A/N
This chapter starts the drama, the serious drama that makes everyone want to cry or at least my BETA reader. You will be shocked at something during this chapter but I think you'll enjoy it. Also a relationship is on rocky waters next chapter, whose relationship? Just wait…
A/N
The Final Battle Trilogy Part One
"This is our last year at Hogwarts." Hermione said stepping off the train. She looked around and saw the big form of Hagrid ushering first years to the boats and the thestrals pulling the carriages and prefects helping younger students find where they were going.
"It seems like last year we were getting into those boats." Ron said watching as someone nearly fell into the lake and laughing as Hagrid broke a boat trying to save him.
"Nah, I've faced Voldemort too many times for only a year to have passed." Harry joked and at the look on Hermione's face added, "Just kidding." As he rolled his eyes. The three of them climbed into a carriage with Luna and Ginny and prepared for their final trip up to Hogwarts.
"I wish I had spent less time buried in books." Hermione gave them all a shy smile.
"I wish I had spent more time in books." Ron laughed.
"I wish I hadn't spent so much time in the hospital wing." Harry said and at the look he got from Hermione once again added, "Just joking."
"Lay off Mione, he's remembering what he did at Hogwarts." Ron said his voice full of laughter.
"Oh shut up." Hermione said looking out the window.
"Are you all right?' Ginny asked in a whisper.
"It doesn't bother you?" Hermione asked.
"What doesn't?" Ginny questioned looking at Hermione with concern etched in her features.
"Hearing them talk about all the times he could've died." Hermione said tears in her eyes.
"Of course it bothers me but Harry doesn't want to hear about how people are so worried and I've told him before that I am so why keep repeating it?" Ginny asked, "It seems rather tiresome doesn't it?"
"I guess so." Hermione agreed.
"And if he doesn't seem bothered about talking about it why should we they were his experiences." Ginny smiled reassuringly.
--
"This is our final sorting." Hermione said watching as Mcgonnagal led the first years up the row.
"Don't tell me every day you're going to say this is our last first day or our last second day or our last first class of the year or the ultimate, the last first plate at the welcome feast." Ron said rolling his eyes.
"I very well may and if you have a problem with that you don't have to hang out with me." Hermione said haughtily and listened as the sorting hat sang its song.
"That was weird." Hermione said as the sorting hat finished.
"What was?" Harry asked.
"Be prepared for it may not come when you think, casualties are on the brink…" Hermione repeated.
"It's warning us about death?" Ginny asked startled.
"It seems so." Hermione said and they watched her disappear into her own world as she started to think. The hat had given them warnings before but telling them death was on the brink…it didn't make sense and a couple of the teachers seemed just as confused as the sorting began.
"Hermione?" Harry waved a hand in front of her face.
"Hmm?" Hermione shook her head.
"The food's ready." Harry pointed out.
"Oh right." Hermione put something on her plate and with a smirk said, " I can't believe this is our last first plate at our last welcome feast." Hermione faked crying.
"Oh sod off." Ron said with a grin.
--
"See you guys in the morning." Hermione waved as she entered the heads room saying the password, "Fizzing Whizbees."
"Hello Miss Granger." Albus said standing up.
"Hi…hi Fred." Hermione said looking weirded out as she took a seat across from them at Dumbledore's insistence.
"Hey Mione." Fred smiled weakly.
"What's happening? What's wrong?" Hermione asked when she noticed that Fred wasn't his normal happy self.
"I'm afraid I have bad news." Albus said.
"What…" Hermione started.
"There were attacks today in many towns just outside of London it appears there was a destructive path they didn't want us picking up on but they stopped at a certain house after…destroying it and killing it's occupants." Albus explained.
"What does this have to do with me?" Hermione said worriedly.
"The last house they stopped at was 5811236 Waldon St." Albus said putting a hand on her knee.
"No…no…no…" Hermione's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm afraid so and it appears they were looking for you. We need extra protection placed on you during your stay at Hogwarts so we will be having an order member stay with you in Mr. Malfoy's dorm so you will have constant protection. They will be in the great hall when you are thought they don't have to sit with you and must sit in the back of all of your classes." Albus said trying to comfort her as he said this.
"So you're basically sticking me with some stranger who's probably stuck up and won't let me do anything fun…" Hermione started.
"If that's what you think of me you should have told me sooner." Fred cracked a joke.
"You're staying?" Hermione asked shakily.
"It was either me or George and he decided he would rather have a life so…" Fred said.
"You don't need to have someone tailing me." Hermione argued.
"It's for your protection dear." Albus said, "I have to go deal with Mr. Malfoy who is putting up quite a fuss over being stuck in a regular dorm during his head boy years, you should get some rest."
"Thank you sir." Hermione shook his hand.
"Miss granger the formality is pure show please call me Albus when not with others." Albus hugged her.
"Yes sir." Hermione said and Albus climbed the stairs carefully to Draco's room. Hermione sat back in her chair and closed her eyes tightly, this wasn't happening to her. Her parents were fine she had seen them, a week ago and no one had ever said anything about them being in any danger. This wasn't happening.
"I have to get out of here." Hermione stood up.
"I can't let you go alone." Fred argued standing as well.
"Then I'll just go upstairs." Hermione challenged.
"The passage is blocked for the year." Fred told her placing a hand on her shoulder.
"This is so not fair." Hermione yelled.
"No it's not but there isn't much you can do." Fred told her slowly.
