Closer To The Stars || Fred Weasley

22. Maturing

"I thought you did the memory changing charm- not the actual obliviate!" Lorette whispered to Lucas.

"I thought I did. This has never happened before- oh my god I've erased her memory!" Lucas muttered to himself- he was obviously not used to failure.

"Oh dear!" Molly gasped.

"Do remember your name?" Lorette asked nervously walking up to the table.

"I-I think it's Annabeth- what's happened? Why am I here? Who are you people?" Annabeth asked confusingly.

"Bethy, you fell and hit your head. I assume you've gotten Amnesia-" Lorette said on the brink of tears.

Annabeth burst into a fit of laughter, holding her stomach as joyful tears rolled down her scrunched up cheeks. "Oh you fools!" she said in between laughs. "I'm just fine!"

Everyone sighed in relief to find that Annabeth hadn't actually lost her memory.

"You fowl git!" Lorette breathed, rushing over to hug Annabeth. "Do you remember your fall?"

"Mm- no not really. I just remember trying to help you find your bag and then I came upstairs and everything after that is blank." Annabeth said, trying to retrieve her memory.

Lorette smiled warmly at her brother, who was still in a bit of shock.

"Does your head hurt? How are you feeling?" George asked quickly, checking Annabeth's head to make sure she wasn't bruised.

"I'm just fine Georgie! I swear!" Annabeth laughed. "Thank you for caring." she whispered. "Oh Mrs. Weasley! I'm so sorry! Have I interrupted your trip?"

"No! No! You seem just fine, I think I'll be heading back now." Molly said warmly to Annabeth. "That is- if you are feeling fine?"

"Yes, just splendid. I feel better than ever!" Annabeth smiled.

With that, Molly stepped into the chimney and threw green powder voicing her location and disappearing in a flash of green smoke.

"Bethy, are you sure you're okay?" Lucia asked.

Annabeth nodded. "Mhm. I'm okay." Everyone gave her a knowing look. "Really! I am!" she breathed.

"Sorry to change the subject but, it's midnight!" Bill said, pointing to the clock.

Most of them went upstairs and came back down with wrapped boxes. Bill and Charlie went into the kitchen to retrieve a homemade cake Molly had made earlier.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" they all sang as Bill came out holding a beautifully decorated cake with sixteen candles on it.

"Make a wish Lory!" Fred said, smiling at Lorette.

Lorette closed her eyes and thought to herself. Once she had thought of a good wish, she blew out the lit candles on the cake.

"It's time for gifts!" Lucia said excitedly. "Open mine first Lory!"

Lorette eagerly unwrapped a large box, inside it held a beautiful pink cashmere sweater. "Oh thank you Luci!" she said, hugging Lucia. "I love it!"

"Sorry we're late!" Arthur shouted as he, Molly, Amira, and Vittorio all apparated into the living room.

"What are all you doing here?" Lorette said happily. "Oh thank you for coming!" she said, hugging her father.

"Didn't think we'd miss your sixteenth birthday, did you?" Vittorio laughed. "Have you opened gifts yet?"

"We just started." Lorette said.

"Well then, I want you to open ours last." Vittorio said.

Lorette nodded and returned to the table. She opened the rest of the gifts; Lucas had given her a book filled with notes about his spells and how he controls them. Sofia got her a dark blue dress with a matching pair of shoes. Lorenzo and Marcus had bought her a years supply of chocolate frogs and Ron got her pink coconut ice, Lorette's favorite. Bill gave her a book all about healing magic- he knew how interested Lorette was in it. And Charlie got her a golden moving sculpture of a mini dragon. Molly made her a blue and silver scarf and Arthur gave her a rubber duck.