Hermione had ignored the first time the locket around her neck became comfortably warm. She had also ignored the second time and the third but now on the fourth time she couldn't ignore it any longer. Sighing, Hermione closed the book on her lap and made her way down from her dormitory. It was after curfew and if she were caught leaving the common room she would certainly be in trouble but she'd done this so many times before she had practically memorized the safest ways to go for every night of the week. Walking down the dark corridors, Hermione pulled the locket from around her neck and held it in her hand, letting her own body heat warm it naturally which would let him know she was coming. She'd made the necklaces just over a year ago, back when they first started sneaking out to meet each other, back when it was good or at least better.

When Hermione reached the courtyard, she stood for a moment in and archway looking up at the clear sky. A scattering of stars lit up the inky darkness like fireflies and taking a deep breath Hermione took a step forward towards the lone figure that sat on a bench facing away from her. "I don't see why we couldn't just meet in the common room." She said and the figure turned around, a smile spreading across his face. "I've told you why, Hermione." He said, "If we meet in the common room someone could see us and then everyone would know about us." Hermione sighed; obviously he hadn't changed his mind about keeping their relationship a secret. Hermione wasn't even sure they could call it a relationship anymore. "Are we even an 'us' anymore Fred?" Hermione asked, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. Fred opened his mouth to reply but Hermione carried on. "I heard about you and Angelina." Fred made another attempt to speak but again Hermione interrupted him. "That's the fourth girl in the past two months, Fred." She turned her back to him and folded her arms around herself. "If you cared about me there wouldn't be any other girls."

Fred stood up from the bench and stood behind her, wrapping his own arms around hers. "Hermione." He whispered, resting his head on her shoulder. It took all her willpower not to lean back into him. "I know you don't understand it but we hide our relationship because that's the only way it'll work." Hermione thought for a moment before pulling out of his arms and turning to face him. "It's not working though, is it Fred?" She asked, "This isn't a relationship, its torture. I don't understand how you can carry on the way you do, knowing that it breaks my heart." Hermione pulled away again as Fred reached out for her, she looked to the ground, desperately trying to keep the tears from falling. "This is the last time I'm asking you, Fred." She told him, her voice barely above a whisper, "Put me first. Think about what you're doing to me. Or it's all got to stop." She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "This is your last year here. If we can't even make it when we see each other everyday, how are we going to make it when we barely see each other at all?" The question stumped Fred, he thought they were making it just fine, that this would be the same as last time, she'd ask him to change and when he wouldn't she'd just give up and let things carry on how they were but her eyes were so full of pain that he realized this time she was serious. "Hermione." He said again, he didn't know what else he could say, he couldn't change. He was Fred, the prankster, the flirt, the guy who had every girl and no girl. But that wasn't true, he did have a girl and she was stood in front of him now, falling apart and trying desperately not to cry.

Fred reached out his hand and gently wiped an escaped tear off Hermione's cheek. I love you, he thought but he could never tell her that. Using those words out loud made everything way too serious and that just wasn't the way Fred worked. Fred didn't know what to do, so he did the only thing he felt he could do. Fred turned away from Hermione and walked away. He didn't see her shatter into a thousand pieces, didn't look back to see her release the tears and didn't think about the ones that were slowly starting to fall from his own eyes.


I hope you enjoyed it, if you want me to carry on please review as they are the only thing that inspire me to carry on writing. I'd love to here about what you think should happen or what you think of when you read this chapter. Thanks for reading :) ~WeWereJustChildren