Sunday morning arrived quicker than expected and in only a matter of hours, Fred and Angelina were to be married. Fred wasn't able to think clearly after the last thing Maddie had said to him. "Falling in love with you, is the best thing that has ever happened to me."
He felt the same way, he didn't want to go through with the wedding but something inside his head was as if it was stopping him from leaving Angelina. Hours turned into minutes in a blink of an eye, and he now found himself pacing around the groom's dressing room, sweating and tugging the collar of his dress shirt.
"Am I making the wrong choice Georgie?"
"Well it's kind of too late to start overthinking your life choices Fred," George rolled his eyes.
"I need to tell you something but you can't say a word to anyone," Fred stopped dead on his tracks to look at his brother, "not even Lizzie. I need you to promise me that."
"Fine," George huffed, "I promise, what did you do now?"
"Last night I did something and I'm not sure if it was good or bad," Fred sighed and took a seat next to his twin. "I went to look at the stars at our spot, you know."
"Yours and Madeleine?"
"Yeah," Fred nodded, "and she got there after I did."
"Fred what did you do?"
"We slept together," he gulped. "It was like the final goodbye, but I don't want to let her go."
"So you cheated on your fiancée? The night before your wedding Fred?" George frowned. "I know that you still have feelings for Mads but I know her and I know you, and I know that whatever happened, you started it. And I know that I fucking hate Angelina but cheating is not okay Fred."
"It's not all my fault George! She told me she loved me! She told me she loved me since we were fucking eighteen and that she hasn't stopped loving me! I kissed her first last night but she told me she loved me!" Fred said loudly. "Merlin, do you know how long I waited for her to say those three words? YEARS GEORGE! And she had to go and do it the night before my wedding!
"She's like my own personal drug and I can't get her out of my head! George, I love her so much but she told me that it was time to let go, but I don't want to let go! She could break my heart in a million pieces over and over and over again and I would still want her, I love her."
"And you realized this the night before your wedding?" George stifled a laugh.
"But, I have to marry Angelina," Fred stood up almost robotically, not understanding why words he didn't want to say left his mouth. "I promised I would marry her, and now, I have no choice."
"You're a big boy and you're capable of making your own decisions," George scoffed, not understanding as well why his twin was going through with it despite the feelings he had just confesed. "I won't tell you what to do this time Fred."
"I don't know what went over me George," Fred whispered and look at himself in the mirror, feeling something strange happening inside him, "the old feelings resurfaced or something."
"What old feelings Fred?" George said frustratedly. "They're still there you idiot and they never left! And I am sure that that wasn't the first time she said I love you alright, so don't be thick and don't marry fucking Johnson."
"I have to marry her," Fred repeated. "I have to marry her and I have no choice!"
"You know what? I'm done with your bullshit Fred," George groaned. "You're a fucking idiot so I guess I'll see your idiot ass at the altar."
George stormed out of the room where Fred was in and bumped into none other than Maddie, who was looking for the room he had just come out of. "Hey," she said in a barely audible whisper.
"Hey Mads," George gave her a quick hug, "you look nice."
"Is he in there?" she asked and pointed to the door with her head.
"Yup," George grumbled.
"Can I-"
"It's your call," George shrugged.
"He told you?" she breathed.
"He tells me everything," George placed his hand on her shoulder. "I tried to talk him out of it but there's something wrong with him. I don't even know when he got his brain this fried."
"I'm just going over there to wish him luck, that's it," she said and scurried away from George before he could say anything else, quietly slipping into the dressing room where Fred was struggling to tie his bow tie. "Don't you look dashing?"
"Hey," he looked at her reflection on the mirror and felt the air being punched out of his lung, watching the skin tight, sating light blue dress that reached her mid that reached two inches below her knee, her hugs being hugged perfectly by the thin material.
"Here, let me help," she murmured and went over to do the black bow tie Angelina had chosen for him, "you know, I've never seen you wearing a bow tie ever before."
"It's be because I've always preferred ties," Fred groaned. "I look like bloody Mr Monopoly with this shit on."
"I know," Maddie laughed and finished adjusting it as she looked at him.
