Enemies - Fred Weasley X OC

Blame.

I rested my head against his shoulder contemplating and enjoying the warmth. 

"Do you think there is hope for you?" He asked after a while.

I nodded, "I hope so."

"Well then I hope so too." He kissed the top of my head, squeezing me. "He was scared for you when he came in here."

"Really?"

Sirius nodded.

"I - merlin, Sirius - I think I love him. I just... I don't know how to do any of this. I need to be honest and open with him about things but I didn't even use to have friends; our families don't really help develop open communication and trust, you know - but he deserves that."

Sirius pulled me a little closer at that. 

"Families like ours fuck with people's brains. They don't teach friendship or love through modelling or experience, so it's not surprising it will take longer for you to be good at it," he said calmly, "but, you know, I think you're amazing. I'm proud of you for being so strong willed and feel grateful to be able to call you my family."

The air rushed out of me as I turned to face him, strange emotions bubbling in my chest. "Was that you, uh, modelling honesty?" 

He smiled, a Sirius Black grin gone soft. "Love too, kid."

A pathetic smile lifted my face as I leant forward and held him tightly.

~Fred~

People were downstairs and Ron, Ginny, George and I were leaning over the banister at the top of the stairs with an Extendable Ear hanging down.

"What are you doing?"

I turned and Zephyra was watching us all amused. 

"Listening in," Ron said. 

She walked forward and pulled on the rope attached to the ear, pulling it up despite the complaints she received from the rest of us.

"Where'd you get this?" She said, inspecting the ear thoroughly.

"We didn't, George and I made it," I said. She shot me an incredulous look.

"Really? That's awesome." She said it right in the ear and the loudness of her voice magnified made us wince. 

"Yeah, they've been working on lots of products this Summer," Ginny said.

"You'll have to show me sometime," Zephy said, her shoulder brushing mine.

She dropped the ear back down to where it was before and leant towards it.

"There is some sort of meeting going on," Ron said, looping his arm over her shoulder to listen in as well. "We're trying to find out what."

"Yeah, I know, they have them every week."

"Do you know what they're about?"

She sighed, "well Dumbledore is sometimes there so I would assume it's a he-who-must-not-be-named thing."

I'd never heard her say he-who-must-not-be-named, only ever Voldemort and I found it a little strange that she would switch now.

"We asked to go in but mum said no," George added.

Zephy just hummed and leant closer to the ear, trying to listen.

"Have you asked to join?" I asked.

Zephy eyed me, I could see some sort of struggle taking place behind her masked features.