A/N: Hey guys, im sorry its been so log, I hate going so long between chapters, and ive been meaning to write this for weeks, so please remain patient with me. My Charmione story is now complete, for anyone who might be interested in reading it. anyway, enjoy the new chapter! Much love- Bookworm
xxx So, a slight time jump. I didn't want to finish up Hermione's fourth year, I felt like it would be pointless, so welcome to summer and the train to fifth year!xxxx
"He did what?" Hermione asked the twins, her mouth open in surprise.
"Well, when we went to go see him at the hospital wing, he said he had tried to give it to Diggory's dad, but he wouldn't take it." George said.
"We didn't want to at first either, but he insisted." Fred added, nervously looking at his girlfriend.
"Well… what are you going to do with it?" Hermione asked them tentatively.
"Well, we talked about this a lot actually." George said, smiling widely.
"We are going to put some into mum and dad's vault, then we are going to get our own." Fred said, still looking nervously at Hermione.
"Since we are seventeen now." George added, and Fred nodded in agreement. "And once we are done with school…" George trailed off and looked at his twin to finish.
"Once your done with school what?" Hermione asked them apprehensively.
"Well… We've been talking a lot about what you said, about what to do after school. And we are going to start looking for a place to start our shop." Fred explained. Hermione looked at them both for a moment, thinking.
"I think it's brilliant." She said after a moment, and both of the boys – well they were men now really- perked up at her words.
"Really?" Fred asked, the excitement apparent in his voice.
"Yes really." She said, smiling at Fred. "You both make people so happy with what you make, and honestly, I think we will be needing that soon." She said, and at that last comment, the mood in the room became solemn.
"He's really back, isn't he?" George said softly, and Hermione gave him a sad smile.
"You know he is." She said, after all, they had all been swept away very quickly to what the had realized was a safehouse. Though she didn't like the fact that Harry wasn't here yet, as he was in more danger than the rest of them. She had helped Harry quite a bit with the last two tasks of the tournament, helping him practice spells, and for the second task, she really did try to help him.
Things after the second task were tense, as she had been taken as Victor's prize. Fred was quite angry about it, until she explained that she and him were friends at best, that there wasn't anyone else they had a choice of taking, since it was voluntary and everyone from Durmstrang had declined, on the grounds they wanted to see their champion win the task, not be a part of it. After the third task however, everyone was in shock. Exams were cancelled, and a few students were even pulled from school before the end of term.
Hermione had been careful to not tell her parents any of this, knowing that they would want to pull her from school permanently. She made sure to make this very clear to the Weasleys for when they came to collect her for the summer, so they didn't let anything slip on accident. As it was, her father was less than thrilled that she had a boyfriend that was two years ahead of her in school, though she gently reminded him that he was only a year and a half older than her, and after much reassurance that she would be kept in a separate room, only then did he allow her to spend the remainder of the summer with the Weasleys.
Dinner that night passed by extremely quickly, as there was an Order meeting after they had finished. Once again that night, the twins argued loudly with their mother about joining the Order.
"Mum, we are seventeen, we can help, even if we will be at school. We could keep an eye on that slimy git, make sure he really is on our side. We could recruit even." George said, Fred nodding along with him.
"If I have said it once, I have said it a hundred times, no." Molly said, and everyone around the table began to speed up their dinner, as she sounded extremely angry. "You are both in school, Dumbledore is there at Hogwarts, we don't need you lot getting yourselves into trouble trying to play heroes." She snapped at them, glaring. Fred opened his mouth, but caught sight of Hermione, who looked upset across from him. HE shut his mouth and studied his plate, most of the food was gone.
"Mum, may I be excused, I'm done." He said softly, and Molly's gaze softened at her son when she realized he was upset.
"Yes of course dear, why don't you go shower while you have the chance?" She asked, and he nodded before standing.
