Fred let his mood sour the rest of the afternoon, and he didn't stop sulking until they were walking back to the lodge for the dreaded dinner with other campers.
Hermione, after shrugging off her jacket to give to a house elf, attempted to slip away unnoticed by the wall. It had become routine for her, and she rather liked hiding in the corner reading while everyone conversed around her.
"No, you are mingling with me today." Fred grabbed her elbow and pulled her into him, crashing their sides together.
"I'll go mingle over there, you go talk to Seamus or Neville." Hermione pushed away from him, and waved her hand at the rest of the room where everyone was already broken off in their usual groups.
"I don't believe you." Fred muttered, pulling her in tightly again he hooked his arm with hers and pulled.
Hermione stubbornly dug her heels in the hardwood until Fred was forced to turn back to her. She returned his glare with her own, until Fred choose to break the silence.
"If I have to stand in a room and get stared at by a bunch of jealous blokes, I want to do it with a woman that gets stared at by a bunch of jealous girls." Fred said, keeping his tone low as to not be overheard. He could feel their eyes boring into him and hated every one of them. Whether they were judging, oogling or simply riffling through the gossip, he hated every single bit of it.
Aside from Neville, he could never hate Neville.
"No one stares at you." Hermione argued back, she pulled away from him to survey the room and found herself meeting the eyes of at least a dozen men. None of the men backed down either once realizing they had been caught staring, instead they returned her stare with a smirk. Making her entirely uncomfortable.
"Then we're getting some bloody drinks." Hermione demanded, flustered by the stares, hauling him over to the bar by the arm. Elbowing past several girls who didn't even attempt to move out of her way.
"Two firewhiskeys please." Hermione ordered, once they appeared she shoved one glass into Fred's chest and downed hers in a go slamming it on the counter.
She snapped her fingers, and another was placed in the palm of her hand.
Fred watched with a sudden tightness in the pit of his stomach, that he washed away with a generous sip of his drink. It should be sinful the way she could slam back a whiskey with ease.
"Let's pick the one person in the room they don't expect us to talk to." Hermione whispered, leaning close to Fred to tell him this. She laid her hand on the top of his forearm, right near his elbow and her nails dug into his flesh for only a moment as she steadied herself.
Her breath floated across his neck, and he forced himself to swallow before answering.
"Who?" He managed to squeak out, and her hand tightened on his arm. He could feel the pressure all the way down to his groin, but he refused to allow his body to show this.
"Draco Malfoy."
Fred watched amused as Hermione rattled off details about her job to Draco, who was simply staring at her with annoyance. But surprisingly, Draco had been the easiest to talk to. He hadn't even bickered when Hermione hauled him out of a conversation with Pansy, and just began rattling. Her whiskey sloshing in her glass slightly as she was one to use her hands when she talked.
Draco wasn't jealous of Fred nor did he really care what Hermione had to say. But he stood and listened. Having nothing to gain or give. Fred found himself quite content with the situation, he'd happily stand and talk to anybody if it meant Hermione kept her hand on his arm like she was. Until a manicured hand ghosted down his other arm, he felt himself shiver at the contact.
"Weasley." Fred, turned to greet the girl and out of the corner of his eye watched both Draco and Hermione stiffen. He almost reached back and grabbed Hermione, who had dropped his arm like it had burned her.
"Susan." Fred greeted, he took half a step closer to Hermione but a pull to his elbow forced him back towards Susan. He nearly slammed against his front, but a quick dig of his heels in the hardwood prevented that from happening.
"How are you-" but Susan was cut off by two things.
The first being Hermione's hand sliding around Fred's waist, pulling him to her and Draco opening his mouth.
"I've gotten a job offering to work with Potter." Draco stumbled out, sharing something about himself for the first time in the whole half hour they had been talking.
"What?" Hermione stumbled out, her hand tightening on Fred's waist, though she wasn't conscious of it.
"You are joking?" Fred asked, unconsciously enjoying the feeling of Hermione's arm wrapped around him.
"Fred, I-" Susan started again but Draco spoke louder.
"Yes! I um helped with recent case of his, and he said he saw promise in me. Whatever that bloody hell means, it is Potter after all. I interview in a couple weeks." Draco shuffled from one foot to the other, and though Fred wouldn't tell a soul, a smile had formed on Draco's lips. He had also never seen a Malfoy so nervous.
"Draco, that's amazing!" Hermione rushed out, she raised her glass to clink with his and Fred rushed to join in.
"An Auror, cheers to that Malfoy!" Fred grinned, and soon they were all slamming back their drinks.
Not taking a moment to realize Susan had sulked away. However Fred did bring notice to Hermione's arm around his waist, by pressing his hip into hers just slightly, giving that little pressure of acknowledgement.
