Make Some Magic: A Fred Weasley Fanfic

Chapter 22: Let's talk about it

Fred_
The quidditch meeting had gone...smoother than expected. The coach, Madam Tobias, was a harsh woman who had glared at him and George when they'd arrived with ryn.

But the twins had met the full team and shook their hands, absolutely beaming when the team had agreed to let the WWW become a sponsor. He'd met the team captain, a muscled wizard named Jonathan, and they'd quickly found a common ground.
"So, you know Ryn?"
George responded,
"Old friends, actually."
The captain crossed his arms and smiled,
"Tell me your secret, then. I can hardly get the girl to speak to me outside of practice. Shame."

Fred decided he didn't particularly like Jonathan the Quidditch captain. Especially as the man outright stared at Ryn's ass as she walked by to catch up to another team-mate. George stepped closer to Fred in an effort to comfort him. Fred couldn't help himself,
"Got a crush, Jonathan?"
"Please, call me John. And nah, never. But between you and me, I know a hard ride when I see one."
Fred smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes as disgust and anger pooled into his chest like water. George mumbled in his ear in warning,
"Easy."
With a sharp excuse, Fred excused himself from the conversation and made his way to ryn. She smiled up at him, innocent and completely oblivious to the pervert she played under in her team.
"Hey, Freddie."
"Hey. I'm gonna got jot down some ideas for the shop. See you after the practice run?"

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion,
"Sure?"
He smiled tightly and wandered off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back at the house with George, the brothers set themselves into an intense idea storm for the new line due in a few weeks. Fred said,
"We'll need to send these in to the factories tonight if we have a hope of sending out the line in time. Hopefully, the owl reaches in time."

George's knee jumped up and down as he thought,
"Maybe I should go. Can't trust that rutty old thing with something like this. Too important."
Even though they were adults, being separated from George felt weird. It was nearing nightfall, too.
"Dunno, Georgie. Maybe it can wait till tomorrow."
"Come on, Freddie. We know it can't. I'll take it tonight to them and go back to the shop afterwards. Want to meet me there tomorrow?"

He thought it over.
It was the smartest move. Getting the new concepts in tonight was an absolute, and they had to get back to the shop. He'd have to speak to Olivia about running it again the next time the full moon came around. He'd have to talk to ryn properly, too. No more of this beating around the busg. Pursing his lips, he nodded at George, and his brother stood to start gathering the pages.
His twin clapped him on the shoulder before stepping into the magical fireplace and snipping,
"Don't go too hard on her, brother. She still needs to be able to walk tomorrow morning."
"Oi!"
Fred lunged for him, but George was already up in green flames. Alone in the attic, the large family squawking downstairs, Fred put his hands on his hips. Bollocks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was nodding off on the couch, eyes drooping terribly, when Ryn finally entered the attic in her rumpled uniform and tied up hair. She weakly smiled at him as she made her way toward the couch.
The sight of her uniform brought an unwelcome thought to his mouth,
"I met Jonathan. Nice chap."
"Oh, yeah. He's a bit hard to get used to."
"Is that why you're so late?"

Her tired eyes sharpened on him then, and she stopped in front of him.
"Meaning?"
He shrugged,
"Just didn't realise that 'training' took this long. He work you hard?"
She put her hands on her hips and sighed.
"Are we really going to do this?"
"Do what? Actually talk?"
He stood then, towering over her form. They were so close that he could feel her breath. She smiled and said,
"I didn't quite realise I was on curfew."
"You're not. But things need explaining."
"Like what?"
"Fuck- like us? Like why you've conveniently got a quidditch game in a month when it was supposed to be two? Like how you're staying in this old attic when you should have your own place? Oh, how about how we fucked in the next room and you've refused to come to be about it."