my best friends brother - fred weasley

lxvi. reunited

"What?" Is all I could blurt out in response.

"It is a lot to process. However, you aren't being forced to-." He starts.

"Where's Fred?" I cut him off, standing up to find my shoes. "Is Fred going? Is he already there?"

"The Weasley's are-."

"Is he there? Has he gone to the fight?" Lupin grabs ahold of my shoulders firmly, trying to bring me back down to earth.

"Clover, you don't need to-."

"Oh my god." I interrupt him again.

"He's dead. You came to tell me that he died, didn't you?"

"Clover!" He shouts, shaking me a little. "Fred is okay! The Weasley's are on their way to Hogsmeade as we speak."

"And we're just sitting here having tea?" I widen my eyes at him, getting to my feet. "We have to go now, Lupin!"

"I don't think you realise how serious this is, Clover. People you have known and loved for the past seven years are going to be in danger. There is going to be serious injuries and... death." He swallowed hard at the last word. "This is the end game, Clover."

With a deep breath, I muster all of the calm energy that I can to look straight at him. "I know. A-and I can't sit back and let it happen. If people I love are going in, then so am I." His worried and cautious frown slowly turned to a proud, approving smile as he slipped the envelope into the pocket of Fred's jacket that I had shrugged over me.

"Read this once the battle is over, and not a minute before." He nodded towards my mother, who was peering around the corner at us. "Say your goodbyes, I'll be out the front."

"Clover." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you..." She takes a deep breath. "I will not forgive any witch or wizard that I ever meet, if anything happens to you."

"Mum-."

"No, if I lose you... I will never forgive Remus, or Fred, or any of your weird friends." She refused to look at my eyes.

"I know how to keep myself alive, Mum. As soon as this is over I'm coming right back here, just so I can prove you wrong." I give her hand a slight squeeze, forcing her to acknowledge my presence.

"So help me, god. You better." She shoves my hand away so that she can wrap me under her arms, squeezing me as tight as she can. "Go kick some wizard ass, Clover. Make your mumma proud."

"Gross, mum. That's so embarrassing." I whisper-laugh into her hair before pulling away. "I have to go save my wizard. See you later, Mum." we smiled at each other as I walked out of the front door, onto the driveway to be with Lupin.

⊱✿⊰

As soon as Lupin and I apparated to Hogsmeade, cat screeches and blaring alarms went off, making the two of us cover our ears and run for cover, in case bands of Death Eaters came searching for us.

"Here!" A hushed voice said sternly, waving us down some stairs and into a shelter. As we came into the light I was able to recognise who the voice belonged to, Kingsley Shacklebolt, a member of the Order of the Phoenix. "Remus, Clover." He nodded to welcome us.

"Where are the others?" Lupin wheezed, slightly out of breath.

"They left us a few minutes ago-."

"Left us? Oh my god!" I raised my hands to cover my face. "We're too late Lupin, they're dead!"

"No, no! They left through the passage way." Kingsley shut down my meltdown as quickly as it had started. He looked t the portrait on the wall, nodding to the woman who was painted on. With a reciprocated nod, the portrait sung slowly towards us, revealing a passageway for us to walk through.

"Ha! I didn't know about this one!" Lupin laughed to himself, stepping in after Kingsley.

"They boy said that it was made after Severus sealed the rest off." Kinglsey told us, lighting the way with his wand. Lupin elbowed my side, giving me a goofy grin, as though this passageway was the greatest achievement of his life.

"It's certainly something." I smiled back to humor him. We walked for another ten minutes while Kingsley told us about what the Orders plan was when we got to them, what was likely going to happen and what was instore for us all. He tried to keep the topic of death away, but we all knew what he meant.

"And we're here." Kinglsey said, coming to a stop at a small, wooden door. He knocked three times quickly before the door slowly opened. As each of us dropped out of the doorway and to the ground, I looked around, realising that we were in the Room of Requirement. There were large hammocks strung up in the air, sleeping bags were sprawled around the room and students were littered in groups, the biggest group surrounding one person in particular. There were a few gasps as some of the students recognised Lupin from their Defence against the Dark Arts classes four years ago, and a few murmuring in awe of Kinglsey, who had worked himself up high in the rankings at the ministry. As Kingsley led Lupin and I to the middle, I started recognising more and more of the students. We make it to the middle and I realise who's big puff of red hair I'm standing behind.

"Ron?" I tap him on the back, he turns around immediately, almost whacking me in the face.

"Clover!" He sweeps me up into the air with a tight hug. "Why didn't you come with the rest? We all thought you backed out and-."

"Well thanks for believing in me." I sneered as he put me back onto the ground. In front of us, Harry was talking with Luna and Hermione while several others listened in. "How is it with you and...?" I gestured toward Hermione.

"Oh... you know. It's..." He blushed, reaching into his hair awkwardly. "By the way, you should..." He clears his throat and moves his head to gesture to the corner of the room. I walk away slowly with a puzzled look on my face, trying to make my way through the crowd. As I shove past Lavender Brown, I see them. Georges arm is wrapped over Fred's shoulders, while Fred's head in hanging low, deep in a serious conversation. As I come a few steps closer, Georges head snaps up. He greets me with a warm smile before nodding slightly so that Fred doesn't notice. Looking into Georges eyes, I feel heavy, dreading hours and days that are about to come. As my shadow nears the twins, Fred brings his head up to see the body attached to it. I can barely form a smile before I'm in his arms, my knees buckle slightly as he tightens around my waist, helping me exhale the weight I've felt on my chest. I hook my arms around his neck to bring myself closer to him, while he grazes my jaw with his hand, tilting my head up into a well-needed kiss. A slow, scattered applause surrounds us as we continue kissing, holding each other close. George's cheers are what makes us break apart, seeing the entire Weasley family and some of the students cheering at our reunion.

"I'm sorry." Fred and I rushed out at the same time, coming to a silent agreement that neither of us needs to apologize for what happened, and that all that matters is right now. Taking Fred's hand in mine and refusing to let go, I look around at the crowd who's attention is back on Harry. Except for Lupin, who's giving Fred specific look, as he pulls Nymphadora into a hug.

"Clover, before anything happens to us." Fred continues to look at Lupin nervously. "I know it's not the most romantic of places, or situations. But..." He turns to face me, slowly getting down on one knee. I stop him by running my hand through his hair.

"No." I say quietly.

"W-what?" He stammers nervously, stuck in an awkward crouch position, halfway between standing and kneeling. I guide him up so that he's back to towering over me. In front of us, the students are filing out of the room, setting whatever plan that Harry created, in motion.

"Nothing's going to happen to either of us, so save it." I gave him another kiss shoving the ring box back into his pocket.