Disclaimer- Not. Mine.
Chapter 8
Fred treaded softly down the lane towards the village market. Today was going to be the day, he could feel it in his bones. It was time for a breakthrough and it was going to come today. The sweet scent of success was in the air.
As he walked he hummed quietly under his breath. He needed this, he was anxious to return home. Not that Hermione will be there, his mind interjected, only momentarily causing him to forsake his newfound peace. "At the end of this path paved by choice dwells my happily ever after." Fred spoke aloud, trying to sooth his turbulent thoughts.
He had so many doubts these days.
It wasn't wise to entertain his doubts, he understood that much, but it was difficult. How could anyone really focus on the future, when the reality of the present was daily bearing down upon him?
Soon enough he was in the village square moving past the shopping booths that had become common shopping grounds in the last month or so. "Ah, Red. Back again I see." The older gentleman manning the fruit stand bellowed.
"Jack, how's business?"
"Fairing well my friend. Of course, you've known that since yesterday, when last I saw you. What do you really wish to ask me?" Jack asked, an unfamiliar glint reflecting in his pale eyes.
Fred smiled jovially. This was the first time he had made the trek to the market on two consecutive days. Of course Jack would catch on, and even be slightly suspicious. "Actually, my good man, there is a question or two I'd like to send your way." Placing his elbow on the stand and placing his head in his hand, Fred met the stand keepers gaze. "You don't, perhaps, have somewhere we might speak privately, do you?"
Jack took a moment to silently size Fred up, before nodding and motioning for him to follow him into the building behind his stand. Wordlessly the pair moved through the lower level before taking the stairs to an upper room. Jack paced to the window on the far side of the room, while Fred remained standing in its middle. "I've been expecting you."
Fred nodded. "I was sure you had been."
Jack bowed his head, turning away from the window. "I'll answer your questions." He said, raising his gaze to Fred's. "But first I ask that you answer mine."
"Fair enough." Fred acquiescenced.
Jack nodded. "How is he?"
"Who?" Fred questioned, confused.
"How is my brother?" Jack re-asked. "How is Albus Dumbledore?"
✤
Ginny walked confidently up to the empty lot, her cohorts trailing behind her. "There's nothing here." Neville pointed out. "Are you really certain about this?"
"Trust me." Ginny said. "Just think the address I showed you." The closer they came to the bare lot, more of the house appeared. Taking quick steps the trio moved through the door, standing in the foyer for mere moments. Wordlessly Ginny pointed to the staircase, and the group moved to the houses upper level.
At the head of the stairs Ginny waved her hand in a tight circle, signaling that they should split in order to cover more rooms at a time. The house was quiet for a few moments, aside from the rustle of papers and the opening and closing of drawers.
"Found it." Luna urgently to herself, gingerly lifting it out of the drawer. "Found it. I've got it." Luna spoke up, backing out of the room she currently occupied.
"Yeah?" Neville asked, backing out of the room that he had taken to searching.
"Excellent!" Ginny quietly exclaimed, examining the locket held in Luna's outstretched hand.
"Now what?" Luna asked.
"We follow directions." Ginny answered, nodding to Neville as he pulled Dumbledore's correspondence from his pocket.
✤
Hermione paced through the house, flipping through the notes she had taken based upon her research. Idly she chewed on the end of her pen. I'm overlooking something. "What am I overlooking?" She asked herself aloud.
Quietly she surveyed the dimly lit dinning room. Trying to shut out the world around her, she closed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, pulling it away from her face.
Knowledge. Ranvenclaw was known for her knowledge. Absently Hermione drummed her fingers over the table top, starring at a spot on the wall across the room. How can knowledge be represented? There is always the obvious, manifested in the appearance of books, and scrolls, and writing utensils. But would Ravenclaw rely on the obvious?
No. She wouldn't.
Pacing the dining room, she passed into the kitchen and began rummaging through the cupboards. Meticulously she pulled out the peanut butter, and a package of bread before commencing in compiling a peanut butter sandwich. She smiled softly to herself as she recalled the conversation she and Fred had had concerning peanut butter sandwiches. He had adamantly insisted that no peanut butter sandwich was ever complete without first adding jelly into the mix.
Of course, they had agreed to disagree once Mr. Weasley had informed them of his own penchant for peanut butter sandwiches with sliced banana and mayo. Gross!
Shaking her head, Hermione lifted her sandwich off the counter and carried it into the other room, where she resumed her seat at the table. Leaning back in her chair she allowed her mind to wander. She silently hoped that Harry and Ron were alright, and wondered what Fred was up to. Was he home, or working in the shop? Was he safe? Was he upset with her?
She had so many questions, and no answers.
Lazily she flipped through the books on Celtic mythology spread out before her. It wasn't until she turned to the section concerning symbols that she took the initiative to sit up, and place her sandwich on the table, quite forgotten. Right there, on the upper left-hand corner of the page was a picture of a salmon, and under it was the word she had been looking for all along in bold print: KNOWLEDGE.
