***First off, thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! I know it's taken me a while to update this story (and my others) so thank you for being so patient with me. Unfortunately, real life must come first no matter how much I'd prefer to sit here and write all day long. I am not JK Rowling, so it does not pay the bills to write about these wonderful witches and wizards. Secondly, I'd like to thank LeeForShort for pointing out a screw up on my end. Kaydy DOES know the Patronus Charm, I simply forgot I had already mentioned that, blah blah blah. Maybe I'll go back and edit that out. But thank you for bringing it to my attention! from this point out KAYDY ALREADY KNOWS THE PATRONUS CHARM; IT IS A COYOTE. done. Thanks for reading, and reading this stupidly long A/N. Enjoy!***

Only Joking

Chapter Twenty-five

Halted in his movements, Fred removed his lips from Kaydy's throat and stepped back the slightest bit. He gazed down at her expectantly, wondering what he could have possibly done wrong. The hesitance was plain across her beautiful face, and Fred raised his hand to caress her red cheek.

"What is it, love?" he asked gently, his eyes swimming with concern.

"I just…I… You've…And I haven't…And what if you, or what if I-"

"Hey, hey," Fred pressed his thumb to her floundering lips. "It's okay, love, just tell me what you're thinking."

"I just," Kaydy inhaled deeply. "You have so much experience and I…well, I don't. What if I'm no good? What if you decide you want someone better?"

"Kaydynce Lupin, shut up this instant," Fred said firmly.

Kaydy closed her gaping lips. Her chocolate eyes fell to her feet and she chewed her bottom lip anxiously. But when Fred's fingers forced her chin upwards, she had no choice but to stare up into his hazel eyes. His lips pressed against hers sweetly and he pulled away quickly.

"Now, I want you to listen to me, and listen closely, yeah?" Fred said, and Kaydy nodded. "I love you…more than anything in this entire world. I will always love you, for my entire life and the next. I will love you with my last breath, and even beyond that. Nothing will ever change that, Kay. Nobody else could ever mean as much to me as you do. Do you understand?"

And the true love that radiated from Fred unto Kaydy was all she really needed to be sure. She pushed herself onto her toes and caught Fred's lips with her own. He could feel her movements grow more confident as she continued to snog him, running her hands over the bare skin of his torso. With nimble fingers, Kaydy released the button of his trousers from its hole and pulled down the zipper before shoving the denim down his thighs. Fred used Kaydy's waist to steady himself as he danced out of his pants, kicking off his shoes and socks in the process. Standing only in his checkered boxer shorts, Fred's body fell victim to Kaydy's explorative fingers.

Her hands teased him as they glided down his chest, past his hips and into the leg of his shorts. Kaydy smiled against his lips while Fred shivered as her fingers tickled the inside of his thigh. His length was, once again, digging into her abdomen and Kaydy pressed herself against it even more. Fred's hands clutched her hips, holding her against his erection until Kaydy forced him to sit on the end of the mattress.

She moved out of his grasp and Fred watched her with hooded eyes as she tip-toed away from him. Her fingers latched on to the hem of her shirt, inching it up over her stomach, her chest, her head. Finally, the shirt was tossed to the floor and Kaydy stood before him, her lavender silk bra exposed. She pushed her long, tousled curls off her chest to roll down her back before slowly dragging her fingers down her stomach to the waistband of her skintight jeans. She popped the button free and shimmied gracefully out of the seemingly painted on fabric. As she stepped out of the dark denim, she moved back into Fred's reach.

His fingers instantly held her curved hips and held her in place between his legs. Kaydy rested her hands on his shoulders while Fred ducked his head to kiss the newly exposed skin. His hot breath and open-mouthed kisses sent an ache between Kaydy's legs. She closed her eyes as her head fell backwards, granting Fred access to attach his lips to the tops of her breasts. As he made his way up her throat, Kaydy's hands fell from Fred's shoulders and slithered behind her back. She fumbled with the clasp of her brassiere for a moment before it finally snapped open and slipped down her arms. Fred gazed at her appreciatively before diving in and wrapping his lips around one of her pebbled nipples while his hand massaged the other. Kaydy gasped in pleasure, her lips formed a seemingly perpetual "o."

