anchor || fred weasley

chapter eleven - ephialtes

~song of the chapter: little dark age-mgmt~

"I can still walk by myself, you know?", Blaire commented as Fred wrapped one arm around her while walking besides her.

"Do you have a death wish, Sandrins? You can't even talk properly anymore.", he chuckled, and the words were becoming more distinct with every letter his lips formed.
His voice had a raspy undertone, and even though she wasn't able to pinpoint where they were after sneaking away quietly from the Gryffindor common room, his voice was the sole thing she was focused on.

"Where did I go wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
"I lost a friend today. I lost you, Fred"
"Bloody hell, now you're just talking smack. Is this about our kiss?"
"Of course it is. I've been thinking about it all night, and I want to save our friendship, but it's not possible for me to be around you." The corner of her mouth twitched and she knew tears were near. She tried to turn away from him but the hand resting on her shoulder turned her back to face him.

"I can't do this tonight, Blaire. Get some rest. I'm sure Luna will be there for you."
He pulled her close, and his hands rubbed her back in a relaxing pace. His head was resting on hers, and while she was pressed to him, his body gave off the sweet scent of cinnamon blended with vanilla.

After they separated, Fred placed his hands on both of her cheeks, holding her firmly.
"Oh, that ring Cedric gave you?"
"What about it?"
"Toss it. You can have one of mine tomorrow."

He pressed his lips onto her forehead and left her, without saying another word, standing in front of the entrance, completely stunned.

After ten long minutes of trying to get into the common room, Blaire finally got inside. Within those minutes, anger spread in her body and tinted her face in a light shade of pink.

She fell asleep within minutes, holding on to Cedrics ring and thinking about the events of the previous night that now swirled into her memories like a dream.

She sprinted with all the strength her legs could provide. The nightly sky protruded pitch-black above the deep-green pine trees and she had to hurry if she wanted to reach her destination on time. Her eyes were darting around the scenery for obstacles as she ran.
She repeatedly screamed his name.
Her breath began to quicken, and her mind had already realised that it was too late for her to rescue him.
"Fred!"

"Blaire?"
It was like the ground disappeared when the nightly sky vanished and her eyelids fluttered open.
Sweat was glazing her skin and rolling down her forehead while she was twisting under her thin covers.

"Blaire, are you all right? It's me. I'm here."
Luna's hand travelled to Blaire's head, where she softly stroked the hair out of her place.
The cold sensation of her fingers on her temples made her eyes open.

"What happened?"
"Had a bad dream, nothing for you to worry about.", Blaire simply replied. She snuggled back into her covers, Luna still watching her closely.

~~~~~~~~

A week had gone by in which she had not talked to Fred, nor to Cedric, as the guilt and the embarrassment flooded her consciousness every time she looked at them.
She often daydreamed about the kiss of her and Fred, but disposed the thought quickly after when she reminded herself in which situation she was in.

Those ephialtes had continued to taunt her every night, and it had always been the same one. She repeatedly screamed for Fred, never being able to find him in the gloomy forest.

Ron's and her relationship crumbled even more after people started gossiping about her fight with Cedric and Fred at the party. He would send her dirty glares in the Great Hall, and when Blaire walked over to Hermione once, he and Harry left without saying a word.