Author notes: Thank you to srkw89, spruitt18, BratGirl1983, HisMinx, kvanausdoll, Emmaline Wood, , 12samanthafelix, Kittykate2203, bookishgirl, my darling ferocious105, ohweasleys, and vampireanimegurl for following the story. Thank you to vampireanimegurl, kvanausdoll, Pinup95, dogloverlisathekud, Kittykate2203, and gthufflerunner for favoriting the story. Thank you to srkw89, pianomouse, morethanbooks, guest, AnnaCelestine, and 12samanthafelix for reviewing. Big thank you to vampireanimegurl and kvanausdoll for following AND favoriting me as an author that right there is the biggest compliment and I so appreciate it. If I forgot anyone I do apologize, lately I haven't been receiving any notifications for alerts. I don't know if the problem is on the site's end or mine.
Italics are flashbacks and regular font is present day.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
8 years later
"Frederick Gideon Weasley!"
George looked over to see Hermione coming out of the burrow covered in some sort of green slime. He started laughing immediately at the sight of her. Her hair was matted down with the green goo and she had it all over her face and front of her shirt. He could see that her cheeks were flushed red in annoyance. She looked like she was trying to rub it off her face and pull it out of her hair but the closer she got to him he noticed the green stuff wasn't going anywhere.
He heard the sound of laughing behind him and grinned instantly knowing it was Harry's son James along with their son on their brooms. He turned his back towards Hermione and flashed them a thumbs up sign which made them both laugh even harder.
"Mom! You tried to kill the slime spider didn't you?! It was supposed to be for scaring Uncle Ron!" Their son yelled down from his broom.
"Get down here this instant!" Hermione yelled up at him. She was now standing directly next to George who was trying to contain his own laughter. She glared over at him and put her hands on her hips.
"This had better come off before work! You know I have a meeting with the Minister and the potential investors for the Care of Magical Creatures Center tomorrow!" She yelled at him. George looked back up to their son and motioned for him to come down.
"Nuh uh. Not until Mom calms down! Tell her it's bad for the twins to be that mad." He yelled back down at them shaking his head.
"There's something to get it out of your hair Aunt Hermione we promise!" James yelled down.
George looked over to Hermione who had her eyes closed and looked like she was silently counting to herself. She had one hand held to her temples and the other resting on her very pregnant belly. He knelt down in front of her and placed his hands over hers on her stomach and leaned in putting an ear to it. After a few seconds he pulled back and looked up at his wife and nodded.
"It really isn't good to get so worked up love. The boys said they made something to get it out, and the twins don't like it when you get so upset. I can hear them in there laughing too you know. So it must be funny."
"Did you have anything to do with this invention?" She asked, looking down at him.
"I am proud to say that James and our son did it all on their own! Follow in their parents footsteps they do. Although I'm not quite sure who would be the prankster and who would be the clever one in Harry and Ginny's relationship." He got a far off look in his eye as he wondered.
Hermione shook her head at her husband and looked back up to her son.
"Freddie, I'm not mad but I would really love the stuff to get rid of this goo."
"Promise you're not upset?" He asked her skeptically, lowering back down to the ground with James behind him.
"Promise." She said.
As soon as the boys touched down on the ground Fred ran over to Hermione and gave her a big hug. George smiled at the scene as he got up from where he had been kneeling on the ground.
"Now boys, what exactly is this slime spider you wanted to scare Uncle Ron with?" He asked as they all headed back towards the burrow.
The boys looked at each other with big grins as they launched into an explanation of their invention.
"Well Uncle Ron is scared of spiders."
"And we wanted to come up with something that would scare him."
"So obviously a spider."
"But when he goes to kill it."
"It erupts into spider guts in your face!"
"And you can't get the goo off your face unless you have the special sponge."
"Yea, which is also shaped like a spider and wiggles its legs while you're getting the goo off!"
George and Hermione looked at each other and smiled as the boys walked ahead of them.
"Good thing you aren't afraid of spiders love." He leaned over and whispered.
"Go get the sponge now boys." Hermione pointed up the stairs as they walked into the house.
Ron happened to be walking into the room at the same time and stopped when he saw Hermione. He started laughing so hard he had to set his four year old daughter down.
"What happened to you?" He asked her between laughs. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.
"As soon as I get this stuff off me I'm telling the boys to unleash all of their spiders on him." She muttered to George.
"There's my fun joking wife I love so much."