Her eyes fluttered shut again as Fred's tongue worked some sort of magic against her chest. Finally, Kaydy's hand clutched his jaw and pulled his lips to hers, capturing him in a searing kiss that Fred eagerly returned. Their lips move in sync, their tongues danced to a sensual rhythm, and their hands roamed each other's bodies, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

With a surge of self-assurance driven by a desperate desire for more, Kaydy raised her leg to straddle Fred's waist. He held her steady as she climbed on top of him, pushing herself closer until their chests were flush. She lowered herself down to sit on his lap and gasped as she felt him press against her womanhood. Fred almost choked as Kaydy's moistness seeped through his shorts and unto him. Her hips bucked on their own accord, rocking against him naturally, though the movement seemed quite foreign to her. Fred moved with her, meeting her thrust for thrust.

Before long, their kisses became sloppy and their thrusts grew frantic until Fred slowed their movements and turned them around. He laid her carefully down on her back and kissed the side of her face. Kaydy smiled shyly up at him and hooked her thumbs in the elastic of his shorts. Fred smiled back and pecked her chin before pushing the material down his legs. He watched Kaydy's face, caught her eyes dart down to observe him and a faint blush heat her cheeks. He smiled down at her innocence and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. He stared into her eyes and Kaydy held his gaze as she raised her hips up off the mattress.

He was embarrassed that his fingers shook as they tugged gently on the last remaining article of clothing between them. He felt the tips of his ears burn, certain she felt the vibration of his fingertips against her thighs as he slipped the fabric down her silky smooth legs. Finally, it was off and Fred hovered between her legs for a moment. Kaydy wiggled around beneath him in anticipation, the throbbing between her thighs was becoming unbearable; she needed him, and she needed him now.

Kaydy's fingers tangled themselves in Fred's orange hair, pulling him down to her lips. He kissed her passionately, pouring every drop of love he had for the girl into her mouth as he did so. He leaned his weight on his forearm while his free hand trailed down her body to her hip to tease her inner thigh. Kaydy gasped and whimpered, wordlessly begging him to touch her. Finally, his fingers swiped across her wet folds and Kaydy jerked in response. Fred felt himself twitch, his hardness tapping against her leg as he continued to stroke her sensitive nub.

Kaydy moaned into Fred's mouth as he poked a thick finger inside of her, moving it in and out and all around to stretch her walls in preparation. With sure thrusts, he inserted another finger, and then another until three digits were soaked in Kaydy's fluids. He continued to pump his fingers into her while his thumb toyed with the bundle of nerves just above her opening. His hair was sticking to his forehead as he watched her face contort with pleasure and her fingers tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Fred, please," Kaydy whimpered. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" he whispered, closing his lips around her hard nipple.

"Yes, I love you. I want this, please," she begged, and Fred smirked cockily before flicking her nipple with his tongue.

He leaned back for a moment to position himself between her thighs. The tip of his cock pressed against her hot opening, coating itself in her juices. He pressed himself in the slightest bit and Kaydy's muscles tightened in protest. He leaned down to kiss her lips reassuringly before pushing in a little bit more. Kaydy squeaked against his lips as he moved his way inside of her.

"This is going to hurt for a little while, love," Fred warned, stroking her face lovingly. "Just tell me if you want me to stop, alright?"

Kaydy nodded and furrowed her brow as Fred continued to work his way into her. Her thighs were trembling against his hips as her toes curled into the sheets. Her fingers fisted his hair as she bit down on her lip to fight a scream that was working its way up her throat. She had no idea how painful it would be to lose her virginity, she realized, as her walls stretched against their will. Tears stung her eyes and dripped from the corners of her sockets down her cheeks.

