I decided to write a series of writing drabbles based on ten songs in my itunes.
The pairing is Fred/Hermione in all of these.
Almost Lover - A Fine Frenzy
They say the first year is the hardest when you lose someone you love. Hermione had read through a book on how to deal with grief and it didn't help at all. It was the first winter after the battle. Months had gone by, their dead long buried. It still shocked her each morning to wake up with the realization that he was gone. Her Fred was gone. It seemed like only yesterday that his fingers had been dancing across her flesh, his hand holding hers, and his lips pressed to her own.
Hermione shivered at the memory and clung tighter to the sweater she was wearing. It was much too big for her tiny body, she had noted. It was made for a boy with a beaters build she thought sadly. She began walking to a place she had become depressingly familiar with these past months. It wasn't until she reached the white marble grave that she began to cry.
Hermione fell to her knees in front of his grave much like she always did each time she visited. Her mitten covered fingers ran over the stone so she could read the words that must have been burned into her brain by now.
Frederick Gideon Weasley
April 1st 1978 - May 2nd 1998
Beloved brother and son.
May there always be a smile in heaven.
She traced the first four letters of his name with her fingers ignoring the fact that her tears were flowing freely. "Oh Fred," she whispered as if he were standing right next to her. "I miss you so much." Breathing out the last word she covered her hand to her mouth before she began to quietly sob. "Why'd you have to go?" She asked each time she visited him. It was childish to ask this question, let alone think it, but it always seemed to slip out.
Hermione cleared her throat and took a deep breath trying to calm down. Each time she visited him she would tell him about her day and tried to keep him up to date incase he was listening to her words. "Today I went to the shop and visited George-" She stopped taking in a short breath as she though of George, the half of a whole that was now a broken man. "He offered me a tea and I stupidly drank it. My hair was green for an hour," She let out a tiny laugh at the story she was retelling. George rarely pranked anyone these days so Hermione, while she did not appear it, was happy he had chosen her to be his victim. "He misses you, Fred. We all do."
Hermione wished she could stop coming here and saying these things. None of it would bring him back but she hoped that where ever he was he was listening. "Harry and Ginny are getting married soon. Your mum's been pushing Ron and I together since last June but I...I just can't." She took another breath as she felt the familiar prickle of tears in her eyes. "I can't love him, Fred. I can't love him when I love you."
What she wouldn't kill for another moment with him. For another hug or a kiss from the man she loved. Hermione couldn't love another, not when the loss of Fred had smashed her heart into pieces. He died, and as horrible as it sounded, he took a piece of her with him. Hermione glanced down at the red Weasley sweater she wore and wrapped her arms around her middle trying to stay warm. The large yellow F stood out amongst all the white. "We almost had it all, didn't we?" She questioned her eyes now on the marble grave. Her hands going to the chain around her neck that carried the ring he had given her.
"Marry me, Hermione." He'd said to her one night as they snuggled to keep warm. "Marry me and I promise we'll be the happiest people this world has ever seen." Never in her life had Hermione felt the rush of feeling she had then. The logical thoughts of 'we're so young, what would Ron say?' Never crossed her mind as she smiled and kissed him in response. "Yes," She'd breathed before kissing him again, "I love you." She could still remember the look on his face when she'd said yes, he grinned like the happiest man in the world. "Knew you couldn't resist my charms, Granger." He'd commented going back to his funny self. This had caused a laughing fit from them both once she'd mentioned that he in fact had no charm.
Hermione wasn't ready to move on. She wasn't ready to push forward with her life at all, all she wanted was to go back to what she had. "I'll come back tomorrow, Fred." She pressed her fingers to her lips and then touched the marble grave. "I love you."