I appeared back in the Burrow, safe in Percy's old room. I decided I would bunk there for now since he wasn't using it. I walked up to the mirror and checked my reflection. It wasn't too bad, my hair was bushier and my clothing mussed, but you couldn't really tell I'd snogged some one. I quickly pulled my unruly mane back in a braid before straightening my clothes up. A moment later I stuck my wand in my jean pocket and I was out the door with a swoosh of robes.
I knew I was probably still blushing but I could blame that on nerves. I would have to play down the giddiness I was feeling though. It wouldn't do to appear in front of Mrs. Weasley to happy, even if I had great reason's to be. I ran down the stairs, and fairly near ran into Fred.
Now I was blushing even harder, and I would not be able to write that off as nerves.
"Whoa! Where's the fire?" Fred asked with a grin as he opened the door to the kitchen for me. I smiled appreciatively and started to walk through but decided to respond to his statement before I did. I turned around to face him, and we both stood in the door way, his arm stretched over me to hold the door open.
"I think it's with your mother. You do realize how much trouble we're going to be in?" I said, determined to sound annoyed despite what the close proximity was doing to me. Fred actually laughed at me and as he held open the Kitchen door. He leant down to me and gently stroked my flaming cheek, causing butterflies to rise up in my stomach and my heart to quicken. He leaned down like he was going to kiss me, and I leaned up towards him.
"I think we both know there's another fire causing your cheeks to heat up so nicely." He said softly, then he turned around and walked through the door he'd been holding open, leaving me with my mouth open and my eyes wide.
He'd pay for that.
Mrs. Weasley was standing at the stove, oblivious, or at least pretending to be, to our conversation. Fred sat down at the table and I purposely didn't sit next to him. I took a seat two spots over. He winked at me with his cocky grin before turning back to his mum.
As though sensing we were now sitting she set her spoon down and turned towards us, her face blank of emotion. She quietly drew out a chair and sat down in it, facing both Fred and me. Fred had gone completely still at the sight of his silent, emotionless mum and I have to admit, I was also scared. I'd never seen Mrs. Weasley so detached.
"Why," she began, her voice quiet and blank. "Did you both not tell me? Have you any idea how serious this is?" She turned in her chair and faced me. "Fred I would expect, but I had much higher hopes for you Hermione. I honestly can't believe you would not tell me something so important." My breath hitched and I could feel tears welling in my eyes. I hadn't seen my mom in over a year, and now the woman I'd looked up to as a surrogate mother felt I'd betrayed her. I wanted to do something to prove that I loved her, that I hadn't meant to hurt her in any way.
"Why did you not come to us for help? Why did I have to hear from Ginny that my son and soon to be daughter, were bound by a spell that is not only illegal, but also highly dangerous?"
So it was Ginny who had snitched on us. I didn't even feel mad at her; I was so heartbroken by Mrs. Weasley's obvious disappointment and heartbreak. I felt a chill go down my back as I suddenly felt a slight surge of anger, and it wasn't mine.
"Mum, we didn't exactly do it on purpose." Fred's voice sounded like he was on the verge of yelling. I looked over in surprise and saw that he was indeed angry. Was it his anger that I'd just felt? Was that something from our 'bond?' "We didn't want to worry you until we actually knew what it was that we'd done. We would have come to you if something really serious had happened." I lowered my eyes from her piercing gaze as Fred spoke. She was really good at reading people and I didn't want to give her any reason to doubt Fred's word. Because honestly, I felt that Fred passing out in the middle of Hogsmeade was kind of a big deal.
"I don't honestly know what to think. I want to believe you, but I just don't know that I can right now. I do know one thing though, as soon as Arthur gets home I want you tell us everything, and I do mean everything." I nodded my head fervently as Fred shrugged. I honestly found his reaction to be kind of odd. I'd have to ask him about it later.
Mr. Weasley arrived home a mere twenty minutes later. I had been reading in my room, an attempt to avoid Mrs. Weasley's watchful eye more than an actual desire to read. They cleared the living room and had us join them. Fred and I sat on one couch, keeping a bit more of a distance than we had at Fred and George's flat. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat across from us, both with blank expressions, it was rather unnerving.
I started with explaining how I had come across the spell and that I'd thought of it in a last do or die attempt to save Fred. How I'd been unable to find any information on it and how I eventually told Fred what I'd done. Then Fred took over the narration and I watched.
He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes emotional as he spoke. It was odd seeing someone who was always so together actually look scared, actually look like he just wanted to tell his mum and dad everything in a desperate hope they could make everything okay. He probably thought it made him look like a wimp, but I found it endearing. I knew he was strong, I'd always thought him invincible. So the fact that he could be frightened was incredible, it made him human, and made him seem all the stronger.
