Hermione yawned and winced at the hangover she knew she was going to have. How much did she drink? After Sirius started paying, she was sure she had more than needed. A large glass of water sat on her night table with a potion. Thank Merlin for whoever took care of it for her.
"Good morning, Hermione," Fred's voice rang into the room.
Hermione grunted as she reached for the potion. "Freddy, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked after drinking the vial.
"Oh, I told Sirius I would watch after you. He left with Severus about an hour ago," Fred declared.
Hermione grabbed the glass of water and sat up with a groan. "Did I vomit?"
"Yes, twice this morning. You were still sloshed," Fred snickered.
"At least most of it's out of my system," Hermione breathed.
"Did you have fun last night?"
Hermione smiled as she sipped her glass. "Yes, surprisingly. Sirius really is as entertaining as he boasts."
"What part of the night did you blackout? You kept asking how you got in your bed earlier," Fred mused as he flipped through some pages on his lap.
"Umm, last solid memory I had was dancing to a song. Sirius kept mouthing the words when the singer kept shouting, 'I like it.' I don't think I've danced that much since Harry got married," Hermione laughed. "And yes, he knows how to dance. It would make a prude randy."
"Oh, I have to know, did you both, ya know?" Fred questioned while wiggling his eyebrows.
Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Was he in here earlier? I don't even remember getting into my nightshirt. I'd be absolutely mortified if we did and didn't remember."
"No, he wasn't. You were starks when I came in, but I had you put on your shirt after you were done getting it out of your gut," Fred laughed. "I didn't think you had more freckles than me, Hermione."
She nudged him with a blush and breathed. "Well, I suppose I just crawled into bed completely knackered then."
"So, we need to talk," Fred declared.
Hermione finished the water and hummed. "About?"
"About the three idiots, we live with. They are tripping all over you, and you're completely oblivious," Fred announced. "As your proxy brother, I have to be honest with you."
Hermione moved closer, and he encircled her shoulders with his arm. "I know you do. I'm not sure what you want me to do with that kind of information, Fred."
"I want you to stop worrying about the past, even about the future. Things are going to get strange with Teddy being here for two weeks. There's going to be tension, possible subtle jabs at each other, and even a bit of snickering. I need you to keep doing what you're doing. Each one of them is fucking ridiculous if they think I don't see it."
Hermione laughed as she rested her face against his chest. "What would I do without you, Freddy?"
"Be just as lost," he teased. "I'll always make sure you're alright, Hermione. You know that. Once upon a time, I would have made you my girl, but my brother got there first," he chuckled and rubbed her back.
Hermione pouted before snorting. "It would have been a disaster, and you know it."
"Likely, but you would have enjoyed the madness!" He snickered.
They laughed, and Hermione sighed. "I miss him sometimes, Fred."
"You were friends a long time," Fred mused.
"That's precisely why I miss him. I miss my friendship with him. Our marriage ruined it. I loved him, but I loved him as a friend and companion most. If I could go back and change time, I'd tell myself to tell him no. We would have been happier."
Fred tilted her face toward his view. "Listen to me. You needed to know for certain that it wasn't going to work. That doesn't make you a bad witch. That means it wasn't meant to be. Mum is horribly sick over how lonely and sad his departure made you. She misses you too, Hermione. We were family first."
Hermione broke his eye contact and stared at the door. "What of all this? She'd likely string me up by my toes for fooling around with my ex-professor."
Fred burst into loud laughter. "Are you kidding me? She'd probably be asking when you both would have a baby. Let's just say, secretly, she thought you should have been with someone as smart as you," He teased.
"After, of course, chasing him around the house with a wooden spoon," Hermione giggled.
"Can you imagine if you shagged Sirius?"
Hermione covered her face and squealed. "Oh, the chaos! She would kill him."
They grinned at each other, and Fred nodded. "Or Severus?"
Hermione gasped as her cheeks tinted. "Don't be cruel!"
"Just saying, the cauldron is cooking in this house. The bugger may have been a right prick, but he sure wants your approval. Quietly, but still, he pines for it."
Had she thought about it? "Shag him? I mean, Merlin, that never even crept into my mind. Thanks, arsehole," Hermione huffed as she shook her head.
Fred laughed and wriggled his eyebrows. "Come on. You can't lie to me. I know you have a thing for professor types."
Hermione pointed at the Weasley. "Don't."
"Did you make Remus howl?"
Hermione groaned and flung her hand over his mouth. "I said, stop!"
Fred tackled her to the bed and tickled her, causing the witch to screech in laughter. They jostled for a few moments before the door flung open. Neither noted as they grappled.
"Admit it, Hermione! Admit that I'm right, and you want to fuck him into the ground. I bet you'd call him Professor Moony while you do it! School girl fancy or not." Fred's back was to the door as he tickled the witch.
Hermione managed to shove him off of her and breathed. "Okay, will you knock that off. My crushes in school are none of your business."
"Well, good to see your alive," Remus's voice interrupted their recovery.
