A/N. Fred should have never died. It was JKR's biggest mistake.
...~oOo~...
It was early on a Saturday morning in the spring. Hermione remembered it being sunny, but with a breeze that whistled through the buildings in Diagon Alley. There were only a few clouds and the sky was a light, powder blue - much like Ron's and many of the Weasley boys' eyes.
It was the perfect day for a wedding. Hermione's wedding to be precise. In only a few short hours, Hermione would be a Granger no more, and instead become a Weasley - officially taking on the name of the family she'd been part of for years. Her heart was skipping at the thought of being Ron's wife. He was her best friend, and that was the best sort of love, in her opinion. They knew each other better than they knew themselves. They kept no secrets and told no lies - and she loved him very much.
But maybe she had one secret. It wasn't a secret of consequence, but a selfish sort of secret, and sort of a confusing one.
But how did you explain to the man you love that all the strange things happening at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was due to his deceased brother?
Using her husband-to-be's keys, Hermione unlocked the front door of the joke shop and walked in, the bell of the door tinkling as she did. With a few flicks of her wand, the lights went up in the colorfully crazy shop. A few of the toys with minds of their own were dancing on their places on the shelves and the pygmy puffs were resting in their little wool nests.
But Hermione came for something - or rather, someone - else.
"Fred!" Hermione called out, stepping further into the shop. "Fred, I'm know you're in here!"
Popping up from behind the register counter came a flurry of red hair and white teeth shaped in a grin. Hermione gave a start and a little squeal before realizing it was the mischievous, laughing Fred.
"Come to buy something?" Fred asked, smile wide. "But I must warn you - I am not for purchase... You can have me for free." He winked and leaned against the counter.
Hermione chuckled and said, "Thanks, but you'll have to take that up with my husband."
"Husband?"
"Well, he will be in a few hours, at least," Hermione explained, walking forward and staring at him across the counter. "My wedding is today."
"Don't think that gets you out of our date."
The memory of the last time she saw him was fresh in her head. She'd been doing the books for Ron and George when Fred appeared, ready to chat, and with no knowledge of his death. It had broke Hermione's heart, but she'd played along with tears in her eyes, making a promise to go to dinner with him after the war.
"So I'm guessing you've figured it out, huh?" Hermione said, her voice slowing and lowering. Already, her chest was thumping heavily.
Fred's smile softened and saddened, but it never left his face. "Yeah. Didn't take me long. It was weird at first, you know? I didn't remember the battle or that wall... but once I realized that no one could see me and that I could walk through walls, it came back to me."
Hermione nodded. "I'm sorry."
Fred shrugged. "Don't apologize. I'm having a hell of a time. Who knew being a ghost could be so much fun?" His smile returned in full force, shining like a second sun.
"You're shameless," Hermione chuckled. "Scaring the wits out of children - and your own brothers! Some things never change, I suppose."
"Darling, not even death could make me stop pranking those wankers," Fred declared, swinging himself up on the counter and sitting facing Hermione. She noticed the way that his bum and legs never truly touched the wood of the counter, but hovered, barely a centimeter, above it. To the untrained eye, he was a solid, breathing young man abusing furniture.
"Tell me about this wedding of yours," Fred said. "Did you get a big, fluffy, fancy dress?"
"Most definitely."
"How about flowers?"
"Hundreds of them," Hermione confirmed, though that was a bit of an exaggeration.
"And the cake? Tell me about the cake."
"Its three tiers and chocolate inside with buttercream icing."
"That's my favorite!"
Hermione laughed. "I know it is. And you know... you could see it for yourself."
"Are you inviting me to your wedding, 'Mione?"
"I suppose I am," Hermione said. "I would have sent you a formal invitation, but I had no idea what to tell the post owl. 'Go to the joke shop and find the ghost' would have sounded mental, even to the bird."
"Well, I'd love to come, love, but I'm afraid I can't," Fred said with a shrug. "I'm afraid I'm stuck here. I can't leave. Otherwise, I would have swung by to Mum and Dad's for supper.0"
Hermione's heart plummeted to her stomach. Had she known that Fred was basically imprisoned there... well, she had no clue what she would do about it. There was nothing she really could do, was there? It seemed wholly unfair. Fred died in battle, helping defeat the darkest wizard of all time, and his recompense was a cage.
"Oh, Fred..." Hermione murmured, feeling the tears coming.
"Don't cry, Hermione! There's no place I'd rather be for the rest of eternity. I get to see Georgie, and Ronniekins, and some of my other siblings from time to time. And most importantly, I get to see you." He smiled. "I couldn't ask for a better heaven."
