All's Fair in Love And War

Chapter 5: Shattered Soul

"Are you happy now George?" Fred buried his head into his hands. "I broke her heart. Now she's with little Won-won."

"So there were feelings attached?" George said in a teasing tone.

"It's not funny now she won't even talk to me." Fred sat up and stood by the door. "I'm going to find Ron and talk to him."

Fred didn't have to look very long. Ron was downstairs in the common room. It was 2 days before Christmas break and he wanted this fight done and over with. "Can I sit down with you?" Ron nodded and pointed to the chair across him. "You love Hermione don't you?"

"Yes, I do she is my best friend after all." Ron said without looking up. Fred stood up and pushed Ron out of his seat. He punched his own brother in the gut. "Is that how it is? You used her." Ron wiped his mouth.

"You knew perfectly well I was in love with her. She meant the world to me. I hated using her. I love her. I don't know what else to say. She makes the whole world brighter. She's perfect and I let go of that. I messed up." Fred gritted his teeth.

"She didn't need you. I'm the better option. I've known her more than you. You're a player. You wouldn't know what love was if it bit you on the nose." Ron kicked him in the shin.

Fred howled in pain. "Well I do, I was her first." Ron stopped and turned red. "Wish you were hers yeah? Well I got her first. Now that she's gone, it's like my soul is shattered into a thousand pieces." That did it Ron snapped. He punched Fred so hard he fell to the floor they continued on fighting until Hermione broke them up.

"Stop being so immature you two! I'm sick of it. I couldn't sleep because of the stupid racket you bloody idiots were making." Hermione glared at Fred and slapped Ron. Then she left to her room.

Fred sat down in front of the fire and Ron followed him. "I was kidding you know. You didn't have to punch me."

"What do you mean kidding?" Fred said irritably.

"I was kidding when I said I loved her." Fred looked up at Ron who was now beaming. "I felt bad about telling on you because I saw the way you looked at her, so I said all those things to get you to say how much you loved her and I secretly used a muggle device called a tape recorder. 'Mione sometimes uses it in class and I borrowed it from her."

Fred was grinning from ear to ear. "Why didn't you tell me? This has to be one of the smartest things you've ever done!" Then he hugged Ron. "I just don't get why you told on me? I'm your brother."

"Well, she's like my sister. Because I couldn't stand seeing her hurt. It hurt her so much to see me with Lavender. It hurt her so much that Ginny hardly made time for her because of quidditch and Harry. She certainly didn't need all this." Ron ruffled his hair. "The only thing is, how are we going to get her to listen to this."

"I don't know what to do. Tomorrow's the last day before break."

"I have an idea." Fred looked over to his brother who was now also grinning.

"Ronald! Why are you dragging me to the quidditch pitch at 8 in the morning! I want to lay in! It's freaking freezing! On top of that, I'm still mad at you" Hermione cried half asleep and was blindfolded.

"It's worth it 'Mione." Ron pleaded. "C'mon." as Hermione's blindfold was being untied, she could smell Fred's cologne..

"Ron. I can smell his cologne. Just please leave it. Nothing he'll say or do will matter." Once her blindfold was off, she could see Fred standing there in a suit with a white lily in his hand. She looked at Ron who now was gone. RON!

"You sure it won't matter." Fred smiled at her. But she was trying not to make eye contact and she tried avoiding talking to him. Fred came over cautiously and kissed her on the cheek. Hermione pushed him away. "Hermione, I love you. What do I need to do to make this better? I'm so sorry."

"Nothing." Hermione mumbled. As soon as she said that, fireworks of vibrant shot up in the sky and made a beautiful firework show. The transition from each shape was so amazing. By the end of it, it said "I'm sorry, Hermione." Hermione looked away from the fireworks and tried walking away.

"'Mione please."

"Don't call me that Fred. I hate what you did to me. Because of you, I may never be able to love again? Because of you, I stopped talking to everyone else because I'm scared they might just pull the same crap you did." Fred tried kissing her on the lips, but she punched him. His lip started bleeding. Fred wiped the blood away.

Hermione gasped. "Fred, are you okay?" Fred just staggered away from her.

"You know what? I don't care anymore Hermione. Don't you understand I'm hurting? I'm sorry. Doing that bet was the hardest bet I ever had to do. I couldn't stand the thought of hurting you in the end. But I guess me doing all this didn't mean anything to you…" Hermione couldn't speak. Fred just stared at her and rolled his eyes. "You think you're perfect. You're not. You're broken and scared. You're scare of commitment. I can't do this. I…I don't know what else to say or do for you…Every waking moment I want to reach out and touch you, I want to kiss your forehead when you feel bad, I want to hold your hand when we walk together, I want to be able to kiss you goodbye before classes, put my arm around your shoulders, I want the little things! I'm not asking for some big, elaborate, go home meet the parents and rush into everything all at once relationship…I just want you!"

"Why? So you can brag how you were the first to get Granger to you friends? Is that it? Huh?" Fred was getting fed up.

"It's because I actually feel something for you. I love you and you're too thick to see that I want you because you're you! Not some trophy." Fred stormed off leaving Hermione there, sobbing.