✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

07 | W E L C O M E B A C K

fill my lungs up, pour my heart out,
peal my bones away.

   "YOU'LL BE THE death of me, Frederik Weasley!", Ember yelled, letting her fist crush down on his arm. "Arse!"

   "Excuse me?", Fred snorted, rubbing his arm. "I am an arse? Wasn't it you to beat me up in a dark backyard, you insufferable creature?"

   "Careful, Weasley, there are still parts of your body I haven't hit yet, so hold your t—"

   The rest of the sentence got stuck in her throat, as Fred suddenly threw his arms around her and squeezed her tight against his chest. "Shut up, you toad, I deserve a fluffy reunion!"

   Ember's lips curved into a smile as she snuggled her face against his chest, closing her eyes.

   "That lack of Quidditch practice doesn't do you well, huh?", Ember whispered, trying to keep her voice neutral, as she squeezed her fingers into Fred's lower back. "Is this a muffin top I sense?"

   In response he just hugged her tighter, until she gasped. "In my memory you were nicer", he dryly replied, but as he finally let go of her, he wore the widest grin ever. "What on earth are you doing here in the middle of London in the death of the night?"

   "It's not even seven pm", Ember snorted, shaking her head. "I was on my way to — well, to you and George to be honest. Got lost on my way to the Leaky Cauldron, but as it's you standing here in front of me, I can't be that far away, can I?"

   "Yah, well, you weren't, but then you started running away in all the wrong direction", he snickered. "Wasn't sure it was you, so I chose to —"

   "To track me down for almost half an hour, like the perverted creep you are?", Ember cut him off, laughing. "What are you even doing in London?"

   "Oh there is pub a bit further down the street from the Leaky Cauldron, they have a cheeky little thing of a bartender who's freaking obsessed with my card tricks", Fred replied, winking at Ember, and the smile on her face dropped. Fred seemed to notice her sudden discomfort, as he rubbed his neck. That was when Woody loudly shooed from out of Ember's former hideout, and Fred took that opportunity to hastily turn away and go for Ember's trunk and the cage. "Shouldn't linger around here that long, don't you think?", he asked, as he returned. "You never know what freaks are out here."

   "Can't be worse than the one in front of me", Ember replied, cracking a smile.

   "Shut up and take my arm, I'll bring you home." And with a tingling tummy she did.

·

   "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!", George gasped between rays of laughter. "You did a fantastic job here, Emmie!"

   Ember's cheeks were still burning in embarrassment, as she watched Fred trying to heal the black eye she'd given him earlier that night.

   "Should see my ribs", Fred scoffed, pointing his wand in his own face once more in a third attempt to fix the bruise; again he failed. "Really, Emmie, are you sure you're happy as a Seeker? You'd make a more than acceptable Beater!"

   "I'm curious how'd you explain this to our family on Christmas Eve", George cackled. "Will you tell them that a girl did beat you up, Freddie?"

   "Of course I got those when I was saving poor Emmie out of the villain's grip", Fred snorted, and his uninjured eye winked at Ember, who flushed even more red.

   "Your mum can fix this, can she?", she asked, running her fingers softly over Fred's bruise. He flinched under her touch and she hastily jerked back. "Sorry, I didn't — But you kinda deserved it, you know that?"

   "Oh yes, haven't seen you in 8 months and all I get is a punch in the face, while George here gets all the love and hugs", Fred replied, playfully rolling his eyes.

   "I hugged you as well!"

   "It's not really the same when you first tried to stab me with my own ribs."

   "Don't be such a pedant", Ember laughed, shyly staring at her knees. "Listen, I don't want to bother you, I can sleep in the Leaky Cauldron, I really -?—"

   "Oh yes see, about that ...", George started.

   "No", Fred closed. "No way! You can have my bed, I'll sleep on the couch for those few nights. You'll come to the Burrow with us for Christmas, do you?"

   "I — erm — why, yes", Ember stammered. "Fred, I can take the couch, it's okay. I would take the floor as well, I don't mind. Can't be worse than a cupboard under the stairs, I'd say."

   "The fair lady gets the bed", Fred said, getting up from the couch. "I'll make the bed for you, and George can show you around."

   "C'mon", George said with a wink, reaching out his hand for her to pull her from the couch, before she followed him through the small flat.

   Laying in Fred's bed was a whole different expierence. It was quiet. Too quiet for Ember's liking. She was used to having Harry around, or four other girls in her dorm, and even at Grimmauld Place the house seemed to have whispered, sometimes arched during the nights. But here in Fred's bedroom, no sound was heard. Diagon Alley seemed to have died with the night fall, and both the twins didn't cause the tiniest of sound. At some point, Ember couldn't take it any longer.

   Not even the door creaked as she pushed it open, stepping into the living room on tiptoes. Obviously, the twins' couch was expandable. Fred had turned down the back of it, and there he lay now, spread all across the cussion, arms and legs stretched from his body, his red hair messy covering the pillow, and a soft snoring filled the room.

   Smiling, Ember stepped closer. The blanket had slipped from the couch, laying on the floor. Carefully she picked it up and covered Fred, before she took a seat next to him. He didn't even stirr. The sound of his breath alone had her muscles loosing tension, and she felt herself drift into a comfortable sleepiness.

   Not wasting another thought, she laid down on the bit of free space next to Fred, deciding just to rest there for a minute or two, before she would get to bed. Just a minute. One ... two ... two ... two arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her away from the couch's edge and under the warm blanket, and with a smile on her lips she fell asleep.

—