Time and a Talk with Neville

(A/N Thanks to my reviewers. Thanks featherfinger, I didn't even realize I was blocking anonymous reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter!)

The rest of their Winter Vacation flew by. Hermionie stayed in bed the whole two weeks. She always had somebody in the room, and more often than not Fred was there. He was very worried about her. In the last few days Hermionie started to get a little bit stronger.

They were all back at the train station, heading to go back to school.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Weasley. You have been so kind and welcoming to me," Hermionie said as she hugged her.

"Sweetheart, you will always be family to us. Remember that we love you and nothing could ever change that," Mrs. Weasley told her.

"Thank you." With that, they all boarded the train and left. Though she was with her friends, Hermionie felt all alone. She pulled out parchment and a quill and began writing a letter.

Dear Fred,

You have been amazing to me. You are so caring, genuine, and kind; a perfect guy. But I think I just need to give this time and I need to be alone to think. I'm not sure that it is a good time for me to be in a relationship. I care about you so much I can't imagine anything happening to you, I don't know what I would do. But remember that I will always think of you and you will always be special to me.

Love Hermionie

She folded up the letter and addressed it to Fred Weasley.

"Harry, may I borrow Hedwig?" Hermionie asked quietly. He nodded and opened the cage. She spread out her wings, and then stuck out her foot. Hermionie gently tied the letter to her foot and she was gone with a flap of her wings.

Fred was sitting in the joke shop doing inventory, but kept getting distracted. Hedwig flew in the window and landed on the counter in front of him. He took the parchment off her leg. She stood there expectantly. He read the note carefully, then quickly wrote one back to Hermionie.

Hermionie,

I think we need to talk in person. Use Harry's Invisibility Cloak and meet me at the joke shop at 12 o'clock tonight.

Signed Fred

Fred attached the letter to Hedwig, but she didn't move. "Shoo," Fred muttered, but she proceeded to nip his finger. "Oh all right," he said, giving her a piece of food. Hedwig took off and headed back to Hogwarts.

Later that night, Hermionie wrapped the cloak around her and snuck to the joke shop. Fred was sitting behind the counter, looking extremely bored. She walked in and murmured a quiet hello. Fred got up quickly and gave her a hug. They stood there for a few moments, just rocking back and forth. Finally they broke apart. Fred lead her back into the back room were they sat at a small round table. They sat across from each other, just looking into the opposites' eyes. Finally Fred broke the silence.

"Hermionie, I think that we being apart would just make things harder for you. If you decided that we stayed together, I would be there for you. But even if you decided that we needed time apart, I would still support you. But I think that I could provide an escape for you. Just think about it."

Fred leaned over around the table and kissed her. At first she didn't know what to do, but then Hermionie pursued the kiss. He scooted his chair over to where she was sitting, while their lips were still interlocked. Slowly, Fred slid Hermionie into his lap. They sat embracing each other and Fred massaged her back while they passionately kissed. Unwillingly, Hermionie pulled away. She opened her eyes and looked at Fred.

"I know that you have all these feelings for me and I have them for you, but I still think I just need time," Hermionie said with a sad look in her eyes.

"Tell me you felt something. At least tell me that much," Fred pleaded.

"Fred, you know I did. I am just so confused right now, don't you understand that?" Fred nodded sadly. Hermione bid him goodnight and left for Hogwarts.

Hermionie crept back in the castle and went to her dormitory. The fire was crackling in the Common Room, so she folded her leg under her and sat down on the couch. She had so much to think about. She heard creaking on the stairs coming from the boy's dormitory. Hermionie looked up and saw Neville. She smiled at him.

"You couldn't sleep either?" he asked her. Hermionie shook her head. Neville came and sat on the couch next to her.

"Hermionie, I heard what happened to your parents and I'm really sorry," he said quietly. She nodded.

Hermionie thought that Neville would be a good person to talk to; he had a similar situation as her. "I just feel like I can't hold onto anybody, and that I'm too scared to try. You heard about Fred and I, right?" Neville nodded. "Well I ended it with him, but I didn't really want to, but I feel like I had to. I don't know what to do," Hermionie confided in him.

"Well I can relate to you. My parents don't even know who I am, but I've managed to get along. One thing I do know is that no parent would ever want you to be unhappy and to hold back from the things you can do. And you will always have your friends. The Weasleys are like a second family to you, embrace that." Neville said this all from his heart and it was good advice.

Hermionie took this to heart. The following week, the school would be going to Diagon Alley. She intended to talk to Fred then. In the mean time, she had studying to worry about. Hermionie tried to be happier and concentrated on her work, just like before. Though she was sad, Hermionie was taking Neville's advice, she knew that her parents would want her to be happy, so that's what she tried hard to do.

It was the day they went to Diagon Alley. Hermionie was anxious. They arrived and the professors went over the rules, but she wasn't listening. All she was thinking about was Fred. Finally they could go. Hermionie went straight to the Weasley's shop. She saw him and her heart jumped, her stomach tied. He was helping a customer and was giving them their change back. He looked up and saw Hermionie standing outside. They stood there, frozen in the moment of time. Hundreds of thoughts were running through their minds.

Hermionie slowly walked inside the door. Fred was looking at her like there was nothing else that mattered in the world, only her. She walked into the back room and Fred followed her, mesmerized. Hermionie turned around and closed the door. She got on the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gently placed his hands around her waist. Hermionie smiled at him, and then kissed him. The red-haired Weasley kissed her with a passion that went past his love for his family, the joke shop, and rivaled with his life. It was like you would see in a television film, how everything can go so wrong, but in the end they finally realize that everything happens for a reason and everything will work out. Fred slowly moved his hands up and down Hermionie's back. She smiled. Fred pulled apart, leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"I love you." He meant this with all his heart. Hermionie's heart throbbed.

She smiled and said, "I love you too, Fred Weasley." They walked over to the table to talk.

"I've been thinking," Fred said and paused. "I think that since you only have one term left in school, you will need somewhere to live. You should move in with me." Hermionie was shocked.

"I think that would be a good thing," she said and smiled up at him. Their relationship had been so unstable throughout the last eight months, but they both felt that this time it was going to work.

"I have another surprise for you," Fred said mischievously.

(A/N Haha If you want to see what happens…review!)