Secret Memory

Written for the November Twin Exchange Challenge

Prompt: A Pensive

Pairing: Fred /Hermione

Quote: "Save a broom, ride a Quidditch Player"

Theme: Bill Weasley: Born 29th October 1970

The light was flowing in from the window shining into Hermione's eyes preventing her from falling back asleep. She sat up very carefully. She did not want to wake up her husband, Ron, on the one day that he didn't have to get up early to go to work. She tiptoed out of the bedroom closingthe door quietly behind her andtiptoed down the hallway. It was the anniversary of Fred's death today. She wanted a few moments alone to think aboutthe pain Fred'sdeath held for her before Ron got up and realized that today marked the second anniversary of his older brother's death.

She reached the end of the hallway opening the door that stood in front of her. The small room contained a storage space in which she kept Christmas decorations, Brooms, some of her old scrapbooks, and a few of her old textbooks that she liked to flip through from time to time. In the far left corner of the room was plain white wall, which hid a door to a secret room that only Hermione, could get into. The door only opened when she recited the spell she created and after she had stepped over the threshold the door disappeared and only the white wall remained.

Inside her secret room was her very own Pensive. This stored many old memories that she enjoyed and periodically revisited. The pensive was stored in the secret room because her husband and children knew nothing of it. Although she loved Ron very much there were just some thoughts and memories she wanted to keep to herself. She then found the memory that she wanted to go back too and held her breath as she fell through the silver liquid and landed on her feet in the familiar kitchen of the Burrow.

It was just before Halloween. October 29th. It was Bill's birthday, and they had thrown him a surprise party. She was at the Burrow. In it the entire Weasley Clan, minus Bill of course, Harry, her, Fleur, and quite a few of Bill's friends hid waiting for Bill to arrive. The light switch turned off. She heard Bill knock on the door. The door was unlocked and slightly open, so that when Bill knocked on it the door swung gently inward and the light switch turned on by itself. Everyone then yelled "Surprise". The party then progressed to a sheet cake homemade by Mrs. Weasley, a great selection of drinks, and Bill opening gifts. Hermione then saw Fred head over to her. This was the night that Fred had finally had the guts to tell her that he had loved her from afar for months.

Once Fred had told her he had liked her for months, it had made him more desirable than he had been before. Fred then told her to come with him. Confused, she let him take her hand and lead her up the stairs. Hermione realized that she better follow Fred and she let her feet shuffle forward as she thought about what he'd just told her. Fred led them up to his room. He sat on his bed, next to her past self. She chuckled at his old poster that was up upon the wall. It had a broom that zoomed around the entire poster and in green sparkling letters stated "Save a broom, ride a Quidditch player." She then asked him about this poster and he had joked around that it was one of his life philosophies. Knowing that she had spent quite sometime in this memory, and that Ron was going to wake up soon, she looked at the image of her and the man she still loved very much. "Good bye Fred," she whispered. "I love you."

Running down the stairs of the Burrow, she saw that everyone else at the party was still celebrating. Everyone looked so young and happy. 'I didn't even realize how good everything was back then', she realized. This memory of course, was during her fifth year, when everyone had thought that this year was "bad times" even though the next two were so much worse. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tonks and Remus Lupin. "Oh I wish you were both still alive," she whispered. This was when everyone, excluding Sirius, had been alive. Taking one last glance at the scene, and walking outside of the Burrow, Hermione then came out of the Pensive, back to reality.

Saying her usual enchantment, making sure no one from her family had woken up and snuck intothe storage room, she exited her secret room and made sure the wall wasback. Hermione tiptoed back down the hallway entering her and Ron's room. He was still peacefully snoring as she tiptoed back to bed and tucked herself in next to him. As she slowly drifted back to sleep, she wondered what the next year would bring before she would allow herself to see the memory of her and Fred once again.

So, did you like it? Special thanks to Jazz E. Roisin for Beta-ing. Thanks so much!!!!