THE LEAVES – CHAPTER FOURTEEN
After dinner, Fred and Hermione took a wander out around the Hogwarts gardens. Holding hands and walking in step, they fell into a comfortable silence that felt no necessity for conversation of any sort: each other's company was pleasant enough. Hermione linked her fingers through Fred's and their arms swung gently between them as they walked.
Upon nearing the Great Lake, a half hour into the walk, Fred tugged Hermione's arm which led them both to sit under a large Oak tree covered by its many braches of leaves. The sun was turning to set when they had settled down.
Fred leant his back against the oak and Hermione settled in between his legs leaning her back against his Quidditch-toned chest. He draped his arms around her waist revelling in the feeling of having her back in his arms. He buried his nose into her neck and laid a kiss by her collarbone, leaving his lips there in a lingering sign of affection.
Hermione tilts her head backwards to see his face. She grins up at him causing him to do the same in return. He leans down to kiss her lips and she smiles through the kiss.
"We're free," she murmurs against his lips.
"I still can't believe it. We can go home and never have to fear anything ever again,"
They both sigh in relief and watch the sunset together. Once it gets dark and they both start to shiver, they untangle themselves from each other and stand slowly. Brushing themselves off, they head across the field. They wander slowly watching all the lights in the castle glitter from the window.
Shutting the large doors behind them, they start to make their way up the many flights of stairs that lead to the seventh floor where the Gryffindor Tower rests. After passing the Fat Lady, the couple proceed to Fred's dormitory.
Fred lends Hermione one of his old Quidditch jerseys and she changes in the bathroom, throws her hair into a ponytail before opening the door and padding across to Fred's four-poster. She slips her legs under the covers and settle down while she waits for Fred to finish getting ready. He clambers in the other side and rolls her over so that her head is on his chest. He winds his arms around her small waist and as he does, her shirt rises to expose a strip of skin across her back and side.
"Goodnight, love. The leaves are here," he whispers as he kisses her forehead noting that she is already dropping to sleep. He strokes the bare piece of skin with his thumb and soothes her to sleep. Fred is highly aware of the fact that she will, no doubt, wake in a couple of hours by a nightmare most likely caused by her experience at the Malfoy Manor but he lets her get what little rest she can; what little rest she deserves.