"I want everyone to share one thing they hated about today." Henry spoke, spinning in his swivel chair as he addressed the group. Fred felt like running out and kicking the swiveling chair, sending Henry sprawling to the ground but he remained seated.
They had finished dinner, and been happily plumped with pie. They had all been eager to turn in when Henry had waltzed into the room with a 'fun activity'.
"Mr. Longbottom and Ms. Lovegood." Henry waved his hand at the couple, and Fred found himself smiling at their intertwined hands.
Hermione had released Fred once she realized Susan had disappeared, and Fred found himself nearly wishing she'd return. But instead he fell into an excited conversation with Draco about his future career.
"I hated...when I accidentally set a towel on fire today." Neville spoke, and Luna giggled next to him.
"He was trying to make me tea, I hated how flustered he got." Luna answered, a few girls cooed but a snort drifted everyone's attention to Seamus.
"I bloody well hated sitting on the front steps of my cabin for four hours today!" Seamus snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. Pansy huffed with an annoyance, and fixed Henry with a glare.
"I hate when someone makes my tea wrong." Pansy shrugged, as if this was a perfectly normal reason to kick someone out. Fred had half a mind to agree with her.
"I thought I'd be nice and make you tea! Now I know how bloody wrong I was!" Seamus argued, and Pansy rolled her eyes. Turning to Seamus to grin at him, the same toothy grinned she used to present right when she was about to hex someone in the Hogwart's corridors. Draco knew it well.
"But now you won't forget that I don't take milk in my tea." She said, reaching over to poke his cheek before settling back in her chair. Leaving Seamus to scowl at the floor, every single person refused to acknowledge the blush that had adorned the short Irishman's cheeks.
"Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley."
All eyes fell on them, and Hermione found herself fidgeting in her seat. She had a dozen things she could say she hated about today.
It hasn't been a particularly fantastic day, mainly due to Henry's prying and Fred's inability to think.
Fred had a hundred things to say, but they'd all be in foul manner and revengeful jabs at Henry. So he settled for something easier.
"I hated the way I handled the therapy session today." Fred admitted, finding himself actually proud of his statement.
The apology rolled off his tongue easily, Fred almost thought he actually hadn't said it. But a brief nod from Henry confirmed he had.
After a beat of silence, he glanced at Hermione to find her staring at him. Calculating.
"I hated the way Fred handled the therapy session today." Hermione admitted, and it felt like a jab to the stomach but before he could retort she opened her mouth again.
"But I didn't hate how jealous I got in the parlor." She added, entirely meant for simply consoling Fred's concern, but she felt like she had just spilled the biggest secret of her life.
She faintly heard Draco snort from the across the room, and shot him a gaze that earned her a smirk in return. Susan sat a few seats away from him, glaring her down but Hermione didn't notice. She did notice however Fred's foot extend over to hers and tap her toes in an accepting gratitude.
"Mr. Boot and Ms. Patil."
Fred followed Hermione back to the cabin in near silence, balancing a tower of books against his chest. The only sound being their feet on the dirt path. Hermione guided him into the cabin, and he dumped her books onto the kitchen table. Leaving her to sort them, he went to tend the fire.
He built up a large roaring fire to warm the cabin, before collapsing back on the couch. He didn't look up as Hermione walked by him to set a small stack of books on the coffee table.
"I'm sorry...about being so jealous, I didn't mean-" Hermione grew flustered, standing before him, wringing her hands together.
"You most certainly do not have to apologize for that." Fred laughed, burying his head in his hands as she fumbled for another sentence.
"Still, if you wanted to talk to Susan I should have let you."
Fred let his head tilt back as he exploded in laughter. He clutched his stomach, and doubled over as the humor raked through him. Fred didn't think Hermione had too much whiskey, but perhaps she had.
"It's not bloody funny." Hermione grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. Refusing to leave her post near the fire as it was keeping her warm.
"The only girl I'm bothered to talk to, is you Granger." Fred wheezed out, he stood up taking a few steps closer to her but not quite within reach.
"If it's such a bother-" But Fred shook his head, causing Hermione to cut herself off.
"I'm not interested in anyone else." Fred hurried out, the firewhiskey playing an excellent part in kicking the words out of his mouth.
When Hermione didn't respond, Fred took that as his cue to leave and shut himself in the bathroom. He turned the shower as hot as he could handle it, and stayed until he was sure Hermione was either in bed or occupied doing something else.
Hermione stared up at the wall of rock in front of her, and kept her feet firmly planted in the dirt. Refusing to let Fred pull her any closer. She was not, under any circumstance going to participate in today's activity.
