Finding Yourself : Fred Weasley

57

     When I get back to the common room Reno and Cedric aren't back yet. So I get out some parchment, ink and quill to write my mother a response about the trip. In the letter, I start by saying congratulations about the pregnancy then go to the trip. 
     As for the trip, it sounds like it will be fun. I think that the only request I have for it is that I can visit my friend, Reno. who will be visiting his boyfriends family in France at that time?
     I do have two friends I would like to bring along if that is okay. The first one is Cedric, you have met him and his parents. The second is my boyfriend, Fred Weasley. 
     I hope this letter reaches you quickly and safely. It has been very wendy here, causing the owls to take a day or two, if not longer to reach their destination. 
     I write a bit about my studies going well then sign and send off the letter. I sit on the couch and wait for someone to talk to come in. Luckily it isn't long before both Cedric and Reno walk in. 
     They smile and sit with me. "How were your day's boys?" I ask with a smile. "It was good. Ludovic and I went to the Shrieking Shack then got some butterbeer," Reno says, leaning back against my legs since he sat on the floor.  
     "Mine was also good. Cho and I got some matching quills," Cedric says with a smile. "How was your day here with Fred, Charlie?" Reno asks. "It was fine. We worked on some prank stuff then played some Wizard Chess. I beat him five times in a row," I say proudly. 
     "It defiantly looks like you had a good time," Cedric says with a smirk. I give him a little confused look. "What do you mean?" He pokes my neck. "Is that what it looks like?" He asks, trying to hold in laughter. 
     Reno turns around out of curiosity to see what Cedric means. He looks at where Cedric's finger is then laughs. "Oh, yea. You and Fred are defiantly taking things slow." Cedric laughs too. I quickly pull my shirt up over my neck, my face turning a deep crimson. 
     "We still are," I say a little quietly. "So going and snogging in the library is taking it slow to you?"  "We didn't go to the library. Actually, we went into Gryffindor common room," I say in hopes that they will start talking about that instead. 
     "You went into the Gryffindor common room?" Cedric asks, shocked. I nod. "What was it like?" Reno asks. "Very red. Like, overwhelmingly red."  "Like your neck right now?" Reno jokes. He and Cedric laugh. I sigh and stand. 
     "I'm going to go shower. I'll see you both in the morning," I don't give them a chance to say anything before walking out. 

     The next morning I get up earlier I expected to. And after a long battle to try and go back to sleep I have no luck. So I decided to go ahead and get up. I put on some sweat pants and a shirt that Cedric gave me. I then put some clips in my hair to keep it out of my face and finish with some glasses. 
     I attempt for a while to cover the mark that Fred left on my neck with makeup, but nothing seems to work. I would try and use a spell on it but I don't want to make it worse. Giving up, I go down to the common room and sit by the fire with a blanket. 
     "What are you doing up this early?" I hear from behind the couch. I look and see Cedric walk over and sit next to me. "Woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. What about you?" "Me too. I sometimes have dreams of what the next task will be. They never turn out well." He gives me a tired smile. 
     "Ced, try not to worry about it. You and Harry are in the lead. I don't think you have anything to worry about," I say with a small smile to try and cheer him up. "It's not the winning I'm worried about. I would love to win. It's surviving that worries me," he says quietly. 
     "Dumbledore isn't going to let anything happen to you, Ced."  "I know. I still worry sometimes is all." I smile at him. "Hey. If you ever need to talk about this stuff you know you can come to me," I say softly. He smiles back and nods. "I know." 
     We sit and quietly watch the fire for a few minutes. "Sorry about earlier. Reno and I weren't trying to upset you."  "I know. You didn't upset me. I just don't know how to respond to that stuff and I was embarrassed. Not upset though," I say while leaning my head on his shoulder. 
     "Does Cho make you happy?" I ask quietly. He lightly nods. "She does. She is smart and funny. I feel like I can be myself with her. With everyone except for you and Reno, I feel like I have to put on a new personality. I have to be this charismatic, perfect, happy person who is nice to everyone and who is confident and never makes mistakes. I don't have to do that with her." 
     I smile slightly. "I'm glad that you don't have to do that with us. You shouldn't have to do that for anyone though Cedric."  "I know. It can be exhausting sometimes. But I don't know how to stop." We are silent for a few more seconds. "Does Fred make you happy?" 
     I lightly nod. "Yea. I always get this feeling when I'm around him. An exciting type of feeling I think. I gain confidence that I didn't know I had. It's like the feeling you get when you get on Christmas morning as a kid. You are just filled with happiness and excitement. Or like the feeling, you get before you go on a rollercoaster. You are terrified but excited at the same time. But the excitement overcomes the fear and you know that you are about to have the wind blowing in your hair and so much fun that you will yell and scream while doing it."
     "I've never been on a rollercoaster. It's more of a muggle thing I think. You don't see many of them around in our world.," He says after a minute. "We will have to go on one then. I always get sick, but it's worth it." He lightly laughs. "Okay. Sounds like fun" 
     We sit there while watching the fire for the rest of the morning. Quietly talking to one another then just sitting in comfortable silence. When people start to fill the room we also stay like that. We decide we won't get up until Reno does, so that way the three of us can go get breakfast together.