Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.
Chapter 10 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` June 28, 1998
Hermione was aware of the sunshine on her face first. Next, she realized that she heard water lapping against a short and birds chirping not far in the distance. It all came rushing back to her. She and Fred on the dock, the firewhiskey, no shirts, falling asleep...it had seemed like a dream. Aware, suddenly, that she had no shirt on, she started. Not enough to wake Fred, who was in his usual pose, wrapped around her. Except he had his hand cupped around her bare breast. She lay still, pondering the situation at hand. The more she lay wrapped in his warmth, the more she realized that she liked it. The memories of last night replayed in her mind, making her blush but heating her insides as well.
Fred began to stir. He buried his face further into her neck, inhaling her scent. She smiled to herself. "Finally awake, Mr. Weasley?" She asked him. He smiled with his eyes still closed. "Mia, have I ever told you that you smell so bloody good? Your hair smells like peaches."
She laughed low in her chest. "No, actually you haven't, but thank you. I've been waiting on you to wake. We have plans for the day, remember? You have to go to the shop with George and Harry and I have to go with your mum and Ginny to start planning the wedding." Fred groaned.
"No. That's not fair. Ginny can't have you. I'm going to be selfish today and make you come to the shop with me." He started to tickle her in the ribs. Hermione was giggling now. "I'll come with you tomorrow, but we only have two months to get her dream wedding planned. I have to help her, you know that. She would help me." "I know, I know, it's all about the bride. I have a feeling you'll be reminding me of that." She swatted him in the arm. As she sat up and hooked her bra into place, he transfigured their pillow and blanket back into their shirts and they redressed. They strolled hand in hand back up to the Burrow, not wanting to part ways but knowing they needed to.
"You remember last night, right?" Fred asked her.
"Of course I do, I wasn't wasted out of my mind!" Hermione cried indignantly.
"Do you regret it?"
"No, I don't regret it. I actually wish it could have happened sooner but I was just too nervous. I'm not nervous anymore. Guess that was the firewhiskey, since I remember making the first move."
"Love, you definetly made the first move. I'm glad you're not nervous anymore, but don't ever be nervous with me. I already told you I won't make you anything you don't want to. Just remember that." He gave her a quick kiss as he headed off to the shower.
Hermione used Percy, Charlie, and Bill's shower while Fred showered. She let the hot water work out her sore muscles from sleeping on the hard dock all night. Smiling, she rubbed the peach shampoo into her hair and let it do it's work while she soaped off. Looking down, she noticed a small bruise next to her right nipple. Her hand went to her mouth. Fred had given her a love bite! She didn't remember it hurting and it didn't hurt now, her skin must be really tender and bruise easily. Reminding herself to yell at him later, she rinsed off and crawled out. She dried off, performed a drying charm, left her hair in curls today, applied her usual light makeup and perfume since she was going out, and dressed.
She walked down the stairs today, almost seeming to float. The smile just wouldn't leave her face. Sitting down at the table, Fred and George flashed her a knowing smile and she had a feeling that Fred had told George everything that had happened at the dock. She felt her cheeks get hot. As Fred reached out to rub her leg reassuringly, she spoke the Ginny.
"So have you decided if you want any bridesmaids?"
"Well, you're maid of honour, I think I want Luna, but I'm picking her dress, and Phlegm. She's grown on me over the last couple years."
"Ginny, don't call-"
"Oh Mum, I won't, I haven't in forever, it was for old time's sake. Don't get your knickers in a twist."
Hermione chuckled to herself and nibbled on toast. She took a sip of the steaming tea and looked at Harry.
"That means you'll need two groomsmen besides Ron as your best man. Ideas?"
Harry looked back and forth from Hermione to Ginny. "I chose Ron and helped pick out Ginny's ring. I'll write my vows and my speech for the wedding. You guys do the rest, I don't care. Do whatever makes you happy, Gin. Just charge it to my vault at Gringotts, alright. I don't care who stands up with me besides Ron, as long as it's not Malfoy or someone like him. Alright?"
