Hermione walked back into the bedroom in a fresh pair of clothes. She hadn't wanted to leave George's side but she had needed to wash the blood from her skin and hair. She knew it would have upset Fred for her to stay by George in that state. Drenched in his twins blood. She slowly walked into the room to see Fred sitting by the bed. He slowly looked to her.

"Hi…" she said softly as she closed the door.

"He keeps saying your name…" he said. "I think he wants you…"

"Is he awake?" She inquired.

"No…" he said. She walked forward and sat on the bed by George's body. She held his hand in hers and kissed the back before holding it to her chest.

"Her… Hermione…" he whispered softly his head moving side to side. "Run…" she stared at him.

"He's thinking of the attack…" she said softly.

"Hermione..." She looked to Fred. "What happened?" Fred asked as delicately as he could.

"Everything was so perfect…" She said softly and he could see the sorrow in her eyes. "We were walking back from dessert… He stopped and he kissed me underneath this lantern…" She smiled softly before the expression fell into a sad expression "There was this loud bang and then people started rushing towards us screaming… I looked up and there was the dark mark. We knew not to run where everyone else was because that's where the death eaters were making them run… We couldn't apperate because they had blocked the ability too so we headed towards the floo station.

"When we got there it was demolished… By then the death eaters knew I was in the Alley, they wanted to take me alive, probably for interrogation, a fight ensued… George was hit by that gaping hex; I put up my Barrier charm to protect us while I tried to heal him. Nothing I did worked. He kept telling me to run to leave him behind but I couldn't do that…" Fred watched as a tear slowly cascaded down her cheek. "How could he ask me to do that?" Her voice broke and Fred took her hand as she continued to stare down at George.

"It's alright love…" Fred said softly.

"I couldn't leave him there to die… Still, he kept begging me and begging me but I wouldn't. I started to hear them break down the barrier and I bent my head against his chest not wanting to face what was going to happen… I knew there was a chance George was going to die in that death trap we had run into… He kept telling me to run, and I just I started to pray… All around us there were yells screams and the sounds of the death eaters breaking down my field, than there was silence… I thought to be honest that we had died, so when I opened my eyes to see we were in front of the burrow I thought we had until I looked down to see George was still hurt that's when I screamed for help…"

"You apperated?" Fred asked.

"No… Something else…" she said looking to him. "It didn't feel like I had apperated."

"Whatever it was, I'm glad it happened…" Hermione patted Georges hand before setting it down. She pulled up the blue shirt she had put him in and looked over his wound. "How's it look?"

"Not as well as I hoped…" she said softly. "It's because I waited too long to give him the powder…" she pulled the shirt back down and looked to Fred. "You should know that I don't know how much damage was done before I healed him… I don't know what will be left over…"

"As long as he's still with us…" he said before his eyes trailed down to her arm. "Love your hurt…"

"What?" she asked to busy looking at George.

"Your arm its hurt."

"My arm feels fine…" he remembered back to Mungos after the trio and his sister had been taken to the ministry. He remembered the nurse stating that thanks to residual spell damage she had no feeling in her arm.

"Love…" he picked it up and tilted her chin towards him. "Look…" she gazed down at a deep burn.

"Oh… I guess I am…"

"Want me to heal it for you?"

"Yes please…" as he waved his wand over the wound she looked at him for a long moment.

"I killed him Fred…" he looked to her. "I killed the man that hurt George… I need you to know that I didn't regret it… But that I enjoyed watching him die…"

"That's alright… I killed the death eater that cursed you the night of Christmas eve…" he looked at her. "It's one of my fondest memories…"

"Do you think they knew I was in Diagon Alley, and that's why they attacked?" she asked softly.

"I know where you're going with your thought trail… Love, it's not your fault…"

"What if they knew though? What if they knew and that's why the alley was attacked? What if George almost died because of me?"

"You saved his life… That's all that matters…" he cupped her cheek as a tear fell over his hand.

"I was so scared Fred…" he brought her into his arms.

"I know Love… I was scared too…" she held onto him tightly as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"What if I didn't heal him in time?" she asked. "What if he's too far gone?"

