Antidepressant {Fred Weasley}

20 - Recovery

              

The time without Fred isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I still had my friends, and Umbridge is nicer to me now that I'm not hanging around so many 'bad influences.' Hilariously enough, she thinks we're broken up and offers comfort as if she were a guidance councilor. A few times I've thought about going in just for a laugh.

Fred and I still write to each other whenever we get the chance, but between him trying to get his shop opened and me keeping up with N.E.W.T.S., we hardly have the time. Even then, we don't have much to say. The only big thing we talked about was the death of a close family friend of his, Sirius Black, who upon his death had all charges dropped.

Thankfully, the year passes fairly quickly, and I'm on the train with all my friends, talking about the future. What we plan on doing, where we're going, how we're going to get there. The train ride drags along until the sun is hiding beyond the horizon, and I'm no better off with where I'm going than when I got on, but when I step off the train, Fred is standing on the platform with a large smile stretched across his freckled face.

"Hello, darling," he greets, pulling me in a hug.

"Hello, handsome."

"Say, would you fancy taking a trip with me?"

"Why not?"

With my trunk in one hand, and Fred's hand in my other, we're gone in a pop and land on a beach. In a way, it reminds me of the hills we retreated to on Christmas Eve. The stars are just as bright here, reminding me of my old country home.

"Another food date?" I joke, dropping my trunk.

"Unfortunately, I have no food to steal this go around, seeing as George and I have been living on take out or going to our mum's for meals.

"You sure are living adulthood to its fullest."

"Precisely."

I roll my eyes and flop down on the sand. He joins me and I lean my head on his shoulder.

"I missed you," he blurts out.

"I missed you too."

"How... were you without me there?" he asks, concerned.

I sigh. "You mean was I sad again?"

"I don't mean to sound like a concerned parent or anything! I was just wor-"

"I haven't been sad in a while. I'm... Happy now."

I can thank Fred for that.

No.

No, I'll thank myself for that.

He helped, but I knew I wanted to fix myself. I didn't need anyone to do it for me. Sure he urged me on, but I made the choice. I decided my own happiness. Happiness does not depend on the people around you, it depends on you yourself, and to be happy, you have to want it. Really want it.

I've spent so much time a pitiful mess, feeling sorry for myself and selfishly destructing my own body. Now I can say I love myself. Now that I love myself, I can properly love others. Sayings like that never make much sense until you discover the meanings on your own. It's no surprise that I've never liked anyone before Fred, and that's before I've always been preoccupied with my own self-image. It's like the chains have come off, releasing me from my prison of self-doubt.

I glance at my trunk for a moment before flinging it open, digging through my belongings.

"What's wrong?" Fred asks confused.

I don't respond, but a few moments later, I pull out my bottle of pills.

"Uh?"

Without response, I stroll to the nearest bin.

"I don't need these," I tell myself.

My hands shake. This bottle is my security blanket. The thought of tossing them is terrifying, but I need to. I need to progress.

"Laney, you don't need to-"

But before he can finish, I drop them. The rolling waves are the only thing that can be heard. My hand is still shaking terribly, and soon enough, my body joins in on the rattling as tears roll down my face.

"Laney, are you oka-?"

Before he can finish, I spin around, a smile to go with my tears. He pulls me in a hug, a smile larger than I've ever seen. This is where I wanted to be, in Fred's arms, forever happy.

He helped me learn how to laugh again.

F I N

The final chapter! How about that? I do have a sequel in mind, so let me know if you'd be interested in it. Thanks for sticking with Laney and Fred for so long :)