✤
"I still can't believe you sided with her." Ron agonized, pulling back a branch long enough for Harry to proceed him into the dense foliage.
With a deep sigh, Harry swept his hand through his hair. "It's not that I sided with anyone Ron. It was a good idea. You're the strategist here, can't you just admit that it was a good idea, and the right decision and leave it at that." Harry reasoned, turning to Ron and halting their romp through the vegetation.
Ron remained silent, threw his head back and stared up into the vast sky, bespeckled with shimmering stars. For a moment Harry was certain that he wasn't going to get an answer. "I know it was the right decision." Ron muttered softly. "It's just... The problem is..."
"I know Ron." Harry reassured, clapping his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Nothings certain and it makes this difficult. She'll be careful though, and things will turn out in the end."
"But will they turn out for the best in the end?" Ron asked quietly, meeting Harry's gaze.
"That, mate, remains to be seen." Harry murmured, and with a swift nod of the head turned and continued moving. "Now, are you going to help me, or do I have to do all of the work?" Harry chided with a lopsided grin as he continued to pick his way through the heavily wooded area.
✤
The day following his initial meeting with Jack, Fred found himself once more walking the path to the market, carrying the hope that this visit would prove more fruitful than the one the previous day.
Jack laughed as he surveyed Fred's shocked expression. "Relax mate, relax. He's not my brother exactly, but truly, how is the old man?"
Fred remained silent, surveying his companion. "How could you possibly know?"
"There are many things that I know." Jack answered cryptically. Fred nodded, continuing to remain cautiously silent.
Fred shook his head in an attempt to clear it. Yesterday's conversation didn't last much beyond these few words, as Jack would speak no further without obvious trust on Fred's part, and Fred would not impart trust without the knowledge of Dumbledore.
Needless to say, yesterday's conversation was a bust.
Today though, today would have to be the day. Today some answers would be gotten.
Tranquilly Fred sauntered through the marketplace, casually making his way to Jack's stand. "I see you've returned. Just couldn't stay away, eh?" Jack spoke teasingly, before Fred even had a chance to properly greet him.
Startled momentarily, it took a moment for Fred to will a smile that appeared easily won to grace his features. "Jack. I just can't stay away."
Jack smiled warmly. "Take a seat, friend. I'll be right back." Fred nodded, moving behind the outer counter and taking a seat. With a wink, Jack disappeared within the store front behind him. Calmly Fred gazed skyward, watching the clouds pass by. Wondering and hoping that today would be the day he made a breakthrough.
"Let's go man. Come, come." Jack called from the opposite side of the counter. "Enough daydreaming, we have places to be."
Fred blinked rapidly in an attempt to bring his mind back to the present. "How did you... How the bloody hell did you get over there?"
Jack cocked one eyebrow, and settled a wide smirk upon his young companion. "I walked. How else do you think I got here? Now come on, get up, lets be on our way."
"What?" Fred questioned, getting to his feet and trailing slightly behind Jack. "Go, where are we going?"
"You came to ask me to come with you, did you not?"
"But." Fred paused. "I haven't even asked you yet!"
"All the better." Jack answered, taking several long steps back to Fred and tugging on his arm. "Now get up here and lead the way, mate."
✤
Hermione urgently sifted through her notes, and materials, hunting for the one and only picture that she had managed to procure of the four founders. It was a rough sketch really, but she was certain that it would contain all that she truly sought in this moment.
"Come on, come on, I know it's here..." She mumbled softly, growing more and more agitated the longer the search became. "Ah."
Feverishly Hermione traversed around the table, the sketch in hand, and retrieved her magnifying glass. Haphazardly she threw herself into an armchair and spread the sketch out on the coffee table, before carefully running her magnifying glass along the picture.
"There you are Ms. Ravenclaw." Hermione softly murmured. Paying special attention to detail, Hermione moved the magnifying glass along the portion of the sketch containing Ravenclaw. "What have we here?" Hermione muttered to herself, moving the magnifying glass closer to get a larger look at Ravenclaw's left wrist. There, dangling lithely from her wrist was a silver woven chain with miniature salmon pendants hanging from it. "Bingo."
✤
"I'm not so sure about this." Neville muttered nervously.
"You worry too much." Luna said matter-of-factly.
"It'll be just fine." Ginny reasoned. "Besides, you're the only one that can apperate. How else are we going to get there?"
Neville was silent for a long moment, seeming to debate with himself. "We could walk?" He replied weakly, sighing heavily at the signs of disapproval given by his companions. "Right." He muttered. "Alright, I guess."
"'Ata boy, Neville." Luna answered jovially, grabbing hold of his left arm and moving swiftly to his side.
"This'll work. Promise." Ginny smiled, grabbing hold of Neville's left arm and pulling herself to his right side.
"Yeah." Neville muttered. "Sure it will."
