Goodbyes
Chapter 6

Fred stood outside Ani's door, looking into her eyes. He had to go, to pretend to be on his way to the airport.

Two weeks had passed, the pain of the attacks still burning in their hearts, but they had to try to move on with their lives. They could've gotten stuck in her parent's house forever, ignoring the planes and the pain.

Ignoring it was harder than either of them thought, Fred got through it by looking at Ani's blonde hair from the large picture window in her house as she helped her father in the yard. Ani got through it by keeping herself busy, by not thinking about it, it hadn't worked though. One night, she had thought Fred was asleep, and he would've been if she hadn't started crying. She had pushed her eyes into his chest, his shirt becoming soaked with tears after the first few minutes. He had only held her tighter, not saying a word, for he knew not how to comfort her.

Fred couldn't help but remember that night she had cried on his chest, so vulnerable and sad. She reminded him of his niece and nephew, who when they fell would cry, not because of the pain from the fall, but the fall itself. His niece would let the tears fall freely until Bill picked her up, his ponytail swinging down as he leaned to pick her up. His nephew would bite his lip, not wanting anyone to see him cry, but he would as soon as Charlie would pick him up, clinging to his father's shoulders as if they'd never see each other again.

Fred smiled at her, his emotions a whirlwind of happiness and nostalgia and the little moments that he longed to have, that were perfect, that made you feel as if your world was wrapped in just one moment.

She could see it in his eyes, the love, not just the love he had for her that he had not yet realized, but the love he had for the family he had kept a secret from her, and the life he had, the life he wanted, everything; and she didn't want him to leave. He was so perfect, so unlike any other person she had ever met. He seemed to be so traditional, like the kind of men in black and white movies who were righteous and intelligent.

"I want to go with you to the airport," she said hoping he would finally give in and let her come. She wanted those last few hours with him, knowing it would be a few months before she got to see him again.

"If you come with me, I'll never be able to leave," he said truthfully. He would never fly on a plane, not because it was a muggle transportation, but for what happened just weeks ago. He was terrified of the planes, he couldn't help it. He knew he could aparate if something bad would happen, but he couldn't leave all those people to die.

He pulled her into a passionate kiss, the first one since the last time he had left. Their lips moved so softly and slowly, but sparks shot through their body making them hold each other as tight as they could, Ani's fingers gripping Fred's side so hard it hurt. They pulled back before giving each other a few quick soft kisses. Fred didn't walk away yet, he pulled her into a hug, gripping her tightly, as his nephew hugged his father.

"I wish you lived in London," he said his eyes watering as he forced himself to register that he was leaving her. He wanted to be with her so much, to spend every waking moment with her, to never be without her so he could know she was safe.

"Me too," she said softly. She didn't want him to leave because he made her feel safe, as if nothing could happen to her.

They both wanted the same things so much, but couldn't have it. They couldn't pursue a relationship across an ocean, no matter how much they wanted it. Fred had to leave and Ani had to stay.

"Bye, love," Fred said before walking away, one of his hands lingering behind him. A tear slid down his face and he felt a sharp pain in his heart, it was small, the size of a toothpick, but sharp.

He aparated back home, his family there to great him with large hugs, none knowing why he'd been gone so long, but happy he was safe.

He ate happily with George by his side at the Burrow. He watched, his fork hanging in the air with food still on it, as his brother's cut up his niece and nephew's food and Armina fed the small baby in her arms. Fleur, having given birth the day Fred had disappeared, held a blonde infant in her arms. Fred had held it earlier; it was so small, so fragile.

"Oy, Fred," George said as he elbowed his twin in the ribs, "what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Fred said before shoving the fork into his mouth.

Fred had fed his family a fabricated story about the store and making repairs, and not being able to leave because of it. They had accepted it happily, even the lie about the owls all being used making him unable to write them.

He smiled happily at his family around him, happy it was so large, even if he was still keeping it a secret from Ani. He noticed bandages on Ron's arms again; it seemed as if they would always be his weakness. Harry looked like once again he had been forced to grow a body part back; Fred assumed it was his teeth as Mrs. Weasley had given him a special plate of soft food. He watched as Harry continued to steal the tastier items from Ginny's plate until Ginny slid her plate out of reach. Hermione was helping Ron eat, his arms too bandaged to bend his arms.

Fred wondered why the picture seemed so normal to him. His little brothers, Harry being counted as his brother without thought, the aurors were being attacked so fiercely that they couldn't eat or function properly, but Fred hadn't thought twice about it when he had started eating his meal.

"Marcus Flint," Fred said oddly. The old Slytherin quidditch captain had disappeared years ago, some thought that he had never truly regained his mind after being stuck for months in the cupboard and wandered away, but Fred and George had never believed that.

"What?" George said oddly. He was beginning to wonder if his brother was losing his mind.

"Flint," Fred said as he started to add things together in his mind, "the attackers, always seven people, it's a quidditch team."

"What are you going on about?" George asked knowing his brother had lost his mind. The attackers couldn't be a quidditch team, even if there were always seven.

Fred looked at George then Harry and Ron, "The Falcons just got a new chaser, Crabbe and Goyle have been beaters for years. He's gotten the old team back together."

"That can't be Fred, all those men have been cleared of all charges, they were never in league with Voldemort," Mr. Weasley said knowing his son couldn't be right, though he desperately wanted a lead on the people attacking his sons.

"It could be," Hermione said and everyone looked at her. She was always the voice of reason, the one who brought in the logic and the right answer. "The green robes that are always inside out, the way two of them are the muscle and three do the magic, one keeps guard, and one keeps people away."

Arthur was finally starting to believe it, it did make sense, but he didn't want to pull in seven men on a whim. He didn't want to confuse the fact that he needed to make an arrest.

Things happened very fast in the next few weeks. Colin Creevey took pictures of the players so they could be examined and verified, and seven aurors stood around the pitch minutes before the Falmouth Falcons took flight against the Chudley Cannons, who stayed relatively close to the ground. Ron had warned them before the game, and they watched as their seven opponents fell slowly towards the ground, each stunned by an auror.

It was the first game the Canons had won, and the beginning of a World Cup winning streak.

Fred was given the Order of Merlin, second class, by his father and Harry and Ron finally had time to heal their wounds.

Fred wanted to tell Ani of what a great two weeks he had just had, but he couldn't. He couldn't tell her that he had just sent seven dark wizards to a wizard prison. He couldn't tell her that things had happened as if they were in one of the books she so loved to read. He couldn't tell her how surreal it was, he could only call her every week, as he always did and have a lovely conversation with her before she went to bed.

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AN: You've taken the time to read... so please review!