Fred constantly thought about her. All he could do was think about her. Sophie.

She was most definitely not dead, but rather a young and successful healer. Graduated Hogwarts and her healer education with good marks despite living with the trauma of war in silence.

And while she lived in silence, he lived loud and proud.

He did his research. He was never studious in school, but when he wanted to know something, he poured effort into learning everything he could know.

And it was difficult for him, his research on Sophie. She was a mystery for many reasons.

1. She was a Hufflepuff. But somehow she embodied bravery.

2. She was a year younger than Ginny, so he couldn't even rely on his sister to provide him any details.

3. Dennis Creevey, who Fred had gotten to know over the years at DA meet-ups, was tight-lipped and refused to share anything he knew. Fred hit another dead end with him.

He basically knew what everyone else knew about Sophie, what he read in the original article. He knew that she saved his life when she was 15 years old, that she now was a successful healer, he knew she suffered, and that she lost touch with her family, something Fred could not imagine having to go through.

He also knew that, for some reason, she stayed quiet.

"She had almost a full year of freedom to meet me, to let me know she saved my life" Fred thought.

Fred was never one to wait around. And once he learned about Sophie and that his research was a dead end, he took matters into his own hands. And with that determination, he sent the letter.

OOO

Sophie took a deep breath.

She knew Fred Weasley from the rumors at Hogwarts, from passing by his store in Diagon Alley, from the magazine articles she occasionally read. But she did not know Fred.

One thing she thought she knew for certain was that he was going to be greatly disappointed meeting her.

Her, who hasn't truly felt happy in 6 years, who has no family who talks to her, who "just gets by" at work because the floor she is passionate about appears to be other healer's nightmares, who is sometimes in such bad pain she can't leave her bed. She is not impressive or worthy of being put on a "savior pedestal." She is just Sophie.

She took another sip of tea, hidden in the back of the muggle cafe.

She wasn't surprised when she received his letter. She knew that he would want to meet her. Hell, she jokingly bet her friends 10 gallons that they would meet. She was surprised he wanted to meet her as soon as he could. She also was surprised that he agreed to meet her in a muggle cafe.

She was doing everything to avoid the press, and the muggle world was her protection.

The press was ruthless. And since none of the "9-ers" would make a statement they started attacking their families and co-workers for information. But much to the disappointment of the press, the "9-ers" were good at keeping secrets, too good.

So all the press could print was gossip. The gossip articles being printed were 50% in support of the young adults and the other 50% were against the teenagers.

Supporters were calling for justice for the "9-ers," demanding that the ministry publicly recognize their sacrifice. Those opposed to the "9-ers" stated that they got what they deserved. That the then teenagers treated war like a game and did not deserve any luxury that the ministry already provided or any recognition.

Derrick, Cassie, Doug and Matilda all took leaves from their work due to the harassment of the press. Raven was able to escape to the muggle world, having little interaction with the press and the wizarding world in general. January and Sophie were needed at their jobs as healers, though January was asked to work on the 4th floor for the time being.

The long-term residents did not keep up on the news or hound the young healers. Alice continued to grab Sophie's hand and pat it, Mr. Lockhart would sign a photograph for her and January, and Jana would say a prayer for her. In a world that felt like chaos, Sophie clung to the little normalcy she had.

Reporters were not normal, the world knowing she fought in a war was not normal and not actively avoiding Fred Wesley was not normal.

OOO

"Hullo" Sophie heard from behind her.

She saw his striking red hair at first, then his warm brown eyes looking back at her. He seemed nervous, inching towards the table but not making a move to sit, as if he was waiting for her permission. After a brief moment, Sophie regained her composure.

"You're uh, are you Sophie?" he asked.

"Yes, uh hi! Take a seat!" She squeaked.

"Just be calm, this can be over quickly." she thought.

Fred let out a breathy laugh and pulled out a chair to sit. A minute of awkward silence passed between the two.

"I ordered us tea, I hope that's okay." Sophie said, breaking their silence.

"Perfect" he replied, wringing his hands together.

Sophie never knew Fred Wesley to be nervous. What little she remembered about him from school was that he was confident and brave.

"You look familiar," he commented.

"Well, I'm pretty famous, not sure if you've read the paper lately" she quipped back at him. There was no way Sophie was going to bring up their unfortunate interaction at the first anniversary of the battle. She noticed a slight smile on his face, him settling in more comfortably and holding his tea.

"I don't really know where to start" Fred started looking down at his tea. "But I think thank you is a good place, yeah?" he looked up at her, a small smile on his face.