Ginny pouted for a second but smiled at him. "Ok Harry. How about Neville for one? And Bill for the other?"
Harry stood up with Fred and George and scraped his plates. "Perfect Gin. We're gonna go. We'll see you guys tonight. You girls have fun planning and spending my money." He smiled and bent down to kiss her. Fred came over and slipped a hand behind Hermione's neck beneath her hair. He bent to kiss her as well. "I'll miss you, Mia. Don't forget, you're mine tomorrow. My sister can't have you're planning skills every day." She smiled as they walked out the door and they heard the faint pop of them apparating away.
Both girls shook their heads after the boys with faint smiles on their faces. Molly finished wiping off the table. "Alright girls, let's get down to business. Ginny, you need to owl Luna and Fleur and see if they'll be your bridesmaids and what date works for you all to go dress shopping. Make sure you include your wedding date." Ginny dutifully went off in search of parchment and a quill. As she was writing, Hermione was thinking out loud. "We need to discuss colors, if you want a theme, place, decorations, menu, reception, invitations, fitting dates for the boys, owling Neville and Bill and asking them if they'll stand with Harry, renting a tent, getting an official, actually Ginny give me the quill and parchment so I can make a list..."
Hermione started a list. It became quite extensive. Ginny decided right away she didn't want a themed wedding, she wanted it at the Burrow like Bill and Fleur's, her mother's cooking of course, full reception, and the colors to be ice blue and white. Fleur had flooed in by this point, fit to burst.
"Oh Ginny, thank you for asking me! It would be my pleasure to be your bridesmaid. Do you need 'elp planning?" she gushed.
"Sure you can help us. Harry gave us free rein to spend his money. Would Bill want to stand with him?" "I'm sure 'e would 'ave no problem with it. 'e would be 'onored. I'll accept for 'im. Just mark 'im down. If 'e 'as a problem with it, I'll let you know."
"Brilliant. Thank him for me, will you? Guess we should owl Neville right quick. We'll just borrow Hermes, Percy will never know. Harry really needs to get a new owl." Ginny scribbled out another note and sent it off to Neville.
As they began to discuss places on the property to hold the nuptials, an owl flew in holding a note with Ginny's name on it. Hermione recognized Luna's scrawl. Ginny untied it and read it. "She is pleased to be asked to be my bridesmaid and accepts. She's getting ready to leave the country on holiday, however, and wants to know if we can go dress shopping in two weeks time when she gets back. Well that should be perfect. We should be able to get a lot of stuff taken care of by then. I'll owl her back and let her know that's fine. Fleur, does say, July 15th, work for you?"
"Oh that is perfect for me! I just 'ave to let the goblins know that I need the day off and they let me do what I want. I will let them know tomorrow. Ooooh I'm so excited! Ginny, you're going to be so beautiful." she exclaimed. Ginny smiled. "Hermione, I know you aren't doing anything except going to help the twins so I know you can go. Mum, you don't have plans, right?
"Of course not, dear. And if I did, I'd change them. I wouldn't miss my daughter wedding dress shopping for the world!" Ginny scribbled a note out to Luna and told her to meet them at the Burrow on July 15 and they would go dress shopping and to have fun on her holiday. After sending her letter off, the reply from Neville came. He was thrilled to be asked to stand with Harry, a great honor. The date worked for him and to just let him know when the fitting date was and he would be there.
"Bloody hell, this is already starting to come together and we haven't a knut." Ginny exclaimed.
Fleur's laugh tinkled through the house. "You have barely started yet. You'll be ready for it to just be over by the time your day comes. What do you want to do today?"
Ginny looked expectantly at Hermione. Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Why are you looking at me? It's your wedding!" "Well you always know what to do next. Harry told me so." Ginny said with a smile.
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Well if it was me, I would get someone lined out to perform the ceremony. Can't have a wedding without someone to marry you."
"Excellent plan, Hermione! See, Harry was right." Ginny scrawled yet another letter out to the Ministry requesting someone to marry them on August 27 and sent it off with Pig.
"We're really going to have to invest in more owls before we plan another wedding. This is ridiculous."
