Fred sat straight up from bed. He looked to his right and realized it was empty. It was still neatly made. And he was alone. He hadn't slept in a week. He would sometimes doze in and out of sleep at night but never sleep long.

Fred got out of bed and walked over to one of the two wardrobes. He stood in front of it for a moment hoping and praying. He opened it and saw that it too was empty and alone. It was just coming to Fred what had happened and what he had lost.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It had been about a year ago when he had moved into an apartment in the heart of London. Fred had almost been lost in the hustle and bustle of muggles. It seemed odd to Fred how they were always moving. Always. But he didn't try to get past it. Apparating seemed old to him. He had overdone it a bit when he had first learned how. He walked among the muggles as a fellow human and entered Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron as a dignified wizard. But on some days he didn't want to be among his own kind as much as he wanted to be in the sun, or in one of the many parks of London. This was mostly on the clear, sunny days that most anyone would prefer to be outside on. And on his days off (he would alternate the managing of the store with George on weekends) he often did just that. He could be found on a bench or under a tree reading a book from Flourish and Blotts.

It was on one of these days that he first saw her. She had been sitting under his favorite willow tree. Fred, being the kind gentleman all his female friends admired, entered the willow tree on the other side meaning not to disturb her. He sat down quietly and opened his new book to the beginning. After about an hour she stood, put the book which she had been reading into her bookbag and left. But as she left the book fell out of the bookbag.

Fred stood to leave just before lunch as he would on any other day. He had heard the girl leave about a half-hour before so he felt safe to walk around past where she had been sitting. As he was exiting through the brush he noticed something too green to be part of the scenery. He picked it up and looked closely.

"Anne of Green Gables..... hmmm," he whispered to himself. He slipped the book into his own bag and walked on.

Fred forgot about it until he opened his bag that night. He was sitting down with George at their dining room table. Fred pulled everything out of his bag to find the financing books. Anne of Green Gables fell onto the floor. Fred ignored it. George rolled his eyes at his brothers constant ignorance.

"What's this?" asked George, picking it up off the floor and flopping it onto the table.

"Oh ... ," said Fred looking up from his bag," I found it under a tree today. Where are those bloody accounting books? Did you take them George?"

"No ... there's a name and address on the inside. Maybe you should return it," said George. Fred looked confused. He realized what George was talking about and reached out. George tossed him the book. The inside of the book read:

Please return to Audrey deBarbarac at:

97 Griswold Place, Apartment 4

London, Eng.

"I'll return it tomorrow during lunch," said Fred throwing it back in his bag.