Love in Hiding

Chapter One.

Hermione the bookworm. Know-it-all-Granger. Ron's friend and fiancé. Those were the things that came to mind when Fred Weasley thought of Hermione Granger. After graduating from Hogwarts, he and George had indeed, opened their own joke shop, which was now even bigger than Zonko's.

Fred and George now had the largest chain of joke shops in th wizarding world. They had several hundred employees and were never doing actual work in the shops.

Since Harry, Ron and Hermione had graduated from Hogwarts two years ago, Voldemort had been rising in power. It was under the suggestion of Professor Dumbledore, that The Weasley's, The Grangers, and anyone associated with Harry in any way go to safe houses. The Dursley's, had of course, refused, not wanting anything to do with magic.

Since going into hiding a week ago, Fred had had very little to do. Which was why he was at the train station. For the first time in his life, he was early for a non-work-related appointment. Unlike all other non-work-related appointments, this one was actually important. He was picking up Hermione Granger, his little brother's fiancé. The train was due within the next ten minutes, and a bored Fred started looking around the small wizarding train station at Marauder's Point.

~*~

Hermione stepped off the train, looking for Fred, who was supposed to pick her up and take her to his safe house. She was meeting Ron and Harry in six weeks, assuming that Voldemort hadn't risen completely to power, and that it was safe for her to marry Ron at that time.

She grinned when she spotted the unmistakable flaming red hair that belonged to each and every Weasley. Walking up behind Fred, Hermione found him staring at the wall, a dazed expression on his face. She tapped him on the shoulder before she spoke.

"Mr. Weasley, I presume?" she raised her voice so it was high and rather squeaky.

~*~

Fred groaned, thinking it was a 'fan' of the joke shop. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and saw a young woman standing behind him. She was shorter than his 6'2'', he guessed about 5'9''. She had chest-length brown hair that cascaded down her back in gentle waves and loose curls.

Large chocolate eyes looked at him as she smiled.

"Can I help you?" Fred blinked at her.

~*~

"Fred Weasley! I've known you since I was eleven years old and you don't recognize me?!" Hermione pretended to be mad. "I feel neglected," she brushed past him. "Wait 'til I tell your mother!" she called over her shoulder. She didn't really blame Fred for not recognizing her. She hadn't seen him in four years, since he'd graduated.

Everytime she was at the Burrow, he had always been away on business, at a friend's house, or on vacation. She always missed him, even if only by a few minutes. In the four years, she'd gotten taller, her hair had smoothed out and she'd gotten more feminine. Her curves were now accentuated and she no longer carried a stack of ten books with her at all times.

While she'd changed, she noticed that he had too. He was still tall, still at 6'2'', she guessed, but he was no longer skinny and gangly. His shoulders were broader and she could tell that underneath his red sweater, were somewhat new muscles that covered his arms and chest. He still had his trademark hair, but suddenly Hermione found Fred- the same Fred who'd dyed her hair blue in his sixth year, had put frogs in her book bag, and had put ink in her tea- very attractive. To her, it didn't matter that he was her future brother-in-law. He was attractive, and she wasn't going to deny it.

~*~

Fred searched his memory. He couldn't figure out whom he'd known for over half his life, and was female. She looked about Ron's age. Long brown hair. She was definitely familiar looking, and for a moment, Fred thought of Hermione. But the young woman had one thing different. While she was beautiful and confident, she was carrying a load of books.

"Do I know you?" Fred asked, frowning at her as he tried to remember her identity.

"Fred Weasley!" Fred cringed as the woman in front of him shrieked, sounding very much like his mother. "You don't even recognize your future sister-in-law?!" she asked him. "The girl who you tortured through school?" she asked.

Fred's jaw dropped comically. He stared at her in disbelievement.

"Hermione?!" he exclaimed. "You...."

"Grew up?" she asked him. "People do do that, Fred," she grinned at him.

"But you.... you..."

"Oh Fred," she smiled, hugging him tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. Fred was in shock. Hermione had gone from cute little kid to knockout. He wrapped his arms around her torso, picking her up in a gargantuan hug.

"It's been too long," she said against his ear, laughing as he swung her around.

"Yeah," Fred grinned, setting her on her feet. He took her bag and started leading her to the apparation point. Stepping into the small rectangle, he grabbed her hand they apparated to his safe house.

~*~

Hermione opened her eyes to find herself in a small, fancy sitting room. A fireplace was behind them, as if they'd traveled by floo. Fred still held her hand and she blushed slightly, ashamed of the thoughts running through her head. Pulling her hand away, she noted that carpet was a deep maroon shade. A red leather couch sat adjacent the fireplace, a matching golden couch of the same leather across the red settee. A deep mahogany coffee table sat between them. A door led out of the room.

