Hey guys. So I have some news. For the next month I'll be in England visiting my family. I'll probably be writing a bit but I'll mostly be just hanging out. I'm really excited but dreading leaving you without an update for a whole month. sowwy.

Who else went to the midnight premier? Gah I was so darned emotional. I still am. There's much too much to write here, so just... guess. It's easy when you see what this story is about haha.

Okay whellll I lovee you all and I hope this is good. There's a major storm brewing, so enjoy the goo-goo love while it lasts :o that's all I'm saying!

Enjoy! :D


Chapter 28: Surprises

He never made it through a day of school

The only thing he studied was you
He knows your body better than you do

Maybe I'm your Mr. Right
Baby, maybe I'm the wrong you like
Maybe I'm a shot in the dark
And you're the morning light
Maybe this is sad but true
Baby, maybe you've got nothing to lose
You could be the best of me
When I'm the worst for you

-Mr. Right by A Rocket to the Moon

The next weeks went by quickly. Soon we were back at Hogwarts, which wasn't as fun as it used to be.

My home-away-from-home was being ruled with an iron fist thanks to the omnipresent and hideous toad lady, Umbridge. Several new decrees had developed, including one banning teachers from helping students outside of class (which was unfortunate for Harry, who now had to sneak out to see Snape for Occlumency lessons), Hagrid was on probation, and the bloody bitch was now supervising Care of Magical Creatures and Divination classes. She was also getting tighter about displays of affection and banning all sorts of stupid little things, many of the twins's little products included.

As if that was not enough, it came to our attention that ten Death Eaters escaped Azkaban.

"No. No, this cannot be happening," the twins muttered gravely and simultaneously. I bit my lip, sliding closer to Fred on the breakfast table as the evil cackling of Bellatrix bellowed from the paper that lay flat out on the wood.

"The war really has begun, hasn't it? There's no escaping it now. We're all in danger." I raised my eyes from the gruesome pictures, shuddering; Fred was holding me tightly, protectively¸ and I was suddenly very afraid that I would lose him to one of these horrible people.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Blayne. I promise." Fred kissed me lightly, and I wished it would quell the gut wrenching fear that bloomed in my stomach.

George nodded and kissed my nose. "Yeah. Don't worry, my little billywig, we won't let anybody take you away from us. We're far too attached to you."

For now, there was nothing we could do about it. The only thing that made life bearable and stopped the overwhelming fear from consuming me was to throw myself into the DA with Harry and the others. Neville and Harry seemed to be of similar mindsets; now that the very people who had tortured Neville's parents to insanity were on the loose, he appeared to want to arm himself against these people lest he turn out like his mother and father. I didn't blame him.

Fred and George's middle namesakes had been killed by Antonin Dolohov, who was now on the loose, and Molly was sending them letters every other day to make sure everything was well. She was a wreck, scared of her family being hurt and still furiously sick over losing her two brothers, Gideon and Fabian. I couldn't imagine what she was going through.

Luckily, I was getting quite good at defending myself. I didn't know if it would help if I ever came against a Death Eater, or, Merlin forbid, Lord Voldemort himself, but it made Fred seem a little bit more relaxed and not as overprotective- something he had become very good at recently. It also made me feel better; I could protect myself and those I loved. My sister was an Auror, my parents were accomplished with their wands, my best friends had already proven themselves against obstacles nobody else could imagine, and my boyfriend was one of the best wandsman I knew (though he didn't like to apply his skills very often).

About a week after school began again, I got my chance for revenge. The sodding would-be-rapist was, surprise surprise, practicing Quidditch one evening when Fred and I were wandering the grounds. I found myself quickly spiralling out of control, and instead of using my head, I allowed my emotions to get the best of me. Needless to say, I hexed the boy until he lay bleeding on the ground in a crumpled heap. I remember the exact face Fred made when he leaned over the git.

"Poor little nancy boy, fell off his broom. Isn't that right, McClaggen? You fell off your broom, didn't you?" Fred's voice was the most menacing I had ever heard it; despite being totally soil-your-trousers worthy, it was also sexy as bloody hell. McClaggen rolled over and pitifully moaned in his pain, but he clearly got the idea because when he went to the Hospital Wing, he repeated to Madam P. exactly what Fred had told him.

Peyton and I had become more distant, and I sensed a change in her that I couldn't quite grasp. She was spending much more time with her other mates and I was bumming around with the twins now that things were back to normal. We talked occasionally in the dorm room and such but every time I brought up Fred she would get this angry gleam in her eyes. I tried to ignore it and rationalized it as simple jealousy.

