So this is a new story I thought up while listening to the song 'Existentialism on Prom Night' by the Straylight Run, and I kind of got carried away... I am still writing the Other Malfoy but this is just a small one. It won't be very long (at least not when compared to my other story...) So I hope you like, enjoy :)

Existentialism – Chapter One

Fred/Hermione

She was asleep. He could see the dip and curve of her waist and hip as she lay on her side, the only movement the slightest movement of her upper body as she breathed, slowly and evenly. She looked quite different when she was sleeping. She often had her eyebrows drawn together in an inquisitive frown, or when she was studying – but sometimes, when she was relaxed and calm, she would look like this, the way she looked when she was asleep. Perfectly content, calm, beautiful.

He longed to reach out and touch her cheek, feel the warmth of her skin. He had been doing this for so many nights now, just wandering up to her dormitory and watching her sleep. He hadn't been able to during the term, but holidays meant that she was the only one here. And he would sit for sometimes an hour, maybe more, and watch her.

He had been struggling for the last twenty four hours about whether he was going to return tonight. He didn't want to do anything stupid – but he didn't want to not be here. In fact, here was the place he wanted to be, more than anywhere else.

Running a worried hand through his hair, he watched her sleeping. And then – seemingly out of nowhere – the thunder began.

He felt the blood freeze in his veins as the storm's mighty orchestra rumbled through the room, and for a moment he considered running out and dashing back to his dormitory, but he wanted to stay because she was there. He decided he would go, and he stood up to leave, but in that very moment, her eyelashes fluttered and her eyes opened, her hand gripped the sheets as another crash of thunder sounded, and it took her a moment to realise he was there.

She looked out of the window beside her bed, and she looked a little dazed and confused – but when the second crash of thunder sounded, she jumped in fright. She moved to roll over, grasping her sheets, and that was when she spotted him.

While the thunder had frightened her enough to make her jump, Fred's presence only made her eyes widen slightly, and she gripped the sheets and pulled them higher up her chest, over the modest singlet she was wearing, and she said in a surprised, slightly rasping voice, "Fred?"

Fred forced the shock out of his system, and he put on a brave face. He gave her a small, slightly sheepish smile, and he said, "Hey, 'Mione." He noted that she'd known he was Fred, and not George – that was interesting.

She rubbed at her dark golden eyes as she said tiredly, "What – what are you doing in here?"

Fred stared at the floor for a second, before he gave a small sigh and said, "I was – watching you."

Hermione frowned, and Fred tried not to smile at her perplexed expression. "Watching me?" she repeated, as she sat up, still holding the sheet to her chest. "Watching me do what?"

"Sleep, of course," Fred replied, as if it was the most simple thing in the world.

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but a sharp flash of lightning and another crash of thunder made her jump, and as the lightning flashed, Fred saw a real fear in her wide eyes, and that was something he'd only seen a few times. Like when she was waiting for Harry to wake up in hospital, the last few hundred times he'd been there…

"Are you alright?" he asked her, taking a step closer to the bed.

When she replied, her voice was much shakier. "I – I don't like storms." He could see she was gripping the sheets tightly in her hand.

Fred, not really knowing what he was doing, moved towards the bed and he said, "Would you – like me to stay a while?"

Hermione looked up at him with a slight frown, and he panicked. He hadn't actually explained properly his purpose for being in her room in the middle of the night. Fred quickly thought of a lie, and he smiled down at her. "Sorry if I'm creeping you out – but I thought you would appreciate the company on a night like this. I heard there was a storm coming."

Hermione's frown eased, and she said, "That's very considerate of you, Fred."

"No need to sound so shocked," Fred replied with a wink. "Come on, shift over."

Hermione hesitated for a moment, but then she shifted to the side a little, making room for him. Fred sat up, and he was deliberating whether to put his arm around Hermione or not when another flash of lightning and crash of thunder lit up the room and made the floor tremble, and Hermione jumped and her hand automatically latched onto his, holding it so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Fred's eyes widened slightly at the contact, but he made himself relax. "Shh, it's okay," he said quietly, and he gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close. He felt her rigid shoulders ease slightly as he brought her closer to him, and the shaking subsided.

"I'm sorry Fred," Hermione said with a small, embarrassed laugh. "I – I'm not usually like this."

"I bet you usually are, but you have a tall handsome man to snuggle up against now so it's just that much better." Fred glanced down at her and saw a smile creeping on her lips, and he laughed. She was used to the playful banter from Fred and George, but Fred liked it much better when it was just her and him.

"You are so conceited," Hermione murmured, but she couldn't help laughing along with him. The sound made Fred's heart jump.

Fred noticed the way her body seemed to fit perfectly against his, and he loved the way he could wrap his arm around her small figure. Next to him like this, he could see how small she was.

Another flash of lightning struck, and Fred could feel Hermione's muscles grow tight as she prepared for the thunder. Fred felt a sudden urge to kiss her, to erase the look of fear from her face, replace that scared look in her eyes with one of gentle warmth.

It was only after Fred had quickly tipped her chin upwards with his long fingers, and leaned towards her and gently pressed his lips to hers, that he realised what he had done.

But the thunder crashed, and Hermione didn't jump. She was preoccupied with the kiss, as had been Fred's intention. Her eyes were wide, but she was staring at him, almost in amazement. He moved his lips against hers, and he could feel her gasp, and he watched her eyes droop shut as she relaxed. He moved his hand from her jaw to her neck, tangling his fingers in her hair, and he felt her warm skin.

Their lips moved together slowly, her mouth soft and warm against his, and Fred couldn't believe she was kissing him back. The moment was ruined, however, when another sudden crash of thunder made Hermione's eyes snap open, and she pulled away from him. Fred's lips followed hers, searching to kiss her again but she whispered, "Fred – Fred, stop."

"Hermione, please," Fred mumbled, and he heard the desperation in his voice. "Please –"

"Fred," Hermione's voice was hissing now. "What are you doing?"

Fred stared at her, and he could feel her body pulling away from him, and he suddenly realised it had all gone wrong. She didn't like him, and she wasn't ready for this – he wasn't going to be able to speak with her, he would lose her trust, he would lose her friendship, he would lose everything…

In another decision, which when Fred looked back at later was one of the worst things he had ever done in his life, he whipped his wand out of his pocket and he whispered, "Repens oblivio."

The memory charm wiped the last ten minutes from her mind, and he then cast another spell to send her to sleep. Her eyes dropped shut and she fell limp in his arms, totally relaxed. Fred let out a breath he didn't realise he had held, and then the cold panic gripped his insides as he realised what he had done. He had wiped her memory. He had made a mistake and then erased it from her mind…

Fred felt his breathing quicken and he tried to calm himself. It's okay, he thought. He could just forget about this. He'd stop coming to see her at night, and he'd pretend it didn't happen. He'd ask her on a date, he promised himself he would, but now was not the time. He would have to wait…

But as he moved her body to lie her down, he pulled the sheets up to her shoulders and he brushed the hair away from her eyes, he couldn't help but press his lips to hers one last time…