Obsidian & Bronze {Fred Weasley}

26. New beginings

"Have I done something?" I questioned, anxious when no one had broken the silence since we stepped into the garden.

"No, no, no, god no. You haven't done anything poppet" Remus assured, fiddling anxiously with the frayed hem of his navy cardigan, the one with the tortoise shell buttons, nervously glancing over at Sirius before looking back over to me.

"So what is this about?" I asked, relaxing my demeanor slightly.

"Remus and I are together" Sirius blurted out without warning, immediately slapping his hand across his mouth, partially concealing the violent blush spreading its way across his pale cheeks.

"I um, I don't, I...uh" I mumbled, trailing off aimlessly as I studied Remus's expression for an explanation.

"I know it's a lot Ardelle, if you need a minute to-" Remus began but was silenced as I jumped into his arms, pulling both him and Sirius into a suffocating hug, uncontrollably smiling into Remus's chest.

"You're not mad?" Sirius questioned hesitantly, glancing down at me but refusing to loosen the intensity of the embrace.

"Mad?" I scoffed with amusement, wiggling myself out from between them and staring up at each of their puzzled expressions, "I'm the furthest thing from mad" I whispered, suddenly overwhelmed with emotions I was struggling to mask.

Remus chuckled deeply whilst Sirius released a laboured breath of relief he had unknowingly been holding, each of them smiling down at me with the most genuine of smiles.

"Are you guys happy together?" I asked honestly, catching them both slightly off guard before a sheep grin sweeped Sirius's face and Remus tried to combat the rosey blush that infused his porcelain cheeks.

"Very" Remus admitted bashfully, as he took Sirius's hands in his.

"Then that's all that matters, no?" I grinned, the warmth spilling through the cavities in my chest, fighting the biting cold.

They both gave grateful nods before Remus went to speak again, this time slightly more reserved, "I know we are springing a lot on you, and by no means do you have to say yes but we wondered how you felt about living together, as a family?"

"Yes" I stated without missing a beat, not my expression nor tone having faltered as I kept my gaze fixed on them both.

"Since it is considerably larger than our place," Remus continued, "We thought about, since Sirius is there anyway...moving into Grimmauld. It has the huge library and you would have a larger room and-"

"Can I think about it?" I asked, disrupting Remus's persistent rambling, releasing an involuntary shudder at the thought of Grimmauld place, the image of my mum prominent in my mind for a fleeting moment.

"Of course" Sirius assured, reaching for my hand and stroking the pad of his thumb along my palm, just as the back door swung open and Fred stood in the doorway, looking nervous.

"Sorry to interrupt" Fred politely interjected, "Could I have a word with you two please?" He continued, glancing between, a very confused, Remus and Sirius, avoiding eye contact with me as I stood between the two of them.

"I'll go inside" I confirmed with a nervous chuckle, glancing up at Fred worriedly, but he simply smiled awkwardly, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his dark joggers and bouncing on the balls of his feet, before ushering me inside.

I attempted to shake off the lingering sense of unease as it washed over me and began to drown my composure, the knot in the ball of my stomach tightening as I glanced back at the, now closed, door, but was soon distracted by a lonesome Harry sitting on the couch.