I Hate That I Love You (Fred & Hermione)

4|Holding Hands

"Hermione." The voice was whispered rather close from behind her, and so she jumped, nearly dropping the book she held open.

"What?" She asked, after regaining her composure she looked up at Fred with a scolding look for disturbing her.

"What are you doing?"

"Reading, you?"

"I am attempting to converse with a certain witch, but her attentions seem very invested elsewhere." He pulled the book from her grasp. "What, is there a smoldering git in here?"

"Yes Fred, I read books because they have smoldering characters."

He raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's just about stunning spells."

"Well you've stunned me Granger, no need for reading up on the matter."

Hermione looked to him, unsure of what that statement meant. Suspicions aside, she grabbed the book back. "What do you want?"

"You."

"Fred Weasley!" She scolded, and hit his arm lightly with her book.

"Ouch, that hurt."

"It will if you keep taking the piss." She retorted.

"Care for a walk?"

"A what?"

"A walk. You know, the thing people do when they move a distance using their legs." He said with a cheeky grin.

"Are you always so smart?"

"Come on, it would be like your rounds." He gestured toward the portrait.

Hermione sighed, but then got up, discarded her book, and followed Fred out into the corridor. It was late at night, and her nerves hardly subsided in a fear Filch would be around the next corner.

"How's the year been?" Fred started. 

Hermione looked at him again.

"What?" He asked.

"It's just the two of us aren't usually the pair to discuss our lives." She stated the obvious, looking ahead when he didn't defend himself. "Well, the year has been standard so far. Umbridge is horrible." 

"Horrible is an understatement."  Fred added.

They both grinned to that. 

All of a sudden it happened. It was spontaneous. They were walking in a comfortable silence, until he slipped his fingers between her own, locking their hands together. 

Hermione attempted to remain nonplused towards the action. 

"Something wrong?" She heard him ask beside her, aware of her reaction.

She looked to their intertwined hands, then up at him. "No." 

He gave her hand a slight squeeze, and she felt a million butterflies within her stomach.

"So, George has been adamant about finding who I fancy." Fred started.

Hermione processed the information, providing a curious "oh?"

"And I've been thinking I should probably tell them before I tell him."

Fred stopped walking, and lightly pulled on her hand so that she followed him to the side of the corridor. This provided the ability for him to look comfortably down into her eyes. Hermione was growing nervous, and yet filled with excitement simply from being close to him. "So you do fancy someone then." She began.

There was a pause, Fred looked down, and she never imagined he could ever look this nervous. "Something like that." He replied. "Any guesses, Granger?"

Hermione shifted awkwardly. "Fred, I—" she didn't know how to answer.

"You're the smartest witch of your age, surely you know." 

Hermione glanced upwards, catching his blue eyes she had confirmed it was herself. "Johnson." She answered as a poke of fun.

He shook his head. 

"Katie Bell then?" 

He frowned. "Never."

Hermione grinned feebly, now both their hands were intertwined and she lifted her palms to meet his in a flirtatious way of pressing their hands together. He was watching their hands as well. 

"Well then I guess that would leave me." She spoke daringly, and she nearly forgot how to breathe once the statement had escaped her. 

"Yes." Fred hummed. "Hermione, I believe you've gained my attentions."

"As have you." She spoke shyly.

He stood up from leaning against the wall, and broke the contact from their hands.  He walked a little aways, and held a positively delightful smile upon his face. He outstretched a hand to her. "Come on then." 

She accepted it, and they began to walk again. "Where are you taking me?" Hermione asked.

"A little nook up in the seventh floor for a snog." Hermione froze at the statement, to which he burst out in his typical laughter. "I'm only kidding." He lightly brushed his thumb on the back of her hand reassuringly.

They walked the levels, held in polite conversation. Yet both maintained a flirtatious nature toward the other. By the time they returned to the Gryffindor portrait, Hermione did not wish to release his hand.

"Well you've been positively delightful to spend the evening with, Granger."

"Goodnight." She replied, and he let go of her hand only when she was three steps back. She glanced over her shoulder before crossing the common room and disappearing behind the common room stairs.

<><><><><><><><><>

"Ask us no questions and we'll tell you (to vote and comment on this part) no lies."
-Fred and George Weasley