"You did… I know you did…"

-o-

For the next seven days people would come and go, but Fred and Hermione remained a constant fixture in the room. During the morning Hermione would read to George who still slumbered, in the afternoon she would check his wound, and at night she would talk to him softly until she fell asleep at which point Fred would carry her to his own bed and hold her. In the morning when he woke up it would be to find her once again reading to George. The family had decided not to take George to Mungos after a death eater attack had left hundreds of witches and wizards dead.

It was the seventh day and Fred was in his normal spot in the corner of the room keeping watch as Hermione read softly to George. He had gotten used to the sound of her voice, and in all honesty it had been a soothing sound to listen to. His arms wrapped around himself as he watched her flip a page with one elegant move of one slender finger.

"Hermione…" George whispered as his eyes slowly opened.

"Georgie?" Fred asked moving forward from the corner while Hermione abruptly stopped reading.

"Where's, where's Hermione?" George asked softly.

"Here… I'm right here…" she moved from the chair she had been sitting on for the past week and took a seat next to him on the bed. He shook his head taking a breath before his eyes opened slowly.

"Hi…" he said as he watched her kiss the back of his hand and hold it to her chest.

"Hi…" she said with a soft smile as a tear fell down her cheek.

"You hit me really hard." Both Hermione and Fred laughed.

"Well I wouldn't have had to if you had just come back like I asked you too… You forced me to manually jump start your heart…"

"Only woman who could jump start my heart…" he said slowly sitting up. He looked to Fred. "How long have I been out?" he asked.

"A week." He said sitting down on the chair.

"I missed opening the shop."

"It isn't open at all mate, can't open the shop without my partner can I?" Fred asked.

"You two have been here the whole time?" he asked looking to them.

"Hermione hasn't left your side once…" Fred said. "I've been keeping everyone posted every hour… I'll go tell them you've finally opened your eyes…" Hermione watched as Fred left before she looked to George.

"You saved my life…" he said softly.

"What is a girlfriend for?" she asked a tear falling down her cheek as she wiped it away.

"Love what's wrong?" she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm so glad you didn't leave us…" she said softly.

"Almost did…" he said quietly his hand moving through hair as he pulled back and wiped a few stray tears away from her cheeks. "Then I heard your voice calling me back… You sounded angry so I thought I better listen." She laughed softly wiping a few more tears away.

"Oh my boy…" Hermione stood with a smile hearing Mrs. Weasley rushing in. She instantly took her son in her arms. "Oh my child… My sweet sweet boy…" he smiled as he hugged her back.

"Hey mum…" George said. "Man I should almost die more often…"

"Hush… I thought I'd lost you…" she whispered. Hermione backed away as they rest of the family came in. Fred was smiling sitting in the chair she had just occupied. She smiled to herself happy that once again the family was brought together. She turned to walk out slowly, feeling that she should leave the family to family time.

"Where are you going?" she turned seeing Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh I thought you all would like some time together." She said with a smile. To her surprise Mr. Weasley stood and crossed the room to her.

"You're family Hermione, you should stay. Harry come here as well!" Harry quickly jumped in from the hallway before waving sheepishly.

"George." he said.

"Harry." He greeted back with a laugh before looking to Hermione. His hand reached out and she smiled softly as she walked over and took it taking a seat beside him on the bed. His hand now held firmly in her lap. After a long while of everyone visiting the room started to clear for dinner.

"I don't think I can make it down the stairs for dinner, but I think I can make it down the hall for a shower…" George said.

"Don't straighten your body all the way." She said as he slowly began to stand with Fred's help. George hissed in pain his hand going to his side. "Maybe you shouldn't you can have a magical cleaning like you have been…"

"No… It's fine…" George said.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm sure, Fred help me to the door?"

"Sure thing." He supported his body as he moved him out of the door. Hermione looked to George's empty bed and began changing the linens. When she was done she headed to the laundry area and set them aside when she came back in it was to find George with Fred's help sitting down on the freshly dressed bed. He got settled and looked to Fred.

"Thanks." He said.

"What are brothers for huh?" he asked making his twin smile.

