Songbird ; Fred Weasley

Ninety-two

Everything happened so fast.

I was clinging onto Daniel one moment, and the other I was being ripped away from him by Fred whose arms wrapped around me.

Max was on the bed, pulling Daniel's head into his lap, sticking two fingers down his throat.

He didn't care that he made Daniel throw up all over the bed and his trousers, he just kept sticking his fingers down my brother's throat, making him throw up as many pills as possible.

Everything was happening so fast. One moment, I had found him in Harvey's bed, the next Max is making him throw up and then muggle paramedics come rushing into the room with a stretcher, and I realised Fred called them while holding me against him.

"What's going on?" Flynn entered the bedroom, but when his eyes fell on Daniel, he froze and his entire face paled.

The paramedics checked Daniel, threw questions at all of us that none of us could answer.

"How many did he take?"

"How long ago did he take them?"

"Did he take anything else?"

And then they were rolling him out on the stretcher while one of the paramedics gave him something through a syringe.

Flynn told us to call mum and dad, and then he followed the paramedics and joined Daniel in the ambulance.

When we heard the ambulance drive away, sirens blasting through the air, we still stood frozen in the room where it had happened.

Max was on the other side of the bed where the paramedics had shoved him to. He was covered in puke, and so was the bed.

"I..." he looked down at himself. "I need a shower."

He walked out of the room, almost like a zombie. He looked to be so shocked that he couldn't quite process what had just happened, or that he just fought so hard to save my brother.

Fred said something, but I didn't hear him.

And then suddenly get let go of me because Phoebe showed up in the doorway, looking wary and scared.

Fred picked her up and said some reassuring words to her, offering her a smile before he walked towards the guest room to let her have a nap.

I was stuck in the same spot, staring at the bed, and I realised just how bad Daniel had it since coming back.

Without thinking, I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Harvey.

For some reason, he was the first person I called. Maybe because it was his twin, his bedroom, his bed, but he was the one I called.

"One sec, Maves. I just need to find somewhere private. I can't hear anything with all these idiots."

I heard some shuffling on the other end.

"Harvey."

"One second."

"Harvey." I repeated, closing my eyes. "You have to come home?"

"I have to come home?"

"Yes."

I heard a door shut.

"Why? Did something happen? I still have three hours left at work. I'll be home around three."

"You need—" I fought back the tears, keeping my eyes shut. "...Daniel tried to kill himself, Harvey. The ambulance just left with him. Flynn left with them. They're on their way to the hospital. He—"

"Wait. Shut up for one second." Harvey spoke, inhaling sharply. "Daniel did what? What... how did he— what?"

"There's puke on your bed." I whispered, opening my eyes to stare at the bed. "You need to come home and change your sheets. I don't where you keep the clean ones."

"Mavis, what are you talking about? Why did he do it? What hospital is he at? I'm leaving work. Where is he?"

"I don't know. I— I don't know which hospital. Maybe Flynn knows. Maybe Flynn—"

There sounded a beep, and I realised Harvey had hung up.

As I stared at the bed, I started laughing, letting my hand drop from my ear. My fingers loosened around the phone and it dropped to the floor while I stood there, laughing.

Nausea took over as I realised what was happening. I ran to Harvey's bathroom. I just managed to lift the toilet seat before I threw up everything I ate for breakfast hours earlier.

When I was done emptying my stomach, I wiped my mouth in toilet paper and flushed the toilet.

I closed my eyes for a moment, gathering myself before moving over to the sink. I cupped my hands under the stream of water and flushed my mouth before spitting the water back out.

I laughed again as I grabbed either side of the sink.

"Mavis?" Fred showed up in the doorway, and I noticed his worried eyes as I continued laughing.

I shook my head, slowly gathering myself.

Taking a deep breath, I turned towards him.

"We need to go." I said. "We're supposed to visit Callum. We can stop on our way there and pick up a small beanie for him. I saw this one in a shop that looked so adorable and I think he'd be so cute in it."

"Love..." Fred shook his head slowly. "Mavis, do you comprehend what just happened?"

"Of course." I nodded. "Daniel tried to kill himself. Maybe Max can watch the girls while we go see Callum."

"I thinks we should wait. Callum is in great hands. We can go see him later or tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Because Daniel might not be okay." He said softly. "I know you don't want to think about what just happened, but ignoring it won't make it go away."

I inhaled sharply, cracking my knuckles as I stared at Fred.

"I called Harvey." I said weakly.

"Okay... need me to call your parents?"

I nodded once before my face cracked and sobs broke free. Fred stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, comforting me in one of his tight and warm hugs.

"I'll call them." He assured me. "You won't have to worry about that."

"I've already done that." Max's voice spoke, and I broke away from Fred to look at Max who had changed to a pair of sweatpants and a new shirt.

"I took a quick shower." He said. "Rinsed it off me."

I exhaled, wiping at the tears on my face.

"I called your parents, Maves." He told me. "It's taken care of. And Flynn is with Daniel so he's not alone. Now all we can do is wait."

I felt another round of tears coming, so I ran my hands over my face in frustration, turning away from them both.

"He's going to be okay." Max tried to assure me. "He puked a lot of pills up so he has to be okay."