A/N: READ THIS VERY CAREFULLY, because I'm only going to say it once. There are only three reasons why I'm updating. One, the staff here still hasn't given me permission to just post an author's note only, so I have to in order to say this. Two, I'm too close to finishing. And three, the readers who have not harassed me. Yes, harass. I have been getting so many nasty reviews (even on my other stories) and messages that I've had to disable my PM and hide my email on my profile. I'm glad that there are so many people who like my story, I really am. But what you few who seem to have nothing better to do than bug me need to realize is I have a life which includes school, work, and friends. If I can't update constantly that does not give you license to bombard me with messages about how mean I'm being. In all honesty, it was only by the grace of a few kind readers that I didn't remove this story completely. I came very close, but they convinced me not to. I love this story, and I want to see it finished and have people enjoy it. But the kind of reaction I've been getting makes me want to just forget about it altogether. So I'm saying this, and I want everyone to pay close attention, if I get even ONE more review or PM saying I'm a horrible person for not updating or asking me why I haven't I will take this story down immediately and only those that haven't been tormenting me by filling my inbox with nonsense will get the remaining chapters. I hate to be this way, but I will not tolerate it any longer. There is no excuse for some of the comments I've gotten. The only reason for this and the ensuing chapters is those people who have been nothing but sweet and helpful during this story. So to recap-no reviews about this story on other stories of mine, no personal messages, and no emails asking me what my problem is or it WILL come down. Understood?
…………………
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
………………..
Everything and Nothing
…………………
"I look like a moldy grape." Hermione declared at her reflection.
"Better than a day-glow orange." Ginny muttered.
She, Ginny, and the other bridesmaids were assembled on the day of Fleur and Bill's wedding in the room the bride had assigned them to get ready.
Hermione was ridiculously relieved to see that she wasn't the only one who hated their dress. It was almost as is Fleur had chosen the colors that looked the worst on each girl on purpose. Plus the design made them all look ridiculous.
"You don't think Fleur wants us to look bad, do you ?" she asked Ginny quietly.
"Why would she want that?"
"So she looks the best." Hermione explained.
Enlightenment passed over Ginny's face and Hermione almost laughed at her expression of outrage. Then her face changed to one of approval. "It's brilliant of her." Hermione laughed at her interpretation and went back to staring at her reflection sullenly.
"Knock, knock." Fred called, opening the door. He had a hand clapped over his eyes and the other arm out in front of him to find his way. "Everybody decent in here?"
"Yeah, but uncovering your eyes will most likely cause uncontrollable fits of laughter." Ginny warned.
Fred uncovered and opened his eyes to take in his sister's appearance. "Yikes. Worse than I thought."
She stuck her tongue out at him and he turned to his wife. "You curse the bride yet?"
"No. But it's tempting." she confessed.
"Then I got here just in the nick of time." he said and pulled his wand from the inner pocket of his tux. There had been a heated debate over the ushers wearing them or dress robes and finally Fleur had won out.
"Fred Weasley, just what are you up to?" Hermione demanded, hands flying to her hips.
"Something which you will be very grateful for." he pointed his wand at Hermione and said a spell which instantly transformed her dress into a strapless knee length with a slightly full, but not poufy, skirt in a dusty blue color. Her hair, in Fleur's ordered curled updo was still there but no had tiny matching roses instead of the Scarlett O'Hara inspired wide brimmed hat.
"What do you think?" he asked, twirling her around to the mirror.
"It's beautiful." she said sincerely. "But Fleur will kill you."
"And Bill will help her if you make her upset today." Ginny added.
"Bill knows all about it." Fred told them.
"He let you do this?"
"Well, when I explained to him that Fleur might be upset when she sees her wedding pictures and are treated with a gallery of scowling, sulky bridesmaids, I convinced him that this was a good alternative." he explained, pointing his wand at Ginny and turning her orange frock into a deep green cut like Hermione's.