Hermione sat in the small white room and looked out the window at the rain. Fred had loved the rain. He had always said it made him feel like it could wash away all the bad that was and bring around all the good that could be.
"Miss Granger?" The Healer's voice brought her out of her trance. She turned and looked and offered a small apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry what did you say?" She asked.
"I asked how you felt about George now?" Healer Leaven asked again. Hermione turned her gaze back towards the window and paused before answering.
"It's still really weird to think about honestly. I still see Fred but I know it's not Fred. He doesn't have the scar. He can be more reserved than Fred ever was but at times he can be more passionate as well. It's funny, to think that I always thought if I was going to end up with a Weasley it would have been Ron. Then it ended up being Fred, and now…" She trailed off.
"Now?" Healer Leaven prodded.
"I feel the pain from the loss of Fred. I'll always feel it, I'll always miss him and I will always love him. But now I feel like how could it ever be anyone but George?" Hermione looked back to the Healer.
Healer Leaven held her gaze for a full minute before looking back down at her papers. When Hermione and George had first checked themselves in, therapy had been quite hard on them both.
Hermione had always felt like she didn't really need it, that she was only there in support of George who at the time she truly believed to be Fred. Even a month after they had been in treatment Healer Leaven thought that perhaps she would just be telling her the things that Hermione thought she wanted to hear. Aside from the fact that she was addicted to fire whiskey and clinging to the belief that her dead lover's twin was actually him, she was still a brilliant witch. But Healer Leaven had figured her out quickly and had worked even harder to help the girl get better.
"So would you say you love George? You can see yourselves having a real relationship when you leave here?" She asked. Hermione furrowed her brows and bit her lip and looked down at her hands.
"The way you say that makes it seem like maybe he's not too keen on that idea." Hermione said softly. Healer Leaven blanched and realized that perhaps her tone had been wrong when asking the question.
"Hermione, George spent months pretending to be someone he wasn't for you. To try and help you get over the death of his brother, his twin. In the process I think George started to truly believe that he was actually Fred. I don't think he would have continued doing those things if he didn't love you in his own way."
"His own way." Hermione repeated.
"I'll ask you again Hermione, do you love George?" Healer Leaven gently smiled at her.
"I do. I do love George." It was a soft and small answer, but this time there was no hesitation.
Hermione smiled at her husband as he walked into the living room with a big bowl of ice cream and sat next to her on the couch in front of the fireplace.
"Did Freddie go down easily?" She asked him. He wrapped an arm around her and handed her the bowl before pulling her feet and legs onto his lap.
"Oh yea, he was out as soon as his head hit the pillow. I'm telling you letting him play Quidditch all day with James does wonders for bedtime." George said as she fed him a spoonful of ice cream and he started massaging her feet. She laughed at his comment.
"You're over in the shop most of the time George, if you were going to be there all day it would be one thing but I am not spending all day every day at the burrow while they play on their brooms. If I am ever going to finish this book I need a little bit of peace and quiet. Padma and Ron let Samali run all over the place with Lily, and the boys are so loud and before you know it the twins are going to be here, and I will never get to finish writing my book! Not to mention they moved the meeting for the Center to next week, and that's so close to my due date and it's just all very stressful. " Hermione threw her head on the back of the couch, temporarily forgetting about her ice cream. George however just took this opportunity to grab the spoon and eat more.
"Love, why don't I take Freddie tomorrow? And you can have the whole day to yourself to just relax and work on your brilliant book. I can take Freddie to the shop, we can even pick up James on the way and I can work with the boys on their invention, how does that sound?" By this time the bowl of ice cream was gone and he was licking the spoon clean. When he didn't get an answer he looked over to Hermione who was watching him with tears in her eyes.
"I know, I know, I'm the best husband in the world." He joked. She just sniffed in response.
"You ate all my ice cream." She said in a small voice. George laughed and leaned over to kiss her on the nose.
"Worst husband in the world." George joked again as he got up to get her more.
Hermione couldn't stop playing with her hands as she sat across the table from George. It was the day before she was supposed to be getting out of St. Mungo's, and it had been exactly seventy three days since she had confessed to Healer Leaven that she was in love with him.
They had been able to see each other regularly after they had been detoxed and he had actually been released just a short three months after they had checked themselves in. He had come to visit her often after he had gone home. She had actually been given the opportunity to leave two months earlier but had declined saying she wasn't ready.
