Chapter 32: Gryffindor courage

5th of October 1999

It had been a long night for Hermione and the Weasleys but at the end of it, Fred and George looked at her with glowing, happy faces and pulled her into a firm hug. Hermione knew then that they would be alright. Still, the evening had given her a lot to think about because it had made one thing clear to her: she definitely had some feelings for the Prewett twins and she was pretty sure it wasn't just a recent thing. When she thought about it, it was even possible that the two of them returned her feelings because when she went through the last encounters she had had with Fabian and Gideon, she could feel something simmering beneath the surface. But was it love? Or was it just deep friendship like it was with Severus? Hermione didn't know but she had to find out because for her it was definitely more. But if she was honest with herself, the realisation slightly scared her. It was one thing to fall for a man that was almost twice her age and had most likely a multitude of knowledge and experiences, but to fall for two of them? Merlin!
Although her head was spinning with thoughts and realisations, the night was still a peaceful one thanks to Severus' brewing skills. She had only taken dreamless sleep a few times prior, but the potion he had created for her, was just as good and not addictive in any way, as he had repeatedly assured her. Thus allowing her to regain all the hours of sleep she had lost during the last weeks and clear her head by sorting through all the regained memories and everything she had learned in the last weeks. One thing got more and more clear over the process: Fabian and Gideon were an important part of her life now and she wanted to get closer to them again. Time for her to summon all of her Gryffindor courage, Hermione thought, as she swung her legs out of her bed and trotted to the small desk at the window. It only took her a few minutes to finish the short letter and send Severus' owl on her way to them. Then it was time for her to wait and Hermione realized that she had never been as impatient as she felt right now.

It was about five in the afternoon when Hermione floo'd into Fabian's and Gideon's living room. The twins already seemed to be expecting her, as both of them lounged on the sofa with a book in hand and their feet crossing each other in the middle. But as soon as they heard her arrive, their heads snapped to her direction and they looked at her with identical happy expressions on their faces.
"Hello sunshine," Fabian greeted her and put his book aside. "You're early."
Hermione sent him a shy smile in return. "Well, I could come back later, if that's better for you…"
But Gideon had already leapt from the sofa and marched towards her with a wide grin on his face. "Nonsense. Early is perfect. You know we're always happy to see you." He pulled her into a firm hug and Hermione couldn't help but bury her nose into his sweater and take a deep breath. Instantly her nervous stomach seemed to calm down a bit. She really didn't want to let go of him, but she already felt his grip on her loosen and a moment later he pulled back with a gentle smile on his lips.
"What's the matter, Hermione? Your letter sounded somewhat urgent…" the man in front of her said and looked at her with his bright blue eyes. Immediately her heart started beating violently against her ribcage. Merlin, she was totally smitten with him. How had she not realised this any sooner? Maybe she first needed to regain some more of her memories to finally understand what these two meant to her. "Hermione?"
She blinked confusedly, before she remembered that Gideon had asked her a question. "Uh sorry. There's a lot on my mind, lately," she said and stared at the two of them with embarrassment.
"Understandable," Fabian said with a smile. "With all those memories coming back to you. How is that going by the way?"
Hermione sighed and for a moment she wasn't completely sure what to say to this. "Some things still don't make sense to me, so there must still be a bit to come," she finally replied. "It's incredibly frustrating for me not to have all the facts. I am pretty sure by now, that I shouldn't even be here, to begin with. Because as far as I know, I should have deleted myself from the timeline."
Suddenly both of them were standing shoulder to shoulder right in front of her and before Hermione knew what was happening, each of them put an arm around her and pulled her close. It was strange hugging them both at once like that, but Hermione was pretty sure she could quickly get used to that feeling.
"Thank Merlin you didn't," Gideon whispered into her hair and Hermione nodded mutely. There was this strange undertone in his voice again, that made her wonder if it wasn't more than friendship he felt for her. It was that small flicker of hope that made her look up to him and immediately their eyes locked. Her mouth went dry and she had the strong urge to lick her lips, but she repressed it for the moment. Still, there was a nagging little thought in her head that didn't want to go away and so she guessed it was time for another ounce of Gryffindor courage.
"Can I kiss you? Because I'd really like to do that just now," she admitted and looked at him with her stomach all in flutters. For a moment his eyes went wide but then a happy smile appeared on his lips and he leaned down to her. His mouth touched hers just a second later and his lips started moving against hers ever so slowly. It was enough to let Hermione's heart flutter in happiness. But just as she wanted to deepen the kiss, he gently pulled away from her.
"Like that?" Gideon whispered while a little smile graced his lips. She nodded with wide eyes but instead of kissing her again like she hoped he would do, he stepped aside and immediately Fabian took his place in front of her.
"Do you want to kiss me, too?" he asked in looked at her with a gentleness that she had never before seen on him. Hermione smiled shyly.
"I'd love to. If that's alright with you?"
"God, yes," was the only thing Fabian said before he pulled her close. She wasn't prepared for the intensity with which he met her lips though. There was no shyness in him and his lips captured her with a vigour that she hadn't expected at all. It's like we've done this before, she thought and before she knew what was happening, she felt her knees go weak below her and she had just enough time to grab Fabian's arm in panic before the next flashback hit her like a bludger and knocked her out cold.

