A/N: FRED DESERVED TO LIVE! We were all robbed and I will spend my days making sure that fanon supersedes canon! To my lovely Nonny who requested this, here is the wintery fluff Fred Weasley we all need!

Prompt: 24. "I'm watching the Barbie Nutcracker."

Word Count: 2.2K words

Playlist: The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole 

Warnings: None! 

"They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeers really know how to fly."
The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole

He apparated into the alleyway behind her apartment complex and peered around the corner to ensure that no muggles caught him. The snow was falling in thick flakes, the silence of it crossing over everything. He could see the busy street of muggle cars zooming by, but their sound muffled by the weather. An experience not everyone got to experience. It was hard to explain, but it was one of his favourite things about winter, the hols aside. He thoroughly enjoyed a serene snowfall.

He scanned up and down the parking lot before making a clear beeline for the double low-rise apartments in front of him. His booted feet crunching with each step. He murmured a quick charm to brush away his footprints from the alley behind him. It was unlikely that anyone would notice the one-way prints, but he didn't want to compromise himself or her.

A flurry of snowflakes floated past him in the breeze, and he hunched his shoulders forward while shoving his mittened hands into his pockets. He really should've worn a thicker jumper. There was no way she was going to believe he hoofed it on the underground all the way here in what he was wearing. He briefly thought about transfiguring it into a peacoat but knew it was putting too much at risk. He'd find a way to distract her from asking too many questions.

He hopped up the few steps into the courtyard, heading to his left to come up to the building doors. He paused before pressing on her buzzer and looked up into the second-floor window. He could see that her curtains were pulled closed, but he could still make out her shadow on the couch. He could see the flicker of light from her TV.

He was called out of his thoughts by the sound of someone approaching. Fred had become a keen ear on all things around him ever since the war. He figured it was overcompensation for George losing one of his. He spent more time reading body language and listening to everything around him. He could catch the smallest scrape from across the busy shop. In tonight's quiet, it wasn't hard at all for him to hear as the door was unlocked and then the hesitation of the other person before stepping through.

"Hey, buddy," The stranger next to him called out, "You coming in or not?"

Fred whipped around, always surprised at the cold politeness of muggles. It made him chuckle. They were still offering to hold doors open or letting people pass, but it was always coated with distinct antipathy. He guessed that it wasn't too much different from the way that the old purebloods of the wizarding world looked down on everyone else. That forced civility with the lower class always present in the way they held themselves.

He smirked to himself. The thought that purebloods and muggles had something in common made him want to taunt and tease a few specific people, but the war was over, and people were trying their best to move on and, in some cases, change. However, he knew that if others were making attempts to adjust to a new society, he couldn't continue to treat them as unkindly as he'd done in the past. Shaking his head, he brought himself back to the present and turned fully towards the door.

With a broad smile to the other man, he nodded, "Yes sir, thanks!"

He bustled through the opened door behind him, and they parted ways as Fred skipped up the stairs two at a time. He was fascinated by the layout of muggle apartment buildings. Everyone in the wizarding world, or at least everyone he knew, lived in houses—most similar to the Burrow but some as grand as a Manor.

Reaching the second floor, he turned to his right to the first door and knocked lightly while trying the handle. The latch popped open, and the door opened easily under his touch. He raised his eyebrows in concerned shock but then remembered that they made this arrangement a few days ago. She was expecting him.

He poked his head through the door, looking straight and then to his right to where she was curled up on the sofa. He grinned at how comfortable she looked. There was a mug in her hand while her feet were curled next to her on the cushion with a blanket thrown over her lower half. He admired her small grin as she watched whatever was on the screen, but he found he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

He sent a silent prayer out to Granger, the smartest muggleborn out there. She'd given him a crash course in all things muggle that had helped him woo this fine woman. He was still trying to find the courage to tell her who and what he really was, but it was always hard. Every time he found himself on the verge of uttering that infamous phrase, he always chickened out. Oh, if George could see him now.

Pushing the door open, he extended his arms out with a flourish, "Honey, I'm home!"

He did a bit of a spin while she looked over at him and chuckled at his entrance. The sound of her laughter sent his heart into a flurry, and his stomach filled with butterflies. He realized at that moment that tonight was going to be the night that he finally told her. Stopping in his twirl, he leaned over her sectional couch and sent her his signature wink. She clutched at the mug in her hands as she tipped her head to the side and laughed out loud at his antics.

He quickly toed off his shoes and shed his jumper, hat and gloves. He hopped over the back of her sofa, ignoring her protests as she stepped all over the cushions until he was cuddled up against her. He leaned in as close as he could get, only her cup stopping him from making it all the way. He gauged the scowl on her face, finding the mirth laying unhidden in her expression. He lit up into a bright smile before smashing his lips against hers.

She sighed at the greeting, letting her shoulders relax and her hands holding the mug settled into her lap. She lifted one hand away from the item to lay it against his cheek, sneakily threading her fingers up into his hair. He broke the kiss with a fake but content growl. She laughed again, quietly, only for the two of them.

