#spare a thought for george who seems to come from a normal loving family and clock it like five mins in

[indelen]

I think it's so funny that these books came on the tale end of the extremely lucrative grim dystopian love triangle YA trend and are technically dystopian but so British stuff upper lip keep calm and carry on about it you don't even notice the extent of the dystopia half the time, and they do have characters who in theory could have slotted into the false romantic lead role but it just never happens and it's so obvious that Lucy only ever has it in for Lockwood and vice versa and the entire romantic tension comes not from "who will she choose?" but "will these emotionally repressed traumatized crazy kids even realize they're in love in the first place before they kill themselves trying to save each other?"

I refuse to believe that Lucy and Lockwood actually know they are in love with each other. They are too emotionally repressed to know.

Lucy fell for Lockwood the moment she met him. She fell so fast that she doesn’t realise that she is in love. She just thinks that that’s what everyone feels about Lockwood.

Lockwood fell so slowly that he didn’t realise it. It was the type of love that comes so naturally through time that you don’t know what it is until it’s too late.

[xtruss]

I Don’t: My Very Modern Marriage!

Here Comes The Tax Break, or Why Getting Hitched should Be About Finance, Not Love

— By Anna Baddeley | Illustrations: Mari Fouzp

“You can hold hands if you want to.” We had arrived at the part in our ceremony where we had to parrot a legal declaration, and the registrar was clearly desperate to inject some romance into proceedings.

In June, my partner and I were bound together in the eyes of the British state. We didn’t get married though – we got a civil partnership, a type of union invented for gay couples in 2004 that was recently opened up to straight couples after a long campaign to change the law.

We had opted for a pared-down ceremony, with no guests apart from the two friends who were acting as our witnesses. The venue was Room 99, the cheapest space to get married at Islington Town Hall in north London.

“I’d rather not hold his hand,” I said. “Mine are too sweaty.” The registrar apologised, worried she had offended me. I hadn’t meant to make her feel awkward, but I’m one of those people who instinctively makes a joke when put in an uncomfortable situation. And I was keen for the ceremony to be as unromantic as possible. We were doing this not for love, but for tax.

Some Women grow up dreaming of a white wedding. I didn’t. My parents weren’t married when I was born, as was the norm at my primary school in east London. Then we moved to a small town in the countryside. My new school-friends were scandalised. A teacher who had assumed my parents were divorced was shocked to discover that they were still together: “But they’ve got different surnames!”

I’d Rather Not Hold His Hand, Mine Are Too Sweaty

My mum and dad got together in the early 1980s when it was cool to be anti-marriage, at least in lefty London circles. At that point most people bought into the idea that the engagement of the heir to the throne was the greatest love story ever told. Few seemed bothered by the prospect of a 20-year-old virgin marrying a man rumoured to be seeing another woman, and who, when asked if he was in love with his betrothed, said “whatever love means”. Spare Rib, a feminist magazine, sounded a rare note of dissent, giving away badges that read “Don’t do it Di!”

In 1989 a picture of my family appeared in a women’s magazine under the headline “Maternity without matrimony” – my parents had agreed to be interviewed about what was then still an unconventional lifestyle choice. “Whether they’re out on a shopping spree on a Saturday afternoon or queuing up to see the teacher at their elder daughter’s school open day,” the article begins, “Kate and George and their two small daughters, Anna and Natasha, look like any other normal family.”

When I was growing up, marriage seemed like a relic from another age. I assumed everyone else felt the same way and was slightly perturbed when my university friends started getting engaged. “But why?” I recall asking one of them. Marriage seemed so conservative, so anti-feminist (a father “giving away” his daughter to another man?) and, since it had become socially acceptable to have sex before it, rather unnecessary (unless you were very religious).

Staying together because you signed a contract also struck me as wholly unromantic. Goldie Hawn once said that she chose every day to be with Kurt Russell (together, but not married, for 37 years and counting). I thought that was lovely.

As for weddings, I could see why some people liked them but I hated being the centre of attention. I also hated wasting money. When the average deposit necessary to buy a flat in London is £50,000, it seems obscene to me that British couples typically spend more than £30,000 on a single day. No wonder they ask their friends and family to pay for their honeymoon, possibly the worst wedding trend of recent times.

The Social and Economic rationale behind marriage used to be clear: sanctified, legal reproduction; a business deal between two families. Now that the feudal backdrop has disappeared, people get married for more waffly reasons. For most millennials, it’s merely an excuse for a party.

I Was Keen For The Ceremony To Be As Unromantic As Possible

When marriage is seen purely as a celebration of love, the legal and financial benefits are obscured. I suspect few of my friends got married because of the tax breaks, but in Britain marriage can reduce your income-tax bill, capital-gains tax and the inheritance tax your children have to pay (you also get automatic status as the next of kin in times of crisis and the right to claim some of your spouse’s money if you break up).

Both in Britain and America marriage is increasingly confined to the moneyed middle-classes, perhaps because weddings are so expensive. Because marriage brings so much socio-economic clout, this increases the gap between the rich and the poor, unwed masses. Bridget Jones was right to moan about “smug marrieds”.

As I began to read the money pages of the newspaper and got more clued up, I wondered if my partner and I should grit our teeth and get hitched, especially once we became parents. But the cultural baggage of marriage, particularly its patriarchal roots, bothered us.

We wanted our relationship to be recognised in law. But we also wanted a modern, equal partnership, clean of assumptions about what a marriage should be and the inescapably gendered roles of husband and wife. Which is why a civil partnership appealed, particularly if the ceremony could be conducted quietly.

That heterosexual British couples can become civil partners is something of a legal accident, rooted in historical discrimination against gay people. Civil partnerships were drawn up to appease the bishops of the Church of England, who still get a say in British lawmaking, and who, in the 1990s at least, didn’t think gay people should be able to get married.

Civil partnerships gave gay couples more or less the same rights as marriage gave straight couples. But soon after civil partnerships were introduced, straight people wanted to get them too. Many countries already allowed heterosexual couples to ratify their relationship without getting married – in France, a contract known as pacs has long been a popular alternative to marriage.

When My University Friends Started Getting Engaged, I Asked Them Why

Over the years various attempts to expand the scope of civil partnerships in Britain failed. Making different provisions for heterosexual and gay people looked increasingly odd after the latter won the right to get married in 2014. Then, in 2018, a judge ruled that exempting straight couples from civil partnerships was illegal under equality law, forcing the government to support a change in the rules.

Opposite-sex couples have been able to become civil partners in Britain since December 31st 2019. I asked our registrar whether Islington Town Hall had seen an increase in footfall from marriage-avoiders. She said it had, mostly “mature couples” who wanted to get their affairs in order. I didn’t ask whether, on the wrong side of 35, we counted as one of them.

Despite my allergy to romance, I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed our moment of union. We weren’t going to tell anyone apart from our families but then decided that we might as well. Being congratulated is nice. And it has made my mother-in-law very happy. Is there still time to open a honeymoon fund? ■

�� Anna Baddeley is a Eenior Editor of 1843 Magazine

[ijustwant2write]

Estranged-Fred Weasley x Malfoy!Reader

(GIF credit to @genterie​)

Tags: @obsessedwithrandomthings​

Masterlist

Prompts List

Requested by anonymous: 'Love your writing it’s amazing! I was thinking of a Fred Weasley imagine where he doesn’t die. And after the war, he falls in love with Draco’s twin. And like her parents accept it because all they want is for her to be happy. (They learned from their past mistakes)'

Characters: Fred Weasley x Malfoy!Reader, Molly Weasley x Reader (platonic), Lucius Malfoy x Reader (father), Narcissa Malfoy (mother)

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name

Warnings: Swearing, mention of death, mention of abuse/bad childhood, estranged family relationships, judgement, reconnecting, lots and lots of fluff

                                   *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Y/N) Malfoy felt people staring at her as she walked down the street, some in disgust, others just intrigued as to why she would show her face after all these years. Her platinum hair gave away her identity, as well as her fine clothes that were clearly expensive. She didn’t want to flaunt, but she had earned these items now, after working to build up a reputation again since...since the battle.

Why couldn’t it be normal for her now? Yes, she had been on the wrong side, but she and her brother, Draco, didn’t have a choice. Their last few years at Hogwarts had been miserable, all because their families had made ties to the Dark Lord. (Y/N) had always been quiet, almost mute when she was younger; although she wanted to speak up about many things, defend anyone her brother was bullying, explain how she didn’t agree with her parents views on wizards who weren’t pure bloods. But she was always too scared, she didn’t want her father to yell at her like he did Draco, or that one time she tried saving a house elf from a beating (that had caused many nightmares to occur). The only time she did use her voice was when she convinced her brother to spare Potter, to lie, to make sure that their fellow classmates could live; although taught from a young age that they were superior, she realised how wrong her families’ beliefs were.

Shops turned silent when she entered, conversations were only whispers, the shop keepers not serving her with the same warmth as everyone else. As usual, she kept quiet, quickly paying for her things then leaving. Deep down, (Y/N) had always known she wouldn’t be normal like anyone else, but she could try. 

As she left, keeping her head down again, someone bumped into her with such a force that it sent her flying to the ground. She yelped out, instantly feeling pain shoot up the arm she landed on, her shopping falling out of the bag and scattering around. No one helped her, they walked past as she struggled to gather everything.

 “What a bunch of twats.” someone snapped, and she recognised the voice.

Looking beside her, out of all the people in the world, Fred Weasley had bent down to help her.“Fred?”

He sadly smiled, helping her to her feet as he held her bags.“In the flesh. You alright?”

“Yeah.” she breathed out.“Thank you.”

“No problem. I haven’t seen you for years.”

She ducked her head.“Yes, it’s been a while.”

He sensed her anxiousness.“Are you sure you’re OK?”

She cleared her throat, ignoring the pain in her arm.“Now I am.”

“Hey, why don’t we go grab a drink? You know, catch up?”

She looked up in surprise.“Y-you want to hang out with me?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

Flashbacks to all the times her brother spoke down to their family, the moments where she didn’t stick up for them or tell Draco to back down. And when her family fought against the Weasley’s at the battle. She had heard from witnesses that Molly Weasley was the one to kill her aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange (although it didn’t sadden her, Bellatrix had always made (Y/N) uncomfortable and scared). Yet here Fred was, kindly offering a hand. Sensing her hesitation, he nodded, understanding now.

“I don’t hold grudges (Y/N), especially against those who haven’t done anything wrong.”

(Y/N)’s tense posture relaxed, thanking him once again as she went to take her bags from him. However, he retracted his arms, holding them away from her. 

“So, are you coming?” he grinned.

Surprisingly, (Y/N) nodded straight away, laughing as she tried to grab her bags again. He laughed with her, already walking away as she caught up. She recognised the route, they were heading towards Diagon Alley, soon stepping into The Leaky Cauldron. Luckily it wasn’t full of people, they had come at a quiet time, though she still chose a table in the far corner, slightly hidden away. Fred went to get their drinks, leaving her alone with her thoughts. He was being so nice, no one had been like that in a long time.

“I can’t believe how long it’s been.” Fred sighed as he settled back in his seat, handing (Y/N) a drink.

“I don’t really want to think about the last time we saw each other.” she mumbled, looking down at her hands.

“No, me neither.” he quickly changed the subject.“Well, what’s been happening in your neck of the woods?”

“Not much I’m afraid. No one wants to be around a Malfoy.”

“I’m here aren’t I?”

She bravely looked into his eyes.“You’re just being sweet.”

“What about your brother?”

“Draco is fine. He’s actually met someone, it seems serious.”

“Wow, Draco Malfoy is settling down?”

“Yep. I’m happy for him.” she asked the next question before she could think about it.“Have you found anyone?”

He scoffed a laugh.“No, still stuck with my brother at the shop.”

“You know, I only ever went in there once. Draco caught me, he dragged me out of there.”

“What a prick.” Fred closed his eyes, sighing when he realised what he said.“Sorry, just used to saying that.”

She giggled, making him smile.“No, you’re right. He used to be the worst at times. But he’s better now, more understanding. He has a lot more respect for people.”

“And you’re talking more.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“You used to be so quiet. I remember the first time you spoke, it’s all anyone ever talked about.”

“I had always been told to keep my mouth shut or face a consequence. It comes and goes, though I’m happier now. Much happier.”

“Me too.”

That first meeting turned into another, then one more after that, before they found themselves seeing each other every week. These ‘catch-ups’ became much more than that. (Y/N) had laughed more than she had in her entire life, and Fred found it easier to open up to her about the past. They no longer met up in public, Fred mostly visiting her small home (not the lavish Malfoy Manor he had heard so much about) as it was more private and further away from anyone else. Drinks phased into dinner, dinner moved onto staying the night; both couldn’t wait to wake up next to each other, loosely snuggled up before tightening their embrace as they stirred. 

They got away with keeping it a secret for months, except from one individual. George wondered where his brother disappeared to, teasing Fred when he came to the shop late and dishevelled. He dared to follow Fred one night, shocked when he saw (Y/N) kissing him. George gently brought it up, at first upset that Fred had been bewitched by a Malfoy. After the three sat down, George saw (Y/N) for who she truly was; she was scared about what George thought, though when he saw how they lifted each other up, he knew this was the right thing.

George had been accepting. But what about everyone else? (Y/N) had thrown up the day of meeting the Weasley family. Fred convinced his parents to not invite anyone else, just let it be the four of them. He also forgot to mention that (Y/N) was a Malfoy. She had to refrain from crying the whole way there, breathing deeply and thinking about something else to avoid a panic attack. She recognised the shock look on Mr and Mrs Weasley’s faces as she walked into the Burrow, their lovely smiles vanishing almost instantly. 

“Mum, dad, this is (Y/N).” Fred proudly said, not afraid to wrap his arm around (Y/N)’s waist.

“H-hello.” (Y/N) shakily said, desperately trying to stop her nerves from getting the better of her.

The sound of the poor girl’s voice made Molly’s heart break. Everyone knew of their quarrel with the Malfoy’s, but seeing such the young, intimidated and quiet girl made her forget all of that. It had been slightly awkward at first, but Fred helped ease everyone into conversation, and by the end of the night, there were smiles on everyone’s faces. As they said their goodbyes, Molly had a chance to pull (Y/N) aside, seeing her son and husband deep in conversation.

“Thank you for tonight Mrs Weasley, it’s been lovely.” (Y/N) said, finally feeling comfortable.

Molly had seen (Y/N)’s surprised expression when they had been welcoming to her (once the shock of being a Malfoy went away). This girl had never received this type of attention, Molly imagined the only time the family was together was for silent dinners and public outings. But her personality around Fred was calmer, she looked reassured. (Y/N) needed love, she needed that experience of being part of one big happy family.

“You are welcome here anytime dear.” Molly smiled, squeezing (Y/N)’s hands.

When Fred managed to get (Y/N) away from his mother, she had been gushing about everything that had been said that night.

“Did you hear what she said to me?!” (Y/N) exclaimed.

“Yes, you’ve repeated it many times.” he chuckled.

The happiness remained until Fred brought up the question (Y/N) had been dreading.

“So when can I meet your parents?”

Although (Y/N) desperately wanted to skip that milestone in their relationship, it seemed unfair that she had met the Weasley’s, and Fred wouldn’t meet the Malfoy’s. (Y/N) hadn’t kept much contact with her parents, mostly letters to her mother, even though there wasn’t much to talk about. One night when she was writing one of the said letters, Fred had been looking over her shoulder, convincing her to mention the relationship. (Y/N) found it incredibly hard to put pen to paper, not writing Fred’s name, but explaining how far this relationship of hers had gone. Her mother penned back, expressing how much she wanted to meet the mystery man. It was finally time to do so.

“Should I have got a different suit?” Fred stressed as they made their way to her parent’s house.

“No, why?” she asked.

“Because...well, it’s nice, but not as nice as the ones your dad wears.”

“I don’t want you to dress like my father. I want you to be you. And are you sure you’re alright going there?”

“Are you?”

She thought about it.“Not really. I just keep telling myself that it’s just a house, there’s nothing more to it.”

As they stood outside Malfoy Manor, (Y/N)’s heart rate increased, She felt Fred’s hand become sweaty, but that could have been her’s too. Now looking at it, it felt much more gloomier, more haunting. But they only had to be here tonight, no longer than that. Of course her parents didn’t greet her straight away, the door opened by itself, and the couple cautiously walked in. (Y/N) flinched as the door shut, remembering how much she hated this place. It was so different to the Burrow; (Y/N) knew she should have been grateful for a manor as a home, with lavish decor and large amounts of land, but that could never replace the safe feeling you were supposed to feel at home. 

“(Y/N).” her mother, Narcissa, gasped as she entered the room.

(Y/N) crumbled at the sight of her mother, knowing that she wanted their relationship back to how it used to be. But she still didn’t rush to hug her, casually walking over. Narcissa took in (Y/N)’s features, smiling as she thought about how beautiful her daughter was. Hugging her like only a mother could, she didn’t let go early, hating how long it had been since they saw each other. When they pulled away, Narcissa noticed the man, hiding her surprise when she saw he was one of the Weasley boys. (Y/N)’s shoulders ached from how tense they were as her mother approached Fred, opening her arms to him. Her mouth almost dropped open, as did Fred’s as he returned the hug. Narcissa no longer cared about being part of a ‘superior’ family; (Y/N) was happy with this man, and he had managed to bring her daughter back to her.

"Come you two, we have drinks waiting for you." Narcissa smiled, gesturing for them to walk ahead of her.

(Y/N) grasped onto Fred's hand again, feeling her breathing become deeper at the thought of seeing her father. Fred didn't want to push any boundaries in front of her parents, but he would be damned if he let (Y/N) become upset. He wanted to come to ensure that her family gave their blessing, it would feel wrong not to come; but if this was the last time she wanted to see them, then so be it.

Walking into the drawing room, (Y/N) unintentionally gripped onto Fred's hand harder, almost digging her nails in. There were no complaints from him as Lucius Malfoy turned around. He looked a lot better than the last time he saw him, though he had definitely aged, and being part of Voldemort's army hadn't helped with that.

"(Y/N), welcome home." Lucius said, his usual cold tone in his voice.

"Thank you father." she whispered, going back to her quiet self.

"So, he's a Weasley then?"

"Yes sir." Fred spoke, not afraid anymore.

(Y/N)'s head whipped up to look at Fred, then to her father. Lucius narrowed his eyes, stepping forward until Narcissa stopped him.

"Lucius." she warned."We've just got them back."

"Them?" (Y/N) questioned.

"Draco visited only last week. We met Astoria." Narcissa explained.

"He finally did it."

"What? You knew about her?"

Fred squeezed (Y/N)'s hand, silently encouraging her to go on."I send letters to Draco too. We've both been petrified to come back."

"Why?" Lucius had the audacity to ask.

"I'm with a Weasley. You belittled them for years. And it pains me to say that I stood back and did nothing. Never did I imagine that I would be forgiven by them, let alone fall in love with one."

She couldn't believe how forward she was being. But they were all listening intently.

"I've grown since I've left here. Fred has helped me to change, change for the better. I have missed you both, but you can't deny that we weren't a normal family."

Lucius and Narcissa exchanged a look, a wave of sadness washing over them. They had been caught up in the Dark Lord's work, wanting to fulfill the purpose they had been taught from a young age. They assumed their children would follow in their footsteps. Oh how wrong they were. And they regretted every second of it.

"(Y/N)," Narcissa calmly started, slowly stepping towards the couple,"we cannot express how much we regret abandoning you as a child. We weren't focused on raising our family. Losing you and Draco was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. Your letters have been the only thing bringing us a small amount of joy each week."

"Your mother is right."

Though his face was stern, anyone could see that Lucius meant what he said. He just didn't know how to express that.

"I can no longer tell you what to do or who to be around." he said."Your mother and I have had many long conversations about this particular topic, about you and Draco. We want you to move on, be with someone who will give you a good life and treat you better than we ever did."

This was too much for (Y/N), this was the longest they had ever thought about their feelings ever. She was frozen, unsure if this was a cruel trick. Were they really going to be happy for her?

"A-are you..." she steadied her shaky breath as tears fell from her face."Are you being serious?"

Narcissa's eyes widened at the thought of this being fake."Of course darling. I can't lose you again."

"(Y/N), we are happy for you both." Lucius added.

That sent her over the edge. She made up that she needed a minute, rushing out of the room. Fred didn't hesitate to run after her, calling her as she ran outside. (Y/N) collapsed onto the steps to the door, head in her hands as she sobbed.

"(Y/N), hey, it's alright. I'm here, I'm here with you." he gently said, sitting beside her.

She felt him pull her hands away."I just...I just can't process...did they really say all of that?"

He smiled, wiping away the tears on her cheeks."Yes. They love you. I know you've been through all those hard years, and this is a huge shock. It's going to take time to get used to."

"I'm so happy you're here with me."

"Be a bit awkward if you said you had a boyfriend and didn't show up with one, wouldn't it?"

She let out a short laugh, and he knew that she was calming down."Let it all out love. If you want to, we'll go back inside. If not-"

"No, I think I need to do this. You're with me, that's all I need to continue."

He held her face in his hands, slowly leaning in and pressing a small kiss on her lips."I love you."

"I love you more."

"We've got this, we're in this together, always."

[callsign-mischief]

The Gift of a Weasley Sweater is a Powerful Thing [F.W.]

Day 23 prompt of ‘A Very Harry Potter Christmas’ : ‘Weasley Sweater’

Thank you so much to @jamilelucato and @whack-ed for letting me participate in this writing challenge! I am so sorry it is extremely late, please forgive me. Hope you like it!

Fred Weasley x Female!Slytherin!Reader

Warnings: Mention of fighting, Umbridge, Umbridge’s using that quill, George being mean, a few cuss words, mention of  “bloodtraitor” *if I missed anything that should be put into the warning, please let me know!* 

Word Count: 6.5k (so sorry!)

As the Christmas holiday was quickly approaching and many students were preparing to leave the comfort of Hogwarts to spend time with their respected families, it was becoming increasingly normal to see different love-sick couples scattered about the castle basking in each other's presence to soak up every last ounce of time they could before being separated by the long vacation. What wasn’t normal, however, was seeing Fred Weasley spending any, and almost every, spare second he had with a girl doing the exact same thing. And to make it even more unusual, a Slytherin girl! 

It was a few days before Christmas break and George Weasley has had enough of seeing his brother act like a lovesick fool.

“I do not know what is going on in that head of his but I’m right ‘bout to take my beaters bat and knock some sense into him. Thank Merlin she’s not wedged her way into coming home with us!” he huffs sending silent daggered glares toward his twin brother sitting a few feet down the way at the Gryffindor breakfast table with his serpent of a girlfriend nestled into his side. He couldn’t stand the sight. How did Fred Weasley, a proud Gryffindor of all people, become entranced with none other than a snake? It just didn't make sense! 

From across the table, Lee Jordan casts a glance up towards the inter house couple before returning to face the boiling redhead sitting across from him. “Honestly George, I don’t know why you hate her so much, you've never even actually met her! She is actually quite nice y’know? She helped me escape Snape once, it was brilliant!” 

“She’s a Slytherin, Lee! The whole lot of them can't be trusted…” he grumbles, taking a quick bite of his slice of toast before sipping his pumpkin juice and clearing his throat. “I don’t know what game she's playing but I’m gonna find out what it is. I don’t want him to get hurt.”

Lee could understand where the boy in front of him was coming from. Fred had never taken a liking to any Slytherin house member before, no matter who they were, up until the week before the end of the previous school year when you had transferred to Hogwarts from Beauxbatons. “Just give her a chance George. You never know, she could be genuine in her love or whatever she feels for him and not be as bad as you think!” 

On top of what George, and almost everyone else at Hogwarts, was already putting up with this school year (aka Professor Umbridge terrorizing the school and you know whos return creating chaos amongst the wizarding world) George didn’t want to add having to be civil with a snake to his list of things to deal with. 

“Yeah...guess not but still! She has not approached any of us, his siblings, to get to know us and they have been cozied up since she got here last semester! In my book, that's already a bad sign.” he frowns looking at the couple again. 

Meanwhile down the table, the two lovesick teenagers are conversing amongst themselves, oblivious to the pointed looks from her boyfriend's twin.

“So I have Ron, George, and Ginny’s gifts all wrapped up and ready to be handed out...and I was thinking, maybe I could come up to the common room later after lessons and give them out? What better time than to finally let me meet them and get to know them than Christmas!” she asks, voice dripping with excitement and hope. 

A grin graced his lips as he admired her excitement. “That sounds like an excellent idea, love, but with Umbridge, I don’t think it’s safe to be going into others common rooms.” 

“I really would love to officially meet them, Freddie. We’ve been dating for three months and you haven’t introduced me to any of them. They’re your siblings, part of what makes you,you! Especially George. I mean come on- he’s your twin! Your other half! And when has Umbridge terrorizing the school ever stopped you from breaking the rules? I can come up and watch them open presents, maybe stay the night so I don’t get caught sneaking back to the dungeons….we can spend some time in the common room after everyone’s gone to bed?” you giggle playfully.  

“You had me at ‘stay the night’!”

Another giggle slips past your lips as you peck his lips before rising from the bench. “I thought you would like that idea. I am off to see Professor Snape before my potions lesson starts, I will see you later in Transfig, yeah?”

Fred nods quickly, leaning up to peck your lips once more before you turn and strut out of the Great Hall. He watches you go with that same dopey smile on his face and his eyes swirling with pure adoration. He was in love. 

After a hefty handful of morning classes, a quick lunch with friends, Transfiguration with Fred (whom of which you got to spend no time with due McGonagall partnering you with other people) and one intense charms lesson, it was finally time for your favorite part of the day; your free period. You weren’t sure how you got so lucky to have a free period at the end of the day but you definitely weren’t going to complain. 

Normally you would spend the free period in the Slytherin common room, on the Quidditch pitch practicing, or in the Room of Requirement (which had quickly become yours and Fred’s spot when he decided to skip afternoon lessons), but today you decided to change things up and direct yourself to the library. You had spent your fair share of time amongst many stacks of the old, dusty books for studying purposes and to grab different for-fun reading material but hardly ever did you come in here to spend your free time. 

Upon entering, you quickly set your course for the small ‘Muggle Fiction’ section that had been added in recent years, in search of a new adventure to lose yourself in. Your study partner, Hermione was the one to actually introduce you to the section and recommend a few novels to try reading and you turned out loving them all. Despite being a pureblood and having the nasty ‘I hate everything Muggle’ stereotype follow you around everywhere like a shadow, your heart couldn’t help but get excited about Muggle literature, your favorite genre so far being Romance.

Once you have made your pick of entertainment, you gravitate your way to a back corner nook of the library to get comfy-that is until you see the back of a familiar mop of fiery red hair fluttering between shelves before plopping down at a table with his books. 

Having not been able to contain the excitement of seeing your man (even though he should be in potions), you quickly divert your course to him, staying quiet with a beaming grin on your face. Once close enough behind him, you reach out, playfully covering his eyes with your hands blocking his vision from the herbology book he had been scanning through. 

"Guess who, Freddie." You giggle. 

