Sunlight burning Annabelle's eyes was what finally woke her from her deep slumber. Rolling over with a groan, she blinked her eyes open. Her brows furrowed in confusion, seeing the wall and door of an unfamiliar room. Turning her head, she looked curiously at her surroundings before everything came rushing back to her.
Groaning, she flopped back down on the bed, burying her face in her pillow. Everything that happened yesterday felt like ages ago, and the day felt like it'd lasted a week or more.
Hearing the creak of a door opening, Anna turned her head so her face wasn't covered by her pillow. She looked back towards the door and saw George peaking in at her. He grinned when he saw her.
"Morning, sunshine. Mum's got a warming charm on your plate in the kitchen when you're ready."
Anna smiled. "Thanks George. I'll be down in a little bit."
George winked. "Glad to have you with us, Anna. Me and Fred are in the backroom if you need something to do after breakfast."
Anna nodded and George left her alone, closing the door behind him. She briefly pondered how the last sentence he said sounded so much like him talking about shop stuff.
Pushing herself into a sitting position, Anna got out of bed and slowly went about changing out of her wrinkled work clothes and into casual jeans and a jumper. Throwing her hair up into a ponytail, she made her way down the hall and down the stairs, following the quiet voices and smell of food until she found the kitchen. She just rounded the corner into the room, when Ginny saw her.
"Anna!" Ginny raced across the kitchen and threw herself at Anna, squeezing her tightly. Anna returned the hug just as enthusiastically, nearly crushing Ginny in return.
"Ginevra, be careful!" Molly scolded. "She's been through a lot."
Ginny pulled away, but not because her mum scolded her. "Are you alright? Mum and Dad told me what happened."
"I'm fine." Anna assured her. "Oh, and I don't know if anyone told you, but Luna's safe now. She's with the others at Bill's."
"Oh, thank goodness." Ginny sighed, her shoulders slouching in relief.
"Enough, Ginny. Let Anna eat her breakfast. I'm sure she's starved." Molly told her, moving into the connected dining room and placing a heaping plate of breakfast food and a mug of tea on the large table. Arthur and Muriel were still sitting at the table, Arthur drinking a large mug of tea while reading the Daily Prophet. "Have a seat, dear, and eat up." Molly ordered Anna gently.
"Thank you, Molly." Anna smiled, sitting down next to Arthur to eat. He glanced over the paper and smiled at her before going back to his reading.
"Is there anything important in the paper?" Anna asked quietly, her eyes glued to her food.
"Nothing about you or your family, if that's what you're worried about." Arthur told her gently. "And I doubt we'll hear anything about that in the Daily Prophet. Umbridge won't want word getting out she was torturing you in her office all day, especially since you escaped."
Anna nodded slowly before taking a big bite of scrambled eggs. She ate in silence as Molly, Arthur, and Muriel talked about random things. When she finished, she picked up her plate and mug and returned to the kitchen.
"Oh, Dear, I can wash those." Molly told her when Anna started washing the dishes by hand in the kitchen sink.
"No, it's fine, Molly. If I'm going to be staying here, I can help out." Anna argued gently.
Molly came up next to her, wrapping an arm around Anna's side. "Sweetie, you are an angel." she told her warmly, making Anna blush and smile.
"If only she could rub some of that responsibility off on those twins of yours." Muriel commented.
"Fred and George are working hard on their business." Molly pointed out mildly. "And with the money they're making, they're helping us pay for food and things while we're here. You should be grateful you don't have to pay for food for all of us. They're the only ones making money at the moment."
"Well, tell them to clean up after themselves a bit more." Muriel complained.
"Where's the backroom?" Anna asked Molly after she finished washing the dishes, drying her hands on a dishrag. "George said him and Fred would be in there."
"I can show you." Ginny answered, grabbing Anna's hand and dragging her from the room. They passed through the living room toward a pair of glass double doors. Ginny turned the ornate door handles and pushed the doors open, stepping out into a back room.
The room's walls were made almost completely of windows, letting the sunshine into the room. One of the windows was open, and a few owls were perched there, as if waiting for something to deliver. There was another door across the room that lead out onto a small deck, which lead out into a backyard and garden. There was a couch pushed against the wall, and a couple tables that looked like they didn't belong were pushed against the far wall, atop which sat a couple cauldrons which the twins were seated in front of, and a pile of boxes, probably containing products, sat nearby. Then, something familiar, pink, purple, and fuzzy caught Anna's eyes.
"You brought the Pygmy Puffs?!" she practically squealed, hurrying across the room to the small pen of Pygmy Puffs.
Fred and George spun around in surprise at the intrusion, but then grinned as they saw Anna practically jump into the pen so she could sit among the different sized Pygmy Puffs.
