Dear Fred and Hermione,

                                           I am incredibly ashamed at what happened yesterday. Alexander should not have acted the way he did. He has embarrassed me and embarrassed himself which is why I am writing this letter to tell you that I have left him for good.

He has his mansion, house elves and he can get any other women to stay with him (good luck to her) so he doesn’t need me. We did get into a fight and before he could throw me out of his house, I packed my bags and left.

I am very happy now and I thank you, Hermione, for letting me tell you about my past. You gave me a way to express my feelings and now I am taking on board your advice. I am trying to find that person that can make me happy just like Fred makes you happy and I hope the man I find can help me through my sorrow.

Fred, treat her right and I have no doubt that you will have a long and happy relationship. I thank you for talking sense into me, Hermione. Now I can begin my life and I hope you will want to keep in touch with me.

Truly grateful,

Anna.

Fred and Hermione received this letter in the afternoon as they lounged around in their hotel room. They heard an owl tap on their window and both of them read the letter together. Hermione was happy that Anna had left that vile man, as she said. Fred still had some anger in him after what he did to Hermione. He did need money and another land but Hermione was more important than his business and he had to put her first. Thoughts swirled around in his head all day like a whirlwind. How would he manage to provide for the family that he desperately wanted?

Fred flopped onto the bed, burying his face in the bed sheets. He closed his eyes, feeling Hermione’s hand tangle around his hair as she tried to soothe him. She sat next to him with her feet tucked under her, remote in hand, and Fred turned so her could see her face. She was looking at the TV but not watching it. She seemed to be lost deep in thought as her eyes looked far away. Fred coughed under his breath before speaking.

‘What would you say about dinner tonight with me?’ asked Fred, breaking her out of her thoughts of who knows what. Hermione looked down at him, her eyes brightened at the mention of food.

‘I would say...’ Hermione paused, her smile slipping off her face, ‘okay as long as it’s not expensive. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on me, Fred.’

‘Forget the money,’ Fred said, waving that subject away with his hand. It was a bit expensive but he wanted to take her out since they haven’t really been on a date together. He sat up, taking both of her hands. Hermione glanced down at her stomach, ‘we have a booking in one hour. I heard the food there is pretty nice.’

‘Seven o’clock?’ asked Hermione, her eyes darting to the clock next to her, ‘won’t it be busy at that time?’

‘Hence the booking,’ Fred said, getting to his feet as Hermione turned the television off, ‘we should get ready now so we can leave in time. Oh and wear a cardigan.’

‘A cardigan?’ asked Hermione, looking at him from the sides of her eyes as he smirked, ‘have you seen the weather?’

Fred only smiled at her before disappearing to change his clothes. The sun had been beating down on the streets all day. People walked outside in shorts, tank tops and flip flops and still sweated. Hermione did as Fred had told her, thinking he must have a reason behind it.

Thirty minutes later they were ready. Fred was clad in a dark blue button up t-shirt, long and fitting jeans and he wore black shoes. Hermione took her time trying to find something to wear. Finally she decided to wear something simple. Fred left the room as she got changed, muttering something about the front desk. Hermione tugged on a red and blue striped shirt, blue jeans, long button up white cardigan and white shoes. She did her make up light and airy. She applied light blue eye shadow and a bit of blusher. Hermione grabbed her purse, looked herself in the mirror and was happy with how she looked even though her bump was noticeable. She stopped with a hand resting on her stomach, worry lines appearing on her forehead. She was undoubtedly worried about her future with Fred although she knew he was trying his best... She wondered where Fred had gone to and decided to check up on him since he’d been away for fifteen minutes. Grabbing her purse, ruffling her hair slightly, she made for the door and opened it to reveal Fred standing there.

‘You look beautiful,’ Fred whispered, his blue eyes skimmed over her body once and then fixed themselves onto her eyes. Fred enjoyed seeing the blush rise up her cheeks.

Fred held a red rose in his hand and he looked at it for a while before handing it to Hermione with a small smile. She blushed as she took it, thanking him. Hermione set it on their bed before taking Fred’s hand and walking out of the room. They shut the door and locked it behind them then made their way to the elevator.

