"What are you doing down here?" Fred asked Hermione, shutting one of her reference books. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I just can't sleep, Fred, it's stupid," Hermione muttered quickly. Fred kissed the side of her head. She didn't ask why he was down in the common room at eleven at night. She didn't realize the time.
"Nothing you do is stupid," Fred whispered. "Do you want me to help you relax?"
"I'm fine," Hermione said, writing some more on her Transfiguration essay. She pulled another book closer to her and leafed through it.
"You realize that it's perfectly alright if you're not?" Fred asked quietly. "I'm here either way."
She sighed and nudged his shoulder with her head, "You know, sometimes I think I don't deserve you."
"I take it back, you are stupid sometimes," whispered Fred, "You're the saint between the two of us."
"But you're always so happy," Hermione said, closing the rest of her books, "And I just... I drag you down."
"I want you to recognize that my birthday is in two days before you say another word," Fred said clearly, "And that if you think you can break up with me when you need me most, I'm going to send you to the loony wing of St. Mungos until you get your brain back."
"I was just thinking," Hermione mumbled.
"Hermione," Fred touched her cheek softly and turned her to look at him, "Nothing makes me happier than you. I would not trade you for anything. No matter what."
"I can feel him," Hermione whispered, "When I'm in the shower, or trying to sleep. I can't- I can hardly focus anymore, nothing makes sense! I don't understand why- how- how could anyone do that-"
"Come here," Fred pulled her into his arms. The only safe place left in the world. Where she could think. He kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to make this better."
"How?" Hermione asked. Fred held up a bead for her bracelet, this one a silver otter.
"Two wrongs don't make a right," Fred whispered, "But maybe one right can mask one wrong?"
"Are you saying that you won't attack him?" Hermione asked.
"That doesn't count as a wrong," answered Fred darkly. "What... What I'm saying, 'Mione, is that I want you to have a memory that drowns him out. So that whenever you feel trapped, you'll remember that you aren't, and you never will be again."
"Is this because you forgot Valentine's Day?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"Shut up, I did not," Fred laughed. "Come on."
He pulled her from the Common Room, which shouldn't have been as surprising as it was. She'd thought maybe they'd go up to his dorm... But surely Lee and George would be up there by now. They didn't go to their room either, which was also surprising. He pulled her to the Astronomy Tower, and she gasped. Candles floated by, the same way that they did in the Great Hall. A small quilt lay over the stone floor. Above them were the stars.
"Hermione, these are my distant relations," Fred grinned, pointing to them and kissing her cheek. He charmed shut the door and locked it.
"I love you," Hermione whispered, in awe. "This more than makes up for Valentine's-"
"I didn't forget!" Fred insisted with a chuckle, "Go sit down."
"How long have you had this planned?" Hermione asked, sitting with her legs crossed on the blanket.
"Since I forgot Valentine's Day," Fred sat beside her and kissed her.
"I knew it!" Hermione smiled, "But why tonight?"
"Well," Fred pulled his watch from his pocket, "If my timing is accurate... Look up!"
There was a streak of light above them.
"There's a star rain-" Fred's words were muffled by Hermione's lips against his. How was he so thoughtful all the time? And why did Wizards call meteor showers 'star rain'? Did they not know about space?!
Hermione's ability to think while kissing Fred was improving marginally but it hadn't that much. Fred cupped her face with his hand, teasing her lips with his tongue. Hermione had learned to really appreciate Fred's tongue.
She let herself go for a few moments. Then Fred touched the skin between her t-shirt and her pyjama bottoms.
Hermione cringed and pulled away, Sinclair and his rough hands filling her mind. "I'm sorry."
"It isn't your fault," Fred insisted. "Just... Just lay down and watch the star rain."
"Okay," Hermione nestled herself against Fred, laying back on his arm and watching the stars. She was far, far away from the dungeons. She was days away from the attack. She was with the man polar opposite to her attacker. She wasn't there. She was safe. She was with Fred. Of course she was safe. She kissed him again, softly at first. Somehow his reluctance sparked something in her. She needed to prove that she was alright. She was Hermione Granger, there was war coming, and she would face worse than Sinclair. She had to prove she was ready for that.
Her tongue goaded him into action, he touched a hand to her curly hair, moaning softly. She knew just how much he missed this. She missed it too. He touched a hand to her waist again. She pulled off his shirt, greedily running a hand over his torso.
Sinclair stared down at her, and Hermione yelped. No. Not real. Not real. Not real. Fred was real. Fred meant safe. She was safe. Fred was with her.
It was hard to convince herself. Fred backed off, not showing his disappointment. Hermione started crying, out of frustration more than anything.
"Fred?" She sniffled as she sat up and pulled her knees to her chest.
"What?"
"If I asked you to take my memories, would you?" Hermione whispered, staring up at the stars above her.
"You mean erase them?"
"Yes."
"That's letting him win," Fred took her hand, kissing her palm and each finger one at a time. "You're stronger than him. I know you are."
"But I wasn't," Hermione hung her head, her voice broken.
"Like it or not," Fred whispered, "It's part of you now. Harry is the boy who lost both his parents but pulled through alright, somehow. Ron is the one who can't stand spiders because I couldn't control my magic when I was little and angry. I have to live with that, you have to live with this. I'm not saying yours is as easy to forget about-"
"But it is Fred," Hermione said, meeting his eyes, "One word, one spell, and the whole thing is gone forever."
