Prologue

"I can't believe you didn't tell me." yelled Fred

"Because I knew you would react like this, and we didn't even know if it was anything." replied George

"You knew I would react like what exactly?" asked Fred

"Oh come off it Fred. I knew you would be angry." said George

"Oh you knew I would be mad did you? Why would I be mad, you were only shagging my ex-girlfriend behind my back." yelled Fred

George had finally told Fred about his relationship with Angelina. He and Angelina had both been apprehensive about telling him, knowing how angry he would be, but George couldn't take lying or hiding things from his brother anymore. As for Fred, he wasn't so much angry that his ex-girlfriend had hooked up with his brother, but betrayed that his twin, his best friend hid this from him. They had always told each other everything and now to find out that he had been hiding something this big, for who knew how long.

"Yes exactly ex-girlfriend. She is your ex-girlfriend. You guys didn't even go out that long." replied George

"Didn't go out that long? We dated for over 2 years. We only just broke up last year. So tell me George, how long after she dumped me did you start shagging her?" asked Fred

"Look Fred it wasn't like that ok, we were both up late at potter watch and we started talking and it all just happened." said George

"You didn't answer the question George. How long has this been going on?" asked Fred

George hesitated releasing a long breath before looking at his twin brother guiltily not wanting to answer the question for the fear of how bad his reaction will be. When Fred looked at him waiting for a response, growing inpatient of the long pause. George had no choice but to tell him the truth.

"About 5 months" George said quietly

"5 months. So you waited what, 3 weeks after we broke up? Is that what you're saying George?" Asked Fred with a calmness that caused chills to run up his brothers spine, wondering if he was going to be able to fix this.

"Fred come on, it just…" George started

"It just happened yea I got that part" yelled Fred

Their fight was interrupted, when Lee Jordan came running with the news that Harry and the others had showed up at Hogwarts. Just as he was telling them, the galleons from the DA started to grow hot, and they all rushed off to get to Hogwarts.

"Fred, we'll finish this later yea" said George

"Not now George! If you haven't noticed there is kind of battle about to begin here. I'll take half the secret passages and you take the other half" replied Fred

"No Fred we should stay together. No one knows the secret passages like we do" said George

"Exactly which is why we should split them between us and cover more ground" said Fred before turning and making his way towards the secret passages with Percy on his heels. George looked on regretfully, wishing he had waited until after all the drama of the war to say anything, now all he was going to do was worry, wondering if a fight was the last thing he would have with his twin.

1 Hour Later

The world was in chaos spells of all colors were flying around, people were screaming it was hard to tell if it was in genuine pain or horror. There were bodies everywhere with no way of knowing if they were dead or just injured. Harry, Hermione, and Ron still had to find Nagini, before they could get to Voldemort. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping them on their feet, as spell after spell was cast at them. When they came across Ginny, Percy and Fred battling death Eaters in front of a secret passageway.

"You're joking Perce. I don't think I've heard you joke since…" Fred was cut off by the deafening sound of the castle wall cracking and falling around them.

"No. Fred. No." Ginny screamed

She didn't think she just ran forward and crashed their bodies to the floor. She felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, and the warmth of blood seeping through her sweater, as she gave her wand a sharp flick, and hoped for the best. All she heard were the screams of her friends, yelling their names, waiting for a response. When the dust finally cleared, and the debris stopped falling, they were able to see their friends huddled together on the floor, with the faint shine of a shield charm protecting them, from the falling rocks. Hermione had a small gash on her shoulder, but looked otherwise fine.

"He's ok. He's still breathing, I think he's just unconscious, he has a bad gash on the back of his head and its bleeding but he's ok, we have to move him" Hermione said to Ginny, Percy and Ron.

They all moved him under an alcove, to get away from all the chaos, Percy and Ginny decided to stay with him, while they waited for help.

"Don't worry you guys, help will come soon just wait here. We have to go" said Harry as he hurried Ron and Hermione away.

"It's going to be ok, George will come for you. Just stay out of sight, and keep your Wands ready" Hermione yelled to them, as the trio hurried away.

Inside the Great Hall

Fred slowly started to wake. His head was killing him. The last thing he remembered was seeing the wall coming down on him, and not being able to do anything, when suddenly someone pushed him to the ground. He saw a flash of their face, before he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, and then he was here. Someone saved him, but who he was trying his hardest to remember. He could hear voices, but his eyes felt heavy and his head was pounding. The sound of screaming people was not helping. He could hear someone calling his name over and over, could feel them holding his hand. All he wanted was to know who pushed him out of the way. when it finally came to him. Hermione Granger, she was the one she knocked him out of the way, and seeing as how he only had a headache, she must have protected them from the falling bits of the castle. Was she ok, was she hurt because of what she did for him. He would never forgive himself if she was seriously injured, because of him. He finally opened his eyes and glanced around, searching for her.

"Hermione" Fred mumbled

"Fred, Freddie oh merlin your awake, how are you feeling, are you ok?" rambled George

"Hermione" Fred mumbled again

"Hermione?" George questioned

"She saved him. It was amazing, I saw the wall coming down, and it was going to land on him George. I thought he was gone, but Hermione rushed over and cast a shield charm" Percy filled in the shocked George

"Ok?" asked Fred in a groggy voice

"She's fine Fred, just hurt her shoulder. But she fixed it up easy. I can find her for you if you like?" asked Percy when Fred nodded he went off to find her.

