"Hermione?"
Hermione started to wake at the sound of a voice. Thinking it was the warm body next to her, she just kept her head on his shoulder. "Hmm?"
"Hermione, are you up?" She heard a knock on her door and both her and Fred bolted straight up and looked at each other, panic all over their faces.
"Yeah, coming!" She called back. She heard Ginny's footsteps grow still as she went to the kitchen. "You got to go."
"Why is she here so early?" Fred flopped back down, groaning into her pillow. Hermione looked at her alarm clock.
"Oh my god, it's 10.30."
At that, Fred jumped up and begin gathering his clothes. "What!? George is going to kill me. I was supposed to be there at nine." He took his shirt and smiled down when he noticed the missing buttons, with a wave of his wand the buttons attached themselves back.; While Hermione was putting on a tank top and plaid pajama trousers.
"What are you going to say to George?"
He just shrugged. "Don't know. I will come up with something. He will notice that my bed was empty though." Hermione looked petrified.
"Don't worry, love. This secret is safe with me." He winked at her before he bent down and gave her a deep kiss. "This was fun." With a teasing grin on his face as he pulled back.
"Yeah, it was." She slapped him on the arm and smiled back at him.
He looked back at the clock. "I really need to go."
"See you tomorrow." She said as she walked to her door. Fred looked questionable at her. "Sunday lunch, the burrow?"
"Oh yeah, right." He smiled at her before he apparated.
Hermione pointed her wand at her bed and covers pulled up until the bed was fully made. She picked up last night clothes and put them in the hamper before leaving for the kitchen.
"Good morning, sunshine. Had a bit too much to drink?"
"You're one to say."
"Yeah. Ha-ha. Here is some coffee and a pepper up potion."
"Thanks, Gin." She opened the vial and drank it in one go. Then put the warm cup in her hands.
"How long did you stay last night?"
"Uhm, don't know exactly. About 2 o'clock?"
"That's late for you."
"Yeah. But it was quit fun watching Ron strike out again." They both started to laugh.
"He really doesn't get woman." Ginny said while laughing.
"No, he doesn't." After the laughter fell down Ginny ushered her into the bathroom. "Come on shower. So, we can get going."
After she was showered and ready, they apparated to their usual brunch spot Le Petit Cafe. After an hour they went shopping is muggle London, going from shop to shop. Ginny trying out clothes like she doesn't have anything more at home.
"Gin are you almost done? My feet are killing me."
"Yes, sorry. Got a little enthusiastic."
"I got that." She smiled at her best friend who smiled back but it couldn't reach her eyes. "How are things between you and Harry?" Her smile faltered.
"I don't know. It still feels like something is in the way. Like something is wrong."
"I'm sorry Gin. I wish I could help you, but I know you will figure it out." She rubbed her shoulder. "Just do what is best for you and if you want to talk, I'm here. You are my best friend too." Ginny flew her arm around Hermione and pulled her into a hug.
"Thanks, Mione. That means so much to me. I love you."
"I love you too. Why won't we go get a drink?"
"Okay. The leaky cauldron is just around the corner." Gathering all their stuff, they made their way to the tavern, arriving 10 minutes later and dropped their bags on the floor, slipping in the booth.
After a couple of drinks, her stomach started to rumble. She looked at her watch. "It's already 5. Wanna eat something?"
"Sure. Let me get a menu." When she came back with two menu's Hermione asked if she needs to call Harry for her on her cell.
"No. It's okay Harry had to work late today." Hermione nodded.
"Speaking of work, when do you start training again?"
"Next week. Can't wait, really need to get out of the house."
"I get that. We are just two girls who can't sit still."
"Well, why don't you start dancing then?" They both looked up and saw Fred leaning against the wall with a grin on his face.
"What are you doing here? Isn't the shop still open?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah, but Lee and Verity are going to close up. We are just getting dinner."
At that moment George appeared next to Fred. "Here the menus. Who are you... -" George followed Fred's gaze. "Hi girls. Been doing some shopping, I see."
"Just a bit."
"A bit? If I didn't stop you, the store would be empty." The twins snickered. Ginny scowled at her two brothers.
