Monday turned out to be a cold, blustery February day, unlike the warm weather that had been so beautiful earlier. People rushed around, huddled in their cloaks and scarves; the only warmth that was prevalent was the fact that it was Saint Valentine's Day. It was a giant holiday for all the lovers of the Wizarding world; Fred wasn't about to let Millicent become the exception.
After his long talk with Fleur, Fred had made getting Millicent back his first priority. Fabian had reluctantly allowed him to work from home on the weekend, and Fred had baby proofed the entire apartment, cleaned like a house elf, and effectively done everything he could to make her believe that he wanted them back. Yes, and he meant them.
Fred had a lot of time alone to think since Millicent walked out; he hated thinking. Quickly, he began to realize that Millicent was the glue that held him together. Sure, he had only known her a few months but at the same time, he'd never felt fulfilled. The countless women, strippers, drinks…it was all a means to an end. He never cared one bit for any of those women; they'd be merely a way to feel good for a few hours before going back to his empty life.
The death of Percy had shattered his life. His brother had always been there for him, far more than any other (except George, of course). Charlie and Bill were already out of the house and Ron and Ginny were too young to help out with any big problems. And so, Percy became the one that Fred and George always went too; as tight assed and morally superior as Percy acted, he truly cared for his family and could keep a secret.
One incident that stuck in Fred's mind was the day that he had come home panicked after he had received a letter from Hogwarts explaining to Molly and Arthur about his and George's repeated tardiness to class. Percy had given the two of them a stern lecture before forging Arthur Weasley's signature and sending it back to Dumbledore. They'd never gotten caught, but from then on, Fred and George went to Percy on every problem they had.
Penelope had been the love of Percy's life, ever since first year. They'd met on the train to Hogwarts and had created a romance that defied everything. Percy and she bonded over Quidditch and a strong passion for seeing justice done; they had been prefects together, giving them ever opportunity to see each other even long after the rest of the castle was asleep. When they had announced their intention to marry, it was no shock to the Weasley family; the two had been in love for over seven years. Horror struck, as it always did with Voldemort that left Percy dead and Penelope pregnant with his child. Fred remembered the incident as if it were just yesterday…it was still as fresh and painful as if it had happened yesterday. When he saw the devastation in Penelope's face, the fierce ache in his heart and the anger that seethed, he vowed never to get married or have children. There was no guarantee that he would be there forever, and he couldn't do that to any woman, no one deserved that.
Fred certainly assuaged the fear of being taken away from Millicent and their child, leaving her desolate and destroyed. But what choice did he have now? He vowed today to spend every day they had together, to live every day as if it were the last one they had…that way, if something happened, they'd always have that last day. Now, all he had to do was convince Millicent that he truly wanted this. And oh, he wished she could feel the way he felt.
Five rolled around, Pig zoomed in and dropped the Daily Prophet on Fred's face. More bad news, of course, it seemed the Vampire Coven of Wales was intending to prosecute the Ministry of Magic for keeping a vampire locked up so long that he went mad. It was a giant fiasco stemming from an accident that occurred when said vampire attacked muggles because he had been deprived of food for nearly a century. In other news, Saint Valentine's Day was in full swing.
After a quick shower, donning his most expensive set of black robes, Fred grabbed the flowers he had purchase earlier. "Pig, you need to deliver these to Millicent this morning," he said sternly, earning him a squawk from the owl. The little note he had written was carefully tucked in the flowers and held in with enough spellotape to rewrap the entire box of chocolates he had bought her twice. With one more look around, he stepped out the door and apparated to the office. He felt his heart sink when Millicent wasn't in her office…he hoped she was coming in today.
Speak of the devil, he saw Millicent rushing down the hall, digging through her purse. Jumping back, he hightailed it to his office where he could watch her out of the corner of his eye. Their offices weren't across from one another, but Fred was close enough to see her. He watched as she peeled off her cloak, hanging it on a coat rack in the corner of the room. At first she looked normal, but when she turned to the side he nearly choked; there was a swell to her belly where his child rested. How had he not noticed that before? He had been blind…
When she turned her head toward his office, he feigned looking busy with some of the owls on his desk. And speaking of owls, a very angry Pig flapped in, dropping the flowers and candy in her arms. For a moment it looked like she was going to cry, he felt his heart twist painfully; he hadn't wanted to make her sad or upset. The man at the flower shop had helped him pick them out, they were white and red roses, signifying love, truth and unity; in the center, there was one purple hyacinth that the man said symbolized sorrow and remorse.
One fear that Fred had was that she was going to throw them out but he lost sight of her only for a second while she transfigured a vase. Her beautiful, gentle hands arranged the roses and stopped on the purple hyacinth. It was that one he had taped the note to; he watched eagerly as she began opening it. He didn't even realize that Fabian had walked into his office and was staring right at him.
