Disclaimer: I've been away for a while, but I did not return J.K. Rowling. Everything still belongs to her

A/N: I apologize for the absence. I know I left you guys hanging, and I hope this makes up for it. I will try to have this completed by March, but I will probably be still working on it until April. Life is crazy, and I have to focus on writing other things as well. (Working on a deal with Harlequin (fingers crossed))

Chapter 8

Hermione smirked at Fred and held out her hand. He moved closer, kissing her palm and following a path to her shoulder as his hand slid up the back of her arm. Fred drew a path down the spine of Hermione's back with his fingertips as he kissed across her shoulder, up her neck, nibbled her ear before peppering kisses across her face. Fred kissed Hermione's lips as he laid her flat on the bed, his body covering her own. He braced his weight on one arm, her head using that forearm as a pillow. His other ran up her side as it moved towards her chest. Fred cupped Hermione's breast in his hand, massaging and flicking his thumb over the peaked tip. Hermione's head fell back as she moaned Fred's name. He took the opportunity to lay open-mouthed kisses on the revealed column.

Fred was going to be good and go slow. Hermione wasn't even divorced from his brother yet. The brother that had beaten her. Fred hadn't meant to truly confess all that morning. He knew she should heal her unseeable wounds before they planned a future, their future. Hermione had left Ron two days ago, not even. Holder her as she slept was one thing. Having her come on his hand was one thing, but to go all the way? Fred wanted her, he wasn't lying, but was she ready? Would she regret this in the morning? An hour ago she'd been threatening to return. They couldn't do this. It wasn't right, not yet. Burying his face in her neck, Fred breathed, "We shouldn't do this."

Hermione let out a deep sigh. "Fred, sit up."

Fred did, sitting back on the bed, his legs crossed. Hermione sat up and climbed onto his lap. His eyes slowly drifted down her body. His lust increasing at the sight of her wrapped around him. She gave him a minute before tipping his face to look at her own. Making eye contact, Hermione locked it in.

"Fred, I know you didn't just say that because you don't want me. So I'm not going to think for a minute that you don't. You do, and let's be honest, you have for many years." Fred nodded his agreement to that. "Instead, I'm going to say thank-you, not for stopping us but for caring enough about me to stop up." Fred looked at her. All the love he held shining in his blue eyes. "On that note, when I was fourteen-years-old I successfully took every class available to O.W.L. level students. When I was sixteen I battled Death Eaters, most of that fight I did not have adults helping. When I was eighteen I lived in a forest, fought Death Eaters, was tormented by Bellatrix, fought more Death Eaters, broke into Gringotts, fought more Death Eaters, and was severally tortured under the Cruciatius to the point of lapsing into a three day coma, and lost my best friend."

Fred shuddered at the reminders of the time he very nearly could have lost her. "If none of that could break me, why do you assume this would? In the pain of losing Harry I married a boy I loved, but was not in love with. Shortly after, I learned that I had actually lost both of my best friends. I lived under beatings, but not one ever compared to Bellatrix."

She rubbed the arm that had the disgusting scar. Fred turned his head and laid a kiss on the mark. "For two years I took it, trying to believe I had to stay with him. Then you walked into my life, that that you haven't always been there, your presence just became more. You were a friend that brought some happiness into my darkness. Then our lunches became more frequent and you became my new best friend, and that flicker of happiness became a full blown light. Eventually I fell in love with you, and I was so tempted to leave him. When you hugged me I was so tempted to be you to never let me go." He stayed silent, but his Adam's Apple bobbed and his eyes shined a little more. "I don't know why I didn't, why I didn't leave him. I'm just glad you finally came and pulled me out of that flat. I'm not broken, Fred. I could have been, if it wasn't me and had you not given me the happiness he couldn't take from me. There are scares from these past five years, but they belong with my scars from the war. I don't need to rest and heal. I need to heal by being loved. So heal me. Make love to me, and heal me."

Fred played with a wild curl dangling beside Hermione's face. He twisted the ringlet around his finger. The fingertips of his free hand glided up her smooth spine. His blue eyes were locked with her brown. He wasn't questioning any longer. He knew that he would give her anything she wanted. He knew his Hermione Granger...Weasley. The witch responsible for saving the world. The smartest witch of their generation. The woman more afraid of being kicked out of school at the age of eleven than she was of being eaten by a three-headed dog. Three years of the abuse was on his head. The physical scars were healed. The ones unseen needed to fade. Only love, his love, could sooth the lasting reminders.

Fred had thrown Hermione on his bed after she'd dropped her nightie. He'd ravished her with kisses. He'd attempted to consume her before his conscience got a hold of him. While there would be many times for that over the course of their life together, it wasn't needed tonight. Tonight he needed to kiss her slowly. Gently brush his lips against hers and cause her to smile. He needed to softly lay her back on the bed. Gingerly trail his fingertips down her cheek as he captured her bottom lips with his own. Carefully pull away so he could look at her while he ran his fingers through her hair.

