Second Chances (Fremione)

1.

Hermione rushes into the room when she heard Ron's cries. It was almost an instinct to rush to her best friend's aid, to find out what she could do to help him when she heard his cries of despair. But when she saw him crouching over Fred's lifeless body, she realized there was nothing she could do. There was nothing anyone could do. She and Harry stood back and let the Weasleys have a moment, though she wanted nothing more than to run up and hug them all. Harry put his arm around her shoulder and she buried her face in him, allowing herself to cry for just a minute.

She barely knew Fred. She wished she had. He really seemed like a great guy, and all she ever did was give him a hard time. The Weasleys finally pulled themselves away from Fred, and Harry and Hermione decided it was time for them to pay their condolences. They walked slowly up to the group of redheads and went around, giving each of them a hug. Hermione hugged Molly extra tight, knowing how hard it must be for a mother to lose her child. She hugged Ron for the longest, partly because she wanted to help her best friend and partly because he didn't seem to want to let go. Lastly, she came to George. She didn't even know where to begin with him. He looked at her for a minute, and then threw his arms around her, sobbing. It was odd seeing George without a smile on his face. She wondered in passing if she'd ever see his smile again.

"You know, he always liked you." He whispered in between sobs. His words took Hermione by surprise. She hadn't known. She wished she had. She looked over at his lifeless body over George's shoulder, and for the first time, she acknowledged her own feelings. She'd never really thought about it, but she was pretty sure she had liked him too. Or at least she could have. But now, she would never know.