Falling Shadows

What had been sunlit days had been replaced with an eerie walking daze.

Hermione woke up the morning after Dumbledore's Murder to the muffled cries of Lavender Brown who had thrown the door open and looked out her window down at the ground to see the carriage take Parvati and Padme home with their parents.

She had forgotten somethings though about these days. Chaos and uncertainty had landed in the castle the moment Snape threw Dumbledore from the top of the tower. Parvati and Padme weren't the first, nor where they the last to disappear before Breakfast or get tucked away before the elves brought dessert that evening. . The day after the murder, the Owl Post were littered with family owls with quickly written letters discussing a hushed, still-unknown-to-them future.

By the end of the week, a few of the younger students asked Hermione in the Common Room before they went to bed if it was true there was a wizarding school in the Americas and if it would be better to wade out the war there or go abroad to France.

"It'll be fine," she wanted to say, but the words never really seemed to form in her mouth. She tried to list some pros and cons about each school but always concluded with "Don't worry, Hogwarts will be whole again someday."

She just couldn't tell them what would happen before they reached that someday.

While whispers continued in some of the houses over whether to fight or fight, Hermione had been surprised by the daze that seemed to even have fallen on Slytherin House in the days following the murder. When they came up to the Dining Room and saw Professor Slughorn sitting in their former heads spot it seemed to confirm the rumors they had heard. For some it was a spell of shock. They had obviously been oblivious to the fact Snape was a sneak. Perhaps, Hermione supposed, they were blinded by house Loyalty to him. His betrayal, as well as the flight of Draco Malfoy seemed to cast a spell of denial and doubt among some of Slytherin House. In Draco's absence, Pansy Parkinson seemed to be trying to fill in for Draco among Slytherin , but the rule of the Queen Regent was short lived as neither Crabbe or Goyle seemed to follow her direction.

Time would rush in a blur and then it would slow again. Ministry Officials would file up and down the stairs to meet with McGonagall, Percy passing one afternoon without seeing her, Ron and Harry on the landing. Hermione thought she had seen Percy standing outside the Hospital Wing when she went to visit Fleur and Bill but he never seemed to get closer than a foot outside the door. Hermione knew he wasn't going to go in, but a part of her wished he did. Start the reconciliation sooner rather than later—then if something happened, if she failed, Molly Weasley would get a year of her family together again rather than a few short lived hours.

That had all been in the last week. The preparations had been made and she had come down from the castle with the rest of the school to the lake shore to attend Dumbledore's Funeral. She had sat sandwiched between Ron and Neville. In the morning sun as the mermaids sang their haunting shrill of a song, Hermione sat straight and tall, steeling herself so no tears betrayed her.

Last time she had cried. She had remembered the tears that fell in her lap. How Ron had put his arm around her and held her as she cried. It was in that moment she had realized what was going to be done. If truth was to be told, Hermione had been thinking about wiping her parents memories and sending them abroad since the poor Muggle Family had been attacked at the Quidditch World Cup. It was the last time, when Dumbledore died, Hermione determined that plan must be put in action for their sakes. If Dumbledore was still alive maybe she would have kept them here. Or at the very least, asked him to take care of the memories for her.

This time, her grief at the sorrow was different. This time she had gotten to say good-bye. What more, she had had almost a year extra time to prepare for the moment, for Dumbledore's departure. In some ways she wondered if they had squandered that time, with her arguments, her temper, the anger she hadn't realized she carried towards him from last time.

He knew what he was doing. He died believing he was putting Harry on the right path—the path that would lead to the horcruxes being destroyed. He died this time knowing that you had a thorough knowledge of the horcruxes. If anything, she told herself, he died knowing you would see Harry through it all.

It doesn't make it any easier though, she thought, watching the scene unfolding around her. The Centaurs had just launched their arrows. She leaned forward slightly and turned left, looking past Ron to see Harry talking to Ginny, and she knew, oh how she knew—what he was doing right then in that moment.

He was saving Ginny.

She had spent this night a year ago staying up all night in Ginny's dorm packing her trunk when Ginny confided in what happened at the funeral, how Harry had ended things. She had been pretty good about it, she had admitted when she told Hermione, but when she retold the story she seemed to have lost some of that strong bravado the Weasley's always put off in matters of the heart. Retelling the break up seemed to make it real.

