Title: Just Like Him
Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable character or phrases (i.e. spells) they belong to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted.
Summary: When young Fredrick Arthur Weasley is sitting in his first Defence Against The Dark Arts lesson in his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he meets someone who appears in photos at his house. His Dad's best friend and his Late Uncle's soul mate. She's kind to him, but it seems to be painful for her to say his name. Is there something she's hiding? Or is it just because he shares the same name as the boy she lost only 19 years earlier. Also can Holly help Freddie understand what his family mean when they say 'You're just like Him, Freddie. Just like Fred was,'?
"Freddie?" Professor Evans looked confused to see the young boy at the door to her office.
"Professor," Fred was breathless, as if he'd run a mile.
"It's after curfew, what are you doing here?" She asked.
"I had to talk to you." He said, still breathless, as she let him into her office. Conjuring up a glass of milk and a plate of chocolate cookies.
"Freddie?" She said softly, sipping a goblet of milk she'd conjured for herself.
"Professor, my Mum's dead." He said. Holly almost dropped her drink.
"What?" She felt her ears burn. Dead? How could Ange be dead? That was like hearing that Fred had died. It just wasn't supposed to happen.
"She was giving birth. Dad says that it sometimes happens to Muggles but doesn't usually happen to Witches, but she lost a lot of blood apparently. Dad says she's in a better place now. You're the only person I can talk to who isn't going to cry when I mention it. Roxy's no help she's not talking, Rose bursts into tears and James and Albus don't know what to say. Even Victoire won't talk to me." Fred explained; Holly felt the colour drain from her face. Angelina had been her friend. They'd shared a dorm at Hogwarts, and Holly had told her to try out for the Quidditch team. She'd help Angelina with her homework and was Angelina's first real friend at Hogwarts, before even Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet.
"What about Dominique?" She enquired after another First year Gryffindor who had joined just now. Another Weasley.
"No, she's no good either. She doesn't know what to tell me. It's hard they haven't lost a parent! They don't know what to say to me! It hurts Professor! I just…it hurts so much." Fred said, tears began to fall.
"I know Freddie, I know." Holly said softly.
"How?" He looked up at her.
"I lost the love of my life and my parents. Both of them. A Death Eater took away the man I planned to marry and a Death Eater tortured my parents to find out where I was. They refused and when he was finished with them, they were better off dead." She said, she got up and pulled Fred into her arms. Fred curled himself into her shoulder and cried as she held him. She took him back to Gryffindor tower and told him that if he needed to talk anymore that he should come and see her again. But perhaps before curfew or during the daylight hours. The war had been the start of something big. But this, the death of Holly's good friend and the girl that George had pledged his life to; well this was the start of something much bigger than anyone. After seeing Fred safely back to Gryffindor tower and bidding him a goodnight, Holly returned to her office. As she went back to her office she smiled softly.
"Well, Fred, this is the start of something much bigger then we could have ever imagined." She said more to her dead boyfriend than her nephew. After all hadn't Freddie said that they were like family? Just because she and Fred had been soul mates?