Summary: Hermione and Fred are separated by war, their relationship and recent engagement completely hidden from everyone. Terrified for each others safety both still have to play their separate parts.
Pairing: Fred/Hermione
"Hermione..." Fred did nothing but say her name as he entered the darkened room, interupting her from where she'd been scanning her trunk, packing anything she might need into the bag she held around her waist. She dropped it instantly, as he closed Ginny's door silently, locking it with his wand. He turned to face her, and for a minute they just looked at each other.
"I felt like it was today." He said simply, shrugging once, and she nodded wordlessly.
"I wanted to say..." How could they say it? How could they say goodbye?
She said nothing, again, feeling tears well up in her eyes, then suddenly he was beside her, one arm circling her waist, the other in her hair, pulling her closer to him, swaying gently as she cried. They stayed like that, arms around each other beside Ginny's bed, for a few minutes before he drew back, brushing his thumb across her cheeks, wiping her tears away. She looked up at him, and slowly, gently, he lowered his lips to hers.
"'MIONE!" Harry's voice came through the door, making them break apart, causing him to roll his eyes, and her to mouth 'sorry' at him as she extracted herself from his arms.
"I'm changing, Harry, give me five minutes." She called this through the door, and when she hear his footsteps, turned back to Fred, who was grinning at her.
"I hate having to sneak around." She said finally, going back to him, back to his arms which encircled her again gladly.
"We've done it for three years, Love, we can manage one more day." He said, and sat down on Ginny's bed, pulling her onto his lap.
"Oh, Hermione..." He sighed.
"I love you so much." She interrupted, reaching over and interlacing her hand with his.
"I love you so much Fred Weasley. I really, really do." She looked at him carefully, as he squeezed her hand.
"I know love, I know." She leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth softly.
"Please don't forget me." She whispered into his shoulder as he wound his arms around her again, pulling her closer. He frowned, and pulled her back, looking into her eyes.
"Hermione Granger, I love you. I will never forget you." He said this solemnly.
"Thank you." She whispered, before leaning in, to kiss him again. He recoiled suddenly, as something hit him in the chest.
"What..." She laughed, pulling the chain from beneath her shirt. On the end dangled the diamond ring he'd given her the week before, glinting in the half light of Ginny's room. He picked up the ring in his fingers, drawing it to his lips, kissing the gem before he tucked it back into her shirt.
"It's been five minutes..." She said regretfully. He sighed.
"This had better last us then." He said before leaning in, giving her one last kiss.
They both stood up.
"Be safe. I love you. I will always love you. Come back to me in one piece, okay?" Fred said all these statements in one, practically falling over his words.
"You stay here, stay safe, and wait for me. I love you." Hermione gave her response a half smile on her face, and the two of them left the room, not separating their joint hands until they reached the top of the stairs.
Hermione sighed. She hadn't seen Fred Weasley in two months, hadn't heard from him in two months. Their goodbye in Ginny's room had been needed, they'd found, and as she, Ron and Harry had apparated from the wedding she'd thanked whatever god there was that she'd had the oppurtunity to say goodbye to him, to hear him tell her he loved her that one time.
There had been nothing but a simple glance between her and Fred at the wedding, just before she'd apparated. He'd simply given her a nod, and a look, one of utmost sadness that she'd carried with her the few short months she'd been with Ron and Harry. She missed him everyday. Thought about him everyday. Worried about him constantly.
Was he safe? What was he doing? They'd discussed it, of course, promised each other that they'd make effort to live, live for each other. They'd known from the onset that each of them had different roles to play in the war, that they'd have to travel these paths separately.
But she missed him. Nobody but them knew of their relationship, she couldn't talk to Harry and Ron about it. She asked herself constantly why she hadn't told them, why she hadn't confided in them, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Couldn't stand any anger or tension when all the trio needed was each other.
But it was agony, not knowing. He could have been captured, could be in pain, could be hurt...
With a quick glance to Harry and Ron, who were sitting at the table plotting, she reached into her shirt, drawing out the diamond ring she hadn't removed since he'd given to her. She drew it to her lips, kissing the cold metal once more, as she looked out of the window up into the sky above.
Was he safe? Something within her thought she'd know if he died, that she would know if Fred Weasley, such a big part of her, her fiance, had died. The visit from Lupin had told her that they were safe, the slip of paper she'd handed to the older man, made him promise to give it to Fred, would have been delivered. She wondered aimlessly if the rest of the order had pored over her note, trying to figure out where they were. Unfortunately, all they'd find was a few lines to Fred, telling him she loved him, apologising again for leaving him.
She turned around, her eyes on Harry and Ron. They'd had no idea. Three years she'd been with Ron's brother, and they had no idea that they were together.
That she was engaged. This caused a plummeting feeling in her stomach, her two best friends had no idea she meant to marry as soon as they returned.
"Hermione? Can you give us a hand with this?" Harry's voice pulled her out of this guilt, and with one last look at the window, she made her way to the table.
'Wherever you are, Fred Weasley, please remember me. I love you.'
"Fred?" He'd been listening to Lupin, they all had, for word of the trio. Of course nobody in the room had any idea of how worried he was about one in specific, his fiance. But now Lupin had singled him out, called his name just as he'd finished his tale, only giving Fred a few seconds to absorb the information.
She was safe, she was okay, for now. She was on the run, sure, he saw her picture in the paper looking out at him everyday, a massive price on her head, on Ron's, on Harry's.
"Yeah?" Lupin's brow was furrowed, as he held out a slip of paper. The rest of the family, the rest of the order, was staring at him, as Fred stared at the paper he was being offered.
"Hermione asked me to carry this to you." He said simply, and Fred reached out for it, as did, curiously, several other people.
"It's mine." Fred put in, an indignant look at his mother, whose hand was outstretched.
"She probably meant it for us all, Fred, it's probably from all three of them!" his mother looked confused, and of course, she was right to be. Why would Hermione have written to him? This clearly was in all of their minds as Fred reached forward to take the paper from Lupin.
"She asked me to give it to Fred." Lupin said as he released it, and Fred unfolded the paper, knowing he should have waited until he was alone but all eyes were on him, and he was so desperate for word...
Fred,
I know it's a bit risky sending you this, but I wanted to contact you. I guess it's not too big a deal if they know, even. I just wanted to say it again. I love you, Fred Weasley, stay safe and don't forget me. You're everything to me and you, if nothing else will make me survive.
Hermione xxxxx
p.s. If everyone read this, i'm sorry. I'm going to ask Lupin to give it to you, and I guess he won't understand to do it in private. Sorry, if i've given us away. AND if everyone knows about us now, stay out of harms way, else you'll be used again me. Okay, i'm going. I love you I love you, I love you.
Fred smiled, and looked at his mother.
"It's to me." He said simply, and met the looks of confusion from all that were around. George especially was watching him searchingly, and Fred shrugged.
"Don't worry about it." He pocketed the note, walking out of the room, leaving everyone else behind him.
She was safe. He could manage here, do everything he could. She was safe.
