When Hermione walks into the Yule Ball, all periwinkle robes and fancy hair and beaming smile, the effect on Fred is instant, his heart speeding up and his mouth going dry, his stomach swooping the same way it had when he’d nearly come off his broom in a particularly rowdy game of Weasley Quidditch over the summer . She’s always been one of his little brother’s friends, the bushy haired swot who rolls her eyes at his pranks, which of course only makes him want to wind her up more - but he’s never looked at her like this before and in spite of the date at his side, he wants nothing more than to set his cap for her, dance with her, make her smile at him like she’s smiling up at Krum.

Then he looks around, sees Ron looking at Hermione and everything he’s feeling is written in his brother’s eyes too, making Fred’s stomach twist and sink because he knows what that means.