Fred looked over at Percy and said, "You actually are joking Perce…I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-" The air around us exploded. We had been grouped together, Harry, Ron, Fred, Percy, and myself, two Death Eaters at our feet, one stunned and the other Transfigured; and in that fragment of a moment, when danger seemed temporarily at bay, our world was rent apart. Harry grabbed my hand as we staggered and stumbled over stone and wood.

"No-no-no!" someone was shouting. "No! Fred! No!" I turned and saw Percy shaking his brother and Ron was kneeling beside them, and Fred's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face. I gasped wit terror and utter sadness as Harry wrapped his arms around me. Harry had been the only person who had known, Fred had sneaking suspicions, but Harry had known, and now, the one thing I loved most in this world, was gone…forever, without me being able to tell him I love him.

Hermione sat in the library of Hogwarts pouring over every book she thought might have a clue in it. She had to save Fred. She had to tell him how she felt. If only I hadn't been so…so stupid! If I'd just used that bloody Gryffindor courage, I would've told him when it was just us that fragment of a moment before those Death Eaters appeared. Damn it! She thought as she slammed yet another book closed. She groaned as she thumped her head onto it, racking her brains. She knew there was a way for her to save him, but it wasn't something she had yet thought about.

Hermione looked up at Harry who was smiling lightly at her. "Hermione, come on. Take a break. Ron is beginning to think you are mad at him for kissing you." Harry said.

Hermione sighed lightly and nodded. "Alright. But Harry, there is a way, and I just…I haven't thought of it Harry." she said quietly as she followed him out of the library.

Harry looked over at the sleeping Hermione. Ever since that evening in Malfoy Manor, she'd come accustom to wearing jackets, sweaters, and long sleeved shirts to cover the word Mudblood. And she'd also begun to talk in her sleep. Sometimes it was parts from their journey, or the torture, or anything really.

"Fred…I love you." Hermione said in her sleep, a faint smile on her lips.

Ron's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped as he looked over at her. Harry watched the hurt and understanding swarm onto his face. "I understand now, why she's been in the library for so long." he said with a nod. He got up and retired to the boys' dormitories for the seventh years that had returned to Hogwarts. Harry heard a slight chuckle and turned to see Draco Malfoy walk over.

"I feel bad for her. I've heard her sleeping in the library late at night. Sometimes, she has dreams about what happened at my place. And…I hate it." he said quietly as he sat beside Harry.

"You…of all people?" Harry said.

"I've changed Potter. And…sometimes, in certain classes, a word may trigger it, and she'll have lapses of it, clutch her arm and scream out. Afterwards, she blacks out, and I take her up to Pomfrey's. Of course, I had people swear they did not know who was taking her there. Don't need her finding out I'm actually a decent person." Draco said with a small smile. "That is, until I grow the balls to apologize to her."

"For what?" Harry asked with wonder.

"For everything I have done to her since we met. I really do feel bad about it. Once I heard she was returning as well, I jumped all over the chance to come back and apologize to her. I just have to find a way."

Harry smiled brightly, "Do you have any idea on how she could get Fred back? That'd help your cause."

Draco bit his lip, and gasped, "Hold on one moment." and with that he ran out of the room.

Hermione sat in the library the next evening, she knew it was late. But she felt like she was getting ever closer to bringing Fred back.

"Hey Granger." Hermione looked up and saw Draco leaning against her table.

"Hi Draco. What do ya need?" she asked looking back down at the large book.

"I'm sorry for everything I've done to you since we met. And, to help prove it, I have this for you." he said producing a small box.

"What's in there?" she asked taking the small box.

"A way to save the one you love. I'd say a good….ten turns should do it. Good luck Hermione." Draco said with a wink before walking out.

"What was that about Hermione?" Harry asked from behind her as she opened the small box. She gasped out as she pulled a very long chain out, and an hourglass. Harry peeked over her shoulder, and saw a Time Turner in her hand.

"Harry…w-will you go back with me…" she asked, meeting his emerald green eyes. Harry nodded as she stood up, and slung the chain around the both of them.

Hermione smiled as she put the Time Turner in her pocket. She turned to Harry and took his hand as they made their way through the wreckage of the battle. She remembered where Fred had fallen so she began to spring over there. They arrived early, and saw Fred alone. She left Harry and walked over to Fred. "Fred."

Fred turned and smiled brightly down at Hermione. "Yeah?" he asked.

"I-I love you Fred." she said, tears springing up in her eyes.