But now, after almost eight months of being there, she knew that she was ready to go home. She just wasn't sure she knew where home was anymore. In all their visits they never had brought up the relationship they had shared. She felt like George held an affection for her but he had never voiced it and she realized that she didn't really know where she stood with him.
"So, are you ready to get out of here tomorrow?" George finally asked. His hands folded on top of the table between them.
"Yea I think so…I know so. I'm ready to finally start a new life since the war." She responded softly.
"That's really good to hear Hermione. Mom asked if you wouldn't mind if she was here tomorrow when you get out."
"Of course I wouldn't mind. How are they?"
"Good, everyone is good. Harry and Ron are busy in Auror training so they apologize for not being able to stop by lately. Ginny should be home in a few weeks from her tour with the Harpies. Mom and Dad have been busy rebuilding the burrow, which she says is no excuse for them to have not stopped by lately, she hopes you aren't too upset with her." George said.
"Of course I'm not upset with her. And you? How are you doing?" She asked.
"Doing a lot better. The shop is up and running again. Verity has been a gift from Merlin himself for keeping it afloat while I've been in here. We were really low on stock when I got back but I got it all up and running again. I uh…I had her move into the flat above the shop." He paused when Hermione visibly stiffened and cast her eyes down to the table.
"I moved all of your things into a new flat, I hope you don't mind. Mom wanted to keep the burrow full but I told her I think it would be better if you had your space."
"Of course." Hermione sharply interrupted. "I'm sorry if moving my things was a burden. I'll repay you for the rental of the new flat."
George started to chuckle and Hermione's snapped up and she gave him a sharp glare. He reached over the table and took her hands in his and gently ran a thumb over the top of hers.
"I moved my things too Hermione. Into what I was hoping could be our new flat. A new start, to a new life, in a new world." He said. Hermione blushed at his words and she turned her hands to intertwine with his.
"I'd like that."
Hermione's eyes fluttered open as the sunlight filtered through the window and onto her face. She yawned and stretched.
"Good morning my little troublemakers." She said, as she rubbed her belly. She could swear that she felt them kick in response.
She moved to get up but a rose and a note on the nightstand caught her eye so she grabbed it to read before getting out of bed.
Left early with Freddie-we'll be at the shop all day-enjoy your day off! I love you-G
Hermione smiled and lifted the rose to smell it. It was from the rose bush that her and Freddie had planted together in their garden the year before last, they always had the best scent around this time of year.
She moved to get out of the bed and noticed when she opened the door that there was a trail of rose petals from the bedroom to the bathroom. She grinned to herself and followed them, finding another note hanging from the shower curtain rod.
We got you those lavender bath oils you love so much so draw yourself a nice relaxing bath-I love you-G
She giggled and went to the bath and turned the water on while pouring in the bath oils that were placed on the side of their deep tub. She quickly slipped out of her nightgown and carefully stepped in while putting her hair in a messy bun on the top of her head. She silently summoned her Quick Quotes Quill, and started dictating a new chapter for her book as the tub filled with water and bubbles.
She had been approached by M.L. Books, the same publisher of A History of Magic and Hogwarts: A History, and had been asked if she would be interested in writing a book about her time on the road hunting Horcruxes with Harry and Ron and about the war. She had been extremely excited and had agreed on a few conditions which the publisher had been all too happy to accept. She had another few months before she was supposed to be completely finished, but in true Hermione fashion she was already done. It wasn't helping that she kept adding new chapters every other day.
She got out of the tub about an hour later when her skin had started to prune and wrapped herself in her bath robe. She went to head to the kitchen and realized that there was now a fresh trail of rose petals from the bathroom to the kitchen and a new note was posted on the fridge.
Freddie and I made you breakfast-your favorite sweet potato egg scramble with turkey bacon-this will be the last of the notes-but perhaps not the last of the surprises-until tonight-I love you-G
She felt tears stinging her eyes and laughed at herself. "Stupid pregnancy hormones" she thought to herself. She opened the oven and even though it wasn't on, she could feel the warmth of the heating charm that George had cast over it, keeping her breakfast warm and fresh. She took it out and set it on the table, then poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice.
She pulled the Daily Prophet closer to her as she sat and enjoyed her breakfast. Right as she had finished the last bite she heard a loud meowing coming from Freddie's room. She sighed to herself as she got up from the table.
"Crookshanks did you get yourself locked in Freddie's room again?" She called out, even though she knew her cat wasn't going to answer her.
As she reached the room and turned the knob she could hear him scratching at the door just waiting to get out. Even though she was expecting him to rush out he ran right between her legs and knocked her off balance. She tried to catch herself but fell forward into the door and into Freddie's room.
