Serendipity: Fred Weasley

Eight

July 5th, 1998

Today was the day. My nineteenth birthday was here, and to say that I was nervous is an understatement. I was most definitely excited to see my friends, I hadn't seen them in what felt like forever. Most of the days leading up to my birthday were spent sleeping and regaining my strength, so I didn't get the chance to see them. I had seen most of the Weasley's and Hermione and Harry, but that was about it.  

By the time I got up out of the bed and began to get dressed, it was almost 9:30am. Even though I was mostly healed from my injuries, my torso still ached in the morning. I didn't know if the pain was ever going to leave my body, but it was becoming more bearable every single day.

I pulled on my maroon top, black jeans, and socks, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. I was absolutely starving, and the smell of bacon, crepes, and hot chocolate wafted throughout the house. I absolutely loved my mother, every year on our birthday's she would cook us our favorite breakfast foods and serve it to us. It was another way for her to show dad, Paige, and I how much she truly loved us. 

"Good morning, Darling! Happy Birthday!" my mum ran up to me and enclosed me in a giant hug, full of warmth and love. She kissed me on my head and returned to cooking breakfast.

 "Where is dad and Paige?"

"Oh well of course Paige is with that Charlie Weasley," she said with a huge grin.

My mum had been best friends with Molly back at Hogwarts, even though they came from rival houses. It's not the most common occurrence for Gryffindors and Slytherins to be best friends, although they didn't care in the slightest. Molly and my mum were always gushing over the fact that Paige and I could end up marrying a Weasley, they almost never shut up about it. But Paige and Charlie have something special, I just know it. I hope that Paige takes what Fred said into consideration and makes the first move with Charlie, they'd be a great power couple. My father and Arthur became best friends back when they were at Hogwarts, although the gossip of their children marrying wasn't as important to them as it was to Molly and my mum. 

"Ooo, who would've thought that she's with Charlie?" I asked with a smirk, my mum simply giggled and continued cooking. 

"What about dad? Where's he?"

"Oh he's with Fred," she said, "in fact he'll be back from the Burrow soon."

My heart stopped for a moment and I felt my eyes get bigger, what did she say?

"Oh. Um why is he with Fred?" was the only thing I could manage to say in that moment. A million thoughts passed through my mind, but I couldn't pinpoint any one reason why my dad would be hanging out with Fred.

"I'm not sure, he didn't exactly say. I do know however that Harry, the Weasley boys, Arthur, and your father are going to be here in a few more minutes. So that they can start setting up for your birthday party. I believe that Molly, Ginny, and Hermione are going to be here later to help with the food, although I'm not sure what time. I'll send Lydia with a letter," Lydia was our family owl. She was a little old, but she still was feisty.

Just on cue, Harry, my father, Arthur, and the Weasley boys entered the house. 

Harry and the Weasley boys rushed to my side almost tackling me, yelling "Happy Birthday!" and wrapping me around in a giant group hug. These boys were annoying as hell, but for some reason I loved each and every one of them. 

"Thanks guys," I muffled into the group hug.

"All right, all right, don't suffocate my daughter, boys! We have work to do!" my father said in amusement. My father didn't have any sons of his own, but he treated the Weasley boys and Harry like his adopted sons.

After the group hug dispersed, Fred took me aside in to the living room. I was rather shocked at his actions, but I didn't object to them in the slightest. 

"I have more than one gift for you, and I wanted to give you the first one right now. I hope that you'll wear these at your birthday party tonight. Happy Birthday Ems," he said, and then he kissed my forehead and wrapped me into a hug, his strong arms wrapped around my waist. His touch was enough to make shivers run down my spine and put butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't even fathom how much I wanted to be in a relationship with him. But as I've learned in the past, time will only tell.

"Fred you didn't have to get me more than one present! In fact you didn't need to get me one at all," I said with a shy smile.

"I know, but I wanted to. You mean that much to me," Fred whispered the last part in my ear, and my knees nearly buckled at the feeling of his hot breath. 

I opened the small box and found two diamond earrings. They were absolutely beautiful, I couldn't even begin to think about how expensive they were. 

"Fred!" I said with my eyes wide open, "this is too much I can't just take this from you. And there's more?"

"Don't worry I promise it isn't too much, and besides, I wanted to spoil you today," he said with a huge smirk that made me turn beet red. 

One thing was for sure, it was easy for Fred Weasley to make me blush.

"All right well I should get to the ball room and help set up for a special someone's birthday. I'll see you later Ems," he grinned as he walked away, leaving me breathless in my own bloody living room. Without a doubt, it was clear that a certain red headed man had a certain effect on me, one that I just couldn't possibly explain.