This / will indicate that someone is using sign language to talk. it's easier to do the then describing the actual motions. if I do this ' it means that lips are being read.
Chapter Thirteen: Even after all these years, we just now got the feeling that we're meeting, for the first time.
"So he's not alone?" Harry nodded his head at Hermione's question and gripped her hand a little more tightly. The Weasley's had joined them and Ron brought news of her attacker. Ron was currently at the foot of the bed beside Ginny. Fred and George were to her right, Fred with his hand resting beside hers. Archimedes had his head and front paws resting on the bed. He'd let out a soft whimper every few minutes until some one pet his head. Hermione had no doubt that he was upset about how worried everyone felt.
They didn't really have a reason to be worried. Hermione was fun. The wizard hadn't even been particularly good at Crucio. She'd passed out because she'd hit her head on the concrete.
Though, after Bellatrix, Hermione doubted anyone could crucio her as hard. She was second only to Voldemort in her torturing skills.
'Yeah, from what I've gathered he's part of a new group. One that's specifically targeting muggle –borns.'
"Of course." Hermione muttered before glancing at Fred. She caught his hand twitch out of the corner of her eye. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but she didn't want to draw attention to it. A suggestion from one of the books she had read came to mind and she slowly began to inch her hand towards Fred while she distracted the others.
"So he was a pureblood?"
Ron shook his head, annoyance clear on his face. 'No, and that's just the problem. He's a halfblood.' Hermione reached Fred's hand and laid hers on top of it. He started before grasping her hand. She shook her hand free and laid it on top of his again, carefully signing a question.
/What's wrong?/
Fred didn't respond right away, and Archimedes started whimpering again. George scratched behind his ear and murmured something to the lab that seemed to appease him a little. Fred flipped their hands subtly and then signed back to her.
/Nothing./ Hermione did not buy that for even one second. She flipped their hands back over and signed to him;
/Later then?/
He hesitated, and then: /Alright./
Hermione allowed herself a smile and looked over to see what Harry was doing. She'd been staring at Ron as he told her about the wizard (she didn't particularly care about what he looked like.) Harry was staring at her and Fred's hands, a curious look on his face. He realized she was staring at him and he offered her a quick smile.
Hermione found it all very odd.
-o-o-o-
"I can walk upstairs just fine, Harry." Hermione hoped her tone wasn't as annoyed as she was feeling. She didn't want to hurt her friends feelings, but he was beginning to drive her rather barmy.
Harry instantly dropped his arms and stepped back, looking guilty. 'I'm sorry. I just don't want you to get hurt again.
"I'm not going to trip, and, I've been crucioed before, Harry. He wasn't particularly good at the curse, actually. If my head hadn't hit the pavement I would have been fine."
Harry nodded his head but looked far from convinced.
Hermione reached out and lightly touched his arm. He looked up and she held his gaze, her own soft and understanding. "I'm alright, Harry. I'm not going to get hurt."
'Yeah, I just didn't think we'd have to worry about that sort of thing anymore.'
Hermione snorted and nodded her head. "I agree. At least I should be safe at Hogwarts, right?"
Harry smiled a little. 'Yeah.'
Satisfied that her friend believed she wasn't about to break, Hermione started up the stairs by herself. She made it to her room and pulled her door open, only a little sore from the earlier curse. All in all, it was considerably better than Bellatrix's had been. At least she didn't lose a sense this time.
Pavarotti and Pandora both chirped happily when she came in and flittered around their cage, greeting her in their own way. She smiled at the silent hello and stepped to their cage.
"Hey, are you two hungry?" She opened their food and dropped a few treats into the bottom of their cage, laughing softly when they both dove for the food.
The sight of her Warblers chirping at each other as they fought over their dinner made Hermione pasue. She hadn't seen Fred since she'd come home from the hospital. That was highly unusual. Was he hiding from her? Or had he been otherwise indisposed?
There was a simple way to check.
Hermione turned around and left her room, being careful to shut the door behind herself. A short walk up another flight of stairs and she was at Fred and George's room. She rapped her knuckles against the sturdy wood before once again remembering that she wouldn't be able to hear him.
"It's Hermione."
There was no response. The door didn't open or flash, both the methods that Fred used to let her know she could come in.
"Fred?"
Still no response. Hermione was growing impatient. Fred had behaved oddly this afternoon, and she was not going to be ignored now.
"Fred. I'm counting to three then I'm coming in. Make yourself decent and hide any illegal pranks." She counted to three out-loud, she didn't particularly want to burst in on him naked. That thought made her cheeks heat up and she had to swallow thickly before opening the door.
Fred was sitting on his bed and Archimedes was sitting in front of the door, whimpering.
"Fred?"
/Yes?/
"Are you busy?" Archimedes was looking between the two of them, his ears drooping. Hermione instantly stood straighter and frowned. Archimedes only looked that upset if someone was yelling at him, or Fred was upset.
