Hermione could not talk for the lump of emotion lodged in her throat. The wand and the cat were one thing, but she some how knew that this book had been very special to her at one time. She ran her fingers across the worn, gold lettering on the front, willing herself to remember something, anything. It was like being in an unfamiliar, pitch-black room, where she kept hitting the walls but couldn’t locate the switch. She looked up into Ron’s eyes, so full of hope. Hermione gave into impulse and rushed forward pulling him into a huge hug, which he returned with a couple of awkward pats on her back. She backed up and said, “Thank you.” As she spoke, she moved to place the book atop the violently orange bed.
“Oh, no,” Ron said. “You won’t be staying here. This is my room.” He gave a small shrug. “You will be staying in Ginny’s old room.”
Hermione didn’t have a clue who Ginny was, and wasn’t given anytime to ask. Ron had already gathered her things and was walking out of the inferno he called a bedroom. Hermione hesitated to follow him, that is until she heard an unidentifiable rattling above her head. I’ll take my chances with Ron, and Ginny’s bedroom, she decided as she ran out of the room.
Hermione followed Ron’s bobbing head, which was nearly level with hers despite the number of stairs between them. He stopped in front of a door, about two flights down, bearing the sign “Ginevra’s Room”. With out knocking, Ron kicked open the door and with a flick of his wand, ignited the candles in the room. The walls were a light lavender color and entirely devoid of any personal affects. In fact, the whole room looked as if it had once been loved, though that was not the case any longer. Hermione’s trunk was already at the end of the bed. Ron unceremoniously dumped her wand, Hogwarts, A History, and Crookshanks onto the neatly made bed. The cat yowled and threw a rather dirty look, for a cat that is, at Ron before walking back out of the door and up the stairs.
“Blast!” Ron exclaimed. “I was rather hoping he would stay with you now. So… you... erm… wanna unpack or meet… er…everyone…again?” He looked around uncomfortably and wouldn’t look her in the eye.
Hermione let out a sigh. Unpack in a room she wasn’t sure she was completely comfortable using or meet people from a past she couldn’t remember? Either way she felt she was getting the short end of the stick. Hermione smiled, that was her favorite American saying, and just thinking about it made her feel better. Looking around at the sad and lonely room, she decided to tackle that first. The room reminded her of how she had felt just hours before: incompetent, unloved, almost forgotten, and she never wanted to feel that way again. “Unpack,” she said.
Ron looked slightly relieved at this, and before she turned to her trunk she noticed that the tips of his ears had turned a faint shade of pink. It made her smile for some reason. Then she frowned, it was there, at the edge of her mind, the shadow of a memory. There one-second and gone the next. But it is progress, I guess, Hermione thought.
She was unpacked within minutes, as she only had a few pairs of clothes and under things, though more knickers than outfits. She figured clothes could be washed, so she saved most of the room in her trunk for books, a varied multitude that she lined up across the dresser and piled under the bedside table. Looking around the room, she smiled, feeling more at home among her books. As an after thought, she set Hogwarts, A History on top of the bedside table for later reading. She looked at the ‘wand’ on her bed; she didn’t know what to do with it. Deciding not to dwell on it, she stashed it in the back pocket of her jeans. “Done,” she said to Ron who had turned away to examine the door rather thoroughly when she put her knickers away.
He smiled nervously at her and opened the door, which seemed to have passed his inspection. Hermione quirked an eyebrow at him, to which he responded with an impatient sigh and motioned her to proceed out of the door. Down another three flights of narrow stairs Hermione heard voices coming from what she thought must be a kitchen. The closed door muffled the words though she knew there were at least two men and two women in there. Hermione had the urge to flee back up the stairs but the brick wall that was Ron’s chest happened to be in the way. What does he do to stay so toned? she wondered. She could feel her back nearly pressed to his front because she had stopped so suddenly.
Ron’s hand found the small of her back. It gave her comfort and courage, for some reason. “Come on. Let’s go in,” he said in her ear.
Curiosity and that hand overpowered her urge to run. Feeling very much like a cat on its last life, Hermione moved forward into the well lit kitchen. All conversations ceased as six pairs of eyes, turned to meet her; apparently, she had been wrong about the number of people in the room. They seemed to be collectively holding their breath. Hermione looked to the black haired, green eyed, man wearing glasses nearest to her. Everyone else in the room was no doubt related“ Ron, the balding man with Ron’s eyes, the plump woman paused near the stove, the two identical men seated at the table and the pretty young woman at the sink. All of them were staring at her, all of them with flaming red hair. Hermione could relate with the man with black hair; they were outsiders together. But she was an outsider of another kind as well, one nobody else could relate to.
Hermione didn’t know what to say, what to do. She gave a weak smile, and that was all it took. The woman at the stove caught her in a bone-crushing embrace. That wrenched lump rose once more. These people loved her. She could tell by the looks in their eyes, still frozen in a shocked state. She had seen it in this woman’s face before it became engulfed in Hermione’s ever-bushy hair. She knew she loved this woman “ all of these people, in fact, it was almost like instinct. Hermione returned the hug, thought with a lot less vigor than she was receiving.