Hermione sat up and gasped at the man standing at the door. "Oh, Remus."
"Did you think I was killing her? She screams so loud," Fred snickered with a grin.
"Yes, actually," Remus admitted as his hand went to the side of his neck.
Hermione noted the tint to his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Remus. I know your ears are sensitive at this time of the month."
"I have breakfast waiting for you when you're ready," he mumbled before turning.
"Thank you," Hermione murmured.
He glanced back and smirked. "Of course, Miss Granger," he finished as his expression evolved to something more impish as he shut the door.
Hermione groaned and launched a fist at Fred's chest.
"What was that for?" Fred grumbled as he rubbed the spot.
"For exploiting my secrets."
"That's going to be a great story later when you shag him," Fred encouraged with a smirk.
Hermione moaned and slammed back into the mattress. "Fucking barmy."
Fred joined her and laughed. "I know I'm right. This has been so much fun for me."
She glanced over at him. "What do you want now?"
Fred twitched his nose and shrugged. "To live. Hermione, I get to do it all now. I get to work with my brother. I'll get to go out and have fun, enjoy the life that I didn't have before. I'm pretty set. It's a whole new lease of things. It doesn't matter that it took twelve years to do it. It just means I'll keep Georgie young."
"Don't be foolish," she paused and sat up.
"Hey, that's rude."
Hermione's eyes grew as she recalled that night. "Oh, shit."
"What?"
Hermione lept from the bed and snatched her wand up. "Shit, shit. Happy thought," she said before taking a deep breath.
She twirled the tip in the air and summoned her Patronus. "Glenda, we need to talk. When can I come over? Owl me as soon as you can," Hermione said to the otter.
It floated off, and Fred slid to the edge of the bed. "What's wrong?"
"I think someone told me about what was going to happen before it did, Fred. I have to talk to the witch who read my fortune or someone who knows about tarot!" Hermione rushed as she went to her wardrobe.
"Why?"
"Love, loss, and pain. A beginning, unlike I've ever known. The Fool. Damnit, I've been so blind!" Hermione exclaimed as she pulled out clothing.
"I'm still lost," Fred confessed.
Hermione took a breath and turned to him. "I know, but I'll have answers after I get home. I need an answer to what Clamora was talking about."
"Why?"
"Because what if it's the key to all of this? The key to why you four came back? I want to know," Hermione breathed with a nod. "I need to know."
"Okay, did you want me to come with you?"
Hermione shook her head. "Stay with Remus. I'll be back soon."
An owl was rapping at the window and Hermione sprinted to it. She let it in and took the note with a sigh. "Good, she's awake. I'll be back later."
Fred stood and twitched his nose. "Don't wear yourself out, Hermione."
"I won't, Freddy. I want to make sure your beginning is a lasting one."
He left her in the room and grimaced as he went to find Remus. They might have a problem.
Hermione was sitting in the lovely home of her superior as his wife sat with her. They were drinking tea and eating pastries as Glenda tapped her nails on the table. The younger witch twitched her nose as Kingsley came into the dining room.
"Hermione, how are things? I wish I knew you were coming over. I would have pushed my meeting with the States Ambassador back."
She waved him off. "It was a surprise visit. I wasn't sure until this morning I was going to come to visit Glenda."
Kingsley fixed his robes and patted her shoulder. "Are they treating you well? Should I be concerned with the haste of your visit?"
Hermione smiled up at him. "They're entertaining and all very considerate, Kingsley. Not to worry."
"Good, I'm relieved. I was a bit nervous if I'm, to be honest," Kingsley sighed.
Glenda tossed her curly dark hair and smirked. "Besides, she went out with Sirius last night."
Kingsley frowned. "Sirius?"
Hermione groaned and nodded. "Yes, I went out drinking with him at a muggle bar. We had plenty of fun. He was going a bit stir-crazy, and I didn't want him to go alone."
"Always the reasonable witch," Kingsley sighed. "Now, I best get a move on it, or else I'll be dragging through meetings."
He walked around and kissed his wife before departing with waves. Glenda changed her pose and pulled out a deck of tarot cards. "You said that it was which?" She asked while shifting the cards about.
Hermione breathed and nodded. "The Hanged Man was first. Then The Moon, which had The Hermit next to it. Last was The Fool. The only reason the memory occurred to me is I was talking with Fred today, and I called him 'foolish.' Tell me I'm being odd."
"Were they all facing you?"
Hermione tilted her head and then nodded. "Yes, in that order."
Glenda placed the cards in front of Hermione in the order and pursed her lips. "This is a very particular order, Hermione."
Hermione fidgeted and nodded. "What does it mean? I remember what Clamora said. She said, 'The price will be high for what you seek, my dear. An unconscious sacrifice will lead you to the path of a beginning, unlike any you've ever known. Love, loss, and pain will hold the key.' Can you elaborate?"
Glenda hummed with a nod. "I don't know as much as my dear friend, but I can see what she started to say. Let me break each card down and then tell you my interpretation."
"Okay," Hermione huffed as she ran her hands over her pants. "Why is this making me so nervous?"
