A chance at love
Pairing: Fred/Hermione
Rating: T
Location Author: FutureAuthor-Hopefully.
Fred's t-shirt is sold at DFTBA records.
Hermione Granger slowly walked up the winding gravel path clutching a leaflet in her firm grip, checking over her shoulders every few steps, seeing if there was anyone she knew. It was pure paranoia of course, she'd chosen a secure location to go to and muggle. She knew few muggle's these days especially thanks to her relatives not believing her, disowning her, almost scared of her. That was the whole reason of her coming here tonight, them. Her supposed loved ones. She had always known it would be difficult 10 years after the war, impossible maybe, and she was ready to accept that, she was a clever woman after all. But attempted murder, police investigations? That was too far, the ministry had to obliviate a lot of innocent muggle's after those stunts.
She continued her climb up the steep path, finally reaching the muggle village hall. Reaching for the door she realised it was incredibly similar to the one by her parents house, flaky painted door, brown brick, low ceilinged and squat. She sighed and bit her lip, she would not give up her Gryffindor bravado for bad memories. As head of Gryffindor house and Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher she continuously put up the Gryffindor act even if she knew it was false. Taking in a deep breath and clearing away her thoughts, pushing the door open she took in the old musky smell that used to make her feel claustrophobic and panicky, she got that old feeling back in the thick air and took in a breath of which she got little oxygen. In the centre of the room was a small circle of chairs set up for the meeting and sat down in the circle. It would have ominous to every one but Hermione Jean Granger in that empty hall just the quiet to keep her company but she had always been left alone, content to just sit and read or always early to whatever group or club she was supposed to be waiting for. She sat in the circle content for a while just to sit and think about the upcoming meeting.
Slowly people started to trickle in until the time for the meeting officially started. Hermione smiled nervously at the other members of the meeting and awaited the group mentor. He did not come for a few minutes, so to fill up her time by people watching, she had enough time for all, as there were only 6 others in the room. The first man her eyes laid across on was exactly what she'd expected to find at this type of meeting. Vest top and old warn out cardigan, a slouch, unshaven beard and bored eyes. She moved on to the young man sitting next to him, clear blue eyes that had seen laughter before, ones that dearly wanted to see it again but it was clouded by misery, he was tall and good-looking blonde with pale skin, darker than Malfoy's but still a white hue. The woman next to him reminded her greatly of Minerva McGonnagol, her spectacles perched precariously on her nose, her mouth pinched tight into a dissatisfied purse of the lips and her hair pulled back of her face into a tight bun. Hermione smiled at the unknown women and had a small nervous smile replicated back. The next woman was a great deal younger than the McGonnagol doppelgänger, this girl was lively and vibrant with purple hair, she looked away quickly before she could remember the tragedies of the wizarding war that none of these muggle's new or cared about, they didn't know how she had saved their lives from being slaves. Sat next to the girl she dared not look at, she saw an old man, withered in himself and decrepit looking, this poor sight made her near on as sad as the previous muggle had. She turned her sights on the last presence in the room, a large man was glaring at her, daring her to size him up. Hermione quickly looked into her lap her hair falling over her face obscuring her features from view.
She heard footsteps coming into the room, knowing this was the teacher but still she did not dare look up in case she made eye contact with the large man opposite her.
"Hello, everybody and welcome to this new Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. My name is..." The voice was male, deep, kind and Hermione could tell a joker at heart. It was exactly like a dear friend of hers... "Fred Weasley and..." Hermione's head snapped up.. it couldn't be he was dead. But the voice. She scraped back her chair and stood up. She gasped, holding back her tears, hardly aware of the eyes on her, only the dead man's. She looked at him from head to toe, trademark muggle converses, brown. He took after his father in his like of muggle artefacts and he enjoyed converses particularly. Rumpled black jeans, a t-shirt with 'Nerd' written on it in tetris blocks on it to top his outfit of he was wearing a multicoloured fitted jacket. It was so Fred. Only then did she dare look at his face he was frowning, her face still being covered with her hair he could not recognise her. Fred Gideon Weasley, and she was sure it was the dead man now, had a stylish red stubble forming across his jaw line, his blue eyes deep and meaning full, his nose was straight and his strong jaw was chiselled around his pillowed lips.
'Oh God,' thought Hermione 'He's come back from the dead' and then it hit her that was completely impossible. He had never been dead.
"FREDICK GIDEON WEASLEY! You Prick, You Bastard! I thought you were DEAD!" She spat the last word with venom and disbelief.
