The Burrow Pt. 1

(Fred's POV)

My brothers and Ginny get off the train and we find mum waiting for us with open arms. We all talk to her about the school year on our way home. We get to the burrow and see that she made all our favorite foods. The feeling you get when your home is like no other. It's stands out from everywhere else. It's hard to replace that feeling you get when laying in your own bed or having your mum's home cooking. I race upstairs to drop off my stuff and take a quick shower. I wipe the condensation off the mirror and shake my wet hair. I brush my teeth and rinse my mouth. I take another glance in the mirror and smile. I walk back to my room and see George.

"It's cute seeing you all chipper over a girl mate," he smiled, flipping through an invention journal we had.

"Shut it," I laugh, walking over to my divider to change. I take off my towel and wipe the running water droplets off me. I put on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. I walk pass the divider and look up at George.

"How do I look?" I ask feeling extremely nervous all of the sudden. I'm not use to someone making me feel like this.

"Would give Lockhart a run for his money," he says looking up and then back down.

"Could you be more thrilled for me?" I said sarcastically, fixing my hair in the mirror.

"My first crush was a birthday cake, do you think that's weird?" He said, biting on a pen. I sigh and keep playing with my hair.

"Would you stop?" He said looking up annoyed. "You could be wearing a potato sack and she would still fancy you, it's about our charm brother. Why are you getting so worked up over a girl? Hermione no less? You known her for ages."

"I don't know, she just makes my brain go out of wack. I'm just a bit nervous, it feels different then before," I confess.

"Well, I'll go get us some of mum's special tea, should calm your nerves," he says, walking out of the door. I look at myself again and tuck my shaggy hair behind my ear. I walk to my bed and sit down, sliding my feet onto the bed. He comes back with the tea and hands me mine while he takes a sip of his.

"I feel like we're on the same page, I don't know why I still feel like the odds are against me," I say drinking the tea.

"There is nothing more stimulating than something where all odds goes against you," George replies sitting on his bed across from me. "She was secretly seeing Draco for bloody sake, I say your odds are pretty golden anyway."

"Thanks," I say sarcastically, finishing the tea. I start to feel relaxed and lay down. I start to feel drowsy. I'm usually so confident, I don't know what she has over me.

ZZzzzzZ.

I jolt awake from a deep sleep and look outside. Its black with all the stars suffocating the sky. I look over at George's bed and he is passed out with the journal on his face. Bollocks! I jump out of bed and check the clock by our closet. 1:45 am! I missed dinner with Hermione. I grab my jacket and take a quick look in the mirror. I steal the keys to my dad's Ford Anglia replacement. Unlike Ron I won't crash this one, so dad, you won't mind me borrowing it.

My heart feels like it's going to explode through my chest. I drove here to her parents house and I shouldn't have. What is wrong with you Freddie? Get your shit together Weasley. You're tangled up in her, she's making your mind insane. You can't go a day without messing something up. Stop talking to yourself, someone is going to see you and you'll be committed to St. Mungo's. I sigh to myself and look up at Hermione's window. I pick up a rock and throw it at the glass.

*tink*

*tink*

*tink*

"Freddie?" Hermione's mom said softly. I whip around and smile.

"Oh, hi Mrs. Granger fancy meeting you here, nearly scared the piss out me," I smile sheepishly, waving my hand.

"At 2 am no less," she smiles. "May I ask why you're throwing rocks at Hermione's window? She said she went to Draco's. Did she not tell you?"

"Draco's? Why?" I whisper too myself.

"I didn't hear you Fred?" Mrs. Granger asks.

"Oh, sorry. Ahhh, must have mixed up something, thank you. Have a pleasant night Mrs, Granger, sorry about the rocks," I fake smile, dropping the rest to the ground.

"She's usually not out this late, I made an exception for summer and she was excited to see that new shop. If you see her will you tell her to come home or at-least give us a ring?" She says and I nod my head yes. Mrs Granger turns to walk back inside and I hear the door shut.

New shop? My shop? There's no way she's with Draco, I don't believe it. I question the thought and I start to walk away until I see something red dripping from the trellis wall that was against her house. The trellis was filled with yellow and purple wild flowers and I noticed the random red splatters. I walk over and put my finger on the blood stained petal. I look up and see her window is cracked open.

Did she climb down this? Where is she? I look around.

*meow*

"Crooky old boy! What are you doing here?" I said, heart racing from the scare. I look down and go to pet him but he runs. He stops back to look at me. Curious.

"Ok well, you lead the way then," I say, pacing myself behind him. I start to feel uneasy in my stomach. We walk for a bit before I notice that Crookshanks is leading me to The Leaky Cauldron. He stops on the outside and looks up at me. He walks behind the Leaky Cauldron in a small, walled courtyard with a dustbin. I remember this entrance from when Hagrid showed it to us. I tap the brick and wait for it to reveal Diagon alley.

Crookshanks jumped on my shoulder and he just looked ahead. The street was very dark besides the faint light of each streetlight. I start walking and pull my wand out of my pocket. I see the Quality Quidditch Supply shop and then we get to the building George and I are trying to save to buy for our future joke shop. This is where I was going to take Hermione tonight. Crookshanks jumps off my shoulder and walks to the building. I walk behind him and see the door cracked. "Lumos," I whisper and the tip of my wand shines bright. I walk inside the store and I hear a moan. I look down and see very familiar curly brown hair, leaning against the wall.

