AU! Fred lives.

Book Club: How The King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

Prompts:

[quote] 'Stories tell a truth, if not precisely the truth'

Word Count: 1179

When Fred arrived at his girlfriend's doorstep that evening with a bouquet of roses in hand, he knocked on the door and impatiently waited for her to open it. A few minutes passed by, but Hermione didn't unlock the door. Fred grew worried; it wasn't like Hermione to be so late.

They had been dating ever since Fred had woken up from his coma after the Battle of Hogwarts. The wall had crushed his ribs, but fortunately, it hadn't damaged him as badly as it could have. Hermione had spent half of her time at Hogwarts rebuilding the castle and the other half at Fred's side in St Mungo's Hospital. She had talked to him about anything she could think of, and when Fred had woken up, he had kissed her and said, "You've been sitting here by my side, and now, it's my turn to be by yours. Go out with me as soon as I get out of here."

Hermione had smiled and said, "Okay."

That was the beginning of their relationship.

And now, Fred stood outside her flat, a bouquet in hand, a ring box in his pocket, and an important question to ask. He knocked on the door again, his heart pounding in his chest at the thought that something terrible had happened to her. "Hermione? Are you in there?"

There was no answer.

Fred grew even more worried when he heard a quiet thunk from inside but no one answered him. He whipped out his wand and yelled, "Hermione, are you okay?"

A few seconds later, a man opened the door, and Fred was taken aback that he was shirtless. The man glowered at Fred and crossed his thick arms over his chest. "What do you want, mate?"

With his wand still in hand, Fred scowled and demanded, "Who are you? Where's Hermione?"

"She's… busy," the man said calmly, blocking the doorway. "I suggest you leave now. Before I make you."

Fred bristled with barely suppressed fury. "Who do you think you are? I'm Hermione's boyfriend, and—"

"You were her boyfriend. Not anymore. I'm taking up your spot now," the man stated, still not moving. Fred clenched his hands, almost destroying the stems of the roses. The man smirked and said, "She's mine now. You can leave."

"I'm not going anywhere until I talk to Hermione," Fred demanded, and the man sighed.

"Very well, if you insist." He stepped to the side and called out over his shoulder, "Babe, your ex is here."

"Tell him I don't want anything to do with him," Hermione called out, and Fred's heart cracked at her words.

"You heard her," the man said with a light shrug. "Now you can leave."

"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Fred called, ignoring the man's eye-roll.

Hermione came out of the living room and without looking at him, she said, "Fred, I don't want to ever see you again. Please, leave."

"You heard the lady," the man drawled, leaning against the wall.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Fred asked, his heart breaking with every word that slipped past her lips. "Who is this man? Why are you breaking up with me? We—"

"I don't want you anymore," Hermione said, not meeting his eyes. "I'm bored by your stupid pranks and immaturity. You need to grow up, and until you do, I don't want anything to do with you."

Fred's stomach flipped, and his heart leapt to his throat. He took a step towards her and whispered, "You… you can't be serious… Hermione, I love you. You're my girl, and I—"

Hermione shook her head, her curls bouncing. "Just leave, Fred."

Fred had never known such agony before, and he wanted to think this was all just a terrible, terrible prank, but Hermione wasn't one to play such cruel jokes on people. One last time, Fred reached his hand out to touch Hermione, and she flinched away from him. That motion convinced him that she wasn't lying.

"Please, Hermione… Please, don't do this to us," he whispered, and the man stepped over to his side and placed his hand roughly on Fred's shoulder.

"Just leave already," he demanded.

Fred didn't even feel the tears streaming down his face as he stumbled backwards to the door. He kept his eyes on Hermione, willing her to look at him one last time. But she didn't.

Once the door swung shut in Fred's face, tears slipped down Hermione's face as the man walked towards her. His face elongated, and his brown hair changed to a dirty-blond. His thick frame turned slimmer, and his clothes seemed to hang off of him. He cupped her face and brought his mouth closer to hers, hovering before he planted a fierce kiss on her lips. She whimpered and tried to pull away, but the man held onto her face roughly, his nails digging into her soft skin.

When he pulled away, he smirked and said, "That was some good acting, duckie. Weasley really fell for it, huh?"

Hermione's heart broke at the devious glint in Scabior's eyes. Oh, how she hated him! He wasn't even attempting to kill anyone she loved. His plan was much more simple: alienate her from everyone she loved to make her look like the villain.

And he had succeeded. Fred must hate me now.

Hermione sobbed and said, "Please, I've done enough… Let my parents go, Scabior… Please! You've got your revenge, haven't you? Isn't this enough?"

"Duckie, this is just the beginning. I'm going to make you mine, and your parents will always be my bargaining chip," he said, chuckling darkly at the helpless look on her face. "And you can't even do anything to find them because I have them under a Fidelius!"

Hermione's shoulders trembled as she broke down crying. She didn't have any way of getting help from anyone, and by then, Fred must have told everyone what she'd done to him.

When the knock on the door sounded again, Hermione's heart double-flipped, hoping desperately that it was Fred. But when Scabior opened it, once again Transfigured into a thick, broad-shouldered young man, Hermione's shoulders slumped at the sight of George.

He was furious.

"How dare you cheat on Fred?" he roared, spit flying from his mouth. "I can't believe you'd do something like that to him! You're absolutely despicable and vile!"

Scabior sighed and said, "It's not her fault she's not in love with him anymore. Get off your high and mighty steed and smell the flowers. Tell your twin it's over and get out."

"Fred wants nothing to do with her anyway," George snapped, glowering at Scabior, who yawned dramatically and pointed at the door.

Hermione wanted to throw herself at George and plead with him to help her, to do something, but Scabior had his eyes firmly trained on her. Hermione couldn't reply, tears still spilling down her face. George glared at her, shook his fist at her before he stormed out of the flat.

"And now, it's just you and me," Scabior cooed, walking over to her.