AN- You guys need to have faith in me!
"NO!" The voices of four people rose together as one as the surgeons frantically tried to revive Fred. Hannah frantically jerked out of the orderly's arms, and when the man saw the grief on her face, he didn't try to hold her back.
"LET ME IN!" She screamed, pounding on the door. "DAMMIT, YOU'RE NOT HEALING HIM!" George collapsed against Charlie's shoulder, shaking uncontrollably when he saw the doctors shock Fred's immobile heart. Charlie, green in the face, wrapped his arms around his little brother. "FUCK'S SAKE, LET ME IN!" The orderly behind her placed his large hand on her shoulder and tried to pull her back so she would not be forced to see her fiancé dying, but Hannah shrugged him off and cried out in agony. Fred was dying on the table and she was stuck out in the hallway, unable to do anything for him.
"Love, you can't do anything," the orderly whispered, bowing his dark head. The moment the last words left his troubled lips, the surgeons- the ones who held Fred's life in their Muggle hands- looked at each other and shook their heads, lowering their tools and removing the oxygen mask from Fred's deathly pale face. "He's gone." With a final glance at the girl in the wedding dress, he turned and left the hallway, leaving the family to grieve for a brother, a lover. Trembling uncontrollably, Hannah sank to her knees and pressed her hands against the metal door, trying to form a solid thought. He was dead. Fred was gone. Her fiancé was killed, stolen from her and snuffed out of life. Dominic was dead, buried six feet under, and now Fred was going to join him. All she loved was gone. Kaylee hesitantly dropped down beside her best friend and laid her hand on her shaking shoulder. Hannah lifted her hand and wrenched off the diamond ring, throwing it across the hallway. The ring clattered to the ground and wobbled for several long seconds before lying still. Kaylee squeezed Hannah's shoulder tightly and cleared her throat, trying to fight back tears as she saw her husband come apart in his brother's arms.
"Hannah?" She asked quietly. Hannah jerked her shoulder out of her grasp and stood up, trembling from head to toe. Charlie looked up at her with shiny cheeks and his arms encasing the remaining twin. Charlie's chocolate brown eyes knowingly searched Hannah's clenched jaw, flared nostrils, agitated fists, and finally- the look in her eyes he has come to fear- pure rage.
"Hannah don't do anything you'll regret!" He cried, reaching out a hand to grab her wrist, fearing she would do something impulsive. Hannah's reflexes were too fast for Charlie, and she reached down to her ankle where she carried her wand on a strap. Snatching it up and examining it carefully, she deemed it acceptable for her job. Kaylee lunged forward, trying to grab the wand in panic.
"Charlie remember what happened last time!" She shouted. Hannah threw up her hands to block any advances, holding up her wand threateningly. When red and gold sparks shot out of the tip, Kaylee and Charlie quickly stopped dead in their tracks. With her hostile eyes never leaving Kaylee and Charlie, Hannah turned her wand to the door of the operating room and whispered under her breath.
"Alohomora." The door was flung open, and Hannah rushed in, Charlie and Kaylee gaping at her in shock.
"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND!" Kaylee bellowed after her. The five surgeons, all removing the white masks from their faces, looked up in shock at the girl in the white dress with the wooden stick in her hand. Hannah, breathing heavily, looked swiftly around the room. But when her eyes fell upon the operating table with a white blanket covering the body of the man she loved, she was forced to close her eyes to block the image.
"You can't be in here!" A tall and slender man stepped forward to prove his point, but Hannah pointed her wand between his eyes and concentrated with all her mind.
"Imperio," she murmured. A tremor went through her fingers and into her wand. All around her, the Muggle surgeons went blank eyed and slack jawed, dropping their masks onto the floor to stare aimlessly at the ceiling. With a smirk of regret, Hannah pointed to the door and said in as firm a voice as she could manage, "go to your homes. You'll remember nothing. Don't answer any questions about why you left, and don't try to find me. Forget about Fred Weasley." In uniform motion, the white clad surgeons left the room- one after the other and disappeared down the hallway. Hannah slammed the door and locked it carefully, barely able to see through her tears. Turning around slowly so her back was pressed to the cool metal door, Hannah lifted her green eyes to the table and felt her heart start to beat uncontrollably. If only she could give its adrenaline to Fred!