✤
Fred attempted to subtly observe his two companions, though he had a feeling such attempts were futile. For one, he was sitting with Dumbledore and Jack, to of the most un-nervingly observant people on the plant. They each seemed to know, and be aware of everything. Secondly, one cannot be incognito and/or stealthy when one's head (full of bright red hair) is bobbing to and fro.
Though, perhaps, he was managing to go unnoticed, just a tiny itty bitty bit. Or so he liked to think.
The room was quiet. All noise it seemed, had been suspended. Expelled from the room. Banished. At one point Fred began to wonder if maybe it wasn't that no one was talking, but maybe he had only lost his hearing. Of course, at these times a bird would fly by the window, cackling loudly, proving that his hearing was in fact still in tact.
Why don't they say anything?
Idly he began drumming his fingers on the tabletop. "You aren't well." Jack spoke softly. Dumbledore nodded.
"No. I'm not." It was Jack's turn to nod.
"This is your new protégé. This whole business is to be passed on to him?" Curiously, Fred turned his gaze to Jack, wondering at his choice of words.
"There may not be much more to pass on." Dumbledore supplied challengingly, to which Jack's eyebrows raised.
"No?"
"No."
Jack nodded running a hand across his face. "I see." He said. "So we are near an end. Though, perhaps it is not ours to be won." He pondered turning his gaze to meet Fred's puzzled expression. "I see our friend is left largely in the dark."
"Not largely." Dumbledore amended fondly. "Only where you are involved my friend."
Jack laughed softly. "So I see." Once more that strange glint passed through his eyes. "Perhaps this would ebb befuddlement." Jack added, pulling from his deep coat pocket a miniature goblet, encrusted with a rather menacing badger. "I believe you've been seeking this, Mr. Weasley."
✤
The band of three landed with an unspeakably graceless fall. Not a one remained standing, much to the rueful displeasure of each of them. Their surroundings were dark, and mildly dank, though through the glistening moonlight up above it became increasingly obvious that they had managed to plant themselves in the middle of an unknown, wooded area. "Excellent. Now what?" Ginny groaned.
"I told you. What did I say? We definitely should have walked!" Neville exclaimed, immediately assuming the absolute worst.
"No wait..." Luna attempted to interjected.
"How do we navigate from here?" Ginny questioned, coming to her feet and turning in tight circles.
"Why is it no one ever listens?" Neville questioned himself despairingly.
"Guy's, hold on..."
"What about the directions, what do they say?" Ginny asked turning to Luna who promptly threw herself back at the ground and crossed her legs. "What?" Ginny asked, befuddled by Luna's annoyance.
"If the pair of you would just listen I'd have told you that we are exactly where we should be several moments ago!" Luna exclaimed.
"Oh." Ginny and Neville mutually consented, each taking a seat on either side of Luna. "Well than." Neville continued. "What next?"
"We follow the dirt path." Luna instructed, lighting her wand and pointing out the path that sprouted just ahead of them, leading into the woods inner depths. "Any volunteers to lead the way?"
✤
Stepping out of the house, and precisely locking the door, Hermione moved gracefully down the front steps and disappeared around the corner. Once she was out of sight of any and all prying eyes, she apperated, leaving that which had become her current home, and reappearing in an ally tucked away in the middle of a bustling marketplace.
Taking several deep breaths, Hermione emerged from the shadows and began her trek through the crowded streets, searching for the address she had scrawled across her hand before leaving the house. If she were correct, a particular vendor would be in possession of the bracelet, possibly even anticipating her arrival.
Traveling slowly, in order to ensure that she didn't miss her location, she was surprised when she came to the end of the marketplace without stumbling upon the correct vendor. Bewildered, she turned around and made the walk once more. After doing this several times, to no avail, Hermione moved the smallish courtyard in the market's center, and sat on one of the benches there in a great huff. How did I miss it? How can it not be here
Hermione had been seated there, with head held in her hands for quite some time when an older woman approached her. "Are you quite all right my dear?" The older woman asked kindly.
Looking up, Hermione shielded her eyes from the sun in order to get a better look at the woman's face, which remained greatly obscured by the bright sunlight. "No, no. I'm quite fine." Hermione articulated, hold up her hand in a stop signal.
"Oh." The woman said softly, appearing transfixed by Hermione's outstretched palm. This is when Hermione realized that she had held out the hand upon which she had scrawled the vendor location. "You have come." The woman grasped Hermione's hand before she could pull it away. "You are here."
"Excuse me?"
"You have come." The woman whispered in her ear, dangling the salmon pendant bracelet in front of her eyes before taking off through the streets.
"No! Wait!" Hermione exclaimed, shooting up from her seat and chasing after the woman.
✤
How about this? Two chapters in a matter of days. I wanted to get this up last night, but I just couldn't get everything to go the way I wanted to. Hopefully getting it up today is better than not getting it up at all:)
Thanks again to pstibbons for the delightful review as well as for reading. Thanks are do also to ravendove2007. I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one as well.
Thanks again, and keep those reviews coming.
Peace Out and all that Jazz.