Falling Dice

Fred and his brother landed in the Dursley's back gardens five minutes late.

To be fair, Fred was convinced they were meeting at Mad Eyes and when no one was at his Bristol flat the two of them apparated from the stairwell, straight to Surrey. "Think we're going to have our heads handed to us?" George asked as they made their way toward the house.

"Something about constant vigilance and paying attention to detail I'm sure," Fred smirked, "We'll just have to remind Mad Eye when we get back to the Burrow that we're Businessmen, not Aurors."

George rolled his eyes and they walked into the house; it wasn't long after that Fred realized what that five minutes had cost them.

"It's about time you showed up," Mad Eye complained, his magical eye spinning as his regular one stared them down, his arms folded in what could be his best impersonation of their mother."We nearly had to reorganize the guard and make six pairs rather than seven."

"Come now Mad Eye, do you really think we would have missed an opportunity to be identical to someone other than each other?"

Mad Eye muttered some response but Fred didn't here it. George had elbowed him in his side and was pointing at the scene before them. It was eerie seeing this many Harry's.

A Harry, he assumed was Fleur, was making indecent eyes with his brother as Bill helped her with the familiar round glasses, a bag holding Fleur's clothes draped over his shoulder, a pale blue bra strap sticking out under the flap.

Another Harry-Mundungus assuming by the shifty eyes seemed to be inspecting the silverware that had been left by Harry's aunt and uncle as though he was wondering how much he could get away with taking before the weight affected his exit.

A Harry kept glancing in the mirror above the fireplace, pulling up the back of his shirt as though inspecting it for a tattoo-he could assume that was Ron. He had remembered something at the start of the summer about Harry supposedly having a hippogriff tattooed somewhere on him. Leave it to Ron to use this as a strip search of his best mate..., he thought rolling his eyes before turning again to survey the room.

A Harry-he assumed it was the real Harry-was now in an animated conversation with Tonks who was showing him her thin gold wedding band. While he looked mildly uncomfortable in this discussion, Fred supposed it was easier to talk about weddings and new beginnings that it would be to watch a crowd of friends and associates poke and prod at their temporary appearance of you.

Out of the corner of his eye, he found the last Harry, the one walking towards him and George with two sets of clothes and Mad Eye's flask, a shadow of a smirk written on her best friend's face, a shadow he knew so well-that was Hermione.

She stopped a foot away from them, winked at Fred and then turned to George. "You're going to need to change into these so we all look the same," Hermione started, pushing the clothes into Fred's unprepared hands. She handed the flask to George and then, Harry's emerald eyes turning stern she whispered, "Do you have the Hats? I can hand them out before we pair off-"

"Here you go," George started handing her the bag. Fred dropped the clothes on the floor and instead took the flask from his brother, " Age before beauty," George winked and Fred took a swig of the potion as Hermione looked into the bag.

He had sampled his fair share of potions. It was something you did while manufacturing products for a joke shop. His favorite had been their most recent Dragon Breathing line which left his breath cinnamon fresh after he set Lee's eyebrows ablaze-it was clear, the moment the flask touched his lips-the Polyjuice Potion was one of his least favorites.

It had a golden color but the taste was unfamiliar. A shadow of treacle tart, and while it appeared smooth in the flask it seemed to go down warm and sticky like molasses in his throat. He felt as though he was convulsing, his rib cage shrinking in on him as he tapered down, slender and shorter than he had been in years.

His skin was bubbling and his hearing was going in and out. Perhaps it was his vision quickly deteriorating, but it looked as though the Hermione Harry was angry about something-something George was trying to settle her down about. Something was wrong but Fred couldn't tell what. Something to do about that hats?

"What did I miss?" Fred asked when his hearing returned seconds later. He still could only see five blurry forms of Harry as he reached for the glasses in his pocket, "Hermione, what's going on-"

But she wasn't there. He looked over at his twin who had now shrunk a few inches, his hair rippling black chaos. "What's wrong with Hermione?" he asked again.

