Stumble - A Fred Weasley Fanfiction

Chapter 4: 351 Days Before

Addie grew comfortable at the Burrow. As odd as the house had appeared when she had arrived on that life changing day two weeks before, she soon grew to love it. She enjoyed the cluttered disarray it was always in, and the bustling nature of its main occupant, Molly Weasley. Addie had yet to see Molly sit still for more than a minute or two. She was always on a mission, always cooking food for the Order, or running errands, or deciding for the second time that week that the entire house needed a good cleaning.

Addie knew it was a mix of nerves and loneliness that made her this way. With all of her children either living away from home or attending Hogwarts, Molly didn't have the usual chaotic household she grew used to in the summers. She also knew Molly was stressed about the Order, about her husband working at the Ministry, which they knew was slowly being infiltrated by Voldemort's spies, and the general health and safety of her family.

The wedding wasn't helping with Molly's nerves, either. Addie had learned that her eldest son, Bill, was getting married in the next few months, and that the wedding was to be held at the Burrow. The strain it had put on Molly was obvious. She was constantly receiving owls, counting up the guest list, planning out food and decorations until she grew so frustrated that she threw everything down on the table and went to clean a part of the house once more. Addie tried to be as helpful as she could, but she was painfully inept at wedding planning. Instead she did what she could to help around the house: collecting eggs from the chicken coup, doing laundry and changing bedding, dusting, and other various household tasks.

She knew Molly appreciated it. Addie and Molly formed a bond in the two weeks she stayed at the Burrow. Although the two rarely sat down to talk for longer than it took to eat breakfast in the morning, she knew Molly appreciated her presence. Addie couldn't imagine how difficult it would be to go from taking care of seven children to having an empty house. 

"Would you mind changing the bedding in Fred and George's room?" Molly called from the kitchen. "There's fresh sheets on the clothes line." 

"Of course," Addie called back, heading outside. The morning sunshine warmed her face, and she tilted her face upwards, taking in the beautiful morning. The dew from the grass dampened her pant leg as she made her way across the front lawn, past the chicken coup, to the clothes line that stretched from the Burrow to a small, dilapidated shed on the property. She reached up to grab the sheets, and was just taking off the last clothes pin when a loud crack distracted her. The sheet floated to the wet grass, managing to find a small patch of mud on the way, and Addie let out a curse.

The man who had just arrived clucked his tongue in mock disapproval. Addie turned to find Fred standing beside her. "I do believe the point of washing sheets is to get the mud off," he teased, reaching down to pick up the sheet for her. 

"That's alright," she replied lightheartedly. "They were for your bed anyways." 

Fred laughed and passed the sheet to her. She drew her wand out of her pocket and cast a quick Scourgify charm, which erased all traces of mud. He followed close behind her as she made her way back inside. He diverted to the kitchen to greet his mother while she headed upstairs to his room, where she began stripping the old bedding and replacing it with the clean ones. Charlie, Molly's second eldest son, was home visiting for the upcoming weekend, and Addie was being moved into Fred and George's old room so Charlie could have his own. 

Addie had already moved her few belongings over earlier that morning. After her meeting with the Order, a few of the members had been sent to Addie's old flat in order watch for Death Eater activity. While there, Molly had instructed them to grab some of Addie's clothes and other belongings. She had been grateful, and even more so when she heard that in the past two weeks, there hadn't been any sign of Death Eater's in that area.