Harry arrived not long after I had begun cleaning up the yard surrounding the building. The Weasley's had quite a large yard. A lot of it was hardened earth with a few patches of green grass. There were also a couple of medium sized vegetable gardens. When guests for the wedding arrived they would be passing through the yard to get to the event so the yard had to look nice.
I started tidying with the clutter of boots to the left of the steps leading up to the front door and I had begun sweeping the straw around the chicken coop when the gate squeaked open and in walked George, Ron and Harry. With a bright smile and chuckle, I started towards the men and brushed the dirt from my hands. Harry and I hugged easily. He was still very much the skinny guy he had been in Hogwarts but the arms around me when we embraced were always full of comfort. We stayed that way for a moment more before I stepped back and looked to George.
My smile faltered. It wasn't hard to see the disappointment on his face in the brief moment before he looked away.
I was supposed to keep in touch. I was supposed to write. Harry could have easily sent my letters by owl. Yet, I hadn't written. Not one letter even though I had received some from Fred and George. It had just been too hard… I knew I hurt George and with Fred acting weird, it looked like he hated me too.
"Hey, Ron." I said softly as I forced my eyes from George. "It's good to see you again." Ron blushed and mumbled something before looking away.
The guys headed inside and I stood for a minute watching their retreating backs but I didn't follow. I shouldn't have come. I seriously considered getting my stuff and leaving. Everyone would be better off without me here. I shook my head and looked to the ground. I was hurt. I felt rejected. I didn't know what I had expected from the twins after all that had happened between us but this definitely was not it. I felt guilty and alone. I couldn't even talk to Harry about it because I had never told Harry. And now, now he had enough on his plate already.
I could feel the prickles in my eyes as tears started to gather. Heading for the field behind the house, I fought to hold my tears back. I felt cold as I dropped to the grass and brought my knees up near my chest to rest my chin on. Finally, sitting there, I cried.
At some point I must have cried myself to sleep still sitting upright, and not realized it. I had no idea how much time had passed but when I opened my eyes, there was Fred sitting beside me and staring off into the distance as if lost in his own thoughts. I only knew it was Fred because he was dressed differently than George was.
I grimaced as I straightened my now stiff neck and the movement caught Fred's attention. His green eyes moved over my face but he said nothing.
"I'm sorry." I whispered not knowing what else to say and there was desperation in my voice. Fred looked away silent a long minute before he spoke.
"You didn't write. You said you'd write… you didn't…" There it was. I watched his face as I waited for him to say more. In the sunlight his freckles were so prominent and I could faintly see his heart beat behind the skin of his temple.
"I know, Fred." I finally said to break the pregnant silence.
"I was going to write… I missed you and George. I wanted to write but I didn't know to say. Everything had happened so fast." I was rambling. "And then I guess I figured you and George would have found girlfriends and…"
"George did." Fred said cutting me off. He looked at me again.
"He did?" I asked and Fred nodded watching my reaction.
"An old classmate." He continued. "We waited for you and figured you'd found someone else."
I shook my head. "There's no one else." I didn't want to ask the next question but I had to. "What about you, Fred? Got a girlfriend?" I tried look nonchalant but I felt like there was a fish flopping around in my chest.
He shook his head. "Boyfriend actually." He answered. I didn't know what to say to that and was at a loss for words for a moment. He was watching me.
"Are you... joking?" I ask hesitantly. Not know what to do with that. Slowly Fred nodded and smiled.
I shifted closer to Fred now with a chuckle. "Thank you." I whispered. Fred reached over and took my hand in his.
Just like that, so much of the tension had lifted.
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