"Apparently she doesn't care for the hat's redesign," George said, ruffling the back of his hair uncomfortably, "She looked rather cross, kind of like Harry did all of our seventh year."

Fred groaned and switched his shirt and trousers for the ones she had given them. When he surveyed the room he noticed one of the Harry's going through the sack with the hats frantically muttering at one of them. He supposed there was a very high possibility that living a double life as his girlfriend had made her lose her mind and perhaps it would be best for everyone's sanity if they just came clean now rather than pretending to avoid one another. He was walking towards her when Mad Eye's voice interrupted his steps.

"Now that we have all of our Potters," Mad Eye started, his magical eye fixing on Fred, " We are on a time table. We only have an hour where we will be under the cover of the potion. We all know the plan-the protector will navigate towards the agreed upon hideouts before we rendezvous at the Safe House. We shouldn't be expecting company but if we do Potters be prepared with your wands to engage the enemy. If any of us die in the attempt, survivors are to continue on to the Safe House where we will regroup and execute an appropriate plan of action."

Fred could have sworn one of the Harry's turned their head towards Mad Eye when he said these words.

"When you say engage with the enemy-" the shifty Harry Fred was convinced was Dung squirmed, "-do you mean-"

"Blow them out of the sky," Mad Eye snarled, "I don't care how many of theirs land but ideally all fourteen of us are to to make it to the Burrow."

"For your mother's sake I hope he's right," a familiar voice said from behind. Fred looked over his shoulder and saw that his father had arrived, two brooms against his right shoulder.

"We're flying?" he asked surprised, "I thought we were taking Threstles?"

"Bill and Fleur will be on a Threstle, as will Kingsley and Hermione," his dad said in a whisper, "Death Eaters know Harry can fly on Threstles, but they also know he's fair on a broom stick-makes sense to spice it up. They'll assume he's playing to a strength when really-"

"Really he's going to be sitting in the attache of the motorbike," George finished, "Thought I saw that when we came through the back. Sirius' old bike?"

"With some slight modifications," his father said, Fred noting the smile in his voice, "Charlie had a suggestion about fire power and it may have made it to the final redesign."

Mad Eye was still going on with the plan, he traced his eyes from Kingsley to Hermione. She'd be fine with him, Fred reasoned. If he had to pick someone for her to fly with, other than him or George, he supposed Kingsley's who he'd pick. Less a target than Mad Eye-capable-

You aren't going to be attacked, he thought. How many guards had he either seen or been a part of when it came to Harry Potter? How many times had the Order come to get Harry, Mad Eye come up with a hair brain plan and they all made it out without a scratch, only a head cold?

But there was something about the way Hermione was fiddling with her bag of hat's that made him did that when she was nervous. He had noticed it after she told him about Newcastle. It was as if they'd walked into a room and tripped a wire and she was waiting for the mayhem to engulf them all

"You've gabbed long enough Mad Eye, we all know the plan,"Tonks said as she made her way to the door, "Come along now, time is polyjuice isn't it?"

"Right-" Mad Eye said with mild annoyance. "Right-well get with your protector and let's head out. Dung what do you have on your head?"

Hermione had gone to work passing out the hats. Fred couldn't help but appreciate he and George's handiwork. No matter how annoyed he knew Hermione was about the modifications,it now just looked as though they were afraid Harry would get nippy up in the sky.

"There's a defense spell on them," Hermione said as she handed them to the others lined up at the door, "It'll-defect jinxes and hexes while we're in the sky, make it easier for us to fight-"

Mad Eye eyed them suspiciously but pushed them through the door anyway without further argument. "Do I get one of them?" Fred asked with a smirk as he walked past her.

Something was wrong but he couldn't place what. Even as Harry he could tell. She gave a weak smile and grabbed one from her bag before tucking it over his head, snuggly placed over his ears.

"Are you alright Sunny?" he asked gently before following the rest out of the house.

"Fine," she answered so quickly he knew it was a lie. He put his hand on her shoulder, something that was so normal when they were them and not the same height and Harry. "Hey-we'll be fine. I'll meet you at the Burrow," he smiled, hoping that would be enough.