"No," she whimpered, covering her mouth as she saw the white blanket covering Fred. "No he's not gone yet!" Barefoot and still in her wedding dress, Hannah rushed over to the table and swiftly yanked back the light cotton cloth. Her fingers slammed onto the table as she struggled to stay on her feet. It was her worst nightmare- Fred almost could have been sleeping, if not for the purple rings around his eyes, the bruising of his body, the diagonal gash reaching from right shoulder to kidney, or, worst of all, the angry stab wound just above his belly button that delivered his death blow. Placing her fingers on his chest lightly, Hannah angrily fought back her tears when no heartbeat pulsed against her palms.
"Fred, damn you, you're not dead yet!" She cried. Determined to bring him back, Hannah whipped out her wand and recalled her happiest memory to date. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A large silver lioness went streaking across the tile, opening her mouth in a silent roar. The message sent, Hannah collapsed onto the floor and covered her face, refusing to cry anymore. She couldn't- not with a mission in hand. But the memory danced behind her closed eyelids. A terrible fight, the slamming of a door, crying over a drink with Kaylee, going back into the house with the full intention of breaking it off. But what made the memory so undeniably happy was the sight of a young man who was determined never to grow up cradling the child of a lost brother as if he were his own, with a look of pure serenity on both their faces. It was that memory that gave Hannah the strength to fight for Fred's life. A loud crack echoed around the room, sending Hannah flying to her feet with her wand out, muscles tight in a fight or flight response.
"You need a Healer? What happened?" Susan flipped her dark red hair out of her eyes and shifted baby Damian to her right arm as she staggered on her feet. But the question answered itself when Susan's hazel eyes fell upon the body on the table. Shock, horror, dismay, and finally grief flooded her face all at once. "Oh, Fred… what happened to you?"
"Susan we have no time," Hannah shouted. "We have to move now, otherwise I'll lose Fred for good!" Recovering from her immediate shock, Susan took on an entire new persona as she entered Healer-mode. Snatching her wand out of her pocket, she quickly passed her son over to Hannah's waiting arms before stepping over to the table with a hard look in her eyes. Hannah had only seen this look once- when Susan told her off for thinking life without Dominic could ever continue.
"Stand back and hold Damian, he doesn't have to see this!" she ordered. With a flick of her wand, she put her hair up in a high ponytail that tickled her shoulders before bending over the beaten and lifeless body. Hannah turned away, burying her face into Damian's soft red curls. The little baby cooed and grasped the lion necklace around Hannah's neck, trying to shove it in his mouth.
"How long has he been dead?" Susan asked briskly, waving her wand over Fred's wounds. They stitched themselves up, closing the ugly marks and leaving behind them angry red scars. Hannah shook at the harsh tone and covered Damian's ears as if to protect him from the words that were slowly killing his aunt.
"HE'S NOT DEAD!" Hannah screeched. Shaking her head repeatedly as if to rid the thought from her mind, she repeated the statement again. "No Susan, he can't be. We've fought too hard to get to where we are now. I love Fred, and I'll do anything to save him." She sank onto the edge of the bed beside Fred and took his hand in hers, shivering at the coldness of his skin. Running her thumb over Damian's chubby little cheek, so rosy in colour, she dropped her voice to a whisper and looked pleadingly up at the woman who was her last resort.
"Imagine if this was Dominic," she croaked. Susan flinched, but Hannah continued, her voice growing stronger. "Wouldn't you do anything you could to bring him back?" Silence fell over the hospital room, aside from the small coos of Damian and the ticking of the clock. Hannah wanted to rip it off of the wall- for every second that passed, it was a second wasted that could be used to save Fred. Blinking back tears, Susan lifted her wand and pointed it at Fred's heart.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Fred's torso jerked upwards with the force of the spell. Hannah gave into the tears once more, letting them spill onto Damian's little body as she watched the Healer. Susan screwed up her face in concentration, channelling all her energy into the job of saving Fred Weasley. Recalling all she had learned, Susan's wand danced through the air as she worked over the body of a man who had cheated death once before. It was a long battle. Susan used every spell she could think of, but Fred's eyes remained shut and his face void of colour. Hannah cried out in grief when Susan dropped to her knees wearily, throwing her wand across the room and taking Damian into her arms against her chest.