"What the bloody hell? Get off of me!"

Your eyes went wide in horror upon hearing the voice of the man who was definitely not your boyfriend!

"Oh, Salazar, I'm so sorry! I thought you were Fred from the back!" 

George stood up from his seat, turning to you with a piercing glare, "You should really make sure you know who you are approaching before you touch them!" 

He hadn't completely yelled at you but the angry tone and rise in his voice made you want to nearly cry. 

 You cast your eyes to the side, the amount of complete embarrassment you felt had your face feeling as though it was on fire. "I..I know, and again I'm really sorry about that. I- I'm uhm...I'm (Y/N), by the way...Fred's girlfriend." You look back to him, introducing yourself properly for the first time. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you George." 

"I can't say the same for you, snake." 

You recoil at the name, "What did you just-" 

"You heard me, a snake. That's what you are, clearly. Whatever love spell you have my twin under, you need to end it, and end it now." 

You couldn't believe what you were hearing. "What are you talking about? There is no spell. I wouldn't do that to Fred, or anyone for that matter! How can you stand there and accuse me of something like that when you don't even know me?" 

“Don’t think I know you, do you? You're a stuck up, entitled, conniving witch whose family only cares about things as ridiculous as blood purity and money. Everyone knows what kind of people you are. You and Fred have been dating for months and you haven't approached any of his siblings to get to know them. And what’s more is that over the summer you didn't even want to come to the Burrow to spend time with his family; it was always him leaving to meet you. What does that say about what kind of person you are?"

"You don't know a thing. That was not because of me! That was always Fred's choice, I wanted to-" 

"No, don't try to seem all innocent now. You don’t want anything to do with us and we certainly don't like you. Now, if you'd excuse me, I best be leaving."

Before you could get another word out, George turned and collected the books he had grabbed, walking away to the front of the library and out its doors. 

*

*

After your encounter with George in the library this afternoon, your day had only gotten worse.  

You had attempted to break up a fight between two of your younger Slytherin female students but you had ended up getting elbowed in the face, leaving you with a small black eye. Yet before you had the chance to visit the Hospital wing, you were summoned to Umbridge's office.

What had been intended as a “friendly chat” -the pink toads words, not yours-, upon seeing your forming black eye when you stepped into her office, you were dished up a detention for “unacceptable display of muggle dueling from a prefect”. You tried to explain the situation and what had happened but it only seemed to aggravate the woman more. She implemented your detention immediately- the punishment being having to write lines. Instead of writing lines for the said cause of your detention, you were made to write lines for "associating with a blood traitor below your class grade". The way she talked about Fred made your blood boil with rage but you didn’t want to make your situation any worse than it was so you kept the angry words and insults for the woman to yourself.  

And finally to top off  your terrible day, you had received a letter from your parents stating that they would be spending the Christmas holiday in a tropical paradise while you were to stay at Hogwarts, alone.  The day was turning out to be too much to handle and all you wanted was Fred. But with him nowhere to be found, you took to locking yourself in an abandoned classroom in the dungeons, crying out your frustrations. With your eye swelling, your hand stinging like crazy, and your chest aching knowing that Fred's family already hated you without meeting you, you felt completely miserable.

After what had seemed like hours, you finally managed to get your hysterical sobs under control to only getting small hiccups ever so often. Your eyes stung from the hours of repetitive rubbing away of tears and you could only imagine what you looked like. Breaking from your ball-like position in the corner of the room, you rise from the chilled ground, stretching your aching limbs as you take a glance at the small watch on your wrist. You see that dinner had started almost half an hour ago. With a sigh, you emerge from the dungeon’s classroom making your way up to the Great Hall. 

When you enter through the hall's double doors, you immediately scan the Gryffindor’s table for the man you have come to love. You spot him quickly as he's waving his arms around wildly with a wide grin on his lips, seeming to be telling a crazy story to the surrounding group of his friends made up of George, Ron, Harry Potter, your study partner Hermione, and Lee Jordan. You can't help the way your eyes fill with nothing but pure love seeing him in his element; entertaining people and making them laugh and smile. Your eyes cut to his twin sitting beside him and your face falls. 

In that moment, his harsh words from earlier this afternoon ran through your head on repeat like a broken record you couldn't stop. You never wished for anything more than to meet Fred's family and have them approve of you and your relationship but with the way things were going, that would never be anything but a wish. 

You b-line for the Slytherin house table, taking a seat next to your best friend. As you start to shovel food onto your empty plate, his eyes fill with concern. 

"Blimey, (Y/L/N)! What in Salazar’s name happened to you."

You pause and give him a quick pierced glance before resuming to fill up the plate of food. "Do not start with me Zabini. I've had a rough day." 

"I can tell by that black eye of yours. Did Weasley do something he shouldn't have to make you cry? Because you know I will-" 

You crack a sad grin at his over protectiveness but let out a sigh, "N-no, he didn't do anything...he's great. It's just...I don't know.." you trailed off. You didn't want to out George and have him face Blaise's wrath, but how could you keep the day's events away from your best friend?

Blaise noticed your hesitation and rested a comforting hand on your shoulder, "hey, if you don't want to talk about it right now, you don't have to but I'll be here for when you're ready and have the right words." 

You give him the best side hug you can manage as your eyes begin to prickle with a few tears. "I know and thank you Blaise. I don't know what I'd do without you." 

He returns the hug with a smile, "probably be miserable, I suppose. But I meant what I said. Just because I support you and Weasley's little love fest doesn't mean I won't hex him into next year if he hurts you." 

You shove his shoulder playfully before returning back to plate to enjoy your meal. 

As always, dinner was delicious and you stuffed your stomach full with too much dessert. You rise from the bench along with your fellow Slytherin's and begin to trickle out of the great hall. As you are walking between Theo and Blaise, a hand reaches out and grabs your arm from behind, spinning you around. You're met with a pair of familiar soft and warm lips being placed on your own. Before you can respond to the kiss, your boyfriend pulls away with a smirk leaving you with a small pout.  

“Don’t go pouting, love. You will get more kisses soon, are you ready to go? Hell- what happened to your eye?!” he cups his hands around your face, inspecting your eye closely.

 “It's nothing, don't worry. Where are we going?”

“You don’t remember? You were going to stay the night after you handed out gifts to Ginny, Ron, and George. Which by the way, I've got to tell you, I’m a little peeved off I’m not getting my gift yet and I’m your loving, devoted boyfriend who adores you and who worries about you.”

You rub your neck nervously, looking away from him. “I’m sorry, it’s just been a long day and I forgot..”

His eyes scan your face, his frown only growing deeper “I thought you were excited, love. I didn’t think you would forget something like this. What’s wrong?”

You couldn’t help it. Hearing Fred ask ‘what’s wrong’ after the day you’ve had, unleashed a new wave of fresh tears. 

“Woah, woah, love what happened? Why are you crying, did I say something wrong?” he quickly encases you in his warm embrace, pressing your head gently to his chest to muffle your sobs. Your body shakes horribly as you try to keep yourself from crumbling right then and there in the hall in the presence of other students. 

He looks ahead to see Theo and Blaise have stopped in their places, noticing your absence and are now looking at him holding your distraught figure. He sends a pleading look to Blaise, desperate for him to give a clue as to what was wrong but Blaise only shook his head and frowned in response.  He knew Zabini was your best friend and that you told each other everything so when even he didn’t know what was wrong, Fred began to worry even more. 

As Fred held you to his chest, he gently brushed back your hair with his fingers a couple of times hoping it would calm you. Bending down slightly so as to not scare you, he whispers into your ear, “C’mon, love. Let’s go up to my room and we can cuddle until you’re ready to talk. How does that sound?”

You nod your head slowly, breathing deeply as you can as you step away from him. His heart shattered seeing your eyes so puffy and bloodshot. Gently wrapping an arm around your waist, he guides you up the moving staircases to the portrait sealing the Gryffindor common room. Fred mutters the password and once there is enough space for you both to walk through, he softly pulls you along, hoping that the room will be empty or at least empty enough so you will be comfortable walking through. To his relief, the only people who have opted to stay out in the common room were George, Lee, Ginny, and the Golden Trio. George is the first to notice his twin's sudden presence.

“There you are Freddie, been wondering where you went off to. Hopefully not to see that-”

“Shut up, George. Do you and Lee mind staying down here for a while? We would like to be alone for a bit.”

Ron pipes up from his spot on the carpet by the roaring fireplace. “We?!” 

Just then, George and Ginny’s head snap to Fred, only now noticing you curled into his side, face pressed into his shoulder. 

“WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?! She-”

“Not now George! You’re my twin and best friend and I love you but please don’t start right now, mate. Just give us some time, please.” Fred begged. 

George backed away with a scowl before nodding. Fred glances at Lee who gives him an encouraging nod with a soft smile. With a sigh of gratitude, he thanks his roommates, guiding you to the stairs. With a flick of his wand, he says the counter charm to keep the stairs from changing and walks you up.

Once you're in the safe space of his room, he sits you on his bed as he couches down by the end of it rummaging through his trunk. Once he finds what he's looking for, he stands facing you handing you a small stack of clothes. 

"Here, sweetheart. These will be more comfortable for you than your uniform. And look, I even picked out your favorite sweater of mine." 

You let out a weak smile, leaning up to plant a loving kiss on his lips. He returns the kiss, cradling your face carefully between his hands. Fred is the one to break the kiss, placing his forehead softly against yours. 

"Let's get changed, love." 

With a final nod, you pull away and stand, moving to the opposite of the room to change giving Fred his own space. Once you're both changed, you walk back to his bed with your uniform gently folded in your hands. Fred takes the stack from you before gesturing you to get in bed. You happily oblige and wait for him to get I'm with you. Once he settles in, you get comfortable in your favorite cuddling position. You being the little spoon with Fred cradling your body to his front.

No words are spoken for the first half hour. Fred doesn't rush you to talk, only softly brushing his hands up and down your arms in slow comforting strokes. Once you feel comfortable and ready to talk, you turn over to face the loving man behind you. You wrap an arm around his waist pulling your body flush against his, burrowing your head into his chest. 

Fred let out a gentle chuckle, squeezing our waist a little tighter. “Are you ready to talk now, love?”

“I ha...frrible ay…” 

Fred let out a deafening howl of laughter. “I have no clue what you just said, do you mind repeating that more clearly for me, sweetheart?”

You pulled away from his chest, “I said that I had a terrible day.”

His joyful expression was quickly replaced by one of alarm. “Why what happened?”

‘Here goes nothing…’ You thought. 

With a deep breath you begin. “It wasn’t so bad at first. Double potions went okay, lunch with Blaise and Theo was good. Transfig sorta fell short because McGonagall split us up but that was okay too, nothing to ruin the day. It all started in my free period.” you stopped, beginning to feel nervous and nauseous . “W..we always say that honesty is the best policy...right?”

He confirms your question with a small dip of his head. “Of course”

You continue on, “I went to the library today to find a new Muggle romance book to read and well...before I could pick one that I liked, I thought I saw you weaving in and out between the bookshelves. I got excited seeing who I thought was you and so I ran up behind him and put my hands over his eyes like how I do with you and well…”

Fred knew where this was going and he instantly began to feel awful. 

“It was George, as you could have guessed and needless to say he did not appreciate that. Of course I apologized, but he was still so angry and not just about me touching him. He seemed to be mad at me, as a whole person. He accused me of having you under a love spell and said that he knew what kind of person I was because of my family. Told me I was entitled and stuck up because I haven’t approached him or Ron or Ginny to get to know them nor did I visit the Burrow to spend time with your family this summer. I tried to tell him that me not coming to your home or meeting your family wasn’t my choice but he didn’t want to hear it.” you sobbed, letting the building tears in your eyes fall freely. 

If Fred didn’t feel terrible before, he sure as hell did now! He knew that it was long overdue for you to meet his family but just when he got the nerve to introduce you, he couldn’t. While Fred was a very confident man in many aspects, your lifestyles were complete polar opposites and it oftentimes left him feeling inadequate. While you live a life of luxury, Fred and his family oftentimes struggle to make ends meet. While Fred’s family is thought of as a full lot of blood-traitors, your family name is highly admired and respected amongst the Wizarding community. Now, the Weasley boy knew such trivial things didn’t matter to his girl, but the worry he had of you leaving him once you dived in deeper to what made Fred, Fred was just too much to take the risk. 

Fred couldn’t even begin to be mad at George for what he said to you because he was too busy being angry at himself. He was the reason this happened. He was the one who kept you from meeting his family. He was the one who would reject your wishes to spend time at the place he’s called home all of his life and with the people he loved more than anything. He made you look like you didn’t want anything to do with his family when in reality, you wanted nothing more than for his family to adore you almost as much as Fred did.

“Baby I am so so sorry about all of this. George had no right to say that to you but he wouldn’t have if I had just gotten over my own insecurities. I promise I will make things right, love.” his solemn expression broke your heart and made you cry even harder. 

Wiping your eyes hurriedly, you shake your head. “That’s not even the worst of it! I got this stupid black eye from trying to break up a petty fight between two younger girls from my house, and then when I wanted to go see Madam Pomfrey, I was summoned to Umbridge’s office. One look at my eye and she gave me a detention of writing lines with that horrid quill of hers and my hand hurts so bad! And then on top of everything, my mum sent me a letter this morning saying that she and dad will be going somewhere for Christmas while I stay at Hogwarts instead! It was just one thing after another and when I couldn’t even find you, I broke down. Ended up locking myself in a classroom to cry, it was awful. That’s why I was late to dinner.”

“That bloody woman used that damned quill of hers on you?! I swear, I will make that vile woman regret ever using that on you! Let me go see if Hermione has anything to help with the scarring.” 

Before he could get out of bed, you wrapped your arms around him tighter, “No! Don't bother her about it, I just want to be with you right now. Don’t leave, just stay.” 

It was hard for Fred to contain the anger he had raging through his body but he gave in to your request.  He settled back into his position, pulling you in tighter by your waist. “I am so sorry all this happened to you today, sweetheart. I promise, the first thing tomorrow, I will make things right. I will owl mum and tell her you will be coming home with me for Christmas and then I will face my siblings and explain everything to them. Then once I’m done there, I will make that pink toad wish she never set foot into this school.”

By now the tears had stopped falling, leaving you to the occasional sniffle. “Can we just go to bed now? I’m tired.”

Fred snuggles down deeper into bed pulling his heavy crimson duvet up around you both, tucking you in. “Let’s sleep. Tomorrow will be better”

You wish Fred had been right. No sooner than you were both peacefully asleep, you had been rapidly alerted awake by Professor McGonagall busting into the dorm room. You and Fred had both sprung up to see her shaking George awake. When she made her way over to Fred’s bedside, she paused in shock seeing you there.

“Miss (Y/L/N), what in Godric’s name are you doing in Gryffindor tower? And in the boys dormitories no less!” 

“I-I.. well.. You see, what had happened was-” 

“Never mind that, we don’t have time. I need you and mister Weasley to come with me immediately.”

Once you were all out of bed and met with a disheveled Ginny, the four of you were guided back to the Headmaster’s office and upon entering, you all see Harry looking distraught. 

Ginny was the first to speak out, “What’s going on Harry? Professor McGonagall said you saw dad hurt-”

Dumbledore answered the girl before Harry had the chance. “Your father has been injured doing some work for the Order of the Phoenix. I am sending you all to Sirius’s house by portkey instead of the Burrow, where you will meet your mother. But we must hurry before Umbridge is made aware you all are out of bed. Hurry now, all of you.” 

Immediately you all gathered around the kettle you would be using to transport you and waited for the countdown from Dumbledore. On the count of three, you all placed your hands on the portkey and instantly you felt the pull behind your navel and a rush of wind before you were met with the ground of a...kitchen? 

Before you could comprehend anything, into the kitchen came Sirius Black. You weren’t entirely sure what to make of seeing the man in the flesh but looking at him as he spoke to Harry and the Weasley children, there was no way he was this “mass murderer” you had read to believe. After a small riff between the twins and Sirius about staying put instead of rushing to St. Mungo’s, he offered everyone up a butterbeer (which you graciously accepted) to calm the nerves. When you all had received the small letter from Mrs. Weasley, Sirius suggested that everyone try to obtain some rest so one by one, each of you filtered off to catch some sleep once you were finished with your respective butterbeers. You and Fred go off together to find a couch big enough for the both of you, quickly settling into deep sleep.

*

*

*

In the days that followed upon your arrival, you had finally met Mrs. Weasley and although you were seeing her at a tough time, she was thrilled to meet you and have you around for Christmas. Things were a bit tense with Fred’s siblings given the state of things, but you didn’t want to make what they were going through worse so you gave them their space. With your free time you had got to know Sirius and seemed to get along well given the many similarities between the two of you. You had also learned about the Order of the Phoenix and found that his home was made the Order’s headquarters. And then on the day the Weasley family was heading to St. Mungo’s to visit Mr. Weasley, you met a few more of the Order members, including Mad-Eye and Tonks. After a few discussions with them about the Order and their careers as dark wizard catchers you just knew you wanted to follow their paths and become an Auror and join the Order after you finished your schooling. 

It was finally the day Mr. Weasley would be getting released from St. Mungo’s and the whole lot of you Hogwarts students were busy tidying up around preparing for his arrival while Mrs. Weasley, Mad-Eye, and Tonks went out. 

You were currently cleaning down the tabletops in the kitchen with Hermione when you heard George in the next room over beginning to speak out of the blue. “I just don’t get it. My father has a near death experience and he has to come home to around another slimy snake...unbelievable.” he scoffs. 

You halt in your movement as you look up to the door separating the two rooms. The whole time you had been here, you hadn’t possibly done anything to set the boy off.

You hear your boyfriend speak up, anger laced within his tone. “George mate, stop. What the hell! She hasn’t done anything to make you be so cross with her. What the hell gives?”

You drop the towel in your hand onto the dark table, rushing over to the swinging door that separated the rooms. You push it open to see the two redheads glowering at one another in rage as Ginny,  Ron, and Harry stop in the midst of their own cleaning to watch the building argument.

“What gives?” he shouts. “What gives is that she shouldn't be here! She doesn’t belong here with the Order nor is she family! It’s not like she likes us anyways! Besides, she’s a Slytherin for Merlin’s sake! Who knows what she’ll go and tell Umbridge when we get back to school. Better yet, who knows what she will go say to those death eater parents of hers to get all of our asses all killed. ”

“That’s enough! Your bang out of line! You don’t know a thing about her but yet you decide to hate her?! That’s my girlfriend, George!”

 “None of us know her because she doesn’t want us to know her! We’re your family Fred and she’s kept herself from that. She-”

“ENOUGH!” Fred bursts in anger, making you flinch. You had never heard Fred so...so livid before. “That.  Is. Enough.” his tone rough and grave. He looked around the room, looking into the eyes of each of his siblings as he spoke, “You three loathe her because you believe she thinks of us as beneath her. She’s not like that! You all don’t know her because I didn’t want you to know her. I wanted to keep my family and my relationship separate and I see now that that was a horrible mistake and I’m sorry! She truly has always wanted to meet and spend time with you guys  but I have been the one to say no every time, even when she begged and pleaded!”

“Ginny.” His little sister's body straightened upon the hearing of her name, “you would actually really like her. The way you feel and talk about Quidditch, she’s the exact same way. You’re as much of a headstrong firecracker as she is too. You would get along so well..” 

“Ron…” he paused looking at his youngest brother, “I have never seen someone more strategic with Wizard’s Chess and obsessed with the Chudley Cannons than (Y/N). You both could talk for hours about that team and never get tired, you would think she’s great, too.”

Fred looks back to his twin, his eyes softening. “And Georgie...you’re my twin. You have no idea how hard she fought to meet you. After mum and dad, she’s wanted to get to know you the most because she knows just how much you mean to me. You aren’t just my twin, you’re my best mate. Not only does she support me, and you too, she supports our dream of opening the joke shop; something we’ve wanted since we were kids! You would love her maybe just as much as I do.  She’s actually brilliant, I’m telling you. She’s smart, funny, inventive, ambitious, and just as much of a kid-at-heart as we are..” he grinned a bit with a few tears pricking his eyes.

The tension encased in the quaint room was undeniably thick. With teary eyes, you take a glance at his siblings and see their faces are all beginning to mirror the same emotions. Embarrassment, guilt, and shame. You couldn’t lie, seeing them at least a bit remorseful for the way they treated you and made you feel, made you feel a tad bit better.

As he takes a few paces across the room to stand next to you, he looks around at his siblings one last time, “If you want someone to be mad at, be mad at me. Not (Y/N). As my family, I’m begging you, give her a real chance. I love her and I can guarantee you all would love her too.” 

You gently wrap your hand around Fred’s bicep, giving it a gentle squeeze with a watery smile. He looks down at you, tenderly kissing your forehead before grabbing your hand in his much larger one and leading you up the staircase to the room you were staying in. You peek back at his siblings as you ascend the steps, offering them a meek smile of their own. When Ginny had returned with the slightest smile in response, it gave you a new hope that things would be different from here on out. 

*

*

*

Christmas was finally being celebrated at 12 Grimmauld Place and everyone was in high, happy spirits. In the past few days, Ron and Ginny took the initiative to get to know you, and you with them; and as Fred predicted, they enjoyed you and the company you offered. You connected very well with the both of them, and you couldn’t be happier.  Mr. Weasley was ecstatic to finally meet you at last and welcomed you wholeheartedly. He ended up talking your ear off quite a bit about all things he knew about Muggles but you genuinely enjoyed his conversations and enthusiasm! 

Currently, you were helping Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen, placing the last few finishing touches on the small feast the lot of you would be indulging in when Fred and George strolled into the room. Fred waltzed over to you wrapping a strong arm around your waist, spinning you around into his chest. You giggled happily as he placed a quick tender kiss on your lips before pulling away when his mom swatted his shoulder from behind him. Mrs. Weasley announced that the food was ready and for everyone to take their seats so you could get started. Before you all tucked in, she walked around the table handing out brightly colored paper wrapped packages to each of the children. You were beyond surprised when she gestured for you to grab the one she had been holding out in front of you. 

“I got something, too? Mrs. Weasley, you shouldn’t have! Thank you so much!” You spoke as you tore open the wrappings. You see a beautifully homemade scarf and matching gloves in your house colors of silver and green. Your eyes crinkle in excitement as you wrap the fluffy scarf around your neck. You peer up at her again, “I love it, thank you!”

“You’re welcome, dear. I hear those dungeons are quite chilling, those ‘ought to keep you extra warm, I guarantee it.” 

You thank her again and before you can begin to show Hermione your wonderful gift, another package is thrusted your way. You see only this time, it’s George holding it out to you. 

“What is this?” you gently grab it from his hands, your eyebrow arching in wonder. 

“This is technically something from the entire family but I had been the one to ask mum to make it. I owe you, and Fred too, a huge apology. I was a right foul git to you and should have never said those awful things to or about you, and for that I’m very sorry. I know it doesn’t completely change the fact that it happened but I hope you both can forgive me. I have never seen anyone a better match for my twin and I’m happy he has you in his life. Go ahead and open it.“

Your beam at him as you unwrap your second gift, your eyes immediately filling with happy tears when you look down to see what it is. You take the dark green plush sweater out of the paper and hold it up, your eyes roaming over your first initial  that had been stitched in white,  in elation. “My very own Weasley sweater?!” 

George cracked a sincere smile as you hurriedly pulled the sweater over your head to try it on. “Welcome to the family, (Y/N).” 

*

*

*

*

Taglist: @weasleytwinswheezes

[straightouttaneptune]

Opposites attract

Pairing: Hermione Granger x Slytherin!Reader, Platonic!Blaise Zabini x reader, Draco Malfoy x Pansy Parkinson, Platonic!Draco Malfoy x reader (The reader is race-neutral!)

Warning: I think there’s a couple swear words, uhh if you’re in love with Draco you probably shouldn’t read this, there is not a single sentence in this fic where Draco and Y/N are any more than friends. Actually, Y/N will commit an act of violence against him. (Don’t do this to your friends)

Summary: Blaise notices that his best friend, Y/N is different the second he sees her again after Summer break. You are a full-fledged pure-blood Slytherin, but during Summer, you got your heart stolen by a certain muggle-born Gryffindor.

A/N: I am OBSESSED with Gryffindor x Slytherin trope, I’m so sorry I will write a reader who’s in Hufflepuff soon! Also, I love Blaise Zabini? He deserves love :/ He a true King in this fic. Oh and Y/N & Hermione are a power couple who eat men ok cool happy reading!!

—————————————————————

It was a quiet evening in the Slytherin common room. The white noise of the light rain present, but none of you could see, for the Slytherins belonged in the dungeons.

You had your head rested on the lap of Blaise Zabini, your best friend, and your legs over the lap of Draco Malfoy. You wouldn’t say he was your best friend, per se- you didn’t always like how he acted. You thought of him more like a brother, in a way. An annoying brother, no less.

But while your friends engaged in some deep conversation about whatever they talked about, your mind was elsewhere. Since last week, you’ve been lost in the curious world of a strange muggle book titled “pride and prejudice”. You picked the damned book up every time you had some spare time.

“What’s this then? Never seen it before.” You recall 2 weeks ago, laying by the old oak tree of the city park, the bushy leaves shielding you from the blinding sunlight.

“You’ve never seen a book before?” She teases, playful laughter filling the crisp summer air.

“You know what I mean! C’mon, read to me.” You look up at her, sitting down with her back pressed against the tree. Her face was covered with the red cover of the book, but you could swear that what you were seeing deserved to be drawn on canvas and presented in museums. Her golden curls looked as if they were lighting up under the sun, her soft yet strong hands curling around the spine of the book.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife-”

Blaise also had a book opened in his hand, but he was not reading- he was listening in on Draco and Pansy’s conversation. Also glancing down and seeing you smile to yourself, for whatever reason. It could have been the book, but he doubted it.

And even though this was the first day back to Hogwarts, he knew that you were very different from who you were when he waved goodbye to you before summer break.

First of all, you never read muggle books. You were the eldest child of one of the most pure bloodlines to exist. Your family were very close with the Malfoys, the Blacks, and obviously the Dark Lord. Anyone would expect you to grow up hating muggles, and... in all honesty, Blaise thought you did.

But then why didn’t you say anything few hours earlier when Granger bumped into you on the train? A witty quip about her blood, perhaps? But nothing. And why in the world did you have a Jane Austen story in your hand?

Despite the multiple questions looming over his head, Blaise had a theory. So now, he wanted to see. Test you, on how you’d react to another one of Draco’s degrading talks about “muggles” you recently seemed to take an interest to.

“God, those mud-bloods infuriate me. And what’s Dumbledore thinking, opening a class of ‘Muggle Studies?’ What a pathetic excuse for a school.” Draco said quite loudly for the whole common room to hear, looking behind him and at first-year Slytherins as if to get them to agree with him. They nod out of fear, but Blaise can see it’s poisoning their unbiased minds already.

Great. More racism. He’s never been a big fan of it.

Just when Blaise turned back around to pretend to stare at his book once more, you quickly stood up from your place in his lap, and smacked your hard-covered book over Draco’s head. The first years jump and gasp from utter and complete shock.

