Finally Me ~

Chapter 89

**Scarlett's POV**

"Carma!" I cry, rushing to my sister and throwing my arms around her, "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too," she laughs, holding me tightly, "I think this is the longest we've ever been apart."

"Right, with no contact," I sigh, squeezing her tighter, "fill me in on everything!!"

"I will," she says, "where's Alex? I'll tell her too."

I glance at George, stepping back.

"What?" Carma asks, looking between us, "where's Alex?"

"We. . . We don't know," I answer, "the Death Eaters came and she disapparated on her own. We haven't heard any word since Christmas."

"Well, why haven't you sent an owl or a Patronus?" Carma asks, unwrapping her scarf and throwing it on her bed. She looks distressed.

"We can't," George sighs, "if we did she'd return to the Burrow and it's not safe there."

"Well tell her to come here!"

"We can't! The Fidelius charm. . ." I bite my lip, feeling tears in my eyes again. Carma gives me a tight hug and I feel George's hand on my shoulder.

"I'd give anything to find her," I whisper, "and Fred... Fred would give more."

"I know," Carma says gently, "it was just a shock. I thought she'd be here and. . . Anyway, fill me in on everything that's been happening."

**Carma's POV**

Once Scarlett and George have caught me up on everything that's been happening I go to the next floor to see Fred. He's lying face up on his bed, throwing a ball into the air and catching it again. He glances up and sees me. He smiles, getting up.

"Hey, Carma," he says, giving me a one-armed hug.

"Hey yourself," I say, sitting on the end of his bed, "how're you doing?"

He sinks down onto George's bed and looks at the ball in his hands.

"Not too good," he says quietly. I bite my lip, then reach over and take the ball.

"Cheer up," I say, throwing it back to him, "she'll be fine, she's strong."

Fred rolls the ball in his hands and nods, his eyes dim. I sigh and move to sit beside him.

"Look, there's nothing we can do right now," I tell him gently, "we just have to trust that she's okay and hope that she'll find her way back to us."

"I know," he says.

"The best we can do is to get on with the job, keep on battling," I continue, "just keep ourselves busy, keep our minds off it."

"I know."

"That way we won't dwell. We have to keep our spirits up so that-"

"I KNOW!" Fred yells suddenly. I jump, shocked.

"Will you stop?" he shouts, "I know all this! You have no idea what it feels like to just be sitting around here with NOTHING to do, wondering where she is or if she's even alive!"

I step away from Fred who is standing up and at least a foot taller than me.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT KEEPING MYSELF BUSY AND DISTRACTED, IT DOESN'T WORK!"

I hear footsteps and Scarlett and George burst in.

"WHY CAN'T YOU SEE I DON'T NEED TO HEAR THIS?!"

"Fred," Scarlett says gently. Fred glances at her, breathing hard.

"Will you all just leave me alone?" he snaps, lying down on his bed again. Scarlett beckons to me and George and I leave the room. At the door I turn and see Scarlett kneeling beside Fred, stroking his hair and talking to him softly. I follow George down to Scarlett and my room, feeling shaken and hurt and frankly, feeling like having a good cry. I sit on my bed and tuck my knees under my chin.

"Don't feel bad," George says, "he's just stressed, it wasn't you."

"I'm fine," I lie. George gives me a small smile.

"I know you're not," he says, leaning against the wall, "you do the same thing Scarlett does when she's upset."

Scarlett walks in and gives me a reassuring smile.

"You're not the first one he's snapped at," she tells me, going to stand next to George, "gave this one a black eye about a weak ago."

"He's lost weight," I comment. Scarlett nods, frowning.

"He doesn't really eat," she says, "that's probably why he's so moody, because he's hungry as well as worried to death."

"Where do you think she is?" I ask, unfolding my legs. Scarlett shrugs, looking up at George.

"Could be anywhere," George says, "she could've been caught, she could be. . . Dead."

"She's not," Scarlett says, "she just can't be."

George looks down at her, then rests his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

"Naw!" I exclaim. Scarlett shoots me a look, half-irritated, half-amused. George gives her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"I'll leave you two to have a girl talk," he says, "later."

He leaves and Scarlett sits down on my bed, facing me. I raise my eyebrows at her.

"What?" she asks, blushing.

Ah, Scarlett blushing. I love seeing her uncomfortable enough to blush.

"You and Georgie," I say in a teasing voice. She rolls her eyes, trying to seem nonchalant.

"What about us?"

"You know, how're things going?"

"Fine," she says evasively. I roll my eyes.

"Come on! Give me something to gossip about!!" I complain. She laughs.

"Gossip to who?" she asks. I shrug.

"Maybe Aunt Muriel," I joke quietly. Scarlett giggles.

"Sure, I'm sure she'd love to know all the details of our saucy affair," she says.

"An affair?" I ask, "after how many years? Can it really be called an affair?"

"Relationship, whatever," Scarlett shrugs. I sit back and look at her levelly.

"You're hiding something," I say. Scarlett raises an eyebrow.

"Don't bother denying it!" I exclaim, "I know you and I know when you're keeping something from me, now spill!"

"Shh!" Scarlett hushes me, "I'll tell you, but you are sworn to absolute secrecy, okay?"

"Duh."

"No going off and gossiping with Auntie Muriel," she warns seriously, but her eyes gleem.

"I promise," I say solemnly.

"Okay," she says, leaning towards me.

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So many secrets. . . So, what did you think? Vote, comment, message, let me know what you think :) Try and guess the secret, go on, I dare you ;)