Chapter Twenty - The Birthday

True to his word Fred worked hard over the next few days to repair his relationship with not only Hermione but everyone else that had been at the wrong end of his recent moods.

Everyone was very understanding and he was particularly thankful that both Harry and Verity agreed to Hermione's request to not mention their row to anyone else, especially Fred's family. Harry did inform Fred privately, however, that if the situation ever repeated itself then he would have no problem involving Ginny, Ron and even Molly if necessary.

Hermione spent all of her free time over the next few days mediating between Fred and his friends and family, trying to come up with a solution regarding the birthday itself and how to best mark the day. Fred felt that a big party would be too overwhelming yet they both agreed that trying to exclude people would cause problems.

At last Hermione declared she had a solution and asked Fred to trust her in regards to the execution of the plan. Fred cautiously agreed but continued to dread the approaching day.

The morning of the 1st arrived and Fred awoke to find a large red envelope sitting on the pillow next to him, containing a note.

Dear Fred -

Thank you for trusting me. Many people wanted to see you today to let you know how much you (and George) mean to them, so we settled on a compromise. Rather than a big gathering where you would have to face everyone at once, we have planned a bit of a 'treasure hunt'. At each stage there will be someone to give you their love as well as directions to your next destination. The last stop will contain your present from me and, if you feel up to it, your immediate family would like have small dinner tonight at the Burrow.

Your starting point is downstairs in the shop.

All my love,
Hermione

Fred hesitated then finally got up, got dressed and had breakfast before going down to the store. He found Verity sitting behind the counter holding another red envelope as well as a small brightly wrapped package.

"Morning, boss. Happy Birthday." Verity smiled and handed him the package.

Fred nodded. "Thanks, Ver. You didn't have to do that."

"I know. Wanted to though. You and George gave me my first real job and made sure I was taken care of when everything went down with Moldywarts. Then you opened the place back up and offered my spot back. I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate all you've done for me."

Fred opened the package and his eyes lit up when he saw the picture that Verity had framed. It was the three of them on the day of the first Grand Opening. They all looked so young and hopeful. Fred chuckled. "I remember those first few weeks. It took us forever to get you to stop calling us 'Mr. Weasley'. It made us feel like our Dad was standing next to us."

Verity shook her head. "My mum had beat that sort of thing into me as a child. The first time I called George by his first name I was certain that she was going to pop out from behind a display and pound me." She gave Fred a brief hug. "We all miss him, you know. But you do him proud, Boss. You really do."

She quickly wiped a tear from her cheek and handed him the red envelope. "Right. On your way then. Lots of folks want to see you today and some of us have work to do."

Fred smiled and ruffled the girl's short blond hair. "Thanks, Verity. I know I don't tell you this often enough but you're the best."

She stuck her tongue out and made a face. "Yeah, yeah. Remember that the next time I ask for a raise."

Thus began Fred's journey. Each envelope directed him on to another friendly face. He stopped at several shops on Diagon Alley and recalled the early days of the business with the other owners. He visited with Garrick Ollivander and reminisced about the day he and George went to pick out their first wands and the chaos that ensued as the boys began dueling in the store.

He met Lee and Angelina at the Leaky Cauldron and relived their Quidditch glory days over pints of Butterbeer. He was then directed to the gates of Hogwarts where he was greeted by Professor Flitwick, who took him inside to see the remnant of the Portable Swamp. He commended both boys on creating "quite a good piece of magic" and confided that most of the staff had cheered when he and George made their rather spectacular exit and that they actually missed the twins after they'd gone.

Next he was ushered into Professor McGonagall's office where she produced an old, cardboard suitcase and laid it on her desk. Tied to the handle was a faded tag with a handwritten notation - "Messrs. F & G Weasley".

"I found this when I moved into the office. Apparently Albus had been keeping it as a present upon the occasion of the Weasley twins graduation. Since circumstances conspired to prevent that from happening, Miss Granger and I decided this would be the appropriate time to pass it along to you."

Fred reached out to open the lid but it seemed to be locked. He looked at the Headmistress for assistance. McGonagall peered over her glasses. "I assume that he would have made the counterspell something that would have meant something to you and your brother?"

A smile crept across Fred's face. How could Dumbledore have known? He pulled out his wand, tapped the suitcase and softly recited, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Immediately the case sprang open and, to Fred's delight, he saw that it was filled with every prank that his former Headmaster had confiscated from the twins during their time at Hogwarts. Fred shook his head. "Dumbledore didn't miss a trick, did he?"

The headmistress smiled. "Not many, I should think." She took a deep breath and added, "If I may be so bold, Mr. Weasley, I should like to make a request. If the relationship between you and Miss Granger should eventually produce any progeny, please promise that none of these items will make a repeat appearance on school grounds - at least as long as I am employed here."

Fred raised his hand. "I promise to do my best, Professor."