What was wrong with Fred?
/Kind of./
"Well, finish up whatever you are kind of busy with. You're coming with me in an hours time."
/I'm not much in the mood./
"Then you'll have to admit that I was right. You can do anything-err, we can do anything."
He almost grinned, and it made Hermione's heart shoot to her throat.
/What do you have in mind?/
Hermione grinned mischievously. "One of the first ten you wrote down. I'll leave it at that." She reached down and gave Archimedes a scratch behind the ear before standing again. "I'll be back in an hour."
Fred nodded.
-o-o-o-
"My hair looks frightful." Hermione set the comb she had been trying to coerce through her hair down and sighed. Ginny was standing behind her, trying to decide if she liked Hermione's outfit. It was the third one she had made her put on and Hermione had already decided she was wearing it regardless of if she received Ginny's blessing or not.
"No it doesn't. It's just a little… bigger, than usual."
"Bigger?" Hermione wasn't proud of how high her voice was as she spun towards Ginny. "I look like a poodle that was stuck in a dryer." She glanced out the window and bristled even more. "And it's raining, do you know how horrible my hair will look by the time we arrive?"
Ginny snorted and shook her head, dropping the scarf she had picked up. "We're being ridiculous! Fred can't see you, why are we worrying?"
Hermione flushed bright red. "I'm not dressing up for Fred. I-I just want to look nice."
Ginny raised and an eyebrow and put her hand on her hip. "Bull. You're wearing a touch of makeup Hermione. Makeup. You came and pulled me away from Harry-making out, thank you very much-and told me, 'I need to look really good!'" She shook her head. "Not dressing up for Fred my arse."
Hermione wrung her hands nervously. "You might be partially correct. I just want to look nice though."
"Fred likes you the way you are. Besides, you need to focus more on touch and smells than look for him."
She had a point, Fred couldn't see her, but he could see her. Her eyes darted to the closet and she had the perfect idea. She pulled out a cashmere sweater, it was extremely soft and nice to touch. It would go nicely with her jeans as well. She could braid her hair and that would keep it from taking over Fred. A little bit of perfume and-
Wait, Fred didn't care for perfume. He had commented once that it was almost always overwhelming with his improved sense of smell.
Ginny nodded her approval at the new outfit and braider her hair swiftly.
"Perfect! Now, go out there and stun him with your sexiness. You'll have him eating out of your hand in no time."
Hermione nodded her head and picked her purse up. "Oh, wait! Make sure not to wear any lipstick. Fred hates the taste of it." Hermione flushed bright red, again , and shook her head.
"We're not-I don't-Ginny!" Her friend simply grinned and pulled her door open.
"Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"I'm not doing anything, Ginny."
"Right. Whatever. Just have fun."
Hermione couldn't stop grinning as she went to get Fred.
-o-o-o-
Fred was still being annoyingly quiet. She had apparated him away with Archimedes and they were now in London. They were at their destination now. Archimedes was excited at all the people, but Fred was closing in on himself.
"Were at a theatre. We're going to watch Dr. Dolittle."
Fred stalled, a small grin quirking his lips. "A movie?"
"Yes, that's tonight's item. Wait here while I get our tickets. Do you want popcorn too?"
"Sure?"
Hermione nodded her head and went to collect the items. When she returned a few minutes later Fred was standing in the same place, looking a bit more relaxed.
"Alright, follow me, Archimedes!" Hermione hoped she didn't sound too chipper, but she wanted to make sure Fred had fun tonight. She'd heard that the movie was funny and it seemed like something Fred would enjoy for his first ever movie experience.
'Are we actually doing this?' Fred asked as they took a seat in the dark, and thankfully, sparse, theatre. Hermione laughed and nodded her head. The fact that he was sitting would seem to give it away.
"Yes, Fred, we're actually going to watch a movie." She looked around the room and noticed they were only of about three couples. Everyone else was sitting in the front so they shouldn't bother anyone.
'I'm still iffy on the whole how thing.'
"Simple. You sign the conversations to me, and I'll describe it to you."
Fred was quiet for a moment before grinning. 'You do realize this has every bit of chance to be as big a debacle as the cookies, right?'
Hermione's grin was large and unhindered as she replied, "Oh, I'm hoping it is." The room darkened and the screen turned on, cueing the start. "These will be previews for other movies. Let me know if any of them sound interesting to you, we can try and go to it." Fred nodded his head and stared at the direction the screen would be in before he started to sign.
Hermione leaned towards him, watching his hands and then the screen. She tilted her head towards his ear, making sure she could see his hands and the screen still, before whispering to him, describing the scene. Fred's hands hesitated for a moment before he resumed signing.
A/n: Float on by Modest Mouse. I seriously love that song :D Iloveromance2o11 got it right!
Guess what, It's my birthday! Whoop! I'm posting to celebrate!
On sadder news, school has started again. I go until nine at night :( blargh!
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