The Lost Daughter

Chapter Twenty-Five

The next morning at 6am, Elle's eyes fluttered open. She was facing the windows where sunlight fell in soft rays through the sheer white curtains. Fred's arm was wrapped around Elle's torso and his body was pressed lightly into her back. She shifted slightly, snuggling closer to Fred. Her movements aroused him, and Elle felt his arm move tighter around her.

"Good morning," Fred said in a raspy voice, still half asleep.

Elle rolled over, now facing him. She put her head on his chest, which was bare. At some point in the night, Fred had taken off his shirt. Both drifted in and out of sleep for a while until Fred decided that he should probably be getting up to go back to Diagon Alley.

"Elle," Fred said.

"Mhmm," she mumbled.

"I have to go help George with the shop," Fred explained, "We open in two days."

"But it's Saturday," Elle groaned.

"I know," Fred chuckled. "But we have a lot of stuff to get done."

Elle climbed on top of Fred, and wrapped her arms around him. "I won't let you leave," Elle said softly into his neck.

Fred loved how cute Elle was being with him. He didn't want to leave the bliss of their night together, but George needed him. So he held Elle's against him and sat up at the side of the bed. Now Ell was straddling his lap, still hugging him.

Fred's ran his hands over Elle's legs and hips then up her back until they were wrapped around her ribcage. They held each other like this for a minute until Elle slowly pulled back. They sat face to face in the morning sunlight.

Elle admired Fred for a moment. He had a sharp jawline, striking green eyes, a smattering of freckles on his cheeks and nose, and perfectly messy hair. Her chest ached knowing he was going to leave soon.

He tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before saying, "Leaving you right now is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

Butterflied erupted in Elle's stomach. "I wish you didn't have to," she replied.

"Me neither," Fred murmured, and he kissed her forehead.

Elle climbed off so that Fred could get dressed and go back to his shop and flat in Diagon Alley. After packing his bag, he and Elle shared a long kiss before pulling away. Then he disapparated.

Elle sighed, feeling oddly empty without Fred there with her. She picked up her watch off her nightstand, a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley when she turned seventeen, and saw that it was 7:18am. She took a quick shower, did her hair, threw on some clothes, and packed her bag. Even though it was her day off, she wanted to spend it practicing her dueling with Tonks.

At 8:25, Elle went downstairs, hurriedly made some toast, and then left through the fireplace to Tonks and Lupin's place.

***

For the next eleven months, Elle poured herself into her job as an auror and as a member of The Order. Every so often, her friends from Hogwarts were able to get her to come hang out with them at concerts, quidditch matches, and dinners.

As for what the other Gryffindors had been doing since leaving Hogwarts, Angelina had become a professional quidditch player for the Holyhead Harpies, Alicia was working as an administrative assistant with her mother at their boutique, Lee was a Quality Inspector at the Ministry, and Fred and George were running their very successful business.

Elle and Fred saw each other as much as they could, but both of their schedules were very busy. Elle had become so invested in her work mostly because Moody had been able to confirm that she was, in fact, the daughter of Blair and Felix Degray.