"How do you know how to tie it without a spell?" he got lost in her eyes.
"My grandad taught me, I used to tie his when I was little and he took me to work with him," she smiled sadly and looked at her watch. "You're gonna be late if you don't hurry up."
"Where will you be sitting?" Fred asked quietly.
"Last row, next to the aisle."
"Okay," he nodded.
"Good luck then, Red," she pressed a soft kiss on his cheek before leaving the room.
With a heavy heart, Maddie returned to the marquee where the wedding would take place in, before moving onto the reception inside the venue's building. "Where were you?" Cassius asked softly Maddie once she returned.
"Around," she whispered. "I told him last night, you know."
"Didn't go too well?"
"It went better than well, but I told him that we needed to let go."
"God, you're dumb," Cassius chuckled. "How is it possible that you were the smartest person in out year, top in everything but so clueless when it comes to love related things?"
"She has never failed to amaze us with that talent of hers," Lee came from behind Maddie and threw his arm around her shoulders. "You know that you're not supposed to look better than the bride in a wedding, right?"
"Always raising my ego and spirits Jordan," Maddie laughed. "What would ever do without you?"
"No idea, but you're never going to figure that out," Lee grinned.
"You should see what Elizabeth is being forced to wear," Alicia snickered as she joined Lee and Maddie. "That's the ugliest fucking bridesmaid dress that I've ever seen in my entire life. It's egg-yolk fucking yellow."
"Get the fuck out, you're not being serious?" Maddie gasped.
"She isn't, Mamie would probably faint if she saw the bridesmaids' dresses," Tim sniggered. "They have ruffles all over and they just look fucking weird."
"They look like bloody yellow bird from that show Teddy likes," Alicia added. "What's it even called?"
"Big Bird," Maddie snorted. "Well, at least we got a laugh from the situation because I'm getting drunk after this."
"Count me in," Lee said, "I have to make a fucking toast and I need to be shitfaced because I didn't prepare anything."
"I think we're supposed to take our seats now," Cressida approached them with Sirius by her side. "We're sitting in the back right?"
"Yeah," Timothée and Alicia said and followed
"You feeling okay?" Cassius asked Maddie once she took the seat next to the aisle in the back row.
"Yeah totally," she said sarcastically. "God I'm so fucking stupid."
"Yup," Cassius agreed and took the seat next to hers and next to Timothee.
"Pst, Mads," Alicia said quietly.
"What?" the blonde mouthed.
"You have your flask?" the brunette asked and huffed when Maddie shook her head no.
Music started playing as Arthur and Molly walked to take their seats, the redhead woman looking bitter and her husband looking disappointed. A stiff George came next, followed by a serious Fred as both twins went to stand in the front. All of the guests stood up when the music changed as Angelina walked down the aisle with her father after the bridesmaid that indeed looked like Big Bird; the brown-eyed girl only turning around quickly to send Madeleine a victorious look that the blonde ignored while digging her nails onto her palms.
Fred's gaze wasn't settled on Angelina as she walked towards him, but rather on Maddie's melancholic look. Just like Maddie did, Fred had zoned out completely from the ceremony. The wedding minister's voice sounded as if it was underwater and Fred couldn't bring himself to listen to the words being said until his name was called, pulling him away from his blank thoughts.
"Do you, Frederick Gideon Weasley take Angelina Johnson to be your lawful wife. To love and to hold , from this day forward, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you apart?"
He looked at Angelina who had happy tears brimming in her eyes and then he moved his eyes to the crowd who was watching him intently. On the last row, on the seat next to the aisle his chocolate brown eyes met hers. The jade green that turned into a vast forest filled with lively trees and flowers that he adored. The jade green that had him utterly consumed and at her mercy. All of their memories together were playing in his head at an unmeasurable speed. All of the touches and small caresses, all of the subtle glances and stolen kisses. Their nights together making love, naked bodies tangled together underneath the sheets while they moaned each other's name. All of the times he though he was close to losing her and the night he did. All of their nights stargazing as she named each constellation in the bright starry sky. Every single one of their secret kisses and lingering enamored stares, the sound of her laughter and the way her nose scrunched when she read to him as her brows knitted together. It was her and only her.
