I Know The End {Fred Weasley, ACT I}

Chapter 57- Forgiveness and Other Drugs

Eleanor stumbled backwards, her breath hitching in her throat as she surveyed Fred. Not even the shadows encasing him in darkness could hide the disarrayed state he was in. His hair stuck out in every which direction, as though he'd been tugging on the ends, running his hands through his hair until it pointed straight up. The clothes hanging limply on his body were wrinkled, clashing in style. A white button-up and grey sweatpants.

But it was his eyes, glinting in the moonlight that forced its way through the slats of the shack, that struck her. The frenzy in which he surveyed her. The window to the wildness inside him. They were bloodshot and scared, a fear so intense that Eleanor was paralyzed by it.

And in her paralysis, she realized her own state. The perfection of it, crafted by her own healing magic. She felt her skin radiating, the cuts washed away, injuries erased. The only reminder of her torture lay in the clothes she wore, the smell radiating off her body.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd showered. She must still stink of swamp, the brown mud stained upon her own shirt. She was embarrassed immediately, realizing how disgusting she was. Maybe she should have taken the time to see Iris and her friends first, then shower, and find Fred and George once she was clean. Instead, she was standing in front of the boy she loved reeking of her own filth, of sweat and swamp and urine, all while her skin portrayed a much different story of her torment. A story in which none occurred.

Words failed her. Her mouth opened, nothing more than a stutter escaping. She needed to explain herself. What she really needed to do was take a damn step back so that he couldn't smell the foul odor encasing her.

"I-I.." Eleanor began again, unsure of where to start.

Hey, I heard you wrote but unfortunately, I was tied up and hung by the ankle from Filch's ceiling. Sorry!

She was saved from any further muttering attempts as Fred took two long strides to her, encompassing her into his arms. His grip was soul-crushing, one arm pulling her into his chest as the other hand cradled the back of her head. With her head against her chest, she could hear his heart hammering away, his jagged breathing.

Safe. She was safe.

Eleanor hadn't allowed herself to truly revel in her freedom until that moment. Leaning into his warmth, a single tear escaped her. They'd made it out, her and Lee. They were alive and safe and no longer in that woman's clutches. No longer helpless to her whims.

He loosened his embrace, slightly, but didn't let her go as she continued to cling to him, her hands reaching around his back to grip his shoulders. Breathing him in, their bodies pressed to one another, she was finally home. He was home. He always had been.

Slowly, he pulled away, moving to cradle her head between his hands. His thumbs lightly fluttered over her cheeks as his eyes inspected every inch of her face. It was hard to breathe as he stared at her in such a manner. As though he could devour her simply with his eyes alone. And she'd let him. She would let him consume her until their souls intertwined, their hearts merging until one could not be untangled from the other.

"You're okay," he whispered, voice shaking. His breath was hot on her face, that fear still shining in his round eyes.

"I..." Eleanor stuttered again, her hands reaching up to grab the back of his of which were still firmly cupping her head, "I smell really, really bad."

How romantic, Eleanor thought, cringing at her own words. Fred however, only laughed, his eyes lighting in amusement. "I don't care. All that matters is that you're okay. That you're..."

The sentence trailed off, his hands dropping from her face. Eleanor wanted nothing more than to grab his wrists and force his hands back upon her face. To feel the calluses of his fingers brush over the softness of her skin once more. With all the restraint in the world, she lingered in the doorway of the Shrieking Shack as he turned away from her, her cheeks cold and empty.