18th of June 1981

Hermione was almost in something like a trance when she stumbled back into Fabian's and Gideon's living room. The realisation of what was about to happen to her hit her hard and she felt like her body was almost too paralysed to even shake with fright. Yet there was no denying what had to be done, what she had to do, even if it meant that she would not only die but that she would have never existed in the first place. Would Severus really be able to remember her, as he had promised? Would anybody? She was almost sure that the answer was no and the realisation caused her legs to almost give out. She caught herself at the corner of the table just in time, taking a deep breath. She couldn't cave in just now, as the hardest and most dangerous part was still ahead of her. She would need all her willpower and conviction to make it through whatever was waiting for her. There was no time to falter and struggle now because then everything would be lost.
"I'm a Gryffindor, I can do this," she told herself and took two more deep breaths before she straightened her back. A moment later she was on her way up the stairs towards Fabian's bedroom. Molly was still with them, as her voice was easily detectable from halfway up the stairs.
"Why are you putting yourselves in danger like that?" Hermione heard her scold her brothers with a shrill voice that was usually reserved for her own twins when they had done something reckless again. "This girl stumbles from one danger into the next and you're following her like fools."
Hermione halted in the hallway and closed her eyes tiredly. Molly was right of course, the life she led now was a dangerous one and she had brought Fabian and Gideon along into her adventures like it was just another trip to Hogsmeade. Suddenly she remembered Severus' words and tried not to blame herself.
"Hermione is the bravest witch, no the bravest person, I know," Fabian's voice replied heatedly. "She's our chance to win this war, but she cannot win it alone."
Hermione heard Molly pace through the room and for a moment she thought about retreating downstairs or making herself known by stepping into the room but her legs seemed to be rooted in place.
"No, of course not, but why does it have to be you?" Molly's voice asked loudly, but if the twins gave an answer to that, she was not able to hear. But that was probably for the better. Whatever they said must have agitated Molly that much, that she stormed out of the room a moment later and stomped down the stairs, without even acknowledging her presence. Hermione stared after her with wide eyes.
"Hermione?" Fabian's voice suddenly called her from the top of the stairs, from where he looked at her with wide eyes. She blinked at him in surprise.
"What are you doing outside of your bed?" she asked him while rushing up the stairs. As soon as she was close enough, she offered him an arm to help him back into bed. He smiled at her crookedly.
"I came looking for you, of course. I knew that you had to be somewhere in the house."
Hermione nodded in understanding. Of course, the wards must have alerted him to her presence. "Yeah, right."
"How much did you hear?" Fabian asked her just as they arrived in his room and she saw, that Gideon was following them with his eyes from his place on the bed.
She shrugged. "Not much, mostly Molly's part. What did you say to anger her like that? She looked really upset when she came down the stairs."
The twins looked at each other for a long moment and Hermione could have sworn that more than looks were passing between them. Whatever communication they had, it ended with a short nod from Gideon.
"We told her that we're yours," Fabian replied and held her back with his hand so that he could step in front of her. "It's true Hermione, Gideon and I are totally smitten with you and we want to be yours if you'll have us."
She stared at him with wide eyes as she contemplated what he was saying. They wanted to be with her, wanted her as a girlfriend and Hermione realized, that she'd love nothing more than to simply say yes. But then her thoughts drifted back to the things she had just learned from visiting her parents and her heart went heavy with sorrow. She couldn't be with them now and disappear from their lives in a few weeks. It would break their hearts and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Because she was theirs too, in a way she had never been Ron's or anybody else's and she wanted nothing more than to simply give in and throw herself into their arms.
She looked at them with sad eyes and a heavy sigh escaped her lips. "I wish I could say yes to that because there's nothing I'd love more, but it wouldn't be fair to you. I don't even know if I'll be still alive in a week or a month." She looked at them in sorrow. When her eyes met Fabian's he didn't seem discouraged in the least. There was a fire in his eyes, she hadn't seen there before and before she could say another word, he suddenly stepped closer and sealed her lips with a feverish kiss. He pressed his lips onto hers and for a moment Hermione could have sworn that they were on fire as hot as they were. Hermione felt like they were claiming her in that very moment.
"I don't care what's in a week or a month Hermione," he said, before pulling her into another heated kiss that left her totally breathless. "If you really want us, then we will live every moment like it could be our last and make it count."
With that he pulled back from her, only to make room for his brother that had somehow climbed out of bed and appeared next to him. Gideon stared at her for a short moment, searched her eyes and for a moment it seemed to her like he was asking for permission to kiss her too. She looked up at him with her heart hammering excitedly in her chest and when their eyes met, she sent him an almost invisible nod. It was enough for him to pull her into his arms and seal his lips with hers. The kiss wasn't anything like the fake kiss they had shared before, even though it had left her breathless and with weak knees. But now it was like Gideon poured all his feelings into her through his lips, as each move against her seemed to whisper of adoration and affection. Hermione's heart soaked them up like a dried-out sponge.
She couldn't have said how long their kiss lasted but when it ended Gideon looked down at her with swollen lips and blown pupils. Hermione had never found him more handsome than at this moment. "Please be our girlfriend Hermione," he said and took her hand gently into his, while Fabian took the other one into his.
"We know the times are dangerous and we could probably be dead tomorrow, but then we at least had this moment, or all the ones, that could possibly follow," Fabian continued and pulled her hand to his lips. "Please don't be afraid of tomorrow and just enjoy what we have today."
Gideon nodded and looked at her with eyes full of vulnerability. "This war takes so much from all of us, but don't let it take this. Whatever this is between the three of us, whatever it could be, don't sacrifice it for something we cannot control."
Hermione felt a lump forming in her throat. God, she wanted them so badly, wanted to be theirs even if it was just for a day. And who said she couldn't? Because they were right, they didn't know what would be tomorrow or the day after. Hermione had a feeling what would happen to her soon, but right now she didn't want to think about it. She wanted to be selfish, just once in her life and bathe in all the love and attention those two were willing to give her.
"Alright, let's not think about tomorrow then," she said and looked at them with a slight nod. A moment later she stepped closer and threw herself into their arms and they accepted her with matching smiles on their faces.
"No, let's think about today," Fabian said and kissed her forehead.
"Yeah, we'll make every moment count," Gideon added and kissed the corner of her mouth.
"We'll make it worth a lifetime," his brother murmured into her ear before kissing her earlobe and Hermione could feel the goosebumps spreading on her skin.
"And when Death comes knocking on our door, then there's nothing to regret," Gideon said, this time kissing her on the mouth, and Hermione was determined to do just that.

