Disclaimer: Everything related to Harry Potter in this story is property of J.K Rowling and her publishers. I own nothing.
A/N: Well, it's been a long time since I last dabbled in the Fred and Hermione world, but I'm back with a story that I have enough inspiration for to actually write. It's a cute, relatively simple story that I think I should be able to finish relatively quickly. It's all already planned out, in relatively extensive detail, and it all fits nicely I think. I hope that you enjoy it.
Down with eyes romantic and stupid
Down with sighs and down with cupid
Brother let's stuff that dove
Down with love
-Down With Love, Michael Buble and Holly Palmer
"Everyday must end, but the night's our friend. Angels always send a star when you're alone," -Hook
Hermione sighed as she gazed around the garden. It was spring and the beautiful flowers were so full that they were nearly spilling out of their neatly planted beds. It looked as beautiful as it had the last time she had been in it, nearly two years ago.
She hadn't planned on having her wedding reception in the Weasley's backyard. She could never ask such a huge favor from someone as to host a party for nearly two hundred people, even if the Weasleys were like her second family. However, the minute she had mentioned to Mrs. Weasley that she had been looking at several outdoor locations for it Mrs. Weasley had said, "Nonsense dear. We'll have here." And that had been that.
It had been beautiful though. Hermione could close her eyes and remember every detail of the magnificent night. The Weasley boys had worked together to put up a large white canopy tent that took up much of the yard. All of the plants had been enchanted to shimmer in the moonlight and despite that fact that everywhere else in St. Ottery Catchpole it had rained that night, not a drop of it could be found on the Weasleys' property. There had been a band and a dance floor, and tables filled with family and friends. It had been one of the most amazing nights of Hermione's short life.
Hermione sat in a chair on the edge of the dance floor and watched as amusement as the boys strutted around the dance floor, 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag,' blaring in throughout the tent. Despite the fact that it was dark out and the lighting in the tent wasn't very bright, all of them were sporting darkly tinted sunglasses, leading Hermione to the conclusion that all of them had had a little bit to much to drink.
Hermione watched as her usually slightly shy husband made a fool of himself along with all six Weasley brothers, Harry, Lee Jordan, and his cousin Jamie. Hermione grinned as she watched, wondering how on earth, of all the people in the world, she had ended up with Oliver Wood.
Fred Weasley. That was how. Fred, George, and Oliver had been in a pub one night when Hermione had arrived with a friend of hers from work. She had seen Fred and George, but because she was still angry with them for a prank they had pulled on her several nights previously, she decided to ignore them. However, Fred and George had presumed she hadn't seen them and Fred decided it was the perfect opportunity to make some money at the expense of his friend. While Hermione hadn't been able to hear the conversation, she had later learned that Fred had bet Oliver that he couldn't get more than a dirty look from the "petite brunette" at the bar. Competitive to the bone, Oliver had taken the challenge and approached Hermione with the charming smile she would quickly come to love on his face.
"Hi, I'm Oliver," he had said. "Can I buy you drink?"
Hermione, knowing Fred and George far too well to not know what was going on had simply replied. "Can I kiss you?" And before Oliver could manage to sputter out a single word of response she had planted her lips on his. She pulled away and grinned at his shocked expression.
"So," she began, "Exactly how much money does Fred Weasley owe you?"
Oliver's jaw dropped even further before he finally laughed. Hermione craned her neck over her shoulder and waved and smiled at Fred and George who were also staring at her in shock. She laughed and turned back to Oliver.
"And are you still willing to buy me that drink?"
Of course, Oliver had been more that willing to still buy her the drink. Several days later Hermione had received an owl at work. It was from Oliver, asking her if she'd be interested in going out with him that Friday night. Hermione had accepted the date, and from there their relationship had grown for the next two years. On her 20th birthday, Oliver had proposed to her.
Hermione smiled. And here they were, six months later. Married.
