"Okay, I am officially tired of walking." Fred announced as we trudged along the road. We'd decided to risk the open again, we had to keep track of where we were going, and it was so much easier to walk on than the forest ground. Plus, it was getting dark and the woods got creepy at night.

"You are just now tired?" I asked, looking over at him with a big smile. He nodded his head, keeping his face dead pan.

"Yes, it has officially gotten boring." He said, sounding like he had just announced the answer to some long standing puzzle.

"What were you before if not bored?"

"Mildly interested." He answered, flashing me a quick smile. His eye, though still bruised, looked loads better and he was able to see out of it now. I had decided we were going to do a check up tonight, we'd see how well we were healing and try to clean out all of our wounds.

"So what changed?" I asked, having fun with this pointless conversation. It was amazing how he could do that, make the most trivial, pointless thing fun. Maybe it was just that I was actually letting myself have fun around him now. Maybe it was because I finally admitted that I liked him and knew he liked me. Maybe it was just because I'd only had his company for the last two months so I was going crazy. No matter what it was, I was enjoying laughing so much. Though, I was also tired of the endless walking.

"The conversation lulled." Was his quick reply. I laughed at that, letting out a loud, embarrassing snort that just made him beam all the more. His smile was contagious and I found myself smiling just as happily.

"Well, we fixed that, so is it interesting again?" I questioned back. He nodded his head, a satisfied grin on his face.

"Much." We walked in silence for a moment and Fred let out an annoyed sigh. "It's lulling again."

"It is isn't it?" I said, fighting back a smile. My ribs were making it impossible to breath, my foot was swollen ,and my arm was practically on fire, and I was still having to fight not to just keep laughing.

"So, what game are we playing now?" He asked expectantly. I shook my head and put on a look of mock annoyance.

"Oh no you don't. I picked the game last time, it's now your turn." I was honestly getting bored of games too, I'd have rather just talked to him. I was having a lot of fun talking, he was really smart and quick witted. It helped that he was extremely easy on the eyes as well, and he was kind.

"I can't think of anything we haven't played though."

"Then we can just replay a game." I said, rolling my eyes good naturedly.

"But that'll be boring."

"Not necessarily."

"But it could be."

"Possibly, but there's something else we could do." I said, stopping and turning towards him. He stopped walking as well and turned to face me. His ginger hair fell into his eyes and he tilted his head curiously at me.

"What?"

"Call it quits for the night. We've walked nineteen miles and my foot is killing me." I admitted, blushing a little and lowering my eyes in embarrassment. I hated to sound weak, he was covered in cuts and hadn't complained at all. I couldn't walk much further though, my foot was hurting so much that I wasn't going to be able to put any weight on it soon.

"Really?" He asked, his eyes going wide and a worried look coming over his face. "Why didn't you say anything? We could have stopped earlier."

"It's not that bad, I'm fine. I just don't want to walk for another seven or eight miles." I said, fidgeting with my hands uncomfortably.

"Come on, we can camp over in those woods. " Fred said, pulling my arm and tugging me towards the forest.

We set up the camp and started a small fire before sitting down and eating a light supper of trout, again. We finished the meal quickly, and then I heated some water up before turning towards Fred. "This is going to sound weird," I said, biting my lip. "But I need you to take your shirt off."

"Will you take yours off?"He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I giggled nervously, blushing and biting my lip.

"Yes, but not for the reasons you're thinking of." I said.

"I'm just yanking your wand, I know what you meant." He said, pulling his shirt off and tilting so that I could see his stitches. I leaned in, examining the wound and how well it was healing. I straighten back up before grabbing his arm gently. I undid the binding, examining how it was healing. Satisfied with both his chest and his arms healing I moved to his neck. It was healing well also, but I didn't pull away from it. I moved closer to him, and breathed over him lightly. He moaned lightly, throwing his neck back so that I could have better access. I smiled softly and scooted even closer before ghosting my lips over him. He moaned, his hands gripping the log we were sitting on. I pressed my lips against his neck a little harder, avoiding his cut. His hand moved from the log to my face, his fingers cupping my cheek and pulling my lips to his. He kissed me hard, his hand trailing down my neck, shoulder, and then arm before settling on my hip. He tugged me closer to him, pulling me so that I was nearly on his lap. He deepened the kiss, moving against me hard and passionately. I returned the kiss with just as much passion and need.

I couldn't breathe, but I didn't break the kiss, didn't want to. I was losing myself in it, losing myself to Fred. I had fallen hard for him, and I couldn't stop myself. I was falling in love with the prankster, and I didn't want to stop. He'd been my only companion for two months, and I'd realized in that short period of time that I had always like Fred. That was why I always had so much fun going at it with him when we were in school, why I had been so glad he wasn't hurt during the battle of Hogwarts, why I was always annoyed at his flirting with other women.

