fred&hermione - doing just fine on your own

chapter one

i rolled over in bed in the room i shared with ginny, breathing in slowly, inhaling the soft vanilla and cinnamon scent of the bedclothes. the weasleys always has this pleasing, warm aroma, it was so distinct yet gentle, as if it seemed through their skin and into the air in soft waves.

i closed and opened my eyes again, it took me a little longer to wake up now than before. recovering was tiring, and my nightmares often tortured me in the midnight hours. the derogatory slur carved into my forearm was now beginning to fade into a purplish scar, that too drained all my energy by letting it heal and taking painkillers to ease the pain. i scanned the room, from the four corners to the opposing walls, up to the roof and then across from me, where ginny was still sound asleep.

but she wasn't alone. i saw a certain dark-haired, bed-head man lying closely next to her, breathing slowly. he stirred slightly in his sleep, i held my breath as to not wake him, and he collapsed back to sleep again. ginny, the twit. if arthur and molly knew harry had started sneaking from his room he shared with the boys across the hall into ginny's bed, they'd go berserk. but i wasn't going to tell, ginny and i had promised each other than anything secretive we knew about each other would never leave the four walls of our shared bedroom.

i rolled over onto my back, exhaling and rubbing my eyes. i sat up slowly, drowsily studying my tired appearance in the full-length mirror. my bed-head was worse than ever before, i honestly felt like my hair was expressing how i felt inside. frazzled and confused. a few freckles had appeared on my cheeks and around my eyes from the sun i'd been trying to soak up on the beach to make myself feel better, although my under eyes still looked dark and sunken. i glanced at the healing wound on my arm, studying its jagged edges and purplish tone. it was ugly. i hated it. i tucked it underneath the covers again and rubbed my eyes with my free hand. i pushed myself to get out on bed, glancing at the small alarm clock on ginny's bedside table told me it was 11am, far too late to be sleeping in any longer. i had already missed breakfast.

i stumbled out of bed, glancing at yesterday's clothes hanging over the chair at the dresser. i shook my head, still too tired to focus. i pulled on my tattered dressing gown i'd worn since fourth year in hogwarts. it had been white, but had now faded to a dull creamy grey. i had a sentimental attachment to it, it was a reminder of home and of course, hogwarts.

i pulled my bushy hair over my right shoulder, shook myself awake and approached the bedroom door quietly, avoiding the creaks in the floorboards so as to not wake ginny or harry. i turned to look at them, contemplating whether to wake them to see if they wanted a late breakfast, but they looked so peaceful. i decided to leave them, smiling softly at their contented bodies lying together, and left the room quietly.