"Fred, my boy," Fabian's voice rumbled, "What are you doing?"
Fred nearly leapt out of his seat, "Umm, nothing!" He said, flushing with embarrassment. "I was just looking over these owls! It looks as if that coven in Wales is interested in doing an exclusive with us. I think Luna Lovegood would make an excellent candidate for this story."
Furrowing his eyebrows, Fabian frowned, "Lovegood with a coven? No, I think Millicent ought to go on this one." He walked over behind Fred and smiled, "Ah, Saint Valentine's Day, eh?" Patting him on the back, he laughed, "I see you bought the wife some flowers."
"Well, I'm atoning for my sins at the moment," Fred said forlornly, "Millie and I had a little tiff this weekend." He turned and stood to look Fabian in the eye, "I'd rather Millie not go to Wales all alone when there's a Coven itching to get even with the Ministry of Magic."
Fabian nodded slightly, "I understand your concern, Fred. She is your wife, after all. But Millie is a perfectly capable witch, she did a lot of excellent work for us during the Great War, this shouldn't be any more dangerous."
How did he go about saying this without revealing everything? He couldn't refuse to let Millie go because he wanted it to be so; that wouldn't work with Fabian, he was a very stubborn man. "Would you consider letting me go with her, as protection?" It was reasonable.
"Well, as long as the two of you actually get some work done, why not?" His weathered face broke into a grin, "And that way, you can meet with the coven, see if they want to invest in the Prophet."
Shaking his head, Fred only laughed. Leave it to Uncle Fabian to try and make a buck in a time of crisis; at least, though, he'd be going with Millicent on the trip to Wales. He had to protect her at any cost; there was no bloody way he'd be letting her meet a vampire coven without an escort.
"Would you like to tell her or should I?" Fabian asked, sobering suddenly. He got the impression that this little 'tiff' was more than arguing over who was going to be taking out the rubbish.
That was a good question…did he trust himself to go talk to Millicent without making an arse of himself? No, he was liable to make a giant ass of himself just standing in her presence. Luckily…or maybe unluckily, Millicent took away his choice when she made her way to his office door and knocked, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything." She said softly.
Fabian got the hint very quickly, "No, of course not. I'll be in my office if you need me." He said and made a hasty exit. There was no way he was going to be getting into a lovers spat. It had been years since he even had a lover, and he didn't miss the constant sniping (although, he did miss the making up part of it).
To avoid looking completely foolish, he sat down in his chair, "Please, come in and sit, if you want." He prayed to anyone that would listen that the fear he felt wasn't coming out in his every move.
Millicent wished that he looked completely destroyed, horribly heartbroken and would come back on his knees. She mentally chastised herself for thinking that as she took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. Clearing he throat, she looked down at her hands, "The flowers were beautiful, thank you, Fred."
A blush crept over his cheeks, "You're welcome, Millie." He said softly. He wanted to gather her up in his arms and kiss her senseless. As much as he hated to admit it, he had missed her terribly these last few days. There was silence then; neither of them knew exactly what to say. Fred decided to tell her about the assignment, "Uncle Fabian was telling me he wants us to go to Wales to meet with the vampire coven there."
Her eyes lit up, "Really? He's giving me the exclusive?" She couldn't believe it! A real exclusive that meant something; before, her exclusives had been covering burping toilets in muggle Scotland or meeting with the proud the owner of the first half-Horntail half-Speckled Green Dragon. None of those stories meant anything compared to meeting with international advocates for vampire rights. "And what do you mean 'us'?"
Leave it to Millicent to not let that little word slip, "Fabian wants me to see if the vampires would like to buy stock in the Daily Prophet."
"Bullocks," Millicent snapped and stood up, "He wants you to baby-sit me, is that it?" She pointed her finger squarely into the center of his chest, "I've gotten along in this business since I was in school, and I don't need your help now."
Fred grabbed his wand and said a quick spell to stop prying ears from listening in, "Millie, you're not going to meet with international terrorists all by yourself!" He snapped, folding his arms over his chest, "First of all, you could get seriously hurt. And Millie, you're pregnant!"
Stepping back, hurt flashed in her eyes, "Oh I see, so now you care." Turning her back to him, she had to fight against the tears, "Don't play with me, Fred. You're too nice of a man to do that to me. If you insist on having someone go with me then what can I say? But don't make me relive the fact that you don't want me on this trip." She wanted him so badly that it physically ached inside.
His heart shattered into a million pieces, this was destroying her. He wanted to go to her, wrap his arms around her, and profess his love. Unfortunately his tongue had other plans. "I'm going with you, Millicent, I'm still your husband," he responded.
