The final day at the burrow was always one of Hermione's favourites. Being so organised she had her packing finished an hour after breakfast and had the rest of the day to spend enjoying the sunshine. Taking her new knitting project, Molly was teaching her how to improve at the calming skill, with her Hermione settled herself on the end of the burrow's wooden dock, dangling her feet into the cool pond water below. Shoals of tiny fish darted around in the deep water and small frogs rested on the wide green lily pads, basking in the glorious sunshine, to complete her environment of serenity.
Harry was next to finish his packing as he didn't have that many possessions so it never took him too long to round them all up. After being banished kindly by Molly for offering to help change the sheets ready for the twins, Molly was aware of how much housework Harry had to do at the Dursleys and always tried to minimise how much he helped out here to compensate, he joined Hermione outside. The pair discussed the work Dumbledore had for them, their fears and plans over the start of the war and how they expected the year ahead to go until Ginny came down to join them around midday.
Hermione watched as the two quidditch nuts darted around on their brooms above the pond and orchard, chasing a practise snitch. Ginny was a great seeker after a year playing on the house team but the chaser position was where her talents really lay, which was fairly obvious when Ron came to join in after lunch and the three flyers spent the rest of the afternoon playing niffler-in-the-middle with an old quaffle up in the sky while Hermione finished off the scarf she was working on.
Placing the completed magenta and yellow striped scarf on the land end of the dock, Hermione took a deep breath of evening summer air and rested back on her elbows. The warm breeze toyed with her curls, they were becoming less bushy and more like ringlets as she grew older and found a hair oil that matched her hair type. The strong heat of the afternoon sun had begun to fade and now Hermione was revelling in the cozy warmth of the early evening sun rays beating down on her bared skin.
She felt comfortable enough at her second home to not worry about judgements being made about her scar. As such, she was enjoying the last day of wearing a cami top rather than a t-shirt or school shirt that would cover her collarbone at all times. The top of her scar peaked out from the neckline at her cleavage and glittered purple in the sun.
Closing her eyes she focussed on the relaxing feel of the water swirling around her toes, the warmth of the sunshine on her skin and the sounds of her friends enjoying themselves up in the air which all lulled her into a delightful state of daydreaming. Letting her mind wander to the three boys she had some level of interest in, Hermione wasn't surprised to soon find herself imagining Fred's signature scent of freshly mown grass and fireworks.
Except she wasn't imagining it and before she had even opened her eyes Fred had crept up behind her and tackled her off the end of the dock. Floundering in his arms as they sunk under the water to bring them back up, Hermione spluttered as they broke the surface of the water and took a deep breath each. Fred's infectious laughter rumbled against her chest and she couldn't help but smile back at the attractive redhead who had been the main focus of her daydreams.
"Hello love" he grinned at her, his arms wound tightly around her waist and her hands settled on his shoulders, keeping her head above water.
"This is hello now is it? Pushing me into the pond?" Her sassy eyebrow raise stirred the desire Fred always felt around her.
A strangled "Uhuh" was all he could say as she wrapped her legs around his waist and hitched herself higher out of the water.
"Feeling talkative today are we?" She teased, brushing her now wet curls out of her face.
Fred's hands slid down from their place on her waist to cup the backs of her thighs, his tall stature allowing him to just stand on the bottom of the pond without his head going under when near the dock. Desire swirled inside Hermione but knowing that she was heading back to school tomorrow and that the womaniser who was currently between her legs wouldn't be going back with her quelled her motivation to act on that desire and she took a few deep steadying breaths.
As her chest rose and fell with her deep breathing Fred's eye was drawn to the cleavage so close to his face, her soaked cami top clung to her breasts and Fred's mind raced back to the times he had seen those breasts naked. As his mind replayed the first time he had made her orgasm with his tongue swirling around one nipple he felt Hermione pull away. Before his foggy brain had fully registered her disappearance she was sat back on the dock, cross legged and wringing out her hair.
A few tears dripped down her still damp cheeks and she arranged her long hair over the front of her right shoulder, hiding the purple scar.
"What's wrong, love?" Fred enquired, his muscles bulging as he pulled himself up onto the dock beside her.
She sniffed and pulled at her hair, ensuring no part of her scar was visible. Of course Fred wouldn't find her attractive enough now that her skin was tarnished.
"I'm sorry if my staring made you uncomfortable. I got distracted by the memories but you ended our arrangement and I should never have presumed that you were still happy with me looking at you that way." He apologized sincerely, finding her hand with his own and tracing nonsense patterns against the soft skin of her palm.
"Of all people I should have known you'd care." She huffed misunderstanding his words as she was stuck on the fact that he must have been staring at her scar in repulsion. "Fred Weasley, the heart throb of Hogwarts. The guy who every girl fawned over and who only ever chose the most beautiful. I was pushing my luck with you last year, I should have realised you'd be done with me now I'm damaged, now I have such an ugly scar."
And with that Hermione jumped to her feet, collected her knitting and legged it back to the house, tears streaming down her face as her feet pounded the grass, the patio, the cool tiles of the kitchen floor, the squeaky wooden stairs and finally the softly carpeted floor of her and Ginny's room. She couldn't use magic yet outside school so was unable to lock the door in prevention of Fred following her.
"Mione. I'm so, so sorry. I wasn't even looking at your scar." Fred spoke gently as he sat down beside her on the bed, his hands in his lap and head hanging. "I should have been though, I should have been checking your healing, admiring your bravery, marvelling at how incredible you are. Your scar signifies so many of your wonderful traits but I was a stupid boy who got distracted by your boobs. Pathetic aren't I?"
"You weren't being repulsed by my scar?" She asked in surprise.
"Never. Hermione, I promise there will never be a battle scar on your body that would do anything but make me more attracted to you." The vulnerability in Fred's eyes as he spoke broke Hermione's resolve and she was suddenly very glad that he had closed the bedroom door after entering.
Throwing her arms around his neck Hermione crashed her lips against Fred's and immediately he was kissing her back. The kiss sparked with passion and they each drowned in the touch of the one they loved but thought would never return the sentiment.
Fred's fingers played at the hem of her top and their tongues tangled together within seconds. Oh how he'd missed snogging this incredible witch. At Hermione's encouraging arching of her back Fred tore the pond soaked cotton over the top of her head. Their lips crashed back together in need. Hermione's hands slipped under the back of Fred's own wet top and her nails dug into the firm muscles as Fred's mouth left hers, creating a fiery trail of open mouthed kisses down the throat.
Fred leant back slowly to admire Hermione's almost bare torso. His desire and appreciation so evident across his face that Hermione's doubts melted away.
"Mione, you are incredible." He gazed into her eyes as he spoke, willing her to see how true his statement was. His fingers ghosted over the purple line of her scar "May I?"
A single nod from Hermione and Fred slowly begin to trail her scar with his fingers, his lips reverently lowered to the top end of the shimmering, dark purple streak.
"This scar, it shows me that you are strong. Brave. Daring. Loyal." Fred punctuated each word with a worshiping kiss, moving down the line through the valley between her bikini covered breasts and finally ending at her lower left rib "Intelligent. Powerful. Fierce. Ruthless. Feisty. Terrifying. Strong-willed. Audacious."
Hermione keened under his adoring touch and words, becoming so lost in the sensations that she barely noticed the creak of the staircase outside the room.
"Fred." She forced out breathily "Freddie stop."
His lips hovered over her shivering abdomen as they listened to the footsteps grow nearer.