My mind went back to a little less then a year ago, the time where I had first heard a man say those words to me. It was the same in some ways, the words, the eye contact, what they meant by those little words, but as well so different. I knew this time that there was no potion locking me to him like there had been with Draco, nothing keep us apart like family. This time, it was just pure love, nothing else that would break us apart. But there was one small factor that made my stomach sink even lower, did I really love Fred? Had I truly gotten over Draco? I knew the first one, that was so easy that I knew it to be true, Yes I do love Fred. But the second question in my mind, that one was much harder to think about. I doubted I would ever be over him, that the love we had would ever go away, but there was no room for that now. I was in love with Fred, not Draco, I loved Draco, but would never be in love with him again.
Fred was the one that I was supposed to be with, there was no judgment with his family to mine, no one that would think any differently about me. He was able to acutely look beyond the fact that I had a child, beyond the terrible things that I have done and see that I am a good girl after all. He loved me for it and I did not understand why. There was no shame when he took me places, no hiding me and he was always able to make me smile. I think that we were made ti be with one another, that we were soul-mates, if there was such a thing as that. I also knew that I was thinking way to far ahead in the future, like I always do. Fred was smiling at me and waiting for a reply. I knew that I would have to say it sooner of later. But the way that his fact was looking at me, the way that he was anticipating three little words, it made me was to smile and blush more. He was waiting and thinking that I would say it.
" Fred! I love you too!" I finally let out and he smiled and drew me in for a hug, but instead kissed me.
Soon enough I knew that someone would be coming in to tell us that it was time to go, that we would be leaving to go back to the Weasly house. I was completely fine with this though, it meant that I would be able to get closer with Fred because Mr. And Mrs. Weasly would not notice me slip from Ginny's room to the twins room. It would just be getting George out of the room for awhile that would be the hard part. I knew that he would not want to leave him, just to tease and make it harder for us to have even a little alone time. But knowing George, he would leave soon enough. Ginny would also not mind watching over James and even if he fussed, he really did seem to like Fred. Fred seemed to really like him as well. Like a family should be, I smiled thinking of the three of us as a family. Harry and Sirius were in another room, talking, I could hear that. In some other place was the rest of the children, opening gifts and being happy that Mr. Weasly is still alive.
" You know what, screw it." Fred smiled as he pulled me up and started to walk down one of the halls. " We are going out for a little! We'll meet you at home!" He smiled and pulled me down the hall to where Ginny was.
" Are we going home?" She asked, James playing in her arms.
" No, we are taken James out for a little stroll." He smiled as he picked James out of Ginny's arms.
" Oh, does Mum know?" She asked, looking over at me.
" Well I hope so. . ." Fred smiled as he got James' jacket and we walked out the doors.
It seemed really like nothing, we were just walking down the street, hand in hand with James wrapped now in my airs. One moment we were in the middle of a Muggle street, the next. . . well the next we weren't. I knew that Fred had transported us to another place, a magical place. He seemed to know the area much better then I did, so I allowed him to drag me through the city filled with people rushed into different places. In most of the doorways there were shovels or brooms sweeping away all of the fresh snow, all on their own. I could feel James moving all around in my arms, trying to look around and see all of the magic gong around him. Fred pulled me into a little toy shop at the end of the street, it was filled with magical things and different toys all flying around the place. He looked around and took a deep sigh of relief. He seemed to be at home and in ease here.
" You pick out any toy in the world for James and I will pay for it. Anything. I am going to be right back, I have to get something." He said, kissing me on the head and ruffling James' hair and then he left.
The both of us just looked around for a very long time. Looking at all of the gifts that were all around, me wondering what to get that was in a less price, James biting on the bracelet that Draco had given to me. I looked down and thought about it, wondering what I should do with it. I mean it was drop dead pretty, something that I wanted to have to remind me of him, but I mean I was over him. . . or I felt like I was at least. I knew that I would never truly let go of Draco, I knew that from the bundle of joy in my arms, but I was as far from letting him go as I could. I looked all around as James let his gums all around the little crest. I found a bunch of nice things, but nothing for the age group that would work for James. But then James slowly let go of the bracelet and moved to a blanket that was on one of the shelves. It was blue and soft, really soft actually. I think that he feel in love with it from there because he feel right asleep with it. That's when I heard an old voice from the past ring form behind me.
