I still do not own Harry Potter

Fred's POV

I arrived in the meadows just outside home, and I ran as fast and carefully as I could towards the house. There, I put Hermione down on the sofa, murmured a few healing spells and left for the manor to tell the Order of the Phoenix that she was safe. I found Lupin at the entrance and he gave the signal to the others. Before I knew it, we were all back at the Burrow.

The first thing I did was check on Hermione. Mum had put a blanket on her and was making a potion. What I noticed first wasn't all the small cuts everywhere on her small body, or the constant shaking, but that deep scar on her collarbone, which spelled out MUD. Even after mum's spells and charms, the cut didn't stop bleeding, nor did it become less visible. I stayed by her side all night and the following day, not aware of what was going on around me. That night, she woke up.

Hermione's POV

I opened my eyes to see Fred lying on a mattress at the foot of the sofa. He stood up as fast as a snitch.

"'Mione! Blimey, are you okay? Why am I even asking? Of course you're not okay! Do you need anything? Food? Water?" Fred rambled on.

"Fred. Fred, FRED!" I said, slightly frustrated. "I'm fine, just aching everywhere and feeling horrible. But right now that doesn't matter."

With that, I pulled him up and kissed him slowly. He pulled back with a childish grin on his face. To tell the truth, my very bones were on fire and my MUD scar was piercing through me. A new wave of pain came and the scar started bleeding again.

Fred's smiled faltered and he looked at the scar grimly.

"He did it didn't he? Malfoy." He whispered matter of factly as he passed his fingers on the scar. Surprisingly, it softened the pain almost immediately and I sighed in relief. I nodded slightly in response to his question.

"Yes, but I'm tired Fred, can we talk tomorrow?"

"Sure, do you want to go sleep in a bed?"

"Here's fine, but can you stay here?" I said, indicating the mattress.

We fell asleep fast enough after that.

"Crucio!" his voice boomed in the darkness, I could not breathe or move. My whole body was shaking. I cried out in pain and woke up with a start.

Fred was holding onto me. Rocking me back and forth.

"Shh! It's okay, just a nightmare, you're safe now." Fred was whispering again and again. I was still shaking, even after Fred went and prepared two butterbeers for us.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked warily "But you don't have to if you do-"

"I need to talk about it Fred, or else it will haunt me forever."

So I recounted my living nightmare in Malfoy Manor, hesitating at the explanation of the MUD scar, but I decided to tell him after he asked me a question.

"What do you mean 'I knew that knife'? Had he used it before on you?" he asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Fred… there's something I've never told anyone. In my sixth year, last year, Draco used that knife no me after I refused to help him get the Death Eaters in Hogwarts. He said he'd carve a letter for every time I refused."

"So you refused three times?"

"No, once, the other two letters he carved in me when I was at the manor. But I only got one letter because I reported him to Dumbledore and he protected me."

Fred sat there looking at me with nothing but admiration.

"I never knew 'Mione. I'm so sorry." He said, barely audible before giving me a gentle hug.

I didn't know I was crying until Fred wiped the tears away.

"Hermione, you should get some sleep. You need your rest." He whispered softly in my ear.

"But Fred, I don't want any nightmares, I want to be able to sleep without nightmares."

"I'll stay by your side until you fall asleep"

So with that, we curled up in the couch, Fred holding onto me, and I fell into a dreamless sleep. I woke up feeling rested and calm and Fred was still behind me still fast asleep. I could feel his muscular chest leaning onto me and his arms were secured around me tightly. Delicately, I took his hands away from my waist and slipped out.

Fred's POV

"Hey Freddie!" someone whispered in my ear, making me shiver. The smell of pancakes floated up to my nostrils and I felt someone curl up against me.

"Mornin' 'Mione" I said, stifling a yawn and opening my eyes.

The sofa wasn't very big, so we were a bit squashed together with a plate of pancaked in between. I bent down for a kiss but she stuffed a pancake in my mouth making me choke. After eating the pancake, I snaked my arms around her petite figure and letting them rest on her waist, then I placed a gentle kiss on her soft lips. But before I could pull back, she captured my lips with a passionate kiss. I didn't realise the whole family was there until I heard George.

"Oh look! I think they're awake!"

I pulled back from the kiss with a grin that stretched from ear to ear and Hermione had a nice blush on her cheeks.

"Pancakes anyone?" she asked shyly.

It felt good to have Hermione back in the family.