A/N Here it is, at long last. The final chapter has arrived.
I know that this too a very long time, and I am so sorry. That's what happens when you have a huge pile of school work, especially in an enriched course. I cant wait for Christmas, because that means a break from homework.
This chapter was difficult to write because I wasn't exactly sure as to what I wanted to put into it. I started with a list of about twelve things, and that was eventually narrowed down to five.
The beginning of this story may not make a whole lot of sense, but bear with it. The sections in italics are two separate flashbacks that Fred has while he is sleeping. They are isolated incidents that are not connected except by the fact that they involve Fred and Angelina.
Thank you so much to those of you who stuck through my incredibly slow progress. Your reviews have helped me get through this story when I was stuck.
If you guys have any suggestions at to what I should write next, please let me know. Even if you want something to be written.
I am going to go back and edit this story because I notice that there are a lot of things that need fixing.
Thank you all,
Tidal Waves
And if you will, keep me from waking to believe this
Fred sat back in this uncomfortable chair and glanced at the clock on the wall of the small room that he was currently sitting in. The clock told him that he had almost an hour left before he needed to be ready, so he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
xoxox
The sun was shining brightly on Diagon Alley, but Fred wasn't out enjoying it. No, currently Fred was standing in his new flat helping his girlfriend of over two years move in. Angelina was running around and telling people where to place things when she spotted Fred doing nothing.
"Oy! Boyfriend number two! Get your sexy arse over here this instant!" she yelled, and grinning, Fred obliged.
"Angie, I'm hurt. I thought I was the number one boyfriend," Fred pouted.
"Oh. Didn't you know? I've been shagging George for months." She shoved a large box into his hands. "Now be a good boy and take this into our bedroom."
Fred trudged off down the hall with the box. Angie was always joking about Fred's twin brother George who was happily engaged to Alicia, one of Angelina's best friends. Fred highly doubted that George even looked at other women these days. It was slightly scary when Fred realized that he did the same thing.
Speaking of George, that was the reason that Fred and Angelina were currently moving in together. George had decided that since he actually had a fiancee, he should get the flat over their shop, instead of sharing it with his twin. So Fred had been kicked out.
Instead of living by himself, Fred had asked Angelina if she wanted to live with him and she had said yes. With Alicia moving out of the flat that she had shared with Angelina and Katie, and Katie wanting to move in with her long-time boyfriend Lee Jordan, the entire situation was truly for the best. Also, Fred definitely wouldn't mind having constant access to his gorgeous girlfriend.
After placing the box in the bedroom, Fred returned to the living room, seeing Lee and Katie getting ready to leave.
"Where are you two off to?" he asked his friends with an arched eyebrow. "Not deserting us, are you?"
"Urg. I wish I could stay." said Lee. "We have to go to dinner with Katie's parents. Not my idea of a good time."
Katie elbowed him in the ribs. "Hey! I had to sit through lunch with your parents last week. I think they hate me now!" She turned to Fred and Angelina. "You guys are almost finished anyways. We'll see you soon." The couple left.
After another hour of boxes being sorted, the average sized flat was empty off all people except for its' new residents. Fred and Angelina were currently in the kitchen making some dinner.
They ate a quick dinner and then they searched through the jumble of boxes in their room for their pajamas. Exhausted beyond belief, they both fell to sleep immediately.
xoxox
Snow was gently falling as Fred and Angelina walked arm-in-arm along the quiet streets of London. They were out for a walk in the muggle city, taking in the sights. The streetlights cast a faint yellow glow on the white blanketed world, and the black sky above them seemed to glow.
The two wandered into a park not far from Diagon Alley. They sat on a bench, comfortable in each other's silence, just watching the gentle snow falling. Fred nervously fingered the small, square box in his pocket.
He had bought the ring a week ago with the help of his twin. He and Angelina had been living together for six months when he had first entertained the thought of actually asking her to marry him. They next week, he and George walked though the door of a small jewellery shop at the far end of Diagon Alley. They had to search though rows and rows of rings, but at last Fred had found one that the though was perfect.