"Of course we brought the Pygmy Puffs." George grinned. "We knew you'd kill us if we left them to die."
Anna narrowed her eyes at him, already cuddling two Puffs to her chest. "Shut up."
Fred laughed, leaning back in his chair and looking over at her. "How was breakfast?"
"Delicious, like your mother's cooking always is." Anna answered with a smile.
"Was Muriel on her best behavior?" George asked knowingly.
Anna grimaced slightly. "I mean, she wasn't rude…" The twins gave her a doubtful look. "She might have mentioned you two needing to be more responsible."
Both twins rolled their eyes simultaneously. "Of course she did." they both agreed sarcastically.
"Don't take it personally." Anna told them. "She seems to find fault with everyone."
"Oh, we know." Fred and George both agreed.
"We just learn to tune her out." George added on his own, turning back to his cauldron.
"So, she didn't say anything mean to you?" Fred checked, more seriously than before.
"Not a thing." Anna assured him firmly. "But thank you for checking."
"Hey, Anna, who saved you?" Ginny asked suddenly, making Anna look at her in confusion. "From Umbridge's office. Dad said you mentioned someone had saved you. Was it someone we know?"
Anna looked down, silently petting the Pygmy Puff she was currently holding. Her silence peaked everyone's interest, causing Fred and George to both turn their attention back to her.
"Anna, who was it?" Fred demanded.
"It's no one." Anna answered.
"Liar." George answered instantly.
"Okay, yes, it is someone, but he wants to keep his identity a secret. Just to be safe." Anna explained.
"It's not like we'd throw the bloke under the bus." George said in confusion. "He saved you, that's means he's on our side. We wouldn't betray him."
"I know that." Anna assured him, glancing up between the three Weasley siblings. "When the time is right, he'll tell you himself. But for right now, it's better that no one knows."
"Are you the only one who knows?" Fred asked. "You haven't told anyone?"
Anna nodded. "Just me and him know."
"It's not someone completely ridiculous, right?" George checked. "Like a Death Eater? Yaxley or Malfoy or-"
"No!" Anna laughed. "Of course not."
"Maybe one of Dad's coworkers?" Fred guessed. "Perkins?"
"Can we drop it?" Anna asked tiredly, looking particularly at Fred. "You don't need to know. Not right now. You'll find out later, just please, drop it."
Fred stared at her, while George and Ginny glanced between the couple, leaving it up to Fred.
"I'll find out someday?" Fred checked.
"Yes." Anna agreed.
Fred sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll drop it. On one condition."
Anna eyed him warily, noting George was smirking into his cauldron. "What is it?"
Fred smirked. "Come sit with me." he ordered, patting his leg. Anna blushed, trying and failing to smother a smile. Shaking her head in amusement, Anna placed the Puffs back on the ground, stood up, climbed over the small pen, and crossed the room to sit carefully on Fred's lap. Fred wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her close, kissing her cheek before turning to his cauldron to continue working.
XXX
Anna spent her first few days at Muriel's helping out wherever she could. She mostly spent her time helping the twins make their products to fill owl orders in the house's backroom. She also made sure to regularly clean up the owl droppings that ended up on the backroom floor and on the deck just outside, partially to keep Muriel happy. Well, as happy as she could be. When Anna wasn't helping the twins, she was helping Molly and Muriel around the house; doing laundry, dishes, and cleaning around the house.
Bill hadn't been kidding when he said Muriel's house was bigger than his. The main floor had a sitting room with a fireplace, a kitchen, a dining room with a large dinner table, and the backroom that lead out to the deck and back garden. The second floor had five bedrooms and two bathrooms. Finally, there was a set of stairs that lead up to the attic.
With the only things to do at Muriel's involving making joke products and cleaning, it was a little boring at times. Fred and George tried to keep everyone entertained, and it's hard being bored around them, but it was just a lot of time with little to do. Anna almost thought she was doing Molly a hindrance in helping around the house, because Molly was always trying to keep busy. Plus, with so many people stuck in a relatively small space, a couple people were going stir crazy. With lots of time to think and let her mind wander, ideas started popping up in Anna's mind.
On the fourth morning of Anna's stay at Muriel's, Anna found herself standing in the doorway to the backroom, her shoulder leaning against the wood of the doorway. She was watching Fred make a batch of what looked like Fever Fudge, her head tilted so it rested on the wood.
Fred finally glanced up and looked at her, a curious smile on his face. "I know I'm attractive, love, but do you have to stand there staring for twenty minutes?"
Anna laughed, looking down in embarrassment. Smiling, she crossed the room and sat on the edge of the table so that her and Fred were facing each other.
"It was more like ten minutes." she corrected him. "I'm not that creepy."
