Promised [F.W.]

Chapter 42

Chicken Out

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"Hey Luke," Aster smiled as her good friend entered the shop. "How is becoming an Auror?"

"It's been great," they replied, fixing their hair. "Have you done any training for becoming a Healer?" They asked, walking around with Aster as they looked around the shop.

"I actually haven't," Aster told them truthfully, "It's been a rough couple of months." Luke nodded and smiled.

"I'm sure you'll get there, you have all the time in the world," Luke said reassuringly, "maybe you'll be able to work at Hogwarts with Madam Pomfrey."

"That'd be wicked," Aster smiled, "why don't I show you around?"

"Oi, Aster, I'm heading to the Burrow after we close, you joining?" Fred asked from the stairs, Aster nodded with a smile and watched as he happily jumped up the stairs into his shared flat.

"I should get going, I have to pick up some papers at the office," Luke told Aster once the shop started clearing of people. "The person training me can get really cranky," they chuckled.

"It was nice seeing you," Aster told them. "Feel free to visit anytime, or send an owl," she kindly suggested as they left. She helped the remaining customers and waited as they all eventually left to turn off the lights and switch the sign to 'closed' before heading upstairs. "Fred, George," she called out before entering the living room to find that Lupin and Tonks were sitting in the living room with the twins. "Oh," she held a confused face with furrowed eyebrows. "I didn't see you enter."

"They got here an hour ago," Fred told her, standing up and walking towards her. "Talking about how you need an intervention about your chocolate addiction," he looked to Lupin with a joking smile, "I heard he's been giving it to you."

"It's not an addiction," Aster laughed. "Are we heading to the Burrow?"

"Yup," he said before grabbing her arm and apparating out of the flat and onto the grounds of the cosy home. Followed by three others, they walked to the front door and opened the door. "Oi, mum," Fred called out.

"Fred, George?" The woman's voice called back as she entered the kitchen to see the five of them standing in front of her. "Oh," she squealed running up to hug them all. "Oh, Ginny and Ron would be happy to see you lot."

"It's wonderful seeing you, Molly," Aster smiled at the woman. "How are things with Mr Weasley."

"Having a hard time with the ministry, getting everything settled," she told her as she also placed a few biscuits in her hand. As she did so, Ginny jumped down the stairs and beamed at the sight of the group.

"Hey, Ginny," Aster waved before being attacked in a hug by her.

"Come on, Hermione's here and we wanted to talk with you," Ginny pulled her away. Aster waved at the group before running up the stairs with Ginny. "'Mione," Ginny announced. "she's here."

"Hermione," Aster smiled as she hugged the girl. "How you lot been?"

"Great," Ginny smiled, sitting down on her bed.

"We were talking about Ginny and Harry," Hermione told her with a smirk.

"20 she does it first," Aster muttered, sitting down next to Hermione. Ginny rolled her eyes as they started giggling.

The three started chatting about their summer and lives. Aster would talk about the joke shop and her relationship with Fred. "I think Aster would ask him," Ginny said suddenly, "don't have a reason, just think she would."

"Really?" Ron's voice said from the doorway, "I think Fred would." Ginny gave him a look before nodding. "10 sickles," he pointed to her before leaving. "Mum wanted us for dinner," he called back.

Everyone sat around the table as they chatted and ate everything Molly handed to them. Mr Weasley arrived, talking to Aster about the current events in the Ministry. She listened intently as he told her about a new Muggle object that he needed help identifying. From what she thought of, it was a toaster. And when she told him he smiled thankfully and repeated the word gleefully.

As the day grew darker, everyone scattered away into their rooms until it was just Aster, Fred, George, Lupin and Tonks. George, Lupin and Tonks were immersed in a random topic Aster didn't hear about. "Want to take a walk?" Fred asked Aster quietly. She looked up from her empty plate and smiled. They told the others they'd be back in a bit and left together.

As they walked kept their pinkie intertwined as they watched the sun go down. They were sitting at the tree Fred showed her a while back. Aster smiled as she looked at Fred. The golden glow from the sun shone on his face perfectly, giving his hair a bit of a radiance. "It's really beautiful, isn't?" She smiled as she looked at him.

"It is," he said, still looking at the sunset. The sun and Burrow were in the same view, showing the long shadow of the tall house. Fred looked over and saw her looking at him. He smiled and watched as everything else disappeared. He could have done it then. He should have, he was ready and everything. Fred couldn't and wouldn't admit why. He was afraid, afraid of the rejection from her. He was afraid she wasn't ready and he was. So he didn't ask her the question he wanted, he asked her another one. "What did you see," he asked, "what did you see when you drank the Dizzy Dream?"

"I saw," she started, looking at him thoughtfully, "I saw Lupin and Tonks, they were together, and I saw Sirius and Harry together like they wanted, I also," she took a deep breath. "I saw you, but you seemed different."

"How?" He asked wanting to know more.

"Promise not to be freaked out, but," she paused again and looked at their hands, "you had a ring, I think, we were married," she told him, looking back at him. He had a big goofy smile. "What did you see?"

"I kept seeing you," Fred said with a big smile, "and my family, but also not just my family."

"Kids?" Aster smiled, "you'd want kids?"

"Yeah, would you?" Fred asked.

Aster thought for a second and nodded, "yeah I would."

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