"I know it hurts," Fred whispered, drying her tears. "If you want me to stop, I will, love. It's okay."

"No, no I want you to…keep going," Kaydy argued and blinked back her tears.

"Kay…"

"Kiss me, Fred," she breathed.

He complied, bowing his head to meet her mouth. His kisses were gentle and soothing, but Kaydy could still feel the burning pressure in her lower half. Fred eased in further and snuck his hand between them. His fingers fondled her clit pleasantly and Kaydy began to relax into his touch. With her muscles at ease, Fred was able to move along inside of her until his member was fully sheathed. He groaned into her mouth as her tight walls squeezed him, and he began to slide out of her.

Kaydy gasped at the movement and moaned as he came back against her. The burning in her womanhood no longer seemed all that unbearable. In fact, the throbbing was finally being soothed as Fred moved in and out a bit quicker. His fingers continued to play with her while he thrust his hips. She watched his face as he made love to her, memorizing the crease in his forehead, and the pants leaving his parted lips, and his hazel eyes that would glance down at their joined pelvises before moving back to watch her face.

She thought she would be embarrassed by the sounds escaping her lips. She thought she would be self-conscious about the way her breasts bounced beneath Fred. She thought she would hold back and control the facial expressions she was making. But none of those things mattered while Fred was inside of her. She felt alive, and free, and unconditionally loved. The way Fred was gazing down at her made all of her insecurities, and doubts, and second thoughts vanish from her mind.

Sweat glistened between Kaydy's breasts as her fingers clutched desperately at the golden sheets beneath them. She arched her back and lifted her hips, creating new angles for Fred to discover as he continued to pillage her body. It wasn't long before her entire body was writhing underneath him, and Fred had to hold her hips in place while he continued to pound into her. Her brown eyes scrunched shut and her jaw went slack as a loud moan tore from her throat, her body vibrating against him. Her walls contracted around him, milking him for all he was worth until he, too, was sent over the edge and spilt his seed inside of her.

They continued to move against each other in slow, sensual thrusts until the final waves of their orgasms were ridden out. Fred kissed Kaydy with all his might as he slowly pulled himself out of her and removed his weight from her body. He fell down next to her on the bed and closed his eyes, willing his breathing to return to normal. Every muscle in his body ached and burned in response to the exertion, but none of that mattered as Kaydy carefully rolled over to lay across his chest.

With her cheek pressed to Fred's chest, Kaydy closed her eyes. Her face was sticking to his chest, slicked with sweat, but she chose to ignore it. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and she was fairly certain Fred could feel it banging against his own ribcage, but she didn't care. How could she, when everything was so perfect?

Kaydy awoke early the following morning. Her muscles ached as she stretched her limbs, a whine of agony passing through her teeth. Her womanhood had never known such pain, and Kaydy found herself praying it would not always feel this way afterwards. She rolled carefully onto her side to lay on Fred's chest, and her eyes shot open. She sat up with a start, finding herself alone in the golden bed.

"Fred?" she called, but she was met with silence.

Frantically, she climbed out of bed and clutched the sheet around her naked body. She ignored the painful burning in her muscles as she scampered to the night table beside the bed. Surely, he'd have left a note before leaving her. But Kaydy was disappointed to find nothing but a flickering candle perched atop the wood.

Without warning, all of her doubts came crashing back into her. Her insecurities taunted her at the forefront of her mind. She was foolish to believe he'd meant it when he said her experience- or lack thereof- didn't matter. She had known, all along, that Fred had been with much more beautiful girls than she. She should have known. She should have expected to wake up alone. With tears streaming all the way down her chin, Kaydy slid to the carpet and sobbed until she had nothing left to give.

"What's the matter with you?" Haley asked when Kaydy finally returned to Gryffindor Tower.