Hermione hadn't know Harry was going to do this. So off guard, she listened to Harry's reasoning and she tried to support them, until she believed Harry had done the right thing. It didn't stop her for feeling heartbroken for her friend. Hermione at one point stopped packing and just walked over to hug Ginny until the tears came.

"He's doing this for you Gin. He wants to keep you alive and—and you know more than anyone how Voldemort will use people close to him. If he knew about the two of you—"

"It doesn't make it any easier," Ginny had said, wiping a stray tear. "A heart broken for a noble reason still hurts."

Last time, Hermione had just dismissed those words, and tried to comfort her friend.

This time, the words seemed to thunder in her head and she wondered if she too should follow Harry's example.

The spell of silence broke and the funeral ended. Some people were walking towards the marble tomb with flowers and other little trinkets to leave at the Headmaster's grave. She turned around, and that's when she saw him. Fred standing next to George, the two of them in matching Black Dragon skin jackets.

"A heart broken for a noble reason still hurts."

"Did you see where Harry went?" Ron asked, calling her out of her thoughts. Hermione turned and looked at him, "He uh—I think I saw him walking with the Minister. Scrimgeour probably thought this would be an easy place to talk to Harry. He has to know that he's been dodging him."

Ron tried to crank his head through the crowds but stopped and shook his head, "Good to know he's not as thick as Fudge," he offered. He turned to look at her, "Do you—Do you have any ideas what he's going to do next? He's been pretty quiet the last few days. At first I thought it was just because Dumbledore's died, but I almost think he's planning on doing something."

She folded her arms and looked back at the grave. " I think he's going to leave." She said simply, "I think he's going to leave Hogwarts and pick up where Dumbledore left off. He's going to keep looking for the Horcruxes. Especially now that we know the locket was a fake."

"You think he'll leave?" Ron asked flabbergasted. "But we have another year—"

"A lot of people can die in a year,"Hermione shrugged. "He's going to leave to make sure no one dies because he's hiding in a school. And—" she took in a breath and let it go as though she was letting go of everything she held dear with that breath "—and we're going with him."

"You're leaving school—are you barking?"he asked as though he had been hit by a bludger. Then he looked at her as though she had been the victim of the bludger attack. "Hermione—you love school—"

"It doesn't matter. Harry has to get the horcruxes, and he's going to need us to do it," she said matter-of-factly. "Come on Ron, You know we have to go with him."

He started to say something and then he stopped, and nodded, "You're sure about this?"

"I'm sure about Harry," she answered automatically, "I'm sure Harry's the one that can end this. And I—" she looked at Dumbledore's marble tomb, "—I know Dumbledore was sure about Harry too. If we can do this—get the horcruxes and kill Voldemort—that means this, all of this—" her hands motioned the now empty seats and dissipating crowd, "Won't be a common occurrence. Their won't be deaths every June, or people trying to put their worlds back together when walls crash down—"

Ron put his hand on her shoulder and she nearly gave herself whiplash turning her head to face him. "I'm sure about you. And if you say we can do this, we can" he answered. "Come on, lets go tell him. It looks like he's done with the Minister."

They started walking towards Harry and she noted that one of he black dragon skin jackets had been stealing glances of her and Ron. And if she had paid closer attention, she might have noticed their ears flushing ever so slightly.

((*))

An hour later, she was standing next to Dumbledore's tomb.

Hermione and Ron had just told Harry hours ago that they wouldn't be leaving him to fight Voldemort alone—that they would be going with him to hunt the Horcruxes. Harry had accepted it just as he had last time—nobly trying to break up with his friends the same way he had just broken up with Ginny.

But unlike with Ginny, he had relented, and disappeared back to the castle with Ron. They were talking about going to the kitchen, having a final send off in the Gryffindor Tower before they spent the night packing for tomorrows train.

She had said she'd be up there soon enough, she just wanted to be alone on the grounds for a little while longer.

Ron had asked if she was alright—if the funeral had upset her. It was one of those attentive moments he had. But she just smiled, shaking her head and saying she simply needed to say goodbye to Hogwarts and Dumbledore.

He didn't seem to buy her excuse, but he didn't press it either. He nodded and disappeared with Harry back to the castle as Hermione walked down the aisle of empty chairs to the Marble Tomb of Albus Dumbledore.

