Sunflower. [F. W]

2. Charlie and the firewhiskey

Fred sat in the sofa by the fire with his sketchbook in this hands. It was way past bedtime, but he couldn't help himself. His eyes lit up at the sketch. He wanted the memory of him and Bee dancing in his mind, soul and paper forever. That night the stars were shinning just for them, Fred was sure of that. 

"What are you doing up?"

Fred looked up to see his brother Charlie towering over him. He put the sketchbook down. 

"Couldn't sleep, that's all. You?"

"Same, yeah. What's on your mind?"

"Adrian Pucey"

"I thought you liked Bee?"

"Don't play dumb, Charlie. I know that you know something..."

Charlie sighted. He knew it wasn't his place to tell Fred. But at the same time a little voice told him to do it. 

"Okay, if I tell you don't snitch on me. And don't go nuts on Pucey, or else she'll know."

Fred just nodded, paying attention to every word coming out of his older brother's lips. 

"It all started in second year. You all were in Charms. Her skirt was ridding a little way up and Pucey saw. The bastard made fun of her. And from there, the comments were just growing. And that's when she got boobs. Pucey's comments went a little more to the sexual kind."

Fred had a poker face, but his ears were red in anger. 

"Has she... Has she ever told you about any specific comments?"
"He has told her several times that he could hear her tights rubbing together when she has walked past. He has also told her he'd love to have his head crushed by her thighs if that meant he could fuck her. I also recall her telling me he has told her about how he would fuck her. He sent her a note with every position in DADA class..."

"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO TELL ME?!"
"Freddie calm down please."

"No! Don't Freddie me! You haven't said a thing!"

"I promised her, Fred. Besides, she is scared about what would happen. Yours and Georgie's reaction. And you know her, she is a tough kid, she doesn't like to seem weak in front of people."

"But she is not!"
"But she doesn't see it like that."

Fred's chest was now going up and down very fast. He tried to steady his breathing, as Charlie looked at him with a worried expression washed over his face. 

"Fred, Freddie, calm down please. We know she is strong, but the best you can do now is help her stand up for herself. And remind her she is beautiful. And I'm begging you, please don't beat up Pucey cause then she'll beat me up, and I need my beautiful face."

"Okay, okay..."

"What were you drawing?" Charlie asked trying to defuse the tension. 

"I just... I just drew us. I wanted the moment to last forever, you know? It was magic Charlie."

"You still have two months left before going to Hogwarts, why don't you just tell her?"

"Because she doesn't feel the same. She likes Pretty boy Diggory."

"Cedric?"
"The one and only." Fred said bitterly. 

"I shouldn't tell you this, but she has rejected the boy. Several times. Plus she reckons he likes a Cho girl from Ravenclaw."

"Oh yeah, Cho. Nice girl. Perfect for Cedric."

"Listen, I'm going to bed, give it a thought, will you? Don't miss out."