Her sadness had, by then, been replaced with fury. Instead of "how could he," Kaydy was asking herself, "how dare he?" She got herself together and stormed from the Room of Requirement in a huff. A harsh glare was burning through her chocolate eyes as she stomped through the corridors to the common room. She entered the lions' den with a bang, her eyes scanning the area for her prey, earning wary looks from her peers.

"Nothing," Kaydy said curtly. "Where's George?"

"Dunno. I haven't seen him yet today," Haley replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"Brilliant," Kaydy growled and pushed past Haley to climb the girls' staircase.

"Hey," Haley called after her, jogging up the stones just behind the brunette. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Peachy," Kaydy muttered sarcastically upon entering her bedroom.

"Come on, I thought after last night, you'd be singing show-tunes or something," Haley teased with a merry laugh.

Kaydy whipped around to face the blonde and shot her a murderous glare. Haley stepped back as though Kaydy had actually hit her. Her blue eyes scrunched in confusion as she shut the door quietly.

"Okay, spill," Haley said firmly.

"Leave me alone, Haley," Kaydy rolled her eyes and spun away from her friend to rummage through her drawers.

"No," Haley replied. "Seriously, tell me what happened."

"There's nothing to tell," Kaydy grumbled, ripping a pair of jeans from the dresser.

"So Fred didn't fuck you silly last night?" Haley asked with a knowing smirk.

Kaydy's cheeks burned and her eyes narrowed further. She tugged the denim up her legs, buttoning and zipping them closed with purpose. Her lips pursed together in a tight line as she fumbled through her wardrobe for a shirt to wear. After forcefully tugging her day old t-shirt from her head, she yanked a fresh blue sweater over her tangled hair.

"The blood in you cheeks says he did," Haley chuckled, ignoring Kaydy's nasty glare. "So if you two finally did the dirty, why are you in such a shit mood?"

"Because he was gone!" Kaydy shouted, whirling around to stare at her friend. "I woke up and he was gone!"

"Shit…" Haley's jaw went slack and her eyes went wide. "There must be an explanation."

"Not as far as I can tell. He didn't even leave a bloody note," Kaydy grumbled and sat on the edge of her bed. "He just disappeared."

"I'm sure it's not what you think it is, Kaydy," Haley sat beside her and wrapped a slender arm around her shoulders. "He's probably goofing off somewhere with George."

"It doesn't matter," Kaydy frowned and twisted the sapphire ring around her finger. "I can't believe he'd do this to me."

"Don't jump to any conclusions," Haley said firmly. "Let's try and find the twins. We'll turn this castle upside down if we have to."

Three hours later, Haley and Kaydy found themselves collapsing over the sofa in their House common room. With their backs pressed together, Haley pushed her fingers through her long hair while Kaydy rubbed her temples with her fingertips. The brunette grinded her teeth together, the sound of crunching ice echoing from her jaw. She scrunched her tired eyes shut and groaned audibly.

"This is getting a bit ridiculous," Haley sighed.

"A bit? We searched everywhere! Every crevice of this castle and there's not a single Weasley in sight!" Kaydy moaned.

"Hey guys."

Kaydy and Haley turned their heads in unison towards the staircase. Hermione was coming down the stairs with a large book tucked under her arm. The smile on her lips was too tight to be considered effortless, and her brown eyes were darting around the common room anxiously. With a disappointed huff, the bushy haired girl lowered herself down into the nearest chair.

"What's up, Hermione?" Haley asked, eyeing the fifth year.

"Have you seen Ginny? Or Ron?" Hermione asked, flipping through her book distractedly.

"Not today, no," Haley replied while Kaydy continued clenching her jaw.

"Strange…I haven't seen Harry around either," Hermione noted, her brow furrowing.

"He's missing too?" Kaydy asked concernedly.

"Okay, now I'm getting scared," Haley turned her head to look at Kaydy.

"Why?" Hermione cocked an eyebrow.

"We can't find the twins anywhere," Haley replied.

"They have to be around somewhere. It's not like they could just disappear without a trace," Kaydy reasoned.

"I'm sure they'll turn up by dinner," Hermione stated before directing her focus towards her book.

