No Consequences

The shock of losing Mad-Eye hung over the house in the days that followed. On the first night, Hermione found herself unable to sleep, tossing and turning on the cot in Ginny's room until Ginny threw a pillow at her and suggested she get some air.

Hermione knew that leaving Ginny's room in the middle of the night meant that she would come across at least one other person in the hallways of the Burrow. Nobody really slept very well in these chaotic times.

On this particular night, she found herself in the kitchen, stirring a pot of hot chocolate, knowing that it was inevitable that others would be grateful for a fresh pot throughout the night. As she ladled some into a mug for herself, footsteps sounded behind her.

"What are you doing skulking around the kitchen this fine evening?" came the voice of one of the twins. Hermione spun around and saw the two-eared twin standing by the table.

Fred.

"Thought I'd get up and make a pot of hot chocolate" she said, holding an empty mug in his direction. He nodded in acceptance, and she ladled some of the liquid into the mug.

She set both mugs down at the table and seated herself in front of her own, Fred doing the same. The two sat across from each other in silence for a while, sipping on their chosen method of distraction.

"This is quite good" Fred said.

"Surprised, are you?" she asked.

"So, it seems" he said.

The silence in the kitchen spread out between them. The occasional hurried footsteps of gnomes outside could be heard as well as the occasional snore from beyond the stairs.

Hermione thought about what had happened, just hours before. Harry had been moved to the Burrow, George had been cursed and Mad-Eye was dead. It was all becoming so real to Hermione, and it was making her realise that, by the end of this, there may not be anyone left to go on, even if the war is won.

"Sickle for your thoughts?" Fred asked her, reaching into his pocket and actually retrieving a sickle. She hadn't realised he had been watching.

"It's silly really. You don't want to know what goes around in my head" she said, watching him spin the coin on the table like a spinning top.

"We're all scared Hermione" he said, his serious tone catching her off guard. She looked up into his face and saw the fear etched in his eyes.

"Some of us won't make it through this war" she said sadly.

Fred simply nodded, sipping his tea.

"I just wish I knew how to make all these thoughts stop. So much has changed already" she said.

"Talking about it helps, sometimes" he said.

"You really want to hear about my problems?" she asked.

"Sure, why not. I'm here, aren't I?"

"I suppose you are. It's just so rare that I get a chance to feel something or to be deserving of any kind of reason to need to talk about all of this. It's usually Harry. Harry is the one who has faced Voldemort, Harry almost died tonight, Harry has suffered an incredibly tragic existence. I just don't feel like I ought to complain when it could be so much worse… for me… personally" she said.

"Careful, for a second there I thought you were starting to sound like Ron" Fred said.

"I'm not jealous of Harry's fame, I just feel like… Merlin… I don't know. Why should I complain when my life is pretty good, in comparison?"

"Why should your feelings not count as much?" he asked.

"I should be happy that I had parents" she said.

"Had?"

"Yes, had"

"They're not…?"

"They're gone, I sent them away" she said.

"But they're alive?"

"Of course they're alive, I didn't kill them"

"Great Godric witch, what are you talking about then?"

"I modified their memories and sent them to another country. They don't even know who they are. They don't know who I am. I have no idea where exactly they ended up or if I will ever find them once all of this is over" she said, tears filling her eyes.

"That was a brave decision" he said, moving around the table to sit beside her. He wrapped one arm around her and pulled her close. It was quite intimate, but Hermione felt it was what she needed. Someone to listen to her and to comfort her and to tell her that she made the right choice.

"You don't think I did the wrong thing?" she asked.

"I don't know what I would have done. Your parents have no magical protection and no doubt, death eaters would have gone looking for you and found them. I think you did the best thing, under the circumstances" he said.

She leant her head into his shoulder and allowed herself to be comforted by the older Weasley twin. She had always thought the twins perhaps lacked the capacity for such conversations and it was a pleasant surprise to realise that Fred was deeper than she thought. The pair sat there in silence, Fred's arm around Hermione, for quite a while. When her eyes began to feel heavy, Hermione lifted her head and stretched her arms.

