Yellow - {Fred Weasley}

Chapter 26

"MJ, we're almost at our stop," Dad said tiredly, shaking me gently. I groaned and pulled the blanket tighter around me. It's so cold for it to be June. Dad sighed. "MJ," he said again, tugging on the blanket.

I shook my head and tightened my grip. Dad huffed impatiently. "Marley Jade, I won't tell you again. We're coming up on our stop. I'm not carrying you and your siblings off this train. Get up."

The train began to slow down shortly after he said that. I sighed heavily and opened my eyes. Dad was holding Kailey in his lap and the twins were sound asleep in their carriers. 

"How close are we?" I asked tiredly, pushing the blanket away as I started to stretch. "Pretty close," he stated, yawning and repositioning Kailey in his lap. 

"Last stop for Lyon, France!" one of the guys up front shouted, making his way down the aisle calling for Lyon. Dad looked over at me. "You ready for this?" I nodded, turning to look out the window. It was beautiful here. The sun was out and I could see the greenness of the grass, the deep blue hues of the sky - there wasn't a single cloud.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied, turning away from the window. I've spent the last seven months of my life staring out of a window. I'm not going to do it anymore. Not when I'm starting over completely.

Dad and I started gathering our things, which wasn't very much. When we left our home, we didn't pack more than what we actually needed. We said when we found a place to settle down, we would buy the necessities. Dad and I each had a duffel bag (which we may have used extension charms on), and Kailey and the twins had backpacks. Dad put Kailey's on her back, which surprisingly didn't wake her up, and we each grabbed one of the twins' bags.

I put the backpack on my shoulders, hung my duffel from my left shoulder, and grabbed the twins' carriers. The train slowed to a stop and we made our way off in an orderly fashion. The walk to our new home wasn't very far - in fact, it was within walking distance from the train station.

Dad pulled the key out of his pocket as we walked up the front steps. He slid the key in the lock and turned it, then twisted the knob and pushed the door open. He smiled sadly as he looked back at me. "Welcome home, Marley." I smiled too, ignoring the lump in my throat. We had officially left the old us behind.

- 6 years later -

I sat outside of my favourite café, La Boîte à Café, and watched the people that went by. My heart skipped a beat when I seen a flash of red hair pass by. That feeling had never went away. Every time I seen a man with red hair,  I checked to see if it was him. Even though he's been dead for six years now, that's never went away. It probably never will.

 However, this time the redhead was accompanied by a beautiful blonde woman. She looked very familiar, but from this distance I couldn't understand why.

The pair drew closer and I saw that the man was holding a baby carrier. I smiled softly and took a drink from my cup. She said something to him and he laughed loudly. I froze, staring straight ahead as I got lost in a memory. I was with the Weasley family, many many years ago, at the Burrow. Fred had said something and Bill, who I'd just met, laughed wildly. I don't remember the joke, but I remember their laughter. The memory seems so much brighter than real life does these days. It's like when Fred died, the sunshine went away. The world is truly a dull place without him.

I looked up at the man and felt as though the breath had been knocked out of me. He and his wife had aged well, not that six years does much to younger people. It was too late for me to move without being noticed, so I sat there and hoped they wouldn't see me. Or worse, that Dad wouldn't come out of the café with my siblings.