fred&hermione - doing just fine on your own

chapter five

hermione's pov.

fred was honestly something else. a proper fiery, stubborn man. but whatever way i'd stood in front of him on those stairs, teasing him without actually intending to come across so flirtatious, i seemed to have some kind of hold over him. but i shrugged it off, surely it was nothing. i was sure it took more than that to tease a weasley.

i walked into the kitchen where i saw ginny and harry standing behind a wicker picnic basket. i wondered what they were up to.

"what are you two doing?" i asked, peeking around the corner.
"making a picnic, 'mione. surely it wouldn't be anything else." harry tutted, shaking his head and slicing sandwiches into small triangles.

i glanced at ginny with a smirk, who winked at me. i tried to stifle my laughter as best i could, but harry rose his head, death staring me through his circular glasses, his green eyes glimmering in the soft sunshine beating in through the kitchen window. he was also trying to contain his giggles.

i shook my head, stifling a smile, "are we almost ready?"
"almost..." ginny sighed, folding a picnic blanket into the basket.
"need any help?" i offered.

i was bored, i wanted something else to occupy my mind other than a weasley. i mean, i said that like it's a bad thing, which it's not, but it was awfully distracting, my mind was cloudy and i needed something to focus on. i didn't want to go head over heels for a certain older weasley sibling with soft brown eyes and a charming manner. i always told myself, that i was doing just fine on my own.

"pack those boxes of sandwiches, would you?" ginny asked, eyeing towards the stairs, "i think i best check on the boys to make sure they're ready."

i chuckled as ginny rolled her eyes, nodding understandingly as she made her way upstairs. i packed two boxes of sandwiches ginny and harry had made into the basket, on top of the soft, woollen picnic blanket, as well as a bowl of fruit - oranges, apples, bananas, and cans of fizzy lemonade. this seemed like plenty. although i hoped the boys wouldn't get their hands on it all first, they'd eat everything, those weasleys.

i closed the picnic basket lid and turned towards the creaking sound emitting from the direction of the stairs. ginny came trudging down, and following her was bill, the twins, ron and harry, who's seemed to have disappeared from the picnic making.

"ready?" ginny asked.

i nodded in reply, grabbing the picnic basket and walking to meet them at the foot of the stairs.

"do we have everyone?" ron chimed, looking around.
"don't worry, ronnikins, we wouldn't ever leave anyone behind." fred and george answered in unison, mocking babyish voices and pinching his cheeks.

ron shrugged them off as i and ginny stifled a giggle, much to the delight of the twins, fred especially, who solemnly made eye contact with me over harry's shoulder, smiling softly as his brown eyes lit up, winking at me. i shook it off, and followed ginny outside onto the beach.