Title: Thought Process

POV: Hermione

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of these characters. I'm just experimenting for a while

Author's Note: This chapter took a little longer but hopefully its length will be longer. I wrote 6 pages on my last chapter and fan fiction compressed it to this tiny little page ): So I have resolved to write 10 pages or so. WARNING: This chapter is pretty fluffy but you find some intense stuff out about the pair. Mention of rape and other adult things. Rated M for a reason. Please review! They keep me going. If I get 15 reviews then I'll do a poll on… something (:

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Against my better wishes, I was wearing a reveling red halter top dress from Ginny. I looked in the mirror and I felt pretty for once in my life. The dress ended mid-thigh and reveled way more skin then I would usually wear. I figured Fred would like it, and it covered most of my bruises. I cast a quick conditioning charm to make my hair lay in soft waves and not bushy curls.

"Going somewhere special?" I heard a voice croon behind me. It was Fred, of course. He had an evil glint in his eye.

"What are you planning?" I said with a laugh. Fred just grinned and grabbed my hand. His hand was rough and callused but somehow soft at the same time.

"Follow me", Fred spoke softly. He then conjured a blindfold and wrapped it around my eyes, "No peeking!"

As Fred was leading me down the stairs, I heard whispering voices around me and a giggle. Where was he leading me? Why did he seem so sincere?

"I wish I could go upstairs and research this", I spoke thoughtfully then blushed, "Did I just say that out loud?"

Fred just started laughing. And suddenly I felt his gentle breath near my ear, "Nothing to research is there, Ms. Hermione Granger? The future Mrs. Weasley? It's just me taking you on a date. Relax, I won't bite. No matter what George says."

I was sure I was blushing. I had to be blushing fiercely. I felt the butterflies in my stomach fly even crazier than before. I had butterflies over Fred Weasley? No… were just friends who are being forced to marry and shag. Nothing more. We would never be anything more, and for some reason, I was sad about this.

"We're here! Pip pip. Blindfold off, missy", Fred said in an excited voice. I slowly began to reach my hands to my eyes, taking seconds instead a moment. I could feel Fred twitching beside me. I slowly began to pull my blindfold off when I felt hands grab the back of the blindfold and quickly pull it off. I gasped with pleasure.

We were at a small lake. There were hundreds of candles floating in the water. Some of them were even floating underwater! About ten feet away from the shore, a small table was set up. Complete with chairs, wine and food. There were multiple lanterns casting a soft light around everything. The best thing, however, was the boat tied to a small dock.

I ran over to the boat and looked inside. It was filled with cushions and blankets. Was he planning to have sex with me? No… He wouldn't do that on a first date.

"I love it, Fred! It's amazing! However did you get it set up so fast?"

"Well…" Fred began, puffing out his chest a little bit, "I am a wizard"

He put his hand on the small of my back and began to lead me to the romantic table. He pulled a chair out for me and gestured for me to sit. I sat with what I hoped was graceful. With a flourish, he pulled the covers off of the food. It was spaghetti and meatballs.

"How did you know?" I asked him with a relieved smile. Fred looked rather confused. He rubbed his ear.

"How did I know what?"Fred replied. Now I was confused.

"That I've been craving spaghetti and meatballs for the last three weeks! I keep suggesting it to your mum but she keeps telling me that she's allergic to spaghetti!"

Fred laughed. It was a wonderful sound. It sounded so carefree and full of life. If he were dead it wouldn't sound that way. He wouldn't be laughing at all because he was dead. Fred spoke up, breaking up my thoughts.

"Is this one of your 'woman' cravings? Because when Ginny gets those, there is no stopping her. Once, George and I hid all the chocolate in the house from her in our pants. She just hexed our pants off of us and claimed her chocolate. It was quite shocking."

We were both laughing now. I could just picture Ginny's PMS face. I got to see it every month. She even stole chocolate from me before.

"A three week long period? Dear Merlin, I hope not. Is it so hard for me to want my spaghetti?"

Fred looked abashed, "No, no, of course not. Eat your spaghetti, woman!"

With that, we both promptly dug in.

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After eating and drinking until I was tipsy, we mounted the boat. I looked in alarm at the cushions. Fred saw my alarm and shook his head. I climbed in, still eyeing the cushions. Fred un-tied the boat from the dock and pushed us off. I leaned over the side of the boat. It was magical. In more senses then just being a witch. The candles floated softly by us and I heard a soft voice in my ear.

"I think I forgot to mention how utterly breath-taking you look tonight. I mean you're always gorgeous but tonight… wow, just wow." I turned my head to find my face inches from his. I stared into his beautiful blue eyes. Then an alarm went off, ruining the moment. Fred looked at a muggle timer with a surprised expression.

