They didn't have to wait long for Ron to follow suit in his recovery. He woke two days before Christmas, sending Mrs. Weasley into a head long spiral as she sent out patronuses out, screaming that he was awake. Everyone gathered outside of Ron's room while the healer evaluated him. He was the same as Cho and could only remember up to the point of them being taken. Everyone was ecstatic at him being awake and while Ron was shocked and angry after hearing what had happened, he still kept a good attitude. But Hermione noticed something was off with him though, a slight scowl here and there as he seemed to be thinking about something. Cho came in from her own room and Mrs. Weasley started crying as the couple embraced tightly.
It was several hours before everyone went home, promising to return the next day. Hermione hung back, sitting in her usual chair until everyone else had left. Ron didn't notice her still there as he leaned his head back on the bed and closed his eyes. When he opened them again Hermione was startled to find he was crying.
"Ron." She said softly, alerting him to her presence.
He jumped at her voice and quickly wiped his eyes. She quickly stood up to sit on the edge of his bed, taking his hand in hers when she sat.
"What is it?"
He shook his head, not wanting to meet her eyes. "It's nothing."
She tried to smile at him. "Ron, you're my best friend. We also happened to date for a while. I think I know you well enough by now to know that this is not 'nothing'."
He smiled slightly but it faded quickly after. His voice was almost a whisper when he spoke again. "It was awful."
Confused, she narrowed her eyes at him, "What was?"
He gestured up and down his body and his eyes came to rest on his missing foot. Her mouth dropped open in surprise.
"But.. but you told us you didn't remember." Her heart was pounding thinking about the possibility. Cho hadn't remembered anything and then when Ron said he didn't either it was such a relief.
He looked at her then and she saw the truth in his eyes. She gripped his hand tighter, feeling her own eyes fill with tears. "Ron." She said softly.
"I don't remember the full extent of everything. Just bits and pieces." He took a deep breath and continued, squeezing her hand like a life line. "I didn't recognize any of the spells they used other than the cruciatus curse. I don't think I've ever felt that much bloody pain in my entire life. And I just don't understand why they didn't kill us. I thought they wanted to kill us."
His voice was angry as he spoke. Anger at the people who did this to them, anger at himself for not being more aware that night, anger that someone else got hurt because of him. Hermione watched as her friend waged a war with himself.
"It's not your fault you know." She told him firmly. If she had to be convinced of that when nothing had happened to her or Fred, then she could only imagine how Ron was feeling.
His eyes snapped up at her, "I know that. I'm not blaming myself. I blame this stupid bloody world. We've been groomed since kids to just accept this bullshit. After I get out of here I'm leaving."
She raised her eyebrows at this. She hadn't even thought about what his reaction would be after he woke up, she had just wanted him TO wake up. The thought of his leaving was horrible, but she also understood. She had considered the same thing as soon as the war was over. She had wanted to disappear and travel the world to forget about the horrors they had seen.
He squeezed her hand again, bringing her attention back to him. "Don't say anything about this. Especially not to Mum or Harry. You know how much he blames himself for everything that goes wrong. And I'll tell everyone my plans when I get home. Maybe Auntie Muriel would like a house guest for a while." He smiled slightly at the last part.
She nodded and leaned forward to hug him. They held each other for several minutes like they had on so many other occasions. When she finally left his room she felt emotionally drained and exhausted. A part of her wanted to leave with him. How nice it would be to disappear.
Ron was discharged home on Christmas Eve morning. He limped along with crutches on the magically fitted prosthetic foot when he entered the house. Mrs. Weasley had gone all out this year knowing that everyone would be home. There were garlands strung across every doorway and window. The tree was already decorated with tinsel and ornaments, small specks of light flickered across the greenery. She had fawned over Ron since his return and Hermione knew that she would be relieved at his decision to go into hiding.
Fred and George had closed the shop for the next two days. After the weeks of craziness he had come home last night and crashed, sleeping for x14 hours before Hermione finally work him.
