Second Chances (Fremione)

3.

Once she was safely off the grounds, Hermione apparated herself back to her home. She saw a young couple in the window and suddenly remembered that her parents didn't live here anymore. She was a little saddened by the sight of someone else living in her parent's home, but she quickly pushed the emotion from her mind and ducked into a bush, pulling out the time turner.

She sat there turning the dial for what seemed like an eternity and watched the years fly by in reverse. She saw her parents move away. She saw herself leave the house after wiping their memories. She watched as she and her parents walked in and out of the house, time after time, until one day, she watched a 14 year old Hermione lugging a large trunk out the door. When she went back inside, Hermione sneaked in with her. She hid behind a door until the time was right.

As she stood there, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and was shocked to see that she looked 14 again. She hadn't really thought about what people would think when they saw how she had grown up three years seemingly overnight, but she was happy to see that she had gone back in years, even if she couldn't exactly explain why.

When her former self went into the bedroom to double check for anything else she needed, Hermione took the opportunity to wipe her parents' memories. To her surprise, it was harder to do the second time, but she took comfort in the fact that this time, they wouldn't really be without her. Next, she dashed into the bedroom to wipe her own memories. While her former self's back was turned, she took away all her memories of being a witch and pocketed her wand. Then she quickly jumped out the open window before she could see herself.

The Weasleys met her at the front of the house, as promised, to take her to the Quidditch World Cup. Arthur helped her put her trunk in the car as Ron got out to give her a hug.

"Why are you waiting out here?" Mr. Weasley asked. "I was going to come inside so that I could say hello to your parents."

Hermione tensed up a little. She should have expected this. "They're... umm... sick. Yeah, both of them. They came down with some sort of weird bug. But it seems pretty contagious, so they told me to wait out here so you don't have to come in and get exposed. But they told me to tell you hello."

Arthur shrugged, thankfully seeming to buy the story, and got back into the driver's seat of the car. Hermione piled into the back, surprised to see George and, more suprisingly, Fred sitting in the car. She knew that he would be alive, but it was strange to see him there when, just an hour before, she had seen his dead body. She had to say though, she was relieved.

"Hi Fred!" She said, beaming at him. Quickly, she turned to George and greeted him too so as not to be accused of playing favorites.

"Hey! I'm George!" Fred said, faking being offended. Hermione laughed. "No, you're Fred. I can tell because your smiles are a little bit different, and George, your hair is a little darker and..." She was about to add that Fred had both of his ears, unlike his brother, but she quickly reminded herself that currently, George was also in possession of both of his ears. "I can just tell." She finished.

They shook their heads in unison. "She's a smart one, Georgie." Fred said. George nodded. "We can't slip anything past her. Even Mum gets confused sometimes. But even we can't fool the great Hermione Granger!"

Hermione laughed at the two brothers as the car took off and began flying toward the burrow. Hermione sighed. She hadn't realized how much she had missed Fred, even for just the hour that he was gone, until she saw him again. She didn't think she could bear to watch him die again and she hoped with all her might that she didn't have to. Maybe, just maybe, she could save him.