Switching Sides | Cedric Diggory vs. Fred Weasley

Chapter 26: No Strings Attached

A/N: Spice warning! This chapter contains mature content...but with who?

-

Millie,

I'm doing my internship with the ministry for the next two weeks, but I'm done that Friday. Can you do dinner then at 7?

It's so good to hear from you. I miss you tons.

Ced

Millie placed the letter on the table beside her bed, making a mental note to owl him back later that day. She'd spent the entirety of Sunday hungover and sulking, the reality of everything happening with her father hitting her like a truck. Killian seemed a bit off, but he was definitely doing better than he had been Saturday afternoon.

The next week went by slowly- the anticipation of see her father making Millie wildly anxious. She spent her days smoking with Bill, flying with George and Ginny, or knitting with Molly. Fred still hadn't spoken a single word to her, but from the pieces of conversation she remembered from her and George's night out, she knew why.

There was a couple more weeks until Victoria's visit which was the Monday after Millie and Cedric's dinner "date" (if you could call two exes fighting over dinner a date). She hated herself for feeling a tinge of excitement at the idea of seeing Cedric. She knew she should be mad at him, but the thought of being able to sit down and talk with him again gave her butterflies- but those butterflies would die every time she reminded herself of what he did to her.

The second visit Millie had with her father was more or less the same as the first, the only difference being Killian's increase in conversation. Millie could tell what she'd said a week ago really stuck with him, because he seemed much more determined to spend valuable time with their father in the best way he could. They all talked and laughed until the moment they reluctantly left the hospital to head back to the Weasley's.

"He seemed better today," Killian said to Millie with a small smile. "Maybe he's not wrong to be optimistic,"

Millie's heart was warmed at her brother's new found hope. He was never one to look on the bright side of things, but she was glad that when it came to something like this, he finally was.

-

When they arrived back at the Weasley's, it was nearly time for dinner. Everyone was sat around the table, but when Killian and Millie sat down, there were still two seats. Millie had noticed Fred wasn't there, but...

"Who's the other seat for?" Millie asked.

"Oh, well-" Molly started but was cut off by the stomping of two sets of feet coming down the stairs. As they came into view, Millie's eyes widened and Molly finished her sentence. "Victoria came early,"

"Hi everyone," Victoria said with a smile, sitting down in her seat as a chorus of greetings took over the table. Fred sat right next to her in the seat across from Millie. He looked anxious.

"So, Victoria," George started, leaning forward on his elbows as Molly began serving the food. "What brings you here early?"

"Well, me and my mum are visiting my grandparents in Ireland the second week of August," she started. Millie had never noticed the slight Irish accent she had. "and I didn't want to miss out on a full two weeks here, so I owled Fred this morning,"

"How splendid," George said with a cheeky smile. Millie shoved him a little under the table, causing him to let out a silent chuckle.

The meal was very good, but the tension that usually spiraled between Fred and Millie had intensified. They hadn't made eye contact for two whole weeks, and now it was like they couldn't stop accidentally meeting each other's gaze. There was a moment where it must have been some serious prolonged eye contact because George nudged Millie's knee with his own, getting her attention.