As the song changed, several women rejoined their boyfriends and husbands on the dance floor. Harry and Ginny seemed oblivious to the fact that anyone else was in the room and Hermione wondered how it was that she was married before the two of them were.
Suddenly Hermione was surprised by the presence of her husband kneeling down before. He had pushed his sunglass up on his head so that it ruffled his hair in an adorable manner. Looking straight into her eyes, Oliver smiled widely as he sang along with the song playing, taking her hands into his.
'I can't see me loving nobody but you for my life. When you're with me baby the skies will be blue for all my life," he sang loudly before pulling her out of her chair and onto the dance floor. He held her close and continued to sing softly into her ear.
"I love you Hermione," he said softly.
"I love you too."
"We're going to be so happy together," he smiled.
And they had been. For nearly two whole years Hermione had been happier then she had ever been. But then everything had changed, and Hermione had had to face the truth that she and Oliver may not be together as long as she had anticipated. It had hit hard too.
"Oliver has cancer," Hermione said flatly when Harry sat down next to her.
Harry looked at her alarmed. "Cancer? Like muggle cancer?" he questioned.
"It's not just a muggle disease. Anyone can get it."
"But it's easily cured in the Wizarding world. Right?"
"Usually," Hermione said simply.
"Usually?"
Hermione took a deep breath. "In its most advanced stages, its done so much damage and spread so far that…that there's really nothing much that they can do, at least not quickly enough for it to matter. Usually though, its easy enough to catch before its to late. Whether its from abnormal skin markings, illness, or lumps…"
"Is Oliver's…"
"A few months ago I noticed a small lump on his abdomen. He told me he had taken a hard hit from a bludger to the stomach at practice the day before. There was some bruising around it, so I figured that was it. After that I pretty much forgot about it for a month or so. A couple of weeks ago I brought it up again. It had actually gotten a little bigger, and the bruising was mostly gone. Oliver admitted that he had been becoming concerned about it. He still thought it was a Quidditch injury, but was worried it wasn't getting the opportunity to heal with all of the hits he takes to the stomach from stopping the Quaffle. I made him an appointment with the mediwitch. I was at work when I got an owl from him asking me to come down to the doctor's office. Since we didn't think anything of the lump, it got a lot worse, and its spread."
"Hermione…Are you saying that…"
"Oliver's dying," Hermione answered the unasked question, tears coming to her eyes.
Harry was speechless, and Hermione didn't blame him. She had been too.
"They're giving him two months at the most," Hermione continued.
"Two months?" Harry exclaimed. "But…but he seems fine. He's been perfectly normal!"
Hermione shook her head, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes as they began to come faster. "He's been really tired lately, and his skins lost a lot of color. And he's lost a lot of weight. A lot of weight. It just all happened so gradually I didn't even notice…" She swabbed at her eyes again, but then found herself fighting back sobs. "How could I not have noticed Harry? How could I not have seen? How could I…. If I had just paid more attention…If I had just really looked at him…none of this would be happening. None of it."
Hermione cried freely as Harry pulled her into his arms. "Its not your fault Mione. Its not your fault."
Two months had been an over estimation and four days previously, exactly one month and two weeks after he had been diagnosed, Oliver had passed away. Hermione had been by his side that morning as he had slowly drifted into his final sleep He had held her hand tightly and whispered sweet "I love you" s until he took his last breath. Hermione had held in her tears until she saw his eyelids shut and she knew that she had seen his charismatic, sparkling brown eyes for the very last time. When his grasp on her hand loosened to nothing Hermione had thrown herself onto him and buried her head in his neck.
"You can't leave me," she had whispered through her tears. "You can't leave me behind. You can't. You can't leave me"
Hermione had still be in that position, clinging to Oliver when Ginny and Harry had arrived to have lunch, which Hermione had invited them over for the day before. She had heard Ginny's gasp as her two friends entered the room, and though she had desperately wanted to stay in her position forever, she hadn't fought when Harry gently pulled her off of the bed and guided her out of the room, his arms comfortingly around her. Before she knew what was happening, her parents, Oliver's parents, Ron, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had all arrived in her apartment, taking care of everything for her.
