They both slept for a few more hours, holding onto to one another. She woke to Fred gently stroking her back. She smiled up at him and kissed him softly before disentangling their legs and sitting up and stretching.
"What time is it?" She asked him, yawning.
He looked at his watch, "nearly lunch time."
"Shit, are you serious?" She burst out a laugh, "I had zero awareness of any time passing."
He smiled and stood, stretching his arms and back. "Me neither." He pulled her into a hug, kissing her once again.
"I really need to use the loo." She grimaced. Just then a door appeared on one of the walls. "Thank god."
She relieved her extremely full bladder and then washed her face in the sink. She used her wand to make herself look and smell presentable again. When she exited the washroom, Fred looked like he had done the same, his clothes clean and wrinkle free, his hair combed. They both looked as if they were just studying together in the library or something. She was so grateful for magic. Fred went into the bathroom after her and she collected her bag, slipping her wand back inside of it.
Fred came back out, she met him at the door, ready to leave. He took her hand. "I won't ask you to be my girlfriend yet. I know there's a lot we still need to figure out. But I would like to go back to this." He held their hands up between them and interlaced their fingers. "I want to spend all our free time together and be comfortable holding your hand and hugging you again. If that's alright with you." He asked, tucking her hair behind her ear for her.
"Yes please." She hugged him then. She pulled back. "Thank you." She reached up and touched her palm to his cheek. "Thank you for listening and trying to understand. I feel... stronger. With you by my side. I know it's selfish, to need you." She dropped her hand and looked down, feeling guilty.
"No." he shushed her. "I've always been here, waiting and hoping for you to come to me. To need me. I'm so glad you finally did." He kissed her forehead. "Let's go eat, I'm starved." They walked out of the room of requirement and down to lunch, holding hands all the way, only letting go just before entering the great hall.
She sat next to him, filling up a plate of her favorite foods. George joined them soon and most of the school gradually made their way into the great hall for lunch.
George sat across from them, eyeing them both closely. "How are we today?" He didn't comment in front of the others about how Fred hadn't come back to their dorm at all last night.
"Brilliant." Fred said, not giving away anything to his twin.
"Tired and hungry." Hermione said between bites of her sandwich.
"Oh are we? Are we tired and hungry? Lots of studying eh?" George had a glint of mischief in his eye. Hermione stared back at him defiantly as she chewed her food, not revealing anything in her eyes either.
Fred and George both liked that about her. That she could keep up with both of them effortlessly. She fit in with them seamlessly. Something that was essential when engaging in a relationship with one half of identical twins.
Nobody else seemed to have noticed that the two of them didn't come back after the DA meeting. They ate and conversed pleasantly with those around them.
After lunch she went to the courtyard with the twins. Angelina glared at them as they left the Hall together. They sat on the edge of the fountain, water trickling slowly through ice.
"I'm sorry for coming between you and Angelina." Hermione leaned forward to tell George. "If you'd like, I can talk to her. Try to explain a bit at least."
"Don't bother, she's just looking for drama." He waved his hand. "She's more upset by it than Katie and that's her own problem."
"As long as she doesn't let it affect the match next week. Or Oliver will kill us all." Fred said and the three of them laughed.
Just then, an owl swooped down in front of her, dropping a letter into her lap before swooping away. She looked at Fred before opening it, they both knew who it was from.
Meet me at the Three Broomsticks, tonight. 8:00.
Was all it said. She recognized Charlie's handwriting. She stared at it, chewing her lip. She was afraid. She had no idea how it would be this time. "Will you come with me?" She asked Fred quietly.
"If you want me to, I will." He said.
"I'll cover for you both here. No need to worry. Although you should probably take Harry's cloak. Umbridge has her little ass kissers everywhere." George said.
She set the parchment on the ice of the fountain behind her and lit it on fire, watching it burn to ash.
She dreaded meeting Charlie. She begged herself and the bond within to be calm in front of Fred. They seemed to only lose control when they were alone. Maybe they could handle it.
Harry gave her his cloak and map, no further questions asked. He still felt guilty about Christmas. She didn't bother with any explanations. She hoped she would be able to talk to him about all of this someday soon.
She left Harry's dorm and went to Fred's, wearing the cloak. He was waiting alone. She disillusioned both of them before putting the cloak on, in case any parts of them stuck out at any point. George and Lee Jordan were on the other side of the castle causing a disturbance and Hermione and Fred walked right out the front door without issue.
Her hands were shaking. As she neared the gates she felt his presence. Fred took her hand in his, whispering to her. "Just tell me what you want me to do. If you want me to stun him and take you I can. If you want me to leave you with him... I will. I'm here for whatever you want. Ok?"
"I don't want to be alone with him. That's when it's a problem. Just stay by me. But maybe don't touch me in front of him. I don't know what this thing will make either of us do." She squeezed his hand.