"Well, how about we all head to Diagon Alley and start thinking about decorations and such. See if anything else catches your fancy Gin?" Molly suggested.
Ginny nodded and they all cleared away their tea cups. Walking towards the apparition point, Hermione suggested they all apparate together. Grasping hands, they let Ginny take the lead.
They appeared outside of the Leaky Cauldron, Ginny intending to make a stop at Gringotts to Harry's vault.
"Um, Gin, if you remember, Harry, Ron and I broke into Gringotts. We crashed a dragon through the floor and then the roof. I'm not sure if I'm welcome there, let alone Harry. Has he talked to them?"
"Oh. No, I don't think so. He hasn't actually went there. Whenever he buys anything he just charges it to his vault." "Maybe until he can go in and talk to them, we can just charge it to his vault so they don't try to send me to Azkaban for even standing next to the building, please? I'd really like to not go to prison."
"Sure, Hermione, it kind of makes me feel richer to just say 'charge it to my vault' anyways." Ginny said laughing.
Molly and Fleur had looked nervous through the whole Gringotts conversation. Molly still couldn't believe her child and two surrogates had broken into the wizarding bank, let alone a high security vault. They headed to the Alley towards the shops and started glancing in windows. Ginny went in shops as she saw things that caught her eye and bought things here and there. When they walked past Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, it was packed full. By the time evening was drawing near, Hermione, Ginny, Fleur, and Molly all had their hands full with shopping bags. They had accomplished a fair amount that day and Hermione's back felt it.
The four of them walked back to Weasley's Wizards Wheezes so they could make the boys help carry their purchases home. They walked through the door as the last of the customers were walking out. Fred and George look up from down the shelves and look surprised to see four members of their family waltz in. Harry out from behind the register and gives Ginny a kiss.
"Am I broke yet?" he joked with her. "Aren't you just so funny? And no you aren't. We haven't even shopped for dresses. Or your robes. Just decorations and tablepieces and things like that. Luna can't dress shop for two weeks. Neville and Bill have confirmed for your groomsmen and we've sent a letter to the Ministry requesting an official to marry us."
Harry leaned back, impressed. "You four have been busy."
"Well of course. Hermione's super brain and organization are at work."
Hermione dropped into the seat behind the counter. "I just want to sleep. Ginny wore me out. My back is definetly in need of a rest." Fleur nodded in agreement. "I am going to agree with that. I am going to borrow your fireplace and floo 'ome. Bill is probably wondering where I am. Will you boys 'elp with the bags if I leave them?"
Fred walked up behind the register to give Hermione a kiss and start counting the money.
"Oh course we will, Fleur. Go ahead and head home. We'll see you later."
Harry looked and Hermione and smiled. "It's a good thing you're coming in tomorrow because Ron and I start auror training and it was a madhouse today. Plus I'm not near as good as you on the register. Fred and George were going spare trying to help me, stock the shelves, and help customers."
Hermione looked at Fred. "Maybe you guys should think about hiring someone. I know that nobody could ever replace Verity but you can't always do it by yourselves. Plus, if you're going to be this busy, you're going to need help. What if it's just you two? You two say you have money, so put it to good use. What about Lee Jordan? You guys were good friends with him in school. Or Dean Thomas. Seamus? Somebody..." Fred looked down at Hermione sitting in the seat looking exhausted. "You know, Mia, that's a good idea. There's enough damn work for all three of them. The two of us really need to be working on product developement, not stocking shelves. I think I'll owl the three of them tonight and see if they want jobs. The register is yours whenever you want it though." He kissed her forehead and continued to count the money in the register.
George finished stocking the shelves while Harry swept up real quick. Fred tossed the extra money out of the register into the bag and whistled. "Damn, Georgie, we more than doubled profits from yesterday. At this rate, we're going to be out of product in a week. I really hope those three want jobs so we can get to cooking!" He shut the register with a bang. "My turn to take the money to Gringotts. Meet you guys at home." Harry gathered up Fleur's bags, Hermione stood up, Ginny drug herself out of extra chair, as did Molly, while George put up the protective enchantments. They all grasped hands and disapparated to the Burrow.