January came and went, and February brought warmer and wetter weather. It was raining nearly every day. The days passed quickly until suddenly it was Valentine's Day. The lover's day would take place on Saturday, February 14, which also happened to be the next Hogsmeade trip.

To my delight, George finally mustered up the courage to ask Angelina to go to Hogsmeade with him for the holiday. All three of us had long since declared our utter hatred for that little teashop, Madam Puddifoot's, after we had gone all together in our fourth year to see what all the fuss was about; obviously, Fred and I would not be going there for Valentine's Day. However, George wanted to make the date with his crush utterly perfect, and thus, he would be taking Angelina to the tea shop and then to ice cream, followed by a spin in some stores. He hoped she'd at least give him a kiss for the sacrifice he was making.

I had forgiven Angelina a while ago for the innocent wrongdoings she had committed, like garnering a date to the Yule Ball that should have been mine and inadvertently making my first day back at Hogwarts suck because the twins and I got in a fight. She didn't do anything, and I came to realize that it was more the idea of her budding into our threesome than actual her that bothered me the most. I really hoped she got together with George; they'd be quite the adorable couple. She would definitely balance him and vice versa.

Therefore, Fred and I would be on our own. He said he had a surprise for me. He told me that first we would have to do some errands, but after that the day would be ours.

I woke up that morning with a smile on my face, cradled in my lover's arms. Fred and I had taken to sleeping together most nights that we could, innocently because we each had roommates. Occasionally, we would find ourselves alone in a dormitory and sate our ever-present desires or go to the Room of Requirement. After we made love that first time, a torrent of emotions and wants exploded and it seemed like I just wanted to fuck him day and night. I found myself being intimate with Fred at least once a day. I still can't figure out how we did it though, with Umbridge and our mates hovering. At night, there was a fat chance that we could be together like that, so we did the next best thing and snuggled to sleep together instead.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." Fred bent his head to kiss my nose and then my lips sweetly. I smiled into his mouth and squeezed his waist.

"Morning, my valiant wizard knight." I stayed in bed with him as long as I could before begrudgingly getting from the warm bed and bidding him a farewell to get dressed.

I took a quick shower and then checked out the window for the weather. Most of my roommates were already at Hogsmeade and it looked like it was a dismal, grey winter day. I pulled on a pair of distressed, light washed jeans and a super comfortable, v-neck, red sweater. I paired the outfit with my everyday neon purple wellies and my houndstooth coat. My hair fell in its normal, deep purple curls down to my mid-back with a few red highlights in it to be festive. I did my eyes up very dark and steamy with an accented bright red matte lipstick.

Peyton and I then walked down to Hogsmeade (after getting by grumpy Filtch) where she would meet up with her friends from Hufflepuff and I would find Fred.

I smiled as I caught sight of my red haired hunk. He stood at the entrance of town clad in the dark washed jeans and a pink button down.

"I've got a surprise for you."

Fred's hand outstretched towards me when we walked up to him. His hair was an utter, windblown mess and in that instance he was the depiction of sin. His smile dazzled me and I found my fingers automatically entwining with his.

Peyton flipped her hair over her shoulder and called to us without so much as another glance. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." And then she was gone. She was acting rather jealous lately.

"That leaves a lot of options, doesn't it?" I said to Fred. He shook his head and leaned down to kiss me quickly.

"Happy Valentine's Day, love. You look gorgeous." I frowned when he pulled back after a candy-sweet kiss, but he just winked at me and pulled me in the direction of town.

I teased him playfully. "So what's my surprise then, Mister Sneakoscope? Do I get a prize if I guess correctly?" I swung our clasped hands and clutched my present to him in my other hand. He shook his head and laughed, nudging me with his shoulder as we walked down the cobblestone pathway.

We soon found ourselves in the dark, depressing alleyway behind Zonko's. I smiled, teasing him again. I snapped my fingers and tilted my head. "I've got it! You're going to ravish me in plain sight of anyone wandering into this alley. I knew you liked to show off but honey, don't you think this is a little extreme?"

"Oh shut up, Virgin Mary. You're not as virtuous as you like to pretend you are. I happen to know that you do this delightful little manoeuvre with your tongue-"

I shoved him and he fell into the wall, grinning. I rolled my eyes and couldn't help but smile back at him. He grabbed me and flipped me over so I was against the wall and sucked my lower lip between his mouth.

Unbeknownst to me, Fred grabbed the present in my hand and silently banished it to a secret location. I only realized he'd done if after I tried to pull him closer and found I actually could.

"OI! What'd you do with your gift? If you peaked, I swear, Fredrick Fabien, you will not be getting any sex for a month!"