"But what will the bride say when she sees us?" one of the other bridesmaid's, a school friend of Fleur's named Hannah, asked.
"That's the beauty of the spell. Fleur, and whoever else likes the dresses she choose, like her mother, will still see them. Everyone else will see these." Fred grinned as he turned to Fleur's younger sister Gabrielle and changed her dress from a sickly green color to a deep rose pink.
"So Fleur will never know?" Hermione asked.
"Nope." Fred answered.
"And no one's gonna tell her?"
"Nope."
Hermione and Ginny both squealed in delight and launched themselves at Fred, kissing him on the cheeks.
"Well, if I'd known I was going to get this kind of a reaction…" he teased when the girls released him and Gabrielle hugged him tightly.
"I knew I kept you around for a reason." Hermione smiled up at him.
"You mean besides my devastatingly handsome good looks and my exceptional 'husbandly duties'?" he smirked.
Hermione blushed scarlet as the other girls giggled. "Just finish your job and get going before the bride to be finds you in here."
…………………
"Bill, I can't breath." Fred choked out as his older brother hugged him tightly.
Bill muttered an apology and released him only to sweep Hermione into a hug, lifting her off the ground and swinging her around. "I could never have done this without you two."
"Just go dance with your wife." Fred told him and Bill went straight over to Fleur, beaming like crazy.
Fred leaned back in his chair and Hermione settled in beside him as they watched the bride and groom dance around the floor. Fred wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she snuggled against him instinctively. "We did a good thing." she whispered.
"Yeah." he agreed, kissing the top of her head idly as he watched his older brother twirl his new bride around the room.
…………………
Ron was focused more on Fred and Hermione than on Bill and Fleur at the moment. He was standing at the far corner of the room, watching them as they continued to sit in a comfortable silence, snuggling away.
'Probably thinking about their own wedding.' he thought acidly. 'At least I didn't have to see that.'
"Hello Ronald." a voice said beside him, causing him to jump. He turned to see Luna beside him, looking quite lovely in a pale lavender colored dress.
"Hey Luna." he replied.
"It's a beautiful wedding." she said simply.
He nodded in agreement, his eyes returning to their previous place. He never noticed Luna's hurt expression as she wandered away.
…………………
"Care if I steal a dance?" George asked, coming up to Fred and Hermione, smiling broadly at his sister-in-law.
Hermione reached her hand up to him and he lead her out to the floor.
"You guys should be really proud." George said. Off Hermione's confused look he added, "Bill told me what you guys did to help them."
"You're not mad about not being in on the scheming?" she asked.
"Nah. It gave me lots of free time." she followed his gaze to where Alicia was dragging Fred out onto the floor.
"Hermione, about what you told me…"
"Don't. It's alright." she assured him.
Alicia suddenly stopped beside them, holding Fred by the wrist. "Hermione will you do something with him, he keeps stepping on my toes." she grinned.
George released Hermione and Fred took his place, spinning her off in the other direction.
"You're a great dancer. You did that on purpose." she said.
"Guilty."
The song change just them and they could hear Mrs. Weasley off to the side saying, "I told her this song was too sad to play at a wedding."
Hermione chuckled and settled her head against Fred's chest while he leaned his chin on top of her head. The opening notes to whatever song was playing was actually really pretty, and she wanted to listen.
"Turn down the lights
Turn down the bed
Turn down these voices
Inside my head
Lay down with me
Tell me no lies
Just hold me close
Don't patronize
Don't patronize me
Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel
Something it won't
Here in the dark
In these final hours
I will lay down my heart
I feel the power
But you won't
No you won't
Cause I can't make you love me
If you don't"
The mood around Fred and Hermione changed as they took I the lyrics around them
Off to the side, Ron was listening as well and began helping himself to the fire whiskey.
George was watching as his brother danced with Hermione slowly, the jubilant expression falling from his face as they turned slowly.
