Petals & Thorns | Fred Weasley

eleven

SONG OF THE CHAPTER -
grace • lewis capaldi

The days passed by slow. Adalinda had taken a week off of her classes, refusing to leave her dorm. This was painful for her brother, because he couldn't even get to her if he wanted to. When she left her room, it was either very early in the morning or very late at night. It was her goal to avoid everyone she could until the marks subsided from her skin, or they became easy to cover. Fred's wandering eyes missed her in every one of their shared classes. He searched for her in the great hall at every meal, but he was left empty handed each time. He fell victim to her love, and the more she was absent, the more he pained. He wanted to know what was wrong, he needed to know what happened, but he couldn't ask anybody. If he showed any sign of concern, they'd be figured out for sure.

So the late night came around. The castle was eerily quiet. Addy was sneaking out of the dorm to get to the washroom. She could've went to the one connected to her dorm, but she thought a walk might do her good. In truth, she wanted to stretch her legs more than she actually had to use the toilet. She just wanted a good excuse to leave. She could always sweet talk Filch if she had to. She had enough snacks from her parents monthly care package to last her all year, so she didn't have to leave her room for any reason. It just became a little daunting after a while. The dark purple of her cheek had begun to subside into smaller black marks with yellow tinging the edges. In a few more days it would be easy enough to cover with the right amount of makeup, but not yet. She felt herself going slightly insane at the isolation. It had been days since she had spoken to anyone, days since anyone had touched her. She didn't long for just anybody's hold, she wanted someone in specific. Unbeknownst to her, it would come sooner than she expected.

When she let herself out of the common room, she had to stop herself from letting out a shriek of terror. A ginger boy stood, back against the wall from where he had seen the Slytherin's disappear into occasionally. "I figured you might come out at this time. You can't stay locked up forever." Fred said, gently. She hid her face from him. "What are you hiding from, Addy?" He reached out to grab her hand, but she backed away. She hoped that maybe if she pushed him away for now, he wouldn't find out about what had happened. "Did I do something wrong?" He sounded hurt as he asked. Her eyes finally lifted to meet his. He couldn't make out much in the darkness. Her hair was still covering her cheeks.

"No, Freddie. You didn't do anything." He took a step towards her. She wanted to go back into the common room, she thought maybe it would save him the heartbreak of knowing the truth. She couldn't make herself do it, though. Being this close to him was something she had craved for the whole week. "It wasn't you."

"Then tell me what's happening. I haven't seen you in days, and now you're sneaking out of your dorm at nearly midnight."

"You're the creep that was waiting for me." She felt a smile etch onto her lips. It was the first one she mustered in a while. "I've had nothing but you on my mind all week." She let him grab her hands.

"Why don't we take this to the room of requirement?" He whispered. She let him lead her off into the darkness. They stopped only when the familiar wall came into view, and the door showed itself. He ushered her inside, following closely after her. The room, it seemed, had transformed itself into a whole house. There were couches, a bed, miscellaneous items littering the walls. She laughed at sight. She wished she would've stayed in here instead of her bedroom. The bed looked much cozier. "Are you going to look at me now?" Fred asked from behind her, taking in the sight around him.

"You'll be upset." She told him.

"Come on, Addy." He walked up behind her, leaning down and resting his head on her shoulder. He kissed her cheek. She flinched at the action. His heart ached at her withdrawal. "Seriously, what is up with you?" He asked. She finally turned to face him. At first, he didn't notice. Then, she pulled her hair away from her shoulder. What he saw made him sick to his stomach. "He did that to you?" Fred asked, reaching a hand out to her. He let his fingers gently caress the skin that had been marked.