Whispers in the dark
Chapter 23: Dancing in the moonlight
A/N: I own nothing except my mistakes
It had been three weeks since she had been at Grimmauld Place, and it had been three weeks of insufferable pain and aching in her body. Molly had made a point of it to keep them all at work whilst numerous meetings took place several times a week in the kitchen. All of which none of them got to hear a thing about.
By making them do everything by hand instead of using magic, it kept them busy for much longer, and now as they were nearing the last two weeks of their vacation before school would start again, the house was almost as clean as it could be, and their bodies were more tired out than she could have ever imagined.
It was for that exact reason that she was very thankful to be laying in bed right now, allowing her legs to stretch themselves out and be engulfed by the warmth of her blanket. It was still Summer, even though it was nearing the end of August, so a thin blanket did the job, and yet, feeling something wrapped around her legs was such a comfortable and safe feeling. Like all her muscles got the chance to loosen up through the warmth and get to relax before another hard day at work.
"Blimey mum, nothing is going on." Hermione got ripped out of her peaceful reverie as she heard Fred's voice beaming through his ears. She barely gave it any thought any more how odd it actually was to be able to hear him so clear even though he was one floor below her.
Hermione would have liked to ask Fred what was going on – although she had a hunch – but she couldn't. And not because Ginny was sleeping next to her, but because she knew it would be futile. If he and his mother were talking, then it was by no means possible for him to answer her.
And so she waited, staring into the darkness at the ceiling. "Just because she and I had some fun doesn't mean we're madly in love." Hermione scrunched her eyebrows ever so slightly together. So he was willing to put on a show for Harry and his siblings, but obviously not for his parents. She could understand that they wouldn't be able to see the joke in it and actually think that what they were doing was serious.
She knew that Ron and Harry were vast asleep already – she could hear Ron's loud snoring coming from a floor above, and she had heard George going up to bed only ten minutes ago when he had accidentally knocked over a stray umbrella on their floor, waking Ginny and earning him a serious scowl from his little sister.
As for the others, they had gone out for some sort of task, besides Sirius, of course. He had already gone to bed way before the younglings had done so. It was clear that he was exhausted – you could see it in his entire demeanour.
The conversation died out soon enough – at least from Fred's side – and so she was left waiting in the dark, listening closely for any kind of footsteps.
It took a while, but eventually she heard soft thudding going past their bedroom door making their way upstairs. Problem is, both Fred and Molly shared the third floor, so she had to listen extra carefully as to where the footsteps were headed.
First she could hear them going to their bathroom, which both of them shared in the middle of the floor. But after that she lost track of where they had gone off too when Ginny suddenly let out a loud snore.
"Fred?"Hermione tried, whispering into the darkness as not to wake Ginny up again. She was convinced that she would have been hexed for it if that happened. "Yeah?" He replied, his voice dull, missing the spark it always had. "Are you upstairs?"
"No, I'm still in the kitchen." Hermione didn't move immediately after he said that. Biting her lip, she contemplated whether or not she should just go to sleep instead of going down there to meet him.
At last she decided against better judgement and threw the warm blanket off her body, pulled on some pants – since it was still quite hot at night due to the summer she slept without any on – and then slipped her feet into some slippers.
With that she quietly opened the bedroom door, only a light squeaking sound echoing through the dimly lit hallway.
Trying not to wake up Mrs Black's portrait, she let out a breath once she had made it safe and sound into the living room and with ease made it into the kitchen.
Upon opening the door she could see the back of Fred's head, his feet propped upon the table – she was sure that he had done this only after Molly had left – and his hands behind the back of his head. He looked quite casual, but when she rounded the table and took a seat in front of him, she could see a deep engraved line on his forehead. One could also call it a troubled line.
"I heard you had a lovely chat with your mom," Hermione began in a hushed voice, breaking the complete silence. Only one corner of his lips turned up into what was supposed to be a smile, but his eyes didn't follow.
"Yes, she sure does love to stick her nose into everything," Fred said, though there was some bitterness lingering to it.
Looking him over, she noticed the light tear in his bottom lip, as if he had been constantly chewing on it. Perhaps to ease his troubles. His eyes looked heavy – tired, maybe. The usual cheekiness was very much lacking, although he liked to pretend it was still there.
"Told her we were madly in love," Fred joked half-heartedly, making Hermione smile and shake her head. "Glad the secret is finally out." Hermione joked back, earning her a soft honest chuckle from Fred. This time it did reach his eyes.
