Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

Christmas Eve

I gave myself one last glance in the mirror leaning against my wall, smoothing the gray sweater dress out before I went to meet my dad downstairs. I grabbed a pair of black heels and carried them at my side, not trusting myself to walk down the stairs wearing them.

It was Christmas Eve, the day of the infamous Christmas Party father always dragged Tommy and I to. An excuse for all of his co-workers to show off their future lawyers, doctors, whatever would make their kids the most money so that they could brag about them for eternity. Father had invented Tommy's story probably before he even started showing his magic. Tommy was going to own his own business or be a CEO somewhere, just like him. Me? I honestly had no idea what my story was. I had never heard my dad tell a single story to his friends about me. I was just supposed to dress up nice and smile at the adults.

My stomach churned as I reached the first floor, hearing my dad rustling around in the kitchen. I slipped my shoes on silently and went to the doorway to meet him, mostly so he would know that I was ready. I wasn't holding us up. Everything was right on schedule.

I had been home for five days now and everything had been fine so far, aside from my tears leaking into my pillow every night that I had to lay down in this house that Tommy was supposed to be in with me. The entire night was spent flipping back and forth trying to decide if I felt guilty for wanting him back or happy that he had finally gotten away.

Every morning I would wake up and wonder why I wasn't in my dorm room. Why I wasn't springing out of bed to meet the twins in the Great Hall or dragging my friends out of their beds for some adventure, until I felt the dried tears on my cheeks and remembered exactly why. I was home, it was Christmas, and I was very alone. I hadn't spoken more than three sentences to my father outside of the dinner table, which was usually a silent one anyways.

Father had been working extra long hours since I had been back, although I wasn't complaining. I was almost certain that his prolonged absences were the reason I hadn't acquired a single bruise yet this break. He hadn't even raised his voice once.

The first day home had been hard, but I knew it would be. I made sure to leave all of my wizarding clothes and books at school, not giving him even a chance to be upset when he picked me up from Kings Cross. The only thing I had brought was my wand, tucked deep in my trunk, although I barely knew why. I wasn't allowed to do magic unless it was an emergency, and even in that case I wasn't sure if I would do anything...

"Ready to go?" He finally noticed me standing quietly in the hallway and I nodded, looking down at my outfit nervously. "You look nice."

"Thank you." I tried to speak up, but my voice was hoarse from lack of use. I plastered on a smile to make up for it and he nodded, picking up his keys and gesturing to the door.

This party was hosted every year at the same restaurant, paid for by father's company. When we arrived, the valet opened the car door for me and held his hand out, which I pointedly ignored, offering him a small smile instead as I stepped out into the light snow and waited on the steps while my dad handed him some muggle money and lead us in through the revolving doors.

"Olsen!" A voice rang out which I recognized instantly. It was my dad's closest business parter, a man I had seen every year like clockwork at this party as long as I could remember. Mr. Avery. He was perfectly nice and had a perfectly nice wife who always showered me with compliments as if she could tell I was being boxed out by my father.

"Hi, Cassidy, you look gorgeous, look at you, so grown up!" Mr. Avery looked me up and down and I tried for a polite smile. "Jackson's been talking about you all night, waiting for you to get here." He sent a wink and grinned at my father, as if he was supposed to be delighted at the prospect of his daughter getting together with his friends son.