After hearing the story, Fred happily sighed. She loved happy and romantic endings. She stood from the chair and went over to Wesley. "I'm so happy for you, sweetie," she said, hugging him tight. She then looked at Giles and bent down to hug him. "You too, Rupert. When's the big day?"
Wesley chuckled at her question and said, "Soon. We're doing a binding ceremony. I know of a few people in Los Angeles that can do it. I'm going to ring them once Rupert is out of the hospital and settled a bit."
Fred nodded and went back to Hermione's side, taking her hand as she sat down. "This is so romantic. Finding true love and deciding to be with that person for the rest of your life," she said with another sigh. She began to wonder if Hermione and her would ever get married. Of course she knew it was a bit early to be thinking about that.
"And Rupert and I were thinking perhaps the two of you could stand up for us at the ceremony. There's no one else we really trust," Wesley said, looking at the two of them. "Will you do it?"
"Oh! I will! I love weddings," Fred said, bouncing a little in her chair.
Hermione grinned. Being with the man he loved definitely did wonders for Rupert. The last time she had spoken to him before he had called her the day before had been back right after he had returned to England when his mum took ill. He had been in a bad way both because of her illness and because of his separation from Wesley.
She squeezed Fred's hand when she took it, enjoying the tone in her voice as she sighed over Rupert and Wesley. Her girlfriend was definitely a romantic, and she found it utterly adorable. Maybe someday, they'd decide to do the same thing.
When Wesley asked if they would stand up for them at their binding ceremony, Hermione looked over at Rupert. "But...I thought that maybe Buffy..."
"Hermione, I've known you for longer than Buffy, and as much as I love and care about her, you're the one whose known everything going on in my life," he told her. "I want her to be there, but I want you to be at my side."
She nodded, a smile crossing her face. Since losing Ron to death and Harry to his grief, Rupert had been her closest friend, so hearing that from him meant the world to her. "Then I'd be honored to stand for you."
She then looked over at Fred and leaned against her. "And just so you know, I'm planning on staying around for a good while with Fred."
"I'm glad, Hermione. You've been holed up and hiding from life for far too long - I was afraid it was killing you." Rupert looked over at Fred. "Thank you, Fred, for helping her find her way out."
Fred blushed at Giles' compliment and ducked her head. "Hermione makes it easy for me to love her," she said before placing her arm about her girlfriend. She didn't want to break the happy moment but Fred knew Wesley would want to know what was going on in Los Angeles. "I spoke to Cordy earlier."
Wesley's body seemed to stiffen a little. "How…how's everything going there?" he asked, looking at Fred.
"Connor is denying Angel as his father. I think Holtz brainwashed him," Fred said.
"It's not surprising," Giles said before taking another sip of tea. "Angelus and Darla did kill Holtz's wife and son, and then turned his daughter, knowing he would have to kill her."
"But Angelus and Angel aren't the same person, Rupert," Wesley pointed out.
"I know, love, but when you want revenge, it doesn't matter," Giles quietly said.
Wesley nodded, understanding why Giles had said what he did. "Once I get Giles settled, I'll have to come by the hotel and see if I can help in anyway," he said, looking at Fred and Hermione. "So, what have you two been up to since leaving earlier? I know Sunnydale isn't the most thrilling place."
Fred placed her hand over her mouth and started to giggle. "We, uh, had Mexican and some really good ice cream," she said between giggles.
"Oh? I don't think I ever saw you giggle over ice cream before, Fred," Wesley said with a small smile. "It must have good."
"Really good," Fred said, burying her face in her hands as she continued to laugh.
Hermione stayed quiet while Fred explained to Wesley what she had found out from Cordy. She didn't know the others well - before this, the person she had actually known best had been Wesley because of what Rupert had told her. And now she knew Fred very, very...very well. But the others were still strangers - even Angel because while she had read about Angelus and Rupert had mentioned working with Angel, he had never really talked about him.
When Wesley changed the topic, however, asking what she and Fred had been up to for most of the day, Hermione felt her cheeks warming a bit, especially when Fred mentioned the ice cream. She found herself having to suppress a laugh though, especially when Fred started giggling.
Wesley looked over at her when Fred completely lost it and buried her head in her hands. "Did this ice cream have spirits in it? I've never seen Fred act like this before."
"We just--well..." Hermione looked over at Fred and finally started laughing herself. "We were thinking about taking a walk down on the beach later. Buffy recommended a hotel near there, and the view is really rather spectacular."
When Hermione mentioned them going to the beach, Fred curbed her laughter and looked at her girlfriend. "We should take a blanket with us. I bet it's beautiful out there and a lot cleaner than the beaches in Sunnydale," she said with a grin.
"And don't forget the sunscreen," Wesley stated as he adjusted his glasses. "Wouldn't want you to get sunburned."
Fred snorted and started to laugh again. "Gonna need a lot of sunscreen then," she muttered.
Wesley furrowed his brow and cross his arms. "Are you sure you food wasn't tainted? You're acting a bit strange, Fred," he said with concern. He turned to Giles and shook his head. "If I recall, there was a demon running the Mexican place before."
Giles cleared his throat and pulled Wesley closer to him and whispered something in his ear. When Wesley sat up again, he was blushing bright red, and refused to look at Fred or Hermione, which made Fred giggle even harder.
