Awakening (Fred Weasley)

TWENTY-THREE

"Nope! I enjoy it far too much!"

"Oh hey look! A... a plane!" I lied, pointing to the sky.

He laughed. "There's nothing there. Nice try, though."

"Hmmm.... I could've swore I seen one."

"You can't keep my attention off of you for long," he laughed.

I looked in the windows as we passed by different shops.

"Let's get a puppy," I blurted out as we passed a pet store.

"What?"

"Let's get a puppy!" I repeated, turning to look at him as I pulled my hand away.

"Why?"

"It's a puppy! Plus it could be our ring bearer at our wedding!" I explained, exasperated.

"You're already planning our wedding?" He asked with a smirk, grabbing my hand and examining my painted nails that were beginning to chip.

"I started planning our wedding in sixth year," I deadpanned. "Besides, you're already planning how many kids we're going to have!" I added a second later with a smirk.

"Touché. Just tell me the time and place and I'll be there."

I laughed. "I was thinking out in the field by the Burrow. You know all that wild grass... I dunno. I just think it would be beautiful."

He bent down and kissed my cheek. "Sounds perfect, love."

I looked up at him. "How did I get so lucky?"

He smirked yet again. "I could ask you the same thing."

I didn't realize we had stopped walking until someone bumped into us. Well, actually into me.

I started to fall, but Fred caught me. His big hand closed around my tiny wrist as he pulled me back up.

"Reminds me of our first real date," he said with a smirk, holding me in place and keeping eye contact.

I don't think that smirk has left his face since we left the hospital. Seriously.

"What? When you saved me from falling on my arse in front of the restaurant?"

"Precisely."

I laughed and dragged him along. "Let's stop reliving all of my clumsy moments."

"Oh, like the time you fell off of the Astronomy tower in the middle of winter?"

Oh, so he's going to bring that up?

"Or the time you fell onto the couch after I tackled you after you ate the last of Mum's cookies?"

He's going to bring that up too?

"Oh! How about the time you fell down the moving staircase in our first year?"

That memory made me laugh. The staircase started moving, so I fell. I fell onto Fred, who fell onto George, who fell onto Betty, who fell onto Sammy.

"Yeah, that was a good memory. My bum was sore for a week after that, though," he added after I laughed.

"Your bum? I was the one that fell the farthest!"

"Hey, look, the Leaky Cauldron!" He exclaimed, changing the subject as he moved in front of me, still holding my hand. He was pulling me along behind him.

He walked in. He greeted everyone with a smile.

I couldn't take my eyes off of him. His shoulders, his back. I could still see the faint traces of the strength he possessed before the accident.

When I'm with him, it's like it's just us. He makes me feel like the only girl in the world. I don't want to sound like one of those girls, but I just got him back. I want to appreciate him.

I can't let myself take him for granted again.

Finally, we were at the brick wall. I was brought out of my thoughts by whimpers.

I let go of Fred's hand and moved to the corner that I heard the whimpers coming from.

I moved boxes and trash bins until I seen it. A tiny, completely black puppy. I felt Fred's gaze on my back as I bent down.

I held my hand out to let it sniff me. It looked up at me pitifully, before finally moving towards me. 

I picked it up gently. "C'mon, little one. Let's get you somewhere warm," I whispered, petting it gently.

Fred smiled softly and tapped the bricks, letting us enter Diagon Alley before him.

Fred had his arm around my shoulders as we walked to our shop. He stopped in front of it, admiring the giant mannequin.

"It's good to be home," he said as he reached out and opened the door for me.

The little pup was burrowed down into my winter jacket. It was adorable. I think it's a German Shepherd.

Fred walked in front of me to open the door of the flat for me.

Everyone gasped when they seen us. Fred was tackled in hugs. Everyone seemed to be in disbelief that he was home.

My ring hand was on top of the puppy, petting its back.

I noticed Ginny and Hermione start to make their way towards me.

They stopped a foot in front of me. Their jaws dropped as their gazes wandered down to my hand. They shrieked.

"You're engaged?!"