Arthur was already home and had started supper. A letter was waiting for Ginny on the table from the Ministry. They confirmed an official for the date of August 27, for her to send the time when she and Harry had made a more permanent decision. Molly promptly took over the cooking, with Hermione's help. The family ate in tired silence. George sent off the three owls to Dean, Seamus, and Lee asking them for help in the store. All three responded promptly saying they would love jobs in the store but couldn't start until the day after tomorrow.
Hermione and Fred headed to bed early that night since they were both tired and knew the next day would be just as long. She told Fred she was going to take a shower before she laid down to try to make her back feel better. Turning the water as hot as she could take it, she stook under the water with it raining on her shoulders and back for a good ten minutes. She almost could have fallen asleep in there if she hadn't been standing. Reluctantly, she got out, dried off, put on her tank and shorts, dried and straightened her hair. When she emerged, Fred was lying face up on the bed in just a pair of shorts with his eyes closed but she could tell he wasn't asleep. Hearing the door, he opened one eye.
"What took you so long? I was beginning to think you fell in there again and knocked yourself out cold." he asked.
"I was just standing under the hot water, letting it work on my lower back and shoulder. Ever since Bellatrix tortured me, it doesn't take much for my lower back to hurt. I asked Madam Pomfrey about it and she said that it can happen sometimes with dark magic, if the caster is powerful enough. It can linger and certain areas are more affected. It will fade eventually but it can take years since she was so powerful. All that walking with your mum, Ginny, and Fleur really did me in."
Fred sat up quickly. His hand went to her lower back and the other to her neck. "Did you tell them? Why didn't they let you stop and rest? It was Ginny, I know it was. All about her bloody wedding. I'm going to -..." she cut him off.
"Freddie, stop. I didn't tell them. It wasn't a big deal. I'm fine, ok? Besides, nobody knows about Malfoy Manor, not even Ginny I think. Well, maybe Ginny, I don't know. It's not something I like to talk about, remember? Just forget about it. It's a sore back, no big deal. It'll be gone by tomorrow." She smiled at his overreaction. Fred looked at his fiance who had a heart of gold, who wouldn't even ask for a rest so his sister could have the wedding of her dreams.
"Mia, it is a big deal. It's lingering dark magic. From Bellatrix LeStrange. Gods, I'm glad my mum killed that bitch. Why do your shoulders hurt if the magic is in your lower back?" he asked. Hermione looked uncomfortable. "I'm guessing from the walking, Fred." She could tell she didn't sound convincing. "Mia, you're lying. Please, don't ever lie to me." She sighed.
"When I saved your life at Hogwarts, I was hit in the back of the shoulders with a huge boulder and it broke my spine and three ribs. When Madam Pomfrey healed me, I still had pain in my upper back and shoulders when I would move a certain way. I told Madam Pomfrey and she ran another diagnostic spell on me. A bone had healed wrong and was pressed on a nerve in my spinal column. She tried to heal it and suceeded in moving it some. Enough to get rid of the pain in my back but I still have pain in my shoulder here and there. She said she would have to rebreak my spine to fix it completely and I didn't want to go through that pain again. So I deal with the shoulder pain here and there. It isn't major so hot showers usually work. If they don't a small swig of pain potion usually does the trick."
She chanced a look up at him. He looked angry. At her. She started to get up off the bed. He reached out and grabbed her wrist "I told you, Mia, I'm not my brother. Don't even think about leaving. Why in the bloody hell haven't you told me this before now? Do you know how fucking bad I feel right now?" Her eyes filled with tears. Why had she opened her mouth? She sat back down and forced the words out of her mouth.
"That's exactly why I haven't told you. I didn't want you to feel guilty. I didn't save you for you to feel guilty or to owe me. I made a choice and did it of my own free will. So stop trying to make me feel guilty because I didn't let you try to pay me back. I make my own way in life and my own decisions. You might have been the one I saved, and the one I'm marrying, but that doesn't mean that you get to tell me when I can leave and when I have to tell you something. You don't own me. I barely knew you, Fred. So back off." Her voice had risen to a shout. She wrenched her wrist out his hand, stood up from the bed, and headed towards the door.