“Hermione, I never thought I’d live to see the day when you would come back. My, you are getting too thin. Let me get you something to eat,” the woman moved away, this seemed to break the spell over the rest of the room.
“Erm…” Ron sputtered from the doorway.
“Hermione-” called out one of the identical men; he couldn’t be more than 2 or 3 years older than her.
“Simply smashing-” called the other twin, which Hermione decided they were.
“To see you!” They were both up and out of their chairs and headed her way. The urge to run flooded her again.
“It has been too long-” They were on either side of her now.
“Far too long.” Hermione was being embraced from either side at this point, wiggled one way and tugged the other. Soon she was released. The identical faces beamed at her, she smile weakly in return. This was definitely a sensory over-load.
Her senses didn’t have much time to recover before a pair of strong male arms was wrapped around her. She felt the same way she had when Ron had caught her earlier. She knew these arms, knew them well. Hermione looked up into the greenest eyes she had ever seen. From across the room they had been lovely; but here with them directly above her, they were breath taking. He smiled and said, “We’ve missed you, Hermione.” Then he kissed her forehead in a very brotherly manner. Tears threatened to spill from her treacherous eyes. The man moved back.
Ron made another odd noise from his place behind Hermione, but before anyone could acknowledge him, the ginger haired young woman came running at Hermione. She barely had time to open her arms before the body hit hers square in the chest. Hermione soon became aware that the spot on her shoulder where the women’s face lay was wet and hot with tears. Hermione let go too. Standing there in a virtual strangers arms Hermione sobbed for everything she didn’t know, couldn’t understand, had missed that those memories, years, that were missing from her life. Oh, how I wish I could remember, she thought. The woman stepped back after a while. She wiped the tears from her face, and Hermione mirrored the movement. She then turned to the only person left in the room who had yet to hug her. Dawning realization hit her.
“I know you! You’ve been to my house.” He was one of the strangers who would visit Deidre, the one who couldn’t pronounce ‘electricity’.
The grin that had covered his face now slipped off, if she had been paying attention, Hermione would have noticed the strange looks she was now getting. As it was, she had only eyes for this balding man from her dual lives.
Ron cleared his throat rather loudly and all eyes shifted to him, all asking the same question: “What is going on?”
Ron sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He realized as soon as Hermione walked into the room that he had gone about this in the wrong way. He should have told her first that there were six people in the kitchen waiting for her arrival. Six people who had known her since she was 11 or 12 and hadn’t seen her in three years. Except for his father, obviously, but Ron still wasn’t sure what was going on there. Hermione should have been braced for the hugs and the tears.
As for his family, well he still didn’t know what he could have done about them knowing that Hermione still hadn’t regained her memory. Ron could see himself saying, “Hermione, you wait here while I go tell some people you don’t remember that you don’t remember them, ok?” Ron smiled wryly at that though.
“Hermione doesn’t remember,” Ron said, then winced. He should have been a bit subtler. It was too late now.
All eyes were on Hermione, and he could tell she didn’t appreciate it. Ginny was the first on to make a sound, a strangled sob somewhere in her throat. The look of horror on her face made Ron feel like the worlds biggest prat, worse than Percy. When Harry recovered enough to speak, “Oh!” was all he could say. His mum was the worst, though. After a long horrified glance at Hermione,she just kept on making food for her, like Ron hadn’t said anything. But her eyes betrayed her, in her eyes he could see tears piling up, waiting line to fall down her face, to show her disappointment, sadness, fear. Fred and George’s emotions were harder to figure out. They had blank expressions, like it was all too much of a shock to comprehend. His dad looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Look at this, me, RON, trying to interpret emotions. And Hermione thought I had the emotional range of a teaspoon, if only she could see me now, but Hermione could see him now, in fact she was looking right at him. He had turned her world upside down without any explanation at all, and she still couldn’t remember the past she had just stepped into.
Luckily Ron was saved, for the moment, by his niece and nephew practicing the use of their newfound lungs. Ginny’s sobs caught in her throat and she moved toward her three month old twins. She picked up the babies and held them close. She whispered in their ears. Ron was too far away to hear what was being said but he knew how she felt. If Hermione had recovered, then everything in their little bubble would be righted. Hermione without her memories was not the same Hermione they all knew and loved. She was a stranger, but then again they were all strangers to her. Hermione was staring at the twins like she hadn’t known they were there. As if you could miss that bassinet by the fireplace, Ron thought. He hit the thing twice daily.
Harry moved to grab Danny from his wife while she held Livvy close. The babies were quiet, which was Ron’s cue he could begin again.