Fred stood there, stunned by her words. But finally he nodded his head a little and said, "I love you too." he kissed her lightly on the lips and added, "Run to Harry and Ron before they spazz out love." Hermione nodded and ran back to Harry, and there they waited.

"You are joking Perce…I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-" Fred's voice said with glee. Hermione stepped out from behind the corner at the perfect moment, and she muttered a spell underneath her breath, pointing it at Fred, causing his body to become indestructible for a whole five minutes. When the dust had cleared, the spell wore off, and Fred stood with the rest of them, and Hermione smiled as she went back to Harry.

"Let's go back now cowgirl." he said with a gentle smile.

Hermione looked across the living room of the Burrow at Fred. She'd finally graduated from Hogwarts, and now she was back. And Fred was there too. Hermione and Harry were the only two that knew he actually died. And she was ready to tell him. She had to tell him. They were throwing a huge party for Ron and Lavender Brown's engagement, which was taking place outside, but Hermione had decided to hide away in the house.

"Hey Hermione…can I ask you something?" Fred asked walking over to her.

"Yeah. Go ahead." she said as he sat beside her on the couch.

She placed her bookmark inside her book as she turned to him. "Actually I have a couple of things to ask you. One, why do you wear long sleeves all the time?"

Hermione sighed and rolled up her sleeve to reveal the word Mudblood, which was etched into her arm. "It happened at Malfoy Manor, not long before we joined you guys…Bellatrix LeStrange did it. I wish it had been me to lay my hands on her, instead of your mum." she said.

"I am so sorry." Fred said as he took her hand, and looked deep into her eyes, "And the other, when that wall was about to explode, you were with Harry…right?"

"Yeah, I was beside him, just a few feet away from you." Hermione said, thinking back to that moment.

"But then, right as it was about to explode, you stepped out from behind a corner about fifty feet in front of me. How did you do that?" he asked.

Hermione sighed and got up, taking his hand and leading him up to Percy's old room, which had become her room. She locked the door and placed a silencing charm around it, and had Fred sit on her bed. "This may come as a shock to you…"

Hermione looked at Fred, hoping for an ounce of understanding or anything. He nodded his head slowly, and then, she watched as a grin spread across his face and he enveloped her in his arms. "Oh thank you so much Hermione!" he exclaimed as she laughed at his childish glee. He pulled away and looked her in the eye, "Wait, Draco gave you the Time Turner…"

"Yeah. I was surprised too. But oh well. I owe him…I owe him big time." she said.

Hermione smiled as she stepped into the kitchen the following morning. She saw everyone in there, but Charlie was in her chair. She looked at his normal seat by Fred, and saw Fred beam a warm smile at her. Hermione nodded and walked over and sat down beside him. Without even thinking he, leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Morning love." he said.

Hermione blushed as she made her plate, "Morning Fred." she said as she avoided the eyes of the other Weasleys.

"What is going on here?" Molly asked, Hermione could hear the smile that was on her face.

Hermione looked across the table at Harry, who nodded. He agreed that they all should know. So she sighed and began to tell of her heroic story that had Fred even more in love with her than he had been.

"You wanna know the truth Hermione?" Fred asked as they looked up at the stars later that evening.

"What Fred?" she asked with a small smile.

"I didn't believe you at first. When you told me you loved me. I thought it was just the war making you say that…but I didn't wanna hurt you, so I said it back." he said quietly.

Hermione looked over at him and smiled lightly. "It's okay Fred. I understand it. I didn't really know until a really odd moment." she replied.

"Which was when?" he asked with wonder.

"The night we went to get Harry. Right when Mad-Eye was beginning to pass around the Polyjuice potion." she replied.

"Ah yes. 'Be warned. It tastes like goblin piss.' he said. That was great." Fred said.

"And then you said, 'Had a lot of times with that have you?' He gave you such an evil look, so you took a swig and added…"

"Just trying to fuse the tension." Hermione and Fred said in unison with laughter.

"Yeah. But let me guess, you always had a small thing for me…right?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Guilty. Ever since we met really. And it grew and grew as the years went by." Hermione replied with a small giggle at the way he looked.

"What can I say, I'm a hunk." He said with a bright grin.

"Hey you two, can I talk to you?" a voice asked. Hermione and Fred sat up to see Molly walking over to them.

"Yeah, go on ahead." Fred said with a grin as he stood and helped Hermione up. "What's up mum?"

"Tomorrow will mark the two year anniversary of the day of the war…and when Remus and Tonks died. So, the lot of us was planning to go and see them, you going to come with us?" Molly asked with a smile.

