AN: This story is to serve as a replacement in the Alyssa Potter universe for Harry and Ginny's kiss on Harry's birthday, except Alyssa and Fred don't just kiss the night before.

She stared at herself in the mirror, wishing that the constant tragedy in her life wouldn't make her look even crazier than she really was. Mad-Eye's recent death left her green eyes red-rimmed, and the tossing and turning in bed tangled up her unwashed hair. She hated it.

With a head shake and a sigh she opened the door and exited the bathroom, stopping dead when she saw the redheaded person standing several feet before her. "What are you doing up?"

Her voice was quiet and weary, which perfectly matched the tone her companion had. "I could ask you the same thing, you know."

"Wouldn't that be obvious, though? Your bedroom's on the next floor. What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer, but he never took his eyes off of her. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. They hadn't had much interaction over the entire summer she spent here, especially since they broke up in early July. It wasn't exactly what either of them wanted, but it was necessary. She knew it was. For his sake. "Well?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself. Just felt like coming down here. Got lucky too, it seems."

"You know we broke up."

His lips pursed as his mouth flattens into a straight line. An unusual look on him. "Yeah. I know."

She averted her eyes away from him and made to walk past him to go back to Olivia's room when he grabbed onto her wrist when she was close enough. "Wait."

She wanted to tell him that it wasn't the right time at the moment but turned to face him. "What?"

"…it's your birthday today, isn't it?"

"Past midnight, is it? Yeah."

"I didn't get you a present."

She stiffened slightly but didn't show any other signs of disappointment. "Not this time?"

"Well, I had…plans."

"But?"

"You broke up with me."

She closed her eyes. "Are you actually trying to guilt-trip me into something?"

"No. Never."

"So what do you want from me?"

He shook his head. "The question should be, 'what do you want from me?'"

Her gaze flickered towards his hand on her wrist before looking up at him. "I didn't want to. But I had to."

"So what do you want to do about it?"

She shifted uncomfortably as the look on his face as he seemed to look over her entire body penetrated inside her deeply. Oh Merlin. "We can't get back together. It's too dangerous."

"Do you really think I care? Last time I checked, I'm supposed to be protecting you not the other way around."

"I do. And you're not the Chosen One. You're not the mentally insane girl who has a death sentence waiting for her at nearly every single location in existence. You're not the one who is targeted at all costs, no matter who stands in the way. You're not – you're not –"

She couldn't find the word to describe her, but it wouldn't have mattered. A split second after that last word she got out her lips were covered by soft ones that she hadn't felt in an entire month. What was left of her rational mind screamed that she needed to stop and push him away like she was supposed to, but her heart and the desperate hunger inside her won out completely. Oh Merlin. She loved him. She wanted him. So much.

A grunt sounded from him as she was lifted off the ground completely with one of his hands supporting her bottom and the other resting on her back. Her legs wrapped around his waist tightly as she tightened her hold around his neck, her tongue lashing and flicking with his inside her mouth. A slight jerk nearly made her fall as he started stumbling down the corridor and up several flights of stairs, miraculously without any dropping or falls with the way he probably couldn't see where he was going (though he probably had it memorized at this point). She had no idea where they were going, but their destination clearly wasn't his and George's room. Up one, two, three, four flights. There was the sound of a wooden door being kicked open before they entered a room that smelled of dust and mildew. He made an 180° spin before slowly lowering down to sit on something, still snogging her fiercely. Her feet brushed against what suspiciously felt like a mattress, and her arms tightened around his neck in anticipation for what was going to happen.

"Alyssa," he breathed out her name before punctuating it with a kiss. "Are – you – sure – about – this?"

Each word had been gasped in between hot kisses.

She broke away from him and panted as she stared straight into his eyes. "Consider it – your birthday present – to me. Fred."

He immediately went for it as soon as he heard his name. First went his pyjama shirt and trousers before her nightgown was pulled over her head and tossed aside. Then the underwear came away.

Then they proceeded to have the best night of their lives.