“Hermione, I would like you to meet Ginny and Harry, my sister and brother-in-law, and those are their twins, Danny and Livvy. There are Fred and George, my brothers. And then there are my parents, Molly and Arthur, whom I take it you already know.” Hermione nodded with ever name, but Ron wasn’t sure she took it all in. She didn’t move from her spot until Molly set down a bowl of steaming onion soup at the table and motioned for her to sit down. Hermione moved forward, and Ron sighed again. He wasn’t sure if this was helping her or hurting her, but he seriously hoped it was the former.
Hermione stared at the steaming bowl before her, trying to take it all in. She really just needed some time to process. Abruptly she stood and ran from the room, leaving seven shocked faces behind her. The names and faces swam in her head, all meshing together. HarryGinnyRonDannyLivvyGeorgeMollyArthurBlackha irRedhairBlueeyesGreeneyesBrowneyesGinnyLivvyHarry DannyRonMollyArthurGredForge… Choking back a sob she ran to her room. No, Ginny’s room, Hermione thought.
She threw herself face down into her pillow. It doesn’t smell right! The thought just made her cry harder. After a few minutes, the door behind her opened. Drying her eyes, Hermione turned to see Ginny walk in, floating the bassinet before her. She kicked the door closed and placed the babies in the corner nearest the bed. Ginny turned to Hermione and smiled so brightly it almost reached her eyes.
“I’m Ginny, if you didn’t catch that earlier,” she said. Hermione gave a watery smile in response.
“So, were you the only one brave enough to follow me?” Hermione quipped.
Ginny made a sound, “No. I had to fight Harry for that honor. But he is content yelling at my insolent brother, who should have warned us!” She lay at the foot of the bed and looked up at Hermione. “Ok, so I’m sure there are some questions you’d like answered, feel free to ask.”
Hermione could feel the questions lining up on the back of her tongue, there were so many. Where should she begin, what was of the utmost pertinence, how was she supposed to decide that?
First things first, she thought, “How do I know you?”
Ginny seemed relieved. “Oh, that’s easy. During your first year at Hogwarts you, Ron and Harry knocked out a mountain troll with his own club. You’ve been friends ever since!”
“Ok, who is Voldemort? Ron said his name while he was at my house.”
Ginny sighed, “You always did get right to the point. Over 50 years ago…” and Ginny spun the dark and twisted tale that was Voldemort’s, Harry Potter’s, Ginny’s…Hermione’s. “You, Ron and Harry went after the four other Horcurxes after your sixth year at school. Slytherin’s locket in Godric’s Hollow, Hufflepuff’s cup at Voldemort’s old orphanage, Ravenclaw’s jewelry box found at Borgin and Burkes, and finally that nasty snake that was with Voldemort . Then Harry had to destroy the seventh bit of Voldemort’s soul, the bit still inside Voldemort's body. You and Ron held Death Eaters and Dementors off. No one truly knows what happened between Harry and Voldemort, but I am just glad he was returned to me whole. As for you, some stray spell or another hit you. No one knows who cast it. Ron suspects Draco or Snape, and Harry doesn’t know who. You were transported to St. Mungo’s where your parents collected you without a word. The only contact that we had was with Deidre, maybe because she understood that we all love you as much as she and your parents do.”
Hermione wanted to ask so much more. How could she regain her memory, what was she like before, how good of friends were they? But instead she asked, “So Harry defeated Voldemort and you married him?”
Ginny laughed. “Oh no! You see, we dated when he was 16 and I was 15, then he ruthlessly dumped me to go off and save the world. So when he returned, Harry had quite a bit of groveling to do before I took him back.” Ginny gave a bawdy wink before saying, “But I did get these two out of the deal, so it hasn’t been all bad!” Ginny levitated the bassinet towards the bed and looked down at the sleeping children.
“How did you come up with the names Danny and Livvy?”
“Their full names are Daniel Wesley Potter and Olivia Rae Potter, but since both Harry’s name and mine end with a ‘y’ as do both of our mothers, we decided to continue the tradition. Hence Danny and Livvy.”
Danny started to fuss, and his sister moved closer in response. Hermione could see that they had the same nose and sweet puckered mouth but Danny’s hair was the palest of red and Livvy’s was as black as night. Ginny seemed to read her mind and said, “I do hope they have their father’s eyes.” She continued to stare down at her children, mesmerized by the bright future ahead of them.
Hermione sighed wishing she had back all that she’d missed. She wanted to ask more. Especially about this new Dark Lord, the whole reason she was here. But for tonight, she had enough to sort through, and she was just glad to have a new friend on her side.
A/N: Whoo! I'm glad that one is done! This was the hardest chapter to write so far... and I guess out of three thats not saying much! So the next chapter is called Practical Magic. Do tune in for it! Also YellowLime,mine is up where is yours, eh?
A Fragile Memory by secret_lover
Chapter Notes: A/N: Here come the Weasley’s and Potter’s. Let’s see if Hermione can handle them. This one is dedicated toYellowLimewho had me cracking up enough to finish this chapter. If you haven’t read her storyFour Housesgo check it out! A big thanks to tc015 for being such a wonderful beta!!! Anything you recognize is Jo’s! Lather, Rinse & Review!!!