His Hufflepuff ; Fred Weasley

50

"Here." Fred handed me a piece of gum, causing me to glance at him with a frown.

"Does my breath stink?" I asked. I lifted a hand and blew into it before trying to smell. "I don't smell anything."

Fred laughed, nudging me with his elbow while still holding the gum in front of me.

"Your breath doesn't stink, don't worry." He smiled. "You don't want a gum?"

"No, I'll take the gum." I said took it from his hand, throwing it into my mouth.

Mint.

Fred lifted his arm and wrapped it around my shoulders as we walked down the streets of Diagon Alley. We had some hours to spend together before I had to meet my friends at the Leaking Cauldron. I had missed him so much, so walking here with him was nice.

My own arm went around his waist as we walked close up against each other. I could feel his body heat and it always made me feel so comfortable and safe.

"Freddie?" I questioned, my voice soft and quiet. He looked down at me, humming in response. I looked up at him and smiled when our eyes met. "I trust you to be honest with me, yeah?"

"Course." He nodded. "What about?"

I nodded towards a small alleyway between two buildings and we walked in there together. I grabbed onto his collar, pulling him with as I backed up against the brick wall. Fred rested his hand next to my head, staring down at me with a faint and soft smile.

"Would I—" I let out a breath, straightening out his collar that I had messed up when I grabbed him by it. I then ran my hands down his chest before letting them drop by my sides. "I really want to talk to you and open up but I don't know how to. I need you to not get mad at me, alright?"

I tilted my head back to meet his eyes and he was now frowning, looking at me with a questioning look.

"You didn't hurt yourself again, did you?" He asked, his eyes moving down to my arms. He gently grabbed my left arm and pushed up the sleeve of my coat to look at my wrists but I shook my head and he let out a breath of relief when he didn't see any new scars over the old ones. "Then what is it? Are you doing alright?"

He placed a hand against the side of my neck, his thumb stroking over the skin of my jaw.

"When my dad— the first day I was home, he had gone through my pockets and found the ring you made for me." I said, moving the ring around in my fingers and we both looked down at it before looking at each other again. "He was being very— I don't even know. He was telling me he didn't want me seeing you and he was scared that your family had told me anything about the whole thing with my mother."

Fred nodded slowly, showing me that he was listening and telling me to go on.

"It wasn't even like he did much to provoke me but he threw the ring on the floor and basically said that I owe him because he gave me my life. Everything just came crashing back. All the things he's said to me through the years and all the feelings he's made me feel, the insecurities he made sure I had."

"Babe, you're sounding like you did something." He said. "Did you hurt yourself somewhere else? Your thighs perhaps?"

"No." I said, shaking my head. "... no but I smashed a picture of my dad and I, ripped it off and when I looked at the glass— I had the urge to do it again and I haven't felt like that for so long. It's always when I got back home. The smallest thing and I'd break. It's pathetic."

"Hey." He spoke, his voice coming out both soft but also stern as he ducked his head to meet my gaze. "You are not pathetic. You do not control the feelings you get and you are strong as fuck for fighting the urges instead of giving in."