They entered the pub behind two others, unnoticed, still under the cloak. She knew Charlie felt her presence. He was standing at the bar, by the stairs that lead to private rooms. She touched his arm with her disillusioned hand. He took two butterbeers from the bar and walked up the stairs without saying a word. He was angry, she could feel it.
He held the door of a private room open for a moment to let her in and then shut and locked it. Fred pulled the cloak off of both of them and Hermione cancelled the disillusion charm. They stood a few feet apart but Charlie looked between them angrily.
He clenched his fist, "I am trying so hard to not be angry. I don't want to be. I'm not wanting to be angry that he's here with you, that you confided in him." His hands were shaking and he took his wand from his pocket and set it on the table before walking to the other side of the room.
"I know. We know." She said. She sat shakily at the table, taking a breath. She wanted to run to his arms, sit in his lap, kiss away the anger. But no, she didn't want that. This thing wanted it. Fred stood silently in front of the door, like a bodyguard.
Charlie looked at her in anguish. "I'm so so sorry you felt that way. I wish you would have told me." He stepped toward her, reaching out, but stopped himself. He turned around in frustration, gripping the mantle with both hands and leaning forward.
Hermione crossed her arms over her middle and held herself tightly, not wanting to do something foolish, like stand up and walk to him. "I didn't want to worry you, or make you feel like you needed to stay. I didn't intend for you to come here now. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused." She started to cry, shaking her head.
Charlie turned back to her, dropping to his knees before her and taking her hand. "I would have died if you'd done anything to yourself. I would have followed you in death." He pushed her hair back behind her ear and placed his palm to her cheek. "I hate that I've made you feel this way. Hate that this has caused this. You look so thin." She clutched his hand like a lifeline. Hyper aware of Fred's presence.
She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. "Fred and George had a thought. About your mothers book." She looked to Fred, begging him to speak.
Charlie looked at him too, anger flashing before he could mask it.
"We thought the Prewitt grimoire might have something." Is all Fred offered. He was schooling his features expertly. No emotion showed through. His hands stayed in his pockets, around his wand. Just in case.
Charlie stood and let go of her hand, walking to the window, rubbing his jaw. "Fuck. Maybe."
"Does she have it, then?" Fred asked.
Charlie looked at his little brother then, "yes, she has it. She stopped mentioning it when you were little, we were all getting too curious about it. And you two were so mischievous, she was afraid you'd find it someday." He gave a small half grin. Fred chuckled and nodded without smiling.
"I'll see if I can find it, and if not, I'll ask her for it." Charlie said, as if convincing himself. "This... it doesn't want me to find a way to get rid of it. I feel such dread about it. It feels like it's the right direction. The right place to look." Charlie looked out the window without seeing anything. He kept a hand fisted on his stomach, where she said she could feel the bond.
"I'll go now. I'll let you know when I'm back. We'll meet here again." He walked to her and stroked his fingers along her cheek just once. She grabbed onto his hand, looking up at him. He crouched down before her, holding both of her hands. "Please, be happy. Please. If it's with Fred, I don't care. I would rather die than let you feel that way again. I'm so glad you did talk to him. Even if I'm a jealous raging mess inside. I know it's not what I want to feel. YOU are my priority, your health, physical and mental, your happiness. Please..." he choked off then, squeezing her hands tightly. She felt his desire to take her, hold her, kiss away the pain. Fuck her until the pleasure was all she could think about, to drive every negative emotion out of her with his cock. His eyes darkened with the lust. He stood abruptly, stepping away.
"Step away Freddy, I'll punch you if you're near me." He picked up his wand with a shaking hand and Fred stepped away from the door. Charlie wrenched it open and left abruptly, slamming it shut behind him.
She waited a moment, until she felt him leave the village, before she sobbed and collapsed into Fred's arms. Fred held her with one arm, picking up the cloak and tossing it over them. Casting the charm over their feet. "Come on, let's go. Before someone comes and rents this room next." She holds onto his waist with both arms and he navigates them back through the pub and out the door.
The day of the slytherin match arrived and they hadn't heard back from Charlie yet. Hermione was in the stands watching everything unfold as Harry and the twins beat up Malfoy and got banned from quidditch for life.
She and Fred hadn't had another night to themselves. They hadn't even kissed again. She didn't push him. She figured they were both waiting and hoping for Charlie to find an answer. He held her hand and spent time with her while she studied for OWLS. She longed for more. They waited and waited.
A few weeks later, Hermione felt the familiar twinge of Charlie's presence, just before a first year gryffindor girl approached her and Fred in the library, handing her a note. The girl left without saying a word. Hermione unrolled the tiny scroll.
Please meet me in my office at your earliest convenience. Bring Fred and George Weasley as well. You will be excused from classes for the remainder of the day.