"You ok Freddie" asked George

"M fine, head hurts" replied Fred

"Merlin Fred, I was so worried. Just thinking that I could have lost you, and we were fighting. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. Can't we put this stupid fight behind us?" asked George

"Stupid fight. You've been lying to me for months George, that's not a stupid fight. And we can't just sweep it under the rug, because you feel bad" said Fred

"You know that's not what I mean Fred. You're my brother, I don't want to lose you. You know I hate to fight Fred, I…: George was interrupted by Percy returning with Hermione

"Hey Fred, how are you feeling" asked Hermione

Hermione was interrupted, when George swept her quickly off her feet and into a bone crushing hug.

"Merlin George, don't kill her. She just saved my life, that's no way of repaying her" said Fred in amusement

"You saved him. Thank you so much, you saved his life, and mine. Thank you." said George finally releasing her back onto her feet

"My head hurts a bit, but I'm ok. You saved my life" said Fred effectively ending his conversation with George

"I didn't do anything anybody else wouldn't have done" replied Hermione blushing deeply

"Don't downplay what you did. From what I heard it was amazing" said Fred

"Oh stop it. I was just the closest" said Hermione

"Oh Bull, the rest of them sat around with their heads up their bums, you acted and saved my life." Said Fred to Percy's indignant Hey

"I really didn't do anything special." Hermione repeated

"Yes you did, I owe you. I'll give you my first born" said Fred

Hermione rolled her eyes and replied "There's the Fred we all know, and tolerate"

"ha ha ha" replied Fred

All around, people were celebrating, and laughing with friends, some were having injuries tended to, and others were mourning the loss of loved ones. Harry Potter was searching for his friends, he saw all the Weasley's huddled around Fred's bed, while he was being checked over by Madam Pomfrey. Harry kept scanning the room for the others, when he spotted Ron, in the corner of the room, surrounded by screaming girls, fawning all over him, clearly basking in the attention. He sighed deeply, wondering where Hermione was, and if she had seen. He decided to give Ginny a little time with her family, while he found Hermione

The war is over, the battle is won, and we are free. These were the words running through Hermione Granger's mind. As she lay in the snow, outside Hogwarts, watching the stars in the sky. She had left Fred, and the Great Hall, when she spotted Ron taking full advantage of his new found fame, from being a hero. She wasn't even surprised that he seemed to be brushing off their kiss, in the room of requirements, he had always been jealous of Harry's fame, and now for once, he had the same fame. So no, she wasn't surprised, and she wasn't out here, in the courtyard, because she was upset or heart broken. She was trying to get the words to sink in. The war is over, the battle is won, and we are free. Trying to get her mind to understand, that there was no more, no more danger lurking around the corner, no more worrying about Voldemort, no more wondering, if they would all make it through the year, no more fear, no more disappearances, no more running or hiding, just, no more, because the war is over, the battle is won, and we are free. So why did she not feel relieved, why was she still worried, and on edge, why did she still fear? What exactly did she fear? She sighed deeply, trying to dispel all these confusing thoughts from her mind, when her best friend lay beside her in the snow.

"What a day huh" said Harry

"Yea" she replied

"You okay" he asked

"Yea" she replied again

"oh good should have realized, you were fine what with the monotone voice, practically catatonic look on your face, and one syllable answers. Sorry I asked" he joked

"Oh ha ha ha. I'm fine, really, just thinking is all" she said

"Oh should have guessed, the usual than" he jibed

"Shut up Potter" she smacked his arm "how is everyone doing"

"As expected considering. Pomfrey says Fred is going to be fine. She still wants him to be checked over by ST. Mungos, but otherwise she thinks he will be fine, no brain damage" he answered

"No more than usual you mean" she joked

"He was looking for you. Wanted to thank you for saving his life" said Harry

"I talked to him, and really it wasn't that big a deal" she replied

"Yes it was Hermione. What you did was amazing" replied Harry

"Any of you would have done the same. I was just closest" she said

"Hermione, don't downplay what you did. You saved his life, that's big" said Harry

"Oh, you mean like dying for all of us, should I go call everyone over, so you can hear how amazing you are than" she asked starting to rise when he quickly grabbed her pushing her back

"No. no. That's ok, point taken, subject dropped" he said "I saw Ron in the Great Hall"

"I don't want to talk about that. Really, I'm fine, I'm disappointed, but otherwise I'm fine" replied Hermione

"If you're sure, because we can talk about it if you like" he said

"It all still feels so surreal, like, I don't know, I still can't believe it's over, you know?" said Hermione changing the subject

"I know what you mean, I feel, I don't know, kind of disappointed, glad it's not just me" said Harry

"No, it's just you. But I know what you mean" she replied

"Just wish I knew why. I mean, we should be happy, we should be jumping for joy, so why aren't we" he asked

It was like he read her mind, and suddenly it hit her. The answer to what they had both been wondering, she turned to face him

"The war is over, the battle is won, and we are free, but now what" she said

He turned to look at her, sighing deeply, and said "yea, and now what"

"We have to remember, we have been fighting since we were 11, and now, finally the fight is over. Everything we have fought for is here, and we don't know what to do with it" she said

"Yea I see what you mean, it's all we know how to do. So, now what. What do we do? Now that it's the end" he asked

"Oh Harry, we just have to remember, it's not the end, it's a new beginning." she said "come on time to go inside" They both rose from the snow, and started towards the castle, leaning against each other, heading towards a future, that is still unwritten.