Chapter 14: Total Eclipse Of The Heart
Disclaimer: After all this time……still no.
A/N: Once again sorry this took so long………I honestly didn't even realize how long it had been.
Ron left the Burrow to stay at Harry's early Friday morning. Seeing the bride within 24 hours of the wedding was considered bad luck and Molly Weasley would have none of that. She had ushered Ron to the fireplace to Floo out before his eyes had even adjusted the the brightness of morning.
By noon the house was abuzz. Ginny was having Hermione put her signiture on the last few bills for the wedding and George hovered around them pondering aloud what pranks he and Fred would pull at the ceremony. This earned him a quite creative death threat from his only sister.
Charlie came into the living room not much later followed by Claire and Sarah.
No one in the family had been pleased when they'd been informed that Sarah would be attending the wedding. Charlie said he had accidentally let it slip that Fred didn't have a date, and that Sarah has presumed that he'd been asking if she would come along and escort him.
"Have you guys seen Fred?" Charlie asked the girls and George, who were now seated quietly on the sofa.
They all shook their heads. Hermione honestly didn't know where he was.
"He went out," George informed them.
"Out? Out where?" Charlie questioned.
"I don't know, just out. He needed to get away from the house."
"George is there something wrong with Fred?"
"Why would you say that?"
"He hasn't really been himself lately."
"He seems fine to me. Maybe he's just angry with you," George shifted his eyes toward Sarah for a moment.
"Stop trying to cover George. Something's wrong and you know what it is so spill."
"Why don't you just mind your own business Charlie?" George exclaimed, sounding annoyed by his brother's questions.
"George, I'm worried about him"
"Well don't be. He'll be fine."
Charlie was about to respond when Hermione let out a sob and dashed out of the room. George let out a helpless sigh as Charlie looked to Ginny for an explanation.
"Pre-wedding jitters," she attempted to lie. Charlie didn't buy it and the look on his from the look on his face he seemed to be calculating something.
"Ginny?" he asked. "Do you think you could show Claire and Sarah where they'll be sleeping?"
Ginny looked between her two brothers unsure of whether to leave them alone together, but ended up caving.
"Alright."
Once Ginny had Claire and Sarah upstairs George look at his older brother.
"Charles I know I like brotherly bonding moments as much as you but really, it was rude to kick the ladies out like that."
"I can't believe it took me so long to figure out," Charlie leaned back in a chair. He didn't seem angry.
"Figure what out?" George pretended to not know what his brother was talking about.
"There were a bunch of signs…"Charlie continued, ignoring George's act. "At the club that night, they did seem awfully close. Sarah's outburst just surprised me so much that I never really thought about it. And when I talked t Fred over the Floo they looked like a married couple…. then there was the kiss at Christmas…." Charlie reasoned.
"I'm sorry did you say something?" George pretended to be coming back to earth after zoning out.
"George just stop it," Charlie rolled his eyes. "How're they planning on telling Ron?" Charlie asked, concerned.
George's face took a serious expression, something Charlie wasn't used to seeing.
"They're not," he told him.
"Funny George," Charlie rolled his eyes again. "You expect me to believe that tomorrow afternoon…"
"Tomorrow afternoon Hermione is going to marry Ron," George interrupted, answering his brother's question before he could finish asking it.
"What?" Charlie exclaimed. "You're going to let our brother marry a girl not knowing she's had sex with our other brother?"
George let out a laugh that contained traces of bitterness. "If only it were that easy. Fred and Mione made a stupid mistake…she was lonely with Ron in France, Fred was the lonely bachelor…no strings attached, the fewer people that know, the better. Yet instead, I have to let Hermione marry Ron tomorrow, knowing that by doing so I'm not only betraying my little brother but I'm also letting the two people that might as well be the definition of love, throw away any chance they have of ever being together.
Charlie sighed and looked sympathetically at his brother.
"Are they really that serious?"
"Serious? Well we are talking about Fred here; I mean…" George grinned, unable to resist. "But yeah. They're serious."
"If that's true George then you can't let Hermione marry Ron tomorrow."
"And how exactly do you propose that he stop me?" Hermione reentered the room. "Don't you think, that if getting this all out into the open was really for the best, some one would have done it by now? Not just me, you could have done something George, or Harry, or Ginny…. or Fred." Hermione paused for a moment. "Hell, maybe this is what he actually wants.
"That's not true and you know it," a new voice sounded.
"Fred…" Hermione began, not needing to turn to see who it was.
"No Hermione. Don't even try because I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to stand here and let you convince yourself that I want you to spend the rest of your life with my little brother. That's exactly what you're trying to do and I refuse to let you."
Normally Fred's harsh tone would have brought Hermione to tears, but she was too exhausted to cry anymore.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. And you're right; I know it's not true." Fred seemed surprised by her quick apology. "I don't want to fight," she explained.
With that she left the room, but not before slipping a note into Fred's hand.
Fred couldn't help but grin as he watched her lave the room, and then unfolded the paper in his hand. He let out a small laugh as he confirmed what it was.
Fred-
I need you now tonight. And I need you more than ever. And if you'll only hold me tight .We'll be holding on forever .And we'll only be making it right Cause we'll never be wrong together .We can take it to the end of the line, your love is like a shadow on me all of the time .I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark, we're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks .I really need you tonight .Forever's gonna start tonight.
-Hermione
Hermione excused herself from dinner early and soon found herself in Fred's room, waiting on his bed for him to come upstairs.
She buried her face in the pillows, drowning herself in the comfort of his scent.
Suddenly she felt another body next to hers as arms reached out and pulled her closer.
A rush went through her body as she found herself in Fred's arms once again.
"Let's just stay here forever," Hermione said.
"No objections here," Fred replied.
There was nothing else to be said, so that's what they did. They stayed there in each other's arms, as they peacefully drifted to sleep.
A/N: Ahh. SO there we go. Finally another chapter. Did you like it? Well if not…….I think you'll definitely enjoy the next chapter. Do I hear wedding bells? Yup, you got it! Next Chapter…The Wedding. What will happen? Will Hermione marry Ron? Who knows! Actually……..I do, seeing that I've already written the next chapter. Only problem….it's not yet typed, and I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to do it. Hopefully sometime in the next week. Well look for that!
Love,
Bella