"I suppose we had better get to bed" she said

"Big day tomorrow" he said, the corner of his lips turned upwards.

"What's happening tomorrow?"

"Wedding preparation… And the day after, and the day after that. Loads to keep everyone busy" he said.

"Right, well, thank you for the chat. It really helped. You're surprisingly easy to talk to… you know, about serious things" she said.

"Maybe one day, I'll get you cracking some jokes. Then the whole house will think we've gone bonkers" he said.

"That would be a tragedy" she said, patting him on the shoulder after depositing her mug in the sink and heading up the stairs.

Climbing back into the cot, she smiled to herself. The burden of the secret she was carrying about her parents no longer weighed as heavily in her heart. She had been too afraid to tell Harry and Ron what she had done for fear that they might think she acted irrationally. Fred was the least likely person she ever left like she could tell her secrets to, yet it came about so easily. She lay as comfortably as possible in the uncomfortable bed and within seconds of closing her eyes, she was asleep.

Hermione found herself bleary eyed in the kitchen the following morning, eating breakfast while being given a list of chores to do.

"Now, it's not that I want to be a slave driver, that's not at all my intention, however, with the wedding only days away, and so many guests coming and going we all need to pitch in" said Mrs Weasley as she piled eggs onto everyone's plate. Hermione looked across at Fred who raised an eyebrow briefly in her direction and carried on eating his toast.

Throughout the day, Hermione was grateful for the distraction. It allowed her to remain task focused and the thoughts that plagued her mind in the early hours of the night were able to rest comfortably in the back of her mind. That was, until that night when she was no longer occupied by chores, when there were no voices to distract her, no gnomes peeking out of bushes to entertain her.

She was laying, once again, in the cot in Ginny's room, with nothing but her thoughts to occupy her. She could hear Ginny's soft snores and didn't want to wake her, so once again, she climbed out of the bed, slowly opened the door and headed downstairs to make a pot of hot chocolate.

When she arrived in the kitchen, she was startled to see Fred was standing at the stove, stirring a pot of something she didn't recognise.

"What are you attempting to make?" she asked.

"Well, I thought I'd take a page out of your book and make a pot of hot chocolate but somehow I think it had turned to sludge" he said, lifting the spoon out of the lumpy mixture and watching it slop off the spoon.

"What on earth have you done?" she asked.

"I tried to duplicate it and add things using magic, but it just went all wrong" he said.

"Well, that's where you went wrong. You can't use magic to create a decent hot chocolate, here…" she said, as she vanished the ruined mixture from the pot.

"You realise that ends up going somewhere don't you?" he asked.

"Of course. The gnomes will love it" she said with a smile.

"That's the way" he said with a pat on her shoulder.

"So what you need to do is add all the ingredients like so…" she said, adding the few ingredients and stirring slowly. "You don't want to rush it, or it will burn, see?" she said, indicating to the very small flame that flickered lazily below the pot.

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked.

"Well, you can have fun, but will it achieve your desired result?" she asked.

"Why does fun have to achieve anything? Can't you just have fun for the sake of having fun?" he asked.

"Sometimes" she said.

"Why?"

"Because you need to think about the consequences of your actions" she said sternly.

"If you spend all your time worrying about what might happen, you won't ever have time to have fun in life. Step outside your comfort zone Hermione" he said.

"You're not talking about the drink, are you?" she asked.

"I'm talking about life. Life is too short to worry all the time about what might happen. You only get one shot at this, Merlin knows ours might be limited, so why not enjoy yourself? Let your hair down. Do something crazy?" he said.

Every fibre of her being wanted to disagree with him. Tell him that people who don't think about consequences end up dead or in Azkaban, but he also had a point. She had no idea how long any of them had left before they were killed or tortured into insanity or left behind when all the people they loved were gone. She needed to find ways to, as Fred put it, let her hair down.

