Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I own the part from the Great Gatsby.
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Chapter 5 something truthful, something hurtful
Needless to say every Weasley and their significant other was dead silent. Nobody dared say anything in fear of being on the wrong end of Hermione's curse. They had seen what it had done to Fred, and they were not going to take that chance with Hermione. She had a nasty flick of the wand.
Personally, nobody had expected Hermione to go for the Ferret. Maybe Neville, Dean, hell even Zacharias Smith was better than a former Death Eater. Hermione could only shake her head and walked closer to the table, dragging Malfoy with her. The couple seemed to be on edge, Hermione with her hand, that wasn't holding Draco's hand, was close to her wand. She would hex anyone who dared say anything about the relationship between the two.
Ginny was the first to speak after the long awkward moment of silence. "Well, it's great to have you at dinner Draco." Ginny stated proudly. "Welcome to the strange little family of Weasleys." She held out her hand in a friendly gesture. Her smile on her face was a facade, and everyone knew it, but didn't say anything.
Fred on the other hand, had much to say about the matter. It was all running through his head and he knew how Hermione was going to act, he had the whole conversation predicted in his head. But even Fred knew when to bite his tongue though. He would just have to confront Hermione about it later. No was not the time, it was supposed to be a happy celebration, seeing as it was the night before Charlie's wedding. And not even a bouncing Ferret was going to mess things up.
"Well, dears if we're finished staring at young Draco like a fish can we start this dinner? I'm sure Hermione isn't the only one with big news." Mrs. Weasley stated as Draco shook Ginny's hand with almost distrust. "Draco you'll sit next to Fred, and Hermione next to Harry."
For the first time since she arrived back at the Burrow, Hermione had noticed the seating arrangements. Of course Mr. Weasley was at the head of the table, with Mrs. Weasley across from him. To the right of him was Ron, and then Ginny and Harry. Hermione and Draco were next to Harry, then it went Fred, Mrs. Weasley, George, Luna, Bill, Fleur (baby Victoire was in between her parents), and then of course Angelina, Charlie and Katie. It was the first time in a while that they weren't sat according to Oldest to youngest, and Weasley and significant other. It made Hermione wonder what was the special occasion was for the change.
Dinner went peacefully until George took his wine cup and hit it annoyingly until it broke. Fred rolled his eyes as Luna did a quick Reparo before George began his speech.
"As many of you now know of this stupid and most ridiculous law that's forcing people to get married, it has made me realize one thing." He would shout it to the heavens if necessary. "I love Luna! And that's why I asked her to marry me!"
"And I said yes, despite he was hiding in a bush where the Nargels usually mate, which is usually not a good sign, but since it was not a Crumple-Horned Snorkack mating spot," Luna said, getting weird looks from both Fleur and Mrs. Weasley. "I consider us lucky."
"Congratulations George, it's the best news ever!" Mr. Weasley said, and Charlie and Bill got up and hit him in the shoulders. This caused him to spit the drink his was currently drinking all over his food. "We can all say we are very proud of you. Especially since you didn't joke around the matter."
Harry was the next one to stand up. They had it all planned out, him and Ginny that is. "I have announcement to make."
"You do not sit down." Ginny argued, she tugged at his shirt. "I told you now was not going to be…"
"Ginny and I got married two days ago and she's expecting her first child." He looked down at Ginny and smiled. "Isn't that right darling?"
This caused each one of the Weasleys to start talking at once. With all the commotion going on, it took Ginny a while to get her family to calm down. "Would you all just shut up!" She finally yelled. Instantly the noise quieted down. "Good, now I'm not pregnant, and Fred you summon anything that's going to hurt my fiancé I will maim you so you're unable to have children so you're future wife will have to go to George, because nobody will no the difference." Ginny threatened.
Harry blushed slightly for his own fiancée having to defend him. "We've decided that we wanted to a have a spring wedding." He stated. "That way we can plan everything out in great detail."
"That's great mate!" Ron said clapping him on the back. "I'm glad you're finally become part of the Weasley clan."
"Just like you're becoming part of the Potter family?" Harry questioned. "So now you're my brother…"
"In-law. Along with the rest of the lot." He nodded towards the rest of his brothers. "I suspect that you guys have a huge wedding planned."
"Nothing planned yet. Ginny and I both planned a small quiet wedding, and that's what we're hoping for."
Mrs. Weasley waved her hands signaling that all the Weasleys be seated. They had a quite enough shock for one dinner, and they hadn't even reach dessert yet. "Lets finish this meal in peace please." Mrs. Weasley said sitting down into her own chair. She hadn't remembered this much fuss about weddings since when her brothers threatened to maim Arthur for impregnating her before they were married.
