A few weeks before the thanksgiving dinner.
Hemoine was sitting at the dining table at the Prembroke with a glass of wine in her hand. She had just found out about the new plans of Hiram. It had took her longer than she thought. She was more than upset that Hiram had formed an alliance with Penny, Penelope, Claudius, Sherriff Mineta, Malachai and the ghoulies to take over Riverdale. She knew that his final plan was to take over Riverdale, but an alliance with all of them?! Wasn't it enough that he had hired Penny and the ghoulies to kill Jughead to demoralize the serpents so they would go into the war with Penny and the ghoulies?
It seemed like Hiram would do anything...
The last weeks Hiram had changed. His plan wasn't working like he wanted and so he got really frustrated. And instead of doing more sports to calm down he started to let his anger out on Hermoine. First only his words got harsher...until that one night where he started to slap her. Hermoine pushed up her blouse to look at the bruises Hiram left when last night he grabbed her and throw her on the ground. It hurted her to see this. She really did love Hiram once and these were the signs that he didn't loved her anymore the way he should.
Since the first night also Hermoines feelings had changed. Sure at some part she still loved him, but it changed to fear. Fear of her husband. Fear that he could also hurt Veronica when she wasn't available, even more since Veronica tricked him to own Pops so he couldn't get the whole Southside. She just wanted to get away. And today would be the day she would tell him that she wanted a divorce.
Hiram opened the door to the apartment. He had a really bad day. They again weren't able to take a step forward in the plan. When Hermoine saw him she stood up from the table. She wanted to look confident. She went to him to give him kiss on the cheek like always.
Hermoine: "We need to talk! May you sit down?"
Hiram: "Hermoine! I had a really bad day! I am really not in the mood to talk!"
He got angrier with every word.
Hermoine: "If you don't want to talk just listen to me! I am done! With everything! I want a divorce!"
Hiram came nearer again and grabbed Hermoine at her wrists to throw her on the ground.
Hiram: "You know you are nothing without me? NOTHING!!! So you really want a divorce? Sure! You can have one, but I won't give you any money! And if you mean this for honest than I give you an hour now to pack your stuff and go! I will be back in an hour and when I see you or Veronica here after I am back, she will be the next on the ground."
Hermoine was quite shocked by his words. He would hurt his own daughter?! This was something she never thought of him also after everything that happened the last weeks. She panicked and after Hiram had left the Prembroke she immediately called Veronica.
Hermoine: "Honey, you have to come home. You need to help me to pack my things. I am divorcing your father and he gave me one hour to move out. I am scared Veronica. Please hurry."
Veronica: "Wait?! Mom?! What happened? What's going on? I will be there as fast as I can. I am still at Archies. I will ask him if we can borrow his dads truck."
Hermoine: "Just hurry, mija! I am scared he comes back!..."
Hermoine ended the call and started to get her things together. It wasn't much that really belonged to her beside her cloths and some jewelry.
Fifteen minutes later she heard a car violently barking in front of the Prembroke and then some doors were slammed before she heard feet running up the stairs. The first one who entered the apartment was Veronica, who came to her and hugged her. She was followed by Archie and Fred. After the hug Veronica went straight to her room to pack the important things herself and Archie went with her to help. So Fred and Hermoine were alone in the room. Fred went to her.
Fred: "Hermoine? What's going on? What happened?"
He tried to get into her visual field, but she tried to avoid his look until Fred softly took her hand where her blouse was still pushed up a bit. Fred was shocked. Did Hiram did that to her? He never liked him, but he would've never thought he could do this to Hermoine. Finally Fred catched Hermoines look and started tearing up. How could Hiram done this to her?
Fred: "Did Hiram did this to you?"
Hermoine softly nodded and started to cry. She took one step forward and Fred softly pulled her into a warm embrace trying not to hurt her. Hermoine throw her arms around his chest and continued sobbing.
Hermoine: "I don't know where to go Fred...and I am scared Hiram will be back before we left and he will slap me again or even worse...Veronica... He can't hurt her!!!"
Fred: "Hey! Look at me! Everything is gonna be okay. You and Veronica will come with me and Archie and we will find a long term solution later for you both."
Hermoine: "Really? You would do this for me and Veronica?"
Hermoine pulled him into another close hug again before going on packing her stuff.
Fred: "May I help you? I could ask Archie if we could start carrying your stuff to the truck?"
Hermoine: "Sure."
A small smile appeared on her lips when she handed Fred the first bag.
***
About thirty minutes later they had everything important on the truck. Veronica and Hermoine got in the backseats and Fred and Archie in the front. Veronica took her moms hand. She was still shaking. Before driving home Fred made a stop at Pops to get food for all of them. He went inside and when he came back to the truck he handed everyone their bag. Hermoine looked into hers.
Hermoine: "How did you remember I would like to have this, Fred? The last time we were at Pops is decades ago."
Fred: "It was always your favorite when you didn't felt well when we were young. So I thought this would be something good right now."
He looked back to her and gave her a smile. She smiled back at him. She couldn't belive he still remembered this. The rest of the way everyone was quiet. No one knew what to talk about. There was so much tension in the air.
They arrived at the Andrews house and got out of the car. Fred and Archie each grabbed two bags from the back and started carrying everything inside. Meanwhile Hermoine and Veronica put their food from Pops on some plates and placed all four plates on the dining table.
