Thank you to everyone reading this story. Thank you for leaving your reviews,favs, and alerts. I am loving writing more time with Fred and Hermione. Hope you all like this chapter, it is a little more upbeat than the last two. Thank you again for taking the time to read and review
Disclaimer-I dont own any rights to Harry Potter
Quickly the duo was surrounded by ten horses and their riders.
"Hermione, put your hands up." Fred said, slowly putting his wand to the ground.
"Wands down and hands were we can see them." The black cloaked figure in front of them ordered. The rest of the riders pulling their wands to the ready.
"My wand is down. My name is Fred Weasley and this is Hermione Granger. She does not have a wand." Fred replied, hands in the air.
The hooded figures stirred.
"Merlin's beard." The previous spoken one said, jumping down from his steed. He stopped in front of Hermione. "He said he would find you." The figure said, pulling his hood down.
"Neville?" Hermione smiled. He made it through the war, she thought. Fred breathed a sigh of relief across from them.
"Yes, Neville." He smiled. "May I?" he opened his arms. Fred twitched slightly, wondering what Hermione would do.
She hesitated for a moment, before stepping into his hug. "I am so glad you're ok." She said.
"More than ok." He smiled, stepping back for her. "I managed to kill that big snake at the battle of Hogwarts. Now I'm the lead of security here." Hermione was amazed. Neville had helped stop the war, brought apart of Voldemort to his knees. She had missed so much.
"That's amazing." She said, admiring the man before her.
"Wands down riders." He commanded. "Sorry mate, protocol." He said, handing Fred back his wand.
"Not a problem, Neville." Fred smiled, taking his wand and shaking Neville's hand.
Hermione looked around at the still hooded figures. Their faces still concealed.
"What is this?" she asked, pointing to them.
"Oh, um after the war we thought Hogwarts could use some extra defense. So the riders were formed. We have lots of extra wards around that inform us of any extra ordinary magic being used near Hogwarts." Neville answered.
Extra ordinary magic, Hermione thought. Her magic set off their alarms.
"So, what are you two doing out here?" Neville asked.
"Long story, mate. Do you think we can talk about it back at the castle?" Fred sked moving to stand next to Hermione.
Neville looked back to his riders. "Seamus, let Fred take your horse." He ordered. "You can saddle with Clara. Fred, can you take Hermione?"
Hermione laughed. "What?" Fred questioned. "Don't think I can handle a horse?"
"Have you ever ridden one before?" she asked. Fred smirked, grabbing her hand.
"Let's go, Neville." Carefully he lifted her onto the horse, then climbed on in front of her. "Hold on Granger."
"Move." Neville commanded and they were off.
Hermione held on tight at first, having never rode before. But one she felt the cool wind rushing through her hair, she relaxed. Her hands rested softly on Fred's hips. She laid her head on his back, watching the changing scenery around. This was the life she wanted. Tucked closely in with him.
The dark gradually turned into a candlelit glow as they rode straight into the castle's entrance.
"Slow riders." Neville shouted, as they came to a trot and then stopped. Hermione lifted her head and looked around. The castle was fully restored. Every brick had been put back into its place. There was no sign of war. No sign of the devastioan.
"Impressed?" Fred questioned, looking back over his shoulder to Hermione.
"Maybe." She replied, smiling.
"Sir, I'll take your reins." A young gentlemen said, coming to a stand next to their horse.
"Now that is strange." Fred said, handing over the reins. "Please do not call me sir." With one lift of his leg and Fred was off the horse. "Come on Granger." He said extending his hand. There was no one she trusted more, without hesitation she slid off the horse. Hand in hand they turned towards Hogwarts.
Both of them just stared at the school for a moment. Neither had stepped foot in it since the battle. For Fred it was the place he lost her. For Hermione she wasn't giving the choice.
"Follow me." Neville called to them. But Fred didn't move. Over the last year he had been asked to come help with the rebuild, but he couldn't. This was the place that took her from him. The place that plagued his nightmares.
"Fred?" Hermione questioned, looking to him. He didn't look at her though. His mind reliving the day she disappeared. He was standing by the falling wall, taking her in. Remembering every inch of her face, saying goodbye.
"Fred." She turned to face him. "Hey, look at me." She brushed the side of his face with her free hand. His eyes closed at the touch, taking in the feel of her skin. Then he opened his eyes to look at her. "That's better." She smiled. "We're alive. Both of us."
In this moment, yes they were both alive. Yet the fear of the last year was not going to leave Fred anytime soon. So he gathered all the Gryffindor courage he had and squeezed her hand.
"Well, onward then." He said, holding her hand tighter. Hermione turned back towards Neville and the two of them walked into the castle.
Hermione wasn't sure how late it was, but with the nearly empty halls it defiantly wasn't early. The castle was lite in the familiar candlelit glow. She brushed her hand along the stone walls. This was her second home or it used to be.
