for fun and I have no money, so suing would be highly overrated!
Colorblind by Teda
Waiting was the worse thing imaginable when waiting to hear word on a love one. Fred had to be
physically restrained twice when he attempted to manhandle Angelina's Healers for information.
That sick sensation in his stomach refused to go away as he paced back and forth in the waiting
room. The scope of everyone's love for Angelina was openly displayed as the Weasley's, Harry,
Hermione and Oliver anxiously waited.
What surprised Fred the most was Oliver's behavior. To willingly leave the game to lend his support was unheard of from the Quidditch obsessed Woods. He had a knew found respect for the man who put friendship first over a match. He nodded toward him when he noticed Oliver staring in his direction.
Time seemed to drag as they waited. His parents held one anothers hands, talking quietly to each other. George stared up at the ceiling, counting the cracks in the plaster. Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny all sat around a tiny table playing a quick game of cards. Oliver walked around the room, picking up magazines and leafing through them absentmindedly.
"Damnit, won't someone come soon and tell me what's happening?!" Fred hissed to himself, watching the entrance door. Witches and wizards in lime-green robes were walking by the door, carrying clipboards and going about daily duties.
"Honey, sit before you wear yourself out. Please?" Molly said, gesturing to the few unoccupied gray chairs in the room.
Pausing, Fred noticed her strained features, the redness in her eyes from crying and immediately sat down in the chair across from hers. He knew she was in need of comforting herself. She had become quiet attached to her only daughter-in-law and the baby she carried inside. To witness such a horrible fall would be too much for the surprising sensitive Molly.
"She's going to be fine, dear. She's a strong girl. They'll both be all right." Molly smiled to reassure her son, although the smile didn't reach her eyes. Remembering that gruesome sight at the Quidditch field still made her nauseous. She prayed Angelina and the baby would survive, for all their sakes.
"Of course they will. This is Angie we're talking about. If she can survive being married to Fred, nothing can damage that girl." George replied, trying to lighten the mood in the room.
Normally that would have gotten Fred riled enough to retaliate either verbally or physically, but this time he only chuckled weakly.
"Mr. Weasley?" A voice sounded at the door. A very old looking woman shuffled into the room dressed in an obscenely large lime-green pointed hat and matching robes. Healer Stanwick was the oldest Healer in St. Mungo's history. Some rumors had her pushing ninety, give or take a decade.
"Yes. How's my wife and baby?" Fred jumped out of his seat, walking toward the frail old woman. Behind him, everyone stood up nervously.
Smiling widely to display a completely toothless mouth, she grasped Fred's right hand and patted it. "She's in recovery. She hasn't regained consciousness, but test show no lasting damage. Poor thing probably needs the rest anyway. Her head wound is fine, she won't even bare a scar and her leg has been healed good as new. She'll be out before you can blink."
The oppressive mood hovering over the room instantly disappeared with this great news. Fred released a sigh of relief before stiffening again. What about the baby?
"And the ba-" he hesitated.
"They are fine. As damaging a fall as Angelina suffered, babies are remarkably resilient. It truly is a miracle I'm able to give you such a hopeful report." Healer Stanwick replied.
"D-Did you say babies?!" Molly questioned, eyes bright with a rapidly silly grin spreading across her face. A stunned expression hit Fred's face as her words finally sank in.
They are fine. As damaging a fall as Angelina suffered, babies are remarkably resilient...
"Babies, as in more than one?" Fred exclaimed. He grabbed the elderly witch by her forearms and held on tight as he eagerly awaited the answer.
"Yes, twins, Mr. Weasley. The exam showed more than one. Actually, one was playing hide and-seek behind the other. Congratulations-Oh, my!" Healer Stanwick replied. She broke off her sentence when Fred's eyes rolled in the back of his head and he fainted dead away, dropping to the floor like a dead weight.
Silence filled the room as all eyes zoomed in on the unconscious man on the floor.
"Ginny, Apparate home and get the camera! I can't miss this opportunity." George snickered, kneeling down over his brother. Ginny just rolled her eyes in reply.
"George! You leave him be. He's been through enough for the day." Molly admonished. Turning to her husband, she started sniffling. "Twins Arthur. We're going to have two grandchildren!"
Arthur proudly grinned at his fallen son. He knew exactly how Fred felt. He too had passed out when Molly told him she was expecting twins. Unfortunately he'd been knocked out for ten hours, so he hoped Fred came around sooner than he had.
"When Mr. Weasley comes around, tell him his wife has been moved to her own private room. Room 412. Have a nice day now." The Healer smirked, nonchalantly walking to the door pass the still unconscious Fred. With a final wave to the group, she was gone.
