Traitor : Fred Weasley, Draco Malfoy & OC Fanfic

Chapter 50 - The End

My mind whirled with all possible worst case scenarios as my feet creaked up the wooden staircase from the cellar. Adrenaline coursed through me as I prepared myself for whatever was coming next. I stepped out into the grand entrance to the house and there he was. George. Looking dishevelled and outright terrible.

"George?" I said quietly, moving towards him.

His face was pale and had a glossy sheen to it, as though he'd been crying, tear stains cutting through the dirt on his cheeks. His eyes met mine and my heart dropped. He certainly didn't look like someone who had good news.

"He's dead" George spluttered out, looking down at his hands, "Percy's dead"

The words rang in my ears. I could only imagine how devastated Molly and the rest of the family would be. George collapsed into my arms and buried his head into my hair. His breathing was ragged and I felt him whimper as he began to cry again.

All of a sudden a violent gust of wind rattled around us and I felt somebody else wrap their arms over my shoulders, joining our embrace. They smelt heavily of ash and rubble, making my nose twinge.

"I'm home, Celeste. I'm home" Fred whispered, tightening his grip on us both.

I was caught in the middle of the twins as they eased on to me. It was clear they had gone through hell as they let themselves drop the weight of the day.

The morning sun filled the house and disoriented my perception of time. I'd fallen asleep while it was still dark and the twins had only just gotten home. They hadn't slept a wink, the battle going on until the early hours of the morning.

George pulled away first, mumbling something about writing to Daphne, leaving me alone with Fred in foyer. Words escaped me. I didn't know what I could possibly say that would make things better. As devastated as I was for the family, I was overjoyed that Fred had returned to me safely.

I move cautiously, wrapping my arms around Fred's torso and looking up into his weary eyes. It was hard, when really all I wanted to do was grab him and show him how happy I was to see him. I had to be careful, he was fragile.

"Let's clean you up, okay?" I whispered, grazing my hand across his face covered in grime and soot. He nodded slowly, before taking ahold of my hand and planting a kiss on my palm. It was a small gesture, but it showed me that he was still there.

Keeping his hand in mine, I lead him upstairs to the main bathroom. It had been rebuilt almost exactly as it had been before the fire, a claw foot bath stood in the centre of the room. I turned one of the gold taps, letting the bath fill with steaming hot water. With a flick of my wand, I cast a bubbling charm and the water began to foam as the soft smell of lavender wafted through the room.

Fred stared in a daze as the water cascaded across the porcelain, unsure what to do with himself. His eyes were glassy, as though he were on the brink of tears at any moment. I knew the feeling far too well.

Guiding him close to the bath, I began to help him undress, taking off his jacket and jumper, before his shoes and trousers until finally he was standing in only his boxers. He folded his arms nervously against his chest and I moved them apart to pull his body into mine.

"Will you get in with me?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly. There was nothing wanted more in this world.

"Of course" I reassured him. I turned off the tap as the bubbles reached the top and Fred slipped off his boxers, stepping carefully into the warm water.

"Come on then" he smiled softly, beckoning me in to join him.

I removed my clothes and slipped below the bubbles with him. It helped that it was a rather large bath as sharing that small a space with somebody as tall as Fred would have been a hard task otherwise.