When Fred mentioned a lot of sunscreen, Hermione immediately understood what she was trying to say and covered her face with her hand. Her girlfriend was incorrigible. Not that the idea didn't appeal to her. It actually rather did. And she found herself thinking about maybe using a privacy charm so that no one would accidentally stumble over them while they were out there.
Poor Wesley seemed so confused though before Rupert whispered in his ear. Hermione looked over at Fred, knowing exactly what he must have told him. Even Rupert was starting to laugh a bit.
"We'd better be careful," he said. "We don't need to nurse in here to tell us off for making me laugh. She's already been hovering about like a mother falcon."
"We'll be good then, promise," Hermione said, raising her hand up. "Where exactly are you supposed to get out tomorrow?"
"We're hoping in the morning. You know how much I despise hospitals," he answered.
"We both do, love," Wesley said, squeezing his hand.
Wesley chuckled at her question and said, "Soon. We're doing a binding ceremony. I know of a few people in Los Angeles that can do it. I'm going to ring them once Rupert is out of the hospital and settled a bit."
Fred nodded and went back to Hermione's side, taking her hand as she sat down. "This is so romantic. Finding true love and deciding to be with that person for the rest of your life," she said with another sigh. She began to wonder if Hermione and her would ever get married. Of course she knew it was a bit early to be thinking about that.
"And Rupert and I were thinking perhaps the two of you could stand up for us at the ceremony. There's no one else we really trust," Wesley said, looking at the two of them. "Will you do it?"
"Oh! I will! I love weddings," Fred said, bouncing a little in her chair.
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She squeezed Fred's hand when she took it, enjoying the tone in her voice as she sighed over Rupert and Wesley. Her girlfriend was definitely a romantic, and she found it utterly adorable. Maybe someday, they'd decide to do the same thing.
When Wesley asked if they would stand up for them at their binding ceremony, Hermione looked over at Rupert. "But...I thought that maybe Buffy..."
"Hermione, I've known you for longer than Buffy, and as much as I love and care about her, you're the one whose known everything going on in my life," he told her. "I want her to be there, but I want you to be at my side."
She nodded, a smile crossing her face. Since losing Ron to death and Harry to his grief, Rupert had been her closest friend, so hearing that from him meant the world to her. "Then I'd be honored to stand for you."
She then looked over at Fred and leaned against her. "And just so you know, I'm planning on staying around for a good while with Fred."
"I'm glad, Hermione. You've been holed up and hiding from life for far too long - I was afraid it was killing you." Rupert looked over at Fred. "Thank you, Fred, for helping her find her way out."
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Wesley's body seemed to stiffen a little. "How…how's everything going there?" he asked, looking at Fred.
"Connor is denying Angel as his father. I think Holtz brainwashed him," Fred said.
"It's not surprising," Giles said before taking another sip of tea. "Angelus and Darla did kill Holtz's wife and son, and then turned his daughter, knowing he would have to kill her."
"But Angelus and Angel aren't the same person, Rupert," Wesley pointed out.
"I know, love, but when you want revenge, it doesn't matter," Giles quietly said.
Wesley nodded, understanding why Giles had said what he did. "Once I get Giles settled, I'll have to come by the hotel and see if I can help in anyway," he said, looking at Fred and Hermione. "So, what have you two been up to since leaving earlier? I know Sunnydale isn't the most thrilling place."
Fred placed her hand over her mouth and started to giggle. "We, uh, had Mexican and some really good ice cream," she said between giggles.
"Oh? I don't think I ever saw you giggle over ice cream before, Fred," Wesley said with a small smile. "It must have good."
"Really good," Fred said, burying her face in her hands as she continued to laugh.
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When Wesley changed the topic, however, asking what she and Fred had been up to for most of the day, Hermione felt her cheeks warming a bit, especially when Fred mentioned the ice cream. She found herself having to suppress a laugh though, especially when Fred started giggling.
Wesley looked over at her when Fred completely lost it and buried her head in her hands. "Did this ice cream have spirits in it? I've never seen Fred act like this before."
"We just--well..." Hermione looked over at Fred and finally started laughing herself. "We were thinking about taking a walk down on the beach later. Buffy recommended a hotel near there, and the view is really rather spectacular."
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"And don't forget the sunscreen," Wesley stated as he adjusted his glasses. "Wouldn't want you to get sunburned."
Fred snorted and started to laugh again. "Gonna need a lot of sunscreen then," she muttered.
Wesley furrowed his brow and cross his arms. "Are you sure you food wasn't tainted? You're acting a bit strange, Fred," he said with concern. He turned to Giles and shook his head. "If I recall, there was a demon running the Mexican place before."
Giles cleared his throat and pulled Wesley closer to him and whispered something in his ear. When Wesley sat up again, he was blushing bright red, and refused to look at Fred or Hermione, which made Fred giggle even harder.
"Sorry, Wesley," she said between laughs.
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Poor Wesley seemed so confused though before Rupert whispered in his ear. Hermione looked over at Fred, knowing exactly what he must have told him. Even Rupert was starting to laugh a bit.
"We'd better be careful," he said. "We don't need to nurse in here to tell us off for making me laugh. She's already been hovering about like a mother falcon."
"We'll be good then, promise," Hermione said, raising her hand up. "Where exactly are you supposed to get out tomorrow?"
"We're hoping in the morning. You know how much I despise hospitals," he answered.
"We both do, love," Wesley said, squeezing his hand.
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