He took his mothers advice, and took a nice hot shower, which helped to clear his mind a bit. When he was done, he entered his room, expecting to see his twin, but only finding Hermione, who was sitting cross legged on his bed.
"Oh, hi." He said, looking at her apprehensively. "Hermione…" He said slowly, and she looked up at him, his heart thumped hard against his chest at the look in her eyes, she looked so.. sad. "Hermione… What's wrong?" He asked softly, sitting down next to her. She was silent for a moment before grabbing his hand gently.
"It's just… You and George, you have been arguing with your mum for weeks to join the Order. You want to, so badly. People had been hurt in the Order, people had died. Why are you both so anxious to join when it could get you killed?" She asked him, and he was stunned that she looked so calm.
"Hermione… So many more people are going to die if he isn't taken down. The world will fall apart. The Order is doing everything it can to prevent that, that's why I want to join. So maybe, we could have a better, a less dangerous life." Hermione stared at him, she somehow knew that when he had said "we" he had meant him and her, not him and George like it usually meant.
"But, if it makes you worry less, I will talk to George, and we will leave it alone until after we leave school." He said, and she nodded gratefully.
"Thank you Fred." She said, and he pulled her into a tight hug.
"Anything for you love." He muttered into her hair, and he really meant it. He would do absolutely anything for the girl that was in his arms.
Just a few days later, Harry was there, and shortly after, they were once again on their way to Hogwarts, though it had been a close call for Harry, after the whole business with the ministry. Hermione had been made a prefect, and she had just finished up her rounds on the train before finding Fred, George and Lee in their usual compartment.
"Oh yeah, we found the perfect place. Just needs a bit of work, and if we buy it, we wont need to worry about rent." George said to Lee, right as Hermione walked into the small compartment.
"What?" She asked, not sure what they were talking about.
"Oh… erm hi Mione." Lee said, Hermione looked at him with one eyebrow raised.
"Mione?" she asked. "That's my nickname, is it?" She inquired, sitting down next to Fred, who put an arm around her.
"Is that okay?" Lee asked, and she smiled.
"Sure." She said. "If you lot tell me what your talking about." She said, looking at the boys sitting around the compartment. Fred groaned.
"You caught that, did you? It was supposed to be a surprise, after everything was settled." He said, and she stared at him, waiting for a real answer. "Fine, alright. Well, when we all went to Diagon alley, George and I found a place for the shop. And it has a flat above it, so we could stay there too."
"Really? You found a place?" She asked, excited. He nodded and she pulled him into a gripping hug. "I'm so happy for you!" She said, kissing him. He responded enthusiastically, keeping her tight to him so that he could continue to kiss him until his twin smacked him on the back of his head.
"Oi, why don't you lot keep that for the broom cupboards?" He said as they broke apart, Hermione blushing deeply.
"Sorry." She said sheepishly. She sat with them as they spoke about the plans for the shop, until she had to go do her final rounds to let everyone know to get ready. She stood and pulled on her robes, the boys in the compartment taking her cue and doing the same. She pulled her boyfriend out of the compartment once they had pulled on their robes, and he walked with her as she did her rounds.
"I'm proud of you, you know that?" She said, as the train began to slow. He grinned at her and pulled her into an empty compartment. He pulled her to him and kissed her gently. He rest his forehead against hers, his eyes closed for a moment. When he opened them, she was smiling softly at him. The train was barely moving now, and she gently pulled away from him.
"I have to finish my rounds, you should meet up with the boys and head off, I'll see you for the feast." She said, going to the compartment door and sliding it open. "Save me a seat?" She said, shooting him a smile over her shoulder, and he grinned back. She exited the compartment and he followed. He went to head back to his twin, but quickly turned around.
"Hermione!" He called out, and she turned, finding him over the heads of the first years swarming around them. "I love you." He said, and he was relieved when a grin spread across her cheeks.
"About time!" She called out, making him laugh. "I love you too Fred, now go find your brother!" She said, turning once more and leaving him to happily find his way down the train.