Archive of Our Own ^beta

Victoire Weasley’s fascination with Pygmy Puffs had been quick and all-encompassing, and Hermione had had a front row seat. It all started when Ginny had been playing a match away and had asked Hermione to babysit Arnold. It just so happened to coincide with the weekend she was taking Victoire and Teddy to the zoo.

The only blonde haired Weasley (so far) had been besotted as soon as she’d laid eyes on the little critter, and had been pestering her parents for one ever since. Getting Bill and Fleur to agree had been child's play, from what Hermione heard, though it had come with a stipulation. 

Victoire couldn’t have a Pygmy Puff of her own until after she turned five.  

It had been a long two years of waiting (and begging to not have to wait any longer). But Victoire was finally turning five at the end of the week, and she’d asked her favourite aunt - though Hermione had no idea how she’d earned the accolade - for a Pygmy Puff. 

Which was how, with Bill and Fleur’s blessing, Hermione Granger found herself in Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes after work that night. The shop was as quiet as she’d ever seen it, being rather late in the day while Hogwarts was still in session. Still, she was surprised to see that there was only one Pygmy Puff left, and it was blue - Victoire’s favourite colour. She was in luck. 

Or, at least she thought she was.

“Ah ah ah Granger!” Fred picked up the Pygmy puff before she could, holding it to his chest with a smile. “This one is on reserve, I’m afraid.”

“Reserved by who?” 

“Why me, of course.”

“Very funny. Please pass me the Pygmy Puff so I can purchase it.” The curly haired witch held out her hand for the miniature Puffskein. But Fred just smiled wider, shaking his head.

“What’s it worth to you?”

“I’m sorry?” 

“You heard me. What’s it worth to you?”

🎁

Fred had the perfect gift all picked out for his niece’s birthday. It was exactly what she’d asked him for. He’d deliberately held back the only blue Pygmy Puff they’d had in stock, even though he could have used a colour change charm if needed. When who he’d thought would be the last customer of the night headed out of the door, the elder twin placed the little critter back in the Pygmy Puff pen.

Then she’d walked through the door. 

It had been a few weeks since they’d seen each other, their free time not lining up the way he wished it would. It was just life, George had told him. His twin wasn’t wrong, but that hadn’t stopped Fred from missing the curly haired witch. 

So, his eyes had lit up until he saw Hermione make a bee-line for his gift for Victoire. Her focus had been so single-minded that she hadn’t even realised he was standing there, at least not until he’d snatched up Freddie Jr. or whatever Victoire would call him. Though Fred felt Freddie Jr. was the perfect name for the little guy. 

As the elder twin picked up the blue critter, snatching him from right under Hermione’s nose, he could see the frustration all over her face. He couldn’t resist teasing her. Fred could see they’d had the same idea for Victoire’s birthday. When she’d quirked an eyebrow at him for asking her how much the little guy was worth to her, he knew this could be his chance. He’d be a fool to let it pass him by. Fred Weasley was no fool.

“I’m not sure you could handle what it’s worth to me.” 

Oh, Hermione wanted to play.

“Alright, I’ll play.” Internally, the co-owner of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes was jumping for joy. Externally, he was trying not to let it show. At least not too much. “What’s your price?”

She smiled. Merlin , his stomach felt funny when she smiled at him like that. 

“Meet me tomorrow, muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron, and you’ll find out.” The clever witch turned to walk out of the store, but she turned back to him before she reached the door. “Oh, and Fred? Take good care of Victoire’s birthday present for me. I’ll pick him up when we get back tomorrow night.” 

“You’re pretty confident, Granger.” 

A smug smile made its way onto her face, and Fred loved the way she looked in that moment. He didn’t even need to know what she wanted tomorrow. He’d hand over Freddie Jr. right now if he could play this game with her for the rest of their lives. 

*

Hermione had no idea what had come over her yesterday, but every time she thought back to it  her stomach fluttered and her heart rate increased.

‘What’s it worth to you?’ 

The question echoed in her head. She knew she’d have to trade something big for Fred to give up what would likely be Victoire’s favourite birthday gift, but there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her favourite blonde Weasley. 

Fred would never demand something from her, the former lion knew that without a doubt. It was one of the many things Hermione loved about Fred Weasley. She could admit, at least to herself, that she loved him. And it wasn’t the way she loved Harry or Ron. 

‘What’s it worth to you?’ 

Was it worth finally confessing how she felt? She wasn’t stupid. The one thing everyone said about Hermione Granger was that she was incredibly bright, and the curly haired witch knew Fred had feelings for her, too. They’d been pussyfooting around their feelings for a while now. 

‘What’s it worth to you?’ 

Crookshanks broke her train of thought with a loud meow. Breakfast time, of course. Checking the clock on her bedside table, Hermione discovered she’d be late for work if she didn’t get a move on. She had all morning to decide what she’d ‘trade’ with Fred that afternoon. But first, she had a familiar to feed. Because one thing was for certain… 

What Victoire’s present was not worth, was a hangry Crookshanks.