Dinner came and went, and midnight found the three girls circled in front of the blazing fire inside the lions' den. Hermione was chewing her lip while her wide eyes darted back forth between the boys' stairs and the portrait hole. Haley was fidgeting anxiously on her yoga mat, neurotically braiding her long hair over and over again. Kaydy's angry stare was stubbornly in place in spite of the worried wrinkle working its way into her forehead. With a frustrated grunt, she shoved both hands roughly through her hair and fell into a low squat in front of the burning logs.

A low whistle came from the grate and Kaydy turned her head. Haley's fumbling fingers froze for a moment before dropping to her lap completely still. Hermione's eyes narrowed skeptically as she crawled closer to the stone mantle to kneel beside a crouching Kaydy. Together, they watched the embers in the fireplace glow red as the coals rearranged themselves. Kaydy's eyes widened as she began to recognize the form sitting against the scalding wood. Her brown eyes darted around the empty common room, confirming that they were alone.

"Sirius!" she hissed. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

"I don't have much time," Sirius' voice came through the flames. "The others don't know I'm contacting you, but I thought you had the right to know- oh, hello Hermione, Haley."

"Hi, Sirius," the girls chorused.

"Where are Harry and the Weasley kids?" Kaydy asked immediately.

"Breathe, love, they're alright," Sirius said with a reassuring smile.

"Something's wrong. What happened, Sirius?" Kaydy asked, drawing the man's attention once more.

"There's been an accident," Sirius explained calmly. "Order business…"

"What?" Haley squeaked in disbelief.

"What happened?" Hermione's eyes went wide.

"Who was it?" Kaydy asked gravely, not moving her eyes from her adoptive father's.

Sirius' silhouette appeared to peer over his shoulder before turning his somber eyes back towards Kaydy. He frowned, the orange embers carving out the thin wrinkles around his mouth as his lips dipped towards the floorboards. He sighed heavily, and Kaydy could almost smell the firewhiskey on his breath.

"Arthur," Sirius replied slowly.

"No…" Haley breathed.
"He's not…dead, is he?" Kaydy choked on the word.

"No, he's alive. Stable, even. He was-"

A muffled voice sounded through the grate and Sirius shut his lips tightly as he glanced

over his shoulder again. Heavy footsteps banged against the creaking steps as they approached wherever Sirius was calling from. He whirled back around to face the girls, his long curls flying into his eyes as he did so.

"I've got to go. I'll try to explain more when you come home," Sirius rushed his goodbyes and disappeared from the flames.

Kaydy lost her balance and fell backwards onto her rear. The ache shot up her spine as her bum hit the stone, but she could barely even feel it. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the faceless flames and her lips trembled even when she pressed them tight together. Her shoulders sagged as her fingers clutched the area rug beneath them until they had gathered the golden material inside her fists. Haley's hands were stroking her forearms up and down to soothe her, but Kaydy couldn't feel her soft palms gliding against her bare arms. Hermione was watching her with a worrisome gaze.

"He's alright, Kaydy," Hermione reminded her gently.

"They're all okay," Haley added, hugging the brunette to her side.

"But he almost wasn't," Kaydy stated, her voice shaking terribly.

"We don't know what happened yet," Hermione insisted.

"It had to have been serious to call home his children!" Kaydy argued. "And what'd Harry have to do with it?"

"That I don't know," Hermione confessed. "I suppose we'll find out once we arrive for the holidays."

"In case it wasn't obvious, I'm coming with you," Haley declared.

"Oh? And who said you were invited?" Kaydy raised a sculpted eyebrow.

"My boyfriend and that kid you're shagging," Haley grinned as she accepted the impact of Kaydy's fist while Hermione's cheeks burned red.

"Piss off!" Kaydy struggled to hide her own sheepish smile.

"Hey, at least now you know he didn't hit it and quit it!" Haley danced out of Kaydy's reach, using Hermione as a human shield.