Stories
Chapter 9

Fred sat inside while his brothers played quidditch outside. He knew that's where he should be, outside flying around, helping George as beater, but he hadn't wanted to go outside. He was in a daze, a slow hazy daze in which he was slowly realizing he'd done something stupid.

He'd been eating and listening to his mother spout details about the wedding and she said pink and puffy in one sentence. His head snapped up and he'd blurted out, in a very slow and cautious way that he'd plan the wedding. He realized at that moment how much he wanted the wedding to be just right, perfect for Ani. He hadn't cared before, not realizing, or was it not caring, how much the wedding meant, especially if it was to be the first one, the one after which they shared their first night together as husband and wife.

"So, Fred," Hermione said as she walked out of the kitchen, obviously done helping clean up after dinner, "how are the plans coming?" She was mocking him, even if it was in the sweet voice Hermione always held, except when she was angry with Ron.

He looked at her as Ginny came walking out of the kitchen. "Don't know, haven't got a clue where to start," he lied. He knew one thing; he wanted it to rain, to pour, soaking them as they said their vows. It seemed so perfect, they'd had so many memorable moments in the rain, it just seemed right to get married in the rain. "I want it to rain," he admitted.

"Rain?" Hermione asked curiously. The girls were hooked now; they could see the romantic glint in his eye and were ready to listen to whatever he had to say.

"Yeah," his ears turned pink, he was embarrassed by the emotion he was feeling. The Weasley's were a caring family, but they were all men and all quite daft. They'd never discussed romance, but Fred guessed that all of the boys had a soft side no matter how good they were at hiding it.

"Well, tell us why, you prat!" Ginny said throwing a pillow at him. He blocked the pillow with his arm as he laughed at his little sister, he hadn't known she was a romantic; it was visible in Hermione's eyes, but not Ginny's. Ginny's eyes looked like his brothers, tough and mischievous.

He leaned forward, as if telling the girls a secret, "Well, it was, wow it was so long ago," he started. He couldn't believe it had been so long since they first met, "It was right before George and Katie's engagement party," he paused that the girls didn't say a word they just waited for him to continue, "and I had been in New York, picking out the colors for the new store."

Fleur walked in and Fred looked at her, she looked exhausted but baby free. She smiled and the two other girls looked at her. Ginny beckoned her to sit down on the couch with her and Fred smiled slyly. He hadn't meant to tell the stupid romantic stories he had, especially when he should be getting back to Ani, but he continued anyway.

"I was walking down the muggle streets and it was pouring, I was completely soaked," Fleur was already hooked on the soft words that were coming from his mouth, "but, I kept walking, don't know why, but I just did. I had my head down and I felt something hit my shoulder and when I spun around, she was standing there. She was so beautiful; I was almost speechless, her blonde hair still held these soft curls that were dripping from the rain."

The girls leaned in, not wanting to miss a word of the story, "Said I was sorry and she asked me for a cup of coffee, bloody nasty that stuff, and I couldn't say no, she was like a dream.

"She grabbed my hand and pulled me along these streets, until she pulled me into this little shop and we sat down in this tiny little booth," he smiled slyly, he never knew he could tell stories and hold the girls' attention like this. He wondered if his brothers had done the same thing.

He heard the door slam, "Where is everyone?" Katie yelled. She'd been out playing quidditch with the boys, "are the babies asleep?"

"In here," Hermione yelled and Katie followed her voice into the living room.

"No babies?" she asked sadly, she'd obviously come in to hold one.

Fleur looked at her, "Armina is just getting the youngest to sleep," she said softly, her accent almost gone. "Are the boys being gentle with the other children?" she asked knowing how Bill acted with their two oldest children.

"Yes," Katie said as she plopped down on a soft chair, "bloody good at quidditch."

Fleur looked worried, "Don't worry," Katie said with a smile, "they're safe."

Ginny laughed, "Then why'd they send you in?"

Everyone knew Katie was pregnant and the boys were overprotective of her, "They're prats," she said ruefully. "You're going to hurry up Fred, just to keep up with me and George," she laughed. Fred's cheeks turned red, he still felt too young to have kids, almost too young to get married.

"Unlike my two oldest brothers," he said jokingly, "I don't plan to have my kids at the same time as my twin." Charlie and Bill were almost in competition to see who could have another baby first, the babies always coming just months in between. They were up to three each now and still wanted more.

"Fred, you know that isn't planned," Armina said as she ruffled his hair. She'd obviously gotten the newest addition to the Weasley clan to sleep.

Hermione finally got tired of waiting for the story to continue, "Is everyone here? I want to hear the rest of Fred's story," she said as Armina sat gracefully beside her.

Fred looked at them and leaned back in. "where was I? Oh, the coffee shop, we sat there for ages, until I remembered the engagement party and ran off, but not before I got her telephone number."

"What's a telephone?" Fleur asked feeling guilty for interrupting the story that everyone wanted to hear.

