Obliviate ; Fred Weasley

Thirty-six

"You have to sit still."

"I'm trying." I groaned, biting down on my lip as Fred moved his fingers over my skin, spreading the lotion over the bruise that had formed where I hit the corner of the dresser.

"After the appointment tomorrow, we'll go get some more bruising paste, yeah?" Fred glanced up at me, and I winced at the pain.

"Don't you have some at the store?"

"Unfortunately not. We ran out and are in the middle of producing new ones, but they aren't finished until tomorrow morning."

"Dammit..." I muttered, and when his fingers again brushed over the bruise, I whimpered, my hand going to his hair out of reflex.

Now it was his turn to whimper as I accidentally pulled on it.

"Alright, see usually I wouldn't mind you doing that. Actually, under any other circumstance, I would love it, but now—"

"Shut up." I laughed, and Fred smiled, loving that he could make me smile after today and in the middle of my depression.

Every time he made me laugh these days, he always smiled proudly to himself.

"Ow, ow, ow." I whined, throwing my head back.

"I'm sorry." Fred pouted. "It's over now. Promise."

He closed the lid on the lotion, shoving it away before he slid his arms around my waist, pressing kissed to the side of my stomach that wasn't bruised.

I ran my hands into his hair, letting out a heavy breath.

"I can't believe they had the baby." I said quietly, running my hands through his hair again.

Fred tilted his head back to look up at me and I pushed a lock of his red hair out of his face.

"I don't understand Martha." I said as I watched Fred's eyes scan over my face. "I wish... I wish we could go back and be in school again before all of that shit happened. I want to be young, and in love and have nothing else going on than just love."

Fred smiled faintly.

"Meaning you're not in love now?" He teased and I rolled my eyes at him, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. "You already know I'm in love with you. I always will be."

He pressed another kiss to my stomach and I knew the gesture had two meanings.

One was a way to soothe my skin after being bruised, and one way to show how much he already loved our unborn baby.

"Am I interrupting?" Maya's voice caused me to jump slightly, and Fred got to his feet, the both of us looking in her direction. "Carter's here."

I looked at Fred and then towards the clock in our bedroom. It was around ten at night.

All day had been spent by Fred carefully watching my bruising to make sure it didn't get more serious.

What I hadn't expected, was for Carter to reach out.

I mean, I had expected he would at some point when he realised that we were right about Martha, but I hadn't expected it to be the same night as we showed up there.

I hurried down the hallway and stopped when I saw him.

My brother stood by the kitchen table with, a baby wrapped in a blanket cuddled up on his arm, a bag over his shoulder and Myeong had taken a seat on one of the chairs.

Carter saw me, and he let out a breath.

"I didn't push him off the bridge." He said, his voice cracking slightly. "But it's as much my fault as it's hers."