Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 157

After a few hours, everyone started leaving soon. Once George was cleaned from all the blood with a bandage wrapped around his head, we returned to their flat above the joke shop.

The next morning when we went back to the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley cornered me, trying to ask where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were going to go now that none of them were returning to Hogwarts next year.

But I had to tell her what Moody had told me last night, about not telling anyone about the future.

When she realized that none of us were going to tell her about the mission Dumbledore had left the three, Mrs. Weasley finally let the matter go and instead gave us loads of stuff to do for the wedding.

We also had a lot of cleaning to do around the house, seeing as Fleur's parents were going to arrive soon a few days before the wedding, and Mrs. Weasley wanted everything to look perfect.

"So how's living with my brothers?" Ginny asked me as we were changing the bedsheets along with Hermione.

"It's all right, I guess," I said in a small voice, shrugging.

"Just all right?" Hermione repeated, having noticed the unsureness in my voice. "Is there a problem?"

"Not big ones," I lied. "Just Fred complaining about how my hair falls everywhere and me not being able to sleep because he sometimes snores loudly."

Both Hermione and Ginny gave me a look of disbelief and so I glanced down, trying to avoid their eyes.

"Okay, seriously," said Ginny, "what's really wrong?"

I sighed in defeat, putting the sheets down and sitting on Ginny's bed. "Well... I dunno... but Fred's been acting really weird lately."

"Weird how?" Hermione questioned.

"Okay, I know this is gonna come out cheesy as hell — which is really unlike me — because to be honest, Fred and I aren't really the most romantic couple —"

"Oh, get to the point, will you?" Ginny said impatiently, grinning.

"Er... w-well..." I cleared my throat. "Like I said, I know we're not the romantic type, but at least I expected a little bit of cuddling or what not at nights, if you know what I mean."

Ginny burst out in laughter, but Hermione only frowned slightly, going into thoughts.

"And he acts like I'm not even there!" I went on. "Yeah sure, it's fun over the day when I help the twins in the shop and we have good laugh all day long, right until it's time to go to bed. But the moment George leaves to his room and we're left alone... Fred gets really awkward."

"Him? Awkward?" Ginny repeated in disbelief. "Are you sure you're talking about the same Fred Weasley?"

"Yeah!" I nodded firmly. "He acts like I'm a friend! He just says goodnight, turns his back on me, and goes to sleep."

"Now that is weird," Hermione admitted.

"I know, right?" I huffed, shaking my head.

"Yeah." Ginny nodded in agreement, slightly grinning. "That is weird... You sure he's not into boys?"

"Ginny!" Hermione scolded her, but I only laughed.

"What!?" Ginny smirked. "I mean... he gets a girl to come live with him and to literally sleep in the same bed with him with no one to stop them, and does nothing?"

I frowned worriedly. "You guys don't think Sirius has forced him to make the Unbreakable Vow to not near me, do you?" They both chuckled.

"Look, Lexi," Hermione started, "if it bothers you so much, then why don't you just talk to Fred about it?"

"I dunno... I guess I'm scared that it would freak him out." I shrugged. "A few weeks ago, I made a joke about pregnancy, and you had to see how pale he got! He couldn't even look me in the eye for several hours."

"Well, there's another way you can fix this problem," said Ginny mischievously.

"What?" I raised a brow at her curiously.

"You can be the one to initiate first!" said Ginny, making me laugh. "Hey, trust me. The moment a boy realizes that the girl wants to do it too, that's enough to smooth things over."

Hermione gave her a look, as if she thought that this wasn't a mature way to face this problem, sticking to her suggestion of talking to him about it.

"But if you're asking me, all this really is fishy," said Ginny earnestly. "I've known Fred and George all my life. They're not the shy type. Pretty sure not even when it comes to women and how to woo them." This time we all laughed.

***

Soon, Harry's birthday arrived which was the day before Bill and Fleur's wedding. Everyone had managed to show up; from Fleur's parents and sister, to Lupin, Tonks, Harry, and Sirius. Even Charlie had come all the way from Romania, seeing as he was Bill's best-man for the wedding.

Mrs. Weasley had made a cake for Harry in the shape of a huge golden Snitch and we all sat around the living room, celebrating.

"Hey, Sirius," Harry started quietly, looking a little uncomfortable. "Listen... there's — there's something I've got to tell you."

"What?" Sirius asked him apprehensively as I tried to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"W-well... it's the mirror you had given me," said Harry, looking down guiltily. "It was in my trunk. But it sort of... broke."

"Hmph, weird..." said Sirius thoughtfully. "I've actually lost mine. It must have been that stupid Mundugus. The moment I left Grimmauld Place, he went and nicked a bunch of my stuff. I didn't really care much about them... But anyway, keep the broken pieces until I fix them for you. I might be able to find mine as well."

I looked away quickly, pretending like I hadn't heard their conversation as they changed the subject and started discussing the things going on at the Ministry.

Last year when I had accompanied Harry, Ron, and Hermione to Hogsmeade, we had seen Mundugus there, selling Sirius's stuff around.

We also saw him give something to a hooded figure whom Harry only recognized as Hogshead's bartender. But I knew he was Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth.

Mundugus had sold him Sirius's two-way mirror, which was later on going to save Harry and the others a few months later at the Malfoy Manor.

I knew it was necessary for Aberforth to have that mirror to send Dobby to them. So I said nothing, sipping on my tea in silence.