Professor Dumbledore
She looked to Fred, letting him read the scroll and gathering her things quickly. They collected George from the common room where he was working on something "top secret" with Lee Jordan. And they walked as quickly as they could up to Dumbledore's office without drawing attention to themselves.
The staircase appeared for them without waiting for a password and they climbed the steps. She knocked on the door.
Dumbledore opened it, a grim expression on his face. "Hello, Miss Granger, Mister Weasley, Mister Weasley. Please come in." He stepped aside.
Molly Weasley ran to her immediately, throwing her arms around her and sobbing. "Oh my dear, I am so sorry!" Arthur pulled his wife off of Hermione gently, patting her shoulder. Charlie was seated behind them, his head in his hands, hunched over. He didn't look at her.
She looked to Dumbledore, waiting.
He held up a very old looking book. "I think Arthur can explain what he just told me. While I look through this." He said, sitting behind his desk and slowly opening the book.
Arthur nodded, still holding on to his sobbing wife. "When Charlie was five, he had an accident. A terrible one. He fell off of a broomstick. He didn't want to ride his toy one anymore, he wanted to ride the big broom. He lost control and fell from about 50 feet up. We rushed him to St Mungos. He was barely breathing. There was nothing visibly broken, they said he was bleeding in his brain and there was nothing they could do. He was brain dead. He would pass away shortly." Hermione listened intently, eyes wide. Mrs Weasley sobbed harder.
"We brought him home and Molly found a spell, in her family's grimoire. It binds a witch's magical core to a wizard's. It binds the life force magic together. We chose to do the spell, the magic would reach out to find the witch with a compatible life magic core who could save him. The spell said they would be bound as magical soulmates for eternity. We interpreted this to mean that the witch most compatible with our son would be bound to him and one day they would find each other and fall in love and be soulmates, as the spell suggested. We thought that would be a worthy trade off to save his life..." he paused and looked at his son sadly. Charlie still didn't look up.
"We did the spell on September 19, 1979. It worked immediately, he woke up like nothing had ever happened."
Hermione stared at Arthur Weasley not seeing him, trying to comprehend. "That's the day I was born." She said slowly. Mrs Weasley cried harder. Hermione's mother had told her of the day she was born. She was a healthy baby, born naturally. She was in her mothers arms as the midwives cleaned her mother up when she stopped breathing for two whole minutes. Everyone was in a panic trying to clear her airways and figure out what was wrong. And then Hermione started crying like she had just been born again. And there were never any more incidences like that again. She blinked slowly as the pieces all aligned and she could clearly see the whole picture now.
Arthur continued, "We are so sorry, dear Hermione. We never told Charlie about it, we thought he would find his soulmate and bring her to us, announce an engagement. That they would continue on with a normal life. Using unknown grimoire spells, especially ones that bind magically to un-consenting parties, it's illegal. We hoped to never have to reveal what we'd done to save his life. We never thought it could be a negative thing, that you would be so young." Arthur Weasley stopped then, shaking his head at himself, at their mistake.
Charlie still wouldn't look at her, wouldn't move from his spot. She felt his anguish, his sadness. She wanted to go to him and comfort him. She knew what would make him feel better, knew where to touch him.
"Stop." He said loudly, not looking up and she jumped in surprise. Her face heated with embarrassment. He was stopping her from getting aroused because of him, the bond.
"Can it be undone?" He growled out.
Dumbledore stood from his desk then and walked back to them. "Not at this time. It will take further research. But if we were to try and undo it now, the spell says you would return to death's door. Without being connected to her life force, you will not stay alive." Molly sobbed, clutching her husbands hand on her shoulder.
"Just do it then." Charlie snapped. He stood, anger coursing through him. His mother wailed in despair, dropping to her knees. Mr Weasley finally sat, not able to stay standing any longer as well. Charlie turned to them, anguish on his face. "Do you understand what it made us do? What I did to a child?"
"Stop it." Hermione stepped toward him, angry. "That is not how it went. Stop trying to make it that way. You were not a predator." She turned to the others. "He did not force me or coerce me in anyway. I was fully aware of what we did. I would have been exploring and experimenting anyway, as a human teenager with hormones." Charlie turned from her in disgust at the situation. Arthur turned red with embarrassment. "I don't care if I'm being crass, I won't let you claim to be some sort of pedophile. That's not how it was and you know it."
She stormed over to Charlie, grabbing his arm and forcing him to look at her. "I would never be ok with you dying to break the bond. Never!"
He stared down at her, sadness, despair, anguish, pain, all swirling around inside him. She wrapped her arms around his middle, burying her face in his chest. Holding him was the only thing she knew how to do to comfort him right then. So she did. She held him tightly. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, the other hand cupped her head gently. He began to cry silently, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He shook with silent sobs. She just held him.
