Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
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Chapter 2 something silver and something gold
Hermione didn't return to the dinner table, in fact, none of the Weasley's knew where the girl had disappeared. Fred couldn't believe that Ron would do something like that. The first time he had asked her to marry him, she said yes. It was exactly one week before the wedding when Hermione walked in on Lavender and Ron having sex. Needless to say that she wasn't as trustful towards Ron since. Not anyone blamed her, they would have told Ron off a couple of times.
Harry couldn't help but look at Ginny almost every second. Everyone knew that it would be a few days before he actually popped the question, but they knew it was going to be coming. George, he was still upset about the whole thing but everyone knew that he was going to ask Luna the moment he saw her. Charlie was getting married Saturday, and Bill was already married. Angelina was currently seeing someone, who she wished to keep unknown to the Weasley family. Everyone figured that Ron was going to ask Lavender to marry him, leaving Fred looking for himself.
"Fred, do you have someone?" Mr. Weasley asked.
Fred looked up from his triple upside-down cake. "No, I haven't thought much of it lately."
"Do you really think Hermione has someone? Or maybe she's just saying that to avoid marrying a good looking Weasley?" Ron said, admiring himself in his empty cup.
"Ron, if you're a good looking Weasley, than I'm the Queen of Scotland." Fred joked. "You look just the same as the rest of us. Red hair, too many freckles, too tall, and most importantly, you're a blood traitor."
"So are you. How do I know you didn't ask Hermione? After all, you tend to…"
"Would you shut up? Hermione and I are just friends. She's too busy with her newspaper article anyway. She writes for Witch Weekly, well weekly. You should read some of her articles Ronald. Maybe then you'll get the idea that she isn't into you any more."
"Oh yeah, what did her last one say?"
"Simple, it was looking into the issues of men and short skirts. Saying how that men and Quidditch aren't simple men and Quidditch. Women have now taken an interest in the same thing that men do, just to prove themselves, that they're not as weak and defenseless as everyone thinks they are." Fred said, kicking his feet up on the table. Only to get them swat down by his mother. "And before that it was useful spells, and where and how the originated. She's a talented writer, and even the Minster himself has looked at her work. Isn't that right Dad?"
Mr. Weasley nodded his agreement. "Hermione has had may offers since the law first leaked out Ronald. People almost as famous like our own Harry Potter have asked her. The grandson of the witch who wrote Hogwarts, a History has asked her at least twice. Even Viktor Krum has asked her to marry him. It's amazing how many men are looking at her. She's probably gone for one of the many potion makers, or maybe Neville Longbottom since he's a professor at Hogwarts.
"George asked her a few years ago remember Ron? Right before the Ministry deserted the idea of the Marriage law 6.8." Mrs. Weasley reminded the youngest male Weasley. "So for Hermione to over look you, well, it's almost expected."
Harry nodded before putting his two cents in. "Ron, you have broken her trust a few times in the past three years. I have a list, just for Hermione's sake in my room. She would want to marry someone she could trust. Someone that she wouldn't…"
"Have you ever thought that Hermione has an actual offer?" Angelina piped up. She hadn't said much, just taking in most of the offers.
Ginny nodded. "I was talking to her, and she got the offer a few days ago. It was a leak from the Ministry. And she's had several a few days ago, including Draco Malfoy." Ginny brought up.
Fleur looked at the only female in interest. "She told me zat zhey had been datin' for sometime."
Bill nodded; he had gotten the same response from Hermione when she came to him. Mrs. Weasley decided to put in what Charlie and Katie had wanted to say for sometime now. "We don't know how long ago this leaked out though, so she could of known about it for months and been engaged for a couple of months," Bill added in before his mother could say anything.
"I think all we need is a good night sleep. Harry, you and Ron have the tent set up right?" Ron and Harry nodded. "Good, you'll sleep in there with Ginny, I think Dean was planning to stop by later. Fred, George, you two will get Ron's room. Bill, you and Fleur will occupy the twins' old room. Charlie you will get your old room, and Angelina and Katie will stay in Ginny's room." She had noticed that Luna had snuck away sometime ago. She didn't count in that girl anyway, she was scared of what Luna thought.
"Mum? Where will Hermione sleep?"
"Probably in the tent with you." Mrs. Weasley answered Ron's question.