Fred looked at her with her hair out of her eyes she recognised her immediately, paling at the recognition. "Oh my God, Hermione, Hermione Granger, No It's been 10 years, No!"
They looked at the muggle's some looked amused and some slightly terrified at Hermione's outburst. "EVERYBODY OUT!" both the witch and wizard yelled out together. Everybody complied some mumbling about there need for help, others obviously worried at the sight of the two warring strangers. Hermione collapsed into her chair, pulling her knees up to her chest and clasping her hands around her legs. Sobs ringing in her ear. She felt a hand at her shoulder.
"Mya" She recoiled, the use of that special nickname the one that she only allowed the twins to use. The one she hadn't heard in 10 years because George couldn't bring himself to say it, he had found it difficult enough to go back to Weasley's Wizarding Wheeze's. George managed it now with a smile to boot, he felt comfortable there, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to say that name.
"Don't call me that. Don't touch me. I missed you, I missed you so much. How could you leave me Fred? I saw you die! I held your body as we took you to that alcove and I came back to bury you and you were gone Fred. Death Eaters had taken your body." She looked up to look him in the eye. "Fred what happened?" Her eyes were blurry but she focused on him.
Fred Weasley but his lip, drawing blood until he finally looked her in the eye. "I was in love, if I think about it, I never really fell out of it. She must of noticed. The way I went quiet when she criticised me in school. I tried not to prank her too much even if George wanted too. He new I liked her but he never told her. She's probably married now to my brother." He smiled when he said his twin's name but frowned at the mention of marriage and looked away from her eyes.
"I'm sorry Fred, Angelina did marry George" Hermione looked sadly at Fred but all he did was smile at her.
"Oh Hermione, No. I'm pleased for George, I wish I was there to see him. I believe he bet me 10 galleons that I wouldn't go to his wedding naked" he chuckled at the memory. " I was never in love with Angie, I loved her she was like a sister to me but I never fell IN love. No, when this girl praised me at my magic I lit up. I know I should have told her. Then Malfoy, Lucius mind, I think Draco was a good kid really, deep down. He kidnapped me, I was in a coma but I woke and then he threatened me, told me that he'd kill her, or he'd get people he knew to kill if I didn't run get out of the magical community, live among those 'filthy muggles' he said. Live like her family. Well, I knew what I had to do I didn't doubt he could do it, I didn't know who won or lost. But inside Azkaban or not he could kill her, and I couldn't let him do that so I ran."
"I'm so so sorry Fred, but I don't think this girl married your brother, Ron married Luna, George, Angelina and Percy Audrey. Charlie never married and you knew about Bill and Fleur. Maybe the girl's still out there" She smiled sadly down at her boots, she couldn't tell him not now.
Fred sat down opposite her as she unwound herself from the chair, so she was sat facing him. "Who did you marry then? I presume Harry and Gin.."
Hermione smiled a genuine smile at him. "Harry and Ginerva Potter have two sons and are expecting a daughter anytime now. And I. I never married, the war took its toll on me, deeply I've found it hard to love, only those who I loved before hand, still have my trust ." She smiled at him again. Hermione studied the man, last time she'd seen him he was just a boy. He had grown up, a snetence she'd never thought she'd say. Fredrick Weasley had grown up. "Fred, you have yet to tell me, Who was this girl, I mean who IS this girl that you are in love with?"
He stared at her, as if in disbelief. he shook his head and yet still did not smile. Hermione had not realised he could go this long without a smile playing at his face, she had only just realised he had yet to laugh. An unusual feat indeed for the infamous prankster. He looked almost pathetic, worn like the war was only yesterday.
"And I thought you were the cleverest witch of the age" Hermione cocked her eyebrow. "You never noticed? Really?"
She was more confused than ever. "Never notice what exactly?" Fred stood up walking over until he stood over Hermione Granger. He leant down cupping her face in his hands. "Hermione I have loved you since your sixth year, fancied you since your fourth." He leant down and kissed her briefly, just a small kiss barely there lips touched, but it meant so much to Hermione. "Fredrick Weasley you complete.. complete.. dunderhead! I have loved you since the day I came to the shop. I fell for you, hard as soon as you said I could have the day dream charm for free. That one simple thing made me fall in love with you. You idiot boy Lucius couldn't kill me, I have been too well protected. Kingsley had Ron, Harry and I guarded by two aurors each for two years, you should have known." She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You forgive me then?" Fred asked with a laugh.
"Of course, you silly man! " With that she gave a laugh and reached up to kiss him.
A/N: So this is not a new fic, it has just been re-edited and re-uploaded. REVIEW!