Hermione rubbed the back of Fred's neck with on hand and dragged the other down his chest. Her curls were fanned out across the bed. He was entranced in her eyes while he played with her ringlets. Hermione found the band of his pajama bottoms. Hooking her thumb over the elastic, she started to slid them down. The room was silent in their slow movements. Fred's breath hitched when the fabric brushed his skin. Hermione smirked. He stole a chaste kiss as he raised his hips. She used both hands to quickly tug the garment away. Fred kicked the hindrance away. Hermione opened herself for him.

Fred guided Hermione's hands above her head. Lacing their fingers together he connected them fully. Hermione inhaled an audible gasp. Fred moaned as he pressed inside. Hermione wrapped her legs around Fred's waist. Their breathes mingled together as their bodies moved away and came back together. Their hands, their eyes, their cores were locked together. Their movements were slow. Their breathes were soft. Hermione bit her lip. She whimpered. Their tempo increased. Soon her heavy, racing breath was filling his ears. Fred's head fell into the crook of her neck. His heartbeat slammed against their pressed together chests. Her's tried to meet it. She kissed his hear. Her whisper ghosted over his ear, "Soul mate."

"Yes," He grunted as he fell apart inside her. She joined him. Her body arching against him as her walls beckoned for more. They shuddered against each other. He collapsed on top of her. His hands released hers. She wrapped her arms around his back. Her legs never moved. He smiled into her neck. Breath still shaky he vowed, "I'm never letting you go."

"I'm never letting you go," She echoed. Looking above her, she softly smiled.

Hermione's grip loosened. Her breath was even. Fred carefully pulled out of her grasp. She grunted in disapproval. He laid back against his pillows. He rolled her sleeping body into his side. Her head feel on his chest. Her hand fell over his heart. He brushed her curls behind her ear. He kissed her forehead. Fred pulled the covers over them. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, the other around her waist. He sighed sleepily as his eyes drifted shut.

Fred inhaled a sharp breath. Hermione moaned, rubbing her eyes. His opened and quickly shut his eyes as the morning light pierced them. Hermione sat up and stretched. Fred reached for her. She giggled as she pulled away. He sat up and reached for her again. She gave in. He cupped her cheek, turning her face in his direction. She smiled brilliantly. He stole a kiss. His hand tangled in her curls. His tongue flicked against her lips. She twisted hers around his. He growled as he flipped them so that she was on her back under him. She locked one leg around his waist. Instinctively, he connected them once more.

Fred stared at the thin robe Angelina had given Hermione to wrap herself in. He was propped up on his forearms. The covers were on the floor. The sheet was twisted on the bed, covering up to his waist. She ran a brush through her wet hair. He beckoned, "Where do you have to be today? George and I don't even know if we can talk to the insurance company today. Get back in bed."

Hermione turned away from the vanity mirror. She shook her head, "I'm already showered, and nearly ready to go. Angelina has breakfast ready. Ginny, Alicia, and Katie will be here shortly. We're going to have a girls day."

Turning back to the mirror she mumbled, "Get me some new clothes so I don't have to keep borrowing from Angie."

"But continuing our activities from earlier will be so much more fun." Fred cried. She turned a playfully annoyed look back at him. He smiled wolfishly, winking. She grabbed the nearest thing on the vanity. Not bothering to look she tossed it at him.

Fred caught it with still intact beater reflexes. A book that he quickly read the title of. His eyes grew wide with surprise. Hermione looked at him in question. He gulped, holding the book up so she could see. Her expression mimicked his own. Fred laughed, "I'm gonna be an uncle?"

"I can't see why else they would have 5,000 Baby Names: Mystical, Magical, and Muggle." Hermione shrugged. Fred's expression relaxed. He blinked, twice, and then broke out into a joyful grin. Hermione joined him. Fred jumped out of the bed, raced to the door, and threw it open. He stopped when he saw his dressed double at the door.

"Georgie," Fred shouted before grabbing his twin into a tight hug.

George stood perfectly still, "Let me go. You're naked."

"It isn't like it isn't something you've never seen before," Fred dismissed. He stepped away from his brother. Hermione dropped the book into the open hand he held out to her. Fred held the book up and beamed. "Is it true?"

George scuffed his shoe, looking down sheepishly as he nodded. Shrugging he explained, "That's what we were doing last night before you guys interrupted us, or maybe I should say Ron made you interrupt us. We just found out yesterday. I didn't even know she'd bought a book. Must have been checking it for something when she put your room together. Yeah, we're having a baby."

"This is great new," still naked Fred rejoiced. He turned back to Hermione. "He might have blown up our shop, but we'll get things fixed. He can't take this from us. We're going to have a little niece or nephew. We just have to keep moving, keep looking for the silver linings, the happiness."

He moved to kneel beside his smiling lover. Taking her hands in his, he finished, "And one day soon we'll get our happy ending."

A/N: Please review, they brighten my day and I could use a little day brightener. I have a rough idea of how I'm going to finish this out, about seven more chapters. If anybody would like to check out some of my other work Amazon and the Barnes and Noble Nook has a story called The Chronicles of Blackmoor that I wrote this past year.