𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 | f. w

lii. edith gannon, the twit

chapter fifty-two
EDITH GANNON, THE TWIT

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» » THERE WILL BE A SMALL REUNION thing at Hogwarts soon, and I was wondering if you had thought about going at all? I mean, I know things are different now that we're no longer together, but maybe it would be nice to to at least see some of our old mates again."

Edith sat with her knees touching Freds', her body turned towards him and her eyes pleading him to accept her invitation. She wasn't desperate to have him come per se, but she didn't hate the idea of the two of them going to the reunion entirely. It was a chance to see some of her old friends after all, a chance to reminisce on old memories and to help heal some of their old scars. Edith was scared of course, in fact, she was terrified of the notion of having to face some of the memories she spent the last few years trying to forget, but it didn't mean she wasn't ready to be parted from them once it was over. In a way, it sort of intrigued her; and she guessed it was a more healthy way of looking at the past and towards the future. It beat her old coping mechanisms by a mile, at least.

They spent the remainder of that afternoon and evening just catching up, sharing updates on each their lives since the split. Edith told Fred of how much she enjoyed teaching, that she felt she was finally living out her dream, and Fred spoke of his continuous work at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. In a way it was as if they never parted, and Edith could feel that all too familiar feeling of equal nervousness and giddiness settling inside whenever being with him again.

Then again, she also couldn't help but feel the guilt seep into her bones, her thoughts continuing to shift to the man who was currently back home in their flat, waiting for her to return after another days' work. No matter how badly she wanted to pretend differently, she couldn't escape the harsh truth of her own emotions. She loved Fred—she always would—but Anton Yaxley was in love with her, and she cared enough about him not to hurt him. So no matter how badly she wanted to reunite with the ginger sitting across from her, his dark eyes reminding her of home and his hair begging for her hands to rake through it, she just couldn't find it in herself to take that step. She was finally in an okay place mentally, and she was terrified of hurting both Anton and Fred if she made the wrong choice.

Edith was at a crossroads.

There was her best friend, her oldest friend whom she never really fell out of love with to begin with, someone who understood her, really understood her. Someone who challenged her, made her feel more loved than she ever thought herself deserving of.

Then there was Anton. Sweet, innocent Anton Yaxley. A nice enough and handsome young man with a promising future and a sweet disposition. He was kind, trustworthy and Edith could see herself enjoying his company.

But he wasn't who she wanted. Who she craved. No, that role was set for Fred Weasley, and would always belong to him. It didn't really matter that Anton gave her flowers or that he got along well with all her friends. He wasn't the man she loved. He never would be.

"What's going on inside that head of yours, love?" Fred queried, his hand grasping at hers. She felt her insides warm at the touch, her heart swelling due to being within so close proximity to him. That feeling never really went away, even after so much time spent apart. "You can talk to me. I know we've been in a weird place the last couple of years, with all the back-and-forth, but I want you to know you really can trust me. I'll never really be gone, no matter how badly you want to push me away." He smiled.