"You really don't have to say that, but uh, you're welcome" Sophie meekly replied, fiddling with her teacup as guilt settled in her stomach.

Fred just continued to look at the woman before him. She was a child when she saved his life and he imagined her life hadn't been easy. What he was going to make sure he did for her was let her know that she deserved that "thank you" and about a thousand more.

"I do," he stated. "I do have to say thank you because you made sure I lived. And maybe you didn't specifically set out to save my life, but you saved someone's life and that someone just happened to be me. And I appreciate it…a lot of people do, that's why I looked for you" he trailed off. Sophie didn't answer, just looked at him.

"So, a healer?" Fred questioned, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh" Sophie breathed out, "yeah, thought I could make a career out of saving lives. Turns out, I'm not too great on the emergency floors, if you can believe it."

With a lopsided grin Fred responded "you must've used up all your 'emergency' energy on me."

And with that they trailed off again, slight awkward silence filling their table. They were not friends, yet their lives were intertwined. Sophie felt, to ease the tension, she should ask the question she had been wondering from afar, no matter how superficial it felt in the moment.

"So, how has your life been? Since the battle and everything?" Sophie questioned, but quickly retracted, "oh you don't have to answer that, it's personal and you barely know me!"

But quickly Fred calmed her nerves "Personal? Love, I can answer any personal question for you. You're practically my hero." With another flash of his smile he continued "It was hard at first, but it's been easier with time. I'm lucky to have my twin, the shop and my family to help me through. That really has helped make everything." And with a question that has been on his mind since he saw Kingsley last he asked "what about you?"

And Sophie paused. She paused for longer than Fred wanted. But she mainly paused because this is what she feared, as if her boogert was directly in front of her at this moment. She feared telling the truth.

"It's been hard." She responded with a soft tone of voice. And when she noticed his arch eyebrow, as if it was asking her to continue, she drew in breath.

"We weren't allowed to say anything. Not outside of our little group, so we grew closer as if we were family. But we each lost our real families and we each seemed to lose our identity and I know that I've been working hard at re-building it. I just want the world to see me as Sophie, the healer and kind friend, not the brave little girl in pain, who lost her family and drinks too much firewhiskey to cope." She chuckled a little, lifting her tea to her lips.

"Pain?" he questioned. And with another deep breath she went into the story he didn't necessarily ask for.

"When I casted the spell, the one that stopped the wall, someone had used the cruciatus curse on me. And it was the most horrible pain I have ever felt. It doesn't happen often, that someone is able to ignore the pain of that unforgivable but I was able to and, because of that I now have a lingering side effect." She noticed his jaw slightly drop and his eyes widen slightly but she continued on, knowing if she did not tell him now, she probably never would.

"I feel pain, it's chronic. And I've grown to live with it. But there are days that it makes it near impossible to get out of my bed. It hasn't happened for awhile, but when I get stressed it seems to get worse." She rushed through and added, "it isn't much of a big deal anymore."

Fred just looked at her, his eyes wide. He, unknowingly, caused her pain.

"If I thought you were my hero before, you upgraded to my hero for life." Fred stated, "I can't believe, after everything, you're even here meeting with me."

This though, this is what Sophie was afraid of. Because she wasn't a hero and she needed him to understand. And to understand why meeting him was so hard.

"Some days, I regret it" she said slowly and quietly. "I regret saving you because the pain is so bad. And what type of person does that make me? To regret someone else's life. I am no hero Fred Weasley."

"I can tell you've thought about this a lot," he said in response quietly, "but it makes you human." He continued, with more strength in his response "war is not easy and it is full of emotions and anger. And you are allowed to look back, when you are in your darkest of times and wish for everything to feel okay again."

Sophie stared at him. She shared one of her deepest secrets with Fred, one that fills her with guilt and he started to crack the wall she built to protect herself. And something so unexpected happened, he forgave her.

Fred remembered what Sophie had said moments earlier. And he was bound and determined to help her start to feel her legacy. She gave him the past 6 years of his life, he wanted to be there when she started to fully live hers.

He stuck out his hand to her and she looked at it with a questioning gaze. With a smile plastered on his face Fred stated "Hello, I'm just Fred. Business owner, the handsomer twin, a brother and uncle." He waited a moment as he watched understanding cross Sophie's face and a soft smile appear. She took his hand gently and shook it, responding with a slight blush along her cheeks.

"Hello just Fred. My name's Sophie. I'm a healer, a friend and a lover of pineapple on my pizza."