"Hermione, are you ok?" I yell, racing over to her and kneeling down, heart sinking to my toes. I look at her face and see dark purple spreading all over. Her eye was so swollen it was the size of a bloated snitch. I tried to push a strand of blood stained hair back that was stuck to her lip and she winces.

"Take me to the Burrow," she said in a hoarse voice.

"My dad's car is at your place," I said softly, trying to remain calm. She just remains silent, she looked exhausted.

"Please," she said softly. "Draco's broom is right there," she slowly pointed to a shadow shape next to her.

"Did he do this?" I said angrily.

"Fred, please take me to the burrow," she pleaded, sounding tired.

"Okay, just hang tight ok?" I reassure her and then I grab the broom. I walk outside with her and mount the broom after sitting her behind me. "Hold on tight ok?" Crookshanks jumps on the broom in front of me and we head to the Burrow.

I fly to the Burrow and land as soft as I can on the ground buy our front door. Crookshanks jumps off the broom and I grab Hermione, wrapping her arms around my neck then lifting her up. I carry her inside and upstairs to my room. George isn't in his bed so I lay her down on it. I go downstairs and grab her some water and bring it back up. I grab some bruise removal paste that George and I had been working on that was down to perfection.

I hand her the water and lift her back against the pillow. Here drink this and let me dab this on your eye. It will be feeling and looking better within the hour.

"It is safe, isn't it?" She asked. I take off my jacket and throw it on the floor.

"Of course it is, don't you trust me," I smile. She smiles back and takes a drink of the water. She grabs her throat in pain. I look at her throat and she has a long narrow bruise across her entire throat, almost as dark as her eye. She leans in for me to put the cream on her eye. I softly dab it everywhere I see the bruises settling in. She occasionally winces but overall she is able to let me finish. I put paste lid on and set it on the nightstand.

"Thanks," she says softly, slightly smiling.

"Hermione," I start to say.

"There's blood on this shirt," she says softly, looking down at her shirt.

"Here," I say, taking off my shirt and handing it to her. She starts to take her shirt off but then drops her arms. "Here let me help you," I said. I grab her shirt and slowly take it off and then slowly put my shirt on her. Her skin was the softest I've ever felt.

"Thanks Fred,' she says, laying down on the pillow.

"Oh, your mother asked me to have you ring her, I will call her and let her know," I start to say.

"Don't tell her about my face," Hermione said sternly.

"What?" I question.

"Can you just tell her I'm staying the night here? Make up something?" She pleaded, looking pitiful with her eye. I stare at her concerned but then I sigh.

"Yes, I'll go call her now ok?" I agreed and walked down to the kitchen again. I grab our phone and ring her home.

"Yes?" Her mother answered after the first ring, thank Merlin it wasn't her dad.

"Hi Mrs. Granger, it's Fred Weasley." I say.

"Heavens, it's so late. Is Hermione okay?" She said worried.

"Turns out Hermione stopped over to visit my mother after Draco's. She fell asleep on our couch with our sister Ginny. Is it ok to have her ring you in the morning?" I say as convincing as I could.

"Of course, I'm just glad she's safe. Just have her ring us in the morning dear, thank you. Goodnight." She says relieved.

"Goodnight Mrs. Granger," I say, hanging up the phone. I go to the kitchen and make some hot tea and go back upstairs handing it to Hermione.

"This is mum's special blend, it should relieve your throat a little and might help you sleep." I say sitting down next to her. She takes a big drink before sitting it down. I look at her eye and it's starting to turn a light shade of purple already. She lays back down on the pillow and turns to her side. I pull the blanket up onto her and stand up. She grabs my arm.

"Can you sleep with me, please?" She asked, looking up at me.

"Of course," I say, touching her hand. I take off my shoes and lay down next to her. She takes my arm and wraps it around her and takes a deep sigh.

"Thank you Fred. I always feel safe at The Burrow and with you," she whispers softly before dozing off to sleep. I wait until she's fast asleep before trying to doze off. I hear a creak and turn around to see George grinning.

He mouths, "Nice," smiling, giving a thumbs off. I roll my eyes.

"Come here you twit," I whisper. He walks over and faces us, looking at Hermione.

"What in the bloody hell happened to her face?" He whispers.

"I'll explain later, I need you to do me a favor," I ask.

"What is it?" He says, looking concerned.

"I stole dad's ford," I start to say.

"Well, well, well, that's where it went, I was going to nick it myself," he whispered.

"Will you get the keys out of my back pocket and go grab it from Hermione's?" I ask. "Draco's broom is over in that corner, it's way faster than ours."

"Why do you have Draco's broom?" He questions, confused.

"Will you just go please?" I whispered impatiently.

"Don't be cheeky, I'll go get the car but I want answers tomorrow," he says, grabbing the keys from my pocket and then Draco's broom.

"Thanks," I say, watching him ride out our window. I look down out Hermione and she's still fast asleep. I pull her tight and then lay my head down close to hers.

Nox.