Fred and George were the first to leave the table. Both talking about how George was planning to pop the question to Luna. It was a strange pairing those two, but she was at least a girl. Fred wasn't looking for anyone, and he wasn't ready to settle down. But much like George he was going to just to get the Ministry off of his case. Even though George really did love the blonde girl he was just too afraid to admit to it.
His hand wandered down to the phoenix necklace that Hermione gave him last year when he was inducted into the Order. It was gold with red ruby eyes, it reminded him much of Fwakes. But at the same time it reminded him of the way Hermione still wore her Gryffindor colors with pride. How she still had the sweater that his mum made during her fifth year Christmas, and the scarf that was given to Hermione for her nineteenth birthday. It was all about Hermione, well Fred's thoughts anyway.
"Do you really think Hermione's got someone?"
"Remember when her and Ron made the big stink about her going to the ball with someone else?"
"She wore those periwinkle dress robes, she was beautiful." Fred muttered the last little bit. "Yeah, I remember that year. It was the Triwizard Tournament. The Yule Ball to be exact."
"I don't even wanna know how you know this stuff." George stated. They were currently standing in front of their room, well, Ron's room. "Yeah, but remember how she shocked everyone and when with Viktor Krum? Maybe she's marrying him."
"Or maybe she's saying that to get everyone off her case." Fred defended. "I had actually asked Hermione to the Yule Ball before a lot of people did. She said that she had many offers to go to the ball; Neville included, but turned them all away. She was "waiting" for the right guy to ask. Something tells me that Viktor was just trying to get the courage to ask her. And she knew it. Girls tend to know a lot of things."
"Yeah, I have to agree with you there mate." His twin nodded. "I can't believe that…"
"So what are you going to do about Luna?"
"Uh, well, I haven't really thought about it yet." George answered; he was slightly blushing about it.
Fred looked at his brother like he was insane. He always had a plan. There wasn't a time that he didn't have a plan. But when it came to girls, Fred decided, George was completely clueless. Luna was no different girl, okay so maybe she was a little insane, but she was just as sane as George.
"Luna?" Fred asked. "This is Luna Lovegood we're talking about right?"
"Yeah, Looney Luna Lovegood, the girl who was in the D.A. who helped Harry at the Department of Mysteries." George snapped. "I see nothing wrong with her. At least she's someone, unlike you, I'm marrying, kinda, someone." George growled. Yup George was in denial, Fred thought.
Fred looked around the hall. It wasn't fair, why did the one girl he cared about have to like someone else? Why did he have to wait until the last minute for everything? It was just like everything else in his life. He waited for the last minute to study for tests, for great deals, and most importantly he waited the last minute to ask all the girls to marry, date, or whatever the hell he wanted to do.
"Don't beat yourself up over it. Like Dad said, she's had many offers since it's been blurted out from the office. Many of the higher people have known about it for months on end."
"Like who? Not us. You think because Kingsley is in the Order he'd tell the members. And let alone to pass it?" Fred barked. "I don't think that it's possible."
"He told us once remember? When the laws first started to come out." George reminded him. "It was because of the whole Ron/Hermione thing that he quit telling us everything."
"Figures. Leave it to our stupid little brother to mess things up for us." Fred growled.
George nodded. Ron was always messing things up for them. "So did something happen between you two when you walked in on her naked?"
"No."
"Hermione!" The twins chorused. "How lovely to see you. After dinner you gave everyone such a fright."
"Who says that any more guys? Such a fright? I think Umbridge said that once."
"I hate her." George growled.
"Just look at it this way, she's forcing you to get married to the one you love the most." Hermione pointed out. "And don't tell me that you don't love her. Because you know you do."
George blushed, okay so the twins didn't have much in common with Hermione, and sure they didn't associate with her much. But what was important was they talked from time to time. Hermione found out how to tell them apart from each other, even if it was by their eyes. And the fact, George was missing an ear, but she knew how to tell them apart before her hunt for the Horcrux.
Fred seemed to have a twinkle in his eye. Not the kind that caused trouble, but the kind that would allow you to fall very trustful with. Almost like Dumbledore's twinkle. He was very respectful. George had the same twinkle, except for the fact that he was going to cause trouble, and you could tell. It wasn't impossible. It was the only way she was able to the two identical twins apart.
"So Bushy? Who's this guy?"
"I wouldn't tell you George, and haven't I asked you not to call me bushy?" Hermione demanded. It was in her tone that screamed I'm a prefect. Respect me.
Fred chuckled slightly. "But you're always going to be Bushy to us. No matter what happens." He stated. "No matter what no-name guy you end up marrying, Bushy."
