As I walked into the burrow for the first time, it was the smell I noticed first; not the clean 'just been bleached' kind of smell like my house, but the warm smell of something delicious cooking. It was only when I really looked that I started to notice all the tiny details which made it a home. The photographs on the wall of the entire family, clearly, due to the masses of red hair, the patched up cushions, the hustle and bustle of everyone helping to make the meal and set the table, the bickering between siblings. No matter who you were, anyone could feel welcome at the burrow.
As the table was finally set everyone found a seat, I found myself sat between Ginny and Fred and across from my two best friends, Harry and Ron.
"Right everyone help yourselves and dig in!" Molly Weasley shouted above the chatter, "Fred dear, get Hermione some of the stew, and make sure she gets a healthy portion, she's all skin and bones, Charlie pass that spoon down would you, oh sorry Ginny, yes Arthur's getting some bread, he should be here by now, ARTHUR?"
I leaned forward and took the stew from Fred,
"Thanks!"
"No problem, here pass this one to Ginny" he said with a wink, I gave it to her and she eyed it suspiciously,
"What have you done to it Freddy?"
"Nothing, it's just mum's lovely delicious homemade stew!"
She tentatively took a sip and spat it out immediately,
"Fred you -" just at that point her entire nose turned bright blue.
"MUM!! Look what Fred has done!"
"Fred Weasley!"
I silently chuckled at the nonsense of it all. It was a while before Ginny's nose returned to normal and Mrs Weasley had thoroughly scorned Fred, but after dinner and desert, everyone migrated into the small living room and squashed up together on the sofa and armchairs. I watched, mesmerised, as everyone found a seat, it was like a living Tetris. Not that anyone would have understood the reference.
"Oh dear, Hermione hasn't got somewhere to sit, squeeze up everyone, make some room!" Mrs Weasley called,
Everyone obliged and I found myself once again sat next to Fred Weasley.
"Okay, so you're a bright little witch aren't you?" Fred said to me,
"Umm.."
"So, say I was trying to...adjust a love potion, if I added some extra powdered moonstone then what would that do?"
"Well, that would change the balance completely, giving completely different effects, if the original recipe caused the receiver of the potion to 'fall in love' with the giver of the love potion, the added amount of powdered moonstone would in fact alter the receivers view and therefore you could say add a few hairs of whoever you wanted them to fall in love with and then they would fall in love with that person, although the added powdered moonstone would actually change the time frame as well, and so therefore, oh no, it would probably last more like up to a week. So probably not the best idea, you're not planning to try this are you?"
"Well, you'll have to wait and see!" He winked at me before getting up to 'get some fresh air'
That week Ron mysteriously fell in love with Percy. Mrs Weasley was not happy at all!
When we went back to school, I started to notice Fred Weasley a bit more. Every time he pulled a prank on someone, although I noticed that none his pranks were ever on anyone undeserving, and none of them were actually malicious or lasted very long.
I was just in the library trying to write an essay for snape, when I heard someone whispering my name. I got up and saw Fred and George standing outside the library calling me.
"What is it? Why couldn't you just come in and talk to me like a normal person?"
"Oh, we've been banned from the library for the rest of the term due to an"
"Unfortunate incident involving some unlucky 3rd years"
"But anyway, we need your help! We've been working"
"On something new, for Ron!"
"We've been working on that powder which turned Ginny's nose blue"
"And we think we've made it so that he will turn entirely blue!"
"But he's very cautious now when we're around, so we need you to give this to him!"
They passed me a little blue ball, I could easily get Ron to eat it,
"Why would I do that?"
"Well we thought you might ask that, so we've also been working on this,"
"See we heard that crookshanks wasn't sleeping well"
"So we adapted this 'sleep happy' potion for witches and wizards"
"So that it would be perfect for cats!"
It took me by surprise that they knew about crookshanks, but I agreed to give Ron the sweet, because crookshanks had been getting on my nerves recently, keeping me up to ungodly hours with his insistent howling.
Ron didn't know what had hit him. It took him 3 days in the hospital wing to fully recover. But he never figured out how the twins did it! I agreed to help the twins a few more times for more of the potion for crookshanks. Until I figured out what they had done to change it and I managed to make some myself.
After a while of normal school without any encounters with the twins, Fred Weasley came up to me in the corridor,
"Hey Hermione, I was wondering if, you could help me?"
