A/N: Another chapter for all of you. Hope you enjoy! Much love- Bookworm
It turned out that the end of term wasn't the only thing that Hermione had to look forward to, as she quickly found out by spending time with Harry and Ron again, Harry was having nightmares. She reprimanded him for not continuing with his occlumency lessons as Dumbledore had instructed him to do, and he would roll his eyes and deny that he needed them. She would disagree and explain, again, why he did need them.
Harry, of course and like always, didn't listen to her. He continued to have nightmares, and eventually Hermione got tired of listening to him complain about what they meant.
"I just wish I knew what it meant.." Harry was saying one day, interrupting their homework again, and Hermione sighed as she snapped her book shut.
"Harry, either practice shielding your mind or just accept that you are going to keep having nightmares. Dumbledore obviously wanted you to practice, and I really don't see why you wont." She said, glaring at him.
"I told you, what if I see something like what happened to Mister Weasley?" Harry asked, and Hermione pressed her hands against her temple.
"Yes, but what if Voldemort figures out you can see some of what he sees, what if he uses it against you?" Hermione asked desperately, and Harry looked slightly uncomfortable at the prospect.
"I'll know." He said confidently, and Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Okay Harry." She said, opening her book and turning her attention back to her studies.
Hermione had been right, in fact it had been the very next night that they had flown to the ministry to save Sirius Black. He hadn't been there, his house elf had lied to Harry about him being home, and they had arrived in a seemingly empty Prophesy Room in the Department of Mysteries. It had all happened so fast, the Death Eaters arriving and attacking, then the Order coming to the rescue of the the teenagers. Even baiting Umbridge into the Forbidden Forrest to be carried off by Centaurs so that they could all sneak out of the school.
Hermione had been hit in the chest by some sort of curse, and she was in the hospital wing of Hogwarts until she was recovered. She was sitting up at the moment, ignoring the dull pain in her abdomen. She held a large book in her hands, reading it and taking notes at the same time. She was so engrossed in her book that she failed to notice a tall red-headed man walk into the Hospital Wing. She bit her lip, trying to understand a particularly complex method of potion brewing when she heard a throat clear. Her head snapped up and she brightened at who was standing before her.
"Fred!" She said, starting to stand, but he beat her to it and pushed her back into bed as he held her close, lowering himself onto the mattress next to her. "What are you doing here?" She asked, as they broke their embrace.
"You didn't expect me to just stay holed up in the shop while your here on your deathbed, did you?" He asked, grinning widely at her. "Why did you go?" He asked, his smile falling from his face as he became serious.
"I had to." She said, pleading with her eyes for him to understand, and he shook his head.
"You didn't. You don't have to be the hero all the time Hermione." He said gently, taking a hold of one of her hands and holding it gently. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her in concern.
"What?" She asked, reaching a hand out and using her thumb to smooth out the wrinkles he had formed in his forehead.
"You just can't… You can't keep putting yourself in danger for them." He said, and he sounded as though it hurt him to say it. Hermione looked down at her lap guiltily.
"I can't just let them go and get themselves killed." She said softly, and he shook his head with a sigh. He stood up and ran his hand roughly through his hair.
"I know that. I know that." He said as he began to pace the floor. "It's getting worse Hermione… Shops are closing left and right in Diagon Alley, even more after you lot broke into the ministry." He said "The Order… They think that they are fleeing the country. That Death Eaters have come out of hiding. You've seen the Prophet, you know that loads just escaped Azkaban." He said, gesturing to the paper that lay on a small table next to Hermione's bed.
"I know Fred." She said, and he looked at her hopelessly.
"So why?" He asked, and she took a deep breath.
"I have to help them." She said simply, and he shook his head. "I'm in danger anyway, I'm a muggle born Fred." She said, and he stared at her.
"I'm aware of that Hermione, but how am I supposed to know you're safe if you keep running off with my brother and Harry? You are going to get yourselves killed." He said, his voice raising with his anger. Hermione looked offended, and eyed him as he continued his pacing.
"Fred?" A voice asked, and Hermione looked up to see George standing in the doorway of the Hospital Wing. Fred stared at him for a moment before glancing at his girlfriend and walking out of the wing. George watched his twin leave before he came and sat in the chair next to Hermione's bed.
"Hello George." She said softly, mulling over everything that Fred had just said. George smiled and pulled a Chocolate Frog out of his pocket and handed it to her.
"Hello love." He said, pulling another out for himself and unwrapping it. He sighed at the first bite, swallowing before his eyes settled on Hermione. "Why is it always you three?" He asked, and Hermione let out a laugh, holding her abdomen as pain shot through it.
"I honestly have no idea George." She said, letting her head fall back onto the pillow behind her.
"He's just worried… He loves you." George said, and she nodded.
"He's right though, it's going to get worse, and I can't stop it." She said, thinking about how simple everything had been the year before Voldemort had returned.
"Stop helping, or stop it getting worse?" George asked for clarification, and Hermione glanced at him before settling her gaze on the ceiling.
"Both. I suppose." She said, and he nodded.
