Just A Bet ● Fred Weasley × Reader ●

40 - Riddikulus Damnit Riddikulus!!

TW - false death

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Christmas day. I was horrified to give Fred his gift. I never told anyone, not a single soul, but over the summer here at Grimmauld place, I asked Molly for a few of Fred's old shirts from the years - and got permission to do what I had done. seventeen shirts for seventeen years of him being alive. I also asked Molly how to sew. Currently, his gift was sitting in a plain box under the tree with his name in big cursive letters on it. 

Now, as I was sitting on the sofa in my pajamas, leg bouncing while everyone else opened their gift, I was praying that he would like it.

Fred was the one passing around gifts. So far, I've gotten a journal from George, a new quills from Hermione, and a load of tiny objects Bill smuggled from his work. I had been admiring a fossilized tooth of some animal when I heard the brown paper of the box tear. 

He had gotten to my gift...

I watched carefully as he opened the box with greedy fingers. I don't think I've ever seen him be this excited over a gift... Usually, from what I've seen over the years, he turns down gifts unless the gift is food. He's much like Ron in that sense. 

His finger - I noticed - gleamed with the silver ring I got him last Christmas. Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen him take it off at all this past year... 

The box opened and I had to remind myself to breathe. Did he like it? I don't know. His expression was blank. His ringed hand rested on the patchwork teddy bear. And the other hand rested on a small bag of exactly one hundred galleons. He only picked up the bear, carefully concealing the money, though, because I'm not blind, I catch the tiny smug smirk that toyed with his lips. 

He still hasn't reacted to the freaking bear! 

My anxiety was at an all time high. If he didn't say he liked it any time soon, I might spontaneously combust right here and now. 

But, of course, everything he did just had to counter my every thought because he looked up and then was gone in a pop. What the- 

I was almost scared out of my mind when he appeared in front of me and enveloped me in a hug. A hug... He was hugging me. Though he had to bend down a little bit to actually do it- that is beside the point! He has his arms around me with his head in my neck!

"Thank you, y/n." 

"Y-yeah. You're welcome." Merlin. My stupid stuttering! Ugh!

He didn't let go, but I could feel him fiddling with the bear behind me. He was just sort of slumped against me, making absolutely zero effort to move. 

"Is this handmade?" He asked.

I nodded. "Not my best work. I had some help from Molly-"

"Sh. I love it." 

Out of nowhere, his hand was on my neck, fiddling with the chain that I also hadn't taken off since last Christmas. He let out a heavy sigh. 

"I'm sorry. I couldn't get you a gift this year..."

No gift... Honestly, that's fine. I've gone so long without getting gifts before that not getting one this year has no effect on me. I shrugged. "It's okay."

"Sure?" 

I give an extra nod. 

For some reason, that relaxes him and he goes back to his spot beside George on the floor, who gives him an odd looking pat on the back. 

-

A few days later, Molly's scream ripped through Grimmauld place. I, being in the kitchen and cleaning from breakfast, was there fast. 

"Riddikulus! Riddikulus!" She shouted, flicking her wand. It was a boggart. Somehow, it managed to get into the box used to store the Christmas ornaments. Dead Arthur, dead Bill, dead Charlie...

In a state of shock, I stepped in front of her. Then the thing's eyes locked onto me and I was mortified by what I saw. Fred. He was right there. Right in front of me. Looking... Dead... He was sat against the box, half of his head bruised and crushed, eyes unseeing and glazed but looking right at me, hand limp with the ring I gave him, mouth curved like he just told a joke...

"No!" 

I grab my wand. 

"Riddikulus!" I repeat it, yet the spell misses. 

Footsteps drum down the stairs. Four of them... No, no, no. 

"Riddikulus!!" I scream the spell one more time and the boggart finally becomes nothing but a kitten with a milk-plump belly. Perfect timing because that was when both Fred and George rushed into the living room, wands aimed and at the ready. 

Bill came into the room and swiftly picked up the 'kitten,' bringing it outside. 

"y/n?" Both twins asked, not even glancing at their mother. Well, after George looked at me, he went to Molly.

"Cursed boggarts... I swear..." Molly wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. 

Meanwhile I couldn't get Fred's dead face out of my head. He was right there... But no he's right here, in front of me, not a stupid boggart. 

He was alive and real. Alive and real. Alive and real.

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A/N - Sorry not sorry for the Fred 'death' mmmmm, yep. This is a romance. Not a tradegy.

Until next time, Darlings! Xxx