One Last Time

Summary: Fred and Hermione see eachother off before all hell breaks loose.

Entry for Round 2 of the Stretch Your Boundaries Competition. Using the prompts: memories, stars, never going back.

Looking up her gaze met his from across the tent and everyone else seemed to fade away.

Harry, Ron, his family, all the people Fleur and Bill had invited to the wedding seemed to become translucent, ghost-like until they weren't even there anymore. Until the decorated inside of the tent did the same. As if it was never there in the first place. It was as if she wasn't there anymore, that she had been transported back to a time she remembered when everything was more or less peaceful. A time when the war wasn't going on yet. She dived headfirst into those memories, getting lost in them, in his eyes.

He stood across from her, smiling only to glance over his shoulder a second later, waving a hand away with his own. "I'm not tired, I'll meet you in the dorms later." George backed away, hands raised and laughing, then he glanced to Hermione, giving her a wink right before his brother pushed him from the hallway.

She laughed quietly behind a raised hand over her mouth. Those two made jokes on eachother just as much as they pulled pranks on the other students, no matter the House were they resided. Apparently a target for a prank was just that, a target.

"Hermione," he stepped over and she lowered her hand unable to keep her smile away. His own lips twisted up when he saw this and his hands moved from his pockets to gather her own in his. "You're not tired are you?"

With a grin she couldn't surpress she shook her head, "No."

"Good. I want to show you something." Her cheeks felt warm when he moved forward to speak the words softly, and then he was pulling away, tugging her along with him. With a giggle and the knowledge that her skin kept turning a deeper shade of red as time went by she followed him.

He hurried them down flights of stairs, through hallways, doubling back when they almost ran into a wandering Professor or Filch and his accursed cat. Eventually they were at the courtyard, crossing over the stone bridge and into the field of grass beyond that.

It was only then that Fred stopped, turning to look at her and smiling. "You like?"

Hermione glanced over the plain, not quiet sure what is was she was suppose to be seeing. She had been here a million times before, she passed it when going to Care for Magical Creatures every week. "What exactly do I like?" she asked, gaze settling back on him.

For a moment he just looked back before stepping forward to rest his hands on either side of her face. She could feel her skin warming once again beneath the touch. "That," as he said the word he applied just a bit of preassure to tilt her head back so she found herself looking up at the darkened sky, at the stars winking down at her.

"I love it." The words slipped from her easily as she already started to pinpoint different constellations.

"You do?" he sounded surprised and she laughed quietly.

"Yes, of cour-" she couldn't see the stars anymore, just his eyes, then not even that when his lips were pressed to hers. Hermione instantly melted into the kiss, arms raising to wrap over his shoulders, hands curling in to his hair.

By the time they parted for air she noticed his hands were now on her hips. He was already smiling and she grinned right back as he started to sway gently. "Would the lady care for a dance?"

She lowered her hands to his back, never breaking eye contact. "With you? Always."

Hermione walked across the floor to Fred now, eyes always on his, a bit surprised at herself for not running into any of the furniture, or anyone for that matter. When she raised her hand he took it in his, kissing the back of her palm and she smiled, walking backwards until they were out of the tent and back under the night sky.

"You know," Fred said, already having gotten the hint as his hands were on her waist just like that time and she swayed with the music spilling from the seams of the tent. "We're never going back to this again. Not with you going wherever Harry is, Death Eaters at the school, everywhere really."

Her smile fell slightly, "I know," she rose up on her toes to kiss him, "Take care of yourself Fred."

"You too, Hermione."