Thanks guys hope you like this chapter! Soon it will be off to the Quidditch cup for Hermione and her lover boy. Ahhh dirty dancing just popped into my thoughts. I still don't own Harry Potter. Just a note, I'm really nervous about this chapter I've made my husband read it a few times (to his discomfort). -Artimas (which is actually my cats name)
Chapter 4: Brotherly Love?
Fred reached the entrance to the kitchen in record time, his lungs tight and his breathing heavy from running, throwing open the door he was greeted with emptiness.
"Hermione dear why don't you go lay down for a minute, I'm sure that fall just winded you." He could hear his mothers tender voice echoing from the staircase and he hastily moved forward.
"Fred Weasley, watch where your going." A rather frazzled Mrs. Weasley spun around to face him, still trying to balance herself from the impact. "I swear it's almost as bad as when you were kids. Now if you would excuse me." She moved around her son and back down to the landing, unintentionally providing Fred with a clear path. She snapped her head back in there direction addressing Hermione first, "Go get some rest dear...and you." She pointed at Fred, "don't you be a nuisance to her. She's had enough trouble today." She was distracted almost at once by the sight of her husband, he had just returned from his second trip to the ministry.
Shocked at Fred's abrupt entrance Hermione just stood there, panic apparent on her face.
"Wait...please." Fred hastily moved up the steps until they were eye level. He didn't want to frighten her, he only wanted to help. "We need to talk." It seemed like centuries of staring. The silence continued and he could hear the distant conversation between his parents, hoping they would stay in the living room.
Hermione seemed to notice it to and finally replied, "Not here Fred..." She reached out a hand and pulled him up by his shirt. She directed him silently down the hallway and into his and George's room. After releasing him she shut the door, her shoulders slouched as if she was admitting defeat. She refused to look at him and quickly crossed the room to sit on George's bed. Her mind was screaming at her to lie, but the feeling was never a comfortable one. What she wanted to do was vomit. Why did this have to be so difficult? She shook her head and began to weave her tale.
"Okay...what you saw Fred. Was nothing. I mean obviously it was something but I have it under control, and I don't want anyone else to know. I don't need anyone's pity." Her voice trembled slightly and she began to wring her hands together, "I'm perfectly fine."
"Hermione...stop." Fred's voice was sharp, causing her to momentary look up. His fists were clenched at his side, face scarlet with annoyance, and his gaze fixed on the window. "Who was it? Just tell me that and I'll take care of everything." His jaw was clasped so tightly it came out as a snarl. He was giving her a chance to be free, and her fright refused her the right to speak the truth.
"Its...no one important." Her voice become quieter. "When you and Mr. Weasley came over, I had just told my folks. That's why things were a bit tense at the house, my parents said they will take care of the situation."
Fred took a deep breath to calm down before glancing over at her. She was shaking like a leaf and that shattered his remaining fury and disbelief.
"Your parents know?" His voice became lighter as he took a few steps towards her kneeling down in front of the bed, he took her small hand in his and squeezed it affectionately. "...and your never gonna see this person again, right?"
She gave him a weak smile and nod. "Fred, why do you care so much?" It was a question that haunted her since their first encounter in the bathroom.
"Your practically a Weasley." He dropped her hand, getting up off the ground and settling on the bed next to her, completely missing a quick look of rejection on her face. After settling in next to her he continued "You look exhausted, even more than in your third year."
"Well being part of the 'golden trio' will do that to you. By the way Fred. I hate brooms..." She let out a small laugh to lighten the mood. "Fred...are we okay? I'm sorry I lied to you before, I was just embarrassed." She turned her head towards his afraid to find him angry.
"Come here..." He looped his arm around her back and tenderly pushed her head down on to his chest. "I can't be mad at you. Just relax for once." After a few minutes of silence, he felt her hand reach up and tug faintly on the collar of his shirt. "Hermione...what..." He looked down to find her asleep. Not wanting to disturb her Fred gradually readjusted until he was lying on his back. Hermione seemed to miss the warmth as she moved in closer to his side.
"That's it family." he repeated out loud, a quiet snore was his answer. He leaned in gently placing a kiss in her curly brown hair. "That's all she is...family." Once convinced of his own words he joined her in much needed sleep.
"Fred...pssst...Fred."
He could feel his twins presence, and he didn't care, he didn't want to wake up. "Buzz off George." He went to roll over, but something rather soft and warm prevented him from doing so. "George...seriously. I've told you before...we are to old to sleep in the same bed." A soft giggle countered the comment.
"So George, you used to snuggle up with Fred?" His eyes shot open in response to the voice. Laying next to him was Hermione. "Good morning...I would love to stay and chat but...would you mind letting me out of your death grip?" He glanced down and sure enough one arm was snaked around her waist while the other was tangled up in her hair, his right leg had her pinned down in a rather provocative manner. "I'd advise you to hurry. George already distracted you mum once. I think she's getting a bit suspicious."
Fred released the brunette beauty from his snare, a blush darkening his features.
George let out a sigh, "On my bed too...geeez. No respect."
This comment made Hermione spring up away from the single bed. She took a few minutes to re-adjust her clothing before turning back to the twins. "Okay so this stays between us. I better get back to Ginny's room before she notices." Instead of bolting to the door, she turned to the window, opening it up and ascending out on the roof. "See you at breakfast." With a wave good-bye she disappeared.
"Mental that one." George had broken the silence after her departure, "knows how to make an exit though. She's perfect for you Fred."
"Shut it."
