CHAPTER 7

Pairing: Fred W/Hermione G

Rating: K+

DISCLAIMER: Only the plot is mine. J

A/N: I HAVE A TUMBLR! It's called mypygmypuffarnold . tumblr(remove the spaces, and you can fill in the rest).. Follow me! I write, among other things, and post it on there, so check it out! Anyways, read on! And then, at the end, please leave a review! Thank you!

"Bitch! WHORE!" Michael growled at Hermione, and raised his hand to slap her. Hermione cowered in the corner, trembling in fear and pain. Her face stung with previous slaps, and bruises were blossoming all over her body.

"Look at me, slut! You deserve this, filthy girl. You are nothing! NOTHING! You are nothing but a filthy MUDBLOOD!" She whimpered. Who knew such words could cause so much pain? He clamped his hand around her throat, and shoved her against the wall. Her feet dangled in the air as she fought to breath.

Michael growled.

His other hand balled into a fist, and made had contact with her stomach. Hermione's eyes bulged in pain.

Satisfied, Michael let go, and watched as she crumpled into a heap, trying to breath and not throw up at the same time. Giving her one more kick with his heavy boot, Michael snapped his fingers, a malicious grin curling his lips. At once, a scantily clad prostitute apparated into the room.

"Hello, love." The prostitute smiled seductively, ignoring the weeping woman in the corner. Michael grabbed "Butterfly" around the waist, and pulled her towards the bedroom, not sparing a glance at Hermione.

With a gasp, Hermione sat up in her bed. Her heart was beating erratically, and she was breathing fast. Just a dream, Hermione. Just a dream, she thought. It took her a moment to notice that she was shaking in the after effects of the nightmare. Suddenly, she remembered that both of her children were sharing the bed with her.

She looked to see that the bed was empty.

In a panic, Hermione jumped out of the bed and ran into the darkened hallway. Must still be early, she mused, before running into the living room to see where her babies were. A cry escaped her mouth when she saw the dark, and more importantly empty room. Where could they be? Still breathing heavily, Hermione's eyes darted around the room.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist, and Hermione nearly screamed in fright. One of the hands came and covered her mouth, muffling said scream.

"Sshhhh, shh Hermione. It's just me – Fred. Calm down. You are fine, and safe, as are Rosie and Hugo." Hermione's body slumped at the news, and Fred cradled her to him in comfort. He noticed his t-shirt getting damp, and felt Hermione shaking with silent sobs. She must have been terrified.

He loosened his grip for a moment, before bringing one of his arms down and picking her up bridal style. If Hermione was surprised by this, she didn't show it.

Fred decided it be best to take her to her children, and carried her into his room where both kids slept soundly in the middle of his bed.

"Fred?" He stilled in his movements for a moment.

"Hmm, Hermione?"

"How did Rosie and Hugo get in your room?" Fred smiled at the question.

"Rosie woke up in the middle of the night, but was still a bit angry at you. You and Hugo were both sleeping, and she saw that my light was still on, so she came into my room." Hermione's heart warmed at that. She was glad her daughter trusted Fred like that – Michael would have ignored her completely.

"And Hugo," she asked.

"I heard you crying, and came to check on you. Hugo was about to wake, so I took him, and brought him to my room as well. I was just coming back to check on you when I saw your room was empty. And here we are." Fred looked down at Hermione in apprehension. What would she do?

"Thank you. It makes me happy that my children both trust you so much." He smiled, and set Hermione down on the bed as well.

All of a sudden, Hermione's smile dropped from her face as she thought of her nightmare, and the tingling of her skin in remembrance of the violence. A fresh wave of tears ran down her cheeks as memories from her past assaulted her again.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Fred sat himself on the bed next to her, placing his arms around her in a comforting hug for the second time in 20 minutes.

"I'm s-sorry. I just – I n-never want to go t-t-through that again!" Fred yanked out his wand and conjured a sound-proof bubble around them so as not to wake the kids. The gravity of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. Here he was, with the girl he fancied – no – loved, crying in his arms, and there was nothing that he could think of that would make her feel better. A wave of anger washed over him, and in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to go pulverize the miscreant who did this to her. It tore him apart, watching one of the strongest women he knew fall apart like this at the mere thought of her husband.

"Ssshhh, Hermione. He can't get to you here. I promise, I will never let anyone hurt you, ever again. He will never get you again – I won't let him. I'm here for you, and so are George, and Rosie, and Hugo. We are all here, and we will never hurt you." He continued to murmur words of comfort in her ear, rubbing circles in her back and rocking her slightly. Hermione had gravitated to Fred's lap without either of them noticing, and was now sniffling away as her tears finally subsided.

Fred leaned back on the headboard of his bed, resting his head against the wall as he continued to comfort the witch in his arms. He felt Hermione shift against his chest, snuggling deeper into his warmth. It seemed the crying had tired her out, for she had fallen right to sleep in his embrace.

Making himself more comfortable, Fred also settled down for the night, propping himself up on several pillows and pulling his blanket over the four occupants of the bed.

With a smile and a sigh, he too fell asleep.

A/N: Please leave a review – they are the happy members of the Order of the Phoenix warding away the dark thoughts (writer's block) known as Death Eaters! I do take suggestions – they in fact help me along! Thank you!