Songbird ; Fred Weasley

Forty-five

I could tell Fred was worried sick.

He had hurried after me and held my hair for me as I threw up into the toilet. Now he was still in the room with me, standing there with his arms folded over his chest.

I was leaning on the sink, my eyes closed as I breathed quite heavily.

Fred knew I didn't experience morning sickness anymore, so he had a reason to be worried.

"My mother and my uncle Eric had an affair the year before I was born." I said quietly, opening my eyes to stare at the wall opposite of me.

Fred moved a little, obviously not having expected me to say that.

"Mum got pregnant." I said, inhaling sharply. "She got pregnant nine months before I was born."

Fred's arms dropped from where they were folded.

"Oh... shit." He moved towards me. "Do you know for sure that she didn't get an abortion and then fell pregnant again?"

"They wrote letters to each other. I found them in the library last night. There was a letter a week after I was born. She refused to say the truth to my dad. She let him believe he was my dad when in reality, it was his younger brother."

"How old was Eric back then?"

I shrugged.

"Eighteen. My parents were twenty."

Fred slid his arms around my waist, and I ran mine up his back until I held onto his shoulders.

I rested my head against his chest, taking in the scent of him.

"My entire life is a lie. I'm the result of an affair."

"You've got every right to feel that way, gorgeous, but hey..." he pulled back just enough to look at me. "Your dad is still your dad. He always will be, yeah? He raised you."

"But I don't know what happens now. Eric is my biological father. How will family parties go? The get-togethers, the holidays? And what about when my dad finds out? The rest of the family? Everything will be awkward and it will all be ruined. My parents will divorce and my younger siblings will have two homes instead of one, and it will all be my fault because I'm the one who found the letters. It's my fault it's all coming up now."

Fred shook his head, resting his forehead against mine.

"None of it is your fault, Mavis. Your mother and your uncle lied. They had the affair and they decided to keep it a secret. You and your dad are the victims. Do not feel guilty, do you hear me? Because there is nothing for you to feel guilty about."

I shut my eyes as he kissed me. Thank god I brushed my teeth after puking.

"Mavis?!" George called. "Your mother's on the phone!"

And that short moment of bliss disappeared. I stared up at Fred, my body frozen and my heart beating rapidly.

"Do you want to talk to her?" He asked quietly, but I didn't answer.

I forced my body to move and suddenly I was standing next to George who handed me the telephone, cautiously watching me.

He had no idea what had happened, and he looked at me weirdly as if he could see I was scared to talk to my mum.

Maybe I was scared.

Her calling here could only mean that she was aware I knew about her and Eric.

"Mavis, baby. Thank god." My mum breathed full of relief as I put the telephone to my ear. "I've been so worried. Please come home so we can talk."