"Sure you're not." Fred agreed sarcastically, laughing when she smacked his shoulder. He leaned back in his chair, watching her with a curious expression. "What's wrong?" he asked after a few moments.
"What makes you think something's wrong?" Anna asked quietly, leaning her hands on the edge of the table.
Fred tilted his head as he studied her. "You were standing in the doorway staring at me for ten minutes. That means you were thinking about something. So, what's on your mind?"
Anna sighed, looking down at her lap. "Well,…I've been thinking a lot the past few days."
"Uh oh." Fred joked. Anna narrowed her eyes at him, but he just smiled and grabbed her hand, gently tugging until she slid off the table and into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her to keep her close, Fred kissed her firmly on the cheek before pulling away and looking at her. "What've you been thinking about?"
Anna looked down, her eyes fixing on his collar in the hopes it would be easier if she didn't look at his face or eyes.
"I want to get married."
There was silence for several moments, and Anna was afraid to look up at his face.
"Well, I already knew that." Fred answered slowly after a while. "But I get the feeling this is a little more complicated than just wanting to get married."
"I want to get married," Anna repeated, finally looking up and meeting his curious brown eyes. "like, now."
Fred's eyes widened and his brows rose in surprise.
"What?" Fred laughed slightly in his surprise, still staring at her in amazement.
Anna swallowed thickly, looking down, but Fred's hand came up under her chin. He pushed her face up to meet his eyes again.
"Anna, what's going on?" he asked gently. "What brought this up?"
"A couple things." Anna admitted with a shrug. "For one,…I know I shouldn't be thinking like this, but so many people have died,"
"Anna-"
"Please, just let me talk." Anna begged. Fred sighed, but nodded and let her continue. "You have to admit, by the time this war ends, there's always a chance both of us won't make it. I'm not being pessimistic, I just…No matter what happens, I want to come out of this war as Annabelle Weasley."
Fred stared at her curiously, bringing his hand up to brush her dark brown hair from her face, leaving his hand resting against her cheek. "You know that no matter what your name is, you'll always be part of my family. Even if I die, you'll be family. You and George would have each other's backs. Why does your name matter so much?"
Anna thought about it. "I'm not sure. I just…I want to be Annabelle Weasley, no matter what. And…"
Fred tilted his head when she once again looked down. "And what?" he asked gently.
Anna peaked up at him from under her eyelashes. "I'm ready." she whispered.
Fred stared at her for several moments, unsure if she meant what he thought she meant.
"Ready for…?"
Anna rolled her eyes, her cheeks turning a light pink. "You know what I'm talking about."
"You're sure?" Fred checked. "I mean, even if we get married, and you're still not ready, we don't have to-"
"I at least want to try." Anna reiterated. "When Umbridge had me…when she was torturing me, I just remember thinking that the pain Flint caused was nothing compared to what Umbridge was putting me through. And that made me realize that you could never hurt me like that. I was always scared that…that having sex with anyone would be painful. Because of Flint…I just always had this fear that it would hurt, even if it was with you. But…you could never cause me nearly as much pain as Umbridge did."
Fred's eyes had softened during her little speech, and when she was finished he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Of course not. I would never hurt you."
"I always knew that." Anna assured him, wrapping her arms around him and nestling her face into his neck. "I always trusted you. I was just scared. And…I don't think I'm that scared anymore. At least, not of that. I want to at least try, Fred. Please?"
Fred sighed deeply, closing his eyes and burying his face briefly in her neck. Then, he leaned back and gently pushed her back enough to look into her eyes.
"Are you sure you want to get married now? We're in hiding; almost everyone we care about is in hiding or unable to be here. Almost every person we wanted to be at our wedding wouldn't be able to be there. Are you sure you're okay with that?"
Anna took a deep breath. "George and Ginny will be here, and that's who we mentioned for our best man and maid of honor. And your parents will be here. Maybe, if you're okay with it, after the war's over and everything's safe, maybe we can have a kind of reception or something for everyone else, but…I just want to be your wife, Fred."
Fred smiled, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. He leaned back a moment later to speak.
"Okay, let me go talk to my dad. See what I can find out about how that works." Fred told her, easily lifting her off his lap and setting her back in his chair after he stood up. Leaning over her with his hand braced on the table, he kissed her firmly on the lips until he felt her smile. When he pulled away an inch, he winked at her. "I'll be back in a little bit, okay?"
"Okay." Anna agreed with a smile.
"And for the record," he whispered gently, "I want to be your husband just as much."
Anna's smile widened, and Fred left her in the backroom feeling giddy. While she waited for him to return, she went about the backroom being productive; feeding the Pygmy Puffs, making several different products, and regularly cleaning up owl poop. Ginny and George joined her a little bit after Fred left the room, both seemingly unaware of the conversation their brother was having with their dad.