Fred glared at his neighbor the whole dinner. He didn't like Draco; something about him was setting off a dozen warning bells in his head. Fred thought for sure that Draco was playing Hermione. To get closer to Harry, and make the kill, once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater. Malfoy's father had proved that one to the whole Weasley family. Draco was not one to be trusted.
Fred knew that Draco wanted to marry Hermione for the wrong reasons. Fred looked up at Angelina and nodded towards her, she was engaged to Lee, and her friend Alicia was engaged… married to Seamus. It was weird that all of his friends were getting married, and he was left by himself. He needed to find out someone before he was stuck having to marry like, Neville… he shuddered at the thought.
"You alright man?" Draco questioned, trying to make nice with the Weasley clan. "Are you coming down with something?"
"Shut up." Fred snapped. "You have no idea what the hell you're talking about."
"Excuse me?"
"I know your plot. You hated Hermione all through Hogwarts, what's with the act now?" Fred snarled. "Trying to get heirs? Knocked her up and felt bad about so now you have to marry her. There's no love in your heart Malfoy."
Draco tilted his head in confusion. "What are you talking about George?
"Fred. For God's sake I am Fredrick Gideon Weasley!" He did it, he finally snapped. "I am not missing an ear. I'm not marrying Luna, and I refuse to take it any more. I am Fred, not Fred and George, Fred!" He pointed to his own head. He even gave a slight tug on his two ears to emphasize his point.
Fred rose to his feet and threw his napkin down on the table. For about five seconds he was almost afraid his mother was going to stand on her chair and box his ears. Honestly he didn't care. If Draco was trying to make peace he was doing a horrible job at it.
"I don't know what you're playing at Malfoy. I can see right through your evil plot. You're going to start bein nice to us, then bam!" Fred slammed his fist on the table. "You're going to kill us all, you and your Death Eaters. I don't believe you're marrying Hermione for love!"
"What do you know about love?"
"A whole lot more than you no good bastard!"
"I will not be spoken to in that tone of voice Weasley." Draco snapped, rising to his feet as well.
"I will not have you messing up my family, even if you are family. We have lived in a peaceful existence until you show up and mess everything up." Fred had no idea where these words were coming from, but they sure sounded good. "I don't know what you're thinking."
"I know what I'm doing here, I'm dining with family that I haven't considered family until recently, and I'm pleasing my future wife. Why can't you accept that cousin?" The way he said that, it rolled off his tongue with such hatred.
"Fredrick, sit down." Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Draco is part of the Order now."
"You know what I'm done with this. I'm not hungry any more." Those words were strange to hear coming from a Weasley's mouth. They were always hungry. "Come talk to me when this filth isn't here. I'll be out flying." He then Disapparated from the table.
Draco looked down at his food and then at Hermione's hand in his own. He looked at Mrs. Weasley and said something that none of the Weasley's present thought they would ever hear coming from a Malfoy's mouth. "Aunt Molly, I'm sorry."
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Fred was out hitting random apples into the neighbors yard, and their closest neighbor was five Muggle blocks away. When he finally ran out of apples he sat on his broom high above the ground, thinking. It was something he hadn't had a chance to do since Hermione and Harry had come. The last time he had floated among the skies, was when he was trying to think of what he was going to say at Percy's funeral.
He balanced on his broom and leaned back staring up into the night sky. It was very peaceful; he could fall asleep like that, if he wasn't afraid of falling the fifty, sixty feet he was above the ground. He thought about Hermione and Draco. How could she even say yes to that man… he wasn't even a man yet. Until you had your own business or job then you could consider yourself a man, but he was still a child. No matter how much money the boy had, he couldn't win hearts that way. You had to be very delicate with the matter of love, and Fred was pretty sure that he just blew it.
Fred let out a frustrated scream and sent his bat hurtling towards the ground as fast as he could. Not even Quidditch could keep his high spirits up. He looked towards the Burrow and he swore he could hear laughter coming from it. Maybe he should move out of the country, he'd of course take Ronald with him and open a branch of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes somewhere else. He heard the States was a great place to live. They could use a branch of the triple W there anyway.
"Oi! You took off too quickly for my tastes!"
Fred looked down and saw George on the ground. Well, actually he was moving up at great speeds. "How did you know where I was?"
"We have this twin thing going on, you know twin telekinesis." George reminded him. "Plus when Percy died, you spent days up here. You also said it yourself, you'd be off flyin'."
"I didn't spend days, I spent hours."
"Whatever. It's the same concept." His other half answered. "What happened in there? I've never seen you throw a Ronald Syndrome before." He steadied his broom next to Fred's.