After the funeral, everyone was invited back to the Weasleys' for a reception. However, all of the people had been too much for Hermione and she had escaped to the garden, not realizing it would bring back so many memories.
Hermione took a deep breath. As sad as the memories made her, she couldn't cry if she wanted to. She'd cried herself dry at the funeral. Between the loss she'd felt when they had closed the casket and she realized she'd never see his face again, silently saying her final goodbyes as they lowered his coffin into the ground, and witnessing so many people she'd never seen cry before shed tears as they felt the same pain she was, Hermione had been a wreck all day, and now there were no more tears left for her to cry; just an overwhelming feeling of emptiness and loss that seemed to be eating her from the inside out.
"Too much for you in there?" Hermione heard a familiar voice ask from behind her. She turned to see Fred sitting down beside her on the garden bench.
"I know its selfish, but I miss him enough as it is without everybody telling me stories about him, or telling me how much they'll miss him or…or…anything else any of those people have to say. Whose idea was it anyway that people should throw parties after they bury their loved ones huh? Whoever decided that should be shot."
Her angry outburst did not seem to surprise Fred as he simply said, "I'm going to miss him too."
Hermione looked at Fred. He was one of the people she'd witnessed cry for the first time today. His tears had been steady and smooth as he listened to the service in total silence, taking in every word that was said.
"I feel…I feel like I died too. I feel like I'm dead, but I'm stuck here. I got left behind." Hermione took a long pause before saying, "I loved him so much. I love him so much… What am I going to do without him?"
Despite having thought she could cry no more, Hermione again felt the prickling of tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"That's why I'm never going to fall in love. It's completely over rated. Why put so much of yourself into another person when all you get in the end is memories that bring you to tears, heartache that actually causes you physical pain, and the feeling that you've died and are currently living in hell on earth, despite the fact that you're still surrounded by people who love and care about you. Why on earth does anyone fall in love? Down with love I say…"
Hermione felt the anger rising within her. How could Fred be so insensitive? How could he say such things to her? And now of all times! As much as she loved him sometimes she truly wanted to hit Fred Weasley.
Her anger must have shown in her face because all of a sudden Fred broke out into a grin and ruffled Hermione's hair with his hand.
Hermione's jaw dropped and she was about to yell at him…or maybe hit him, when all of a sudden she realized what he had done. She was no longer on the verge of tears and she was no longer thinking about how much she missed Oliver. The empty feeling had temporarily left her and for a moment the only emotion she had felt was anger.
Hermione stared at Fred for a moment in wonder at how well he seemed to know her sometimes, and then she did something she had been sure she'd never do again. She laughed. She shook her head at Fred and he grinned, a 'mission accomplished' look of satisfaction on his face.
For a long time the sat there in silence, both of them lost in thought.
It was Hermione who finally broke the silence as out of nowhere she announced, "I'm two months pregnant."
"Look at him," Fred said in a low voice to Hermione, who was sitting beside him on the couch, "It's disgusting."
"I don't know," Hermione said, resting her hand on her very large stomach, "I think its kind of cute."
"Cute? Cute? My brothers completely whipped," Fred exclaimed.
"He's in love!" Hermione shot back.
"Well if that's how you act when you're in love, then I'm never, I repeat, never, falling in love."
"Never?" Hermione questioned.
"Never. And if I ever try and say I'm in love, remind me that I, Fred Weasley, do not believe in falling in love. Down with love!"
Hermione laughed and shook her head at the man who in the short time since Oliver had passed had become by far her closest friend. She didn't know how, but Fred more that anyone else, seemed to really understand everything that she was going through, and for that she was truly grateful.
"Hermione!" Ginny called. "Why don't you open your presents now?
"Alright," Hermione answered back, and then began to struggle off of the sofa.
"Ah ah ah," Fred said pushing her back into her seat. "I'll get them and bring them to you. You stay put."
Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't contest.
As Fred returned with his arms full of gifts George laughed.
"And you called me whipped! Look at you…" he teased.
Fred didn't respond, and dumped all of the gifts down in front of Hermione.
"Ooo. Open mine first Mione," Ginny called. "Its from Harry too….but he didn't help pick it out, so really its not."
"Oh so you used your Gringotts key to pay for it?" Harry looked at Ginny.
"It's the thought that counts Harry. Anyway, I hope you like it Hermione"
Hermione laughed continuously as Fred commented on every gift that she received. In the end Hermione had more things for the baby than she could have ever dreamed of. The only problem was getting it all back to her apartment.
As if reading her mind, Fred had groaned and simply began gathering all of the bags of gifts into his arms.
Hermione smiled as Fred dropped all of her bags into the nursery that he has helped her paint the weekend before. He had also built the crib for her and secured the changing table to the wall. The weekend before that he had helped her move all of the junk she had previously been storing in the room that was now the nursery and had taken everything she didn't want any longer to donate to charity for her.
Hermione hugged Fred as he came back out of the room.
"What would I do without you?" she smiled as she asked.
" Get Ron and Harry to do all this work for you," he said, a small smile on his face. Hermione laughed and smiled back because she knew that he was right.
"Aahhh," Hermione screamed in pain, her hair and face drenched with perspiration.
"You're almost there, Mione. Your almost there," Fred said from her bedside, allowing her to squeeze his hand despite the amount of pain she was surely causing him.
"Fred?" Hermione asked, breathing as she recovered from her most recent contraction.
"Yeah?"
"If I ever say I'm falling in love again. Remind me of this moment right now. Tell me, "Hermione, remember all of that pain. Down with love!"
Fred chuckled. "I'll be sure to do that Mione."
Both Fred and Hermione looked up as the mediwitch came in to the room smiling.
"So how's mom doing?"
"Goo…" Hermione began but was suddenly cut off as the pain overcame her once
again.
The mediwitch lifted Hermione's hospital gown to examine her progress. When the contraction had passed the doctor looked back up and Hermione and Fred.
"I think it's time that we move you two into delivery. This little one's ready to meet his new family."
"It's a boy!" Hermione heard Fred tell her as she finally relaxed, exhausted from all of her hard work. She smiled widely and tried to catch her breath. She could hear her baby crying as the nurses took him to clean him up.
She craned her neck to see if she could see him but failed. Sighing she sat back against the bed.
"Is he cute?" Hermione asked Fred, suddenly very envious that he had seen her baby while she hadn't.
Fred laughed and wiped her sweaty, matted hair off of her forehead. "He's beautiful, Hermione," he said sincerely. And then suddenly, there he was. The nurse placed the tiny bundle in her arms. Hermione smiled as she discovered that she hadn't seen Oliver Wood's eyes for the last time on that horrible Sunday morning. They were right there, staring up at her.
"He is beautiful isn't he?" she said, not tearing her eyes away from her child to address Fred directly.
"What are you going to name him?"
"Oliver always said he wanted our first born to be named Sam, after Sam Bermund, his favorite Keeper when he was a kid. I always told him there was no way I was going to name my child after some Quidditch player. 'The world does not revolve around Quidditch,' I told him."
"So its Sam then?" Fred asked smiling.
Hermione looked up at Fred and smiled and then turned back to her son.
"Samuel Oliver Wood."
"Sorry I'm late," Fred said as he slid into the booth across from Hermione. She had Sam in his baby carrier sitting beside her as she glanced over the menu. "I got held up in a…in a meeting."
"Its alright. I only just got here myself."
"So what looks good?" Fred asked, picking up his menu.
"Everything," she said looking up. "Including you!" she grinned. Fred was much more dresses up than usual in a suit that she knew must have cost a fortune, with a charcoal dress shirt underneath and a dark green tie.
"Hermione are you interested in a job?" Fred asked unexpectedly, ignoring her comment.