" Well hello there Miss Granger." Her voice was low, but seemed very happy.
" Hello there Professor McGonagall! Lovely to see you!" I smiled as I slowly turned, trying to not wake up James.
" So this is the child that most people are talking about at the school right now. He is such a beautiful child." She said softly.
" Thank you, he really is my pride and joy." I smiled rocking him a little.
" I will be expecting great things from this child Miss Granger, great things. With a mother like you, he will have the brains of a final year student when he comes into the school!" She smiled.
" Aw well thank you. With the way that he is right now, he will be very well taken care of until the time in which I can fully take care of him." I smiled, looking down at him.
" Well I believe that you are a good mother Miss Granger. Here, get him something for me." She smiled, handed me a few coins and then walking off before I could even give it back. " Have a good vacation Miss Granger." She smiled, before leaving the small store.
Within the next few minutes, I had gotten James a book with the money that Professor McGonagall had given me, it seemed like a good book. Then I waited with James still clutching his new blanket, which Fred would pay for, waiting for Fred to arrive back. It seemed like it was taken quite a long time and then he re-entered the building. He was carrying a bunch of roses in one hand and something else in the other. He smiled as he looked over to see that I actually had gotten a gift for James, so that he would be able to buy it. He slowly wrapped a brand new cloak around my shoulders and gave me the flowers as he took James from my arms and took him up to the cash register so that he could pay for the blanket. I looked at the card inside the flowers it read: I know it isn't much for me to write all of my love out, but what the hell. You have my heart locked into yours, you mean more then anything. I love you- Fred. I smiled as I held the card close to mine.
" I never knew that you had a romantic side to you as well Fred!" He smiled, blushing lightly as he cames back, James still asleep in his arms.
" I didn't either, until I started to write all of that down." He was blushing so badly now.
" I really do love the cloak as well. But really you did not need to do all of this for me! I mean how did you pay for all of this lovely stuff?" I asked, as he took me out of the store and back into the cold.
" I stole if really, I mean I did not have enough money for it, so I just took he." He laughed. " But no really, I got it from of the store that we have in school right now. Ya know the one that all of the students seem to love all around the school." He smiled.
" Well you know that you did not have to spend all of your money on me, really." I smiled, knowing that he did not care.
" I don't give a damn." He said, pulling me in closer.
" I know." I smiled as he pulled me in even closer. " Are you cold babe?" I smiled.
" Nah, just making sure that you are not cold." He made me laugh with this.
The way that I felt about him, the way that I could be so open about anything with James. It made me happy to now that it was with him and not with anyone else. I could openly talk with him no matter where we went and we would be able to do nearly anything together. His smiled lifted me and made me feel much better about myself. The way that he looked at me and the way that he touched me, it made me feel like I was safe with him. His laugh made me feel like I could be free to just be myself. The way that he held me child means that he understood me and knew that I had made mistakes before. But for any mistake that I have made, all of the stupid things that I have done, he didn't give a damn. The wind slowly picked up and I could feel him shake beside me. I stopped and pulled him in close to me, wrapping my cloak around both him and myself.
" I can tell that you are cold. Maybe we should go into one of the store, allow you to warm up a bit. Besides I don't want you, or for that matter, James to get cold." We started to walk into one of the stores when we were cut off.
" Mister Weasly. Miss Granger. Good to see that the two of you are having. . . fun over your vacation." I knew that monotone voice from anywhere. It was the one that made me was to bang my head against anything that was around. We slowly turned around.
" As well as it is to see you too Professor Snape!" I gave a very fake smiled, I knew that he could see right through it.
" What are you doing here?" Fred asked, smiling a bit.
" I had some things to get for school." He said, it was so weird to be talking to him.
" Oh interesting." I said in a fake tone.
" Is this your child?"
" Yes." I smiled.
" And is he-" He was looking over at Fred.
" Yes! He is my child!" Fred smiled, I looked over at Fred then back at Snape.
" Interesting. . ." He said, looking over at all of the features of James.