"I wish I had asked you the question I'm struggling with right now," Hermione said to the grave. It was silly, she thought, that she had spent her last conversation with Dumbledore on the question "How do you say good-bye?" She knew what Dumbledore's death would bring, and she hadn't thought of the logical path—the path Harry had thought with Ginny. She wondered if she would feel any better if she followed suit and break up with Fred—would that be enough to keep him safe? That's why Harry had broken up with Ginny—

If people knew about you and Fred, would they target him? She wondered. She knew the answer. A teeny, tiny shred of who she used to be knew the answer and seemed to be prodding it more and more. And it sent chills up and down her back.

They would.

She had sent her parents away for that reason. If they knew about Fred, there wasn't a shadow of doubt in her mind that they would come after him. One, because she cared for him, probably more so because he was a blood traitor and would become a leader in the resistance because of it. Or because of her.

Regardless, Fred Weasley would appear as though one of the Death Eater's worst nightmare. A Pureblood, who went against tradition and principle, loving a Mudblood— who would fight and kill other purebloods who threatened his abominable relationship.

Perhaps in trying to save him she was damning him all the more.

"What do I do Dumbledore," Hermione asked as the wind tossed her hair and matted it high, "What do you think I should do?"

Dumbledore would be happy to know there was more love in this world, some one had said that—Remus? Was it Remus—no, Mr. Weasley—either this time or last time.

But how can love be happy if it can lead people to their deaths?

"I think he'd say something about talking to yourself in public. Not a good sign," a familiar voice said, sneaking an arm around her waist, protection and warmth flooding through her as he did.

"Many people talk to themselves, its perfectly acceptable," she said looking up at Fred. She hadn't appreciated how good the dragon skin jacket looked on him when he stood so far away earlier this morning. Although she also thought it washed him out a bit— He looked pale against it.

She hadn't seen him since that night she had cried into his shirt. Mrs Weasley had said the twins were back running the store, trying to keep things normal while the wizarding world seemed to be on the brink of collapse.

She had been proud of him then, but had also had a moment of selfish greed where she wanted him to try and keep her in a sense of normality. A normality that had him in it. She wanted him to stay to chase away the demons she knew were coming.

You had thought that, and now you're thinking of breaking up with him. That's hardly normal Hermione, she chided herself.

"What are you thinking?" Fred asked, his gaze on the tomb now, not her. "I keep thinking that we have to do this on our own now and I—I can't shake that thought. I've tried and—we've done this before but it was just the DA and Umbridge—not us all against Voldemort—" he paused, catching himself. "But that's what I'm thinking. What are you thinking?"

She closed her eyes as she let the words leave her. "I'm thinking we should stop."

She could feel him take in a breath, and she knew he, like her, felt the world had just been torn from under them. His hand was still frozen around her. "Stop—stop what? Voldemort? I agree. Most ardently. Stop him dead."

A heart broken for noble reason still hurts.

"Fred—we need to stop," she interrupted, putting unnecessary emphasis on we. "Let's be practical," Hermione said looking up at him and noticing how his eyes had become hard, like stone walls. "I'm not coming back to Hogwarts. Harry has a mission and I need to go with him—if people know we're together, then they'll come after you when I leave. And I—I won't be there to keep my promise."She searched his face for a sign that he heard what she was saying. That this was registering. That he understood.

But obviously he hadn't.

"What do you mean you're not coming back to Hogwarts. Hogwarts is—" his hand flew off her back and he turned to point at the building. "Hermione, Hogwarts is your home. And you're going to leave? Before you finish your education?"

"You know how rich this is coming from you, don't you?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. "I don't think you're in the position to play Academic Counselor here."

"That's different—I" he paused, looking around. There were only a few people left, and they were a few hundred yards a way. He lowered his voice, "I wasn't you. I wasn't born with an encyclopedia in my head and an essay in my heart. You were. And—"

"Books!" She started, "Cleverness," her voice now cracked. "Fred, there's more than that. There's—There's Friendship. And that's something Harry needs. Friends who are going to be loyal and help him. He needs me."

"And I need you!" Fred burst, both hands rushing to his head. He took a few steps away, closer to the lake than the grave. "Hermione. I need you, don't you see that? I need you too. I—" he turned around now and the sight of him rocked her. Chills racking through her like she had been thrown into the lake and brought to surface in the storm.

