AN:
Indelebilis Amoris: Indestructable Love; Timeless Love
I've been planning this story for the past 10-11 years, but I was never brave enough to post it.
I was actually writing this with my best friend from high school, but we fought back then and we didn't continue the story. But now, I don't care. I'm going to write it because I want to.
If you want help, Lavinia's faceclaim is Natalia Dyer.
Lavinia apparated in the middle of a field, her letting go of her trunk and an empty cage. She turned around, her teary eyes and blotchy face relaxing in relief when she saw The Burrow. She ran to the house and knocked loudly.
"Fred!" She shouted. "Fred please open up!"
Suddenly and very fast, the door opened. Standing there with a hand on the knob and his wand in the other, was a robe-clad Mr. Weasley, a perplexed look on his tired face.
"Lavinia? What are you doing here?"
"Good night, Mr. Weasely." Lavinia said, sniffing. "I'm so sorry to bother you this late. Is…" She took a shaky breath. "Can I talk to Fred, please?"
"What's going on there?" Mrs. Weasely's said as she made her way towards the door. "Lavinia dear, what are you doing here at this-" Mrs. Weasley stopped at the sight of Lavinia's face. More specifically, how her left cheek and eye were bruised.
"Lavinia what happened?" She said, with a stern tone to her voice.
Lavinia's eyes started watering as she stared at the adults in front of her. "Can I talk to Fred, please?" Her voice broke as she asked for him.
The Weaselys let her into their home, Molly leading her to the living room as Arthur went to fetch Fred.
"I'm so sorry for bothering you so late, Mrs. Weasely." Lavinia murmured.
"You're never a bother, dear. You're always welcomed here." Molly replied as she gently rubbed the girl's shoulders.
A ruckus was heard from the stairs, and both women turned to see Fred Weasley running down. He paused when he saw Lavinia, his face going from concern to anger.
"Hello, Freddie." Lavinia whispered.
"I'm going to kill him." Fred said as he turned to go back upstairs, clearly going to fetch his wand.
"Fred, no! Wait!" Lavinia shouted standing up, making the young man turn to look at her.
"Fred please, just…" Lavinia started but couldn't finish as the sob she was holding in wrecked her body, closing her eyes and covering her face with her hands.
She felt a set of arms wrapping themselves around her, instantly wrapping hers around the torso and hiding her face against his chest. Fred kissed her head as he held her, rubbing her back gently as she cried.
"I just- I had to- I couldn't be there anymore!" Lavinia said through sobs, Fred making shushing sounds at her.
"It's okay, Vinia. You're okay." Fred replied, "You're okay."
"I'm so sorry for barging in like this on you, I didn't know where else to go."
"It's okay, love. I've got you." He said, running his fingers through her long, light brown hair.
Still, holding her and running his fingers through her hair, he sat them down on the couch. Molly walked in silently while Lavinia sobbed into Fred's chest, and left a tray with a kettle and two tea cups. Fred nodded a silent thanks to his mother as she walked back upstairs, ready to put her other three children to sleep again.
Fred held Lavinia in silence until she stopped sobbing and little sniffs were heard. She pulled away, staring up at him with teary, red, puffy eyes. His eyes moved around her face, looking from her swelling black eye to the purple bruise on her cheek. He brought a hand to cup her uninjured cheek, and gently ran his thumb on it.
"What happened, Vinia?" He asked softly, making Lavinia shrug.
"You know, he got home late from the bar. I was doing my homework in the living room, and he didn't like it. He, " Lavinia took a shaky breath. "He pushed all my books to the floor and slapped me to the floor. When I tried to defend myself he punched me." A tear ran down her face. "And I just laid there until he went to his room."
She couldn't look up at Fred, too ashamed to even look him in the eye. Fred found out about Lavinia's family life during the Christmas break during Fifth year, when she went to The Burrow to went home for a few days, but she went to The Burrow to meet his family, Fred was going to officially introduce her to his parents as his girlfriend. She fooled his family with the makeup she used on the bruises on her arms, but he knew better. He confronted her about it, and she made him promise not to tell anyone, not even George. And she had a hard time getting him to stay and not hurt her father. She knew it would end badly if he did.
