"Shit. Fuck me sideways, I've gone and done it now, I'm late for my shift at St. Mungos." Audrey muttered as she sat up in the bed at her loft apartment, stretched and then leapt out, grabbing clothes, toothbrush, bare essentials to get ready for work in a hurry. She'd been out at a pub the night before, having a post war 'celebratory' drink with fellow 'Slytherins gone good' Jessica - her best friend and they'd been joined by Draco Malfoy as well as a few others, the night before.
She hadn't come home until about 3, but talking to others from her old house only reminded her just how badly she wanted Fred to hurry and awaken from his little nap. He'd been out a week, Brinna was getting scared that if he didn't show vast improvement by the end of this week, they'd have to take him off of the supports he'd been placed on as a last resort.
Basically, her friends had been drinking to celebrate, she'd been drinking in an attempt to numb her fear and pain. It hadn't worked, and all that she did accomplish as a result was of course a blinding hangover migraine that no magic spell would dampen and she reeked of alcohol, she looked like death warmed over. Sighing as she turned on the shower, stepped beneath the hot water, humming along to a Metallica song that played on her Muggle stereo system in the next room, she bit her lower lip and muttered quietly, "You just have to believe, Audrey.. He can't fight, he can't actually do anything, lying there.. You have to do all the fighting through your own faith.", which of course made her laugh aloud, because she hadn't had faith in anything since about her 6th year at Hogwarts and even then, it'd been small.
Stepping out of the shower 5 minutes later, she hurried through getting dressed and brushing her teeth and then she grabbed her keys and a bagel, ran down to the parking area of her apartment building and jumped on her motorcycle, flying like a literal bat out of hell to St. Mungos.
Meanwhile, in his room, Fred started to open his eyes again for the second time in a space of 8 hours. He was coming out of this deep sleep it seemed, and as usual, his family and all of his closest friends were crammed into the room, all trying to talk over one another. He kept covertly eyeing the door, wondering if he'd catch a glimpse of her when she came into work. He thought nobody saw him, but George leaned in and said with a slight smirk, "If you're looking for Audrey, Gred.. She'll probably be in in a little bit."
Fred nodded and continued waiting, drumming his fingers against the arm rest on his hospital bed as his family and friends all continued to talk over one another to him. It was nice to be awake, it was good to be alive and he was glad he got another chance to at least try and fix the stupid mistake he'd made a few years ago when they broke up.
Audrey dashed down the hall to the Healers station and said through a mouth full, "I overslept, I am so sorry. It will not happen again, ever." as Brinna handed her a chart and said quietly, "And while you were out, Audrina, miracles happened." as Audrey blinked and the Twinkie she'd been eating that she'd grabbed from a vending machine in the Muggle hospital above St. Mungos almost fell from her mouth. "Huh?"
"He woke up. We did it. If that ever happens again, to anyone, we now know how to successfully bring them back from the edge of death... I mean not saying I can resurrect people, but if the spell does what it did in your boy's case.." Brinna said as Audrey grinned like an idiot for a minute then said calmly, "I'm gonna go scrub in."
"And at least do something with your face.. I mean you are going to see him alive and well today." Brinna called out as Audrey jokingly flipped her off and made a hasty retreat down the hallway to the changing area. Her heart raced a little and she had to admit that it felt like a huge weight was off her shoulders right now.
He was awake, fully alive. She had no idea, suddenly, just how to put everything she wanted to say to him into words. She slunk down the small corridor of the hospital in a bit of a daze, and as she rounded a corner, she smacked chest first into a wall of arguing twin Weasleys.
"What in the name of Christ above are you doing out of bed?" she asked Fred firmly, her left hand on her hip, her right hand tangling in her long caramel blonde hair as she looked up at him. Fred smirked and George answered calmly, "Doctor said he could get up, move around.. She didn't tell the git he could wander around through 3 wards of this damn hospital to find ya." while looking from his twin brother to the curvy blonde standing in front of him, biting her lower lip like she was. The tension, as always, was thick between the two of them and with a cough and a chuckle, George promptly excused himself, leaving Fred and Audrey to their little 'discussion' the one that Fred had spent the better part of his wanderings through three wards of St. Mungos working up the nerve to have with her.