"Come on, sooner we're out of her the sooner we're at the Burrow and I'm starved," George interrupted from behind. He snatched the last hat Hermione had in her bag and placed it gingerly on his head. Hermione jumped immediately and pulled the hat down on George's head firmly, tucking it over his ears with care.

"Oi Granger, I'm George not Fred," his twin insisted, "He's the one you should be securing head ware, unless this is you flirting with me now that you've broken up in which case I'd prefer you do it when you look like you and not Harry-"

"Would you like me to test just how well the defenses are on those hats?" Fred offered, pulling the front farther down to where it covered George's eyes.

"You three," Mad Eye barked from his broom "Care to join us?" he asked nodding towards the rest of the party. Some still adjusting hats while others, like Fleur, had their arms wrapped around the waste of their protector, waiting to kick off and begin the journey to the Burrow.

Hermione's hand brushed against his when he stopped to get on his broom; it was just for the faintest of moments and then she was gone, Kingsley helping her get on her Threstle. George turned around from his broom with Remus to face Fred and their dad and it seemed for the briefest of moments, they all held their breaths. Waiting. Waiting.

"Good luck to you all, we'll see you all in an Hour" Mad Eye said, and as though on cue Hagrid turned over the motorbike, its engine humming as all around them brooms began to hover feet over the ground.

"Wand at the ready Fred?" his father asked before they kicked off.

"Ready dad," he answered.

His father turned his head slightly, trying to face him from behind, "Listen Fred, if something happens-promise me you'll take care of your mum."

"Dad-" The first of the line had already disappeared in the accent. He could see Hermione's Thestral despair in the low hanging clouds.

" Bill will be taking care of Fleur-Charlie isn't in the country. I'm sorry it falls to you and George-but-"

"Yeah, we will," he answered. A chill stilling his heart, " It was their turn next. The last of the line. A clap of Thunder above their heads seemed to jump him back to the reality of the moment and not the future his Father was portraying, "Don't worry. We'll take care of mum if something happens. It's not going to happen but we will."

His father turned around but Fred could note his head nod. "Right then, let's go into this storm."

((*))

It wasn't a storm.

Fred hadn't heard thunder before they launched, it had been a Death Eater's spellwork.

His father leaned sharply on his broom dodging a red jet that had been heading their way. "Fred-" he started.

"Protego" he answered, sending a ray of his own into the mix. If he was figuring it out, it looked as though they were outnumbered at least two to one. The Death Eaters swarmed like bats on their brooms, flying in pairs or the occasional trio against the different Potters.

"On our left," Dad yelled as he leaned them the other way, zig zagging in an attempt to dodge the oncoming attack.

"Impedimenta!" Fred roared, the jinx slowing down the Death Eaters and lengthening the gap between them.

He looked at his side to view the rest of the battle. Bill and Fleur was nearest to him. Despite being under the effects of the Polyjuice potion, Fleur's face had become long and elongated to where she resembled the Veelas at the Quidditch World Cup as she cast blue rays between her and their attackers. Bill was sending jinxes in the direction of Tonks and Ron who were not far off but under pursuit by three Death Eaters, one of them with the tell tale curls of Bellatrix Lestrange

A jet of purple from behind him caught his attention. Looking back, he could see their attackers were drawing close again, the jinx having not held long. He eyed the one nearest him and bellowed "Relashio" at the hands on the broomhandle.

It had worked instantaneously. As though an axe had done the work, the front of the room handle separated from the rest of the broom, sending the Death Eater somersaulting over and down towards the ground. One of his fellows nose dived down to fetch him while a third Fred had not seen continued on their path.

"Know any good jinxes Dad?" Fred asked as he sent another knockback jinx towards the third Death Eater who dodged it.