"What do you suggest" she asked.

Fred pulled his wand out of his pocket and aimed it in the direction of the stairs. A bubble appeared around the kitchen and once it settled, he pointed his wand at the wireless on the bench. Music began playing and he started moving like a crazy person.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"No, I'm Fred" he said.

She rolled her eyes and continued stirring the pot of liquid that was now beginning to heat up.

"Come on, let your hair down. I thought of the consequences for you already… Silencing charm" he said, holding his hand out for her to join.

She looked around as though someone was going to jump out at any minute and yell 'surprise' but decided to join him anyway. She had nothing to lose. Fred was a terrible dancer, but he made it look fun and she figured she couldn't look much worse than he. She slowly began to move to the upbeat song that was playing and before long, found herself lost in the moment, joining Fred in this moment of freedom. Together they jumped and spun around the kitchen, catching each other and swinging off the arm of one another before spinning to the other side of the kitchen and repeating the process. Hermione laughed and moved as she had never done before, feeling freer than she had ever felt. It was only one song, but she felt like hours had passed. As the song wound down, the two of them slowed to wait for the next one. Hermione lingered at the stove to stir the liquid and extinguish the flame but when the next song began, it was slow.

"Well, that was fun" she said.

"Come on…" he said, holding his hand out to her to continue "don't think, just do" he said.

She took his hand and moved close to him, placing her other hand on his shoulder while he placed his other hand on her back. She could feel her heart beating frantically following the spinning and jumping she had been doing and, in a way, she was grateful for the change in pace. Together, they clumsily moved around the kitchen, slowly, in time to the music. Hermione, who would have ordinarily felt awkward in such a moment, felt completely free and at ease. It was an interesting thing to contemplate, but as she felt herself thinking about it, she stopped. Fred was right, there was time to think about consequences, meanings and outcomes later. Now was the time to be free and alive and she certainly felt alive now. As they moved, she felt Fred's fingers play with the ends of her hair. She had never thought about him in any way other than as Ron's playful older brother, but here, alone with Fred in the kitchen, dancing out of step with the music and surrounded by a bubble of silence, she suddenly realised that there was far more to Fred than met the eye.

When the song stopped, Fred released his grip on her slightly and looked down into her face. She thought for a moment he may kiss her and in the spirit of not thinking, she thought that she may just let him if he tried. The moment felt like an eternity, like a million eternities, but in reality, as soon as it began, it stopped. Fred released her and wandered over to the wireless, shutting it off with his wand. Hermione was rooted to the spot briefly, but soon turned to stir the pot of liquid and ladle some into a mug for the two of them. She offered Fred one which he accepted, taking a seat at the table. Hermione took the seat across from him and sipped on her hot chocolate.

"Once again, faultless hot chocolate" he said.

"Well, what can I say? I'm simply the best" she said.

"So, how's your hair?" he asked.

"Down" she said with a smile.

You're welcome" he said.

She simply smiled and resumed sipping her warm drink.

"Remember… no consequences" he said, draining his mug in one, dropping it in the sink and heading up the stairs.

The following day, the house was busy with wedding preparations. The house had been magically expanded to fit another two rooms off the third landing and the gardens were well on their way to being considered neat. Hermione was once again lost to the hustle and bustle of the packed house. Occasionally she would find herself remembering the events of the night before and smiling to herself. How had she enjoyed herself so much in just a short amount of time? Fred had a way of getting to her that no one else ever had. She had spent so much of her life being so serious and always thinking about what might happen and it was a relief to know that there was a small part of her that was able to let that go.

That night, as usual, Hermione found herself with her mind racing at 100 miles an hour. She had spent the best part of an hour in Ron's room with he and Harry discussing plans for after the wedding. Ron had transfigured the attic ghoul to look somewhat like him, in order to give him an alibi for his absence and Harry, as determined as he was to go at it alone, had now accepted the fact that she and Ron would be joining him on his mission to find and destroy the Horcruxes. She was trying to figure out where they might be and how on earth they would locate them, but it was useless. No matter what ideas she came up with, there were always factors to consider.

