Hey, this is my first fanfic! I've been wanting to write one for a while, and I'm excited to finally get one up. Please review my story, and don't be afraid to criticize it. I want as much help as I can get for improvements. Thanks for reading Over the Edge! :)
Fred turned, watching the portrait hole to the Gryffindor common room swing shut behind him. He crept down a hall, ducking behind a suit of armor when a prefect strutted down the corridor, whistling to himself. Once the boy had passed, Fred turned to face said armor, puzzled. He rocked back on his heels, and looked over it, a hand on his chin. He knew there must be a trip switch somewhere…. There! He smirked in triumph and hooked his fingers underneath the chin guard of the helm, spinning the helmet around counter-clockwise. A rough grinding sound was heard behind him, and he turned, seeing a square passage open up in the wall.
The Weasley twin shimmied along the tight tunnel, sneezing as a century of dust flew up his nose. Continuing down the dark passage, he cursed as the tunnel suddenly dropped into a steep slope. He tried to slow himself down a little, but soon quit, sliding face first down the smooth rock. He laughed as the tunnel curved drastically, the gravity forcing him up the side of the passage. He and George had heard a rumor of this escape chute, and had been trying to find it for ages!
Without warning, the redheaded twin was spit out onto the grass, laughing as he shook dust out of his hair. He looked around, curious as to where the tunnel led to, and a mischievous grin slid across his lips as he saw the edge of the Forbidden Forest not far away.
Rubbing his hands together for warmth, he wove around the giant trees in the dark forest. Branches snapped and mysterious cries filled the air. Wind rustled in the leaves, creating an even more haunting atmosphere. Any person in their right mind would be wetting their pants by this time, but Fred Weasley loved every minute of it.
Fred didn't know how long he walked before he came to the cliff edge. Deep in the Forbidden forest, a steep cliff dropped off to a river below. He just stood there for a few minutes, watching the dark water swirl far beneath his feet. That's when he heard a voice. He shook his head after a moment, reasoning that no one would be creeping around in an off-limits area, an extremely dangerous one too, way past curfew. Well, except for him of course. A couple minutes later he heard it again, downriver to his left. Curiously, he followed the sound, listening as the voice became clearer.
He walked around a thick outcropping of gnarled trees and dying thickets, and upon reaching the other side, his eyes widened in disbelief. What was Malfoy doing out here? He was terrified of the Forbidden Forest, especially since having a detention with Hagrid here a couple years back. Harry and Ron had told the twins all about it when they had gotten back to Gryffindor tower late that night. He ducked behind a tree before the famous Slytherin could see him. He watched him, trying to make sense of what the slime bag was saying; it seemed like he was talking to someone.
Fred peered closer, and finally spotted the reason Malfoy was out so late. It was Hemione, standing at the edge of the cliff, blankly looking at the ravine below. Fred's brow furrowed in puzzlement. Why in Merlin's name would Granger be out in the forest, in the middle of the night, with Malfoy?
His face slid into a mask of horror as he saw what he should have seen first: Malfoy's wand pointed directly at Hermione's heart. The sound of the chanted curse now reached his ears. He stood frozen, watching as Hermione took one step towards the edge, then another, and another, until her toes hung out over oblivion.
He shook himself into mobilization, sprinting towards the Slytherin who had put one of his best friends under the Imperious curse. Fred's arm whipped out, pointing his wand towards Malfoy. He screamed "Expelliarmus!" at the top of his lungs, watching as Draco's wand spun out of his hand. As Hermione returned to herself, she teetered on the edge of the precipice, and screamed as she tipped over the edge. "Petrificus totalus!" he froze the Slytherin before he could utter a word.
Diving frantically towards the screaming Hermione, he grabbed the back of her robes, skidding towards the edge. She dangled, feet kicking at the air, screeching in terror. With all his might, he pulled her back over the edge.
Now safely away from the cliff, they both fell the other way. Fred landed on Hermione, knocking her breath out. He stared, relieved, into her deep brown eyes. Barely taking another breath, she lost it as Fred bent down his head and softly brushed his lips against hers. He quickly pulled back, both staring at each other in shock. "I'm so sorry Hermione, I didn't mean…" he frantically muttered an apology, although he still didn't stand up. They just looked at each other for a moment. Fred swore he saw a flash of… something new… in Hermione's eyes. He couldn't take it anymore, and moved his hand to the side of her face, cradling it gently as he leaned in and kissed her again.
Her eyes widened, she couldn't believe Fred was kissing her! She knew she should push him off, break off the kiss. But she ended up just kissing him back.
Fred was about to quit again, and leave in humiliation, when she returned his kiss. Their lips moved in sync, and he smiled broadly. He deepened the kiss, and her hand came up and ran through his flaming hair. He was lying on top of Hermione Granger in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night. He couldn't even comprehend how this could happen. His heartbeat quickened, and soon hers sped up to match. Careful not to crush her under him, he shifted slightly, one hand tangled in her hair, the other lightly on her waist. He brushed her lip with his tongue, and when her mouth opened slightly, he slipped his tongue inside. She sighed, and the twin crushed against her, kissing her tenderly. He pressed his lips to her throat, feeling her heartbeat race, until moving back to her mouth. This continued until, very regrettably, he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. She trembled slightly underneath him.
He couldn't believe how incredibly blind he had been, how many years he had missed out on being this close to her. He couldn't believe that it took him this long to realize that he loved her. Deep down, buried beneath the rest of his emotions, he had always loved Hermione. Now was just the first time he admitted it to himself.
Fred finally pulled himself up off the ground, helping Hermione up once he was standing. They smiled happily at each other, holding hands tightly as they walked through the forest. Both of them knew without saying that this wasn't the end.
On the way back to Hogwarts, they stopped by Hagrid's hut to alert him that a certain blond Slytherin was Petrified in the forest. Thankfully, he was too groggy to inquire about how they knew this, and they started back towards the school.
Parting in the Gryffindor common room, Fred kissed Hermione one last time. As she started up the stairs to the girls dormitory he called, "If anyone asks, you kissed me first!" and ran up the stairs laughing before she could reply. She rolled her eyes and smiled, shaking her head, as she continued up to her room.