"The Hanged Man is interesting. He is upside-down, and he is hanging by his foot from the living world tree. He is peaceful with his choice as he doesn't disrupt the growth of the world. Certain actions or plans which need to be properly implemented are likely to be postponed. He is a card of timely sacrifice and acknowledgment of the larger picture."
Hermione just nodded. That sounded familiar.
Glenda moved to the next card. "The Moon. You see the dog and the wolf. The path between that leads into the distance? We are always glancing between two sides of ourselves — the primal and the civilized meet under the dim light in search of answers. Deep memories and fears must be let go, and the negative energies must be released and turned into something less destructive. Hidden forces must be searched for and unraveled."
Remus… Hermione's mouth was running dry. "And, The Hermit?" Hermione asked.
"He stands on the mountain with staff and lantern. The Hermit often is interpreted for accomplishment, development, and knowledge. You are perhaps searching your inner soul for guidance on what is right, and where your next steps are to be. He can also signify the appearance of someone who will come to your life that will be your teacher."
What the bloody fuck? Hermione winced and nodded. "Okay."
"The Fool. He's the first card in any tarot deck. He is a youth walking jovially into the world. He is taking his first steps, and he is exuberant, joyful, excited. Somewhat carelessly as you can see," Glenda paused with a smile as she touched the card. "He generally means a beginning of a new journey, one where you will have optimism and freedoms away from the usual constraints in life. The understanding that every day is a chance to open up new areas in your life, and with that comes a mixture of anticipation, wonder, and curiosity."
"How do all of these cards lead to the interpretation Clamora gave me?" Hermione expired.
"Well, by themselves, they can mean many things, but together they tell a story," Glenda hummed and glanced between them. "I can see her reading being that. The Hanged Man and Moon next to each other can speak volumes. Noting an unseen sacrifice that leads you to a path with little light. Your choice was made in haste leads to the search for answers in the dark.
"The Hermit notes plenty of inner contemplation and questions. The seeker of knowledge and success. He will be a voice in turmoil and pain, for he has learned from his own mistakes. The Fool bears the final concept. Whatever this path accepted, it will lead to a new beginning. A clean slate, but with the knowledge that the price paid was learning from your naivety," Glenda finished.
Hermione nodded and twitched her nose again before reaching for her teacup. Why wasn't she listening? Why didn't she see it before?
"Hermione, I have to ask. What is concerning you about this reading over a year later?" Glenda questioned.
Hermione thinned her lips after setting down her cup. "Can we speak frankly without you telling my boss?"
Glenda reached over and touched her hand. "Of course. Mums the word. Trust me. If I haven't talked about you on my show, I wouldn't tell him if you asked either," she laughed.
"I think, no, I know, I caused the crisis."
Glenda stiffened as she gripped Hermione's fingers. "What?"
"I asked Draco to brew me an alchemy recipe I researched. It was to make my family whole. I didn't understand what I was asking for in such haste."
"So, the four brought back are represented in the cards?" Glenda asked as she pulled from Hermione and lounged in her chair.
"Precisely."
"Hermione, do you understand what this means? You have to figure out," she stopped when Hermione nodded.
"I know, and I think these cards are going to help me understand how to finish the purpose of the potion."
Glenda scowled as she touched each of the cards. "Well, hmm. You have sacrifice, the release of fears, inward reflection, and a new beginning. How do they reflect the cards?"
"I have an idea, but I'm not sure how I can solve the concept of each represented in those symbols. Severus, for example, how do I see him as the Hermit and identify what he needs?"
Glenda tilted her head and tapped her cheek. "Well, maybe it's not what they need, but what you need from them? You brought them back under the vocation of making your family whole. What if they are the pieces to lead you there?"
Hermione lifted her teacup to her lips and her brow furrowed. It wouldn't be a far stretch. However, things that don't bring her clarity, such as Sirius and his sacrifice or Severus and his knowledge, seemed to escape her.
"You know what this means, right?" Glenda asked as she gathered the cards.
"No, what?"
"Hermione, no matter what you did before, your life will never be the same again. Things like alchemy aren't as cut and dry as potions. They require a piece of yourself when using it. That's why it's not for the faint of heart."
"Well, it took almost everyone's magic," Hermione grumbled.
"And that brought you anguish and pain. Loneliness and dark nights. Self-evaluation and perspective. Quite possibly, the best thing to happen was them showing up. Now you need to find out what they mean to you."
"Okay," Hermione sighed.
Glenda set her deck aside and nodded. "Let's eat and chat before you head home. I think you need a breather from them so you can walk in refreshed. Give yourself the chance to see them as the people they are now. The cards speak if you listen to what they have to say."
Hermione smiled and rocked her head. "Alright, then why don't you fill me in on your show tonight? It would be a good distraction from my dizzy thoughts."
"Gladly," Glenda laughed and started in on prattle about witch self-care.
Hermione listened, noting many different tips, but her mind was busy. It was wheeling about trying to figure out what they all meant to her.