...Ouch. Blaise doesn’t know if he should be happy he was right about something being up with you, or stop you from killing Malfoy.

“What in the- What is your problem, Y/L/N??!” Draco stands up too and glares at you in an accusatory manner, hand flying up to the back of his head. His tall figure looms over your head, his eyes burning with confusion and rage. But you’re not afraid. Quite the opposite.

“Don’t you dare talk about muggles like that ever again, Draco. You know I’ve never liked it when you used that word.” You point your halfway closed book into his chest, the corner digging into his neatly ironed shirt.

“What? You’ve never hit me over something as little as this? What’s wrong with you, Y/L/N?” Draco questions loudly, the irritation in his voice evident. Pansy stands up as well, linking her arms with the Blond, and glaring at you up and down.

“You’ve been acting strange all day, Y/N. Blaise, say something!” All three of you looks over to Blaise, who was nonchalantly pretend reading his book, unmoving from his place on the couch.

“What? So Y/N can’t hit Malfoy with a book now? She’s done it before.” He looks up and locks eyes with Pansy, “I don’t give a fuck” written all over his face.

“That’s not the point! Why is she so angry over filthy Mudbloods?” Pansy retorts, but as soon as the last word left her lips, you raised your brows at her warningly.

“Don’t. Use. That. Word. Why does bloodline matter? We all bleed red, for Merlin’s sake!” You huff, whirling around to get yourself out of this godforesaken dungeon. Blaise gives a playful salute and trails closely behind, leaving behind the pure-blooded idiots and follows you towards the Gryffindor common room.

“Will you tell me, though? Y/N, what happened during summer?” Blaise stops you just in front of the portrait of the fat lady, and you’re forced to look at your best friend’s curious expression.

“Promise you won’t laugh?” You sighed, knowing you would have to tell your best friend if he wanted to come with you. He nods sincerely, although there is a twinkle in his eyes that lets you know he’s enjoying this.

“I fell in love with someone. A muggle-born.”You confess, your cheeks burning like a 1,000 degree flame just by admitting that.

“A muggle-born??” Blaise’s brows shot up to his hairline, his brilliantly talented imagination already making up a scene of you getting disowned by your parents.

“Wait...” his gaze glides past you and at something behind you. “Does it happen to be Granger?”

Your eyes grow wide as a plate, and you almost break your neck from how quickly you turned around. Hermione, Harry and Ron stood there, the door to the Gryffindor common room wide open.

“There was a Slytherin alert. Uhm, Fred and George. Not us.” Harry tries to explain, looking over at Ron for some assistance, but he just stays in place. Wether it’s from shock or fear, you couldn’t tell.

“You... fell in love?” Hermione looks directly into your eyes, as if everything that wasn’t you didn’t exist to her. She climbs out of the entryway, taking a few steps over towards you.

“Uh- I did. Over the summer.” Guessing you didn’t have much other choice than to admit it, you stood your ground and focused on her sharp brown eyes you’d come to adore.

“You did.” Hermione repeated, stunned from the looks of it.

“I did.”

“So did I.”

“You did?”

“I did.”

“Oh bloody hell, just admit you love each other and move on.” Ron teased from a few feet behind, comfortable now that he saw who he originally thought was a Slytherin nightmare act so awkward and giddy.

Hermione glared at him threateningly, and so Harry wordlessly pulled him and Blaise into the Gryffindor common room. Before entering, Harry almost forcefully rips off the cloak from Blaise, still skeptical of the Slytherin always hanging around Draco Malfoy.

“Right. Anyways-“

Before you could say anything, Hermione hurriedly pressed her lips against yours, her cheeks tinting rose from a mixture of excitement and embarrassment. She’d never done something like this before. She feels like she can hear her heart beating rapidly in her ears, which can’t be normal, but she thinks it feels right.

You feel like getting wrapped into a cloud of euphoria as she deepens the kiss, your hands finding their place on her cheeks. The book clatters on the crème stone floor, but neither of you pay it any mind. Luckily, not one soul is walking around the halls at this hour, everyone getting settled into each their dorms. But you don’t even think about that, for your mind is filled with her, and only her.

After pulling away, Hermione chuckles at your surprised look, mumbling a little “You’re blushing, Y/N.” Before pulling you into her chest for a hug.

You return the gesture without hesitation, grinning from ear to ear and whispering back, “So are you.”

“Come on, we’ll have butterbeer inside. Take your cloak off and hide the tie. I’ll bring my jacket.” Hermione laughs nervously, and looks back at who she swears is the most beautiful girl in the world. Never had she thought she’d get her heart stolen by a Y/L/N, even in an alternate universe, or in a dream.

But she takes your hand, and pulls you into the common room, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

[onlyfreds]

TRP Prologue - Welcome to the Story of Y/N L/N

Summary: To others, being princess is living the dream. To Y/N, it’s a living nightmare. But, that was until the day that she received the letter that changed her life and met the people who love her for her true self.

Warning/s: use of the word “damn”

Series Masterlist

Anybody else would think that being the first-born Princess is literally living the dream.

Let me tell you, it’s not.

“Y/N, put down the book and head downstairs for the Family portrait.” My mother, Queen Ahnica, snapped as she entered my room.

I sighed, placing a bookmark on the page I was currently reading, “Do we honestly have to do this mother? We already did this last year.”

She glared at me, “Do you always have to ask? Now stop this nonsense and give them a smile when we get down. We don’t want the press giving a bad image, don’t we?”

I mentally rolled my eyes as I followed her out of the room, “Yes mother.”

We headed down to the lounge where the royal photographer, my father (King Michael), and my younger sister (Princess Christel) were waiting for us.

I sat down beside my sister, who gave me a sympathetic smile as she placed her hand on top of mine.

“Don’t worry.” She reassured, “This’ll all be over in a minute.”

And boy did that minute feel like an hour.

When we had finished, Clark, our chief of staff approached us.

“Your highnesses,” he greeted, giving a small bow, “There is someone wanting to see you.”

My mother and father exchanged a confused look, before we followed Clark into the guest lounge.

Standing there was a middle-aged woman, her hair in a tight bun and a stern but gentle look on her face.

“Good day Mr. and Mrs. L/N, or should I say your highnesses.” She said, giving a curtsy,

My father smiled, “Good day Ma’am. What assistance could we offer you?”

The woman chuckled, “My name is McGonagall and I’m just here to give your daughter, Princess Y/N, a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

I looked up at her, meeting her eyes for the first time, “Me?”

My sister looked at me excitedly.

The woman nodded, handing me an envelope with the words, Princess Y/N L/N, Montenaro Palace.

Christel nudged my shoulder, “Go on, open it.” She encouraged.

I opened it and pulled out the letter inside.

Dear Mr/Ms. L/N,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

I looked up again at the woman, my parents were both stunned into silence, “Am I really going to learn magic?”

McGongall nodded, “Indeed dear, and at the best wizarding school Britain has to offer.”

“But magic isn’t real.” My mother interjected.

McGonagall brought out a thin, stick and with a small wave of her hand, bubbles erupted from it. She then pointed to a teacup on a nearby table, turning it into a teapot.

“So magic is real?” Christel asked in awe.

McGonagall nodded, “It is.”

I turned to my parents as I gave them a pleading look, “Please mum, dad. Can I go.”

My parents exchanged a silent argument before my father said, “You may go. But if this is some sort of scam. You will regret dragging my daughter into this.”

The woman nodded, “You will regret nothing your highness.”

She then turned to me, “I’ll be meeting up with you next week to get your school supplies.”

As soon as she left, my mother turned to my father, “How could you let her? She’s ten! She should be attending finishing school, not some sort of magic school with a bunch of idiots!”

My father sighed, “We’ve taught her everything that she could be taught in finishing school ever since she was five. She’ll be fine.”

--

When September first rolled around, McGonagall brought me to King’s Cross Station and she had instructed me how to board on to Platform 9 and 3/4. Thankfully, I was able to leave before my parents realized that I was wearing “normal” clothes. Because if they did, I would’ve received a full lecture about maintaining an image for the press.

To be honest, jeans and a shirt were a lot more comfortable than a corset and a gown.

At first, I thought it was absurd. But after seeing the serious look on her face, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and run into the barrier in between Platforms 9 and 10.

I closed my eyes, braced myself for impact. But a cold chill came over me before I heard the chatter of a lively crowd, I opened my eyes, seeing a red and black train with a sign that said, Hogwarts Express.

A hopped onto the train, looking for a spare compartment. I didn’t expect anyone to recognize me as the princess, and I wish they wouldn’t.

I found a compartment that was occupied by two identical looking gingers.

I gently knocked on the compartment door, sliding it open a bit before asking, “Excuse me, but is it okay if I sat here? Everywhere else was full.”

One of them nodded, “Of course you may. I’m George by the way.” He said, offering his hand with I shook, giving him a small smile.

He then nodded to the boy sitting opposite of him, “That’s my twin brother, Fred.”

Fred stared at me, his mouth slightly agape, “Bloody hell, you’re gorgeous.”

I bit my lip, feeling my cheeks heat up as Fred was snapped out of his trance by George laughing.

“Oh, sorry.” He apologized, grinning sheepishly.

I giggled, “It’s fine.”

The three of us bonded over the train ride and became fast friends.

Despite the fact that Fred and George were identical twins, I had absolutely no trouble telling them apart, though something about Fred made my heart race a bit faster and the butterflies to rise up to my stomach.

--

It’s been three years since I first met the twins. I was now in my fourth year at Hogwarts.

Before I headed down to the Great Hall for Lunch, I adjusted the necklace I was wearing.

Once I arrived, I immediately slipped into the seat between the twins.

Hermione took a sip of her pumpkin juice, looking up from her book, “Where did you get that?”

I looked at her, slightly confused, “Where did I get what?”

“That necklace.”

I looked down and realized that I wasn’t able to hide my necklace in my blouse properly.

“My mum gave it to me.” I managed to stutter out.

“Why? What’s wrong with her necklace?” Ginny asked, “It seems alright to me.”

Everyone in our group was watching me and Hermione, obviously interested in the exchange.

“Well, it’s not just any necklace.” Hermione stated, “There’s only one necklace like that.”

Fred chuckled, “Hermione, I’m sure that necklace is one of billions.”

“No.” She insisted, “There is only one necklace like that and it belongs to the first-born princess of Montenaro.”

She stared at me intently, I could almost see the gears turning in her brain. Besides, she was called the “brightest witch of her age” for a reason.

“Oh Godric!” She gasped and I knew she had come to her conclusion, “What was your last name again?” She asked.

I sighed, “L/N.”

“How did I not notice it before?” She said, most likely to herself, “It makes so much sense now.”

“Hermione, not all of us are geniuses here. So, mind catching us up on what exactly makes sense?” Harry joked.

“The reason why Y/N has that necklace, even though it’s super rare, is because she is the first-born princess of Montenaro. She’s part of the L/N family, she’s basically royalty.” Hermione explained excitedly.

The group looked at me for confirmation.

“Is it true love?” Fred asked softly, “You’re a princess?”

I nodded, letting out a quiet, “yes.”

Everyone was dead silent; you would have thought that someone had just dropped dead in front of us.

Angelina was the first one to break the silence, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

I sighed, “I didn’t want you guys to treat me differently. Because when your royalty and others see you, all people can think about is: she’s the princess, she’s next in line for the throne. And being princess, I’m never free. Every decision is made for me, every word, every moved has to be supervised because there’s always some sort of protocol that’s against it. You guys love me and care about me not because I’m the princess. But because you see the real me. You don’t see me as ‘Princess Y/N’, you guys see me as just Y/N.”

I felt Fred hold my hand under the table as I continued, “Here, I am able to be myself, without having to worry about the damn rules or the press. That’s why I spend every holiday I could at the Burrow. Because I like being free. Because I’ve felt more at home there that when I’ve spent a portion of my life at the palace. That’s why I kept my identity a secret. I feared that when you guys learned the truth, you would treat me differently.”

Fred and George encased me in a “Weasley twin hug” as the former kissed the top of my head.

“We’ll always love you darling.” He whispered, “Whether you’re royalty or not.”

I smiled, “Really? You’re not mad that I kept all of this a secret?”

George chuckled, “Of course we’re not.”

“Fred’s right. To us, your being a princess is just a title, but what matters is the side of Y/N that you want to show us.” Ginny added.

I laughed as all of them wrapped me in a group hug, “What did I do to deserve friends like you guys.”

Fred laughed, running a hand through my hair, “What did we do to deserve being friends with an actual princess?”

“Way to ruin the moment, Freddie!”

“Did you have to bring it up now?”

The rest of the group chimed as they playfully scolded Fred.

𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:

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𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:

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[wonderful-writes]

Oooh! For the Charlie Weasley prompt list, 5, 8, and 14, where the reader and charlie have lowkey had feelings for each other for a long time, but then he went to Romania, but finally the reader is about to go into their last year, and they're spending summer at the burrow when Charlie comes back and they talk about being together after the reader graduates

Next Year

Charlie Weasley x Reader

Summary: You had always been close to the Weasley family, and the second-oldest, dragon-loving brother was no exception. He was a few years ahead of you, tall, funny, and ruggedly handsome — all that you could ever want in a boy. It was a shame he didn’t feel the same way. But could one summer together at the Burrow change all that?

Prompts:

5) There’s always next year.

8) I never forgot you.

14) Is that my jumper?

“Y/N! Y/N! Over here!”

You turned to see Ginny Weasley calling to you from the entrance of the Burrow. At her side was a broom and a dustpan. Mrs. Weasley had probably asked her to sweep the front porch.

“Ginny!” you exclaimed, running over to her. You had apparated to the Burrow with nothing but a small suitcase, so it didn’t take long for you to reach her.

“Oh, I’ve missed you so much!” the young red-headed girl gushed as she pulled you into a hug.

“Where is everybody?” you asked when she finally let go of you.

“Percy, Ron, and Harry are upstairs cleaning the bedrooms with Mum,” Ginny answered. “Hermione was helping me out here, but she went inside to grab paper towels for the windows.”

“And Fred and George?”

“They went out with Charlie. I’m not sure when they’ll be back.”

“Charlie’s here?” you asked in surprise. “I thought you said he wasn’t coming. In your letter.”

“Huh, I probably made a mistake,” she said. “I meant to write that Bill wasn’t coming home this summer, not Charlie.”

“Oh,” you said. Part of you was excited to see Charlie again, but another part of you dreaded it. You hadn’t seen him since the end of your fifth year at Hogwarts, an entire year ago. You had finished your fifth year when he finished his seventh, and he headed straight for Romania after that. He had left immediately after graduation, not even staying to spend one more summer with you.

It was not like he had any reason to spend another summer with you. You were only a family friend, after all. The Weasleys had loads of family friends, and you were no different. Charlie probably thought of you like he did Harry or Hermione. But you couldn’t help but wish that he thought of you as something more than that.

You were heartbroken when he left, but you didn’t let it show. You spent that summer with your family, who missed you dearly when you were away at school. You had a happy time, taking trips and enjoying the company of those you love, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that Charlie was gone.

When fall came, you returned to Hogwarts to begin your sixth year. You had school to occupy you — and you were very busy with that, being your studious and ambitious self — but you never let go of the memory of Charlie Weasley. You often looked back at why you fell for him in the first place.

You had met in your first year and his third. As members of the same house, you saw each other frequently and became fast friends. Over the years, you became acquainted with the rest of the Weasley siblings and grew to consider them your second family. You spent parts of your school breaks at the Burrow, and your muggle parents became close friends with the Weasleys as well. It was hard not to fall for Charlie when you were constantly around him and his wonderful family.

Though he was two years older than you, he treated you like an equal, not like some bothersome younger sister. He was kind and respectful and had a love for animals. In your mind, he was perfect. But you never had the courage to tell him so. You were always too embarrassed about your crush and too scared that your feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated. He never showed any signs that he fancied you, so why would you humiliate yourself by admitting that you fancied him?

“I’ll take that for you, dear,” someone said, breaking you from your thoughts. You looked up to see that Arthur Weasley had come out of the house and was reaching for your suitcase.

“Thanks, Mr. Weasley!” you said, handing over the suitcase. “I assume I’ll be staying in Bill’s room since he’s not here?”

“Sure are,” he replied. “He’s been so busy at Gringotts. They just shipped him out to Egypt not even a week ago.” Mr. Weasley smiled broadly, clearly proud of his son.

“Wow, Egypt?” you marvel. “Bill must be some curse-breaker.”

“He sure is,” said Molly Weasley, joining the throng conversing on the front steps. “Hello, Y/N. How are you, dear?”

You stepped into Mrs. Weasley’s outstretched arms and told her that you had never been better. School was swell, your friends were keeping you sane, and there was nothing getting you down. She seemed happy at your reply and led the way back into the house.

Inside, you greeted Ron, Hermione, Harry and Percy. Unlike Ginny, whom you haven’t seen since Christmas holiday, you saw the four the them at school everyday. Percy was a year younger than you, and Ron, Harry, and Hermione were itty bitty soon-to-be second years. You were happy that Ginny would be starting at Hogwarts in the fall. Your last year would be her first, but at least you could go to school with her for one year.

For the rest of the day, you helped the family tidy up the house and prepare supper. When evening rolled around, Charlie, Fred, and George returned from wherever it was they went to. Fred and George said hello to you first, before heading upstairs to work on a new prank idea. Charlie was the last to approach you.

“Hey, Y/N,” he said. “Long time, no see.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, looking up at him. He hadn’t changed a bit. Same messy red hair, same freckles dotting his face. He was as handsome as ever. You quickly looked away, feeling the heat creep up your neck. The last thing you wanted was to out yourself on having a crush on Charles Weasley, especially in front of Charlie himself and his family.

“Hey, Y/N!” called Ron. “Wanna play a game of chess before dinner?”

“Sure,” you answer gratefully. You wanted any excuse to distance yourself from Charlie. Being around him only intensified your feelings for him.

After a heated round of chess, which Ron, the strategic genius, obviously won, Mrs. Weasley announced that dinner was ready. Everyone took their seats at the table, you squeezing yourself in between George and Ginny. To your dismay, Charlie chose the chair directly across from you.

He flashed you a smile. You smiled back weakly before quickly looking down at your plate. Act normal, you told yourself. When you still went to school with Charlie, you had gotten the same nervous, fluttery feeling whenever you were around him. After he left to pursue his dream job in Romania, he wasn’t nearby to make your stomach do somersaults anymore. It had been a full year since you felt this dizzying feeling, and now it was all rushing back to you.

“You okay, Y/N?” asked Hermione, who was sitting next to Charlie.

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Why aren’t you eating?”

You looked around and quickly realized that everyone had already piled food on top of their plates, but yours was still empty. How long had you been sitting there?

“Right,” you said as you picked up a serving spoon, about to dish mashed potatoes onto your plate. “I was thinking about someone, and I guess I zoned out for a bit.”

Hermione raised her eyebrow at you. “Who were you thinking about?”

You froze. You replayed your words and realized that you had accidentally said you were thinking about someone instead of something.

“Did I say someone?” you asked with a laugh, attempting to pass off your error as a simple mistake. “I meant something.”

“Sure you did,” Ginny teased, winking at you.

You rolled your eyes at her. You acted as if it was all a joke, but you were dying of embarrassment on the inside. You hoped you weren’t being too obvious.

“Pass me the green beans, Y/LN,” Charlie said.

You felt your face burning as you handed over the green beans. Even though you didn’t touch him, extending your hand that close to his sent electricity through you.

“Thank you,” Charlie said cheekily.

You spared him a glance, flashing him a smile. You were trying to act as casual as possible, but it was difficult when your stomach churned every time you looked at him. There was no denying to yourself that you were crushing hard.

After dinner was done, you helped Mrs. Weasley wash up. When everything was cleaned and put away, you headed over to the living room, where Fred, George, and Charlie were playing cards around the coffee table. Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were talking upstairs, Percy was in his room reading, and the Weasley parents had decided to retire for the night.

“Can I play?” you asked, taking a seat next to Fred.

“Sure,” he answered, not looking up from his deck. “Next game.”

“So, where did you guys go earlier today?” you questioned.

“We just went to town,” George replied nonchalantly. “Fred and I needed to get some stuff for our next prank, and Charlie offered to take us.”

You hummed in response. It made you feel warm inside to know that Charlie was so attentive with his siblings. Family was very important to you, and you were glad it was important to him as well. Just another reason for you to fall even harder for him. Godric, why did he have to be so perfect?

The boys continued to play. The game finally ended when both Fred and Charlie ran out of cards, leaving George the winner. You began picking up the cards and shuffling them, preparing to deal them to everyone.

Before you could complete your task, however, George interrupted. “Actually, Fred and I are going upstairs to work on our new idea.”

Giving them a wave goodbye, you watched as the two younger boys got up from the coffee table and headed upstairs.

“You and me?” Charlie asked, a mischievous smile on his face

“Sure,” you replied.

You handed him his cards, and the two of you began to play. You were both concentrated on the game, and the only noise that could be heard was the sound of cards slapping on the table.

“So, how have you been?” Charlie asked, trying to make conversation.

“I’ve been good,” you responded. “You?”

“Never been better. Working at the dragon sanctuary has been a dream come true.”

You were genuinely happy to hear that he loved his job and his new life. Although, you wished you could be a bigger part of it. Charlie wasn’t much of a writer, and he hardly sent letters to his family, let alone his friends. You had written to him once when he was away, and he had responded. That was the extent of your communication over the last year. You didn’t bother to send another letter, fearing coming off as clingy or obsessed. When he failed to write to you again, you knew you had made the right decision.

“Wanna tell me more about Romania?” you asked, setting your cards down.

“Sure!” he answered enthusiastically. “But can we sit on the couch? My bum is sore from sitting on the floor.”

The two of you moved to the sofa and sat about a foot away from each other. He told you all about his experiences working with dragons. He went into detail about the training process, the proper way to handle a baby dragon, and the different breeds he got to study. You smiled as he talked, enjoying the way his eyes lit up whenever he discussed something he was passionate about.

“So, what about you?” he asked finally. “What have you been up to?”

“Well, I just finished my sixth year, which you already knew,” you said. “I aced most of my exams, I was invited into the Slug Club, and I’m currently working towards becoming Head Girl.”

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Charlie said. “You must be proud of yourself.”

“I am proud. Exhausted, but proud. Sometimes I wonder how I got this far. I look back at all the hard work I put in and still can’t figure out how I managed to do all that.”

“You’re pretty incredible,” said Charlie. “If anyone could accomplish that much, it would be you.” He paused. “Well, maybe also Percy. He’s a know-it-all.”

You blushed at his compliment. “Thanks, Charlie.” When you first told him about your achievements, you were worried he would think you were bragging. But his kind words put your fears at ease, reassuring you that it was okay to be happy for yourself and to want to share your goals and successes with others.

“You know, we should keep in touch more when I go back to Romania,” he said.

“Agreed. We hardly exchanged two letters in the past year.”

Charlie smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I sort of didn’t write to anyone at all. I mean, unless they wrote to me first.”

“It’s alright,” you reassured him. “You were probably too busy taming dragons or something,” you teased.

“I never forgot you,” he said, as if he had to make sure you knew his lack of communication wasn’t personal.

You felt your breath hitch. You knew he was probably only saying because he felt guilty for not sending letters to someone who obviously wanted to, but you secretly wished he had meant something more by those words. Did he miss you when he was away? Or did he just feel bad for cutting off a family friend who was desperate for company? Could he sense how you felt about him?

“I know,” you said. “You don’t have to feel bad for not writing. I know it’s nothing against me.” You really hoped he didn’t pity you or think you were pathetic. Your Gryffindor confidence truly gave out on you when you were around him.

“I-it’s not that,” he stammered. “It’s just, well, um.”

“It’s just what?” you questioned. Since when did Charlie Weasley get so tongue-tied?

“I, uh, I want you to know that I never forgot about you,” he finally spitted out, red in the face. “You’re, you’re different to me.”

You couldn’t believe your ears. Was Charlie Weasley, the boy you’ve been swooning over for years, confessing his feelings for you?

“Different how?” you asked, wanting him to get to the point. You needed to know how he felt about you, but you were slightly afraid of the outcome. What if it was all a misunderstanding? What if you had been reading the situation wrong, and he didn’t actually have feelings for you?

“Well, you’re like a friend,” Charlie began slowly. He seemed to have regained his natural confidence and composure. “But more than that.”

You stared at him, unable to speak.

“You’re like family,” he went on, “but I don’t see you as my sister or anything like that. I see you more as someone I could fancy, or rather, someone I do fancy.”

You were dumbstruck. The boy you were head-over-heels for actually liked you back. He had said it himself. He fancied you. No one else, you.

“Could you please say something?” Charlie asked.

You looked down to see him fidgeting with his hands. Was he really that anxious? The calmest person you knew was nervous around you?

“I can’t believe you just said that,” you said, looking him in the eyes. Those gorgeous brown eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, turning red again. “Forget I said anything.”

“No, no, it’s not like that!” you hurriedly told him. “I like you, too.”

“You do?” he asked, breaking into a grin that could make you melt into the ground.

“Yes, I do. I’ve liked you for a long time, but I never had the courage to say anything. I didn’t think you felt the same way.”

“Same here,” Charlie admitted. “I’ve liked you for a while, but it felt wrong of me to say so. You are my friend, after all. Plus, you’re two years younger than me.”

You nodded in agreement. You often questioned if it would be wrong to date someone who wasn’t your age. Would people think weirdly of you and Charlie if the two of you were in a relationship? Would either of you get in trouble?

You couldn’t help yourself from asking, “How long have you liked me for?” You were still flabbergasted and didn’t think you’d ever get over the news.

“Well, I’m not sure. Maybe since my sixth year? Although, it could’ve been before that. We were always such close friends that I didn’t notice when platonic feelings started to turn into something more.”

You nodded in understanding. “I get it. Although, I can’t say it was the same for me. My feelings for you weren’t gradual like that. I knew I liked you all at once. From the moment we first met, actually.”

“Oh, did you?” he teased. “Did you find me that charming?”

“Oh, shut it, you git,” you said while rolling your eyes at him. It felt nice to banter with him without the awkward tension from before. Knowing that he shared your feelings made it easier for you to talk to him.

“So, what now?” Charlie asked you. “Are we dating or...?”

“Well, you have to ask me out first, don’t you?” you said playfully, trying to hide your smile.

He let out a loud sigh. “If I must.”

“Go on,” you said with a smirk. You had missed his goofy side when you were apart from him.

“Y/N Y/LN, will you go out with me?” he asked dramatically.

You rolled your eyes again. “Yes, you doof. I will go out with you.”

He beamed. “Brilliant!”

You smiled back at him, reaching for his hands. You gripped his hands in yours and looked into his eyes. Those soft, brown eyes that never failed to make you weak in the knees.

“But what will your family think?” you questioned, finally breaking his gaze.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Will your family be okay with this?”

“I’ve, uh, already told my parents about you,” you said sheepishly. “They’ve known I liked you for a long time, so they won’t have a problem with us dating. It’s your family I’m worried about.”