Taking a liberty, he lifted her cup and leaned forward onto the table while taking a moment to watch the movie playing. He furrowed his brows at the scene before him, utterly confused. She'd shown him animated movies before, but this one looked very strange. Almost as if they were plastic dolls or something. He wasn't sure he liked it.

He snuggled back into her, ducking under one of her arms and wrapping both of his around her.

"What're we watching?" He asked, his eyes glued to the screen.

She smiled, "I'm watching Barbie Nutcracker." There was a bit of pause where she shifted to get more comfortable before continuing, "I always watch it at least once around this time of year. To satisfy my younger self."

He didn't know what to say to that, having no idea what a Barbie was, so all he did was nod in agreement. Together, they hunkered down and finished the entire film, Fred weirdly fascinated with the storyline. He recognized a few tidbits from wizarding traditions, but so much had been dumbed down by, or even for, muggles. He wondered if this was the only version there was out there or if they had multiple ones.

It didn't take long for the movie to end, and he found himself wanting to ask her a thousand questions, but as the credits rolled up the screen, she shuffled out from under him. He pouted at the loss of her warmth, but when she bent to pick up her mug, he understood.

She walked around the coffee table, calling over her shoulder, "Do you want a hot chocolate?"

He watched her as she went, wondering again how he managed to get her to give him any time of day. Instead of spending too much time stuck on the how, he focused on the now.

"Yes, please, my dear." He shouted out to her.

He heard her tinkling laughter at his response before there was the sound of her moving about her minuscule kitchen. He continued to stare at the direction she'd gone in, resolving to figure out a way in how to announce his truth. He wondered if he could apparate quickly over to Granger's flat and get her opinion on the matter, but he figured that was stomping over boundaries and chose not to do it that way. Or perhaps a Patronus to his twin and give him a double surprise.

Letting out an aggravated groan, he stood up and wiped his suddenly clammy hands down his jeans. Why couldn't this be any easier? He strolled around the sofa to pick up his effects and hang them up properly. As he was walking over to the coat rack, he dropped a mitten, and as he bent to pick it up, a small WWW box fell out of his pocket. He eyed it warily, knowing he hadn't put it there, and before he could figure out who or what it was, it was exploding into the room around him.

There was a loud bang as their signature product burst to life in her tiny living room. He heard the clank of cups onto the counter and heard her footsteps as they came running. He swallowed, panicking and tried to yell for her to stay put, but it was too late. She was standing in the entryway of her kitchen, staring directly at him and the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes fireworks popping off around him.

He glanced over at her sheepishly. This was quite a stitch and one he was completely inept at talking himself out of. How did he explain magic to a muggle?

"Oh, Merlin," She whispered, more to herself than anyone.

Fred floundered for an explanation, but once he registered her exclamation, he stopped.

"You're a – are you a witch?" He blurted out.

She licked her lips, staring at the bright W now illuminating her entire flat.

"Are you one of the Weasley twins?" She countered.

They both stared at each other, astonished at the turn of events. Then simultaneously, they registered the other's question and answered at the same time.

"Yes."

"Merlin."

Then they both dissolved into shocked laughter. She leaned heavily on the wall behind her before sinking down to the floor, giggles continuing to fall out, to the point that she was wiping tears from her eyes. Fred followed suit, finding himself sitting cross-legged in the middle of her living room. With a quick wave of his hand, he snuffed out the fireworks and left them sitting there with nothing but the smell of gunpowder and fresh hot chocolate between them.

"You lied!" She exclaimed, pointing a finger over at him, "You told me your last name was Weekes!"

His mouth fell open at the accusation, and he tried to feel ashamed, but he was in the same boat as her.

He pointed back, "You lied to me too! You let me think you were a muggle this whole time!"

She laughed incredulously, "Only because I thought you were one!"

"We're a right pair, aren't we?" He shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

A long moment passed where neither one said anything. They were both processing the events that had transpired. Then Fred looked up and regarded her questioningly.

"Do you really live here?" He asked.

She grinned and let out a huff, "Yes, I prefer it."

Then he had another thought, "How come you didn't recognize me?"

"I had my suspicions at the beginning, but after a while and all the hints I kept dropping, I figured I was making a baseless assumption on the red hair." She shrugged.

He let out a loud guffaw, "I wish George were here to see this. He'd be in stitches over all of this."

She smiled over at him, realizing belatedly that she'd been dating one of the most eligible bachelors this side of the Atlantic. She blinked a few times, the shock of that setting in. She wondered if she should mention it, but he didn't seem phased by it when he thought she was a muggle, so maybe it wasn't worth worrying about.

"So, where do we go from here?" She finally asked.

He gave her a wicked grin, "You wanna see the shop after hours?"

She raised her eyebrows, "Really?"

"Yeah, I happen to know the bloke who runs the place," He nodded conspiratorially.

She let out an amused and slightly exasperated sigh, his classic mischievousness and devilish personality connecting a lot of dots. She nodded at him before crawling over the short distance between them and taking his face in her hands. She kissed him soundly, rendering him speechless.

"No more secrets." She murmured, and he nodded in full agreement.