She lay there stunned for a moment, thankful that she hadn't landed on her stomach, but it had still been a hard fall. After a few moments she grabbed the door knob to help herself up but as she stood she felt a wetness creeping down her legs.
She looked down and lifted her robe and the color drained from her face.
"I'm really glad that you're back now." Ginny said happily, as she sat behind Hermione and braided her hair before dinner.
"Thank you for being so supportive throughout everything Ginny, it really means the world to me. You and Harry have been such good friends." Hermione said.
"That's what friends do 'Mione, and don't worry about Ron…he'll come around." Ginny said, as she tied off the braid. Hermione turned around to face her with a sad look on her face.
"I thought he would be a little happier that I was finally out." She said.
"He's just keeping himself busy you know? He's always had a hard time with you and Fred, he went completely nuts when he found out about you and George, and I think that maybe a small part of him still thought you guys may end up together even after all of this. So when George told Mom that he bought another flat and you guys would be moving in together again, it kind of messed Ron up all over." Ginny explained softly.
"I never meant to hurt him." Hermione felt tears in her eyes.
"Oh 'Mione we know! And most importantly he knows! Just give him some time yea? He's been spending a lot of time with Seamus and Parvati and Padma. I think Padma is sweet on him. I never would have imagined it after the whole Yule Ball incident." Ginny laughed. Hermione joined in the laughing with her, wiping the tears from her eyes.
They both turned towards the door when they heard a knock. George was leaning against the doorway smiling with his arms crossed.
"Dinner is ready ladies."
Ginny smiled and got off her bed as George came in the room and picked up Hermione's braid.
"I think this is the closest anyone has come to taming this mess." He joked. Both girls hit him in opposite arms then linked their own arms and walked down to the kitchen.
"Was it something I said?" He called out after them.
George looked up at the sight of the doctor coming out of the delivery room and breathed a sigh of relief.
It had been eight hours since he had received the owl that Hermione had been admitted into St. Mungo's because of her fall, which had lead to her water breaking.
It had been two hours since she had successfully given birth to two beautiful baby boys, but he had been rushed from the room right after because her health was declining rapidly. He had sat in the waiting room for two hours with the rest of his family and a few close friends, waiting to hear something from the doctors.
"How is she?!" He asked hurriedly. The doctor smiled a warm smile that made all of the tension leave his body.
"She's doing great Mr. Weasley, just a bit tired. We gave her something to help her sleep, she should be up and about in a few hours. In the meantime I think it's safe to go home and get some rest yourself." The doctor said.
"I'm not going anywhere." He said sternly as Ginny came up behind him and touched his arm.
"We can take Freddie with us George. You stay here and owl us when she wakes up ok?" She said. George nodded and turned back towards Freddie. He knelt down to the little boy and wrapped him in a hug.
"Aunt Ginny is going to bring you back in a little bit to see your Mom ok?" He explained. Freddie nodded his head and hugged him back.
"Mommy is going to be ok right?" He whispered. George nodded and kissed his son on the forehead.
"Yes son, she's going to be ok."
After everyone left, the doctor led him to Hermione's room and had a nurse bring a cot for him to sleep on, he encouraged him to try and get some rest. After sitting at her bedside for an hour, George finally laid in the cot after he pulled it next to Hermione's bed and fell asleep holding her hand.
Hermione froze when she saw the little black box in the bottom of one of George's dresser drawers. She gingerly picked it up, unsure of whether or not she wanted to open it to what was inside. It could be earrings, it could be nothing, it might not even be for her but for Ginny or his Mom right?
Her curiosity got the better of her and she slowly opened the box. She gasped as the most beautiful ring she had ever seen glistened back at her. The band was rose gold with a princess cut champagne colored diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds that formed the shape of a flower. The band was covered in smaller diamonds as well and even though Hermione had never considered herself very girly, she thought the ring was perfect.
She heard the front door open and George called out to her. She quickly closed the box and put the ring back, making sure to cover it with clothes again, before going to the living room.
"Hey love, I just had to come back real quick to grab something, shouldn't you have left for work by now?" He greeted her with a quick kiss on the lips.
"Yea, I'm just running a little late. Are we still having dinner tonight?" She asked, her voice perhaps a little too high.
