Songbird ; Fred Weasley

Sixty-eight

The sofa was so cosy.

So cosy I could fall asleep.

My head had fallen against the sofa long ago, and my eyes were shut, but I wasn't asleep. I was listening to my family's conversations, and the laughter that carried through the room.

Fingers brushed through my hair, and I smiled weakly when Fred's cologne surrounded me just as his lips pressed to the top of my head.

"Why don't you go get some sleep?" He whispered. "Go upstairs, go to bed. I'll handle the kids."

I shook my head, because I really didn't want to move from the sofa.

We were at my parents house for Christmas, and I loved being home. I was not going to bed and miss out on the rest of the evening.

Someone dropped down on the sofa next to me, and I could tell by the new scent of cologne that I was Max.

"Alright, what's going on with you?" He asked. "You look like you're about to pass out."

"She's just tired." Fred said as he pressed another kiss to the top of my head.

"But why?" Max asked. "I get that having two kids is tough, but it's gotten worse. Maves, you're always yawning and right now you can't even open your eyes to look at me while having a conversation."

"I'm just resting my eyes." I said but then I yawned into my arm. "Alright, I may be a little tired."

Max snickered at that.

"C'mon, love." Fred said quietly. "Just think about how comfortable the bed is."

I forced my eyes open and looked up at him, then lowered my head to a whisper. "I don't want to be in a room alone."

And it was the truth.

Those pictures someone had taken of me, had pushed me so far into my anxiety that I was constantly scared that whoever it was, was watching me.

Fred's face softened, and he let out a heavy sigh as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"I'll get you a blanket." He told me, and turned away, leaving me on the sofa with Max.

"Hey..." his face had softened, and he realised something was definitely going on. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I shook my head. "It's nothing."

"It's obviously something."

I shook my head just as Fred spread a blanket over me.

"Can I have everybody's attention?" Mum's voice echoed through the room, and I turned my head, forcing my eyes open as I watched mum and dad stand by the Christmas tree.

At the same time, Toby jumped onto the sofa and settled between Max and I. Toby was twelve years old and in his second year of Hogwarts.

"Your mother and I have an announcement we'd like to make." Dad was smiling, looking down at mum with the softest of all smiles.

Ever since finding out about her and uncle Eric, I've felt uneasy about my parents' relationship.

Maybe it's my own anger towards finding out who my biological father is. It's been years but i still couldn't look at Eric, and I still couldn't be in the same room as both mum and Eric.

"I'm pregnant." Mum said, my eyes widened, and all hell went loose.

Spencer was sitting in one of the armchairs, choking on his beer, Toby was yelling, Flora was complaining and Eliza got up and left the room.