AN: I am going to start this over. The first Chapter is pretty much the same but a little different. I hope you are all going to like this new one better.

Standing by Ginny's window Hermione could see everyone running around getting ready for Bill and Fleur's wedding. It was a bitter sweet moment for her, seeing everyone getting ready for such a happy occasion while there was a war going on. Thinking of all the people who were down there happily forgetting the war made Hermione sad. 'I wish I could do that just forget everything going on outside the safe walls of The Burrow.' Just as flashes of the night they picked up Harry came to her mind a heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." Hermione called softly not turning to see who it was, expecting it to be Ginny.

"Mum told me to come get you they're about to start." A voice said behind her. She turned to see a gloomy looking Fred standing in the door.

"Oh alright" Hermione said slightly taken aback by the look on Fred's face. "Just let me get my purse."

Fred turned and headed down the hall not waiting for her. She ran to catch up.

"Are you alright?" She asked timidly as they reached the bottom step. Hermione and the twins never really got along but the look on Fred's face was heartbreaking.

"What? Oh yea fine just thinking." Fred replied not looking up. He couldn't seem to shake the dread he'd been feeling all day. He just knew something bad was going to happen. And he didn't think he could deal with something else happening so soon after George's ear. When he saw George lying on the couch he thought he was dead. As his thoughts continued down the road of that night, Hermione studied him. They hadn't moved since she asked him if he was alright.

"Fred .. Hermione there you are. Hurry up they're about to start." Came George's cheerful voice as he came through the kitchen door.

"My my aren't you looking smashing Hermione" George grinned at her as he came to stand in front of them looking at her pale blue dress, but his smile started to fade when he saw the look of Fred's face.

"Cheer up brother dearest. Fleur's got plenty of Veela cousin's for you to go after."

"Seriously George is that all you think about? Women?" Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"Of course not I also think about food and the shop and quidditch and..."

"Ok ok I get it." Hermione cut in."Let's just go." She grabbed both of them by the arm and started to pull them through the kitchen and out to the back yard.

The ceremony was beautiful and Fleur was of course breathtaking. Hermione was sitting by herself on the edge of the dance floor watching as Luna dancing around dreamily by herself. Hermione wished she could be more like that. Free to do whatever she felt like doing without caring what everyone would think. Like the night of the Yule Ball with Krum. She felt free to be herself that night. Seeing him here took her off guard. She hadn't spoken to him much in the last few months because he kept hinting at a more serious relationship and she just couldn't bring herself to be in one with him.

"Don't think to hard Hermione or you'll make that crease in your forehead permanent." An amused voice said from beside her. She jumped slightly and turned to see Fred standing beside her. She could see he looked much happier but it didn't quite reach his eyes. They didn't hold the same sparkle they did before George got hurt.

"You look happier find a nice veela girl have you?" She said a little harshly. It took both of them by surprise. Fred looked at her for a minute before answering.

"No I'm not really into veela myself. Though it looks as if my dear twin has found himself a few." He said with a slight chuckle. Hermione followed his gaze across the dance floor. George looked to be telling three very pretty girls a story. And from the way they kept gasping and looking at his ear Hermione assumed he was telling them the story of what happened that night. She chuckled slightly then frowned.

"What's wrong?" Fred said looking back at her slightly confused by the frown he saw on her face.

"Nothing. It's just ...Never mind." Hermione said shifting slightly in her chair.

Fred sat down beside her. Taking a deep breath.

"Listen Hermione I need to tell you something and you're not going to like it." Fred paused afraid to continue. He hadn't thought about how to tell her this before he had come over.

"What is it?" Hermione asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Okay, just hear me out." Fred paused just long enough to see her nod her head. "You ca't go with Harry and Ron." He said very fast in one breath.

"What very funny Fred you telling me I can't isn't..." Hermione started cutting into what Fred was saying.

"No just listen I'm not done.. Bugger.. Come on I can't think straight to tell you all this with all this music." Fred said grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the orchard through the trees by the side of the dance floor.

"Tell me what Fred this is ridiculous nothing you can say is going to keep me from going with them." Hermione said trying to pull her arm from Fred's grasp only to have him hold tighter.