And then it finally hit him as if someone threw a bucket of freezing water at him. He had never loved Angelina. He never had and he never would. It felt surreal, remembering that he just woke up one day thinking that he was in love with her but Madeleine was always still in the back of his head, almost as if she was a part of his conscience, guarding his every step like a guardian angel. He stared into Maddie's eyes for what felt like forever and he realized why he was standing in front of the crowd with the dark-haired girl instead of with the love of his life.
He couldn't marry Angelina, it wouldn't be fair for his own self to do so. He didn't want her, he never did. He didn't love her. He didn't feel remotely anything for Angelina. It was Madeleine. It had always been her since the day they met on the train. She, was the moon to his sun. She, was the brightest star in the world and no matter her flaws, Fred Weasley loved Madeleine Archambeau with every single beat of his heart.
The minister cleared his throat snapping Fred from his trance. Angelina was now looking confused and everyone in the heavily decorated room was waiting for him to say. 'I do,' but he couldn't. He couldn't form the two words that would let his one true love go and he refused to let the words form. He looked at disbelievingly Angelina one last time and turned to the minister.
"I'm sorry, I can't," Fred said unhesitatingly and shrugged indifferently before turning around.
A gasp erupted from the crowd. Something he only thought happened in the love muggle films Maddie and him used to watch while cuddling on the couch. Time slowed down as he walked down the aisle,without looking back to his ex-fiancée whose eyes were raging and wide open with shock.
Maddie could only look at him, her throat completely dry and her mind rushing. From the moment he stepped away from the altar, his eyes were fixated on hers as a smile plastered on his beautiful face. He didn't dare to move his eyes from his favorite shade of green, all that existed and mattered to him in that moment and until the end of time, was her. Fred finally reached her seat looking down at her waiting for his mind to be read. She did not stand up immediately so she left him no choice. With his hand, he gently took a hold of her arm and lifted her from her seat, walking both of them out of the marquee and with a loud crack, they were gone.
All of the guests, the wedding minister and Angelina had their mouths agape at what just had happened. All but, the crowd of redheads sitting in the front and those who truly knew Fred and Madeleine's pure love.'I told you so,' Lizzie mouthed to her smirking boyfriend with a grin on her face.
"Someone. Go. Get. Him," Angelina hissed once she slightly recover from what she had witnessed.
"Don't bother," Lee snorted loudly from his seat on the first row, next to the relieved looking Weasleys. "He isn't coming back, for you at least."
"I think we should better go before Angelina try to hex us" Sirius whispered happily to Cressida, Timothée and Alicia, before the four of them stood from their seats to leave.
"I'm sorry Cassius," Cressida patted his shoulder.
"Nah, I'm happy for her," he shook his head smiling, "they're meant to be for each other, it never would have worked bewteen us anyway."
*****
Maddie's feet landed on the ground, almost falling down but a pair of strong arms she knew too well helped her steady herself up. She looked at Fred with a surprised look on her face as he just grinned at her. She could see the glint of mischief in his eyes, the spark in his real smile that she hadn't seen in months and before she could process what had actually happened, his lips crashed against hers as they kissed in a way they had never done before. Their past kisses didn't lack love, they didn't lack emotion but the difference with that kiss, was knowing that they were together at last.
"What have you done?" Maddie pulled away from the kiss, breathless.
"What I should have done the second you got back my love," he smiled, lips brushing against hers.
"You left her at the altar, in front of everyone."
"I couldn't do that to myself, I never loved her. And you," he pressed his forehead with hers, hands cupping her cheeks, "you, are the only woman that I have and will only ever love. It's always been you angel."
"You will be the death of me one day Red," Maddie couldn't help but laugh as tears of joy fell down her cheeks.
"Likewise Frenchie," he laughed as well.
"So what are we going to to now?" she asked while caressing his jawline, making sure she wasn't dreaming as the whole situation felt like the most wonderful dream to ever exist.
"Let's run away for a while," Fred chuckled. "I'll meet you at your place in less than ten minutes and we're going to take the first train out of here. Oh, and angel," she looked back at him with a wide smile.
