Chapter 2: Fred's New Guests

Hermione's apparition had been as smooth as she could manage it. The sight had always warmed her heart but now the Burrow did not seem the same. It was smaller than she remembered. The unbalanced rooms were only two rooms high and there was no garden outside. When did they changed that? Hermione wondered. She conjured a stretcher, put the woman on it and lifted it with a spell.

For the first time she was aware of the cold and her hunger. She approached the Burrow faster. -Ron must be here- No light was on though. -that's odd, Molly always leaves something on- She knocked on the door "Molly..please open up...I know it's late" she hesitated. "Molly!" she knocked louder after minutes of silence. The girl had started shaking and she too was chilled to the bone. She conjured a blanket and put it on the girl.

A loud cracking sound appeared a few feet away and as the man saw Hermione they both froze.

"Hail Lord Voldemort!" said the man in a quick salute.

"What?" Hermione raised her wand and it ignited in a soft pale light and he saw the man for the first time. A lean tall man with red hair and freckles.

"It's that you Ron?" "Ron? Who? Are you a Slytherin officer?...ma'am?" he finished looking at Hermione with a puzzling look. For a second she thought it was Ron but excitement faded a little as she looked at Fred Weasley, Ron's older brother. -Hasn't he recognized me yet? I must be a mess- She looked at her clothes and saw the dirt and blood and soot she carried with her.

"It's me Fred, Hermione." "Her..me..O..ni?" -this was no time for jokes-

"Open the door Fred I am freezing out here"

"Look miss I don't know how you know my name, but could you leave my mother's house...please?"

"Enough! traho!" The spell grabbed Fred before he could reach for his wand and pulled him towards the door. The sealing charm broke as Fred passed thru it then his body slammed against the door and opened it.

"I told you I had no time for your jokes! I have an injured woman with me!" The candles lit inside the house. Fred scrambled up with his wand raised and pointed it at Hermione who had started a fire in the fire place.

"Put that away! Can't you take a joke?" asked Hermione not looking at him, but at the floating stretcher with the woman in it. Fred had a face of shock and was now pointing towards the woman. Hermione moved the stretcher near the fire and closed the door magically.

"How long were you planning to keep us outside with your jokes you dolt! Acting like you don't know me! Just what is the matter with you?"

"You...but she!...She is...who are you?" Fred was trying to ask two questions at once.

"Can you stop joking around please?" Hermione pleaded exasperated. "My house was burned... I was attacked! Insulted and I am hungry and cold!" she finished with frustration. Fred opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off quickly as Hermione raised her wand on him.

"If you insist on playing your jokes that you don't know me...I will hex you so bad!" Fred dropped his wand. "Just tell me what you want...I do not have a lot of money" he said spreading his arms with a panicky voice. Hermione thought this joke was going too far. She rolled her eyes and played along.

"How about some bloody food please!"

"I'll see what I can do..." Fred said with no hint of a smile or sarcasm that he always carried. Hermione found this strange. -perhaps he wasn't playing. But how can he not know me?-

"Have seen Ron?" Hermione asked deciding she was going to get to the bottom of his stupid joke.

"I told you lady, you must be confused!" said Fred with some frustration. She conjured a bowl poured some water from her wand and got some towels from her bag. She examined the woman. The blonde silver haired woman seemed to be doing better and her breathing had relaxed from her agitated pants at the battle scene. Hermione cleaned her the woman's face with the wet towel gently. There was a scar on her cheek and nose. After Hermione had cleaned her whole face the towel was stained with blood and dirt. The face looked familiar for some reason but those eyes had been yellow.

"Do you know who that woman is?" Fred said putting a plate of potatoes, gravy and meatloaf and a jug of pumpkin juice on the table nearby. "She looks familiar somehow, but that scar.."

"That's the scar of the golden werewolf. Her posters are all over diagon alley. She's dangerous...she could turn to a werewolf if she wakes up." "You fool, werewolves only turn on the full moon. Besides she was hurt before. I don't think she will harm someone who just saved her life." -so she's a half-breed no wonder she was attacked by deatheaters- Hermione begin eating fast and draining her pumpkin juice.

"What do you mean you saved her life? Why was she hurt?"

"She was fighting deatheaters!"

"who? Death-meaters?"

"Are you making jokes or pranks again?" said Hermione raising her voice.

