something, and I thought it was best to see where that went, because that’s what was supposed to happen.” She squeezed his hand, “I stayed with him for four years because I was so sure that we were supposed to be together. Don’t get me wrong, other than leaving me for Lavender, I have nothing against your brother at all. He was a fine boyfriend, but I don’t think either of us ever saw it being any more than that, if that makes sense. He’s still one of my best friends, and I’m going to talk to him about Lav’s rules after Christmas.”
“Hermione, I-”
“So, when they let you go from here, we should go for a celebratory drink.”
“Are you asking me out Hermione Granger?” Fred was grinning.
“Yes, I rather think I am.” She blushed, “Oh Merlin, Ginny’s going to have a field day with this. She’s been trying to set me up with people for months.”