Hi everyone !
I apologise for the delay but this chapter was longer that I first anticipated.
Neverless, thanks for Lioness2012, fantasia-49, queenevil666 and 93 Diagon Alley for the reviews. Also, thanks for all those who have put this story on their favourites list and/or alerts list.
Now, on with chapter 2 :)
Disclaimer: Sadly Harry Potter don't belong to me but to J.K Rowling (otherwise Fred wouldn't have died)
Chapter 2: "You're safe now"
Two hours had passed and Hermione was still sitting next to to Fred watching over him. She was alone inside the tent since Harry had went back outside after making some soup for the three of them and helping her cleaning some of Fred's wounds. He had also taken the locket with him.
It had been an hour since Harry had left her when she sensed Fred moving beside her. She had, at first, thought that he was waking up until she saw the look on his face. It was one of pure fear. She realized that he was probably having a nightmare or worse, reliving something that happened to him. So, she stroke his hair and whispered gentle words to him just like her mother did when she she was little and couldn't sleep at night. After a moment, she begun to sense Fred relaxing next to her then she saw him move slightly his lips.
"Mum ?"
Hermione let out a small laugh.
"No, not really." She whispered to him before she noticed his eyes opening. Hermione took a deep breath. She was glad that Fred was finally waking up but she was also a bit nervous. She was anxious about the way Fred was going to react. The last time he was conscious, he had been running away to save his life. His first reaction wouldn't probably be a good one. However, she didn't have more to time to dwell on that since Fred was awake now. As she had predicted, he was afraid when he woke up and realised he was in an unknown place so Hermione wasted no time in reassuring him.
"Shh, you're safe now. It's me, Hermione."
She watched him relax at little before looking at her. She could easily see a small faint trace of hope in his eyes and she almost cried. She knew he had been heavily torture but it seemed to be far worse that she imagined. Otherwise, how someone as full of life as Fred could be so terrified and hopeless.
"Hermione ?" It was nothing more than a whisper but it was enough for her to break down.
"Yes." She replied trying to sound confident.
"Is this real ?" Hermione only nodded at his question before drying her tears and giving him a small smile. She felt the tension in the air melt away when he answered her smile even if it was for a very brief moment.
"Where I am ?" She could heard in his tone his hesitation and she guessed that he still had a hard time to realise he was now in a safe place with friends not that she couldn't blame him. She would have reacted the same way too. She decided to ask him first about the last thing he remembered so he could understand what had happened.
"What's the last thing you remembered ?" She asked him gently not wanting him to react in a bad way.
When he heard her question, Fred's eyes begun to drift away because Hermione's question was a good one. What was exactly the last thing he remembered ? All his memories were mix together, and with his nightmares too ! He couldn't even distinguish what was real from what wasn't. The only thing that was different from the rest was the sensation of going through something warm however he didn't knew from where it was coming from.
"There was this... I don't really know how to describe it but... it was something warm. It's the only thing that I can't link back to..." He didn't finish his sentence but Hermione knew what he meant. It would be a long time before he would be able talk about it even if it was only by small parts. She sensed him tensing next to her and she guessed it was because of the growing silence between so she decided to break it.
"I know what it was." She said. Fred looked at her with a glint of hope in his eyes. If Hermione knew what it was then it was surely a good thing isn't it ?
"Since we have been on the run, we use enchantments to hide the tent and us. Harry's theory was that you fell through them when you fell unconscious." She saw his eyes light up in recognition at Harry's name so she quickly added. "He was the one who found you. He is currently outside to make sure no one is coming and, also, to give you some space." She told him with a slight blush. She couldn't help it. She hadn't been that close to a boy since Ron had left (Harry didn't count since she loved him like a brother) and it kinda feels strange. Strange but nice at the same time and she wondered why. She was brought out of her thoughts by Fred's voice and his question wasn't something she had expect.
"Where's Ron ?"
She felt a pang in her heart when she heard this name. The argument between the three friends was still in her mind. What she remembered the most was Ron's accusations towards her. She knew he was affected by the locket which he had a wore the whole day but how could he say that Harry and her loved each other when their friend was deeply in love with Ginny, Ron's little sister. The worst had been when Ron forced to choose between Harry and him. How could he had expect to be able to choose or even choose between then. Sure she loved Ron more than anything since the end of their second year but Harry's mission was simply more important. The fate of the whole wizarding world depends on it. She turned away to prevent Fred from seeing her crying but she knew it wouldn't be fool him and he would realise something was wrong. After all, Ron was his brother and, even if he was the one the twins teased the most after Percy, she knew they loved each others and, if Ron had been there, he would stay at his brother's side. She masked her feelings before answering. She didn't want him to worry about her.
"I don't want to talk about him not now but nothing happened to him." 'Or he was at least unharmed when he left us.' She added to herself though she knew Fred would learn about their fight soon enough.
