Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

The Cemetery

Cassidy

It had been barely over an hour since the Weasley family had gone their separate ways for bed, but I hadn't let myself even attempt to sleep yet. The dream from last night was on replay in my mind, and no matter what happy thoughts I tried to focus on, I was sure the second I drifted off, the nightmare would be there waiting.

It was fine. I had gotten my sleep last night, thanks to Fred, I couldn't bother him two nights in a row. Not to mention, I was sure George was going to start getting annoyed if he had to keep waking up to an intruder in his bedroom every morning.

I let out a quiet sigh, listening to the Ginny's soft breathing from across the room and studying the posters for the hundredth time that summer in the moonlight.

Ginny and I had taken to leaving our blinds open at night, since neither of us slept in terribly late, and it let the breeze flow through the small room. I was especially grateful to have her as a roommate on nights like these, when I would otherwise be staring into complete darkness like it was in the twins room.

As I re-read the track list of Ginny's favorite band on the poster near the door, I heard a small shuffling from outside our window. The Weasley's didn't have screens on their windows like we did back home, but from the lack of bugs around the house I was assuming they had replaced them with some sort of spell. I sat up slightly in bed, trying not to make any noise that would wake Ginny, but still hoping to find the source of the noise outside.

After a few seconds, the noise returned, accompanied by a small and familiar outline standing against the windowsill clutching a small rolled up parchment in it's beak.

Pigwidgeon.

I threw the blankets towards the foot of the bed and stepped silently to the window, holding my hand out for the small owl to step onto and taking the note from it's beak. I walked the two of us back to my bed, setting him on my lap and brushing my fingers along his feathers as I opened the parchment.

Still awake? Come see me.

F

I re-folded the note and pushed it under my pillow, glancing back at the little owl, wondering where they kept him at night. What was I supposed to do with him now?

I stepped out of our shared room and shut the door behind me, tip-toeing through the kitchen to where I was used to seeing Errol and holding my arm out to the table for Pigwidgeon to hop off.

"Is this... fine? Do you hang out here?" I asked, knowing I wouldn't get an answer from the baby owl.

When he continued staring at me I finally shrugged and headed back to the stairs to Fred.

Unlike the last night when I had climbed these stairs, I didn't feel nervous or shy. I just felt excited. Excited to see him, excited to maybe get some sleep tonight.

When I reached their floor, I paused at the door, listening for any sounds of sleep from either boy and hearing nothing. Still, I pushed the door open slowly until I could step inside and watched Fred sit up in his bed.

"Took you long enough." He whispered, his smile evident even in the low light of their room.

"Sorry, I was trying to figure out if the note was for me or Ginny." I teased when I arrived at his bed, noting how George seemed to be in a deep sleep, yet hearing no snores or even breathing that would indicate that.

"I uh.. charmed his half of the room when I sent you the letter. Silencing charm." He smirked, holding the covers open for me for only a second before I climbed inside them, my toes already cold from the short walk here.