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 Twenty-Nine: What day is it, and in what month? This clock never seemed so alive.
"I've got to grade…" Hermione's voice trailed off at the look on Fred's face. It was the last day of Holiday (How had January already come?) and Fred had asked her to go out for a walk. He looked like a kick puppy. Even Archimedes was pouting, and that was just unfair. She could say no to one set of puppy dog eyes, but two? She was only human after all.
'I'll help you grade?'
"You don't need to do that."
'I don't mind. I'm great at it, I've received enough criticism in that area that I know just what to say.'
Archimedes whimpered and his ears went back.
"Well, I guess a little walk won't hurt." Fred and Archimedes perked up so quickly that Hermione was taken aback. Fred's hand shot out and grabbed hers before he nearly dragged her out of the house. The moon was out and bright, coating the back yard of the Burrow in its ethereal light. It was otherworldly, and made Hermione's heart ache a bit at its beauty.
Fred didn't stop until they were at the lake. Hermione nearly had to run to keep up with his lengthier stride. It was obvious he knew where he was going, and Hermione couldn't help but be curious about where that was.
Then they reached the spot that he had given her Pandora and Pavarotti. Godric, he was determined to make her melt into a pile of thoroughly romanced witch.
Fred, no doubt aware of the fact that Hermione was now swooning, turned towards her and brought his hand up, hovering beside her cheek.
"Fred," Hermione mumbled, utterly helpless. She was so in love with this man. This strong, loyal, wonderful man.
Fred's fingers ghosted along her face, his touch so light Hermione could have believed she was just imagining the brush of his hand.
'You're beautiful, Hermione.' The words were whispered, and o so sincere.
Hermione chuffed out a small, surprised breath, her cheeks heating with a pretty blush that Fred would doubtlessly be able to feel. She suddenly needed to lighten the mood-and she really objected to silence at that moment. She was horribly likely to just blurt out-I love you!
She opted a light tone and tilted her head. "You know, no one ever said that to me before you came around."
Fred narrowed his eyes a bit. 'Idiots.' His face softened and he moved closer to her, his hand cupping her cheek. 'They can see but they don't even observe.'
Swooning. That was what Hermione was doing now. What had she said about papers? She honestly couldn't recall anymore. Was yelling out 'I'm in love with you!' really such a bad idea?
Fred leaned down, just a bit, and kissed Hermione gently on the lips. Her mind stopped and for a wild moment she was scared her legs were going to buckle on her. He pulled away before the fear could be realized.
She wasn't sure if she should be thankful for that or annoyed.
'If I lie here, will you lie with me?'
Hermione had to blink twice before she decided she had read that question right. She gave her head a slow nod before whispering 'Yes.' She swallowed and watched as Fred dropped to the soft grass. He patted the spot next to him and Hermione lowered herself down with considerably more grace than he had shown. She felt his unseeing gaze on her as she snuggled against his side.
This was unusual.
Archimedes trotted a few feet away and sat with his back to Hermione and Fred, keeping a silent guard on them. Fred closed his eyes and tilted his head back and Hermione turned her thoughts to school. She had done a lot of work to over the holiday break, but there was so much left to do still. She'd have to assign more writings if she wanted the fifth years to be ready for their OWL's, and she still needed to figure out how to help Laura understand how to change her vinegar… Seamus was utterly hopeless but she wasn't going to let him fail, even if she had to drag him through the course by –
Fred cupped her cheek and tilted her head up, holding her gaze even though he couldn't see. 'Stop that.'
"Huh?" She squeaked the word out and her traitorous cheeks turned bright pink again.
'Just forget the world. It'll be there when we're done here. I'll help you tonight, just like I promised.'
Hermione didn't sniff, barely. She just nodded her head and snuggled closer to Fred.
Fred really was the sweetest thing. Who else would take time off from his work just to help her get out of the house? Who else would stay up with her at night and grade papers?
Who else would let her rest on him in the middle of a grassy clearing?
Who else would call her beautiful when she so needed to hear it?
Hermione nestled her head against Fred's chest, right over where his heart was, and imagined she could hear the gentle thumping of it. She lay still for a moment before sitting up and studying Fred's face. She'd been thinking more and more about their future recently. She knew they'd fought, and probably would in the future. She knew they wouldn't have it easy, even if they weren't battling with their disabilities. With those though, and Fred's insecurities and her worries, well, it'd be a hell of a fight to stay together. But… She just wanted so much with Fred.
He was perfect for her, no matter how much the world didn't think so.
Right now though, she just wanted to study him. He was covered in freckles, she'd known that since she first met him. Now one of her favorite activities was tracing the little dots around his face. She would follow the constellation of dots across his nose, under his eyes, over his cheeks, past his lips and around his neck. Occasionally, when they'd been especially excited with snogging, she would even be able to follow them over his chest. She'd tried to count them all one day, and had lost track at four hundred and eighty two. Well, it had mostly been Fred's fault that she had lost track of them. He'd distracted her with a brush of his hand against her hip and a soft kiss to her lips.