"I just wish it hadn't happened to me." Hermione looked at him her eyes full of tears.
"I know I wish it hadn't happened to you either." Fred said and he hugged her tightly.
"Did they know they were in danger?" Hermione asked as they sat on the couch.
"Did the order know? They had suspicions because you were friends with Harry but no more than that." Fred told her honestly.
"So why didn't they do something?" Hermione asked.
"There were minor charms on the house but they couldn't tell your parents to stay locked up in their house." Fred explained.
"What charms were there?" Hermione asked.
"I only know that it was impossible to tell if your parents were home because of confuddlement charms other than that I don't know what they were." Fred patted her arm.
"We should go up to bed, it's late." Hermione stood up.
"Do you need anything. I have headache potion and dreamless sleep potion." Fred offered.
"I'm alright for now." Hermione said, "But thank you."
"No problem." Fred said and he smiled at her, he watched as she climbed the stairs and entered her dorm and he grabbed his trunk and headed up not long after. Walking into the room that was supposed to be Malfoy's he was not surprised that it had Slytherin decorating for the year. Clapping the room changed to Gryffindor colors at feeling more at ease he got ready for bed and sat down on the edge of his bed. Deciding to go make sure Hermione was all right he went to her door and knocked gently, "Mione?"
"Fred?" Hermione opened the door in sweats and a tank top.
"I was just wondering if you were okay." Fred said and added to himself, 'And I was also wondering how on earth you can manage to look so god damn hot in what would make most girls look sloppy.' Fred mentally smacked himself and regretted his thoughts. It wasn't as if he liked her or anything she was just really, really hot.
"I'm obviously not great but I think I'm okay now thanks." Hermione smiled lightly.
"Okay." Fred looked into her room and noticed a charms book and her wand sitting out on her bed, "You'll never find it. You can talk to Ginny tomorrow or we can go now." Fred stressed the word we.
"I just need someone to talk to." Hermione told him.
"Then let's go." Fred offered holding out his arm.
"She's probably asleep anyway and I couldn't go up the stairs alone." Hermione explained going into her room and sitting on her bed.
"Good point. You could talk to me." Fred suggested.
"I think it'll take me a little longer to get used to having you around then you think. Telling you everything about me on the first night might not be such a good idea." Hermione told him.
"I see. I'll let you get to sleep then and by the way I wish I could let you go but I can't." Fred told her regretfully.
"Thanks anyway." Hermione said and she put her stuff away reluctantly.
"See you in the morning." Fred shut her door and heard her get up to lock it.
--
Hermione lay down in her bed and thought about everything that had been revealed to her in the past hour. Not only had she been told of her parents death, she had been told that none other than a reluctant Fred Weasley would invade her privacy and space for the whole year. She couldn't go anywhere alone and he would even sit in on her classes! What would happen if none of this was resolved by the end of the year, would someone tail her after school too? You should be grateful it's someone you know, Hermione thought and with that rolled over and closed her eyes.
"Mione! Mione!" Harry called.
Hermione wanted to call back but she couldn't she was so afraid that one of the death eaters would come back.
"Mione!" Harry called.
"Harry I'm here." Hermione called hopefully.
"Mione!" Hermione watched as Harry looked around wildly trying to see her.
"Right here Harry." Hermione called from by the tree she was standing at.
"Mione. What are you doing?" Harry asked rushing to her.
"I don't want them to come back." Hermione whispered.
"They won't they're gone now come with me, we'll get back to Hogwarts." Harry promised and apparated them to Hogsmeade.
"Mione dear why did you do this to us?" Mrs. Granger asked, they were in an all white room.
"We trusted you to be a witch and not to let anything happen to us." Mr. Granger said.
"Mum! Dad!" Hermione called looking at them.
"You let us down we can't even look at you anymore." Mrs. Granger said and Hermione realized that to them she was invisible.
"I'm right here please. Don't you love me?" Hermione asked looking at them with wide eyes.
"No." They said simply and turned away.
"Please! Please don't! Nooooo!" Hermione yelled.
"Mione, Mione wake up!" Fred shook her.
"No please." Hermione said shaking with tears.
"Mione!" Fred shook her once more.
"Fred?" Her eyes snapped open.
"I'm here, it's me." Fred told her pulling her into a sitting position.
"I…my parents…" Hermione started.
"It was just a dream, just a bad dream." Fred said.
"It was so real…" Hermione started to sob.
"It's okay." Fred held her while she cried and they sat there until morning.
--
"Thank you." Hermione said in a small voice as she closed her door. She was tired and seeing as she was excused from classes for the day she figured she would put it to good use and do her yoga, then she would go back to figure out where the door was so she could break the charms. Hermione knew it was probably a fruitless job, but she needed to be able to see Ginny, Ron and Harry whenever she could.
"Mi?" Fred knocked on her door.
"It's open." Hermione called.
"What are you doing?" Fred asked looking at Hermione.
"Yoga." Hermione said flipping up so she was sitting upright.
"I see, Harry and Ron are here to see you while they're supposed to be at breakfast." Fred yelled down the stairs.
"I wasn't sure if you wanted to see…" Fred began but Hermione was already down the stairs. Fred took his time walking down the stairs and when he got there he was surprised to see Hermione in the arms of Harry and Ron crying. But what surprised him more was that he didn't like it amd he couldn't figure out why when he had seen them hug plenty of times before…