" A job? I hadn't really thought about it."
"I know you don't need the money," Fred said. He was right. Between his Quidditch salary, endorsement deals, and other money he had earned here and there, Oliver had left Hermione enough money that she wouldn't have to work again in her life if she didn't want and could still live quite comfortably. "But I know how much you enjoy working." He was right again there. Hermione had missed her job since she had quit to have the baby. While she could have only left on maternity leave, Hermione knew that without Oliver there to help her with Sam, she could have never continued working like she had before he was born.
"What exactly is this job?"
"George and I need a new marketing manager."
"Fred I can't handle a job like that with Sam. Thank you for the offer but…"
"You don't think I considered Sam before I asked you? The hours are really flexible. You can bring Sam to work everyday and if you want you can hire someone to help you take care of him at the office. You'll have people working for you to do all of the real work. All you have to do is manage them… The pay is good and you'll practically be your own boss with me in charge…"
"I don't know Fred." It was tempting.
"Please Mione?" he begged. "You'll have your own office…"
Hermione sighed. "I suppose I could give it a try…" she said breaking out into a grin as Fred's eyes lit up in excitement.
"You're not going to regret it."
As they were leaving the restaurant, Hermione once again examined Fred's attire, and that's when it hit her.
"Fred?"
"Yes?"
"I thought George told me that you and he had found someone you thought would be good for the marketing job. I believe he described her as 'A really cute blond with really big…personality…'"
Fred simply glared sideways at her and loosened his tie from around his neck as an attempt to dress down his appearance.
Hermione smiled knowingly as they continued walking out of the restaurant, Fred mumbling under his breath "Down with love."
Hermione looked quizzically as Fred silently sat down beside her on the couch in her apartment. She checked her watch just to confirm that it was in fact midnight.
"Fred?" she asked tentatively, gently reaching out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.
He sat silent for a moment before saying miserably, "George is getting married."
"What?" Hermione exclaimed. "That's fantastic!"
"It is most certainly not fantastic!" Fred replied, aghast at the suggestion.
"And what, may I ask is so horrible about it?" Hermione demanded.
"Everything! He's not supposed to get married. Especially without consulting me!
He didn't even tell me that he was going to propose."
"So you're jealous?" Hermione asked.
"Jealous? Of what?"
"That George has a new partner in crime."
"It's not that. Things just…. I just…"
"Things are never going to be the same?" Hermione suggested.
"I know we'll always but twins, but from the beginning of time its always been
Fred and George, George and Fred, Gred and Forge, The Weasley Twins. We can't be The Weasley Twins with George being married."
"Of course you can!" Hermione told him forcefully.
"You think?" Fred looked at her hopefully.
"I don't think; I know," Hermione informed him.
Fred sighed and slouched down into the couch.
"George wants me to move out," he added onto his news.
"Why doesn't he move out?" Hermione questioned. That would seem to be the most sensible way of doing things.
"His name is on the lease to our apartment."
Hermione sighed and thought for a moment before an idea struck her. She cocked her head looking at Fred and paused for a moment until she said, "Why don't you move in with Sam and me?"
Fred looked up at her, surprised.
"We have the guest bedroom that you could have, and I mean, as long as you don't mind being woken up in the middle of the night…"
"No! Not at all!" he informed you. "But are you sure? I don't want to intrude."
"I'd really like it if you were here," Hermione said sincerely.
Fred grinned and glanced around the room. "When can I move in?"
Hermione laughed and threw her arms around Fred, pulling him into a hug. He returned the embrace and laughed as they separated.
"You know though Hermione, having such a handsome, secure man living with you may scare away the next love of your life should you ever find him and bring him home…" Fred teased.
Hermione smiled and threw her hands in the air saying "Bah! Down with love."
Both laughed before settling down on the couch, where they both fell asleep for the night.
A/N: I know I shouldn't be posting this when I have another story in progress that I owe an update on like whoa…..but whatever. I do what I want. :-p Haha. Hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think!