🎁

The day was off to a good start. Freddie Jr. was safe in the makeshift pen in the flat. And most importantly, all Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes staff knew Freddie Jr. was not for sale. No-one would be buying him today. Victoire’s present was safe.

The Pygmy Puffs were one of, if not their most, popular line. Headmistress McGonagall (or Minnie as Fred liked to think he got away with calling her) had even had to amend the first year lists to include them as an approved pet for Hogwarts due to their popularity. Minnie’s seal of approval had done wonders to their sales of the little critters. Parents trusted Minerva McGonagall’s word. If she said they were safe to have as a pet for school, they were safe.

They must have sold out of Pygmy Puffs twice as fast that first August after Hogwarts letters had been received. There had been more than some disgruntled customers that month who hadn’t bought one quick enough. Thankfully, Hermione had come to the rescue. She passed a new piece of legislation, restricting Pygmy Puff breeding in a way that protected the critters and prevented rogue breeding circles from just popping up. Some had still tried, but Hermione had shut them down. 

Fred had told Victoire and Teddy the story one night before bed, when they’d all stayed over at the Burrow. He was ninety-nine percent sure that it was why Hermione was their favourite aunt. Hermione was a hero to them.

The clock finally struck four. When George noticed his constant pacing around the shop floor and the way his eyes kept going toward the clock or the watch he wore on his wrist, he'd insisted that Fred clock off early. He was treating it as a date. It was presumptuous but, go big or go home. It was a phrase he hadn’t heard until after the war. Harry had used it in passing, when talking about his cousin’s proposal to his then girlfriend. Apparently, Dudley had pulled out all the stops. But he was getting sidetracked. 

Go big or go home. 

The phrase couldn’t apply more to him and George, especially in relation to their inventions. Today wasn’t about being the biggest or the loudest, though. Today was about Hermione, and he knew that she didn’t always appreciate either of those things. Then again, she was a force to be reckoned with when she wanted something, and he knew she wanted that Pygmy Puff. Fred wasn’t sure what she would deem worthy of Freddie Jr. He was intrigued to find out. 

🎁

It was exactly half past four when she saw him step out of the Leaky Cauldron on the muggle side. He was dressed in a smart, rich blue, button-down shirt with the top button open, no tie, and a pair of well-fitted jeans. Very well fitted. It set her heart racing. 

Fred set her heart racing. 

It was official. She couldn’t continue to dance around her feelings anymore; not when they were so close to the surface around him. 

“Fred!” Hermione called, and he turned, smiling at her.

“Hey! So what’s the plan?” 

“Follow me, and you’ll find out.” 

Hermione set off towards the Thames. It was a ten minute walk to their destination, Victoria Embankment Gardens. As they walked, the youngest head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures began her story. 

“We didn’t always live in Crawley. My family moved there when I was six…” 

Fred was a good listener as she described her first few years of primary school. It hadn’t been easy for her. The other children didn’t want to play together, excluding her because she’d wanted to read one day instead of play What's The Time Mr. Wolf. That one day became two, then three, and so on. Soon, she had been half a year in and as friendless as she was the day she started Hogwarts. 

But one day, Hermione had found a small hedgehog on the way home from school. It was so small, and had clearly hurt its leg. She had begged her dad to let her take it home and nurse it back to health. It hadn't been part of her parent’s plan, to have a pet of any kind - at least not until she was older - but by the time the hedgehog’s leg had healed up, she’d become attached. 

“I called him Hector,” Hermione said with a wistful sigh as they sat on the bench at the park in front of a flower bed of forget-me-nots. “He was everything five-year-old me needed in a friend.” 

“I’m sensing a but coming,” Fred said, giving her a soft smile. 

Hermione nodded. “You’re right. It didn’t last long. Before Hector could have his first hibernation with us, he died. He was hit by a car. I didn’t know until the next morning. It happened while I was sleeping.”

“I’m sorry, Hermione.”

“I insisted on giving him a proper burial, so mum put him in a shoe box and we brought him here. He’s buried over there, under the forget-me-nots. We were set to move houses, mum and dad were opening their own practice, like they always wanted. And I wanted to be able to visit him.”

🎁

The story she told him on the way to the park broke Fred’s heart. As he imagined a young Hermione as she lost her only friend, he understood what Freddie Jr. was worth to Hermione. What she wanted the Pygmy Puff to provide for Victoire. 

The fact that, at the age of five and a half, Hermione had demanded a proper burial for her pet hedgehog only endeared her to him more. He was surprised that it was possible after all the years they'd known each other.

“Alright, you can have Freddie Jr. for Victoire.” 

A full blown smile graced her face, and Fred’s stomach flipped. He was the cause of that smile.