"We should order and get going. Lee gets hangry if we take too long." George said ignoring Ginny. "See you lovely ladies tomorrow."
They waved and took off to the counter. Hermione was a bit worried at seeing Fred the first time. But she worried for nothing, Fred was his all-time charming self and let nothing slip.
After dinner Ginny stayed over at Hermione's for a couple of drinks when an owl flew in and landed in front of Ginny.
"Hey, can I stay over?" As she read the letter.
"Yeah sure. Something wrong?" Hermione gave the barn owl some treats.
"No, it's just Harry. He not coming home tonight. Needs to work until at least midnight. I don't like to stay alone in that house."
"Go grab some pj's in my closet and I will pick out a movie."
"Oh, can we watch that Miss Congeniality movie? I love that that film."
"Sure. You're lucky I like it to." Smiling as she walks up to her TV.
The next morning Hermione woke up with another Weasley in her bed, she did see the irony in that. Ginny could have slept in the guestroom but didn't want to sleep alone. She looked next to her and saw Ginny snoring into her pillow. Hermione gently poked her shoulder.
"Gin, we should get ready."
"Not now, mum." She grunted and turned her head. Sighing Hermione climbed out of bed and took a shower. Forty minutes later when Hermione finished her small breakfast Ginny stood in front of her in the kitchen. Her hair standing in every direction.
"Well good morning, Weasley. You look like you just did the nasty." Hermione grinned.
"Funny. Just like you did yesterday morning." Hermione looked back down at her coffee, a blush creeping up.
"Here have some breakfast and then take a shower. We don't want to be late."
"Yes, mum." Ginny grinned and ran away biting in her toast before Hermione could react.
And hour and a half later Ginny and Hermione walked out of the fireplace in the living room. She heard loud voices coming from the kitchen.
"I think we are the last to arrive." As they walked through the kitchen door they saw Molly at the counter, still stirring in the pot. Arthur sat right behind her reading the paper. Bill and Fleur were talking to Angelina and Harry. While George, Ron and Fred sitting at the end of the table right in front of them.
"Auntie Mione!" a 2-year-old blonde girl ran into her arms.
"Hi, nugget." She gave the girl a kiss on her nose. Everyone at the table looked up.
"Girls, you made it."
"Sorry we are late. Someone was snoring a bit too long." Hermione smirked and pointed at Ginny.
"It's not my fault your bed is so comfy!"
"You slept together?" Fred inquired with a teasing smirk.
"Yeah, you should have seen her sex hair this morning." Hermione joked. All eyes were on them. Harry mouth slightly open.
"Uhm, Hermione. I think they actually believe we did it." Ginny whispered and Hermione's eyes grew big.
"I was kidding, guys. She just slept over because Mr. Potter here had to work late." She heard a sigh of relief coming from Molly.
"Is it so weird that I made a joke?" She asked Ginny quietly.
"No, but you looked dead serious." Fred answered and Ginny walked over to Harry.
"Oh, and Fred, I just wanted to say thanks for the distraction." She whispered as she put her hand on his shoulder winked and walked to her seat next to Bill. Fred looked a bit flustered before he winked back at her as she took her seat.
"Hermione, dear. I heard about Sam." Molly said in a worried voice.
"I'm fine, Molly. It just wasn't meant to be."
"Other and hotter." She simply put.
"MUM!" All the kids looked shocked.
"What?!" Molly turned to her children. Hermione and Harry looked at each other a started to laugh.
"That's not funny!" George yelled.
"It - it - it's hilarious" cried Harry between laughs.
"I don't quite follow." Molly said looking at Hermione and Harry as they clutched their sides from laughing. Hermione took deep breaths to calm herself down.
"It's nothing, Molly. They didn't expect... you know, what you said."
"Oh well. I was young once." She winked at Hermione.
"MUM!" They all cried again.
"Now let's eat." She said, putting a pot on the table, ignoring her kids.
An hour later she was sitting on the couch when Fred and George came over. Fred lifted her feet and sat down with George. She placed her feet on their laps before looking up from her book and saw both discussing and scribbling down on a notepad.
"Working on something new?"
