𝙿𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 - 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦 | ✔︎

Chapter 54

"The ring is gorgeous!" Angelina squealed as she inspected Natasha's finger. Oliver's gathering was now in full swing, which meant that Angelina was completely hammered on Firewhiskey.

"Thanks Ang, as soon as I saw it, I knew it was perfect for Nat," Fred said, his arm resting protectively around Natasha's waist. They had been together the whole night and had decided to stay sober so that Adrian could let loose for once.

"Well anyways, congrats you two! I've been rooting for you ever since Freddie here dumped your half-dead body on me in first year," she slurred, and Natasha took that as her cue to leave, collapsing on Oliver's couch with Fred right beside her.

"I can't believe we're engaged," Natasha whispered quietly to Fred, and he kissed the side of her head, allowing for his lips to linger. Natasha hummed with happiness and leant into him, tired from the day's events.

"I'm just glad I get to finally call you my fiancée now," Fred said, just as he noticed Oliver and Adrian talking in the corner. "What's the bet they're a couple by the end of the week?"

Natasha looked over to the two boys and snuggled her head in further into Fred's shoulder. "They'll be together by the end of tonight. And if I'm right, you cook dinner for the next week," she said, her eyes now threatening to flutter shut.

"Well, someone needs to go to bed," George murmured, a bottle of muggle beer in his hand. Fred cupped his fiancée's cheek and rubbed his thumb against her soft skin, making sure her wand was still tucked into her dress.

"Yes well, we don't exactly trust you, Angelina and Adrian to make it home in one piece, s do you want to stay here the night and come back home tomorrow?" Fred asked, and George nodded, sitting beside him.

"Yeah, Oliver said earlier he's fine with us crashing here, just make sure you lock up the door to the flat when you get back. Don't need any Death Eaters trying to get to my two-favourite people in the whole world," he said, and Fred quietly stood up.

"Stay safe," he warned George, and with that, he apparated back to the flat about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, with a now nearly sleeping Natasha. She stood up lazily as Fred helped her to their room but stopped as she heard loud bangs coming from the street.

"Freddie? What was that?" she asked, and Fred helped her to their bed before going to their window. The street was pitch black, apart from the small lights from a few lampposts, but Fred could see small movement in the darkness.

"Someone's out there Nat," he said quietly, and she stood up, creeping to his side. He wound his arm around her waist and pulled her close, his wand now gripped tightly in his hand.

"Death Eaters?" Natasha questioned, and Fred shrugged, just as a bright light erupted from a store only a few doors down. A large blaze started to burn through the glass and curtains, and the couple only then noticed the holes in the windows.

"Oh my, what have they done?" Natasha whispered in disbelief, remembering the young family that had previously owned the shop. They were now all huddled in the street as they watched their shop and home burn, and Natasha took no time in apparating out to them, her sleepiness now long gone.

Fred was whisked to the street with her, and they ran to the young family, where the woman was holding a sleeping baby. "Can we help you with anything?" Fred asked as more flames erupted, causing one of the children of the family to cry out.

More neighbours from other shops ran out to cast extinguishing charms, and Ollivander was among the group, immediately running to the children. Though he was old, he was still as quick as he was in his youth and managed to snatch a child just as the flames roared.

"Our home. All of those plants, they're gone," the father whispered, as his young daughter clung to his leg. Ollivander placed the boy he had picked up next to them and helped put out the flames.

"We can provide room for you to stay for the night," Natasha offered, remembering that George, Angelina and Adrian were at Oliver's. "It would be a lot safer for your children than if you stayed at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Really?" the lady asked, and some people walked out with blankets for the children, swaddling them up from the chill in the air.

"Of course, it's the safest place in the street apart from Gringotts," Fred reassured, and the woman looked to her husband, before they both nodded.

"Thank you so much for your kindness," the man said, and Natasha smiled, picking up the boy.

"Come on, it's not safe out here," she said, and she and Fred led the family to their shop, where Fred quickly unlocked the door. Natasha rushed ahead to make sure that Adrian and George's rooms were tidy, as Fred switched on all the lights and got the kettle boiling.

"I'm Fred by the way, and that's my fiancée Natasha," Fred piped up.

"I'm Eric, and this is my wife Nellie. Our daughter here is called Harriet, and our two sons are Caleb and Archie," Eric said, as Nellie rocked a still sleeping Archie in her arms.

"I've visited your shop a few times over the years for plants, it's a shame Death Eaters got to it," Natasha piped up, and Nellie sighed.

"I know why they hit us. I'm a muggle-born witch, and some men came earlier today, asking us about things and when they mentioned something horrid about muggle-borns, Eric kicked them out," she sniffled, trying to keep strong for her daughter that was still by Eric, and Natasha took her to Adrian's room, where Caleb was already sleeping.

"Do you have any funds to fix it?" Fred asked, and Eric nodded.

"Thankfully, my parents are still alive and well, so we can stay at their house whilst digging into our Gringotts vault," Eric replied, and Nellie yawned.

"Please, we were about to go to bed ourselves, stay in my brother George's room," Fred said, and the couple nodded, following him to where Natasha had quickly freshened the room up, placing spare toiletries in the bathroom.

Eric and Nellie thanked Fred and Natasha profusely, right up until they closed George's door, and Natasha collapsed on the couch. "Nope, I'm spending the first night with you as my fiancée in my bed," Fred tutted, picking her up.

Natasha grumbled, but kept quiet as Adrian's bedroom shared the same wall as their bedroom. No matter how tired she got, she would always put others first, including the now sleeping children housed with them.

"Sleep my darling," Fred said as he lay her on their bed. The dark blue covers magically pulled up to her chin, and Fred took her wand from her hair, laying it beside his on their wand stand by his bedside.

Natasha was still in her day clothes, very much like Fred, but the two couldn't care less as they snuggled together. "I love you Freddie," Natasha whispered, her head buried in his chest.

"I love you too Nat," he said back, pressing a kiss to her head before shutting his eyes.