"The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can go off and read." Fred hissed in her ear, before walking away from her to the house elf standing patiently near a pile of rope.
Hermione grumbled under her breath, curses and hexes rolling off her tongue. Though of course they were powerless, unfortunately. She stopped a few feet away from Fred, and greeted the house elf with the politest smile she could muster.
"Would we like to climb separately, or together?" The house elf asked, looking between the two. Fred opened his mouth to answer, before realizing being a dick right now probably wouldn't end well and turned to Hermione.
"Together please." Hermione wheezed out, glancing up at the towering wall of rock in front of her.
"Excellent! Ms. Granger, you first please."
Hermione let out a startled shouted, her hands reaching out to clutch at the rock in front of her as they were suddenly thrust a few feet in the air. Fred's body slammed against her back, and though Hermione had wished that the few inches between them could stay. She did feel comforted by his presence.
She heard Fred let out a steady breath behind her, so she forced herself to take an equal relaxing breath.
Hermione was in a harness, as well as a helmet that was bound to make her hair go frizzy. Fred was attached to her harness behind her, and he held all the controls, he would be the one taking them up the wall of rock.
Hermione had never once in her life wished she could go rock climbing. The height alone turned her away. Even so, the untrustworthy harness, the crooked helmets and the fact she had nothing to gain from the experience.
"Are you ready?" Fred asked, trying to crane his head away from Hermione which only caused his waist to press against her harder. He inhaled through his nose trying his best not to focus on that small detail.
"You always ask me that, of course I'm not bloody ready." Hermione hissed, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the small handle in the rock. She'd be perfectly fine staying right where she was until the house elf was forced to let them down.
"Brilliant." Fred muttered, then he began climbing. Hermione scrambled to grab more rock as she was suddenly moved up a little bit, her feet flew out to kick at the rock and Fred was forced to stop.
"You have to let me climb Hermione." Fred sighed, freezing in his movements. Hermione was press against him as hard as she could, and Fred could feel her warmth radiating over him like a blanket. It was entirely too much, and Fred refused to allow himself to enjoy it.
"No, no I can't do it. I refuse to do it. Fred please don't make me!" Hermione shouted, her finger tips slicing against the pointed rocks, blood ran down her forefinger but she barely registered it.
"Just don't look down." Fred sighed, but he didn't move any further. He kept them as still as he could.
"I..I can't do it Fred!" Hermione begged, her neck immediately snapped to look down. First she saw Fred's feet below hers, toed in the rock ledge then she saw the ground a few feet below them and her stomach turned over.
"I quite literally told you not to look." Fred countered, sighing as he figured their entire afternoon was about to be wasted on Henry's bright idea of a couple bonding activity.
"You are rubbish at comforting, complete and utter rubbish. What kind of man are you?" Hermione jabbed, growing increasingly frustrated and embarrassed by her antics. But the anxiety was taking over and she couldn't help herself.
"You are rubbish at listening." Fred countered, letting her insult roll over his shoulders.
"You are rubbish at...at..." Hermione struggled for an insult, but her mind was drawing blanks causing Fred to grin.
Fred, without warning her, moved up as quickly as he could gaining a few feet before Hermione's shouts, hands and kicking feet forced him to stop.
"Fred!" Hermione screamed, and a low chuckle sounded in Fred's throat.
"I told you not to scream my name when I haven't even bedded-"
"I will hex you into oblivion when I get my wand back if you don't shut up right now." Hermione threatened, her tone even but her neck was flushed much to Fred's delight.
Fred smiled to himself, and while she was distracted thinking of the dozen of hexes she would use on him, he moved them up a few feet again.
"I will make your life a living hell Weasley." Hermione threatened, but her voice fell short as she squeezed her eyes shut. Deciding if she couldn't see what was happening, maybe it wouldn't be as bad. But all she could focus on now was how warm, and utterly comforting Fred's body was pressed to hers.
Fred thought of a dozen retorts, telling her that she already had. But he held his tongue, and moved them up a few feet. They were now over halfway, and Fred couldn't wait until they reached the top. He needed to be a few feet away from her for a long time, a cold shower might also do him some sort of service.
"I'll tell George you stole his- Stop! Stop!" Hermione scrambled again, her hands scraping against the rock as Fred simply kept moving. Growing frustrated by her lack of adventure, and soon he was gripping a chunk of rock, he pulled hard. An excitement grew in his stomach as he could now see the cliff's edge, when the rock broke under his hand.
They slammed forward, Fred's spare hand barely catching Hermione before her face slammed into the rock. She let out a series of uneven breaths as they were now hanging with only Hermione's hands gripping the rock keeping them anchored.