"Wow.. You look.." Fred started as Audrey rolled her eyes, gave a small soft smile as she leaned in and said quietly, "And you, Weasley.. Save the pick up lines. I look like hell. I was out until 3 am.. Trying to drink you, this whole situation you got yourself into, off my mind.. I.. Christ, Fred, you scared the living hell out of all of us! Why would you not wake up? Huh? Answer me, damn it." she demanded as she looked up at him, biting her fingernail.
Okay, so this wasn't really the way she pictured their first conversation when they reunited going, but she was furious. By Brinna's own personal notes and observations, his vital signs were strong enough, steady enough that he should have woken up maybe 2 hours after they'd managed to get him healed of all injury.
Not one week later.
He chuckled and then said with at wink, "And she's still bossy, I see." his hand shooting out, brushing her hair back behind her ear as he remarked aloud, "I like your hair better this way.." making her grumble and then groan, shake her head. "So you're not going to answer me." she said quietly as he looked at her and then said with a slight shrug, "I'd love to.. If only I bloody knew why I didn't wake." while covertly stealing a Jello cup from a nearby food tray. She scowled at him and then said simply, "You git." as he gaped at her then asked, "And you're mad at me now because I don't know why?"
"I'm not mad, Fred, I'm happy and concerned and.. There's all these things I had planned to say to you and as usual, you're here, you're beating me to saying them. Damn it, you git, just once I'd like the courtesy of speaking my mind." Audrey babbled as he held a finger to her lips and shook his head, falling silent, waiting until she too was quiet as he chuckled and said with amusement, "Go ahead then."
"I love you.. And I don't care that you might not love me.. I know why you left back then, why you refused to bring me with you. I know you were doing it, all of it, for me. But damn it, Weasley, the next time you make a decision about my safety without asking me first, I'll..." she trailed off as he leaned in, his hips pinning her against the hallway wall as he started to kiss her and muttered quietly, "You're not gonna do anything. And why the hell am I out of bed right now woman, if I don't still love you? Why did I wander 3 wards of this damn hospital looking for you, nearly showing all these little old ladies my almost naked arse when I did it."
She opened her eyes, groaned as she realized that he hadn't even bothered with the formality of pants, apparently, she thanked God he'd at least had the sense to slip on a maroon robe over the damn hospital gown before coming to find her, however.. His hand trailed slowly through her hair as he looked down at her and shrugged then said casually, "So apparently, my father is mesmerized by your motorcycle? When did you take that up?"
Audrey shrugged and then said quietly, "It belonged to my real father.. I did find his grave after the war, I did meet the woman he wound up marrying.. She gave me his motorcycle." as she looked up at him, edged closer to him, her hand resting on his cheek as she chuckled and said quietly, "Now, Mr. Weasley.. Your perfectly formed ass needs to be back in that cubicle.. Preferrably covered up.. There are women staring, and we both know how notorious my jealous streak is. I was after all, a Slytherin."
"Not in my mind." he said as he looked at her a moment, taking in all the changes a few years made to her, wondering what else was new, what else was different about her. Now he had a second chance, he planned to find this all out on his own. She let him lean on her and helped him back down the hallway to his cubicle, edging out of the room as his entire family proceeded to lecture him on being up and mobile so soon, possibly endangering his health before he made a full recovery.
She'd let his family have him for now, she'd go in later and visit him, tell him everything else she had to say, listen to what he told her he wanted to say to her also.
Okay, I wanna thank the 3 people who are following the story now, and the one who favorited it AND reviewed, sarahmichellegellarfan you are awesome and I thank you for your review. Hope everyone likes the story. I'm not going to move it along too fast, but it is significantly harder writing as a comatose person than a living one, so he's going to wake up in another chapter or so.. Then the fluff and angst can begin, yay! Again, sorry for the authors notes, and love you all, mwah!
This chapter was meant to have a little hidden and subtle sexiness and flirting in it.. It might be OOC, but in my mind, I can sort of see Fred doing things like this.. Not that I've imagined it or anything.. *coughs*