She flung it open and ran straight into George. It was like running into a wall, since she was trying to run out the door and he was quite a bit bigger than she was. The impact threw her back onto the ground and she tasted blood.
"Shit, Hermione, are you ok? Bloody hell, you're bleeding everywhere." By the time he reached down to help her up, blood was dripping down her chest from her nose and Fred was at the door. "Bloody hell, George, you had to knock her down! She already hurts and now she's bleeding!" Hermione's eyes were flashing as her nose gushed blood down her chest, under her tank top. She grabbed her wand off the table and held it in front of her leveled at Fred's chest. Her hair swirled around her as if grabbed by a wind. "It wasn't his fault, it was mine. There you go assuming again. Don't speak another word to me, Frederick, or I swear I'll hex you. Now sod off." She turned and stalked off around George, not caring that her nose was still bleeding. She realized that she was in next to no clothing. She couldn't go downstairs. Ginny was upstairs. But so was Ron and she was half naked. She transfigured her clothes as she walked to longsleeves and pants and banged through the door to Ron's room. "Leave. Now." She said menacingly to Ron and then looking at Harry. Both scrambled out bed quickly and left the room. She let out a big breath and sat heavily on the bed next to Ginny. She sat up and reached over to take Hermione's hand.
"Are you alright Hermione? You haven't threatened the two of them with a wand in a long time. Not that I didn't enjoy that just now." Ginny reached over with her wand and healed Hermione's bleeding nose.
"I'm not, Ginny, I'm so mad I could spit fire right now. I pointed my wand at Fred's chest and told him if he said one more word to me I'd hex him."
"Did he hit you? Is that why you're bleeding? I'll go hex him myself if he did."
"No, no we were talking and I got up and he grabbed my wrist and told me not to even think about leaving because he didn't like what I said. Or what I hadn't said, actually. I snapped. I've went through so much, dealt with Ron being an arse, Harry being in trouble, being wanted because I'm muggleborn, being forced to marry someone who really doesn't love me, and now I'm being told what I have to say and when I can't leave. I lost it. I told him he didn't get to make my choices, essentially, yanked my arm back, ran out of the room half naked and ran straight into George, who didn't budge. Hence, the bloody nose. Then he came out and yelled at George so I grabbed my wand, threatened to hex him, and ran up here. I didn't want to face your parents." She started to cry. "What the hell am I doing?"
"Hermione, it sounds like Fred is just being a normal boyfriend. They want to know everything. Harry does. They're nosy. He acted like he didn't give a damn this morning but when we came up here, he wanted to see everything and wanted details of everything we saw and decided. Besides, how do you know he never cared about you before now? Even if he did, he never could have said anything because of Ron. That git made it impossible for anybody else to make a move on you. Krum was the only one who ever stood a chance."
"Gin, that's your wedding. And this was something personal but not very important. I just simply can't believe that he had feelings for me. They were completely different from me in school. They still are. He acts different since the battle towards me and I only think it's because I saved him. I just hate having that niggling feeling that he's with me not only because of the bond, but because he feels he owes me."
Will you just trust me? I won't say that he's not with you because of the bond. But he's not with you because you saved his life. Please think more of him than that." Ginny gave her a stern look. Hermione looked up at her startled.
"I think the world of him. He's treated me better than any man ever has. I was just trying to be honest." Ginny smiled at her. "Good. You'll be just fine with him, I know it. So quit -" A knock interrupted her sentence. Hermione remained silent. "Come in." Ginny called.
The door opened tentatively. Only Fred's head poked in. "Hermione? Will you come down to your room so I can talk to you please?" Hermione looked at him for a few moments before she replied. "Yes, I'll be there in a moment." He closed the door. Ginny laughed.
