Unforgettable (Fred & Hermione)

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After dinner, Professor McGonagall announced that Hogwarts would be closing early for Summer break. The train would leave tomorrow to take all of the students back to King's Cross. While many of them, such as Fred and George had already finished their time in Hogwarts it was not a difficult decision to make. But for Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, those who had spent the last school year running from death eaters there was a choice to be made. Do they return to school in the Autumn? Or continue with a life outside of the safety of those walls?

Hermione almost laughed when the word safety crossed her mind. Hogwarts hadn't been safe for quite some time. It was where Teddy Lupin was made an orphan, where Ginny had watched Tonks be hit with a killing curse, where Harry had watched people die for him and his cause.   

Harry hadn't been seen since the dinner the night of McGonagall's announcement.. He was in Dumbledore's office but only he knew the password to get in. He wouldn't let anyone in but promised he was fine. Hermione wanted to check on him but he promised he just wanted some time to himself. Ginny was swearing to break down the door if he didn't come out before nightfall so he would have to come out at some time.

George had told Hermione about the dementor attack. She couldn't help but feel a little warm inside when he said that Fred couldn't produce a patronus charm without her. She never knew that she was his powerful memory but it only consolidated for her that what she had with him was true.

Hermione was reading up more about human amnesia and the retrieval of memories when a paper aeroplane whizzed up the stairs and into her lap. She quickly dropped her book and unfolded it to read an all too familiar message "Hermione – want to come on an adventure? Xx F"

Pushing her books aside she went down the stairs with nerves in her belly. She hadn't really done anything date like with Fred since he lost all his memories. He was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her and asked if she'd like to go down to the lake with him since it was such a nice day. She could sense Fred was nervous too and that comforted her a little bit. They sat on the grass that had been warmed by the sun and Fred started talking first

"So I guess George told you all about what happened in the forest..." He plucked a blade of grass and focused on splitting it with his thumbnail as she watched him.

She nodded. She didn't want him to be confused by this reality because she guessed he was completely thrown. He couldn't remember anything about falling for her or even fancying her and now he was told that the happiest he ever was was with her. It was bizarre and a little scary.

She tried to change the conversation topic but Fred interrupted her when he say her forearm. She was wearing a sweater but had rolled up the sleeves since it was so warm outside therefore her scar from Malfoy Manor was visible. It had healed but never completely faded.

Fred leaned across and ran his fingers along it "What is that?" he questioned.

Hermione bit her lip nervously. "I got it from Bellatrix Lestrange a while back... it says mudblood" She whispered, although Fred could see the glittering white letters that marked her skin. Fred didn't remember that event which meant he didn't remember the almost matching scar he has.

Hermione rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and showed him the mark across the inside of his arm "Blood traitor" he read off the fading scar. Hermione kept her hand on his forearm as he looked at it again.

"What happened?" he asked, his eyes full of confusion.

The Weasley's had been called blood traitors for as long as he could remember understanding what the word meant but nobody had ever dared to say it to his face. The Weasley twins were highly regarded in Hogwarts and had never been subject to bullying or name-calling, whether it was due to their popularity or the threat of a certain beating from the duo who were taller and broader than any other boys in the school.  

With Voldemort's name under taboo curses, should anyone utter his name the snatchers would immediately be alerted to their presence. In the heat of the moment Harry had let it slip and led to their capture. It wasn't long after Ron had returned to them and they were running out of ideas.  They were taken to Malfoy Manor where Hermione was separated from Ron, Harry and Dean who they had already picked up. While Bellatrix Lestrange took Hermione into the dining room, the boys were dragged to the dungeons. With the help of the deluminator they realised they were not alone in there. Fred and George, Mr Olivander, Luna Lovegood and the goblin Griphook had been captured in the last week and held there.

Ron and Harry were happy to see so many familiar faces after such a long, hard few months but not under such horrible circumstances. Fred immediately looked behind the boys searching for her.

"Where's Hermione?" he questioned, his eyes instantly filling with worry and panic.

"Bellatrix Lestrange has her upstairs..." Ron whispered almost not wanting to have to say it. With that comment a scream echoed down through the dungeon. It was definitely Hermione's.

"Oh my God no" Fred groaned running his hands through his hair. He felt physically sick as he listened to her screaming in pain, begging for her to stop, claiming she knew nothing about Lestrange's vault or the sword they carried with them.

After a few minutes went by, Peter Pettigrew appeared at the dungeon door asking for "anyone want to take her place?" he whispered. Fred immediately pushed past the others begging for him to be taken and tortured instead of Hermione. He couldn't listen to those screams any longer or he would go mad.

"As you wish" Pettigrew shrugged as he pulled Fred upstairs to the room where Hermione lay in the middle of the room, Bellatrix Lestrange hovering over her. It was a trap, the death eaters had no intention of letting Fred take Hermione's place but they believed if Hermione watched Fred be tortured for long enough than perhaps it would loosen her tongue. They used the cruciatus curse, they beat him, they carved "blood traitor" in his arm all the while shouting at Hermione to tell her what she had taken from Lestrange's vault.

Hermione had no idea what they were talking about. They had taken nothing from her. And although Hermione believed in Harry, in his mission to defeat Voldemort and to save the wizarding world from a blood purity war, although she believed in what they were doing. She would have told Bellatrix anything if it meant she would stop hurting him. 

The pain was unbearable but it was bearable in comparison with listening to Hermione be tortured for hours. Their hero was the house elf Dobby and he safely took them to Shell Cottage where Fleur and Bill nursed them back to health. Fred should have known that Hermione would leave with Ron and Harry again. He thought it was a dream but as he went in and out of consciousness he saw her sitting at his bed side. She leaned in and kissed his cheek promising "I'll come back, Fred. I promise. I always will"

Fred was shocked at the story as they sat by the lake. When Hermione finished explaining it she had a few tears in her eyes but they did not fall. She breathed deeply and pulled them back in almost. Fred leaned across and took her hand in his. She looked over at him and saw something new in his eyes, something she hadn't seen since before the final battle.

"I'll come back, Granger... I promise" He vowed, interlacing his fingers with hers. He leaned in, his forehead resting against hers. He always took his promises seriously and he vowed to keep this one. He would get back to her, if it was the last thing he'd do.