I'll Fight For You - Fred/Hermione

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The rain splattered against the window, adding to the atmosphere around Fred’s apartment. The mood was dull, depressing and quite lonely even though Fred and Hermione were in the same room. Fred had taken up going down to the bar or “working late” in the evenings – as he called it – so Hermione had to have dinner alone most nights. She went to bed before he came home drunk and staggering through to the living room. He didn’t sleep next to her though, he usually crashed on the sofa and she would check on him before getting some sleep, leaving a glass of water beside him because she knew how big of a headache he got after drinking. They had stopped talking completely and Hermione became annoyed with him one evening as he was once again getting ready to go out. She had tried to talk him out of drinking but it didn’t go down with him too well. They had a huge fight, more often than usual.

‘Talk to me, Fred!’ Hermione burst out, drumming her hands on the door as she said this. Fred peeked out the window, grimaced at the rain and then let the blue curtains shut, blocking out the spatter of rainwater gathering up at the side of the road. He turned to her, his face looked like a warning to not annoy him. Hermione ploughed on, ‘I need you to talk to me, Fred. I can’t handle being alone like this. The amount of things I do for you... I didn’t go after Ron because you didn’t want me to and now you’re just acting like I don’t exist. All I want is for you to talk to me!’

‘Fine talk,’ Fred raised his eyebrows, watching as she deliberated on what to say. Hermione opened her mouth, feeling pressure build on her just by the way Fred was staring at her like he was angry. That furious expression seemed to stay on his face permanently and she couldn’t think of what to say to get him to ease up. Hermione closed her mouth and just crossed her arms over her chest, ‘well, nice chatting with you. Don’t wait up on me.’

‘Don’t you have a shop to run, Fred? You can’t keep going out to who knows where and doing who knows what and spending who knows how much money!’ Hermione said shrilly, grabbing his arm as he walked past her. He stared at her furiously again which made Hermione drop her hand as though she had been electrocuted by his gaze. She gulped and carried on, ‘you’re going to be a father now. Take some responsibility, Fred!’

‘I’m trying to find another shop to set up in because it seems like I have to do everything I can just to keep you from running off to find my brother just because you’re tired with me!’ Fred yelled, his tall and lean body towered over Hermione, pressing her against the door, ‘I’m trying to make some money and you’re not the least bit supportive of me.’

‘Make some money?’ Hermione scoffed as she felt her own anger build up. Hermione frowned at him, remembering last night when he staggered through the house, nearly breaking the glass table and collapsing onto the sofa, ‘you came home drunk. How is spending money on drink going to make us gain more money?’

‘Forget it. You can never be pleased,’ Fred shrugged and gave her a filthy look before he disapparated and left Hermione leaning against the door, feeling more alone than ever even though she knew a child was inside her. Hermione slid to the ground and buried her face in her eyes.

She didn’t cry. She had been through this before and she would get through it again.

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*Hermione’s POV*

A week later Hermione sat in the kitchen, watching the rain splatter against the windows as though they wanted to break through the double glazed glass and flood the kitchen. Her fork was roaming around her peas on the plate and she didn’t want to eat anything since Fred wasn’t here. He had been beyond stressed out this past week. Hermione knew they had hardly any money, she had checked the finance sheet. They were making nothing now. She wanted to confront him about it but the only answer that she knew she would get was ‘I’m working on it!’ in his snappy tone.