WOOP! Chapter 7! :D By the way, the place they go to IS real. Go search it on Google Images! I had the pleasure of visiting it myself last year, it's amazingly beautiful! And the lyrics fit so if you want listen to the music then by all means do! :D Hope you enjoy this one! :D
"Hey it worked, we're here!"
Hermione opened her eyes. She could just make out trees and short walls against the dark sky.
"Where exactly is 'here'?"
"Look properly!" he instructed, smiling.
And she did. It would appear that they were standing on a tall tower. She yelped when she saw the town's street lights far below.
"Where are we? And why're there trees?"
He laughed and reached into his pockets, pulling out a long wire. The pockets must have had an enchantment on them like Hermione's purse as the wire kept going. Finally it reached the end and Fred levitated it into the trees.
"Lumos." He said, tapping the wire with his wand. Fairy lights shone out through the braches.
"They're Ginny's fairy lights, I swear!" he looked at her awed face.
"It's beautiful!" Hermione breathed, and it really was. Fred smiled slightly and flicked his wand. The air filled with music. Her music! ~Music: Underneath the Stars – Kate Rusby~.
'A fitting song', Hermione thought to herself. Now she knew what he had done with her CD player. He'd taken the songs and somehow put them into a summoning spell. Beautiful magic!
The dark night sky was encrusted with bright, jewel-like stars and Hermione could just make out large hills that may even be mountains surrounding the quiet town below, protecting it as it slept. The fairy lights glowed softly as a gentle breeze swayed the branches. Hermione turned back to her companion who was standing on the garden-like area, by the trees.
"Where are we?" she asked again, whispering this time in respect of the beauty all around her.
Smiling gently at her, Fred spoke.
"We're in Lucca. A small town near Pisa. We're in Italy!"
Hermione gasped quietly.
"Amongst other things, it's famous for its tall tower with Holm Oak trees on the top. It's called the Torre Guinigi."
He grinned then, the dim fairy lights casting beautiful shadows on him. She had to admit, Fred Weasley was very good looking!
"Come here," he murmured, reaching for her hands. He pulled her up so that she was on the slightly raised platform on which the trees grew.
Standing directly behind her, Fred guided her hands to touch a tree.
"These trees are over 400 years old. Standing guard over the town," he whispered into her ear. A pleasurable shiver ran down her spine and he spoke again.
"Imagine the things they've seen, watching the world from way up here." He moved her hand to softly run down the bark of the tree. She leaned back into him, it felt natural.
"It's beautiful," she sighed again. He let her hands gradually drop from the tree but his hands stayed where they were, softly holding her small ones, his thumbs gently stroking the back of her hand. They both fell into swaying slowly to the music together, one of Fred's hands comfortably resting on her stomach now. 'Friends do this sort of thing right? Ah! I don't know! I don't think they do!' Hermione argued with herself.
A while later, the song 'Planets' started, the one that Fred had found her singing to in the kitchen, last week. (~Planets is also by Kate Rusby if you're interested~).
Almost echoing her thoughts, Fred spoke into her ear.
"Will you sing it again…please?"
"I…I don't like to sing in front of people…I feel silly."
"But you don't sound it so why should that stop you?"
"Well…I don't…it's just…" She sighed, gave up and reluctantly sang along to the last verse as she had done several days ago.
"See? You didn't sound silly! You'll be almost as good as me soon!"
Fred smirked. Laughing Hermione shook her head.
"I've heard you in the shower, Fred and trust me, Crookshanks can yowl better!"
"Hey! I take that to heart! You've ruined my aspirations of joining the Weird Sisters!"
He clutched at his chest, acting thoroughly heart-broken. This made Hermione giggle. She turned round to face him.
"Well you are weird at least!"
Chuckling, Fred nodded his head in thanks.
"That I can agree with!"
They continued dancing together to the music for a while in companionable silence. (~Music: Sun Grazers - Kate Rusby~ I'm sorry, I can't find it on youtube but it is on spotify.)
It was very late by now. Without meaning to, Hermione let out a yawn.
"Looks like it's time to get this little bookworm back home!" Fred spoke softly.
He looked down at her. Her chocolate brown eyes were already on his hazel ones. He could feel himself moving closer to her. The music was still playing in the background as the lyrics hit Fred:
'Slowly drifting, darkness shifting,
Now I see her come in sight.
Static burning, twisting and turning,
I'm lost to her this night.'
Their lips were centimetres apart. Fred's breathing practically stopped. He closed his eyes as he leaned in. Their lips were nearly touching when Fred opened his eyes. Hers were also open, wide as saucers. Damn! What was he doing? What if she didn't want him like he wanted her? She probably saw him as just a friend, Ron's annoying sibling who she had to babysit! He suddenly realised that they were still very close. He smiled slightly, almost sadly, and planted a kiss on her cheek. There. She could easily interpret that as a brotherly kiss, for that's all she saw him as right? A brother. Nothing more, nothing less. He pulled back and let go of her hands.
"Time to go."
With a flick of his wand the fairy lights extinguished and floated back into his pocket. After another flick of his wand the music stopped. But not before the last verse had already been sung:
'An epic yearning,
The world is burning gold,
And fingers are entwined.
But the tide below us
It would not slow us
Now your hand is gone from mine.'
And with that, he held her arm securely and apparated them both back to the Burrow.
Well whaddya think? It is good? I say again, I want a Fred! :'( or at least a good looking dude to take me to freakin' Italy! Anyways…LOOK OUT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! :D xxx