"There is more research to be done, we shan't give up all hope yet. We have not looked for every solution possible." Dumbledore said to the group. "I shall hold onto this," he held up the ancient book, "a bit longer. And we will look. Alright? No rash actions are necessary at the moment. Charlie, would you prefer to be here in England instead of Romania?"
"No." Charlie said immediately. "No, keep me far away. Keep me busy." She loosened her grip around his waist and looked up at him, hurt that he would want to be away from her. Hurt that he didn't want to be connected to her in this way.
He took hold of her arms and pushed her back from him. "Stop it." He scolded. "You know that's not it. You know it." He lifted her chin, looking into her eyes. "I hate that you didn't have a choice in this. I hate that I stole your life, your innocence. I don't hate you."
"Very well." Dumbledore interrupted. "If you would, please continue with the tasks we discussed before." He walked to his desk, "I'll create a portkey for your return."
Charlie turned to his parents, "I don't hate you either. I'm just incredibly sad about the situation. I'm sorry it was a choice you had to make." He hugged his mother and father together.
He stepped away from them and walked to Dumbledore who had just finished creating a portkey to Romania for him.
Hermione ran forward. "Charlie wait." She stared at him reading his emotions. "Promise you won't try and break it. Promise me. Not without me there." He looked away. She could feel the guilt and shame seeping out of him. She grabbed his arm. "Promise me." She said forcefully. Making him look at her. "You do not get to die. Or I will too. You will ruin me forever if you end your life." She threatened. She knew the only way to stop him from going off and trying to die would be to threaten her own life.
He shook his head, biting his lip and looking at the ceiling.
"Promise me." She shook him.
He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, releasing it and dropped his gaze back to hers. "I promise." He tapped her chin with his knuckle. She felt the truth in his words. She let him go.
"Thanks, professor." Charlie said, taking the portkey and disappearing without another word.
Dumbledore turned to Molly and Arthur next. "I'll be in touch, we will work through this together. Thank you for trusting me to help with this."
Molly sniffled, the tears still trailing down her cheeks. She reached for Hermione's hand. "I'm so sorry dear. So very sorry. We never meant..." she turned and looked at Fred then. Reaching for his hand too. "I'm so sorry Fred. I'm so sorry for how this has affected you." Fred just nodded at the ground. Arthur put his hands on her shoulders and she let go of them. Allowing her husband to steer her away.
They flooed back to the burrow from Dumbledore's office. The headmaster turned to the students still in his office. "Charlie requested that the two of you be here for Miss Granger as all of this was revealed. He wanted her to have the support and for you to know the whole story." The twins nodded. Hermione's eyes welled up with tears at the thoughtfulness of Charlie, anticipating her needs.
"I wish for you to go back to your studies. Focus on your normal lives. Do not go searching for the answers on your own, do not draw attention from the wrong people about this. I warn you not to share this beyond yourselves. The legal ramifications will be severe and no solution will be found."
They all nodded their understanding and agreement, before turning to leave.
They walked in silence down the stairs and into the corridor. George cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go find Lee, finish what we were working on." He nodded at his twin and took off, leaving the two of them alone.
Fred looked to her. "Would you like to be alone? It's a lot to process." He offered.
She shook her head, "no. I mean unless you want to." She looked down the corridor.
"I want whatever you want." He said.
She took a breath, thinking. "I want to go back to the room of requirement. The way it was that night. I want to be alone, and undisturbed, with you."
He held out his hand and she took it, letting him lead her to the stairs.
Inside the room of requirement Hermione dropped her bag and sank down onto the sofa, staring into the fireplace. Fred sat next to her and waited.
"I don't even know what to say." She thought through her entire life, now with the understanding that her magical core has always been connected to Charlie's. That it was the only thing keeping him alive. She stood, needing to exert energy. She paced around the room. Fred just sat and waited.
"What are you thinking about?" She finally asked him. She continued pacing.
He sat back and exhaled. "I don't want to say. It's useless to speculate."
"Now you have to tell me." She stopped furrowing her brow.
He sighed again. "What if you were only drawn to our family, to be our friend, because your magical core connection was seeking out him?"
She froze, her heart dropped into her stomach. She hadn't even thought that way. She closed her eyes, she didn't want to cry. She wouldn't think that way. She wouldn't. She loved them. She loved Fred and George. She loved Charlie. She loved the whole Weasley family. Even without a bond with Charlie, she would still feel that way. Wouldn't she?
She said nothing, trying not to let her entire sense of reality and truth collapse in on her. She felt an anxiety attack creep up. She went to her bag and pulled out a vial of calming draught with shaky hands. She tipped it back quickly, feeling her heart rate slow and her mind calm. She walked in front of the fire, turning to face him on the couch. He said nothing about the potion, just stared unseeing into the fire next to her.
