Stuck in Place
by KemAjiana
A/n: This chapter...who, boy. Did it not want to be written. But, alas, it has lost its fight, thanks to Insert Clever Potter Name Here and LesbianRavenclaw. Thank you two nerds for thrashing this into existence; you've saved the day, once again. Also, thanks to my reviewers - you're my Knights in Shining Armor.
Chapter Ten
Fred moved slowly, taking his time to get from Gringotts to his shop. It was a relatively quiet day to begin with, which had been the only reason George had let him go, so he was in no rush to get back just to spend a beautiful day cooped up in a back room. And then his thoughts drifted to Hermione.
There had to be a way to get her out of her slump. A way to engage her, provoke her, force her to face that pit of fear that had her so effectively trapped in her own brain.
The bell chimed as Fred set foot in the shop, and George came around the corner, grinning like a buffoon, ready to greet another customer. "Oh! Fred! So? How'd it go?"
"It went," he responded with a wave of his hand. "'Fraid I can't tell you, but I have a plan, Georgie." That...was not entirely true. In fact, the only truth at all was the fact that he couldn't tell his twin.
George lifted a bushy eyebrow. "Al...right?"
Just then, the bell chimed again, and a pair of slim-waisted blondes came giggling into the shop. George licked his lips, wiggled his brows at his brother, and went to greet them. "Ladies! Welcome!"
Fred threw himself into work, organizing the shelving and restocking, and sweeping, and just puttering about to keep busy. So when 4 o'clock chimed, he was exhausted.
He slid the last of the Skivving Snackboxes into place, dusting his hands on his robes and turning to his brother with a half grin. "I'm headed upstairs for a few minutes. I'll be right back to help count out the galleons."
"Take your time, Fred."
With a stretch, Fred hung his magenta robes on the hook by the stairs, and loped towards his flat.
Suddenly, a small pink thing darted past his foot, and he glanced down as he tried to avoid stamping on it, his heel catching the top of the step and sliding his leg almost painfully forward. His hands flew to try and catch himself, missing the railing, and he toppled backwards with a cry of alarm, spine slamming against the stairs, and the back of his head cracking sharply on the wood. His eyes rolled back, and he tumbled from the top of the third landing, down to the second, his head smashing against the shelved wall. Several boxes cascaded down around him, showering him in candies and other items.
The sound of chaos at the top of the landing drew Hermione's attention, and she pushed open the door to poke her head out inquisitively, curious as to what could have caused the ruckus. At the sight of Fred laying prone on the ground, surrounded by boxes and clearly unconscious, she gave a startled bark, throwing herself down after him and trying to nose him awake. He groaned, but did not wake, and she was reminded - painfully so - of Percy after the explosion of the wall, in the Room of Requirement. 'Fred!'
She tried to shoulder the heavy boxes aside, but only succeeded in shifting one aside by the time she heard a pair of heavy footfalls on the stairwell. Her heart was hammering, her pupils contracted to narrow slits, her chest heaving with breath as she tried to rouse the man that lay crumpled on the floor. 'You can't go like this, Fred! Get up! Get up!'
George gave a shout when he caught sight of his brother, charging forward and flinging the heavy boxes away with a wave of his wand. "Fred!"
As he went to lift his brother, a snarl drew his attention. Crouched near his brother's head, spine arched and fur bristling, was Hermione, her eyes once again a brilliant shade of amber, her white teeth bared in hostility. He lifted his wand slightly. "Hermione, it's just me. I need to check Fred."
Her low growling rose in volume as her pupils narrowed to deadly pinpoints. As George shuffled half a step closer, she sprung, her teeth sinking into the flesh of his ankle. He gave a pained yell, falling into his backside with a dull thump, and tried to shake her off, his wand clattering away from his as he tried to catch himself. She shook her head angrily, eyes focused on him as he tried go for the length of wood just out of reach, and her long, sharp canines sunk into his left forearm, blood gushing into her mouth.
He would not touch Fred!Then, a sharp pain filled her head, and she released George with a yelp as his fist connected with the side of her head. She stumbled back, eyes already fading back to coffee-brown, as he dove for his wand.
"Everte Statum!" he shouted. With flourish of his wand, George launched her small body clear into the air. She crashed into one of the shop's shelves along the wall, the force of her impact causing the whole system to collapse downwards. Items scattered across the floor, and she slumped onto the ground in a puddle of magical potions and objects.
She could taste blood in her mouth - George's and her own - as she staggered upright, saying unsteadily in her paws. 'What...happened?' she wondered to herself.
"Come on Freddie," came George's voice, and she took a step involuntarily towards the noise. "Get up. I took care of Hermione."
Took care...of Hermione?Memory came rushing back, and she staggered in both physical and mental pain. She'd attacked George. Attacked! Like a mindless, wild animal!
Without another thought, she spun on her paws and fled, leaving behind a small, pink bow and two injured brothers.