"I'll close my eyes
Then I won't see
The love you don't feel
When you're holding me
Morning will come
And I'll do what's right
Just give me till then
To give up this fight
And I will give up this fight
Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel
Something it won't
Here in the dark
In these final hours
I will lay down my heart
I feel the power
But you won't
No you won't
Cause I can't make you love me
If you don't"
Tears threatening to spill over, Hermione pulled back from Fred slowly. "Can we get out of here? I don't too great all of a sudden."
"Sure." he agreed. After that song he didn't particularly feel like staying either.
They said their goodbyes to the happy couple with forces smiles and apparated home. The air that hung around them was decidedly different from the one when Hermione had left earlier that day. Fleur had insisted the bridesmaids meet three hours before the ceremony to get ready and she had been in a great mood despite the dress.
She saw two suitcases sitting beside the door when they got back. They were Fred's, she recognized them immediately as the ones he'd taken Quidditch World Cup four years earlier.
"Going somewhere?"
"Well, I thought it would be a good idea if I go to the Burrow for awhile."
"You're leaving?" she asked in a small voice.
"I've imposed on you long enough. We agreed to end this when the wedding was over, so I'm giving you you're freedom back." he explained calmly. Inside however, he felt like his heart was splintering into a million pieces.
Hermione felt like she had just been punched in the stomach. But she couldn't let Fred know that. "You don't have to. It's your shop. I'll go stay with my parents or something."
"No, I want you to stay here. It will look more believable if people think you finally came to your senses and threw me out." he smiled weakly.
"Fred, don't." she whispered and hugged him loosely. He stroked her hair, fighting back the tears stinging his eyes.
They stayed that way for a while, until Fred pulled away and went over to pick his suitcases up.
That was the last straw for Hermione. The tears finally flowed over and she said in a choked voice, "Fred."
He turned back and saw the tears glistening on he cheeks and maybe something like hope shinning in her eyes. He put the luggage down and charged toward her, capturing her mouth swiftly in a heated kiss.
Instinctively, Hermione began pushing his tuxedo jacket off his shoulders as he worked on the cuffs of his dress shirt. Once done, he dove his hands into her hair, extracting it form it's elaborate style and sending flowers cascading down to the floor. She began tugging at his shirt, un-tucking it and sliding her hands underneath.
In one move, Fred bent and scooped her up, never breaking the contact from her lips. He walked slowly to the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him with his foot.
…………………
Hermione tried her best to be as silent as possible so she wouldn't wake Fred, even though she had put a silencing charm around the bed.
She took one final look at him, sleeping soundly on the bed they had been sharing for the better part of a year. She slipped her rings off her finger and laid them on the night table next to him, tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to leave, never wanted to not have him in her life. But she knew now that Fred was ready to move on. Tonight had just been a goodbye for him, nothing more. Sobs wracking her, body she made her way down the hall before she apparated out.
…………………
Mrs. Granger opedn the door at one o'clock to see Hermione standing on the front stoop, tears running down her face with a suitcase in each hand.
Honey, what happened?" she asked in alarm.
Unable to speak, Hermione set her bags on the ground and broke down in her mother's arms.
…………………
Fred woke due to an odd coldness enveloping the bed. He rolled over to find the source-Hermione was gone. He spied something glinting out of the corner of his eye and picked it up. Hermione's rings. Scanning the room, he saw that several drawers were ajar in the dresser and the closet door was open, revealing it to be half empty.
She left. He had been right the whole time. She didn't love him. He squeezed the rings in his hands before flinging them across the room
…………………
One Month Later…
Hermione was jolted awake with the intense desire to vomit.
She rushed to the bathroom and threw up probably everything she had eaten in her entire life. Or at least it felt that way. She sank onto the floor, holding her stomach. It felt like it was doing flip-flops.
She racked her brain trying to figure what she could have eaten or caught from someone. She went through the days in her head and then it hit her. A month.
Oh no.