"Does knowing everything change how you feel? About me?" She asked quietly. She was so afraid.
"No." he sighed. He sat forward, dropping his head and placing his elbows on his knees. "I just can't help but wonder about it."
Her lower lip trembled. She closed her eyes, turning away from him. She suddenly didn't want to be here. She walked to her bag and picked it up. "I'm going to go." She said quietly. Trying not to sound like she would cry.
"Hermione." Fred stood.
"No, I... think I do need some time alone. I'll... find you later." She left the room walking slowly back toward gryffindor tower and straight up to her room. She closed the curtains and silenced her bed. After a few minutes of not being able to turn her brain off, she took a dreamless sleep. She didn't want to think about any of it anymore today. Every second she spent thinking about it got more and more painful so she just wanted to sleep.
Hermione woke slowly the next morning. It took her a few moments to remember the events of the day before. She rubbed her eyes and checked her watch. 4:38 am. At least she'd slept this long. It shouldn't ruin her schedule too much today.
She rolled over onto her stomach and hugged her pillow. She would think about it all now. Before the day started. Hopefully she would be able to function like normal.
She couldn't help but marvel at the spell. It reached out and found her the moment she was born. Out of everyone that existed, Charlie's magic only connected with hers? Had she been born a day later, would Charlie have died? Or would there have been another? Have there been other magically bonded people in the past?
What would have happened if they hadn't met? If she had continued on with life and married Fred. If she and Charlie had met much later in life? Would they have still been drawn to each other this way? Why was sex and desire part of it? What if she had met him when she was younger?
She decided to write some of the questions down. The ones Dumbledore might be able to help answer at least. She refused to consider Fred's speculation. It was too much. And it didn't matter to her. She was here now and she loved them now. Doesn't matter what might have been.
After she had exhausted all of the avenues of thought that she could think of, she showered and dressed for the day. They had some important essays and quizzes on the schedule today, as well as a DA meeting. No time to wallow in self pity.
She didn't see Fred at all during the day, not until the DA meeting. She partnered with Ron, he was getting really good at defensive spells. As Harry finished up the lesson and was about to dismiss them all, Dobby popped into the middle of the room, squeaking about Umbridge coming.
Fred grabbed her hand and dragged her behind him as they all ran. They stopped a few floors up, panting and waiting. Listening down the staircases. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she watched Harry being hauled away, Malfoy waving their sign up list behind them.
"Fuck." She whispered. "This is bad."
They followed the group to Dumbledore's office. She saw Marietta Edgecomb's marked forehead as she was dragged up to the office. Hermione clutched Fred's hand tightly as they watched and waited from around the corner.
Finally Harry exited the staircase, alone. Hermione ran to him. "What happened?"
Harry waited until they put a few floors of distance between them and Dumbledore's office before he told her that the headmaster was gone.
"Shit. Gone?" Hermione shared a worried look with Fred. Without him here, how would they be able to figure out how to break the bond?
The next couple of weeks were so busy, she never got to talk with Fred alone again. The room of requirement was heavily guarded. All of the DA members were in detention every evening. The common room was always full.
They sat by each other during meals but that was basically it. Until he approached her right before exams started.
"I need to talk to you for a minute." He caught her just before breakfast, outside the great hall. He took her hand and pulled her down two corridors into an empty classroom where he silenced and locked the door.
"What's wrong?" Hermione was concerned. He looked nervous.
"We're leaving." Fred stepped to her and took her hand again. "George and I. We planned a dramatic exit to give a final 'fuck you' to the pink toad. We're going to do it today. With only two weeks and exams left, I thought you'd be ok here..." he looked at here closely, examining.
She squeezed his hand, giving him a small smile, "Yes. Ok. Go. I'll be fine."
"We bought a store, in Diagon. Harry gave us his triwizard cup winnings. We built WWW big enough for a store. We'll live above it, we're moving out of the burrow." He looked nervous for a moment. "Mums going to be mad. But its the only way we could build the business. She won't let us do much at home. And she'll be pissed about the NEWTS..." he trailed off his rambling and looked at her again. "I'll stay if you need me to though. George can handle it for two weeks."
She just smiled at him, "you bought a store?" Where has she been? She actually knew nothing about their business enterprise since she quit confiscating their stuff from the younger students. Fred nodded with a grin. She threw her arms around his middle, hugging him tightly. "Congratulations! That's incredible!"
"Thanks. It's gonna be great." Fred held her for a moment before she stepped back.
"I'll be fine. You're right. It's just exams and two weeks. I'll come visit you in Diagon some time. Soon." She smiled up at him.
She felt her smile start to strain and turned away. The thought of him not being here, not just for the end of this year but never again. How could she go to Hogwarts without Fred?