"I need to know your safe. I need to know that you're not going to be tortured, killed and become a name in the Evening Prophet," he turned back to her, his hands gripping her shoulders, trying to steady himself. "We're better together. I'm better when I'm with you, and if something happened..."

"I can't just leave him," Hermione quipped back, "Is that what you would have me do? Just stand there and wave 'Good Luck' as he and Ron goes off to God knows where—"

"Ron's going too?" he asked, his eyes wide and his voice ripe with expression. " You expect me to just stand there and wave good luck as you, the Boy-Who-Lived and the Git-Who-Wants you goes off to God knows where—"

She huffed and looked at the grave. Here you go Dumbledore, here's what you left me with, she thought even though she knew quite well this was her own doing, not his.

"Fred—we're his family. I'm their sister," she said, something she had to say to a Weasley before. Reading the look on his face, she could see Fred believed her just as much as Ron had long ago.

"I saw the way he was talking to you after the funeral Hermione," Fred argued, his arms folded. "Trust me, Ron doesn't put his hand on Ginny's shoulder when he's having a quality brother moment."

"You know I don't care for either of them like that—"

"Then go after your seventh year," he started, "McGonagall's going to be Headmistress next year, she'll keep you safe. Just stay one more year, sit for your exams and then you can skip off with Ron for the latest Harry Potter and the deadly attempt to save the world or whatever it is he'll call it."

She put her hands against her temple and closed her eyes. This wasn't going how she had hoped. To be fair, none of this year had gone as she had hoped. You have to make him see Hermione—you have to let him know what's coming—

"Fred—What if McGonagall isn't headmistress?"she asked, opening eyes. She took a step towards the chair in front of him and looked up with pleading eyes. "What if the Ministry falls and Voldemort takes control. Do you really think he'll let the Deputy Headmistress whose a member of the Order of the Phoenix stay in charge of Hogwarts?"

Fred didn't say anything so she kept going, this time taking his hand in hers.

"They'll replace her with someone whose loyal to the Death Eaters. Muggleborns will start disappearing. Some will be tortured, other's will be sent away—either to Death Eater's Basement or to Azkaban. But I know too much—" she smiled, keeping it tight to stop her voice from cracking. "—I, Know too much. I know Harry. I know about the Order. They'll want me for questioning. They'll want to know where he is, what he's doing—and they can't know that. They can never know what Dumbledore's left for us to do."

His dropped to his knee in front of her, his hand squeezing hers, "Well, we'll hide you then. I'll hide you. I'll—"

"They'll kill you Fred," her voice stayed even time. "If we stay together Fred, they'll come after you," she took her free hand and brushed it against his cheek, "If we stay together they'll find out and they'll come after you and—I can't do that to your mother. To George—I can't do that to you."

She could see in his eyes he was falling apart. Maybe not falling, but tearing himself apart. When did she get this power over him? When had he given that to her?

"What if they don't know?" Fred asked, his voice low and horse, his eyes looking at the ground and then to her. "What if we keep this secret—until the end of the war. No one knows except you and me."

"We can hardly do that, Ginny—Harry, George they'll all know. I'm pretty sure Bill and Charlie do to," she said with a shadow of a smile, "We were never good about keeping each other a secret."

"Oh they do—but, we could tell them we broke up. That you dumped me to focus on the war. Harry just did that to Ginny. It wouldn't be farfetched," Fred said, a hopeful smile now playing on his lips.

"You think they'll buy that?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The family will. George—he might be harder to bring around."

She laughed darkly, looking down, "Then maybe we keep George on our side." She looked at him, guilt settling. "Are you ok with this?" Her hand rested on his shoulder and in the summer sun, had it been any other day, another other place, any other time—Hermione would have thought their last half hour had been nothing but a bad dream. He other hand brushed his hair lovingly; she knew she ought to stop him. The she needed to keep her reserve strong. But he was right—they were better together. Snape had forced her to say goodbye to Dumbledore, she wouldn't let Time make her say goodbye to Fred.

"Honestly," his voice was low, " Honestly I want nothing more than the world to know I love you. No matter how long or short we have left—but—" he looked at her "If this means I get to love you longer, then I'll take it."

