Long Story Short: Fremione

Telling

It was Tuesday. Harry and Hermione were walking into the The Leaky Cauldron and saw Malfoy and the same girl he was with the week before. She had her hair up in a messy bun, and her face had a bunch of makeup applied, which was unnecessary because she really was pretty. She was wearing a sweatshirt with a tank top under it. How could she be wearing a sweatshirt when it was really hot out? Hermione thought to herself. Her and Malfoy seemed to be arguing.
"I don't see why it's such a big deal." She whined.
"Ari, it's just one lunch. I will see you afterward. You didn't need to apparate here." He whisper-yelled at her. She crossed her arms across her chest. Hermione saw that Harry was listening in too.
"Well, it's just that you're going to be with that girl I saw last week. Draco, don't do this! If they don't like you then you should move on." She argued throwing her arms up in the air. The whole restaurant was now staring.
"It won't just be me and her. Harry will be there, too. And you don't understand. I have to make things right with them." He said calmly.
"Fine. Don't expect me to happy when you see me again." And with that she stormed out of the  restaurant.
"Ariana!" Malfoy yelled after her. He didn't attempt to run after her, though. He spotted Harry and Hermione in a booth.
"Hey guys. Sorry about that." He sighed sitting across from the best friends.
"No worries. So, what do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked, leaning back in his seat. He already knew the answer but he wanted to get to explaining.
"I came here to prove I'm innocent. I got caught up in what I thought was going to be good. But when it came down to it- I guess I didn't think anyone would die. I realized that Vol-" Draco stopped for a second. He took a deep breath and continued. "He was trying to get revenge on my dad. I never wanted to be a Death Eater. What I wanted in the first year is what I want now. To be friends with the famous Harry Potter." Draco sighed, looking at his hands on the table, rather than at Harry and Hermione.
"Well... I... Thanks, Ma- Draco." Harry finally said. He changed from saying "Malfoy" to "Draco" when Hermione nudged him to be polite.
"It's not just that. I was mean to you. I mercilessly bullied you, and you saved my life twice that one night. Thank you. I don't even deserve this but I won't forgive myself otherwise." Draco finished.
"Draco, you really felt that way?" Hermione asked, speaking for the first time that meeting.
"Of course. I don't want this." He motioned to the tattoo on his left forearm.
Harry and Hermione exchanged looks. Draco watched them, hoping for a sign that they forgave him. He didn't see any emotion on either of their faces. Why not? He thought. I wasn't lying, I really do want this. They have to forgive me!
"Draco," Hermione piped up, sighing. "We need some time to think about this. I just have a bit of things going on right now." She said. "Maybe I'll see you around Hogwarts, y'know... If you're going."
"Of course I'm going!" He sounded offended. "And what so you have going on? Weasley issues?" Draco sounded like we was joking.
"Well..." Hermione thought about the other night when Fred and her kissed on her porch. She loved it, but they haven't seen each other since. They owled back and forth. Apparently, Ron doesn't know about her and Fred, at least that's what Fred had told her. "Yeah." She replied.
Draco raised his eyebrows.
"So who's the girl you came in with?" Harry asked. He knew about Hermione and Fred, same with Ginny.
"Ariana. Me and her hooked up last month. She's in Hogwarts, too. A year younger in age; not school wise." Draco looked happy to talk about her.
"Oh, cool." Hermione mumbled.
"Let's order. Where's all the waiters?" Draco said, leaning out of the booth to try to spot a waiter.
"We better get going." Harry stated, looking at the watch that wasn't on his wrist.
"Harry you-" Hermione started.
"I said we better leave!" He repeated, hurrying Hermione.
"Okay. We'll talk later, Draco." Hermione said, picking up her bag and standing. She shook his hand, and Harry did, too. They left without another word.
**************
"You're lying!" Ron yelled at Fred. They were having another argument, for Fred felt like messing with him.
"Nope. You can ask her yourself." Fred replied, cockily.
"You haven't left the house after you supposedly went to her's that one night. You and her aren't together." Ron yelled and pushed Fred against the back wall of Ron's bedroom. Good thing nobody could hear us, Ron thought. I love magic!
"Get... Off!" Fred shoved him back, heat bubbling up in him.
"Get off the idea that you and Hermione are together!" Ron demanded. "Get off the grief of your twin brother!" That crossed the line for Fred.
Fred pulled his wand out of his back pocket and in one swift motion, cried out- "Petrificus Totalus!"
Ron's posture went from slouched to straight. Everything, including his hair, turned a pale blue from the spell.
"Never talk about George like that to me!" Fred growled in his ear.
Fred ran out of the room and went into his own. He really wanted to go to Hermione's, but she was out with Harry to see Malfoy. Fred didn't 100% hate Malfoy. He had commented on how he had money and Ron was a loser. He really only disliked him for being the way he was against Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and even Ron. He wasn't on good terms with Ron, but he still cared for him.
A few knocks came to his door.
"Who is it?" Fred asked absentmindedly. He was thinking about George now.
"It's Hermione." The voice behind the door said.
He immediately forgot about George, and unlocked the door with his wand.
"Hey, Mia." He mumbled.
"Hi. I haven't seen you in a while. What's been going on?" She asked, sitting next to him on the bed and ruffled his hair.
"Me and Ron are just arguing. No big deal." He said.
"It kinda is." Hermione said. "Why are you arguing?"
"He is just mad because you broke up with him. He thinks it's because of me." Fred sighed and turned over to see her. Her hair was dangling in front of him because of the way she was looking. "You're beautiful." He complimented, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"And you're handsome." She replied. He propped himself up on his elbows and kissed her.
They loved these moments. She was happy that he would be cute without trying to be. He was perfect.
