CHAPTER 11
Pairing: Fred W/Hermione G
Rating: K+
DISCLAIMER: Only the plot is mine. J
A/N: GUISE I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT. I've just been struggling with school and family and life in general and a few of my family members in India have been hospitalized and I'm on new medicine right now and just AAAGGHHH I was declared officially depressed and at a risk of suicide and my parents are watching me like Indian hawks and just yeah so anyways… Here is another chapter! OH ALSO follow me on tumblr – I changed my URL to ollivanderscuriousapprentice . tumblr. com and I post regular updates on my life etc. on there so if you were ever wondering go check it out.. anyways… CARRY ON!
Last time on "A Place to Say and a Heart to Love":
The twins took one last look at Michael, and went back inside the shop, flipping the "Closed" Sign on the way in.
Fred sighed to himself as he saw Hermione, still frozen in her spot. He had some damage control to do.
Present:
Fred was sure that the thumping of his heart could be heard for miles around as he approached a frozen Hermione. He could hear her breath coming in short gasps, the color drained completely from her face.
Hugo, sensing his mother's discomfort and fear, began to whimper. His fists gripped Hermione's shit tightly as tears gathered in his eyes. One more look at his mother's face sent him over the edge, and he began crying loudly.
Fred walked towards Hermione slowly, with George and Rose not too far behind him. At the sound of Hugo's wails, George came forward and unhooked the baby from his carrier, not feeling at all uncomfortable at his closeness to Hermione. Cradling Hugo gently in his arms, George rocked the baby and calmed him down, walking slowly towards the back room with Rose in tow.
"Unca Georgie? Where we goin'? I wan' hewp Mummy! Mummy sad!" Rose pulled on her Uncle's hand, begging him to go back to her mother.
"We need to give you Mum some space right now, Rosie. Why don't you come in the back and help me invent something, eh? Hugo can help too!" Rose perked up at the thought immediately.
"Otay. But I hewp da most, kay? No Hughie." George smiled and nodded, pulling Rose into the workroom and shutting the door quickly.
In the shop, Fred stood in front of Hermione, unsure of how to help her. A traitorous tear slipped down Hermione's cheek, and he knew that she was falling apart inside. Keeping his anger in check, Fred stepped forwards and pulled the woman into his arms, cradling her gently but firmly.
The second Fred's arms circled around her small frame, every bit of control Hermione was holding onto fell apart, and a choked sob escaped her throat. Soothing hands drew circles in her back, holding her tightly in an attempt to protect her from any more pain.
"Shhh.. Shh, Hermione, everything is alright now. I will never let anyone else hurt you. It's all over; everything is alright." Fred ducked his head, whispering comforting words in her ear as she cried out her fear, loss, pain, and anger.
The two stood like that, wrapped up in each other, for what seemed like ages. Eventually, Hermione's sobs reduced to sniffles, and Fred thought it safe to release her slightly from his tight hold. She got the hint, and leaned back a bit to see his face.
"Thanks, Fred. I'm alright now, though. It was just a shock to see him so soon." Fred nodded, but didn't release her. He could tell she was still hurting, and wanted nothing more than to rid her of all the pain she held in her heart.
"I'm always here if you need me, Hermione. No one should go through anything like that alone." He stared intently into her eyes, watching to see she understood. Hermione nodded, speechless at the look in Fred's eyes.
Love, concern, and adoration radiated from every movement and look Fred sent her, and Hermione's breath caught at the beauty of it all. This man, this wonderful man who had only returned to her life for a week, had her feeling like a flustered teenager with a crush once more, something she hadn't ever felt such strong feelings towards anyone – not even Michael at the start of their relationship.
The butterflies in her stomach awoke, sending her into a tizzy of emotions, none of which were unwanted.
And then she realized that this was what she wanted. She wanted the stability, the love, the happiness; she wanted everything, and Fred was the one to give it to her. It wasn't love, yet, but she knew that if things kept going the way they were, it would become the most beautiful love she would ever feel.
She looked into Fred's eyes once more, and a grin split her face nearly in two. The change was instantaneous; her eyes lit up, and it seemed her tears dried instantly, for her face glowed so beautifully that Fred had to remind himself to breathe.
"There's that smile I know and love," he whispered, smiling as well. Fred tightened his arms around her again, relishing the feel of her body against his. He heard Hermione sigh happily, and his smile grew wider.
Hermione tilted her face up a bit, examining every inch of Fred's face. At the sight of his full lips so close to her own, she was overcome with an overwhelming urge to kiss him, to taste and see what real love felt like.
Her eyes fluttered closed, and she moved onto her tip-toes, licking her lips slightly as she drew closer to his own. Fred's hold tightened still, and he brought his lips down, eager to feel what he had been waiting and dreaming about for years.
Behind them, a door slammed open, and Hermione's eyes opened wide. Fred loosened his hold completely, and allowed Hermione to step away from him slightly.
Both of their smiles dropped.
"Mummy! Mummy wook! I made sumfing!" Rose came running out into the shop, her hand held proudly in front of her. Just like that, the moment was broken.
A/N: HI! SORRY THAT TOOK SO LONG! This was just a sort of filler chapter.. Again, not my favorite, but Writer's block tends to do that to a person. I feel bad that it's so short too… I will try and make it up to you with the next chapter! Thanks for reading, and sticking with me this long already! God knows why you do, though.. Nothing special here :P.