Persistence Through Time

- Chapter 3 -

"I love you. You know that, right?"

Hermione looked over her shoulder and smiled at the figure lounging on the bed behind her. "Of course, silly."

She finished adjusting her lavender colored nightie before moving to join the delicious looking redhead, who was staring at her hungrily. She crawled across the bed on all fours, causing the blue eyes of her lover to darken even more. When she was hovering over his prone body, she dipped to press a soft kiss to his lips.

"I love you too, Fred." she murmured, allowing his strong arms to draw her into the sweet bliss awaiting her.

Hermione was startled when George suddenly appeared in front of her. Shaking her head slightly, she realized she was still in the Great Hall and not lying in bed with Fred Weasley. 'What the...' Had she just been daydreaming? But it had felt so real... almost like a memory, and not just her imagination conjuring up the scene.

She focused her eyes on George, who was looking at her a bit strangely. "You alright there, Granger?"

"Of course, George." she assured him, though she could tell by the way George was looking at her, that he didn't quite believe her. He must have noticed the glances his twin had been casting toward her.

Was still casting towards her... Fred was looking their way now with an expression akin to... longing?

By now, George had reached out and grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards where his twin stood. Hermione felt a sudden jolt of excitement course through her at the thought of being close to Fred, her heart pounding harder in her chest the nearer she got.

Fred watched as his twin went over to retrieve Hermione. He had noticed that she had yet to come join the others in 'welcoming him back' so to speak. Honestly, he was still highly confused on what had happened. How had he wound up here? As far as he could figure, he had not traveled back in time as had been the plan, but instead had ended up in some sort of alternate reality. A reality where his family, every single one, was alive, and Harry had truly vanquished the Dark Lord.

He also got the impression that, in this world, it was he who had died instead, but his appearance in this reality had somehow changed that now. It was also painfully obvious that he and Hermione were not together, if the distinct lack of bushy-haired witch in his arms was anything to go by.

Fred felt his chest constrict at the thought. He would have to work on wooing back his Hermione later, knowing that if he acted too possessive now, then people would start to suspect. Hell, George was already sending him suspicious looks, and he couldn't help but feel how shaky the link that they shared due to their twin bond was. If he had noticed, then he was absolutely certain that Georgie had as well.

Regardless, no matter the circumstances, Fred was here now and dammit, he was bloody well going to enjoy it.

George had just managed to drag Hermione over, positioning the petite witch before him and giving her a slight nudge closer for good measure. Hermione threw an irritated glare over her shoulder at the grinning twin before turning to look at his brother, a slight hint of a blush on her cheeks. She looked beautiful, despite her dirt-smudged face and disheveled state. They had previously been in the midst of a war, after all.

Fighting to control her racing pulse, Hermione took a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. "Fred." was all she could manage to say, however.

Fred felt a shiver run down his spine. It had been so long since he had heard the sound of her voice and just her saying his name was like a heavenly choir. He had to clench his fists in order to prevent himself from reaching forward, grabbing her around the waist, and dragging her to him so he could thoroughly snog the ever-living daylights out of her.

"Hermione," he rasped, forgetting that before they had gotten together he had rarely called her by her first name.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice, as she was too busy staring a hole into his chest, apparently not having the nerve to look into his eyes. Unable to stop himself, Fred spread his arms wide in open invitation, hoping she would accept it.

She took a hesitant step forward, but to Fred's irritation, Ron chose that moment to speak and thoroughly ruin the moment.

Ron had been watching every move Fred made since he'd noticed the odd staring, and now his brother was expecting to progress to touching? Not if he could help it! Ron maneuvered himself closer to the two, who seemed on the verge of an embrace, and swooped in when he saw Hermione step closer to Fred.

"Hey, 'Mione, mind if I borrow you for a bit? I need to ask you something." the lanky red head wrapped an arm possessively around Hermione's waist and began leading her away before she had a chance to protest.

"Wha- uh, o-okay."

Fred scowled as he watched Ron walk away with Hermione, but quickly tried to hide it when George stepped up beside him.

George shifted nervously beside his twin, still worried over the fact that the link between them had been somehow diminished. The only reason he could tell that Fred was upset now was due to the poorly concealed frown on his face.

"You alright there, Freddie?"

Fred glanced over at George. "Yeah." he replied automatically, giving his twin a tight, unconvincing smile.

George was on the verge of calling him out on the blatant lie when something caught Fred's attention, causing the younger twin to give a sharp gasp. George's eyes widened as Fred stumbled over to the area where the battle's casualties had been lain out to await transport to the morgue at St. Mungos. Fred knelt beside the prone figure of Remus Lupin. The werewolf's face was slack, his already pale complexion made paler in death. A sob tried to escape only to be stifled by the knuckles of the fist Fred had pressed to his mouth. George was by his twin's side instantly.

"How-"

Fred couldn't manage to complete the question. The words were hung up somewhere between his chest and mouth, caught in a stranglehold by his throat. Did it even matter how it had happened? Remus, his friend, the one who had been closest to him besides Georgie and Hermione since joining the ranks of The Order, was dead. He had just spoken to him a little more than an hour before. How could...

"It was Dolohov." George's voice broke through his grief, reminding Fred that he was in another world now. One where his twin was alive, along with the rest of his family.

One where Hermione was alive.

As George continued speaking, filling him in on everything he had apparently missed after being buried beneath a crumbled wall, presumed dead. And perhaps he had been? Fred gathered his emotions and thoughts, his heart and mind working together and came to a decision.

He had been given a second chance at happiness. With his family. With Hermione. A miraculous chance that he was bloody well not going to squander. Hermione might not be his in this realm, but by Merlin, Fred knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would win Hermione's heart again.

It would just take a lot of persistence and a little bit of time.

XxXxXxXxX

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone for the lovely reviews! They inspire me to update quicker and give me new ideas in which way to take this story with every question you ask!

I just want to take this chance to say that I don't dislike Ron, just don't like him paired with Hermione, and I want to avoid bashing him. So please let me know if you think I am making him too OOC or being too harsh on him. I'd really appreciate it!