When Fred entered the office of the shop the next morning, George was already sitting at his desk over a stack of papers.
He looked up and grinned.
„Rough night?“ he joked and Fred groaned in response.
„Don’t ask. Do we have some sobering potion left here?“ he rummaged through the boxes on the shelves until he finally found what he was looking for after George pointed to the box with the potions in it.
He took a big sip and felt the relief after a few seconds.
„I deserved that.“ he ran both hands over his face and looked at George.
„I won’t deny that, mate,“ he said seriously.
„What happened?“ he continued, seeing his twin’s contrite face.
„We were arguing. Or something. I don’t even know if it was an argument. It’s just all so complicated right now,“ he explained and George put down his pen and leaned back in his chair.
„So complicated that you’re seeing someone else?“ he decided to address the elephant in the room and Fred’s face turned red.
„I don’t meet anyone else.“ he immediately denied and approached George.
„Fred mate, don’t lie to me, I saw you the other day.“ he explained and Fred’s face turned from red to pale.
He was quiet for a moment before speaking.
„Are you spying on me?“ was all he asked and George rolled his eyes.
„Yes, Fred! I’ve done that!“, Fred hadn’t expected this honest answer and was taken back.
„Okay, listen,“ he walked even closer to George, resting his hands on the desk.
„I told you it was about a new product for our shop,“ he repeated, sticking to his version of the story.
„Why aren’t you talking to me?“ George asked.
„But I do!“ Fred slammed a hand on the desk and George raised an eyebrow, amazed at his brother’s outburst.
„I’ve told everything. And now I’ve had enough with this shit.“ he tried to end the conversation but had made the plan without George.
The younger twin now also stood up and mirrored Fred’s posture by also leaning on the desk.
„You know Penny thinks you’re cheating on her, right?“ he looked him straight in the eyes.
„That’s bullshit. And I’m fed up with being accused of it all the time!“ he raised his voice.
„Then finally tell me what you did with that woman if you didn’t fuck her!“, George’s voice also got louder.
„I don’t have to justify myself at all.“, he replied and with that he left the room, leaving George behind.
Fred found himself on his way to the only person he wanted to see right now.
With quick steps, he walked down the streets of London until he stopped in front of the house he had visited so often in the last few weeks.
He went up the stairs to the door and knocked twice loudly.
After a moment the door opened.
„Fred?“ the pretty blonde asked in astonishment.
„Sorry for the sudden appearance. I didn’t know where else to go.“, he said sheepishly and looked down at his feet.
„It’s okay, come in.“ she smiled, her white teeth shining.
„Thank you.“ he returned her smile and followed her into the house.
Penny woke up only to find that Fred was gone.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then dressed and made her way downstairs to the shop.
She saw George sorting something behind the register.
„Hey Georgie.“ she greeted her brother-in-law, who turned around and met her with a smile.
„Do you happen to know where my husband is?“ she asked, leaning against the register.
„Actually, no. He was here and I tried to talk to him, but then he got mad and took off. I have no idea where to.“ George saw no reason to lie to Penny about it, but once the words left his lips, he saw the pain in Penny’s eyes.
And Penny’s heart sank at George’s words, she nodded sadly.
„Well, I have an appointment with Healer Mary,“ she began.
„I don’t know if Fred thought of that, so if you see him, can you tell him?“ she asked George, who nodded.
„Of course. Take care.“, he said goodbye to Penny, who left the shop shortly afterwards.
George threw back his head and closed his eyes.
He hated himself for not telling Penny what he saw the other day, but as much as he loved her, Fred was still his twin.
And that doesn’t mean he would cover for Fred, but he needed to hear the truth from him first and give him a chance to tell Penny himself.
-----
„We are making great progress Penny, the treatment is working very well and I have no doubt that you will make a full recovery.“ Mary smiled as she walked Penny to the door after the appointment.
„Thank you. I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear that. And thank you for continuing my treatment, too.“ the red-haired girl smiled back.
„Oh no, never mind. Oh and Penny?“ the Healer asked before Penny could leave.
„Yeah?“
„You know you can talk to me about anything, right?“ she raised an eyebrow knowingly and Penny frowned.
Did she know?
No, that would not be possible.
„Err, of course,“ Penny replied, waving goodbye, not ready to engage in that conversation just yet.
Penny was heading home, today was a good day, despite everything, so she decided to go for a little walk through muggle London and walk to the passageway to Diagon Alley.
She strolled through the streets and enjoyed the fresh air that filled her lungs and she hadn’t felt this good in a long time, physically spoken.