Anna had just tied a small package of fireworks to a Tawny Owl to deliver when Fred came up behind her.
"Hey, come out here with me." he told her quietly, touching her back before opening the double glass doors that lead out onto the back deck. Anna looked at him curiously as she did as he said, but his small smile didn't really give anything away. She could feel George and Ginny watching them, but Fred offered no explanation as he shut the doors behind them. Fred crossed the small, wooden deck and leaned forward, his hands braced on the deck's railing. Anna followed and leaned against the railing next to him.
"So, Dad's sworn not to tell Mum or anyone what we talked about. That's our job." was the first thing out of Fred's mouth.
Anna nodded, glancing up at him. "But we should probably bring it up soon, or he may blurt it out accidentally."
"Exactly." Fred grinned, looking down at her. "Anyway," he turned, leaning his hip against the railing with his arms crossed casually, "he explained a few things to me. First of all, in the wizarding world, there's two parts to marriage: Magical and Legal. The magical part is easy, just about anyone could marry you magically, as long as they know the spell. It's a sort of binding spell that's performed at weddings."
Anna nodded, remembering at Bill and Fleur's wedding, the man who married them had waved his wand in some shape over their linked hands.
"The legal part is where it gets tricky." Fred admitted. "Just like in the Muggle world, you have to sign a marriage license, which is then processed in the Ministry so that you're legally listed as husband and wife."
"But since we're in hiding, we can't exactly do that." Anna guessed.
"Exactly." Fred agreed with a small smile.
"So, we can't do it?" Anna guessed quietly, looking down at her feet.
Fred was silent for several seconds before his knuckle pushed her chin up so she could meet his eyes.
"Dad said the magical part is easy. He could marry us right now, if we wanted. If you want,…we could have a small sort of wedding here, and Dad could marry us magically. And then, like you mentioned, when the war is over and everything's safe, we could have, maybe not a second wedding, but we could do something like that for everyone else, and sign the proper papers so we're legally married. Would you want to do something like that?"
Anna chewed her lip thoughtfully, her eyes fixed on his brown ones. "Is that what you want?" she asked instead.
Fred stared at her silently, and Anna couldn't quite read his expression. "I want to marry you." he finally said simply. "And I'm not opposed to having a party to celebrate it with all our family and friends later on." he added with a grin, which was contagious and caused Anna to return it. "So, do you want to do this? You want to get married, here and now, with only my parents, George, Ginny, and, ugh, Muriel?" he asked jokingly.
Anna laughed, holding his hand in hers. "I can think of nothing better."
A loud, yet muffled, squeal made them snap their heads back toward the house. Visible through the glass double doors, they could see George and Ginny, the latter being the one that squealed, crouching by the doors with Extendable Ears. They both beamed, not seeming to care they got caught eavesdropping.
Fred and Anna laughed, shaking their heads at the pair. "We should've expected that, huh?" Anna asked him teasingly.
"Obviously."
XXX
Anna glanced over her shoulder into the mirror behind her to check her hair.
"Does it look okay?" Ginny asked with a smile.
Anna grinned. "I love it! Thanks, Gin."
Anna and Ginny were in the bedroom they shared at Muriel's, both dressed in simple dresses. Ginny's was a light blue, thanks to a simple transfiguration spell. Anna was wearing the same dress she wore to Bill and Fleur's wedding, which she happened to pack by accident. It was a simple, sleeveless dress that went down to her knees, and there was a strap going around her neck to keep it up. The only difference was that it was originally light blue, but Anna had transfigured it to be white. She'd also transfigured a pair of her sneakers into simple white, three inch wedge heels.
Anna had changed the color of her hair slightly; it was still dark brown, but there was now a natural-looking red tint in it, symbolizing her becoming a Weasley. She'd curled it into very loose curls, and Ginny helped her pin the front sections behind her head.
A knock on the door interrupted Anna and Ginny getting ready.
"Special delivery!" a familiar voice called through the door. Anna smothered a grin while Ginny narrowed her eyes and approached the door.
"This better not be Fred trying to get a sneak peak of the bride!" Ginny called through the door.
"My own little sister can't tell me and my twin apart?" he mocked despairingly.
Ginny glanced over at Anna, who nodded. "It's George. You can let him in."
Ginny rolled her eyes, but opened the door just enough to let George slip in. Anna fought laughter when she saw Ginny make a point to check that this twin was missing an ear.
"Well, don't you look lovely." George told Anna, looking her over with a grin. "Freddie's going to have to pick his jaw up off the ground."
Anna blushed. "Oh, shut up."
"So, what's this special delivery?" Ginny asked curiously.
George grinned between them, and Anna just noticed he had both hands behind his back.