"No miss, I...don't make jokes like my twin brother"

"Where's Fred anyway?" she asked getting back to her plate.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him for years." He looked away as if thinking about it for second. Fred was truly scared of this woman and he kept looking at her nervously. "She won't awake for a while, maybe tomorrow."

"Miss..no...she can't stay here...this is my mother's house!" "Molly's? where is Molly?" She asked looking around ignoring his plea. "Mum is sick...She is Saint Mungo's"

"Saint Mungo's? why?" exclaimed Hermione getting up out of her seat. Fred didn't answer right away. He had his head lowered.

"She's always been sick since dad died and worrying about Bill, Charlie, and George has taken a toll on her health. She always checks the Daily Prophet for news of them." "What?" Even more shocked she could not ask about Arthur Weasley, Fred's father.

"Arthur..."He had been like a second father to her. She enjoyed spending time with him, teaching him about the muggle ways and items well while Molly didn't mind. He had always been fascinated with muggle inventions and would spend hours taking them apart. "How did he..." A tear came down her eye and she lowered her head thinking about this.

"But how! I warned them! I warned them all! Those fools what do they do?" She let an angry shout. She threw the plate into the wall. She was crying now. Tears rolling down her face.

"Blimey...Calm down lady! He's been dead for a long time...I was only a child when he died."

"How did he die?" She asked now angry. She was now more confused then ever. Just what in the hell had happened after she had left. This future was unlike anything she had ever predicted.

"I don't want to talk about that okay? Let's just let the old idiot rest in peace." Fred said with a stern expression in his face.

"What? Don't ever disrespect your father again!" Said Hermione raising her wand. Fred however stared at her agape at her words.

"Merlin's beard...you just sounded like me...mum!" said Fred pointing at her. Hermione was taken by surprise at these words. But wait someone what told her that too once. Ron had.

"Where's is your brother Ron?" She remembered Ron and he's adorable red hair, and how he used to hug her and his smell. Tears now flowing from her eyes again. suddenly fear struck her heart. Fear she had been trying to suppress rushed to her heart and for a minute she could not breath. Where was Ron? Ron can't be...

"I don't Have a brother named Ron...There's Bill-"

"...Father has been dead for a long time...I was only achild when he died..." The words resonated over and over in Hermione's head as her vision toppled to one side, blurred and went all black. Fred's pointed finger followed Hermione's body as it toppled to the side and fainted. He's mouth wide open. That was the first time he had made a woman faint. He didn't know whether to laugh or help her. That was a hard fall...

"Hey lady you okay?" Fred asked alarmed. Now he had two guests he wanted to get rid of, but could not bring himself to kick out.

"I'll kicked them out as soon as they are awake...but what if someone comes..." He spoke to himself. He picked up Hermione's and his wand and carried magically both women to a bed upstairs since the house was empty. His four

brothers had left home. He too worried about them except Percy. Specially his twin brother. He had cried in secret when his brother had decided to leave. They had never been apart. Since their fight the bond of shared feelings, they had shared since birth, had been cut.

"Someone had to stay with Mum." Fred went to check the windows make sure no one was coming. He was real worried now. He went to the door and produced some detecting charms. Tired and sore he decided to keep watch in the living room sitting in the sofa. He turned the candles off and left the fire burning. He stared at the fire worried. He was going to stay all night awake if needed. He told himself. But within a few minutes he had fallen asleep. Unaware that someone was watching the house outside. Fred was awaken by the loud detecting charms. Then the sealing charm on the door broke like a glass window. Fred let a loud whimper as part of the door gave way and pieces of the door broke. He reached for his wand but hit the wand in the darkness and it fell into the floor. All of a sudden a growl made him jump.

"Well if it isn't a Weasley" said a deep voice. Two yellow eyes looking at him.

"Open the door Weasley I know what you hide! I can smell her." It's dark how can he see me? Fred thought. He jumped behind the couch. "Accio wand" he started repeating scared now. "You fool I can see you." The man outside tore at the door some more.

"It's not my fault! Accio wand! They made me hide them! I swear! Accio wand!" Fred touched the floor desperately, looking for his wand in the dark. "Tell that to the Slytherin legion when they torture you azkaban." said the deep voice with a small laugh.