‘You look handsome,’ Hermione whispered as they stood in the elevator, going down. She pecked his lips lightly as Fred leaned into her. Hermione stopped him from kissing her and he pouted slightly.

‘Thank you, Miss Granger,’ Fred whispered back as they came out of the elevator, hand in hand and Hermione blushing furiously as he stole a kiss from her.

He lead Hermione outside and she admired the weather as the small and trivial breeze ruffled her cardigan. The sun was just setting over the hills making them glow orange as it did so, the temperature wasn’t as high as it was in the morning. Hermione felt comfortable in this weather since it was just perfect. Their was a little breeze but the air that blew into her face was meekly hot rather than cold. Hermione followed Fred into a small area behind the hotel and quickly they disapparated before making sure no one could see them. They were wrenched into the air and Hermione realised that she had a hand over her stomach as though protecting her child. She didn’t get time to dwell on that fact as her feet hit the ground and her breath was taken away from the sight.

‘This place is just... beautiful!’ Hermione said in a low voice as she looked around with wide eyes as if she wanted to miss none of the sight that overwhelmed her.

The sight was phenomenal. They had apparated on top of a mountain and the first thing that Hermione felt was a breeze coming up from underneath her. A cold, freezing breeze. Cable cars and trains could be seen wrapping themselves around the mountain, taking lucky people up onto it so they could admire the view of the city, which looked tiny. Hermione hung onto the railing and she looked down as Fred held her hand, looking at her face rather than at the sight around him. Hermione was shocked to realise that their was snow on these mountains, although they must have been very far above the ground. The snow covered the whole of the mountain, winking at her as the sun set across from her, and a few people were even skiing. There was a balcony where tourists took pictures of the amazing views. They were so high up that the city looked as small as an ant.

‘This is amazing, Fred, really. I’m so glad you brought me up here,’ Hermione cuddled into his side and his hands wrapped around her, holding her as close to him as she could get. Fred kissed the top of her head, ‘the snow and the view is just... incredible. Indescribable.’

‘Yeah, I guess it is,’ Fred muttered and they stared at the view in silence for a few minutes. Fred hugged Hermione closer, thinking she must be cold. He was answered when Hermione shivered slightly, ‘we should go in to the restaurant.’

‘I nearly forgot about my hunger after this incredible sight!’ Hermione chuckled and they turned around.

There was a large building around them and elevators took you down to the bottom floors. Hermione and Fred went inside were the blessed hot air hit them and they smiled at each other. They went down in the elevator in silence and then Fred asked someone where the restaurant was and they walked in the direction they had been pointed to. Hermione glanced around them as they walked, wishing she could see everything all at once. There was a gift shop full of tourists and other shops selling snacks. She couldn’t understand what the snacks were as they were so different from usual British snacks.

‘Hey... um... booking under the name Granger?’ asked Fred when they got to the restaurant. They were met by a tall man dressed entirely in a professional looking suit. He handed them menus and checked something off on a piece of paper.

‘Sure, sir. Table 42,’ the man said, directing them to the table.

‘I can feel your wallet being emptied straight into my hand,’ Hermione muttered as she looked around at the extravagant restaurant, ‘I said I didn’t want to go anywhere expensive.’

‘Just sit down, Mia,’ Fred chuckled, pulling her chair back for her as gentlemen do. Hermione gave him a small look, a smile hidden behind the look, before sitting down. Fred sat opposite her as she tugged her cardigan off and hung it behind her chair, ‘order whatever you want. Do not look at the prices, okay?’

‘Oh, Fred,’ Hermione sighed but opened the menu with a minute smile. Her eyes glanced at the menu before she felt that Fred was looking at her. She looked up and was met by a huge smile and big blue eyes. She had no choice but to smile back and say, truthfully, ‘no one has ever done anything like this for me.’

‘No one has loved me as much as I do,’ Fred said, opening his own menu, ‘and that is a fact.’

‘True,’ Hermione muttered, shrugging. Ron had never taken her on a date. Even after the war, Fred had taken her to Hogsmeade to get a drink while Ron did nothing.

