𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 | f. w

xxxii. the returning

chapter thirty-two
THE RETURNING

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a/n: this chapter will jump between past/present a lot. be mindful of that.

» » THE ANGELIC VOICE Edith had heard was shortly proven not to just be her imagination playing tricks on her. She wasn't hallucinating, nor was her mind replaying old scenarios in her head.

No, Fred was there. He'd come for her. Finally.

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A few hours previously

"Edith?! Edith, I'm here. Oh god—Someone help! Hey—look at me, you'll be fine. I'm here now, love. I'm here". Fred's soft spoken, almost angelic, voice echoed in Edith's mind. At first, she thought she must've been dreaming, that it was all a cruel twist of fate, and that her mind was playing terrible tricks on her. She had gone through so much in the last couple of days, that she wouldn't be surprised, had she lost her mind completely in the process.

"Edith, love? Look at me—you're going to be fine. Everything's alright now. I'm here. Fred's here", the ginger smiled, using his thumbs to grace her cheeks as he carried her off the floor. "I'm gonna need you to hold on tight-alright? I need to apparate us home".

While he was marvelling at the fact that he had finally found her, that she was alive, Fred couldn't help but feel his heart break into a million tiny pieces at the sight and feel of her stone cold, tense, beaten up body. She was hurt badly, and she wouldn't even speak at all. For all he knew, Edith was still in a state of panic, her mind refusing to acknowledge what happened to her. It was protecting her in a way, putting up an invisible shield between herself and the trauma.

She was shivering, barely hanging on as it was, and too tired and too shocked to let the tears pooling in her eyes fall. Instead, she was clutching onto Fred as if he was her life line, as if being denied the warmth of his body, would kill her.

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After apparating to Diagon Alley, Fred took Edith to her and Ravi's flat, carrying her now unconscious body to her bedroom and placing her down in bed. She was cold, the temperature of her mangled body freezing, and she was shuddering in her sleep, moaning, words of nothingness escaping her lips.

Fred took one last look at her before closing the bedroom door slightly, leaving her in peace. If it wasn't for the fact that he was way over his head about protecting her and scared that she'd break by simply holding her hand, he would've snuggled up beside her. But he didn't want to take the risk, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Merlin knows how she would react if he did.

The ginger—although reluctantly—left the girl sleeping in her bedroom, sneaking out to the living room where both Ravi, Violet and now also, Charlie and his now boyfriend Florin sat, nervously awaiting a rapport on the girl they all cared so much about. 

"So...?", Ravi started, raising from the couch.

"How is she...?", Charlie continued, who was holding Florin's hand, hoping it would help him calm down somewhat.

"Is she okay? I mean—obviously she's not. Oh god. What did he do to her?!—" Violet chimed in, her normally soft-spoken and confident voice now trembling.

Fred frowned. He didn't know what to say to any of them. What would he tell them? Words couldn't begin to describe the sight of her beaten up and mangled body, lying there, cold and ghost-like. If it wasn't for the fact that she was breathing heavily and sobbing, Fred would've thought she was dead, and he couldn't bring himself to think about that. Not for a second. He was too broken up about finding her like that as it was.

He let out a deep breath he didn't know he had been holding in. Perhaps he had been holding his breath all this time, not giving himself the permission of letting air into his lungs. He had never suffered so greatly—not since George passed—and he had spent hours upon hours thinking he had lost her. That someone had taken the life of his one true love. His Edith.

Fred broke the silence.

"She's-I-I don't know what to say. God-I hope she's alright. The things she's been through the last couple days, the things he did to her—". He barely got the words out before he collapsed to the floor, heart-wrenching sobs escaping his lips.

The other four tried their best to soothe him. Violet fell to the floor with him, holding him in her arms as she patted his back, while Charlie and Florin gave him words of endearment. Ravi was frozen in place, his whole body tense as he tried to grasp the situation.

Edith Gannon had gone through something horrible, and they all wanted nothing more than to help her find her way back to the person she used to be.

After all, she had taken care of Fred four years ago, when George died. Now, it was Fred's turn to take care of Edith.

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A few days ago

After scouting the Three Broomsticks for any sort of clue as to where Edith could have been taken, Fred finally made some progress. Madame Rosmerta, the owner of the pub, reported to have seen Edith meet up with none other than notorious ex-Death Eater Lucius Malfoy. She told him they had seemingly gotten into a very heated argument, before Lucius dragged a terrified Edith outside, apparating shortly after.

Fred, who knew of Lucius Malfoy through his son and one of Fred's old enemies at school—Draco Malfoy—knew exactly where to go next.

After the War, the Malfoy family barely left their manor in Wiltshire, mostly due to the hate they received from working alongside Lord Voldemort all those years, and it was there Fred headed after talking to Madame Rosmerta and getting some more information on said people. But not before getting in contact with his friends, informing them of the progress he made. In the mean time, the others had been scanning all over town, looking for Edith, but made little progress.

Fred never got around to taking to Rosalind Gannon, instead, he sent her a short letter, updating her on the situation. Hoping the woman would care enough about her daughter to get in touch.

✦✧✦

"What about her mum? Does she know-?", Violet asked carefully, not wanting to be asking too much of the ginger.

"I wrote her another letter, letting her know Edith's alright. She hasn't even responded to the first one though. Some mother she is-", he rolled his eyes, looking to the door that stood slightly ajar.

He never wanted to take his eyes off the girl again. He wanted to protect her with his life, give her the life and love she deserved.

"You really love her don't you?", Ravi asked with a smile. He once had it out to hopefully get with the brunette, but meeting her again and seeing how much she cared about Fred, he realised they would never work as a couple, and that Fred was the one.

Fred's cheeks flushed crimson. "Yeah. I really do".

⬩ word count: 1217