"Try to light the tail on fire," his father suggested as he broke the zig zag pattern into a corkscrew, "You have the right idea taking out their broom-"

He looked over and saw out of the corner of his eyes a Death Eater slam into the one that had been tailing him. He had been blinded by what looked like one of Hermione's hats. Fred turned over and saw his brother riding with Remus salute him before raising his wand at his own attacker. Remus was trying to climb higher to evade them, dipping occasionally in an attempt to shake them off-

"Fred, on your right," his father called, bringing him back to the moment. There were two more Death Eaters racing towards them but they didn't stay and try to take them out. One splintered off to Hermione and Kingsley while the other went to Remus and George.

An orange jet was deflected off the Threstles Wings and Fred knew Hermione must have gone about with shielding charms just for that reason. A Death Eater was dangling from his broom and he had supposed she had been successful knockback jinx to the chest. Kingsley had tightened his reign on the Threstles and they disappeared into a cloud bank with jets of purple illuminating the sky like lightning.

Fred turned around sent a jet across the sky, throwing a Death Eater back several hundred yards. It was getting lighter now, he supposed that his dad was climbing, like Remus, in hopes to evade the Death Eaters. He cautiously turned and uttered protego on the broomstick least they be brought down by a burning tail like his father had suggested. But they just had to hold on a little while longer. He figured they weren't too far off from Auntie Muriels but then Fred noticed it.

Mad Eye and Dung were tangled up with six Death Eaters rotating around them as though they were an assortment of moons in orbit.

"Can't the apparate out?" Fred said as his father zagged further away from the cluster.

"They've already placed the anti-apparition jinx," his father answered. There was something about his voice that hinted towards defeat. "We need to keep going-"

"We need to go back and help though," Fred started, trying to see Mad Eye and Dung past the cloakes billowing in the wind.

"What did Mad Eye say before we left?" he asked, " we have to keep going so they don't know which Harry is Harry. If we all zoomed in on them now it would just confirm to them that Mad Eye had the real Potter," they zoomed toward another cloud bank, one to the south, " We'll be covered once we get in the clouds, keep an eye till-no-REMUS"

"Dad-"

The broom slowed as they saw Remus head out of a western cloud bank. His Harry was slouched on his back, a dark crimson spreading across Remus' back.

They disappeared back into the clouds before Fred could get a definite look. But he knew what he saw. It had been Remus who flew with George. And Remus' shirt looked more red than the pale blue shirt he had been wearing at Privet Drive. George had been slouching against his back, and-from what Fred saw- was unconscious.

"Dad we need to go-" his voice broke, "George-"

"Lupin's safe house isn't far from here, they'll get to the Burrow and your mother-"

But his dad couldn't finish. He didn't know what his mum would do if she saw George like this.

He isn't dead though, he told himself, He's just injured-

But he didn't really know that either. What kind of injury would leave that much blood but keep a person alive? What if only one twin made it home tonight?

They began their decent, making it through the clouds to where they could see the green, peaceful fields of Somerset below them. He could see the cluster of trees and he held just a little tighter to his dad as they dove down into them.

His Aunt Muriel was the eldest Prewett of his mother's line and as such had lived in the family estate, Avalon, as long as his mother could remember. The manor was guarded by a thick forest on all sides, which made the estate look like an island from the air. Growing up, Muriel tried to give lessons on the history of the house to his brothers and sisters but Fred had never really paid her attention. It was only listening to his mother as he got older he understood that Avalon was the Avalon were King Arthur was brought following an injury in battle and an ancestor, Ablach Prewett, had found the king and brought him back to his home to heal him.

No one in the family liked to continue the story-where despite Ablach and his daughter's careful ministrations, the King passed away not long after his arrival. He sent his daughter Morgan to take the fallen King back to Glastonbury where he was buried and an Abbey built around his tomb. While the Muggles kept different traditions and legends about the King, only the Prewetts could boast they kept watch of Camelot from the upmost tower of their Avalon home.

They landed on the rock path in the main gardens. The lights streaming through the bay window, Fred could hear the yipping of Muriel's little dogs, drowning out the Caterwauling Charm that sounded as soon as their feet touched the grass.

