Butterbeers and Flirting

The Date

Hermione sat alone in The Three Broomsticks. Hermione and Ron had gotten into another fight, and Harry was with him wherever they were. She heard the door open and close. Then Madame Rosmerta's voice carried over to her. She ignored it and tried to go back to her reading. But just like before, reading was not helping her this time.

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Fred walked into The Three Broomsticks alone. George was off somewhere with Katie and Lee was off trying to get Angelina to go out with him. Again.

"Hello, Fred! I was wondering when you were going to come say hi," Madame Rosmerta's voice carried over to his ears. "Where's George?"

"He's off with Katie somewhere."

"And Lee? Off trying to get Angelina to go out with him still I assume." Fred nodded. "I keep telling that boy to leave that girl alone, but does he listen? No."

"I know. George and I tell him that all the time, but he never listens." Fred sat down and took a quick look around the room. He was about to turn back to Madame Rosmerta when he noticed Hermione sitting in a booth by herself with no drink. She was just sitting there reading, and every now and then she would take one hand off the book and clench her fist while squeezing her eyes shut.

"Fred?" Madame Rosmerta snapped her fingers in Fred's face to try and get his attention. "Quit starring, Fred. She isn't in a good mood and if she sees you starring she will explode at you just like she did Seamus Finnigan," Madame Rosmerta said while wiping off a glass and shaking her head.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"I don't know what's wrong. She just walked in, plopped herself down in that seat, and pulled out that book. Hasn't moved or talked to anyone since. That was until Seamus and a couple other students went over to her and asked her if she wanted to join them for some lunch or something. She blew up at them faster than I could count to five."

"Really? Hermione never yells at anyone for no reason. Most of the time if she's yelling at anyone she's yelling at George and me, or Ron, for something we did." Fred thought for a second. "Can I have two Butterbeers please?"

"Sure thing. But I hope your not planning on taking one over to Hermione because she will probably rip your head off. Trust me. She's in a really bad mood. It's best if you just leave her alone," Madame Rosmerta said while getting the two Butterbeers for him.

"Come on, Madame Rosmerta? When have I ever done what is best?" Fred said, grabbing the drinks and heading over to Hermione.

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Hermione sat still trying to get lost in her book, when someone came over and set something down on the table in front of her. She looked up to see the smiling face of Fred Weasley, and a Butterbeer.

"What do you want, Fred? I'm not in the mood," she questioned sounding thoroughly aggravated.

"To know why you blew up at Seamus when he asked you a simple question, and why you haven't moved from this spot since we arrived at Hogsmeade?" he asked her simply. She looked up at him incredulously.

"Why should you care? When have you ever cared about what was going on in my life, or why I did or did not do something?" She yelled at him. He still just sat there smiling. His smile was really starting to annoy her. "Why are you just sitting there smiling at me?"

"I'm smiling, because you're shouting at me," he said still smiling at her.

"How is my yelling at you a good thing? The fact that I'm yelling should easily tell you to go away." Still he just sat there smiling. She groaned and tried to ignore him. Finding that she still couldn't get lost in her book, she finally just snapped it shut and dropped it on the table. Hard. That seemed to finally alert Fred as to how pissed off she was. He stopped smiling, and stared down at the book. When he looked back up he saw Hermione sitting there with her eyes squeezed shut, her fist clenched on the table, and taking deep, slow breaths. Fred reached out and grabbed one of her clenched fist in his soft, long-fingered, pale hand. Her eyes snapped open and she stared at him.