𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 • (𝐝.𝐦.)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

♔

"Fuck!" I breathed, very close to ripping my hair out at its roots. I was beyond frustrated now, everything was falling apart from under me. 

Draco had gone Merlin-knows-where to be with his father in yet another heroic attempt to protect me from something I could damn well protect myself from. 

I was getting fed up with all these sudden changes all the time. One minute, I'll have everything handled, and the next everything is giving me the middle finger and basically telling me to go fuck myself. 

He didn't want to be a Death Eater. He never wanted that life, he was the furthest thing from evil, but he was with them now. He would be fighting on their side from now on, but I'd know his true intentions. 

"Don't get yourself killed," I muttered out loud to Draco who was clearly no longer here. 

Fleur and I got ready to apparate to the Burrow for the next few days. It was important that we covered our tracks, so we made it look as if we were never at the French mansion. There was no trace of us, and that's exactly what we intended. 

"Are you ready for this?" I asked my blonde cousin, and she nodded. "You really love him, don't you?" I asked, and she smiled widely, blushing in the slightest. "I really do. I can't wait to start a family with him, won't that be so joyous? C'est Magnifique!" She chuckled. 

I smiled at her enthusiasm and internally agreed with her. 

I just couldn't imagine Draco and me with a simple life like that. I wanted it, I wanted that so badly, but would we ever get to that point? Would he love me for that long? 

I shook the negative thoughts from my brain, along with the fears that our relationship wouldn't last. Fleur was happy, and that was all that mattered, so I focused on her. 

We apparated to the Burrow and landed in a patch of tall grass about twenty feet from the actual building. 

"We made it," I said, looking up at the rickety house in awe. The only thing holding it together must've been magic, and I smiled to myself as we walked to the door. 

"Oh, you must knock for me. I am too nervous," Fleur worried in her thick French accent. I couldn't help but chuckle as she fretted over something as small as this. 

"You're marrying into this family but you're worried about knocking on the door?" I asked, and she nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course!" She said, her eyes frantic. 

I reached up and knocked on the door, waiting for any sign of life inside to show itself. When the door did swing open finally, we were greeted by Fred's height looking down upon us. 

His eyes widened, clearly not expecting me to be with his soon-to-be sister-in-law. 

"Blimey, Maggie? Is that really you?" He gaped at me, practically ignoring the fact that Fleur was right there. She paid no mind to that, though, clearly still jittery about seeing Bill and the rest of the family. 

Fred bent down a little and pulled me into a firm hug that I didn't expect, but reciprocated anyway, glad to see my friend again. 

"Where's Georgie boy?" I asked, chuckling at the look on Fred's face of pure surprise at my arrival. He was still in a state of shock, clearly, I looked around for George myself. When I found him, his shock was evident as well but more short-lived than his brother's.

When Fred finally composed himself, he acted quite strangely around me. He was sheepish, timid, not cracking as many dirty jokes as he normally would. Bill came down the stairs with Ron, and upon seeing his fiance, his eyes melted with love. 

"Hello, darling," He cooed at her, and she smiled. "Bonjour, my love," She said as they connected with a desperate hug and passionate kiss. 

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked, not rudely, but curiously. 

"I'm here with Fleur, she's my cousin," I said, and he clicked his tongue, clearly having a lot to think about. "What is it with you having mystery cousins across the globe?" He asked rhetorically, and I shrugged with a light laugh. 

"Harry's here too. Hermione as well," He said, and I nodded. "Really?" I asked, confirming what I was hearing, and Ron nodded. "Let's go you mystery woman, time to talk some shite through," He said, and I couldn't do a thing as he grabbed my arm and dragged me up the stairs. 

I looked back at Bill and Fleur laughing as I was pulled up, and I noticed a puzzling look on Fred's face that I could not quite place. 

I didn't know what his deal was, but he was acting so different around me for some reason. 

Ron pulled me into his room and shut the door, revealing Hermione and Harry already sitting in the room together waiting to see me. Hermione jumped to her feet and hugged me quickly, happy that I was here safely. 

I hadn't seen my friends in the longest time, and it felt good to be back with them again. 

"Hi, guys," I said, happiness oozing from me uncontrollably as I looked at the faces I hadn't seen in so long. 

Harry got up next, not saying a word but rushing over to me and engulfing me in a tight hug that made my heart swell. "We've missed you," He said after we broke apart, and I beamed. 

We both knew things know that we didn't know before, and that made the reunion all the sweeter. He was family, and family came first. 

Draco proved that to me. But he was my family too. 

He was someone I could never lose, and I didn't intend to.

♔

ayo they're at the burrow nowwwwwwwww. soon they gonna go elsewhere but here's a little filler chapter for now.