Sinners and Saints

Part 15

Hermione's p.o.v. 

They left the hospital wing and headed back to the Head Dorms. Once they got there, Fred got quite the shock.

"Fredrick Gideon Weasley! Have you been looking after our precious little Hermione?" Asked a grinning Sirius.

When they arrived Hermione gestured to the people in the portrait. Fred's eyes widened.

"Sirius, Remus?" He asked.

"Yep, in the flesh, sort of." Remus responded with a laugh.

"God Sirius, you scared me, what are you doing in a portrait with someone who looks remarkably like Harry, someone who holds some resemblance to him but also looks like Ginny and Remus and... TONKS??!!"

"Wortcha Freddie, how's it going?" Tonks beamed at him.

"Well Freddie, ma boy, you are looking at Messrs Moony, Padfoot and Prongs, who are proud to present themselves to you as the Marauders. And the people who look like Harry and Ginny are James Potter and Lily Potter, I think Potter men have a thing for redheads." Sirius said, he had a smug look on his face, knowing that the Weasley twins idealised the Marauders, he thought it would be appropriate to reveal that two of them had known for years and at one point they had lived under the same roof as.

Fred looked shocked, he tried to find words, any words to express how he was feeling. He had dropped Hermione off at her dorm before, he was kicking himself for not noticing who stood in the portrait the first time he'd been here. He had been too wrapped up in the moment and concentrating on how his girlfriend loved him as much as he loved her. Unsure if this was real or not, he turned to Hermione, who was laughing with delight at seeing her boyfriend lost for words.

"You knew about this??" He questioned Hermione, she could see the panicked expression on his face and could tell he was still unsure how to react.

"I didn't think to say last time you were here." Hermione exclaimed with the widest grin she could muster.

"Now, now Fred, it is Fred right, that's not George?" James questioned.

Before he could reply someone got there before him.

"Of course that's Fred he's not missing an ear and he's here with our Hermione and considering how closely he is holding onto her, I'd say if that was George, Fred would have something to say about it." Lily reasoned with her husband.

"Wow, I cannot believe I just witnessed, first hand, Lily Potter's logical brain in action, despite the rumours, she was the one behind some of the best pranks in history at Hogwarts, I think you're my favourite." Fred gushed.

"Hey!" The others chimed in.

"Sorry guys but she is awesome and there is no denying she could outwit any of you in an instant, although I bet old Prof Lupin could give you a run for your money Mrs Potter." He gave them a small wink.

Hermione rolled her eyes and gave a suggestive cough.

"Oh right, better wrap this up I have an invalid that I need to nurse back to health." Fred grinned, once again.

The comment, although receiving a laugh from Sirius, Remus and James, got him a smack up the side of the head from Hermione, before she broke out in a grin as well, not being able to stop herself when her boyfriend was around.

"But in all seriousness, Hermione are you ok? What happened?" Tonks asked, worrying about her almost, kinda sorta sister.

"Well, it's a long story, but here's a quick summary for you considering I think you heard about the Ron stuff through the portraits, but after that I had a nightmare about your lovely aunt Bella," Hermione's voice was laced with sarcasm, "then my scar opened up, skip to just after dinner, I had been bleeding out all day and then everyone came looking for me, I presume you started in the usual spots, until everyone came here, they found me, took me to the hospital wing, Ron called Fred to try and make up for what he said yesterday morning, and that's about it." She gasped for breath and swayed a little in Fred's arms.

"Woah, okay, let's get you inside and sitting down, love we can keep talking in the common room. I believe the portrait there is also big enough for the five of you." Fred said, concerned for Hermione's well-being.

Hermione gave them the password and then they collapsed on the sofa. Fred leant back with his legs on the coffee table and Hermione curled into his side, like she was his missing piece, they fit together perfectly. It was mid-morning on a Thursday so Draco was in lessons, which meant Fred and Hermione would have the dorms to themselves for the whole day, the same would go for tomorrow and depending on if Madam Pomfrey gave her the all clear, maybe Monday as well.

Out of the corner of her eye Hermione noticed an owl flying towards the window, she quickly got up, causing Fred to groan, and opened the window, gave the owl a treat and closed the window again, with it being mid winter it was freezing outside.

"Who's the owl from?" asked Fred.

The heads of the people in the portrait all turned to Hermione and waited, not much happened 'round the halls of Hogwarts so news from the outside world was always interesting.

"I don't know, I haven't been expecting anything." Hermione replied. Then she gave a little gasp and her eyes filled with tears.

"Mia, what's wrong? Who's it from? Why are you crying?" Fred got up and walked over to her.

She waved him off and she continued to read the letter, then she turned to Remus and Tonks and lifted a second piece of parchment to their eye level.

"Here's a picture of your son taking his first steps, Andromeda says he misses his Aunt Mia and Uncle Harry and can now recognise his wonderful parents. He can't sleep at night without his stuffed wolf, Moony and he always has to be able to see his 'Mama' and 'Dada' before he closes his eyes." Hermione, Lily and especially Tonks, had tears streaming down their faces, Hermione kept reading, "He sends hugs and kisses and she says tell Dora and Remus that she is working on a surprise for them, a good one and not to worry, she is doing fine."

By now even Sirius had a tear in his eye, Remus had given in and James was crying on Lily's shoulder. Looking around, Hermione made eye contact with Fred, they were thinking the same thing. Too much loss, too much had everyone suffered, it wasn't fair that Teddy had to grow up without a Mother and Father, just as Harry had done. But there wasn't anything they could do about it now, death was the only thing magic couldn't fix.

Hermione sat back down on the sofa and curled back up into Fred. He wrapped his arms around her petite waist and brought her in close, trying to protect her from her own emotion, he never wanted her to feel upset.

What Hermione kept to herself was the surprise, she knew it would make both Remus and Tonks very happy, but she wanted to take it slow with them, for the surprise was a two part surprise and this Sunday was the first half. Hermione couldn't wait, she smiled a sad sort of smile and buried her head into Fred's chest. 

.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.

"Mia, Mia wake up, Mmmmiiiiiiiiaaaaaa, Hermione"

Hermione's eyes fluttered open, she didn't remember falling asleep, the last thing she did remember was the letter.

'Huh' she thought to herself 'slept without a nightmare, the only other time that has happened is when Fred and I fell asleep on the sofa in the Burrow during the summer.'

"I know what you're thinking about, no nightmare." He knew her so well, it was like he could read her thoughts, but he wasn't a legilimens so it was even scarier how well he knew her.

"Come on it's lunchtime. We had a three hour nap from all the exhausting nothing we were doing and now we are going to eat and do some more hard work." He gave her a cheeky smile, the one she had fallen in love with.

" And what did you have in mind, this 'hard work' may I ask?" Hermione wondered hoping she already knew the answer.

"Well, I have to quickly pop back to the flat to get an overnight bag and some stuff for the next few days and you, my darling, have a date with the March sisters." He responded.

"Ooh Little Women, good choice fine sir." she gave a small chuckle. "But please don't be too long, although I may be consumed in the 1860s during the American Civil War, I much prefer your company than Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy's."

"Don't worry, love, I'll be back before you know it." He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and slipped out the portrait leaving Hermione to get sucked into her own little world.