I'm actually not fond of this chapter, but thanks for reading, anyway. -alienoctopus

...and rolled out like a bear hug

"Charlie!" Fred called from the Burrow's kitchen. He called out again.

"What's all the fuss?" Mrs. Weasley asked, coming into the kitchen.

"I need Charlie. Is Ivy here?" Fred asked.

"No, I don't believe so. I don't think she'd sneak in with Charlie." She said.

No one was around to appreciate the irony of that statement, as Ivy had snuck into the Burrow with Charlie countless times.

"Charlie!" Fred yelled again.

"Oh, calm down. I'm sure he's on his way."

Just as Mrs. Weasley spoke, Charlie was bounding down the stairs.

"Geor—Fred? What's wrong? Are you ok?" Charlie asked, worried.

"Have you seen Ivy? She hasn't come home yet. Is she with you?" Fred didn't realize how close he had gotten to Charlie, but by the end of his questioning, they were nose and nose.

"Whoa, Fred. Calm down. I'm sure she's still at her parents." Charlie took a step back.

Fred backed down a bit, too. "Her parents?" He asked. "What's she still doing there?"

"She wanted some time alone in the house. I let her be there. That's a lot to say good-bye to."

Fred nodded his head vigorously, but without thought. He suddenly had to make sure Ivy was really all right.

"Thanks. Sorry. George and I were worried, is all." Fred said flatly.

"I'm sure."

"Now don't you come back here just to cause a fuss, Fred Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. "If you're going to visit, then you're going to visit."

"Yes, Mum." He said. He Disapperated with no further explanation.

-0-

"Who's there?" Ivy yelled out when she heard the crack of Apparation. She whipped out her wand and searched the room.

Her insides squirmed. No one should know where her parents' house was. Before the war, she had taken many precautions so that no one would be able to find it.

She backed up through the kitchen, her wand in front of her, until she bumped into a warm body from behind.

"Expelliarmus!" She turned around and quickly shot the spell at the intruder. "Oh, fuck! Fred!"

Fred was pushed into the wall of the kitchen while his wands flew across the room.

"Freddie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's ok." He grunted as he tried to stand back up. "I should've announced myself. I'm sorry."

"What are you doing here?" Ivy asked once she regained her composure.

"You didn't come back to the flat. George and I were worried."

"It's only been a few hours." Ivy said. She walked into the living room. Fred followed.

"It's so strange," She said, "being here, I mean." She walked to the staircase. "When I was six, I tripped down these stairs. Mum and Dad told me I tumbled and landed with absolute grace. Mum always told me that's when she knew I was like her. Dad had no idea of what we were until I got my Hogwarts letter. He was mad, I remember. He was mad Mum never told him. For a long time, I agreed with him. When she took me to Diagon Alley for the first time, I was angry. I was kept away from our world." Ivy walked to the window in the front of the living room.

"I read all of my magic books in front of this window," she continued, "Mum let me practice simple spells. It scared Dad. I think I was scared, too."

Fred couldn't take his eyes off Ivy. Her glamour charms had worn off. In the shadows of the house, her face looked yellow and gaunt rather than her slightly tan complexion and healthy, full face. Her scars made her appear grotesque—eerily alive when it looked like she shouldn't be. She moved slowly back into the kitchen with Fred on her heels.

"I didn't understand why Mum kept magic hidden for so long. But then the war started. I understood completely. She wanted to protect Dad and me. I think I would've done what she did, too, if I had a family. I almost did.

I wish I had, honestly. Mum was so angry when I told her I was part of a resistance against Voldemort. She was even worse when I told her I was strategizing for the Order. She wanted me to come home and hide with her and Dad. He blamed her for it, you know. Me being in the war. I made them worry for so long. And I couldn't come back. I had Death Eaters on my tail as soon as it all began. I couldn't lead them to my parents.

Mum felt guilty, I think. That's why she came to the Battle of Hogwarts. She wanted to fight by my side." Ivy felt her throat close. She wiped her dribbling nose on her sleeve.

Fred took a step closer, but she stepped away. Ivy stood in front of the wall the kitchen shared with the living room.

"Our kitchen table was right here, in front of this wall. Mum would sit there," she pointed opposite her, "and I sat there," she pointed to her right. "This was always Dad's seat." She turned, looking at the wall.

Fred stepped to her side and followed her gaze. Deep-set in the wallpaper was a dark, splattered stain.

Ivy broke down before him. Literally crumpled to the floor in a heap.

"He was right there when I told him." She choked out.

Fred had no words for Ivy. He didn't know how to comfort her.

He had experienced the intensity of her emotions before. He had seen her incredibly angry—he had seen her fight, curse, and kill. He had seen her jubilant, gorgeous, confident, vulnerable, exhausted, obsessive, envious, starved, heartbroken, and determined. He has seen her dance and jump; he has seen her fall asleep in class and stay awake for hours. Fred thought he has seen all there was to Ivy.

He had never seen her fall onto her knees and weep.

Fred had seen her cry before, but never this deep, moaning lament. It made his insides twist inside of him. He was ashamed that he never knew that Ivy had this in her— that she needed to do this. He had no idea what to do. He knew that he wanted to hold her. He wanted to wipe her tears until her face was dry, even if it took all night. He wanted to share her pain and cry along with her.

But distant thoughts of Katie kept him from doing this. Fred cared about Katie, of that he was sure. But every time he felt the square bulge in his pocket, he recoiled. He was filled with constant, nagging anxiety, as if he knew even thinking about proposing to Katie was wrong.

Fred knew with every whimpering cry Ivy made that he was making a mistake with Katie. He felt more heartbroken that Ivy was experiencing this despair than he did at the thought of ending things with his girlfriend.

Ivy stood up and brushed herself off. With a great sniffle, she attempted to breathe more evenly. She wiped her cheeks with the hem of her sleeve. "I'm sorry, Fred." She said hoarsely.

"No, Ives, you needed that." Fred was now at her side, his hand rubbing her back. "You can't hold those things in forever, you know." He added gently.

"I wish I could." Ivy leaned her head on Fred's shoulder, both of them still staring at the blood-stained wall.

"Can you Apparate us back? I don't think I can." Ivy asked, her voice shaking.

Fred nodded and held her close, bringing them back to the flat.

"Katie left, Fred. She was tired of waiting and went home." Angelina said when she heard Fred in the flat.

She and George looked at the two people who had just Apparated in.

"Merlin, Ivy! Are you ok?" George exclaimed. In addition to the visibility of her battle scars, Ivy's face was puffy and her eyes were red.

"She's fine, George, just needs a bit of rest. Why don't you go lie down, Ivy? I'll wake you up for some tea later?" Fred said.

Ivy nodded and mindlessly walked to her bedroom, barely acknowledging George and Angie.

Once Fred knew Ivy was out of earshot, he sat down with his brother and his sister-in-law. "I need to break up with Katie." He said.

"To go after Ivy?" George asked hopefully.

"No. She's with Charlie now. I won't ruin that for either of them."

"Then why?" Angie asked.

Fred didn't know Angelina knew about his feelings for Ivy, but at this point, didn't care.

"Because I can't be with Katie. I don't love her like I'm supposed to. It's not fair to either of us."

"About bloody time you realized that." George said. "Fancy a butterbeer?"

"Yes." Fred said desperately.