"Oh don't get your panties in a bunch, woman! It's safe and I swear I haven't peaked. Were about to do something that Umbridge would definitely whip us for. Are you prepared to do something totally taboo to our resident evil?" he whispered scandalously in my ear, seducing me into the danger. I shivered and bit his lip, pulling it and tugging his mouth centimetres from mine.

My breath slid across his tongue and my lips brushed his as I spoke. "Good thing I'm a wicked lass then." He growled and grasped me to him, ravishing my mouth with such furiousness that I felt my knees buckle.

With a sudden jolt, we were twirling through time and space. We whizzed to an abrupt stop mere seconds after the sensation of apparation began. Breathless, I ripped my mouth from my boyfriend's to look around me.

Number Ninety-Three, Diagon Alley blinked at me from the front window of a large, quaint, brick building. Next to the number was a brightly coloured, large sign declaring "For Sale". Fred and I stood on the doorstep. His fingers laced with mine once more and then he pushed open the wooden door, ignoring my questioning glance.

The inside was larger than you'd expect. A long counter was to the left with an old-fashioned cash register perched atop it. Behind the counter and against the back wall was a closet door. In back of the counter were shelves that reached to the ceiling, and there were shelves along each other wall as well. Little breaks in the shelving appeared every so often, large enough for a small table or poster.

The rest of the room was bare and full of possibilities. Facing the door and at the back of the store was a staircase.

"Whaddya think?" Fred asked me. His face reminded me of an eager cruppy.

"It's... perfect Fred. Absolutely brilliant." I found myself twirling around the shop, excitedly peering in every corner and imagining what joke item we'd place there. I pictured teh walls painted some outrageous colour and millions of tables littering the centre of the store, piled high with Skiving Snackboxes. I saw children running amongst the toys and tugging at their mother's robes for permission.

And I imagined Fred, George, and I behind the counter, a beautiful ring glinting off my finger as I rang up some excited eleven-year-old's purchase (that he would no doubt be using to torture Snape).

"You think so?" Fred's voice was full of tender hope, and his eyes were so bright with childlike wonder that I doubted that any decent person could say no to him.

"Yes! Merlin's beard, look at the place! I'm speechless."

"You haven't even seen the best part yet." Fred tugged me up the back stairs and to the door at the top.

"How could anything be better than this?" I said. I got my answer when he pushed the door open. Beyond the doorjamb lay a stunning little flat.

It opened right up to a kitchen with long marble counters, a white simple fridge, and cherry cabinets. A small sink was directly opposite the door with an enchanted window above it that showed the current weather (a dismal grey sky at the moment) though it was facing a wall out back. A ceiling fan and light fixture whirled above us. A small round table sat at the left, obviously the petite dining area.

To the left of the kitchen were two doors that Fred skipped over. Instead, he brought me through a doorway without the door on the same wall as the door to downstairs but to the left. Through the walkway was an adorable little living area.

There was no furniture in the room, but it had a plush carpet underfoot and a window at the front showing Diagon Alley below us, bustling with happy couples. It was large enough to fit a couch, loveseat, table, and perhaps a Muggle television set.

Fred's voice was still looking for approval. "Cute, right?" I didn't know what more I could say to convince him. The little flat was so charming!

I beamed up at him and squeezed our hands tightly. Leaning up, I kissed him at the base of his neck. "It looks too good to be true. After all these months of looking, I think you've found the one Freddie. Can I see the bedrooms?"

The bedrooms lay beyond the two doors by the kitchen. They were identical with a few differences. Each had a bathroom attached with a shower, though the one to the back of the building had a porcelain bathtub that even Fred and George's long height could stretch out in comfortably. The front room had a window overlooking the Alley instead of the tub. Again, there was little furniture, but with enough imagination I could see a queen bed, two bedside tables, and a loveseat in the corner.

Each also had a walk-in closet, a luxury for the size of the flat. There was plenty of storage room and it was the perfect size for the two twins and me when I got out of school. If George ever settled down, there was room for his girlfriend or wife as well.

"I adore it Fred." I kissed him, pulling him against me after we finished exploring the back bedroom. I had already mentally claimed the room for Fred and me, and now I silently christened the new building with my boyfriend. I knew it would take Mr. Diggles, our realtor, some time to actually procure the building and claim it as ours legally, but to me it was already ours.

"Good, because George and I bought it last week. She's ours, Blayne."


"Where are we going now, Fred?" I giggled, tripping over the unseen roots on the ground.

I could hear the smile in his voice even if I couldn't see it. "You'll see." Really? Well hopefully he'd take his hands off my eyes soon so I could, indeed, see.

His hands, draped over my eyes, prevented me from seeing where I was going. It was definitely an experience; I relied solely on Fred to get me to our unknown destination safely.