The ring was silver with two square-cut diamonds set on either side of a brilliant red ruby. The metal of the ring was faintly engraved in a celtic style and Fred thought that it suited Angelina to a "T." He had confidently paid for the ring out of his savings and had slipped it into his pocket for a later date.
It was now three months later and currently Fred was feeling none of that former confidence. As he sat in silence, one arm around the love of his life, his entire body was shaking, and it was definitely not from the cold.
"Oh no!" the little voice in the back of his head was saying. "What if she says no? Maybe she doesn't want to get married? Are we too young? I can't do this!"
Angelina must have sensed his discomfort because she turned on the bench so that she was fully facing him. "What's wrong, love?" she asked him concernedly.
Fred sighed. "Well, I might as well get this over with," he said. "At the end you may feel like slapping me, but please refrain from doing so until I'm done talking, alright?"
"You–you're not–breaking u–up with me are you?" she said, quietly. Tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. Fred, in shock, quickly pulled his clueless girlfriend to him and kissed her deeply. He pulled away and then kneeled on the ground in front of Angelina.
"Okay, well, you shouldn't be crying, because I am defiantly not breaking up with you. In fact, it's the exact opposite that I want to do!"
"Fred–"
"Shush, love. Just let me talk." Fred paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Angie, you are the love of my life. I've know you since our first-year, and for some reason you've stuck with me. Then seventh-year happened.
"That year was the best year of my life. Just knowing that you were there with me kept me sane. And when I had to leave you, it ripped me apart inside. I remember thinking during those two months that there was something that I was going to have to ask you one day. It took some time, but that question is finally going to be asked of you." Fred reaching inside his pocket and pulled out the ring box. He heard Angelina gasp. "Angelina Johnson, will you marry me?'
In his head he had a mantra of "Please say yes, please say yes," running through it at about a thousand miles an hour. It seemed like a year until Fred heard a very quiet, "Yes." He looked up at his new fiancee with a grin and saw her smiling back at him. Happy, he slipped the ring on her finger and puller her into a long kiss.
xoxox
"Wake up, Fred! Come on! Wake up!"
Fred cracked open an eyelid only to see his twin brother standing in front of his chair. Fred glanced up at the wall clock and saw that he only had ten minutes left. He jumped up, shaking his head to clear away the sleep, and his dreams of Angie.
"It's a good think that you're already dressed," said George. 'Let's get you out there."
The two brothers raced out of the room and down the long hallway. At the double doors, George stopped his brother and checked his appearance. After straightening Fred's tie, George ushered his twin through the door.
Taking a deep breath, Fred walked through the small church and reached his place at the front. He nodded politely to the priest. After a moment, music started to play.
Fred faced the doors that he had just walked though and watched as his parents came in, closely followed by Angelina's mother and older brother. Then came Angelina's sister with Charlie. They were followed by Lee and Katie, and lastly, Alicia and George. The wedding party took their places at the front of the chapel and the music changed.
After a moment's pause, the intricate double doors opened. Fred watched entranced as Angelina walked up the aisle on her father's arm. Her white dress clung to her generous curves and flowed down to the ground gracefully. She smiled through her veil when her eyes met Fred's and he nervously smiled back. When they reached the front of the church, Mr. Johnson raised his daughter's veil, kissed her on the cheek, and handed her off to Fred.
The ceremony progressed fairly quickly. Fred kept in eye contact with Angelina throughout the entire thing. She had never looked more beautiful to him in the whole time that they had known each other, and he couldn't wait until he could officially call her his wife. To time soon came for them to say their vows. With ring in hand, Fred began to speak.
"If someone would have told me the first day of our seventh-year that I would end up marrying you, I would have laughed in their face, and suggested that they go see Madame Pomphry. If someone would have said the same thing six weeks ago, I would have replied, 'I know! I'm the luckiest guy on the planet!'