"Keep that dress on so I can rip it off of you later," he smirked before she disapparated, a crimson blush tinting her cheeks.
When Maddie appeared in her flat, she didn't expect to see her mother sitting on her couch with Duchess curled on her lap. "I already half packed your suitcase," Cressida smiled when she saw the look on her daughter's face. "Although, underwear is still missing because I truly did not want to pack lingerie knowing what will happen with it."
"How did you know?" Maddie called from her room as she finished packing the last things she might potentially need for their getaway.
"Like mother like daughter!" Cressida chortled and went inside her room to give her daughter a tight hug. "I'll take the cat with me and just send a patronus once the two of you get wherever you plan in running away to. I'll handle things in the café but-"
"Oh, hi Cress," Fred beamed when he appeared in the middle of Maddie's living room. "You ready?"
"Yeah, let's go," Maddie said excitedly when he took her suitcase from her bed. "Bye mum, love you and thanks."
"Anytime ma belle," she kissed Madeleine's cheek. "Practice safe sex and don't forget the charms after!"
"Will do," both Fred and Maddie shook their heads before apparating together to the alley next to King's Cross.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Maddie asked as they rushed to the tickets office. "We can go back and say that you felt sick or something."
"I haven't been so sure of anything in my entire love," Fred came to a halt and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. "You are the only one I want to be with, you are the love of my life and I've known since we first talked on the train. I love you more than you can imagine Madeleine."
"I love you too chéri, more than anything," she smiled softly.
"What's the next train that leaves?" Fred asked the man in the ticket office.
"Where to?"
"Anywhere," Fred and Maddie replied in unison.
"Train to Paris in exactly eight minutes."
"Two tickets then, please," Fred grinned.
"Return?"
"One way only," Maddie looked at Fred adoringly.
"Here you go," Fred handed the man more than enough muggle pounds to cover the price, "keep the rest."
"You two better hurry because you have five minutes left,"
"Thank you!" the couple said before hurrying out of the office with their suitcases in hand to look for the platform.
"We don't have more time and your legs are short," Fred laughed as the blonde struggled to keep up with his pace.
"My legs are not that short and I'm wearing four inch heels Fred! What else did you expect?" she huffed.
"Get on my back garden gnome," Fred put the suitcases down and crouched so that she could hop on his back before leaning down to grab their luggage.
"I'm not that short Fred, I'm-"
"We can have that argument later but hold on tight 'cause I'm running to that bloody platform and we're getting on that bloody train," he grinned and in fact, kept his word since they got to the train in time before it departed.
After Fred put their things away, he sat next to Maddie and bursted out laughing, still not fully believing what had happened in the span of less than an hour. "Do you regret it?" Maddie chuckled once he managed to stop laughing as the train started moving.
"Never," he put his chin on top of her head. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, I'm just a big fuck up."
"That makes two of us," she nodded and tilted his face so that he could look into her eyes. "I love you."
"I love you even more," he traced her lips with his thumb.
"I don't think that's possible," she whispered against his lips.
"Believe me," he stretched his arm and wrapped it around her waist, "it is."
"I'm sorry, for leaving you."
"You don't have to apologize," he kissed her temple, "I understand why you did it."
"I shouldn't have though, maybe I had the right motive but I should have told you first."
"You're back now, that's enough and that's what matters."
"I don't deserve you, I never have."
"Don't be stupid," he scoffed.
"I'm not being stupid, I truly don't deserve you."
"Well, too bad for you then," he shrugged, "since you're stuck with me for the rest of eternity."
"I don't mind that at all," she smiled, "I love way too much to care. Though, I do want to know why do you always get me into so many messy situations?"
"First and foremost, because I love you. Second, because it's fun getting into these kinds of messes. And third, because I'm me."
"I guess you do have a point there," she shook her head and interlaced his hand with hers, feeling fireworks and sparks going off inside her, knowing that he felt the same way. "What made you leave her Freddie?"
"I realized she had me under a love potion," he sighed.
"What?" she snapped her head to look at him.
"Angelina, it all made sense but I just didn't see the signs."
"What the fuck?" Maddie felt her cheeks heating from anger.