"Are you two hungry dinner is ready down stairs I could bring it up for you guys?" Hermione asked quietly from the door way.

"Oh I'm starving." George said. "Can I have extra?" he asked making her smile.

"Sure, Fred you too?"

"Oh uhm Yeah." He said surprised she had said anything to him. They hadn't talked at all not since the first night of George's recovery.

"Okay… I'll be right back." she said with a smile as she headed out.

"She's been with me the whole time huh?" George asked looking to his twin.

"Yeah she has…" Fred said. "Fell asleep in that chair every night…" he said looking at the one sitting next to his.

"Did she really?"

"Yeah I'd carry her to bed and when I woke up there she would be in the chair again usually reading to you." George looked to his brother for a long time. "Hardly ate the whole time even when I begged her too…"

"Is everything okay… Between you two?"

"I don't know, todays the first time she's talked to me since it happened… She wouldn't even hardly look at me this whole past week. Now though she is so maybe she was just too upset…"

"Okay I have food." Hermione said walking in. "Fred I got you the meat and potatoes just how you like…" she handed it off the tray. He smiled at her.

Maybe she really was too upset to speak to me…

"Thanks Love." She smiled at him before turning to George and setting the tray over his lap.

"And you get stew…"

"How come he gets meat and potatoes and I get stew?" George asked.

"Because the left part of his side wasn't blown open before having it gape to the point it ripped his stomach… Stew for now in three days we'll try solids."

"You're no fun." He said with a small smile. She then pulled a butter beer out from behind her.

"No fun huh?" she asked with a cheeky look.

"I didn't mean it you're a saint." He said making her laugh.

"Fred here you go." She handed him one as well.

"Thanks." She smiled as she sat down in the chair her own butter beer in hand. "Won't you eat?" Fred asked her.

"I'm okay maybe in the morning." She said with a small smile. George looked her over. She had looked healthy the last time he saw her on their date, now her cheek bones jutted out a bit more, and her collar bones were more than visible.

"I want you to eat." George suddenly said and she looked to him more than surprised.

"George I'm-."

"Eat." He said.

"I'm fine." He reached out and pinched her collar bone. "Owe!" she said jumping back. "George that hurt."

"Well if you weren't such a skeleton like creature I wouldn't have been able to do that…"

"My collar bones always stick out." She said with a laugh. "You're being ridiculous."

"Not that much. Your pale, you have circles under your eyes, you look bloody guant-."

"George!" she said gasping while Fred looked at him in horror.

"I'm not done yet." George said pointing. "Hermione my god your hip bones are so pointy they could poke out an eye." Her mouth hung open slightly. "Now go down get some food and don't come up until you've eaten so much you want to throw up."

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Deadly serious get moving." He said pointing to the door.

"Fred…" she said looking to him.

"I kind of agree with him."

"Fine." She said quickly before storming out the door slamming so hard it made them both jump.

"You were a little harsh you know." Fred said looking to him.

"Sometimes you have to be." George said. "I hope she isn't too angry though I still think she's bloody beautiful."

"Maybe you should have told her that along with the insults to her body."

"Maybe your right." George said before shrugging. "But she's eating so that's good."

"True I guess." As the two ate George kept stealing glances at his brother there was something different about him. Something weighing on his mind.

"I'm okay you know." He said setting the food aside.

"Yeah I know… Got Mione to thank for that… I uh… I almost stopped her…"

"What do you mean?" George asked taking a bite of stew.

"You're heart had stopped you were dead and Hermione was massaging the powder into the wound getting blood all over her hands. She kept saying that she got to you in time, that she wasn't too late… when you didn't come back she started to yell at you. I begged her to let you go… Because I wanted her to help me…" he looked down in shame. "Because I was falling apart and I wanted her to keep it from happening… I tried to pull her away and she made this noise." He closed his eyes. "This… guttural scream that somehow turned into a sob…. I yelled at her said you were dead, she turned and she slapped me so hard I slammed into the counter and she just started screaming at you hitting you over and over again, and I started screaming at her to just stop and let you go but she never did… Then you were back…" he looked to George. "What if I had succeeded in stopping her?" he asked.

