A/N: Huzzah! A new chapter for you all. I love the reviews. Thanks to harry'sPhoenixWand, blackwolfs900, loveofsapphires, Black Mirror, BabeCake, Abraxania, SnarkyGirl91, Malik Fan 03, mackgirl, kymikial, FredWeasleyLover1126, worldsapart, miz vanessa anne, and quidditchgirl07. Yes, the epilogue will be changed a bit, and I agree that there is no magical world without Fred Weasley. Thanks again for the reviews. They make me happy.

Disclaimer: Almost all to J.K. Rowling. *bows*

Chapter Three

Hermione woke from an uneasy sleep when she heard a persistent tapping noise. She rubbed her eyes to see the smallest pink glow creeping through her window from the sky outside and a small, beige owl flapping at eye level, determined to be let in. This wasn't the same owl she had summoned from Eeylop's. It was sleeker and smaller, like it was built for speed rather than distance. It also looked exhausted, poor thing. She let it in before creeping downstairs to grab a bowl from the kitchen and filled it with water. She quickly reentered her room and gave the grateful bird the cool liquid before untying the letter from its foot.

Hermione opened it quickly, scanning the contents by the light of the sunrise outside. She was annoyed at Fred's nosiness at first, but her irritation was offset by his superfluous manner of writing and the gratitude she felt upon his reply to her inquiry. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. The blaring red digital numbers read 4:30 AM. She didn't think she'd be able to get back to sleep. Her mind had barley let her drift off the first time. She removed her Hogwarts trunk from the small, oak wardrobe against the peach-colored wall and began to pack. She would be completely ready to go in an hour, when her parents would be stumbling around the kitchen for their morning coffee. They had imbued their daughter with the habit of being an early riser, something which, at the moment, she now appreciated.

She didn't use magic this time, savoring the distraction of physical activity. Her hypothesis was correct. By the time she had finished packing, and had shrunk her suitcase to a more manageable size, she could hear the sounds of her mother fumbling with the coffeemaker and her father turning the pages of the morning paper. She braced herself, pocketed her miniscule trunk, picked up Crookshanks in his cage, and went downstairs.

Her mother was in a fleece tartan robe that reminded Hermione strongly of Professor McGonagall. She was staring fixedly out of the window while she pressed the coffeemaker's auto-on button. Her father had abandoned the paper to pursue a crossword puzzle in the book his daughter had given him last Christmas.

Hermione hesitated before gathering her courage and speaking, "Mum, Dad, I'm ready to go." Both of her parents glanced at her for a long time before moving. Her father rose to give her a swift hug and a kiss on the head.

"I'll see you around, love," he whispered into her hair and went back to his crossword puzzle. Her mother didn't say anything but pulled her into a long embrace before letting her go and turning back to the window with moist eyes.

Hermione held back a sob, "I'm sorry. I love you both. Goodbye." She disapparated before they could say anything, appearing in a trash-ridden London alley. She took a few moments to compose herself before walking briskly to the rundown clothing store nearby and telling the mannequin that she was there to see Fred Weasley. She looked around at the empty sidewalk before stepping through the glass and into St. Mungo's.

The waiting room was less crowded than when she had entered the first time, but the cases were still as bizarre. She saw one woman with a profuse fountain of cherry soda pouring from her left nostril, a man with a large pair of dragonfly wings that kept twitching nervously, and another man who had a rather unhappy monkey attached to his left arm. Hermione thought to herself that she really didn't want to know and walked to the receptionist's desk. A plump witch with auburn hair and a bored air sat slumped in her seat, doodling idly on a paper that looked like it listed the patients in line for treatment.

Hermione gave her a scathing look, "Excuse me, but I'm here to see Fred Weasley."

The receptionist looked up, seeming to have a difficult time focusing on the girl in front of her, "What?"

"I'm here to see Fred Weasley," Hermione repeated again, slower this time, "He should be out of emergency care and into recovery."

"Weasley," the woman muttered to herself, finally coming out of her boredom-induced stupor. She rifled through a large book to the right of her doodling paper until she found what she was looking for, "Fred Weasley is in the Poddlemore Ward on the fifth floor. The lift is down the hall and to the right." She pointed at the hall to her right, and Hermione set off, giving her a quick, "Thanks." She walked down the hallway, still slightly nervous about her reception by Mrs. Weasley. Hermione rode the wide lift up the enormous building, exited, made right turn and pushed open the door with a brass plaque reading, "Poddlemore Ward: Recovery." Another desk occupied the space just inside the ward, but this time a pretty Healer in lime green robes was sorting through piles of paperwork and looked up immediately at her entrance.