"Already? Well, I guess we have about 30 seconds if my calculations were correct", Fred said. He stretched out in the boat and patted the space beside him, "Lay down beside me."

I looked cautiously at him and slowly stretched out beside him. He pointed at the sky with an eager expression.

"It should be starting any second now," Fred said. I looked at the sky. Suddenly I saw a shooting star. Then another. Then another! It was a meteor shower, and a beautiful one at that. The meteors shot through the sky. They looked like shooting stars and suddenly, I felt as if all of my worries had disappeared. All that mattered was now. My time with Fred, his body pressing close to mine. The meteor shower continued and my thoughts drifted as I watched the wishes shoot through the sky.

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We lay side by side. The meteor shower was long gone, we hadn't spoken a word. We were just enjoying each other's company. Gently drifting on the lake, the boat rocked back and forth. It was gentle and very soothing. I snuggled closer to Fred and put my head on his chance. I could feel his muscles contract as he smiled and his arm snaked around me. He gave me a quick squeeze. It was quite perfect. I closed my eyes, drifting off into slumber. I heard Fred's chest rumble as he began to speak.

"Since we'll be married in two short weeks, we should probably get to know each other better"

Suddenly wide awake, I sat up. I looked at him in horror, "Fred Weasley, I am NOT having sex with you until it's absolutely necessary!"

Fred cracked up. The boat rocked back and forth harder than ever. "That… isn't…. what…" he said between giggles, "I meant!" he finished with a guffaw.

I blushed. Way to make a complete fool out of yourself, Hermione old girl. He probably thinks you're a prude. 'But you are a prude!' said an annoying little voice in her head. I told it to shut up. Fred looked at me blushing and sent me a gentle smile. Tears of mirth still streaming out of his eyes.

"What I meant to say wasn't that I wanted to shag you… though I wouldn't mind doing that either", he waggled his eyebrows like a villain in an old muggle western film. I laughed. I felt like putting a cowboy hat on him and calling him 'Bucky Billy'.

"So… I figured we'd play a little get-to-know-you-better game. I call it… Truth", Fred finished.

"Not a very creative name, especially coming from a Weasley twin. But sure, I'll give it a shot"

"Excellent, excellent. Now the game is simple. All you do is ask questions. I ask a question, you ask a question. And we answer with nothing but the truth", Fred explained, "I'll go first. What's your favorite food and why?"

I smiled at the randomness of the question, "I would probably say minestrone soup. When I was younger, my mum used to make it for me whenever I was sick or sad. It always made me feel better no matter what", I felt a pang of sadness and choked back a sob, "Not that she'll ever make me soup again. I sent my parents to Australia for protection with their memories wiped. When I went back to return their memories to them, I found their house burned to the ground. My parent's bodies lay smoking among the rubble."

Fred reached over and pulled me into a hug. He held me as I cried into his shirt. My make-up was starting to run and Fred's shirt was becoming soaked but Fred didn't seem to care. He kept muttering small comforts, like how you would comfort a baby. He rocked me back and forth. When I calmed down, I realized I was sitting in his lap. I blushed and scooted backwards to where I was sitting before. Fred looked at me with an amused expression on his face.

"Well… uhm… I guess it's my turn", I said awkwardly, "I've always wondered this. How many girls, or guys I don't know your preference, have you slept with?"

Fred laughed when I mentioned the guys but sobered when I finished the question. Then he blushed. He actually blushed!

"I didn't really… uhm… have the best judgment during school. Or after school. This is kind of a really bad number but… 12"

I gasped in shock. It was more than I expected. Fred eyed my shocked expression and sent me a smile.

"Who?" I muttered, more to myself then to Fred. I saw him take another glance at me and I realized he had heard.

"You only know a few. Some of them… I don't even know their names. Angelina, Alicia, Verity, Demelza Robbins a girl I dated from Ravenclaw and a girl I dated from Hufflepuff. Remember them? Harriet and Jenny. Then the other 4 girls… I don't remember who they were."

I looked at Fred's ashamed expression and slowly counted the girls in my head.

"Hold on a minute. You missed one! Who was the twelfth girl?" I asked with as much prissy that I could muster.

"Don't judge me for this one. It was a complete mistake. I was extremely drunk. Like drunker then I've ever been. Probably as drunk as you could be while still living. I… slept with Lee Jordan. I swear to Merlin, I'm straighter then the stick up Percy's butt. Please don't tell George! He'd never let me live it down."

I couldn't help myself and I started cracking up. He slept with Lee? Dreadlocks Lee? Giant spider Lee? That was hilarious. I wondered how he reacted to finding a naked Fred in his bed. Fred looked at me with a disdainful expression.

"Don't laugh! It wasn't funny!" Fred spoke with such an annoyed tone. It only made me laugh harder. Eventually Fred gave in and began to laugh with me.