"Why can't we just do Christmas here?" He asked sleepily when she shook his shoulder. "Plenty of room for presents."
She laughed as she pulled the blankets off of him for the seventh time. "Plenty of room in bed? We could just set up a little tree at the end. Might be a little awkward for Santa."
"Santa can join us." He said as he pulled himself out of bed.
When he finally came out of the bedroom after showering, she laughed at his outfit. Since the arrival of the younger generation of Weasley's, the twins had started dressing in outlandish Christmas getups for the children's appreciation. What started as a simple Christmas sweater got more and more elaborate every year.
She eyed him as he spun around for her, showing off his outfit. He had on bright red trousers with curly toed shoes with bells on them. His sweater was an evergreen color and had a small train traveling the tracks across his chest and wrapping around to his back. On his head he wore a cross between and elf hat and one of a train conductor. The mustache he was still sporting with his beard was curled up at the ends. She laughed as the little train came to a whistling stop as his arm blocked its path.
"I hope you brought a change of clothes." She said with a laugh as he lifted his arm to let the train by.
He grinned and she could only imagine what George was wearing. "At least one of us is festive." He said eyeing her black jeans and dark green top.
"I just don't feel like being swarmed by kids all night." She knew that as soon as they entered the door the younger kids would be enthralled by the bright, interactive outfit he was wearing.
They gathered their luggage and bags of presents that were already wrapped and ready for the tree. When they arrived the festivities were already underway with Roxanne and Victorie tottering around the house while Mrs. Weasley plied them with cookies. Harry and Ron sat in the living room talking while Ginny raided the kitchen claiming that the baby was hungry.
As soon as the younger kids caught site of Fred they flocked to him, giggling as the small train passed over his body. He grinned at Hermione and sat down on the living room floor as the little girls ran circles around him. She shook her head before crossing the room to join her friends.
She could tell the discussion was serious when she approached them; both had their heads down and were speaking in hushed voices. They looked up at her as she approached.
"I told Harry about my decision." Ron said as she sat on the seat next to Harry.
She raised her eyebrows at this as she thought he had planned to tell everyone after the New Year. She looked at Harry whose eyebrows were furrowed as he looked to the floor.
"When are you leaving?" She asked, turning her attention back to Ron.
He looked around the room. "The day after tomorrow. I've already spoken to Mum and Dad about it and they thinks it's best while I get used to all this." He gestured to the crutches. "And Auntie Muriel is in Scotland for the winter so looks like I'll be getting the house to myself." He smiled at that.
They sat together in silence. She had no idea when this whole mess would be over with so that Ron could come back. They might not see him for months, or even years. She reached out to grip both Harry and Ron's hands.
"We'll be alright." She said, trying to smile, to make herself believe her statement. The other two nodded and Ron squeezed her hand.
"What's going on here?" Ginny asked as she joined the group. "Not planning another camping trip are we?"
Ron groaned at the thought, "Bloody hell, no. I think I'd hand myself over to the death eaters before I endure that again."
As the rest of the Weasleys arrived, the Burrow was filled with laughter and music. When dinner was finished and the kids were put to bed, the rest of the family gathered in the living room. Hermione was slotted between Fred and George on the couch with Fred's arm slung about her shoulders. He was twirling a piece of her hair around his finger absent mindedly as he spoke to his father. As the evening went on people started retiring to bed, making threats as to who was going to be the first awake to open all the presents. Hermione's eyes were drifting closed when she felt Fred shift beside her.
"Come on, love." He said as he took her hands and pulled her to standing. Surprisingly Mrs. Weasley had given them a room to themselves rather than having Hermione and Ginny bunk together like usual. Maybe her daughter's obvious pregnancy had finally got it through her mind that her children were growing up and… doing things.
When Fred closed the door of his old bedroom on the 4th floor he immediately took off his hat and still running sweater. The train gave a last whistle as he tossed it in a heap on the floor. In his white T-shirt, red pants and beard he looked like a youthful Santa Clause. Hermione laughed at the thought and he gave her a quizzical look before she went to him and tugged on his beard.