‘Can I take your order, Miss?’ asked the waiter, appearing after ten minutes. During the ten minutes, Fred and Hermione studied the menu, wrapping their minds around the elegant food listed.

‘Um, sure. For starters I would like the tomato soup please,’ Hermione said as the waiter wrote it down, ‘for the main I will have... the smoked salmon please.’

‘Any wine with that?’ asked the waiter, ‘we have red, white and any else that you would prefer.’

‘No thank you, water will do,’ Hermione said and handed him the menu.

She looked around the room as Fred ordered what he wanted. Most of the people eating were on dates and the rows of tables stretched as far as Hermione could see. It was pretty busy, as she had predicted. The couples seemed to be talking quietly as classical piano music played behind them. She could make out the snowy mountains from a nearby window and she could see that tourists were taking pictures of the setting sun. Hermione turned to Fred who was watching her as the waiter walked away. The way he looked at her always made her blush. Hermione was about to speak before Fred beat her to it.

‘I have to ask you a favour,’ Fred started, looking down at his hands as he said this, ‘and I don’t know if you’ll like it or not but... I mean, the child is more yours than mine, really. I was against having a kid but-’

‘Fred,’ Hermione said, taking his hand and waiting until she could look into his blue eyes, ‘the child is as much yours as it is mine. It takes two to make a baby.’

‘I know that, Mia. Trust me... I know,’ he chuckled, rubbing his thumb in circles on her hand. He hesitated before sighing and blinking his eyes tight shut and then wide open, ‘but I don’t know whether I will be in your life or if you’ll even want me around when the baby is born.’

‘Fred-’ Hermione muttered uncomfortably, wishing he would stop talking about things like that especially when they were trying to have a nice evening. She felt uncomfortable when they discussed their future. Who knew how things would turn out? It was best to live in the moment and, right now, the moment was quite special before Fred started speaking about their child.

‘No, Mia, listen,’ Fred said, his eyes stared right into hers, ‘it’s entirely your decision if you don’t want me around. I promise, I will leave when you tell me to but I need to ask you one favour.’

‘What?’ Hermione whispered, dread building in her heart. She couldn’t imagine leaving him but she knew that if it benefited her child then... she had to do what was best for her baby.

‘Let me be there for the baby’s birth, that’s all I ask,’ Fred said, his eyes never left hers. Hermione let out a relived breath, ‘I want to see my child at least once, okay?’

‘Sure, Fred,’ Hermione whispered, smiling, ‘I need you to be there with me anyway.’

‘One tomato soup for the lovely lady,’ the waiter was back and he placed a bowl of soup in front of Hermione and also a bowl in front of Fred. They let go of each others hands, ‘and one more bowl of soup.’

‘Thank you,’ Fred said as he placed their drinks onto the table too and walked away after bowing slightly.

‘Mmm... this is great,’ Hermione said, taking a spoonful of the soup.

It tasted simple delicious and Fred agreed as he made a appreciative sound. They ate the soup, talking about anything that they felt like talking about, leaving out a discussion of their future together. That discussion could wait. Fred watched Hermione eat when he thought she wasn’t looking. He felt a tug in his heart as she looked up and their eyes met. That one glance still sent shivers through each other. They agreed on the main dish being superb, devouring it and taking their time, hoping that the evening wouldn’t have to end.

‘This isn’t your birthday present,’ stated Fred as the waiter cleared their table. Hermione was about to protest against him buying anything for her but Fred spoke first, ‘I want to give you a present when we go back home.’

‘Fred you don’t have to-’

‘But I want to, Mia,’ sighed Fred, rolling his eyes at her.

‘We don’t have any money already and I won’t let you waste what little you have on me,’ Hermione muttered but Fred only raised his eyebrow and sighed, ‘let’s not fight tonight.’

‘Dessert?’ asked Fred as his eyes scanned through the small dessert menu. He looked up to see Hermione biting her lip, eyes darting to the menu and then to him. A smile spread across Fred’s face, ‘come on, I know you want something. We’ll share it.’

