The thing that makes me smile the most - A Fremione Story

15.

A tear slid down Hermione's cheek. It had been an eventful evening to say the least.

Hermione lay her head on Fred's pillow. It smelled of him and his aftershave. Hermione inhaled his scent deeply, longing to be close to him.

She couldn't work out why he didn't want to kiss her anymore, why he chose to stay away.

She got up, put on one of Fred's knitted jumpers and wrapped herself in his duvet. She comforted herself with thoughts of him. The feeling she got when he told her he would always look out for her or when she kissed him. She dreamt of feeling those soft lips on hers again and again.

She felt so deeply for Fred and she realised Ron wasn't the one for her and hadn't been for a very long time, but there were things that were playing on her mind.

Maybe it's always been Fred. He's so confusing. When I kiss him and I feel how good his lips feel on mine, it's like the world stops turning and he becomes my gravity. But why does he kiss me one moment and then reject me the next, then insist that he's still attracted to me? I'm starting to think that the problem might just be me.

———

Hermione awoke in Fred's jumper, waking up to the scent of his aftershave. It was almost as if he was there with her. Before she opened her eyes, she almost dared to believe it was him and she was curled up against him. She missed him, even though he was just downstairs. The more she was close to him, the more she longed for him. She wondered why he didn't want her anymore. She knew in her heart that she wanted him. It was clear to her now that it was Fred Weasley and it always had been.

There was a soft knock at the door.

Please god, let it be him she thought.

"Yeah." She called.

And sure enough, Fred walked through the door.

"Hey...Granger. I've been thinking." He said.

"Me too, actually." She said, sadly. "I think we should hold off and stop whatever is happening between us before it gets out of hand."

Fred looked taken aback.

"Yeah, no that's understandable." He said, avoiding eye contact.

"That's what you were going to say...right?" She said, hoping he was going to disagree.

"Yeah, sure." He said, leaning on the door and scratching the back of his neck.

"Sorry I just came to grab some clothes, um is that okay?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, sure I'll...leave you to it." She said, getting up from Fred's bed and forgetting that she was wearing his knitted jumper.

He looked at her, unsure of what to say.

"Oh...right..your jumper, sorry I was just...cold." Hermione lied.

"No, no you can keep it it looks nice on you. Plus I've got about a million." He said.

"Fred. We're ending things. The last thing I need is a huge F written across my chest."

"Fair point." He said.

She took the jumper off and folded it neatly on the bed.

"Thanks for letting me have your bed. It was...comfy." She said awkwardly. She left the room, shutting the door behind her.

She sighed and hung her head. She went to go downstairs, but was stopped by Ginny.

"And where are you creeping off to now, Hermione Granger?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

"Oh just downstairs, I.."

"Was sneaking out of Fred's room." She finished, raising an eyebrow.

"No it's not like that. After the whole situation with Ron, he let me sleep in his bed and he spent the night on the sofa." She said.

"How chivalrous." Ginny said, sarcastically.

"It's not like that, Gin. It's over between us and there's nothing more to say. It was never more than two lonely people finding consolation in each other. We just happened to be there at the right place at the right time and I thought we really liked each other for a second but it wasn't real." She said.

"Hermione." Said Ginny, her face dropping.

"But it's okay. I thought it was something more, but he made it abundantly clear last night that it wasn't and again this morning. He was right, it was a bad idea, I was just torn up over Ron so there's nothing else to talk about, is there?"

"No, there isn't." Said Fred from behind her.

Hermione turned round to see Fred standing behind her. It was the first time she'd seen him look close to crying. He smiled at her, even though she was clearly in pain.

"Fred, I didn't mean..." she started.

"Don't worry. I know exactly what you meant."He said. He walked past her and headed downstairs.

Ginny was speechless.

"Oh god." Hermione said.

"You didn't mean any of that did you?" Said Ginny.

"Of course not." Hermione sighed.

"Well this is bad." Ginny said.

———

"You really like her, don't you Freddie?" Said George, trying to console his twin.

"What does it matter, George? She doesn't like me like that so what difference would me liking her make?" He asked.

Fred had gone straight to George about it, like he did with almost everything. He'd explained all it to him, their secret kisses, the walk they took the previous night and the conversation between Hermione and Ginny he'd walked in on.

"Fred, do you...do you love her?"

"No...yes...I don't know. I'm in a real mess, Georgie." Said Fred with his head in his hands. "What the hell do I do?"

"Just wait. I don't think she was telling the truth. I mean with our face, who could resist us?" George said jokily. "At the end of the day, Freddie if she meant it, it's her loss."

"Uuughghhhhh" groaned Fred.

"Just wait it out and get Christmas out of the way." George said, putting his arm round his brother. "It'll be alright, I promise."