Hey guys! This is a something-to-tide-you-over story since I now have exams and once again have limited time! Yay! *sigh*. "Boy meets girl" will be my priority when I have more time but for now this is just a quick somewhat drabbley one-shot. Thoughts etc are appreciated, thanks a lot
~BH
Nothing to Lose
"It's too late now." Hermione thought to herself as she thought of everything that had happened that day. She had woken up in the early hours to find Ron stumbling into the Burrow dishevelled and covered in lipstick. Embarrassed and caught off guard, Ron had fled upstairs with no explanation, until Hermione confronted him, with disastrous results. After several hours of vague revelations she tried to end the relationship, but Ron wouldn't let her. He then proceeded to threaten her with kicking her out of the Burrow, meaning she wouldn't have a place in the Wizarding world to stay, which was still being slowly rebuilt after the second Wizarding war.
In the end, she realised, she would rather be homeless than trapped in a relationship with someone who wanted to use her. She thought about asking Harry to stay with him and Ginny for a while, but Ginny was pregnant with her first born so she didn't want to intrude.
She was unable to sleep now. She knew she had to leave in very short notice, in a few hours in fact, with no explanation. Ron had said he would tell the family she was going to Australia to find her parents. Despite this, Hermione would have to wait weeks before she could save enough money to travel, she couldn't apparate due to the long distance and difficulties with muggles in the area.
She had never felt so alone. Her parents didn't know who she was, and she didn't even know if they were still alive. Ron was now isolating her from the only family figures she had left, and also her only friends from school. She couldn't understand how it had all backfired on her, when she had done nothing, and was so blissfully happy.
She thought she had a stable relationship with Ron. They were going to be married, have children, a house together. She had a well paying job, thanks to Kingsley Shacklebolt, the new Minister for Magic and the fact that she finished her education at Hogwarts after the year she missed hunting Horcruxes.
Her thoughts were jumbling in a tighter knot in her head as she heard footsteps getting gradually louder. She kicked the blanket off her as she continued to lie on the floor, due to being forced to sleep in Ginny's room without any warning. She wouldn't be staying long anyway.
"Hey." She heard a whisper from the door. She bolted upright, feeling incredibly thankful that Ginny wasn't there. She got up to see a tall figure standing in the now open doorway. A hand beckoned her towards him, and she knew she had nothing to lose. Despite being in her pyjamas still, she felt numb from her broken emotions.
"Why are you packed up?" Fred asked as he led her out of the doorway and down the many stairs.
She paused for a long time as they crossed the messy kitchen and she distractedly followed Fred out of the back door.
"It's Ron, isn't it?" Fred almost spat as he remembered seeing Ron hurriedly into the house from his bedroom window several hours previously. He was glad he was home this one night, just so he could witness Ron's true colours. He had only been home because he had arrived merely half an hour before Ron's return to collect some things from his room, and Molly insisted he stayed overnight. He hadn't slept. He was too busy pondering. He never had time to think alone, everything was shared with George. He was busy with the store, planning things, running a business. There was no time for private thoughts or a stolen moment of isolation. Staying at home tonight had been more than perfect timing. He could be there for the girl he had been waiting for, who he knew was hiding more than she showed, and wasn't getting what she deserved.
Fred listened as Hermione unravelled her knot of feelings and unfolded the tale of her now damaged-beyond-repair relationship. He suddenly had an idea that was several times better than a simple walk.
"You need to throw yourself into something new, something... Reckless." Fred proposed firmly to an astounded Hermione.
"What?" Responded Hermione quietly. Her voice had lost its spark, and he had the perfect plan to reignite it.
"You see," started Fred, steering her towards the garage and taking on a tone of voice as if he was talking to a customer at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. "You need some new experiences in your life. You've been playing safe, all you've ever known is Ron, and now you have the perfect opportunity to… start again."
Hermione was simultaneously shocked and unsurprised at Fred's speech. She understood what he meant, but didn't understand the sudden change in attitude. However, she had nothing to lose. Silently she let Fred steer her towards the garage and stood to one side as Fred uncharacteristically and quietly opened the door.
Inside the dilapidated room, she froze as she realised exactly what Fred's plan entailed.
Standing majestically in the centre of the room was Sirius' old motorbike, which was now being refurbished for the second time by Arthur Weasley. Fred, undeterred by her obvious fear, walked towards it, inspecting its condition.
"Its pretty much done. Perfect." He informed her, grinning. Hermione couldn't help but notice his eyes lighting up as he talked to her. Ron never did that. It was almost as if Fred was interested in her.
Fred then almost flung himself onto the front of the Motorbike. It swayed slightly before he settled his long legs either side, steadying it. "If you sit in front you'll feel more secure." He stated, beckoning her forward.
She had nothing to lose.
Hermione gingerly swung her leg gracefully over the other side of the Motorbike, noticing how suddenly close she was to Fred, who winked at her.
She assessed her options. She was somewhat scared of flying. She hated brooms, but she had flown on a plane with her parents a few times when she was younger, so being up in the air didn't scare her. However the possibility of her falling off terrified her.
Fred stretched his muscled arms either side of her, gripping the handlebars. She felt comforted knowing he was around her, so it would be harder for her to fall. She also couldn't help but admire his appearance. She leant back into his chest as Fred moved his head to look over her shoulder so he could see the open garage door in front of him. His shaggy hair tickled her cheek.
"And now, we fly," he smiled, revving up the engine and driving out through the door. Hermione shivered as the wind rushed past her suddenly when they burst out into the garden, and covered her eyes with her hands as they lurched into the air ungracefully.
"You can't see anything if you're covering your eyes." Fred said gently, his deep voice gliding through her ears, breaking her trance. Fred watched as she slowly removed her hands from those beautiful chocolate brown eyes. He continued to watch her startled expression as she glanced at the scenery around her, and how far she was above the ground. She twisted her head around to see Fred grinning at her once again.
"It's incredible." She said, half in awe, half laughing at her nerve, that she was up here in the first place, doing something she never would have dreamed of doing with anyone else.
They flew in comfortable silence, in peace. There were no fancy tricks, no pranks. Hermione was surprised about how beautiful this simplicity was, once she got over the fact that they were thousands of feet up in the air. It was almost as if Fred was showing her another side to his personality. She couldn't hide the fact that she loved it, although it wouldn't be the same Fred if he was always like this. She knew this was the only part of him she thought he didn't have in him, the part where he could be serious and peaceful. It was the part she had been waiting to see to make her fall fully in love with the man with her arms around her tonight. Ron had never made her feel as special as Fred did in these moments, even without the exchange of words. They didn't need words.
Hermione was broken out of her trance as she felt the motorbike gently touch down back in the garden of what was her current home. Fred dismounted behind her, and offered a hand to help her off.
"Why did you do this for me? You can't have not planned this." She asked him slightly nervously, as if she didn't want an answer that could ruin this perfect adventure.
"I knew you needed a break," he replied simply. "You've needed a break for the past seven years."
It was that moment, when their lips met under the stars, and they shared the kiss that truly conveyed their feelings. She slipped her hands through his hair as he circled her waist, pulling her closer, speaking without uttering unnecessary words.
"You're not going to try and leave again, you're living with me above the shop." Fred whispered with dominance as they regretfully pulled apart.
Hermione nodded, for although the emptiness of Ron's betrayal had still broken her, she knew the man she had just captured in a kiss could fix her.
For that had been his plan all along, he thought as he walked Hermione back to her room. Tomorrow they could embark on something new and something reckless, together.
For they had nothing to lose.