Year 3 Part 1
Fred missed Hermione greatly over the summer. He wrote her many letters, telling her everything, asking her everything. Each one ended up being torn up, or burnt, or put under his mattress. For some unknown reason, Fred couldn't bring himself to send his endless letters. Instead he relayed on Ron to tell him what Hermione had written to him. All the letters were the same.
"I'm fine"
"How's Egypt?"
"Can't wait until the summer is over"
Fred wondered why he didn't send the letters, and why he stayed up at night thinking about Hermione. Hermione and her beautiful wild hair. Hermione and her cute brown eyes. Hermione and her sweet, soft lips.
As the summer draw to a close, Fred was thrilled to found out that they were going to be spending the last night of it staying in the Linking Cauldron and Hermione was going to be there too!
Fred accepted injuries, but it still chilled him when he saw Hermione, and he felt anger run through him. Hermione was talking to Harry and Ron when Fred and George cane into the Inn that they were staying in. Both the twins stopped in their tracks when they spotted her.
Her arm was in a cast, with two of her fingers tightly taped together. Hermione's face was badly bruised, and she was limping and nursing her stomach.
"What happened?" Fred asked, going up to her. Hermione looked up at him, her eyes slightly dull but they tinkled a bit when she saw Fred.
"She fell down a mountain" Ron laughed, teasing her. Fred looked at Hermione, wanting her to answer. He saw her blush slightly.
"I went skiing in France and I messed up a slope" Hermione explained.
"What's skiing?" George asked.
"It's a muggle sport" Hermione answered, "You have a pair of skis that are like planks of wood, attached to your feet, and two poles that you use to get though the snow and balance yourself" she continued.
"You go through the snow on the mountains" Harry tried to help her. Fred and George looked at each other and laughed.
"Why would you want to do that?" George laughed.
"It sounds so stupid!" Fred added, before giving Hermione a soft look. He could see through her lie.
"Are you ok though?" he asked. Hermione nodded and smiled.
"Yeah, nothing I can't handle" she replied.
Later that evening, after shopping, Fred was going upstairs to grab a Quidditch magazine, when he went past the room that Hermione and Ginny was sharing. Fred heard a cry of pain, a loud smash and then sobs. Fred stopped outside the door. The sobs were Hermione's. He knocked on the door.
"Hermione?" he asked and received no reply. The sobs just continued. Fred hesitated before trying the door handle. To his surprise it opened so Fred went in. Hermione was standing by a mirror, a smashed vase by her feet and a blouse screwed up on the bed. Hermione had no top on, just a bra and trousers. She yelled in shock as Fred walked in and pulled the blouse up to her chest. Fred shut the door behind him, and spun around so he was facing the door, but not before seeing a dark purple bruise on her stomach.
"FRED! What are you doing?" Hermione cried, sobs still in her voice. She didn't sound angry, just shocked.
"I heard you crying" Fred replied, looking at the wooden door.
"I can't get my top on, I've been struggling for days and I can't even use magic so I just got so frustrated" Hermione explained, anger creeping into her voice now, "but you should go, I'm not dressed"
"I could help" Fred offered. There was a slight moment of silence before Hermione laughed, laughter interrupted by sobs.
"How? You shouldn't even be in here, I could get you done for sexual harassment" she laughed. Fred chuckled.
"Ok, that way you will have to stay in here forever or go outside in your bra so everyone can see you"
"You could sneak me food, leave it at the door" Hermione suggested. Fred could feel the smile on her face.
"As a pervert, I am unable to do that" Fred laughed. Suddenly, Hermione let out another cry of pain. Fred spun around to see Hermione on the bed, nursing her foot. A bit of glass was sticking out of it and there was blood oozing out of it.
Fred rushed to her side, kneeling down to look at her foot. The flow of blood wasn't that heavy.
"Don't panic, it looks worse than it is" Fred told a crying Hermione. He carefully removed the slab of glass and got a tissue to decrease the blood flow. All this time, Hermione hid herself with the cover of the bed. Thick tears were still flowing from her eyes.
"You're such a clumsy person" Fred told her, "First falling off a mountain, then stepping on glass you knew was there" Hermione nodded, just her head and feet showing. The rest of her body was hidden. Fred cleaned up the glass, before coming back to Hermione.
"Do you want me to help you now?" Fred asked. Hermione heisted before nodding and taking Fred's outstretched hand. He helped her up carefully, to want to hurt her anymore. He helped her put the arms of the blouse on her small, too skinny form and then they faced each other. Fred carefully did up the buttons, looking into Hermione's chocolate eyes as he did so. Hermione blushed, and tried to look away, but just looked back into Fred's blue eyes. Fred tried not to touch her bruise as he went over it. His hands must have slipped a bit though, because Hermione winced slightly, and closed her eyes briefly.
Fred reached the last button and let his hands fell to her waist, resting them there. Hermione's blush deepened, but she didn't move away. Subconsciously, Fred moved slightly closer, moving his face downwards. Hermione lifted her face upwards, her lips slightly open. Their lips were nearly touching. Fred moved his hand up to Hermione's face, carefully touching her bruised cheek. Hermione closed her eyes and they moved even closer.
"Hermione, are you ready yet?" Ginny called from outside the door. Both of them jumped, and Fred sighed, giving Hermione a small smile. She smiled back, her eyes no longer wet. Fred slowly stood back, but let his hand linger for a second longer on her check before dropping it to his side. Ginny came in and was surprised to see Fred standing by the dressing table.
"Fred was just helping me with something" Hermione told her. Ginny smiled, looking from Fred to Hermione.
"Ok, I was just wondering if you were ready so we can order dinner" she explained. Both Fred and Hermione nodded, and followed Ginny downstairs, avoiding each other's eyes.