Now that the news on Angelina was good, George couldn't pass up the opportunity to harass his brother. Begging his parents not to wake Fred up yet, George Apparated home and got the camera. Although Molly fussed, she still allowed him to go. After all it was kind of sweet...and funny.
Two rolls of film later, Fred was rudely awakened by family members hovering over him. The gigantic grins each person wore relieved his mind and brought back what the Healer had said. Twins. He was going to be the father of twins!
"I need to see Angel." Fred breathlessly announced, climbing to his feet.
"She's in room 412. It's right down the hall by the-okay, see you later then." George remarked, hiding the camera behind his back. Fred had not even let him finish before he ran out of the room.
"When that film develops, I want a picture." Oliver said, chuckling.
"Me too." Ron joked. When Hermione gave him a dirty look, he sheepishly grinned. "For prosperity, honest."
"Yeah, right." Hermione shook her head, fighting hard not to giggle.
"Enough nonsense. If anyone's getting a picture, it'll be me." Molly mumbled. With that said, everyone started laughing. Any remaining tension in the room melting away.
~~~~~~~
The instant he stepped into Angelina's hospital room, a feeling of profound thankfulness came
over Fred. She could have died. That fall could have killed her and their unborn child. He would
have nightmares for the rest of his life seeing her fall. Right now, he didn't want to look at a
Quidditch field or broom for as long as he lived.
Picking up a chair by the window, he dragged it over next to her bed and straddled it. She just appeared to be sleeping. Like she was having a nice afternoon nap. He wished it was as pleasant as that. Thank Merlin the Healer said she would recover. She didn't even have a scar as a reminder of the close call she had. It was hard to fathom the horrid wound she received was completely gone. How her leg was healed. It was a miracle.
He picked up her hand and gave it a kiss. She had the softest hands of anyone he knew. He could happily kiss those hands forever and ever. Stroking his thumb over her right knuckles, Fred willed Angelina to open her beautiful eyes and give his poor heart a break.
"I swear Angelina, you're giving me gray hairs. Hell, next I'll probably start going bald before the
twins are born." Fred whispered. He laid his chin on the top of the chair and watched her sleep.
A hour flew by as Fred fought off sleepiness. Unbeknownst to drowsy Fred, Angelina winced as
she started to come around. Her head felt light as a balloon as she tried to gather her thoughts.
Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was crappy green wall paper with tiny white caldrons
lining the edge.
*What the hell? This isn't my house?* Angelina frowned, trying to remember what happened. All she could remember was waking up that morning, making love to Fred and getting ready for her-the game?!
"Where am I?" Angelina croaked, rubbing her eyes.
Fred jerked his head up. She was awake! She really was all right.
"Hey Angel, how are feeling?" he asked. He smoothed a stray strand of hair from her face and couldn't resist kissing her lips.
"Like I just got run over by a hippogriff. What happened?" Angelina asked.
Fred quickly explained about the game, the accident and everything in between. Her shocked silence began to worry him. He smiled weakly at her floored expression.
"Twins?!" she croaked, trying to wrap her mind around that one. She had gotten use to the knowledge she would be a mother in a matter of months, but damnit, twins?!
"Yeah, seems kind of funny when you think how we were arguing over if it's a boy or girl, huh?" Fred said, nervously fiddling with his navy jumper.
Angelina leaned forward on her elbows, with an incredulous look. "Twins?!"
"Yup, honey. Surprise?"
Armed with this stunning new information, Angelina decided to pull a Weasley and fainted dead away.
~~~~~~~~
Natasia Johnson sighed as she, her husband and son sat through another quiet dinner. Life had
been strained for the Johnson's ever since that dreadful day Angelina sprung her secrets on them.
Rueban refused to acknowledge he ever had a daughter. Once news of the wedding trickled down
to him, he had been stonefaced and silent. Anthony, sensing something wrong balked at their
authority. He constantly inquired about his older sister, getting angry when they would refused
to speak. There was so much angry emotion in the air. Yet, she missed her baby. Her baby who
was having one of her own.
The wedding pictures she had gotten from Alicia helped and hurt at the same time. Angelina was the loveliest bride she had ever seen, so happy and glowing. But she had needlessly burned that bridge with her daughter when she had tried to bribe Fred Weasley. Her daughter had chosen her lover over her family. There was no getting around that painful fact.
"This stinks! I'm sick of all this silence." Anthony snarled, slapping his fork on top of the gold linen cloth, smearing the surface with gravy from his mashed potatoes. He pushed back his chair and started to rise.
"Watch your mouth, young man. Just sit down and eat your dinner." Rueban snapped. He took a large sip of red wine before cutting into his steak.
"Anthony, please-" Natasia pleaded.
