Hey everyone. This was written for both the Love in Motion Round 2 and Holmes Mystery Challenge on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For Love in Motion I choose to write for Trio: Fred/Oliver (even though it's kind of one sided on Oliver's side). For Holmes Mystery Challenge my prompt was [Trope] De-Aging. Warnings for mentions of character death and slight uncomfortable moment between de-aged Fred and Oliver. I hope you all enjoy Ageless Love.
He didn't know how he got here. He really didn't. The last full memory he had had was being at the battle of Hogwarts fighting side by side with his brother Percy. He remembered having cracked a joke and then everything had gone black. That was the last memories he had before he was here. With Oliver by his side.
"It worked," Oliver shocked voice registered in his ears. "It worked George."
"What worked?" he asked as he felt himself being pulled into a three way hug between his twin and his friend.
Oliver looked over at George. He was surprised to see his twin brother shaking his head at Oliver. Oliver turned to him anyway the devastation showing clearly on his face.
"You were dead," he stated bluntly. "George and I have been working on a way to bring you back for weeks. Almost a year now. But we figured out." Oliver turned to George with huge smile. "We did it. We brought him back."
"There are some side affects..." George began but was quickly cut off by Oliver.
"And we'll deal with those when they come up." Oliver grabbed him by the hand dragging him away from his twin.
He looked back to see George's defeated looking face as his twin slumped down the wall he had been leaning against. "What's wrong with George?" he asked looking up at Oliver in curiosity.
"He's just worried that something will go wrong is all," Oliver stated. "How can anything go wrong when you're here? You've come back to us." He stopped walking and turned to Fred shock coloring his face. "Fred?"
"Yeah," came Fred's voice shocking them both he sounded like he had when he was in fifth year. "Oliver, what's happening to me?"
He watched Oliver study him a steady blush coloring his cheeks at hunger that showed from the face that was once considered friend. It was sort of concerning the way that Oliver was looking at him.
"I think this one of the side affects that George was talking about," Oliver's voice sounded husky to his ears.
"Shouldn't we be concerned about this?" he asked taking a step back from Oliver.
"Don't worry about it," Oliver told him putting his hand on Fred's arm gently. "We'll take care of it. George and I that is. We'll figure out what's happening to you and fix it."
Turning to walk back to his brother Fred suggested, "Maybe we should show George what's going on. Get on fixing things so they can go back to normal. Right?"
Oliver looked torn between doing what Fred had suggested and something else. Oliver looked at the fifteen year old Fred and feelings he had never had for the boy in front of him before started to well up.
"Oliver?" came Fred's voice sounding younger than before.
Blinking in confusion Oliver took Fred in yet again. A memory from fifth year coming back to him. A memory that made a heavy blush color his face. He hadn't wanted to remember this particular memory. Not now. Not like this. But it played out in front of his eyes like it had happened yesterday. Looking at Fred in front of him now he could pretend it was yesterday.
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It had been the twins second year on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. After practice someone had suggested that they all get to know each other a little better as team building exercise. He didn't know who had suggested it but someone suggested that they play Truth or Dare. The team captain went first and of course he choose Oliver to pick on.
"Wood," came the older boy's voice, "truth or dare."
Having the bravado he did at that age he was stupid enough to think that they couldn't embarrass him. He would step up to the challenge and accept a dare.
"Dare," he said staring the older boy down. "Give me your worst."
"I dare you kiss the person you have a crush on."
He couldn't very well go back on the dare. That would prove to everyone that he was a wuss and Oliver Nathaniel Wood was no wuss. He stood up color rising in his face and walked over to one of the twin beaters. Fred. He pulled the younger into his chest and pressed his lips against the other boys soft ones. He felt the other gasp against his lips and pull away. But before anyone could say or do anything Oliver left the room.
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Oliver stared at Fred wanting to kiss the boy again like he had that day. But wouldn't it look wrong to have a twenty something year old man kissing a young boy. For the first time this day Oliver actually agreed that they should go back and consult George about what to do. Maybe George had been right all along. They shouldn't deal with bringing people back from the dead. You never know what could happen.
"Come on," Oliver said putting an arm around Fred's shoulder. "We'll fix this." The sound of hope was now evident on Oliver's voice.
Fred allowed Oliver to lead him back the way they'd come. He could feel another change coming on. He looked up at Oliver as the size difference between the two of them changed yet again.
"I think we need to hurry," Fred's voice now sounded like that of an eleven year old boy's. He bit his lips trying hard not cry but the tears came anyway. "I don't want to die again, Oliver."
"We'll make sure that doesn't happen," Oliver told him as they walked into the room that George was in. "George, we have a problem." Oliver pointed to the nine year old boy sitting on the floor next to the shroud that had once covered a twenty year old man.
"When did this happen?" George asked shock coloring his voice as he took in his twin.
"It has been gradually happening since we left the room," Oliver told him. "You never said that he'd de-age like this if we went through with this spell you found."
"I didn't know it would happen. It just said that there were side affects. It didn't name them that I could see of."
Oliver grabbed the book that George had found the spell in. Looking at the page that the spell was on he found the side affects listed a few spaces into the description of the spell.
"It's say right there," Oliver hissed. "It's says it in bold letters. May cause de-aging."
George began to shake in fear.
"How do we fix this?" asked a five year old Fred looking in fear between his twin and Oliver.
"We can't," was the faint reply from George.
"What?" yelled Oliver.
Fred flinched away from the two looking fearful. He watched his brother stand toe to toe with Oliver who looked ready to blow. He didn't understand what was going on and all he wanted was his Mummy.
"I want my Mummy," cried Fred rubbing the tears from his eyes.
"There has to be a way to fix this," Oliver hissed at George picking Fred the now three year old Fred up and trying his best comfort the child. "You have to fix this."
"You read what the book said Oliver. You know I can't fix this."
Thrusting the now few months old baby, Fred, into George's arm Oliver glared at his old friend and his once upon a time crush. "You've ruined everything," he yelled at George. "I will never forgive you for this." He stormed away from the brother's wiping the tears from his eyes as he went. He would never forgive George Weasley as long as they both lived.
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Watching Oliver storm off George looked down at his twin brother. You wouldn't know the two of them were twins to begin with by looking at them now. Fred had snuggled against his chest and was now fast asleep.
"What am I going to do with you, Freddy?" he asked his twin.
An idea formed in his head. Maybe Fred could grow into an adult again and he could make things right with Oliver when he did. But for now he would have to clear Fred's memories. A baby didn't need those type memories running around in his head.
"Oblivate," he said as he wiped his brother's memories.
He'd tell Fred who he was once he was old enough to handle things. But for now Angelina and he would raise the boy as one of their own children. It was the least he could do for Fred.
I hope you all enjoyed Ageless Love.