It's Nice To Have A Friend

19) A Picnic At The River

"You look like you had a bad night." Hermione chuckled when she saw FP walking into her apartment around ten in the morning, possibly to snatch some breakfast.

"Still haven't talked to her?" Mary wondered, knowing about his fight with Gladys.

"Oh oh, trouble in paradise?" Fred teased.

"I wouldn't call it paradise." FP sighed and let himself fall onto the couch, where they others were already eating.

"Gladys and I took a break. So, we're broken up, at the moment." He said, revealing to the whole gang why he wasn't in a cheery mood.

"I know what you all think,  you don't like her and you think it's for the best, but you don't get it. She's not as bad as she seems to be." He defended immediately, before anyone would say that it was a good thing.

"We just want you happy bud, what we think of Gladys doesn't matter." Fred said sympathetically.

"We'll be fine, but we just needed some air. Things between us moved pretty fast, so this was bound to happen." FP thought things would work out, eventually.

"It must be painful." Hermione said, trying to catch his eyes to see how he was feeling.

"Kinda, yeah. So, sorry in advance if I'm being grumpy today." He excused.

"Why don't we go do something as a group today? The sun's out, so why don't we have a picnic?" Hermione proposed, as always being the one to want to do anything to cheer her friends up.

"If there's food, I'm in." FP grinned.

"Alice?" Hermione turned to her friend, who had been awfully silent.

"Sure. Sounds fun." She smiled weakly.

Hermione wanted to ask what was wrong, but she decided against it, making a mental note she should reach out to her privately.

"Let's stop by Pop's to have something to eat. I'm starving." FP proposed, already thinking about all the food he could order.

**

After FP and Fred had thoroughly decided what snacks to bring to their picnic, they had finally made it to Pickens Park, where it was surprisingly quiet for the day. Not that they minded, because now it felt like the whole park was theirs.

"Here, taste these new muffins. It was my idea, Pop tested them and they are a big hit." Alice had looked through their take-out bags and took a few, being curious to find out what they thought.

"I want first bite." FP said instantly, as he smachtend one of out of Alice's hands.

"Can I have a bite of yours?" Hermione wondered, not being hungry enough to eat one on her own.

"You should know by now that I don't share food, Mouse." FP teased, making Hermione shake her head in amusement.

"How is your job at Pop's? You've been working crazy shifts." Fred asked Alice, while munching on a muffin. He was wondering how she could keep up with all of it.

"I gotta make money, don't I? It feels good to do something for myself. It makes me feels like I earned it." Her cheeks flushed a little, hoping they would drop the conversation.

"How can you keep up with that schedule?" Fred chuckled.

"Lots of coffee." Alice said, without missing a beat.

"Did Hal ever contact you?" Mary wondered, considering what had happened the last time when they had seen him. Alice felt like she was in a third degree, but decided to play it cool.