"You need to get some sleep" Ginny said as Hermione sat staring at the ceiling.

"I wish it were that simple" she said.

"Is everything ok?"

"I'm not sure Gin. I don't know what's going to happen or how this year will turn out. I just want to stop thinking about it but whenever its quiet, my mind just doesn't stop" she said.

"It's scary, none of us can predict the future, but I'm sure that everything will turn out for the best. It has to. I have to tell myself that. If Voldemort wins, Harry dies" she said.

Hermione realised that perhaps Ginny was suffering just as much as she was. She had planned her whole life around Harry when they had gotten together at the beginning of the year and now she didn't even know if he would live through till the following year.

"You're absolutely right. There isn't a single thing we can do and worrying won't help at all, will it? Good night Ginny"

"Good night Hermione"

Hermione tried to forget about everything that worried her, she tried to do as Ginny suggested and tell herself that things will work out, but the more she tried, the harder it was to get to sleep. By 2am, Hermione was resigned to the fact that she wasn't going to be able to sleep and headed downstairs. She didn't expect to see anyone, so she wasn't surprised when the kitchen was empty. She was a little disappointed, as she had enjoyed the past two nights in Fred's company. She sat at the table, drinking the hot chocolate she made, glancing at the Weasley clock on the wall. Each of the hands were at Mortal Peril, which was disconcerting to Hermione. She couldn't imagine any of the Weasleys being in danger.

As she was about to get up and go back to bed, she heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Thought you would get a sneaky one in without me, did you?" Fred asked.

"It's almost 3am, I didn't think you were coming" she said.

"I'm here now" he said getting himself some lukewarm chocolate.

"I'll heat that up for you" she said, standing.

"I'm quite a skilled wizard, I'm not sure if you noticed" he said, pointing his wand at his cup. Steam began to rise from the cup seconds later and Fred gave Hermione a self-satisfied grin.

"Very well then" she said, leaning against the counter.

"Still having trouble sleeping?" he asked her.

"Actually no, I just come here and sit all night waiting for you to come down, so I can keep you company" she said.

"Is that sarcasm miss Granger?" he asked leaning against the counter opposite from where she stood.

"It may have been" she said.

"Well I appreciate the gesture. Merlin knows I enjoy the company" he said, his eyes finding hers.

"So, tell me… What keeps you from sleeping?" she asked.

"My brain is far too intelligent to rely on such mundane things as sleep" he said with a cheeky grin.

"Come on, I've spilled my secrets" she said.

"Merlin" he whispered "You're demanding"

"Me? Demanding? You're the one who forced me to do the Highland Hop around the kitchen last night. All I want to do is talk" she said.

"I just… its complicated" he said.

"I get that. Spill" she said, moving to stand beside him, hoping it may offer some kind of comfort.

"I always thought about what might happen if … one of my family members died" he said with a sigh.

"That's not uncommon, especially in a family your size" she said.

"Ever since George's ear… I dream about every one of them dying" he said.

"That's tough" she said, not knowing how to respond.

"The odds aren't great Granger" he said.

"I am beginning to feel the same" she said.

"Chances are that one or more of us will die in the next twelve months. Voldemort is strong. I really hope Dumbledore has given him some wicked plans to finish him or else we're all probably going to need a mind alteration and a quick move to another country" he said.

"Harry has a plan" she said, "but it's dangerous and we don't know where to start" she said.

"You three are the most daring team I know. Surely you'll figure it out?" Fred asked in a manner that came across as more of a pleading than an off the cuff comment.

"I hope so" she said, looking into Fred's worry some face.

"You're really worried, aren't you?" she asked.

"Of course I am" he answered.

"What happened to no consequences?" she asked.

"Sadly, the brain doesn't always agree with itself" he said.

