New chapter,

The story is almost over. There is one last thing to discover, which is Fred's secret, what he did find out, with Percy, at the Ministry and it will be out on the last chapter. Hints and clues are in this chapter anyway.

But basically from now on and until the end, in two, maximum three chapters, the story is going to be focused on Hermione and her relationship with her two best friends with a reunion of the trio. The trio has been quite absent from this fic but the fic does end with the trio being brought together again.

Ejwills welcome :)

Aethereyes welcome :)

lilo885 welcome :)

and finally for this week Rangermiss welcome :)

xx,

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Nervous, Fred interrupted Kingsley to ask what the use of the conditional meant which made his father glared at him but made Kingsley smirked before to answer cheerfully:

« It means that Hermione technically hasn't changed the future. Hermione, you have saved the person that you love, that same person, whom, we had witnessed running into an house in flames to save you. Fred, you should have died after throwing the time turner into the flames, unless of course Hermione's little change of the event was writing into fate's book. As Fred looks very much alive, it was, apparently, written so you two can leave, free of charges. »

Confused, Hermione looked at Fred and then at Kingsley and Harry, she had to tell them the truth and explain that if Fred was alive it was because of the spell that she had used. Her eyes met Harry's again and curiously, her best friend's gaze was placid. Harry even smiled at her as if he knew that she needed a gentle push to share her truth.

...

She took a deep breath and dived into her memories to explain everything with accuracy. There was no room for error, each term had to be clear to avoid any confusion. Not that she was looking forward to loose her wand or to be punished but she knew that to be completely free and to live with what had happened, she had to be honest.

She did want to believe Kingsley though. Yes, she wanted to believe that Fred was alive because he was supposed to live, if only it was not that simple...

Her inner voice kept telling her that the spell had changed everything. She had not been forcing Fred, George and Percy to look and read old and forbidden books, for fun, for weeks. The answers that they had found in the book, the dossier that Percy had stolen from the archives at the Ministry should have reassured her and it did but not completely.

Andromeda had told her that the fact that she had seen a dead Fred, that she had seen him dying was the reason why the voice would not shut up and that with time, and time only, her fears would disappear.

Hermione bit her lips as she was trying to figure out if Kingsley was going to think like Andromeda or like her?

She had no clue so it was with an extreme nervousness that she started her explanation.

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Fred, who already knew by heart Hermione's point of view, was observing the three men while his girlfriend was speaking. They were clearly astounded, the most was, without any doubt, his father, which was understandable as he had not known that one of his sons did actually die during the battle of Hogwarts.

Indeed, Mr Weasley had been so stunned that when he thanked Hermione for saving Fred's life, he had to open his mouth a few times before a real sound could come out.
He was really fond of Hermione and unlike his wife, he was getting more and more supportive of her relationship with Fred so this revelation despite being utterly mad, was also joyful. Once he would have spoken with his wife, she would have no more reason to argue that Hermione should be with Ron or that Fred was just using the young witch as a sort of summer entertainment.

...

As for Harry, he grabbed Hermione's free arm, Fred was holding her other hand, and asked her why she had not told him. Why she had kept this from him for almost three months was beyond his comprehension.

He said that he was hurt that his best friend, his sister, had not trusted him enough to share her secret, what a disappointment...
Also, he would have never ever imagined that such a spell existed or that Hermione's feelings for Fred were really that strong. He had no doubts about her love for him or Fred's love for Hermione but the use of that spell, the fact that it worked was placing their love a all new level.

Dumbledore had told him countless times that love was very powerful. Indeed, he had survived thanked to his mother's love yet the love that Hermione was feeling for Fred seemed like another version, like an upgrade of the term.

For Harry, all this story was weird, beautiful too but very weird.

...