I wondered where he could possibly be taking me in Hogsmeade. Puddifoot's was illegal territory and Hog's Head was too dingy for Valentine's Day. The Leaky Cauldron would be way too packed and was too mainstream for us, so I knew that was out of the question. Of course we weren't going shopping or for a lovely stroll while I was blind. What did that leave? Not anything I could think of.

"We're here." A hard body stopped me from behind and the breath tickled my ear as he whispered in it. Slowly, the fingers impairing my vision fell away and I gasped.

We were standing in front of the Shrieking Shack. It was in the woods next to Hogsmeade, quite a ways away from the actual town. The snow had left a faint dusting on the ground, not enough to impede anything but just enough to add a little charm to the place.

Next to the shack was a small little tent. The flap was open and inside I could see that it was enlarged on the inside with a mound of blankets and pillows on the floor.

"After you, milady." Fred made a sweeping hand gesture and I curtsied, playing along.

"Why thank you, milord. You are most kind." I bit my lip and he kept the flap open for me until I was inside. To the right of the pillows was a glass of champagne in an ice bath, and beside that was chocolate covered strawberries. Both our presents were sitting in the tent.

But the most breathtaking of all was that there were rose petals. Everywhere. Littered over every little thing was a beautiful smelling rose petal. And to top it all off, the tent smelled as though it had been sprayed with amortentia. My mother's perfume, Fred's unique scent, coconut, and the smell when it rains filled the air around me (with a subtle hint of the scent of sex).

"Amortentia?" I asked, whirling around to Fred. "You know how dangerous that it!"

"Relax, love, it's something we're trying out for the shop. George and I are trying to isolate the unique properties of the potion that make it smell like that so we can turn it into a perfume for women as part of the Wonderwitch line. Does it work on you too?" He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Like a charm. Mmmmm Merlin it's delicious!"

"I smell explosions, the kitchen at the Burrow, and you. What do you smell?" Fred sat down on the floor and cuddled me to his chest as he lavished my neck with kisses. I collapsed against him as I relayed what I smelled. He smiled against my skin and I toed my shoes off, curling my feet against my butt and turning around to catch his lips with mine.

"Can I open my gift now?" I grinned up at him, kissing him again. Reluctantly, after getting caught up in snogging, we pulled back and I repositioned myself to open the gift.

I sat in front of him, our curled knees touching. He handed me my gift without any fanfare. We had promised each other we were going easy on the gifts for Valentine's Day. It was a day to treasure and to just be with your significant other, not for throwing thousands of galleons away.

When I opened up the handwrapped gifts, my heart thudded in my chest. It was a beautiful arrangement of items. He had given me a month's supply of my favourite chocolates and a gorgeous love poem. I won't repeat it here, but it made me get very sappy. Then, when I looked up and kissed him thoroughly, he produced a brilliant bouquet of red, red roses. There were a dozen in the arrangement and each one seemed like a romantic promise to me.

He opened mine and we both shared a secret look of desire. I had bought a little lingerie set from a Muggle store known as Victoria's Secret. It was called the Starry Babydoll and was the perfect mix of innocent and sexy (.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265530558177&c=Page&cid=1308307884788&pagename=vsdWrapper). I leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"I promise that you will see me in this little number this week. After that, you get to keep it and tell me when to wear it." I licked the outer shell of his ear and nibbled a bit on the earlobe before releasing the flesh and coming around to his mouth. Then, I licked his top lip first and then his bottom lip. Finally, I allowed him to kiss me.

We made love slow and sweet. Fred slid my clothes off reverently and I undid his buttons one by one. When we were naked, I lay back against the pillows and he kissed every inch of skin on my body. We kissed throughout the entire coupling, and when he finally slid inside me I felt it all the way to my core.

We both reached climax at the same time, and I almost cried with the sweetness.

Afterwards, we lay in our mound of pillows arse naked. Fred fed me some strawberries and we drank champagne straight from the bottle. Fred and I talked about what it would be like to have our own shop and live in our own flat. We made love twice more before the end of the afternoon, and by that time the smells had worn off and were replaced by the overwhelming aroma of sex.

He played with my fingers as we laid in silence, soaking up the day and committing everything I could to memory. With the Death Eaters on the fringe of our happy little universe and danger lurking around the corner, I had promised myself to remember the happy things and cherish the little bits of heaven I got.

We kissed, long and sweet, like a drug that just kept keeping me addicted. A few weeks later would be our sixth month anniversary. I couldn't imagine it had only been six months. To me, it seemed like I had always been with Fred and I couldn't imagine a future without him.

The only question was, how long would that future last?