Warning - slight mature content
Distant voices could be heard but it was dark. My throat felt dry, I wanted to open my mouth and speak, but immediately had to cough.
The voices became louder, clearer, they were familiar voices. For a brief moment, I thought I could open my eyes. Darkness.
Soft voices again, whispering, I wanted to speak, move my hands. I hear you. Who are you? Darkness.
My mouth was so dry, water, I needed water. Did anyone hear me? I’m here. Where am I? Is someone there? Darkness.
A bright light before my eyes, I could move my hands. Water, I needed water. Voices, there they were again. Familiar voices, they were clearer now. Fred? Darkness.
A squeeze on my hand. Warmth. Was someone holding my hand? Fred? I need water. Dry. Tired. Darkness.
Again, voices. Today I was strong enough. I knew it. I could do it. I slowly opened my eyes. Bright light, blink. Where was I? Water! I needed water! Fred?
„She is moving!“, The voice could now be heard clearly. Fred. More voices, whispering, shuffling.
„Peppy, love, can you hear me?“
I hear you.
„Peppy? Can you speak?“
Yes.
„Fred, are you sure?“ Remus.
„I am! Peppy, answer me.“
I CAN HEAR YOU.
I wanted to speak. A gurgling sound. Was that my voice? What’s that in my mouth, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t swallow.
„She says something, be quiet. She is awake.“, they could hear me. Fred.
Breathe, I can’t breathe. Choking. Coughing.
„Mr. Weasley, please get away from the bed,“ an unfamiliar voice.
„No!“, Fred.
„Freddie dear, do what she says,“ Mrs. Weasley.
„Okay, Ms. Campbell, you are awake, listen, you have a tube in your throat, a Muggle invention, very helpful. I’m pulling it out now. Relax.“, unknown voice.
She pulled. I coughed. I could breathe. I opened my eyes. Where am I?
„F-Fre-ddie?“, My voice was sore.
„I’m here my love.“, Fred scurried to my side and took my hand. I smiled at him. Darkness.
Fred
When we first heard about the incident at the Ministry, I knew immediately that Penny was there.
George and I were on our way as soon as we heard they had taken Penny to St Mungo’s.
The others could be treated by Madam Pomfrey at Hogwarts, but her injuries were too severe. George had to calm me down the whole time because the healers wouldn’t let me see her.
When I first saw her, with all the tubes, cables and monitors, my world collapsed. I was told that they used muggle methods to help her breathe.
So I spent most of the days and nights by her bed. I was absolutely certain that she heard me and felt my presence. After they pulled the tube out we were able to take her to grimmauld place where she could continue to recover.
Penny
I opened my eyes. I felt better. Fred sat next to me sleeping, his head on my stomach, his face pointing towards me and a few hairs were falling over his eyes. I raised my hand and gently stroked the hair off his face. His eyes slowly fluttered open. When our eyes met, he smiled.
„How are you feeling?“, he asked softly.
„I’m thirsty.“, My voice still sounded hoarse and it was exhausting to speak. Fred got up immediately and went to the other side of the bed, where a small table was attached to it. He filled a glass of water and handed it over.
„Can you help me?“ I asked him.
„Of course.“, He helped me to sit up a little, he put a hand under my head to support me and carefully brought the glass up to my lips.
I took the first sip, it felt strange, unfamiliar. Like I was drinking for the first time. But it was good.
„What happened and where am I?“, I looked around the room, it looked like my room in grimmauld place only that it was more like a hospital room, with a huge monitor above the bed.
„What exactly do you remember?“, he asked and I thought for a moment. Images appeared in front of my eyes.
„We were at the Ministry, it was a trap, we fought. My father is dead. That’s all I can remember. Are the others alright?“, I asked concerned.
„They’re all safe. But you gave me quite the scare. Some woman used the killing curse on you. Remus said some kind of protective shield came out of the veil that your father fell through shortly before. It did hit you and you were in a coma for a couple of weeks, but it didn’t kill you.” I swore I saw tears in Fred’s eyes. „I’m so glad you’re okay, Peppy.“, he pressed a soft kiss on my forehead.
„A couple of weeks?“ I asked, shocked.
„What month is it?“
„September.“ Fred mumbled.
„Sorry? Did you say September?“ I sat up too quickly and immediately felt dizzy.
„Yes, oh and ..“, he got up, went over to my dresser and opened a drawer from which he took a small box, then came back to me.