I was sure he didn't, couldn't feel the same way though. It was almost enough to bring tears to my eyes, but I pushed them away. I'd enjoy this wonderful feeling while I could, I'd be near him while I could.

But right now, I had to breathe. I pulled back from his lips, taking deep breaths, gulping down air as he moved his mouth from my lips to my neck, kissing and nipping the skin there. I moaned at the feel and arched into him, craning my neck back and closing my eyes as he continued to pepper kisses down my neck. His hand started to wander, making its way up my back before moving to my chest. I started to make more noises as he teased my body, and my stomach was flooded with wonderful warmth.

"Merlin!" I gasped as he pressed a kiss to an especially sensitive spot on my clavicle. He grinned wickedly against my neck and pulled back, looking at me with dark, heated eyes that made my stomach even warmer. I reached out and grabbed him, pulling his face back to my lips and reclaiming his. I deepened the kiss eagerly, battling for dominance with him. I pressed my body flush against his, losing myself in the feel of him against me.

He was the one to break it this time, pulling back and breathing heavily before leaning his head against mine as we both tried to regain our breath and slow our racing hearts.

"Gods, I can't wait to be healed." He gasped out, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply through his mouth. "I can't wait to be able to kiss you and not have to stop because we can't breathe."

"Me either," I said softly, closing my eyes and savoring his nearness.

"Come on, let's go ahead to bed so we can wake up quicker and get home faster." Fred whispered, holding me close and breathing more evenly. I nodded my head, leaning back and opening my eyes so that I could look at him more clearly. I wanted to fall asleep watching him.

{}{}{}

I woke up in the middle of the night and let out a choking cry, I couldn't breathe, I was suffocating and terrified. I couldn't remember what I had been dreaming, but it had scared me very much. I was gasping now, struggling in vain to breath. Fred woke up beside me, looking around wildly before his eyes settled on me. I was coughing and gasping, trying vainly to breath.

"What's wrong?" He stuttered, sitting up and moving so he was sitting in front of me.

"Can't breathe!" I gasped out, throwing my head back and trying to gulp in air. He moved immediately, tugging my shirt up and laying his head flat against my chest, listening to my lungs. I let out a pained whimper, fighting the urge to push him away from my bruised ribs.

"Take shallower breaths, you need to take shallower breaths." He ordered, pulling back from my chest and grabbing my face gently in his warm hand. I was panicking, my lungs were on fire and he wanted me to take shallow breaths? I'd suffocate! I needed air, more air than a shallow breath would get me.

"Trust me!" He exclaimed, gripping me tighter and forcing me to look in his vivid eyes. "Take shallow breaths!" My heart hammered wildly against my chest and my lungs were positively burning, I forced myself to calm down and took a small, shallow breath. It didn't hurt, so I took another one, and then another. He dropped his hand from my face once I started to breathe shallowly and moved his hand back to my rib, feeling it gently before moving back to my cheek.

"You feel that?" he whispered, moving his hand gently against my cheek. "You're getting your breath back, you're doing it." I nodded my head softly, struggling a bit not to take a deep breath.

"Don't worry, I'm right here, I'm not leaving. You're just fine, you're lungs are okay. Just keep taking shallow breaths." He whispered softly, rubbing his thumb against my cheek. I focused on his eyes, taking shallow breaths while I stared at them, forcing myself to remain calm. My breathing began to get even again, and my lungs stopped burning so bad. The mind bending panic started to dissipate and I felt myself finally start to relax.

Fred moved from in front of me to my side, gentle pulling me back so that I was leaning against his chest before wrapping the blanket back around us. He murmured into my ear, comforting me as he gently rubbed my arm with his good hand.

"Sorry," I whispered, so thankful to have my breath back and slightly horrified by how badly I had just panicked.

"It's okay 'Mione, I know how terrible it is to have a broken rib and wake up unable to breathe." He said softly, still rubbing my arm.

"How?" I questioned, my eyes heavy and my body relaxing in to him. If he had ever broken a rib then he could have just mended it with magic. It didn't make any sense to think he had broken it and left it that way to heal naturally. Mrs. Weasley wouldn't have let him.

"Potterwatch," he whispered back. "We got attacked by Death Eaters and I took a hit to the chest. Lee and George had no idea how to heal it, so we just bound it up as best we could." He explained, moving his hand from my arm to my chest, gently pulling me closer to him. I allowed myself to be spooned, snuggling back into Fred and closing my eyes as I listened to him talk.

"That's how you knew how to bind my ribs." I murmured, fighting to stay awake. I had wondered how he had known just what to do.

"Yes," He whispered, brushing my hair back from my face before lowering his head. "Go back to sleep, Hermione. I'll keep you safe." I didn't get a chance to respond, I was already fast asleep.