She took her wand out of the pocket of her dressing gown and pointed it at the stairs, creating a bubble of silence that filled the room.

Fred smiled meekly and pointed his own wand at the wireless. The song that was playing was coming to an end and the announcer was talking about the best place to get a wand, ow that Olivanders was shut for good.

"Well, that killed the moment" Fred said.

"Just give it a chance" she said.

The pair stood quietly, listening to the various advertisements before a song came on. The song was slow, and Hermione knew just what to do. She held her hand out towards Fred and he took it immediately. They got into position and slowly began revolving around the kitchen, much the same as they had done the night before. When the song ended, another began, and Fred didn't let go. He held on to Hermione as though he desperately needed the contact. The pair continued to move slowly with the music, allowing their minds to empty themselves of the thoughts that consumed them in the very early hours of the morning.

When the song finished, Fred stopped moving, but didn't let go immediately.

Hermione looked up into his face which was filled with a strange sadness. When he looked back into her eyes, something changed suddenly in him and he spoke;

"No consequences" he said softly.

"No consequences" Hermione repeated, knowing exactly what was coming and feeling no desire to stop it. She felt it on the first night, the pull that was between them. That invisible string that was wound tighter each night that she spent with him in the kitchen of the Burrow.

He leant down slowly and carefully brushed his lips against hers. It sent electricity coursing through her veins and she didn't want it to go away. She reached up, placing her hands on either side of his face, feeling the prickle of his stubble on her fingers. She looked into his eyes and, on tip toes, pressed her lips against his once again.

The efforts to make the Burrow spick and span the following day were stepped up due the impending arrival of Mr and Mrs Delacour. Hermione was no longer plagued by worries relating to losing her loved ones, with the events of the previous night taking up residence in her mind. Lunch was made in batches to prevent Hermione, Harry and Ron from making any plans, which was incredibly frustrating for the three.

Dinner that night was an affair, with three more people being sat at the table which could no longer be stretched to fit more people. Hermione was seated towards the middle of the table across from Ginny who was beside Fred and Harry was placed at one end while Ron was at the other. The conversation ebbed and flowed around the topic of the wedding and who was coming and who had opted out. Many people had chosen to stay away due to the potential for danger and Hermione thought they were quite right to do so.

"So, Ron, oo are you taking as your date to ze wedding?" Fleur asked.

"Oh Fleur, don't be silly, Ron isn't taking a date" Mrs Weasley said as Ron glanced at Hermione and was about to speak. Hermione felt incredibly grateful for Mrs Weasley's controlling antics in that moment.

"What about ze boys? George?"

"Completely solo. More focus on my dear brother's nuptials than on some girl I have to impress. Freddy on the other hand has a date" George said. Hermione almost choked on her food at this, gaining looks from Harry and Ron.

"I still don't actually know if she's coming. Bit flighty that one" said Fred with an attempt at humour that only Hermione found to be awkward. She glanced up at Fred who looked briefly in her direction.

"Who did you invite?" asked Bill, irritated that he was unaware of another guest to his wedding.

"Angelina" said Fred.

"Oh, she's a lovely girl. Got a spot on the Harpies" Mrs Weasley said.

"Ze what?" exclaimed Mrs Delacour.

"The Holyhead Harpies. They're a quidditch team" said Ginny with a grin. Hermione glanced at Fred again who was looking back in her direction. While the room was busy talking about the Harpies, Hermione mouthed to Fred, 'No consequences', before going back to her meal.

"Oh, for moment zhere…." She said, drifting off.

Hermione was completely enthralled with her food, not daring to look up, when she realised the whole table was silent and looking at her. She looked up from her plate quizzically.

"Hermione?" asked Fleur.

"Oh, I'm sorry what were you saying?" she asked.

"Merlin Hermione, where were you just now?" George asked.

"I was a hundred miles away apparently" she said.

"Well dear, did you have anyone in mind to bring to the wedding?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"Oh, well, no not really" she said, looking around the table, making awkward eye contact with both Fred and Ron.