" Arthur is that you?" a voice clipped the air. Fred cringed, Muriel wasn't supposed to be home. That's why they had picked her place as a safe house rather than fly to Longbottoms.

Fred looked around and saw his Auntie Muriel, wanded extended, standing tall and erect in her silk dressing gown, a night cap covering her wiry white hair and a yorkie at her heels barking at his dad and he.

"Muriel, the Caterwauling Charm," his father called, covering his ears "Can you please stop it-you'll wake the muggles-"

"There aren't any Muggles near here and you know it Arthur," Muriel started as she waved her wand and silence the sirens. Now only her dog was barking at them. "Besides, I like it that way. Anyone who starts wandering through the woods triggers some alarm and before you know it rumors start flying the woods are haunted," she finished with a smile, " No muggle has stumbled on Avalon since old Ablach's time and that's the way it will stay."

"Right," his father answered, clapping his hand on Fred's shoulder, "Did we miss the portkey?"

"By five minutes," she finished, walking to face them now. She fished through her pockets for a gold monocle that she placed carefully over a blue eye, "Are you Harry Potter?" she asked, jabbing her wand hard in Fred's chest.

"I'm Fred," he growled, rubbing where she had stabbed him.

His aunt sighed, "I thought I was hosting Harry Potter, I rescheduled my bridge game for this- Arthur-what happened?"

" We were delayed," his dad began, "Muriel-where's the Portkey, we need to get back to Molly- there was an accident."

"Accident?" Muriel asked, her voice dipping with interest, her eyes wide with excitement, "Arthur-"

Blood was pounding in Fred's temple. He couldn't understand her. How could she stand here in her dressing gown, completely enthralled waiting for gossip as if lives were not as stake or in danger. It was the second time in as many months he found himself wondering if he had just lost of the two most important people in his life. If George was dead, was the shop dead too? Would he be able to keep it running when his brother lingered like a ghost in every corner of that store?

He's not dead...he thought to himself. He's not dead. I'd know if he was….wasn't there an alert that would sound in your head if your twin died? He tried to slow the beating of his heart, quiet the blood pounding in his ears, trying to identify a wailing in his head but it wasn't there. So he's not dead, he told himself again. George was going to be fine.

That was the only scenario he was willing to imagine.

"Dad can't we just apparate?" Fred asked impatiently.

He watched his father scratch the back of his neck with agitation, "We can't-the enchantments won't allow apparition. The portkey was the only thing to get through them directly."

"Well then let's apparate to the Hill and run home," Fred started impatiently, "George needs us-"

"George," Muriel started suddenly, turning her head to Fred, "What does George have to do with-was he in the accident?"

"Classified-Muriel," his father stammered. His eyes locked on Fred and he knew in that moment what his Father was thinking. They couldn't stay and wait for the portkey, they had to leave. Now.

"Thanks again for letting us use the house. We'll send you word in the morning," Arthur said curtly. He reached for Fred's arm and before they disappeared with a sudden pop into the darkness.

((*))

Hermione landed on the ground outside the Burrow with a sudden THUMP. Her heart was beating like a hummingbird's wings. She hadn't noticed when they were up in the sky, battling them all. But she was noticing now. Kingsley quickly took her by the shoulder helped her steady herself as two figures made their way toward the front door.

As far as she knew, tonight had the same outcome. Mad-Eye and Dung had been surrounded. Snape had come after George who had nicked his ear. Hermione had cursed Snape back though-right after he sent the spell. Perhaps she had been lucky and sent it out right before, than there might be a chance that George was ok-

"Nice work up there Hermione," He said, again, clasping her shoulder and pulling her out of her thoughts. Kingsley looked up as a third figure appeared at the door. "That's Remus-" he sighed with relief, "Come on, If Remus is here George is too. They're probably setting him right as we speak."

But she didn't move forward. Instead she felt the enveloping hug of Ginny as Harry walked towards them.

Harry told me you hexed Snape-" she said breaking the hug and looking at Hermione, "If you hadn't-oh it could have been so much worse-oh Hermione-" she scanned her friends face a second time.