"Of course, I owe Remus more than he'd ever know. He helped me so much." Hermione said with a smile.

"Good." Molly said before walking off.

Hermione stood beside Fred, holding his hand tightly as she looked down at the two gravestones that marked where two of their closest friends were buried. She felt herself start to teeter and her vision began to blur, so Fred wrapped his arm around her waist to secure her position. "I…I should've saved them too…" Hermione whispered.

"It's okay 'Mione…" Harry whispered as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek lightly. Hermione nodded lightly as a pop sounded from a little ways off. They watched as a hooded figure came towards them. "Excuse me, but who are you? Did you know either of them?" Harry asked the hooded figure.

Hermione put her hand on her wand, and felt Fred do the same. "Avada Kedavra!" the voice shouted, the wand pointed straight at Hermione.

Fred and Harry both went to deflect the spell, but it was too late; Hermione was already limp in their arms. "H-Hermione…no…" Fred said quietly as he crumbled to the ground, Hermione secure in his arms.

Ginny, Ron, George, Molly, Arthur, and Kingsley Shacklebolt all walked over just then laughing merrily, but froze when they saw both Fred and Harry kneeling down, with Hermione in Fred's eyes. Tears were pouring from Harry and Fred's eyes as Ginny and Ron ran over. "Hermione…wake up." Ginny said weakly from beside Harry as she dropped to the ground and placed her hands on Hermione's already cold cheeks.

"'Mione…don't…don't do this." Ron said quietly as he kneeled down on the other side of Fred.

"What happened?" Ginny wailed.

"I-It all happened so fast…we tried to stop it…" Harry said, finally looking back to where the figure had been, but he saw that they were gone already. "Hermione…no…"

Fred sat in his room, the door locked and a silencing charm up so no one would hear him crying. They had all just returned from the funeral of the girl he loved. He got up and walked to his dresser to find something better than the suit he was wearing. He found one of Hermione's jackets and he pulled it out. He felt something weighing it down so he dug in the pocket and pulled out a very long chain. He stared at the hourglass, But when should I go back to? He thought. It hit him as he tossed the chain around his neck, taking the charms off his room.

Fred walked down the halls of Hogwarts stealthily; he knew exactly where the brunette girl would be. He waited a moment before slipping into the bathroom; he could tell she was still crying. "Harry? Ron?" she asked quietly.

Fred took a deep breath, he knew what he was about to do would tear him in two, but he had to. He had to save the girl he loved and this was one of the easiest ways to do it. "No, me." He said as he stepped up to the stall.

Hermione turned to him and gasped, "Fred…you look…different." She said quietly stepping out into the light, to show her cat face.

Fred took a deep breath, "'Mione…I am a monster…stop falling for me. I will never love you…" he said quietly, turning away to hide the tears that were forming in his own eyes.

"Fred? W-Why would you say something like that?" she asked. Fred could hear the tears in her voice as well as the desperation.

"I have to 'Mione…I'm saving your life like this." Fred replied, blocking the tears as he turned back to the sad girl.

Hermione met his eyes, "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Give up on me 'Mione…do not fall in love with me. I would never fall in love with some nerdy, bushy haired girl with buck teeth." Fred said. He turned and ran out of the bathroom to hide away.

Hermione Granger sighed as she sat in her Head Girl dorm. The war had just ended and normalcy was somewhat restored. Those who had not gone to school for their seventh year for whatever reason, had been allowed to return, and she had been placed as Head Girl by the new Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. The Head Boy position had been given to Draco Malfoy who on the first night, had apologized for everything he had ever done. Hermione closed her eyes as memories floated into her mind.

I smiled as the hat shouted out "GRYFFINDOR!" I ran to the table that had erupted in cheers and sat in front of a set of identical twins.

"Fred Weasley." The one on the left said with a cheeky grin. I looked closely at him and then at the other, noticing Fred had freckles that danced across his nose and top of his cheeks, but the other did not.

"And George Weasley." The other one said with a matching grin.

"Hermione Granger, it's a pleasure." I said with a small blush.

I looked across the common room when I felt eyes on me. What I saw was quite the surprise; it was Fred Weasley staring at me while I studied. I blushed the shade of his hair and got up abruptly, making Harry and Ron look at me.

"I'm going to study in the library boys." I said quietly.

"It's late, should you go out so late without one of us…after what happened two days ago?" Harry asked with worry.