Charlie nodded. “Maybe we shouldn’t tell them? Not now, at least?”

“That would probably be best,” you agreed. “I don’t particularly want to deal with their judgement right now.”

Just then, the thudding of footsteps coming down the stairs could be heard.

“Charlie, Y/N, it’s bedtime!” Ron called from the landing. “Mum told me to tell you!”

“We’re coming, Ron!” Charlie shouted back. He turned to you. “So, I guess we’re keeping this a secret?”

“Guess so.”

That night, you couldn’t sleep as you laid in bed. You didn’t have to share Bill’s room with anybody, so you were utterly alone with your thoughts. Part of you was too excited to sleep. You couldn’t believe you were dating Charlie Weasley, the boy of your dreams. But part of you was also terrified of what the Weasleys would say once they found out. You already knew they liked you; you had been a friend of their children for a long time. And Charlie was their own son. But would a relationship be too much?

Aside from your worries about Charlie’s family, thoughts about how to make a relationship with him work also occupied your mind. He would be returning to the dragon reserve in Romania at the end of the summer, and you would be starting your last year at Hogwarts. Would you break up? Would you do long-distance? How would you make it work?

The next morning, everything proceeded as usual. You had breakfast with the Weasleys, along with Ron and Hermione, of course, and helped with the dishes afterward. You spent the rest of the day spending time with everyone, particularly Charlie. The two of you snuck off whenever you could, but it was difficult finding time to be alone with so many people at the Burrow.

The rest of the summer went accordingly. You spent your days playing games with the younger children, helping Mr. and Mrs. Weasley around the house, and enjoying quiet moments with Charlie. During your time alone, the two of you talked, made plans, and fell deeper in love with each other. You were infatuated with him, and he felt the same about you. Both of you dreaded the end of the summer, when you would eventually have to part ways.

You would miss the hot nights laying in the field, counting fireflies together. You would miss the sweet way you held each other’s hands underneath the dinner table. You would miss the rise and fall of his chest when he had fallen asleep on the banks of the nearby pond after a long afternoon of splashing around. You would miss the blush that crept up his cheeks when you caught him staring at you when he thought you weren’t looking. You would miss him, everything about him.

The last day of summer crept closer and closer. Before you knew it, it was your final night at the Burrow. You were set to leave with Percy, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny early the next morning. A part of you was excited to finally start your last year at Hogwarts, knowing that this would bring you another step closer to your adult life. Some days, there was nothing you wanted more than to be done with school and to start working in the wizarding world. You weren’t sure if you wanted to be a healer or an auror or some other profession, but you knew you wanted to make a difference and do good things for others. But another part of you was saddened. You didn’t want to leave the warmth and comfort of the Burrow. You didn’t want the carefree summer days to be nothing but a distant memory. And you didn’t want your blossoming relationship with Charlie to come to a close either.

It was past midnight, and you were the only one awake. Having had trouble falling asleep, you had gone down to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. After downing your drink, you had decided to perch on the sofa to contemplate your current situation. Physically, you were exhausted from a long day of frolicking in the fields and slinging rocks into the pond, the perfect end to the perfect summer. Mentally, you were restless as thoughts ran wild through your head. What would happen when you returned to school and Charlie went back to Romania? Your body was telling you to sleep, but your mind was keeping you up. You would be able to sleep on the train the next day, anyway.

“Y/N?” a voice sounded through the silence. “Why are you up?”

You broke free of your thoughts and glanced up to see Charlie staring back at you from the foot of the stairs.

“I couldn’t sleep,” you shrugged. “Went down for some water and decided to sit here.”

Charlie grinned before plopping down next to you. “Well, then, I’m glad I happened to wake up just now. We can have one more moment together before we both leave tomorrow.”

You smiled back at him. “I think one more moment with you is just what I need right now.”

“What’s on your mind, love?” he asked as he draped his arm around you.

You snuggled closer to his side. “Nothing much. I was just thinking about us. What’s going to happen after tomorrow?”

You peered into Charlie’s eyes and found that he looked utterly content, relaxed even. Was he not fazed by the idea of having to leave you?

“Well, you’re going back to school,” he began, “and I’m going back to the sanctuary.”

“But what about us?”

“We’ll do long-distance, I guess,” he answered with a shrug. “I don’t want to break up or anything.”

You smiled at that and leaned up to give him a peck on the cheek. You were glad he wasn’t too worried. It eased your nerves to see how well he was handling this. “I don’t want to break up either. But you better write me, you git.”

Charlie smirked. “Alright, I’ll write you.”

You punched him playfully. “You better.”

The two of you stayed on the couch for a while, just enjoying being close to each other. You rested your head on his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. Its rhythmic pounding soothed you, let you know that everything was going to be okay.

“Hey, is that my jumper?” Charlie finally spoke, gesturing to knitted red garment you wore.

You grinned sheepishly, looking down at the jumper that hung oversized on you. “I wanted to have a piece of you before we go our separate ways. I didn’t think you’d miss it too much. You have a bunch of them.”

“You can keep it, love,” he said with a grin. “It looks better on you anyway.”

“Thanks, Charlie,” you replied happily. You knew he wouldn’t have minded you taking his jumper, but it was nice to hear him say it himself. Something about the way he said it looked better on you made you cling onto him even tighter.

You and Charlie fell asleep on the couch that night, entangled in each other’s arms. In the morning, you were awakened by the sound of stomping footsteps and rowdy laughter as the other children got ready to leave. Soon enough, Molly Weasley was ushering you and Charlie to get ready as well. She didn’t seem at all surprised to see the two of you sleeping on the sofa together. Like everyone else in the house, she knew of your relationship without having to be told.

Charlie decided to accompany you and rest of the returning Hogwarts troupe to the train station. He didn’t want to miss seeing you off, wanting to say goodbye one last time. By the time you reached Platform 9 3/4, it was finally hitting you that you would be leaving him again. But this time, it hurt a little less because you knew you wouldn’t be leaving behind an unrequited love. You would be leaving your boyfriend, someone who did feel the same way and would never stop caring about you no matter the distance.

Your goodbye was bittersweet. You were thrilled to be parting ways as two people who were dating at long last, but you were dismayed to leave him at all.

“Did you pack my jumper?” Charlie asked as he pulled you into one last hug.

“Sure did,” you grinned at him. “I’m going to miss you, Charlie.”

“I’ll miss you too,” he said, planting a kiss into your hair. “But there’s always next year.”

You finally pulled away and boarded the Hogwarts Express with the others. Sitting in between Ginny and Hermione, you waved out the window frantically as the train pulled out of the station. You continued to wave as the train continued to chug forward until the figures of Charlie, Molly, and Arthur Weasley became nothing but specks on the platform.

Tired from staying up late the night before, you allowed yourself to shut your eyes during the ride to school. As you were drifting off to sleep, the last words Charlie had said to you turned over and over again in your mind. But there’s always next year. He was right. Although you’d be apart for your last year at Hogwarts and his second year in Romania, you had your whole future ahead of you. You had the rest of your lives to be together, so it didn’t matter that you weren’t together now. You sank deeper and deeper into a peaceful slumber, letting the noise of the train inching along the tracks and the thoughts of your future with Charlie lull you to sleep.

[boxofbadaddiction]

Careless

Fred Weasley x Reader

This story is inspired from a request of my F.R.I.E.N.D.S Themed Prompt List.

Prompts: 13, 19 & 23

"I'm so happy and not at all jealous."/"We had a deep and meaningful relationship/What was their last name?"/"I thought it mattered what I said or when I said it. Then I realised, all that matters is that you make me happier than I ever thought I could be."

Warnings: Swearing. War Scene - blood & injury. Angsty.

Y/n was trouble with a capital T. She was daring, confident, snarky and a massive Quidditch fan. In other words; she were Fred Weasleys perfect woman.

But it's not what you think, they were just friends. Chaotic, hell raising, perfect-for-each-other friends.

With the Twins and y/n around Hogwarts it were remarkable the Castle were still standing. But not for their lack of trying. After an especially careless prank, which left the Gryffindor Common Room with a new window, it's safe to say the threesome were there for one another through thick and thin.

Pranks however, weren't the only area in which Y/n, and Fred for that matter, were careless.

Both had the tendency to be rather frivolous in romantic relationships. It seemed like every other week the pair had a new partner on their arm. George liked to joke that, of all the people left in their age group, the only people they hadn't 'had a round' with were each other. The rumours, jokes or insults to character never bothered them though. They were young and weren't looking for anything serious - so what's the harm in having a little fun? That was y/ns reasoning anyway. It had been Freds as well...in the beginning. Until he were struck with a rather bracing realisation.

The reason why he rushed so fast into new relationships without a care wasn't so much 'for the fun of it' or genuine interest in the other, but denial. He were running and burying his head in the sand, or rather the bedsheets - as it were, to distract himself from the very chilling reality that he was desperately, hopelessly and unequivocally in love with his best friend. With y/n.

So after that particularly bitter pill to swallow, Fred's relations became a means to an end. A means of getting over her. Of finding someone to replace her.

It never worked, of course, because no other girl was her. No one made him laugh or smile like her. Nor did anyone get his heart racing like she did.

He did everything he could to bury his feelings; under piles of work, copious amounts of alcohol and an abundance of meaningless sex, and it genuinely seemed to be working...until the War came.

That walk into the Great Hall after the initial Battle is one Fred would never forget.

The smell; of death and destruction. The way his body ached and longed to rest.

Slowly limping through the destroyed arched doorway, accompanied by Percy - who's shoulders he'd drapped an arm across seeking support. They were talking with one another, throwing around light-hearted brotherly insults here and there, which helped keep Freds mind off the immense pain surging through his leg at the time, small smiles adorning their faces.

That's when they heard it.

A blood curdling scream. One of pure agony.

Their eyes shot directly to the source, on the far side of the room - where all the Weasleys were gathered around a body. A girls.

Arthur was holding tight onto Molly as she sobbed uncontrollably. Ron stood on the outskirts pale and afraid, while Bill and Charlie had a hold of Ginny in attempt to shield her. Fred's gaze flickered to where he saw George had knelt beside the body.

He was gripping one of her hands as his other tried desperately to keep her still on the floor while she writhed and cried out in pain.

She were covered in blood as Madam Pomfrey worked frantically to mend the severe wounds in her abdomen, where shards of debris protruded from her flesh.

The cry had been caused from the extraction of a particularly large shard, of what Fred didn't know.

George was running a tender hand over y/ns head, gently stroking her hair and the sides of her face as he whispered soothing sounds and comforting words in her ear.

Fred didn't know how long he'd stood there, staring in shock, he'd felt petrified - numb to everything but the fear coursing through his veins. Till suddenly his feet were moving.

A first painful step, which nearly crippled him, was followed by an equally sore but determined second. Then a third, and before he knew it he was running. Sprinting as fast as he could regardless of the pain it inflicted, nothing could stop him from reaching her side.

Barging past friends and family members he collapsed on Georges otherside. Eyes raking the ever paling and blood covered woman laid before him. George was shaking as he looked to his brother with tear-filled eyes but Freds stare was unwavering.

Somehow mustering the strength he spoke the only words playing through his mind, "What can I do?" His eyes never left y/ns wound, above which Pomfreys hands hovered as she worked.

"Fred?" Y/n cried through deep breaths, her head turning to the side in an attempt to see him. "I'm here, Sweetheart." He placed a hand to her knee. Her eyes were screwed tight shut as she threw her head back against the hard, cold floor. Tears parted tracks through the thick dust and muck plastered to her cheeks as she clenched her jaw inhaling sharply as the next piece of debris was removed - a relatively small piece in comparison to the earlier one. George continued to soothe his friend as Pomfrey instructed Fred on what to do.

They wished everything had gotten better from there. That after they successfully removed all the debris and stopped the blood from further pouring from her body that she'd been able to recover simply. But news only seemed to get worse once they reached St Mungo's.

She'd fallen into a coma. Y/n had suffered severe internal injuries and the Healers never held out much hope that she'd survive.

Y/n always was full of surprises.

She'd come out of her coma and began showing signs she could yet make a recovery. No one could have possibly anticipated the day healers would begin talk of rehab. They considered it a miracle she were even breathing.

Naturally the Twins were there every step of the way. Especially Fred. There were whole nights, even before she'd regained consciousness, where he'd spend every minute by her bedside. Nights he'd spend working tirelessly in the shops office to perfect ideas they'd concocted to help ease and enhance y/ns physical therapy. Inventions that worked so well Healers from all over were lining up to get their hands on, after seeing how successful y/ns recovery were as a direct result of their products. Hell, most days you couldn't even tell she'd been through a war - her scars the only physical reminder, to the untrained eye.

There were no doubt left in Freds body after that. He loved her with every part of his soul and that was never going to change, and so his involvement in the dating scene became virtually non-existent.

Y/ns on the other hand...well some things don’t change.

She was given a second chance and wasn't about to waste it worrying about what 'could' have happened. Life were too short for that. She did, however, start keeping an eye out for 'Mr/Mrs Right' during her rendezvous'.

Fred tried his hardest to be supportive. Opting rather to love her from the sidelines than risk hurting their relationship by getting his hands dirty and playing the game. After Y/ns most recent conquest however his happy facade may officially be waning.

It was just past sunset in Diagon Alley and so Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, much like all the other stores, were going through their nightly closing routine.

Fred was working through the registers whilst, much to his dismay, George were left to the Twins least favourite chore - cleaning and restocking the store.

That's when the front door burst open.

"Evening, Boys!" Y/n announced happily as she strode into the store. "Fred! I told you to lock the door, lest the riff-raff barge in!" George called jokingly over the railing of the second floor. Fred couldn't help but smile, not looking up from the task at hand "My mistake!". Y/n scowled up at George as she hopped onto the front desk, "Like that could keep me out." Leaning over the counter top she placed a kiss to Freds cheek, "Heya Freddie". He looked to her, instantly finding himself on cloud nine, and leant casually onto the counter to speak with her. "Hey, Lovely. How was your day?" "Oh, I am so glad you asked!" Y/n said beaming as she clapped her palms against her knees, kicking one leg atop the other. "It was fantastic!" "Do tell." George spoke, decending the stair case, "What's 'fantastic's name?" He goaded.

Y/n glared at him playfully, "Think you have me all worked out do you?" "You know we do." Fred interjects. "Can read you like a book, Darling. You've got not secrets from us"

"Especially after our little incident during rehab, when I had to help you in the shower." George added with a teasing brow, this causing y/n to scrunch her nose. "Okay, George, that's talking about it when we agreed never to talk about it!" The Twins laughed at her embarrassed expression. "Anyway, 'fantastic's name is Mason."

Fred swallowed thickly at the news of, yet another, romantic partner but still he suppressed his distaste as he normally would.

The next 30 minutes or so were spent listening to y/ns retelling of how she met, Mason. About how great they made her feel. Fred couldn't help but envy the way the mere thought of them had y/n biting her lip in attempt to suppress a giddy smile. He'd give anything for her to look that way while thinking about him.

Fred had been quiet through most of the conversation, untrusting of his own voice not to give away his utter disdain at the news. Still he smiled when he should and convincingly feigned interested as she spoke. It wasn't until she began talking about her date, tonight, with them that he finally spared himself the heartache and stopped listening.

Later that evening, Fred was trying hard to keep himself occupied with thoughts on anything but the date the love of his life currently found herself on. As George and he just finished their own meal he'd taken to determinately cleaning the dishes piled within their sink - whilst George dried, a small habit the two fell into thanks to years of Molly putting the pair on dish duty after meals.

Unknowingly to Fred, he'd been uncharacteristically quiet for the whole evening. Something his brother had not failed to notice. "So..." he began breaking the long running silence of the night, "y/n seems pretty bent on this new bloke doesn't she?" "Mmm" "Never know this one may even last" George let out a breathy laugh as he prodded Fred's shoulder with his elbow, watching carefully for his reaction.

George wasn't stupid. He knew exactly how Fred felt, well before the night of the battle.

Fred's eyebrows quirked, lips parting as he clicked his jaw, visibly unsettled by his Twins topic of discussion.

"You okay, Freddie?" "Yeah. No, they sound great. Absolutely perfect. He's bloody 'Mr Fantastic'" His voice was laced with attitude and sarcasm as he spoke.

Finishing washing the final glass Fred throws the dish sponge against the back wall of the sink harder than intended in his frustration. "Easy there mate, get you're not happy but don't take your jealousy out on the poor bloody sponge" George picks it up from where it'd landed, mockingly shielding it from his brother with an overly concerned expression. "What are you on about?" Fred sneered defensively, "I'm so happy and not at all jealous."

"Sure you are" George replied with a look which read 'really?' "Yeah no, I get it. I'd be fine too if the girl I fancied was out on a date with some other bloke." He shrugged nonchalantly as he walked back to the living room, lounging comfortably across their sofa.

Fred looked to his brother as if he'd grown another head. "Don't give me that look. We both know I know." George rolled his eyes. "Well then tell me, oh wise and all-knowing Brother" Fred bowed mockingly, "what would you do in my situation?" He walked over with an expectant brow, perching himself of the sofas opposite arm rest.

"Oh, I dunno...maybe confess to the poor girl." "You say that like it's the simplest thing in the world." "It is, Freddie." "No. No it's not, whatever this is it's not simple." "It won't get any easier if you don't try. Here look I'll help you" George sat up eagerly, leaning against the back of the couch. "You be you, I'll be- don't give me that look. I'll be y/n. Tell me what you'd say to her." "This is stupid" Fred rolled his eyes. "Don't be a prat, just...go. I won't judge." "Right, cause that sounds like you." "Fred-" George warned. "Fiiiine!" He groaned which only caused his brother to smile cockily, satisfied he finally got what he wants.

Fred looked at his brother who flicked his hair and batted his eyelashes dramatically. There's no way he can do this looking at him. Rolling his eyes again he looked away with a scoff, contemplating all the things he'd say to y/n if he had the courage to.

"Well?..." "I don't know. I don't know what'd I'd say to her or where to start, I've never thought about it." "Maybe it's time you start thinking about it Freddie." George clapped him on the leg as he stood from his place on the couch.

He were half way to his bedroom before stopping, having just faintly heard the words whispered after him...

"I love her, Georgie." George smiles sadly to himself, only just turning his head he murmurs a reply. "Tell her that."

---

The store was closed for the day and Fred had choose to have a rather uneventful night in, and so he sat on the end of the sofa reading the paper hoping for product inspiration to strike. George on the other hand were getting ready to go out for the night when came a rhythmic knock on the flat door. No need to ask who it were as they let themselves in, per usual.

"Hello, Boys" y/n bounded into the apartment, flopping casually onto their couch with her head in Freds lap.

He lifted the paper into one hand to better see her smiling face looking cheekily back up at him. His own fond and loving smile shown back. "Hey, Freddie" "Hey, Gorgeous." "HELLO, GEORGE?" She shouted listening intently for his response, "YEAH YEAH, Hello freeloader!" He yells back causing her smile to grow.

"You seem awfully happy, have a good day?" Fred asks as he begins to softly run his hands through y/ns hair out of a developed habit from all their late nights at Hogwarts. "Yeah it was good, just went out with Mason. We had a nice time but I'm just happy to be here with you losers." "Losers? How flattering" George calls from his bedroom. "Oh" at the mention of y/ns partner, Fred puts an end to his hands actions. Turning his attention pointedly back to the paper he'd been reading previously. "And how is 'Mr Fantastic'?" He sneers. "Yeah great...I think. I don't know, he sorta got carried away talking about work. Barely got a word in myself." Y/n chuckles fakely. Sensing her pent up reservations Fred can't help but resume his earlier actions, stroking her hair, but still his eyes stay on the page in front of him. Even if he can't seem to read a single word - too focused on the warmth y/ns body provides pressed against his. Wishing this were how he could spend every night, wrapped up on the couch with her in his arms.

"Alright, children!" George emerges from his bedroom, "I'm off. Don't destroy the place while I'm gone." "Oh that's right!" Y/n sits up excitedly to peer over the back of the sofa. "Tonights the big date" she rests her chin atop her arms as they fold over the backrest looking to George as he collects his wallet and keys. "That's right, Dearest." He ruffles her hair as he strides past to the door, "You're not the only one around here who goes out." He winks before leaving, a quick 'behave!' Called over his shoulder.

Y/n lays back down across Freds lap with a warm smile on her lips. "So...what do you wanna do tonight?"

---

Fred was quietly thankful for George being out of the apartment for the night, the quality time spent with y/n were more than he could possibly ask for. It felt like being back in school, when they'd sneak to the Lake or Astronomy tower past curfew.

They were currently sat on the lounge room floor; a bottle of firewiskey and several stolen sweets from George's stash, scattered in front of them.

"I can't believe you just called me a slag!" Fred shouts as y/n laughed loudly. "W-well it's true." She shrugged, speaking through poorly restrained giggles. "Need I remind you of your time spent with Alice?" "Hey! We had a deep, and meaningful relationship." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah!" "What was her last name?" Freds mouth opened in retort before swiftly closing. Eyes blankly scanning the room in search of the answer before realising he didn't have one. He nodded and shrugged in acknowledgement. "Point taken. Not that you're one to judge" he chuckled, taking a swig from the bottle of whiskey before offering it to her. "Also true." Y/n accepted.

"When was the last time you waited until the third date?" "Honestly?" "No. Lie to me." Y/n rolled her eyes at his question. "Katie Bell." "Noooo...in 6th year?" "Yeah. Go on then, when was the last time you didn't just give it up?" "What, 'Honestly'?" "No. Lie to me." Fred threw an every flavour bean at her for the mockery. "Okay...Mr Fantastic." "Noooo..." "yeah." "I don't believe you." "What!? Why?" "Because you're whipped by the bloke! Surprised he even made it to a first date- OW! Hey, chocolate frogs are NOT for throwing!"

Neither were sure how this odd game of confessions began, perhaps somewhere around the half way mark on their bottle of Whiskey, but the embarrassing dirty little secrets they'd begun to reveal to one another had them both in hysterics as a result.

"So, why not?" "I dunno he just...hasn't got me feeling that way, ya know? Like, he's great, and we have a good time together - I guess. But it's not like this" she guestured between herself and Fred, who was listening intently. "I can't seem to relax and just be myself around him. He doesn't get me laughing till it hurts. Or make me feel safe and comfortable." Fred's lips parted slightly at her words, eyes dancing hopefully back and forth between hers which seemed to hold the same emotion his did in that moment. Was it possible she felt the same way?

"Or ya know, something less sappy." She chuckled, taking a drink from the Whiskey bottle and turning away from him. Whatever moment he'd felt was gone, and reality set in with the familiar bitter pill settling in his mouth which he refused to swallow.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the disappointment that began to creep in. Over her comparison, in wanting someone like him, but in the end, not him. Never him. A sharp breath left him before speaking, "Yeah, well, I ah- I have work in the morning so I'd best call it a night." He avoided eye contact as he stood from his spot on the floor, all joints painfully stiff from the lack of movement.

Y/n was shocked by his abrupt change in attitude. He were no longer smiling, and there was an edge to his voice which wasn't there moments ago.

"Woah, wait...what just happened here? I thought we were having a good time." "We were" y/n stood, taking a tentative step towards him "So, what changed?" "Nothing"

"Fred? Come on, sit back down...please?" She grabbed one of his hands holding it close to her chest as she pouted at him. For a second Fred caught himself smiling at her antics. But only for a second. He shook his head, pulling his hand back from hers and stressfully running it through his hair.

"I can't, love." "Can't what?" Her brows furrowed in confusion. "I just can't sit there and listen to you talk about us; me and him." He snapped looking away from her. "Why? What's that have t-"

"Because I'm fucking in love with you!" Fred shouted, turning back to y/n in anger. "I'm in love with you and sitting there listening to you talk about how I make you feel safe - and how you wish it were him - it's ripping my fucking heart out y/n! But I'm stuck. Because I can't move on but I can't have you. So I just sit here like an idiot, watching you jump from one relationship to another, waiting- hoping that you'll care. I keep hanging onto moments - like right there - thinking there may be the slightest chance you might feel the same way. But you don't. And I can't do it anymore...so don't ask me to."

"Fred-" "I think you should go." "No, Fred I-" "Please! Go."

Y/n stood in place, staring in shock as her body seemed reluctant to move. She were petrified - numb to everything, but the fear swimming within her blood. What would happen if she walked out that door. Would he ever let her back in, or was this it? What if she leaves and loses him forever - and he never knew...

She drew a shaking breath that seemed to give a modicum of control back over her body. Her eyes flickered over the expanse of the boys flat. It were always so cheerful and warm - so why did she feel so cold? Her body trembled as her feet began to move, each step more painful than the last.

As she opened the door every nerve screamed for her to turn back around. Her head turned to the side, mouth falling dry and lips parting to speak though no words came. But the tears did. Rolling sadly down her cheeks as the door sealed shut behind her.

She was gone.

Fred fell to the couch. Any strength that were holding him from the ground disappearing as she did. Slouched over his knees, elbows digging into his thighs whilst he ran his hands through his hair.

He let out a heavy breath, a small relief spreading in his chest from the weight that'd been lifted. But mostly all that came was pain and tears from the heartache he'd tried so hard to shield himself from for all these years.

There's no telling how long he sat there, furiously rubbing at his eyes as the tears refused to stop falling. Not till the familiar crack of apparation reached his ears could he fully hold himself high again. George couldn't see him like this, he wouldn't let him.

With the creaking of the front doors hinges Fred stood, clearing his throat and running a final hand across his puffy, tear stained cheeks. "You're back early, what'd happen you strike out?" He joked, turning only to be met with the equally teary eyes of y/n. Although hers held something else as well - anger. Fred felt cold. What was she doing back here?

"Where do you get the nerve?" She snapped. Freds expression screwed between a mixture of insult and confusion. "Don't you dare, for a second, think you know how I feel." "I do." "No. No you don't! Otherwise you would have realised that I fucking love you too!" "W-what?"

"You think you're the only one? That after all these years together; after all those nights in the Astronomy tower. After all those days you spent by my side as I laid dying in that hospital bed. After all your time spent healing me; that I haven't fallen in love with you?"

"Well...well WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING!?" "WHY DIDN'T YOU!?"

Freds mouth was open but no words were coming. He let out a defeated breath, leaning against the back of the sofa as the weight of everything set in.

"...when?" "I don't know when I fell. Only when I realised. Guess that was the only good thing to come from that evil, pink bitch being around." Y/n chuckled sadly.

"THEN!? you knew then?" "After your first detention. I bandaged your hand and we spent the night together in the common room. You fell asleep in my lap, that's...that's when I knew."

This was all so overwhelming. So much for the quiet night in. Fred stared fixedly at a point on the side wall in thought, lightly shaking his head, unsure of exactly how he felt or what to do. This was everything he'd ever wanted to hear and that scared him a little bit.

"Look, I didn't say anything because you mean too much to me to ever risk jeopardising what we had and I- I could never find the words to..." Y/n swallowed thickly as all emotion caught in her throat. Taking his hand tightly in hers she tried to ground herself within the moment. The action turning Freds gaze back to hers.