Hermione squeezed Harry's hand as she was doing her best to justify her choices:

« I trust you Harry but I thought that you would be mad at me for saving one life. »

Harry sighed, he had understood the deep meaning of Hermione's words. Unfortunately, he could not affirm that he would not have overreacted, at first, of course, then with a bit of time, he would have supported her and helped her and Fred.
Besides, even if he was hurt, deep down he knew that being angry would be unfair. Hermione had always been with him, even when he had been wrong or when she had disagreed with his plans, so no, anger was out of the equation. He would be not a bitter person, who would resent his best friend for saving only the love of her life, either.

Actually, he was feeling rather sorry for her, for what she had to go through and then smirking, as a recent memory had come to his mind, he said :

« Well, I am not sure if I am that sorry actually, certainly all those hours of research must had turned into snogging sessions like when I caught you two, on the couch, the other day. Yeah, definitely, that secret of yours Hermione, what a burden. »

« Sorry to correct you mate but we really had to do a lot of research and I am very thankful to Hermione for reading all the books that one can find at Hogwarts' library so she could save my life. I might, indeed, become a bookworm myself, we should be grateful for having such books.» answered Fred joyfully

« Grateful to Hermione for loving you, I dare say. » corrected Harry and Mr Weasley at the same time

Fred chuckled, he was, obviously, very grateful for that too. He made a witty remark, that made Hermione blushed, to express his glee. Harry laughed and started to joke with Fred just to see how much Hermione could blush.

...

Kingsley cleared his throat, the conversation was drifting away and even if he was happy to note that Harry was not mad at Hermione, he did not want them to forget the focus point of their conversation. Hermione might had acted in the name of love, yet, what she had done was illegal and he had to make sure that she had understood that she could not dress up, ever again, as Lady Fate.

He replied to her speech, saying that this was the Hermione's version of the story and that it could be the wrong side of it. Dubious, Hermione, Fred and Harry asked why.

« Well, you believe that the spell is what spared Fred's life and you might be right but Fred could be alive simply because he was meant to live after the battle of Hogwarts. Fred, Hermione saving your life could just be something that had been written all along and since we have no way to find out why you are, indeed, alive, I cannot press charges against Hermione for using a time turner. The laws are tricky. Fortunately, this time, they are helping your case. Usually, it tends to be the contrary. »

« Thank you Kingsley. » Fred and Hermione, both, said in unison

« Don't thank me too fast young lady, you and I will still have a talk at home, the day after tomorrow. I have to travel to Germany to Nurmengard and then find a way to make sure that the dementors won't ever again turned their back on us but once I am done with all this, we will have a little chit chat about your habits of breaking the laws. What you did was hazardous and not because Dumbledore hinted, for the second time, that it was the right thing to do meant that he was right. It could have been a deathtrap, it turned into one actually.»

« I am sorry. » mumbled Hermione

« I know and that's enough for me. Being sorry might not be enough for the others though. I insist, I am not blaming you for what has happened tonight but some could be resentful. I do have my part of responsability like Percy, George, Charlie, Audrey, Alicia and that smartass of Dolohov but I am afraid that you have been the detonator of this chaos. » finished Kingsley who had kept his calm during his speech

Hermione simply nodded just like she used to when her father was reprimanding her when she was younger.

...

Harry and Mr Weasley left to give them some space. They had to go back to the Burrow.

As for Fred, he was trying to do not break. His mind was racing as he was the only one to know, with Percy, that Hermione's spell was the real reason of his living situation. He had got the proof that he needed after meeting Percy's at the Ministry, when he had read all about the forbidden spell that Hermione had used. He was wondering what would Kingsley have done, if he had known the truth. Would he have really punished Hermione? It was hard to say.

Fred knew that his secret would not be easy to keep but he would have to, in order to protect Hermione.

He sighed and tightened his grip around Hermione's shoulders and finally, he smiled. He was alive and he had several wished to make come true before to join the afterlife, that was enough for him.

Who would not want to have all his wished granted before to die? Who could say that all their wishes had been granted? Not many but Fred knew that he would be one of the few to affirmed that he had. He kissed Hermione's forehead and thanked Kingsley for protecting his girlfriend.