"Susan no!" Hannah cried, clutching Fred's face in her hands. His cheeks were so cold. Her tears splashed against the freckles of Fred's skin and ran off his cheekbones onto the pillows. If no one knew better, they would assume he was crying in his sleep. "There has to be more spells!" Susan shook her head repeatedly, crying and rocking Damian.
"There's none," she croaked. "I've tried everything. I'm sorry Hannah, but Fred's gone past what I can do. And no spell can bring back the dead." Hannah fell against Fred's beaten chest, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. The pain of losing Dominic was bad enough, but with Fred gone, she didn't know what she was going to do. Fred Weasley was never supposed to die- he was supposed to live a long life of laughter and jokes. But fate was cruel, Hannah screamed in her mind, and this was its cruelest joke yet. Lifting her head to look at Fred's lifeless face, Hannah kissed him gently one last time, dissolving into tears once again as she realized that Fred wasn't going to kiss her back.
"I love you Fred," she cried, falling back onto his chest. "For Merlin's sake, I loved you! How could you leave me?" Susan Disapparated, unable to bear the sight of Fred's dead body and Hannah's breaking heart. Hannah's tears were falling too quickly and she was sobbing too hard to hear her favourite lullaby starting once more, as hesitantly as a child's fingers on the keys of a piano. Her lullaby wasn't over yet.
Why was the pain back? He thought it was gone. But when a deep ache in his body grew, Fred knew that something wasn't right. His blue eyes fluttered open hesitantly, petrified that Rookwood would be crouched above him with another knife, this time digging into his throat. But a bright white light momentarily blinded him. Was this was death felt like? No, if he was dead, he wouldn't feel the pain. Nor would he feel the familiar weight of a body on his chest. Glancing down, Fred smiled widely as he saw Hannah looking beautiful in a white dress stretched out on top of his beaten body.
"I must be in heaven," he croaked. Geez, he thought to himself, I sound like I've been through hell and back. Hannah froze and lifted her tear streaked face- eyes wide and jaw dropped as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Fred's beating heart skipped a beat as he realized she was wearing her wedding dress.
"Fred?" She whispered. Stretching out a hand to touch his rosy cheek, she stopped just before reaching her destination to ask a question. "Wait, why do you think you're in heaven?" Fred smiled and reached up a hand to grasp her fingers, kissing each one lightly. Hannah trembled violently as she realized it had worked- Fred was alive.
"Because I'm clearly face to face with an angel!" A grin flashed across his bruised face and he laughed at his own joke. Hannah stared at him in shock and went red in the face. Fred nervously licked his dry lips and hoisted himself onto his elbows. "Darling? What's wrong?"
"You're an asshole and I hate you!" Hannah suddenly yelled, jabbing him in the shoulder sharply with her finger. Glaring at him, she stood up and stomped away from the table, turning her back to him and crossing her arms angrily. Fred, panic stricken and confused, sat up completely, glancing down at his scars in disgust.
"What? Why do you hate me?" He cried, "I didn't do anything!" Hannah angrily whipped around to face him. Her dress flew around her thighs and hot tears of fury slipped down her face. How could he think he was innocent?
"YOU DIED ON ME!" She screamed. "WHO'S SELFISH ENOUGH TO DO THAT? YOU HAD ME PETRIFIED, AND I HATE YOU BECAUSE OF THAT." Fred, relieved that it was nothing serious, had to fight back a fit of laughter.
"Did you have Bitch-Flakes for breakfast this morning?" He asked sarcastically. "Sorry I didn't drink from the fountain of immortality. I'll go find that." Hannah scowled and crossed her arms over her chest, blinking her damp eyes repeatedly. She suddenly looked younger than her twenty-one years, Fred thought.