"I thought it mattered what I said, or when I said it. Then I realised, all that matters is that you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. I never want to lose that and if you’ll let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way. All you have to do is just tell me; what do you want?"

Fred watched as the tears welled within y/ns eyes the longer she spoke, he wondered how they ever managed to be so goddamn obliviously stupid, that neither realised.

A soft smile crept across his lips as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "All I've ever wanted...is you." Y/ns whole body relaxed at his words, head falling in relief. Looking back into his eyes she bit her lip to suppress a giddy, lovestruck, smile.

"You've always had me."

[citydreamgrls]

they were roommates part seven

a weasley twins x fem!reader fic

summary: she had nowhere to go, fleeing home to pursue something along the lines of freedom, so being welcomed into the entrepreneurial twins life was a whole world of new experiences waiting to happen.

an: i was looking through my older posts and saw someone who said they really enjoyed my ‘adoptive daughter’ one shot ( thanks <3 ) and they also mentioned that they wanted it to be a full fic, like a proper story and all, so like i’m thinking about it. if i was gonna do it, would you guys prefer to see an extended ‘the adoptive daughter’ where i kind of drag it out more, and extend the storyline past that one shot. or would you rather just a completely new fic, no previous plot lines whatsoever? 

words: 6,279

After the night on the rooftop, things began looking up for all three of the people living in Weasleys’ Wizards Wheezes. Fred started acting like his usual self, now with the knowledge that he and y/n stood a chance together. George enjoyed having his two closest friends back in their right minds, and overall, no one was breaking in.

“So what could you possibly have to complain about!” Ginny guffawed, earning some glances from other customers inside the cafe she and y/n had stopped at one sunny afternoon.

The girl giggled, blushing at the brief attention before lowering her voice.

“I’m not complaining, I’m very lucky.” “Of course you are, not only was Bill in love with you- now Fred is!” The youngest Weasley was yet to calm herself over the news that her best friend was still going to be in with the family.

“I was only saying how I needed a bit of a break from the boys-”

“Spare me the lies- you couldn’t keep away from me for more than a week could you!” Ginny laughed, her head throwing back in the process.

It was true that y/n longed to see Ginny whenever they were apart, the girl and Hermione acting like her long lost sisters when they got together. But since she and Fred had gotten a little closer than friends; the loft seemed more cramped than ever. Not to mention that the twins had been pranking her all week long, showing no mercy to her begs for them to stop.

“Here she is!” The redhead announced, making Hermione frown at her friend before noticing the empty wine glasses on the table.

-

“I’m not that late am I?” She joked, taking a seat at their little table before ordering another round for them all.

“Oh no, Gin was just very excited to get started.” Y/n giggled, the alcohol only rouging her cheeks slightly.

“I can tell, your laugh was echoing down the alley,” ‘Mione smirked, leaning back and taking a sip of her own with a relieved sigh. “It feels good to have a break.”

“I haven’t stopped practising in months, this feels like an early christmas.” Ginny mused, reminding them all of why they were gathering in the first place.

Upon learning that y/n had the afternoon free, Ginny had raced over to the loft to take her own, sending an owl to Hermione telling her to sack off work so they could go for drinks. The desk maniac had grumbled, not one to walk out on a whim, but gave in when she thought back to how long it had been since she had seen the girls.

“Perks of being the head of your own department,” She grinned, eyeing up the girl beside her. “And how did you convince tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee to free you?”. Y/n ignored Weasley's look of confusion and giggled.

“I already had the afternoon off, luckily.”

“And Fred loves you.” Ginny slurred, calling the waiter over yet again.

“What!” Hermione squealed, having not been caught up since the girl and Bill decided not to pursue things. “When did this happen?”

“He doesn’t love me, Ginny, you minx.” Y/n slapped her friends wrist lightly.

“Oh he so does!”

Hermione frowned, remembering the conversation she and Fred had shared back at the burrow, how devastated he’d been just at the sight of the girl with Bill. If only she could reveal all that he’d told her, then y/n would know the truth. But Hermione knew all she could do to help was urge her into seeing what was obviously already there.

“He’s been looking after me, since the incident- then there was this thing on the roof the other night.” She explained to her friends.

“Not to mention you guys kissed!” Ginny piped up, and the look of shock on Hermione’s face was purely comical.

“Oh come on it wasn’t like that!” The girl defended, not wanting to rush into the idea that her feelings for Fred were reciprocated. “I kissed him.”

Hermione pulled her work blazer off and rested it on the back of the chair, preparing for what could only be an intense afternoon of grilling their new friend for details. That was as long as Ginny had anything to do with it, and Hermione would never say it, but she too lived for the same kind of gossip.

“Did he kiss you back?” She sipped on her wine politely, all the while watching her over the glass.

“Well- yeah but-” “Then he likes you!” Ginny squealed, positively ecstatic at the situation, her nose wrinkling up as she couldn’t stop smiling. Y/n admired how fearless the girl was as she gazed upon her hopeful sister-in-law.

“Oh will you just drop it,” The girl jokingly whined, rolling her eyes.

“Not until I see you in a wedding dress my girl!” She announced.

-

The three girls spent the rest of the day sharing stories and gossip, most of their time was used up discussing whether Hermione’s new secretary was pregnant or just ate really weird food. In the end they never came to a conclusion, Ginny having gotten side tracked when the other two had tried explaining what a Jaffa cake was to her.

By the time they paid the poor waiter, who seemed traumatised in their drunken company; the sun was just setting and they stumbled through the alley to drop y/n off at the twins’ front door.

“S-see home safe…” She giggled, leaning against the door and falling a little when the last customer tried to leave. “Oh sorry!” She tried to call out, but the three women were already in an unstoppable roar of laughter.

“You’re no safer in their company than ours!” Hermione tried to argue, gesturing to the two men inside, who had stopped what they were doing to try and comprehend what on earth was going on outside.

“And we’re sober!” Ginny cried. “Oh no- we’re not sober- they are.” She corrected herself, propping her head onto ‘Mione’s shoulder with a sweet giggle. The redhead’s eyes closed momentarily, before opening when her crutch decided to move off.

“See you soon y/n!” Hermione waved, dragging Ginny behind her, who tried to give her best goodbye given the state she was in.

“Better retrieve little miss clumsy before she breaks a bone.” George scoffed, seeing the way the girl struggled to open the front door. Fred could only smile, glad that she had agreed to go out with Ginny, not that their sister would have let her decide regardless.

“Come here you!” He laughed and helped her inside, she slumped against his side slightly with a giggle.

“Missed you twooo…” She drawled, sprawling her body against the counter once she was let down by the man at her side.

Fred kept a subtle, watchful eye on her, noticing the way she swayed back and forth and was in danger of smacking her head against a nearby shelf if she chose to fall backwards.

“Our sister is a bad influence on you.” George grinned, ruffling her hair as he counted up the cash from the day’s earnings.

“She’s gr-reat.” The girl blushed, turning her head to smile at Fred, even if her eyes were tightly closed.

“Did you know that Ron still sleeps with a teddy?” She blurted out, catching both men's attention as they plonked her down on a stool. Her drunken body was more of a caution than they cared to admit, so decided to keep her out of the way as they cleared up.

“He does?” George laughed, dumbstruck by this new and incredibly embarrassing piece of information about his youngest brother.

“Yeah. Hermione told me all about it- ssays that he throws a ffit whenever she tries to hide it from him.” The girl couldn’t help but laugh to herself as she slurred her words.

“That’s brilliant! He’s never gonna hear the end of this.” Fred shook his head in disbelief as he swept the floor around the girl’s feet. Her laugh was like music, sounding out in between small rambles of her time with the two girl’s. It seemed to make time pass faster.

“All done?” She asked, cocking her head like a puppy when Fred stopped in front of her.

“Yes darling, all done. Come on, let’s get some food in you, you must be starving-” The girl nodded silently, like a peaceful child, as he gave her a piggyback up to the loft, basking in her tiny squeals of excitement.

-

As y/n sobered up over multiple slices of pizza, Fred enjoyed the moment of blissful solitude he felt from the rest of the world. Curled up on their sofa, the girl was the only thing important to him. She would look up every few minutes to check that he was still there, despite the fact that he had a permanent arm sloped around her shoulders. He didn’t mind, she was cute.

George was just happy for things to be back to how they were. The three of them all getting along, with an endless supply of boozy evenings in the kitchen and dance parties late into the night whenever they felt like it.

Y/n had brought more life into their lonely loft, and for that the twins would be eternally grateful. In fact, as George peered over the other two he longed for her to stay with them forever, fearful of a future where she wasn’t giggling on their sofa, or watching the lights with stars in her eyes, or dancing in the kitchen, or helping little kids play pranks on their parents.

Things were finally… normal.

-

“He’s always the first to crash.” Fred scoffed, hearing his brother’s snores from down the hall. The girl in his loose arms laughed, the feeling flowing through her body onto his own.

“At least he was polite enough to do it in his own bed this time.” “That’s true, I have back pain from the amount of times I’ve had to carry him from the sofa.”

Since the night on the roof, both Fred and the girl had become much more relaxed around one another. The man finding comfort in holding her, in one way or another whenever they were together. It made things easier that she visibly brightened up whenever he did so, her little cheeks warming as she would play with her sleeves to distract herself.

As it was they were laying back on the sofa, Fred propped up against the arm to serve as her chair so she could see the stars better.

“I did say we could go onto the roof, they’d be easier to see from there.” He reminded her, his face rested on her shoulder.

“I like it here,” The girl smiled, sinking even deeper into his chest with a happy sigh.

After some time the pair fell asleep, their faces still positioned up to the living room’s windows as they breathed lightly against each other. Fred’s body wrapped around the girl’s, as she rested beneath the blanket she’d grabbed about an hour earlier.

The man’s body twitched, a small grumble leaving his parted lips when he felt a sharp twinge in his lower back, one that woke him from his slumber. The girl followed suit, mumbling something about heading to bed, but making no move to do so.

“Come on,” Fred sighed, giving in to the pain the sofa was causing him, and stood up to hold out a hand for the girl.

He gave her a long hug as they stood alone in the dark room, only the light from the kitchen giving them some clue of the nearby obstacles. The girl’s arms stayed around Fred, unwilling to let go, almost as if she could tell that he too didn’t want her to go.

“Y-you could sleep up here if you want?” He asked quietly and cautiously, not wanting to spook her with anything too serious. The girl looked up, into his nervous eyes, and nodded.

“Yeah… but n-not because I’m scared or anything-” “Oh yeah of course not.” Fred nodded, a small smile on his lips.

“I just want you to know that I want to stay because I want to, no other reason- you know?”

Fred laughed at how she rambled before him.

“I think so… but you lost me somewhere in there.” “Shut up.” She grumbled, hiding her smile badly.

The two of them went up to Fred’s room, resting in one anothers hold just as easily as they’d done on the sofa so many nights before. Y/n pushed past the memories of his bed, not wanting to remember the circumstances under which she was last in there.

Instead she focused on the man beside her who, despite his tired nature, couldn’t bring himself to fall asleep until she did in case she needed him.

“I’m glad you’re here,” He whispered, her face appearing better as his eyes adjusted to the pitch black room. “I’m glad I stayed.”

A large hand rested upon the girl’s face, the skin smooth and warm as she closed her eyes beneath his touch. She couldn’t help but hold her breath, feeling the intensity between them growing as he ran his fingertips slowly over her face and onto her jaw.

Fred’s lips felt even better as he pressed them against her neck with restrained passion, the short gasps from the girl only urging him to finally give in to his desires with every passing second.

When the man leant up, pulling away from her skin, he saw the way her eyes shined as they locked into his. She greeted him with a small smile, still in awe of the moment.

“You okay?” He whispered, worried that she was having second thoughts.

“I’m great.”

The girl took his face in her hands, holding tight so she could keep him as close as possible while she kissed him, properly this time. With no regrets, no second thoughts, and not even a glimpse of hesitation, she finally let her body take over.

-

George sat at the kitchen table, his mug of coffee hovering over his mouth as he watched the clock on the wall; wondering when either one of the missing pair were going to turn up before the shop opened. His question was answered when the sound of Fred’s door closing echoed throughout the loft, followed by a quiet curse.

“Ah! Caught you!” He shouted, making the girl jump out of her skin as she attempted to creep through the living room.

“Oh… Georgie- I-uh I didn’t realise you were awake.” She stuttered, halting at the door when she remembered she was covered in Fred’s old quidditch jersey.

“Well, we do open in twenty minutes.” He smirked, nodding at her appearance.

She looked down at herself with a nervous laugh.

“I-I was just borrowing this for… um… for-” “Cut the crap. I already know.” George laughed, deciding that he’d teased the poor girl enough for one morning.

Y/n just rolled her eyes and sat down across from him, stealing his toast from the plate.

“How did you know?” She asked, crumbs falling onto her lap as she curled up in the wooden chair with bleary eyes.

“Well first off you two aren’t exactly subtle with the lovey-dovey gazes at one another.” He scoffed.

“Come on, it’s not that bad.” She argued playfully, taking his coffee too and taking a large, well-needed, gulp.

“No, I suppose it’s not-” He gave in, the smirk still painfully strong however. “But the sound of you two going at it all night, that kind of gave it away.”

The girl choked on her mouthful of toast, close to spitting it out at George’s blunt words.

“Oh god.” She sputtered out, grabbing his drink once again to settle her surprised coughs.

“I mean- really! Did you both forget that magic exists?” “Was it that loud?” She seemed to be surprised, even at her own capabilities.

“Please- don’t make me relive it.” George groaned, dodging the girl’s light slap as she leant over the table to strike him.

“What are you shouting about-” Fred froze in the doorway when he noticed y/n was still wearing his clothes, even after she’d told him she was sneaking down to change before his brother noticed.

“Gig’s up freddie boy! You’ve been caught!” George announced, throwing his hands in the air like he was at an actual quidditch game, which was very fitting.

“Oh y/n! Come on! He saw you?”

The girl scoffed along with George.

“Do not blame me, he knew well before I came down.” The girl defended herself with a smile, hiding her face behind the coffee cup which she had now claimed as her own.

“What? How?” Fred asked, seeing his brother’s face drop slightly.

“Please- not again.” He begged, this time blind to the girl’s smack on the back of his head as she moved to the sink.

“Right drama queens,” She teased, “Long day ahead of us, huh?” The girl winked at Fred, making his brother groan out in playful disgust.

“I have to live with this now- OW!” Fred was much better at hitting his brother, knowing where it would hurt most.

-

“So, where are you two gonna go on a date?” Ginny asked, leaning against a shelf of electric shock shakes that the girl was stacking up.

“It’s not like that Gin- we’re taking things slow.” She told her friend, making sure they were out of earshot of the man in question.

“Boring!” The youngest Weasley wasn’t one for subtly, especially when she had more free-time on her hands while on break from quidditch practices.

“Ooh what about somewhere really romantic- like paris!” The redhead exclaimed, startling some passing customers.

“What’s in paris?” Y/n laughed, passing it off as a joke.

“Umm- what’s not in paris more like.”

“I’m not in Paris.” George stuck his head between the two girls, making them jump in shock. Ginny shoved him away slightly.

“Get lost, no one wants you to third wheel their date.” She complained.

“You and Freddie are dating? I thought this was purely casual.” He frowned.

The girl whipped round.

“It is casual, but Ginny’s got it in her head that we’re on the road to marriage or something.”

“Well duh, eventually you will be.” Her friend scoffed, acting as though she was the only one in their right minds. “We should go shopping, I saw this perfect dress down at Madam Malkins’ the other day- I could get it for you.” “No, you’ve done enough for me-” The girl tried to protest, but Ginny was too lost in the idea to stop rambling on about Paris and new dresses and romantic restaurants.

“I’ve seen her like this before,” George whispered, seeing the look of fear on the girl’s face as she saw no way out. “Sometimes, if you back away very slowly, she doesn’t even notice that you’re gone.” He explained, grabbing her wrist and taking her away very slowly.

It turned out George was very experienced with Ginny taming, and they managed to get away unscathed.

“That’ll keep her busy for at least twenty minutes.” He laughed, from the safety of the counter, where he could pretend to be busy if she tried to hassle him.

“What? The sound of her own voice.” “Honestly, it’s a strange sight- but she can entertain herself like no one else.” He laughed, reminiscing on times when he’d find a six year old Ginny Weasley interviewing herself in the bathroom mirror like she was writing an article for the prophet.

“You’re a lifesaver Georgie.”

“What are we hiding from?” Fred whispered, poking his head between the two just as George had done earlier. It garnered a similar reaction, with both jumping at the sound of his voice.

“Little miss chatterbox over there.” George sighed, slumping into the stool that laid behind the till.

“Oh yeah, it’s best to let her wear herself out when she’s like this.” Fred nodded, putting down the boxes he’d been carrying. “Has she mentioned paris yet?” He asked.

“How did you know?” Y/n gasped, eyeing him up suspiciously.

“Oh she cornered me earlier, honestly I thought I’d never get away-” He huffed at the memory, “I ended up knocking over a lamp just so I could have a reason to get away.”

Freddie handed a dustpan and brush to his brother.

“That reminds me, cleanup on aisle two.” He teased, giving George a playful smack on the back as he sloped off to reluctantly do Fred’s dirty work.

“You’re cruel,” The girl grinned, leaning into his side like it was second nature to them.

“Don’t deny it- you love it.”

She looked up at the man with a wide smile, one that he would have to dream of every night if it hadn’t been there beside him when he woke up that morning.

“I know we said casual-” The girl started, instilling a little fear in them both. “-so this isn’t me asking for a date, don’t worry. But there is somewhere we could go. She offered up with a hopeful look. “If you wanted to watch the stars, that is.”

Fred leant up against the back wall, his body about a head taller than the girl’s as he smirked down at her.

“Are you telling me that my beautiful roof isn’t enough for you?” He teased, clutching his heart like it had been stabbed by her words. “I’m hurt!” “Well- if you come with me then we can decide which is better, yeah?” She smirked and Freddie couldn’t help but give in to her perfect little face.

“Of course darling, oh- watch out, Ginny’s clocked us.”

Fred scurried away, ducking his head, and leaving the girl to fend for herschel against his sister’s constant stream of date ideas.

“Traitor!” She called after him, huffing in defeat when Ginny whipped out a dress catalogue, flicking through to show her all the pages she had marked. Where had she got that from?

-

Once the shop served it’s last customer, and the twins forcibly removed their little sister from y/n’s side, all three of them settled in for the night. George, being the secret granddad he truly was, went off to bed early with complaints of back pain. That only made the teasing easier.

“I was the one doing heavy lifting too!” Fred called after him from the kitchen, cleaning up their dirty plates.

“We are all painfully aware- given how often you mention it.” The girl laughed, rolling her eyes as he bared his teeth to her. “Play nice.” She sneered, jumping out of the way while the man tried to flick water onto her with his wand.

Once their miniature water fight ended with a truce, the girl wrapped her arms around Fred’s waist, nuzzling her head into his back with a comfortable hum. The man smiled to himself, one hand conducting the dishes before him and the other rubbing gently over her fingers.

“So,” He started, his voice rumbling through his body. “You gonna tell me where we’re going later?” “Nope, it’s a surprise.” She giggled.

“Or a kidnapping- it sounds like a kidnapping.” He insisted, teasing the girl as she spoke.

“I promise that I won’t kidnap you, especially since you and Georgie were kind enough to not be creeps when I moved in.”

“I wouldn’t speak too soon darling.” Fred warned, finally setting down his wand and grabbing her body to hold her properly.

She wrapped her legs around him, leaning back to get a good look at the man’s face.

“What?” He asked her.

“Nothing. I’m just looking.”

“Well, I don’t blame you.” He scoffed, planting soft kisses onto her cheeks and all over her face, basking in the squeaks of happiness that she made with each one.

-

It was well past midnight when the girl finally convinced Fred to leave the loft, their make out session having gotten a little heated once they moved it to the bedroom. At least this time one of them remembered to cast a silencing spell, the fear of another lecture from George becoming a real threat to the couple.

“I’m coming- chill out,” Fred laughed, seeing the girl waiting in the middle of the living room with a nervous tap in her feet. “Let me just grab a jacket.”

“I’m getting impatient Freddie,” She whined out, excited to show him her favourite spot.

The man chuckled as he took her hand, giving her one last look of pride before they disappeared from the loft with a flash of air. Y/n had never apparated before she left home, but the twins had been eager to teach her how, seeing as she had enjoyed it much more than the floo line.

“Where the hell is this place?” Freddie frowned when they landed in the middle of a wooded clearing, only the sound of rustling leaves to be heard around them. The man spun round, taking in the serenity of this place compared to the bustling city.

“This is Godstone cove,” The girl explained, taking his hand again and leading him through the woods, closer to where they could see the moon shining through the trees.

“This is a forest y/n.”

“I know this isn’t the cove, but there is one- come on!” She pulled him, still just as impatient as when she had been waiting for him to leave.

As the moon’s light became brighter, the trees began to dwindle away, revealing a small patch of patch in front of them. The water licked across it gently, barely making a sound. Fred stood watching the sky’s light ripple over the waves.

“Here we are.” She announced, taking a seat on the sand with a happy sigh. Fred followed suit, his eyes locked on the stars above them. She was right, it was a perfect place to watch them.

“How did you find this place?” He asked her, an arms fixed round her waist as they laid back on the sand.

“My aunt took me here when I was younger, it was the closest thing to a beach that I’d ever see.” “You never mentioned an aunt.” The man’s voice was quiet, almost a whisper, as if they didn’t want to disturb the peace all around them.

“I only knew her for a short time. She was my father’s sister and she was great, she’d always bring me presents and play with me- but she travelled a lot.” “Why did she leave?” It was like he already knew, he knew something had gone wrong.

“I don’t remember much about it-” She started, hesitantly, but still with a welcome smile on her face. Just the memory of her aunt, even the unpleasant ones, still filled her with warmth. “But she and my father got into an argument, a bad one, and she said something about leaving the country for good.”

“And your father didn’t like that?” “I think he hated the idea of being away from her, not being able to look after her when she needed it. Except it came out as hatred… which only pushed her away even more.” “I’m sorry y/n,” He held her closer, knowing that talking about her family had never come easy to the girl.

“She brought me here the day before she left, our last adventure, that’s what she’d told me.” Her little chuckle still sounded sad. “Then that was it, my parents never spoke of her again- even if I tried to bring her up, they would just tell me to forget her.”

The water sloshed against the small wooden pier beside them as they laid in each other’s arms.

“You know my family loves you.” Fred said, out of the blue.

“They’re all brilliant,” She beamed, thankful that they had brought her such kindness.

“Well then you don’t need anyone else, as long as you have us… and you always will.”

When the girl looked at him her eyes sparkled, maybe because of the stars, or maybe because of the threatening tears. But she didn’t care, she no longer wanted a family that outed her for being curious or one that planned her life to the day.

She had Fred, and that was all the girl could ever ask for.

“I love you.” The man blurted out, still staring deep into her soul. The girl went to respond, a few seconds later, to which he just interrupted. “-No, you don’t need to say it back, I don’t expect you to, I just wanted you to know- that’s all.”

“Freddie?” She asked with a grin, loving the way he rambled when he was nervous.

“Yes darling?” “I love you.”

-

The pair laid together for hours, watching the sun rise and drifting off  to the sound of rippling water. Freddie watched her sleep for a while, the orange glow of the waking sky lighting up her cheeks as he stroked them.

When they finally awoke together it was early enough for them to head back to the loft and still get some rest before the day began. Freddie held her, still drowsy, in his arms and apparated them back to his room, vowing to return to Godstone cove with her again when they next got the chance.

George had woken them both at 8 o’clock, with a less than lovely song about them shagging. Despite the fact that by the time Fred and y/n had made it back, neither of them would have been conscious enough to do so. Still it worked to get them out of bed, even if it was to hit him into silence.

“Ron said he’s gonna drop by today, something about dinner at the burrow.” He explained, rubbing his messy hair from his face, ignoring the scowl’s that Freddie was sending him.

“Oh yeah Hermione wrote a couple days ago to tell me, said Ron keeps forgetting to let you guys know.” The girl explained, watching the toaster with hopeful eyes.

“So you knew as well?” Fred asked.

“And didn’t tell us either?” George finished.

Y/n just laughed and leant against the counter.

“Well then what would be the point of Ron?” She proposed, to which both men amazingly agreed. “Your poor siblings.”

“Hey, you’re practically part of the family, remember- don’t think you’re excused from our teasing.” Fred scoffed.

“God don’t I know it.” She groaned.

“Ahh y/n as part of the family,” George dramatically stated, “does that mean you’re sleeping with your sister now?” He asked his brother.

“Fucking hell Georgie-”

“What’s wrong with you!” “Disgusting!” They cried out, the girl barely needing to move in order to place a good whack on the back of his head.

The man grimaced but basked in the chaos his off handed comment had created.

“Don’t even say that, she’s my girlfriend for merlin’s sake!” Fred chimed, unknowing of what he’d just announced in front of the other two.

All of them froze, George holding his mug still in the air, the girl with her hand ready on the fridge door and Freddie gripping the cereal box in one hand. All the while contemplating asking Hermione if she could help him find another time turner, just so he could avoid this tense silence.

The toaster popped up, jump-starting all three of them again, as if they had been reset.

“I am?” The girl finally spoke up.

“W-well… unless you have a problem with that?” Freddie joked, half cursing himself for not being a little more serious.

“You can run now, it’s not too late.” George whispered, but to whom it was unclear.

“Shut up George!” Both of them responded regardless, making it very clear how the girl felt.

“I don’t have a problem with that, I love you… remember?” She smiled, a little glint in her eye as she did.

George groaned, throwing his head onto the table with a thud.

“I can’t take you two!” He cried out.

“Then get laid!” The girl said sweetly, catching them all off guard. “Come on you two, stop gawking and get downstairs, we’re gonna be late opening.”

-

The night that everyone gathered at the burrow had been a celebratory one of sorts. Molly Weasley had been over the moon to see Fred so happy with the girl, after the confirmation that Bill wasn’t upset about it of course, and Ginny was using up her last evening of getting drunk before she was back to practising for the quidditch world cup.

Everyone else humoured the occasion, which had ended with a pile of empty firewhiskey bottles and some pitchy karaoke from Arthur and George. It hadn’t been a surprise that they ended up back at the loft in a pile of limbs, none of them anywhere near sober enough to stay standing while they apparated home.

“Leave him!” Fred wheezed, seeing how his brother hadn’t waited a single second before falling asleep on the hard wooden floor of the living room. “You know he’s impossible to wake when he’s like this.” The girl giggled, but agreed, letting his leg hit the floor after trying to drag him to his room.

“Come on, I’m exhausted.” The man groaned, taking her hand.

“Yes well that’s because you and Harry insisted on having a race around the house.” “Which I won, I’ll have you know!”

“Only because you jelly-legsed Harry- that’s right, I saw you do it!” She accused, with a smug grin on her face.

“Let me have it, just this once?” He pleaded.

“Fine… I’ll be up in a minute, I wanna get some clean pyjamas from downstairs.” The man nodded at her words, silently stumbling up the set of stairs to his room.