George had been planning this dinner for weeks, she knew because she was the one who had to call the restaurant to make the reservations. He had been extremely excited about this new fancy place that had just opened up in Diagon Alley, which she had always thought was a little odd because he had never been the type to want to go to fancy places to eat. Now that she found the ring however, she knew instantly the reason he had been so excited, he was planning on proposing!
"Unfortunately I'm going to have to cancel that, I have to stay late at the shop today to do some work on the books. Can you call the place and cancel the reservations for me please?" He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world as he came back out holding one of the boxes where he kept the inventions he was currently working on. Hermione's face fell but she hoped that he hadn't noticed.
"Of course I can. I'll see you when you get home from work." She said. He kissed her again on the cheek and uttered a thanks before disappearing out the door.
"Maybe he got cold feet." She whispered to herself as she grabbed her bag and also left for work.
9 hours later
Hermione walked slowly down the streets of Diagon Alley. She had gotten off work a little while ago and instead of flooing home she decided to walk back just like she had walked to work that morning.
She stopped and admired the newest broom in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies and, thinking it would be a perfect gift for George, decided to go in and purchase it. Once it was all wrapped she headed back to their flat, but she was surprised to find that the door was locked. George must have been working much later than he originally had thought.
She fumbled around in her bag for her keys and unlocked the door, walking in while balancing the large broom and her bag. She almost dropped them both however when she noticed that the entire flat was in the dark, except for hundred of candles that had been lit all over the place.
In the center of the living room stood George, amongst tons of rose petals that had been sprinkled all over the floor. He was standing there with a large smile on his face.
"You thought I forgot our anniversary didn't you?" He grinned at her. She wiped the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes and laughed.
"Yea, I really thought you did." She sat her things down and walked towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.
"You know I would never do that." He said softly when the kiss broke. He rested his forehead on hers and looked into her eyes.
"I love you George." She said.
"I love you too Hermione. I have for far longer than I ever realized. I know that we've only been officially dating for a year now, and I know it's really cliché to propose on the actual anniversary but…" George moved from her embrace to get down on one knee, moving to pull the black box from his pants pocket, and took her hands in his.
Hermione's eyes had grown wide when he had mentioned the word propose, she had brought a hand to her mouth and the tears had found their way back to her eyes.
"I can't imagine my life without you in it Hermione. I think I'd go barking mad if you ever wizened up and realized you could do much better than me and left."
"You silly man, you ARE the best thing that has ever happened to me. I would be a fool to ever leave." She laughed, earning a grin from him.
"So what do you say?" He asked as he opened the box and held it out to her.
She lunged forward to wrap her arms around his neck, sending them both toppling to the ground.
"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, a million times yes!" She cried between kisses. George laughed as he took the ring and put it on her finger.
"You're stuck with me now woman." He said softly.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." She smiled before kissing him again.
"So, was that a broom shaped package I saw you walk in here with?"
"Alright everyone! We would like to introduce you all to the newest members of the family!" George shouted, as he came through the door to the kitchen at the burrow.
He was holding one baby while Hermione had the other one right behind him. It had been two days since they had left the hospital and the first time they had the whole family together.
"Here we have George Fabian Weasley the second and Arthur Septimus Weasley!" Hermione said.
Mr. Weasley looked like he was going to cry and held his arms out to take a grandson while Molly took the other one in her arms and started cooing at it. Hermione and George laughed and put their arms around each other as they watched the family start passing around the new twins.
Hermione looked down when she felt a tug on her pants and smiled when she saw Freddie standing there. She sat in a chair and helped Freddie climb on to her lap as she ruffled his hair.
"Just so you know the twins are probably going to be bigger troublemakers than me and James are." Freddie said. Hermione laughed and hugged her son.
"They probably will be, you're right! But I'll let you in on a little secret." She whispered.
"What's that?" Freddie whispered back, leaning in closer to his mom.
"No one will ever be as good as you at Quidditch!" She said as she tickled him. He started laughing and leaned in to give her a big hug.
"I love you Mommy." He whispered. Hermione clutched him tighter to her and kissed the top of his head.
"I love you too Fred."
Author Note's: Well that took a few days to get out. What did you guys think? This will be the last chapter. I am heading out on an adventure of a next story. Probably one rivaling the length of Moon Shines Red plus it's excerpt and sequel combined. I'm really excited to write my first ever Draco/Hermione/Fred and here's the kicker…I have no idea who she's going to end up with or how I want the story to end. All I have is an idea in my head and a few pages (not even chapters written) so that is going to be super exciting. I hope you all follow. But until then please review :)