A/N: Muggle AU. Written for The Houses Competition Year 4 and the Golden Snitch. I don't own Harry Potter; it solely belongs to J.K. Rowling!
House: Ravenclaw
Year/Position: Prefect
Category: Drabble
Challenge: The Nautical Ship Challenge
Prompt: [Word] Undiscovered
[Plausible Canon] - Hermione Granger and Fred Weasley - HMS Miracles.
Word Count: 933
Some things are better left unsaid. Some words are better if not spoken aloud. Some secrets are better left undiscovered because if they came into light, trust in the relationships would break. And when the trust between two people breaks apart, the price cannot be easily paid off.
Hermione flinched as the fresh bruises on her body reminded her of the horrible nightmare she was living. The black and blue spots were becoming more apparent in their appearances. The beatings were coming more often now. Never in a million years had she anticipated her married life like the one she was enduring. Her home felt like a prison, wherein she was a bird waiting for an opportunity to break free the cage she was captured in, and never return.
Ron had been so loving and caring when they'd started dating. She didn't know how it began; maybe it was the quick apology she'd given after that first slap, or the first time she had caught a scent of someone else's perfume on Ron's clothes when he returned home late from work. Or maybe it was the fact that she couldn't carry a child, but that didn't make her any less of a woman or wife. She only knew that a mother's love knew no bounds.
After innumerable fights and the cruel realisation that Ron wasn't the same lovely boy she'd fallen hopelessly in love with, Hermione had given up.
"Hermione." Someone's voice broke the silence she'd been drowning in.
"Hermione, where are you?" It was Fred, she realised. She hastily tried to cover her marks of cowardice by pulling the sleeves down, but it seemed she'd been too late. Her bedroom room opened, and Fred immediately rushed forward when he saw her lying on the floor.
"Hermione, what happened? What's wrong?" He scooped her up after watching her fail miserably to stand on her own, and lead her to the bed. Fred grew even more concerned when she didn't pull away from him and started crying her heart out. He'd never seen her so vulnerable and broken. She'd always been a fierce woman, a kind person he'd fallen for - unfortunately, Hermione had chosen Ron, so Fred kept the secret buried deep inside his chest.
"You're scaring me. What happened, Hermione? Please tell me," he whispered quietly, not wanting to startle her.
With as much courage as she could muster, Hermione lifted her arm and urged him to pull the sleeves up and see for himself. She couldn't do it herself, but she knew that if she kept her silence this time, then she wouldn't be able to rescue herself from this hell.
Fred frowned when he got no response from her and did as she wanted him to. He couldn't stop the gasp from leaving his mouth when he saw her arm, all bruised and bloodied. With great care, he checked up on the other arm too, and the result was horrid. He didn't protest when she held onto him tighter - as if her life depended on it.
He knew that Ron hadn't been happy ever since Hermione's medical reports came back, claiming that she would never be able to conceive, but he'd never expected things to go to such extreme levels. When had his little brother become such a monster?
"Shush, don't worry, I'm here and I'm not leaving without you," Fred spoke with as much conviction as possible. He sat there, comforting her for what felt like a lifetime, only breaking the eerie quietness blanketing them when her breathing returned to normal.
"Hermione, look at me." His soothing voice made her finally look up. "Why didn't you tell anyone, hmm?"
She couldn't find the words. How was she supposed to say that she was scared? How could she say that Ron had broken her in a way that was irreversible?
"Does Harry know?" he asked worriedly when he got no answer from her. Hearing Harry's name though, brought a terrified look on her face, and she started looking around as if Ron would appear in the room any second now.
It didn't take him even a second to realise the situation. Of course, Ron's jealousy had gotten in the way. He, too, had experienced the snide looks of his younger brother whenever he talked to Hermione.
Fred grasped her again, carefully avoiding the bruises, "Hey, hey! It's okay. He's not here, and I wouldn't allow him to lay even a finger upon you. I promise."
"You wouldn't?" Her voice came out hoarse; the question and hope persistent in her eyes.
"No, never."
She nodded and laid her head gently on his shoulder. Fred was here. He wouldn't allow Ron to come near her. He would protect her.
Fred couldn't bear to look at the woman he loved, in such a helpless position. He would kill Ron for destroying her self-confidence and making her weak. If he got his hands on him, he wouldn't think twice before murdering him bare-handed. He, however, had to take care of Hermione first. Fred gazed down and saw her passed out from all the exhaustion and emotional turmoil raging inside of her. Only God knew how long she'd suffered.
He didn't stop when the tears escaped his eyes. Fred loved Hermione with all his might, but that secret would remain as such because she needed him, only as a friend. His feelings for Hermione would remainundiscoveredbecause she'd trusted him and told him of the darkest secret of her life. He would remain strong for her even if it meant going against his own blood.