((*))

Hermione had tried not to look longingly at the castle when they left that morning to go back to London.

She tried not to take her time loading up her trunk of her things. She tried not to get sentimental when Ginny came in to help her pack. They had a good cry when Ginny told her about Harry breaking up with her. Hermione wondered if now ought to be the moment she told Ginny that she had 'broken up' with Fred but she had stopped a head of herself- after all, she told herself, Ginny needed to have her full moment and she could have hers when she came to the Burrow for the wedding.

After Ginny went to bed, Hermione had crawled down and carved her name on the baseboard that ran under her four poster bed. So regardless of what happened, there would be proof that there once was a girl named Hermione Granger who belonged to Gryffindor House, who had once been happy and called the castle home.

Perhaps, when the war was over, she'd come back and erase the name with her wand. Or she'd add her and Fred's initials to it.

When she left Gryffindor Tower that morning, she tried once again to leave the wide-eyed school girl upstairs and come down the battle ready warrior she had been before. But it was a role she was struggling with, as she flipped through one of the restricted books Dumbledore had given her, the cover bewitched to look like a muggle classic.

"How soon do you think you'll be able to come to the Burrow?" Ron asked after they had been on the train for a few hours. "Sooner you come the sooner we can plan—"

"I'm going to do a few things with Mum and Dad first," Hermione lied, looking up from her book, smiling widly. "They—they know what's going on to some extent, Dad wants to do one of our usual Granger trips—kind of a last hurrah."

Ron nodded, and then started talking to Harry about possible hiding places for the horcruxes. She was grateful he hadn't been peppering her with questions or puppy eyes. She had worried he might take this opportunity to give her hell for disappearing with Fred on their way back to the Common Room the night Dumbledore died but Ginny had sworn for the umpteenth time last night Ron didn't notice until they were inside that she was gone, and even then they were only a few minutes behind them.

Hermione watched the countryside consumed in a green blur. It was only when the rain broke through the midlands that she felt the absolute loneliness of knowing her parents wouldn't be waiting for would be no Granger camping trips. There wouldn't be a trip to Brussels. No run away to Auntie Rose and Uncle John in Barcelona. None of the lies she had come up with over the last six months.

She would walk to the Essex Platform, wait for the train for a few minutes and then walk to the women's restroom and apparate to her house. She'd wait till later and then run to the store under a disillusionment charm, get a few things and get started on her preparations.

Just her, in that empty house.

But you won't be alone—Fred had told her so many times this term that he'd meet her at the train station. They had argued whether he'd take her to Essex or take her back to the shop, but he'd be there.

That is, until she left him at his Brother's wedding. Yesterday had made it obvious she wasn't going to be able to break up with him, she wasn't sure how he'd take to her suddenly disappearing as the Death Eaters crashed the wedding.

She found it funny he wasn't fond of the idea of her leaving, that he wanted her to go back to Hogwarts. He had made that perfectly clear. But he'd realize soon enough—and after that—

She remembered how he looked at her when they were in the Hospital Wing over Bill. It was as if he was waiting for something to swoop down and take her from him. As though he had expected to see her in the bed injured, not Bill.

"Hermione—come on, we're here," Harry said, nudging her, "Did you take one of those Daydream Fancies?" he asked with a smirk, "Fred make you a custom designed one?" he teased quietly as Ron lowered the overhangs.

"Shove off Potter," Hermione sighed, shaking her head and stretching. Crookshanks purred and also stretched, miming Hermione before jumping into Hermione's tote.

As they excited the Platform, Harry looked in the distance to the Dursleys who looked just as sour as Hermione remembered. The three of them were enveloped in Mrs Weasleys grasp while Mad Eye, Tonks and Remus kept a watchful guard.

"I'll see you soon," Harry said as Mad Eye summoned him to join him for a chat with his Aunt and Uncle, "Enjoy your summer," Hermione said weakly before hugging him.

"Have fun with Fred," Harry whispered and Hermione swat his head. Mrs Weasley looked appalled and Remus raised an eye brow. "Oh sorry, could have sworn there was a fly," Hermione said innocently.

He smirked and waved to both Hermione and Ron. Hermione did a double take of their entourage. Tonks. Remus. Mad Eye. Mr and Mrs Weasley—Bill and Fleur were absent—but so was Fred.