"And the best part was…" Fred began. Laughter still shaking his wiry frame, "When he woke up beside me, covered in blood and other… bodily fluids, he just looked at me and said, 'You're a really good kisser but you're not my type. Do you have any hangover potion?' Then He left and we never spoke of it again."

I laughed even harder. We just sat their laughing for several long moments. Our pleasure was rocking the boat, creating small waves.

When we settled back down into the pillows, Fred began a new topic.

"I guess we should keep the game going. I have to make my questions harder to answer now, since you asked such a wonderful one. Hermione, are you a virgin?"

I winced and I could feel my facial features scrunching up. I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to respond to that.

"No." I replied uncertainly.

A look of surprise flashed across Fred's face, but he quickly covered it up with a care-free smile.

"Did ickle Ronniekins take it before I could? I'll hex that boy; he finally got something before me."

I shook my head. A feeling of dread washed over me. I took several deep breaths. Did I trust him enough to tell him? I was going to be married to him soon, having his children! I had to be able to trust him. Plus we shared that good 'ol bond.

"Was it a good shag? Since its Ron, I bet it was horrible. He was probably talking the whole time about his exe girlfriends. I bet he couldn't find anything and had to ask you to show him how! I wish I could've seen that. Actually, I'm glad I didn't. Not because of you 'mione but I never want to hear Ron grunt and moan ever, in my entire life. I never want to see that!" Fred kept on talking about me shagging Ron. I have never done that with Ron. That actually might cause and allergic reaction or something.

"I was raped", I blurted out. I was trying to get it over with. Like jumping into a pool of freezing water. You have to get it over with or it'll hurt like hell.

"What." Fred's voice was a flat monotone. The anger in his eyes encouraged me to keep talking. He reached a hand over and squeezed my left hand gently.

"I've never told anyone this before. No one except for Ron and Harry know the extent of the torturing. I guess you'll know now."

"Torturing." Fred's voice was still flat. I looked over at him nervously.

"Yes, torturing. When we were imprisoned in Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix tortured me. She tried everything to get me to break and tell her what she needs to know. She carved mudblood onto my arm. She stabbed me and prodded me. She used the worst… most awful spells you can ever imagine. But the thing that came closest to breaking me was the last thing she tried. She called up Lucius Malfoy from the ranks of death eaters. She whispered to him about something and I saw his face grimace. He put on gloves and said he wouldn't touch me with his skin because he didn't want to get 'tainted' from my muddy blood. He then proceeded to do horrible things to me. He raped me, several times over and over. When I didn't crack, he raped me from behind. They tried everything they could possibly do. I didn't crack. Bellatrix got her knife and prepared to kill me. That's when Harry and Ron rescued me."

I had kept my eyes on the ground throughout the horrible memory. I didn't dare look Fred in the eyes. His grip had tightened slowly through the story and it started to get painful.

"Please let go! You're hurting me!" I whimpered. Fred quickly let go of my hand and muttered a sorry. I could tell he was trying to control himself. I took my first good look at him. He had turned white as a ghost. His hair looked redder than ever. His eyes had darkened to midnight blue and he looked murderous. After a few long moments he spoke with a hard angry tone.

"I can't believe anyone would do that to you! Lucius Malfoy is going to pay. He's never going to know what hit him. He will never forget the horrors that will happen to him"

"Fred, please stop. I know you're angry. You're scaring me! This isn't the Fred I know. I've accepted that it's happened. I'm still trying to move past it, and I don't know if I ever will be able to fully move on. But please calm down!" I spoke desperately. He had taken out his wand and red sparks were shooting out of it. In an attempt to comfort him, I wrapped my arms around him. He shuddered at my touch but he put his wand away and I could feel his breathing start to slow again. Suddenly I felt his arms around me too.

He spoke into my hair, "I'm so sorry. If it were my decision, I would kill him. Or worse. But it isn't my decision. It happened to you, and I respect what you believe. But-", Fred's voice turned to a growl, "If he EVER tries to touch you again, he will pay."

I simply nodded and relaxed into Fred. I let him hold me. Before I knew it we were both laying down. I played a game with myself, trying to match my breathing with his. I felt drowsy in no time. In an effort to keep myself awake, I thought about what Fred had said. He had defended me so truly. I felt so safe with him. Was it possible that I was falling for Fred Weasley? Falling for Fred Weasley was not in my plan. It didn't fit in with what I wanted in life. I can't help who I love, however. Fred Weasley might very well become a part of those plans.

With thoughts of Fred, I couldn't myself any longer. I drifted off to sleep, still in Fred's arms.

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AN: Sorry this chapter took so long! I had a writer's block. Reviews are love! I'll try to update in the next week or so. Please review once again 3