"It became apparent to my twin that someone forgot that flowers are necessary in a wedding." George told them. "So, he took it upon himself to conjure up a beautiful bouquet of flowers for his bride. Oh, and for the bridesmaid." he added casually, making Ginny stick her tongue out at him.
Anna fought a smile. "Okay. Let's see it."
With a flourish, George pulled two bouquets out from behind his back, one much bigger than the other. He handed the bigger one to Anna, and she blinked rapidly to keep from tearing up.
Oriental lilies and tulips, in shades of blue and white.
Smiling softly, she took the flowers and held them up to her face, taking a deep breath through her nose to breathe in the sweet smell. Peaking up at George, she smiled.
"Tell him I said thank you." she told him quietly.
George grinned. "Will do." Leaning down, he pulled her into a tight hug. Whispering into her ear, he added, "See you at the end of the isle, future wife-in-law."
Anna hit him in the stomach while he laughed, pulling away to wink at her. "Shut up, don't say stuff like that!" Anna exclaimed, laughing at him.
"Can't make any promises. See you in a little bit. You know, assuming you don't pull a runner." George grinned, hurrying out of the room before Anna could cause him bodily harm.
Huffing, Anna shook her head, but she couldn't help smiling. She couldn't wait to marry into this family.
Anna and Ginny waited a few more minutes before going downstairs. Molly was waiting for them in the living room, and when she saw them, she nearly burst into tears.
"Mum!" Ginny complained. "You're going to make Anna cry!"
"I'm sorry!" Molly blubbered, flapping her hands near her face to ward off tears. "You just look so beautiful! Oh, you're already a daughter to me! I can't believe this is finally happening!"
Anna blushed, biting her lip to try not to cry.
"Mum!" Ginny exclaimed. "You can't make the bride cry! She'll ruin her makeup!" That wasn't completely true. Anna wasn't a fan of makeup, and Ginny said Fred loved her natural, anyway, so they hadn't put much makeup on apart from some eyeliner to make her gray eyes stand out.
"Oh, of course! I'm sorry!" Molly took a deep breath to pull herself together. "Well, everyone's ready outside. I'll go out and tell them you're ready, and you two come out in a little bit."
Anna and Ginny both nodded, and Molly hurried through the backroom and out onto the deck before hurrying into the backyard.
"Ready to be a Weasley?" Ginny asked teasingly.
Anna took a deep breath, smiling. "You have no idea."
Ginny lead the way through the backroom. Anna waited in the backroom while Ginny stepped onto the deck. Music began playing, and Ginny took her cue to begin walking down the deck steps, crossing the small garden to the simple wooden arch Arthur had made with magic. Anna waited until Ginny had reached the arch, standing near her father, before Anna followed her out.
Taking a deep breath, Anna stepped out of the open back door. As she slowly crossed the deck, holding her bouquet in front of her chest, she let her eyes scan the simple set up.
There were two lawn chairs on the lawn near some flower bushes, which Muriel and Molly were seated in. Arthur was standing under the simple archway. Fred and George were standing to Arthur's left, both dressed in simple blue button-down shirts, though Fred was wearing a dark gray vest over his. Ginny was standing to Arthur's right, leaving a space for Anna when she got there.
Anna looked away to watch her feet as she stepped down the deck's steps. When her feet were on the grass, she looked back up and her eyes instinctively met Fred's. When they connected, Fred's smile widened, his lips parted in awe as he watched her. Anna couldn't fight her own smile, feeling her face heat up. She blushed even more when George bumped his elbow to Fred's, smirking knowingly between them.
Deciding it would be best to focus on the music that she was supposed to be walking in time to, Anna looked straight ahead. She returned Arthur's smile and only looked at Fred again when she was standing in front of him.
Handing her bouquet to Ginny, Anna turned to face her fiancé, returning his always-contagious smile as he took both of her hands in his.
"Ladies and gentlemen." Arthur started, holding an open book in his hands. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls, Fredrick and Annabelle. They've both come a long way, and have proven their love for each other time and time again."
Fred gently squeezed Anna's hands in his, making her smile widen at him.
"They went from being best friends to true loves, something most people only dream of. And even though they can't legally be married due to the war waging around us, we are gathered here to witness their show of love and devotion as they pledge their vows to be together for life.
"Do you, Fredrick Gideon Weasley, take Annabelle Esme Black, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for rich or poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do you part?"
Fred's smile was still on his face, but his brown eyes were almost serious as they stared determinedly into Anna's. "I solemnly swear."
Anna smothered a giggle, her eyes burning with unshed tears. George was laughing silently behind his twin, his shoulders trembling. Only the three of them could truly understand the meaning of those words from the Marauders' Map.
Anna smiled, blinking away the burning of tears in her eyes.
"And do you, Annabelle Esme Black, take Fredrick Gideon Weasley, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for rich or poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do you part?" Arthur repeated the question for Anna.
