Summer 1994
Fred and Hermione wrote to each other every day over the summer. They sent letters, post cards, photos and even small gifts. Fred sent Hermione a bunch of daises one day and Hermione replied by sending back a daisy chain.
They became quite close over the weeks and Fred always asked her if she was doing well. Every time she replied that she was ok, but Fred could tell she was lying. Hermione wrote in every letter that she couldn't wait to go back to Hogwarts and that she felt lonely without everyone. Hermione never mentioned her parents, even if Fred asked.
"Here we go!" Arthur Weasley announced, "Ten tickets to the Quidditch World Cup Final! Box Seats!" Everyone in the Burrow cheered and gathered around him as he waved the tickets in the air.
"That's wicked Dad!" George grinned.
"How did you manage that?" Ron asked, taking one and looking at it closely.
"By pulling a lot of favours" Arthur replied, smiling ear to ear and looking very pleased with himself, "A ticket for everyone and Harry if he wants to come" Ron looked up smiling and eyes wide.
"Really?" he asked. Arthur nodded.
"Dear, I don't think I should go" Molly told her husband, whose grin wore off quickly.
"Why not Darling?" he asked.
"I think I'll find it boring, you know I'm not a big fan of Quidditch" Molly replied. Arthur gave her a pouting face.
"Invite one of the kid's friends, Dear" she told him. So Arthur turned to Ginny.
"All my friends are already going" she answered his look. He looked round the room.
"Dad, everyone has tickets" George told him, "Of course not as good as these" Percy nodded. There was a moment silence, where everyone was still admiring the tickets, when Fred said,
"What about Hermione?" Ron looked up and smiled.
"That's a great idea" he said before turning to his Dad, "Please?"
"As you already had Harry I was given the others a chance for one of their friends, but if no one has any other ideas then I can't see why not" Arthur replied. Ron and Fred smiled, and Ron ran off to write two letters to his two best friends. Fred sneaked off to write a letter to his crush.
Fred sent his letters by night. If he was lucky than Percy's owl would be sleeping in the kitchen, or Hedwig would be resting before going back to Harry's. if not he had to settle on Errol.
Fred had told Hermione how much he wanted her there and how happy he could be to see her. The main reason Fred wanted her to come so badly was so she could have two weeks without the terror of her so called parents.
The next day Hermione replied back that she would be happy to come and let her parents had gone away anyway so would it be ok if they picked her up.
The next day Arthur, Fred and Ron flooed to her house. It was a small house, with pilling wallpaper and it had an odd smell about it. There was no carpet, just floor boards and it seemed quite dingy and had a cold feel about it. The place looked tidy though and everything was clean. Hermione was sitting on the sofa when they appeared in her living room. She smiled at them and they all gasped when they saw her. Hermione's leg was in a thick cast, her lips were cut and swollen and her face bruised.
"What happened?" Arthur asked, going to her side.
"I was in a car accident last week" she tried to smiled. The smiled didn't quite reach her eyes though.
"Are you ok?" Ron asked, his face looking pale. Hermione nodded. Fred walked past the sofa to the open door. In the hallway, the banister of the stairs was broken. Fred winced as he imagined Hermione flying into it and onto the ground below.
"Sorry about the mess" Hermione blushed, trying to stand up, "My parents don't have much time to decorate" she cling onto her clutches.
"Did your parents leave you on your own like this?" Arthur asked, looking shocked as he tried to help her.
"They had to go to a health conference in London" Hermione explained.
"Well, you can't floo like this" Arthur told her, "And you certainly can't go to the final with clutches" Hermione's face fall.
"Does that mean I can't go at all?" she asked, looking worried and upset. Arthur shook his head and smiled at the young girl.
"I'll take you to St. Mungo's" he told her. Fred went to Hermione's side, helping her stand by wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Ron, go back home and tell your mother what happened" Arthur instructed. Ron looked ready to protest but Arthur took hold of Hermione's other side and they apparated to the Wizard hospital.
