Chéri || Fred Weasley

lviii

Two weeks. Two bloody weeks had gone by since Fred and Madeleine had the big argument that left the two of them in pieces. He hadn't stopped by at her flat and she hadn't dare to set foot in the shop. The blonde knew that he had all the right to be angry at her because she's the one who had been lying. It was killing her from the inside out not seeing him, not hearing his voice and his laugh, not seeing his eyes and not having him around. She was used to him already, in a way almost dependent to him to feel like herself. Fred was the one person in her life that could make her lose herself in the moment, the one person who made her truly laugh and the one person she couldn't live without.

Maddie tried distracting herself with work to avoid the void emptiness in her heart. Fred was doing the exact same thing. He would often work until late hours of the night and took charge of all of the paperwork and finances that had to do with the shop and George was definitely worried about his brother and his best friend. The last week of August, Madeleine and Percy had to take a five day trip to Spain to settle some matters with the Minister from said country. Another thing that had the blonde upset, was knowing that because of work, she wouldn't be able to spend time with Harry and Clo just as she had promised but the two of them understood and when they did managed to spend time together, they stayed away from mentioning anything related to Fred.

"Hi, sorry I'm late I apparated straight from the portkey," Maddie said as she joined the Mr and Mrs Weasley in Platform 9 3/4, fifteen minutes before the Hogwarts Express left.

After hugging Ron, Ginny and Hermione goodbye, she turned to her brother and sister smiling sadly. "Okay you two, be good, don't get in too much trouble, don't forget to write and remember not to write anything too detailed in case owls are intercepted, I love you too very much and don't die alright," she hugged each of them. "Hurry before you miss the train."

"Bye Mads," Clo kissed her cheek before getting into the train.

"Bye Mads, see you at Christmas," Harry gave her one last hug. "Tell Padfoot to write because I haven't heard from him since the beginning of the summer!" he said through the open window as the train began to move.

"How was your trip dear?" Molly asked as they watched the Hogwarts Express become a dot in the distance.

"It was fine, I have the rest of the day off so I guess I'll just go home and rest," the blonde said softly.

"You're looking too thin my dear, why don't you come back to the Burrow for lunch, Fred and George said they will come," Molly rubbed her back as the two of them walked back through the brick wall.

"It's fine Mrs Weasley, I'm just gonna go home and rest," she breathed.

"I know that face. Fred and you're having a row right now aren't you? What did he do now?" the redhead woman said protectively of Maddie.

"Yeah kind of I guess but it was my fault, not his. He's been nothing but wonderful to me," she smiled.

"Well, I know that whatever it is you two will figure it out but please come home for some lunch dear. I won't take no for an answer."

"Alright, let's go I suppose," Maddie shrugged and a second later they were standing in front of the burrow's entrance, the two of them walking inside.

"Oh hi mum-" Fred said looking at something he was holding but stopped the moment his eyes met Madeleine's.

"I'm going to get started with lunch then," Molly smiled and left both Fred and Maddie who were standing basically frozen in front of each other.

"How was your trip?" he cleared his throat.

"It was good," she said quietly. "How's the shop?"