𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 | f. w

lv. comes animae

chapter fifty-five
COMES ANIMAE

(Latin: meaning 'soulmate'
or
'companion of the soul')

🥀

» » THERE'S A PLETHORA OF ways in which one could describe what encompasses the meaning of the world 'love'. The word itself can be used in a number of situations and refer to numerous things, objects, actions and people. It can be used to describe one's feelings towards a family member, a sibling or a parent, or even a best friend. But what many people first think of when hearing said word is not just that. Instead, it's more often than not that seemingly indescribable feeling of profound and passionate affection towards another person that comes to mind. It's feeling a gravitational pull towards another human, seeking them out in a crowd, wanting to be near them always. It's the heart beating faster when near them, that feeling of losing control—of giving one's heart to another person and entrusting them to take care of it.

Fred Weasley hadn't known just what the word itself meant until he met Edith Harlowe Gannon.

"You know where to find me when you realise you can't live without me. Just as I can't live without you."

He had, for reasons unknown, attained a sudden flash of confidence when speaking those words to her. Seeing her there, beautiful as always and with a sad look across her face as she stuttered her way through their conversation, Fred knew. He knew he loved her and would give anything to have her fully back in his life. No matter what it took, he would prove it to her. Prove that he wasn't going anywhere, and that as long as she had her doubts about her relationship with Yaxley Junior, as long as that look in her eyes remained whenever they matched his, he wouldn't dare let her go.

She was his. Just as he was hers. It had always been that way, and would stay so for as long as he lived.

Because Fred Weasley was utterly and heartbreakingly in love with Edith Gannon, and he knew that if she still felt a semblance of the same way about him, that there was still hope of reconciliation.

And that's why he had said those things the other night. Why he couldn't seem to get more than an hour or so of sleep at night and why he felt more broken and lost than he ever had before in his life during those months without her.

Fred felt a tug at his heartstrings at the thought of her. He was so close to being happy again, so close to being with the love of his life again. It was all in her hands, the ball was in her court, and he had never felt more scared before in his life.

Because even though he was confident that Edith felt some sort of way about him that resembled his feelings for her, he had no way of knowing if she was willing to give up the part of her life she had been living this few months with Yaxley for him. If she was brave enough, selfish enough to let that part of herself go, even if that meant she would finally be happy. Truly happy.

And that scared the living daylights out of him.

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"I can't do this." Edith's voice wavered, close to shattered already. She didn't want to have to hurt him, Anton had been so kind to her, and she was about to break his heart.

"I know you're nervous, darling, but you'll do brilliantly. Everything will work out, we just need to make sure we don't but my uncle Terrance next to my grandma Cora. There's bound to be trouble if we do." Anton chuckled, scribbling down names on the invite—or in this case—non-invites list.