Seeing Fred

A not so quite dubbelganger

After finishing the tour, that took over forty minutes, they still didn't catch a glimpse of one George Weasley. Leah went back up to the first floor and picked up a daydream charm before bounding down the stairs to a confused Fred. She passed the red head and walked over to the register, Fred in tow. She heard him gasp as he looked at the witch behind the counter.

"Hermione?"

"The muggleborn?" Leah asked surprised.

"Yeah... Why would she be working here?"

"Good morning. Did you find everything?" Hermione smiled at her. The last time Fred saw her she had lost a lot of weight from being on the run for a year. But now she looked healthier, happier.

"Yes, I just... I only have muggle money. I forgot -"

"Galleons." Fred whispered in her ear.

"I forgot my galleons at home."

"Oh, you're a muggleborn." Leah looked at Fred panicked. "It's okay. I'm one too. You can pay in ponds if you want, I can change it at the bank later."

"Thanks, Hermione." She said, pretending to read her name card. "From the Greek mythology?"

"Yes, how do you know?"

"I studied it in college." She blurted out before she knew what she said. "I went to college after Hogwarts."

"You went to Hogwarts? I don't recognize you." Hermione said as she rang up her purchase. She stiffens a bit as she bit the inside of her cheek. Fred leaned in closer again.

"Class of 1991."

"I graduated in 1991."

"Really? You don't look 26."

"Thank you?" She grinned at the girl, who gave her the change back.

"91? You know Charlie then, Charlie Weasley."

"The dragon savior? Who doesn't?" Leah laughed; Fred looked at her in awe as she turned the conversation around quickly.

"Don't want him to hear that, it will boost his ego even more." Hermione snickered, placing her daydream charm in a bright orange bag, with the letter W on it.

"It was very nice to meet you ..."

"Leah. Uhm, I don't want to overstep. But –" She glanced at Fred for a minute in the corner of her eye. "Is George here by any chance?"

"George." Hermione repeated, glancing over her shoulder "He's in the back but I don't know if he wants to see anyone."

"Can you tell him Leah is here and-"

"That we need to talk about the summer of 1986, Ottery St. Catchpole, about the scar."

Leah frowned a bit before she repeated what Fred had whispered in her ear. Hermione looked sceptical for a moment, before she nodded and disappeared behind the curtain. Leah let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in and stepped away from the register, closer to the curtain as Verity took over and started to ring up the customers.

"Do you think it will work?" Leah said, wringing her hands, looking from the curtains to Fred.

"I think so. You and Hermione seemed to click. I think you'd be great friends if you got to know each other."

Before she had a chance to reply, the girl appeared back in the store. Hermione looked over her shoulder one last time, before looking at Leah. "You can go in."

"Thank you, Hermione."

Before she had a chance to step beside her, Hermione placed a hand on her shoulder. "You knew Fred?"