"How is he? Is he-"

"He's fine," Harry answered, catching Ginny's eyes he looked down, "Or he will be-we think. He lost-he lost his ear Hermione."

"I was too late," she said, more to herself than anyone else. She should have spent more time on the hats. She should have insisted on them. Come up with a bubble head charm feature where they wouldn't have distorted the noise-if she had done that maybe they'd have kept them, maybe they'd-

It started becoming harder to breath. It was as thought something was constricting her sides and a weight was sitting on her chest. If she could save George's ear, what hope did she have at saving Fred's life. Her eyes darted from the house to the portkeys sitting out. Fred had miss his, just like last time-but he'd be back, he'd be back. He had to be coming back. That last curse she had thrown at Selwyn had throne his aim off course and saved Fred- hadn't it?

She could feel Harry's hand grip her arm, "Hermione, he'll be ok-they both will."

As though summoned by his words the sound of footsteps and rustling grass from beyond the hedge crept across the yard. Mr Weasley ran through the garden gate and never stopped running, despite Ginny's cry of relief. Remus, who had arrived to inquire identities was blown past by Mr Weasley, demanding to see his son. Hermione looked up to see Fred's silhouette crossing the yard, his walk brisk as he followed his father.

He stopped at the sight of them, his eyes quickly scanning each of their faces before he continued plowing on to the house. She had only seen him this vulnerable twice before-after Dumbledore's funeral and again the morning they returned from Majorca.

Once he crossed the threshold, Hermione seemed to feel her feet again. She too made a stride towards the door when Harry stopped her, "It's ok Hermione," he muttered, his arm draping his shoulder like a comforting blanket, "Let them have a minute-it'll be alright."

((*))

Hermione sat on the stairs, watching with Harry and Ron as the rest of the Potters and Defenders arrived. She couldn't here what exactly Ron was mumbling to Harry about. She was trying to look uninterested and detached as Mrs Weasley anxiously went to work on George's ear.

The cut wasn't as severe as it had been in the past. The banding of the hat had kept the curse centralized and it was more of a vacant bump than a canyon on the left side of his head. She supposed it wouldn't be comforting if she had gone up and said "That's nothing you should have seen how bad it could have been."

Fred's eyes met hers for a moment as she gazed at the two of them. He had looked scared up until George had cracked a joke about being Holey, but now he looked a little more at ease. Or as at ease as could be hoped. George's coloring was returning and he didn't look as pale as when he first arrived, yet he was still seeking some of Dr Ogden's World Famous Fire Whiskey to wash out the blood replenishing potion his mother had given him.

"They should have been here by now," Ron said looking at the clock and the back door. "Why aren't they-"

"Maybe they got mixed up with Mad Eye and he's making them take the long way round?" Harry tried.

Hermione broke her gaze at the twins and looked up at Ron, "Who?"

"Bill and Fleur," Ron said, motioning his head to his mother, "If Mom wasn't having to take care of George she'd be having a right proper fit that we haven't heard from them yet."

"Where were they flying in from?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"Muriel has a house on the coast, they're living there once they get married-but it's not far from here," he answered, breaking his gaze from the door to look at Hermione. Those clear eyes, heavy with concern. He tried to pull off a half smile but it wasn't convincing.

Before she could open her mouth the door opened and all three of them on the stairs jumped up in an instant. Fleur was pulling Bill into the room, flying towards Mrs Weasley as the rest of the guard circled around them.

"Bill Weasley," Mrs Weasley huffed, wrapping spare dressing from George's ear and tucking it in her pocket, "Where have you been?"

But Bill didn't make eye contact with Mrs Weasley. Instead, he looked over to Remus and Kingsley. "Mad Eye's Dead. Dung too."

Dung too-

"What?" Hermione asked exasperated. She must have heard that wrong. Dung wasn't supposed to die-he didn't die last time. They only had hats on, that was the only thing she had changed, why had he-

Kingsley turned to Remus and then looked at Tonks whose hair was appear dull and sullen. "What happened?"

