Second Chances (Fremione)

14.

Hermione checked herself in the mirror one more time. "Ginny, are you sure about this?"

She ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed her dress.

"You look great. Believe me, my brother is going to be absolutely floored." Ginny assured her.

"Ok. It's just a little different." She said. Though technically this was a lie. She had, after all, worn this dress before. But she had never worn it in an attempt to impress Fred. She didn't know how he had reacted the last time, but she wanted him to be impressed.

"Let's go. It's time." Ginny smiled as she took Hermione's hand and led her down the stairs to the common room where Fred was supposed to meet her. When they reached the bottom of the stairs and gestured for Hermione to go first.

Hermione peeked around the corner and saw Fred facing away from her wringing his hands. She walked slowly down the stairs and tapped him gently on the shoulder. He turned, and she watched him stare at her, waiting for him to say something.

"Is it too much? I was worried it might be..." she whispered as she held the dress up a little so it wouldn't touch the floor and bowed her head slightly. She should have toned it down. She looked like she was trying to hard! What was she thinking?

But all of her doubts faded away as the handsome looking man before her lifted her chin with his finger and stared her directly in the eye.

"You look... incredible." He smiled. "I mean you're always gorgeous. But this... Hermione, you look beautiful." Fred said, and for the first time in a long time, she didn't hear a hint of sarcasm in his voice. There was no mischievous glint in his eye. The smile that pulled at the corners of his lips was not the same one she'd seen so many times, the look that made her think he was always up to something. No, this smile was much more genuine, a look of complete and total awe. In his eyes she saw nothing but the utmost sincerity. And for the first time, even more than she had at the first Yule Ball, she believed that someone thought she was beautiful.

"Every guy in that room is going to want to be me." He promised her as he offered her his arm.

"And every girl is going to want to be me." Hermione answered. Fred waved her off, but Hermione doubled down. "I'm serious, Fred Weasley, you are a catch. You're smart and funny and charming and incredibly handsome. I don't know if I've told you all this before, but I'm very glad you asked me tonight."

Fred didn't say anything, but she could tell he was pleased. In fact, she couldn't be sure, but she was pretty sure she had just become the only person in the world to actually see Fred Weasley blush.

Hermione smiled as she looped her arm into his and the two walked out of the portrait hole and towards the great hall.

At the bottom of the stairs, she caught Harry elbowing Ron in the ribs as they both looked up at their best friend, looking more beautiful than she ever had and arm in arm with Ron's brother. She was a little surprised at the look she saw on Ron's face, though. Even with Viktor, it had been more a look of jealousy and pain, but this was nothing short of pure anger. For right now though, she pushed it out of her mind. That was a problem for later. For now, she was going to enjoy her time with Fred.

After the four champions had started dancing, Fred was one of the first to drag Hermione out onto the floor. They didn't say a lot that night, but just danced.

"I'm gonna go get us a drink!" Fred called over the loud music and pointed toward the table in the back. Hermione nodded and turned with him, catching Ron and Harry sitting with their dates, all looking equally bored.

"Fred has gone to get us drinks." She said. "Would you care to join us?" Hermione offered, knowing how it would end but figuring she may as well get it over with.

"No, we do not want to join you and Fred! Hermione, how could you do this to me? That's my brother, you know!" Ron yelled as he stood up and stepped closer to her, anger evident on his increasingly red face.

"Of course I know he's your brother! I've only spent the last two summers at your house, Ronald! I think I know who your brothers are!" She snapped back.

"Good! I'm glad to see you notice some things! Now, did it fail to cross your mind how this would effect me?" Ron asked.

"How this would effect you?" Hermione laughed. "No, actually, it didn't really seem to be any of your business!"

"None of my business? You're my best friend and you're dancing with my brother! How do you think that makes me look?" Ron asked.

"I think it makes you look like you have a great family worthy of raising both a quality date and a quality best friend! Or at least, I thought a quality best friend. But if you really were my friend, you would be happy for me that I've found someone who makes me happy. Someone who likes me. SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY BOTHERED TO ASK ME TO THIS STUPID DANCE!" Hermione screamed.

"I would've asked you, but..." Ron trailed off, but at least he wasn't yelling anymore.

"When, Ron? 30 seconds before the dance? Because that's how much time you had left. You weren't going to ask me. You were just hoping that no one else would so that you could have a date without putting in the work. Well, guess what? Someone did ask me. And I'm sorry that you have some kind of inferiority complex when it comes to your brothers and I'm sorry that someone else worked up the courage to ask me before you could, but I like Fred and he likes me. And if you can't accept that and be happy for your best friend and your brother, two people that you should care about more than anyone else in the world, then maybe we're not as close as I thought we were. And maybe you're not the person I thought you were."

Hermione stormed off, meeting Fred halfway and dragging him out into the hallway, tears streaming down her face.

It hurt worse this time. She didn't think it would, seeing as how she didn't actually want to go with Ron. But she thought maybe he could put aside his jealousy and at least be happy that his brother was happy. He should at least be happy that she had found someone good this time. Fred was a better choice than Viktor! He had to be.

Fred and Hermione sat down on the steps as Fred handed her a drink, which she gulped down in two swallows, trying to stave off the tears.

"My brother is a giant moron." Fred offered as he wiped the tears from her face.

Hermione forced a smile. "You heard that, did you?"

Fred smirked. " 'Mione, I hate to break it to you, but I think everyone heard that."

She couldn't help but laugh. He was right. Ron was a moron. At least in this instance. But this time, she had several things to take comfort in. First, she knew he would turn out ok, even if it did take a while. Second, she wasn't after him anymore. And third, this time she had the better Weasley brother to dry her tears when Ron was being a moron. So she leaned into Fred as he put his arm around her, enjoying the fact that this time, she did not have to cry alone.