"How about Krum?" asked Ginny.

"Viktor is coming to ze wedding alreadee… as my guest" said Fleur, a small grunt coming from the end where Ron was sitting.

George raised his eyebrows in Hermione's direction as she just about slunk under the table.

"Victor and I are just really good friends" she said.

"But you went wiz im to ze yule ball, no?" Fleur's sister asked.

"Well, yes… I did…" she answered.

"So no plans to rekindle a romance?" Fleur asked.

"Oh, no definitely not… I'm more interested to hear if Ginny is taking a date. Ginny?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

Ginny gave her a 'thanks a lot' look and just shrugged, not offering anything more.

The rest of the night went on without further awkwardness, with Hermione attempted to avoid Fred at every turn.

When she eventually turned in, she sat on her makeshift bed, braiding her hair as Ginny sat looking at her expectantly yet, nervously.

'Is everything ok?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, never mind, it's silly" Ginny said.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, wondering if she had been caught acting strange.

"Well, we don't know how much longer we have until you three disappear and I was hoping to spend some time with Harry… you know, alone" she said.

"Right"

"Do you think, maybe… I mean, I know you and Ron have something kind of going on, maybe if you wanted to, it might be a good opportunity for you two…" Ginny said.

"Say no more Ginny… I'll go downstairs and read a book" Hermione said.

"So, no Ron?" she asked.

Hermione thought for a while about how best to answer. Whatever she said would be taken out of context regardless.

"I just don't think that now is the best time for me to start anything. I want my head in the game" Hermione said.

"So you can search for a way to kill Voldemort?"

"So I can go on the run and try not to die" "Hermione said.

"Is that what you're selling to people? Harry would never go on the run. Everyone knows it. You three are up to something" Ginny said.

Hermione reached into the beaded bag that she had had packed since she arrived and pulled out a book she had yet to read.

"I'll be in the living room" she said, getting up from the bed.

Mr Weasley, Bill and Mr Delacour were turning in for the night as Hermione descended the stairs.

"Good night Mr Weasley" she said.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

"No, not really. Didn't want to distract Ginny with my wand light so thought I'd come and read down here" she said.

"Hmm, good idea" he said.

"Well… night" she said as she arrived on the bottom floor.

She listened to the sounds of the inhabitants of the house begin to fade away as, one by one they went to sleep. She heard the unmistakable sound of Ginny's bedroom door for a split second and hoped that her friends knew how to be safe – and quiet.

She settled in on the couch with her book and started to read. The book was a muggle novel that droned on about a pathetic romance that wasn't necessarily interesting but filled the time in which Hermione's mind would ordinarily be racing.

Hermione woke at about 2am with a start. She was laying down on the couch with a blanket over her and her book was nowhere to be seen. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking around.

"This book is pathetic" Fred said.

"How long have you been sitting there?" she asked.

He showed her the book which he was half way through.

"If it's so pathetic, why have you read half of it?" she asked.

"Can't sleep" he said.

"You need to learn to clear your mind" she said.

"Well, I thought this dribble might do it… It certainly did for you. But no luck" he said, moving from the armchair to beside her on the couch.

"Maybe we need to talk about what happened" she said.

"No consequences, right?" he asked.

"Well, yes, but you have to admit, dinner was a little awkward" she said.

"Only because you couldn't get it out of your mind" he said.

"Nor could you" she said.

"That's very true"

"so…" she began, but before she could finish, he had leant closer to her, tucking her hair behind her ear and kissed her again.

Ordinarily, the logical part of Hermione's brain may have told her to stop what she was doing and think about this properly, but Fred had a way of cutting off that part of her brain. The 'no consequences' part of her brain was in charge now and she was enjoying its reign.