Y/n chuckled to herself, giving George another nudge as she passed him and lit her wand to shine the way down through the shop. Her room was untouched, given that she barely spent any time in it now that she slept with Freddie most nights. A part of her felt bad, but it was sad being away from her boyfriend when he was just a short walk from her.

Once the lamp was switched on she saw the unfamiliar owl at the window, its little beak too quiet to be heard as it tried to tap on the glass. Hurriedly she opened it up, taking the letter from between its beak and frowning.

The hand in which the letter was written made the girl’s stomach drop immediately, a feeling of impending doom washing over her as she slipped the parchment from the envelope with shaky hands.

Y/n, this nonsense has gone on far too long. Your Father and I have spent months tracking you down, and if this letter EVER finds you then just know that we are extremely disappointed. Though I’m sure that is a fact you must be aware of already. We request you return home immediately, from wherever it is you are holed up. You are too young to be alone in this world, there are all sorts of people who wish to pray on you.

As if it is bad enough that you have run away like some sort of delinquent, you have put a stain on our family name. Forever more will we have the reputation that our daughter cannot be controlled, however do you wish to find a husband that way? Who would want you when you’ve already been exposed to the smog of a spinster’s life, absolutely no one respectable, that’s who.

Now you will come home at once or else we will have no choice but to take more forceful measures to make sure you’re returned to our care. This is non negotiable, you will be punished, I will see to it.

Mother.

Why hadn’t it been a howler? The girl wondered, peering over the words with her eyes unwilling to blink between each letter written down. She had heard about the punishment from the twins, of course, and presumed that she hadn’t received one because she was always home. Maybe her mother was trying to lull her into a sense of security, hoping she would take her advice and just go back home to be punished like it seemed to be her parent’s wishes. The twins could help her understand it better, the girl thought, well Freddie at least, seeing as he was the only one alive.

She grabbed a change of clothes, and held onto the letter, lighting the way once again with her wand when there was a knock on the shop’s front door. The girl turned, pointing her wand to a figure who stood outside, in the alley.

“Neville?” She asked, frowning at the man, who had a look of worry on her face. She neared the door, a polite smile on her face, despite the fact that it was the early hours of the morning and all she wanted was to sleep. “What are you doing here?” She asked as she opened the door.

“Oh god y/n… I’m- I’m so sorry.” He stuttered shakily, turning his head a little to reveal the man crouching down at the edge of the building.

The alley was dark and it was a struggle to see much, but y/n couldn’t miss the glint of silver that reflected the moon. It had been a quick flash of light, enough to draw her eyes down, where the man held a blade threateningly towards them both.

“Now now, don’t make a scene sweetie.”

Taglist :  @hufflrpuffforfred​

[cappsikle]

just a bunch of fools (in love) // george weasley

Request: omg !!! could you please do a continuation for “just a bunch of fools” where george asks reader to marry him 🥺🥺🥺 <3

read the first part here! 

Pairing: george weasley x reader

Summary: the world seems so dark and heavy, but george doesn’t want to do this with anyone but you

Warnings: nope! 

Word Count: 1.7k 

A/N: I’m soooo sorry that this took so long! I had major writer’s block I just hope you like it!

(I’m just gonna say it now, the ending is trash because I just wanted to get it out for you, I’m so sorry >_<)

Reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated!!

-------

Everyone at the Burrow was tense, all still dealing with the aftermath of the attack at the wedding. That was also the night Harry, Ron and Hermione left, along with Bill and Fluer who created a safe house for themselves and members of the Order. So, in the end, it was only you, the twins, ginny, Molly and Arthur who remained at the Burrow until it was time to move to a safer location. No one really spoke to each other, not being able to find the words. What exactly can you say that will make the situation better? The minister of magic was dead, and the ministry had been taken over. You were struggling to grasp anything that resembled hope, it managing to just slip through your fingers. 

Your heart was heavy, dread settling into the pit of your stomach as you sat on the couch in front of the fire. Everyone else had retired to bed, but you just couldn’t sleep, so instead you left George in his bed to sit down and think. Though in hindsight, thinking probably wasn’t the best thing you could do, as you did tend to overthink. What was going to happen next? Where would you go? Are Harry and the others ok? The deeper you went into your thoughts, the more unaware you became of your surroundings, which resulted in you practically jumping out of your skin when you felt a pair of hands over your shoulders.

“shit!” you jumped up from the couch, a hand over your chest as you tried to tame your rapidly racing heart, “George, you scared me!”

“Sorry, love. Didn’t mean to,” you nodded slowly and sat back down, George following and sitting next to you, “what are you doing up so late anyway?”

You shrugged your shoulders, bringing your knees up to your chest and placing your chin in the little divot between them. “just couldn't sleep, yakow... with everything going on.” George nodded his head in understanding, pursing his lips as he got lost in thought. He could see the toll the war had taken on you, effecting your ability to eat and sleep normally. He just wished he knew what to do or say that could make you feel better, but George too was struggling to see the light at the end of this very long and very dark tunnel.

“Would you like something to drink? A cup of tea, maybe?”

You smile sweetly at him and nodded gently, “that would be nice, thank you.” you leaned up and gently placed a kiss to his lips as he rose from his seat, making his way to the kitchen.

Putting the kettle to boil, George looked at you from his place at the kitchen, just taking the time to admire you and your features. From the way your hair fell into your eyes, soft from the light of the fire and the evident tiredness to the little dimple only present on your right cheek even from the smallest of movements from your tempting lips. If there was one thing George knew for sure, it was that in a time where the world was batshit crazy, you were the one that gave him hope for a better future, a future together. That's when he got the idea.

As if electrocuted from a spark, George raced off upstairs towards his room, although he was very careful not to make any noise that would wake his sleeping family. Practically overflowing with nerves and excitement, George ever-so-carefully pushed his door open, squeezing in and tiptoeing to avoid waking up Fred. He walked over to his bedside table and grabbed the little velvet box sitting in the drawer, turning it over in his hands. Was he really about to do this? Was he sure that this is something you’d want, to get engaged right in the middle of a war?  

“So, you’re finally going to do it?” George swore his heart literally jumped out of his chest at the sound of his twin’s tired and barely-awake voice, fumbling with the box as it almost fell out of his grasp. He turned around to face Fred sitting up on the bed, a tired and lazy smirk on his lips.

“Christ, mate! Warn a guy next time, will you?” Fred chuckled at his brother’s frightened state before his eyes trailed down towards what was in George’s hands.

“I said, are you finally going to do it?” George looked down as well, his lips twitching to a small smile at the sight.

“Yeah, I think I am,”

“Are you sure now of all times is the best idea?”

George looked up at his twin, his other half, as he mulled over his words whilst getting up to sit on the edge of the bed next to him. “Look, mate, I’m not sure what’s going to happen over the next few months, but I can’t bear the thought of going through this without the promise that we’ll be together. I love her, more than anything,” Fred looked at his brother, the one person he could count on no matter what, and the solemn look that took over his face. No matter what, he would support his brother’s decision and stand by him with anything, he only wanted to see his brother happy, and he knew that you were the person to make it happy.

Fred nudged George’s shoulder with his elbow, bringing him out of his thoughts. “Look, whatever you do, I support you, and everyone else will too”

George’s face lifted up a bit, grateful for his brother’s words. “I just hope I don’t get rejected,” he said in a joking manner, but there was a hint of seriousness in his voice. What if you do rejected him? Surely you wouldn’t, he hoped.

“I can say with a hundred percent certainty that you will not. You lot are perfect for each other.”

“Thanks, mate.” George smiled up his twin, feeling the energy return with a newfound excitement from his twin’s encouraging words.

“Don’t mention it. Now hurry up and go down there, you left the poor thing hangin’”

George jumped up from the bed, rushing to get downstairs back to you with the box held tightly in his hand. You smiled when you saw George’s lanky figure come back down the steps, dressed in his plaid pajama pants and a plain t-shirt. Noticing George practically bouncing on the spot, you get up from your position on the couch and walk over to him, curious. “What’s got you jumping about the place? You’re basically vibrating,” you chuckled up at him, but your smile fell as you noticed nerves pinching his face, “y’lright, love?”

Just when George thought he couldn’t possibly fall any more in love with you, he was proven wrong upon seeing your concerned face for something as miniscule as feeling nervous. “Y-yeah, ‘m alright,” George looked down at his feet sheepishly, thankful you hadn’t noticed that he was very visibly hiding something behind his back. “Why don’t you come outside with me?”

“Outside? What for?” George raised his head as a sly smirk snaked its way across his lips.

“C’mon, I’ll make it worth your while.” with that, George grabbed your hand and took you through the back door, the light from the inside spilling out to the chilly air.

“George, what’s going on?” you ask curiously, a tint of worry in your voice. You cross your arms over your chest in a futile attempt at warding off the breeze, goosebumps rising on your exposed skin. The cold seemed to have melted away, however, when George grabbed one of your hands from your chest and sunk himself down onto one knee, his other hand still behind his back.

He knew in the grand scheme of things, now was probably a rubbish time to do something like this, but he wanted to have that security that you’d still be his after everything is over. You were confused, what was he doing? He couldn’t be doing... that... right? 

“(Y/N) …” George started, already feeling his start emotions catch up to him. “You are... the best thing that could ever have happened to me. I never thought that in a million years I could have found someone to be like you. Someone so kind, so passionate and so loving, someone willing to do anything and everything to protect those you love without a second thought...”  

George stopped his little speech to gather his thoughts and keep himself from crying. All the while you’re standing there in complete shock. How long had he been planning to do this? You knew what you wanted to say, heck you probably would’ve even said it two years ago. You knew George was who you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, and you would be lying if you hadn’t had dreamt this exact scenario multiple times.  

“I remember when we first met at Kings Cross in our third year, where I ran into you and knocked you off of your feet and said some stupid pick-up-line as a failed attempt of an apology... and the rest is history. I know now isn’t the most ideal time to be doing something like this, being in the middle of a war and all, but maybe it’s because of it that now is a perfect time...” George trailed off with a chuckle, gripping your hand tighter. 

Your hand shook in his as he brought the small box out from behind his back, opening it up to reveal a simple gold band with a small diamond in the middle, but you barely spared it a glance. You were entranced by George’s eyes, filled with so much love and emotion. You couldn’t believe this was happening right now. George was actually asking you to marry him. With tears in his eyes and his voice caught in his throat, he asked the final question.

“Will you, my best friend, my soulmate, do me the absolute honor of marrying me?”

You nodded your head excessively, tears shamelessly spilling from your eyes and trailing down your cheeks. You could barely speak, your words stuck in your throat as you choked up. So instead you flung your arms around his neck, bringing your lips close to his ear and spoke the next words with as much love adoration as you could.

“Yes.”

----------

yikes so that ending was very trash but it’s ok because our baby isn’t. Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed that!! Once I got passed the writers block it was enjoyable to write! 

As always my requests are open so please don’t be shy!

Reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated!!

- Mills <3

[ilove-cedricdiggory]

The Burrow is in color again.

Fred Weasley x Reader

Summary - The Battle of Hogwarts, only, Fred wasn't alone with Percy. You had been dating Fred for a while now and he wasn't letting you out of his sight during the fight. Do you let him out of yours?

Trigger Warning - Death, angst,

Standing beside your boyfriend and his brother in the great hall once more felt strange. You were standing behind Harry, glaring at the man you once called your professor. While you never liked Snape, you did well in potions and that alone kept you on his more decent side. Now, you hated the man with every fiber of your being.

Your hand was tightly in Fred's, his position slightly in front of yours as Mcgonagall began firing spells at the dark haired man. Once Harry explained what the students were off to look for, you, Fred, and George ran to take a post.

As you ran off, you saw a few first years scrambling in search of guidance. Your hand slipped from Fred's, moving to the group quickly. "Hey, hey, it's okay. You guys are all first years, yeah?" you asked, your voice soft. Seeing them all nod, your stomach twisted. Just about all the first years were already at the station, loading onto the train now. "Okay, come on, I'm going to try to get you all to the train. Hold onto each other. Were going to have to apparate. You guys have no idea what that is, but you're going to hate it. It's the only way we can make it." You gripped onto ones arms as the rest tried to hold on.

"Woah, woah, woah. Where are you going" Fred voiced himself as he caught up with you. "They are first years, Fred. They can't be here for this. They need to catch the train." You turned your head away from your boyfriend, back to the kids. "Then we're helping. I'm not letting you do any of this stuff by yourself today." You nodded, George and Fred taking a few first years themselves, as you apparated onto the platform and directed them into the train before heading back to the school before the barriers were up.

"You can't do that love. You can't. Run off like that, leave me without you. I won't be able to live if anything happens." Fred held you close to him, his hands up in your hair. George stood behind him, looking you in your eyes, nodding in agreement.

You sighed, but understood the seriousness in his voice. You felt the same way about Fred - if absolutely anything happened today to him, you were genuinely unsure how you'd be able to continue on.

Seeing as how you hadn't been without Fred sense first year, the last thing you could handle was not having him. You, George, and Fred met on Hogwarts Express, them seeing you sitting in a spare compartment, alone, and absolutely scared out of your wits. You were a confident kid, yeah, but this was the first time you'd ever be away from your family like this, in a world you didn't know existed until two months ago.

They sat in with you quickly, warming up to you within minutes. From that day on, you three were inseparable. When they got into trouble, you got them out of it. While they were the notorious trouble makers, you were the one that kept them both level headed. George wasn't quite as bad as Fred, but he couldn't always control his twin brothers actions. You, on the other hand, simply had to look at Fred the right way, and he was changing the details of his lated prank to fit your expectations of him.

Looking back on it now, you were really stupid to not see how whipped he truly was for you, but now that you knew, you used it to the fullest of your extent, especially when you weren't focused on the war surrounding you.

The two of you had officially gotten together your fifth year, George finally tired of the longing looks you both shared and came up with his own task of getting the two of you together. It took him a lot longer than he cares to admit, but finally the two of you were locked in a broom cupboard, having downed a bit of pumpkin juice with George's brewed Veratiserium. You and Fred were spilling the truth of your feelings for each other faster than you drank the juice itself. Which lead to your own seven minutes of heaven that lasted a bit longer than seven minutes, thanks to the locked door.

Now, the two of you stood together, prepared to fight for each other and your entire families, against a man you had feared the last 9 years of your life. You took a step back, leaning against the wall behind you as you gave the twins a few moments together.

"You okay Freddie?" Your eyes watered with the risk that lied ahead of all of you, your body attempting to warn you of just exactly what was due to happen to the three of you in just a moments time. But, instead, you focused on the deep voice of the love of your life before you, smiling softly as he spoke. "Yeah." The one word filling your head, a tear falling from it's home in your eye to slip down your cheek.

"Me too."

You moved to stand between the two twins, your hands grasping both of theirs. While you dated Fred, George was still your absolute best friend. The three of you having spent more time together than you ever have apart. Your heart was owned by both of the twins next to you, but in two very different ways. Your love of Fred filling up your entire being, leaving you breathless and full of oxygen at the same time. Your soul fuller than it ever thought it could be now that he was the one that held you at night. But your love for George filled up your brain, leaving you absolutely excited for the moments that stayed there. For each moment you had with Fred, you also had with George. He was your family, your brother, and you loved him just as such. The three of you created a bond no one in the world could break.

Fred's arm wrapped around your shoulders, his face moving to press a kiss into your temple. "Well, boys, I think it's finally time for me to get behind your crazy plans and put all that prank knowledge to its use." They chuckled, smiling down at you. "After all this time, we knew you were paying attention"

The three of you fought together for as long as you could, but you somehow separated from George and instead, met with Percy. You hoped with all of your being that George stayed safe, along with every one of the Weasley's.

You stayed with Fred and Percy, listening to them talk about simple things. It wasn't until you heard Fred laugh and the rumble of a wall that your heard fell. Moving to shoot your own spell at the wall, you held it up until your energy left you, hoping it gave someone enough time to save the love of your life. You had seemed to step forward as you cast your spell, for the moment it broke, you felt the weight of the stone upon your own body. Your eyes closed as you felt the breath you had in your lungs leave you, the ringing in your ears fill up your pounding head, and the cry of the pain just barely leaving your mouth. You looked to your left the best you could, seeing a head of red before your body gave out.

You weren't sure what death was like, if this was it, but it wasn't what you expected. You expected yourself to be standing infront of a gate or something, filled with a freeness you had never experienced before. You anticipated seeing all the family members you had gone so long without, standing before you as you felt your heart swell as you saw their faces after the time you lost with them. You expected to get some kind of answer as to why the world turned the way it did just as you were growing up. Why you found yourself worrying about unforgivable curses instead of your next date with Fred.

Instead, you saw white.

You didn't comprehend where exactly you were, not until your eyes took you into the crisp kitchen, feeling a sense of familiarity as you took on the burrow as clean as what it was. It was strange to see it this way, without the dishes cleaning themselves up, without the wind blowing through the open window, without the noises that came with being at the Burrow. You felt calm, but not nearly as calm as you would in the normal home.

"Y/n." You looked up to see a woman you had never met before, standing beside a man who looked exactly like Harry. The only difference was, Harry's beautiful eyes were the same as the woman standing before you. "You're, you're Lily Potter." Your voice sounded strange, not quite like your own. "And you're James. I know because Harry keeps that picture of you guys, even when he comes to the Burrow. You're his parents." Your words flew from your mouth, before your eyes closed. "Does this mean I'm dead?" Your voice was smaller than before, the pain filling it.

"Not exactly. That's up to you." James walked closer to you, showing you around the Burrow. "You can choose to let go, I'm assuming you can walk up the stairs and be met with exactly what you expected death to be like, but you don't have to." Lily smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind your head.

"Is Fred dead?" You whispered, looking at her.

"I don't know, honey. I'm so sorry." She took you in her arms, holding you to her chest. "I can't, I can't go back if he's not there, Mrs. Potter." Your tears fell once more, the whole in your heart already growing. "I can't live without him." Your sob filled the quiet air, your tears almost evaporating before they hit her skin. "I know honey, but you won't know unless you go back."

You looked at her, your eyes still full of the fears that filled you, only in the form of water. "I'm so scared." You whispered, looking at James. "It's okay to be scared honey, it really is." she cupped your cheeks, smiling softly. "But fear shows you you're alive." Lily's lips touched your forehead softly, smiling. "You're more than welcome to sit and think, the choice is yours." They both smiled at you, before vanishing. You weren't sure where they went, but you hoped it was as far away from Harry as they could. The last thing you wanted was for Harry to meet his parents through death do young.

You sat on the couch, thinking of the times you fell asleep on Fred's chest, threw pieces of chocolate at George and Ron, talked on and on with Charlie about the dragons he saw daily, read a book with Bill sitting across from you, or listened to Ginny and the boys groan as Percy went on and on about his prestigious job.

Your heard was full of Fred and George, yes, but it was also full of every single Weasley you came in contact with. They filled your heart, just as much as your twins did.

You nodded to yourself, taking a deep breath and letting go, unsure of how this was supposed to work. You felt confused as you tried to open your eyes, but was met with a force holding you back. You couldn't open them to find yourself in the crisp, white Burrow, but you also couldn't open them to find yourself back home.

You fought with your body for what felt like years, feeling like you couldn't command it to do the simple action that you completed from the day you were born. That was, until, you heard the sob from above you and the voice of Molly. "It's okay, she had to be okay."

You felt your heart squeeze and the pain rush to your head like you couldn't imagine before your eyes finally opened, seeing the people staring down at you. You first made eye contact with the woman you heard, her own sobs falling from your mouth quickly. "Get him, get him!" You couldn't quite hear her, but saw her mouth forming the words. Your ears screaming with the ringing you heard before.

Your eyes widened with tears as Fred's face filled your view, his cheeks blotchy and nose red from crying. George's face came into view next to his, his just as bad as Fred's. "I thought you died! We thought you died!" He said, his voice mumbled with the ringing in full effect. Your hand moved to tough your ears, hoping it would stop the annoying sound.

"It won't stop." You whispered, pulling at your ears. Ginny appeared with Madam Pomfrey, the woman dropping a simple potion into both ears, the ringing silencing after a few moments. "Freddie, Georgie." You cried, pulling them into you. "I - I saw red hair. I saw it. I thought you-" your sob filled the air as your eyes squeezed close.

"Well, something did happen." Ron said, pointing to the bed beside you. You turned your head to meet the face of Percy, another sob leaving you. "I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry." you cried, looking at Molly. "I tried to stop the wall, I tried so hard. I just couldn't keep it long enough." She pulled you into her arms, her own tears falling. This time, you saw your cries hit her skin, causing you to cry more. You weren't dead, you were alive.

"It's okay, it's okay." She whispered, holding you tight.

You're unsure how it all happened, but the next time you woke, you were in the burrow, but it's color was showing, the notices of each Weasley bouncing off the walls, and the soft breeze filling your senses. You were laying on the couch, the same one you found yourself sitting on after speaking to James and Lily. You glanced to the side to see Fred asleep on the floor next to you, George on the couch across from you.

You smiled softly, the pain still vibrating through your body as you smiled, kissing the knuckles of Fred's hand. You lived. He lived. It's okay.

The Burrow was in color again.

[malfoymanortings]

bad child

SUMMARY: Gwendolyn Weasley was the only one of her family to be sorted into Slytherin, and she becomes the black sheep of the family. her morals get twisted as she fights for her place in Slytherin house, but will she lose them completely?

PAIRINGS: none, eventual Draco X OC if continued.

hello! really im not sure if this is worth continuing, but it’s been floating around my mind for awhile so I decided to start writing it out. possibly will become a mini series if anyone wants it? enjoy!

Ginerva and Gwendolyn Weasley were the second set of twins to be born to the Weasley family. Their parents had been ecstatic to finally receive the girls they had so desperately wanted (more so Molly than Arthur), that it temporarily overshadowed the sheer panic of them having been twins. Twin girls.

Their first set of twins, Fred and George, had been more than several handfuls to deal with. If they weren’t lighting something on fire, they were terrorizing their easiest target, their youngest brother Ron.

The girls had proved to be just as difficult in their own way.

From a very early age Gwendolyn was able to convince Ginerva to do just about anything she said. Stealing from muggle shops, their siblings, neighbors; setting out more vindictive traps for the muggles around their neighborhood. The girls were close, but there was always the understanding between them that Gwendolyn was the leader out of the two. In addition to that, she was also the more manipulative and cunning of the two.

That’s not to say that Ginerva wasn’t strong in herself. She just loved her twin dearly, and was willing to put her own morals aside for the sake of keeping the peace with her twin. Gwendolyn had always felt that as the only girls, and the second set of twins, they needed to work hard to stand out and not let opportunities for power pass them by. Even if that power was only enjoying stolen bubble gum while their siblings had none.

Regardless of her questionable morals, Gwendolyn fiercely loved her family and had a conscience, contrary to what her older brother Percy seemed to think. She just cared more about what would be best for her and in turn, her twin, than how her actions would affect others. Gwendolyn would go to the ends of the earth to ensure Ginerva was okay.

By the time the girls had turned nine, their parents had come to realize that although Ginerva was normally at the forefront of the trouble they got into, Gwendolyn was the orchestrator of the scheme. No matter how many times Molly berated the girls for their wrongdoings, they didn’t stop. She spoke with Ginerva and told her she did not always have to go along with her sisters plans, and she spoke with Gwendolyn, telling her just because Ginerva was willing to do things for her didn’t mean she should.

Ginerva had tearfully said she would do better. Gwendolyn had laughed.

When the girls had finally headed off to Hogwarts, their mother had fretted and worried and bitten her nails as she sent them off, giving their older brothers firm instruction to watch over them. Percy had taken the suggestion to heart and swore he would, the twins had saluted their mother and laughed as they nodded, Ron had just shrugged noncommittally. Molly even requested that Harry and Hermione do their best to watch out for them, and the second years promised they would.

Ginerva was sorted first. The hat sat on her head for a few moments before loudly proclaiming “GRYFFINDOR!”. The redhead made her way over to the rest of her redheaded family, who hooted and hollered and made a ruckus as she blushed.

Gwendolyn was next. The hat sat on her head for a few beats longer than her twin, before proclaiming “SLYTHERIN!” just as loudly as it had for Ginvera. The redhead’s eyes widened for a moment, before she quickly fixed her expression into an indifferent mask and walked stiffly towards the green and silver table. Her family at the Gryffindor table had hesitated before clapping; Percy with an expression of horror, the twins with a disappointed grimace, Ron with a mix of concern and fear, and Ginerva with a look of crushed devastation. 

Gwendolyn didn’t spare a second glance towards her family as she set down tentatively at the Slytherin table, hearing murmured whispers coming from an already established friend group a few seats down from her. She had felt out of place without her twin next to her.

“I’m Astoria,” the brunette next to her greeted, holding out a hand for her to shake.

“Gwendolyn,” she replied, giving the other girl a firm shake. “You can call me Gwen.”

The brunette nodded and smiled, before turning her attention back to the sorting.

“Weasley, hm?” a voice drawled to her left, and she turned to see a boy with slicked back silver hair giving her a haughty once over. “I’ll have to let father know they let one of you in Slytherin. Surely the hat has made a mistake. A muggle loving blood traitor would never be allowed in Slytherin.”

Gwendolyn paused for a moment, her thoughts racing. She knew enough about Draco Malfoy to know his approval would make or break her acceptance into Slytherin house. She needed to earn his approval. She had to show him he wasn’t just another Weasley. She had to break free.

Her eyes narrowed. “The hat doesn’t make mistakes, Malfoy. But perhaps you do. I’m not like my family. I absolutely hate muggles. They disgust me.”

She said the words with force, her lip slightly curled up in a snarl. A rush went through her at the admission. Her family would never allow her to talk like that. Although she didn’t thoroughly hate muggles, she certainly didn’t like them. It was thrilling to finally say it out loud.

Draco looked taken aback. He lifted an eyebrow, eyeing her appraisingly. “Well, Weasley, maybe your family isn’t a complete blood traitor waste after all.”

“My name is Gwendolyn.”

“I don’t recall caring.”

The two glowered at each other for a moment, before Dumbledore gathered everyone's attention for his speech. The night went on rather quickly from that moment, and before long they had headed up to their dorms. Gwendolyn spent her first night in Slytherin tower staring at the ceiling and contemplating her future. Tears would be useless. She had to be strong to get through her Hogwarts career. Her sister would not be at her side. That night, she resolved to be strong, sly, and cunning. It was her best bet at getting through the year unscathed.

Gwendolyn proved during her years at Hogwarts that she was nothing like her family. It gained her the approval of Malfoy, which shot her up the social ladder of Slytherin house. Astoria Greengrass had become her closest friend, and the two girls were accepted into Malfoy’s prominent social circle by the end of their first year. Her growth and flourishing in Slytherin house had driven a large wedge between herself and her family. Her voiced distaste of muggles and her turned nose at muggleborns did not go unnoticed by her family.

 In return for being accepted into Slytherin, she had lost her family relationships.

