A/N: This was written for the Ultimate OTP Competition II and the Open Category 4 Competition. I used the prompt hurt/comfort genre for OTP, and war fic for Open Category. Sorry this is shorter than most, but I cut my finger bad on Friday and it still hurts to type with both hands on my laptop, but I wanted to get this in for you guys anyway. This still takes place in the fourth book if you were wondering about the time frame. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, Fremione would've been canon. Thanks for all of the lovely reviews and such, you guys are awesome.

Fred couldn't sleep after the third task was over so he went downstairs so he wouldn't accidently wake George up.

He went to stand by the window in the common room, and after a while he heard some sniffles. He looked around, startled. He wasn't alone in this room after all like he originally thought. Fred raised his wand and looked around the room and began walking around cautiously.

Crookshanks was sitting on a chair near the fireplace, and his heart nearly fell. Hermione must be in the room, he realized quickly. He quietly approached the chair and saw that Hermione had her head in her knees. The sniffling was definitely coming from her.

Fred knelt down in front of her and placed his hands on her knees. "Hermione?" Hermione didn't answer right away, so he sat down in front of her. "Love…"

Hermione jumped and held a sob in when she saw him. She quickly wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Wh… what are you doing?" she managed to ask him finally. "You should be in bed! It's after hours!"

Fred smiled softly at her. "So should you," he said teasingly, nudging her playfully. This was apparently the wrong thing to do because the next thing he knew, tears started coming out of her eyes, and she covered her face with her hands again.

Fred suddenly grew protective and quickly sat next to her on the couch. "Hey, Hermione…" he tried to pull her hands away from her eyes, but she shook her head and turned to bury her head in his shoulder.

He made soothing noises and kept placing kisses on her forehead. Fred wasn't the twin who was good at comforting people. George was better at it than he was. But this was his girlfriend. He had to do something. He decided that holding her like this was the best option. He actually liked knowing that he was the only thing that was able to comfort her now.

Hermione pulled away after several long moments, and he got a handkerchief out and handed it to her. "Seriously? You carry a handkerchief?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mum makes them," he said quickly, scooting closer to her. "I just happened to have one on me tonight."

Her eyes filled with tears again, though she thankfully didn't start to cry again. "I'm sorry… for being weak like this. I shouldn't be this weak." She shook her head and Fred frowned.

"Crying doesn't make you weak. Somebody died. Crying is natural after somebody dies."

"Cedric was one of my friends. He wasn't a good friend like you, George, Harry and Ron are. But he was still a friend. Nobody I've known has ever died before."

Fred grew serious. "Oh." He didn't know what to say, he hated the fact that she had to experience this loss now.

"I lost a friend once… when I was little," he murmured quietly. Hermione tilted her head to listen to him. "I don't really remember much about it. I was too young to understand death. I just knew I wasn't going to see Jordan again…that was what my parents kept telling me and George."

"I'm sorry," Hermione murmured as she placed a hand on his knee.

Fred shook his head. "It was a long time ago. I don't know why I brought that up. I'm trying to comfort you somehow."

"I know," Hermione said quietly as she rested her head on his shoulder again.

He was thankful to see that she wasn't crying this time, though she did look like she was in deep thought. He pressed his lips against her forehead lightly. "Something else is bothering you," he said quietly.

Hermione frowned as she looked up at him. "How can you tell?"

"You just aren't your normal self," he said, studying her. "Hermione…talk to me, please. Don't shut me out. This is the first problem we've had in our relationship and I want to be there for you. Please let me in."

Hermione looked taken back by his words, and Fred couldn't help but feel surprised as well. He had never dealt with emotions with girls before but he wanted to try this time. "I'm not trying to shut you out," she said finally. "I just never…had a boyfriend to lean on during times like these." Her cheeks grew warm when she said the word boyfriend, and he thought it was endearing even though he didn't like the situation.

"I could've lost Harry too," she said finally. "He's one of my best friends. I was so close to losing him tonight."

"But you didn't lose him," Fred reminded her gently, as he placed a thumb of her cheek. Hermione closed her eyes for a second and placed her hand over his. Fred got that familiar sensation in his stomach that he always seemed to get whenever he was around Hermione like this.

"I know," she said finally. "And… You-Know-Who is back," she added.

Those words finally brought Fred back to focus and he shifted in his seat lightly. "Yes… You-Know-Who is back," he repeated.

Hermione shook her head and looked up at him. "What was it like last time he was in control?" she demanded to know.

Fred shrugged his shoulders. "I don't remember much. George and I were too young to know much about what was going on. I just know my parents didn't trust anybody during those times. He was gathering followers and growing more powerful after every killing." He closed his eyes, trying to remember. "I think my mind just blocked off everything."

She frowned as she looked out the window, though her expression changed after a few moments.

He moved her head toward him he could look in her eyes. "Hermione?"

Tears formed her eyes when she looked up at him and she clutched her hand. "I'm scared of losing you…and being without you," Hermione said.

Fred's emotions twitched inside of him and he moved closer to her. "That'll never happen," he promised her.

"You can't promise that!" Hermione said quickly.

"I won't let it happen… I won't put you through this. I-" I love you. He realized with a start that he wanted to say those words. But he had never felt this way toward anybody before and he wasn't sure what to do. It was too soon for this, wasn't it? But maybe it didn't matter during times like these.

Fred didn't have to answer his question though because Hermione had pulled herself into his lap and began kissing him in such a way that made him forget about what he was thinking.