Fred released his arms from the back of his head, which immediately brought his chair back to its four legs. At the same time he let his legs dangle off the table, bringing them all the way back down. Instead he folded his arms against his chest and leaned slightly backwards, which made him balance on the two legs of the chair again.
"I like it when you joke." Fred stated simply. Hermione didn't quite know what to say to this, but was rather flattered by the compliment. Or whatever it could be perceived as. "I'm still getting used to doing it," Hermione admitted, letting out a sheepish laugh.
Fred grinned, it only partly reaching his eyes. "Mark my words, by the end of it you'll have joined the legendary pranksters."
Hermione cocked a curious eyebrow at him, mimicking his physical stance as she, too, crossed her arms and balanced her chair on two legs. "By the end of what?"
He took a moment to reply, watching as she made herself comfortable in the new position. Looking at the clock on the wall, she could see that it was already nearing well past twelve.
"You know, when the day comes when we no longer hear each other's voices constantly." Fred explained, shrugging his shoulders as to lift the weight off the words.
At this her eyebrows furrowed further together, biting her lip intensely as she averted her eyes to the table. Letting her chair come back to four legs, she let her hands fall on the table as she intertwined them.
"Would you like this to be over?" It took her a good few minutes until she was able to let those words slip off her lips. And when they did, they didn't come out even louder than a whisper, and yet he heard every single one of them. Of course he did, he heard everything.
Fred remained silent. He too, took a good few minutes to think, and yet, he still didn't say anything.
Looking back up to look him in the eye, she watched as a range of emotions flashed over his face. Yet, when he caught her looking, he wiped them all clean and let an easy smile rest on his lips. It still didn't reach his eyes.
"Would you?" Hermione let out a humourless laugh, it coming out as a loud breathe. Boys and emotions. Always dodging a question by answering it with another questioning.
Shaking her head, she opened and closed her mouth to figure out as what to say to that. She would occasionally avert her eyes and bring them back, and all the while he just kept looking at her, patiently waiting.
At last she shrugged, letting out a long, heavy exhale.
To be quite honest, she had grown so accustomed to what they had – after all, it had been a year since the product had malfunctioned – and in a way, it brought her comfort. Though it was weird in the beginning to know that someone was always listening in on your every breath and every word, it now felt very safe.
At any given moment when she felt saddened, frightened or happy – he would be there. Because he had heard it all. Most times, she wouldn't have to explain anything, because he knew already. And not even because she always necessarily said anything, but even at times when she didn't say anything at all. Just with the way she would breathe he could tell almost instantly what she was thinking or feeling.
Just like she could do with him. As for right now, for example, he outwardly seemed very chill. He was still casually leaning back, although he had shielded himself ever so slightly with his crossed arms. His face was neutral, not a hint of emotion or conflict.
And yet, she knew he wasn't a hundred percent himself. And perhaps it was the late hour, because he would not often show her this side of him, or even at all. But she could hear it in his breathing – how it haltered, how it stopped and how it sped up, sometimes even all at once.
To her, it felt good to know that there was always someone there who would be able to understand without you needing to explain. It felt safe to know that she could reach out to someone at any place and any time, because they would hear and they would care.
"No." She had to say it quickly, because she wasn't sure if she was ready to be this honest even with herself, let alone with him. "I wouldn't." She added a bit slower, afraid he hadn't heard her when he didn't reply.
When she said this she had been desperately trying to avoid his eyes, but now willed herself to look at him. "Would you?" Hermione countered once again, and watched as he brought his chair back to all legs, his elbows propping onto the table as he brought his hands up to his face, giving it a rub before looking back at her.
"No." Was all he said. And that was all that was needed to be said. They understood the reasoning, without needing words.
She could even hear her own breath picking up its normal rhythm again, only now realising that it had haltered, and she could hear his, too, ease back into familiarity.
"So, what's bothering you?" Hermione asked, glad to have a bit of a change of subject. Even though the previous twenty minutes – yes, that encounter had truly lasted that long. She had kept her eyes glued at the clock for most of the time – had not been filled with many words, it had still felt heavy. Dare she say, even intimate.
Which, on second thought, wasn't so weird, of course. They had something intimate – Merlin, they could hear each other all the time. If that wasn't intimate, she didn't know what else was.
