Smarts and Mischief / Fremione Fanfic

One.

Everything had led to this. All of it. The stone, the chamber, saving Sirius, the tournament, the department of mysteries, Dumbledore's death, the great search and destroy mission. Everything had brought Hermione and her friends right to this very moment. To this moment running through the halls of her second home with her two best friends as war raged on in full swing all around them. They had known, for years, that this moment would come and none of them were surprised but that didn't take the sting out of seeing the things that surrounded them. The beautiful stained glass windows shattered, explosions left holes in the ancient walls. Knowing this had been coming didn't make it any easier to see their classmates dropping left and right. But a small victory had just been won, at the very least. Their search for the horcruxes was nearly over! They'd found the lost diadem of Ravenclaw and it had been destroyed. It was a down moment for the three of them as they made our way back towards the main battle, away from the room of requirement from whence they'd just come.

"But don't you realize," Hermione started, her voice low, only audible to Harry and Ron. "This means if we can just get the snake — " But she was cut off. Yelling and the sounds of a nearby duel had broken our conversation and as our heads turned, they were met with a sight that didn't sit well with any of them. Ron's older brothers Percy and Fred were being backed inward by a pair of cloaked figures, Death Eaters. So of course, they leapt to action, running to the aid of Fred and Percy. Hermione wasn't paying much attention to what was being said around her, her full focus on protecting pieces of her family. Yes. The Weasley's were her family. At least in a certain sense. She'd spent so many holidays at The Burrow with them, they'd treated her far more kindly than most, and now that her own parents would no longer remember who she was, they would be her last hope when all was said and done. But something did catch her attention last second. The beginnings of a blasting curse from one of the Death Eaters. All five of them were at risk and her mind acted on its own, a countercurse shooting from the end of her wand and rebounding the curse against its caster. Augustus Rookwood. And for a moment? Everything stopped. The five of them exchanged glances but this only lasted for a moment before acromantulas had started to crawl through one of the many holes in the walls and they were right back to defending in a battle that lasted for many more hours but felt like a lifetime.

But finally, oh finally, it was all over. Hogwarts had won. Harry had won. Tom Riddle was gone for good and the world they knew could begin to mend. Hermione took her time, as everyone else did, to say goodbye to fallen friends and loved ones, but when that was done, she excused herself quietly and started outside, headed for her favorite place. A quiet place. A place she was sure had been untouched by the war and blood and fighting. Still covered in dust and sweat, her hair matted with the efforts she'd been through, her feet carried her by memory to the large exposed tree root on the shore of the black lake. How much time had she spent studying on this root? Studying or reading or just watching the surface of the water. A safe space, away from the sometimes stuffy castle interior, away from the often loud common room, away from the tempting tables of the Great Hall. It was just as quiet now, she realized, settling cross legged on the root, her eyes fixed on the water. It didn't last long. Her eyelids fluttered and fell closed, nails digging into the root as the tears started. Proper mourning had begun, it seemed. Crying over the souls lost in the battle. It wasn't surprising that they'd delayed themselves until now. Hermione never had been too fond of crying in front of other people. This was further proven by the way the tears stopped the instant she heard her name uttered from behind her.

"Granger..."

Pale hands raised, wiping at her cheeks as her eyes opened again. The voice was familiar but there was something different about it. Normally the voice was happy and floated on laughter but now? It was somber and quiet. Serious in a way that she wasn't expecting it to be. And so Hermione turned, worry pulling at her features as her eyes met Fred Weasley's. He was leaned against a tree, arms folded over his chest and ginger brows furrowed as he watched the young witch where she sat. Again she wiped at her face, desperate to hide the tear tracks as best she could. If Fred was being serious, something had to be wrong. Something had happened after she'd left the castle. But she'd left on her own, she realized. How had he found her so quickly? There was no chance to bring that up, though. No, Fred was speaking. Beating Hermione to speech was a feat in and of itself and so she was stunned to silence.

"Saw you wander off on your own," he started, approaching the root and settling in beside Hermione carefully. "Realized I owed you a thank you. For before. 'Course I can't be sure but I've a feeling I might not have made it out alive if you hadn't blocked that curse." She started to argue but was cut off by Fred raising a single hand. "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe not. S'pose that doesn't really matter. Point is, I want to thank you for it." Again, Hermione's mouth opened to argue but she was the one to stop herself this time, mouth closing once more. What was there to argue? It wasn't as if she could say that no, she hadn't saved his life. There was no proof for that one way or the other. She couldn't tell him not to thank her; if that was what he felt he needed to do, so be it. Still, she didn't feel deserving of the thanks and so she settled on something simple. "You would have done the same if the situation had been reversed." And of course he nodded in response, folding his arms over his middle again.

"You're right. I would have. D'you remember those nights when you would fall asleep on the couch in the common room but somehow always ended up back in your dorm?" A pause for Hermione to nod, silently urging him to continue though she already knew where it was headed. "I always carried you up. When you were good and out and I was sure you wouldn't wake up..."

"But," Hermione started, actually finding her voice again for a moment. "What about the stairs? How could you possibly when the stairs are enchanted?" What a silly question. If she had thought about it, just a little longer, she would have remembered who she was talking to. Fred Weasley. One of two of the most mischievous students Hogwarts had ever known. Of course he'd found some way around it and at first, she expected him to brag about whatever that may have been. Instead he shook his head.

"What students aren't meant to know is that those magics are intentions based. The stairs could see I only wanted you to sleep comfortably. You know, quite possibly the purest intentions I ever had here at Hogwarts," he joked quietly, bumping her arm with his elbow gently, and Hermione couldn't help but to laugh, though the sound was quiet and tired, softer than normal. A silence fell on the pair, a silence in which they both studied the surface of the water. For anyone else, the silence might have been awkward or uncomfortable but that wasn't the case here. If anything, Hermione had never felt more safe. It wasn't the first time she'd been alone with Fred and she knew it wouldn't be the last but she couldn't put a finger on a single time she'd felt safer in his presence. He was the one to break the silence after a few long moments, pushing off the root and standing to his full height again. "We should get back, don't you think? Reckon we're missed," he suggested, to which she nodded, pulling herself to her feet. Without allowing her time to argue, he turned and stooped down. "You look exhausted, Granger. Up. I'll carry you. The least I can do, yeah?" And the aching in her feet and legs convinced her that arguing wasn't in her best interest, so up she climbed, arms securing around his neck and shoulders as he lifted her from the earth and caught the backs of her knees in his large, pale hands.

When they finally reached the castle and reunited with the rest of the Weasley's and Harry in the Great Hall, questioning looks were received as Fred set Hermione back to her feet but no one brought it up. No, it quickly became clear that everyone was still focused on the joy of being alive and the mourning of the loved ones lost. Molly was the first to address Hermione directly. "Ron and Harry've told me all about what you had to do to join them on their little journey. Will you be reversing the memory charm or did you have other plans?" she asked, only for Hermione to freeze for a moment. She had expected this talk eventually but not this soon, so she was left stammering and trying to piece together her thoughts.

"Well, Mrs. Weasley, I... Was actually hoping to not have to put them through the pain of recovering memories. Or the trauma of a stranger showing up on their doorstep and claiming to be their daughter. I could but I just wouldn't feel right. It would — " she started, only for Molly to cut her off.

"We've more than enough room now with Percy out of the house. You're more than welcome to stay with us until you're on your feet."

It seemed it had been settled and Hermione knew far better than to argue with Mrs. Weasley. That didn't keep her from noticing the almost smug smile that crept onto Fred's face from where he stood chatting with his mirror and their father.

Ah yes.
It had begun.