Secret Prize! :D For Taylor

Rating: K+ for sadness. Maybe T if you cry easily.

Requirements: At least 500 words.

Prompts: Water and Theatre

A/N: If you've never seen A Little Night Music, I would strongly suggest going and reading a fast synopsis about the show. Or at least read about the scene where the song "Send in the Clowns" is sung. I reference it, and you won't really get it if you don't know the meaning of the song.

To Tay: I'm very, very sorry if I make you cry. I looked at the prompts, and then I went to your profile to see what pairings you enjoyed that I could fit into the prompts, and then I saw Fred/Hermione and this just sort of... happened... so yea. Sorry. But also not sorry because I love this. Sometimes it's good to cry, right?

Your Favorite Hogwarts House Boot Camp: Gryffindor, 29. Dawn

Het-Pairing Boot Camp: 44. wet

Collect a Collection: Challenge- Weasleys (Fred), DA (Hermione Granger), Comp: Trio Era- Hermione Granger, prompts 'hero'

Inspiration-by-Shakespeare Challenge: A Winter's Tale- Hermione

Fiddler Character: Grandma Tzeitel, write about a deceased family member,

Disney Character: Tinkerbell: write about Hermione Granger

Elemental Song Challenge: Earth- Into the abyss will I run. -Disturbed, "Stricken"

Dear Hermione,

If you're reading this, it means I didn't make it through. For that, I should apologise, because I promised you I would come back to you. I never meant to break my promise - you are the world to me, and I always intended to come back to you. I guess I didn't make it.

I wonder how I died, though. I hope it was doing something noble, like saving you. Or maybe not. I think you would kill me if I died trying to save you. You can save yourself. You proved as much when you left in August to go with Harry and Ron. I hope you succeeded. I hope you defeated him. I hope my death was not in vain.

It's a little weird for me, to be writing this while waiting for the call. George and I had to close down the shop temporarily to go into hiding. So now, all I can do is sit here at Auntie Muriel's and wait with my family for someone to tell us the battle is happening. Meanwhile, you're off doing Godric knows what as you follow Harry blindly trying not to get killed.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to seem angry with him. It's just so frustrating being cooped in here while you're out there.

But that's really not what I wanted to write you about. I wanted to tell you something else.

From the moment I met you, Hermione, I knew you were special. All our talks we had late at night in the common room, or during the holidays when you would come to the Burrow just showed me how wonderful you were. And I've come to realize something, over the past few months: if you die, I won't be able to live without you.

So I've been formulating a plan, and if I live, well then you won't be reading this, so my secrets are still safe. If I do die, I want you to know how much I love you. So I'm writing everything down for you. Just in case.

Maybe a year is too soon, but I already know, Hermione, that when this is all over, I want to marry you. We'll wait a few years, because I can already hear you worrying over how to manage a family and establish a career, but I do want to marry you. I have everything all planned out, too. I'm going to take you in to Muggle London to see one of those Muggle theatre groups you've always wanted to see. In the perfect scenario, we would go see your favorite. I remember it, you see. A Little Night Music, it was called. I don't remember what it was about, but I do remember the name, because I wanted to take you to see it.

It's probably not the most romantic of theatre pieces, but I'll still take you, because I know you'll love it. And afterwards, we can go to the Thames and take a boat out on the water. There, while the moon is bright and the stars are shining; when we're floating peacefully in the gentle waves of the Thames, that's when I will propose to you. I'll remind you of all the wonderful things we've done, and I'll remind you of my epic heroism in the final battle (because if I survive it, I will definitely be heroic, possibly more so than Harry ;) and then I'll somehow get down on one knee in the boat and ask you to marry me.

And because I'm entirely confident in everything I say and do, you'll say yes. I know you will. I'll be heartbroken if you don't.

So, my dear, sweet Hermione, if you're reading this, I want you to do something for me. A last wish, I suppose. You have to, because it's my dying wish.

I want you to go to the theatre, and see A Little Night Music, and then I want you to walk along the Thames. I won't force you to go out on a boat, because honestly, I was going to 'borrow' one for the evening, which I know you aren't comfortable doing yourself. But I would like you to walk along the Thames and think of me. Cry your tears, (it's you, Hermione, I know there'll be lots. 'Sides, who wouldn't cry over someone as devilishly handsome as me?). Do your grieving and wallow in self-pity. But when morning comes, I want you to move on. I want you to fall in love again and marry and have children. I want you to be everything you can be.

I want you to live. For me.

Can you do that, Hermione? Do you love me enough?

I hope you never have to read this. But if you are... I love you. I love you with my entire body and soul. And I will never, ever leave you. Never.

Goodbye, my love.

Yours forever,

Fred

Hermione looked up from the page, tears in her eyes.

"I'm here, Fred," she whispered as she gazed across the Thames. The moon was bright, and the stars were shining. A ripped ticket stub for the theatre was folded in her coat pocket, and there was even an old boat docked nearby. Everything should have been perfect.

But it wasn't, because the air was cold for May, and the wind bit sharper than a knife. The stars were too far away to reach, the boat to weak and rotted for safe travels, and Fred wasn't there.

He was gone.

She spent all night there, gazing across the Thames, reading and rereading the letter thousands of times. Finally, as the sun rose, she crumpled the letter and tossed it into the water.

"Send in the clowns."

And she turned her back and walked away.