Fred handed her a steaming cup of tea and held her other hand in his, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, staring at her with a sad gleam in his brown eyes.
"I just," She sniffed, "I couldn't take it anymore. I just left." She said, taking a sip from her tea.
"I'm happy you finally left, love."
"Can I…" Lavinia started, but Fred interrupted her.
"You don't even have to ask, Vinia. You're staying here."
Finally, Lavinia looked up, forest green eyes looking up at him.
"Thank you." She whispered.
They drank their tea in silence, Fred still holding her hand in his.
"I um…" Lavinia cleared her throat. " I sent Rosina here with a letter to you, just so she could make her way without getting lost. She'll get here in the morning."
Fred nodded, and took her cup and placed it on the table.
"Freddie, could you, stay with me tonight?" Lavinia blushed. "Just until I fall asleep. I know your mum doesn't like it when we share a bed."
Fred chuckled a bit, but nodded and got the small blanket from the couch and with a swing from his wand transfigured it into a bigger, fluffier blanket.
Fred laid down on the sofa with his arms stretched out, waiting for Lavinia to lay down. Getting between his legs, she laid her head on his chest, right below his chin. Fred covered them with the blanket and wrapped his arms around her again.
She looked up at him and he looked down at her, maintaining eye contact. Then, Lavinia leaned up and gently kissed his lips, closing her eyes. Fred returned the soft kiss, then pulled back with a grin on his face.
"You know best friends don't kiss each other, right?" He said cheekily, making Lavinia chuckle.
"Some do."
"Oh, so you've kissed George?"
Lavinia snorted.
"Okay okay, not all best friends kiss. But the ones that used to date do."
"Eh, I'm not really sure about that, miss Everly." Fred replied with a toothy grin.
"Ugh just shut up and kiss me, Fred Weasley."
Fred chuckled but kissed her anyway, his hands at her hips. The kiss wasn't passionate nor romantic, just a guy comforting his best friend who is a girl who he happened to date for a year.
"Wake up, lovebirds."
Lavinia and Fred woke up, lights bright on their faces. They groggily looked up at a smiling George, clearly amused to have caught them in that position.
The couple stretched; still on the sofa; and stood up. It was when George had a good look at Lavinia's face. He smiled, trying to mask his worry, but Lavinia knew him too well.
"Morning, Georgie." She said, giving him a hug.
The twins were too tall for her now. They were a full head taller than her, and they enjoyed reminding her about it.
"Hey, Vini. Glad you're here."
"Okay, everyone ready? We're leaving in 15 minutes!" Mr. Weasley's voice sounded through the house.
"You're leaving?" Lavinia asked her best friends.
"We're leaving, darling. You're coming with us." Mrs. Weasley said. "Oh, your owl just got here. Please get her in her cage, darling."
Mrs. Weasley made her way towards the teenagers, ignoring - for their sake - that they had spent the night together, and took Lavinia's face in her hand.
"I have some ditany, love. I could fix this for you."
Lavinia shook her head.
"It's alright, Mrs. Weasley, I'll wear this as a badge of honor." She said, a small smile on her lips.
Molly smiled a sad smile but nodded, gently patting her cheek to not hurt her more.
Ginny, Ron and Hermione walked down the stairs with their trunks behind them. All three of them greeted Lavinia, trying very hard not to look at her face. It was pretty obvious Molly had a chat with them about it.
They all stood in the yard of The Burrow, owls in cages and trunks ready, waiting for Mr. Weasley's instructions. Molly wrapped her arm around Ginny's shoulder in a side hug, as well as Arthur with Ron and George with Hermione. Since the three underage witches and wizard could not apparate yet, they needed help from the other people who could.
"Um, where exactly are we going?" Lavinia asked.
"To Number 12 Grimmauld Place."