Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

Orchideous

It was Saturday, meaning I could have spent another whole day in bed, avoiding everything. I could have if I trusted George to appear with another meal for me, but as lunch neared, the pain in my stomach drove me to the Great Hall along side my friends.

"So are you two broken up?" Hannah finally blurted, earning a smack from Bri as Maddie's jaw dropped.

"Hannah, honestly!"

"We're not... broken up..." I replied softly, now realizing that it wasn't only up to me. What if Fred didn't want to be with me anymore? He had been the angry one, after all.

"You're not." Maddie reassured me as we pushed through the doors and started towards our table. I watched all six of their eyes shoot towards the Gryffindor table, but I forced mine ahead. I couldn't look at him yet. If he was even down here.

I took a seat first, the girls falling in next to me and pulling plates towards each other while I stabbed into a huge piece of chicken.

"He's coming." Hannah hissed under her breath and I felt my stomach drop. He couldn't even let me have a bite of my first meal of the day?

"Cassidy."

I thought I would break down just from hearing the voice again, I had missed it so much, even if it sounded so broken right now.

I set my fork down on my plate and turned to him, looking up to his face as he towered above the four of us.

"You're... It's good to see you, I've... Can I talk to you? Please." He added when I hesitated.

"Can we talk later, Freddie, I'm just going to eat some lunch and I have some homework to work on-"

"I can help you, I just need to-"

"Later, Fred." Bri gave him a stern look and my heart dropped again, watching his face fall as his eyes pierced into my own.

"Later. I'll come find you, yeah?" He nodded, reaching out to grab my hand and I jerked away from his touch without thinking.

His face fell farther, which I hadn't thought was possible. His eyes widened and watched my arm as I clasped my hands together in my lap, hating that reflex, hating even more the way Fred looked so hurt from it.

"Yes, later. I promise." I nodded, waiting for him to turn around and head back to his table, but watching him walk to the entrance hall instead, George jumping from his seat to rush after him, a biscuit still in one hand.

Fred

"Slow down, you git, what did she say?" George's voice rang down the hall as I raced up the steps.

"Nothing. She didn't want to talk to me, why would she? I wrecked everything." I muttered, not knowing if he could hear me and not caring either way.

"Fred, wait. Quit!" I heard his footsteps stop behind me for only a second. "Immobulus!"

I tried to open my mouth, a string of curse words lined up for my brother who was already at my side by the time my lips parted.

He muttered the counter curse and stood before me, blocking the rest of the stairs and shooting me a glare.

"What did she say."

"That we can talk later. I'm gonna go find her tonight, if she'll see me then. Even if she does... if she lets me explain, what can I say, George? I'm a jealous prick, I didn't mean to shout at you?"

"I told you already that's not what she's upset about..."

"Yeah? You didn't see her flinch away when I reached for her hand. Like she thought I was going to hurt her, like..." Like her dad.