„Happy belated 17th birthday, sweetheart.“ He handed me the box, which was messily wrapped.
I stared at it, unable to understand what Fred had just told me. I missed my birthday, I missed the start of the new school year. What else did I miss?
„Open it.“, his voice got me out of my thoughts. I unwrapped it and opened the box and found a beautiful ring. I looked at Fred with my mouth open.
„This is a promise ring.“, Fred took the small, delicate ring out of the box, it was a rose gold with a single red stone on it. It was beautiful. „it’s a ruby, it’s your birthstone.“, he smiled.
„Fred, you didn’t have to do that.“, my eyes were still on the ring that Fred was holding in his hand. Trying to proceed his words, I felt completely overwhelmed.
„But I wanted to. May I?“, he pointed to my hand, which I gladly gave him.
„I promise you that I will always protect you, I will never leave you alone again and always be there for you. And at some point, and if you do me the honor, I will exchange this ring for another.“, Fred gently slipped it on my ring finger and I looked at it.
„Fred it is beautiful.“, I pulled him towards me, my hands on his neck, we looked each other in the eyes and finally, after much too long, our lips met again. It was like the very first kiss, butterflies erupted in my stomach and it was pure happiness.
A knock on the door interrupted us and we let go of each other. The door opened and several people tried to squeeze through at once.
Remus, Sirius, and the Weasley family members that weren’t currently at Hogwarts came in.
„I’m so glad you’re up.“ Remus came over to my bed and hugged me. And so did the others.
After they told me what had happened and what I had missed, Fred helped me down the stairs so I could have dinner with the others. Mrs Weasley also prepared a birthday cake for me and we kind of celebrated it.
George and Fred have opened their shop and have moved into the flat above. Mrs. Weasley wasn’t pleased, of course, but she couldn’t say anything about it either
-----
“Well, the woman who attacked me .. What was her name again?“, We sat together in the living room, after dinner I was very exhausted, so I was lying on the couch with my head in Fred’s lap.
Remus and Sirius sat across from each other, each with a glass of firewhiskey in hand.
„Rubina Masterson.“ Sirius replied.
„Mhh, so Rubina Masterson attacked me, you suspect she had something going on with my father?“ I tried to sort through the information I had received so far.
Remus nodded.
„She was in our year at Hogwarts, very nondescript girl, Hufflepuff, never felt comfortable there. And suddenly she was just gone,“ he said.
„And where is she now?“ I snuggled closer to Fred, who was continuously stroking my hair.
„After she attacked you, chaos broke out, especially because of the fight between Voldemort and Dumbledore. And she disappeared.“ Arthur, who was sitting next to his wife at the table, interfered.
I nodded and considered.
„Could the letters be from her?“ I finally asked.
„We can’t exclude that.“, now Fred spoke and also took a sip of his firewhiskey.
„And the break-in into my room?“, I looked at the men in front of me.
„We can’t be sure, it’s just a question of how she got into the castle in the first place.“ Remus ran both hands across his face.
„That’s enough now. She needs rest. Fred, I think it is better if you accompany her to her bedroom.“, Mrs. Weasley interrupted our conversation and spoke directly to her son.
I wanted to protest, but she was right, I was terribly tired.
Fred helped me up and led me out of the room.
„Oi, Fred.“ We turned around, Remus was standing and looking in our direction.
„Remember, you have your own bed,“ he glared at Fred warningly. Fred’s face turned red to match his hair, Mrs. Weasley inhaled sharply while Sirius and Arthur just laughed.
„Of course, sir.“ Fred made a small bow and I looked at him in amusement.
-----
„Sir? You called Remus sir?“ I laughed as I watched Fred through the mirror in my bathroom that I was standing in front of to brush my teeth.
„I don’t know what I was thinking, he’s intimidating, you know?“, he fiddled with the toilet roll holder.
„Oh yes, incredibly intimidating.“ I laughed through the toothpaste.
After I rinsed my mouth and Fred helped me change, I crawled into my bed. Fred kissed me and turned around.
„Where are you going?“ I asked confused.
„Erm, in my bed?“, he turned around and looked at me.
„No, sleep with me, this is not the first time.“, I suppressed a laugh.
„But Remus said –“ he started but I wouldn’t let him finish his sentence.
„I don’t care what Remus said, I want you to sleep in my bed.“ I gave him puppy eyes and pouted at him.
Fred sighed but smiled.