Fred knew when he’d woke up this morning that he would let Hermione give Victoire the blue Pygmy Puff on Saturday. He still had two days to find another gift for his favourite (and only, as it currently stood) niece. 

“You’ve named him, already? And after yourself, no less.” 

Fred felt practically giddy with joy. She was teasing him. A small giggle slipped out, and on another occasion he might have been embarrassed. But not today. Fred loved it too much to be put out by his involuntary giggle.

“Like you could have named him better.” 

He smiled, so she knew his comment was in jest. She wasted no time in hitting back. 

“George Jr.”

Fred clasped his hands over his heart in a very over dramatic fashion. “Oh, you cut deep!”

Hermione laughed, a full belly laugh with her head thrown back and her riotous curls flowing over her shoulders in waves. At that moment, the rays from the sun hit her in a way that made her seem ethereal. What Fred wouldn’t give for a camera right now. She’d never looked more beautiful. 

They’d only been together for thirty to forty minutes today, but it was enough for Fred to confirm what he already knew deep in his heart. He wanted to do this with her for the rest of his life.  

So he told her exactly that.

🎁

The morning Victoire turned five burst into existence in the loudest way in Shell Cottage. To say the youngest Weasley was excited was an understatement. She burst into her parents’ room at the ungodly hour of four in the morning, making both parents thankful it was a Saturday that they had off, for a change.

The whirlwind that was the birthday girl was back out of her parents’ bedroom and on her way to the living room for presents. Before she’d even confirmed they were following her. 

“She gets this from you,” groaned an exhausted Bill Weasley around a yawn.

Some incoherent French was all that came back from his wife. 

“If we don’t get up, there won’t be any presents left to watch her open.” Bill failed to suppress a smile at the disoriented look that his part Veela wife currently supported. It was a rare occasion when Fleur looked this way, blonde hair tousled and bleary-eyed from sleep. He loved it. She was beautiful, maybe even more so like this, and Bill was honoured to be one of the only ones to see her this way.

When they made it to the living room, as predicted, there were only a few presents left for Victoire to open. Once they were all unwrapped, she was instantly playing with the new toys. Bill kissed the side of his wife’s head, wished his daughter a happy birthday, and went to start breakfast.

🎁

By the time the rest of the Weasley family arrived that evening, Victoire had calmed down, albeit marginally. That she had to wait for everyone to arrive before she could open the rest of her gifts had her impatiently bouncing on the balls of her feet.

The clock struck five, and the fireplace blazed in green flames. Victorie smiled as, together, her Aunt Hermione and Uncle Fred stepped out of the fireplace, the last of her family to arrive for her party. 

Gifts were presented to the birthday girl in the order that people arrived, making the last gift for her to unwrap the one from Fred and Hermione.

“To Victoire, Happy Birthday! All our love Uncle Fred and Aunt Hermione,” her maman read. In the birthday girl’s excitement to open her present, she missed the raised eyebrow directed at the pair that went unanswered.

She unceremoniously ripped open the box with air holes. A happy squeal bubbled its way from her young Veela lungs, so loudly that poor Teddy covered his ears. Not that Victoire noticed her friend’s discomfort.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Her little hands reached into the box, pulling out the blue Pygmy Puff. Victoire immediately hugged him to her chest, making the little critter very content.

“You’re very welcome.” Aunt Hermione smiled.

“Here’s the important bit, though. What are you going to name him?” Uncle Fred asked. Unbeknownst to the birthday girl, it had been a running game over the past couple of days between the new couple. Trying to guess what she might call her new friend. 

“Periwinkle.” She didn’t even have to think twice. It was her favourite shade of blue. Victoire was so taken with Periwinkle that she missed the way her Uncle’s gaze softened while looking at her favourite Aunt.

As the party progressed, Grandma Molly brought out a homemade cake, blue (of course!) with five indoor firework candles (courtesy of Uncle Fred and Uncle George). She grinned, still clutching Periwinkle, as the whole family launched into song. Victoire only had one wish left for this year’s birthday to be perfect, so when she was told to, she made the wish and blew out all the candles. 

Several things then happened at the same time. Grandma Molly started cutting and handing out the cake, while almost everyone else clapped and cheered, celebrating her birthday. Her parents shared a quick kiss. But it wasn’t their kiss the birthday girl was interested in.

While everyone else was momentarily distracted, Uncle Fred leaned over and gave Aunt Hermione a kiss. No-one else seemed to notice, except Victoire. 

By morning, the whole family would know that Victoire’s birthday wish had come true. 

Tucked up in bed with Periwinkle next to her in his new bed from Uncle George and Aunty Angie, Victoire reflected on her birthday. It had really been the best birthday ever! Uncle Fred had kissed Aunt Hermione, and she’d received the gift that she’d really really wanted. Uncle George had been right about asking them both for the Pygmy Puff. 

It would be tough to top next year, but she already knew what she wanted. 

A sister.

🎁 The End 🎁