He was rather devious in that regard.
Since she was studying him she decided to start with the eyes. They were surrounded by scars, tiny thread like ones that you could hardly see unless you were very close, and two large ones that cut across his eyebrows. It was believed that they caused his blindness-though no one was sure. (Hermione was terribly tired of people saying that.) He had enviably long eyelashes and they framed his cheekbones in an elegant way that was extremely enticing to Hermione. They made him look more regal.
His actual eyes though, that was her favorite part. They were a stunningly bright blue, and almost completely undamaged. A quick glance would have made one think he was perfectly capable of seeing. It wasn't until you looked and noticed their unfocused quality that you realized he was blind. They still always seemed to find her though-no matter where she was. Even now they were flicking in her direction.
There's currently a little scrape on the side of his face, and it just made Hermione want to shake her head. At any given time Fred will have a dozen or two cuts, nicks, bruises, abrasions, or burns in some stage of healing, and it always kills her a little bit. It's not because he's blind, or even particularly clumsy, but because he always just goes about inventing in a kind of devil-may-care sort of way. That, and the tendency for their first experiments to blow up, have left the Weasley twins very good at healing spells.
Hermione shook her head before continuing her examination. Fred's nose, it was just oddly adorable. Could noses even be adorable? Obviously, because Fred's was. Hermione wasn't even sure why it was cute, it was long, pointed up a bit at the tip, and covered in freckles. Not exactly cute sounding, but it was, and Hermione loved to press kisses to the tip of it.
'Hermione?'
She'd never really watched her name before. She'd heard it spoken, and read it a million times. H.e.r.m.i.o.n.e. It was simple, just a bunch of letters that formed who she was.
Watching Fred say it was somehow so very different. She realized what it was really made of. Her, My, own, nee. Fred's lips moved over the 'Her' quickly, rushing to the middle of the word. They drew out the next two syllables, savoring them. His lips shaped around the 'my' as though caressing the word, as though he loved saying my. 'Own' was said equally as slowly, equally as savored.' Nee' he rushed through as well. The entire word only took him a second to say, but his lips made the time seem to slow down.
Fred, her beautiful, wonderful Fred, changed the way she saw her name. He took her long, odd, utterly silly name, and gave it a grace and beauty that left her breathless. How could a single word-one she couldn't even hear-contain so very much emotion?
Hermione knew she wanted this man to know how she felt, repercussions be damned. She was madly in love with him, his spirit, humor, kindness and courage. She wanted the future she kept dreaming of. She wanted to fight for him and beside him.
She wanted Fred.
She knelt towards him and hovered over his frame with her lips right next to his ears.
"Fred Weasley, I love you."
She couldn't hear it, obviously, but she felt the air leave his lungs as he gasped, and then she was flipped onto her back and Fred was kissing her frantically. His hand found hers, and her heart fluttered at the way the simple action still felt so right, until she realized his hand was moving her fingers. He bent her ring and middle finger down while pushing her thumb out, her pinkie and pointer finger up. He pulled her hand to his chest, over his heart, and she melted into the kiss. Then, her heart stuttered as he mimicked the sign with his own hand pressed it over her own heart.
It was the sign for I love you, and he was pressing it into both their hearts.
He backed off on the kiss and murmured over her lips the words he had just signed. 'I love you too, Hermione.'
Home. That was the word Hermione needed to describe how she currently felt. At home, peaceful, correct, complete.
Fred loved her, her Fred, her laughing, caring Fred loved her. He didn't think she was damaged or a mudblood. He thought she was his light, and he chose to love her out of everyone else in this world. He thought her beautiful and strong and worthy of his heart.
She was glad of that last bit, because she'd given hers to him a long time ago. She was fairly certain that as soon as he set Hogwarts: A History in front of her, she'd been his.
Je t'aime, Ta gra agam ort, Vos amo, no language seemed to describe how much she was feeling. She was only able to hold onto Fred as tight as she could, and kiss him with all that she had.
A/n:Okay, first, those last words were 'I love you' in French, Gaelic, and Latin. In my head cannon Hermione speaks French fluently and knows a lot of latin because of all the spell books she has read. Gaelic was included because it's fun and I know a lot of random phrases in it.
Squee! They love each other and I wrote over 2000 words on them telling that to each other! Wow, this chapter got away from me. Lol, it was fun at least. I'm really excited about the next few chapters as well. This month has been horribly busy (Uni sucks! Why did I choose to be a double major, with art and literature? I'm mental!)
Now, the song was Not Afraid by Eminem, iloveromance2o11 got it right!
This is another favorite in this playlist. I've actually made a playlist for this story. I have a song for nearly every chapter till the end picked out.
Lastly, I'm going as Sweeny Todd this year (I have a friend to be Mrs. Lovett. He's a guy, so that'll be fun xD ) I've learned all the duets and we're going to break into 'A Little Priest' On the dance floor. It'll be entertaining at least.
Please leave a review!