"Hermione where are your parents?" Mrs Weasley asked, Harry's absence turning all her attention towards her.

"Oh, they responded to my owl this morning—their secretary booked them all morning. I'm going to take the train down to Essex and I'll meet them there." She said, tugging at her tote over her shoulder and adjusting her trolley. "It leaves from Platform 4 in a few minutes, I best—"

"Don't be silly—with everything we've gone through let us take you ho—"

Before she could finish her phrase George arrived, running up the way, the maroon flaps of his work coat billowing in the wind. "Sorry I'm late, ready to go Hermione?"

You're not Fred. "Go—"

"Essex!" George smiled, although after his sprint it looked more like a wince, "I talked to Sherrie and she said she could get me in at 3, so we ought to leave now eh?"

Mrs Weasley looked suspiciously between the two of them. "George—what are you talking about?"

"Oh, well—" he tried standing up straight, still panting from the run. "Fred and I had been working on a summer sweet line but we might have tried too many samples and I've developed a bit of a toothache. Told Hermione at the funeral and she suggest I set something up with her parents," he shrugged as though this was the only logical solution. "So we dusted off our Muggle Studies book and made an appointment. Since I'm the braver twin I'm going to go first and see if Fred will be able to stomach the Dimtists."

"Dentist, George," Hermione laughed. She could see Molly struggling to accept this. She looked at Hermione and her fifth son as though trying to decide what level of deception they were engaged in.

"I can make you a tooth salve," Mrs Weasley offered, George folded his arms, "No—No Mother. Dad has his ducks, I have my dentists. And I'm about to be late for it."

Mr Weasley seemed to be beaming in adoration of his son's muggle preferences and Mrs Weasley continued to search their faces for a sign of betrayal. Ginny had turned to have a conversation with Luna and was trying to rope Ron unsuccessfully into joining them but he was like his mother, trying to look at the scene and identify what was wrong with this picture.

Best not give him something to go with—Hermione turned to Ron and gave him a hug, like she had with Harry. "See you soon," she said as she tried to part. She tried not to notice he his arms lingering around her as she clumsily broke away.

"We'll see you soon enough then Hermione dear," Mrs Weasley smiled, watching with eagle eyes as Hermione and George walked down the platform.

"So you fancy dentists?"Hermione asked George once they had set a bit of distance between the remaining Weasleys.

"Not as much as my younger brother seems to fancy you," George said firmly, "Best nip that in the bud before Freddie see's."

"Not a word," Hermione said firmly, although she knew George was right. "Speaking of Fred, where is he?"

"Said he had to take care of some things at the shop, he'll send an owl and see if he can come over later," he answered, "Trust me, he wanted to come but didn't want to slip up and let the family in on it."

So he's going to try—

His voice sounded a little testy when he said that, as though almost disapproving of her request. "You don't like how I'm trying to keep this secret, do you?"

"You should know by now, Weasley men are awful at secrets," George said, shaking his head and looking at Hermione kindly, "We don't like to keep them, and we don't like when their kept from us. I know your doing this to keep Ron from losing his temper, messing with Harry's whatever it is he's doing and whatever reasoning you gave Fred yesterday but I don't see where this ends well."

"You can say that again," Hermione mumbled under her breath.

She felt his arm go around her shoulders, "Don't worry Granger, I'll like you regardless of Ronnie's temper. But do try and be kind to Freddie. Truth be told, he's the creative twin and if you break his heart you might just break my business."

Hermione laughed, "Ever the sentimentalist you are."

"If you want sentimental you best look for a different family," George winked. "Come on, there's a broom closet up here we can apparate from."

"You're going to tell your brother you got me in a broom closet?" Hermione asked as she entered into the maintenance room.

"Of course, but the real question is which brother I tell."

((*))

The apparated into the front bushes. The little flowers falling down on George's shoulders as though he was returning a conquering hero. "I apparated us right in the protective barrier, we should be good—" Hermione said as she stepped out and dusted off her knees.

She looked up at her childhood home and it felt like a stranger's house. "Thanks for taking me home. I'll let you come up with the horror story for your mum."

"Do you have any of those goodie bags? Fred and I were thinking about coming up with some trick floss," he said with a gleam in his eye.

"I think there might be some inside, come along," Hermione said as she waved her wand. She hadn't said the incantation but noticed it was a jar.

