I Know The End {Fred Weasley, ACT I}

Chapter 1 - Shades of Gray

When she reflected upon her life, she saw it in flashes of color. The most pivotal of moments were seared onto her soul in a vivid green only to fade into periods of all-consuming darkness that left holes where memories should have been. There were bright spots too of course. She recalled her later summers as a honey yellow, seeping through her skin and warming her once cold heart. The sun shining brightly overhead, freshly squeezed lemonade, windswept strawberry hair, the gleam of worn-down broom handles all passed behind her eyelids any time she paused to reminisce. Much of her adolescence could accurately be represented by a fiery red. She donned red and gold officially at age eleven. Filibuster Fireworks. The warmth of the fireplace residing in the Gryffindor Tower. Handmade sweaters. The Weasleys. Fred Weasley to be exact.

The place where we must begin this story, for lack of a better starting point, could be best described as a dull grey, sometimes brightening to a more pleasant off white, other times plummeting to black, only to return to some place in the middle of the spectrum. Eleanor Potter attributed this color scheme to her current place of residence – number 12, Grimmauld Place. If she had been more astute in her observations, she surely would have realized that even a home as gloomy as Grimmauld Place could be brightened if her mood allowed for such. Eleanor sat with her hands clasped tightly in her lap in the windowless basement kitchen of the grimy townhouse. The only sound that could be heard throughout the room was the dull tick of an antique clock stationed above a black wooden cupboard high upon the wall, her feet tapping nervously on the ground in tune with it.

Her godfather, Sirius Black, sat across from her, his face set without an ounce of emotion. Yet, he too was fidgeting nervously in his seat regardless of what his outward appearance let on. On his right sat her other godfather, Remus Lupin, who, unlike Sirius, stared at Eleanor with a mixture of sympathy and irritation. To think Eleanor would have given anything in the world all but a month ago to be sitting alone in a room with these two men was incredulous. She heaved a heavy sigh and looked Sirius directly in the eyes, leaning back in her chair.

"I don't understand why we have to wait for him to have this conversation," She stated coldly. "I truly don't see what he has to do with any of this. In fact, as I have already told the both of you, I would greatly appreciate it if he had as little to do with my life as possible."

"If you would like it as such, may I recommend following the rules that the Order has placed upon us. I do believe he shares your sentiment in wishing he did not need to take time out of his busy schedule to pay us a visit this evening," Lupin replied shortly.

Sirius looked away from both Eleanor and Lupin, appearing to be scrutinizing a stain on the faded wallpaper. Eleanor rolled her eyes and returned to slouching in her chair. She would have liked to argue, these days she would have jumped at the opportunity to argue with just about anyone, but Lupin's words rang too true to fight. Her eyes swept over the mildew marked ceiling, avoiding Lupin's gaze.

One more day, she thought sullenly.

"Oh, I wouldn't put it quite that way, Remus," a quiet voice replied from the darkened basement stairwell.

Eleanor jumped at the sound and straightened quickly in her chair, smoothing out her dress. Sirius snapped his head to look in the direction of the voice, his face still unreadable, but Lupin simply smiled as Dumbledore emerged from the doorway.

"I genuinely do enjoy all of your company and, under different circumstances, would love to come around for dinner. Alas there is much that we are all currently burdened with, so you are indeed correct in assuming that I do not enjoy wasting time giving capable seventeen-year-old witches simple instructions."

Dumbledore peered at Eleanor over his spectacles. With much effort, she contorted her face into a smile.

"If your instructions weren't so ridiculously unkind to my brother, I would have no trouble following them," she said between her teeth, her voice sickly sweet, "but alas."