Anna swallowed thickly before answering honestly, "I solemnly swear."
By now, Molly was practically sobbing a few feet away in her chair.
"The rings?" Arthur urged quietly.
Fred turned back to George, who started patting his pockets frantically. Anna would've been worried if she didn't know him so well. She eyed him knowingly and his worried eyes met hers. He smirked, dropping his façade before pulling a ring from his pants pocket and passing it to his twin with a wink. Fred shook his head at him, laughing quietly before turning back to his soon-to-be-wife.
"With this ring, I vow to love, protect, and cherish you for the rest of our lives, just as I have done since we met when we were eleven. I vow to give you all that I am, 'til death do us part." Fred said, sliding a simple rose gold wedding ring onto Anna's left ring finger. He then slid her infinity band engagement ring on next to it.
Anna smiled up at him before turning to Ginny, who was already holding out a ring. This one was a bit thicker and bigger, meant for Fred's finger. Anna took Fred's hand in hers, taking a deep breath before reciting her own vows.
"With this ring, I vow to love, support and cherish you for the rest of our lives, just as I've tried to do since our first year of school. I vow to give you all that I am, 'til death do us part." she vowed, sliding the ring onto Fred's left ring finger. When it was in it's place, Fred gripped both her hands in both of his, and they met eyes again.
"Then, by the power given to me through the magic in my blood, I declare you bonded for life." Arthur declared, waving his wand over their clasped hands, causing sparks to appear and float over their hands. Their rings glowed briefly before everything settled. "Fred, you may now kiss the bride."
Fred grinned widely as he slipped one arm around Anna's waist. He yanked her forward, his other hand coming up to cradle her jaw as he kissed her gently yet passionately on the lips. His new wedding ring was cool against her skin.
Anna giggled against his lips, feeling warm and giddy as she brought one hand up to his cheek and the other around the back of his neck.
"Alright, save it for tonight." George joked, swatting his twin's shoulder.
Anna blushed and pulled away, licking her lips awkwardly as she became aware of Molly, Ginny, and Arthur clapping, cheering, laughing, and-in Molly's case-crying. Even Muriel was clapping, though she remained seated and was much more reserved with her usual scowl in place. Anna couldn't bring herself to care.
"I present Mr. and Mrs. Fredrick Weasley!" Arthur declared joyously.
George whooped loudly and Ginny cheered even louder. A blush permanently stained Anna's cheeks, but it was only partially from embarrassment. It was mostly joy; joy that she was joining this family, and that they were happy for her. Fred held her close to his side with an arm around her waist, soaking up the attention as he repeatedly kissed her cheek and head.
Finally, they brought the celebrations into Muriel's house, where Molly had an enormous feast waiting for them in the kitchen. They didn't sit around the dining room table. It was more of a party than a dinner, as everyone moved around the room, talking and celebrating and laughing. It was the first time in a long time, thanks to the war, that they had something to celebrate. Of course, Anna wished things had been different; wished her parents, family, and many others could've been there, but hopefully they had time for that in the future.
As the party was winding down, the sun was almost completely set; the sky above the distant trees a pinkish purple that faded into a dark navy with the first few scattered stars appearing. Anna was talking and laughing with Ginny when Fred walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.
"Hey, you ready to go?" he asked quietly, resting his chin on her shoulder.
Anna turned to look at him in confusion. "Go where?" she asked. They couldn't go anywhere. They were in hiding. Going anywhere would put themselves and others in danger. What was he on about?
Fred smirked slightly. He leaned a bit closer to whisper in her ear, "Did you really think we were going to consummate our marriage in my great aunt's house, with my family in every surrounding room?"
Anna blushed almost purple, ducking her eyes to avoid looking at Ginny, even though her new sister-in-law couldn't have possibly heard Fred.
"Um, well, no." she stuttered quietly. "But, where-?"
"You'll see." Fred told her, pulling away and taking one of her hands in his. He met his dad's eye from across the room. Arthur nodded once.
"Come on." Fred gave Anna's hand a tug toward the backroom. As they neared the door, George met them and gave Anna a quick hug.
"Have fun, kids." he joked, his eyes glittering playfully as he glanced between them. Anna blushed while Fred swatted his twin upside the head.
"Git. Leave my wife alone." Fred told him, shaking his head in amusement.
George winked at Anna. "See you tomorrow. Maybe. 'Course, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a couple days."
Fred went to smack his brother again, but George ducked out of the way, laughing. Instead of chasing his twin down, Fred chuckled as he pulled Anna through the backroom, across the deck, and into the garden. They stayed well within the protective enchantments around the property, but near the middle of the garden, near a large oak tree in the middle of the yard, was a small tent.
"Is that-?" Anna trailed off.
