Obliviate ; Fred Weasley

Twenty-six

Somehow, Gideon managed to convince me to talk to Fred.

I really didn't want to, but I knew that it was only fair if I told him the truth, then we could take it from there.

I spent a few hours at Gideon's place. After we had lunch together, I left, apparating to George and Angie's flat above the shop in Diagon Alley.

That was where Fred was staying so I knew I could find him here.

I walked down Diagon Alley, my hands pushed into the pockets of my hoodie. I paused when I got so close that I could see the inside of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

Fred was down in the stop, one box of supplies under his arm. He was restocking a shelf. I couldn't read the expression on his face. It was neutral.

He looked good. His had cut his hair and the look reminded me of him from 1996 after just opening the shop.

He wasn't wearing anything fancy. Just a pair of black jeans and a loose white t-shirt.

I continued to stare at him. I didn't have the guts to walk up to the door and approach him.

My heart was beating out of my chest. Not only because I had to tell him what I had just found out this morning, but also because it meant speaking to him again, and I hadn't spoken to my husband for weeks.

Fred turned to put the box down which I would guess was now empty, and as he did, he glanced out of the window, having to do a double take once he saw me.

He paused, staring at me for a moment, while slowly letting the box drop to the ground.

I certainly couldn't back out now, so I approached the door and as I went to pull out my own key for the shop, Fred appeared on the other side of the glass.

He unlocked the door and I let go of my keys again, letting them fall to the bottom of my pocket.

My husband pulled the door open and he didn't say anything. He just looked at me, waiting for me to say the first word.

"Can I come in?" I asked.

"Yes, of course." Fred nodded and stepped aside.

I walked into the shop and looked around at the familiar place while Fred shut and locked the door again.

"You're not open today?" I asked. "Why?"

"We've gotten some pretty big shipments home today." Fred spoke and I turned to face him. "We're always closed when we get those. It takes time to unpack and George isn't here with me today."

"...because of me."

"Yeah, well..." Fred shrugged and looked away. "...it's a relief to know that someone is there for you so I don't really mind being here alone."

I didn't answer. I looked around. The shop was rather empty but with a few boxes of products that needed to be restocked.

"Kai?" Fred asked as I crouched down by a box to look at the shield hats that they first started selling during the war so people could be protected from jinxes. "When can I come home?"

I froze at his question, staring into the box for a moment as I processed his question.

"That's not— I didn't come here to—" I sighed and ran a hand through my hair before straightening up. "...I have to tell you something, Fred."

I turned to him and when I saw the slight frown on his face, I looked away again.

"If this is where you drop off divorce papers, you can forget about it." He said, and once again I looked at him again. "I know what I did was awful, but you are not leaving me, Kai. You're not."