Chapter Twenty-One
Too Little Too Late
Ron sat down on the couch with his wife Padma the next day. Fred, luckily, hadn't shown his face since Harry had dragged his sorry arse outside. Ron sighed. Even though it had been so long and he'd gotten over it in time, he still was hurt that his own brother and wife had backstabbed him. He knew that it wasn't healthy to dwell upon it. Padma had been completely sympathetic towards him, even though it must have been hard for her.
He heard a pounding on the steps and yelling. He looked up. Percy's three eldest children, Pippin, Percival, and Penelope, were yelling at Hermione's three children, Linus, William, and Cate. Ron surmised that Hermione's children were up to no good as usual and had done something. Ron watched Padma got up and walked over to the group.
"What is going on?" she asked. Linus, William, and Cate immediately had looks of innocence on their face that reminded Ron so much of the ones he and his brothers used to wear.
"Nothing Auntie Padma," they chorused. The other three just gave them a look and stalked off, probably in search of their mum.
"One of these days the three of them will retaliate, you do know that," Ron told them. They looked at each other and grinned.
"Uh huh Uncle Ron, whatever you say," Cate told him. Padma came back over and sat down.
"Who was that man at the wedding yesterday?" William asked him.
"You know the one that Uncle Harry pulled out of the wedding," Linus said.
Ron looked worried at Padma. She bit her lip.
"Mum won't tell us, and the two of them are all worried about it," Cate said rolling her eyes.
"No one important," Padma told them. She looked at Ron. Ron shrugged. "Now, what was it that you did to your cousins?" Ron smiled at his wife for changing the subject. God he loved her sometimes.
Fred stood outside of his childhood home. He missed this place, more than words could say. He sighed. He didn't know if Hermione would be here but it was worth something to look. He just prayed that Ron wouldn't be, he was still expecting a good thrashing from his younger brother. He let himself in. The house was empty and very quiet. Unusual.
He looked around and finally made his way to the sitting room. He bit his lip. She was there reading and she was incredibly beautiful. He didn't deserve her, especially now that he knew that terrible truth.
"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to say something," she said, startling him. He hadn't realized that she'd heard him come in. "I've been expecting you. You are after all, extremely predictable."
"I don't know what to say," he admitted.
"I'm sorry is a good beginning, don't you agree?" she asked. She finally looked up at him. She really had become more beautiful with age.
"Can I explain?" he asked her.
"Can you apologize?" she spat back.
"I'm sorry, 'Mione," he began. "I didn't know that Ron would actually leave you. I mean, I didn't even know that he would find out. When I left, Malfoy was just scum that knew too much, not scum that said too much. I really did want what was best for you." He knelt so that he could look her in the face. "It might be too little too late, but Hermione I still love you. I always have and always will. I promised you that and it's a promise that I kept." He watched her lower lip begin to tremble and his heart sped up a bit. Maybe she would forgive him for being a selfish and senseless prat. He bit his lip and looked directly into her brown eyes. "I love you."
"You're right, Fred," she finally said after they looked at each other for a long time. "It is too little too late." Fred felt his heart break in half. She really couldn't mean that could she? "I can't love you anymore, not after what you did. I'm sorry, but it doesn't work this way. You can't stumble in here after nine years and play Romeo and sweep me off my feet." She stood up. "It doesn't work that way." She glared at him.
"Give me a chance, I know that what I did was irresponsible, immature, and a bit selfish, but I honestly thought I was doing the best for you. I love you and I always will." He looked up at her from his spot on the floor.
"If you would have come back sooner, honestly, I might have, but you can't waltz into someone's life after nine years of nothing. Good-bye," she said walking towards the front door. "You need to leave."
Fred thought that he heard the sound of voices up the steps, but that wasn't relevant right now. "Fine," he said. "But remember, you can't make me stop loving you." He stomped out the door and into the street.
Linus looked ashen face at his brother and sister. They would never admit it to anyone but they'd been eavesdropping on their mother's conversation. The three of them had run up the steps as soon as they'd heard their mum walk out of the sitting room.
"I told you we shouldn't have listened," Cate finally said.
"Well we did, and it's too bloody late to do anything about it," William spat.
"You do realize who that man is don't you?" Linus asked his twin. William nodded. They'd finally figured out who their father was.
Hermione sat back down in the sitting room, trying not to cry. He really hadn't meant all that, had he? She tried to convince herself that he didn't, like she tried to convince herself that she didn't love him. She put her head in her hand.
Then unexpectedly she heard the sound of brakes, quite unusual for this neighborhood, and a scream. Hermione's blood ran cold as she ran outside.
"No!" she yelled as she ran over to the body that was in the street.
Next Time: Everyone copes
A/N: This is a bit longer and more evil cliffhangers!
KUDOS: Teigra, carla mordendorffer, its just me being silly with the yays, usually you say yay if your happy, so ya pretty much me being a nut, ILUvDrAcOmAlFoY, glad you like it, steph, thanks, Princess-Of-Dreams, awww, I'll try, but I've already got the end planned out, mystical, they found out!, mystical, yay we can make a Hermione and Fred fan club or something, hehe, Kaidence, here's more suspense for your happiness, hehe, Americanbrowneyes, Fred is the best, Sabrina Weasley, I knew the last two would be iffy chapters, but, do they make more sense now, Sailor Moirae, hehe, that helped redeem him a bit
Too Little Too Late
Ron sat down on the couch with his wife Padma the next day. Fred, luckily, hadn't shown his face since Harry had dragged his sorry arse outside. Ron sighed. Even though it had been so long and he'd gotten over it in time, he still was hurt that his own brother and wife had backstabbed him. He knew that it wasn't healthy to dwell upon it. Padma had been completely sympathetic towards him, even though it must have been hard for her.