He stopped her before she could open the door, spinning her by the shoulder and taking her mouth with his. He wrapped both of his arms around her waist, pulling her into him and her feet left the ground. Her hands found his cheek, neck and hair. She kissed him back wholeheartedly. It was full of sadness, longing, of hope. Tears fell from her eyes as she felt all that was between them, holding them back.
He stopped kissing her and set her back down. He touched his forehead to hers, still holding her tightly around the waist. "I'll miss you." He said softly.
She lost control of a sob, gasping for breath and control. "I'll miss you." She kissed him softly one last time before pulling away. Wiping her nose on her sleeve.
"Go kick those OWLS asses, ok?" He tucked her hair behind her ear. She nodded.
He walked her back to the great hall, then squeezed her hand with a final nod. "Give her hell." Hermione said. And she let go of him. Fred gave her a salute and a grin before disappearing down the corridor.
The twins send off was spectacular. Even without the romantic involvement, she would have been proud to call them her friends. Those brilliant, mischievous young men, already successful in their first business venture. And sticking it to the government to boot. The morale boost they gave the rest of the school was bigger than anyone could have mustered after Dumbledores departure.
Hermione tried to talk some sense into Harry, after their final exam in history of magic. When he fell asleep mid-test and woke up freaking out about Voldemort having Sirius. But he was in a panic. He'd saved Arthur Weasley by immediately contacting Dumbledore. But how could they do that?
She convinced him to at least try to contact the order first. Which they did. And she felt no remorse as she left Umbridge in the middle of a centaur herd. The evil woman who carved up children for detentions deserved whatever the humanoid creatures gave her.
She didn't have time to scribble a note to Fred or Charlie. She followed Harry and Ron into the ministry, fully prepared to face the darkest wizard of their time. She would do it, for her friends.
She woke up in St Mungo's, Fred at her bedside, clutching her hand. He was hunched over, pressing his forehead to her fingers. She did her best to squeeze his hand. He looked up immediately, relief flooding his face.
"Merlin, you bloody witch." He kissed her brow. "I can't even leave you alone for two weeks? You had to go off and face the only people who want you dead?" He got her a glass of water which she sipped gratefully.
"How long was I out?" She croaked.
"A day or two? Mum told me after Dumbledore informed the order of what happened. The ones who weren't there at least. Lupin managed to gather a good amount of them to come to your rescue."
Hermione could recall very little after she was cursed. There was something about Sirius. And Voldemort.
"Did Sirius... is he?" She didn't want to say it.
"He's gone. I'm not sure what happened, but Sirius is dead." Fred said quietly.
Hermione shut her eyes, letting the reality wash over her. "How's Harry?" She asked.
"I honestly don't know. I came straight here. Ron is down the hall, but he's ok. Everyone else is back at school."
A healer came in to check on her and called the person in charge when she saw she was awake finally. She took a series of potions but was told she would be good to go in a few hours.
Charlie wheeled around the corner and skidded to a halt. She hadn't even noticed feeling him near. She must have been really addled by the curse.
He approached slowly, looking over her and then to Fred. "Are you alright? What happened?"
Fred let go of her hand and stood, walking to the door. "I'll go check on Ron for a bit." He nodded to her. She smiled gratefully.
Charlie took her hand and stroked her hair, looking her over again. "I'm fine." She said. "The healer said I can go soon." Relief flooded his face. "You didn't need to come. I'm sorry they worried you." She said.
Charlie jerked his hands away from her. She felt pain flash through him. "I'm sorry. I can go. I just had to see that you were alright." He stood, backing toward the the door. The anguish he was trying to hide was pouring through her heart. He thought she didn't want him here. And it broke his heart. But he was willing to go, for her sake.
"Charlie, wait." She said. "I didn't mean that I don't want you here. I just meant I'm sorry for worrying you, for interrupting whatever you were in the middle of. For making you come all the way back here. I know it wasn't just a quick easy apparition. Please." She held out her hand.
He dropped quickly to her side, taking her offered hand. "Gods I missed you." He pressed a kiss to her palm. She shivered at the contact.
She felt a twinge across her chest where she was cursed, she lifted the hospital gown to look. An angry scar spread out across her torso. She grimaced, Charlie stood and looked too. Anger flashed through him. "That's what happened to you? Fuck, Hermione." He paced the room in quiet rage. "Which one of those fuckers cast it? He's a dead man."
"It was Dolohov." She sighed wearily. She was exhausted, even though she just woke up. She knew Charlie was mentally marking the death eater in order to avenge her later.
"What happened?" Charlie asked.
"Better to ask with Ron here. I don't remember much after I was cursed."
Just then, Fred wheeled Ron in on a chair. Hermione sat up more to look at him. He had scarring over most of his arm and neck. The brain tank, she recalled. She reached for his hand. He stood and walked to her, no visible discomfort.
