Love In The Shadows | Fred Weasley x OC

Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Unspoken Bond

Vera Weasley stood in Adhara's path outside the Ministry's doors, her presence like an anchor in the midst of the busy crowd. Her expression was a mixture of determination and sorrow, a combination that left no room for denial. It was clear she had been waiting for Adhara, and that fact alone sent a ripple of tension through Adhara's body. She came to a halt, her pulse quickening at the unexpected confrontation.

"Adhara," Vera's voice broke through the noise of the city, soft but piercing.

Adhara's heart skipped a beat at the sound of her name. She straightened up, adjusting her bag in an attempt to steady herself, forcing her voice to remain steady despite the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside. "Vera," she replied, the word coming out much quieter than she'd intended.

Vera didn't speak immediately. Instead, she just stood there, her eyes scanning Adhara's face with an intensity that felt almost too much to bear. The years between them felt like nothing, as if no time had passed, but in truth, so much had.

"It's been a long time," Vera said at last, her voice thick with emotion, her words tinged with a quiet ache that Adhara couldn't ignore.

"It has," Adhara agreed, her throat tightening as the past began to resurface, uninvited and relentless. She glanced at Vera's hand, noticing the gold wedding band glinting in the sunlight. She felt a pang in her chest—a sharp reminder of everything she had missed, everything she had lost. But she managed to force a smile. "Congratulations. I'm sorry I couldn't come to your wedding. There was—"

"Don't," Vera interrupted, her voice firmer now, though still laced with pain. "Don't even try to explain it away." Without warning, she stepped forward and pulled Adhara into a tight, desperate hug.

Adhara froze, startled by the sudden movement, her body stiff against the warmth of Vera's embrace. But as Vera held her close, clinging to her as though afraid she might disappear again, something inside Adhara cracked. Slowly, reluctantly, she wrapped her arms around Vera, letting her tears fall freely.

"Why, Adhara?" Vera whispered, her voice muffled against Adhara's shoulder, the question so raw it almost shattered her. "Why did you really leave?"

Adhara closed her eyes tightly, willing herself not to cry, but the warmth and weight of Vera's words were impossible to ignore. It had been years since she allowed herself to truly feel the hurt of leaving everything and everyone behind.

"I had my reasons," Adhara replied quietly, her voice strained, though her mind screamed to say more.

Vera pulled back, her hands gripping Adhara's arms as she looked into her eyes with an expression that was part sorrow, part frustration. "Your reasons?" she repeated, her voice shaky but determined. "Do you know what you leaving did to Fred? Do you know how broken he was? How broken we were?"

Adhara flinched, the sound of Fred's name making her heart clench painfully. She had always known that leaving would hurt him, but hearing the truth of it from Vera's lips was like a slap to the face. She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't come.

"No," Vera continued, cutting her off before she could speak. "You don't get to brush this off, Adhara. Fred loved you. He would've given you the world. And when you left, he didn't know how to move on. He barely smiled, barely spoke for months. George and I tried everything, but nothing worked. He's only just started putting himself back together."

Adhara's stomach twisted at the thought of Fred, broken and lost because of her. She couldn't bear it, couldn't face the reality of what she had done to him, to all of them. "I didn't want to hurt him," she said softly, the words almost a whisper as the guilt overwhelmed her.

"Then why did you?" Vera's voice broke then, the sound of it causing Adhara's chest to tighten. "Why did you leave like that? Why didn't you tell him what was going on? He deserved that much, at least."

Adhara swallowed hard, the words stuck in her throat. "I couldn't," she managed, her voice barely audible. "I couldn't risk him getting involved in my mess. I couldn't risk dragging him into a world that would have destroyed him."

Vera's eyes darkened with frustration. "What mess, Adhara? What were you protecting him from? You could have trusted us. You could have trusted him."

Adhara shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears she refused to let fall. "I couldn't. I didn't want to bring the danger to him. I thought I was protecting him by leaving. But now..." Her voice trailed off, the weight of her actions suffocating her.

Vera's face softened with understanding, but the hurt in her eyes remained. She placed a hand gently on Adhara's shoulder, grounding her. "You don't have to keep running, Adhara. You're here now. You can make things right."

Adhara shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "It's not that simple."

Vera's expression softened with empathy, her voice quieter but still laced with conviction. "I know it's not simple, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Fred deserves closure. You both do. He was the one who told me you were here. He didn't say much, but I could see it in his eyes—he's still not over you."

Adhara's heart skipped a beat, a mixture of guilt and longing pulling at her. "Oh."she whispered. "It doesn't change anything. He's moved on. He's dating someone now." The words stung as they left her mouth, and she hated herself for speaking them. But it was the truth, wasn't it? Fred had to move on, and she had to let him.

Vera's expression faltered for just a moment, her face betraying a flicker of hurt, but she quickly masked it with a soft smile. "You think he's really moved on, don't you?"

Adhara nodded, but even as she did, a knot formed in her stomach. "I do," she said, forcing the words past her lips. "But it doesn't change the fact that I still care about him. I always will. I just... I don't want to cause him more pain."

Vera's gaze softened with understanding, and she gave Adhara's hands a reassuring squeeze. "You're not causing him pain by being here. You're just giving him a chance to understand what happened. To get some closure."

Adhara let out a long breath, the weight of Vera's words settling in her chest. Could she really do this? Could she face Fred again, face the life she had walked away from? "I'll think about it," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vera nodded, her eyes filled with a mix of hope and concern. "Please, Adhara. It's been long enough. We've all missed you."

Adhara watched as Vera turned to leave, her footsteps echoing in the stillness of the moment. For the first time in years, Adhara felt something stir within her, something she thought she had buried long ago. The past, all its pain and unresolved questions, loomed large in front of her, but so did the possibility of healing, of forgiveness.

"Come to dinner tonight," Vera's voice echoed in Adhara's mind.

Adhara closed her eyes, letting the weight of Vera's words wash over her. She wasn't sure what to do next, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like she might be ready to face the consequences of her past. It wouldn't be easy, but maybe, just maybe, it would be worth it.