Fred's body stayed tense as he walked beside her. The sounds of explosions and screams filled his ears. At every turn, he stayed at the ready. Then they were walking past it, the place both of their lives changed.
The two stopped, starring out to the spot. The wall was completely fixed, no sign of any damage. Hermione felt her eyes water, her body started to shiver.
"You were going to die." She finally broke the silence. "You were just standing there looking at me and and." Her voice cracked, letting go of Fred's hand. "You just stood there."
"Hermione." Fred looked to her, reaching out for her hand. But she pulled away.
"No! You stood there looking at me, ready to leave everyone. Ready to leave me." She cried, staring him down. "How could you do that? How could you smile at me?" Hermione felt her body trembling.
Fred stepped closer to her, stopping when they were close enough to touch. "Because if that was to be my last moment on this earth." He paused, smiling down at the witch. "Then I was so happy that you were going to be the last face I saw and I wanted to remember everything about you."
"Fred." Hermione whispered, as his hand cupped the side of her face. "You." She begun, but was cut off by a sharp pain in her stomach. She fell forward to her knees and feeling the darkness pull her in.
"Hermione!" Fred shouted, catching her before she hit the floor. He pushed her hair out of her face, reveling her closed eyes. "Hermione wake up." He pleaded to the quiet girl.
"Fred? Hermione? What happened? You lot were behind me once and then." Neville stopped when he saw the young witch laying in Fred's arms. "Hurry, we need to get her to Madam Pomfrey."
Fred scooped her into his arms and quickly followed Neville. Rumor of the twos' arrival must have spread through the school. There was quite a bit more students wondering around. He could hear their whispers as they rushed by, but he paid them no mind. In the only thing that mattered was getting her to safety.
"What is all the fuss?" Madam Pomfrey asked, as the two boys came running through her doors. "Oh, my. Mr. Weasley? Mr. Longbottom? Is that Miss. Granger?" She motioned for them to head to a nearby bed.
"She folded over in pain and then fainted." Fred told her, laying Hermione carefully down.
"Move, move." Madam Pomfrey shoved the two men aside. Pulling out her wand, she began to scan Hermione's body. She lifted her shirt slightly, revealing the dark bruising on her stomach. "There is significant damage to her ribs, cuts and bruises all over." Madam Pomfrey looked to Fred.
"There are some deep cuts on her back and side as well. I tried to get a healer to come to Grimmauld Place, but she appareted here before I could." Fred rushed, his heart beat moving too fast for its own good.
"Alright then. She is going to need rest. I will start healing her wounds. Neville go inform the headmistress." Neville ran out the room, leaving Fred behind. "Mr. Weasley, some of this will be painful for her, even in her sleep state. Will you hold her hand?"
Fred pulled a chair next to Hermione and wrapped his hand around hers. "Alright love, Madam Pomfrey here is going to get you all fixed up. If it gets too hard, I am right here." He kissed her hand, then looked to the healer.
"Ok." She breathed, hovering her wand over Hermione. A dim white light moved up and down the young witch. It seemed to seep into the cuts and once the light was gone, all that remained were small scars. "This is going to be the painful part. I'm going to be putting her ribs back onto place."
Fred looked down at Hermione again. Still asleep, he thought gratefully in his mind. Madam Pomfrey took her wand and touched the tip to Hermione's rib cage. A red light engulfed the area. Suddenly Hermione's body shook violently.
"What's happening?" Fred jumped to stand next to the bed.
"Her body is reacting the pain." Madam Pomfrey replied.
"Is she in pain? Why is she not waking up?" He asked, holding her hand tightly.
"Her body is protecting her mind from the pain by keeping her under. Don't worry Mr. Weasley, this is almost over, then I will give her potion for the pain." She reassured him. Fred watched helplessly as Hermione's body continued to convulse. But as the red light started to dim, the shakes began to dissipate and her body became still.
"Alright." Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Everything is healed up. I'll get the potion." She walked quietly away, not looking back.
Fred took a seat beside the bed again. One hand still in Hermione's, the other rubbing his face.
"Don't worry Mr. Weasley, this will help with any pain she is having." Madam Pomfrey quickly administered the potion, before looking over to Fred.
"When will she wake up?" He asked.
"She needs some rest, but I think by tomorrow afternoon or so." She patted him on the back. "Miss. Granger is fighter, dear. Give her some time. Why don't you take the bed next to her and get some rest yourself." She smiled before heading back towards the entrance.
Fred ran a hand through his hair, then looked back down to Hermione. She looked peaceful, no pain no sorrow. He squeezed her hand once more, then moved to lay down on the bed beside hers. He decided to lay head at the opposite end so he would have a full visual of her, just in case there were any changes.
Resting his hands behind his hand, he allowed his mind to wonder. Lying in this room reminded him of the Battle. He spent hours searching the rumble for the girl who would end up finding him. Now, lying here beside her, he wondered why he wasted so much time not being with her. Never again he vowed.