"Are you alright? You've been awfully quiet since I got here," Fred asked, while Hermione just sat next to him on the couch. "Something on your mind?"
Hermione snorted, "I have too much in my mind and sometimes, I don't know how to put in words these thoughts," she said, feeling lighter telling Fred this. "Have you ever had this type of trouble?"
"Not really," Fred shrugged, but took one of her hands on his. "All my life, George always managed to read my mind and I his. We never needed to talk to know what the other was thinking. It's almost magical, some twin bond or something."
Hermione smiled at that, envying the easy camaraderie he had with his twin; being an only child, Hermione always wanted something like that growing up.
"Being in a house with so many siblings, it was difficult having time for myself. I never regret being a twin, but when you have someone who is always reading your mind, it can be tiresome after a while." Fred smiled softly at her. "So I don't understand having a lot of thoughts in my head, but if I can help you in any way, just tell me."
She looked at him, trying to come up with a way to explain to Fred that her thoughts had mostly been about their relationship, and how anxious she felt with everything.
"Sometimes, I have anxiety attacks, just from my thoughts," Hermione started in a small voice. "I can't control it, or know when I'm going to experience it, and my mind goes into overdrive.
"I'm afraid it's going to happen when we're together and you'll find it to be too much, and our relationship is going to suffer because of it." Hermione didn't look at Fred, afraid of what he was going to say.
"Hermione," Fred said, making her look at him, and seeing only acceptance in his eyes. "I'm honoured you shared all you're feeling with me. You don't need to hide anything from me; if you ever feel your anxiety coming up, talk to me. I don't know much about it, but if I can help it, I want to."
Hermione didn't know what to say to that declaration. Fred was the perfect man, and she couldn't feel happier than she was in that moment. It was almost like he knew her heart and how to calm her down with just a few words.
"How can you be so perfect?" Hermione whispered, looking at him with wonder in her eyes. "It's almost like you know exactly what to say, to make me feel better about myself."
"I just pay attention to you, and try to say what you may need to hear," Fred said, shrugging, and smiling at her. "I just want to make you happy."
She felt tears in her eyes, and before she could do anything, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him senseless. It wasn't going to stop her anxiety from spiking, but Hermione could feel like it would help anyway.
And it wasn't like Fred was complaining.