This is SUCH an important chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it.
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"You're in love with her aren't you?"
Draco's whole body locked. Every muscle froze at Fred's words.
He knows...
Gods, how could he know?
How could he not know, Draco berated himself as he remembered how he had been looking down at Hermione when Fred hit him with the accusation. He had let his walls down because he was in the oasis. After weeks of having to pretend around literally everyone else he had let his guard down around Fred...
Draco felt a cold sweat prickle out of his pores.
Fred couldn't know.
Fred was not supposed to know.
Well what the hell do you expect? Draco yelled at himself mentally. You weren't exactly being subtle,
He hadn't meant to be so obvious. Draco wanted to blame location, blame it solely on the fact that he was in the oasis, but there was more to it than that. It was partially how tired he was, partially the feeling like he might not make it through this entire ordeal and partially the fact that he had had several glasses of wine on an empty stomach that had led to his walls coming down in front of the redhead.
Idiot. You're an idiot Malfoy.
As if on cue Hermione murmured something in her sleep and snuggled in closer to the pillow on Draco's knee.
Draco's heart ratcheted in his chest and he felt light headed. He was acutely aware of the fact that he hadn't said anything back or refuted Fred's comment.
A million comebacks raced through Draco's mind:
'No.'
'How could you say that?'
'Like hell I am.'
'What are you mad?'
'She's not my kind.'
'There's nothing between us.'
All were lies and looking across at Fred Draco knew there was no point in arguing or denying the truth. While Fred had phrased it as a question, it was oblivious that the redhead had already seen the answer to his question. And if it hadn't been obvious before, the length of time that had passed between the asking of the question was evidence in and of itself.
"Yes," Draco answered, his throat constricting around the word.
It was the first time he had admitted it to anyone other than himself and it felt horrible.
Even Draco barely heard his own voice so he cleared his throat and looked Fred in the eye, cleared his throat a little and managed:
"Yes."
"Hmph," Fred sat back and leaned against the side of the bed -frame "Figures."
"What do you mean figures?" asked Draco feeling panicked.
The freezing in his limbs gave way to a rush of blood. His cheeks were flushed red and it had nothing to do with the wine.
Why isn't he yelling at me?
Why isn't he attacking me or throwing something at me or calling me a worm?
How the hell is 'Figures' his damn answer?
Draco looked at the older boy sitting back so nonchalantly as if Draco hadn't just admitted the world to him only second before.
"She's the best person I know," said Fred as if that explained everything.
"She's the best person I know," parroted Draco. It was true. Hermione was the best person Draco knew. She was the best person he would ever meet. She was so kind and caring and brave and-
"You don't deserve her." Fred's words cut through Draco's thoughts and hit Draco like a ton of bricks. Fred's words rang true in Draco's ears.
I know, was all he could think back.
Draco looked away from Fred, suddenly unable to meet the redhead's gaze
I know, he repeated because he had always know. It was the one thing that would always keep them apart. He had grown up thinking, being taught that he was better than everyone else. Falling in love with Hermione Granger had taught him that was anything but the case. He would never be good enough for her.
Never.
"She's good," continued Fred, hammering home the point as if he thought Draco didn't already know that right down to his bones.
"I know," replied Draco out loud this time. There was a rough edge to Draco's voice that he could not hide.
Somehow hearing Fred say out loud what he already knew in his heart was too much.
Draco wanted to run and go crawl into a hole. He didn't want to hear this. Didn't want to sit through this and especially not from Fred...he liked Fred...weird as that was to admit. The redhead's sense of humor and zest for life was...inspiring. Having him say Draco wasn't deserving, somehow hurt more than if he had heard it from someone like say...Ron.
"So it makes sense that some of that good would wear off on someone..." continued Fred. "If they had at least a little good in them in the first place."
Draco's head swung back around to Fred.
That hadn't sounded like a rebuke...it almost sounded like...Fred believed there was good in him...
"You don't deserve her," Fred said again. "but you deserve her more now than you did before."
Draco took a second to hear what Fred was actually saying.
I deserve her more now than before?
The thought had never really crossed Draco's mind.
Since Hermione had been left behind at the manor Draco had gotten to know her, really know her. He would never be able to come close to deserving....but... If Fred meant what he was saying it meant that Draco was...better...than before...then...if he could deserve her now more than before maybe there was a chance that one day he could make up for all the wrong doings and actually be with her...
A flicker of hope took hold in Draco.