She sighed, making a mental note to retire eleven years after the birth of the next Weasley child and then escorted Fred back to the front gate.

The next stop brought him to the home of Andromeda Tonks where he and Harry played with Teddy and recalled days of Quidditch and pranks in the Gryffindor common room. Before he left Fred hugged his friend. "Thanks for being willing to kick my arse when I need it, Harry. You're a good mate."

Harry shrugged. "Well, it's a dirty job but somebody has to do it." He winked. "Best get on your way. Don't want to keep Hermione waiting."

Harry's envelope directed Fred to the Longbottom residence where Neville was working in the front garden. He gestured to a wrought iron bench where both men took a seat. Neville wiped the dirt from his hands and pulled the next envelope out of his pocket. He smiled at Fred.

"I know that you and George never really noticed me at school but I always looked up to the pair of you. After you left I often asked myself 'What would Fred and George do?' when I was faced with a tricky situation. It was your inspiration that helped me hang in there in spite of Umbridge and the Carrows. I couldn't have done it without you both. Thanks. "

Fred shook his head. "Nonsense, Neville. You were the tough one. You stayed behind and put up with a hell of a lot more than George and I could have. You held everyone together and helped keep Ginny safe in the process. Without the guts you showed in the courtyard that day, Voldemort might very well have won and then George and the others would have died for nothing."

He turned to face Neville. "You are a good mate and I am proud - hell, I am honored - to call you my friend. You ever need anything, Nev, you come to me, okay?"

The duo shook hands and Neville handed over the envelope. "Off you go. Last thing I need is Hermione hexing me for making you late."

Fred opened the envelope and laughed. Of course this would be the next stop after Neville.

He soon found himself pushing open a wobbly gate with a sign reading "Pick your own mistletoe" and walking up the crooked path to the newly rebuilt Lovegood residence. Where the former house had resembled a giant chess rook, the new home was built to look like a chess queen.

Fred knocked on the door and a minute later he was greeted by a bare foot Luna smiling at him. "Hello, Fred. Happy Birthday."

Before he could respond Luna reached up and gave his left earlobe a firm tug. "There. That's for luck."

"Oh. Well. Thank you very much then."

He was even more surprised when Luna reached behind the door, pulled out his broomstick and handed it to him. He stared for a moment and asked, "Luna, why do you have my broom?"

Instead of answering Luna simply reached into the pocket of her jumper and pulled out another red envelope. Before she released it she peered at him with her silvery grey eyes and stated, "You know, you're really very fortunate."

Fred couldn't help but smile at the little witch. He could almost swear that at times she looked through people instead of at them. "How so, Luna?"

She cocked her head to one side. "Most people never find their soul mate. You were born with one and when he had to leave he made sure there was another one on hand to step in and take care of you."

A tear sprang to Fred's eye and he stammered out. "T-Thank you, Luna. I never thought of it that way before."

Luna nodded and handed over the envelope. "You best be on your way. I expect she's getting cold by now."

With that she closed the door, leaving Fred standing fuddled on the doorstep. He laughed and shook his head before opening the envelope. The instructions were different this time. Instead of giving a name or a place, this note simply read:

"Take 10 giant steps back and look up."

Fred shrugged and complied with the instructions. He counted off the required steps, looked up and gasped.

Sitting on the highest point of the house, perched on the queen's crown, was Hermione, giving him a tentative wave. Fred quickly mounted his broom and flew to the roof. "Bloody hell, Hermione! What are you doing up here?"

"Waiting for you." She took a deep breath and added, "Don't suppose you'd mind getting me down now, would you?"

He eased the broom over to where she was seated and used his boot to steady himself against the building. He gently helped her into the spot in front of him and held her tightly as they made their way to the ground. They came to a stop and to Fred's surprise Hermione stayed on the broom, turning slightly to face him.

He stared in disbelief. "How long have you been there?"

Hermione shrugged. "At the house? Most of the day. On the roof? Not very long. Harry sent an owl after you left him and Luna stayed up there with me until you arrived."

Fred shook his head. "The question, luv, is why?"

She smiled and placed her hand on his cheek. "To get you back on a broom again. I can't remember the last time you flew. I thought if you were given a reason you might recall how much you enjoyed it. I wanted to give you back the thing you love most in the world - flying."

He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. "You got that part wrong, luv. You are what I love most in the world." He pressed his lips firmly against hers. After a moment he pulled back and glanced towards the Lovegood home.

"Did you really spend the entire day with Luna?"

Hermione grinned. "Yes. I now have an extensive knowledge of snorkacks and humdingers if you ever have any questions."

Fred laughed out loud at the thought of that discussion. Hermione smiled. "Actually we spent most of the day talking about her Mum. She showed me some photos of the two of them. You can really see the resemblance. She was very pretty and Luna had a lot of great stories about her. It almost feels like I've met her now."

