A/N- Thank you for all the favs and follows. It means so much to me that people are enjoying this story as much as I am enjoying writing it. I love Fred and Hermoine. Thank you Buffy and Anon for reviews, I really appreciate y'all taking the time to review This was a harder chapter to write. I had so many different ideas of where I wanted to go. I hope you all enjoy it as much I do. Thank you again!
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the characters of this story
"Fred, you were supposed to be in the shop over an hour ago!" George yelled, coming through the door to the twins' flat. "Fred!" He called again looking around the room. Finally his eyes landed on his unconscious brother. "Fred?" He bent down, patting Fred on the side of the face trying to get some movement out of him.
"Oi, would you mind not slapping me in the face." Fred responded, opening his eyes.
"What the hell happened?" George scooted back, giving his twin some space to sit up.
"This." Fred stretched out his arm to hand George the crumbled piece of paper, then scooted back next to him.
"I, I don't understand. Is." George stopped to collect his thoughts. "How did you get this?"
"Honestly, I don't know. I was sleeping, dreaming about her and when I woke, this was on the table next to me." Fred rested his elbows on his knees. The two sat in silence, their stares moving from the table to the paper.
"We need to tell them. Maybe Harry can have the ministry do a trace or something." George finally said, standing up and extending a hand to his twin.
"This is good." Fred smiled, taking his brother's hand. George returned with a hopeful smile and they both apprated out of the flat.
Four barren walls and an old twin bed, had become Hermoine's home. There were no windows and no way to tell time, except the changing of light under the doorway. Bellatrix's laugh had become her alarm clock. She would come at light and then again at dark. Routine, how did this torture become routine. She screamed a lot at first. However much time she had spent asleep in the hospital was not enough to fully recover from the battle. Most days she tried to block everything out, lucky for her, her body would shut itself down after too much pain. Leaving her to black out. But the worst days were when there was no torture. The days they left her alone.
Those days she sat, consumed by her thoughts. Where was she? How did she end up in the hospital? Did they win the battle? Why had her friends not rescued her yet? Where was Harry and Ron? They wouldn't just leave her behind. When she could feel the angry growing inside her, she thought of him. His smile, brought her out of the darkness. Somehow she had saved him. Now he was saving her.
All through her school years she had a crush on Fred, but had always felt he never noticed. Everyone assumed she was in love with Ron, but after the Yule Ball she could only see him as a friend. Seeing Fred after all that time on the run, that school girl crush was still there. When he smiled at her, welcoming death, she saw her life flash before her. A life with no Fred and that was no life she cared to live.
Hermoine rolled to her side, wincing at the cracked ribs that had only started to heal. She hadn't heard Bellatrix's laughing alarm, so it was a surprise when she saw the woman standing in the doorway.
"You know, I have been wondering how I was going to get you. Somehow you still stand your ground after all this fun." The wicked witch took a few steps closer, bending slightly to look at her. "You seem to be made of stone, but when you sleep." She stopped in front of Hermoine's bed, going down to her knees to be eye level. Her black dress sprawling out around her. "When you sleep, you say his name." She smiled.
Hermoine couldn't move. His name? "Fred. You're alive Fred. I love." Bellatrix mocked, slapping a hand down on the mattress. "You thought you saved him!" She screamed.
Hermone's eyes shot up to meet hers. "I did! He, he was in the hospital!" She sat up straight, making some attempt to show strength.
"Ha!" Bellatrix returned. "Yeah, but he didn't make it out of that hospital, mudblood!" She jumped to her feet, dancing around the room.
"Your ginger boyfriend is dead. Dead. Dead. Dead."
Hermoine felt the weight of the world crashing down on her. All the hope she had held onto draining out of her body. Tears streamed down her face. "I…I." She didn't' know what to say.
"Oh, no words now! No one is coming to save you girl! This is where you'll stay. No Weasley, no Potter!" With those last words, Bellatrix skipped out the room. Leaving behind what was left of Hermoine.
Her heart ached, no her whole being ached. She had no clue what to do next. If Fred did not make it out of the hospital did that mean that Harry did not either? Hermoine fell to the floor, clawing at the ground. Her nails digging into the wood floor. She had to get out. Her mind began to race. Slowly she stood, staring the door. Walking straight out wasn't an option, she knew they would be waiting.
She put a hand to the nearest wall and started walking around the room. Using the walls as a guide, she closed her eyes and kept walking the square of her room. Over and over. Digging her nails deeper into the walls. Then she began whispering his name, her eyes remaining closed so the vision of his face filled her mind.
"Fred, Fred, Fred." Over and over again she walked the room, imagining freedom. A warmth filled her body, she could see him. She could feel him pulling her in. Her fingers began to tingle as she made another trip around the room. She took a deep breath in, that's when she smelled the smoke. A look of content spread across her face. She opened her eyes, taking in the sight of her room engulfed in flames.
She smiled down at her fingertips, a small glow emulating from them. It was time to get out. She kicked the enflamed door down and walked through. The flames were spreading quickly to the rest of the house, yet they didn't burn her. As she walked on they seemed to move around her. Burning everything in her path. She listened for screams, but there was nothing. Scared deatheaters, she laughed in her head.
The night sky was turning orange, early dawn. Hermoine smiled when she made it out of the house. She turned back to her torture chamber for one last glance, watching it has it burned. The sounds of sirens filled the air and she knew she had to run.
"The place was completely in flames Fred!" Ginny slouched down next to her soot covered brother. "What were you thinking?"
Fred closed his eyes, trying to block out the noise around him. Once again they had a lead on Hermoine that ended in nothing.