Turning on her heel, she snarled, "Being a husband is more than a bloody incantation and papers at the ministry." Why did he hate her so much for loving him? Walking toward the door, she flung it open, "If you're going I'll meet you outside the office at seven tonight." With that, she stepped out of the office and stormed back to hers. Without stopped, she picked up the flowers, "And if you're not bloody sorry, don't pretend to be." She didn't care if everyone in the office saw it; she chucked the vase at his hand so it shattered against the wall. Glass, water and flower petals littered the floor.
Fred watched in horror as she tossed the vase at his head and stormed out. What the hell was wrong with him? Was there some sort of sickness in him that made him a bloody prat all the time? Sitting back down, he rested his hands in his hand. Damn, damn, damn, this was not supposed to happen. He wanted to make up, not make her even angrier!
Millicent made her way back into her office and tried to stop the tears that were threatening her very life. She knew Fred could see her there, sitting at her desk with her face in her palm and the other hand gently rubbing little circles where their child slept peacefully. "Don't worry little one," She whispered, "We'll make this work. We have to."
Eight o'clock came all too soon for Millicent's taste. After she had left work at one with he throat still tight with tears, she apparated back to Malfoy Manor. Ginny had helped her pack up all of her writing her supplies, some nice outfits and the promise that Fred would come around. She was standing out in front of the Daily Prophet waiting for him, as usual. He was never on time, numerous tardies spoke to that effect.
Fred hurried down the street with his case in hand. Fabian had given him the portkey to the Whaleback Inn. The interviews weren't until early tomorrow morning but he had wanted to give them time to acclimate to a new setting. He saw her there, waiting and slowed his pace; she looked lovely, even as haggard and sleep-deprived as she was. He could tell just by looking at her that she hadn't been resting well. Part of him was very worried…another part glad that she was missing him as much as he missed her. "Sorry I'm late, love." He said, the term of endearment slipping out without him thinking about it.
Shaking her head, she rubbed her hand across her belly, "Let's go." Ginny had suggested she draw attention the baby and her changing body as much as possible; Fred had been fascinated by Penelope's pregnancy; Millicent's would fascinate him more so because it was his child stretching her waist. Shifting her bag, she grasped onto the portkey and felt a sickening tug at the core of her.
Luckily, there was no time difference between London and Cardiff. The last thing that Fred needed was time lag to get them bogged down. The lobby of the Whaleback Inn looked as if it hadn't been updated since actual whalers stayed there. It was clean, though, and the man at the front desk smiled brightly, "G'day, can I help ye?" He asked cordially.
Millicent brushed past Fred, "Good evening, I'm Millicent Weasley. I believe the two of us have reservations under the Daily Prophet?"
Smiling, the man flipped through his book, "I got one reservation under the Daily Prophet." He looked up, "A man named Fabian Weasley paid for th' room fer a week, said in his owl tha' it was fer two."
Fred sensed Millicent's discomfort and sighed, "Is there another room available for tonight?"
"Och, no, laddie," The man answered, "This was th' last room we had available."
Sighing, Millicent plastered a smile on, "It'll be fine, thank you for all your help, sir." Reaching into the pocket of her cloak she took out a shiny sickle.
A bright toothy grin from the man revealed several gold teeth, " Th' room's th' last one of th' left." He handed her a key, "Dinner can be brought to your room if you like."
Fred felt his stomach rumble, "That would be wonderful." Without being asked, he picked up Millicent's bag and led the way to the door. Looking over at her, he smiled sheepishly. Fabian was always playing these games…and this time, Fred was glad he did.
This was good, Millicent thought. She could really show Fred what he was missing if they were staying together in one room…with one bed. She turned the key in the lock and used her wand to quickly light the candles around room. The fire burned brightly in the fireplace casting a rosy glow over the place. There was a large bed, flanked by two wooden nightstands. One large closet to the left and a full bathroom to the right, which gave the place a much larger feel; in front of the fireplace there was a couch and an armchair. Everything was homey and unwittingly romantic.
Closing the door behind them, he smiled to himself. There was only one bed and although, he would offer to take the couch, he really wanted to feel her in his arms again. With a few flicks of his wand, his clothes and hers were neatly arranged in the closet and drawers. Collapsing down on the couch, he smiled, "This is a nice place."
"Yeah, it is," She said, removing her cloak and hanging it up on a coat rack that she swore was made of a whale bone. It was warm in the room and she didn't mind pulling off the robes she wore in favor of the muggle tank top that Ginny's midwife had recommended for her. It helped keep everything in place more as she walked, especially since her pregnancy was far more evident now. At three months, she was looking pregnant instead of like she had gained weight in a few unfortunate places. Her breasts here fuller, her hips seemed wider but the most noticeable feature was the soft curvature to her belly.