"I never slept with Oliver." Hermione whispered, and Fred stared at the back of Hermione's helmet confused as he tried to regain his footing. He was doing his best not to panic, as he really didn't want to fall several feet to the ground with Hermione strapped to him. She'd never trust him again.
"You really think this is a best time to talk about this?" Fred questioned, his stomach turning over with that uncomfortable feeling he was starting to hate.
"I just thought I'd tell you the truth before we died." Hermione snapped, but a slight twinge of amusement was dancing in her chest. She had noticed the slight sense of relief in Fred's tone.
"Why didn't you tell Henry the truth?" Fred asked, regaining his hold he moved them slowly as Hermione juggled the answer in her mind. Now thoroughly distracted leaving Fred to do all the work uninterrupted.
"I don't see how it's any of his business." Hermione countered, her anger for the man flaring in her stomach.
"Well everything he said about me was true." Fred managed out, gritting his teeth as he struggled to grip the cliff's edge to heave them over. He hadn't meant to say that, but he figured if Hermione wanted to be truthful with him he could at least attempt to be truthful back.
"Why have you never dated anyone?" Hermione asked, the one question Fred didn't want her to ask.
The one thing in his life he didn't tell anyone.
"If you put your hand here, I can get us over the top." Fred said, though his tone was quieter. More serious. Hermione listened, deciding she'd push for answers later and did as he asked.
Soon they were stumbling around the cliff landing, unbuckling themselves from their harness. Hermione dashed off, the second she was undone, and heaved behind a tree. Throwing all her breakfast out of her stomach. Fred chuckled, brushing his hands off and he watched as the harness and rope vanished on sight.
He surveyed the land, and saw a trail that he assumed would take them straight back to the cabin. Hermione was going to be pissed once she found out there had been an easier way up.
A basket appeared at Fred's feet, and he bent over to open it. There were flasks of water, as well as a few quick snacks.
He sat down, crossing his legs and grabbed a flask as well as a granola bar as he waited for Hermione to be done.
Once Hermione rejoined him, Fred decided he could begin asking the questions that were tumbling over in his mind.
"So why does Henry think you've shagged Oliver?" Fred asked, biting into his granola bar as Hermione drained half her flask of water.
"Half of London does. The Daily Prophet snapped a photo of me leaving his apartment early one morning, a week after Ron and I split." Hermione shrugged, as if this was a completely normal thing to do.
Fred only stared at her, causing Hermione to sigh and continue recounting the events.
"I did go over with the intention of shagging him, but we ended up just talking. He told me some things, and I told him some things. I ended up encouraging him to ask a girl out at his work that he had been eyeing, their getting married next year." Hermione said, and Fred nodded slowly.
He wouldn't admit to anyone, but the unfamiliar sensation in his stomach was relief.
"I never dated anyone because the only person I ever wanted wouldn't be approved by everyone else." Fred answered, choosing his answer as carefully as he could but Hermione tore them apart, looking for clues.
"Fred..are you?" Hermione asked, but Fred only stared at her confused. What was he?
"What?" Fred managed to ask, screwing the lid of his flask back he deposited it back in the basket.
"Are you gay?" Hermione whispered, and Fred widened his eyes staring at her. That was not what he expected to come out of her mouth.
"No..no Godric no, I mean of course I thought about it, Lee and I nearly well never mind. But no she is um definitely a girl." Fred answered, and Hermione only nodded slowly. Her mind already shifting through girls it could possibly be.
"Is it Susan?" Hermione asked, and Fred actually laughed causing Hermione to jump.
"It's not Susan, I can promise you that. You'll never guess anyway." Fred shrugged, he jumped up to stand. Humor dancing on his lips, his secret was safe. She wouldn't know unless he told her.
"Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione asked, standing up next to him. Fred doubled over in laughter, and shook his head at her.
"Now you are just being ridiculous, you'll never guess." Fred teased, he poked her on the nose gently before waltzing away towards the trail head. "Let's go, I'm itching for a game of chess!" Hermione followed after him, a list of names already forming in her head.
"If I guess right, will you tell me?" Hermione asked, stopping him by his elbow.
He turned around, to study her face for a moment. Weighing the risks in his mind. How much he was willing to lose if she ever found out. How much hatred he would be willing to receive. All the years of pining would crash down around him if she found out.
"If you guess correctly, I'll be honest." Fred nodded, his voice dropped down to a whisper as he spoke the words he really didn't want to.
"Promise?" Hermione asked, she stuck out her hand and Fred grasped it in his own.
"Promise." Fred agreed, he shook her hand a few times before slowly releasing her palm. He turned on his heel, and resumed walking away.
"One of the Patil twins?" Hermione called after him, and Fred bit back a laugh.
"No."