"Angelina Johnson, you are my soul, my everything. You stuck by me throughout the hard times and I hope you will continue to do so. As long as I am still capable of drawing breath, I will be by your side, keeping you safe. I promise to always love you with every fibre of my being, and occasionally ley you beat me at quidditch. Occasionally." He slid the ring on to her finger.
Angelina took the ring from Alicia and smiled up at Fred. "Friendship is a funny thing. Some friends loose touch after a few years, while others stay close for their entire lives. But there is a rare breed of friends that eventually become something more. That's you and me.
"I can barely believe that I'm finally standing up here with you. There is no one else in the world who I could possibly love more. I promise you that I will always be there for you as your lover, but more importantly, as your friend. And I do believe that it will be I letting you win at quidditch." Happily she slid the ring onto his finger.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," said the priest. "You may kiss the bride."
Fred and Angelina smiled at one another and then they brought their lips together for their first kiss as a married couple. The church broke into applause and after a moment they broke apart. Hand in hand they walked down the aisle, and out to the front of the church.
xoxox
After numerous phonographs, Fred and Angelina finally found themselves at Angelina's family home. They were about to go out to the reception, but they were talking a quiet moment for themselves. They stood front to back, Angelina nestled against her new husband, with his arms around her middle. She turned and kissed him softly and then took his hand and led him out to the reception.
It was a party for the record books. The outdoor pavilion was heated and weather-proof, so the spring breeze didn't have any affect on the crowded gathering. The food was excellent. An army of house elves, borrowed from various wizarding households and Hogwarts, created a delicious five course meal. The music played all night, and the drinks flowed freely. People were constantly sending up blue sparks from their wands so that the happy couple would kiss. Then came the speeches.
Ginny was up first. She charmed a section of wall so that it displayed a picture of Fred in his diapers about to eat a slug. The room burst into laughter.
"This is my brother's special day, and Angelina is the best possible person to become my newest big sister. Now, Fred has pleaded with me not to say anything embarrassing because he wants to look good for his new family." At this point she raised her glass to the Johnson side of the room, who raised a hearty cheer. "Being the agreeable person that I am, I readily agreed. So instead of the terribly embarrassing speech I was going to give, I have prepared a terribly embarrassing slide show. See Fred? I'm not going to say a word!"
She flicked her wand at the wall, and pictures began to appear, showcasing various moments in Fred's life. There was he and George at age three, covered in soot from something that they had exploded. Fred, completely bald from a spell gone awry. Fred and Angelina dancing crazily at the Yule Ball.
Fred, completely embarrassed, could only sit by and watch as the entire group burst into laughter at one hilarious picture after another. After a while, he realized how funny it actually was, and started laughing along with everyone else.
After Ginny's sideshow, Fred heartily thanked his sister. Soon, it was Alicia's turn to give a speech and she talked about all of their years at Hogwarts and after. Most of the females in the room leaked a few tears. Fred suddenly got something in his eye. He did! Honestly!
Then came George's best man speech. It wasn't very long, but it conveyed the breadth and depth of the twins' relationship with one another. Of course, it was hilariously funny as well, but the true meaning what the important part. Kind of.
The reception went on until the wee hours of the morning, It was the party of the year, or at least until Katie and Lee were getting married next month. At last the guests drifted off to wherever they were spending the night. Fred and Angelina went back to their flat and quickly made their way to the bedroom. They had exactly seven hours until they had to leave on their honeymoon, and they weren't going to waste a minute of it.
xoxox
Fred's mother had insisted that the newlyweds take a muggle plane to Venice, where they would be spending their honeymoon. Angelina, who's mother was a muggle, had flown before, so she steered the fascinated Fred through the maze that was Heathrow airport and onto their plane.
At last their plane landed in Venice and a man from the wizarding resort that they were staying at met them there. He loaded their bags into the back of a car, and they both got into the back. The car was much like the one that Fred had gotten to ride in, in his fifth-year, when the ministry was afraid that Harry would be attacked by Sirius Black.