Fred couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she pulled off the top half of her robes and sat on the bed with a huff. Maybe it was a sick fascination, but he felt compelled to go to her. His heart seemed to override his mind as he walked over to her. Slowly, he hand reached out, drawn to the place where his child slept.
"Fred," She said breathily, partly from confusion, partly from excitement, "What are you doing?"
He didn't answer as he sank back on the bed next to her. Gently, he pressed against her shoulder so she'd lay back; he wanted to explore this and her, everything. His eyes met hers briefly as he pulled up the stretchy blank tank top to reveal her creamy white flesh beneath.
His fingers slowly slipped down to the waistband of her robes and Millicent felt a flood of heat burst through her. He was being so tender, so cautious and so loving that it brought tears to her eyes. His rough, warm palm rested gently on the swell in her belly as if the smallest amount of pressure would hurt her.
Goosebumps rose on her skin and he felt his heart in his throat. Within her was his perfect, beautiful child; he could feel the pulsing movement of the child under his fingertips. At one time in his life, he was sure that he'd never want a witch who wore robes larger than a size zero. Now, he was brought to a full erection at the thought of Millicent heavy and swollen with his child. It made no sense…it didn't have to make sense.
Electric pulses seemed to be jumping from his hand right down into the core of her. His hand roved over the place that had become the center of her universe; even though she was angry with him, she loved him and she loved this child.
Leaning down, Fred pressed his lips to her belly, "You're so beautiful," He whispered. He meant every word; she was the most beautiful woman on earth. At this moment, he knew he'd never want any other woman every again.
The soft feeling of his lips on her belly made her breath hitch. Her hands came down, entwining in his hair as he continued to kiss her abdomen. He moved lower to where a little stretch mark was starting, spending extra time there.
Moaning lightly, her fingernails bit into his skin, "If you don't kiss me right now, I'm going to hex your bits off." Her voice was breathy and tight as she spoke, her warm hazel eyes glowing with passion. Without waiting for his response, she gave a hard tug and pulled him on top of her, kissing him fiercely.
Bloody Merlin, thank you, Fred thought. He pulled the rest of her tank top off, suckling her breasts greedily. They'd gotten larger with the pregnancy and he wouldn't be complaining about that. As much as he wanted this reunion to last, he was quickly losing control.
Millicent's hands tore at his robes, discarding them without a care. She wanted him on top of her, inside of her, closer to him than ever before. His first thrust made her cry his name; the second brought her spiraling into orgasm. She was far from over, though, he built up speed, thrusting harder and faster, all the while seeming to be ever mindful of the baby within her.
Fred took painstaking care not to lay too heavily on her; he didn't want to hurt the baby. He never wanted to hurt her or their baby, ever. The feeling of her tight and wet around him made everything disappear. On the cusp of her second orgasm, he pumped once more into her and relished in the feeling of her milking him for everything he had.
His exquisite warmth burst into her as he took her over the edge again. She almost protested when he rolled off to the side, his arm still resting protectively over her belly. She brought her hand to cover his; the three of them were a family, forever. She turned onto her side and looked over at him, her hand still covering their child, "Fred," She said softly, her eyes still dilated with lust. "I love you, I love this baby," She meant every word. "But if you're not planning to stick around, make this your goodbye." It ruined the mood…but she was very serious. She couldn't keep doing this; fuck buddies were one thing, she wanted to be his wife and the mother of his child.
The ardor cooled quickly for her and Fred sighed. This was it; Fleur had told him there would come a point where there was no going back…he just never expected it to occur so quickly. "Millie, I've been thinking long and hard on this," He said, his hand rubbing little circles over her belly again. "I do love you; I've known all along, I think…I just didn't have the courage to tell you." Pulling her into his arms, he let a single tear leak down his face, "I've been afraid of this, giving myself to someone so completely. I want to be around to see this baby born, to hold you every night, to be together until we die," He whispered. "So much as happened, so many things fall through; I've been a bloody coward."
Every word he said warmed her heart; the tears she'd been holding in since the morning burst the dam. "Fred, I've wanted to hear you say that for so long," She choked out through her tears. "I love you; I love you so much that it aches inside."
"I love you too," He said, kissing her face and holding her tightly. "I never want any other woman, any other person ever. You're mine forevermore." Their wedding vows had been legally binding, but these vows tonight tied their souls together forever.
Nothing could break them apart; no one could come between them ever again.
Sorry for the wait! I'm unmotivated to finish this story, I need some reviews to fuel my muse! Help!