Fred nodded. "She died during mine and Georgie's second year at Hogwarts. I don't remember a lot about her but she seemed really nice and she always brought Christmas cookies over to the Burrow each year. I hadn't thought of her in a long time."

Hermione rested her head upon his chest for a moment and then whispered, "So...how was your day?"

Fred held her tight. "It was good. I will admit I was doubtful at first. Quite honestly, I really wanted to stay in bed and wallow in my misery. But the more people I talked with the more I realized that it was better to remember George's life instead of concentrating on the fact that he's gone. It's what he would have wanted - focusing on the laughter instead of the tears. Thank you for that."

Hermione snuggled closer to him. "I actually got the idea from something Luna told me when we were at Shell Cottage. I was having a lot of trouble talking about Dobby at first and she said, 'As long as someone tells your story then you aren't really gone.' I've never forgotten that."

Fred kissed the top of her head. "Is that why you chose this as the final stop?"

Hermione looked at him and winked. "But this isn't the final stop, Mr. Weasley. I just thought that since you will be flying me on to the Burrow that this would be the best starting point for the last bit of the journey."

Fred stared as if she had suddenly sprouted another head. "Fly you to the Burrow? But you hate flying!"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't hate it. I'm scared of it. But you love flying and I love you. Besides..." She turned, gripped the broomstick and leaned her back firmly into his chest. "I know that you won't let anything happen to me so I will be perfectly safe."

Fred was quite certain that he had never loved her more than he did at that moment. He grasped her around the waist and whispered into her ear, "Sure?"

His breath on her skin made her shiver. She closed her eyes and nodded. "Sure."

With that he kicked off and soon they were soaring gently towards the Burrow. Soon he felt her relax in his arms and before long he noticed that she not only had her eyes open but she actually seemed to be enjoying herself. She even released her hold on the broom and instead rested her arms on the one encircling her waist.

They flew like that for a long while before Hermione peered over her shoulder. "You're holding back."

"Of course I am. I want this to be a good experience for you. You've obviously had enough bad ones."

She paused and then asked, "Tell me this - if it were just you up here having fun what would you do?"

Fred squinted and considered the question "I don't know...a dive or a grip roll I suppose."

She tightened her hold on his arm. "Right then. Let's do it."

His eyes grew wide as saucers. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely."

He grinned as he recognized the familiar set of her jaw and defiant glint in her eyes indicating that her mind was irrevocably set upon something. "Okay then. I'll take us up a few more feet and count to three. We'll make the dive and when I say the word we'll do the grip roll. It will go fast. When we are upside down just let your weight press on me. I can take it. Feel free to scream if you need to. All right?"

She gave a sharp nod and they climbed higher in the air. They hesitated briefly before he began the countdown. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. On 'three' they plummeted downwards and Hermione let out a shriek. Then she heard Fred yell, "Now!" as he quickly maneuvered the broom into a tight spiral before deftly returning them to level flight.

She sat very still and Fred felt her working to regain her breath. He frowned, concerned that he had done too much too soon and made her fears even worse. "Hermione? Are you okay? I'm sorry if I frightened you, luv..."

She spun around, her cheeks rosy with exhilaration and a broad smile on her face. Her eyes sparkled and she gasped out, "That was brilliant!"

Fred's body shook with laughter. This little witch never ceased to amaze him. She quickly turned back and grabbed hold of his arm once again. "Do something else!"

They spent the better part of the next hour enjoying a variety of aerial acrobatics before she finally signaled that they needed to land. They touched down in the field behind the Burrow and Hermione did something she never thought she would do - she sadly dismounted a broomstick.

She struggled to tame her windblown hair and beamed at Fred before kissing him firmly. He gathered her in his arms and held the kiss until they both had to break for sheer need of oxygen. He cupped her face in his hands. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

Hermione pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. "Today? Not sure...May need a reminder."

He grabbed her by the waist and captured her mouth with such intensity that she was glad he was holding her so tightly. If not she was certain her knees would have gone out from under her.

When they finally came up for air, Hermione reached up and ran her fingers lightly across his face and then glanced towards the Burrow. "Your family would like to have dinner with you. Feel up to it?"

Fred nodded. "Yeah. Spending time with Teddy today made me realize some things. I was focusing so much on how it felt for me to lose George that I never truly considered how rough this must be on my parents. I think I owe them both an apology."

Hermione gazed at him before squeezing his hand and then stepping away. "Right then. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Fred tipped his head and grabbed her hand. "Where do you think you're going?"

Hermione hesitated, pushing a bit of hair behind her ear. "I assumed this was strictly a family dinner."

Fred intertwined their fingers. "Luv, you are my family. I'm not going anywhere without you."

He pulled her towards the house. She stood still for a moment. He turned and gave her a mischievous grin. "You can either walk or be carried, luv. Either way works for me."

She moved forward and he wrapped his arm around her as they headed towards the place that they now both thought of as home.