Summers were always the hardest. She no longer had Ginerva as a friend. The girls had grown cold and distant with each other as a result of Ginerva becoming more confident in herself without her sister constantly in her ear. Percy, before he too had abandoned their family for the ministry, had acted as though she didn’t exist. The twins were more and less the same, although they weren’t as sociable towards her as they were towards the others. Ron absolutely despised her for not only being Slytherin, but also being good friends with Malfoy. Charlie and Bill simply weren’t around.

Her mother was, to put it honestly, disappointed in how she had shunned everything she had been taught morally growing up. Her father resented the way she spoke of muggles, and endlessly attempted to change her mind. They didn’t understand that when she was sorted into Slytherin house as the only Weasley, she did what she needed to do to not only thrive, but survive. 

A small part of her that grown bigger over the years couldn’t help but start to believe in what the Slytherin’s thought. Especially with the way her family shunned her and couldn’t understand that she had done what she needed to do as a scared, lonely eleven year old.

Things had gotten worse since Voldemort's return. At the end of her fourth year, Ron and Ginny had accompanied Harry to the Department of Mysteries where they had fought against Death Eaters and Voldemort himself had shown up. Apparently in protest of Umbridge, they had been involved in Dumbledore’s Army, something they had not invited her to be part of. The rest of her family that still attended Hogwarts had been in the club, aside from her. 

She was used to not being included by now, of course. 

Her parents were a part of the Order of the Phoenix, an organization founded to fight Voldemort and his followers. Her siblings were much more informed on what went on during the meetings than she was. It wasn’t from her lack of trying, of course. When they had spent the summer at Grimmauld Place, she had attempted to listen in on the Extendable Ears with the others. But they always managed to shift away slightly or crowd around the ears so there was no way for her to hear. They simply didn’t trust her.

She had heard the Golden Trio speaking on more than one occasion about how she shouldn’t even have been allowed there with them. None of her siblings ever stuck up for her. It stung, but she supposed it was only reasonable. After all, she was a Slytherin. As Ron had always voiced, normally paired with a biting glare towards her, there wasn’t a witch or wizard that was in Slytherin that hadn’t gone bad. Apparently he had adopted the phrase from Hagrid.

So she sat outside most of the summer, alone, lying under the large Sycamore tree a yard away from the house. She had been offered more than once to visit her housemates' places during the summer, but her parents had forbidden it. With the war gaining momentum, it was too much of a risk. The unspoken message was clear. They didn’t trust that she would keep quiet about any 

“Hey, Gwen.”

Gwendolyn turned with a start, her thick red hair tumbling over her shoulder. Harry Potter stood a few feet away from her, looking awkward as he waited for her reply. She examined him for a moment. He was taller now, more filled out and sturdy, she supposed from an aesthetic standpoint she could understand why her sister liked him so much. 

“Can I help you?” the words were sharp, her brow raised as she awaited an answer. 

He rarely talked to her. None of them did really, except for when their mother forced them all too cheerily to interact ast family dinners and the more sparse family outings. But Harry had always treated her as though she were a bomb, one step too close and she might take him out. 

“Well, erm,” Harry seemed to blanch at her boldness. He seemed to have been expecting her to be more like Ginny. “I was wondering… I know you’re friends with Malfoy,” the name fell from his lips in a twisted spit. “Have you heard much from him this summer? I saw him in Knockturn alley while we were shopping for school supplies, and he seemed off. I just was wondering if he had said anything to you that made you worried.”

Gwendolyn stared at him for a moment, listening to him ramble on. He was awful at being subtle. He wanted to know if she knew any of Draco’s secrets, and he thought if he asked her nicely she would willingly give them up. She had to scoff at that. Typical Gryffindor.

“You’re concerned for his well being?” she stood, her voice falsely sweet. “That’s so kind of you, Potter. But from what I recall, you and Draco don’t care much for each other,” she tapped a finger to her chin, pretending to ponder the thought for a moment. “Oh! You were just hoping I would gossip with you. Perhaps next time, try Veritaserum. Or have your little brainiac give you a more subtle approach.”

Harry stuttered for a moment, seeming at a loss for words. He glanced backwards, and she followed his gaze to see Ron and Hermione standing at the front door of the Burrow, watching them. Her eyes narrowed, her jaw clenching.

“Get lost, Potter,” she snarled, anger flashing through her like a hot branding iron. “Or I’ll give them something to watch.”

“Right, erm, sorry.” Harry managed to say, turning and walking swiftly to the house. He didn’t spare her a backwards glance, and the trio slipped into the Burrow the moment Harry came back.

Gwen tamped down on her anger, wishing desperately she were at Hogwarts already. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

[xtruss]

I Don’t: My Very Modern Marriage

Here comes the tax break, or why getting hitched should be about finance, not love

— 1843 Magazine | By Anna Baddeley

You can hold hands if you want to.” We had arrived at the part in our ceremony where we had to parrot a legal declaration, and the registrar was clearly desperate to inject some romance into proceedings.

In June, my partner and I were bound together in the eyes of the British state. We didn’t get married though – we got a civil partnership, a type of union invented for gay couples in 2004 that was recently opened up to straight couples after a long campaign to change the law.

We had opted for a pared-down ceremony, with no guests apart from the two friends who were acting as our witnesses. The venue was Room 99, the cheapest space to get married at Islington Town Hall in north London.

“I’d rather not hold his hand,” I said. “Mine are too sweaty.” The registrar apologised, worried she had offended me. I hadn’t meant to make her feel awkward, but I’m one of those people who instinctively makes a joke when put in an uncomfortable situation. And I was keen for the ceremony to be as unromantic as possible. We were doing this not for love, but for tax.

Some women grow up dreaming of a white wedding. I didn’t. My parents weren’t married when I was born, as was the norm at my primary school in east London. Then we moved to a small town in the countryside. My new school-friends were scandalised. A teacher who had assumed my parents were divorced was shocked to discover that they were still together: “But they’ve got different surnames!”

I’d Rather Not Hold His Hand, Mine are Too Sweaty

My mum and dad got together in the early 1980s when it was cool to be anti-marriage, at least in lefty London circles. At that point most people bought into the idea that the engagement of the heir to the throne was the greatest love story ever told. Few seemed bothered by the prospect of a 20-year-old virgin marrying a man rumoured to be seeing another woman, and who, when asked if he was in love with his betrothed, said “whatever love means”. Spare Rib, a feminist magazine, sounded a rare note of dissent, giving away badges that read “Don’t do it Di!”

In 1989 a picture of my family appeared in a women’s magazine under the headline “Maternity without matrimony” – my parents had agreed to be interviewed about what was then still an unconventional lifestyle choice. “Whether they’re out on a shopping spree on a Saturday afternoon or queuing up to see the teacher at their elder daughter’s school open day,” the article begins, “Kate and George and their two small daughters, Anna and Natasha, look like any other normal family.”

When I was growing up, marriage seemed like a relic from another age. I assumed everyone else felt the same way and was slightly perturbed when my university friends started getting engaged. “But why?” I recall asking one of them. Marriage seemed so conservative, so anti-feminist (a father “giving away” his daughter to another man?) and, since it had become socially acceptable to have sex before it, rather unnecessary (unless you were very religious).

Staying together because you signed a contract also struck me as wholly unromantic. Goldie Hawn once said that she chose every day to be with Kurt Russell (together, but not married, for 37 years and counting). I thought that was lovely.

As for weddings, I could see why some people liked them but I hated being the centre of attention. I also hated wasting money. When the average deposit necessary to buy a flat in London is £50,000, it seems obscene to me that British couples typically spend more than £30,000 on a single day. No wonder they ask their friends and family to pay for their honeymoon, possibly the worst wedding trend of recent times.

The social and economic rationale behind marriage used to be clear: sanctified, legal reproduction; a business deal between two families. Now that the feudal backdrop has disappeared, people get married for more waffly reasons. For most millennials, it’s merely an excuse for a party.

I Was Keen For the Ceremony to Be as Unromantic as Possible

When marriage is seen purely as a celebration of love, the legal and financial benefits are obscured. I suspect few of my friends got married because of the tax breaks, but in Britain marriage can reduce your income-tax bill, capital-gains tax and the inheritance tax your children have to pay (you also get automatic status as the next of kin in times of crisis and the right to claim some of your spouse’s money if you break up).

Both in Britain and America marriage is increasingly confined to the moneyed middle-classes, perhaps because weddings are so expensive. Because marriage brings so much socio-economic clout, this increases the gap between the rich and the poor, unwed masses. Bridget Jones was right to moan about “smug marrieds”.

As I began to read the money pages of the newspaper and got more clued up, I wondered if my partner and I should grit our teeth and get hitched, especially once we became parents. But the cultural baggage of marriage, particularly its patriarchal roots, bothered us.

We wanted our relationship to be recognised in law. But we also wanted a modern, equal partnership, clean of assumptions about what a marriage should be and the inescapably gendered roles of husband and wife. Which is why a civil partnership appealed, particularly if the ceremony could be conducted quietly.

That heterosexual British couples can become civil partners is something of a legal accident, rooted in historical discrimination against gay people. Civil partnerships were drawn up to appease the bishops of the Church of England, who still get a say in British lawmaking, and who, in the 1990s at least, didn’t think gay people should be able to get married.

Civil partnerships gave gay couples more or less the same rights as marriage gave straight couples. But soon after civil partnerships were introduced, straight people wanted to get them too. Many countries already allowed heterosexual couples to ratify their relationship without getting married – in France, a contract known as pacs has long been a popular alternative to marriage.

When My University Friends Started Getting Engaged, I Asked Them Why

Over the years various attempts to expand the scope of civil partnerships in Britain failed. Making different provisions for heterosexual and gay people looked increasingly odd after the latter won the right to get married in 2014. Then, in 2018, a judge ruled that exempting straight couples from civil partnerships was illegal under equality law, forcing the government to support a change in the rules.

Opposite-sex couples have been able to become civil partners in Britain since December 31st 2019. I asked our registrar whether Islington Town Hall had seen an increase in footfall from marriage-avoiders. She said it had, mostly “mature couples” who wanted to get their affairs in order. I didn’t ask whether, on the wrong side of 35, we counted as one of them.

Despite my allergy to romance, I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed our moment of union. We weren’t going to tell anyone apart from our families but then decided that we might as well. Being congratulated is nice. And it has made my mother-in-law very happy. Is there still time to open a honeymoon fund? ■

— Anna Baddeley is a Senior Editor of 1843 Magazine | Illustrations: Maro Fouz

[blackberry-gingham]

Mermaid reader x teddy!Beatles part 2!

John and George over here!

Paul

Somehow, Paul makes it home with all his Dad's things without being caught

Truly, it's a miracle

But it's not all thanks to avoiding his dad's wrath that he can't believe he's alive...

Whenever he gets some good, quality alone time, he takes out your scale and just admires it

You were beautiful in the moonlight of course, but somehow this scale alone is even more gorgeous in the light of day

This particular scale has a green and blue iridescence to it, and it's the most lovely thing he's ever seen

He honestly feels like he can see a different hue in it every day if he turns it juuuust right

And of course, it is nice to have on hand

Paul assumed you were just using a turn of phrase when you told him it was "for luck"

But it would seem he was mistaken...

Now he doesn't have many stories to tell, but last week there was a calculous test he absolutely was supposed to fail

And yet... He got a B+

A B+ !!!

That's never happened before, even if he did study

Then there was another time he won a nice lot of cash at billiards...

And the time he found a brand new free bus punch pas on the ground...

His dad sure was pleased at that one

He's even been noticing some improvements in his bass playing, particularly on the few times he tried using the scale as a pick

All these thoughts swirled in Paul's mind as he lays awake in bed

He's been so fortunate lately, and it's all thanks to you and your gift

If only he could just thank you...

He feels like it's the least he owes you

Especially considering he accidentally snagged you on a fishing line for your first meeting...

That's it. He's going to do it!

Paul turns over in his bed with a grin plastered to his face as a plan to sneak out to the lake formulates in his mind

He doesn't get the time to actualize said plan until a few days later however

Not ideal, but manageable

He decides on the same plan as last time: late at night, when no one is around

But it isn't until he's arrived at the pier that he realizes he hasn't considered how he'll get in contact with you

Paul paces back in forth in the dark

What to do, what to do...

First he decides to skip some stones

Hopefully none of them hit you, but perhaps disturbing the water will get your attention

When that doesn't work, he settles for something a little more rudimentary

Paul takes as deep a breath as he can, and yells a long "hello?" across the water

He waits a few moments and assumes it didn't work, so he winds up for a second go

As if on cue, you pop up from below the waves with an agitated look on your face first

"Do you mind? Us normal people are trying to sleep!", You whisper yell

But then, you gasp, upon finally recognizing him

"You again?"

Paul jumps a foot in the air, quite startled by your sudden appearance

But he gets his wits about him soon enough, and he drops to his hands and knees, "Yeah, I've been looking for you!"

You give him a sideways look, but Paul cuts you off before you can pose a question

"Before you get upset! I um, I wanted to say... Thank you! You know, for the scale!"

You look at him as though you haven't a clue what he's talking about, then the memory comes back to you

"Oh, um... Sure?"

"No no, you don't understand! All these wonderful things have happened for me and my family, and I- well, we're a bit bad off, so really I-I can't thank you enough! I thought the least I could do was come back and say it"

Your face softens at that

Not many people would consider giving thanks for a mermaid’s gift, they seem to much rather just enjoy the profit

“Of course, uhm...?”

“Oh, Paul!”

You smile at last and tell him your name out of courtesy

“Wow, that’s a lovely name! It suites a pretty bird like you, if you don’t me saying”

Paul gives you a wink, and you laugh in surprise

You assume it was a one off thing, especially as you part soon after having a short chat, but...

He comes back a few more times on separate nights to meet with you and tell you about the latest goings on

And of course, squeezing in his flirting game here and there

At first you're not sure

After all, you've done this song and dance plenty of times before, and things never seem to work out

But Paul is kind, and charming, and polite...

So many things you've yet to experience from a human

Eventually, Paul starts visiting you from a different point on the edge of the lake in order to spend better time together

It’s in the forest, away from the prying eyes of others

This allows him to visit you at all different hours, which gives him far more freedom to see you often

And before you know it, he brings you little gifts, like offerings, whenever he can spare something nice from his good fortune

“You know, we had our first ever gig last night... They loved us! We already have another one lined up!”

Paul talks excitedly, while you rest and listen on the little blanket he’s set out for you both

“That’s wonderful, Paul! Congratulations”

“Yeah, thanks!”, Paul clears his throat and looks away demurely. “It’s all thanks to you, ya know...”

“Oh I don’t know about that, you’re very tal-!”

“No, really it is... I um, I haven't told you this, but I've been using your scale as a pick for my bass here and there and... there's just something, magical about the sound it makes..."

He braces himself a bit, expecting you to feel indignant, no matter what his explanation

But instead you laugh, amazed to hear that it can do that too

And if course, touched to know that a piece of you was able to be with him for such a big event

So, Paul continues his story, "And I mean, the amount of coincidences that had to happen just for us to get in, let alone get another one lined up is too much for chance...”

He laughs casually, then gives a little stretch before putting his calloused hand over yours

Paul almost expects you to flinch or pull away, but... Nothing happens

No, you continue to look at him, a gentle, blissful smile gracing your face

Taking a little risk, he gently strokes the back of your palm

He speaks again, his voice dropping to a bit of a hush so that only you can hear “Not to mention I wouldn’t even have applied for the place if you wouldn’t have encouraged me to, heh”

"Well... I suppose all that's true...", You lean in a little closer to him, resting your head on his leather clad shoulder

Paul nudges your hair with the tip of his nose, with a playful smile, "Now, if only I could think of a way to thank you..."

You pick your head up and smile mischievously back at him

By now, you've begun to enjoy his cheesy little flirts

You glance from his eyes to his lips and back again, "Hm, I might be able think of something..."

Paul bites his lip and gives a toothy grin, leaning in slowly

Not missing a beat, you meet him halfway, gently closing the gap between you

And you soon decide, it's the best thank you you've ever received...

Well, right next to the one that came after it

Ringo

Ever since that day on the docks, Ringo can’t get you out of his mind

He thought for sure he was dead

In fact, he would’ve been for sure if you hadn’t saved him

He owes you his life

All he wants to do is see you one more time...

There was so much he wanted to say before you swam off

So here he is, alone at the abandoned dock for the third time this week

It’s about noon on a Saturday right now

The sun is warm and bright above while the ocean waves lap peacefully to and fro below

Ringo is still nursing several bruises from the last time, and as much as there’s a risk he’ll take another beating, he’s willing to take his chances

Of course, no sooner has the thought crossed his mind, then do the sounds of three familiar boots stomp up the old wood planks behind him

“Starkey! ‘Aven’t you learned you lesson yet?”

“Yeah, this is our dock!”

The boys taunt and threaten, as they approach Ringo once again

This time, he tries to take a stand

Unfortunately, any words he tries to say are washed out by the sudden rushing of the tide behind him

Then, by the laughing and jeering of the other gang

"Wha's that? Can't 'ear ya!"

Another round of mocking laughter, and suddenly Ringo feels about 2 feet tall

When the boys start to calm down, the leader of the teds gets very serious and sheds his jacket before handing iit to one of the others

" 'old this, don't want to soil it..."

But Ringo can barely hear them over the sound of the water

Is it high tide already?

The leader hardly takes a few steps forward before stopping at the curious sight of a sudden, large shadow

All the boys look up to see a massive, tsunami sized wave arcing up and over the edge of the pier

Just as soon as it arrived, it comes crashing on top of the other teds

Hundreds of pounds of water lay them flat against the wood, and by the time they're able to catch their wits and stand, they turn tail, leaving Ringo all alone

Ringo, who is perfectly unharmed...

The remaining pool of water dribbles off the edge of the pier, providing a little something for Ringo to focus on while he tries to collect his own wits

Just then, a gentle tap comes at his lower back, causing him to whip around

Your eyes are just barely peaking over the ledge when you whisper, "Are you alright?"

A great weight feels lifted off of him, as Ringo turns fully to face you

"Me? Fine! D-did you do that?", He nods over his shoulder, breathless, but excited

You smile and nod, "It's a bit... tiring... But it was worth it"

Know that he's calmed down a bit, you do sound a little out of breath

"Oh... Well, thank you... Really, I mean it!", he pauses, and then, "Say, do you want to rest a minute? Maybe on the shore? I can watch and make sure no one bothers ya!"

You're about to interject, maybe tell him he doesn't have to do that, but there's something about the look on his eyes that tells you he's not offering just to be nice

So instead, you agree, and Ringo meets you shortly amongst the brush and the rocks just a stone's throw from the pier

He takes a seat on a rock, as a wave gracefully deposits you on the sand

You crawl a short distance to a rock of your own and prop yourself up on it, enjoying the time to rest

As you get settled, Ringo can't help but admire you

He's focused on your tail and all the intricate, shimmering scales and fins that adorn it

Of course, you notice his staring, "...Does it bother you?"

Ringo snaps out of his daydream, "Huh? Oh, uh no! Not at all!"

He scratches the back of his head, and ducks down a bit

Even behind his scraggly beard, you can see a little blush

"Sorry... I um, I just think you're pretty..."

You're not sure why, but that makes you blush a bit too

You've been told that a thousand times before by humans, sailors, and mermen alike

But when Ringo says it, there's something more... innocent to it

Like a childhood crush, or a romance that blossoms between two close friends

"Oh... Thank you...", is about all you manage to get out

Ringo runs his fingers through his hair, trying to fix it up a bit, "My name's Ringo, by the way... Er, no, actually it's Ritchie, but me friends call me Ringo"

He holds up his hand and shows you a collection of various and intricate rings as though to justify his statement

They glint and gleam in the sun, all the various metals and gemstones like a kalidascope to your eyes

Ringo notices how transfixed you are, and feels a bit encouraged

Perhaps he hasn't scared you off just yet...

He takes a gamble, "Would you like to see them up close?"

You refocus onto him, "Well... If you wouldn't mind, sure!"

Your tail gives a swish behind you, betraying you and your excitement

Ringo hops up and over to your rock and takes as seat right beside you

The proximity startles you a bit, but he seems so excited to show off his collection to you, that you forget all about it

He splays out his hand for you to see, and you end up holding it in yours while he points to the details of each ring, telling their stories

His hands are rough and callused, with a bit of soft hair coming in around his knuckles

They're a bit bigger then yours still, which you find a little humorous

He's like a puppy that's growing into it's adult body, with his short stature yet large hands and ears and eyes...

Now that you mention it, they're just so blue...

"And this one, I- Uhm, are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry! I just- ahem. You're eyes... They're so pretty"

With your free hand, you gently caress the very edge of his eye socket then give the bridge of his big ol nose a few playful scratches

Ringo's heart leaps in his chest and a gleeful smile slowly spreads throughout his face

See, he's not like John or Paul... They have birds all over them

And what does he get? Teased. Ignored. Sometimes flat made fun of...

So to have such a beautiful woman as you take even a little fancy to him...

He's over joyed

The rings are immediately forgotten, and you tell him a bit more about what you like about him

You like the hair on his face... What is that called?

You like his smile, and the way he laughs...

And yes, you do like his nose, since he asked

Ringo feels like he's floating on a cloud. The genuine affection he's getting from you right now is beyond anything he ever dreamed of

He has to say something...

With a little clearing of the throat, Ringo gathers up how confidence to take oneore chance for the day

"So erm, is there... anyone waiting for you? You know, back there?", You nod towards the infinite sea

You look away, a sad smile tugging at your lips, "No, not really... Why?"

Ringo can feel his heart hammering now, and he takes his chance

"Well I was just wondering..."

He slips one of his precious rings off and hold it out to you

"If maybe you'd like to see each other... M-more often?"

Your eyes light up, and you realize that yes, yes you would like to do that...

He's estatic to hear it, and to seal the deal he slips his ring on your finger

For safe keeping, he says

And before you both part ways for the day, you make sure to give him his first, little kiss

[rons-hermiones]

Come Find Me

Come Find Me

by rons-hermiones

Summary: Unplanned, Hermione is forced to spend Christmas at the Burrow due to her grandmother falling very ill. After being ignored by Hermione for weeks, Ron is determined to show her how much she means to him. Just before he gets the chance to tell her, Bellatrix Lestrange shows up with other plans for Hermione. Can Ron get to her before it's too late? (Ron/Hermione Half-Blood Prince AU)

Rating: M for language & dark themes in later chapters.

Chapter Four

Not even realizing it, Ron had wallowed in self pity and hatred the rest of the ride. Eventually, the train came to a halt as he hurried to leave Lavender’s compartment, not being able to stomach another talk with her. 

Scrambling, he walks down the corridor against the mass of students and eventually retrieves his trunk, stepping from the platform later then most. 

The mass of redheads is easy to spot despite the crowd. 

His Mum is embracing Ginny as he sees Harry shaking his Dad’s hand. Fred and George have also come, he watches as they step forward and tenderly embrace Hermione. The act is out of character for the pair, but he figured that this gesture coincided with the McLaggen stint. 

The three begin talking in what seems like hushed whispers, no doubt about what transpired, well that is until Ron gathered the courage to join his family. 

As his mother called his name and embraced him, Hermione went silent. Slowly, she slinked back, away from the twins, away from the Weasley’s. 

She was never supposed to even be here. Hermione had told herself that she needed to separate herself from them in order to ensure Ron had the holiday he deserved without her bothering him. 

Ron seemed to notice this, heart breaking a little. He wanted nothing more than to hug her himself and assure that he wanted her here, that he was so happy she was. 

He couldn’t though, not yet anyway, not when he was still reeling from his half breakup with Lavender not long ago. 

Instead, he grabbed onto the Port Key his father got from work, jolting slightly as Hermione’s fingertips gently brushed his as she grasped the old scarf they were using. 

Once the dizziness had subsided and they landed on the grass in Ottery St. Catchpole, he was disappointed to see Hermione already retrieving into the Burrow, ahead of everyone else. Alone. 

He can’t help but groan aloud. 

“Did you do it?” Harry asks as he offers a hand and helps Ron from the ground. 

In response all the youngest Weasley brother can manage is a groan. 

“Sort of.” Ron whispers slightly embarrassed. 

“Sort of?” Harry questions rather loudly, warranting a glance from Ginny who is only a few paces ahead. 

“Shush,” The ginger starts, “and I mean the words ‘I’m breaking up with you’, certainly left my mouth. More than once. In a variety of ways.” He explained, his anger bubbling back up at the recollection.  

“Alright so you did it?” The Boy-Who-Lived asked, confusion evident in his tone. 

“Yeah I told her that and she definitely heard but all she said was no,” at this point he’s stopped walking, “that’s completely mental! I told the girl it was done with and she said no!” He was yelling now. 

At this point, Ginny had come to a full stop, the twins were lingering by the front door, and Hermione had thankfully disappeared  inside along with his parents. Harry was faced with horror stricken on his features. 

“You keep it down!” The dark haired boy staged whispered. 

Ron twinged as red as his hair, “sorry,” he said lamely, “she even started on Hermione. By that time I had already told her it was done twice, maybe three times.” 

A low whistle escaped the chosen ones lips, “so let me get this straight, you broke up with Lavender at least three times, and all she said was no?” This sounded like something out of a Muggle film. 

He nodded, a sour look on his face, “And after all this, she kissed me on the cheek, called me ‘sweetheart’, and wished me a Happy Christmas!” He recapped sounding beside himself. 

“You’re right,” Harry said after a moment, “that is mental.” 

At this the pair started trudging along the grass again, taking it slow as they wanted to finish the conversation away from prying ears. 

“Good news is you did break up with her.” The green eyed boy tried optimistically, a rare thing from him these days. 

Harry was really trying to be a better friend. 

“Bad news is I don’t think Lavender broke up with me.” He notes. 

The pair seemingly sigh in unison, both frustrated, one more so then the other. 

“So what? I just tell Hermione I’ve broken it off with Lavender? I’m sure by now she’s owled all of England that we’re still together.” 

Potter contemplates the situation for a moment before answering, “well you can tell Hermione you’ve told Lavender you’re done but she didn’t seem to accept the fact. Even though that may be the case, when we head back you’ll be implementing this break up full force. Avoiding Lavender even more than before, as if we thought that was possible!” He tries to joke.

Surprisingly a small laugh sounds it’s way past Ron’s lips, “I suppose.” By this point they’ve reached the front door, “it’s kind of mad to be thinking about all this with everything going on isn’t it?” He thinks aloud. 

Harry shrugs, “I know your life may feel like a bad soap opera but it’s quite nice for me to focus on something else for a bit. Especially if it helps you and Hermione out.” He pushes open the door and finally steps inside. 

“A soap what?”

...

Hermione really wished there was a spare room in the Weasley home. Not that she’d ever ask for it, being she would never want to upset Ginny. But an escape would be nice. 

Surely Ginny will try and get her to talk about everything that’s transpired lately, especially with the red heads new found confidence her brother wants to try and patch things up. 

It didn’t matter though, Charlie and Bill were returning for holiday for the first time in years apparently so there was no available room to escape to. And being Fleur was joining as well, Percy’s room was off the table. 