"If you found it in the first place, we wouldn't be here right now," she said in a small voice, talking to the floor. Fred's blue eyes softened and he stood up, wrapping the cotton sheet, still stained in his scarlet blood, around his waist loosely. He crossed the room and enveloped Hannah in his strong arms, pulling her into his still aching chest and burying his face into her soft hair. She stiffened at the contact, but when Fred refused to let go she clutched his waist, sobbing into his shoulders.
"It's okay. It's over now." Fred soothed, stroking her back. Hannah laughed weakly and pulled back slightly to smile up at her fiancé. Her rosy cheeked, beating heart, mischief eyed fiancé.
"You're the one who just died, and you're consoling me?" She giggled uncontrollably and wiped her tears on the back of her hands. Fred frowned as he noticed the tan marks on her fourth finger on her left hand.
"What happened to your ring?" Hannah blushed deeply and hid her hand behind her back, shrugging helplessly.
"Well, you sort of flat lined, and in my grief, I threw it across the hospital hallway. Perfectly reasonable, I dare say!" Fred burst out laughing, but winced when the movement shot tremors of pain through his stomach wound and into his chest. Hannah rubbed her hands soothingly over the inflicted areas, and Fred sighed in relief as her cool fingers eased the pain of the scars.
"Well, let's get it back then!" Hannah smiled widely and, with one hand holding her wand and the other clutching Fred's warm hand, she pointed her faithful wand at the door.
"Accio ring!" Shooting under the metal door and into Fred's eager hand came the diamond ring that symbolized so much in their love. Fred turned to Hannah and gently lifted her left hand, kissing it lightly before sliding the golden circle onto her long and slender finger.
"I would get down on one knee, but given the fact I was just brought back to life, I think we can make the exception." Hannah burst out laughing and stood on tiptoe to kiss Fred gently. The gentle kiss turned to passion the realization hit- Fred was alive. He was kissing her back. Death had lost once again. Her hand crept up his chest to rest on his beating heart that was playing her favourite lullaby at a fast pace.
"You're an idiot. A joke cracking, death defying, handsome idiot. I love you Fred!" Fred smiled and gently tugged on a strand of her hair, relieved beyond words that she fought for him once more.
"I love you too Darling. I'm not going anywhere." Pulling out of the kiss, his eyes ran appreciatively over her figure, looking at the white dress in excitement. "Is this your wedding dress? It's beautiful!" Hannah stomped her foot and swore angrily.
"You're not supposed to see it until the wedding!" She cried. Fred winked and poked her nose playfully. She scowled up at him cutely, and he pressed his forehead down to hers, smirking.
"I promise I'll pretend I never saw it on one condition." Hannah narrowed her eyes but said nothing. "We don't tell Mum I died today… it's not exactly good small talk at the dinner table."
The month leading up to their wedding was a challenging one. Harry and Ron looked long and hard for Rookwood, vowing never to give up until he was caught. Plans were being finalized, suits were being prepared, and nerves were sky high. But for Fred and Hannah, there was one more challenge in their way during that final week.
"Fred, Love, come to bed." Hannah yawned widely and stretched her arms above her head as she leaned in the entrance to the kitchen of their flat. Leonardo rolled sleepily after her, cooing quietly at her feet.
"Just finishing this cup of coffee," Fred quickly said, holding up the mug. He sat on top of the counter with the cup in his hand and his wand at his side- his face evidently showed the paranoia he was feeling. Hannah glanced at her watch and sighed, running a hand over her thick curls.
"It's two in the morning and that's your third cup. You won't sleep!" That's the point, Fred thought to himself. Hannah padded over on her bare feet and smiled sleepily at him. Placing her hands on his knees and her head on his chest, she sighed deeply.
"You don't have to worry. Harry thinks Rookwood killed himself after he stabbed you. All evidence is pointing to that." Fred ducked his head. Leave it to Hannah to know why he hated sleep so much. Swinging his feet, Fred carefully avoided her intelligent eyes.
