I do not like this chapter. It was the hardest to write and edit. I'm still not even sure if I should publish it yet, but here it is.
On that note, we're getting very close to the end. Thanks for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing. You guys are great. -alienoctopus
In April, I stared out the window for a fucking month
"Do you think Fred is going to propose to me soon?" Katie Bell asked two of her friends, Angelina Johnson and Ivy Blythe.
It was a Tuesday afternoon, a time in which Angie and Katie would meet for tea.
In what she thought was an act of kindness, Angie invited Ivy to get Ivy out of the flat and into the world. She and the twins noticed that, even with dating Charlie and working, she very rarely left her home.
Unfortunately, it didn't feel so kind, considering Katie was dating the man Ivy was in love with.
Oops.
"Erm, I don't know…" Angie trailed off, hoping to get off the subject.
"We've been dating a long time now. I'm really expecting it to happen soon!" She aid excitedly. "What do you think, Ivy? You live with Fred. Has he said anything?"
"Fred and I don't exactly talk about that sort of thing." Ivy muttered, gulping down her tea.
Angelina was the only one of the three witches that knew Fred was planning to end things with Katie based on his love for Ivy.
"You and Fred have been friends literally forever, how has he not said anything to you?" Katie asked again.
"I see Diggory, but no Ivy. Where is she?" Fred asked during dinner.
It was later in the evening, and most students were finished with dinner and back in their dormitories.
But Fred stayed behind with his twin, waiting for their friend.
"She didn't tell you?" George asked.
"Tell me what?"
"Diggory broke up with her last night. She hasn't even been to classes today. Angie said she's been in her bed all day." George said.
"Why would he break up with Ives?"
"I dunno. She didn't say."
Fred was angry. No one had the right to break his friend's heart! He growled and stood up.
"Where are you going?" George asked.
"To find out what happened."
"Fred, don't. Ivy doesn't want you to do anything, I'm sure."
But Fred ignored George. He ignored the voice in his head not to do what he was about to do. He ignored the feeling in his stomach from Ivy not telling him that Diggory ended things. Fred walked up to the Hufflepuff table.
"Oi, Diggory!" His voice carried further than he expected. Though it wasn't crowded, he could still feel a mass amount of people watching him.
"Fred, what's going on?" Cedric asked cordially.
"Why'd you break up with Ivy?" He asked.
"It's complicated, Fred. It's more than I want to get into now, but trust me, it's for the best."
"I know it's for the best because she not dating your arse anymore. But you hurt her and she does not deserve that."
"I think you best stay out of it." Cedric was genuinely hurt that he broke up with Ivy. But he knew in his heart that he belonged with someone else, and that the heartbreak would go away for both he and Ivy.
"I don't think I will."
"Fred, cool it. Maybe you should speak to Ivy about this instead of me."
Cedric was trying his best to remain calm, but he and Fred were now neck and neck.
"I cared about Ivy quite a bit, and I still do. But it was best for the both of us to end things." Cedric tried to explain to himself.
At this point, George decided to come intervene.
"Fred, Ivy's been cryin' all day. I think we should go see her. Sorry, Cedric." George tried to pull his twin away. But instead, Fred lifted his arm and his fist met with Cedric's cheek.
"Don't make my friends cry." He said darkly. He finally went with George.
"Fred and I really don't talk about those sorts of things." Ivy answered.
"You should try and find out for me! The whole idea makes me so anxious!"
Ivy squirmed in her seat. She knew that Fred had a ring picked out and everything, but saying that out loud to Katie would feel like a betrayal to herself.
She looked at the excitable Katie. She was a new puppy who was ready to wet the carpet. It was if the girl knew Ivy had a secret.
"Fred's got a ring." Ivy brought herself to say.
Katie's jaw dropped to the floor. "Have you seen it?"
"It's lovely. It'll look great." Ivy smiled weakly.
Angelina was ready to explode. She knew that Fred has purchased and engagement ring for Katie, but she also knew he wasn't planning on proposing. She knew that Fred was in love with Ivy, and Ivy was in love with Fred.
Katie sat there, brimming with glee, and Angie knew her heart was going to be broken.
-0-
"Katie knows you bought an engagement ring." Angelina said as soon as she got to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.
Fred dropped the product he was shelving. "What?!"
"Verity, watch over the store. Both of you, upstairs." George said.
The three met in the flat.
"How does she know?" Fred asked.
"Ivy told her."
"Ivy—bloody—why?" George stuttered out.
"Because Katie kept asking her if she knew anything about Fred proposing."
Fred shouted a string of explicative.
"You can't exactly blame her," Angie said, "Ivy's been dating Charlie and is under the impression that Fred has no romantic feelings for her whatsoever."
"Our plan, Angie!" George exclaimed.
"Plan? What plan?" Fred asked.
The mood drastically changed from terror to anger.
"Er, well, Angie and I may have devised a plan to get you and Ivy together."
"When?"
"Before Charlie and Ivy started dating."
