[✓] The Bookworm and the Cursebreaker || HG + BW

Part 3

The next morning, Fleur and Ron had disappeared. Mr. Weasley was forced by Molly to sleep in his garage until he learned what 'true love is'. Percy had left that morning because of an emergency at the ministry but he would be back in the evening. It was Christmas eve but with the previous night's events fresh in everyone's minds, no one was in the mood to talk. Snow sprinkled the ground outside as Ginny and Harry played quidditch outside with each other. Fred and George were doing last-minute sales at the shop and would return in the afternoon. Charlie was out getting a secret gift as instructed by Hermione. Hermione was being secretive about this gift and caused distance between her and Bill.

"Bill, sweetie, it's Christmas eve. I'm sure Hermione will tell you what the gift is either tonight or tomorrow morning. I know whatever it is, you will be happy with what you get," Mrs. Weasley sat next to Bill in the kitchen and rubbed his back. He was hunched over and moping because he wondered if the proposal was a bad idea.

Sure, it was a spur of the moment fling that he always wanted to do but he never really asked Hermione about the marriage and kids thing. He knew everything else about her. Her favorite color, place, favorite book, and class. Favorite quidditch team, wait, nevermind. He knew she hated quidditch especially the Chudley Cannons. He knew her favorite book was Hogwarts: A History. He knew her favorite classes were transfiguration and charms. He knew her favorite place was this book shop he took her on their second date. Her favorite colors were periwinkle and baby pink. And she was fascinated by baby creatures and their strange differences from muggle animal pets. Bill picked his head up off the table and with a heavy heart, he went upstairs to the old room he used to share with Charlie.

He sat down on his lumpy bed and looked at the ceiling. Suddenly he heard voices approaching the room. "Fred, you promised not to tell anyone about this. I know George is your twin brother but you shouldn't have told him," Hermione's voice drifted into Bill's room just as he dove under the bed. He stood quiet and still as he watched two sets of feet walk in. "When Bill finds out, this will break his heart. Ruin his life even. He loves me and I honestly don't know how to tell him. I should tell him tonight but then it will come as a shock to everyone. I'm eighteen Fred, eighteen! This shouldn't happen when you're with a guy as old as you or Bill or Charlie. I know you're twenty so your mom wouldn't kill you. Bill would kill me. I feel sick," Hermione's voice drifted away as she ran away to what Bill assumed to be the bathroom. Fred followed shortly after.

So Hermione was keeping a secret from him? And it involved Fred. Bill's own brother. Hermione and Fred. It all made sense. The puzzle pieces fit together. And did Bill have a surprise for them? Yes, yes he did. So Bill crawled out from under the bed when he was certain that Fred and Hermione had gone. He felt even worse than before. And he laid back on his bed, thinking and worrying.