wrong direction

24

"Sirius Black killed my parents."

Fred's eyes widened when those words left Samanthas mouth and she looked at him heart broken, the tears leaving her eyes.

"He-he was their friend. Wh-why would he do that? H-he was l-like a br-brother to my dad. He's our godfather, so why would he turn them in to V-Voldemort?" Small sobs left Samanthas mouth as the words left her lips and Fred looked at her shocked.

"He killed them." She sobs. Her chest was becoming even more heavy and Samantha felt like she couldn't breath, her lungs were on fire and no air was entering or exiting her lungs.

"Love, love you have to calm down." Fred says worriedly as he notices Samantha hyperventilating. He didn't know what to do, he's never had to deal with someone who was having a panic attack before.

Fred quickly pulled her into his arms holding onto her tightly, he made sure her head was over his heart so she could hear the steady beat and his breathing.

"Focus on me." He whispers his voice cracking slightly.

"Focus on my breathing, in and out slowly, in and out," Samantha quickly followed Fred's breathing making him relax slightly, "listen to my heart, slow steady beats," Fred moved one of his hands under her shirt and rested his hand on her bare back, "feel the warmth of my hand on your back." Samantha seemed to relax against Fred and he felt relief fill his chest.

He figured trying to distract her from her over working mind would be the best way to calm her down, he remembered George mentioning methods to help calm down people who are having panic attacks, where George learned it Fred didn't care but he was grateful that he remembered.

"Okay good, now tell me five things you see." Fred whispers gently to her and Samantha eyes danced around them she didn't lift her head from his chest needing to hear his steady heart beat.

"I s-see a crack in the wall, your shoes, the floor, an old statue, and a stain on your shirt." She whispers her voice soft and shaky.

"Good, now four things you can touch." Samantha lifted her hand and rested it on his chest feeling the soft fabric of his shirt.

"I feel your shirt, my pants against my legs," Samantha paused trying to find another thing she could feel and she started to panic again loosing her train of thought and Fred quickly squeezed her tighter bringing her back to reality, "your arms squeezing me, and my locket."

"Three things you can hear?"

"You're heart beating, your breathing, and my voice."

"Two things you can smell?"

Samantha rooms a second and took a deep breath in smelling Fred, which was smoke from dungbombs, marshmallows probably from lunch, and she smelt her own vanilla perfume.

"Smoke, and my perfume."

"Okay last one, one thing you can taste?" Fred whispers gently combing his fingers through her wavy brown hair.

"My mint toothpaste." She whispers again and Fred nods his head. Samantha did feel better, she felt more aware of her surrounds and less anxious than she did moments before she ran into Fred. She was thankful however that she ran into him and not some stranger.

"How are you feeling?" Fred asks pulling away slightly, he rests a hand on her cheek his eyes scanning her face for any sign of anxiousness or panic.

"I feel better, thank you." She whispers with a sad smile and Fred kisses her forehead gently, luckily he didn't have to lean down to far since she was only three inches shorter than him.