The driver, who went by the name of Nathaniel, proceeded to take them on a tour through the parts on the city that were accessible by vehicle. Venice was bathed in a golden light and the buildings shone. Finally they reached their destination, a sprawling stone building with many lions of Venice carved along the roof. The driver helped them out and followed them in with their bags.
Inside, the building was traditionally decorated, with gold everywhere and elegant tapestried hanging from the walls. Angelina checked them in and then the pair headed up to their room were they would be spending the nest two weeks.
The room was perfect. It was a suite, to be precise, with a bedroom, kitchenette, bathroom, and a sitting room. All of it was exquisitely decorated and Fred watched, amused, as his new wife ran from room to room to room, squealing in excitement as she discovered each room's hidden treasured. (You know, those little things that they always have in hotel rooms ... the shampoos, the candies ...) Once Angelina was finished exploring the suite, they unpacked their things and then went out to explore.
xoxox
After two weeks of gondola rides along the canals of Venice, playing tag in St. Mark's Square, and spending plenty of time in their bedroom, the newlyweds were back in England.
Angelina had returned to her job as the manager of Quality of Quidditch Supplies, and Fred had gone back to running the fast-growing chain of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes shops that had recently gone international with shops in France and Canada. Since Fred usually did all his work from the Diagon Alley store, he always walked up the street to eat lunch with his wife.
One day, Fred walked into Quality Quidditch, only to find that his wife was not there.
"She had to go to St. Mungo's," said mark, the assistant manager, upon Fred's anxious query at to the whereabouts of his wife. "She wasn't feeling well. I think that she threw up."
"She's all right though?" asked Fred in concern.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Well, I'm going to go see what's going on." Fred quickly Disapperated.
He appeared moments later in the crowded waiting room on the wizarding hospital. Fred waited impatiently in the line in front of the Welcome Witch's desk. Soon there were only three people in front of him, then two, then one. The woman directly ahead of him had her facial features reversed, so that her mouth was up by her hairline, and her eyes were down by her chin. The witch directed her to the fourth floor. Sighing, she turned to Fred.
"How can I help you?" she asked, obviously bored.
"Er, my wife came in today, she wasn't feeling well. Her name is Angelina Weasley."
The witch looked through a stack of paper and finally directed him to the second floor.
Once on the second floor, Fred asked a healer where Angelina was. He was directed down a short hallway, and he found her room at the end of it. He walked in to find her sitting on her bed, chatting with Katie Bell who was in healer's robes. When the two girls saw him come in, Katie smiled and told Angelina that she was free to leave, before going out the door.
Fred rushed to his wife and helped her off of the bed. Angelina playfully slapped at his arms, but ley him pull her up anyway.
"I'm not an invalid, you know," she said as she straightened her clothes.
"Then why are you here?" asked Fred cheekily.
"I wasn't feeling well this morning, but I'm fine now. It was nothing."
'I"ll take your word for it, love, but I think that I will take you home anyway. You could use some rest."
Angelina smiled and took Fred's hand. "That's fine with me. Besides, I have something I want to tell you in private."
Back at their flat, Fred made Angelina a cup of tea, and then they sat down together on their couch.
"So what was it that you wanted to tell me?" asked Fred.
'Right. Well, I have some good news, or at least I hope that it's good news."
Fred looked at Angelina quizzically. She smiled and took his hand and placed it on her stomach. Fred blinked and then grinned.
"You're ..." he started.
"Yep."
"Wow."
"I know."
"We're going to be parents!"
"I know!"
"I'll have someone to teach quidditch to!"
"Perhaps."
"We're going to have a baby!"
Fred reached over and caught up his wife and a passionate kiss. They were married and they were going to have a baby! A song began to play on the WWN. It seemed to familiar to Fred, but not at the same time, because he had never heard if before. He and Angelina sat and listened, until the final chord faded away.
"I'm lost without you ..."