The Caregiver

six: tension and disappointment

"How was the date?" Fred asked with a tone that could only be described as uninterested.

However, the truth was he was far from uninterested. Her date had kept him up all night. He tossed and turned in his maroon-colored comforter, restless with questions ranging from how he treated her to if he fucked her.

All completely inappropriate considering his last words to her before she left last night- and he knew it. He lost the right to those answers when he lit his olive branch on fire before her eyes.

She simply looked up at him, squinting her eyes into a glare as her response.

"Come on, I'm sure you're dying to tell someone," He said, trying again.

"As if you care. You just want me to tell you so you can use it against me later. I'm not stupid, Fred, just desperate apparently," She said coldly.

He flinched at her words, regret and guilt bubbling up inside of him.

He had felt the two heart-wrenching emotions all throughout the night and into the day, crawling their way up his throat like acid reflux- leaving his throat raw and burning with remorse.

They sat in silence for a while after that.

Fred was too stubborn and ashamed of his actions to offer another olive branch, opting for self-pity instead.

It was easier to wallow than admit he was wrong.

Eventually, he couldn't take the silence anymore. He convinced himself because it was suffocating and not because he missed her voice.

"Are you going to the pub tonight?"

She looked up again, except this time without the glare. "Yes."

"Do you need any help?" He offered, moving to grab a rag to help her finish her cleaning.

She narrowed her eyes again, "Why?"

He shrugged, trying to play off his actions as normal. "Just thought you might like some help so you could get out of here earlier."

She simply nodded her head in response and they began to work together in quiet unison.

They made quick work of the chores and finished within 30 minutes.

Fred followed Autumn over to the fireplace, causing her to stop in her tracks and turn around with an annoyed expression on her face.

"What?" She spat.

"What do you mean what? I'm going to the pub too," He said as he grabbed a handful of floo powder.

She turned away from him, only slightly embarrassed by her actions, and entered the flames, transporting into the Leaky Cauldron with Fred by her side.

He looked over at her, suddenly finding the courage to resurrect all of the words that died in his throat.

"Autumn, I'm really-"

"Rogers! It's about bloody time you're here! Draco's throwing a bitch fit over how much he misses you," Theo said as he swooped by her side.

Autumn looked back up at Fred but the courage had left him just as fast as it came so he offered her a half-hearted smile before walking away.

Coward.

Theo led her to their booth not far from the fireplace.

Draco did indeed look pissed off, sulking in his seat as Pansy went on about something.

"Where's Blaise and Luna?" She asked as she took a seat next to Draco, causing his face to instantly brighten.

He wrapped his arm around her in a loving, protective manner as he kissed the side of her head.