Second Chances (Fremione)

8.

Diagon Alley was full of people, just as it usually is on the day before the Hogwarts Express arrived. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had allowed the kids to go by themselves, which made them all very happy.
"I need to get textbooks." Ron groaned. Harry nodded. "I'll go with you. The bookshop is right next to Quality Quidditch Supplies and I need some more broom polish." Ginny was never one to separate herself from Harry and George tagged along too, mumbling something about Quidditch supplies. He shot a little glance and Fred and smiled. "You wouldn't mind picking me up a new robe, would you Gred?"

Fred laughed. "No, not at all Forge." Hermione was sure that she saw George shoot him a glance, eyeing Hermione and then Fred.

"Well, I guess you're coming with me, 'Mione. It's probably for the best. You may need protecting or serving or something. And I am here for you!" He grinned at her and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

Hermione was amazed that she and Fred had managed to get themselves alone. It seemed as though Ginny, and maybe even George, we're trying to throw them together. She wondered in passing if George's attempts to set her up with his brother meant that Fred already liked her, but she pushed the thought out of her mind. Just let things play out. She told herself. Enjoy the time you have with Fred.

They finished up at Madam Malkin's rather quickly, getting new robes for themselves and everyone else who needed them.

"I think that's all we needed to get." Fred said as they walked out of the store. Hermione handed her bags to her servant and he willingly took them. "Do you want to go get some butter beer and wait for everyone else?" She asked innocently.

Fred nodded and they walked together to the Leaky Cauldron. She couldn't help but notice how dangerously close his hand was to hers. She thought seriously about grabbing his, but stopped herself. Holding hands to stay together while running from Death Eaters is far different than walking hand in hand to get a drink together, she told herself. Fred may not want that.

"You get us a table." Fred said. "I'll get the drinks." He handed her the bags and Hermione found a small table in the back and used the bags to save the seat across from her.

Fred came back with the drinks and Hermione gestures to the chair with the bags, but either he didn't notice or didn't care because Fred sat down directly next to her. At first it seemed a little awkward, sitting right next to Fred as they talked, but it soon became natural and she found herself absentmindedly scooting closer to him, wanting him to be closer to her.

"Surely the new one will last more than a year!" Fred laughed. "I don't know. We've never been able to keep a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for longer than a year." Hermione replied.

Fred shook his head. "You just came to school at a bad time. Before Quirrell, Professor Braxton had been there forever. Pretty soon I'll bet we're gonna find a steady teacher. We've just run on a bit of bad luck."

Hermione smiled. She enjoyed talking to Fred. And even though she knew she was right, she let him win this argument and just sighed. "Maybe you're right."

The two fell silent for a bit. Hermione was surprised at how natural the conversation felt with Fred. They just seemed to flow from one conversation topic to the next with great ease, just enjoying each other's company. Time seemed to fly by and she forgot the nervousness that she felt when they had first entered the Leaky Cauldron. As it hit her again how Fred was supposed to die in just a few short years, she wished so much that she had taken advantage of the time she had with him the first time around and allowed herself to have conversations like this with him before they could be so easily tainted by what was to come. Still, she reminded herself of how much more she had with him before that time came, and she allowed herself to hope just for a minute, that she'd be able to change Fred's fate.

She realized that this was actually the first silence the two had had this afternoon, but she was surprised to find that even that wasn't incredibly awkward. Finally, Fred let himself speak. "So you and my brother..." he started.

"What about him?" Hermione asked. Fred refused to look up from his shoes. "Are you two..."

"There you two are!" She heard from behind her and was jolted out of her conversation as both she and Fred turned abruptly. Ginny stood at the front of the pack, Harry and all the other Weasley brothers behind her, all with huge stacks of books. They all came over to the table and dropped down the heavy stacks, pulling up chairs so they could all sit around the small table.

Hermione was both glad and a little angry at the interruption. She wanted to be with Fred, she wanted him to know how she felt, still there was a part of her that was just not quite ready to tell him yet.