"Let this go white and I think you could have a new job description." She said, her eyes twinkling.
He laughed with her as he caught her meaning. Wrapping his arms around her waist he leaned down to nuzzle at her neck. "And what about you? Baking cookies and looking after the elves sound appealing?"
She sighed as his lips moved over her ear and jaw and his hand slid under her shirt. "I'm sure elves suffer lots of injuries making toys. My clinic would never be empty. But I'm not much of a baker though."
He chuckled against her neck and started moving her backwards. She felt her knees hit the edge of the bed and the both tipped back, bouncing on the springy mattress slightly as they laughed. She propped herself up on her elbows and watched as Fred unbuttoned her jeans before sliding them down her legs with a grin.
She sat up suddenly and drew her legs under her, coming face to face with the redhead. Kissing him soundly she pulled his shirt over his head before letting her fingers trail down his taught abdomen to his belt buckle. She slid the leather out of the loops and tossed it to the floor. Fred had a sly grin plastered on his face as Hermione's hands released the button and zipper of his pants. Catching him grinning at her she shook her head before slipped off the bed to stand before him.
She gave a gentle shove on his shoulders and he willingly leaned back on the bed, allowing her to pull his pants and boxers off in a smooth motion. Pulling her own shirt off, she now stood in front of him in her bra and knickers and his mouth watered at the site of her. She took a step towards him before leaning down and taking his very eager member into her mouth. He gasped at the contact and let his head fall back. His mind raced as her mouth worked over him, this was the fantasy he had had almost every night as a teenager. In his childhood bedroom with a beautiful girl. He laughed at the thought and Hermione lifted her head up to look at him in question.
"If you can't keep quiet than we'll just have to go to sleep." She said threateningly.
He raised his hands in surrender and groaned as she went back to what she had been doing. After a few more minutes she left him to pull off the rest of her clothing. He sat up, close to the edge of the bed to watch her unclasp he bra before she stepped forward and straddled him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she took him and then began to slowly rock her hips. Their breath mingled together as Fred's hands went to her backside, guiding her movement. They were both aware of the silence surrounding them and made no other noise.
Hermione let her head fall back and braced her hands on his shoulder as the coil in the pit of her stomach released. She gasped and felt her breath catch in her throat as she continued to rock against him. He had bent forward to kiss her collarbone as she came undone, his hands still gripping her hips. As she relaxed he held her tighter before lifting her and pressing her back on the bed. He moved hard and quick against her body as he continued towards his own release.
She felt the moment he let go, his body pressed into hers. She ran her hand down his back and felt the muscles clenched there. He slowly relaxed under her touch and rolled to the side, pulling her with him so she lay in his embrace.
"Merry Christmas." He said against her hair.
She laughed and tilted her head up to look at him. "Was that my present?"
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Must have been good this year."
They lay there for a few more minutes before getting out of bed to pull pajamas on, thinking if the threats of an early morning wake up were real they didn't want to be caught naked.
Oddly no one else seemed to be awake when she and Fred woke the next morning and crept downstairs. Normally Christmas morning was the one time you could count on the Weasley crew to rise before noon. Even Mrs. Weasley seemed to have slept in with the silence coming from the kitchen. Hermione had woken first, slipping out of bed to pull on leggings and a sweatshirt. Her hair was still mussed from the night before so she pulled it into a loose braid down her back. Fred was still sleeping on the bed as she bent down to kiss him quickly. He stirred under her lips and tried to grab at her as he came awake. She pulled away before he could reach her and told him to get up if he wanted presents.
He sighed and swung his legs out into the chilly air. After pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt he quietly followed Hermione down the stairs, hearing snores from behind many of the doors they passed. The lights of the tree were still glowing as they made it to the first floor, casting shadows about the otherwise dark room. Hermione smiled softly, this was her favorite time of the year but always brought back memories of her parents.
Fred saw her slight smile as she watched the tree. He knew what Christmas meant to her and pulled her into a hug. She sighed and wrapped her arms about his waist, still looking at the tree.
