Elusive // The Weasley Twins

22. Family Ties

Cosette stepped out of the defensive studio after a long day at work and locked the doors behind her. As she walked towards The Leaky Cauldron, she was constantly looking over her shoulder. Ever since someone knocked her out the other day, she couldn't help but be on edge.

She didn't want to ask her manager to change her shifts around to work during the day instead because she knew that he would only point out the fact that she literally teaches defense classes and should be able to handle herself.

Which was true, Cosette could take care of herself.

But whoever attacked her did it from behind and caught her completely off guard. She wasn't prepared in the slightest and she felt like an idiot. She had to cover the scratches on her face with makeup to avoid being questioned by some of the students. The last thing Cosette wanted was for anyone to think that she was unqualified to teach them anything about defending themselves.

Since the Leaky Cauldron was so close to her studio, she often stopped by for a drink after work. Cosette stepped inside the bar and smiled at the bartender, already thinking about what she wanted.

"Cosette," someone stopped her before she was able to even make it to the bartop. But she didn't panic. She knew that voice.

With a heavy breath, Cosette turned towards the front corner of the pub. There was a single round table beside the window and one man, slowly standing up from the chair.

"I'm not talking to you," she told him.

"Please, just sit down," he begged. Cosette had never heard her brother plead with anyone before. He pulled out the chair opposite from his and looked at her desperately, "You don't answer my letters, you've put some sort of fucking protection spell around your house so I can't even apparate in. It's been three years, Setty. Can we please talk?"

He wasn't wrong. Cosette purposely burned all of Nick's letters the second they arrived. She had no interest in talking to him.

But she had a feeling he wasn't going to leave her alone if she didn't sit down now.

Even though she really just wanted to go home, Cosette crossed the wooden floor and sat down across from Nick. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to speak.

"I ran into George the other day."

"I know."

"He said that you were starting to open up a bit and suggested I try reaching out again," Nick folded his hands on the table in front of him and took in a heavy breath, "Setty I just want to say that I'm sorry."

"What exactly are you sorry for, Nick?" Cosette hissed, leaning forward slightly. "Are you sorry that during all of our years at Hogwarts, you acted as though you didn't even know me because I was placed in Gryffindor? Or maybe you finally feel some remorse about hanging back from the battle at Hogwarts because you didn't know whether to side with your friends or with your family?" Cosette shook her head at him, "Or are you sorry that when Fred died, I fell apart and could no longer take care of dad so you had to be the one to step up? Is that why you're sorry?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," Nick blurted out, causing a few people in the pub to turn and look at him. He was essentially apologizing to all three things that Cosette had guessed, but his words didn't mean anything to her.

"No you're not," she licked her lips and retreated back into the chair. "George told me what you said. About how you wished you could have had Fred as a brother one day."

"I mean it."

"No you didn't," Cosette laughed, watching as his face fell. "Nick, you had hundreds of opportunities to form a relationship with Fred when he was alive. You could have fought beside him, even. And instead, you try to make amends with his grave. If you wanted him in the family, if you wanted me in this family, you should have done more to fucking prove it."