one of us. (f.w)

chapter eleven.

everyone piled into the car,
and after a long argument between fred and you about who's sitting in the front,
both of you were banished to the back as a
'compromise'
from hermione.
you giggled along with fred and felt your leg brush his,
the odd sparks shooting through your body.
he seemed to have felt it too,
by the way he was staring into your eyes and adoring your every move.
fred's hand placed itself on your inner thigh so purely,
and felt the pad of his thumb rub circles against it gently.
you looked down at the contact,
and smiled.
it was a favorite of his,
you realized,
tracing small little circles against your delicate skin.
your cheeks began to heat at the feeling,
you realized, now, he was looking out of the window.
and part of you was wondering maybe he had grabbed your thigh rather absentmindedly,
an accidental habit he was beginning to pick up.
you placed your hand on top of his and caressed the back of his hand slowly,
watching the turn of his head in your peripheral.

fred couldn't help but melt at the feeling of your hand on top of his,
or at the feeling of your soft skin being held in a hand of his own.
it took everything in him not to pull you close and attach your lips to his as you two once had that night in the common room.
he missed that feeling more than anything.
"alright! we're here!"
george announced as the car came to a stop,
fred taking his hand off your thigh.
you smiled to yourself and got out of the car to make your way into the shops.

fred tagged along with you,
helping you chose a gift for each and every person in the family.
"d'you think ginny would like this?"
you asked.
the boy examined it,
titling his head,
"no. try.."
he mumbled before searching the racks,
pulling out another option.
"this!"
"where would i be without you?"
you asked gratefully.
"mm, probably dead but...who knows, right?"
you laughed loudly and nudged his shoulder,
mumbling a 'whatever.'

the hours seemed to pass by you,
and soon the four of you were back in the car on the way to the burrow.
"you didn't get anything for me,"
fred frowned.
"i already got your gift, idiot."
"oh, did you now?"
he grinned and rested his head on your shoulder.
"mhm,"
you answered as the smell of his cologne cascaded gracefully into your lungs.
"i'll have to send mum's gift with iris."
"you should probably do that when we get back."
"yeah...i will."
"do you miss her?"
"yeah. i just wish things were easier, you know?"
"i get it. she was telling me you and your brother were close. almost like george and i."
you laughed and leaned your head on top of his,
"we were. but when my father died he just...disappeared. went around chasing giants and whatnot. eventually one knocked him right then...a few days later they found him barely alive. it was a farmer who came upon him, did you know?"
you laughed sorrowfully.
"he was lying in his field. he called the hospital, they came and got him. his memory was practically nonexistent. barely able to remember his own name."
fred looked up at you with pity in his eyes,
a slightly wide open mouth in surprise.
"it came back to him in bits and pieces but...he still thinks i'm a little eleven year old,"
you laughed.
you shook your head and ran a hand down his cheek again,
smiling best to your ability.
"it's okay, freddie. he's safe. we're all okay."
"the worst things really do happen to the best people..."
he mumbled.
"i'm sure it could've been way worse."
"you don't deserve any of that."
"does anyone?"
he let the smile crack at his lips,
"i suppose not."

the four of you wandered into the house and began going your separate ways,
until you met hermione in the room.
"so what did you buy today?"
you asked her,
sitting on the floor and beginning to wrap presents.
"uhm,"
she began with a certain tint to her cheeks rising,
"a gift for ronald."
"oh?"
you smiled and left it at that,
continuing to your own duties.
you reached into the bag and felt around for fred's gift,
your heart sinking once you peeked into it.
the magpie figure was in pieces.
the impact you two took that day must have smashed it.
"dammit!"
you exclaimed,
swallowing hard.
"what happened?"
hermione asked with a look of worry.
"the gift i got fred is...broken."
"give it to me."
"hermione it's in like...bits and pieces i-i don't think a little spell is going to fix it."
hermione sighed and got to her feet,
picking the bag full of shattered glass up.
with the wave of her wand,
the magpie was practically back to normal.
"wow. you're-you're a genius. i'm sorry for ever doubting you,"
you laughed and held it in your hands.
although it was back together as one,
there was cracks where it had been previously broken.
and for some odd reason,
it made the weird gift slightly cool.
you wrapped it up and labeled it,
"fred w <3"
then tucked it away with the rest of your gifts.

once you sent iris back home with presents,
you collapsed into your guest bed.
part of you wished fred was here with you again.
you shuffled back and forth continuously and groaned rather loudly,
wondering why it was so difficult for you to fall asleep.
you knew, deep down, it was because you craved fred so much it was upsetting for him not to be here.

you walked towards the kitchen in hopes a quick glass of water would help.
you filled the glass up and began staring out the window into the night,
where snow was beginning to pile up.
it was breathtaking.
"beautiful, isn't it?"
the all too familiar voice asked,
his chest pressing itself to your back as he wrapped his arms around your waist.
you laughed and leaned into his embrace,
"very."
he leaned his head onto your shoulder and began kissing down the base of your neck,
leaving you to shudder.
you tilted your neck slowly to give him more access,
and fred grinned at the sight of you.
the way you pined for his touch,
the way you relaxed at the feeling of his lips.
the clock struck twelve and rang throughout the kitchen,
making fred pull back to kiss your cheek,
"happy christmas, love."
you smiled and fixed your shirt collar,
"happy christmas."