"I thought so." He said, stuffing the rest of the chocolate in his mouth. "What's going to happen now?" He asked her, and she shrugged.
"I have no idea. Umbridge is gone, so there's one thing." She said, feeling sleepy.
"Well good on you for getting rid of that sad excuse of a toad." George said, grinning encouragingly at him. She smiled back and nodded her thanks.
"Sirius is dead." She said somberly, and George nodded.
"It's hitting everyone really hard." He replied, and sudden realization dawned on her. Fred and George had loved that man. She shook her head sadly.
"It's just the beginning, isn't it?" She asked, and George looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.
"I think so." He said, and she let out a soft sigh.
Hermione, for the first time in a long time, was glad to be going home. She wanted to see her parents, and Fred had visited her while she was in the Hospital Wing, glum every time. She loved the man, but she was getting tired of him being mad at her. When she got home, she told her parents about Fred and George, how they had left school to start up a joke shop in Diagon Alley, and how her duties as Prefect had gone. She didn't say anything about Voldemort, nothing about the fight at the ministry, none of it. She never told her parents about the dangerous things that without fail transpired every year. She never told them about how dangerous the Wizarding World had become.
In fact, everything had almost slipped her mind when her mum suggested they go swimming one day, and had seen Hermione's purple scar peeking out from the swimming suit Hermione had thrown on.
"Hermione, what is that dear?" Her mum asked, gently pressing her finger against the colored flesh. Hermione hissed, it was still quite sensitive. She pulled away from her mother, who looked extremely worried.
"It's nothing mum." She said, she had hoped that she would never have to tell them everything that transpired in her world, knowing they would try to keep her from it.
"Hermione darling, why are you hiding it?" Her mum asked, and Hermione turned away from her, biting her lip as she searched her mind for an explanation.
"It's nothing mum, I tripped getting on the train the other day and fell onto a trunk. Its just a bruise." Hermione muttered, and her mother looked skeptical but nodded anyway. Hermione sighed as her mother walked away, she would need to get a different swimming suit.
Fred,
You haven't written me back. Why? School was out almost three weeks ago. Please Fred, talk to me. I hate that you're still mad. I'm going to the Burrow in a couple weeks, thought you should know since I'm sure your mum hasn't said anything to you. I'm sure she expects that you and I have been talking all summer. My mum and dad would love to meet you before I leave, maybe you could come fetch me and have dinner with them? Please write me back.
Love,
Hermione
She was fidgety the entire day, she had only heard back from Fred once, saying he would be here to get her around five, just in time for dinner with her parents. She double checked that she had all of her things packed, and practically fell down the stairs when she heard a knock on the door. She landed on the flat ground just in time to see her dad open the door to reveal a tall Weasley. It wasn't who she had been expecting however, and she stopped short when she saw her boyfriend's twin standing at the door, a bunch of flowers in his hand.
"Fred Weasley?" Her dad asked, extending a hand to George, who nodded.
"Pleasure to meet you sir." He said, and her father ushered him inside, telling them that dinner was nearly ready, before leaving them alone in the front entry. Hermione glared as she approached George and took the flowers.
"Where's Fred?" She hissed under her breath, and George pulled her into a hug.
"Pissed at our flat. He was feeling a bit nervous." He said in her ear, and Hermione groaned. The first time her parents met her boyfriend it wasn't even going to be him.
"He's in trouble." She said in a low voice, and George chuckled. He cleared his throat as her parents walked back into the entry way and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"It's so nice to see you love." He said, taking her hand awkwardly as she walked forward to introduce him properly. She held back the grimace that wanted to show on her face at holding the wrong twin's hand, and forced herself to smile.
"Mum, dad, this is Fred." She said, hating every word. They adored him of course, but it bothered Hermione greatly that they liked the wrong man. Of course he was acting Fred perfectly, to where when they really did meet him, they wouldn't be able to tell that they had been tricked. Hermione spent the entire meal staring down at her plate, only speaking if it became absolutely necessary. As soon as they finished the last bite, Hermione stood abruptly and cleared her throat.
"I'm so sorry mum and dad, but I just remembered, we are all going to the shop in the morning, the grand opening. So we really should be going." She said, and they nodded in understanding. When Hermione and George made it outside, and he held his arm out to her for side-along apparation, she glared at him.
"Take me to Fred." She said, and he nodded. They were pulled by the naval into nothingness, breaking all laws of Muggle physics with their magic. Hermione hated apparation, but it really was a great deal better than flying in her opinion. After only a moment, they landed inside a dimly lit flat, and Hermione saw a lump on the couch in front of her.
"Oh Fred." She sighed, kneeling down next to the sleeping man and brushing his red hair out of his face. She looked at him silently for a moment before shaking her head and standing.
"Are you alright?" George whispered, and she nodded.
"Can I just use the floo to get to the Burrow?" She also whispered, and he grabbed a pot off of the fireplace, offering the powder out to her. She grabbed a handful and glanced back at Fred one more time before she threw it in the flames, turning them green, and stepping into the fire.
"The Burrow!"