Fred Weasley x Reader (slow and Steady)

Ch 78: And So We Go to War

I looked at him for a moment, my attention turning back to the fully repaired dummy, "I need to practice though.." I quietly replied.

"You've practice well enough, i'v seen it." He leaned forwards attempting to turn my attention away from the practice dummy.

Lowering my wand, I looked down at my shoes, "Practicing keeps the crawling anxiety at bay." I muttered.

"Sure," he nodded, "It'll do that for a little while, but it's not a permanent solution." He hesitated, "All it's going to do is continue pushing it back, once you let go of the pressure it'll just come swinging back."

I looked away from him, he was right. I know he was. I had known it wasn't a temporary fix, but it felt like the easiest solution, all I would have to do is hold out for a few days, then the battle would commence. Then no more pre war anxiety. Simple enough.

"I just need to keep holding on a little longer," I protested.

"Love," He quietly spoke, his hold still on my wrist. Gently pulling my towards him, he used his other hand to cup my cheek making me look at him, "I'm worried about you,"

"I'm fine, I'll be alright, before we know it the war will start and after that no more anxiety." I waved my hand around dismissively.

"We don't know when the signal will arrive, for all we know it'll be a week from now,maybe several." He released my cheek and flailed the empty hand in the air. "You can't keep pushing yourself to the near breaking point every single day, you don't have to do this on your own; let me help. If something is causing you to be on edge, let me know, I'll do whatever I'm able to help you ease back." His eyebrows creased.

"I have to be ready though..." I quietly said, "I don't feel that I'm ready enough."

"I don't think anyone is ever truly ready for a war." Fred sighed, his eyes closing. The creased worry lines in his forehead relaxed moments later as he opened his eyes once more, "Plus, I feel you're more than ready. If the amount of times you had to repair the bloody thing has any say in such." He chuckled. "The Death Eaters won't know what hit them." he grinned.

"Yeah?" I humored him.

"Obviously," He smirked devilishly, "Your skill has drastically changed compared to the wedding fight this past summer, you'll do fine."

With a sigh of defeat, I dismissed the dummy and shoved my wand in my pocket. "Alright."

"It'll be alright," he pulled me into a tight hug, "before we know it it'll all be over and we'll have a whole life ahead of us, free to do as we please. Heck, maybe we could even get a nice house in a nearby village not too far from Hogsmeade."

"Really?" I asked, my head tilted back to look at him.

"Of course, like the one you stayed in. Well, granted, probably a little bigger." He laughed.

"Probably," I agreed laughing, "You think George will be alright by himself in that apartment." I mused.

"I'm sure he'll manage." He tilted his head side to side. "Come on, let's go inside. Settle down with some snacks or something, it is unbearably cold outside." he gestured to the door.

"It's not too bad," I chuckled.

"You've been outside for a long enough time that you're used to it." He laughed, the two of us now holding our hands together walked towards the door.

We barely made it to the front steps before a white wisp rushed past us and into the house, looking at each other with wide eyes we dashed into the house following after the wisp. It curled into the walk room just inside the front door and dashed into the living room, halting suddenly in front of Arthur and Molly who both sat on the couch with wide and surprised eyes.