He took off his jumper and I scanned his body, his defined abs, how his biceps flexed as he pulled the jumper over his head and the v-line that was now visible.
„Take a picture, it’ll last longer.“, he winked at me and slipped under the covers.
Fred spooned me and pulled me into him. His breath on the back of my neck made goose bumps erupt on my body and I pressed closer to him.
I grabbed his hand and put his arm around me, while stroking with my fingernails up and down his arm.
“I missed you,“ he whispered in my ear and nibbled on my earlobe.
„Mhh .. I missed you too.“, I breathed out.
Fred took the arm I stroked and brushed the hair from the back of my neck, I tilted my head to one side and gave him better access.
He kissed my neck down and his hand slowly wandered down my torso until he slipped it under my shirt.
„Is that okay?“, he traced circles over my lower abdomen.
„More than okay, Freddie.“, I tilted my head and our eyes met.
Fred gently nudged my nose with his and his soft lips slowly settled on mine. The kiss started tenderly and I sucked in every moment of it. Fred’s tongue ran over my lower lip and I opened my mouth to let him in. Our tongues played in wonderful unison.
Fred continued to stroke my stomach, his hand moving steadily upwards. I sank my teeth into his lower lip and sucked it briefly, Fred groaned into my mouth, the sound sent the butterflies from my stomach directly down between my legs. I pressed my thighs together.
„Tell me when to stop.“ Fred broke the kiss and looked at me, I nodded.
His hand, which continued to caress my stomach, now approached my chest. With his fingers, he gently traced along the way under my breasts.
I felt my nipples harden under his touch. His hand cupped my whole breast and massaged it while his thumb ran over my nipple.
I groaned at the completely new feeling that Fred gave me and pressed my ass against him, feeling a noticeable bulge under his sweatpants. I tried to turn around and touch Fred too, but he held me in place.
„Tonight is all about you, love.“, he caressed my breasts for a moment while his mouth left marks on my neck.
His hand slowly moved down my torso and reached the hem of my pants. Just as he was about to slip his hand in my pants, we were interrupted by a loud noise. Fred quickly pulled his hand out from under the covers and pulled it over me.
„George!“, he groaned annoyed. „ever heard of knocking?“
„Sorry! Did I interrupt something?“, George held a hand over his eyes.
„You can look, Georgie, it’s safe.“ I laughed and he took his hand away.
„What do you want?“, his brother sat up in bed and looked at him.
„I was bored. Since my twin left me for a woman, my nights have been very lonely.“, George stood in the room, his hands folded behind his back, he had his head tilted slightly to one side and pouted.
I couldn’t help but laugh, while Fred grabbed my pillow and threw it straight at his clone.
„Seriously, George? You were bored?“, Fred rolled his eyes.
George, who was hit directly in the face by the pillow, pretended to be badly injured.
„You two are crazy! Absolutely crazy, I don’t know how I put up with you for so long.“ I shook my head and laughed.
Now both brothers looked at me offended and before I could react George threw the pillow back at me, but before it hit me, Fred held his arm between them.
„Careful mate, she’s just back under the living , no need to knock her out again.“, Fred glared playfully at his twin.
„I’m sorry.“, he said a bit ashamed.
„Everything's ok, George. Freddie here is a bit overconcerned.“ I patted the man next to me on the chest.
„Of course. After all, you have only just fully awakened from a coma.“, he put his arm around me.
„Well … I think I should go …“ said George standing a little awkwardly in front of the bed.
„Or you just sleep with us.“, I lifted the blanket and patted the mattress in front of me. George’s face screwed up and he raised an eyebrow while looking questioningly at Fred, who just shrugged.
„No thanks, who knows what I would get into. Good night.“ And with that he was gone and left us alone.
„Do you have any idea what he wanted?“ I stared at the point where the younger twin was standing until a moment ago.
“Nope. But right now I don’t care either.“ He looked at me, put his right hand on my cheek and leaned down to me.
As he kissed me, he slowly pushed me back down onto the mattress.
„Shall we pick up where we left off, or do you want to sleep?“, he broke the kiss and waited for my answer.
„In fact, I’m tired.“ I smiled apologetically.
„No problem, sweetheart.“, He pulled the blanket over us, pulled me closer and with a wink of his wand he switched off the light.
„Good night, Peppy,“ he whispered into my hair.
„Good night, Freddie.“ I closed my eyes and fell into a well-deserved dreamless sleep.