"It's easy to say, but try seeing his face every night in your sleep," he muttered. Hannah's eyes crinkled knowingly and gently, she took the cold mug of coffee from his trembling hands and poured it down the drain. Kissing his cheek, she gently tugged him off of the counter, wrapping herself in his arms.
"I see him too," she whispered. "But then I wake up, and I know I don't have to be scared because I'm sleeping beside someone who will protect me from the nightmares. And I know the nightmares aren't real because your heart is still beating." Fred smiled as Hannah laid her ear against his chest above his heart.
"I'm trying," he whispered, "to realize he won't come after me again. But it's hard." Hannah smiled and kissed his cheek before scooping down to pick up the snoring Leonardo in her arms.
"Well, when your night terrors are visiting you tonight, I'll be there waiting to fight them off, okay?" Fred smiled at the brave look in her eyes and kissed her on the forehead as they walked down the hallway together into their room. Scooping her up to toss her onto the bed, Fred chuckled under his breath and grinned as Hannah snuggled into their blankets.
"I'll try." Hannah grinned up at him and kissed his cheek goodnight before they both fell into what should have been an easy sleep. But when in the night Fred woke after a battle with night terrors, Hannah's waiting arms encased him and he relaxed, knowing that the nightmares weren't going to haunt him anymore as long as he was with her.
"You have the keys?"
"Yes Fleur."
"How about the mix tape?"
"Yes Fleur, all twenty-eight songs handpicked by you."
"Did you remember the feather boa?"
"Fleur! I have everything! Relax your perfect body and chill for a moment, okay? It's all going to fall into place!"
"I don't know Kaylee, I want Hannah's bachelorette party to be perfect!" To accentuate her statement she smacked her fingers lightly against Kaylee's shoulder. Kaylee rolled her light brown eyes and pulled her short black dress down slightly, trying to cover her thighs.
"Speaking of Hannah, where is she?" Fleur seemed surprise when she realized the lady of the hour had vanished once again. Swearing in French, she stalked out of the room past the window.
"She keeps running away!" She cried in a thick French tone. Kaylee snorted with laughter as she noticed the open window behind Fleur. She sauntered over and peeped outside, laughing quietly when she noticed Hannah climbing down the ivy. Hannah, determined not to be dragged into any embarrassing scheme, had been escaping all evening. This was her final hope. Kaylee smirked as she saw Hannah had thrown on sweatpants and a long sleeved dark shirt instead of the bright red mini dress Fleur was determined she would wear.
"Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo?" Kaylee cried dramatically into the night sky. Hannah screeched quietly when she lost her footing, nearly falling down the side of the Burrow. Grasping a strong vine, she hauled herself back up to the side and glared sharply at her best friend.
"Well, I WOULD be about to kick your ass, but I'm too busy trying to hide from my future in-law! If you will excuse me, I must run. The kingdom needs me." Kaylee's confusion gave Hannah enough time to finish scaling down the wall and run around the house, ducking and rolling past the window, where a raging Fleur was yelling at the men. Kaylee laughed hysterically as Hannah sprinted across the moonlight yard, scaling into a tall oak tree and disappearing into the dark leaves. Kaylee Disapparated into the living room, just in time to hear the end of Fleur's heated rant.
"-AND IF I FOUND OUT YOU HID HER IN YOUR ROOM FRED WEASLEY, I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT YOU DO NOT ENJOY YOUR WEDDING NIGHT!" Fred and his brothers winced and covered their manhood protectively from the angry Veela woman. Fred held his hands up protectively, and grabbed Charlie to hold in front of him like a shield.
"Fleur, I have not seen my lovely fiancé since you and Kaylee stole her three hours ago. But if you lost her, we're going to have a problem, seeing as the wedding is tomorrow." Charlie squawked in protest when Fleur snarled at the brothers.
"Hannah's not here Fleur," Kaylee smiled as George walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Fleur turned to her with a wild look in her baby blue eyes. Behind her, Bill was telling Percy how he had a feeling he would be sleeping on the couch for the next week.