I thought back to the troll experience and scoffed lightly, "I can take care of myself Harry. But thank you for worrying." I said before collecting my things and hurrying out of the common room, feeling Fred's eyes follow me the whole way.

I stood in the stall after Harry and Ron had left, looking like Crabbe and Goyle, while I looked like a cat. I heard footsteps enter a little bit later so I called out, "Harry? Ron?"

"No me." A voice said stepping up to the open stall.

I turned around and saw Fred standing there. I gasped as I said, "Fred…you look…different." And by different I meant, he looked a lot older than the thirteen year old boy I had seen just hours before. He looked…like an adult, he looked…upset.

Fred took a deep breath, "'Mione…I am a monster…stop falling for me. I will never love you." He said quietly.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched him turn away from me. But he had been staring first…not me. "Fred? W-Why would you say something like that?" I asked with desperation as a few tears fell from my eyes.

"I have to 'Mione…I'm saving your life like this." Fred replied, as he turned to look at me once again.

I met his eyes and saw the tears that were in his eyes, that he was trying to stop from falling. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Give up on me 'Mione…do not fall in love with me. I would never fall in love with some nerdy, bushy haired girl with buck teeth." He said, and then he turned and ran off. I heard something clatter to the ground so I picked up a long chain with an hourglass on it. I then slammed the stall door closed and began to cry harder than I had been before he got there.

Hermione sat up in bed for a moment. That's when things got weird between us…he started to call me 'Mione out of the blue…as if it were normal. She thought as she looked around her room, searching for an answer.

I looked around the Great Hall until Harry and Ron noticed me. I smiled brightly as they got off their bench and then I bolted down the walk way towards my two best friends. "You solved it!" I called out as I flung myself into Harry's arms. Over Harry's shoulder I saw Fred looking at me, something in his eyes had changed, they resembled the eyes of the adult Fred that had spoken to me months ago.

I turned and smiled a bright smile at Harry, petting the large ginger cat in my arms. "Harry." I said breathlessly as he walked down the stairs of the Leaky Cauldron. He walked over and threw his arms around me and my cat and hugged me. "I heard everything from Arthur." I said quietly, hinting to what had happened at his aunt and uncle's house.

Harry pulled away with a bright smile and said, "I'm fine. I'm just glad you guys are here. I hope you two had a great summer. Oh hello Fred."

I turned slowly and smiled up at Fred. "Hi Fred." I said quietly and uncomfortably.

"'Mione." He said lightly with a tinge of coldness in his voice. But in his eyes I saw an apology swimming around.

I looked behind me to see Fred was the one who was behind me, meaning I would be stuck beside him, and only him for the entire World Cup. Someone who despised me, but I loved. I stopped at my seat and looked passed everyone to Ginny who was giving me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry." She mouthed to me. I nodded and turned my attention towards the area where the game would be played. A flying vender came by with stuff for us to buy, I fished around in my pockets, but realized I'd left my money back in the tent on accident. I shook my head no at him with a sad smile.

"What do you want 'Mione?" Fred asked. I looked up at him and saw him looking down at me with wonder.

"Oh no…you don't have to…" I said politely.

"If you don't tell me what to buy I'm going to buy you whatever I please." He responded.

I sighed and said, "I want the tall Irish hat."

"So I'll take one of those, one of the garlands, and on the of the green paint sets." Fred said handing the man his money and then placing the hat atop my head. He put the garland around his own neck as the vender drifted a little ways down to get the rest of our group. "Look up at me." He said. I did as I was told and was met with a wet paintbrush and I knew he was painting stuff on my face.

"What're you painting Fred?" I asked.

"Four leaf clovers." He said with concentration, and then he pulled away and sat down. "Paint some on me please." I nodded a little and did as asked and painted some on his face. "Thank you." He said once I was done. I smiled and nodded a little as I met his eyes.

"Expecto Patronum." I said with confidence. An otter sprung from the tip of my wand and danced around the room making me giggle a little.

"Expecto Patronum." Another voice said. A lion patronus ran circles around me, so I turned while giggling happily to see Fred grinning at us.

"This yours?" I asked with a smile as it stopped beside my otter.

"Yeah." He said with a grin. I knew something about this spell and the animal forms it took. If your memory was a person, and that person was nearby your patronus would uncontrollably go to that person, and I knew my otter had first gone to Fred.

"What was your memory?" I asked with wonder.

"Something that never happened." He said with sadness, his light brown eyes meeting my chocolate brown ones.