Fred noticed her discomfort so he didn't say anything else. He didn't want to go in what seemed to be a sensitive subject. Silence followed and Hermione got up to take one of three bowls which were left on the table. She sat again next to Fred's bed before giving him the bowl in which there was some hot soup.
"It's for you. Harry made it. It would have been better if we had more food to use but..."
"Don't worry. It's enough for me." Fred told her with a small smile. She gave him one in return though it was forced because of what was implied yet she didn't say anything and simply watched him eat. However, after a moment, she had to bit her lips to stop the question she was burning to ask. While she had decided to not talk about what had happened to him unless he mentioned it himself, there was an another thing she wanted to know and it was how Fred had been captured by the
Death Eaters. Harry may have reassured her about this but a part of her was still feeling like their break-out in the Ministry of Magic was involved somehow. Fred seemed to have notice her dilemma because he looked at her with concern.
"Is there something on your mind ?"
Hermione turned red with embarrassment. She had hoped that he wouldn't notice but it looked like it had been in vain. She swallowed before speaking praying she would found the right words.
"Yes but I... don't want to bother you with it especially since... it's a... well, sensitive subject."
"Which is ?" He asked waiting for her answer.
"How... how do you get into..."
"...this mess ?" He finished for her with a sombre look.
"You don't have to answer if don't want to." Hermione quickly added. She didn't want it to talk about it if it was too painful for him.
"Why ? Why do you want to know ?" He asked looking at her. He was surprised when she look away from him.
"Is it because of what had happened at the Ministry in September ?" He added with concern. She only nodded. Guessing what she was probably feeling, Fred took her left hand in his own and tried to make her look at him which she did but with some reluctance. He took a deep breath before beginning to speak.
"I'm not going to lie. It is true that it is your, well, little trip inside the Ministry which led to this. But you have to know that they came with the idea of taking members of families who had always opposed them to make sure that now they will obey without any resistance. It was just the perfect excuse for them."
Hermione didn't say anything though Fred's words comfort her more than Harry's. Maybe because it's cheered her up a little to know that Fred didn't resent her or blame her. She felt better to heard it from him.
"Hermione ?" She was startled when she heard his voice. It was like he was going to break down. He seemed so different from a moment ago.
"Yes ?"
"I.. I want to tell you." It took Hermione a moment before she realised what Fred was talking about.
"Are you sure ?" She asked him. She didn't want him to feel force to talk about it because she had brought up the subject.
"Yes." He replied with more assurance. "The memories of that day had haunted me ever since. I don't think I will be able to keep it to me any longer. I need to talk about it with someone, someone I can completely trust, someone like you."
Hermione blushed a little. She didn't expect hearing something like this from Fred. The latter saw her blush and gave a small smile.
"Thank you Fred."
"You don't have to. All of us, even Mum and Dad, considered you like a member of the family. Just like we do with Harry."
Hermione nodded overwhelm with the knowledge that the Mr and Mrs Weasley think of her like she was their own daughter. It helped to think that, even if her parents didn't remembered her existence, she knew someone was worrying and caring for her.
"Alright, I'm listening." She said before she squeezed his hand to show him she will help him go through reliving that day. Fred nodded to her then he began his story.
"It was the evening of the day following your adventure at the ministry."
~°~ Flashback ~°~
The twins were helping their mother to set the table. Since Ginny went back to Hogwarts, they made a point to come to the Burrow for every dinner so their parents didn't feel too alone since all their other children were elsewhere and couldn't come. After their honeymoon, Bill and Fleur didn't come back to England first but rather they went to Fleur' parents' home in France to see them and, also to delay their return though they couldn't blame them. Charlie went back straight to Romania after the wedding. Percy, well, was still Percy. As for Ron, he was Merlin knows where with Harry and Hermione. Thinking of the Golden Trio, as they were called by their fellow students, reminded him of yesterday's event. George and him had hundred of questions for their dad (and he was sure their mum had some too) but all the Ministry's workers were forced to stay for questioning in case one of them knew what was going to happen. His brother and him had already fallen asleep when their father came back home so they had to wait until this evening to asking. Fred hoped that his father will have new information about it especially good ones. Their mother had just finished to put the food on the table when their father arrived.
"Just in time Arthur, as always." Their mother said before kissing her husband. The four of them took place at the the table then they began to eat in silence however it didn't last long because any of them couldn't wait anymore. They had to know if Harry, Ron and Hermione were safe.
"Arthur ?" The latter looked up at his wife. "Do you have some news about what happened yesterday ?"
"No Molly." He told her with a sigh. "Everything I knew is the same that you do."
"So it is true that they had been sight at the Ministry and that they are responsible for the Muggle-Borns escape ?" George asked. Each of them knew who he was talking about.