"Your parents' tent?" Fred finished. "Yep. They lent it to Dad a while back just in case, since Hermione took ours when her and the boys went on their little adventure."
Her parents tent was one of the two tents that the group had used when they went to the Quidditch World Cup a few years ago.
Fred held open the flap and Anna ducked into the small tent, straightening up and staring around in awe once inside. Even though she'd spent the night in this tent at the Quidditch World Cup, she was still amazed how a tent so small on the outside could be so much bigger on the inside.
It wasn't as big as the other tent they'd had at the Cup. It looked like a small, one bedroom flat with a small kitchen and a bathroom hiding behind a door-like flap. The couch that signified the living room faced the kitchen appliances so closely, the living room and kitchen may as well have been the same room.
Fred, who'd entered he tent behind her, wrapped his arms around her stomach and held her back to his chest. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked gently, his voice quiet as he lowered his head near her ear.
Reminded of what tonight was, what she claimed she wanted, Anna turned around and looked up at him, her arms slipping under his arms and around his back. They both searched each other's eyes for a few moments. Finally, Anna pushed up onto her tiptoes and kissed him-her husband. He returned the kiss gently, lifting one hand to gently brush his thumb over her cheek.
When she pulled away, it was only a few inches as she continued to stare up into his brown eyes.
"Yes."
The corner of Fred's lips twitched into a soft smile. He kissed her softly once more before suddenly, Anna's feet were swept out from under her. Gasping, Anna's arms went around his neck, realizing she was now in his arms bridal style. Fred grinned at her as he carried her toward one of the flaps that hid another room from view. When they entered this room, it was a small bedroom with a queen size bed.
Fred approached the bed and gently laid Anna onto the soft mattress. He leaned down toward her, but didn't climb onto the bed. His fists pressed into the mattress on either side of her, his feet remaining on the floor. Anna forced herself to take deep breaths as they stared at each other, their faces inches apart.
Finally, Fred leaned down and kissed her. "I'll take care of you." he promised in a warm breath against her lips.
Anna smiled softly, lifting her arms to thread her fingers through his soft hair, pulling him down for another kiss. "I know." Her hands slid down his neck and chest to the gray vest he was wearing over his button-down. Her fingers easily found the buttons and started undoing them. "I love you." she whispered as she finished.
Fred leaned back to slip the vest off and toss it carelessly aside. He leaned back down and his hands went to the strap around her neck that was holding her dress up while she began unbuttoning his button-down shirt. He paused with his fingers lightly brushing her neck, his eyes meeting hers.
The look in his eyes; the warmth, love, the fact that he was making sure this was okay, chased away any remaining nerves Anna might have had.
Nodding her consent, Anna lifted her head a bit to allow the strap to be slipped over her head. One of Fred's hand braced himself near her head while his other hand slid under her head, pulling her up a bit for a kiss.
"I love you."
XXX
Something tickling her neck woke Anna sometime later. Blinking her eyes open, she found herself staring at a tan flap of fabric and a wall made of the same material. Warm breath was making her hair tickle her neck, which was what woke her up, but that wasn't everything. Cool air from outside and the inside of the tent was tickling her arm and chest, a warm weight overtop of the blanket was draped over her waist, and warm skin was pressed against her back.
Glancing down, Anna moved her hand to take Fred's, carefully lifting it up to look at it. Lacing their fingers together, her eyes easily found the rose gold ring on his third finger. Smiling softly, Anna lifted their hands so she could kiss the back of his. Right as her lips brushed the skin of his hand, the bed shifted and the sheets rustled behind her. Fred groaned quietly, hinting he was waking up.
Smiling a bit wider, Anna carefully rolled over under his arm, wiggling a bit until she was on her other side, facing him. His red hair was sticking out in all directions, and Anna turned light pink as she thought of how many times she'd pulled and ran her hands through his hair the night before.
Fred groaned again, his arm tightening around Anna's waist and pulling her closer to his front. Biting her lip, Anna leaned forward until her nose brushed his. Pulling away again, she looked down and let her fingers lightly brush his neck, over his collarbone, and down his freckled chest.
"Didn't get enough last night?" Fred's sleep-roughened voice asked, his warm breath tickling her hairline. Anna smiled and peaked up at him. He smiled warmly at her, leaning forward to kiss her softly on the lips.
When he pulled away, he still kept her close with his arm wrapped over her waist and pressed his forehead to hers.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone serious now.
"Hmm, a tiny bit sore, but mostly warm and exceedingly happy." she answered honestly, smiling playfully up at him. Fred grinned in response, chuckling lightly at her response.
"Good." he answered quietly. He shifted his arm off her, moving it up to rest his palm against her face and brushing her hair back from her cheek. "Last night was amazing, by the way." Leaning down, his kissed her again. He pulled back just enough to speak against her lips, "You were amazing."
