Between the Cracks // 𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂

66. Heart Attack

Chapter 66: Heart Attack

The next morning Leigh woke up in Ginny's room, drowsily stretching out her body underneath the covers before blinking awake. She was suddenly hit with a wave of confusion. How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was lying down in the living room, watching Fred read about different patronuses.

Before she was able to find any answers to her question, the stillness of the room was interrupted by a snore. Caught off guard, and even more confused, she looked towards the sound only to see Fred asleep in a seated position, leaning his back against the side of the bed. His arm laid outstretched over the bed's cover, and it was first then that Leigh realised that she was holding his hand in her arms.

He stirred slightly in his sleep, head still tilted backwards against the bed, and Leigh let a small smile curve her lips at the view. Had she slept cradling his hand the whole night?

The sound of doors shutting and footsteps walking down the stairs outside the door snapped her out of her thoughts, and she at once became aware of the risk of someone walking in the door any second. And although the view wouldn't be very incriminating – Fred sitting on the floor – it's still not a view she particularly wanted anyone to walk in on.

Still, his presence made the smile remain on her face, and a warmth spread through her chest.

"Fred," she whispered, touching him faintly on the shoulder only to have him not react at all, instead letting out yet another snore. She suppressed a laugh. "Fred," she spoke louder, this time pushing a bit harder, watching as he slowly but surely started to gain consciousness again. "Fred, wake up."

This time his eyelashes fluttered softly, and he groaned quietly as he finally blinked awake, making Leigh giggle silently. He, too, looked around in confusion for a second before his eyes landed on her, instead giving her a small, sleepy smirk. "Oh, hey."

She mumbled her own shy goodmorning, somehow becoming flustered from the mere fact that she woke up by his side.

"Sorry I'm still here, you locked my arm in an iron grip last night," Fred spoke, his voice raspy and low from sleep.

"Sorry," Leigh grumbled in embarrassment. "You should've just woken me up."

The smirk still lined his lips. "Nah." He straightened up slightly where he sat, cracking his back with a tired groan. "I've slept at worse places." She suppressed a smile as his gaze was once again directed towards her. "How did you sleep?" he asked.

She thought back to the night which had passed, soon realising that she didn't remember waking up a single time. No nightmares whatsoever, much to her own surprise.

"Good. I think?" she replied uncertainly.

He nodded sweetly at her reply, probably more happy with it than she could've realised. "That's good."

She blinked a few times, reflecting over her own answer. It was good. Her mind could barely move on from the fact.

Fred snapped her out of her trance-like state as his open palms made contact with his thighs. "Well," he started curtly, "time to get out unseen although everyone seems to be awake," he uttered semi-jokingly, raising his eyebrows to drive home his point. He, too, had picked up on the sounds of movement outside the door. A quick glance to the clock on the wall showed it was a few minutes past nine.