Cursing (Fred Weasley)

ELEVEN

"Are you sure we did the right thing, sending him back to Hogwarts?" Elle asked her husband as she paced around their bedroom after their children had gone to bed. She couldn't believe the words even came out of her mouth, but she was so scared that something was going to happen to Brady, that Marvello would finally come for their son.

"Yes, love. You heard McGonagall, she'll protect them with her life. He's safer there than here," Fred assured Elle as he sat on the bed, watching her pace.

Elle sighed and stopped pacing. She looked out the window, lost in thought. She wasn't seeing the full moon's reflection on the pond water, or the way the trees' leaves fluttered in the wind. No, she was seeing her worst nightmare: Marvello grinning evilly and standing over the body of her son.

There's no way in hell I'm letting him get my son, or any of the children, Elle thought as she shook her head as if it would actually shake the thoughts from her head.

"Come to bed, love. Tomorrow the shop opens early, remember?"

Elle tore her gaze away from the window and nodded, walking to the bed and getting in. She immediately curled into Fred's side, as she had countless times in the previous years.
——
"C'mon kids! Albus and Lily will be at the shop today!" Elle yelled as she finished breakfast and set the table.

Reese, Dylan, and Josie ran from their rooms, taking their seats as soon as Elle mentioned Albus and Lily.

They stayed in the flat above the shop everyday while their parents were at work, so it always excited them when any of their cousins would stay with them.

Fred left early that morning, telling Elle that he had some paperwork to do before the shop opened for the day.

The kids ate hurriedly, much to Elle's amusement. She was glad that they had a big family to grow up with, especially since growing up it was only her and her mom. And Sammy and Betty's families, of course.

Once they were done, they held on to Elle as she apparated to the flat above the shop.

Once Elle was surrounded by the familiar tan walls and smell of smoke and cinnamon, she couldn't help but smile. No matter how many times she returned, the little place where her and Fred spent their years as friends, dating, and married always put a smile on her face.

The memories flooded through her head. The pregnancy test she took in the bathroom, the countless movies they watched in the living room, the Sunday mornings they spent in bed.

This flat had seen them through every stage of their lives, and she was happy it would see their kids through theirs.

She was also glad that Reese inherited their love for pranking. Reese always carries on about taking over the shop one day, which makes Fred beam with pride.

Elle pulled herself away from her thoughts, laying her purse on the table beside the door before she went downstairs.

"Hey, love, can you go to the back room and send out all of the mail orders?" Fred asked as soon as Elle was downstairs.

"Yes, Fred," Elle replied in a monotone voice as she turned and went to the tiny back room they had dedicated to mail orders.

It's just another day at the shop. It's always a lot more boring during the school year, what with all of the pranksters back at Hogwarts.
——
"You didn't forget to get your Hogsmeade permission form signed this summer did you?" Callie asked her boyfriend as they walked the corridors of Hogwarts, heading to DADA.

Teddy looked at her sheepishly, giving Callie all the answer she needed.

"Ted!" She exclaimed, exasperated. Every year he did this, so every year he sent it home again to get it signed, but that meant he missed the first Hogsmeade trip.

"Actually, Harry reminded me. So he signed it the day before we came back," Teddy replied, smiling triumphantly as he trailed behind Callie slightly, as the corridors were extremely crowded.

Callie giggled. "This is our last year, so there's no way we're missing a single Hogsmeade trip!"

"You could've gone every year, you know," Teddy reminded her, poking her back.

"No, I couldn't have. You're my best friend and there's no way I would leave you here alone," Callie replied sternly. They had this talk every year. And every year, she would tell him that there's no way she could leave him alone.

Teddy raised a brow. "Just your best friend?"

Callie rolled her eyes with a smile. Last year that had started, him asking if he was just her best friend. It would have started the beginning of fifth year, but they weren't together, together yet.

"No. You're my boyfriend, the love of my life, the apple of my eye, the only one for me!" She exclaimed dramatically.

That dramatic little bit started just this year, as last year at this time they weren't telling each other that they were in love with them and that they were the only one for them. Being best friends, they had told each other that they loved each other before but both believed that there was a difference between being in love with someone and loving someone. They were lucky enough to do both.

Teddy grinned from ear to ear. He couldn't help it; his chest still swelled with pride and affection for her when she said things like that.

"And you are mine," he murmured in her ear as he leaned down just as they entered the DADA room.

Callie felt the blush creep up her cheeks, making her look down. She would use her hair to hide her blush, put it was pulled up into a ponytail currently.

She sat down in the back of the room, like they did every year. Teddy sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders as she was getting out her things.

"Hands to yourself, Mister Lupin," rang out the professor's voice from the front of the room. The professor was an elderly man, with wrinkles all over his face and the style of an eighteen-hundred's man.

Teddy nodded, faking confidence as he was trying to be like his Uncle Sirius. He had a smirk on his face as he removed his arm and moved it to her thigh under the table.

Callie's face was resembling a tomato as she stared at the table like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. She was fidgeting as well.

No matter how embarrassed she was, it still felt good to be back at Hogwarts.