"Accio wand damn it!" he yelled in desperation and the wand flew at him and hit him in the face. He screamed in pain and fright and grabbed the wand near him. He pointed it at the door. A man in a ragged trench coat stood there. The pieces of door at his feet. "lu..men" the candles lit.

"I..I told you it wasn't my fault...that girl forced me..."

"You let a female pushed you around? How far have the Weasleys fallen" insulted the man, who was now clearly visible. He had long messy orange hair with scars on his left eye.

"A-are yo-u a werewolf?" asked Fred stuttering, his hand shaking. "Of course I am, stupid wizard, don't make me angry or I will cut you open. Now where is the girl?" Fred now panicking dropped his wand and pointed to the stairs. The man burst laughing.

"Weak wizards..." The man laughed as he made his way up. The man reached the second floor. As he approached the door on the left he stopped to listen. Heard something then immediately ran downstairs. Fred stared at the man, his hands raised. The man immediately searched his pockets then took out a potion and drank it. Dead silence happened for a minute and Fred held his breath wondering what was going to happen. Then the man let out a scream in pain. Fred jumped to his feet. Hair sprouted all around the man's face his clothes ripping to shreds. Fred's mouth dropped. The man threw his clothes trench coat off. His clothes ripping as he changed to changed more and more to a beast. His face lengthen into a snout and he let out a wolf's growl. Fred didn't notice but he had emptied his bladder. This is it, this is the end Fred thought. He was paralyzed. All he could do was watch his death. Suddenly a golden hair beast burst through the wall and lunged at the orange werewolf. Fred screamed "Holy hell!" as his feet launched him out of the window through the glass. Anything to escape the two werewolves.

The two werewolves wrestled as they tried to tear at each other's neck, with their razor sharp fangs. Their barks and bites loud. The orange wolf pounced on the smaller golden one. They both rolled and the golden wolf pushed with its hind legs and threw the bigger orange one into the air. The golden wolf let out a bark and the table flew at the orange wolf and smashed it into the wall. Part of the wall smashed into the kitchen. The orange wolf let out furious barks as he cleared himself of the rubble. He ran out of kitchen. Lunged at the golden wolf. She dodged forward and bit at the belly of the orange wolf. Blood splattered all over her snout. She let go with a howl of pain as the orange wolf caught her leg with its fangs. She barked another order and a chair smashed in the orange wolf releasing her leg. The orange wolf whimpered and barked in rage. Both wolves circled one another before making another move. The golden wolf barked as it launched an attacked to the left. The orange one ran right and another chair hit him in the face. Fangs reach forth and caught the neck on the orange wolf. Loud whimpers and claws slashed at the golden wolf but it did not released its hold. Claws dug into the golden wolf's side. Her jaw tightened and the whimpers turned to gurgles. Blood covered the golden's snout and it finally let go of the neck. The orange beast twitched and whimpered slower each time. Blood trickling out of the bite marks.

"Oy! Werewolf we got your owl!" shouted a voice from outside.

"He's probably killing everyone inside." laughed another

"Let's wait a few minutes then."

The golden wolf acted then. She took the wands with her bloody mouth and ran three-legged up the stairs. She took the wands to the candle-lighted room. Hermione was there and begin to lick the her face. It didn't take long for Hermione to wake up. She cleaned her face and saw blood. Then turned and saw the wolf next to her. She jumped out of bed screaming. The wolf moved back and took the wands in her mouth and offered them to Hermione. She didn't understand so the wolf put them on the bed and stood back. The wolf barked and a scroll appeared mid air infront of Hermione. She reluctantly took it. Words begin appearing. "One is grateful for saving her and curing her wounds. This one asks to please do it again to fight the slytherin wizards outside. Take your wand" "wizards?" Hermione took the wands and was about to apparate. "Do you know where Fred is?" She asked the wolf.

The answer came in a bark and more words on the scroll.

"Coward runs into the woods. Trail scent fresh." The wolf sniffed. "coward marked itself. Coward smart. Southeast"

"You are not going to bite me...are you? And how did you know this was my wand?" asked Hermione not sure what to do. "One does not bite friends and one heard you fight the evil wizards"

"Give me your hand...please...or paw" asked Hermione cautiously. She took her bag. The wolf raised its paw and Hermione slowly reached for it. Hurried steps were climbing the stairs so Hermione hurried and apparated in a loud crack.