Falter - A Fred Weasley Sequel

23. Avada Kedavra

"The only way to take him out of his misery is to use the Killing Curse."

How many times had Thomas told her that? How many times had she brushed those words off because she had assumed he was just trying to bait her.

Could there be truth to them?

Thomas was cunning. Evil, but brilliant. Each word was calculated, each move. He knew Addie wouldn't be able to do it, that Addie would be forced to watch Fred suffer as he slowly succumbed to the evil Thomas had cursed him with. He knew that it would drive Addie crazy, not being able to do anything about it.

And he knew, more than anything, that Addie would not be able to release Fred from his pain, that she would never be able to relieve him of his misery. Not in that way.

But Thomas easily forgot that Addie knew him as well as he knew her. That the two had been inseparable for seven years. And the one thing Addie knew was that Thomas relished in his own cunning. He loved to outsmart people, to provide a simple answer and watch as people ran around thinking the solution impossible. And when they failed, he would gloat, reveal the simple solution and relish in the feeling of superiority.

Had he changed so much since his school years?

Addie didn't think so.

Her idea held impossible risks, and if she was wrong...Addie didn't want to think about it. But even if she was wrong, was it better than watching Fred suffer for weeks as he slowly shut down?

It took her another week to build up the courage. And in that week, there wasn't the smallest improvement.

Addie took this as a sign.

And if she failed, she would end up in Azkaban for the rest of her life. The thought was actually comforting.

****

She waited for a moment when the other Weasley's were gone from the house, and she and Fred were left alone. It took a while, and Addie was secretly relieved each time one Weasley left and another arrived to worry over Fred. She was starting to think there would never be a moment when they were alone, and that maybe she should take this as a sign that this was wrong.

But all too soon, Molly left for the Burrow, taking George with her. And Addie and Fred were left alone.

She stood, pulling her wand from her pocket, her hands shaking uncontrollably. Tears had been flowing down her face endlessly, but now they were accompanied by wracking sobs, as Addie finally came undone.

She just had to be strong for a minute or two longer. Just a minute, she told herself, as she raised her wand at Fred.

And then this would all be over. Her fragile, beaten heart might shatter, but it would be over. She couldn't take this any longer.

And...and it would work. Even her thoughts were hesitant. But she had thought it over hundreds of times, and each time it made more sense.

She knew Thomas. This was Thomas's way of punishing her. To give her the answer and have her watch him die anyways.

One more minute, she told herself. Just one more minute of bravery.

Her hand shook, and her voice quavered as she attempted to say the words They didn't come easily, her voice barely more than a whisper. "A-a-avada...K-kedavra," she choked out.

Nothing happened.

You have to mean it, she remembered. You have to mean it.

But as she stared at Fred's face, she found she couldn't.