I'll Fight For You - Fred/Hermione

Chapter Ten

Hermione opened her eyes and the first thing she saw were her clothes on the floor. Her breath caught in her throat as she realised that her arm was draped over someone's stomach. Not someone... Fred. Fred's stomach. She bit her lips and closed her eyes as she remembered what had happened. Did they...? Yes... they did. Hermione felt like she ought to move away from Fred but she was afraid too. Afraid was probably not the first emotion anyone would feel after what had happened last night. But she was afraid for so many different reasons. Afraid to get caught cheating on Ron. Afraid as to what everyone would think about this. Afraid as to what Ron would think... She also felt sick. Sick to her stomach. She was afraid of moving because she knew she would vomit.

She sighed out loud and Fred's arm, that was draped around her waist, tightened and she wished she hadn't made any noise. Hermione sighed again. He was awake. They would have to talk and she was afraid of that too. Hermione got up without looking at Fred. She turned her back to him and got changed as quickly as she could. Fred stood up and got changed too as she tugged her shirt down over herself. She felt a bit better but still felt woozy. Hermione sat on the sofa and buried her face in her hands. She felt Fred sit beside her and they were silent until Fred spoke. His voice sounded distant so he coughed and tried again.

'Hermione... I... I'm so sorry,' he said sounding like he was genuinely sorry, 'I'm sorry for last night. I shouldn't have... I didn't think... you said... and I thought...'

He gave up trying to say a coherent sentence. He sighed and took her hands from her face. Hermione looked to him. His hair was really messy and his shirt buttons were down up wrong. She looked away and he sighed again.

'I love you,' he said.

Hermione never thought that those three words would ever come out of Fred's mouth. She had never imagined it. She never imagined him saying those three words especially to her. She was more than shocked but she felt like if she said anything... it would only make things worse. She was dating Ron... and she had cheated on him with his brother! That thought was the only thing that was keeping her silent. It was her fault. Not Fred's.

'I said I love you,' Fred tried again and Hermione knew she had to speak.

'Fred,' she started, 'you don't love me.'

'What do you mean? I do love you and I'm pretty sure last night was proof enough,' said Fred with a hint of anger in his voice.

'No Fred! No you don't,' said Hermione and she stood up. She started to pace the room while a hand brushed her hair backwards. She stopped, crossed her arms over her chest and then looked to Fred, 'George... George is dead.'

She paused and she felt horrible as she said it. Fred stared at her like she hadn't said anything about his dead brother but she knew how he was feeling inside at the mention of George. She couldn't speak after that. Fred stood up and walked over to her and she could see the anger on his face.

'You think I don't know my brother's dead?' he whispered and Hermione was frozen as he leaned so that they were nose to nose, 'I was there when he died. I saw him fall to the ground when that spell hit him. I felt his heart stop working. I felt the life drain out of him. You know why I felt it? Because half of his life is in me. Half of my life is in him. He died and took part of my life, most of my happiness and literally half of my everything.'

'Fred...' Hermione whispered and she took a step backwards. Her back hit the wall but she barely felt it. Her eyes never left the blue eyes which held so much sadness that she couldn't bare to look away.

'No... just... don't,' said Fred and he punched the back wall in anger. Hermione jumped and Fred moved away from her. Two hands were lost in the red mess that was his hair. He rubbed at his face and didn't turn to look at her.