Later Fred and Archie got everything inside they all sat down on the table.
Hermoine: "I really don't know how to thank you Fred for taking me and Veronica in. I really wouldn't have known where to go. And I will try to find a place for me and Veronica as soon as possible. I really don't want us to be a burden for you guys."
Fred: "You two can stay as long as nessesary! There is no need to rush it. And V is here anyways a lot of the days. And I don't mind to spend some time with an old friend of mine."
Fred gave Hemoine a meaningful look which made Hermoine bit her lip. Luckily Archie and Veronica were so concentrated on their food they didn't noticed it.
After dinner was finished and everything was cleaned up Archie and V went upstairs. Fred and Hermoine were still standing in the kitchen not knowing what to do. Sure they were friends or something like that, but the whole situation was just to awkward. Since they broke up the second time in their lifes they never again were alone in the same room.
Fred: "Maybe I should go upstairs to make the bed in the guestroom for you. You can stay here and watch TV if you want to."
Hermoine: "You really don't need to do this for me Fred! You've already done so much for me with letting me and Veronica move in with you guys until we find something else. Also in general. Since we moved back to Riverdale you've done soo much for me. I really don't deserve anything of this! I never treated you like this back. I always treated you like you are less worth and not enough for me..."
Hermoine had walked around the table while saying this to Fred. She now was standing right in front of him. They eye-locked, but no one of them had the courage to move a step forward to kiss the other one. There was just so much tension. And no one was sure if they wanted to take the risk to try it for the third time. Hermoine felt quite uncomfortable standing there after some time so she broke the silence.
Hermoine: "Perhaps you could join me on the couch and we could watch a movie together? You also don't seem like you prossed it enough to go to bed..."
Fred: "Sure. Why not?"
Hermoine took Freds hand and walked with him to the couch where they both sat down. Fred layed his hand on her knee when he started to speak.
Fred: "Hermoine...I really don't want to discompose you, but what happened with Hiram? And how long did this happened?"
Fred pushed up her blouse again to remind her before looking straight into her eyes with a worried look. He knew it would hurt him to hear all this and it would also hurt her to talk about it, but she had to.
Hermoine: "It all started about two months ago. Hirams plan didn't worked out as he wanted and he got more frustrated from day to day. First he just started screaming at me for no reason when he came home, but than one night..."
Hermoine started to tears up. She could hardly speak. She took a deep breath and continued.
Hermoine: "...but than one night he slapped me in my face. That were the days when I wasn't available as major, because I was "ill". I don't wanted anyone to know what Hiram did and at this point I thought it would only happen once. But it happened more often and got more frequently. Up to the point where he slapped me every night when he came home. Sometimes also with a belt on my back...there are still scars left. Or he grabbed me at my wrists and throw my on the ground or around in the room. Veronica was never there. She was with Archie most of the time and I only allowed her this so she was safe. I would have done everything so she doesn't get hurt."
Fred was shocked by the things Hermoine told him. How could a human being do this?! And didn't Hiram loved her once? How could he change to this monster? Sure he was a corrupt business guy who would also let people get killed for his mission to get completed. Yet hurting your loved ones was a completely different thing.
Hermoine had started crying again so Fred moved nearer to her on the couch and softly throw his arms around her to comfort her. He knew she would need the love right now. Hermoine sobbed into his arms and pulled him even closer as he already was. She felt safe in his arms. More than safe...she felt loved! For the first time since they broke up about a year ago she felt love! She felt he truly cared about her and really wanted her to feel better and to don't get hurt anymore. If it wasn't just a favor to take her and Veronica in? Could he really still love her?
All this thoughts had made calm down. She untightened her embrace to look into his eyes. He wiped away a last tear from her face and looked into her eyes too. Both could feel the tension building up again.
Hermoine: "Fred? I have to tell you something and it's not easy for me. I never told you the true reason why I broke up with you the last time. It wasn't because of I still loved Hiram or because of Ronnie or because I was scared what Hiram could do to me if I left him. It was because I was so much in love with you that I was scared I could love you so much you weren't able to handle me anymore. I would have done everything for you. And I was scared you could leave me one day so I decided it would be better to end our relationship before we both are getting too addicted with each other. It was one of my biggest regrets beside leaving you for the first time and choosing Hiram and all the money over you."
One could see in Freds eyes that he was quite surprised about Hermoines confession, yet his face quickly turned from surprise into something different. Hermoine was not sure if she was reading his face right and so she just asked him.
Hermoine: "I am not sure if I can still read your face like I did in high school so I am just gonna ask you. Is there any chance that you still love me? At least a tiny bit?"
She was scared to hear the answer and shut her eyes down. But instead of getting an answer she felt Fred coming nearer again until his face was right in front of hers. She looked up and straight into his eyes.
Fred: "There is not a tiny bit of love left for you. My whole heart is full of love just for you waiting to finally break free and get to you, my sweet Moine!"
He smiled at her. Both overcome also the left distance between their faces. It was a sweet kiss full of love for each other.
Hermoine: "You know...you are the best kisser I know and from now one I don't want to kiss anyone else beside you for the rest of my life"
Authors Note
I know this is not a falice chapter, but I hope you'll like it anyways. I worked really long and hard on this chapter. And I really wanted my Fremoine chapter to be good, because I love Fremoine and wanted to write how they got together in my world.