Ron, Harry, Hermione, Fred and George sat around the Burrow's kitchen table. While the boys chatted about Quidditch, Hermione read the latest policy statements published by the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. All of a sudden, she felt someone kick her foot. Glancing up, she noticed Fred looking at her. She raised her eyebrow at him.

Fred motioned toward the backyard with his head.

Looking around the table to see if anyone else had noticed, she frowned at him and slowly shook her head in the negative.

Fred stuck out his bottom lip in pout.

Hermione rolled her eyes before turning back to her reading.

Just a few seconds later, Fred kicked her again.

This time she raised both her eyebrows at him.

He jerked his head toward the backyard.

'No,' she mouthed silently.

He bit his bottom lip and looked at her with sad puppy-dog eyes.

Hermione grinned slightly; however, she still shook her head no.

Fred crossed his arms across his chest, leaned back in his chair and stretched out his legs so that they were pressed against Hermione's.

When she tried to move away from him, he simply shifted in his chair to stay in contact with her. She pushed back from the table so that he could no longer touch her and glared at him with narrowed eyes.

He gave her an innocent smile then puckered his lips as if he were blowing her a kiss.

Hermione opened her eyes wide. He rarely flirted with her so directly, especially not in front of his brothers. After checking to make sure none of the other people at the table were paying attention to them, she licked her upper lip – in what she hoped was a seductive way – then winked at him.

Pressing one hand against his chest dramatically, he sucked in a deep breath. He then shot another hopeful look toward the backyard.

Hermione gave him an amused smile, nodded briefly, and quickly moved outside. She went around to the side of the house and rested against the wall.

Less than a minute letter, Fred was standing in front of her, a silly grin on his face. Leaning in for a kiss, he whispered, "Merlin, I love talking to you."