Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

Saintlike

I pushed the register closed, the familiar bell chiming, indicating yet another group had entered the shop as I pressed a few sickles into the customer's outstretched hand with a smile.

"Have a good day." I smiled to the skinny boy, surely younger than Ginny, before he hurried back to his friends near the door where George was explaining the differences between their Skiving Snackbox packages to a middle aged man.

I watched as the door opened and shut again, the group of boys scampering out into the dull and empty alley. There were only a few shops still open along this street, and if you looked too far down from the Weasley's place, you could almost convince yourself the village was deserted.

Fred hopped up onto the counter, waving his wand quickly to stop a pile of decoy detonators from hurtling to the ground before looking down at me.

"How's our star employee?" He beamed, earning an eye roll as I began to re-organize the mess he had made on the counter.

"I thought Natalie was your star employee." I shot him a raised eyebrow and he began to shake his head at once.

"She's alright. She's a George hire, how good can she be, really?" A small smile had settled on his face as I finished lining up the products along the edge of the counter.

"Well, I've been thinking-"

"Oh, no." Fred whined, his smile spreading into a full out grin.

"Fleur gets to go, and she barely knows him!"

"Cassidy,"

"No, that's not fair! There's no reason for her to go while I have to stay!"

Fred ran the tip of his tongue over his lips, looking as if he was thinking over his words carefully.

"Fleur's an adul- woah! Okay!" He back tracked as my jaw dropped, his hands held out carefully before him as if that would calm me right down. "I meant... she's in the Order - oh, I don't know, woman, what do you want from me?" He was laughing slightly now, even as I could feel my lips pull into a scowl.

"Hermione and Ron get to go." I continued along, according to his previous argument.

"They're his best mates, Merlin... Cass, can you... can you just let me keep you safe?"

I slid my eyes from his, forcing a smile to my face as I cashed out the next customer who had approached the counter, Fred smirking, surely thanking the stranger in his mind for saving him from the conversation.

"How would you feel?" I spoke softer now as the customer headed towards the door. "If I was flying to Surrey and back on a broomstick, just hoping that no Death Eaters would be out there waiting for me, and you had to sit at home wondering if I was getting shot out of the sky at that very moment?"

"Dreadful." He muttered, and I could hear the laughter hiding in his tone. "So that's why I'm going, and you're staying. Sounds like a terrible night and I really don't fancy sitting through- I'm kidding!" His fingers looped around mine, pulling me back towards him and cementing me in between his legs with both hands on my hips. "I'm sorry you can't come."

"I don't think you are." I answered back, trying for a pout, though I knew it wouldn't work. Even if I got Fred to cave, Molly had already made her feelings quite clear on Ginny and I going, and had only agreed to let Ron attend when Arthur had intervened on his behalf.

"Sure I am, a freezing two hour round-trip with you pressed up against me on a broom? Sounds like Heaven." He smirked, and I could hardly tell if he was joking anymore. "We'll be back before you know it. Promise." He leaned in slightly, purposely ignoring my pout and my refusal to lean towards him as he closed the remaining gap, pressing his lips against mine, his fingers sliding under the hem of my shirt to trace along the bare skin.