He loved the way they kissed for no real reason. He loved to know that she liked him too.
They pulled apart and he was grinning at her.
"I think we should tell Ron." She became all serious.
Fred's grin turned into an awful frown that Hermione almost gave in. She stayed strong. They had to tell him and the Weasley's soon, before they got suspicious.
Fred thought about how Ron was stuck, Petrified in his own bedroom.
"Mia," He breathed. He made it hard to not give in. She loved that nickname, even if it didn't really match her name.
"Fred, he has a right to know. And so does the rest of your family." She was stroking his hair.
"Mia, I can't tell my family yet. They will think horribly of us." Fred stated. Why didn't he think these things through?
"I'm sorry Fred, I just... I can't be sneaking around with you. They'll be even more angry if they found out too much later."
Fred stood up. He knew she was right, but what would his mum say. What would his brothers think? He knew Ginny was fine with it. He knew Harry liked them together better. He knew by his reactions when Hermione and Fred had a "moment".
"Fred... Please." Hermione spoke, taking his hand in hers.
"Mia, I'm ready to tell them." He replied, letting go of her hand. "But first I need to tell you something." He thought about Ron, feeling guilty.
"What is it?" She asked, deciding not to take his hand again because he would let go.
"Me and Ron were arguing and I Petrified him." He said, hoping she wouldn't get furious.
"I'm not happy about that, but it's okay. But please don't do it again."
"Okay, Mia." He was relieved that she didn't yell. He took her hand and guided her upstairs to Ron's bedroom.
"Okay, Ronnie!" Fred teased, knowing that Ron could still hear him. Fred undid the spell that was put upon him.
"I'm going to kill you!" Ron lunged to pounce on Fred. Fred took a step back and Hermione, being a quick thinker, pulled her wand out and shouted- "Protego!"
A magical boundary went up in between the boys. Ron ran like a rowdy bull into it, and he bounced back on the floor. Fred was laughing and holding his sides.
"Oh, Ronnie-poo,  It feels good to laugh at you." He said in a baby-mocking voice.
"Shove off!" Ron shot back.
"Stop it!" Hermione shouted looking at both of them. They both stopped immediately and glared at Hermione. Fred had a slight smirk on his face. Of course, Hermione thought. She took down the barrier and took a few steps towards Fred.
"It's true?" Ron asked, disbelieving.
"Wish you were me?" Fred smirked again and earned a slap on the arm from Hermione.
"Well, you two are just... Don't talk to me. Ever. Again." Ron's words were like spears in Hermione's heart. Her best friend, never wanting her to talk to him. Now, this happens lots, but his tone was different this time. He really meant it.
"Get out!" Ron pointed to the door. Fred pulled Hermione by the hand out of the room and down a couple flights of stairs into the living room, which was conveniently deserted.
Fred and Hermione sat on the same couch, but didn't say anything. They weren't touching each other, except when Fred got the chills once and shivered, causing his knee to hit Hermione's. Every once in a while they would give blank stares or look up at each other as if they were going to say something. They kept up this process, if you wanted to call it that, for at least twenty minutes.
Why was it so awkward, Fred thought. It's just Rotten Ronnie.
Hermione was confused. She didn't know why she wouldn't talk or Fred. She wanted to hear him laugh, crack a joke, and call her Mia. She loved it.
"Dinner's ready!" Mrs.Weasley called from the kitchen.
Hermione was hesitant, but Fred stood up and offered his hand to her. She took it gratefully, accepting the fact that Ron knew and she would have to tell the Weasleys tonight.
Her hand must of been sweaty or shaky, because Fred squeezed it a little. "Calm down, Mia. They can't be too mad." He smiled, glad to have broken the silence.
"Can we walk in separately, just so they don't get suspicious?" Hermione has never been so nervous around the Weasleys. They're just happy, inviting people, except Ron at the moment.
"Of course." He let her hand go and walked out of the living room, toward the kitchen, she assumed, to help his mother. Nah, he wanted to see what there was first, Hermione thought. Oh Fred!
Hermione took a deep breath, letting her eyes droop, and walked out, eyes open again. She walked into the dining room. There was food all set on the table, with firewhiskey, because everyone was old enough now.
Only Bill, Fleur, and Fred were at the table.
"Oh, 'ello 'Ermione. Great too see you 'ere!" Fleur said. Her and Bill have been visiting since the War. They wanted to be around family, since they could've lost all of them. It made it more upsetting that one of Bill's brothers wasn't there.
"Hello, Fleur, Bill." Hermione greeted, sitting down next to Fred.
"Hermione, how's it been?" Bill asked. That's a first.
Hermione replied 'alright' and asked him how he's been and when he's returning to work. They had a small conversation, along with Fred and Fleur, until everyone appeared the table, except for Ron.
"Where's Ron, Harry?" Mrs.Weasley asked.
"I don't know." Harry looked behind him to see if his best friend would appear.
"RONALD WEASLEY GET DOWNSTAIRS, NOW!" Mr.Weasley yelled into the Burrow.
Soon, there was a crack in the kitchen, a couple mopey footsteps, and then a ragged-looking Ron appeard in the doorway.
"Come 'n eat." Mrs.Weasley pointed at the one empty chair.
"What's wrong Ron?" Mr.Weasley asked him, noticing the red marks under his eyes.
Of course, Mr. and Mrs.Weasley knew about the breakup between Ron and Hermione, but they were okay with still having Hermione in the house. They still liked her, and Ron was, until know, talking to her, they assumed.
He didn't say anything. He raised a lousy finger, and pointed at Fred or Hermione.
"What about them?" Mr.Weasley asked, getting a little suspicious.