"What this time?" I sighed expecting some new trick or joke,
"No, I, I need some help with this essay for Snape. I know you're not in our year, but I'm sure you could help. I just can't get any ideas. George tried making it up, but he's now in detention with Snape!"
"Okay, what's it on?"
"The properties of Moonstone and its uses in Potion making"
"But, you were doing that yourself!"
"Well, yeah, but you seemed to know a lot about it so, I thought you would be able to help me!"
"Well I suppose I could! I'll speak to the librarian and get her to let you in so I can help you, after dinner tonight okay?"
"Knew you'd help! I mean who wouldn't want to spend time with me?" And he walked off chuckling to himself.
Months passed with more of the same. I continued helping Fred and occasionally George with potions, which I enjoyed because it meant I knew I'd be ahead next year!
Before we knew it, it was the week before Christmas and I was back at the burrow for Christmas because my parents were at a conference in Florida.
Harry and Ron were in a sulk because Ginny had just told everyone that she was dating Dean Thomas.
Fred and George were hanging mistletoe above the door and adding some mysterious charms to it.
Ginny was sat down writing a letter so I didn't think to bother her, so I decided to go out for a walk. I put a heating charm on my cloak and walked out into the fresh frosty air.
After no more than three minutes I heard someone open the door and run out after me,
"Mind if I join you?" Fred asked although I doubt it was really a question,
"Not at all!" I mumbled, not really sure why I was suddenly feeling rather hot.
"It's lovely out here, mum used to take me and Georgie out here whenever we got a bit too much to handle."
"So you came out here a lot then?" I laughed, and he joined in,
"Yeah I'm not sure mum has ever really been able to handle us!" Our laughter soon petered out and we walked in silence. We came to a bench and sat down,
"So, you and Ron?"
"Are just friends!" I finished,
"Really?"
"Yes!! He's my best friend, but nothing more!!"
Fred laughed but there was a faraway look in his eyes and suddenly he kissed me. Not a long kiss, but it left me flustered all the same,
"You....I....what?" I managed to stutter,
"Best not tell Ron, I think he might have a thing for you" he grinned, got up and ran back to the house. Moments later I followed, unsure what to make of what happened.
The next few days passed in a blur. Fred barely glanced at me once and before I knew it was Christmas morning.
"Hey, Hermione wake up!" Ron shouted right next to my ear,
"Ron! I'm awake! You don't need to shout!"
"Merry Christmas Hermione!" Harry said with a grin,
"Come on let's go open presents!!" Ron whispered
When we got downstairs it seemed the whole family was already awake. The living room was chaotic. Presents were being handed out, wrapping paper seemed to be flying everywhere, and everyone had a ridiculously wide grin on their faces.
"Here this one's for you dear" Mrs Weasley handed me a large squishy present. It was a large blue jumper with a large white H knitted into the front. I put it on and instantly felt much warmer.
I got a few other presents, a book on the history of the ministry of magic from Ron, a new quill set from Harry, a romantic novel from Ginny and a beautiful hair pin from my parents, presumably from Florida. I thanked everyone and went upstairs to put everything down. Just as I put the hairpin on my dresser I heard a knock,
"Come in!"
Fred walked in with a small gift in his hand,
"This is for you" he said and handed me the gift, inside was a beautiful necklace with a red jewel on it, when I touched the jewel it seemed to glow like an ember,
"It's been charmed to glow on your touch and no one else's." He grinned and put it on me. It was stunning.
"Thank you, it's, it's beautiful!!" I ran to my trunk and pulled out another small gift,
"Here it's, it's nothing really!" I gave it to him and watched him unwrap a single thread bracelet. He looked confused,
"It's also been charmed, it won't ever break or fall off your wrist, and no one can take it off except you, oh and I have one more thing for you" I leaned forward and kissed him, and then quickly ran back downstairs before he could say anything.
I found myself a seat on the sofa and a couple of minutes later, Fred came in, wearing the bracelet. He came and sat down next to me and everyone continued talking. Fred quietly whispered in my ear,
"If we're going to do this, I mean, if you want to, no one can know. Not yet" He grinned and I smiled and nodded. I could do this, I mean, I definitely wanted to. I'd never known anyone quite like Fred Weasley before, I mean aside from George. Fred was so quick and witty, and always made jokes, but he was also very romantic and serious when he wanted to be.