"Is that what they're calling it now?" Fred asked, sitting correctly on his broom. "I would have been happy if Hermione brought home anyone but that bastard."
"You should have heard what we've been talking about all night with the little ferret."
"I rather not hear about it." Fred answered rather coldly. "I don't care."
George could literally sense the hatred and jealousy coming from his twin's voice. He was pretty sure that anyone else would to if they had been sitting next to him. Luckily it was only George and Fred talking. This would be great to use on Fred later in life, when Hermione was around.
"Did you really mean what you said?"
"About not wanting to be Fred and George any more?"
"Yeah."
"No, I love being Gred and Forge. It's just sometimes I really want to be known as Fred, not George, not one half of the Weasley twins, just Fredrick Gideon Weasley." Fred sighed. "Haven't you ever felt like that?"
"When you almost died, I was worried what it was going to be like without you." George started. Fred had never heard his brother talk about that day. Percy had covered Fred's body with his own. "I swear I thought about running the shop, playing Quidditch, Christmas shopping, the whole bit without my twin. And I thought about how Mum used to call us Gred and Forge, and how we used to laugh about it.
"I think it was the only time I heard her call you Fred, the only time she stayed by your side, weeping. Saying that she wouldn't treat you as a twin, but as a person. She wouldn't force us to get married to set of twin super models and have twin little girls, we were to be our own person." George looked away. "It was the first time I heard Mum speak about Uncle Fabian and Gideon like they were in heaven looking over us. And asking them to protect you, and make sure she didn't lose yet another child. It has never crossed my mind since your almost death. It would cross my mind all the time.
"Because of Percy's death, I've learned to cherish what we have. Because we are so close and we are not just only separate people, we are also the same person. Nobody knows you better than me, and nobody knows me better than you. Fred, I couldn't stand being apart and separate people any more."
Fred wanted to bring his twin into a hug and just let him cry, like they did at Percy's funeral, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Especially since they were on separate brooms. He felt tears roll down his face. They seemed to betray him every time. He hated to cry. Mentally Fred blamed George for the tears.
"I rather know that you're happy, safe, warm, pleased, and alive rather than know us a separate people. I know we're Fred and George, and each half is different from the other. But when I looked at you lying in St. Mungo's, I worried what would happen to the team we had perfected."
"George, you know we're drifting apart."
"I don't understand it myself brother."
"You're getting married in less than a year to the girl you love…"
George's blue eyes sparkled. "I know what you need. A girlfriend."
"Well, obviously."
"One that's smart. And can put you back into line."
"Thank you for naming Hermione."
George let out a huge sniff and wiped his nose on his sleeve, like he used to do when he was younger. "I know, and I can understand that you don't like Draco. After that episode in the dining…"
Fred suddenly felt his broom lurch forward. He clutched the handle tighter as he felt the weight shift, there was suddenly more of it. "Hey twins." Ginny said. "What are you guys doing up here? Ferret's gone now. He left after a sweet good night kiss with 'Mione, personally it made me gag." She made a gagging sound to emphasize her point.
"Ginny, why did you Apparated onto my broom? You could of killed yourself."
"I wanted to test out my skills, and it was just from Harry's broom to yours. Not even ten feet." Ginny insisted. "I'm worried about you Fred. I've never seen a half of the troublemakers depressed. Are you sure there is nothing going on between you and Hermione? I mean you did walk on her naked."
George chuckled. Their little sister had taken a leaf from their book. Which they had to write still, it would sell millions. The Life and Times of Fred and George Weasley, George could see it now. And of course, there would be a part in the back of the book, How to win the heart of the woman you loved. George was sure that Ginny would write that based on the twins experience with women.
"Yes, my little annoying little sister. I am quite positive that there is nothing going on between me and your best friend." He smirked and took a deep dive down towards the ground. He could feel the wind rushing past him as his semi-longish Weasley red hair was blown back. He felt Ginny cling to him for dear life. It was actually kind of funny, but at the same time, it was hard to breathe.
"FRED!" Ginny shrieked as he pulled up right before the came hurtling into the ground. "Oh. My. God." Ginny said trying to regain her breath. "I could kill you."
Fred smiled and lowered the broom so that his feet were touching the ground. "Well, my lady, it was good to have this ride with you." He laughed a little. "We'll have to ride again sometime. Just call me Fred's Night Bus service." He joked.
When Ginny got off the broom, it was the first time that he noticed what the wind had done to her hair. It was now a similar fashion to Hermione's (Hermione's first year). This caused Fred to start laughing, harder.
"Ginny, you should see your hair!"