"Then how was it a memory?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Fred chuckled lightly, "It's a tad complicated 'Mione." He said.

"'Mione…?" I said quietly, causing him to look at me questioningly. "Why do you call me that? And…you only started calling me that, that night in my second year when I had messed that Polyjuice potion up…" I said, finally voicing my question.

Fred opened his mouth to reply but quickly closed it. "I…its part of the thing…that I used…uhm…George needs me, excuse me." He replied before walking away from me.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Ginny asked me the following day as we walked towards the library.

"Ginny, do you ever get that feeling you are reliving everything…like déjà vu?" I asked seriously.

"Not everything…why?" Ginny asked with wonder.

"I've had that feeling for a while now…especially since my second year…when Fred called me 'Mione for the first time." I replied. And when I saw him as an adult, like I had met him in another life. I thought.

Ginny stopped me and pulled me into a hidden corridor behind a tapestry. "Thank god, someone who has noticed Fred's changed. Me and George both have noticed, but no one else says anything about it." She said.

"I'm not talking about Fred here Gin…I'm talking about myself." I replied desperately.

Ginny sighed, "But this obviously ties in with Fred…you have noticed…haven't you?" she asked.

"Yes…" I replied quietly.

Hermione looked across her room once again, a thought coming over her. "I had found that Time Turner after Fred had run that day in my second year." She said to herself as she got out of bed and walked over to her desk. She pulled a drawer open to reveal things she'd gotten from Fred over the years. "It was adult Fred…and then after he had left me, he had been sucked into the current him, which is what had changed him…something happened between us…" she added to herself.

"Hermione…it's time to board the train." Draco Malfoy's voice said through the door.

"I'll be right there." Hermione called. She pulled the Time Turner out and put it in her pocket. She grabbed her duffel bag and darted out the door to board the train for Christmas holidays.

Hermione walked into the Burrow alongside Ginny. She had told Ginny her game plan the train ride back, and Ginny was excited to see if Hermione's theory was right. "I'm positive we loved each other once Ginny…The look he has in his eyes when he looks at me…" she said with a smile.

"Whose look in whose eyes?" Fred asked walking up. It was obvious he had heard it all, but was unclear on what was going on.

"Nothing Fred." Ginny said. "Where are mum and dad? The Night Bus was there to get us."

"Out on a date. You know how they are. They said to fend for yourself…" Fred said with a shrug.

"Cool. Hermione, I'll take your bag upstairs." Ginny said as she took the duffel bag from Hermione's hands.

"Thanks." Hermione said as Ginny darted up the stairs. "Fred, we need to talk."

"Sure." Fred replied.

"Follow." She said as she led the way outside to the backyard.

"What's this about 'Mione?" Fred asked as he leaned against the fence.

"This." Hermione said as she pulled the Time Turner out of her pocket. She watched shock and surprise appear on his face. "You dropped it that night in my second year…that night when you look just like this…" Hermione stepped closer to him, "What's going on Fred? Tell me the truth…"

Fred sighed, "There was time when you loved me Hermione…" he said quietly. "And I loved you too…We were happy together…after Draco had given you that Time Turner to go back in time and save my life…But…something happened and…I lost you."

Hermione looked into Fred's light brown eyes as she stepped a little closer and took his hand into her's. "What happened Fred?" Hermione asked, some things slowly coming to her.

"You were killed…right between me and Harry…We…we tried to stop it 'Mione…" Fred said tears sprouting up in his eyes.

"Then…why didn't you just go back to save me, like I had done for you Fred? Don't you think it would have saved us both all of this pain?" Hermione asked.

"I couldn't…I thought it was best to go back and hurt you…make you not want me anymore…I thought it would keep you safe indefinitely…Even if it did possibly turn things back to normal and kill me again…then at least you would be safe." He replied, a few tears escaping.

Hermione leaned up and with one of her hands wiped the tears away. "So…that memory you refused to tell me in the fifth year was one you had from before you used the Time Turner?" she asked with a smile.

Fred nodded. "Yeah…the first dance you and I shared…what was yours? I know the old myth about that spell, your otter went straight to me." He said with a grin.

"The World Cup." Hermione said honestly as she looked into his eyes.

"We need to change that to something better 'Mione." Fred said as he leaned in and kissed her passionately on the lips.

Hermione kissed back before pulling away. "My brain has just exploded…and I remember it all somehow." She said with a grin.

"Good. We can pick up where we left off. 'Mione, I love you." Fred whispered.

"I love you too." She replied as she kissed him lightly on the lips.

The

End