Before you (Fred Weasley)

CHAPTER 66

"So, what did you do in the one month I wasn't here?" I asked Fred and George as they unloaded items from massive cartons in the storeroom. It had been a week since we had found out that Bella had been taken home by my father and mother.

"Well uh, we've been working at a radio station" said Fred.

"You what?"

"With Lee Jordan"

"Lee? Wow it has been a while since I last saw him. Since when have you been doing this?"

"Since just a few weeks ago, only a few people can listen to it, we talk about all the muggle borns who are being sent to Azkaban and the students at Hogwarts and all that stuff" said Fred.

"That's really dangerous Fred"

If they got caught, who knew what could happen?

"I know, I know, but people need to know what's going on. The Ministry can't just keep hiding stuff from everyone and.." Fred trailed off. He sighed.

Fred walked to the back of a shop towards a small armchair, sitting on it and leaning his head back. I followed him, sensing that something was wrong.

"What's wrong Fred?"

"It's just, I-I don't know, forget it" Fred closed his eyes.

"You can tell me anything, you know that don't you?" I said, sitting on the armrest.

Fred looked hesitant but spoke anyway,

"Fine, I'm just worried. I'm worried about Ginny, going to Hogwarts with all those bloody death eaters. I'm worried about Ron, Merlin knows where the hell he is. The two of them have been facing near-death situations ever since they came to Hogwarts, w-we almost lost Ginny in her f-first year" Fred's voice cracked and his eyes became a bit glossy. I had never seen Fred cry before as he was the kind of person who was always laughing. It broke my heart to see him so upset.

I sat on his lap, facing him, and placed my hands on his cheeks, wiping the tears away from the corner of his eyes.

"Look at me Fred, they're strong, the both of them. Nothing's going to happen to them. You know Ginny, she has kicked all of our asses on more than one occasion, and Ron, as dumb as he pretends to be, he's courageous. And he's smart. All you have to do is trust their judgement and I promise they'll be alright"

Fred nodded softly, leaning his head back once again. He looked very tired, all the work he had to do at the joke shop wasn't helping him either. I got up from his lap and walked behind him. I placed my hands on his shoulders and began to massage them, easing the tension.

"You work too much Freddie" I said, easing the knots in the back of his neck to his shoulders.

Fred closed his eyes and let his mouth open in a sigh. He looked beautiful, and calm. This was a side of Fred I didn't get to see very often, when he became vulnerable.

I slowly moved lower, massaging the top of his arms, his forearms, his hands. His body was toned from playing Quidditch for all those years. My face was right next to his as I bent to massage his wrists, and then started going back up again, placing a soft kiss on his jaw before I straightened to a standing position and pressed his shoulders one last time.

"I love you, Al" Fred said, barely whispering. His breathing slowly deepened and he fell asleep on the chair.

"I love you too Fred" I whispered near his ear before leaving him so that he could get some rest.

"Where's Fred?" George asked.

"He's gone to sleep, he looked pretty tired. Has he not been sleeping well?" I asked.

"When you were away, he was pretty nervous and never slept well at night. The bastard scared me to death once last week when I went to the kitchen to get some water and he was eating cereal at 3 AM in the dark" said George.

I helped him for the next couple of hours, unloading the cartons and placing all the items on the shelf. They hadn't had any customers for the past two days and they were thinking of shutting down the shop.

"Where has Emma been?" I asked George, suddenly remembering that I hadn't seen her today.

"In a muggle flat in London, she has been acting a bit weird lately" George sighed.

As if on cue, the door pushed open and Emma entered, looking a bit dazed.

"Alice, I'm just here to let you know that the death eaters outside may have a clue that you're here" said Emma.

"What? How come?"

"I don't know they may have seen you"

"What's going on?" Fred said groggily from behind us, his hair was sticking out in multiple directions and his shirt was crushed.

"I don't think it's safe for you to be here any longer Alice, you have to go" said Emma.

"Hang on a minute, there is no way in hell I'm letting Alice go away alone anywhere again. Wherever she goes, I'm coming with" Fred said crossing his arms.

"I'll come too because there isn't much for me to do around here anyway" said George.

"Good, do you have a place in mind?" asked Emma.

Fred and George thought for a few minutes.

"How about Shell Cottage?" suggested George.

"Where's that?" I asked.

"Bill and Fleur's house, in Cornwall" said Fred.

"Perfect" said Emma, "pack your bags and go".

"Wait, you're not coming with us?" said George.

"No I can't-"

"Rubbish! You're coming too Em, get your bags" said George.

"George you don't understand! I'm not coming with you guys" she pleaded. Something wasn't right with her.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I-I don't think it's such a good idea, that's all" she said, looking down at her feet.

"Emma, please" George said softly.

Emma looked up at us, her lip quivering.

"I have to go" she practically ran out of the shop, not looking back at us.

"That was weird" said Fred.

George remained quiet, not commenting on Emma's sudden departure.

"I'm going to go pack my bag" he said, not making eye-contact with either of us before walking up the stairs.

"What's going on with the two of them?" I asked when George was out of earshot.

"I have no idea" shrugged Fred. We followed George up the stairs, packing our bags for our trip to The Cottage.

Little did we know what we were really getting ourselves into.

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