Fred gave her a genuine smile, this one reaching his eyes. "Who said anything was troubling me?" He challenged, and she returned him the smile all-knowingly. "Me."
He let out a soft chuckle and shook his head as he dropped back on two legs of the chair again.
It took him a while to answer that question. So long, in fact, that she considered going back upstairs and call it a day. After all, it was now almost nearing one in the morning. And they both knew they would be called awake for breakfast at eight by Molly.
But right before she could push her chair backwards to stand up he began to speak. "It's no secret George and I want to go into a different direction than what is desired of us." Fred said, referring to his mother's wishes of them getting a good degree and making something for themselves in a good profession.
Hermione nodded, as to say that she understood what he meant. At this Fred began biting his bottom lip again, the light tear opening up a bit and releasing some blood that was soon licked away again.
"I'm a bit worried how Mum will take it." He admitted, and left it at that.
Hermione contemplated what he said. Sure, Molly wished the best for her children, and she also knew that Molly preferred it that they found their passion elsewhere besides jokes and pranks. But Hermione was convinced that Molly already knew deep inside that that wouldn't happen. It just wasn't in the twins' nature. Their means of life laid somewhere else.
"She'll be disappointed," Hermione stated, but made sure to put more weight on her next words. "But she would understand. She knows what you and George are like, Fred. You two are born pranksters, like it or not." At this Hermione smiled, more to herself than to Fred. "You know how to make people laugh, how to make them feel good. And if there is one thing that Molly values more than a good chance at life, it is that act of kindness to be able to be good to other people as well."
Fred smiled, both lips tugging upright and reaching his eyes, and yet, he couldn't hold it for long as the troubled line returned ever so slightly. "I hope you're right."
Hermione nibbled on her lip, glancing around the room.
Right in the corner of the room she spotted an old and worn down radio, but she was willing to bet her chances with it. Pushing her chair back, she made her way to the dark corner of the room, practically feeling Fred's eyes staring in her back.
She tweaked around with it for a bit, still keeping her back to him so he could not see what she was doing, and then when having turned the volume down so it would just be a low sound that would remain between these four walls, she turned around again when she found a radio station with music, finding it on her second twirl.
At this Fred's eyes shot up as he watched in amusement as she put the radio down in the middle of the table.
Stretching her hand out to him, she put a gentle smile on her face as she asked: "Care for a dance?"
Fred grinned, taking a look at the moonlight that was creeping through the window. "How romantic, Granger. A dance in the moonlight?"
Rolling her eyes, she hoisted him up when he had grabbed her hand. She wasn't quite sure whether she should go for it, but then imagined herself back at the Yule Ball, and tried to get the same confidence as she did back then.
Unfortunately for her, this was quite a slow song. Nothing too romantic, just very melodramatic. At least not what she had hoped to find. She wanted some funk in the house, but it seemed like she would have to wait.
Deciding to just go for it, she made him put his arms around her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck, making sure to not close the distance and keep some personal space – for however well that was possible whilst encircling each other with their arms.
Fred was clearly caught off guard, but eased up as soon as Hermione began to speak. "Is this okay?"
Looking up at his face – being in such close proximity he was suddenly a lot taller than she was, so she had to crank her neck a little to look him in the eye – she saw a wide smirk stretched out on his lips. There she found some familiar cheekiness in his face.
"If I didn't know better, I would say you're hitting on me, Granger." Hermione groaned, but let out a chuckle anyway. Loosening her right hand from his neck, she lightly slapped it against his chest as she shook her head, bringing it back to around his neck afterwards. "Oh shut it, Weasley."
At this he let out a hearty laugh, tuning out the music and she almost feared that it would wake up Mrs Black and therefore the entire house, but luckily it remained quiet.
They swayed gently to the music, still keeping their distance and yet not too far to make it awkward. He even once in a while gave her a twirl, making them both laugh.
At last a more funky song came on, and at this they let go of each other and simply started to move. Fred went all out for it, laughing as he made the weirdest of movements with such confidence that it didn't nearly look half bad.
Hermione, who would normally be more reserved and held back, went for it as well this time. Perhaps it was because it was now nearing two in the morning, and she was heavily sleep deprived – she had woken up at six in the morning yesterday – but right now she couldn't care less about how she looked.
All she cared about was the laughter beaming in her ears from both her and Fred, the glistering finally having reached back in his eyes.