"They hadn't actually been sighted. The only reason our new Minister and his Senior Undersecretary," Arthur spat out the words 'Minister' and 'Senior Undersecretary to show his hate of the new regime. "think they are behind it is that two patronuses were seen in the atrium protecting the Muggle-Borns who were summoned for questioning. One of them was a Stag and we all know who is very likely to have cast this one."
They were now sure it had been the trio who break into the Ministry though they still didn't knew why but Arthur and Molly suspected it may be link to the mission Dumbledore left them. Molly was about to ask another question when someone entered or rather 'burst' inside the house. The four of them got up to go to see what was happening and they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw who it was. In the middle of the living room, there was Umbridge along with four 'Aurors'. When the Death Eaters took over the Ministry, some of them when appointed to the Auror Office to make sure that the other Aurors stay loyal to the new government. Arthur saw the anger which quickly flashed into his wife's eyes and chose to act quickly. Molly had never forget the other woman for what she had done or intended to do to her children (Harry and Hermione included) during her short time as DADA teacher and he didn't want her to get in trouble.
"Madam Umbrige." He greeted her with a neutral voice. "What brings you here ?"
"Formal business I'm afraid." She replied in her sweet voice.
"Really ?" He asked keeping his neutral voice though inside he was surprised and afraid. He hoped it was link to the rumours he had heard during the day.
"Yes I'm afraid. I'm sure you know of yesterday's dreadful event ?"
"Of course as is everyone at the Ministry."
"Yes, Yes." She said her supposed-to-be smile wide. "Unfortunately, the Ministry had to take actions to prevent such of thing to happen again."
None of the Weasley said anything but they all feared the worst. Saying that no one was speaking, Umbridge continued.
"It had been decided that a member of each families who are know to be hostile to the new regime will be taken and watched over by some friends of the Minister. Their 'situation' will depend of the actions of their families. If nothing happened then they will have nothing to worry about otherwise, they will be the ones punished instead. We hope it will prevent more 'problems' in the future."
'In other words: hostages.' Fred thought and he was sure his twin and his parents were thinking the same. Also, he didn't know why but he had suspicion that he was the one to be taken.
"And what it had to do with us ?" Mrs Weasley asked barely concealing her anger and her hatred for the woman in front of her.
"Well, Mrs Weasley, since Mr Potter was very likely involved in yesterday's event, and the Mudblood Granger as well, and that we know they are both quite fond of you and your family, we thought he may give up his pointless 'rebellion' if he knew he was making someone else he care about in danger because of his actions. At first, we thought of using your daughter but, since she has still two years of education to complete, she was ruled out. The second person on your list was your youngest son who is Potter's best friend however because he is still sick we had to think of someone else." She emphasised the word 'sick' to make perfectly clear that she didn't believe that Ron was upstairs sick with spattergroit. "So it didn't left any other choice but your twins sons."
"Wait a minute !" Mrs Weasley shouted showing her overprotective nature. "Are you implying that you're going to take away two of my children ?"
"Not exactly." Umbrige said in her calm and simpering voice. "Since we only need one person, we only taking one of them, Mr Frederick to be precise." She stopped to allow them to register what they had just heard. Fred and George looked at each other. Both of them were considerably pale and for good reasons. They had only been separated once in their life and George had been seriously injured. Their mother's voice brought them back to reality.
"And why Fred ?"
"Simply because is the one who is the more harsh and dangerous of all your children." Umbridge nodded at the Aurors to do what they came here for before continuing. "Also, thanks to Mr Weasley's accident we won't have any difficulty to know who is who." While she keep talking, two of the four Aurors grabbed Fred before dragging him away to the door while the other two grabbed George to stop him from helping his brother.
"You don't have to worry." This was directed to Mr and Mrs Weasley. "You will be get a compensation for all this trouble but you will also have a glimpse of what will happen to your son if you or the rest of your family dared to opposed the Ministry."
~°~ End Flashback ~°~
"I didn't have the chance to hear more since the two Aurors had already dragged me outside." Fred said disdain evident in his voice when he said the word 'Aurors'. "The last thing I heard before they apparated me away was my brother's cries of pain."
Hermione had listen to his story without interrupting him once and she had been shocked by what she had heard. It really proved that the Death Eaters were ready to do anything to make sure they were in perfect control of everything. She didn't say anything she simply stay at his side to comfort him. They stayed like this for some time until Fred began to cough.
"You should rest some more." Hermione said taking the bowl to put it on the table. Fred nodded but she could see he was uneasy.
"Do you... do you mind staying with me ?" He asked her. She was a little surprised but she didn't show it. She just smiled and nodded. She stroked his hair while she watched him fall asleep.
That all for now.
Don't forget to review and see all of you next chapter.
Elinea