"Don't call me Bushy!"
Both the twins laughed. She was turning red when she was called bushy. For some unknown reason it made her blush every time that someone said it, especially the two trouble making Weasleys. She couldn't figure out why, but those two seemed to push her buttons the most. And she was fine with that because she knew how to get back at them just as easily.
"So, why did you leave? Was it because of our own dear brother?" George questioned, trying to make some sense of their encounter in the hallway.
"Ronald and I have some differences, and I wouldn't say that question wasn't obvious, but I've already had someone to ask me."
George was wide eyed. "Are you serious? Someone already asked Bushy to marry him. Who was it? Draco, Dean, Harry," Fred hit George for the last person mentioned. "What?"
"Harry is going to pop the question to our lovely little sister dolt." Fred barked.
"How can you tell?"
"He was nearly jumping for joy when Dad said it was actually going through this time." Fred stated, crossing his arms. "Other than that who else do we have? Neville?"
"Do you know that Neville loves Luna?"
"What?!" George shouted.
"Yup," Hermione confirmed. "I've been corresponding with him since last summer. He's a great person. But he's really infatuated with Luna." Fred could have sworn she winked in his direction.
"Hermione, do you want to use words that a normal human uses?" George suggested.
"So you may want to make a move on George. Other wise you may get stuck with like Alicia." She shrugged. "She's not bad, but she's got a huge scar on the side of her face. But you used to like her didn't you? Oh wait that was Katie you liked."
Fred looked at the bush haired witch with love in his eyes. She still knew what was happening with her classmates long after Hogwarts. It was just like her though, to keep in contact with all the members of the D.A. She was supposed to be the one that didn't change no matter what happened in her life.
"So, when contacting Neville, did he say anything about marrying Luna?"
"Why? I thought you don't like her? You do know she's three years younger than you." She reminded the younger twin (George).
"Two and a half. For someone who's really smart, you sure don't know anything about what's going on with numbers." George joked. "Maybe you need a class or two."
"And for someone who is a prankster you don't know when you've fallen into a trap."
"What?" They chorused.
Before either of the twins new it, they were pulled up right into a net. Hermione smiled that she was able to catch both Weasleys. She never knew that things were going to that simple. She had set up that net to capture Ron, but the twins were just as easy to catch. It made her smile wider that she could make the two notorious pranksters get caught in a simple net.
There was a pop, but neither of the twins had moved from their spots. "HERMIONE!"
"Yes?" She asked innocently. "I'm sorry my dear twins, but you've been caught."
George felt his head to make sure that everything was still there. He felt his right side of his head and began to freak out. "My ear! I've splinched! I'm missing my ear!"
Hermione started to laugh, using her knees to hold her up. "George you've always been missing that ear."
"Oh yeah." He calmed down.
Hermione smiled after she regained control of her breathing. It was a sight to behold. Fred and George Weasley were both caught in her magic preventing web. She loved it. She pushed it as she walked past. She wanted to go talk to Ginny and tell her that the new net was going to be a hit when a couple more charms were put on it. She could see the gleam from the invisible spells.
"GET BACK HERE YOU WITCH!"
Hermione paid no mind to what the twins were yelling. She would leave them there, until they found out that they could get out on their own, or she past by there again. Which if that was the case, she'd make sure it wasn't until morning when she passed by them again. Unless someone else walked by like Ginny for example. Though, Hermione wasn't sure that even their sister would let them out.
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Rain, Thunder, Lightning, those were always key elements to her life. They brought death and destruction. It was raining the night her mother was brutally murdered as well as her father. There were angry voices sound, and then the sound of a crash. Another flash of lightning appeared before someone swung the door open, then it was slammed shut, the sound echoing through the empty house.
There were loud pounding footsteps that echoed through the house, being up on the third floor trying to run down to reach the exit. She was breathing heavily, she was exhausted from fighting against him. Hermione shoved the table to the ground trying anything to slow down his path. She was wandless and alone. She threw things in his path, which was able to cast out of his way.
She gulped as she jumped down the first flight of stairs onto the second floor. She had to get away from him. He was upset about marrying a girl, then failing to get her pregnant. She had less than a year to be carrying a child. This caused him to get angry. She was afraid of the consequences. She'd been abused before; she'd been tortured too. But never raped. No, she was never taken against her own will. And that was what Hermione was afraid would happen if she was caught.