"I feel sick" Hermione groaned as they arrived.
"Good thing we're in a hospital than" Fred laughed. Two nurses came over and they were lead to a spare room, with a sign on the door saying 'Quick Fixes'. Hermione was lied down on a bed and a Healer came in.
"What are the injuries?" He asked as he got out his wand.
"A broken leg" Arthur replied.
"I also have two broken ribs" Hermione mumbled. Both Fred and Arthur looked shocked and they caught each other's eye. Fred caught the rare sight of his Dad looked disgusted and angry.
"This may hurt a little" the Healer said. Hermione grabbed Fred's hand and squeezed her eyes shut as the Healer placed his wand on her leg and muttered a spell. A loud crack filled the room and than a loud popping sound. Tears rolled down Hermione's cheeks but she didn't make a sound. The Healer did the same thing to her ribs and Hermione's grip on Fred's hand tightened. The Healer also healed Hermione's swollen lip and her bruised face.
"There we go, good as new" The Healer smiled, a gave Arthur a potion as Fred gave Hermione a hug and wiped her eyes.
"Give this to her when you get home" The healer told Arthur, "It's Dreamless sleep potion" Fred helped Hermione up, and the Healer waved his wand and the cast disappeared. Hermione leaned on Fred and Arthur apparated them back home.
"What happened?" Ron asked as they arrived in the kitchen. Fred guarded Hermione to a chair and Ron swept down and hugged her. Hermione hugged back tightly. Molly was there with a cup of tea waiting.
"Healing bones is nearly as painful as breaking them" Molly said, putting the tea down in front of her. Hermione smiled gratefully as Ron let her go. She started to explain about the 'accident' and yawned profusely.
Fred rushed outside and punched the nearest tree. He cursed as he cracked his skin and blood appeared. George came up behind him.
"How can anyone do that?" Fred growled, pacing in front of the tree. George watched him silently.
"To their own child" tears of rage appeared in his eyes. George squeezed his shoulder as Fred stopped to wipe the tears away angrily.
"I just want to help her" he told his twin, "I've never felt this way towards anyone before"
"I know mate" George said. Fred took a deep breath.
"This summer I will confront her about it" Fred said firmly. George nodded and offered a small smile. They then went back inside the Burrow.
"I can't believe it!" Molly gasped, "Leaving her alone! Especially in the state she was in" Fred and George walked into the kitchen where Molly was talking quietly to Arthur.
"The place seemed really dingy as well, not a place you want to raise a child" Arthur told her.
"Something is going on here that we don't know about" Molly whispered and then looked up to see Fred and George. After a moment silence, Fred asked,
"Where is Hermione?"
"Sleeping dear, in Ginny's room" Molly answered. The Twins nodded and than went to the living room, where they collapsed on the sofa and took a deep breathe.
After the World Cup, Fred tried to get Hermione on her own several times but she was always hanging out with Ron and Harry.
One night a couple of days before they were due to go back to Hogwarts, Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, Harry and Hermione were in the living room. Molly, Arthur and Percy had already gone to bed, leaving the younger ones to stay up and chat. Ron, Harry and Ginny were playing exploding snap, while the twins were playing chess. Hermione was lying on one of the many sofas, reading, with Crookshanks crawled up at her feet. Fred kept looking her way, just watching her. George had to keep getting his attention by snapping fingers in front of his face. Fred turned back to him and smiled, sticking out his tongue.
"Impatient" Fred told him.
"Well, stop day dreaming!" George laughed.
Starting with Ginny, they all went upstairs until it was just the twins and Hermione left, who was still engrossed in her book. George Stood up and stretched.
"Well, I'm off" he yawned, "Night" Hermione looked up from her book and gave George a sweet smile.
"Goodnight" George gave Fred's should a squeeze and then wandered off upstairs. Fred waited until he heard the door upstairs close before standing up and walking over to Hermione.
"Hermione/" he asked, kneeling on the floor beside her. Hermione looked up and smiled.
