Dark AIAOY 5

Chapter 10

Fred was startled awake hours after he had finally drifted to sleep, Rebecca letting out a short gasp of pure fear as she jolted straight up where he had laid her to sleep.  Her hands flew, one covering her mouth and the other holding her scar.

"Hey, hey, hey," Fred murmured, on his knees beside her in seconds.  "Dream or...something else."  She didn't answer at first and Fred moved closer to her, rubbing a slow circle in the center of her back.

"Dream."  Rebecca managed, her voice shaking.  "The door--whatever we need is behind the door..."

"I don't understand, love."  Fred slid his arm underneath her legs, moving her and her blanket alike in a gentle movement.  "Come down here, just breathe."  He guided her head to the crook of his neck, holding the back of her head gently.

"The door, it's the locked door."  Rebecca whispered, still seeing the dream play behind her eyes and so stuck in it she forgot Fred hadn't seen it.

Fred tightened his arms around her, continuing to run his fingers over her hair slowly.  When her breathing had slowed enough for calm, Fred tried to move away enough to see her face clearly.  Rebecca shook her head instantly, freezing like a statue.  Moving away from him, even by just inches, was impossible when she still felt ill with the soul-reaching fear her dream had left her with.

Fred never dreamed of forcing her away or off of him, not when she was letting him be part of whatever solution she had found in his arms.  So, he laid his head against the top of hers and tried to exude such a level of peace she couldn't help but fall asleep for the stretch of time until morning.

Fred, too, fell asleep.  But not before he made sure Rebecca had been able to after all.

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Ginny and Ron were the first of their group to get down the stairs the next morning, both dressed in their kits and ready to get to the pitch.  Ron was anxiously hoping everyone would be ready early enough to fit in some extra warm-up drills.  

Ginny, on the other hand, was not as concerned.  She rolled her eyes at the sight of Fred and Rebecca on the makeshift bed in front of the smoldering embers that kept them warm.  Fred had one arm under the pillow Rebecca's head rest on and the other across her middle.  Rebecca was turned perfectly onto her side, her hand resting on the front of Fred's chest while her nose was hardly a finger's breadth away from him.

All in all, they were adorably disgusting.

Ron scoffed and went to kick at Fred's legs.  "It's morning," Ron grumbled.  "Get your arses out of bed and-"

"Ronald!"  Hermione gasped.  She stepped out of the hall of dorms just as his intentions of a well-placed kick were obvious, but incomplete.  "What are you thinking?"

Ron winced, embarrassed that he was so clearly caught.  "I'm thinking that it's morning and we should all be up and ready to go by now--not canoodling by the fire!"

Fred had been woken by the argument--as well as the fact that Ron did nothing to lower his voice--and made sure Rebecca hadn't been woken so rudely before scowling.  "Give me one damned minute, Ronald.  I'll show you some 'canoodling.'"  

Ginny sniggered and elbowed Ron, teasing him to distraction.

Fred pushed the hair covering Rebecca's face back, running his thumb down the side of her face as he did.  "Good morning, love."  He pecked her forehead.

Rebecca's eyes fluttered open, Fred's face appearing directly in front of her.  Giving her a slight smile, Fred eased his arm out from under the pillow and sat up.  In a flash, Fred was off the bed and wrapped his arms around Ron's legs.  "How's this for canoodling?  Happy now?"  Fred kept his elbow tucked under Ron's chin, using his other hand to mess his hair up wildly.