Part Five: Mrs. Weasley's Job
"I'm here for my mother." Fred's voice softened as he released Hermione from his grip, retreating to the top of the hall. He cast his eyes at his feet and began wringing his hands nervously, as though embarrassed at his outburst.
"Molly? Is something wrong with her?"
"Not yet." said Fred tersely. "But there will be, if Davies has is way. Rodger Davies took the position of Head Chairwizard of St. Mungo's last year, and he's talking about closing the mental ward by the end of the year."
Hermione drew closer to him, her face showing the puzzlement she felt. "But...Mrs. Weasley isn't in St. Mungo's, is she?!"
"She works there. Started not long after you left. It helps to keep her mind off...off the others, you know."
Hermione did know. Of all the wizarding families who lost loved ones during Lord Voldemort's third return to power, the Weasleys had been hit the hardest. Originally a close family of nine, the Weasleys found themselves reduced to three when the smoke cleared and Voldemort had been vanquished. The remaining Weasleys-- Molly, Ginny, and Fred-- still lived in their old home, The Burrow, trying desperately not to think of the 6 men their family was without, including Hermione's best friend Ron and Fred's own twin brother.
"She'll go crazy if they shut it down, Hermione!" Slowly, back against the wall, Fred slumped onto the floor, followed closely by Hermione. "She's always taking extra shifts just to keep busy. Five sons and a husband, all gone. She'd die from heartsickness if all she had to do was stay home and think about it! ...And it isn't just her. They aren't going to offer another treatment facility for a couple of years after they close the ward at St. Mungo's!! Think about who's there."
Hermione blanched, her eyes bulging as her airways constricted instantly. He couldn't know, could he? He couldn't possibly know that--
"Neville Longbottom's mum is still living there." he said, shaking his head in disgust. Hermione let out an enormous sigh of relief and settled back up against the wall as Fred continued. "Last I heard, they were still trying to teach Professor Lockheart to read again. And there are loads of others I don't even know about."
"Right..." she said distractedly. Then, coming to attention once more, "But, why have you come to ask me for help? You know I haven't been anywhere near magic for almost nine years."
Fred sighed, his face in his hands. "I don't know, Hermione. I don't know. It's just that-- well, when we were kids, you always seemed to care about all the backwards things in the world. Remember all that work you did for S.P.E.W.? I guess I thought that if you cared that much about house elves, then you could find it in your heart to help Ron's mother." Fred sprang to his feet and began moving out of the hallway, towards the door. "But I guess I was wrong. Cheerio, Hermione."
She almost let him go. Lily was there, watching, as he turned the handle to walk out of her life forever. She shouldn't say anything. She had come so far since she left; agreeing to help Fred would ruin all of it. So she almost let him go. Almost...
"Fred, wait!" Hermione flung herself from the hallway, latching onto Fred's shoulder as he stepped through the door. "What can I do to help you?"
Throwing her the closest thing she had seen to a real smile since he lost his twin, Fred brought the door to a close. "Come back with me," he said. "Come back and see my mother."
"I'm here for my mother." Fred's voice softened as he released Hermione from his grip, retreating to the top of the hall. He cast his eyes at his feet and began wringing his hands nervously, as though embarrassed at his outburst.
"Molly? Is something wrong with her?"
"Not yet." said Fred tersely. "But there will be, if Davies has is way. Rodger Davies took the position of Head Chairwizard of St. Mungo's last year, and he's talking about closing the mental ward by the end of the year."
Hermione drew closer to him, her face showing the puzzlement she felt. "But...Mrs. Weasley isn't in St. Mungo's, is she?!"
"She works there. Started not long after you left. It helps to keep her mind off...off the others, you know."
Hermione did know. Of all the wizarding families who lost loved ones during Lord Voldemort's third return to power, the Weasleys had been hit the hardest. Originally a close family of nine, the Weasleys found themselves reduced to three when the smoke cleared and Voldemort had been vanquished. The remaining Weasleys-- Molly, Ginny, and Fred-- still lived in their old home, The Burrow, trying desperately not to think of the 6 men their family was without, including Hermione's best friend Ron and Fred's own twin brother.
"She'll go crazy if they shut it down, Hermione!" Slowly, back against the wall, Fred slumped onto the floor, followed closely by Hermione. "She's always taking extra shifts just to keep busy. Five sons and a husband, all gone. She'd die from heartsickness if all she had to do was stay home and think about it! ...And it isn't just her. They aren't going to offer another treatment facility for a couple of years after they close the ward at St. Mungo's!! Think about who's there."
Hermione blanched, her eyes bulging as her airways constricted instantly. He couldn't know, could he? He couldn't possibly know that--
"Neville Longbottom's mum is still living there." he said, shaking his head in disgust. Hermione let out an enormous sigh of relief and settled back up against the wall as Fred continued. "Last I heard, they were still trying to teach Professor Lockheart to read again. And there are loads of others I don't even know about."
"Right..." she said distractedly. Then, coming to attention once more, "But, why have you come to ask me for help? You know I haven't been anywhere near magic for almost nine years."
Fred sighed, his face in his hands. "I don't know, Hermione. I don't know. It's just that-- well, when we were kids, you always seemed to care about all the backwards things in the world. Remember all that work you did for S.P.E.W.? I guess I thought that if you cared that much about house elves, then you could find it in your heart to help Ron's mother." Fred sprang to his feet and began moving out of the hallway, towards the door. "But I guess I was wrong. Cheerio, Hermione."
She almost let him go. Lily was there, watching, as he turned the handle to walk out of her life forever. She shouldn't say anything. She had come so far since she left; agreeing to help Fred would ruin all of it. So she almost let him go. Almost...
"Fred, wait!" Hermione flung herself from the hallway, latching onto Fred's shoulder as he stepped through the door. "What can I do to help you?"
Throwing her the closest thing she had seen to a real smile since he lost his twin, Fred brought the door to a close. "Come back with me," he said. "Come back and see my mother."