After they finished, she went to get dressed and go back to Olivia's room when he grabbed her hand. "Stay."

Half of her wanted to leave, but the other more overwhelming half refused. So she let herself be pulled onto his chest. "Yes."

His fingers brushed underneath her hair and felt the chain around it. "You still have it?"

"Of course. It's a promise ring. Getting rid of it is like breaking a promise itself."

"Notice-me-not charm?"

"I can't have it taken away. Ever."

"Smart."

She turned over so that she was lying on her belly and facing him. "Do you think it will ever end?"

He knew what she was talking about but couldn't give a definite answer. "I don't know."

"What if one of us doesn't make it?"

"We both will."

"You don't know that."

He didn't have a retort for that. Because it was true. He didn't know if they were both going to survive. He didn't even know if they were going to win.

Her voice was quiet as she said something that he knew he was never going to forget. "I won't be able to live without you."

With around people, it was an exaggeration. But with her, it was different. She meant it. It actually scared him. "What if you have to?"

She didn't answer but closed her eyes to let a couple tears fall down. He used his thumbs to brush them away and cupped her face with his hands. "I love you, Alyssa."

"I love you too. Fred."

They eventually fell asleep but woke up a few hours later because of her muttering in her sleep. "Lyss. Lyssie. Wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open as she stared half-awake into his eyes. "What? Why'd you wake me up?"

"Who's Gregorovitch?"

Normally, she would've told him off for calling her that but the circumstances were a bit more serious than usual. "Gregorovitch?"

"You were muttering in your sleep. Who is he?"

He hadn't meant to sound betrayed, but the look on her face showed that he did. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious."

"No." She rolled off of him and lay on the mattress next to him. "You're not. Did you think I was dreaming about some other idiot?"

He opened his mouth to protest, but she interrupted. "You did. For your information, Fred Weasley, there's no one else in the world I could possibly love more than you. And I know that you're the only person who would even consider loving me the way I do. So don't even."

The evident hurt in her voice made him feel ashamed for even thinking that way. Because it was too true. She never loved anyone before him. And no one else loved her. Not the girl-who-was-too-dangerous-to-be-roaming-around-the-Wizarding-world-freely-in-the-public-eye. Not even her relatives loved her. "I'm sorry. You're right. I love you."

Most people who got on her bad side wound up breaking a bone or losing a tooth but not him. With him, a simple meaningful apology was good enough for her. "I forgive you. I love you too."

"Happy seventeenth birthday."

They left the fifth floor room a short time later and crept down the stairs to the second floor. They were standing outside his room, both not wanting to take their eyes off of each other. He sighed. "This is it. The end."

It was only a one-night thing, and they both knew it. Until the war ended with their side victorious and both still alive. If.

"Good night," she said softly, her eyes trained up at him.

"Good night."

They could had just left it there like that but didn't. Before they knew it, they were snogging like no tomorrow (and there wasn't one for their relationship) right out in the corridor. It was only when her hand brushed the elastic band of his pyjama trousers that she realised what they were doing and pulled away. "I'm sorry. We need to stop."

He nodded, his expression solemn. "Just one more."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he bent down and pressed his lips gently against hers for a short chaste kiss. "Just a temporary good-bye."

She wanted to cry but held it in as she clenched her fists at her sides. "Yeah. See you around."

She backed away until she reached the staircase, never breaking eye contact with him. With a sniff, she turned her back and left.

They didn't know that they were going to spend a month together on the run after Olivia's rape at Malfoy Manor or that they each thought of each other during their last moments.

He last thought of her haunting words as the wall crushed him: I won't be able to live without you.

She last thought of his face and his reaction as she slowly bled out from her stomach. Of how disappointed and angry he would be.

No one would ever know of this night, for they both died before they could tell anyone.

And that was actually perfectly fine.

AN 2: I realize that this isn't exactly my best writing. I apologize for that, but I can't seem to think of anything to make it better. Oh well. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance to those of you who do.