Falling Slowly (A Hogwarts Lovestory) - Fred Weasley Fanfiction

11 | Take My Hand

Summer at the Burrow felt like a totally different world. I had never lived with a wizard family before and I found absolutely everything about the way the Weasleys lived perfectly adorable, from the self-cleaning kitchen utilities to the weird clock on the wall in their living room, though it didn't make any sense to me.

Mrs Weasley apologised to me for the small room they provided me to live in, but I made pretty clear I didn't want to hear any of that. This was the most cozy home I could think of.

Fred's former room was triangular shaped and there were still some Quidditch posters hanging on the wall - I refused to rip them off, they reminded me of the kind offer he made me at the end of last school year and I would look at them from time to time smiling, with little butterflies rumbling in my guts.
I had placed my Ukulele in the corner of the room and also what was supposed to be Ben's Christmas present next to it - still all wrapped up in blue.

Fred and George shared the room next to me and sometimes, when I lay awake in the middle of the night, I could hear some weird noises coming out of their room, as if they were experimenting.
On the other side of my room lived Ginny Weasley, the youngest member of the Weasley family. She was all excited to finally have a female room neighbor and even though she was three years younger than me I liked her right away and we became quite close during the summer. She wore her heart on her tongue and I admired her courage, though her survival in a house with four brothers (at the moment, Charlie and Bill not counted in) probably depended on that trait.
Ginny didn't stop questioning us all about Harry Potter all summer long. I found it rather cute how she blushed everytime somebody mentioned his name and I felt also a bit relieved that her behavior distracted them all from my own awkward behavior towards Fred.
I haven't had the chance to be alone with him ever since the incident at King's Cross and maybe that wasn't so bad after all. I decided not to let my feelings get in the middle of anything and I wasn't even sure he felt the same way about me anyway.

Mrs Weasley refused to let me help in the kitchen or anywhere else in the house.
"My own children won't help me with the household, maybe I should've had educated them more properly, but I certainly don't want you to do anything around here", she always said. "You're our dear guest, Julie, and you have my honest permission to behave like one."
These were her last words and as I didn't want to upset her, I tried my best to help whenever she wouldn't look.

This one day, while Mr Weasley was at work, Mrs Weasley was busy making the laundry and the Weasley boys were playing Quidditch in the backyard (Ginny had taken away the Quaffle and said she would only give it back to them if they let her play with them), I decided to tidy up a little bit in the old shed on the grounds of the Burrow.

The shed was where Mr Weasley collected all kinds of Muggle curiosities, such as plugs and old batteries and lightbulbs. When I entered, a little yellow rubber duck watched me from the top of an old phone booth.
I found a walkman and matching headphones in the corner next to a broken jukebox, the tape was still intact but I knew electronical devices wouldn't work around here. Sadly I put the walkmen away - it's been a lifetime since the last time I had listened to music - but then my eyes got caught my something else. I lifted the heavy item I just had discovered and examined it closely. It looked like it could still work. Why would Mr Weasley hide it here? There was no electricity needed to get it going.

I carried the heavy object straight to the Weasley's living room and lifted it on the great dining table, freed it from all the dust that had settled on it the past years and was right about to check if it was still working when I felt someones breath in my neck.
"Oy, Daniels, what's it you've got there?", said Fred's soft voice and I shivered when I felt his warm breath in my left ear.
I tried my best not to let him show what his action was doing with me and gave him an honest answer instead.
"It's an old phonograph. Found it in your dad's shed. It may be still working."
"I'm sad to inform you that it doesn't. George and I already tried it a few years back. It did nothing but to destroy nearly all the records that we found in the shed, too."
"The records that your dad kept right besides the phonograph? Well, that doesn't surprise me. You used the wrong ones. You need a record consisting of shellac, not vinyl."
"Seems you're quite an expert, though", said Fred. "And tell me now, Julie, you don't accidentally happen to have one of those special records with you?"
"As a matter of fact, I do", I said. "Give me a minute. I'll quickly go and get it."
Fred laughed.
"What?", I asked.
"Nothing", he smiled. "You are just so full of suprises, aren't you?"

When I came down the stairs, holding the package wrapped up in Christmas themed blue wrapping paper with Ben's present in it, the rest of the Weasley's had gathered in the living room. The weird clock showed the small hand with Mr Weasley's photograph on it switching from work to home and he apparated at the front door.
"Look, dad, Julie just fixed your old phonograph!", called Fred when his father entered the room.
I carefully unwrapped the unused Christmas gift and pulled out the record.
"This used to be a gift for someone special", I began to speak. "But now that you welcomed me so kindly in your life I feel like I want to share it with you guys. This actually is a very rare record of the favourite artist of someone that used to be very special to me. I really hope you like it. So, are you all ready to listen to some terrific music?"
I carefully dropped the needle onto the record and I immediately felt happiness flooding through my veins when the music started.
Ron sceptically examined the record cover.
"Definitely never heard of that dude before. Elvis Presley. Is he like famous in the Muggle world?", asked Ron.
I laughed. "If you knew!"
"I definitely do like it!", said Mr Weasley enthusiastically. "Reminds me a bit of that song they played on our wedding, doesn't it, Molly dear?"
Mr Weasley took his wife's hand and they started to dance slowly and she laughed like a young girl.
Music, I remembered Dumbledore saying once, a magic beyond all we do here.

Hours later, when everyone else had gone to bed long ago, I snuck out of my room and down to the kitchen again. I was a bit hungry and looking for something to fill my stomach with, when, the second time this day, Fred surprised me with his sudden appearance.
"Blimey, Fred, you nearly scared the shit out of me!", I whispered.
"My apologies", he said amused and extended his hand to me.
"So, Miss Daniels. Shall we dance?"
"What? It's in the middle of the night and I don't want to wake-"
"No excuses", said Fred smirking. He took my hands, gently escorted me into the living room and dropped the needle of the phonograph softly on the record. As the music started, he placed his arm around my hips and pulled me a little closer to him, so our bodies would be only an inch apart. We danced slowly as the song went on. It was one of my favourites.

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be

When the song ended, we didn't stop dancing. I leaned my head against his chest and he gently ran his fingers through my hair.
"I can't help falling in love with you", said Fred suddenly, out of nothing.
"What?" I moved one step backwards and gasped for air.
"Well, that's what the song's called, isn't it?", said Fred hastily. "So it says on the cover".
"Oh.. yes. You're right".
I was grateful it was so dark, otherwise he'd seen my face turn all crimson.
We glanced at each other for a moment, but then he said "You certainly have to miss Oliver. It's been weeks since you two had seen each other. Maybe you send him an owl tomorrow", turned around and climbed up the stairway. He stopped midway, turned to me again and called "there's a piece of treacle tart left in the fridge, if you're still hungry."
Then he was gone.

Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you
- Elvis Presley