fred&hermione - doing just fine on your own

chapter twelve

fred's pov.

"so, what exactly are your plans then, freddie?" george asked quietly, sitting down by the fire.
"what do you mean?" i asked.
"where are you going to go? we can't stay together - can't we?" george asked.
"no," luna interrupted, coming to sit close to george, "they'll assume that those who are close will stay together, you're better not to be in groups they'll find easily detectable. it would be dangerous."

george and i looked long and hard at each other, and glanced at luna.

what about hermione? i asked myself. who would she go with that wouldn't make her easily found? she couldn't go with harry, he'd go with ginny. it would be too obvious with ron. she wouldn't go with luna because she's gotta stay with george to keep his head screwed on. bill and fleur will probably stay here. so, who will go with hermione?

"what about hermione, freddie?" george broke my thoughts.
i shook my head, "what about her?"
"you two have seemed to...you know," george started.
"seemed to what? i-i don't know, she's vulnerable, but she's not stupid, she's strong. i just- i don't know, i want to be with you, it's already been too hard being apart during the battle." i explained.
"and it's been just as hard being together." george reiterated, reminding me of how one of us had had a near death experience up in the tower during the battle of hogwarts.

i nodded slowly in understanding. george put his hand on my shoulder, "don't worry, brother, luna has something planned, don't you?" george tried to strain a small smile.
luna smirked, "i can cast two-way mirror charms in most places. i have upstairs and in grimmauld place - hermione has a shard of the two-way mirror that belonged to harry, i've charmed it so that she has somewhere, or someone - to look to for reassurance. you won't be alone." luna reassured me.
"see, forge, she's not just a pretty face." george smirked, trying to make light of the situation, standing up and pulling luna close to him.

i rose to my feet as well - packing needed done. i tried to think positively, smiling at my brother. i made my way towards the stairs, climbing them to begin packing the endless things lying around my room. how i would manage them all was another story.

i trudged upstairs and stood in the doorway of i and george's room - such a mess. i stepped inside and pulled on an old woollen jumper hanging over the dresser hair. i rummaged through old parchment and quills, picking up a few bits and pieces, and located an old leather suitcase in the corner that would hold what i needed for now. i gathered shoes, underwear, jumpers, t-shirt's and jeans, socks, and other little bits of useless junk that would bring me some comfort. i placed the suitcase on my unmade bed and tried to squeeze it closed. running a hand through my hair, i pushed with all my effort but with no success. 'twas then that i heard the floorboards creek as someone stood in the doorway.

"ahem," they coughed subtly, and i turned my head.

hermione. standing in the doorway, clutching that rather ghastly looking purple drawstring bag she seemed to carry everywhere. what was so special about it?

"having trouble packing?" she asked, trying to smile to lighten the situation.
"perhaps, 'mione. i like to think my choice of luggage is a little more stylish than yours - that little purple bag of yours is rather ghastly."
hermione tutted, " maybe to you," she said, stepping forward and opening the drawstrings and placing the little bag on my bed.

she opened my suitcase, signalling for me to stand out of the way. she unpacked everything that was folded and placed it inside her bag - it never seemed to end. or get full. that was peculiar. how a little bag...could hold so much?