When George landed he fell off his broom from laughter. "Have you seen yourself Gin?" George managed to get out around the laughter.
Ginny summoned a mirror and let out a blood-curdling scream. "What did you do? My hair! I'm… I'm… I'm… bushy!"
Harry landed and took one look at his fiancée. "What did you do to her Fred?"
"Took off on a dive for fifty or sixty feet, pulled up at the last second and poof went Ginny's hair." Fred explained, his hand explaining the action of his sister's hair. He was still laughing as hard as George, but luckily had his hand on the broom.
"Maybe you can take some hair advice from the original Bushy." George suggested.
"And why would I do that Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumb." Hermione walked out, her glare was straight on Fred. "So are you happy now Fredrick? Is that what you call revenge? Embarrassing my fiancé?"
Fred glared at Hermione before shooting past Harry at top speed, which was pretty fast for a Firebolt 2007, but not as fast as Ginny's Firebolt 2009. He couldn't take it any more he could not take it. Hermione didn't need to take it all out on him, like he was Ron or something.
Hermione looked at the dot that traveled upwards quicker. She grabbed George's own Firebolt and shot up after him. It was the first time anyone had seen her fly without so much of a second thought. Was it possible that Draco had taught her to overcome her fears?
Ginny held out hand for Harry. "Let them work this out, heavens know that they need to." Ginny tried to get her hair to lay flat. "Accio brush!" She yelled putting her hand out to catch the brush. She knew it was going to be a long night if those two kept at it. And with Charlie's wedding in less than a day, the day after tomorrow, things were only going to get worse.
Fred rushed as high as he could. He wanted to get away from her, and he knew flying up a hundred feet from the ground would be the perfect thing. Her brown eyes were set on the dot that was beginning to slow down around about hundred feet or so.
"FREDRICK!" Hermione yelled. "I'm not even close to being finish with you."
Fred pulled his broom to a halt, not even hearing Hermione's yell. He blinked his eyes a few times, and noticed that he was about a hundred feet off the ground. He loved to fly, but he decided that sixty to seventy feet was pushing his limit. But it was getting rid of most of his anger. With the cool air floating around him, it helped him understand what was going on below. And that Hermione actually telling the truth, she was marrying the Ferret for love.
"What…" He turned around and found a very angry looking Hermione facing him. "Hermione?"
"I told you I wasn't finished with the conversation we had earlier. I want to know what you were thinking about back at dinner." Hermione growled. "Because not only did you embarrass your family, but you also embarrassed me and Draco! What do you have to say for yourself?"
Fred blinked a couple of times again trying to get it through his head that this was really Hermione, not caring that she was on a broom, a hundred feet in the air. She was actually flying. It was hard to believe, she never touched a broom before. She hated the heights and here was Hermione Jean Granger, a hundred feet above the ground. Her anger was great, but at the same time she wasn't even worried about falling. If Fred wasn't so mad, he would of complimented her for this feat.
"I don't know if I want to tell you, you'll just tell the ferret and he'll deny it all." Fred finally snapped.
"Oh yeah, prove it tell me."
"When you came running in last night, it scared me. Not because I was butt naked, but because of what you were muttering." Fred began to answer, his features were still set on angry with Hermione, and she could hear the anger in his voice. "And you were the rock of the Golden Trio. The one that Ron and Harry were so close to, Ron had told me everything. Saying how it was you who kept them together. And it's true. If you hadn't talked to me at Percy's funeral then I would of left just like Percy."
Hermione gulped and stared into the prankster's face. She was looking for some sort of fault. Something to know that he was lying to her. "What was I muttering?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I dunno, you may not believe me." Hermione let out a growl.
"Tell me. I can handle it."
"I don't want to hurt you, especially since you told Ginny that you didn't remember it." Fred barked. "And don't you go yelling at me. You know that George and I are very close to both Ron and Ginny, closer to Ginny because she's our younger sister."
"Damn it Fred, just tell me already." She barked. "Unless you're not man enough."
"You have to swear you'll listen to me. And you'll believe me. If not then you can forget about it all."
"I swear, I will not run away."
"Good," he took in a calming breath. It was a surprise how quickly Fred could calm down. " Like I said before, you are our rock Hermione, you're nearly unshakeable. Whatever you had dreamt about last night, really affected you; you were shaking, and muttering.
"I was worried about it, then after George went to get dressed I heard it. Between the sobs you were muttering: no, I won't. Don't hurt me! Not the Cruciatus Curse." Fred took a deep breath in. "I was thinking about when you muttered, I loved you. It occurred to me, it had to be who you were marrying… Hermione! Get back here!" He yelled as Hermione took into a dive straight for the ground.
