The marriage law

Uncomfortable

Fred and Hermione had very little time to dwell on what they collectively remembered from their wedding night. They were expected out of the cottage by mid-morning, and time was already ticking.

They ate a hurried breakfast, doing everything that they could to avoid making eye contact the whole time. Barely a word was said between them, even afterwards, when they were packing up their belongings. They merely grasped each other's hands, and apparated themselves back to the Burrow, eager to be amongst family who would, with some luck, mask any tension between the most recently married couple.

The pressing darkness of apparition did very little to alleviate any of Hermione's uneasiness, in fact, she would blush a bright scarlet whenever she thought of the whole thing, and cry out the same question in her head.

"Why did I have to bring out the champagne last night? WHY?"

"Hermione? HERMIONE? What's wrong? Your face looks likes you've spent the last three days in a sauna."

"Hmm?" replied Hermione absent-mindedly as she looked up at Ginny's concerned expression.

They were sitting at the kitchen table of the Burrow, alone, tying green ribbons around the wedding favours for Ginny and Harry's wedding.

"Why does your face keep turning red? Usually you only do that when you're hiding something..."

This only caused Hermione to turn a deeper hue of puce.

"You ARE hiding something, aren't you?"

"No," said Hermione in a small voice as though she thought that might deter the spirited Ginny.

"Yes! Yes, you are hiding something!"

"No...don't...you'll find it disgusting."

"Hermione, what could I possibly find that disgusting?"

Head down, and in the most mumbled voice Ginny had ever heard, Hermione revealed what was bothering her.

"I slept with your brother."

"I can kind of use my imagination here, but you are going to have to be a little more explicit. In case it has escaped your notice, I have several brothers."

"Fred," replied Hermione in that same mumbled tone.

Ginny blinked away her confusion.

"What's so bad about that? Yes, I am a little grossed out by the fact that you're telling me this, but you slept with your husband. It's hardly what one might define as scandalous."

"Yeah," said Hermione slowly, "but, from what I remember, I liked it."

Comprehension dawned on Ginny as her mouth formed a silent 'Oh'.

"And, you feel guilty, don't you? That's why you're acting this way."

Hermione still did not look up at this.

"Oh, Hermione," said Ginny moving around the table to hug her friend. "You shouldn't be feeling that way. Fred is my brother, and it does pain me to say this, but he is your husband and he won't have taken that role lightly. He might be a joker and a prankster, but he is decent."

Ginny's face lost most of its sympathy, and she spoke with all seriousness as Hermione began to make noises of protest.

"I wasn't going to say anything before, because I didn't want to pressure you, but I think he really does like you. Like, really likes you. I don't think he would have said yes to marriage otherwise."

"What?" said Hermione, completely dumbstruck.

"Please don't tell anyone that I said anything. I don't think he even really knows it himself, yet. But, just a little off topic...can we get back to tying these ribbons, Mum's going to be breathing down out necks in a minute."