"Can I ask you something?" he asked. Hermione nodded. Fred looked down, and started to fiddle with a loose bit of string from the sofa. Now that it came to this, Fred felt extremely nervous.
"Was it really a car accident?" he finally asked. There was a brief silence where Fred could feel the fear come from Hermione and drafting around them.
"Yeah" Hermione answered, her voice small and nervous, "Why...why are you asking me this?" Fred looked up at her face. She had fear and panic in her eyes.
"You always come back from your parent's house hurt and so quiet" Fred told her. Hermione's face paled and tears built up in her eyes.
"I...I'm just so clumsy...I..." she started to explain, given excuses for her injuries. Fred took her hand.
"I know they hurt you, Hermione" he said, softly. Tears suddenly erupted from her eyes and she covered her face. Fred sat on the edge of the sofa and hugged her tightly.
"They...they don't mean to..."She cried, looking up at him, "They just get...anger...and I'm ...it's my ...fault!" Hermione shook her head, trying to explain all this, fat tears running down her panicked face.
"No it's not!" Fred told her firmly; bring her closer to him, "It's never your fault" Hermione shook her head, her whole body shaking. She looked around the room, as if she was trying to found a way out.
"I'm the...different one" she tried to tell Fred through her tears. Fred tightened his grip and rocked her gently. Tears after tears fall, there seemed no end.
"You don't deserve this" Fred mumbled in her ear, kissing her soft hair, "You're so special Hermione! And they should see that" Hermione didn't say anything, just cried, her body quaking with the sobs. She collapsed into Fred's arms, her face buried in his top. She clutched her head with her hands, agony engraved on her pretty face.
Finally Hermione seemed to calm down and looked embarrassed. Fred stroked the tears away and she tried to smile at him. It didn't quite work though.
"When did you figure it out?" Hermione asked, her voice weak and croaked with tears.
"Christmas your first year, but I wasn't sure so I didn't say anything" Fred replied, feeling ashamed of himself for not say anything sooner.
"Is that why you are so nice to me?" Hermione asked. Fred shook his head firmly.
"No, I'm nice to you because you are a wonderful person and a kind friend"
"Please don't tell anyone!" Hermione suddenly begged. Fred pulled her into a hug again. Hermione buried her face deeply into his chest and clutched his top.
"I won't but you should" Fred told her. Hermione looked up at him and shrugged.
"It's nothing I can't handle" she replied.
"Hermione, they broke your leg!" Fred said, surprised and sad. Hermione looked down to her lap and played with her jeans.
"But they're my parents" she mumbled, "What can I do?"
"Run away?" Fred suggested, "I bet my Mum would love you to move in here" Hermione laughed uneasily.
"I need to look after them though" she looked up at Fred, her dull eyes red and swollen, "They're my only family" Fred sighed and pulled Hermione into a tighter hug.
"If they ever try and do anything again, contact me, I'll be 17 next year so I can hex them" Fred told her. Hermione didn't say anything though, and went silent, looking like she was deep in thought. Fred stroked her back and kissed her forehead.
"I'll look after you" Fred whispered. Hermione let out a big, long sigh, like she was releasing something and drafter off to sleep against Fred's chest. Fred looked down at her, leaning against the arm rest. He stroked her hair, and kissed the top of her head, wiping a few tears away. Without realising it, Fred fell asleep as well.
They were awoken the next morning by a flash of light. Both of them jumped awake and found Molly and Arthur standing in the door way. Arthur was holding a camera.
"We knew you would deny it" Arthur chuckled. Hermione sat up, bright red.
"We must have fallen asleep while we were talking last night" Fred yawned, carefree. Molly gave them a stern look.
"As long as it wasn't anything else!" she said, "You are far too young for anything like that!" Hermione turned redder if that was possible and rushed up stairs for a shower.
Luckily for them, Molly and Arthur didn't say anything to anyone and the photo was left untouched.
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