This one's for Fred
Lottie stood before the large window in her bedroom that overlooked the harbor. Closing her eyes she leaned against the window frame; she was dressed in a slip and silk stockings with a wine glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Fred would be by in an hour. He had insisted on traveling to the London based club with her, even though she had insisted that he didn't need to go out of his way for her.
As Lottie took a long drag from her first ever cigarette she thought about the day's events. She was aware of her peculiar behavior, but she couldn't help it. Her world had gone topsy-turvy.
Lottie exhaled and walked to her closet. The eggplant colored dress she was going to wear hung on the door.
She knew that her insistence to go out that night was unusual, but for her it was essential.
The young scholar's mind drifted back to the room she had walked into at Crouch Manor; Barty Jr's room.
The death eater had covered an entire wall with articles and photos of her.
As if that weren't enough, he had filled a book case with vials of every memory he had of her. Most were just moments he had come across news of her and her father's team. But 4 had stood out to her (1).
The first memory she had come across was about the first time he had ever heard of her. The second was of the time Lottie and her father had been invited to the Crouch estate as guests. The third was of Barty asking Voldemort if he could capture and marry Lottie. The last memory had been from the day he had killed her father – Lottie had been unable to watch that one all the way through.
After seeing those memories she realized the loss of her father was a great example of the phrase "Love makes you do crazy things".
All those photos, and news clippings, and memories in Barty's room taught her was how easy it was for love to become an obsession.
It made her fear her intense affection for Fred. She knew that she was capable of loving Fred until the day she was taken from God's green earth. But was she strong enough to love him without hurting him at some point? If Fred and Chloe decided to get married the next day was she capable of ruining her best friend's happiness by objecting to the marriage? Would she allow her selfish emotions to get in the way of Fred's happiness?
At the moment her answer was an adamant "NO," but one day would that change?
It wasn't a risk Lottie wanted to take.
And so it was with a heavy heart that Charlotte G. Wilson decided that she would forsake her feelings for Fred Weasley. She was sure that Fred would never reciprocate her feelings, and so she wouldn't put a strain on their relationship by yearning for him any longer.
Lottie took a large gulp of her wine, mentally making a toast.
Tonight would be phase one of her plan to get over Fred Weasley.
/3
It was hot, humid, and the club was far too crowded, and at the moment those were the least of Fred Weasley's problems. For the last hour and a half Fred had been looking for Lottie. His best friend hadn't been herself at all that day.
When Fred had arrived at Lottie's home he found the scholarly brunette standing on a balcony, smoking a cigarette and drinking her second glass of wine. Lottie had never smoked a day in her life! Then when they had met up with their group of friends, she had scarcely directed her attention to him. She had been downright frigid.
When they had arrived at the club, she had made a beeline for the bar, where she knocked back a few shots of fire whiskey and was chatted up by a few of the gits there. For some reason seeing her respond to their flirtatious advances had wounded Fred. The lanky redhead had shrugged it off, and to rid himself of the strange feeling hat had filled him he had danced with a few girls.
That, he decided, had been the stupidest decision of the night. Lottie was no where to be seen. The last time any of their friends had seen his best mate was when she had been dancing with a large group of people half an hour before. As Fred made his way through the dance floor he bumped into his twin
"Any sight of Lottie?"
Katie shook her head
"Don't worry Forge," George had said to his twin, "she's just having a good time"
Fred rolled his eyes and went to find Harry and Gin
5 minutes later
"You haven't seen Charlotte recently, have you?"
"You worry too much," Ginny said as she continued to dance with Harry
"Harry?"
"I bet she's off dancing with someone. Letting loose will do her some good"
'What the hell does he know?' Fred thought nastily, 'he's dating Ginny after all'
As though God wanted to prove that karma was very real Ginny accidentally stepped on his toe
3 minutes later
Fred sat at the bar scanning the crowd for his short friend
"Hey Fred"
"Hermione, finally, someone with sense"
Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, not sure where this was going or whether or not to be insulted
Fred, seeing the look on her face shook his head, "I mean that as a compliment"
"What is it then?" Hermione said as she looked up at her possibly future brother-in-law
"I can't find Lottie, and no one wants to help me locate her. You'll-"
Fred was interrupted by Hermione's laughter
"Is that all?"
"Is that all? What do you mean is that all? For all we know she might have been taken for ransom. Or she's drunk in some dark alley. Or-"
Hermione put her hand on his shoulder interrupting him, "Fred, it's alright. Lottie told me she was leaving. She met someone here, and wanted to chat with him and his friends in a quieter setting"
"WHAT?!"
Fred's bellow caused various heads to turn and look at the pair
Hermione elbowed him in the gut, "could you be anymore embarrassing?"
"How can you be so calm? These strangers might be dangerous!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and looked longingly at the restrooms, willing Ron to rescue her
"I never said that they were strangers. He and his friends went to Hogwarts. Terrance and Daphne Higgs were in the grou-"
"WHA-"
Hermione covered his mouth with her hand, "Honestly, can't you pretend to be civilized"
Fred shook off her hand
"How do you expect me to be calm when she ran off with a bunch of Slytherins," Fred hissed causing the bookworm in front of him to roll her eyes and groan in frustration
"Really Fred. I can't believe you remain so prejudice. The ministry has been working so hard to-"
"The ministry can throw a unification parade for all I care," Fred said interrupting Hermione, "that doesn't change the fact that they're a bunch of slimy gits! Next thing you know, you'll be telling me she left with Marcus Flint or Adrian Pucey"
The nervous look on Hermione's face told him all he needed to know
"Who did she go with? I've got to find her! I can't believe you let her slag off with either one of those wankers"
While Hermione gladly would have punched Fred for offending Lottie, she glanced around the room and saw her friends approaching. She knew that George and Harry would react the same way as Fred (old habits die hard, or something like that-Hermione mused) and so without thinking she confounded Fred
George, Katie, Ron, Ginny, and Harry walked up to the pair
"Blimey, not again!" Ron said
George shook his head, "you my twin can no longer handle your liquor," he said at his inebriated looking twin
Fred slurred some unintelligible words
"I'd take him home and give him some dreamless sleep potion," Hermione said
Ginny peered at her older brother, and looked at Hermione skeptically
'I'll tell you later' mouthed Hermione
Ginny nodded, as the group began to make their way out of the club, Hermione telling them Lottie had left earlier.
AN. Hey I just want to thank everyone who has read and/or added this story to their alerts. Reviews help me feel loved!
(1) I'm planning on making Barty's memories into another fic.
(2) So Lottie went off with a group of Slytherins. Who do you think she went with Marcus or Adrian? Which of the two do you prefer? Let me know in your reviews.
(3) I'm working on the next chapter. The fact that I have been able to update this story twice this week is such a relief, and proves that my life is in a much better place.