"Merry Christmas, love." He said into her hair.
"Merry Christmas, Fred." She burrowed closer to him before pulling back. They went into the kitchen in search of coffee for Hermione and hot chocolate for Fred. After settling on the couch with drinks in hand, Hermione pulled her knees up to her chest and she leaned back. They sat watching the flickering lights until the serene silence was interrupted by the banging of a door being slammed open and a loud yell from Charlie. "Ginny!"
There were loud footsteps across the floor above them before Ginny ran down the stairs laughing. She was followed closely by Charlie who ran down the stairs with a sheet wrapped around what Hermione could only deduce was his naked form. He faltered at the bottom of the stairs when he saw the two on the couch, both watching him with shocked expression.
"Lose something Charlie?" Fred asked, starting to smile. Hermione snorted beside him, putting her coffee on the side table so she didn't spill.
Charlie scowled and pointed a finger at both of them. "If you two had anything to do with this, I'll return your presents immediately."
Fred raised his hands in defense then laughed as his older brother chased once again after their sister.
It turns out that she had snuck into his room at some point and transfigured all of his clothes into children sizes, claiming she was just practicing for when the baby comes. She refused to change them back until Charlie gave her her present. So stubborn as ever, Charlie was currently sitting at the breakfast table in pants ending at his knees and a shirt that barely reached his belly button. He nonchalantly bit into another piece of bacon, ignoring the glares Ginny was sending his way.
When breakfast was cleared and the whole family awake and gathered in the living room, George started passing out presents to their respective recipients. Everyone smiled as they recognized Mrs. Weasley's craftsmanship. Hermione's sweater this year was deep navy blue without the usual detail work on the front.
Mrs. Weasley smiled at her as she held the sweater up. "I thought to make it simpler for you dear. That way you could wear it to work if you wanted."
Hermione grinned and went over to hug the other woman, appreciating her thoughtfulness. They had long since mended their relationship since the fight earlier this year.
When Fred was handed Hermione's gift he grinned at her and tore open the slim package. She and Alicia had gone in together for the twin's gifts this year and George had opened his with a shout just before Fred even got the wrapping paper off.
His mouth fell open as he pulled out the pamphlet nestled inside, identical to the one George was now waving about his head.
"They're a good team, right?" Hermione asked apprehensively, watching his reaction. She had to seek the expert advice of the only professional Quidditch player she knew when picking out her gift.
Fred nodded and grinned like a child. "Only the best professional Quidditch team in history. They won the European League twice! The magpies are legendary and I'm going to see every single match!" He hooted as he pulled Hermione into a hug.
She laughed and shook her head, while she enjoyed Quidditch it had never brought about the same obsession for her as it did for the Weasleys.
"Alright, open mine." He said and handed her a small but heavy box. She shook it slightly, not feeling anything rustle or move inside.
"Did you get me a brick?" She asked while she carefully peeled back the wrapping paper.
The box underneath was white and sealed. When she pulled the lid off and saw what was inside she looked up at him confused at the white, soft sand that filled the container. She ran her fingers through it and felt an object nestled underneath the sand. Fred was still watching her smiling as she pulled out a white envelope and shook it off. She opened it easily and removed the papers inside, scanning them quickly then looking up at Fred with a slight smile.
"What is all this?"
"Well since we never did get to finish our vacation properly, I figured we deserve a bit of a do over." He said watching her eyes widen.
The papers held his attempts at hand drawn pictures of their little blue house in Greece as well as his interpretation of an airplane, having never actually seen one. He had been quite proud of his ministrations after enlisting the help of his favorite nieces for the pictures.
"We're going back?" She asked excitedly, still running her fingers through the sand which could only be from their beach.
"Whenever you'd like." He grinned back at her, enjoying the child-like excitement she was displaying. She laughed and put the box on the floor before throwing her arms around him and kissing him soundly.
"I definitely must have been good this year." She teased as she pulled back, causing him to laugh.