Running AIAOY 7

Chapter 3

The tent was filled with dancing witches and wizards within the coming hour.  Bill and Fleur knew they had some more unorthodox plans for their wedding, but they had decided that they wanted to greet their guests as well as see them out; both stood inside the tent to welcome their friends and family to the celebration of their love.

Fred had been searching for Rebecca with a growing urgency as the ceremony's start time grew nearer, and he finally found her and Tonks standing outside the warmth of the tent chatting to one another.

"Rebecca!"  Fred sighed in relief.  It wouldn't do for his entire plan to go off late, though it would be sort of symbolic.

"Fred!"  Rebecca copied how he sighed her name before growing more serious when she looked him over.  "What's wrong?  Did something happen?"  Fred shook his head and Rebecca felt her worries lighten slightly.  "You didn't eat that cake we found, did you?  I told you I had no idea how old-"

"That's not it."  Fred interrupted.  His cheeks warmed at how Tonks failed to entirely hide her laughter behind her hand.  "And no, I did not eat that."

Rebecca reached a hand up to his collar and rubbed at a spot.  "Darling, this is chocolate."

Fred reached up and wrapped his hand around her wrist before apparating them to the platform he and Bill had levitated over the tent that morning.  Rebecca stepped closer to him at the appearance of their little island and laughed at the surprise it had been for him to take her somewhere.  "Bloody hell!"

Fred shushed her and peered over the edge to make sure no one was looking up for the source of the sound of laughter.  "I wanted to talk to you."  He said when his attention returned back to her entirely.

"Weren't we talking down there?"  Rebecca asked, confused.

Fred held her hands in between them.  "We were.  I wanted to talk to you privately though."  He took a slow breath and reached into his pocket.  "I know we haven't really talked about it, you leaving.  But there's something I've been meaning to say, something I don't know why I put off.  Rebecca, I want to be yours...forever and always, yours."

Rebecca stared at the still-closed box in his hand.  "And the box?"

"Open it."

Rebecca flipped the soft lid open and almost dropped it.  Fred cupped his hands under hers and searched her face for anything other than the shock that had been on it since he had started talking, the shock that didn't change after the ring was revealed.

"You want to get married?"  Rebecca whispered.

"If you do, then yes.  If you don't, I can wait."  Fred smiled, finding peace in finally asking the question that had been running through his head.  "RJ, I'll wait for you forever."

Rebecca looked up at his eyes.  "I don't-"  She shook her head.  "You don't want to marry me.  W-what if you wake up tomorrow and, I don't know...maybe you would have-"

"Changed my mind?"  Fred offered incredulously.

"Yes!"  Rebecca nodded.  "Or what if you're-"

"If you're about to say that my feelings might change, I might have to murder you."  Fred looked over her face carefully, finding the little tells to what she was thinking.  "Where is this coming from?  I've known I wanted to spend my life with you since I was fifteen years old.  There's no way, not one in the entire world, my mind could ever change."

"But..."  Rebecca cursed the fact that tears grew in her eyes.  Sure she had thought about marrying Fred in daydreams...and her real dreams.  But that was before everything always had to be so complicated.  "What if you woke up and your heart feels different than it does right now and you're just stuck with me?"  Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but it was heavier than stone to Fred's ears.