Anna smiled, feeling giddy again both from the night before and the happy mood of the morning. She leaned forward and kissed him more firmly, her fingers trailing up to his jaw. She felt Fred's other hand slip under her, between her side and the mattress. She shivered at the feel of his hand against her bare skin, knowing there was nothing-no barriers-between them. Just like the night before.
She laughed when Fred suddenly rolled onto his back, his arm pulling her with him so that she was laying partially on top of him, chest-to-chest. Just as their kissing took a passionate turn that hinted at a repeat of the night before, Fred's stomach growled so loudly, Anna felt it tremble against hers.
Fred paused while Anna pulled away to laugh.
"I think breakfast is in order." Anna suggested, starting to push herself up. However, Fred tightened his hold around her back to keep her pinned to his chest.
"How about this?" he suggested quietly, his eyes sparkling playfully. "I make you breakfast,…and then we take a shower."
Anna got the hint. "And…are we preserving water with this shower?" she asked in a business-like tone.
"Of course." Fred answered promptly. "Wouldn't want to take all the hot water, would you?"
Anna rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop grinning. "I suppose I can agree to this deal."
"Perfect." Fred kissed her lips before letting her roll off him so he could get up. Anna tried not to watch him while he got up and pulled on his boxers…but it was next to impossible. When Fred turned back to give her a quick kiss, he didn't comment on her blush, but he smirked arrogantly at her before moving around the bed and into the main part of the tent.
Anna sighed, flopping back onto the bed with the blanket pulled up over her chest. She bit her lip on a smile, lost in thought.
She'd known, deep down, it wouldn't hurt. But she didn't expect it to be as amazing as it was. It left her on a high. She was on cloud 9.
It hadn't been smooth sailing, completely. Anna had a couple flashbacks and tensed up, putting things on pause, but after Fred soothed her she insisted on continuing. Fred was incredibly gentle and loving the whole time, and Anna felt completely loved and cared for.
Stretching briefly, Anna sat up and looked around the floor of the room. She could smell the mouthwatering scent of sizzling bacon and eggs in the nearby kitchen, and she couldn't sit anymore. Her own stomach was grumbling as loud as Fred's had been.
Seeing their clothes from the night before sprawled around the room, Anna hesitantly pushed the blanket away and hurried toward the wall where Fred's blue button-down was laying in a crumpled heap on the floor. She knew she shouldn't feel awkward, being naked. After all, Fred was the only one in the tent, and he'd seen everything already. But she couldn't help it as she hurried to pull the shirt on and button it up. She then grabbed her knickers from the night before and pulled them on under the shirt, which reached mid-thigh.
Brushing her fingers through her mildly tangled wavy hair, Anna left the bedroom and instantly found herself in the kitchen/living room hybrid room. Fred, still in only a pair of gray boxers, was standing across from her at the stove with his back to her, the sizzling sound of bacon being cooked filling the silence. Crossing the short distance, her bare feet silent on the grass and carpet on the ground of the tent, Anna came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle. She rested the side of her head against his warm back, feeling the muscles move as he cooked.
"Getting impatient?" Fred teased.
"A little." Anna admitted lightly, kissing his back briefly.
Fred finished cooking a couple minutes later, and they ate their breakfast on the couch that was partially sitting in the small kitchen.
"Well, now I know why I married you." Anna commented after swallowing a bite.
"Oh?" Fred smirked in amusement as he glanced at her. "And why is that?"
"I won't have to cook ever again." Anna joked, pointedly taking another bite with a large smile.
"Oh, I didn't tell you?" Fred pretended to look concerned. "This is a one-time deal. From now on, you have to cook for me. I might cook for you on a very rare occasion,…like your birthday. But other than that-"
Anna elbowed his arm, both laughing as they ate. Fred was finished a couple minutes before Anna, and when she scraped the last of her scrambled eggs into her mouth, Fred took her plate and fork from her, carrying all their dishes to the sink a few feet away. With a wave of his wand, Fred set the dishes to wash themselves. Then, he returned to the couch, but instead of sitting down again, he leaned over her with his hands braced on either side of her head. Anna looked up at him, a soft smile on her face.
"Now, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling kinda dirty and sweaty and in need of a nice, hot shower." Fred told her innocently. Anna knew she was blushing, but she ignored it as she looked up at him.
"Okay. Did you want me to wait here, or…?" she trailed off innocently, pretending to have no clue what her husband was implying.
Fred smirked at her. Then, quick as lightning, he scooped her up bridal style and carried her, giggling, to the bathroom.
"Nope. We're preserving water, remember?"
XXX
Yay! They finally got married and did the deed!
Hope everyone liked this chapter. Review and let me know what you all thought!