Hermione shifted slightly under the warm covers, attempting to get comfortable. She moved a little to the left, then the right, onto her back, and then onto her stomach. She slipped herself onto her back once more, lifting the covers as she raised her knees, allowing a gust of cold air to swish underneath.
She vigorously rubbed at the goose-bumps now covering her legs, while glancing at the clock on the wall above Ginny's bed. It was too dark to see the position of the hands, so she grabbed her wand from the shelf above her, and with it lit, she squinted at the clock.
It was just past five in the morning, and Ginny continued to snore in the bed opposite; but sleep did not come to Hermione once more.
The wedding was to begin at midday, so she still had plenty of time to sleep, if she wanted. Hermione desperately wanted to sleep, because only sleep could blot out all of the recent events. However, her overactive brain would not allow her this one mercy.
It was for perhaps an hour that she lay there, under the warm covers, contemplating her life as Mrs Hermione Weasley.
Finally, she decided that a hot shower might calm her nerves.
She groped around in the dark, trying to find everything that she needed to have a shower. Finally she managed to make her way out of the room, unharmed and without disturbing Ginny.
However, her success was short-lived. She had opened the door and walked smack-bang into another person. A very solid and tall person.
Pressing her lips together, willing herself not to make a sound, she looked up at the offending obstacle that was literally blocking her attempt at finding calm and peace.
"Fred?"
"You know Hermione, it's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding."
"Huh?" said Hermione, still feeling a bit dazed.
"What are you doing up so early? Were you so excited to see me that you just couldn't wait a few more hours?"
This spurred Hermione's brain into action once more.
"Ha, ha, very funny. I was actually on my way to have a shower, so if you don't mind..."
She moved, so as to make her way over to the bathroom, but Fred continued to block her path, giving her wicked grin while he was at it.
"Oh, if only you'd gotten out of bed sooner, we could have had a shower together. I'm all for helping the environment and saving water."
"Don't be disgusting," whispered Hermione, suddenly acutely aware of all the other occupants of the house, who were still asleep, but could wake at any moment and find her in what she thought to be a slightly compromising position.
She managed to push past Fred, but not so fast that she was able to ignore the wiggling eyebrows of her fiancé.
"See you later, Hermione."
"I'll be the one in white," she replied sarcastically, not quite able to completely ignore him.
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