"What?" She hissed. Kaylee grinned and tipped her dark head to the doorway.
"She ran for it. Good luck trying to find her." Fred grinned proudly and mouthed, that's my girl. Fleur grabbed Kaylee's arm and sprinted out the door, screaming into the night about drinks, feathers, and short dresses. All the guys started to laugh as they watched Fleur stalk around the yard like a lioness chasing her prey. The moment the two girls rushed out of sight, they could see Hannah drop out of the tree and ninja roll into the brushes. Turning to Fred, all five brothers grinned maniacally and stood up, towering over the man. Fred swallowed the lump in his throat as his brothers seized his arms.
"Alright Fred, time for the stag do," George grinned. "Given recent circumstances, we figured it would be best if we didn't take you to sky dive off of the London Bridge, so instead…" Charlie whipped out a rucksack and jumped up and down in excitement. Fred eyed it nervously and looked at his oldest brother for a piece of sanity. But the devious look in Bill's eyes did not reassure him.
"SPA NIGHT!" They all yelled. Fred's eyes went wide in shock. Of course, his brothers would pick the most girly thing their pea sized brains could imagine.
"Wait, spa nig-?" The five brothers tossed him onto the couch, propping his feet up into the coffee table and whipping out different products. They failed to notice Hannah streaking past the window with dirt stained cheeks and twigs in her hair.
"Avocado, nail file, hot oil, cucumber, hair wax," Ron muttered as he tallied up the necessities. Fred yelped at the last one, glaring at his twin when he ripped off the white t shirt that covered his scars.
"Got to make your chest nice and smooth for tomorrow night," Percy smirked, pushing his glasses up his nose. Charlie hopped onto Fred's lap, twisting his Fred's head from side to side to examine what he had to work with. Fred made it his point to mouth inappropriate things to his brother.
"Avocado mask," he ordered, thrusting his hand out to the side. Bill tossed him the bottle as he and Ron started to moisturize Fred's hands. George was slicing cucumber on the table and talking excitedly.
"It's the best feeling in the world, seeing her walk towards you," he said dreamily, nearly cutting his thumb off as he entered his memory. "All you can think about is how lucky you are to have her in your life. It's all about her right then." Bill smiled as he rubbed the coconut scented cream into Fred's wrists. Fred cringed in disgust as Charlie glopped avocado onto his forehead and cheeks.
"That's cold!" He squawked. Charlie shoved half a cucumber into his mouth to keep him quiet. On the floor, Leonardo was gnawing on a pumice stone to make his teeth nice and sharp for tomorrow. When George reached down to take it, Leonardo decided to test his newly sharpened teeth on George's freckled skin.
"At the end of the day, no matter the fights you have, they're so petty when you realize that she still loves you. Hold onto Hannah Fred, you two really are meant for each other." Bill laughed quietly. Charlie snorted and grabbed two of the cucumber slices from George's fingers and smacked them over Fred's bright blue eyes.
"You guys make me SICK with all this love talk." He complained. He scrambled off of Fred's lap and stalked into the kitchen, shaking his head sadly. Ron looked up at him and pointed the nail file at him.
"OI! Where you headed?"
"To punch a wall and eat a kitten to feel manly again. GROW SOME BALLS."
"Oh! That reminds me!" Bring me back some cotton balls!" Fred started to laugh hysterically and snatched one of his well-manicured hands free to peel the cucumber slice off of his face. Swiping some avocado onto the crisp vegetable, he popped it into his mouth, smiling contently. He closed his eyes as he allowed his brothers to chatter on about whether coconut or mango cream would smell better for the big day. If this is what his life would be like the rest of his life, he decided, it would be pretty damn awesome.
AN- Y'all didn't think I would really kill Fred, did you? If I did, I would have to face the wrath of my readers. And I love my readers! Where do you all think the wedding will be? It is next chapter, you know! Let me know what you think will happen in your review (which you should do because I didn't kill Fred *wink wink*)
Oh, and for those who I still have to reply to in the private messages, I'll do that in the morning. It's three o'clock here and I'm wiped!
Review!