George and Ginny were staring up into the sky when they noticed two dots hurtling to ground, one faster than the other. Ginny immediately thought that the first one was Fred, but was shocked to see that it was Hermione, after all, Fred did have the faster of the two brooms. He could easily catch up with Hermione, but why he didn't was beyond any of the Weasleys and the Potter standing down below.
"Hermione, slow down you're going too fast. George, stop her, she's going to collide with the ground." Fred bellowed over the rush of the wind.
George knocked Harry off of his broom and rode up a little ways, trying to get Hermione before she was made into a pancake. He missed her by three inches, her arm slipping through his fingers. Fred jumped off of his broom, and grabbed onto Hermione's. He held his breath in, hoping that it would throw him off or he would fall off.
Fred actually considered himself lucky that he made it onto the broom. His weight allowed Hermione's broom to slow down some, but not enough without causing some pain when she hit the ground. He reached around to the front of the broom and pulled up on it. Fred slightly prayed to who ever was going to listen that Hermione didn't hit him and cause him to land on the ground.
Again he counted his blessings. The broom started to go upright, and came to a screeching stop about two inches from the ground. "Are you trying to kill yourself?" Fred yelled.
George looked at his brother as he refused to let go of Hermione, the broom still floating, now about six feet above the ground. Hermione was struggling against Fred's grip and it was weird to see Fred refuse to let go.
Ginny looked at the Firebolt 2007 that was now lying on the ground. "Hermione what happened?"
"She took off at top speed, which was actually faster than my broom." Fred had half a nerve to tackle Hermione to the ground to keep her from squirming. "Because I told her what…" Fred suddenly fell to the ground. "What the fuck?"
Hermione glared at Fred on the ground. "Don't touch me. You little liar, I love Malfoy with everything. And how dare you say something so deceitful? I never want to see your face again Fredrick Weasley!" She yelled, jumping off the broom and running into the house.
Ginny looked at her brother curled up into a fetal position, clutching his balls. She raised a red eyebrow and then looked at George who was flying down. "Did you hear what she told Fred last night?"
George shrugged. "All I know is that Hermione can't handle the fact her dream, nightmare actually, was about Draco. I could hear her whimpering it when I was holding her while my lovely injured twin was changing into something."
"What was she muttering?" Harry asked, landing his own broom.
"Don't, not my family, not the Weasleys. Anything but that." George said, still looking at his twin. "Please, don't use it, not the Cruciatus Curse."
Harry nodded. Fred stood up, finally done with the pain that was happening in his lower regions. "Are you alright Fred?" He questioned, knowing what it was like to be hit down there.
"I have to speak to Hermione, I need to. It's not and if or buts, it's just a have to." Fred wobbled a bit from the pain. But was able to walk perfectly fine. "I have to apologize."
"Bloody hell, are you nuts? She'll kill you in the emotional state she's in," Ginny blurted out. "She's been having trouble sleeping since the Marriage Law actually came out, which was about two days ago. Can you imagine what it's like for her not getting any sleep?"
"She slept fine last night,"
"Only after she ran up a flight of stairs, from the outside and from inside a tent." Harry pointed out. "She needs someone she can trust, and Ron's broken that trust."
"But her subconscious sought us out." George stated.
"Because you were in Ron's room. And normally that's where she goes when something happens." Ginny snapped. She let out a frustrated sigh. "It's like when you two go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, two minutes after one another. It's all done in sub-consciousness type of state."
"How do you know that? The whole walking to the bathroom thing."
"I was up late one night, a midnight snack if you will, and here comes George out of the bathroom, and not two seconds later Fred walked in." Ginny stated. "That's also how I found out you two sleep naked."
Harry laughed at the twin's identical reaction. The looked shocked and disgusted all at the same time. It was sort of funny. "So, are you seriously going to go and help…"
"I'm apologizing. This is her I basically insulted." Fred answered heading towards the backdoor. "So I'll talk to you guys later." He then ran into the house not long after words.
Ginny looked at Harry and the other twin. "He loves her doesn't he?" Harry and George could only nod in their own agreement.
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K15: Why is it that I'm always loving the ending to these things? Is the fic really that good or am I just imagining things?
Fred: A little bit of both I think.
Me: Lets see carry the one, minus the two, add six plus five, so the next one has to be, 30.
Fred: how did you get 30 out of that?
Me: I don't know. I was just rambling.
Fred: Okay, and they call Luna crazy.
Me: Anyway, so I expect reviews. Please? Thanks. Later. K15
PS- I did fix the time break lines on this chapter, 3, and 4. So hopefully things run a little more cleaner and clearer. Sorry if this caused any confusion.