He heard a pounding on the steps and yelling. He looked up. Percy's three eldest children, Pippin, Percival, and Penelope, were yelling at Hermione's three children, Linus, William, and Cate. Ron surmised that Hermione's children were up to no good as usual and had done something. Ron watched Padma got up and walked over to the group.
"What is going on?" she asked. Linus, William, and Cate immediately had looks of innocence on their face that reminded Ron so much of the ones he and his brothers used to wear.
"Nothing Auntie Padma," they chorused. The other three just gave them a look and stalked off, probably in search of their mum.
"One of these days the three of them will retaliate, you do know that," Ron told them. They looked at each other and grinned.
"Uh huh Uncle Ron, whatever you say," Cate told him. Padma came back over and sat down.
"Who was that man at the wedding yesterday?" William asked him.
"You know the one that Uncle Harry pulled out of the wedding," Linus said.
Ron looked worried at Padma. She bit her lip.
"Mum won't tell us, and the two of them are all worried about it," Cate said rolling her eyes.
"No one important," Padma told them. She looked at Ron. Ron shrugged. "Now, what was it that you did to your cousins?" Ron smiled at his wife for changing the subject. God he loved her sometimes.
Fred stood outside of his childhood home. He missed this place, more than words could say. He sighed. He didn't know if Hermione would be here but it was worth something to look. He just prayed that Ron wouldn't be, he was still expecting a good thrashing from his younger brother. He let himself in. The house was empty and very quiet. Unusual.
He looked around and finally made his way to the sitting room. He bit his lip. She was there reading and she was incredibly beautiful. He didn't deserve her, especially now that he knew that terrible truth.
"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to say something," she said, startling him. He hadn't realized that she'd heard him come in. "I've been expecting you. You are after all, extremely predictable."
"I don't know what to say," he admitted.
"I'm sorry is a good beginning, don't you agree?" she asked. She finally looked up at him. She really had become more beautiful with age.
"Can I explain?" he asked her.
"Can you apologize?" she spat back.
"I'm sorry, 'Mione," he began. "I didn't know that Ron would actually leave you. I mean, I didn't even know that he would find out. When I left, Malfoy was just scum that knew too much, not scum that said too much. I really did want what was best for you." He knelt so that he could look her in the face. "It might be too little too late, but Hermione I still love you. I always have and always will. I promised you that and it's a promise that I kept." He watched her lower lip begin to tremble and his heart sped up a bit. Maybe she would forgive him for being a selfish and senseless prat. He bit his lip and looked directly into her brown eyes. "I love you."
"You're right, Fred," she finally said after they looked at each other for a long time. "It is too little too late." Fred felt his heart break in half. She really couldn't mean that could she? "I can't love you anymore, not after what you did. I'm sorry, but it doesn't work this way. You can't stumble in here after nine years and play Romeo and sweep me off my feet." She stood up. "It doesn't work that way." She glared at him.
"Give me a chance, I know that what I did was irresponsible, immature, and a bit selfish, but I honestly thought I was doing the best for you. I love you and I always will." He looked up at her from his spot on the floor.
"If you would have come back sooner, honestly, I might have, but you can't waltz into someone's life after nine years of nothing. Good-bye," she said walking towards the front door. "You need to leave."
Fred thought that he heard the sound of voices up the steps, but that wasn't relevant right now. "Fine," he said. "But remember, you can't make me stop loving you." He stomped out the door and into the street.
Linus looked ashen face at his brother and sister. They would never admit it to anyone but they'd been eavesdropping on their mother's conversation. The three of them had run up the steps as soon as they'd heard their mum walk out of the sitting room.
"I told you we shouldn't have listened," Cate finally said.
"Well we did, and it's too bloody late to do anything about it," William spat.
"You do realize who that man is don't you?" Linus asked his twin. William nodded. They'd finally figured out who their father was.
Hermione sat back down in the sitting room, trying not to cry. He really hadn't meant all that, had he? She tried to convince herself that he didn't, like she tried to convince herself that she didn't love him. She put her head in her hand.
Then unexpectedly she heard the sound of brakes, quite unusual for this neighborhood, and a scream. Hermione's blood ran cold as she ran outside.
"No!" she yelled as she ran over to the body that was in the street.
Next Time: Everyone copes
A/N: This is a bit longer and more evil cliffhangers!
KUDOS: Teigra, carla mordendorffer, its just me being silly with the yays, usually you say yay if your happy, so ya pretty much me being a nut, ILUvDrAcOmAlFoY, glad you like it, steph, thanks, Princess-Of-Dreams, awww, I'll try, but I've already got the end planned out, mystical, they found out!, mystical, yay we can make a Hermione and Fred fan club or something, hehe, Kaidence, here's more suspense for your happiness, hehe, Americanbrowneyes, Fred is the best, Sabrina Weasley, I knew the last two would be iffy chapters, but, do they make more sense now, Sailor Moirae, hehe, that helped redeem him a bit