"Well, Mad Eye had expected the Death Eaters to come after he and Potter-and they did-but I don't think he could have expected that quickly. The Death Eaters circled around them a few times, as though they were creating a shield. We thought maybe Dung was going to make a run for it and try apparating but they cast the anti-Apparition charm and then-"

"They were sitting ducks," Fleur finished for Bill.

"Once they were immobilized, You know who came straight for them. I didn't see him get Dung, but Mad Eye Fell and-Dung wasn't that good of a flyer. He came after us next-I think it's because we were close. Don't know what made him change his mind.

" Harry," Remus started, "Harry was a little too diplomatic to Stan Shunpike."

"The kid from the Knight Bus?" Bill asked.

"If I had stunned him from the air it would have killed him like it did Dung," Harry argued, "Stan's not himself, he's-"

"The time for Defensive Spells are past Harry, we cast to-"

Mr Weasley interrupted by waving his wand as 12 glasses zoomed out of the cabinet and Ogden's Firewhiskey flew from George's side, fill the glasses in turn before they zoomed out to the crowd assembled.

"They'll be plenty of time to discuss what should have beens," Mr Weasley said, looking at his son as he did so, "But that can wait for later. To Mundungus and Mad Eye," he said, raising his glass and emptying it. Hermione looked over to Fred and George, both with expressions of stone. Fred's eyes flickered to her and she knew something was wrong but she wasn't quite sure what. She supposed maybe he was concerned it could have easily been To George.

Once Remus and Mr Weasley had finished their glass, and Remus started to the door, reaching for his traveling cloak. Mr Weasley not far behind him was doing the same.

"Where are you off to?" Mrs Weasley started, "Arthur-"

"Mad Eye's Body we-we ought to get it before the Death Eaters," Mr Weasley replied, turning to face his wife. "And Dung-they, they should both be brought back"

Mrs Weasley's expression seemed to soften. Kingsley grabbed his cloak as did Tonks. "We'll be back as soon as we can Molly," Kingsley said in that even, calming voice. "Don't worry. The Death Eaters won't be lingering out tonight-they won't expect us to leave the safe house."

Mrs Weasley nodded, still fidgeting with one of the towels she had tended George with. Mr Weasley, Remus, Kingsley, Tonks and Bill all made their way out the door, Fleur, Hermione noticed, sneaking out not long after Bill had.

Her absence didn't go unnoticed as George hoisted himself on his elbows to look above the back of the sofa. "Hang on, I was hoping Fleur was going to stay and fret over me like she did Bill," he sighed, falling back into the pillows.

"How did you figure that?" Fred asked, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"She did it for Bill when his face went through the shredder-"

"Still looks like it did," Ginny sighed rolling her eyes, sitting next to George's feet on the shoulder.

George looked distraught, "Well, at least he got to sit with a pretty bird while he was in pain."

Ginny's eyes flickered to Hermione and she rolled them. George noticed, "Oy, Granger, come nurse me in my moment of need."

"Leave her be," Fred said, flicking his eyes to the three of them and then turning his back to them so he faced George, "Want me to run to the shop and get you one of those Day Dream Fancies? Would that help?"

"Could've been a healer with prescriptions like that," George smiled as he Fred and Ginny fell into a chatter, Mrs Weasley now in the kitchen trying to make tea while looking through the window.

"Come on, we should probably talk," Ron said lowly, trying to blend in to the clatter, "Mum's distracted-she's been a bit of a snoop lately, we might not get another opportunity like this."

He and Harry turned around and headed up the winding staircase. "Hermione are you coming?" Ron asked.

Her eyes flickered again from the three Weasleys chatting on the sofa. A tight smile pulled at her lips, as she turned and followed her friends to the attic.

((*))

The family clock chimed one in the morning.

His mother had pulled out one of the many crocheted blankets and draped it over George. He was out like a light-the sleeping draught their mother had drained him of whatever addrenlin you received when you lose your ear-and the Fire Whiskey had done its magic, soundly sending him to sleep. The house was still. It always left him with an uneasy feeling when the Burrow was this quiet. Even the Ghoul seemed to sense their was something amiss, his usual concerto on the pipes too was absent.