"Bloody hell, Hermione. You have us quite the scare." He said.
"I did? What about you?" She gestured to his arm.
"Just some mental scarring. No big deal." He waved it off. They chuckled. Ron filled his brothers in on everything he could remember. Then he said "what are you doing here?" To Charlie.
Charlie cleared his throat, looking anywhere but Hermione. "Dumbledore called the Order in to plan, regroup. I came to check up on you while mum fusses over Ginny."
Hermione shared a look with Fred. Just then, a healer arrived with the headmaster in tow. "Everything looks good for the both of you," he nodded to Ron and Hermione. "I release you into the custody of your Headmaster." He gave a small bow to Dumbledore before leaving the room again. Dumbledore looked around at each of them.
"I'd like a word with these two for just a moment before I return with my students." He said gently, gesturing to Hermione and Charlie. Ron looked confused but Fred pulled his youngest brother out of the room, shutting the door behind them.
"I am sorry to inform the two of you that I have not found a solution for your bond. I spent a good deal of time searching for a way to break it. Alas, I could not. I do not wish you to lose hope, nor do I think your situation is hopeless. There is indeed a reason why your magics attached to each other." His eyes twinkled as he looked to both of them. "However, since Miss Granger is still underage and still a student, I would advise that you both stay away from each other as best you can. The barriers between you will be removed soon enough."
Hermione looked at Charlie. He didn't look as angry as the last time they discussed this with Dumbledore. He looked resigned. She wanted to rub his shoulders and scrape her fingernails along his scalp, that would help him relax. She just wanted him to feel good about being tied to her forever.
His eyes cut to hers as her thoughts turned in that direction, a warning. Then he said "thank you professor. We appreciate the time and effort you've put into this." Hermione nodded in agreement.
Dumbledore crossed to the door and opened it. "We will take the floo from the directors office, so as to avoid the many cameras and journalists crowding the exit.
Fred gave her a hopeful look, but she shook her head to let him know there was no update with their bond. They followed the headmaster down the hall and up a flight of stairs. Hermione leaned heavily into Fred to make it up the steps. The headmaster knocked on a door and the secretary of the director of St Mungos let them into his office before stepping out the door to give them a moment.
Dumbledore smiled at Fred with a twinkle in his eye. "Congratulations on your shop. It is unsurprising that you and your brother are already very successful. We will dearly be needing amusement in the coming months."
Fred dipped his head. "Thank you professor." Then he looked to Hermione, not wanting to trigger Charlie or cause discomfort, he merely said, "be seeing you soon." With a grin. He stepped into the floo and went back to his new home and shop.
Charlie took her hand and squeezed it. They were forever having to say goodbye too soon and in front of too many people. He pulled her into a gentle hug, despite Ron being there. "Please, for the love of god, don't go headlong into any more death eater duels without me." She chuckled and held him. He kissed the top of her head before stepping away. "I'll see you at HQ tonight, professor."
"Yes, you will." Dumbledore smiled. And Charlie flooed to the Burrow.
"Wwwwhat the fuck was that?" Ron asked, looking extremely confused at her.
"To my office at Hogwarts, if you please." Dumbledore held the floo powder out to Ron who looked between the two of them. Ron took a handful and stepped into the fireplace, disappearing in a flash. Dumbledore held it to her next. She followed Ron quickly.
In the headmasters office, Ron waited for her by the door. "I'll tell both you and Harry together in a minute. Not now, please." She said, holding up a hand to stop his interrogation.
Dumbledore stepped out of his fireplace a moment later. "Well, I'm very glad that you both are ok now. We will need to be extremely diligent and prepared for things to come, now that Voldemort has been outed, his plans will change. I will be working closely with Harry on a project that he is instructed to be open with the two of you about, should he choose to ask for help. But beyond you three, I must ask you not to disclose any of the details with anyone. At all." He looked pointedly at Hermione who thought of two other people she might be inclined to tell. She nodded in understanding.
"Harry will be joining the Weasley's at the Burrow shortly after summer break begins. He must return to the Dursley's for a little bit. I will collect him and deliver him to you when it is time. Do not share information through the mail, it is not safe."
They nodded in understanding again. "Very well, you may go to your common room. We will have the end of year feast shortly." Dumbledore dismissed them.
They walked in silence back to gryffindor tower, where they found Harry, alone in his dorm. He hugged them both tightly. "I'm so glad you're both ok. Fuck, I'm so angry at myself. At dumbledore. At Voldemort. I'm so fucking angry." Harry ground out. "I don't want to talk about Sirius or any of it. So don't." He warned. He turned back to his trunk and chucked more stuff into it haphazardly.