The following day was Harry's birthday and except for Mrs Weasley using threats to get Bill in the chair for a haircut, the day went off without much of a hitch. Harry and Ginny seemed closer than before and Hermione supposed it was because of their time alone the night before. Dinner that night was an event, much the same as the night before, with the addition of Hagrid and Lupin to the table. That was why the event was moved outdoors, with the addition of more tables to accommodate the additional guests. The conversation was more relaxed than the night before, with no awkward date questions being thrown around. Hermione had chanced a seat beside Fred and although the table was full of people, they had chanced some 'no consequences' interactions beneath the tablecloth.

During the party, Harry Ron and Hermione were taken aside by a visiting Rufus Scrimgeour and given items from Dumbledore's will. Hermine wasn't able to process what it all meant that night, as Mrs Weasley had doubled her efforts to keep the three separate, leaving more time for group to interreact around the table, with Fred cracking jokes that were constantly making Hermione laugh. Because the whole table was enjoying themselves, no one thought it was odd that for once, the normally mild mannered, logical, serious Hermione was actually enjoying herself.

While the idea of forgetting about the consequences of their fling was thrilling, it was all Hermione could think about while she lay in bed at night. And despite this, that night, she still got up and met Fred in the kitchen, as she had done each night since she had been here.

"Tomorrow is the wedding" she said as Fred had her pressed against the door to the walk-in pantry.

"It is" he said as he kissed her neck.

"I just think that maybe we ought to come to some kind of understanding about what this all is" she said.

"This is fun Hermione. We said no consequences though, remember?" he said. Hermione was in no way a needy clingy type but given that she was likely to leave tomorrow night, she couldn't go away without some kind of closure.

"You're right. So after tonight then, whatever this is will be finished" she said.

Fred suddenly stopped and looked at her, pulling her into the pantry and closing the door behind them.

"Is that what you want?" he asked.

"That's what the agreement was" she said.

"That's what the agreement was when it was only going to be a once off" he said.

"So what is it now then?" she asked.

"I care about you…." he said shrugging.

"You're great Fred, but we can't continue this" she said.

"You're right" he said.

"Ron would have a heart attack" she said.

"You're completely right…. Well, I suppose we ought to stop now then… before anything else….?" He said.

"I guess you're right" she said, leaning forward to kiss him some more. She just couldn't help herself. Fred was like a drug to her. He made her forget about all the serious things she had to worry about and when she was with him, she slept so much better at night.

Their rendezvous in the pantry continued for a while, with the two of them pushing the boundaries of what might be considered appropriate. Hermione felt as though she may not have another opportunity to be with someone in this way and given the logical part of her brain was absent, she allowed herself to embrace her hormonal urges and allow herself to be taken over completely by Fred's passion and desire.

If it hadn't been for the footsteps at 4am, Hermione and Fred would have taken their fling as far as they could have, right there on the bench in the small pantry. Hermione knew and completely understood how much of a contradictory it was to her femininity to allow herself to lose her virginity on an occasion such as this, but to her, at that moment, with the imminent threat of death constantly on the edge of everyone's mind, it felt right. Hermione's dressing gown and shirt had been discarded on the floor and Fred's shirt was also missing as the footsteps were heard on the stairs.

Hermione summoned her clothing and dressed quickly before hastily grabbing a few ingredients to make hot chocolate and exiting the kitchen.

"Thanks for helping me find those, your mum moved everything in the clean-up… oh, hi Ron. Can't sleep either?" she asked a confused looking Ron as Fred exited the pantry.

Hermione set about making a hot chocolate, all the while still experiencing the tingles left behind from the feel of Fred's hands on every inch of her body.

"Yeah, I'm not sleeping too well, I bet you guys are feeling the same?" Ron said.

Hermione simply nodded as she threw together a basic pot of hot chocolate and served them all a cup.

The three of them sat at the table together, Hermione and Fred awkwardly looking anywhere but at each other.

"Mum is going to be bonkers at this wedding, you know that?" Ron said after a while.

"Yeah Ronnikens, but it's your job to keep her happy" Fred said.

"Shove off git. I'll do what I want" he said.