Hermione crept around the roof on the second floor. She hoped no one would be out in the garden, and that Percy wasn't working at his desk. "With luck and a little pixy dust..." she mumbled to her self. She watched a few gnomes come out of there homes peering around looking for a large ginger cat with a squashed flat face and bottle-brush tail. Her heart began to beat faster as she approached Percy's room. She peered around the windows corner quickly to look inside and was delighted to be met with curtains. Soon her 'peter pan' adventure was over, "Thank god" she stated as she safely climbed into Ginny's room. The young red head was laying on the bed, eye mask on, arms spread out, and snoring. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her before crossing her arms and tapping her foot. She put on her best impersonation of McGonagall "I know your faking Ginny...you don't snore."
Ginny couldn't keep the act going, pulling off the sleep mask as she sat up. She was grinning like crazy as she spoke, "So where were you all night Mrs. Granger?"
Hermione rolled her eyes dramatically before answering back. "Out...thanks for teaching me the window trick Gin." she winked at the younger girl well closing the glass. Crossing the room she began to rummage through her trunk for a change of clothes.
"Wait a minute...that means you had to have been on this floor." Her eyebrows raised up in surprise. "Ewe not Percy." She threw the covers over herself making gagging noises from with-in. "I don't want to know if its Percy...oh burn the image out of my head." Hermione grimaced at the though before walked over and yanking the blankets off Ginny's tiny frame.
"It was Fred if you must know." The squeal that followed could have shattered Hermione's eardrums, "Geez Ginny...contain yourself." She pretended to clean her ears out with her pinkies. "I think I'm deaf...okay now really If I tell you what happened do you promise not to tell a soul?"
Ginny jumped up on her knees listening intently, crossing her fingers with one hand and holding them up for Hermione to see, "Cross my fingers hope to die...you get the point, but do me a favor, don't tell me any of the gross details...I mean its still my brother."
Hermione stared around the room nervously before sitting down. "Okay...where should I start. So about four weeks ago I had a run in with some not so nice people around town." She decided to keep her lies the same, she didn't want to many tales roaming around. "they didn't take kindly to me...and I ended up with these." She rolled her sleeve up to reveal a few dark bruises and what looked to be a burn above her elbow.
"Oh my god Hermione. Why did you lie to me earlier? We should show mum she knows a few healing spells." Ginny was already off the bed pulling Hermione's hand to follow.
"Ginny...listen. I already told my parents and that was embarrassing enough. I really don't want the whole world to know." The younger girl seemed to understand silently returning to her previous position. "But...Hermmy."
"I shouldn't have told you then." She snapped rather harshly and regretted it when she saw the crestfallen look on the younger girls face. "I'm sorry Ginny...I just didn't want the whole world knowing."
"Then it stays here...between you and me." She hadn't let go of her hand and gave it a caring squeeze before continuing, "So what does this have to do with Fred."
With restored courage she began.
George was driving Fred crazy with his inquisitive stare as he changed.
"Seriously mate do you like her?" Fred had been asking himself that same question all morning. He liked being with her, from her bossy tones to her charming laugh, but he couldn't tell if the feeling was any different than brotherly love.
As he slipped on another shirt he mumbled "I don't know...maybe."
"Maybe...maybe is not an answer here. You can't imagine my surprise last night when I found you two." He waggled his eyebrow at his twin "Did the snogging commence on my bed last night?"
Fred threw his old shirt at George hitting him in the face.
"Okay seriously Fred. What happened?" George sat down on the edge of the bed and waited. "I promise to keep my mouth shut around Hermione if that helps."
"Someone...someone hurt her." George's eyebrows raised up in concern, "George this really isn't my secret to tell." He was torn, he had never kept something from his brother before this, but everything was going to be fine now. Hermione had told her parents and they loved her. After a few moments he shook the thoughts from his head and meet his brothers concerned gaze. "If I tell you, you promise not to act any differently?"
"I give you my word." George shifted back on the bed, "What do you mean someone hurt Hermione?" George could see the change in Fred's eyes they went from nervous to painfully sad as he joined his brother, and before long he was filling him in on all the details.
"I just don't know what to do about Fred. I mean, I get little butterflies just thinking about it." Hermione and Ginny had pulled the covers over them during their talk, and where now 'camping' out under them.
"Sounds like he was worried about you. You can't tell by his joking manner but Fred is a really caring guy. Whenever I used to cry, after Bill left, he would be the first one to comfort me." She shrugged, "You are like family Hermione. As for the butterflies, do you fancy him?"
Hermione felt her face grow hot, did she like him or was she just touched by his kindness?
"That is something you need to figure out. For right now though you should just act normal, be yourself. I just don't want to see you get hurt." Hermione saw a pained look on Ginny's face as she said this. She knew that her friend was still trying to get over Harry.
"Your right Gin. I feel better. Thanks for listening." Although half her story was a lie, she did feel a certain weight lifted from her shoulders.
"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY WHAT IN THE WORLD DID YOU DO?" They both jumped at the booming voice of Mrs. Wealsey, it seemed to ricochet across every surface in the house. Ginny was the first to remove herself from their safe haven running to the door and propping it open to listen in.
"I SWEAR IF I SEE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE STUPID CANDIES...AND TO MUGGLES OF ALL PEOPLE." Hermione felt her stomach flip as she listened.
"Harry." she mouthed to Ginny, she had completely forgotten his arrival to the burrow was this morning. The two girls nodded at each other before making their way down the stairs and into the tigers den.
Disclaimer: I wanted to thank everyone for following the story so far. I know I'm not the best writer, since this is my first ever fanfic, but I feel like its heading in the right direction. Much more in store for my two favorite characters.