Chapter Twelve

Fred hummed happily as he worked in the stockroom. The latest note from Hermione was tucked into his back pocket and he was daydreaming about their plans for the weekend. He was already trying to determine what to make for their Friday night dinner date when he opened a package from one of his suppliers and began unpacking one of the bottles inside, which were wrapped in old copies of the Daily Prophet.

As he began unraveling the yellowed pages, he suddenly froze, confronted with the hideous image of Bellatrix LeStrange and the headline shouting "Mass Breakout from Azkaban!" His stomach turned as he stared at the face of the woman that had tortured Hermione and attempted to kill his little sister.

He found himself trembling and for a moment he thought he might actually become physically ill. He struggled to compose himself and was finally able to crumble the paper into a tight ball before hurling it into the waste bin and causing the contents to burst into flame. He waited a full minute to be sure it had been completely reduced to ash before extinguishing the fire.

He stood motionless for a long while then shook himself to regain his senses. He returned to the task at hand and tried to put the image from his mind. He managed to keep busy for the remainder of the day then closed up the shop and ate a small dinner before turning in for the night.

He managed to fall asleep but sometime after midnight a new nightmare took form in his mind.

He was running but he did not recognize his surroundings. It was a large home but not one he remembered being in before. He was desperately searching for something but was not sure at first what it was – until he heard the screams. Hermione's screams. Screams of excruciating pain.

Panicked he tore from hallway to hallway. Every time he thought he was closing in on her cries they seemed to switch direction. Eventually he located their source. He sprinted towards an open doorway and was knocked flat by an invisible barrier. He could see into the room but could not enter it. And what he saw tore the breath from him.

In the middle of the floor lay Hermione with the horrible figure of LeStrange towering menacingly over her. He watched helplessly as Hermione writhed in agony as Bellatrix mercilessly cast repeated crucios. He pounded against the barrier, crying out until his hands were bloody and his throat was raw. The last thing he saw before waking was Hermione's face as it turned towards him, the light dimming from her eyes before closing lifelessly.

He awoke in terror. He was absolutely certain that something horrifying was happening to Hermione at that very moment. Impulsively he grabbed his wand and the photo of her that he kept by his bedside, focused on her smile and just managed to send his patronus on its way to try and protect her.

Hermione had been unable to sleep that evening so she wandered down to the Gryffindor common room to read. She curled up on the large sofa in front of the fire and had just dozed off when she was awakened by a tug on her robe.

She opened her eyes and was surprised to see the form of a silvery hyena desperately trying to pull her off the sofa. She started to laugh, thinking this was a prank from Fred, until she noticed the pained look in the animal's eyes and its piteous whimpers, as if it were injured.

With a growing sense of alarm she spoke to the creature. "What is it? Is Fred okay?"

The poor beast only whined and continued dragging her. She grabbed her wand, jumped from the sofa and began running after the hyena as it led her to what revealed itself as a secret passage. She dashed headlong down the tunnel, losing one of her slippers in her haste but not slowing to find it. She watched in horror as the image of the hyena began to dim and then disappeared completely. Soon she saw a glimmer of moonlight and realized she was almost outside the castle grounds.

She threw herself forward and as soon as she was able she apparated to the flat.

With a crack she appeared in the living room, shouting Fred's name. Instantly he was by her side, pulling her into an embrace so tight she thought he might crack one of her ribs. He was sobbing and repeating her name. She wrapped her arms around him and cradled him against her.

She struggled to catch her breath. "What's happened?! Fred? Are you okay?"

He continued to weep. She managed to pull back just enough to see his face. "Fred? Talk to me, please! You're scaring me. Are you hurt?"

He stared at her with a wild look in his eyes. He dug his hands into her hair, repeating, "You're okay. You're okay…."

She reached to caress his face. "Of course, I'm okay. I'm fine. Look. Completely fine. Why would you…" She stopped as the truth dawned on her. She wiped his eyes and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"You had a nightmare?"

He nodded, still shaking, breathing ragged.

"About me?"

Another nod.

"Something bad happened to me?"

His grip tightened on her. Another nod.

"And you thought it was because I was in danger?"

He looked down and nodded once more.