"Ow. Fred you're hurting me."

"Sorry" He mumbled dropping her arm as they broke through the trees.

"Listen I know that you deserve to go and I honestly don't know how they'll survive without you there with them, but you can't go. You'll be putting Harry in more danger. No just listen." Fred said putting his hand over her mouth to keep her from interrupting him."The Minister is about to pass a new law. All single Muggleborns between the ages of 17 and 25 have to marry within a month of the law being passed."

"Well that won't matter, I'll be on the run anyway." Hermione stated pushing Fred's hand away and cutting him off again.

"That's not everything" He started "If a Muggleborn doesn't marry within that month they will be hunted down and sent to Azkaban. Before you say you'll be on the run." Fred said quickly seeing her open her mouth to interrupt again "You are on the top of that list. And since your Harry Potter's best friend you will be hunted down almost as vigorously as he will. The law states you must marry a Half-blood or Pureblood. And Purebloods are allowed to put in a 'bid' for the Muggle-born of their choosing if they are not at least engaged to married by the end of the first week. Then you'll have to marry who the Ministry chooses for you."

"But they can't do that." She said. She couldn't believe they were doing this. There had to be a way around it.

"There isn't any way around it." Fred said as if she had stated he thoughts allowed.

"What am I going to do?" Hermione mumbled to herself as she slide to the ground.

"Well you see the Order kind of picked someone for you. Since we wanted to keep you save and all."

Hermione just looked up at him dumbfounded. Her brain seemed to have stopped working.

"They decided yesterday when Kingsley came with the news. We wanted to make sure you were safe. And this will help keep a little heat off Harry as he does whatever it is he's going to do. And I mean I agree you need to be kept safe. We don't want you to end up in the hands of a Death Eater or something and I mean if it helps Harry it makes since though I still don't get their logic about how it'll help him. And I don't know why they thought that.." Fred continued to babble on and on till Hermione said.

"Who?"

"What?" said Fred finally looking over at her. The look on his face told her, he had forgotten she was there.

"Who has to be stuck with me?" Hermione said not taking her eyes off the grass in front of her.

"Um well I wouldn't put it that way I mean no one is going to be stuck with you they agreed to..."

"Who?" She stated cutting him off.

"Um well me." Said Fred slowly.

"Is that why you looked so gloomy earlier because you have to marry me?" Her voice trembled he was upset because he'd be stuck with an ugly bookworm. She got to her feet not looking at him.

"What?" Fred said "Oh that? No I actually didn't know about this till the start of the reception. I uh didn't make it to the meeting yesterday I was on a mission. It was between me and George and well when they told us I said I would. George isn't really the marrying type and so I just..." Fred stumbled to a stop.

"You don't have to I'm mean I'd understand if you don't want to marry me I just an ugly bookworm right." Hermione said turning away as tears started falling down her cheeks. 'How can this be happening?' He turned her to face him before she had a chance to compose herself

"No Hermione I'm glad to help. And you're not ugly don't say stuff like that. I think you're very pretty. But I mean if you'd rather George I can uh go tell him he'd be happy to help." Fred said taking his hand of her shoulder.

"No Fred its fine it's not that I just well you don't have to do this. I can come up with something else. I could well..." She trailed off trying to think of another option to get him out of this. She didn't want him to be stuck in this when he didn't have to.

"No really Hermione I want to." Fred said.

She nodded her head not completely convinced. He started to dig in his pocket for something. Fred pulled out his wand and picked up a piece of grass she had been playing with and transfigured it into a small tasteful engagement ring. "This is for you. You know to make it official." She stared at the ring in his hand.

"You uh don't have to wear it yet if you don't want but ..."

"Thank you Fred that's very sweet." Hermione said sadly taking the ring from him and putting it on her finger. It shrunk to fit her small hand. She turned and walked away. She had to go talk to Harry and Ron. Tell them she couldn't go with them anymore.

She didn't look back at the orchard again but if she had she would have seen Fred's shoulders slump as if the weight of the world had just been removed from them.

AN: Let me know what you think.