The Chaser : A Fred Weasley Fan Fic

Fifty Five: Cold

I lay flat on my back with my eyes wide open, staring at the shadows as they danced across the ceiling. There was light breathing beside me and I felt the weight of an arm across my stomach. I couldn't explain why I felt so nervous in bed with him tonight. I supposed it was because I knew I shouldn't.

Nearly everyone knew now, but it felt like we were taking it too far by spending the night together in the twins' old bedroom.

Fred shifted, lifting his head slightly and squinting to look at me through the darkness. He pulled himself to sit upright.

"Why aren't you asleep?" he asked quietly, his voice deep from sleep.

"I can't" I mumbled, rolling over and draping my body across his lap. His fingertips found my hair and began to fiddle with it idly, running back and forth, twisting strands up in his hands.

"Is it your hand?" he whispered, running a finger delicately along the fresh bandage.

"No, I just can't sleep" I sighed.

"I know what will tire you out" Fred said. I could hear the smirk in his voice and I turned in his lap to catch it.

"Oh yeah?" I teased, "And what's that exactly?"

"Climb up here" Fred said playfully.

I twisted round and climbed onto his lap so I was straddling either side of muscular thighs. He was in his boxers and nothing else, while I was wearing one of his large t shirts with only my underwear beneath.

My eyes had adjusted to the low light and I could make out his sharp collarbones, smattered with freckles that trailed up his neck to his face. He was studying me too, his gaze flicking around my face.

"I feel like it's the first time I'm getting a proper good look at you" I half-laughed, "You really have grown up, look at these wrinkles"

I traced the smile lines that embossed the outer corners of his lips and the creases beside each eye. Fred tutted quietly and rolled his eyes at me in the darkness.

"It hasn't been that long, Wilde" Fred chuckled. "You look different too though. Older. In a good way"

Fred placed a hand to sit on my jaw, using his fingers to squish my cheeks playfully. His thumb ran along my bottom lip and I caught it in my mouth, biting down gently.

"It's been quiet without you around" Fred said, out of the blue.

"I can hardly imagine your life being quiet" I giggled.

"No really" he rolled his eyes again, "You always kept me on my toes and you made me want to be better"

"Stop it" I blushed, batting his hand away from my face. Instead he ran his large freckled hands up and down my thighs. It seemed like he was doing it just to have something to occupy his hands with.

"I'm being serious for once" Fred laughed, "You always tell me that I make a joke out of everything so I'm trying to be honest with you!"

I smiled down at him and pecked him on the nose. I liked that he'd changed, even if it was only a little. He seemed more open and I wasn't scared of him running away like I used to be. He was lighter since him and Angelina had broken up too. I only imagined how good it must feel to know he wasn't betraying someone's trust anymore.

"Since we're being honest..." I started.

"Oh here we go" Fred interrupted.

"Since we're being honest," I repeated, ignoring him, "what did you really think when you heard I was going to be coming back to England?"