She kissed him tenderly and then drew him over to the sofa. She wrapped her arms around him and began stroking his hair. "Sshh… It's okay. I know that it seemed very real but I promise - I'm here and I'm okay." She whispered. She continued to rock him and murmur words of comfort. Gradually his breathing began to return to normal.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she ventured. She felt his body tense and he shook his head violently. She gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Okay. Okay. Don't have to say anything. Just sit here together, alright?"

After a time, he was able to collect himself. He sat up, sniffing and wiping his tears. "Bloody hell. What an idiot you must think I am."

She cradled his face in her hands. "I do NOT think you are an idiot. You thought something had happened to me and you cared enough to do something about it. I think you are brilliant and if it's at all possible, I may be even more in love with you now."

He managed a half smile then leaned back and pulled her into his lap. He sighed deeply and brushed the hair from her forehead, kissing the top of her head. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

She curled up contentedly. He glanced down and his eyes grew wide in alarm. "Hermione! Your feet!"

She followed his gaze, suddenly realizing that in her panic to reach him she had lost one slipper entirely and the other was in tatters. The sock on the unshod foot was shredded, covered in dirt and blood. The fear and adrenaline had masked the sting but it was now beginning to make itself known.

Fred's expression was pained. "What happened?"

She shook her head. "Not sure. I must have lost it running down the passage…."

He turned to face her. "What passage?"

She squinted as she tried to remember. "The hidden passage your patronus showed me. I couldn't apparate out of the common room so I just ran after the hyena until I reached the edge of the castle grounds. As soon as I got to the end of the tunnel I dived out and apparated here."

Fred smacked himself hard in the head. "I am such a moron! I didn't even think about you trying to get here! That passage is almost a half mile long and covered in rocks!" He hit himself again. "All this fuss and I'm the one that hurt you!"

She grabbed his hands and held them tightly. "Stop it! This is not your fault! Look - it's not that bad. I've been through much worse."

Tears came to his eyes. "But not because of me."

She leaned in and spoke fiercely. "Not because of you. I make my own choices." She kissed him firmly. "Understand? I decide what I do and I needed to find you."

He pulled her close and she heard him murmur an incantation. A moment later he was sliding onto the floor. She turned and saw that now, sitting next to the sofa, was a tub of warm water scented with various oils, some glass vials, a couple of towels and a thick pair of brightly colored woolen socks.

Silently, Fred pulled off what was left of the socks and slipper and carefully lowered her feet into the tub. Hermione involuntarily cringed and let out a short hiss when the open cuts hit the water. Fred's head snapped up and she saw the hurt in his eyes.

She quickly covered. "It's okay. Just…tickled at first."

He knew that was a lie but loved that even now she was trying to help him rather than herself. Ever so gently he washed her feet, then tenderly dried them and covered them with balms from the glass vials. He softly kissed each instep then slipped on the socks.

"There. They don't really match but Mum made them so they're really soft and warm."

"They feel wonderful." Hermione replied sleepily. It had been a long evening. Fatigue combined with the warm water and the foot massage was taking its toll. She was now struggling to keep her eyes open.

Fred moved back to the sofa, pulling her to him and placing her head on his chest. "Shh….you rest now."

Before she nodded off she whispered, "I love you."

Kissing her forehead he replied, "Love you, too."

He awoke a couple of hours later and looked at the clock. He would have to work fast if he were to return her to school in time to avoid her getting in trouble.

She was still fast asleep in his arms. He decided on a plan, smiled and then apparated them both away.

****

Hermione's eyes snapped open. She looked around, trying to get her bearings.

She was on the couch in the common room, her book still resting on the arm where she had left it last night. She shook her head in confusion. Had she dreamed all of that?

She swung her feet to the floor and suddenly noticed the brightly colored socks she was now wearing. She heard a crinkling sound coming from her robe. Reaching into her pocket she found a note in Fred's distinctive scrawl.

"H – Peeves owed me one last favor so he distracted the lady long enough for me to slip you back home. We'll need to come up with a better system in the future. Be safe and I'll see you at the weekend. All My Love – F"

She held the note close and smiled before heading upstairs to get ready for breakfast.