The Lost Witch | Fred Weasley

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

- Warning: Some fluff -

I was sat by Fred's bedside when the doors to the Hospital Wing opened, and in came McGonagall, Dumbledore, Umbridge and Snape.

Urgh. Seriously. Did the Toad need to be here?

"Well, I must say I am quite impressed with what you achieved today," Dumbledore complimented me. I shook a hand at him in dismissal. "Really, Dumbles, George was the one who figured out Fred was under a love potion, and Alicia was the one who made most of the counter-potion."

"Either way, you were the one who, in the end, seemed to realize that Mr Weasley had been put under the Imperius Curse. Well done, indeed. And you must be very proud of your students Severus. How they managed to spot a dangerous love potion and correctly make the antidote." Dumbledore turned to him. I heard him make a noise somewhere between a growl and a laugh.

"Is he going to be alright Professors?" I turned to look at them, then. "Yes, he seems to just be in need of some rest. The curse was lifted, and he should be back to normal soon enough."

"He was trying to fight it off," I mumbled to myself.

I heard someone take a step towards me before a hand rested on my shoulder. I looked around and was met by McGonagall with a warm look in her eyes.

"It seems, that Mr. Weasley was under a love potion and the Imperius curse. I'd guess that neither were strong enough to hold down his will alone. But I'm afraid with the joined forces of the two, he did not stand a chance."

I turned to look at Fred's sleeping face and smiled.

"He really is too stubborn for his own good," I chuckled. McGonagall and Dumbledore did the same, the heartless buffoons not sharing our sentiment.

Poor Freddie. I hadn't even fought for him. I hadn't even tried to figure out why he was acting so strangely. "We'll leave you to it, Miss White. We just wanted to inform you that Miss Walters has been expelled and is no longer on school grounds." I gave a nod but didn't turn to look at them as I heard them leave.

A few hours later, movement made me stir awake I had been close to dozing off in the uncomfortable chair when I shot up again. Fred was looking around, confused, when his eyes landed on me. I saw guilt and regret come across his face instantly as he shot his eyes in the other direction. "Allie, I'm -"

"Freddie, how're you feeling?" I asked gently, cutting off whatever he was trying to say.

I reached for his hand. He closed his eyes as a pained expression crossed his face. He turned back to me. "Allie I – I'm so, so sorry. I just - I can't even – I mean... I'm sorry," he finished. I rose from my chair and sat down on the edge of his bed, pulling his hand up to my lap and holding it with both of mine.

"Could you ever forgive me?" I managed to get out, my voice breaking. He shot up into a sitting position at that and looked at me with an astonished expression. "Forgive you? For what? You didn't do anything. I mean – I left you. Just like that. And I... I cheated on you."

"Nah. I'd say we were on a break. You had the decency of break up with me first," I joked back making him shake his head at me, his mouth opening and closing a few times but no words coming out.

I looked up into his face with tears in my eyes, gently shaking my head. "But it wasn't you. And I should've known that. I should've had more faith in you. I should've fought for you." I looked away, ashamed, as I felt the first tears leave my eyes. All the emotions I hadn't let myself feel for the last month were coming at me like a tidal wave that I couldn't stop.