Hermione supposes she’ll just have keep Ginny at bay as long as possible. Which should be easy enough considering all the action within the Weasley household. 

Even now, unpacking her trunk a floor above them, she could hear the hustle and bustle of the Burrow. 

The twins were no doubt sounding off somewhere. Ginny was probably yelling at them to keep it down. It’s very likely Mrs. Weasley was cleaning the house to prepare for Charlie and Bill’s arrival. Mr. Weasley was somewhere consoling said stressed out wife, resulting in more screams. And as previously mentioned, the twins were probably sounding off to Harry and Ron. 

And right now as she considers all this play out, she can’t help but feel a little empty. 

For the first time since she’s been a guest at the Burrow, does she feel like a true guest. Hermione doesn’t feel like she’s at home. Not like she normally does. 

She knows exactly why too. 

After the run in with Lavender and Ron this morning, she decided she’d back off. Ron was probably better off without her constant nagging and knowledge of useless facts. Hermione would do her best to stay out of his way, starting with holiday. She’d hate for him to feel uncomfortable in his own house of all places. And after, she supposes she’ll do the same at Hogwarts. For him. 

It’s kind of twisted isn’t it? Even after all the times she’s felt hurt by Ron, she still cares about him more than anything else. 

Even now, she can still feel her heart clenching, breaking, as he agreed to the terms earlier in the compartment. The feeling alone may kill her, yet, here she is, willing to make that sacrifice for him. For his happiness. 

All this coupled with the pain of her grandmother's condition has been borderline unbearable. She wishes she still had Ron to help her through this. She needs his strength. 

Too bad she’s ruined that. 

As much as she’s yearning to blame Ron for their divide she knows it’s entirely her fault. Because despite being the brightest witch of her age, she is surely stupid for thinking he could ever love her back. To even think he thought of her like that in the slightest. 

Asking him to Slughorn’s,  it had taken everything for her to do. To him it meant nothing. 

And if the past few months have taught her anything, it’s probably that Ron just stuck around for Harry and as an extension, Hermione. All the taunts and jabs Lavender was constantly throwing her way must be true in Ron’s eyes, she isn’t exactly shy about the whole thing. 

And part of her brain convinces herself that Ron thinks she’s an insufferable, ugly, no good know it all. But part of her knows that isn’t true. 

Ron, who saved her from that troll her first year. 

Ron, whose voice rang in her head every night while she was laying petrified. 

Ron, who defended her mercilessly during their confrontation with Peter Pettigrew, despite having a torn up leg. 

Ron, who comforted her to no end when the nerves struck before the second task. 

Ron, who gently would rub dittany on the backs of her hands after detentions with Umbridge. 

Harry hadn’t been there for any of that. Surely that must mean something. 

And deep down she knows it does, but whenever the rational part of her brain pushes that forward, images of him wrapped around Lavender flicker in her head. These thoughts quickly bring back unwelcome ones of the possibility of Ron loathing her. 

She really wishes things were simple. Harry spent summers and holidays with Sirius at Grimmauld place. That Neville could talk to his parents and they’d recognize him. That Ginny would stop tossing and turning, mumbling things about a diary in her sleep. That she didn’t fear for her parents lives everyday. That her grandma would be magically healed and she’d take Ron and Harry up to France one summer to meet her. 

She wishes that Ron was her friend again. If not more. 

But that’s the problem, these are all just wishes. Figments of her imagination, something her heart longs for. Something that’ll never come true. 

And just like that, her thoughts are becoming too much. She’s supposes it’s a bit of a curse to always have your mind working this way. 

Tears begin stinging the backs of her eyes and Hermione wants nothing more to immerse herself within a book. To forget for a little while. Maybe even let her mind wander to a brighter future. 

But instead, she makes use of her whizzing brain by beginning to unpack her trunk. First she checks for the black book, that’s now a lifeline to her. Once she spots it, she relaxes a little and silently begins preparing a letter to her parents in her head. 

Surely that letter would evoke more unwelcome emotions. 

Happy holidays to her. 

...

So far life at the Burrow has been rather uneventful. Sure, they only arrived here three hours ago, but deep down everyone had this silly little notion that upon their return everything would change. 

Of course it didn’t. 

The twins were still taking the mickey out of Ron and Harry. Ginny still yelled when their fighting reached her in the living room. Molly still fussed over preparing the house for her eldest sons as her husband tried to calm her. 

In a way it was nice though, that things were the same. Sure, everyone wishes they could be better 

There was one notable difference. 

Normally, Hermione could be found sniggering behind Fred and George or defending Ron and Harry from their taunts. If not, she was curled up on the sofa with Ginny as she complained over her Quidditch magazine. Oftentimes, the witch was offering Mrs. Weasley assistance with household chores or was explaining a Muggle appliance to Arthur. 

Instead, she was just gone. 

And no one noticed her absence more than Ron. 

“Ginny, be a dear and fetch Hermione for supper would you?” Molly’s voice didn’t leave much room for argument. 

Ron peered up from where he had been setting down the utensils to see his sister rush up the steps leaving a flash of red. 

Upstairs, Ginny tapped on the door lightly, waiting a moment before pushing it open. There, she found Hermione slumped over the youngest Weasley’s desk, writing mercilessly on some parchment. She was honestly shocked to find her nose not in that odd, coverless book. 

“Hermione.” She called out, the brunette hadn’t noticed her presence. 

Startled, Hermione jumped a bit before relaxing at the sight, “yes?” Her voice cracked. 

“It’s time to eat.” Ginny told her. 

“Gin,” The bushy haired girl sighed, “I hate to be rude, but could you tell your mother I won’t be joining you guys tonight.” 

The ginger shook her head, “Hermione if this is about,” 

Granger wouldn’t let the name pass her friends lips, “it’s not about him.” Not a total lie. “I just want to get this owl out to my parents as soon as I can. I have some questions about...” she trailed feeling the tears prick her eyes. Clearing her throat she went on, “anyway, I ate on the train. I promise once I’m finished here I’ll explain everything to your Mum.”

Ginny began to open her mouth questioning the use of the word ‘everything’. Hermione, being brilliant, seemed to sense where this was going and bear her to it. 

“Everything about my Grandma.” She amended. 

Noticing the sad look in the sixth tears eyes, Ginny conceded, “alright but I’m saving you a plate and you best eat it later!” She scolded, sounding just like Molly. 

At this, Hermione was able to muster a true genuine giggle, “thank you Ginny.” She called as the girl vacated the room. 

The last thing Ginny heard Hermione say was a quick ‘thank you’ before she descended back downstairs. 

As she re entered the kitchen she noted everyone seated already, waiting for her. For them. 

Molly however, was standing, hands on her hips and stern look on her face. 

“Now Ginny I asked you to fetch Hermione.” She scolded with a wag of her finger. 

Sighing, the girl plopped down, “she isn’t hungry.”

All the younger Weasley and Harry, had exchanged knowing glances. Ron however, decided to bow his head, focus his eyes on the floor boards. 

“Non sense!” Her mother started. 

“Mum honest, I told her we’d save her plate.” She pauses as her mother frowns, “look Hermione’s got a lot going on right now.”

Concern struck over Molly instantly, “oh Merlin! Is she okay? Are her parents alright?” Then she swiftly turned to the twins, “have you two done something to her?” The older woman asked sharply. 

“We didn’t do anything mother.” Fred starts. 

“Yeah it wasn’t us who did something.” George says next, emphasis on the statement as he looks to Ron. 

“Not us!” They sound off in unison. 

Noticing Ron’s fist clenching beneath the table Ginny jumps in, “it’s nothing like that, it hasn’t got to do with the Burrow.” Her eyes found Ron’s as if to tell him that Hermione wouldn’t spill to their mother about Lavender Brown, “Hermione and her parents are alright. It’s best if she explains.”

Molly opens her mouth to protest before Arthur cuts her off, “it’s okay Molly, the girls fine, remember? We saw her hours ago. Come on let’s eat.” He reasons. 

Nodding to herself Mrs.Weasley finally calms down as they start their meal. 

And dinner was going fine. Ron had done little talking, thankful that Harry was the one recapping the Quidditch season thus far. 

Again, everything was fine. Until Arthur asked his twin boys about their business. 

“So boys how are things down in the alley?” The older man asking, earning a scowl from is  disapproving wife. 

“Wicked dad.” George says. 

 Placing his fork down Fred jumps in, “absolutely wicked. Witch weekly wants to do an article on our love potions, it’ll be great for business.” 

Shockingly, a proud smile crosses Molly’s lips. 

“Yeah we’re thinking of making scented ones, something girls will like. What do girls like?” George wonders, sarcasm underlying his words. 

“Yeah Ronnie, what do girls like?” Fred repeats facing his younger brother. 

Mrs. Weasley not understanding, interjects, “flowers.”

At this Ron grips his knuckles on the table. His brothers are smiling like it’s Christmas morning. His mother just unknowingly set her troublemaker sons up for a joke to make Ron twitch. 

“Hear that Freddie? Flowers.” George grins like the Cheshire Cat. 

“It’s perfect. I wonder which ones though, there are roses.” Fred responds 

“And daisy’s.”

“Orchids.” 

“Jasmine.” 

The pair switch off before Fred’s eyes light up, “wait I got it, how about...”

“Lavender!” The two exclaim in sync. 

Ginny does her best to surprise a chuckle. Harry looks like he wants the floor to eat him. Ron is about to punch something. 

“Yeah how about it Ronnie, Lavender. You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?” George says leaning in closer to his baby brother. 

A look of anger passes Ron’s face, his Mum  surveys the scene with a curious expression, “what would Ronnie know about Lavender?” Molly questions. 

“Oh mother!” George says scandalized. 

“Ickle Ronniekins didn’t tell you?” Fred asks, already knowing the answer. 

She shakes her head, “on with it.” 

“Your baby boy has a girlfriend.” George announces, loving the luck of disdain across his youngest brother's face. 

“Ronald Weasley!” His mother says standing from her chair and wagging her finger at him. 

Merlin he wishes You-Know-Who would kill him right now. 

“I don’t have a girlfriend Mum.” He defends gruffly. 

“You don’t?” Ginny says with slanted eyes. 

“Not anymore.” Harry mumbles loud enough for everyone to hear. 

“Not anymore?” Molly starts, “and you knew and didn’t tell me Ginny! You boys knew too!” She points to the twins. 

In defense the pair throws up their hands as the red headed girl starts to explain, “it wasn’t really my place to tell. Anyway Mum, it’s not like we were the only ones. Bill knew too.” 

Angrily, Ron stomps on his sister's foot. 

“You told Bill and not your own mother!” She screams, ignoring the yelp that left Ginny’s mouth. 

“Molly...” Arthur warns, trying to tug gently at her sleeve. 

She rips her hand away and places both on her hips, “I am very disappointed in you Ronald! All of you actually.” The woman huffs. 

Ron squirms, “it doesn’t matter. She’s not my girlfriend anymore.” 

“Well...” Harry can’t help but say. 

All eyes land on him. He thinks Ron may strangle him. 

“‘Well’ what Harry Potter?” Ginny asks, tone matching her mother’s. 

Now it’s the chosen ones' turn to squirm, “well,” he repeated, “I don’t think it’s my place to say.” 

At this, all eyes fall back onto Ron. Sighing in defeat, “well you see, the thing is, Lavender is,” 

“Annoying.” Ginny finishes. 

“Loud.” Harry cringes. 

“Pathetic?” George tries 

“Desperate.” Fred corrects. 

And to Arthur and Molly’s surprise, their youngest son nods in agreement, making no move to defend this girl. 

At this, the couple exchange a look. If the twins so much as look at a certain bushy haired witch the wrong way, Ron is up in arms, ready to curse anyone who crosses her. 

“Alright,” Ron says, stopping whatever they were going to say, “let’s just say I chucked her.” 

“That can’t be true! I heard her telling Parvati about how she won’t survive a month without snogging you when we got onto the platform.” Ginny calls out. 

Her brother groans, “Lavender is not my girlfriend anymore, but I might still be her boyfriend.” He explains. 

There’s a silence. 

“I don’t know what you mean son.” His dad finally speaks. 

“What I mean is that when I broke up with her she just said no.” He admits exasperated, pushing back his chair and digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. 

One of the twins lets out a low whistle. As the room enters a tense silence until Molly breaks it. 

“Ronald,” she sounds disappointed, “this Lavender wouldn’t have anything to do with why Hermione didn’t join us at dinner would it?” Her voice is growing louder. 

And there it is. 

Of course his mother would know. 

He had been painfully obvious over the years. 

Ron told himself when she didn’t come down that it was because she was probably writing her parents. But, he also knows, Hermione is capable of constructing a letter in minutes. 

“Why would you think that?” He chokes out sounding pathetic. 

The twins and Ginny laugh at this. 

“Ronald Weasley I am very disappointed in you. Look at the mess you’ve made! Your father and I raised you better than to go around treating women this way!” She screams. 

Losing it, Ron stands up angrily matching his mother’s tone, “why are you assuming any of this has got to do with Hermione?” He screams. 

In all the ruckus, he failed to notice the new presence in the doorway. 

“Hermione.” Ginny says loudly, rather soft. 

Annoyed, he turns to his sister, “Ginny I’ve just said,” before he can finish, Harry is pulling on his shirt and bucking his head to the doorway. 

As all eyes fall on her, she shrinks away, looking almost to tears, “I can come back, I just wanted to talk to...” she doesn’t get the words out, lamely she points to Mrs. Weasley. 

And just like that, any anger washes off the older woman’s face, “of course dear,” she steps over and places a hand on her shoulder, “why don’t you wait for me in the living room while I clean this up.” 

Hermione nods vaguely in response before sauntering out of the room. 

“Way to go Ronnie.” George whispers. 

And just like that, Molly is seeing red again, “all four of you, dishes.”  She says to her kids. 

The twins are ready to complain when they realize they can just do magic. 

“And no magic!” She berates. 

“What did we do?” Ginny retorts, “you’re mad at Ron remember?” She reminds. 

“You three didn’t bother to tell your mother anything!” She stops, “and you.” She turns to Harry. 

“Me?” He asks, scared. 

“Yes you, Harry Potter. You are to stay and make sure not one wand is flicked or else all five of you will be working in the gardens until all the gnomes are gone.” 

“But Mum it’s freezing.” Ron groans. 

“Well then you better do as I say, and being that I have no more house duties for tonight, I’m off to talk to Hermione. Goodbye.” At this she stomps away. 

Sympathetically, Arthur pats his youngest son's shoulder before walking off to his shed. 

A tense silence falls over the group as each of the Weasley’s exchange glares. 

“Well time for dishes!” Harry tries to break the tension. 

Scowling, they all work in silence.

[bywordofaphrodite]

Book Reviews 3&4: Nancy Drew and the Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene & Trixie Belden and the Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell Tatham

This review’s theme is girl detective books ! Audience age range: roughly 12 and up !

Just as Enid Blyton’s books made me fall in love with magical creatures and faraway lands, detective novels became an obsession during late primary school, with classic lead female characters Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden being my absolute favourites. My school had an extremely small and limited library, and the Nancy Drew books were one of the only decent series there- even with a great chunk of the collection missing. My mother introduced me to Trixie Belden, which she insisted was better than Nancy Drew, though I refused to listen to such a declaration at the time.

Now, though? My opinions have definitely changed.

Nostalgic review

Rating: ★★★★★

From memory, Nancy Drew is a clever, beautiful and well-off girl in her late teens, living with her lawyer father Carson Drew and her housekeeper Hannah Gruen, who has looked after Nancy since her mother’s passing when she was only three. I always enjoyed the dynamic between Nancy and her father, as it was similar to mine with my father, also a lawyer- Carson doesn’t step in unless Nancy needs his help, but he does assist in legal advice when necessary. I also loved Nancy’s friendship with the cousins Bess and George, and liked that her relationship with her ‘special friend’ Ned never got in the way of solving mysteries or hanging out with her friends (‘hanging out’ was practically code for sleuthing in these novels anyway). Overall, my memories of this series amount mostly to exciting searches for missing heiresses, finding beautiful jewels and battling crocodiles in Florida.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Trixie Belden- rough-around-the-edges thirteen year-old from a poor family living with both her parents and three brothers. Where Nancy has a housekeeper, lives in an affluent suburban neighbourhood and never wants for money, Trixie lives on the outskirts of a small town, both her parents work, and she is constantly reminded of how important it is to work for money as they do not have much of it to spare on mindless things. Nancy is a fairly solitary character, often working alone unless her friends show up, and even then she does most of the legwork; Trixie is also the main sleuth in her series, but her best friend Honey is almost always at her side. While the mysteries were great, the warm friendships in Trixie Belden novels are what I remember best.

Regardless of whatever my thoughts may be after rereading books from these two series, I’ve never ceased referencing either of them and my love of the mystery genre still holds fast even now.

Nancy Drew and the Lilac Inn Review

Post-read: ★★

Synopsis: girl detective Nancy Drew is called to solve a series of odd goings on at her newly engaged friend Emily’s inn, in what seems to be an attempt to prevent Emily and her fiancé from opening. Disaster strikes when her aunt retrieves Emily’s inheritance of diamonds- Emily’s last hope to cover the costs of fixing up the inn- and they are swiftly stolen within the hour. Nancy vows to catch the thief and the intruder and save Emily’s inn from failure.

I struggled in choosing which Nancy Drew book to reread for this review, and after reading through multiple rankings lists I decided on the Lilac Inn because it ranked highly on every list. I now wish I had just gone with Crocodile Island anyway… at least there was something snappy about it. In between the bomb, the theft, the doppelganger, the underwater fake-shark, the kidnapping, the spear-gun attack- I think I’ve made my point. There’s far too much going on, and if it was well-written I would be okay with it, really I would, but it’s all so blandly articulated that half the time I had to reread just to make sure I’d read correctly what nonsense was occurring at any given time.

Straight out the gate, I just want to say how shocking the writing was- that’s shockingly bad, by the way. If I thought Enid Blyton’s work was stunted, well, this was far, far worse. Especially since it lacks the excuse of being written for young children. It was incredibly difficult to push through in the slower parts, and I must admit I basically skim-read the lead up parts to the action sequences (which were incredibly minimal compared to the gnashing crocodile teeth I longed for, but alas). Sadly for me, Bess (my old fave), George and Ned were not present at all, and I cannot remember if they had actually been introduced that early in the series because they are not mentioned once.

I did really like the concept of the story, and the element of Nancy having a creepy doppelganger posing as Nancy to cause mischief (she has several over the series) was fun, even more so that said doppelganger was an actual actress and quite ruthless in her attempts to steal Emily’s diamonds- I love a morally-corrupt pretty female villain as much as the next person, after all. There is a romance teased between Nancy and a young man staying at the inn, a young man who continuously seems to be in the same room as the diamond thief messing with Emily’s inn, but ultimately both never amount to anything. This hardly surprised me given the book is written in the thirties, and Ned and Nancy never do anything but attend dances together the entire series, but still, come on. He could’ve at least stolen the diamonds to add some spice to his useless appearances.

It’s possible that were a very talented scriptwriter to take this book and make it into a movie it could work out a lot better than it does on paper- provided the casting was done well. The sets would be interesting, and I think the creepiness of the ‘ghost’ in the orchard and the diving scenes would translate a lot better on camera. Normally I’m not one to nominate live actions of novels for no reason, but this thought kept recurring as I struggled to get through the writing.

Characters who aged well: Nancy is smart and weirdly good at everything (they don’t explain why she knows how to do all the things she does, but diving and freeing herself from bonds seems to be easy enough for her. Given male characters are always allowed to be perfect without training, I’ll allow it). For a female character written in the 30s she has plenty of agency and does not once rely on a man’s help to do anything, which is why I always enjoyed her books. Carson Drew also aged well- not present that often, but useful without being interfering, and his trust in his daughter is refreshing. As for the other main characters in the series… they didn’t even show up in this book so I can’t really comment on this.

Characters who aged badly: plot twist- I’m adding Nancy here too. She is a little too perfect, too polished, a common criticism by modern readers, though at the time of publication was her main selling point. Additionally, earlier editions of the series featured racist comments made by Nancy, although those have since been taken out. However, the publisher and creator of the first books was not a very pleasant person, so I find myself able to separate that from Nancy’s character.

Favourite scene/quote: ‘The article went on to tell that Nancy had just completed a course in advanced skin diving in the Muskoka River, and that she had finished first in total points in the twenty student group’.

I find this quote amusing because there is really no need for Nancy to be good at every single thing, and this is a good example of the many times throughout the series that Nancy is the ‘best’ at a very random activity that is often never mentioned again.

As for my favourite scene, though nothing interesting actually ends up happening in the orchard, I did like the eerie setting of Nancy dressing up as a ghost and chilling behind a tree for a while (okay it was partially eerie, mostly just oddly comedic). The actress/impostor posing as Nancy provided a few good scenes, too, but for the main villain of the story she was hardly in as many scenes as she should’ve been in.

After doing some research, I discovered something most interesting: Nancy was written with significantly more character by the original ghost-writer of the series, a woman named Mildred Wirt Benson, who wrote Nancy ‘embodying qualities that she wished she had’- but the publisher Edward Stratemeyer did not want a bold female character, and she was rewritten with similar dialogue but now accompanied with ‘dainty’ verbs to sweeten her words. Stratemeyer was also known for his beliefs that women belonged in the kitchen, and the only reason he created Nancy in the first place was to capitalise on young female readers who wanted their own equivalent of the Hardy Boys.

With all of this in mind, it’s very possible that the Nancy from my memories is a mix of the older and new editions, which allowed Nancy more personality as the series went on, no longer needing to confirm to the sexist expectations of the 1930s. And despite these origins, Nancy Drew aged quite well as an unintended feminist icon: she solves her mysteries alone and rarely needs Ned’s help at all; in fact, most of the time, Nancy is the one doing the saving. It’s nice to think that, almost one hundred years later, Mildred Wirt Benson’s version of Nancy is the one being kept alive, both on paper and onscreen.

Trixie Belden and the Secret of the Mansion Review

Post-read: ★★★★★

Synopsis: energetic teen Trixie Belden’s boring town of Sleepyside is turned upside down when a rich new family moves onto the property opposite her own, an old miser winds up in hospital and his empty mansion is suddenly inhabited by a runaway boy, and a missing fortune is waiting to be uncovered.

Whewww.

This was a massive breath of fresh air after the Lilac Inn! After being so unimpressed by both Blyton and Keene’s writing, Tatham’s writing restored my faith in my childhood judgement. Her words flowed well and the conversation between the characters was very natural. The blank slate characters in the Lilac Inn were showed up by the animated and multiple-dimensional characters in the Secret of the Mansion, and I never once felt the need to rush myself through the chapters.

Unlike my method of choosing a Nancy Drew book, I simply decided on reading the first Trixie book for this review. While I almost went for a later book where all the main characters had been introduced, I couldn’t remember how Trixie first met Honey and Jim, which I felt was pretty important to her character. I’m very glad I did. Even in the first book, Trixie endures so much character development (contrasting very strongly with Nancy’s flawless existence). Longing for a friend, Trixie takes herself up the hill to the newly habited mansion to introduce herself and her little brother Bobby, who she is babysitting to earn money to buy herself a horse. There she meets rich girl Honey Wheeler, a sickly and sheltered but sweet girl of the same age, whose parents pay little attention to her. Things fall into place with all the expected luck of a teen heroine- Honey’s governess is a lovely woman who wants Honey to befriend Trixie and offers to look after Bobby, and of course Honey’s stables are now filled with horses and a stable hand who can teach her to ride.

But for every easy thing comes an opportunity for Trixie to grow: she comes to admire Honey’s bravery after previously being irritated by her fear of trying outdoor activities; she ignores the stable hand’s orders not to ride the stallion and falls as a result, leading to her having to work to regain his trust and also being taught the valuable lesson to recognise her own limits; finally, as much as Trixie hates looking after little Bobby, when he is bitten by a snake Trixie is resourceful and quick on her feet in helping him, keeping him well enough until a doctor and other adults arrive.

Rather like the Lilac Inn, the mystery of the story centres on the hidden will to a supposed fortune of the elderly man who lived in the old mansion not far from Honey’s new home. On a whim, Trixie nags Honey into accompanying her to snoop around the building, leading to their discovery of the old man’s nephew Jim hiding there. By the end of the book, the girls have helped Jim to find the will and safely escape his abusive step-father. Later in the series, Jim is adopted by the Wheeler family, and also becomes Trixie’s primary love interest (I love that this relationship is not at all rushed either).

The reading level for the Trixie Belden series is listed as grade 3 and above, but I had no problems being completely involved and intrigued by the storyline and characters as a twenty-three year old. I think I’ll continue to read the series on my own time, as I always enjoyed the full character line-up developed after a few books in.

Characters who aged well: Trixie! If my praise during this review didn’t make clear enough, she’s a wonderful character with great development. Honey and Jim are also solid characters, and Bobby and Trixie’s parents are well-written too- supportive and kind, but realistic concerning raising Trixie to be a responsible kid. Also going to add that Trixie’s group of best friends- self-named the Bob-Whites of the Glen and consisting of her two older brothers Brian and Mart, Honey, Jim and the later additions of Dan and Di- have a strong presence and very distinct personalities when they show up in the later novels.

Characters who aged badly: nobody! All the side characters were well done, including the villain. He wasn’t over-the-top by any means, his abuse of Jim was both emotion and physical in a realistic manner that concerned the adults around him enough to comment on it without actually taking proper action to help him, as it often goes. I appreciated the author’s ability to write a male character the vulnerable one, to recognise what was wrong about the situation, and to gladly accept help from two girls younger than him.

Favourite scene/quote: “‘serves him right,’ Trixie said, wiping her grimy hands on her rolled-up blue jeans. ‘The mean old miser. You should have left him lying in the driveway, Dad.’”

An earlier quote in the book, this sets the tone for Trixie’s character: she’s messy, no-nonsense and cheeky. For a female character written in 1948 I found this quite amusing. There’s none of the internalised misogyny that often popped up in ‘tomboy’ characters of the time: Trixie just is what she is, and she’s great.

A standout scene would be Trixie sucking the venom from her brother’s snakebite to save him, and the chapters focused on the developing friendship with Honey and Jim while the two teach Trixie how to handle horses is also enjoyable.

Overall verdict:

My mother was right, Trixie Belden is far better than Nancy Drew in every category I can think of. I wish that the series had gained the popularity that Nancy Drew did, because it would make for a fun movie or television show. There is an eighteen year gap between the publication of the first novel from both series, and both heroines saw many more books written after that. Nancy Drew is so persistent, however, that multiple movies and even a recent CW show have been made, though it is not very accurate to the books at all. Even now, modern-day setting Nancy Drew mysteries are still being released under the Carolyn Keene pseudonym, showing her unending mythical status.

I still love Nancy, bad writing and all, but in all fairness, Miss Trixie deserves a cut of the nostalgic hype surrounding the girl-detective genre. I’d also like to bask in the poetic justice of Nancy not only remaining a more iconic character than the Hardy Boys, but also becoming more feminist as time goes on. I’m sure the publisher is rolling in his grave!