All Bets Are Off

Chapter 5

September 2002

Fred divided the steaming hot scrambled eggs between two plates, already piled with bacon and toast, and poured himself a cup of coffee. Placing a warming spell on the second plate, he took his own to the small island table and dug in. Glancing at his watch, he frowned. It was nine-thirty in the morning.

Hermione had told him to be at her flat, at nine o'clock sharp, so they could go over to Ginny and Harry's new house and paint the nursery. When he arrived, her flat was quiet and appeared empty. He had ventured a peek into her room and found Hermione still asleep, lightly snoring with her mass of curls spread out all over her pillow.

Fred decided to give her another fifteen minutes before he tried to wake her. He picked up the Daily Prophet and started reading. Ten minutes later, he heard Hermione's door click open and the uneven thud of her footsteps as she staggered to the kitchen. Fred looked up and chuckled quietly into his coffee.

Hers eyes were bloodshot and her hair was sticking up at odd angles. She stood at the entrance to the kitchen, wearing nothing but her knickers and Fred's old Beater jersey he'd lent her months ago. She looked confusingly at Fred, then around the kitchen, then back at Fred. Still saying nothing, she turned and walked back down to her room.

"Hermione?" Fred called. The response response he received was a moan of anguish.

A minute later, she returned, still giving him a look of confusion.

"You're in my kitchen," Hermione stated.

"Yeah," Fred said slowly.

"Why are you in my kitchen?" She glanced between the two plates. "And did you make breakfast?"

"You told me to be here at nine. It's quarter to ten. I figured I'd make breakfast while I waited for you."

"I told you nine o'clock, Saturday."

"It is Saturday," Fred answered, pointing to the calendar. "Don't tell me you were planning on going into work like this?"

"Shiiiiit," Hermione groaned, letting her head thud onto the counter. "I may be slightly hungover."

"You don't say?" Fred laughed. "What'd you do last night?"

"Our department- Lord, my mouth is like cotton." Fred passed her his cup of coffee. She took a sip and wrinkled her nose. "How much sugar did you put in this?" She passed it back and went to pour her own. Adding no cream or sugar, she took a gulp and sighed, before continuing, "Our department finally got that House Elves Rights Act approved, so we went out to celebrate. The night took a downward spiral when Bernard started buying tequila shots and asked me how to play Spin the Bottle."

"Spin the Bottle?"

"Muggle kissing game," Hermione explained and Fred frowned. "You can tell how drunk I already was because I actually agreed." She picked up a piece of toast and nibbled the corner. "The rest of the night is pretty much a blur of random images."

"You kiss anyone?" Fred's question came out more bluntly than he had meant for it to, but his jealous curiosity had gotten the better of him.

Hermione's face screwed up in thought. "I think....I took one spin before I passed out in the booth. I remember kissing Patrick on the cheek. He called me a prude and I slapped him."

"Fair enough," Fred acknowledged, with a grin.

"Okay, I'm going to take something for this pounding headache and then a quick, hot shower. Give me twenty minutes and I'll be ready." She took her toast and coffee, and scurried to the bathroom.