Strange huh? I found that the fact that he could honestly be every bit as scared as me, (and trust me, I was terrified!) and yet still manage to continue on without hesitation was far more impressive than someone who wasn't scared. That was true bravery to me. To know the danger and still go on anyway.
It was also really real because I could feel some of his emotions. I could tell when he was annoyed, when he was scared. I guess our bond was growing stronger. It caused me to momentarily wonder if he could feel my emotions, and what he would make of them.
We finished the tale before too long, and we were greeted with silence. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, but was really probably just a minute, Mr. Weasley nodded.
He was leaning forward on his seat, his arms resting on his knees. He'd had a look of profound patience as he'd listen to us, stopping us only once to clarify a detail. Now, after our lengthy explanation he finally responded.
"First, I want to thank you, Hermione, thank you for saving my son." I blushed at that and fidgeted in my seat until Fred gently put his hand on my knee, distracting me. Mrs. Weasley's eye shot to his hand a brief emotion passed through her eyes, one that looked like, well, joy. But I must have misjudged it.
"Next, I want to reiterate that fact that you both can always come to us when you're in trouble. I've told you a million times, but we do love you, and genuinely care about what happens to you." He stared at Fred as he spoke and I felt a burst of love emanate from him.
"Last, I think you both are doing the only thing you can. I would proceed with the steps the book outlined. We can move your wedding date up and make sure that we have that taken care of that. Other than that I think all we can really do is just watch and wait."
I didn't really know how to feel after his compliment, reprimand, and advice. I mean, I agreed with him that we probably should have come to them first, but honestly, we had no idea what we would have come to them about. Plus, Fred and I are both of age, and I wasn't exactly comfortable in discussing some of the more, umm, intimate details of what the spell seemed to call for.
"I know I can come to you dad, I just honestly didn't know what was going on. We just figured we'd tell you tonight, after we found out what actually was going on." Fred's voice was thoroughly convincing, and I believe his parents bought it. Mrs. Weasley nodded her head regardless.
"Alright, well, dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Go wash up before you eat." She then got up and left, and we followed behind her. I ran upstairs to Ginny's room, avoiding the others glances as I did. I reached up to the knob and almost pulled it open before I remembered there was a good chance Harry would be in there.
I knocked.
A moment later the door popped open and Ginny let me in.
"We need to talk." I said quietly, already blushing from remembering the wonderful, albeit brief, kiss with Fred.
I sat down on the bed and Ginny sat across from me.
"Spill it." She said instantly eyes wide and an eager grin on her face.
"I will, but first, why on earth did you tell Mrs. Weasley about what happened?" Ginny grimaced as I spoke and shook her head fervently.
"I didn't!" I looked at her skeptically and she continued.
"I was talking to Harry about it, I'd no idea she was in the other room! She was eavesdropping on us!" She'd raised her hands in exasperation and was waving them around as she spoke.
"Really? That's awful! She made it sound like you came right out and told her. I'll have to tell Fred your innocent, I think he was planning on pranking you." Her eyes grew wide at that and she looked momentarily worried. I didn't give her time to respond though. I only had a few minutes left before dinner and I had to talk to her about Fred.
"I kissed Fred." I blurted out, she gasped and her hand flew to her mouth, doing absolutely nothing to hide her very un-Ginny like squeal.
"Finally! I've known he's liked you for ages!" She grabbed my arm and looked at me excitedly. "Details! I want details!"
"Has he really liked me?" I asked, my voice was probably incredibly disbelieving. Had he really liked me for a long time? That couldn't be right, how could he have liked me?
"Oh yeah! I've noticed the signs for ages, right after the Yule Ball. He never actually said anything but I could tell by the way he would look at you when he didn't think you were looking, or how he'd grow quiet when ever Ron would talk about you. Wait a minute." She hopped off the bed and ran to her dresser, grabbing a scrapbook from the Christmas of my fifth year. I'd given Ginny a magic camera and a muggle scrapbook that year and she'd gone picture happy. She flipped through a few pictures until she came to one of us in the Gryffindor common room. I was sitting on the couch in between Harry and Ron, smiling and waving at the camera. In the corner I could see Fred and George playing a game of Exploding snap, except Fred wasn't focusing on the game, he kept stealing glances at me.
"See, he's been taken with you for ages!" My heart gave an odd little flutter and I felt my cheeks warm up. He had liked me for a while. I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself. But there he was, sneaking glances when he didn't think anyone was looking.
Wow.
"Now, tell me about the Kiss! But not too many details, after all he is my brother."
A/N: Here's the next chapter, did you like the kiss in the last chapter? I'm always nervous about writing the first kiss. It's really hard to capture the incredibleness of that moment with words. Please leave a review, I get more inspired the more I have.