AU!

Written for Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

House: Thunderbird

Class: Career Planning

Task: 5. Healer/Doctor: hospital! AU

Bonus Prompts:

5. (location) St. Mungo's

7. (action) stealing

Word Count: 1366/4500

A Grave Situation

Fred whispered, "Please… don't get mad at me, okay?"

"Why would I —" Hermione's words got stuck in her throat when he slowly turned around to face her. Her eyes widened when she saw the stains of blood on his mouth. "Fred!"

The moment she felt the wards shift, she politely excused herself from Healer Tricia and began to walk towards the blood bank. She knew someone had breached the wards and wanted to steal the blood bags, but what could possess someone to want to do that?

When Hermione opened the door of the unilluminated room, she saw the silhouette of a tall man crouched beside a handful of blood bags. She gasped.

"What on earth is going on here?" she cried, pulling out her wand and pointing it at the man. "Whoever you are, raise your hands so I can see them!" Oh, I've always wanted to say that.

"It's not what it looks like, I swear!" the man cried, his back turned towards her.

"Wait… Fred? You're the one stealing blood from the bank every night? Why? What are you…" Hermione trailed off when she saw the small trail of blood on the ground. "Are you bleeding?"

He softly snickered under his breath, but he still didn't turn towards her. Hermione took a step towards him, and he suddenly stiffened. "Don't move, Hermione. Please."

"Fred, what are you even doing here? Are you hurt? Did you try to Apparate here?" Hermione ignored him and walked closer to him. "Turn around, and let me check on you."

"I know this is a hospital — and you're a qualified Healer — but I really don't need you to check on me," he hedged, but Hermione was adamant to see why he was bleeding. "I'm fine, Mione, I swear."

"No, turn around now, Frederick Weasley." Hermione didn't even know why he was hiding in St Mungo's blood bank, but she had to make sure he was all right.

Fred whispered, "Please… don't get mad at me, okay?"

"Why would I —" Hermione's words got stuck in her throat when he slowly turned around to face her. Her eyes widened when she saw the stains of blood on his mouth. "Fred!"

"I know, I know… I shouldn't be stealing blood from here —"

"You think? But I'm more concerned about that blood on your face!" Hermione cried, rushing up to his side. She didn't notice him stiffen at their proximity as she grabbed his arm and yanked him down.

"Wow, for someone your size, you're pretty strong," Fred muttered, his eyes dilating as he stared at her delicate fingers wrapped around his bicep. "Not just pretty. Beauty, brains and brawn — now that's what I call the perfect package."

"Don't distract me, Mister! Now, sit down and let me check on you," Hermione barked, her wand already in her hand.

Fred had no choice but to sit on the ground, and he gazed at her with something akin to hunger and desire. Ignoring his intense gaze, Hermione waved her wand over him and siphoned the blood from his clothes. She looked at his mouth and frowned.

"Granger… I —"

"Were you drinking the blood?" Hermione questioned, her brow furrowed with confusion. Fred hesitated for a few moments before he nodded his head, his gaze lowered to the ground. "Look at me."

When Fred looked up into her eyes, he didn't find the anger he had assumed he would see, but instead, her eyes shone with worry and concern. He whispered, "Hermione, there's something I need to tell you."

"You were bitten, weren't you? When did this happen? Why didn't you come to me? Why were you stealing the blood?" Hermione asked, getting more worried by the second.

Fred lowered his head and whispered, "I didn't want to worry anyone."

"Fred, I'm more worried that you could have been caught stealing blood. I don't care that you're a vampire," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Now, how about we get you out of here? I really don't want you to get caught. You can tell me how you turned into a vampire afterwards."

Fred blinked at her slowly. "You're not… mad at me? You won't go to your supervisors and —"

"How am I supposed to explain to my superiors that someone's been stealing blood from the blood bank, Fred? No one's even supposed to bypass those wards — only restricted personnel are allowed in there!"

"Georgie and I are really good at magic, aren't we?" He suddenly sounded more like himself, and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, but we'll talk about this later. Now, come on — and close your eyes," she said, taking him by his arm and leading him towards the door. "Fortunately, I've spent more than a decade with your brother and Harry, so I've learnt the proper way to create diversions."

"I'm offended you didn't learn anything from me."

"Oh, no, your pranks are very… loud. The distraction we're seeking at the moment needs to be small enough so we can get you out of here without anyone being the wiser."

"How will you explain the missing blood bags?"

"I'll think of something. I'm Hermione Granger, aren't I?" she teased, and Fred knew she was smiling up at him. He longed to open his eyes to gaze at her, but they were out in the hallway, and if anyone caught sight of his eyes, they would instantly recognize him as a vampire.

As Hermione led him through the hallways of the ancient hospital, she glanced at her wristwatch. Aware that the other Healers would head off home in a few minutes to rest before their next shift at St Mungo's Hospital, Hermione knew if she wanted to get Fred out of there without being seen, she only had the time frame of three minutes.

"Okay, Fred, here's what we're going to do," she murmured as she relayed her plan, and Fred smiled.

"You're the ma'am, boss — or should it be 'you're the bo—"

"No time to talk, Fred. Let's go." She dragged him into a storage closet near the Mediwitches' station and waited for the other Healers and Mediwitches to leave.

Fred's breath was ghostlike against the nape of her nape, and Hermione shuddered when he slowly wound his arms around her waist from behind. "Fred, what a—"

"You smell so… delectable," he whispered, pressing his nose against the side of her neck. "I could just sink my teeth into you."

"I'm not going to be your dinner, Frederick Weasley," Hermione hissed, wriggling around in his arms.

His laughter was light as he kissed her pulse. "Maybe I could make you dinner sometime."

"I just told you I don't want to be your dinner!"

"I didn't believe I would suck at asking you out, Hermione. I'm trying to ask you if you'd like to go for a drink. Or dinner. Or anything romantic."

Hermione groaned and said, "For one minute stop using your puns and just ask me out properly."

"Unfortunately, Mum's always said I can be a real pain in the neck," he said cheekily and winced when Hermione slapped his arm.

"Ask me out when we're outside," she grumbled, peeking through the slight gap between the door and the wall. "Okay, all clear! Let's go!"

To impress her, Fred tightened his hold on Hermione's waist and ran outside the hospital, using a little bit of his new vampire speed. Hermione rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes.

"Why didn't you just run away when I caught you?" she questioned him pointedly.

"What? And give up my chance to spend more time with you? Not a chance."

Hermione smiled, slightly embarrassed by his attention. "Oh… I'll see you later, then."

Before she could go back in, Fred grabbed her hand and said, "Hey, Hermione, you're just my type. Will you go out with me?"

"Sorry, Fred, but no." Fred's shoulders slumped in dejection at her response.

As she walked away, she turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him. She smirked and called out, "Better luck necks time."

Fred's mouth fell open at her joke, and he knew he was in love. Who cares if our Veasley Vampire Venom experiment didn't let me turn back to normal? Hermione's finally paying more attention to me! He beamed and whistled merrily, walking towards his joke shop to inform his twin.

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