"Hermione, you're training him well. Now go let him off the hook. Let my boyfriend come back in and I'll even come help you out at the shop tomorrow. Goodnight." As she walked out the door, Harry and Ron were asleep sitting up outside the door. She leaned over and shook Harry. "Harry, wake up. Ginny's waiting for you. Sorry to kick you out." He nodded and smacked Ron. They both stood up and went back in their room.
She strolled down the stairs, transfiguring her clothes back to her pyjamas, in a much calmer mood than when she had stormed up them half an hour before. If what Ginny said was true, Fred was acting like a normal boyfriend. To be honest, she had no experience in that area whereas Ginny did. She had to admit, that if she had to married to someone just for a bonds sake, she was glad that it was Fred. Even if he didn't love her. Her generation wasn't going to be lucky enough to have true love unless they were the few lucky ones like Harry and Ginny.
She pushed her door open and Fred was sitting on the edge of her bed, still in just a pair of shorts, with his head in his hands. He stood up when he heard her enter. Grabbing her hands softly in both of his, he spoke first.
"Hermione, please let me talk first. Then you can do what you want. Leave, kick me out, hit me, hex me, whatever. I realize I had no right to grab you like that. Or order you to stay. I'm as bad as Ron and I don't expect you to ever trust me again. I mean that. I was just so upset that you were in pain because of me and you had never told me. It's no excuse, whatsoever, I know that. I just hate knowing that I'm the cause of your pain. You've been through so much. Can you ever forgive me? Please forgive me."
Hermione looked up into his eyes, his beautiful crystal blue eyes. She didn't know why she thought she could ever stay mad at him. Letting go of his hands, she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his middle. Pressing her cheek into his chest, she felt his arms go around her and his cheek drop onto her head.
"Freddie, you're not like Ron. You didn't force yourself on me. You wanted me to stay and explain myself. You shouldn't have but you aren't like him. When I pulled away, you let me go. That's what I base you on. As for the pain, I should have told you sooner, I know. But I didn't want you to feel bad, like you owed me. I hate when I feel like people do things because they owe me, not because they really like me. Guess it comes from not having many friends. I like to know they're for real."
"Mia, I wouldn't have felt like I owed you anything. You've been my friend for a long time. I've grown up with you. I could have tried to help your pain. I wouldn't have been your slave or anything like that, but I would have fetched the pain potion for you."
She chuckled a little bit. "Ok, ok you win. I should have told you. I'm sorry. Now you know. I don't think I have anymore deep dark secrets for you to find out about." He let out a deep laugh, put her face in his hands and pulled her back from his chest.
"If that's the worst secret you have to hide from me, we'll be just fine, Mia." He leaned forward and gave her a long kiss. He released her, went into the bathroom and returned with two bottles of potion.
"Come on, love, off with the shirt. Face down on the bed and I'll take care of those sore spots. Trust me, I know my potions. I was a beater, remember, always had sore arms after a match. Try to fix you right up." Hermione pulled her shirt off. His eyes widen, spotting the bruise on her breast.
"Bloody hell, Mia, did I do that to you? I have to admit, it's hot as hell but I hate to see bruises on your perfect skin." She had forgotten all about that. He grabbed his wand and healed it before she could even answer. She smiled at him softly. Laying down on her stomach put a great deal of pressure on her lower back, but when he moved her hair to the side and started rubbing the potion into her muscles it was exquisite. He kneaded the muscles gently at first but steadily applied more pressure. She moaned into the pillow. He worked his way slowly up her back, taking special care with her shoulder. By the time he had stopped, it was almost midnight. He sat her up, giving her a kiss. "Come on, Mia, let's take some pain potion. Then we'll go to sleep." He handed her a small dose and she sleepily handed the cup back. After delivering both potions back to the bathroom, she was almost asleep. He made her crawl under the blankets since she was shivering. Pulling her up against him, he wrapped his arm around her like always, buried his face in her neck and hair, and thanked the gods that she was able to go to sleep.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` I went ahead and left this as one long chapter...sorry. I just couldn't find a good spot to break it up without making one super short. Hope you guys don't mind! Please let me know what you think (: