Chapter Text
1 Year Later
Hermione manoeuvred through the crowd at Grimmauld Place’s third annual New Year’s Bash. There were quite a few more people there than the year before. If the trend continued, Harry would have to open up the second floor next year. She reached the kitchen to find Harry at his usual station, mixing drinks.
“Hey, you made it!” Harry greeted as he stuck a lime wedge onto the rim of a glass. “Gin and tonic?”
“You know me so well,” Hermione laughed. “Why are you always playing bartender? You should be up there, enjoying your party.”
“What makes you think any of this is my party?” He pointed up. “All Draco and Ginny. Plus, as the bartender, I don’t have to spend the night chasing down guests. They all come to me.”
“Oooh, clever move.”
“Potter? Clever? Impossible,” Draco said as he came down the steps. He went to kiss Harry’s cheek but Harry pushed his face away.
“For that, you get to make your own drinks tonight.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Draco scoffed, snatching his drink from the table before Harry could.
“Then apologise for insulting my intelligence.”
“Later,” Draco said with a wink and kissed Harry’s cheek. “Where’s Ginevra’s drink?”
“I was getting to it before I was so rudely interrupted.” Harry grabbed a clean tumbler and filled it with lemonade and then placed two maraschino cherries on top.”
Hermione eyed the drink that Harry passed to Draco. “That’s not Ginny’s usual drink.”
“No, it’s not,” Harry said with a sneaky smile.
“Ginevra is in a…delicate state,” Draco explained.
“Are you serious?”
Draco simply put a finger to his lips before disappearing up the stairs. Harry grinned and handed Hermione her drink. “We’re telling everyone next week.”
“Wow, four little ones. Congratulations and good luck.”
“Thank you. Where’s your date tonight?”
“I’m not sure. He said he had an errand to run after the shop closed and that he’d meet me here.”
Hermione rejoined the party, quickly finding her best friend to hug her and whisper, “Congratulations.”
“Ginny laughed. “Harry already spilled the beans?”
“Only because I noticed the drink he was making. It’s going to be an exciting new year.”
Arms wrapped around Hermione’s waist and Fred asked, “Who’s having an exciting new year?”
Hermione twisted around and kissed him. “Everyone.”
Fred gave her and Ginny sceptical looks. “Something sneaky is afoot. Are you meddling again?”
Ginny simply smiled. “You’ll see.”
Fred watched her walk away and then turned back to Hermione. “What do you know?”
“I know a lot of things.” She kissed him again. “Have you run into George yet?”
“Yes, and I’ve placed my bet.”
“How many were they up to?”
“Thirty-five. I put three galleons on sixty-two.”
They made their way to the dining room where George was sitting, stock still, with a stack of party hats on his head. Oliver was carefully adding another and once it was nestled on top, he called out, “Forty-one!”
“I think you were too conservative with your bet,” Hermione said, snuggling up to Fred’s side. Fred’s arm wrapped around her shoulder and, with a content smile, she relaxed against him as they watched the tower of hats grow.
“Okay, how were you able to guess the exact number of hats?” Fred asked as they swayed along to a slow song.
“I didn’t guess. I knew.”
“There’s no way you could just know that.”
“Of course there is,” Hermione said. “You calculate the temperature of the room with the gravitational pull. Multiply that by ten per cent and divide that by the amount of time George can sit still.”
“Wow,” Fred said with an impressed nod. “What did you really do?”
“I sprinkled a little pepper on the table before they started. When the 102nd hat was placed, the pepper suddenly made its way to George’s nose.”
“That’s my girl,” Fred laughed and kissed her forehead. “But how did you know they would even get to 102?”
“I know how long George can sit still.”
“Gather up everyone!” Ginny shouted. “Time to share your resolutions!”
It took several minutes to get everyone into the sitting room. Draco squeezed himself in between Harry and Ginny, throwing his arms around their shoulders, and said, “Alright, let’s hear it. What are you all going to swear to do, yet fail miserably within two months? Longbottom, go.”
“I’m going to, um, weed the house gardens twice a week instead of once,” Neville said.
“Boring!” Seamus Finnigan yelled.
Draco pointed at Seamus and said, “Finnigan, go.”
One by one, they went around the room and shared their goals for the new year. Some serious, some silly, and some absolutely ridiculous.
“You can’t fly a broomstick to the top of Everest, Ron,” Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
“You only say that because no one’s ever done it before,” Ron argued.
“No, I saw that because I understand the capabilities of the human body.”
“Granger, go,” Draco said.
“I am going to spend more time with all of my amazing nieces and nephews. Lots of time,” Hermione said, winking at Ginny.
Ginny grinned. “I’m going to buy my friend all the red wine that she wants. Fred, what’s yours?”
“Does it count as a resolution if you plan on fulfilling it by 12:01?” Fred replied.
“You’re weird. Next.”
Hermione looked up at Fred. “What do you have planned for 12:01?”
“I guess you’ll find out in two minutes.”
When the final resolution had been made, flutes of champagne were passed around and the countdown to midnight began.
“Ten…nine…eight…”
“Hey, I have something for you,” Fred said, reaching into his pocket.
“Seven…six…”
“What’s that?”
“Five…four…”
Fred gave her a Peppermint Toad box and Hermione laughed. “I told you, I don’t need one of these when I’m with you.”
“Three…two…”
“I know, but they’re your favourite and you’re my favourite.”
“One! Happy New Year!”
Fred leaned down and kissed her as corks popped and glitter filled the room. “I love you,” he murmured.
“I love you, too.”
“Open your candy.”
Hermione arched a suspicious eyebrow. “It’s not another portkey, is it?”
“Just open it.”
She stared at him for another second before pulling off the lid. Sitting on top of the red and white striped cheek was a diamond ring.
“Oh my god,” Hermione whispered. She pulled her gaze away from the ring and looked up at Fred. His smile was sparkling brighter than the glitter on his cheeks.
“Hermione Granger, I am head over heels for you and want to spend the rest of my life snogging your knickers off. Will you marry me?”
Fighting the lump in her throat and the tears in her eyes, Hermione nodded and said, “Yes!” Fred pulled her close and kissed her soundly as he slipped the ring on her finger. She reached up and cupped his cheeks. “I love you so much.”
Fred grinned. “Resolution fulfilled.”