While Hermione didn't condone their prank testing on first years, she was impressed at what they can accomplish, how much work they put into it. Over the last few years, she even helped them when they got stuck. She helped George as much as she could when Fred was in the hospital. But with working and studying it wasn't as much as she hoped.
"We are a bit stuck. We are making a nail polish that changes colour with how your mood changes." George explained looking at their notepad.
"Okay. And you tried it on yourselves?" She grinned at the twins. Fred and George held out their hands. They both have a purple colour on their index fingers.
"Very progressive."
"Ha-ha very funny." Fred laughed.
"So, what does purple mean?" Holding Fred's hand.
"Frustrated." They said and sighed.
"Ha, alright. So, what is the problem?"
Fred gave her the notepad and pointed at a list of ingredients and steps.
"So, we put it on this morning, it changed from brown, intrigued, to purple. And it hasn't changed since then." She reached for their hands and pulled out her wand.
"May I?" They nodded and she tapped her wand on their fingers and muttered something under her breath. The nail polish turned bright gold and changed to brown and then yellow.
"What's yellow?"
"Happy! Thanks, Hermione!" George jumped up and hugged her.
"What did you do?" Fred stared at her. "We are working on this for over a month."
"You did the hard work. I just did an old spell from Bulgaria. Viktor taught me. I will write it down, just make sure you say it right." She scribbled it down on the notepad. "Try it on the bottle. It's just a spell that shows someone their feelings. It is used for writers or therapists use it on their clients if they are having a bad time communicating. You can't use it on people unless you have a certificate."
"Gods, Hermione. If you keep helping us, we need to make you a partner." George said as he dropped back on the couch.
"It's nothing. I like helping you guys."
George pulled out the nail polish and tried the spell. It turned bright gold and back to a see trough liquid and handed it over. "Here you can have the first one." Smiling at Hermione urging her to take it.
"Just take it or he will keep pushing." Angelina said as she dropped down before George sitting between his legs.
"Alright." She sighed and took the bottle and put it in her purse. A few quiet minutes past and Hermione dove back into her book.
"So, Fred... where were you Friday night?" Angelina grinned at him. Hermione poked her head above her book.
"At the Runner with you guys." He said nonchalant but Hermione saw his ears turning red.
"No after that. You didn't come home."
Harry, Ron and Ginny were all waiting for an answer, even Bill was intrigued.
"Was it the girl with the blue hair?" Harry asked.
Hermione laughed and they all were looking at her now. "That girl went home with Luna."
"What?! No wonder she didn't seem interested in me."
"Yeah... that's why." Ginny rolled her eyes and everyone except for Ron started to laugh.
"So, who was it then?" Bill said drawing the attention back to Fred. Fred looked lost for words, not expecting everyone to take that much interest. So, she jumped in as she put her book down, she looked at Fred.
"It was that waitress, right? The one you where flirting with. Didn't she give you her number?" She saw the relief on his face as he took the words in, he looked at the rest.
"Yes, okay. It was the waitress. Why do you all want to know you never ask me about this."
"Because you are never late for work, not even if you hit it off with a bird." Fred shot daggers with his eyes when he looked at his twin.
"Just too much to drink and I forgot to set an alarm."
"You weren't that drunk when I left. And only Hermione was with you, so I don't think you got that drunk with her." Ron claimed.
"What's that supposed to mean!" Hermione glared at Ron, now sending her own daggers his way.
"I don't think you pay much attention Ron, but Hermione could drink you under the table." Ginny steps in before either of them had a retort.
"And I just bought shots when you left, and Luna disappeared. So, we had to drink them all. I'm not throwing away good liquor." Fred ended that sentence as it was the end of it.
"Do you know even what a phone number is?" Hermione started to laugh again at Harry's question. "What's so funny?"
"He didn't know. You would think with your father-" pointing at every Weasley. "And us. He would know what it is by now. But still he looked flabbergasted as I explained what is was. We really should buy all of them a phone." Harry laughed with Hermione.
"It is quite handy." Harry tried saying that with a serious face.
"That's what I told Fred. If he wants to flirt with muggle girls, he should really have a cell phone."
"Okay fine. I give up." Fred threw his hands dramatically in the air. "One of you will help me buy one." Pointing his finger at her and Harry.
"Sure." They said in unison grinning.