She stopped to breath, after slamming a door shut. She leaned on her knees to get fresh air in her lungs. If she left now, she would take a few days to find her friends. Especially since she hadn't contacted them since the marriage officially started. He wasn't going to let her tell them everything that had been happening.
Sweat was pouring down her pale skin. She was almost to the large front doors. Almost free, almost there, just a few more steps and she would be home free. It was then she heard it. He came through the doors she had slammed shut. He then used the one Unforgivable Curse that was used on her mother. How could he use it on the woman he was supposed to love and protect?
"Crucio."
Hermione shot up from her mat and took off running. She couldn't be outside with the rain and thunder going on. So she knew the one place where she was welcomed. She ran up the stairs, skipping the one that squeaked every time it was stepped on. She was afraid, even Hermione Jean Granger could admit to that, she threw open the door and did the only thing she knew how to, she jumped onto Fred.
Fred quickly whipped out his wand and cast a quick lighting spell. He was under attack, though the attack seemed wet. He looked down at his chest and saw a shaking Hermione holding onto him. George began to stir and when he saw Hermione he blurted out the first thing that came to mind, no matter how stupid it sounded.
"She wasn't there when I went to bed."
Fred nudged the frightened witch. The storm must have been bothering just as much as him. He was dreaming about death, and how it was coming in closer and closer. It was telling him to tell the one he loved that he loved her. Fred kept denying it all, but it kept threatening to take his life if he didn't.
There came a muffled sniff from Hermione. It didn't look like she was going to be moving for some time. He glanced over at George who just shrugged. Neither of them knew what to do, not that anyone would blame them. It was then when it occurred to Fred what he was wearing… well, wasn't wearing.
"Hermione dear, as much as I love this middle of the night hug, you've got to move." Fred whispered, for she had left the door open. He didn't want anyone to walk by and think that he was having sex with Hermione.
George tried his hardest to hold back his laugh. It was a very awkward situation for the older twin. That should teach Fred to sleep naked. He finally did let out a small chuckle.
"Get her off of me. I can't do anything without affecting her." Fred snapped. "As well as me."
"Well, I'm just as naked as you brother, you're supposed to be the brains of our operations. Figure…"
"You can Apparate, without bringing any extra baggage." Fred didn't mean for it to come out badly, but it just did. "Get moving George, I need to get something on."
George rolled his eyes and with a pop he was gone. Fred sighed stroking Hermione's hair for lack of better things to do. He had never been put into a situation like this before, okay maybe with Ginny, but she was different. She was his little sister. Hermione, was well, a girl that he felt strongly about.
"Hermione, what can shake your unshakeable form?" Fred whispered into her hair. He knew she wasn't going to answer she was too shaken up. It must have been a horrible nightmare, or maybe Ron said something to offend her. It was more like the second one, because Hermione never had bad dreams. She was just too strong for things as simple as that.
Fred shook his head. She was human after all, and any normal humans sought comfort after a horrible dream. Though the question was why did she come running to him? Why not wake up Harry. Bloody Hell, Ginny was probably right next to her. Why couldn't Hermione wake her up? Not that Fred minded at all, he wasn't having a good dream himself. But it was a matter of people who were closer to her, and Fredrick Weasley was not a close friend of Hermione Granger.
George causally walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. He smiled for Hermione had fallen asleep right on Fred. "So, did you tire her out?"
"Are you blind as well as deaf?" Fred growled at a whispering level. "Hermione and I have nothing going on between us, plus she's still fully clothed."
George started to laugh as he picked her up and moved her over to his bed. "Isn't this great? Ronniekins girlfriend prefers us."
"She probably thought that Ron was in here. Considering she's still asleep." Fred said slipping on some boxers and a white shirt. "If we pushed the two beds together, we'll probably be able to sleep in the same bed."
"And where's Hermione going to sleep?"
"In the middle." Fred replied. "She won't be running any where then."
"Why do you care?"
"Why do you care about Luna?"
"Touché." His twin replied.
"Good night George."
"But…"
Fred unlit his wand and pulled the blankets around him tightly. He wanted sleep to overcome him quickly, but he knew it would be at least an hour before he slept soundly. And he was going to need all the sleep he could get, because as soon as his mother walked in it was going to be a long day.
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K15: So there you guys go, chapter two. Brucas4eva is my muse to this. She looks over it before hand… kinda. Anyway, so five reviews before I update again. :) Oh and pay attention to this chapter. Just a warning. Later. K15