"You're not mad?" Draco almost couldn't believe his own ears. "You're not telling me to stay away from her or you'll kill me."
"Is that what you'd expect?" asked Fred.
"Yes!" said Draco loud enough that Hermione woke slightly.
"Everything alright?" she murmured blinking up at them.
"Everything is fine 'Mione," said Fred. "Just boys talking and playing cards."
"Has it been fifteen?" she yawned closing her eyes again.
"You just go back to sleep," said Draco. "We'll wake you when its time."
"Alright..." she murmured clearly already half asleep.
Unsure of what else to do while waiting to be sure Hermione was asleep again, Draco and Fred played another two rounds in a tense silence until they finally heard the soft snort signifying Hermione was well and truly asleep.
"It makes sense that you'd think that," said Fred, barely above a whisper. "If I hadn't seen how you are now and the way you are with her I likely would have threatened to kill or maim you for coming anywhere near her."
"What do you mean the way I am with her?" asked Draco.
Fred sighed and crossed his arms over his chest ignoring his cards.
"Instead of feeding the pretty girl more alcohol and taking advantage, you got her water. Instead of letting her get a sore neck you didn't hesitate to get a pillow and instead of letting her friend die you risked your neck."
Draco looked away.
Fred pointing out the good...somehow made him feel even more raw than when he pointed out the bad.
"I don't have to like you, or rather who you were," said Fred. "But that doesn't change the fact that I owe you my life and Hermione would be dead if it weren't for you so technically she would owe you too-"
"I owe her," said Draco, he looked up at Fred. "I may have saved her life...but it's nothing in comparison to how she has saved me."
"And that right there is what I am talking about," said Fred pointing his fingers towards Draco. "The Draco I knew in school would never say something like that."
"I've changed. She changed me."
"Yeah," Fred nodded. "I believe that," he blew out a breath. "I am happy you saved her life...-for all of our sake's."
"So am I," admitted Draco. He took a deep breath wanting to say something else while not knowing what to say at all.
Fred finished off his wine tilting his head all the way back towards the ceiling to get the last drops.
"I don't know if it counts for much but I am sorry," said Draco filling the silence.
Fred's head came back down slowly.
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," he nodded towards Hermione's sleeping form.
"I've already told her," said Draco.
"And?"
"And she's too damn compassionate and forgiving for her own good," grumbled Draco.
"Yeah," said Fred with half a laugh. "And?"
"And I don't deserve her," said Draco echoing Fred's earlier sentiment, though his tone held more condemnation than the redhead's had. That tone seemed to cause Fred to pause and he looked at Draco, his expression contemplated.
"But you love her," said Fred finally.
"Yes," answered Draco, wondering why Fred had to bring that up again.
"So, deserve her."
"What?" Draco blinked.
"Be a person good enough to deserve her," said Fred with conviction.
"I don't know how," Draco admitted feeling all of a sudden helpless. "I still fuck up so much," he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not a good person."
"So become one," said Fred tilting the empty wine glass up again as if he hadn't already finished the final drops.
"How?" the question was quietly desperate.
"Do what you know is right," said Fred as if it were the most simple thing in the world. "Stand up for what you believe in...and if you're having trouble figuring out what that is, think what she would do."
Fred pointed to Hermione and let his words sink in, then he stood and stretched.
"Now, I'm going to have a glass of water and pour myself into bed. I've got a big day tomorrow what with escaping and sending a rescue party your way," Fred waved his hand in the air listing things off.
"Okay," Draco looked down at Hermione and then back up at the man opposite him. "Fred?"
"Yeah mate?" said Fred on a stretch.
"Thank you."
It was hard for Draco to say, and yet he felt the need to say it anyways.
Fred relaxed down and looked down at Draco.
"For what?" he asked.
"For not killing me when you found out I love her."
And for...believing...or saying I could...work to be worthy...
"Yeah, well, I do owe you my life," Fred shrugged.
"So we're square then?" asked Draco feeling a little hopeful.
"I think the scales are still tipping slightly in your favor," said Fred with a half smile. "But sure, If that's what you want, we're square," A full smile followed. "Now go" Fred waved a hand dramatically. "I need my beauty sleep. One doesn't just stay a sexy pirate without trying."
Feeling lighter than he had in a long while Draco laughed.
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There we go, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I love Fred, and I hope you love him too.
Also if you have time. My original story "Across the midnight sea" could use some love. I haven't gotten a single comment on my last chapter 😢 made me sad.