Just A Bet ● Fred Weasley × Reader ●

30 - Welp... Progress Who?

TW - Miscommunication trope (again), mentions of depression (again)

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It was late, and I didn't want to bother Ginny and Hermione with my tears. I hold my locket, plus a picture I had of Cedric and I. He was in his champion outfit, getting ready to go into the maze.

The maze that killed him.

My tears weren't the same sobs I let out when I was hovering over his body. Now, it was the silent kind. The type of crying where you just want to give up, the tears don't stop, but you don't weep. You can't because your throat is rough enough to sand a plank of wood. The kind where you're in public and have to remove yourself to cry in the bathroom for only a minute before you have to pull yourself together and act like nothing happened, the only sign being the red stains left behind on your cheeks.

Why did Fred have to say that? Why? Did he really argue with his mother harshly enough to validate using my own experiences against her? And what was he going to say the moment before that cat took the ear? That he loathed me? Probably...

I sniveled and wiped my nose against the back of my hand.

A floor board, creaked. I turned only slightly to see the moon casting a halo through ginger hair. He sighed and ran a hand over his face, back turned to me, looking out the window. I don't move. I don't even think about it. If he saw me... 

I'm not sure what prompted it, but anger rose in me at the sight of him.

"Why did you say that?"

He whirled on his heel, staring at me wide-eyed. "y/n?" 

I repeated myself, asking the question again. Surely, he must have a decent reason for saying what he did earlier. Surely. 

"What are you on about?"

Right... He doesn't know about the ear. "George, the others, and I used an extendable ear to listen to your conversation with Molly. Why would you say that?"

His face morphed, panic flashing in his eyes reflection. "How much of that id you hear?"

"Only until you told Molly about the state of my room. Crookshanks ate the ear after that." I look down, avoiding eye contact. "Why would you tell her that?"

"I..." he came short, then moved and sat beside me on the stairs. "Honestly, I just wanted Mum to be quiet. She was being harsh about you being here, so I figured I'd shut her down before it got worse."

What kind of lousy excuse was that?! He blurted out that I was depressed to simply get his mother to shut her trap?! That's absurd!

"So you said all of that for nothing?! You said that you loathed me and that I was struggling to what? Make Molly be quiet?!" I push myself abruptly to my feet. "You are a awful excuse for a man, Fred Weasley!" I tried keeping my voice down, but it proved difficult with this much anger flowing in my bloodstream. In an attempt to reign it in, I disappear back to my room.

●Fred's POV●

She left me on the stairs, but I didn't make a move to go after her.

Loathed her? Not once did I say any of that?

I straighten and move back to my shared room with George, guilt sinking her claws into my flesh. Maybe I deserve being told off. 

George was sat on his bed, tinkering with a product. He looked up at me when I came in. "You alright, Brother?"

I groan and fall onto my bed face first. "No."

"I kind of heard. She really told you off."

"I don't loathe her. Never have." I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling like that would fix anything that's just happened.

"I think I know why she thinks that." George grunted as he reached under his bed, pulling out one of our extendable ears. "You're lucky I gave it a recording charm." He pulled out his wand, making a rewinding motion.

It was quiet, but just loud enough for me to hear. The voices were mine and Dad's.

It started with my voice. "You haven't seen her at her lowest. I. Have."

Then Dad. "Fred, I honestly don't see why this is so important to you." 

Then mine again. "Because... because I lo-"  Then the recording cuts off with an angry sounding meow. 

Now it clicks... That was where it got cut off. She thinks... Oh, Merlin's blood beard... She thinks I was going to say 'loathe.'

"Oh my... That's not-" I began.

George tucked the ear away, looking at me with a solemn expression. "Yeah... We all heard it, Freddie." 

"All of you? That's not what I meant to say!" I groaned, shoving my face into my pillow.

"Then what were you going to say?" He took the pillow away, but I don't care. Do I say it? Do I tell him the truth? No... I can't. But he is my brother and I've never lied to him.

Here goes nothing...

"I was going to say that I love her. That- I did say that. But the recording cut-"

George let out a girly squeal, pumping his fist into the air. "Yes! Freddie, yes! Finally! Only took you..." He looked at his imaginary watch on his wrist. "What, seven years? You've been fancying her for ages!"

"Have not!" I protest, feeling my blood rise in my neck.

"Yeah! Have too!"

"Shush!"

"Nevaaa!" He tackled me in a hug, trapping my arms by my sides.

"Get off me."

He grinned. "No."

"If you don't, I'll tell Lee you like him-"

After that sentence, George all but flew back onto his bed, hiding under his covers. "How do you know that?!"

I just watch with a sly smile tugging at my lips. "I know many things, Gred." I tapped my temple, sitting up. 

"You're not mad?"

I shrugged, waving a dismissive hand. "Nah. It's okay."

There was a long, somewhat awkward silence between us, but things like these never stayed off for long, so the feeling fizzled quickly. 

"When will you tell her?"

"What?" I look over at him. Redirecting the subject? Really? "Never."

Never... Sounded like forever, but if she truly disliked me as much as she put off, then I was done for. There was no hope for me. I was done. Might as well drop out of school and live on my own with a hoard of pygmy puffs at this point. If the girl I love hates me, then how on earth would she ever be able to love me back?

"You'd be surprised, Forge." George grinned, then rolled in his bed so his back was to me. "Mm-hmmmm."

"What are you talking about? I basically just lost all of my progress with y/n."

"y/n this, y/n that. Accept it already. You're in looooove. And, like I said, you may be surprised by what turns up."

"You're so weird."

"Same womb, brother. I know many things, Forge." He tapped his temple, using my own words against me. 

Rude. 

"Ugh. Whatever, George." ... "Imma tell Lee."

He whined and slowly brought the covers over his head. "NOOO!" 

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A/N - Ah... brotherly love. I don't have a brother. Can you tell? 

Until next time, Darlings! Xxx