The Chaser : A Fred Weasley Fan Fic

Forty Six: Reunion

Following my confession, I couldn't even look Otto in the eye. Ginny and Hermione knew the truth now and I felt as though my deepest secret was now laid out for everyone to see. I'd become completely bound by paranoia and imagined that if Otto looked into my face long enough he'd know something was wrong, so I avoided it if I could help it.

He was a terrible legilimens so I knew he couldn't read my mind but I found myself locking away all thoughts of Fred when I was in the house, even when I was on my own. I couldn't let my mind run wild, especially when there was nothing I could do about it.

Now Ginny knew, I didn't feel so awkward being around them. I didn't have something looming over me and I could actually be somewhat at ease, but I still couldn't let Fred find out my feelings.

On a clear Monday morning, Ginny asked me to meet her at the twins' shop. They closed on Mondays to arrange stock, replenish the shop floor and on the rare occasion, give the themselves a day off. She wanted to show me some new products, but I knew it would mean getting roped in to helping with something.

I arrived around midday, walking through the alley, which always seemed fairly quiet on a Monday. The lights were low inside and Ginny wasn't waiting at the door like she said she would be. I squinted into the shop, trying to cup my hands over the window to get a better look.

There he was, staring back. I knew Fred would be there today but he looked particularly startled. I watched as he stepped down to unlock the door, confusion in his scrunched brow.

"Wilde, everything alright?" he asked, blocking the shop as he stood in the doorway.

He looked particularly nice today. Out of his work uniform, he wore a faded rugby shirt and cream trousers that seemed as though they hadn't been ironed properly. His hair sat at his shoulders, slightly damp at the ends and his cheeks were flushed as though he'd just had a shower. He rested his arm high on the frame of the door and I caught a glimpse of the ring again.

"Y-yes, I'm meant to be meeting Ginny here" I stammered, trying to pull the words together, "She did say midday"

I pulled out the letter Ginny had owled a few days prior and showed it to him. I stared at his soft features as he scanned the note, stealing any glance I could get while he wasn't looking at me.

"Right, well she didn't tell me anything about this" Fred chuckled, "It's just me in today. I'm not sure what she wanted to show you but you can come and wait for her"

Fred stepped aside and motioned for me to enter the shop as he followed behind. There were boxes upon boxes stacked by the till, half opened or still sealed. It didn't seem as though he'd gotten very far with it.

"I just got here myself actually" Fred explained, nodding to the pile of packages. It was as if he'd read my mind.

"Late start to the day?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him, "Did you go out last night?"

"Yeah, Leaky Cauldron. Hard to stay away when it's just down the road" Fred paused, "but of course you remember that"

I didn't want to think about living here. It felt too painful to remember how happy I'd been living upstairs with Fred and George. It's everything I'd imagined my life would be when I left Hogwarts, but somehow I'd got it in my head that there was more out there. Though here I was nearly three years later, wishing for it all back.

"Yes, of course I do" I smiled, "Rolling back here at god knows what time only to wake up a few hours later to get to training. I'm not sure how I did it"

"But you did" Fred grinned, "I was in awe that you could even open your eyes sometimes after the amount of pints you must have sank the night before, but you always did it"