International Love | Fred Weasley

Chapter 103

A few days after the twins' birthday – we have been at Aunt Muriel for around a week now – I receive an owl from Tonks in which she writes she has given birth to a beautiful boy, Edward Remus Lupin. After reading the letter, I beg Fred to come along when I visit them.

Three days later, together with Fred and George (who decided he wanted to come as well), I travel to the house where Tonks and Remus are staying. The two men follow me through the front garden to the door. I knock three times and smile when I hear someone yelling on the other side.

"Who is there?" A voice sounds.

"One of the two people who know how to make a Weasley boy swoon – if you don't count Hermione," I answer while I send Fred and George a wink.

The door opens and reveals Tonks who has an enormous smile on her face. As soon as she sees me, she hugs me tightly and I hug her back. When we let go, Tonks smiles at the two men standing behind me and hugs them as well.

While we follow the pink-haired girl into the house, I hear George ask Fred: "Why did Elena mention Hermione?"

Suddenly, I hear a loud gasp and George whisper: "Ron! Of course, that sneaky-"

"I am so happy you came by," Tonks says when the three of us sit down on the couch in the living room. Tonks walks around to provide us with tea. When the cups of tea are standing on the coffee table, Tonks walks to the crib in the corner of the living room. From the crib, she picks up a small bundle and heads back to the couch.

Carefully, Tonks hands me the small bundle and sits down on the other couch. Her expression is filled with love and when I look at the bundle in my arms, I see the two grey eyes look up at me.

In the corner is standing a small crib and Tonks walks around to provide us with some tea. When the cups of tea are standing on the table, the woman walks to the crib and picks up a small bundle. The color of the boy's hair is a mix of brown and blond, and when I blink, I notice the hair-color changed a little bit.

"Mum said my hair changed as well after I was born," Tonks tells proudly. I nod with a smile and look at the baby. Looking back up at Tonks, I mutter: "What a cutie, he looks similar to Remus."

"That's what I told him! Remus claims he looks like me – but I think he says that because of the changing hair-color," the woman laughs. Fred, sitting next to me, leans towards the baby and starts making funny faces. The little boy begins to giggle and I can't help but smile.

At the end of the afternoon, Fred, George, and I have to go back home. Fred and George already walk down the path but I stop after stepping out of the house. After hugging her one more time, Tonks says: "Thank you for visiting, Elena. I am patiently waiting until you two tie the nod."

I laugh while taking a look over my shoulder at Fred who is talking to his brother on the other side of the small fence.

"We both know now is not the right time for all of this," I turn back to Tonks, "I don't want to be engaged and don't know if we both are still alive after all of this. I don't think either of us will survive the other dying while we are planning a wedding."

Tonks nods knowingly and hugs me once more. "I am sure the right moment will come soon. Until this war is over, we need to keep our hopes up."

With those words, we say goodbye and I walk down the path to where Fred and George are standing. The two men look up when I walk up to them and George remarks tiredly: "Why do women always take so long with saying their goodbyes?"

I roll my eyes at his remark. "Wait until you get a girlfriend – you will have to get used to it."

Fred laughs and wraps his arm around my waist. George shakes his head and apparates away. I turn to Fred who looks at me with a look I can't place and after pressing a kiss on my lips, he apparates us back to Aunt Muriel's house.

When we enter the house, I hear footsteps running down the stairs and moments later, Ginny comes running down the stairs. The red-haired girl sprints past us to the back of the house and completely ignores us entering. From her chair in the living room, Aunt Muriel yells something about keeping the peace in the house and that she can't knit peacefully if we keep running back and forth.

I smile at Molly who sits n the couch beside Aunt Muriel while I making my way through the living room to the kitchen where Ginny has disappeared into. When I enter, I see Bill sitting at the kitchen table. The man nods at me and sips his coffee while speaking to Arthur. Ginny has sat down opposite them and tries to get as much information about the outside world as possible. Due to the Death Eaters at Hogwarts (and therefore also the Ministry) knowing Ron isn't sick and instead of travelling around the country with Harry, we have to stay hidden here with Bill as our main source of news.

Bill reassures his father and sister the trio is fine and there is no need for worry, I can see that Arthur's worry doesn't lessen. We have been spending too much time inside.

The following week, I try to keep myself distracted by helping the twins with their shops. Fred and George have placed three desks in the backroom where each of us sits behind, checking the different orders and other businesses tied to the shop. On my left, I have a list with all the products created and sold by the twins, and while I read order after order, I mark down what is needed for each one.

Fred and George are contacting suppliers and other important wizards and witches who they need for their shop. At the end of every day, George sends Verity an owl with the list of the supplies that are needed and all the orders so she can keep the shop running. The woman didn't seem concerned with the threat of the Death Eater and has been doing her job for the last month as if nothing happened.

I am glad I can help the twins with their shop to distract myself. Otherwise, I don't think I would have survived such a long time at Aunt Muriel's. Arthur and I Haven't been to work since we have gone in hiding and I begin to miss my job. When I am lying in bed on Sunday evening, I mutter to Fred who lays beside me: "When we are gone from here, I don't want to visit this place in the next few years."

Fred laughs and presses a kiss on my forehead, saying: "If you don't want to visit Aunt Muriel, we won't visit her, love. You won't hear me complain."

A week later, I see Ginny slowly going crazy. She has been reading her book in an attempt to stay on top of her schoolwork, but she clearly can't focus long enough. I helped her with Potions but it makes me think about my uncle. When I offer her part of my work the twins have given me, Ginny takes it happy and quickly sits down next to me, reading through the orders. Fred smiles at the sight and blows me a kiss.

With Ginny distracted, I begin to notice Arthur and Molly going insane as well. Every day, Molly cleans the whole house (and even though Aunt Muriel doesn't complain, I begin to feel bad for the woman) and Arthur keeps listening to the radio as if there is any news. The Quibbler has stopped publishing – and while nobody exactly knows why, we all have a feeling it has something to do with Luna's disappearance from the Hogwarts Express and the Death Eaters.

"You worry too much," Fred says when we lay in bed again. My head rests on his chest and I try to calm myself by listening to his heartbeat. Softly, Fred strokes my hair, and I hum lightly. It takes me a while to answer: "I just don't like seeing your mother like this."

I open my eyes and look at my boyfriend who frowns while thinking about what I said.

"She needs a distraction. She constantly worries about Ron, Harry, and Hermione – also about Ginny, but she seems happy you gave her something to do."

"I want all of this to be over," I whisper and close my eyes again, "I want our normal life back. I want to be sure again that we make it through every day, without worrying about if one of us dies."

Behind my closed eyes, I feel tears well up when I think about Fred dying. Keep thinking positive. Fred continues to stroke my hair and tries to reassure me: "It will be over soon, love. It will be over, and everyone will be alright and alive. Keep thinking positive."

With all my heart, I want to believe the words Fred keeps repeating to me every day – but my mind reminds me every time that he can't look into the future and that he doesn't know if everyone will be alright. Will we survive all of this?