Never Give Up

Chapter Twelve

*Four years later*

Hermione walked down the street hand in hand with Fred who was now, after all this time, her husband. The sun was sinking beneath the clouds far away and Hermione smiled, breathing in the fresh air and feeling happy. Fred slowly rubbed her hand with his thumb and she looked at their entwined hands. A dazzling ring was on her finger that Fred had managed to buy her. Even now, after everything, she couldn't believe she was married to Fred. She echoed this thought out loud and Fred leaned forwards and pressed his lips to her, showing her that words couldn't explain how happy he was. Fred had wanted this for so long!

He had gotten down on one knee and proposed to her, making Hermione blush furiously. The ring he bought her was so beautiful and Hermione felt like it was a part of herself. The ring, Fred as her husband, and Amelia as their daughter... they all completed her and made her the woman she is now. After the proposal Fred rambled on about their wedding preparations for a couple of minutes but Hermione, wanting no huge wedding party, interrupted him. She was content with signing her name on a piece of paper and changing her name from Granger to Weasley.

‘We could’ve had a proper wedding, you know, rather than signing our name on a piece of paper in our everyday wear. If you were worried about the cost of a wedding...’ Fred trailed off, watching the ground in front of him rather than Hermione’s face. His smile drifted off and Hermione realised that he felt a little guilty because Fred thought Hermione didn't get what she deserved – a huge wedding party.

‘Fred, I want nothing more than for us to be a family and now we are one. If you had asked me about wanting a grand and luminous wedding a couple of years back, I would have agreed in a heart beat but now... we have Amelia and I have you and I couldn’t be happier,’ Hermione said as Fred wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. They really looked like a couple now but they felt more like a family. Hermione didn't need a huge celebration, she was sure Fred and herself could celebrate on their own, ‘we are a family now, Fred.’

‘That we are,’ Fred stated happily.

They walked around aimlessly for a few more minutes. Soaking up the sun and listening to the birds singing. Both of them thought their own thoughts. Hermione still couldn't get over the fact that she was married to Fred Weasley since she didn't think that could have ever happened when she met him for the very first time – the future can be so unpredictable. Fred’s mind went to Amelia and how she was so much like George, scarily so. Hermione, of course, thought Amelia was more like Fred but Fred knew she wasn’t. Amelia’s levelheadedness, composure and her eye colour screamed George as he was also a good thinker before making decisions and seemed to be calm in most situations. His eyes were a infinitesimal amount lighter than Fred’s and only they could tell the difference – Amelia’s eyes were like that too.  Fred was sure that if George ever left him to handle their business alone, he would have run it into the ground – which he did.

‘I think we made a good choice making Harry the godfather of the child,’ Hermione commented in order to fill the comfortable silence between them, ‘although I don’t know whether I like the fact that Ginny is her godmother.’

‘She’s my sister, Mia. She’ll be great with Amelia and you know how much Amelia loves Ginny,’ Fred shrugged at Hermione’s worried gaze, ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine.’

‘We should get to the Burrow. Amelia must be waiting on us,’ Hermione said, squeezing Fred’s hand. They seemed not to want to leave the peaceful evening behind but they had to get home and out Amelia to bed. She was at the Burrow with Mr and Mrs Weasley and James.

Without another word they disapparated straight to the Burrow. They walked together to the front door, glancing across the long and overgrown yard to the tree in the distance. They shared a look but kept on walking until they were inside the house. Hermione spotted Amelia in the kitchen while Mrs Weasley was in the garden, watching her through the window. Amelia was eating some cookies and drinking milk. Her light brown curls were pulled back into a ponytail and light freckles dotted around her nose. Her blue eyes flickered up when she heard them come into the room.