"No! I don't want dinner. I want to know about Angelina. Why won't anyone tell me what's going on? Why is everyone fighting?" Anthony asked, turning to his mother for answers. He frowned when she tearfully avoided his eyes.
"Son, sit down and eat, now! Or I'll send you to your room!" Rueban replied in a surly voice. Stomach getting upset, he dropped his silverware on his plate and sat back in his chair.
"The servants talk, you know. They said Angelina's married and that you disowned her. Why? If I'm bad will you disown me too?" Anthony said.
Rueban violently pushed back his chair and stomped out of the room without another word. Natasia choked back a sob as she watched him go. Reaching out, she grabbed her son in her arms and held on tight.
"Mom, I just miss her, is all. Don't you?" Anthony murmured against his mothers smothering hold. Sensing she needed it more than he did, he wrapped his arms around her and patted her back.
"Yes. Merlin, yes I do." Natasia cried. Wiping away tears, she decided honesty was the best policy. Leading her son back to her chair, she sat down and motioned for him to sit next to her. Once seated, she tried to compose herself.
"Son, you're right. You're father and I owe you an explanation. I'll tell you what's happened with your sister." she replied. Starting from the minute she found out about Angelina and Fred living together, to the fight (Leaving out the pregnancy) she delicately told him everything.
"So, you and dad are mad because she was living with this guy or because he's white?" Anthony asked.
Out of the mouth of babes...Natasia cringed at the disappointed look he gave her.
"Well, that's stupid, Mom. She was happy so what does it matter if he's white. You told me that everyone was equal." he replied.
"I know."
"So that makes you racist, right? You told me racism was wrong." Anthony continued grilling.
Natasia was overwhelmed with shame as her ten year old son reprimanded her. And the sad part was he was right. She was a hypocrite. She told him one thing, yet acted another. He was still innocent enough to see the world in rose colored glasses, not caring about wealth or social status or race and religion. She almost wished to keep him like that forever.
"Tony, you're young. You don't understand how the world really works. Your sister has made a huge mistake marrying this man." She replied.
"No, Angelina didn't make the mistake. You guys did! I-If we can't be a normal family, then who needs you!" Anthony yelled. He pushed away from his mother when she attempted to grab him. He ran from the room, slamming the door with enough force to rattle the plates on the table.
Face crumbling under the strain, Natasia began to loudly cry. Both of her beloved children hated her. It was too much to bare. She openly wept into her napkin, not noticing a figure hovering by the door.
"Uh, ma'am sorry to intrude, but you have an owl. It's very urgent." The young maid shifted anxiously on her feet, holding up a letter in her hand.
Embarrassed, Natasia, wiped her eyes as she excepted the letter. The maid quickly exited the room to spread this gossip around the mansion. Frowning, Natasia glanced down at the address.
St. Mungo's Hospital For Magical Maladies and Injuries?!
Reading the address, Natasia's heart stopped. Ripping open the letter, she read over it quickly in a panic. Her heart immediately sank to her stomach.
"RUEBAN!" Natasia screamed at the top of her lungs, the letter falling to the floor as she raced out of the room to find her husband.
A letter which read:
Mr. And Mrs. Johnson,
Angelina is in the hospital and she's very ill. Injured today in Quidditch
match. Please if you have an love for your daughter, you will come and see
her before it's too late.
George Weasley
~~~~~~~~
"You did what?!" Fred hissed to his twin as George casually announced his plan. Leave it to George to meddle where he shouldn't. Hell, only George would so boldly just walk into Angelina's room while she slept and quietly inform him of his latest misdeed.
After her abrupt fainting spell, the Healer had reassured him Angelina was physically fine. Being told you were going to give birth to not one, but two kids would be overwhelming for anyone. They told him to let her sleep it off. She obviously need all the rest she could get. Gazing behind himself at the dozing picture of his wife, he sighed. She'd blow a gasket when she heard this. He realized then that one of these days he probably would have to kill George for his absolute stupidity. Or let Angelina do it.
"Hey, maybe a little scare tactics are just what's needed to bring the Johnson's together." George whispered, shrugging.
"Yeah, or make the situation worse! Damnit, man. You made it sound like she was on her death bed. What if her family comes here and upsets her? If she gets upset, I'll get upset!" Fred growled, running his hands through his thick red hair.
"Well, guess we'll see won't we?" George said.
"Hell, if Angelina doesn't kill you for this, I swear I will!" Fred shook his head in disbelief. He knew he should have taken Angie and left town when they had the chance. Merlin,what the hell was going to happen next?
Well, that's for the author to know and you to find out. Still sticking with me? Thanks
again for the reviews and my beta's help. Your support is everything, folks. Stay tuned for
more. Update soon. ^_~