"Fred…"

"I'm… I'm so sorry George…" he said his voice shaking as he looked away. "I'm sorry that I gave up on you… I'm sorry I tried to stop her from saving you… I'm so sorry…" George stared as he watched a tear slip down his brothers cheek and drip off his chin. "I have… Such shame… Such guilt." George moved forward in bed and hugged his brother for a long moment. "I'm so sorry Georgie…" Fred said before pulling away. "Do you think you'll ever forgive me?" he asked with a desperate look.

"There's nothing to forgive Fred… You were grieving… If it had been you lying on that table… I would have done the same thing."

"You… Have to forgive me…" he said.

"I just said there was nothing to forgive…"

"George… Please…" he said. "Forgive me…" he looked at his twin for a long moment.

"I forgive you Fred…" he said softly. Fred leaned his head into Georges shoulder as his brother patted his back.

"Thank you…" he said. "Thank you…" George sat back and silence fell upon the twins. When they heard familiar footsteps an hour later both turned to the door and saw Hermione come in.

"Did you eat?" George asked.

"Yes I ate." She said. "Your mother stuffed me full of food happy?" she asked gathering their plates. Fred casted them away with a smile. "I would have taken them down you know?" She asked and they could hear the irritation in her voice.

"Then you wouldn't be able to spend time with us." George said.

"Oh so you want to spend time with the pale under eye circled girl with hips so pointy they can poke out an eye?" she asked her hands on said hips.

"Love… I didn't know what I was saying… I'm still injured…" he said with an overly innocent look. She instantly scowled. "No?" he asked.

"No." she said shaking her finger at him. He smiled as he grabbed onto her hand and pulled her in bed. "George!" she gasped. "George let me-." He kissed her instantly silencing her protests. She smiled as her eyes drifted close her hand going to his cheek.

"Uhm… Hello." Fred said shaking his head with a smile. "Other person in this relationship right here…" He waved. George slowly pulled away.

"Sorry hadn't kissed her in over a week, felt the need."

"That doesn't make you calling me a skeleton and pointing out my every physical flaw okay…" he kissed her again making her smile.

"There are no flaws… Only perfection with some bony parts." He said kissing her again.

"You're not even a little bit charming…" She stated.

"Oh no?" he asked kissing her again.

"I'm going to leave you two alone for a bit." Fred said with a smile.

"Are you sure?" George asked.

"Yeah. Have fun you two…" Fred slowly slipped out of the room the door closing softly as he did. He wasn't upset, angry, or jealous. They deserved the time together after what they both had been through. He walked across the hall to Hermione's room to hide out. He slowly closed the door and looked around before going to her bed where he found a picture album with George Hermione and himself waving happily on the front. He slowly sat down and took the Album in hand.

-o-

Hermione smiled as she curled into George. Her arms wrapping around his body, careful not to hit his healing wound. She looked up to him as he cupped her cheek, his thumb moving over her cheek bone. He had the faintest smile as he gazed at her.

"What?" she asked softly.

"I love you so very much…" he said kissing her. "I'm glad we have more time together."

"Me too…" she said laying her head on his chest.

"There's something weighing on your mind…"

"There is…"

"Won't you let me in Love?" he asked kissing the top of her head. "I want to know what's going on in there."

"I was afraid I had been far too late and that though you were living you would come back more damaged then healed. I'm so glad you're alright… You are alright right?" She asked looking to him with a worried gaze.

"Yeah Love I've never felt better actually." She smiled softly.

"Good… You don't know how worried I've been… Don't know how guilty I've felt."

"Guilty?" he asked.

"Yeah… I couldn't look at Fred because of it. Couldn't even speak to him…" she said snuggling closer to him as the strain of the past week slowly began to wear her down.

"Why were you so guilty?" he asked his hand running up and down her arm slowly.

"Because…" she yawned her eyes drifting closed. "It was my… My fault…" George looked down to see her chest moving against his at a slow even pace.

"Love? Are you asleep?" he asked softly. She didn't say anything just snuggled against him closer. His arms wrapped around her his chin resting against the top of her head.

What was her fault? Does she think the attack on Diagon Alley was her fault?