"Hello," the Healer said with a smile, "Can I help you?"

"I hope so. I'm looking for Fred Weasley. I was told he'd be in this ward," Hermione said, stepping forward and placing Crookshanks and his cage on the floor.

The Healer shook her head with a rueful smile, "Oh, he's here alright. Room 103. That man's always up to some mischief. Even if it's only leaving his bed when he shouldn't."

Hermione smiled at the description, "Sounds like Fred. Thank you."

She picked up Crookshanks' cage, and was just about to leave, when the Mediwitch stopped her, "Oh, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to leave your animal with me. They aren't allowed in the rooms for safety reasons."

Hermione frowned, "Oh, I suppose that's fine. He'll be okay here?" She glanced down at her pet.

"Yes, he'll be fine. I'll be on duty until nightfall, so he'll be in good hands," the Healer gave her a kind smile which Hermione returned, handing the cage over.

"He's gorgeous," the woman said, peering into the wicker cage.

Hermione beamed, "Thank you. Aside from you, I'm the only one who really seems to appreciate that fact." She walked away, leaving the Healer to coo happily at the slightly disgruntled ginger-haired cat.

Room 103 was the second door on the left and Hermione checked her wristwatch before knocking lightly on the wooden door. It opened a moment later to a sleepy-eyed, redheaded woman with a large smile on her kind face. Hermione felt a small string of tension inside her body relax when she saw Mrs. Weasley. The older woman always seemed to emit an aura of calm and comfort that pleasantly affected the people around her.

"Hello, Hermione dear. How are you?" Mrs. Weasley stepped out of the room and pulled her into a warm hug.

"I'm fine Mrs. Weasley. How are you? How's Fred?" Hermione asked, already feeling better about her whole circumstance.

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine and so is he." Mrs. Weasley gestured offhandedly to the room, "I'm off to get a cup of tea upstairs. Would you care for one?"

Hermione took one look at her tired face before deciding that Mrs. Weasley could use some peace and quiet, "No, I'm fine. Thank you. I'll keep Fred company while you're gone."

Mrs. Weasley gave her a grateful smile, "Thank you, Hermione. Oh, I almost forgot. Fred gave me your letter. Of course you're welcome to stay at the Burrow as long as you like. I'll ask George to take your things to the twin's old room when he gets here later."

The rest of Hermione's remaining tension drained out at those words, "I can't thank you enough Mrs. Weasley."

"Don't mention it, dear," the woman smiled, beginning to walk away, "I'll be back soon." Hermione smiled after the retreating witch before turning to the door and walking through, shutting it behind her.

"Ah, Hermione, you're here at last. Is it time for my sponge bath?" Fred said grinning as he leaned back against the headrest.

She glared at him, but couldn't stop the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth, "No, Umbridge will be coming by to do that later."

Fred laughed before giving an exaggerated shudder, "You're a cruel woman, Hermione Granger."

"And you're as vibrant as ever Fred Weasley," Hermione grinned as she reached his bedside and was immediately pulled into a hug, "How are you?"

"I'm perfectly fine," Fred drawled, folding his arms behind his head, "I'd be even better if they would just let me go home."

Hermione smiled sympathetically before saying, "Well, keep using those horrid pickup lines on the Healers and they might decide that discharging you would be just the thing to make you well again."

"I have! I have! But, I think they actually enjoy it," he grinned at her, glad that someone new was finally visiting. He observed her for a moment. As a person who loved to bring joy to people, Fred had a talent for determining what they were feeling. It was a kind of emotion-reader that the twins had shared and perfected over the years. Right now his empathic ability was telling him that the girl sitting on his right, despite her smile, was unhappy.

"Fred?" Hermione frowned at his uncharacteristically serious look, "Are you alright?'

The redhead shook himself out of his thoughts and gave her a smile, "Oh, I'm just smashing. How could I not be given my current company?"

Hermione smiled, her cheeks slightly tinged, "Well, you just looked a bit more vacant than usual. That's all."

He gave her a pained look, "You wound me, dear heart. You really do."

"You'll live. You've proven yourself to be impossible to kill. Like a cockroach…or the energizer bunny," she explained with a grin.

"The what?" Fred looked at her in amusement.

"Never mind. It's a muggle mascot for Energizer batteries."

"I'll take a bunny over a cockroach anyway. Particularly for their infamous reputation as avid participants of a certain activity," he raised his eyebrow with a smirk, reveling in his success. Hermione rolled her eyes, blushing. He could no longer detect her unhappiness. Mission accomplished.

A/N: I love Fred. I really do. I hoped you liked the pre-fluff. Reviews are love.