"But when you wonder why Tess or Williams are walking you to class, what do I tell you? How do I explain how you even met Tess? When you ask why Anita watches you to make sure you're safe, what do I say? Don't worry about it?" Fred shook his head, "You're Hermione fucking Granger, and maybe, someday, you'll be Hermione fucking Granger-Weasley, and I didn't mean to say that, but you can get through this."
"You'd want me to hyphenate?" Hermione scrunched up her nose.
"Isn't that just what Muggles do?" Fred caught himself with a deep breath, "We're getting off topic."
"How do you love me?" Hermione asked.
"It wasn't a choice," Fred said, intwining his hand with hers. "I can't stop myself. Everything you do, anything you do, it's like I have to be there, and when I'm not... When you aren't with me, it hurts."
"Really?"
"How can you love me?" Fred asked. "I'm... I'm horrible to everyone even if I don't know them, I've literally been the cause of some of Ron's nightmares-"
"You're funny, not mean, and it's their fault if they can't tell the difference," Hermione reassured him with a sigh, "Sometimes it can be hard to take you seriously and it's the best thing in the world and sometimes you're all here, serious as can be, and it's still the best thing in the world."
"Really?" Fred smirked and raised an eyebrow.
"I'd take your name," Hermione turned back toward the stars. "If I'm going to have bucket-loads of red headed kids, I may as well be an official Weasley."
Fred's grin was enormous. Hermione didn't need to look at him to see that. He pressed his smile into her hair, as if he was embarrassed by it.
Hermione didn't see the devious intent behind the smile, the plan already forming behind Fred's eyes. He would make that prediction come true if it was the very last thing he did. He slid his hand beneath Hermione's shirt and drew idle circles across her back. Hermione turned her head, leaning her cheek against his. His touch was so soft. His hands against her skin was more than just familiar, it was right. One right to mask one wrong, he'd said.
"I love you," Hermione murmured, kissing his cheek.
"I really like you," Fred kissed her nose, then her chin, "No... No I love you. Sorry, I just had to-"
Hermione kissed him, and his smirk melted into her lips. His hands sunk into her hair and it felt right, her shirt went over her head and it was right. She was Hermione Granger, bookworm and nerd and head of her class and rule follower, and he was Fred Weasley prank master and joker and class skipper and rule breaker, but nothing was more right than her bare skin against his with the stars hanging above them.
Hermione bit her lip against her treacherous voice. Fred grinned down at her, "Come on, you're cuter than you think."
"We're on the astronomy tower," Hermione murmured, "They could hear me in Hogsmeade if they were listening."
"I know," Fred said wickedly, trailing his kisses from her neck down to her breasts. Hermione moaned and pulled at his hair to make him stop. "What?"
"If we get caught-"
Fred smothered her protest with a kiss on her nose. "Silencing Charms, 'Mione. Trust me, no one can hear anything."
"You should've lead with that," Hermione kissed him, pulling him closer. He shifted slightly, brushing against her folds gently with a finger. Hermione stopped breathing for a few seconds. Then Fred lifted his head, "What are you doing?"
Fred winked, "Trust me."
Hermione wasn't sure if she was in love with Fred or his tongue.
.o0O0o.
Eyyy I have way to much energy today. Since the last chapter, I've been thinking, "Hey, I need to upload the next one," and the only catch is that I hadn't finished it until bout 8 hours ago, and I forgot about that every twenty minutes or so.
If anyone has any vengeance ideas, feel free to chime in. Knowing Fred the way we do, don't question for a second that it'll be a one and done affair.
Fandomqueen104: Good things come to those who wait. Also, I'm too lazy for WattPad
marvin1984: I think more people are Hufflepuffs than they think. I, for one, love Hufflepuffs, they're the friendliest people!
Guest: It's not like I can mind control people to make them review, it doesn't work over the computer. Snape is a wanker because Snape is a wanker. How's that for circular logic?! *screams at English teacher*
I'm a Nerd and Proud: *heart* *blows apologetic kiss*
Yeeeey: You have no idea how much the whole 'rape is hot' thing pisses me off. LIKE FUCK OFF AND STOP STABBING MY POOR HEART!
animelover5107: Oh yeah, I should have brought Umbridge into it... Nah, she's already the most hated character in the history of fiction.
Infernalbooks: It's hard for me to be objective about Snape. He was in love with Lily, but he wasn't willing to change, or even try to, for her *cough* James was *cough* or die for her *cough* James *cough* but he was willing to bully children who only wanted to learn and never let go of a woman who was never his in the first place.
StarGirlPotter: Tears guaranteed, and I suggest watching Murderofbirds' reaction on YouTube. His facial expressions resonate with me. Thank you for understanding, if I don't get something right about the aftermath or that sort of thing, call me out on it.
fanficti0naddict: I did that to show how quickly everything happens, how quickly everything just went wrong, how confusing the situation was, how frantic. I'm sorry if it was confusing to you, but it was a stylistic part done on purpose. That and I can't figure out how to do breaks without doing something that disrupts the flow horribly.