5th of October 1999

When Hermione opened her eyes, she looked into two pairs of striking blue ones that looked down at her full of worry. Fabian was leaning directly over her and held her, with her head bedded on his lap. Gideon was sitting next to him and held her hand while studying her face intensely.
"Did you really just faint from kissing me?" Fabian teased her with a small smile playing at his lips. "If I knew I had such an effect on you, I would have held back a little." He winked at her and Hermione couldn't help but snort.
"These flashbacks do really get more and more annoying," she said grumpily and tried to pull herself up. "It pretty much happens every time I do something I have also done in the past, like kissing you for example."
Gideon smiled at her and offered her a hand to help her up. Hermione took it gratefully and let him pull her into his arms, where she promptly snuggled close.
"I'm glad you remember now," he said and buried his nose into her hair.
Fabian got to his feet and embraced her from behind. "We're yours, Hermione, if you still want us."
She looked at them with wide eyes. "Are you really? It's been so long for you," she said sadly and leaned forward against Gideon's chest. Just a moment later she felt Fabian's lips caress her neck with a feather-light kiss and immediately goosebumps broke out on her skin.
"We'll always be yours, Hermione," he whispered into her ear before he nuzzled her earlobe with his nose. "Time is of no importance if you're in love."
Her knees got weak. They loved her, she thought but instead of saying something, she nodded mutely against Gideon's chest. Did she love them back? She didn't know but she was determined to find out. Because suddenly everything she ever wanted for herself seemed at arm's reach. She just had to be brave enough to claim it.