Make Some Magic: A Fred Weasley Fanfic

Chapter 3: God no

Ryn_
She yawned loudly and stretched, her limbs shivering. Once She'd rubbed her eyes and opened them, she stared out the window for a few seconds to get an idea of where they were.

Vibrant green hills rolled by, doused in heavy rain. She looked back in the cabin to ask hermione something, but found Fred Weasley, sitting across from her.
She flinched violently and let out a small shriek, covering her mouth with her hands.
Fred's eyes went wide before he quickly stood up with his hands in front of him, only for his head to roughly bump into the lower part of the ceiling.
"Ow!"
He fell back down to the seat, one hand in his flaming hair.
Ryn's eyes remained wide and shocked even as she lowered her hands.

An awfully awkward silence passed between them.

Fred spread his legs and rested his forearms on his thighs as he kept one hand on his head, his eyes darting between the floor and her.
The steady hum of the train was the only sound before Ryn started,
"Where's Hermi-"
"She and George popped off, bloody bustards."
"And you stayed?"
It came out colder than she intended, but she couldn't take it back now. He shrugged and sat up straight. He was even taller than she remembered, though it made sense he was taller now seeming he had just hit his head on the ceiling. Their knees were almost touching, and even that contact made her blush.
It'd been so long since she'd touched him.
He seemed to notice the contact too, and watched where their bodies almost met. He had slightly more muscle than she remembered, and his hair was wild and unruly. Wore a fitted sweater and tight trousers that strained against his thighs as he kept his legs spread.
She cleared her throat and shifted in her seat,
"You look good."
She said. To her shame, her voice was small and shy, as if she were a lovesick school girl. He didn't look at her but he grinned as he stared at their knees.
"So do you, R."

She blushed at the nickname. It was one he'd taken to calling her back when they were in school, snogging in the halls and on the grounds, once when they'd shagged. Her face heated at the memory.
"Don't..."
She whispered, unable to hide her smile as it bloomed.
"How goes Quidditch, then?"
He said, and the sudden change in subject snapped her out of her embarrassment. This time he looked her in the eyes.
"Its, um...its good, I suppose."
"Worth it?"
She met his gaze then, because she knew what he meant. He was talking about him, and everyone else. Asking if it was worth her leaving them behind. So he was still hurt.

She pulled her legs away then and folded them underneath her on the seat.
"No."
She whispered, so quietly she didn't think he heard. They were quiet for a while again.
She hated this. All of this small talk and tiny attempts to hurt each other. They had been best friends once, and now they treated each other like this? She'd once gone to him for anything, even the smallest things, and the biggest. Now she couldn't look at him. Now his scent was so intoxicating she couldn't focus on anything else, and so familiar she wanted to cry. Now he couldn't look at her without strife.
And it was all her fault.
A memory suddenly came to mind, and her mouth began to move without her intent,
"I, um, I broke my collar bone a month ago."

She said, watching the green hills go by. She saw him perk up out of the corner of her eye. He waited for her to continue, so she did,
"I was playing Beater. Do you remember when you tried to train me? Back in school on the pitch? I still have that habit of loosening one hand, and the bludger knocked the bat right out of my hands."
She touched her collar bone consciously while she explained.
"It slammed right into me, knocked me right off the broom. I have no idea how long I fell for, but I landed on the grass terribly. Funny enough it wasn't the Bludger that broke me, it was the fall. I landed and- and I was so winded that I couldn't do anything but feel the pain. I couldn't breath, I couldn't hear, couldn't see. I almost thought I was dying."
Pity seemed to flash over his face. She went on,
"And...I saw you."
Fred furrowed his brows, visibly confused.
Ryn bit her lip as she smiled and continued to watch the rain.
"Cross my heart, I thought you were standing over me, laughing your ass off and calling me a rubbish player and saying I was a moron for getting hurt over such a stupid mistake."
Ryn shook her head and swallowed.
"It cost me the rest of the game. But I didn't mind. I'd hallucinated you, and even that was enough for me to not care about losing the game."
"You're barking mad, Auxuère."