They ordered a chocolate cake with ice cream and took turns eating it, muttering about how amazing it tasted as it melted and danced on their tongues. Hermione looked out the windows to observe that it was completely dark outside.  It was nearly eleven o’clock, she noticed with a shock. Time had passed by so quickly that she wished she could go back and relive the night again. The waiter came back, taking the empty plates with him and leaving the bill. Fred grabbed the bill before Hermione could even see it. He counted the money and gave it to the waiter, his eyes looked worried but he held the smile on his face. The waiter asked him how the food was and if he was happy with the service.

‘Thank you, the food was beyond excellent,’ Fred said as the waiter bowed slightly and thanked him. He left them and Fred looked towards Hermione who was glaring at him, ‘what?!’

‘How much did it cost?’ asked Hermione, eyeing him as he tucked his wallet into his pocket.

‘Mia, please don’t ruin the night talking about money. Let’s just get back to the hotel, okay?’ asked Fred, getting up. He held out a hand for Hermione to pull her up but she ignored it.

Hermione got to her feet and put her cardigan on. She took Fred’s hand and let him lead her out of the restaurant. The restaurant was just closing up as people were leaving to go home, fed and happy. Fred lead her out to the balcony where people were still looking down at the city and snow underneath them. They walked around for a while, letting the night sink in, and finally disapparated to their hotel room when it got to cold.

‘Thank you for tonight, Fred. I really am glad that we went on a date,’ Hermione said, slipping her arms around his neck as they leaned against their door. Hermione smiled brightly before standing on her tip toes and kissing him.

‘I’m glad I took you out,’ Fred muttered in between kisses. One hand supported her back, pulling her closer to him while the other caressed her cheek, ‘I love you.’

‘I love you too,’ whispered Hermione, the smile grew bigger on her lips as she let Fred kiss her.

Fred expected her to pull away any second now as she always did but Hermione only pressed herself against him even more. His back pressed onto the door as he decided to deepen the kiss. Hermione’s hands stroked Fred’s hair and she moaned slightly as their tongues battled against each other. Fred’s hand moved from her back to her stomach and then to the edge of her shirt. He tugged on her shirt as Hermione moaned into his mouth at his touch. Suddenly Hermione moved away from him, realising what he wanted. She turned her back to him, eyes wide and horrified.

‘Sorry,’ Hermione said and then coughed as her voice was no louder than a whisper, ‘I... love you, Fred, but... I can’t.’

‘I get it-’ Fred said, cursing himself as she didn’t turn to look at him.

‘I’m not ready yet, Fred,’ Hermione whispered, biting her lip. The tingling sensation on her lips, the warmness of where he touched her and the sparks between them sill grew strong but something urged Hermione to pull away.

‘It’s fine,’ Fred muttered.

Hermione couldn’t look at him. She couldn’t face the disappointment on his face, the way his eyes would lose their brilliant, colourful shine. Fred started to move around, getting ready to go to bed.

‘I think we should go to sleep now,’ Fred said, grabbing his pyjama trousers and going into the bathroom.

Fred closed the bathroom door and slid down onto the floor, his back against the door. He buried his face in his hands. He had kept a ‘whatever’ expression on his face as though her not wanting him didn’t bother him. In fact, it bothered him a lot. They were about to have a child together and she couldn’t bear the thought of him even touching her. She always pulled away too quickly every time they kissed and just because she didn’t pull away tonight, Fred reminded himself, is not a valid reason to try and go further. She wasn’t ready and he was not going to move forwards with their relationship unless she was happy.

Fred quickly got changed and opened the bathroom door with a fake smile on his face. Hermione was already changed and about to get into bed. Fred left his clothes in the cupboard and then climbed into bed next to her. They closed the lights and were immersed in darkness, eyes wide open. They waited for each other to speak and finally Fred gave up and turned around so that his back was to her.

‘Goodnight, love,’ he muttered.

‘Goodnight.’

Fred didn’t close his eyes though. Hermione lay wide awake also. A couple of minutes passed while they thought their own thoughts and then at last Hermione turned around and wrapped her arms around his waist, kissing his neck.

‘I love you,’ she muttered.

‘I know and I love you too no matter what or who comes between us.’