" Yes well we have to get going now. . . We don't want to have our little pride and joy getting cold out here. Have a good vacation Professor." Fred said as he pulled me in close. But there was one last thing up this Professor's sleeve.
" Where did you get that." He hissed, looking at my bracelet.
" A friend gave it to me. . . why?" I asked, looking at him.
" That crest. . ." He said, not looking up at me.
" Yeah I know." I said as pulled my arm into my cloak.
" That is very dark magic that your friend has gotten into Miss Granger. Warm that person about that." He hissed.
" I doubt that I will be seeing much of him anymore." I said.
" Have a good vacation." He said and then he was gone.
We walked into a small coffee shop in the middle of the street and just sat there in silence for awhile. Me smiling the whole time that I looked over at him, thinking of the fact that he had told a professor that James was his child. To do such a thing like that! I mean it took some deep love that not even Draco really had inside of him. Fred was willing to tell people that he was the child and go with it. . . then I feel even more in love with him. I could not help but to smile every time that I looked up at him, every time that he looked me in the eyes I could feel myself blush harder then before. I could feel myself giggle like a little girl. He would reply but looking down at his coffee, looking back up and then look down. He seemed to just smile even more when our eyes locked with one another. Even James stayed very quite as this time, it was so weird that even with the world all around us being as loud as it possibly could, being as dangerous as it was, we were in peace and happiness with one another. Our eyes met and we both moved over the table and kissed one another. He smiled as our lips parted and then pulled me back in for one last one before drinking all of his coffee and taken us back to his house.
That whole night all I could do was think about Fred that day, even with James sleeping beside me on the large bed. I stayed up all night, not even going to Fred's room thinking about all of the differences between Draco and Fred! I know that it is a terrible thing to do, but all I could think about was the differences, I knew that Draco was loving and all, but there was no passion really in there, it lacked something I desperately needed. Fred had something that I needed and he was willing to give it to me. I loved him so badly and I needed to have him as well. He didn't care about the blood pumping through my veins or how much money I had. I didn't need fancy things or anything higher to make me happy. I needed someone who would love and care for me. That's what I had with Fred. By the middle of the night though, Ginny crawled into my bed.
" Hermione?" She asked softly over James.
" Yeah." I asked softly, groggy from actually needing sleep.
" Do you love Fred?" She asked
" Of course! Why would you believe I wouldn't?" I said, getting up a little.
" Do you care about his feelings?" She asked again, starting to freak me out.
" Yes! Ginny, you are scaring me!" I said.
" When do you have this then?" She asked, holding up the bracelet that Draco had given me, the one with his love inside of it.
" Because! It's beautiful and-"
" And has the Malfoy crest on it! I mean really! Why would you even give him the respect to wear this around!" She hissed.
" Because I like it! It's pretty and I just like it! I doesn't mean anything about Fred or really about Draco. Yes, he gave it to me. But I really don't give a damn about that!" I said.
" I know what that is though." She said pointing to the glass.
" I do too! But I don't care about that!" I hissed.
" Doesn't seem like it though. . ." She said, I had enough of it and got out of the bed.
" Stay here and go back to sleep. If he starts to dry, come into Fred's room and let me know alright?" I said and stormed out of the room and walked down the hall to Fred and George's room.
I walked into the room and looked around, I knew that the bed on the far left was George's and the one that was closer to the door was Fred's bed. There was a figure in the bed and I went and sat at the bottom of the bed. Soon he stirred up and looked over at me. He rubbed his eyes and pulled himself up to look over at me and then to George. He smiled as his eyes probably came into view and he figured out that it was me in his bed and smiled even more. He pulled himself up and pulled me over to him, pressing his lips hard on mine and pulled me back onto the bed. I smiled as I relaxed into his body and breathed into his bare chest. He smelled of Axe and a little bit of my perfume. He wrapped one arm all the way around my waist and the other on my hand.
" What's going on guys?" George stirred up.
" Get out!" Fred hissed over to him and his pulled the hand from my waist up my body, under my shirt.
" Why?" George said again.
" Just go!" George got up and left the room. Fred kissed me softly and the pulled my shirt fully off. I really do not know how the whole house did not wake up, but that night, not a soul was stirred out of bed besides George.