"You didn't even know I—"
"It wasn't for you, Fred." Angie said. "Ivy's in love with you, too."
George and Angelina explained everything to Fred.
They told him how Ivy's been in love with him since Hogwarts. That she had been sleeping with Charlie for years, and that's why they set her and Charlie up.
"But you admitted you love Ivy before you left Katie, which mucks things up a bit." Angie said.
Fred's head was in his hands. "Merlin," he said, lifting his head, "What do I do?"
"You need to break up with Katie. We'll talk to Charlie about Ivy. He knows that they would be short-lived." George said.
Fred took the ring off the table in front of him and pocketed it.
"This will all work out, right?" He asked.
"Of course it will, mate."
-0-
"You need to break up with Ivy." George said into his fireplace. He was speaking to his brother, Charlie, over the Floo Network.
"What? Why?" Charlie asked.
"Because Fred finally realized he needs to leave Katie and be with Ivy."
"Well, fuck. Things were starting to get good, actually." Charlie admitted.
"Charlie, I'm really sorry, ok? But you knew this was the goal going in."
"I know. Ok. Well. I'm not going to like this."
"You know it'll make Ivy happy."
"I have to go, George."
"Ok, just—"
Charlie ended the call.
He was at a crossroads. He knew Ivy's feelings, and he wanted her to be happy. But a part of him liked being with her. He was starting to invest more than just sex into their relationship, and even though it wasn't the strongest of bonds, it still meant something to him.
He took a deep breath, and sent an owl out to Ivy.
-0-
Ivy,
You work until 6, right? Can you meet me at the Burrow for dinner?
Charlie
Ivy folded up the letter and sent the owl back with a response.
"Ivy, can I talk to you?" Madame Rosmerta said upon her arrival.
"Sure, Rosie." Ivy followed her to a back room.
"I know, I know. Time's up. I was able to sell the house and everything, but I'm about 10,000 galleons short. But I can get it—"
"It's not about that, exactly."
"Then what?"
"I found another buyer, Ivy. The Leaky Cauldron wants to combine the brands. Tom's offered me a million galleons."
"But, Rosie—"
"That's not all."
Ivy gulped. This sounded like it was about to get worse.
And it did.
"He's bringing most of his staff here. Ivy, you need to find another job."
"No. No, Rosie, I don't know how to do anything else."
"I hope you understand, Ivy. It's a lot of money—just imagine! A million galleons!"
"I'm going to go home."
"I'm sorry."
"Thanks for everything." Ivy Disapparated.
"You can't be here." Rosmerta said. Her voice did not seem to be her own.
Ivy was convinced that Rosmerta has been Imperiused earlier that summer, but now she had proof. Rosmerta would never fire her. Ivy was too good at her job.
Then Rosmerta said something else. "Ivy, go. It's not safe here." Her voice has changed. It was strained, but it sounded much more like the Rosmerta she knew.
Ivy nodded and got out of the Three Broomsticks. She knew she couldn't go back until things were safer.
Two years later, Ivy had received an owl from the older woman, asking her to return to the Three Broomsticks. Ivy helped restore Madame Rosmerta's name and the Three Broomsticks.
Ivy knew she would not be receiving any owls from Rosmerta. She knew that this was it. She was fuming when she entered the Burrow.
"Ivy! You're early." Charlie said from the kitchen.
Ivy's head turned to a clock—five in the afternoon.
"Sorry. I hadn't noticed."
"Is something wrong?" Mrs. Weasley asked when she noticed the bite in the girl's voice.
"Madame Rosmerta let me go."
"That was nice of her, letting you go early, though." Charlie said.
"No—she let me go. I don't work there any more."
"I'm so sorry, dear." Molly gave Ivy a quick hug around the shoulders.
"What happened to her selling you the bar?" Charlie asked.
Ivy told Charlie what happened.
All day, Charlie had felt worse and worse with every hour, but not the pit in his stomach was unbearable.
Ivy had lost her job, and now he had to break up with her.
Charlie tried to calm himself down. Yes—things seemed bad. But Ivy and Fred!
Over time, she will find happiness. It just wouldn't be tonight.
He swallowed. "Ivy, can we talk?"
-0-
Ivy got to the flat in tears. This day could not get any worse.
True, she and Charlie were moving at a snail's pace emotionally. She knew it would never work out with him in the end, but having someone care about her in the romantic sense was nice to have. Without that feeling, she felt a hole in her heart.
And that hole was expanded due to the loss of her job. Ivy had hoped she wouldn't be stuck at the Three Broomsticks forever, but she was good at her job. It was something she was qualified for.
Those things were lost now, and Ivy felt terrible. With her bedroom in sight, things started to feel better.
"Ives? What's wrong?" George stopped her on the way to her room.
She wiped her eyes. "It's—just—"
Fred, who had just come in, interrupted her.
"Fred, I thought you were out with—"
"Katie and I are engaged." Fred said bitterly.
Ivy couldn't handle it. She ran to her room.