She let her mind wander and for a long time she had been confident, so she decided that she would talk to Fred tonight.
She went through the conversation mentally, a smile playing around her lips at the thought.
Until she turned onto a street and suddenly her smile faded, her stomach clenched, her heart pounded wildly and her hands got sweaty as the world started spinning around her.
Because there, right before her eyes, was Fred, her husband, the love of her life, her safe haven, coming out of an unfamiliar house and waving goodbye to someone.
Penny stopped dead in her tracks and hid, she couldn’t see who it was that Fred was saying goodbye to, but the worst thoughts came to her mind at that moment.
And in that moment she was sure that Fred was cheating on her.
She immediately apparated to the flat where she locked herself in the bathroom crying.
She sat on the toilet with her face buried in her hands as tears streamed down her face and her whole body shook.
She didn’t know how much time passed when she heard noises coming from the living room, signaling that Fred was home.
And after a moment, she heard his voice calling her.
She pressed a hand tightly over her mouth to be as silent as possible, not wanting to face him just yet.
„Penny? Are you there?“ she heard him approach until he was right in front of the bathroom door.
„Penny? Are you in there?“ he rattled the doorknob and knocked on the door, realizing that his wife must have locked herself in the bathroom.
„Penny? Open the door!“ he ordered and knocked harder.
„Open the door or I’ll come in!“ he yelled and Penny started to panic.
„Okay, that’s enough, I’m coming in.“ and the next moment the door opened and Fred stepped inside.
His eyes immediately fell on Penny, her eyes bloodshot from crying.
He scurried over to her and knelt in front of her.
„What’s the matter, Peppy?“ he asked in a soft voice, trying to grab her hands but she slapped them away.
„Talk to me, sweetheart.“ he pleaded.
„Leave me alone.“ she sobbed and Fred frowned.
„Why? What have I done?“ he questioned confused.
„You ruined everything!“ she yelled at him through tears.
„What? Penny, I have no idea what you’re talking about?!“ he got up and looked at her worried.
Thousands of thoughts raced through his mind, what had happened to make her react that way?
Or much more, what had she seen?
Fred was getting nervous and didn’t know how to react.
He couldn’t tell her and he could only hope that she wouldn’t ask and hadn’t seen anything.
And before Penny could speak, the two heard the door open followed by George’s voice calling for the two of them.
„Not now!“ Fred replied sharply.
But of course, George didn’t let that stop him, especially with what had happened between Penny and Fred recently.
So he went to the bathroom where he saw the two.
„What’s going on here?“ he went straight to Penny, who accepted his arms and let him comfort her, making Fred’s blood boil.
„So George is allowed to hug you, but not me?“ he asked sourly and crossed his arms over his chest.
„I told you to leave me alone!“ Penny repeated, looking for help at George who was glancing worriedly between his twin and sister-in-law.
„Penny, maybe you can tell us what happened first?“ George tried to calm the situation, but she shook her head.
„I don’t want to talk about it now, Fred knows exactly what happened. I want to be alone now.“ she cried into George’s chest and Fred huffed.
„Penny, look at me.“ Fred said in a calm voice.
„Please look at me.“ he pleaded repeatedly and finally she looked up.
„What have I done?“ he asked again, taking a step closer.
„You’re cheating on me. I saw it,“ she said finally, and Fred looked like a puppy being doused with water.
„What? No!“ he began.
„No, I’m not cheating on you!“ he tried to convince.
„Are you sure mate? Now would be time for the truth. And to explain who the blonde is, that you’re seeing.“ George intervened, not knowing that Penny had never seen a woman.
„Excuse me?“
„Which blonde?“
Fred and Penny spoke at the same time, while the latter pulled away from George and now looked back and forth between him and his brother in shock.
„Er, I, I thought.“ George stuttered.
„Oh my God.“ she ran a hand through her hair and then propped herself up with both hands on her knees.
„So it’s true? You’re cheating on me? Despite everything?“ she looked Fred straight in the eyes, which were filled with guilt, fear and panic.
„No!“ he said quickly.
„And you knew about this? How long?“ she looked at George, but before he could answer, she stomped over to the closet and opened the mirrored doors.
„You know what? Forget it. Both of you.“ she rummaged around in the closet until she finally found what she was looking for, then she turned to the two men.
„I don’t want to see you now,“ and then she looked straight at Fred.
„Congratulations!“, she threw the object at his feet and disapparated.
Fred looked down and his breath caught in his lungs when he realized what it was.
And then his whole world fell apart.
What had he done?