Wiping at her eyes, Hermione took a deep breath. Pull yourself together, she told herself. She didn't go to see Fred to make him or herself upset. "I brought you something," she said, forcing her disposition to brighten. "I thought you'd want to see your niece." From her purse she pulled out a picture.
The photo was of Bill crouched on the ground next to a gorgeous little girl with red pigtails and large blue eyes, toddling in a little pink dress. Fleur kneeled on the other side of the little girl, holding up her daughters hand and waving at the camera.
"Her name is Victoire, born on the anniversary of Voldemort's defeat," Hermione told him as Fred stared down at the photograph with a sort of wonder in his eyes.
"Wow," he muttered in awe. "I'm an uncle."
Hermione nodded. "You are. Bill absolutely spoils her, and George never goes to visit her without a present. She's quite the little princess."
"She's adorable," Fred said. "I hope you don't mind if you maybe... left this here with me?"
"Of course not!" Hermione said, placing the photo on the counter, right next to the register. "Its yours to keep. I'll bring you more soon."
"Am I going to be getting a picture of a Ronald Jr. anytime soon?" Fred asked with a raised eyebrow.
With a nervous laugh, Hermione said, "Goodness, no. Not for a while, at least."
"I'll admit, I'm a little relieved," Fred said. "Can't have my soul-mate going off and procreating with my little brother. There's something wrong about that."
"Your soul-mate?" Hermione asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow.
"Of course," Fred said, his face crinkled with his joy. "It's obvious, isn't? Not Voldemort, not my death, and nor will your marriage keep us apart, my love. I know what you're thinking - I'm only a ghost, can't be much of a lover, right? But I assure you, even without a physical body, I will still be able to rock your world. Now think about that." He wiggled his eyebrows, a devilish smile on his face.
Unable to suppress it any longer, Hermione's laughter filled the air, mingling with Fred's musically. It was the kind of laughter that filled you up, the kind of laughter that could only be shared with someone who cared deeply about.
"It isn't cheating if I can't touch you," Fred added tauntingly.
"Somehow I don't think Ron will think the same way," Hermione chuckled. "Not that he'd even believe me. Why haven't you appeared for him or George?"
Fred slid off the counter with ease and landed on the floor without even a breath of noise. No thump or thud. "I don't think George could handle it, you know? I don't want to reopen the wounds. I know that if our roles were reversed, I wouldn't be able to take having him still floating around. The same for Ron. I just want them to... move on. And to continue moving on."
"Then why do you come to me?" Hermione inquired.
"You're smart, Hermione. You know I'm not really here. You're strong enough."
The lump at the back of her throat that'd been forming since he jumped from behind the counter thickened. "I'm not sure I am, Fred."
"But you are." Reaching out with one of his hands, his fingers ghosted over her cheek and if she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine feeling them. The warmth, the caring, the flesh. If she just closed her eyes hard enough, she could pretend he was really there.
"You are strong enough," he said gently, "to laugh with me without dwelling on me. You can walk away and say farewell before experiencing the best day of your life without struggling under the weight of my presence. And you can call out for me, and be at peace with knowing that I'm there. Even if you're not here."
Three tears leaked through her lids and she opened her eyes once more. "I never hugged you enough, Fred. And now I'd kill to do just that."
"That's an easy fix," he told her with a soft smile. "After your wedding, give George a hug. Tell him that it was for you, from me. He'll be happy to hold you, because it will also be from me, for him."
The tears came harder and Hermione was getting warm. Rubbing at her nose and eyes, Hermione reminded herself of all the things he'd said. She knew not to bear the weight of his death. She knew he wasn't there, not physically. She knew he was gone. But it felt like someone was ripping the beating heart from her chest.
"He'll think I'm crazy," Hermione sniffled. "Giving him a hug from his dead brother."
Shaking his head, Fred said, "He'll appreciate it. I don't think I hugged him enough, either."
"I'll visit you more often," Hermione promised firmly. "I will."
Shaking his head again, Fred told her, "You shouldn't. You should never spend too much time in the past. You have to live for the present - like I did. It's what I want you and all of my family to do. But that doesn't necessarily mean... a visit once in a while isn't okay." His lopsided smirk returned. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, you have a wedding to get to."
"I actually have an hour or two before I have to get in my dress and things," Hermione said, glancing at the clock.
Then Fred hesitated, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Well, then... would you fancy a game of Checkers?"
Raising an eyebrow, Hermione asked, "Checkers?"
Nodding, he said, "Yeah. I'm rubbish at Chess, and I haven't mastered playing Exploding Snaps in this form yet, but... I can play Checkers. If you're interested in a game."
Slowly, Hermione nodded her head. "I'd love that."
With a smile that made the entire shop glow, Fred said, "Briliiant."
...~oOo~...
~ So Long And Thanks For All The Fish ~