Moon and Stars

twenty one

Aurora blinked at the boy in front of her, not quite understanding what he asked.

"I'm sorry?" She asked quietly, and Fred sighed to himself, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I saw how you acted when Mum and Dad came home, you pushed away from me like I was no more than a couch pillow." He admitted, and Aurora's heart broke slightly. She hadn't even noticed her actions had hurt him, and she didn't mean them to at all.

"I understand if this is too much for you, and you just want to be friends again, Aurora, but please tell me. Please don't push me away." He said quietly, taking one of her hands in his own. She could tell by his eyes that he was hurt, but he didn't want to admit to it. Speaking about emotions was always hard for him, but it was something that Aurora was fond of, so he was adapting.

"Fred, I hadn't even noticed that I upset you, and for that, I'm so sorry," She says, squeezing his hand gently, "It's not that I don't want to do this with you, but Molly and Arthur's opinions mean the world to me, and I was just a little scared to see them for the first time since...since us." Aurora puts one hand on the side of his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

The story of Fred and Aurora is one with many chapters, but their romantic relationship is only a few pages. Normally, Aurora would cower when a guy sounded so clingy in the early stages of a relationship, but Aurora knew where he was coming from. She hadn't even noticed his shift in mood, and she felt bad that she didn't. She knew Fred to have quite a past with the ladies, and she felt strong insecurities in her quiet hours that made her feel alone and frightened. Hearing Fred voice his concerns to her, it made her happy, even if the boy in front of her was a little sad.

"Oh." He mumbled, looking down at his feet. His boyish demeanor returned, and Aurora smiled slightly at his pouting face.

"Freddie, look at me." She cooed, and he raised his head slightly, their eyes meeting.

"Don't shy away from voicing your feelings to me, that's such a large part to relationships. I want this to work, I want us to work, and I think we will. Seeing you worry about things, as selfish as this sounds, reassures me in a way. It lets me know that you're also trying to make this work, and I believe that, because of that, we will. I really like you, Fred Weasley, even if you're a complete baby." She says, and Fred pushes her shoulder slightly at the last bit, making her laugh.

"Talking about feelings is strange." He admits, and Aurora pulls him in for a hug, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I actually enjoy talking about feelings. Something about those deep, emotion-filled conversations makes me feel necessary and intelligent." Says Aurora, looking up at him.

"Are you trying to rope me into another emotional conversation, McGonagall?" He asks, and Aurora gasps sarcastically.

"Me? Never." She drags, and he lets out a chuckle, dipping down and kissing her soft lips. Kissing her to shut her up? Romantic, flawed but romantic nonetheless.

He pulls way and looks down at her, his features noticeably softer than what they previously were, and Aurora felt herself relax. Looking at the boy in front of her, she just wanted to hold him, so that's exactly what she did.

Aurora grabbed his hands and lead him up the stairs to her room, not bothering to shut the door behind them. Fred's eyes widened at the setting change, and his mouth fell open as she dropped the pants she was wearing. She slid on a pair of sweatpants and walked to the bed, motioning for him to join her.

"What's this all about, Aura?" He asked, and she held his head to her chest, stroking his hair.

"I don't know, in all honestly. I feel guilty for not noticing you being upset, and I want to make it up to you." She explained, and she felt Fred relax into her, his arm thrown lazily over her stomach.

"Darling, don't feel bad, I created a big ordeal out of nothing, and talking to you about it was more than sufficient for me, I'm feeling quite alright." He responded, his finger tracing circles into her exposed skin.

"I understand that you're feeling better now, and I'm glad. That's not the whole thing, though. We're so new together, yet I'm fully comfortable with you showing me off, and I'm comfortable having emotional conversations with you. I was never this way in my previous relationships." She spoke quietly yet clearly, gently scratching his shoulder.

"I get that, I would never have cared about my parent's opinions with another girl, but you're different somehow. I can't fully explain it, neither, but maybe we can figure out how to comprehend it eventually, together." He says softly, and Aurora plants a kiss on the top of his head, letting out a deep breath.

She wasn't tired, as it was still quite early in the day, but she just wanted to lay for awhile with Fred. Hanging around Hermione and Ginny made her miss Fred in a way, even if they weren't being split apart. She felt him shuffle against her and make himself comfortable, before letting out a breath of his own.

She would do anything to be inside of his head at a moment like this. Her thoughts seemed too serious and profound for such a simple situation, and she wanted to know if he was thinking the same, or if he just wanted to take a nap.

She leaned her chin on top of his head and shut her eyes, listening to the sound of his breathing and feeling the beat of his heart against her side. Everything about Fred while he rested was peaceful, and it even made Aurora sleepy.

She could hear Molly and Arthur downstairs chatting about their favorite moments of the trip, and she smiled to herself. They were everything she wanted to be, and more. She wanted someone who accented her perfectly, someone who would make her the happiest girl in the world, and someone who wanted to raise a beautiful family.

Was Fred that person for her? The thought was lovely, but she wouldn't get ahead of herself.

Minutes passed by, yet Aurora didn't feel drowsy enough to sleep. Meanwhile, her boyfriend laid his head in her chest, and his arms wrapped around her torso, already asleep. He let out soft snores once he reached a deep sleep, and Aurora smiled at the quiet noise.

The entire Weasley family snored, some louder than others. The tagalongs of the family, herself, Hermione, and Harry, were silent sleepers. Aurora had even been told she seemed to be dead as she slept.

She let her eyes fall closed, and listened to the sounds around her, attempting to get in some shut-eye while Fred was napping. It was as if she was taking care of a baby, and one of the main rules to having children is to always sleep when your baby is sleeping.

The birds chirped outside, and the voices of the other house members were muffled from the den, yet soothing to the ear. Fred's hand relaxed against her side, but his fingers still wrapped around the bend of her waist, and she loved the feeling.

If Molly or Arthur were to walk in at the moment, they would know her and their son were together, but Aurora didn't mind them knowing. Of course, she would like to tell them herself, but after speaking with Fred, she wanted them to know.

Her mind traveled to different methods of letting the parents know, and to different times to tell them. She could tell them today, and just get it over with, but there's nothing sincere about blurting it out, like they had done with Ron as a joke. Aurora wanted to wait a bit, and tell them over a nice dinner of the sort, but she would take Fred's input before coming to a mental conclusion.

Coming up with scenarios in her mind led Aurora to fall into a light sleep, her breathing slowed down. Her head fell against Fred's while they rested, and Aurora was never one to perfectly recall dreams, but she did remember a nice flower field.

An hour drifted by, followed by another one, and they remained asleep. Fred's body heat warmed Aurora to the perfect temperature, and she felt safe cuddled next to him.

The couple was awoken by a loud bang from the den, followed by the sound of the lick of a flame, signaling someone had just arrived by floo powder.