Hermione watched the two banter back and forwards before declaring herself ready to sleep. In fact, she didn't sleep at all, laying in her bed until the first glimpses of the sun shone through Ginny's bedroom window.

The wedding went off without a hitch and the reception was well underway. Hermione wore a lilac coloured dress with matching heels and her beaded bag was magically altered to match. She never went anywhere without it as of late, in case something happened, and they had to leave in a hurry.

Throughout the afternoon and into the night, Hermione would occasionally share a glance with Fred, who at one point, looked her up and down and nodded in approval.

The toasts and the dance were beautiful, as expected and the music playing encouraged everyone to dance. Hermione danced with each of the Weasleys in turn, so it wouldn't look odd if she danced with Fred.

"No consequences, right?" he said to her as they spun around the dancefloor.

"There are always consequences. Or else we would have let Ron catch us last night" she said.

"I didn't want to spoil your adventures you three have coming up" he said.

"Whatever are you going to do without me?" she asked, smiling up into his face. Her smile, however, was not matched.

"I really don't know" he said.

"Well, I will miss our hot chocolate dates" she said.

"I'm going to miss our pantry date more" he said.

"I already do" she said.

"Meet me upstairs in 5?" he asked.

"Do you think we could both get away unnoticed?" she asked seriously.

"Only one way to find out" he said, bowing farewell to her in an over the top way that only Fred could get away with. Hermione just giggled and watched him walk away.

With her heart racing, she walked around the perimeter of the marquee, eyeing each person to see if they may notice her absence. When she saw that everyone of note was satisfactorily occupied she hurried off up the path and into the house. She climbed the stairs quickly, heading to the twins' room. When she got there, she threw the door open and found Fred waiting for her in the dark. She hastily unzipped her dress, kicked off her heels and marched forward, kissing him in an instant. He followed suit, removing his jacket, tie shirt and pants before walking Hermione to where his bed stood on one side of the room.

Hermione thought about nothing but her desire to experience as much of this life as she could before something drastic happened to her. She cared deeply about Fred, but she wouldn't go so far as to say she was in love with him. She loved him, as much as she loved Harry, Ron, Ginny and the other Weasleys, but what she had with Fred was pure lust fuelled distraction.

When they were done, a short while later, they lay in his bed, side by side out of breath.

"I'm sorry, it was a bit quick" he said.

"No, that's ok, probably better that way" she said, her mind drifting to the wedding reception, wondering if their joint absence was noticed yet.

She got up and dressed, smoothing her hair in the grubby mirror that stood over a wonky dresser near the door.

"We better head back" she said.

"Definitely" he said.

"I'll miss you, you know" she said.

"Yeah, me too" he answered.

The awkward silence that followed was interrupted by a loud bang that originated from the marquee. Hermione and Fred looked out the window and down into the yard to see people disapparating.

"I don't understand, what about the wards?" she said.

"They must have been broken, come on we have to get down there" he said.

"Wait" she said, pulling him close to her, kissing him one last time, "be careful" she said.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" he asked.

She just nodded.

"Here, take this. Look at it every now and, then will you?" he said, handing her a piece of parchment.

They both apparated separately down into the reception and Hermione was stunned to find it in chaos. Hermione found Ron immediately and grabbed him by the hand as she desperately searched for Harry. She saw the blurred face of the boy from the village who Harry had disguised himself as and headed for him, dragging a shocked Ron with her. The cries of guests and death eaters rang out in Hermione's ears as she headed for her target.

She seized Harry by the arm just as a jet of light whizzed over their heads. Whether it was a protective charm or a curse, Hermione didn't know. She turned on the spot, taking them to the first place she could think of.

"Where are we?" called Ron through the hustle and bustle of people as the three walked, still hand in hand down the street.

"Tottenham Court Road. Come on, we need to keep walking" she said, hurrying down the street.

After fighting off some death eaters in a café, the three of them resigned to Grimmauld Place, where they were able to come to grips with what had happened and settle in for the night.