Just a Glimpse

The Square

"The shapes mean something." Hermione deduced.

Fred looked up from the sandwich he'd been preparing for lunch. "They could," he agreed. "Or, maybe they're just random shapes."

"But with the star, I saw the night of the final battle. The heart, I saw my wedding," she recapped, telling him for the first time the vision she received from the star. "I can't quite figure out what I'd see with a square."

Fred shrugged, put the top piece of bread on the sandwich, and carried it over to the table. "Not everything has to be symbolic. Maybe I just like squares."

One brown eyebrow rose as Hermione thought maybe his statement had some double meaning. Quickly she shook her head to dismiss the thought.

"So you're enjoying the Seeing Truffles then?" Fred asked after a lull; his mouth full of bread and cheese and ham.

She shrugged her shoulders cautiously before taking a seat across from him. "It's interesting. But the future is always subject to change, isn't it? What I'm seeing might not happen."

A small "hmm" passed through Fred's lips as he chewed and considered her words. "Or," he said, swallowing, "maybe you'll like the future you're seeing, and make sure the decisions you make ensure that future."

The eyebrow remained cocked. "Or," Hermione countered, "these visions are a warning of what not to do."

Fred, feigning a look of disappointment, cautioned, "I'd go with what the visions tell you to do." She watched as he pushed away from the table, his empty plate remaining behind, before disappearing up the stairs.

Hermione watched his retreating form, considering his words. The visions had been vague, blurred. She wasn't even sure what they were telling her to do. A door closed with a loud bang. Fred's door closed with a loud bang, she was sure of it. Slowly, Hermione climbed the stairs to Ginny's room. She would try the square. Maybe it held more answers.

It was milk chocolate with a caramel centre, and she smiled at the sweet smoothness as the scene around her changed. Fred Weasley was bent over a ledger book with a quill in hand, scratching and muttering as he went along. Hermione's brow wrinkled, wondering why she was seeing this.

A light from some unknown source that she could tell flickered to life. "Still going over those invoices?" a voice asked. It was a familiar voice.

It was her voice.

Hermione glanced from Fred to her future self who was now settled by his side, her arm resting gently on his arm.

"You should come to bed. You've spent the entire day bent over your books and notes. It isn't good for you," she chastised, pressing a delicate kiss to his temple.

She watched as Fred turned into her future self, wrapping his free arm around her waist. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the loving look reflecting in his blue eyes. She watched as the couple in front of her leaned in to share a simple, sweet, chaste kiss before vacating the scene.

In the next moment, Hermione was transported to a different place; one she'd never seen before. It was a small apartment, with a connected kitchen and sitting room. And that was where the future Hermione was nervously pacing, a scrap of parchment clutched in her right hand. The door to the apartment swung open, scaring the witch. A frazzled Fred stood in the doorway, the ledger she'd seen earlier tucked under his arm. She watched as her older self stopped pacing, the note slipping behind her back.

"What's that?" Fred asked, catching sight of the parchment before she could hide it from his sight.

Hermione sighed. "I got a letter from Hogwarts today."

Red eyebrows rose. "You aren't considering going back to school, are you?" he inquired with a slightly joking tone.

"Well, actually," she said, extending the letter to her

husband. "They did ask me to come back, as a teacher." Both Hermione's watched as the tall prankster read over the Hogwarts letter. "Transfiguration," he mused before

stuffing the parchment back into the envelope. "You don't

need to take this job. We're fine."

"If we were fine, you and George wouldn't be spending your days fretting over the finances and wondering how to keep the second store afloat," she countered. "We need this."

Hermione watched as Fred moved over to the couch, sinking down into the plush cushions. A small rush of air passed through his lips before setting a reassuring smile on his face. "The second store will be fine. These things take time, that's all. The Diagon Alley store is giving us plenty of business, and Hogsmeade will pick up. I don't want you to feel like we need you to take this job."

"What if I want to take it?" she asked, sitting next to him.

Fred looked to his wife, the smile becoming more genuine.

"Then I say take it."