"We had to at least try Ginny." George sighed from across the room.
Once Harry had the note from Fred, they were able to locate a house on the out skirts of London. Unfortunately by the time they arrived the house was almost burned to the ground. They had found one deatheater, who had just returned to find his hideaway in flames. Harry had taken him back to the ministry, leaving behind the twins to explain everything to the family.
Ginny wrapped Fred in a hug. "Ginny." He smiled down at her.
"I know, Fred. She is my friend too." Ginny jumped slightly as the fireplace roared to life. Harry stepped out, shaken off the soot.
"Well?" George asked immediately.
"It was Bellatrix's place. The straggler said she left earlier that day. He said he never saw Hermoine." Harry stood in front of the fireplace.
The group remained silent, not knowing what to do now. Bellatrix was free and Hermoine was still gone. Gone, Fred didn't like thinking that word. Suddenly the burrow came to life again. Ron, Lavendar, and Mrs. Weasley all came bustling through the door.
"What? What happened to you all?" She asked coming into the living room.
"Just another mission Mom. Nothing to worry over." George smiled, giving her a lite hug.
"Well, um. Why don't you all go get cleaned up for dinner. We need to discuss the Hogwarts celebration tomorrow." She said, then made her way to the kitchen.
Once was out of ear shot, Ron started into the group.
"Hermoine again? How many times do we need to go through this?" He said, coming to stand in the middle of the group.
"Ron, this isn't the right time." Harry responded taking a step closer to Ron.
"Look at you all. Fred you look like you've been burned down the side of the arm and the rest of your body is like a dust pan! Are you trying to get killed?" Ron stared down at his brother.
Then Fred did something no one expected. He laughed, he stood up in front of Ron and laughed right in his face. "Dustpan? Cleaver Ronnickes." Then he made his to the fireplace and flooed to their flat.
Hermoine ran. She gained her composure as best as possible. Running as fast as she could towards London, when all of a sudden she felt a pull at her side. She felt the tenderness of her ribs screaming from the inside. I have to stop, hide for now. Hermoine looked around. An old warehouse came into view. She climbed through a broken window, hiding herself. Closing her eyes, she allowed him to enter her mind. He wasn't dead, he couldn't be dead.
"Bloody hell!" Hermoine gasped. A loud honk came from outside the warehouse.
"Excuse me, Miss., but you called." A man dressed in a bus operator's outfit stood beside her.
"I, are you from the night bus?" She half smiled.
"Yes, ma'am. Now are you ready to go?" the Operator asked.
Hermoine jumped as quick to her feet as possible. "Yes sir" She laughed. The sky was dark now, once again filled with shinning stars. Quickly they climbed onto the bus and were off.
"Where to ma'am." The Operator asked
"The burrow." Hermoine replied hoping that was all the info they needed.
"Be there soon. Sit back and relax." The Operator settled to look out the front of the bus window. Hermoine laid her head against the bus seat but it turned to a bed. "Beds to sleep, since its getting dark."
She smiled as her head rested on the soft pillow. Free, she was free and she would be with them soon. She kept her eyes open, not wanting to think about his face at the moment. If he was gone, she had to know. First the burrow, then find Harry.
"Here ma'am. We can't get any closer. Wards and all." The operator told her.
"It's no problem. This is close enough." Hermoine smiled seeing the Burrow about a mile or so away. She hugged the man as she jumped off the bus. A warmth filled her body as she took off towards safety. Using all the strength she had left over she ran. Running until she felt the magic of the burrow surround her. Hermoine's body collapsed as she fell through the wards surrounding the burrow. "Home." She whispered.
"Listen George. I really don't want to do this tonight. I'm not exactly in a celebrating mood." Fred shuffled around the burrow's kitchen, dressed in an all-black tux. The rest of the Weasley family already off to Hogwarts one year celebration.
"Fred, I know you are disappointed, but maybe" George stalled.
"Maybe what? Maybe what George?" The twins both stopped, just looking at each other. Both angry, both frustrated. Suddenly a chime sounded through the home.
"Someone has breached the wards." Fred stated.
"Wands up, Forge." George replied pulling his wand out.
They opened the front door and quietly walked out into the night. The air seemed thick with electricity. The twins slowly made their way into the yard, wands at the ready.
"You see anything George?" Fred asked, looking towards his brother.
"Nothing, Fred." They crept further towards the where the wards surrounded their childhood home.
Hermoine smiled, engulfing the wet grass that surrounded her. For the first time in what seemed like a life time, she felt safe. Then she heard him. Her breathing slowed, allowing her heartbeat to follow. "Fred." Her voice squeaked out. She knew he couldn't hear her, she could barely her herself. Closing her eyes she focused on him. Breathing in she whispered. "See me."
Fred and George lowered their wands. "Maybe it was just an animal?" George questioned. The two turned towards each other.
"May..." Fred stopped mid-sentence, looking past his brother.
"Fred?" George said looking at his puzzled brother, when Fred took off. "Fred! OH my Merlin!" George followed. Coming from a distance no more than 100 feet away, a white light otter was prancing in the sky towards them.
"Hermoine!" Fred screamed, running as fast as his legs would move. His heart beat like it was going to explode out of his chest. It was her, it had to be her. "Hermoine!" He screamed again, his eyes searching for her.
"Fred." She called as loud as she could.
"Hermoine, Hermoine." His fell to his knees beside her. For twelve months he had been searching for her. Never allowing himself to think he would not find her alive. Here she was breathing, calling out for him. She was smiling, smiling at him. He placed one hand under back and another under her leg, scooping her up in his arms. Not realizing his face was wet with tears, he smiled down at her. "I'm here."