"George" she said and motioned to the door. "I didn't do that."

George's smile seemed to die and he nodded, taking out his wand. "Stay behind me, if I say run—go."

"Here let me—Revelio—" and she felt it. The pulsing in her wand. Her eyes were wide and she turned to George, "Someone's in there."

"I mean it Hermione, if I tell you to leave you have to go. Apparate to the shop and let Fred know," George said but she shook her head, "Nice try Weasely, we're in this together" she said before walking into the house herself.

She smelt food coming from the kitchens. Something with oregano—and bread. Fresh Bread. If it wasn't for the fact that she was being lured to her death by bread sticks and a warm meal, Hermione would almost have thought her parents were home after all.

Perhaps the Death Eaters had adopted a new bait and lure technique. She looked at George and it was obvious he was having a similar thought. "Kitchen down the hall?" he asked and she nodded, "On your right."

He tip toed, wand extended before sneaking into the last room where the kitchen would be. Hermione followed until she heard the squabble and what sounded like clashing and sparks crackling. A crash of dishes and her grandmother's tea kettle sending a melody of discord across the house.

And then there was the thump. The Kind of thump that usually followed a body falling to the ground.

Not George—

She heard a pop and ran to the doorway, convinced that George had just been killed and his murder apparated out of the house. How was she going to tell Molly—Fred—that George was dead because of her?

She burst into the room, wand raised and billowed, the first spell she could think of. "Levicorpus."

Fred Weasley was suddenly lifted up into the air as a smile broke across his face.

"Surprise!" he cheered, still smiling, "Did you come up with this spell?" his body curled and swayed a little as he tried to grasp the invisible hook that had him pined in the air. "Its rather good-We could use it. Something for the over 17s."

Hermione took in the full scene. There was a table set for two. Take out from some Italian place sat ready in her blue mothers dishes, and in front of her was Fred Weasley, blood rushing to his head which was almost as red as his hair, merrily complementing her wand work.

"You did this for me?" she asked, "Nearly gave me a heart attack thinking George was being murdered and—"

His face fell and brow furrowed. "Oh, set me right and then yell at me, I can't focus upside down."

She flipped her wand and he came crashing down. Crookshanks looked down on them from the chair bemused, flicking his tail

"Of all the tricks—" she muttered, helping him up to his feet, "That was—without a doubt"

"—Hermione, it was only a—"

She kissed him. Soundly. A sudden warmth filling her as her head pounded as though she had been the one dangling in the air. His hand seemed to find its place in her hair, his thumb casually stroking a small circle behind her ear.

She knew somewhere in Diagon Alley, George was retelling the story to Lee, the two of them laughing and only imagining what Hermione was going to do Fred over this charade. She bet none of the scenarios ended with Hermione snogging Fred in her mothers kitchen, him lifting her on top of the counter top and she disheveling his collar before the two of them stopped and rested their foreheads against one another as they smiled like fools at one another.

"Welcome Home Hermione," Fred said, kissing her forehead as the afternoon sun split through the kitchen window, at last falling on Hermione's own several sunlit days.

AN: Surprise! 2 updates in as many weeks? Not shabby!

This was the 2nd half of Last Week's Chapter and... after nearly two years of writing... WE'RE OUT OF HOGWARTS (Oh Happy Day!).

So the break up... the most hesitant thing about this chapter, what I'm going to have nightmares over down the road is the "We need to stop"/Hermione breaking up with Fred. I honestly think that Hermione would have had this thought. That's why I put it in here-if she was in a relationship, I think our girl would worry the Death Eaters would try a Harry tactic on her. Our girl is smart and even on her best, most optimistic mindset would think "Hmm, I Bet the Death Eaters are going to try and make it difficult for everyone we leave behind" so to me its only natural Hermione would want to explore pulling a Potter and dumping a Weasley to save their lives. Just as its only Natural for Fred to throw a fit when he finds out Ron is coming...I'm excited to hear your thoughts about this...

Y'all, I cant begin to express how much your support means to me! Seriously, the reviews you give, your insights, etc. they are just what the doctor ordered somedays. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter...Work is starting to pick up with the holiday push. I'm going to try and get Chapter 33 out by the End of the Month, but we'll see.

Until next time, Raise a Glass to Freedom-KH