"Welcome to my house," he smiled. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Your house?"

"Yeah," Fred grinned, walking out of the door and into a different part of the house. Hermione was shocked that Fred owned such a fancy, clean home. The Fred she remembered had been messy, and well, not much on sophistication.

~*~

Fred showed Hermione her room and then offered to make her dinner. She accepted and now he was making dinner while she sat at a table in the kitchen, just looking around in amazement.

"Not really me, is it?" he asked, a knowing smile on his face.

"No, it's not," she agreed. "It's..."

"Fancy?" Fred suggested, looking at Hermione.

"Yeah," Hermione grinned.

"So...how have you been? It's been...what? Four years?"

"I've been.... good," she thought of a word.

"Just 'good'?" Fred wondered, adding spices to the stew he was making.

"Yeah," Hermione remarked.

"Hogwarts brightest student is only 'good'? Now, let me see, you have a best seller out, a job with the Ministry, and you're engaged to be married. To my brother, nonetheless, and you're only 'good'?" Fred raised an eyebrow, turning to look at her.

"Well..."

"What?" he turned around, leaning against the counter.

"It's...complicated," Hermione remarked. "With Vold- You Know Who becoming powerful again..."

"You can't see Ron," Fred remarked. Inside, something was wrong. He was jealous. Shaking his head, thinking he was imagining the jealousy, he spoke again, "It's understandable, I suppose. Being engaged, then having to go live with some strange man," he grinned, unable to resist a joke.

"Well, at least it's a nice strange man," Hermione smiled.

"I'm hurt," he put a hand to his chest.

~*~

Hermione panicked.

"What?!" She stood up. "Where are you hurt? What happened? Is it a curse?!" she asked, panicked.

"Calm down," he remarked.

"But you're hurt!" Hermione remarked. She'd known Fred all her life, almost, and while she cared about him, the panic she was experiencing was more than she'd felt for Ron in a long time. Even though she knew he was in danger.

"Hermione, it was...a joke. I was hoping I'd be a 'funny strange man'," he smiled.

"You prat!" Hermione smacked his arm lightly. She sighed heavily. "Don't do that again," she whispered. "I thought..."

Fred nodded.

"I'm...oh gosh, I forgot to owl Ron!" she cried, running from the kitchen and to her room. When she reached her room, Pigwidgeon was waiting with a letter.

Herm,

How was your train? I hope you got off at the right stop. It was pretty obvious, the stop, I mean. I hope you're okay. Give Fred my best. Dumbledore has been appointed Minister of Magic. Fudge is...he was killed, Herm.

Hermione gasped, dropping the letter. Curious as to what else Ron had said, she bent and picked up her letter.

The Goblins have advised everyone to put any money or valuables they have into vaults at Gringotts. They think something very serious is about to go down. Be careful, and stay close to Fred.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Love,

Ron

P.S. Harry sends his best, as well. He says Hedwig will be coming by with a letter in a few days.

Hermione gulped. She quickly scrawled a letter back to Ron, gave Pig a little bit of water and tied the envelope to his leg. Pig flew out the window and out of sight.

~*~

"Fred, look," Hermione said. She handed him a letter. Fred took the parchment from her and read.

"I better advice every shop to put all funds into Gringotts," he remarked. He got out a piece of parchment and quill and began writing, dinner forgotten momentarily.

Going to the window, he opened the window and whistled. A large, brown owl flew to the window and stopped.

"Take it to Marcus Riwdell," Fred remarked, petting the owl. Turning around, he said, "Riwdell is my accountant. He'll make sure the shops put the money in Gringotts."

"What about everything you have here?"

"The money?" Fred asked. Hermione nodded. "Ron told you..." she nodded again.

"Well, I'll have to take the money to Gringotts, myself. Keep some money, but there's no need for 953 Galleons, 384 sickles and 35 knuts," he remarked. Hermione gasped. "Yeah, I know, Fred Weasley has never had that much money in his life."

Hermione didn't say anything. "But, I'm not the same Fred Weasley I once was," he grinned. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he left the room.

~*~

Hermione waited patiently. Fred returned with three large sacks, with what Hermione guessed, were full of money.

"You're going now..." she trailed off.

"I have to," Fred remarked.

"But...I..."

"You're coming with me," Fred remarked, grabbing his wand from his pocket. "Accio cloaks," he remarked.

"What?!"

"I promised Ron I'd protect you," Fred remarked. "And I will. Now, here's your cloak. You have your wand?" Hermione nodded. "Then we're ready."