Fred wished for it. He wished for anything. Any noise. A drip from the sink, a crackle from the fire. Anything, anything at all, to keep his mind at bay. Anything to pull it to the present. Anything to keep it from falling thru time, to last year -June, particularly- when he and George had gone to the Hospital Wing to see the usual Suspects after their adventures in the Ministry.

It was something George had said. After Ginny had gone up to bed and his parents said their good nights, he and George had laid there talking. "Lucky Hermione thought about the hats," George had said, his hand tracing the canyon that stretched the left side of his head, " If we had kept the flaps on this wouldn't of happened-but if we hadn't had the hats themself maybe it would've been worse."

"Reckon your scull's thick enough you would have been fine," Fred joked, listening to his brother laugh. But George's words seemed to stick in his head. How it was lucky Hermione thought of these hats. How it was almost a godsend Hermione had the forethought to insist they wear these hats. How she had been furious when they had arrived with the flapless hats.

How she had stopped George and made sure his was firmly on his head, ears tucked in.

When he had gone to see her in the Hospital Wing last year, she had said something that now stuck out in his memory like the joke shop on Diagon Alley-

She had thought he was George.

To be fair, it was something most people struggled with. Usually Hermione got it right, but he had let it slide. After all, she had just broken into the Ministry, been Hexed by Dolohov, and survived Umbridge's reign of terror. If anyone had earned a pass on getting their names right, it was Hermione.

He remembered thinking she was different. That something had gone amiss. She had seemed disoriented and was going on about a ski accident-

But she had insisted he was George.

Until she saw his ears. Once she saw there were two ears-only then did she correct herself and realize he was Fred.

How could she have known about this? He wanted to shout the question from the orchard. Was it possible Hermione knew this would happen? Did Dolohov's curse spark something in her to where she now had the inner eye? There had to be a logical explanation for all of this-but Fred couldn't see it.

All he could see was the plaster wrapped around his brother's head and the dry specks of blood their mother had missed earlier.

She thought you were George-she saw two ears and realized it was you-and he remembered how her face paled. How her hand seemed to wrap around his arm in a death grip. As if she had seen a ghost.

She had also been confused on the date. He remembered-she was convinced it was 1999. He had chalked that up, again to Dolohov, but now he wasn't so sure.

Because if he had learned anything in the last six hours, Hermione Granger was always alert and aware of her surroundings. Even while being chased on a broom with hexes and jinxes flying her way.

He waved his wand and summoned his bag he had brought with him. It was his just-in-case bag-if something happened and they had to stay rather than return to the shop. He opened it and dug through it, scattering the contents until he found it-

He pulled out an old looking book with ancient edging on the pages. It looked like a school book she might poor into, but he knew it better. He opened it and saw the blank pages. Taking a quill he started scribbling the phrase, hoping there was a scenario where Hermione forgave him for what he was doing.

She knew about George, a voice in his head pushed him, what else does she know?

His eyes looked to where she had sat on the stairs. She wasn't there now, but he could see her face. Her deep, secretive brown eyes warning him not to.

But when had Fred ever listened to warnings?

He dug out a quill from his bag and traced the words "I solemnly swear" They disappeared as soon as they had appeared from the wand tip and turning the page Fred watched as spider black ink webbed to the surface. Anxiously he started reading wondering where in this web he'd find himself in the morning.

((*))

AN: Remember how I promised to update before Memorial Day...? Sorry about that.

I had no intention to make you wait till August to get this chapter. The summer has been busier than I first anticipated. I wanted to get this out on Tuesday JK's Birthday, even that deadline I missed. I've had this chapter in my head since this story started! It came out a little different than I had anticipated, but I'm kind of proud of it. And anxious to hear what you think! We're at a turning point in this story yall-get ready for it.

Slight but might changes in this chapter. Hope to update soon. Until then, be kind to one another- KH