Falter - A Fred Weasley Sequel

17. Distractions

Fred and Addie were wandering around Ottery St. Catchpole, taking an afternoon stroll to get out of the house and out from Molly's watchful eye. They passed a cinema, and Addie craned her head up to read what titles were playing. "Oh!" she said, eyes widening. "I've seen previews for that at mum's! I want to see it!"

Fred followed Addie's gaze to the title, frowning. "You watch those muggle picture things?"

"Of course! Every muggle kid grows up watching them. Mum and I used to go to the cinema every time a new Disney one came out. And I'd be so obsessed that I'd beg her to buy it when it came out on tape."

Fred frowned. "Nothing you said made any sense."

"I think I have all the Disney ones at mum's still," she pondered.

"What's a Disney?"

Addie's face brightened with an idea. "I know what we're doing tonight. I'm going to educate you in the amazing thing that is Disney," she said.

"I spent six years at Hogwarts trying to avoid education," he grumbled, but Addie ignored him.

***

Fred eyed the television curiously, poking at the buttons at the bottom and raising his eyebrows as the screen flashed on, turning blue. He stared at it. "I thought these things were supposed to have moving pictures," he said, staring at the color.

"You have to put the tape in," Addie said. She was sitting at the floor, digging through the bottom shelf of the cupboard at all the movies from her childhood. "Ooh, what about The Little Mermaid?" she said, grabbing it and displaying the case to Fred.

He scoffed. "That is not a mermaid," he said. "Muggles really don't know anything."

Addie scowled. "It was my favorite!" she said. "Stop ruining my childhood." She slipped the tape into the VCR and pressed play. Unfortunately, the last time she had watched it, years ago, she had forgotten to rewind it. She sighed as she pressed the button and the film began to whir as it rewound. She explained what she was doing to Fred.

"Can't you just charm it back to the beginning?" he asked.

"Magic and technology don't work together," she said quickly, as he grabbed his wand out. "And if you wreck my mum's TV, I will kill you."

Fred put his wand away.

Her mum appeared from the kitchen, bringing with her the wafting smell of buttery popcorn. She put the bowl and two cups of soda on the coffee table. The movie finished rewinding and Addie pressed play. Her mum noticed the case on the table and smiled. "Oh, this was always your favorite!" she said. "I remember right after you watched it, how you begged and begged to go to the ocean. You never said it, but I knew all you wanted to do was go mermaid hunting."

"You'd have better luck in fresh water," Fred mumbled under his breath, and Addie shot him a look.

The previews finished, the Disney symbol flashing in blue on the screen, and Addie rushed to the couch, snuggling in beside Fred. Addie's mum turned out the light as she left the room.

"So what? We just sit here and stare at the screen?"

"Yes."

"And muggles do this a lot?"

"Yep." She turned to look up at him. "Any more comments before we start/"

"Well..."

"I'm going to Silencio you soon if you don't shut up," Addie warned. "Just watch. I bet you'll enjoy it. And even if you don't, there's popcorn. So how bad could it be?"

Fred managed to stay attentive for the first half, happy to sip soda and much on popcorn. But at about the halfway part, she could see his attention starting to fail. He always did have a short attention span. And he turned his restlessness on to Addie.

It started simple, his hand trailing lazily up and down her arm, sending tingles up her spine.

But that wasn't enough to keep him distracted for long. He leaned in, kissing her on the cheek, and then again on her jaw. He trailed soft kisses down to her neck.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Addie teased as he pressed his lips softly against her neck.

"Absolutely nothing," he said against her skin.

"Doesn't seem like nothing." But she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as he continued his trail of kisses down her neck.

"Shh," he said, pulling the strap of her shirt to the side so he could trail kisses along her shoulder. "I'm watching the movie."

"Oh are you?"

"Mhmm." She felt the hum against her skin through her whole body.

Addie did attempt to keep watching the movie. She really had intended to watch it. But as Fred's kisses moved back up her neck, she found herself focusing less and less on the movie and more and more on the feeling of his kisses against her skin. And now, as his hand moved slowly up her leg, she realized how hopeless this was.

"My mum's upstairs," she said, a weak defense.

Fred smiled. "We'll be quiet."

***

That evening, as they said their goodbyes to Addie's mum, there was an awkwardness to the air that had Addie thinking they hadn't been as quiet as they thought.

They returned to Fred and George's flat, where they lay in bed talking before they fell asleep.

"You know," Fred said. "Those muggle film things are actually sort of cool. Dad would love them."

Addie snorted. "Now you find them interesting."

"You know I don't sit still well. Besides, it's not my fault you're distracting."

"It's my fault?"

Fred grinned. "Absolutely, I mean, look at you! You're stunning."

Addie rolled her eyes, but a huge grin spread across her face.

"I mean it," Fred said. And then he was kissing her again, and before she knew it, Addie found she didn't care whose fault it was.

She was just happy he found her distracting.

***

Addie woke to the sound of scratching against the window. She reluctantly crawled out from the comfort of the warm bed and made her way to the window. The owl flew in with a rush of wings and feathers, and Addie had to duck to avoid being hit.

"Calm down," she grumbled as she untied the scroll from the owl's outstretched leg. "Nobody's dying."

As she unrolled the parchment and read the sentence written in George's messy scrawl, she understood the urgency.

She quickly shook Fred awake.

"What is it?" he grumbled.

"It's Charlotte. She's been arrested."