"I make love potions for a living and I just couldn't see that it was me who was being affected," he said lowly and then it hit her as well, knowing what he was talking about.
"Small amounts for a long period of time, it's starts to wear of and that's why she didn't leave a fucking trace," she muttered.
"Yup," he squeezed her hand tighter.
"The bitch was using drops of it, it all makes sense," Maddie snarled. "Snape even taught us about that!"
"What?"
"She used drops, like a drop in a glass of water or a drop in a cup of coffee! It was completely diluted and that's why, when George and Lee tested the things she gave you, nothing showed up," Maddie explained. "It was just enough to keep you close, to make you think you were slightly in love but not enough to create an infatuation with her because that would make it obvious to everyone! Like the time Ron ate some in the chocolate cauldrons and it was clear as day that he had eaten a love potion. How could I not see it?"
"Fucking Angelina Johnson can go to fucking hell," Fred growled and turned to stare at the pensive frown she had on. "Mads?"
"Snape said that if the small amounts of love potion had been in use for a while, the repercusions were that the victim tended to create a type of bond so most of the times, they felt unable to leave the other person even though they wanted to-"
"Like attachment issues?"
"Yes, exactly like attachment issues."
"And what about a cure?"
"He said that some of the oldest potion masters said that true love is what can end the effect when a cure has not been given to the person but we all thought he was shitting us."
"Everythig changed when you returned," he mumbled. "The day I saw you for the first time, I felt something different and then things started going downhill with Angelina. That's why I felt as if my body was rejecting something."
"Your body was rejecting the love potion."
"And when we kissed yesterday, I felt like something inside me had been freed-"
"When we kissed and when we had sex, the potion was no longer efective-"
"My veela tops potion then," Fred said proudly and kissed her knuckles.
"Oh shut up, it's not funny!" she hissed. "It all makes sense now, the fucking bitch. How could I not fucking see it? She even took advanced potions with me for fuck's sake."
"We'll handle it when we get back, but right now and until I die, you're all I need my angel," he said but she didn't listen, internally plotting all of the possible ways in which she could hurt Angelina once they returned from their getaway.
"I fucking swear on my father's grave that I'll make the fucking bitch regret the day she decided to slip you a fucking love potion, oh I'll take a knife and I'll shove it so far up her-"
"Love," Fred chuckled, "as much as I love your maniac murderous side, I don't think that getting thrown in Azkaban after everything we've been through to be together is wise."
"Fine," she pouted, "give me a kiss then."
"God, I love you," he shook his head and connected their lips together.
"Not as much as I love you," she snickered. "Merlin, we sound like Elizabeth and George now."
"Knife you were saying?" he grinned cockily and pressed a teasing kiss on the tattoo behind her ear.
"Shut up you kinky bastard," she swatted his chest.
"Oh come on, the time we tried it you liked it," he wiggled his brows.
"We can get back to our kinky selves later this week, that we have all to ourselves," she whispered in his ear, gently nibbling his earlobe making him moan lowly, "but, I just need you to fuck me slow for a couple of days and tell me you love me first."
"You're such a tease," he groaned.
"Learned from the best," she smirked and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest while looking at the sun setting from the window, only imagining what was expecting the two of them as they embarked onto their new adventure together.
Life wasn't cruel when it came to reuniting two soulmates together. Somehow, life always found a way a bringing two halves of a star together. Call it destiny if you will. That's what Fred and Madeleine were now, two halves of star finally reunited despite the adversities that had been placed upon their paths. Life, found a way of returning the two of them to their home, to each other. They had all the time in the world now to simply love each other openly. Loving each other the same way they did since they were eighteen and found those new feelings frightening, terrifying and decided best to hide them, to conceal them. They didn't have to hide their love from each other anymore. They were no longer scared of showing the vulnerability that made up the most powerful human emotion to ever exist. They were at home with each other and that was more than any of them could ever ask for.
AN: you asked and i delivered. so this is just the start of their happily ever after, but i'll write some more chapters before the epilogue and i promise that there will be no more drama, i think i've given you all enough of that by this point. tpwk and thank you all for all the love, kindness and support you've all showed me in this writing journey <3