Kingsley chuckled, that girlfriend word sounded so weird, such a school term but then he remembered that this was exactly what Hermione was, a student, a teenager.

Hermione confirmed that by asking Kingsley, whom was the closest father's figure that she had at the moment, if she and Fred could leave. Kingsley frowned and asked where she wanted to go.

« I would like to spend the night at my parents' house, I feel safe there. »

Kingsley understood the real meaning of Hermione's sentence as the subject had been on their plates for weeks. Not that he liked the idea yet he did not try to make her go back home, to Grimmauld Place. He just made Hermione's promise that she would be back home for breakfast.

Fred jumped into the conversation and promised that Hermione would be home before 7am. Unlike Kingsley, Fred had not got the real meaning of Hermione's words just like he was not really up to the idea of going back to Hermione's formal house for the night.

Every time they had been there, Hermione had seemed sad and reflective and after everything that had just happened, Fred was looking forward for something a bit more cheerful than a night at the sorrows' house, a name that had come up after a conversation that he had with George, after the last time that he had and Hermione had been to there.

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Kingsley tried not to chuckle while Hermione was weirdly staring at her boyfriend wondering how come Fred could play it clueless so well. Perhaps, he was not pretending, she bit her lips, she would find out very, very soon.

« Don't worry Kingsley, I will be home for breakfast. Thanks again. »

« It is ok kiddo, now go before I change my mind. »

She smiled at him then firmly grabbed Fred's hand and just like that they were gone.

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Hermione and Fred safely landed in the garden. Hermione looked at her house and at her boyfriend, yes she was sure. She dragged Fred inside without speaking.

Inside of the house and running to the stairs, Fred stopped Hermione before the last step and asked her why she had wanted to come. He would have preferred to go back to the Burrow to be to be with his family yet letting Hermione go alone to her house was not even an option. So yes, he really wanted to know why she had wanted to get away from everybody after such a dreadful evening.

She smirked and asked him, if he really had no idea.

« I don't really, what we are doing here. » he asked completely oblivious

« Something that I have wanted for a really, really long time, timing was just not right. »

« And it is now. » asked Fred who was astouned as he had finally understood why Hermione had wanted to go to her house

« Yes. Let's say that the fact that you ran into a burning house to save my life just had finished to convince me to jump. » she replied with a smile

« Are we here for what I think we are. Just to be sure that I got the right message.» Asked Fred who did not care if he sounded redundant.

Amused by Fred's awkwardness, Hermione laughed. Yes, he had got it right.

« Are you sure. » asked Fred again. He really did not want to get his hope up, again. Besides, he was beyond surprised as everytime they had been close to do it, she had always bailed out. He was always comprehensive as he knew that it was a very big deal for her and having Hermione dragging him to her house for that after what had just happened was utterly crazy. He did not want her to regret her decision.

« Never been more sure in my life, I am still scared though but I trust you and I am ready. » affirmed Hermiome

« I am scared too and no, I am not lying. I love you Hermione and I have been waiting for this moment for years. You know the first time, I thought about it, us like that was the summer of the world cup, when you turned beetroot after spotting me getting out of the bathroom with just a towel on. » confessed Fred with a smirk, he had to make her blush, he just loved it...

« You saw me that day, you never told me that. » answered Hermione who was visibly still embarassed about the way that she had looked at him that day.

« I am telling you now. I must confess that I did think about dragging into the bathroom thay day, just to be sure that the color of your face and your thoughts were matching mine but we were too young and George was waiting for me anyway. »

« My thoughts were matching yours, so what about matching our thoughts again. » she asked with a smirk that was matching Fred's

Fred did not reply with word, he replied with a passionate kiss that awoken all Hermione's stomach butterflies.

Tonight was their night!

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I will post the next chapter soon. Hope you had enjoyed this one.

xx