"Mmkkk well great, because Hermione has a new topic she'd like to discuss." Ron crossed his arms glaring at her. Harry looked between them curiously.
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's drama. "I am ONLY telling you because Charlie seemed to have forgotten you were there and didn't know."
"Know what?" Harry asked.
"Don't tell me you're fucking Charlie, please dear god don't tell me that's what your episode was all about earlier this year." Ron looked like he was about to be sick. She sighed heavily and rolled her eyes.
"Charlie and I are bound, magically. Our cores were entwined by your parents with a spell from your mothers Prewitt grimoire in order to save his life. We didn't know until we met at the World Cup and yes it is why I had issues this year and last. If we break the bond, Charlie will die. And yes, it is a very intimate soul-mate bond. And it very much effects my relationship with Fred and it's a super complicated mess and there is no solution to it and yes your parents both know and we're keeping it secret because they would get arrested for the illegal binding of unconsenting parties." She didn't want to get into any more details with Ron or Harry because frankly it was none of their business and she was exhausted and still had to pack. Plus Ron would have had a fit.
Ron looked horrorstruck. Harry looked as if things were finally clicking into place. "My parents made you and Charlie soul mates?" Ron finally said.
"In a very broad and over-simplified explanation, yes." She said.
"Where does that leave Fred?" Harry asked. He looked relieved to be distracted by something else. She felt sympathetic toward him.
"We don't know. We were hoping Dumbledore would have found a way to undo it while saving Charlie's life, of course. But he said it wasn't possible. At least not that he's found yet." She was suddenly weighed down by the thought. She wished she could go to Fred right now. Wished she could see his store, his apartment, spend time with him. She also wished she could spend the night with Charlie again. Like that motel last summer. And then she wanted to die thinking about both of them like that. Her depression started to creep back in.
"That explains why you pushed Fred away and he started dating Katie for a bit. And then dumped her to hang out with you again." Ron grumbled. She gave him an annoyed side-eye glance.
"Are you coming to the Burrow this summer?" Harry asked.
"Maybe towards the end. I need to spend time with my parents." And make sure Charlie isn't there, she thought. The dull ache was back, now that she was done with exams and no longer filled with survival adrenaline. She felt his absence. And she missed Fred. And she was so sad about Sirius. Harry kept losing people and she wanted it to stop.
"I think I'll go lie down before dinner. It's been a long day and I do need to recover some more." She walked through the door with a last look at Harry, to convey her love and friendship toward him. "I'll walk down to the feast with you." She said. Because she knew he didn't want to talk yet.
She walked to her dorm and before she would let herself collapse, she waved her wand and gathered all of her belongings, arranging them in her trunk perfectly. It was a spell she mastered early on. She liked things clear, organized, strategic. Her schedule and her belongings where very easy to maintain. Her life was not in the least. Once everything was away and ready for the trip home, she laid down on her bed.
The weight of everything started to press in on her. Dumbledore couldn't find a solution. That had to mean there was none. Which meant she was stuck bound to Charlie. Which wouldn't be the end of the world, if not for Fred. No she wouldn't have thought this a problem at all. Charlie was beautiful, strong, talented, intelligent, courageous. She loved who he was. She loved being with him. If she could admit it to herself in the silent dark recesses of her mind, she loved being bound to him.
She imagined what it might have been like, if she hadn't befriended Fred and the Weasley's. If she had gone about her life quietly. And then one day in her twenties, she organically bumped into Charlie and their bond manifested to both of them. It would have been so, so sweet. So good. She didn't blame his parents at all for willing to trade that for his life. She might have done the same, if faced with the decision to save her own child.
But that's not how it happened. It was a mess, how it happened. What if Fred was right? And she was only drawn to them by the bond to get to Charlie? But it was too late now. Because she fell in love with Fred first. Fred was brilliant, funny, brave. He was courageously confident in himself. He was so handsome, she fell in love with his smile, specifically the way he smiled at her. She had pictured her future with him a million times. Graduate, move in together, work separately on their careers, but spend every other second together. Eventually having children. Spending every holiday split between the Burrow and her parents. She had imagined her first kiss, losing her virginity, all of her firsts with Fred. And when Dumbledore sent that note all those weeks ago, she thought for sure he would have an answer. That she would be released from her bond with Charlie that very evening and that she and Fred would finally be free to be together however they chose to be.
But not even the most brilliant wizard alive could help them. He told her not to feel hopeless about it. She knew that her magical core belonged with Charlie's. She felt it all the time. But her chest physically ached at the thought of having to leave Fred behind. And that's what she feels hopeless about. That she and Charlie will ride off into the sunset together like they were always bound to be, and Fred would be left alone to figure out his own new future without her.
This was too much thinking. She wiped her tears and closed her eyes. Better to sleep than drown herself in the sorrow of things she can't control.