Marooned - Fred Weasley

Chapter 55: Families

"I am responding to you with humor and sarcasm. I would have expected you to appreciate my will to communicate with you through jokes," explained Arthur with a fond gaze.

Fred grinned and glanced at Sarah, "Touché, Dad."

"My loves," Molly admired them still. "He's been carrying his feelings for you for quite some time, should've heard him around the house. McCauley this, McCauley that-"

"Mum," mumbled Fred, turning an adorable shade of pink.

"Oh, I'm teasing you, Freddie," Molly gently tapped his chest and moved to loop an arm around Sarah's, pulling her with her towards the kitchen.

_

During dinner, every now and then Molly will throw another piece of information she remembered about all those years Fred and Sarah spent circling around each other, and it either made everyone laugh, or everyone beside Fred laugh. But he didn't mind that much, anytime he didn't, Sarah would nudge his knee under the table and smile fondly at him, making it all worth it.

"Oh, remember Easter during their fifth year!" said Molly loudly, another epiphany had hit her, "She was dating that boy, a sportsman. Was it Pine? Oak? Something with an O-"

"Oliver Wood," said George, grinning teasingly at Fred.

"That's right! It was a gloomy holiday, that one, our Freddie spent his time brooding around the house," she mumbled through the corner of her mouth, fumbling with the food on her plate.

"Oh, believe me, it was a gloomy year. You have no idea how stressful training was whenever Oliver mentioned her," blurted George, then took a long sip from his drink to avoid Fred's glare.

"That's when it became obvious," Selena interjected, "To almost everyone," she glanced at Sarah when she said that.

And that made her shake her head disbelievingly but couldn't help but grin, too, "Are you all done?"

"No," said George and Selena at the same time, Molly smiled widely at the four of them.

"We are finally teasing you and taking out all the anxiety we've endured over the years, let us enjoy it," George asserted. "There's a knot in my back that formed over the last six years because of you." He pointed at Fred, "You and your sulking and pining."

"He always made sure we renewed the charm on that lily upstairs, remember that Arthur?" hurried Molly happily.

"Oh, yes!" Arthur recalled fondly.

Sarah turned to Fred then, "You didn't-" she marveled.

Fred's gaze swept over everyone at the table, silently 'thanking' them again for that, then nodded briefly.

Her heart swelled up and she smiled, set a hand over his forearm resting on the table, held his gaze for a few moments.

"Always boasting and untouchable, but he's always had that soft spot for her," said Molly quietly, exchanging a fond look with Arthur and George.

"Mum, I am actually begging you to stop," he shot his parents a deadpan look, and with teasing smiles, they stopped, asked them about something else instead.

_

After dinner, Fred, Sarah, George and Selena Apparated on Diagon Alley, where they split their roads, Selena and George towards the twins' flat and Sarah and Fred towards hers.

"It's safe to say Remus' dinner was better," said Fred once they were alone and kissed the back of her hand while they walked.

"It was sweet. Maybe the teensiest bit awkward, but like you said," she wrapped an arm around him and reached up to press a soft kiss on his jaw, "I'm with you, everything else doesn't matter."