All that evening, Fred kept looking over to Hermione and getting butterflies in his stomach. By the time he got to bed, he felt sick.
"I think I'm in love George!" Fred said gravely as he laid down. George laughed, looking over to his twin.
"And what the receiver be a brushy haired bookworm?" he asked.
"Hey, don't call her that!" Fred complained, "How how did you know?" George raised an eyebrow, grinning.
"Because you have been in love with her since you first set eyes on her" he explained seriously. Fred turned over, now facing George.
"Have I?" Fred asked, shocked but slowly realising it. George nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Fred asked. George shrugged.
"I personally thought it was obvious" he told his twin, "But then again we know each other better then we know ourselves" Fred nodded and turned back over.
Fred Weasley was in love with Hermione Granger?
Over the next couple of months, Fred couldn't stop thinking about Hermione. It drove him crazy. Some nights he couldn't sleep because all that rushed through his mind was Hermione. The feel of her breath on his lips and her soft skin under his finger tips. Her brown eyes looking up into his. The feel of her slender waist. Their bodies nearly touching. All of it drove him crazy.
They didn't really talk after their near kiss. Nothing has changed between them. It's like they had just accepted it and carried on. But Fred really did want to kiss her, and hold her, and protect her. It made him really sad that he couldn't.
Of course she was too young and too smart for him. Fred was also quite sure that Ron would be anger with him if they did go out. Ron had always felt that the twins were out to get him and if Fred started dating one of his best friends, Fred was sure Ron would think it would only be Fred stealing her away from him.
One day, just after Christmas, Fred found Hermione in the Owlery crying. He has been on his way to send a thank you letter from him and George to his parents for the gifts they had received for Christmas. Hermione was standing by a window crying, a letter screwed up in her hand.
"Hermione?" Fred called out. Hermione turned around, her eyes red and swollen, and a look for pure agony on her face.
"You always see me like this" she cried, wiping her eyes. In two big steps Fred was by her side and had enveloped her into his arms. Hermione hugged back tightly, digging her fingernails into his back as she held on to his jumper. Fred rubbed her back, and kissed her hair. He smelt her scent of books and vanilla, and held her close. Hermione shock with her tears, loud sobs filling the room.
"What's wrong?" Fred asked her as she slowly began to calm down. Hermione pulled away from Fred and wept her face with her sleeve.
"Harry and Ron won't talk to me" Hermione told Fred, who frowned.
"Why not?" Fred asked.
"I was worried about the broom that Harry got so I told Professor McMongagall about it and she took it away to get tested for hexes and charms that may be on it" Hermione explained.
"They won't talk to you for that?" Fred gasped. Hermione nodded and tears spring to her eyes again.
"They are very childish boys" Fred said, drawing her closer.
"I'm just worried that's all" Hermione cried, digging her face into Fred's chest. Fred put his hand on Hermione's hair, stroking it.
"I know, they're just being stupid" he tried to comfort her. Hermione nodded and stepped back, breaking the hug again. Fred conjured up a box of tissues and Hermione laughed uneasily, taking one. She looked like death, with dull eyes and deep circles under them.
"You look so tried" Fred told her, reaching over and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Hermione blushed and shrugged.
"I'm ok" she lied, before looking down at the letter in her hand.
"Whose it to?" Fred asked.
"I wrote all my feelings down, about Harry and Ron, and everything" Hermione told Fred, her voice going really quiet, "But I didn't have anyone to send it to" she tore the letter up, letting the pieces of paper fell from her fingertips to the floor.
"Wanna' go for a walk?" Fred asked, holding out his hand. Hermione heisted before nodding and taking Fred's warm hand. Fred squeezed it and gave Hermione a smile. Hermione blushed even more, looking down at her feet as they left the Owlery.
They walked across the snow covered grounds. They walked around the lake and along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. They waved to Hagrid and gave poor Buckbeak a stroke. Hermione slowly began to talk more and more and they spent all this time talking. They talked about anything and everything. They discussed Divination and how crazy Professor Trelawney was. Hermione asked Fred how his OWLs were going. They spoke Quidditch and Fred went into detail about how they were going to win this year. They talked about how good Professor Lupin was the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher yet, and Fred told Hermione about the two DADA teachers he had before she came to the school. They even discussed Fred's mother's cooking and that Hermione had to come over during the summer holidays to try it.
All this time their hands stayed together. Fred was amazed how easy it was to talk to this amazingly bright girl, and he didn't want this moment to end. But it got dark and cold and it felt like their noses were going to fell off, so they went into the Great Hall for dinner. As they got into the Castle, their hands separated.
Ron and Harry were talking to George and Oliver when they walked up to the Gryffindor , who had cheered up, sat down silently and grabbed a bit of bread, nibbling on it.
Fred, did you hear?" George said, turning to him as he sat down, "Harry got a Firebolt!"
"And this genius got McGonagall to tear it apart!" Oliver said angrily, indicating to Hermione.
"Hey!" Fred said, a tone of warning in his voice, but Hermione had already got up and walked off. Fred sighed, evil in his eyes as he turned to Oliver, Harry and Ron.
"I've just spent the entire afternoon calming her down!" he hissed. All three of them looked surprised, while George just sat there and listened.
"I found her crying her eyes out" Fred directed to Ron and Harry.
"What do you care? Hermione's nothing to do with you" Ron hissed back. Fury swept through Fred's body.
"Because I'm not some emotionless git who just sits idly when I see someone else in pain!" He told them. George squeezed Fred's shoulder, an indicator to calm down. Fred took a deep breath and looked back at Harry and Ron.
"Don't you care about winning the cup though?" Oliver asked, "With the Firebolt we could win for sure!"
"Than just hope that McGonagall founds nothing wrong with it" Fred replied calmly. Oliver, Harry and Ron still didn't look impressed but said no more.