"It's like floo powder but you can only talk to someone, not see their face or anything," Hermione said quickly but not rudely, she'd lost the nagging quality she'd always had at school. "Go on," she said her cheeks turning red for being a know-it-all.

Fred chuckled, "So, I had the number and all, but I was afraid to call, so I waited. Two months after we met, I had to spend a week in New York, for the store. I called her and we spent every night together, even helped her study," all the girls looked at him, doubting that he'd actually helped a girl study, even if she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. "I did, didn't believe in centaurs and dragons, that one." He smiled remembering what she'd said about the "mythical creatures" she was studying and the promise to wash his dirty socks if he gave her proof of their existence.

"She was so amazing, and we had so much fun together, but I had to leave. I kissed her, it was so amazing, the world seemed to fade away and it was just her and I," he blushed again. "We, uh, decided to just be friends though, with the distance and all." He hated the distance that had separated them for so long, and all the girls could tell by the way he was speaking.

"After that, I called her and then, in September there was the terrorist attack, and she called me. She was so terrified but I didn't know why, I left right away," all the girls were imaging him running to her rescue and scooping her up in his arms before riding off into the sunset. He shuddered as he thought of that day, "She came to the door, her eyes all red, found out she wore glasses that day, and she was wearing these huge pajamas.

"I couldn't leave yet, because she thought I had to fly out, so I ended up driving her to her parents' house, bloody long drive. Had to come back, and before I left, I kissed her again. I felt the world fade away again and it felt like my entire body was going to explode," he paused remembering the way her lips had felt on his that day. "I didn't want to leave, but I, uh," he took a rather large gulp; "I had too."

He'd never realized how great those moments were, he'd always been thinking about a time when they could be together every day and not worry about the ocean separating them and the secrets he kept from her.

"I visited every month then, called her a lot," he smiled, "on my last visit, she burst out of her apartment and threw her arms around me. I had no idea what was going on, thought she was just glad to see me.

"She said she was moving to London," he paused, "I picked her up, and spun her around until I couldn't spin anymore, and then we kissed, I was holding her so tight, wanted to make sure she was real, I guess."

"Then, some more kissing," he said as the girls all blushed, they were more into the story than he thought. "Then, her roommate came home, rude bloke he is. Told her he loved her and asked her to marry him," all the girls gasped, "she just said, 'I'm moving to London.'" Fred laughed, remembering how happy he'd been when she'd told him no, "He got angry, yelled at her, she yelled at him, she's so, so strong, she is."

The girls loved the way Fred was talking, his words so sweet and loving towards the girl they'd never met. Fred could see it in their eyes, the way the all wanted to coo at him like they did the babies, and he smirked at them.

He continued with his story, "She moved in across the hall from me, and it was a couple months before I told her I loved her. It was pouring down again, except it was an ice cold rain so we were standing under an overhang. She was freezing," he said the scene becoming crystal clear in his mind, "so, I put my hands over her ears, to keep her warm, and I moved them slowly before pulling her into me. I kissed her softly, our lips felt like ice, and we were smiling at each other. I looked into her eyes, they were so vivid that night, like the world was spinning in them, and I said, "I love you, Ani,' real soft, the rain almost drowned my words. She smiled and said, 'Thanks,' which made me laugh then she said it back. I kissed her again, but this time her lips felt so warm and soft."

All the girls were smiling, even if just faintly, Fred knew they loved a good story.

Fred leaned back and looked at his watch, "Best get going then, Ani said something about cleaning my flat, guess she can smell it from hers."

"No," al the girls said, "What about when you proposed?" Hermione added.

"Yes, what about when you proposed?" his mother asked as she walked in, she'd obviously been listening from the kitchen.

He looked at Hermione as his mother sat down next to her, "Really, Hermione, I thought you were a woman of logic, not love."

She threw a pillow at him, "I'm dating Ron, this is the closest thing I'll get to romance. He'll probably just toss me a ring and say, 'How 'bout it?'" She was probably right, knowing how thick Ron was, but Fred had surprised himself, he'd hadn't thought he was romantic enough to hold the girls attention for so long.

He smiled and leaned forward again, "It was pouring down and we were walking around London, the ring in my pocket, waiting for the perfect time. I pulled her along, running through the streets until we got to the clock tower, she loves that. I held her close and told her that her finger looked a bit starkers; then I pulled out the box, and asked her to marry me before I opened it." He paused and all they all leaned in, even though they knew the outcome. "She looked at it, and said wow. It's bigger than Katie's ring," he winked at his sister-in-law, whose ring was bought before the second store opened and they started making millions of galleons a year. "She didn't answer though, so I said, "Love?' to get her moving. She looked up at me, and says, 'If I say yes, will you twirl me around?'"

Fred could see that all the girls' eyes were on the verge of watering, "'Of course,' I tell her and she says yes. I spun her around until I was dizzy then I put her down and she had to hold me up as I leaned down and kissed her. The world didn't fade away that time, it seemed to become more vivid, muffled, but vivid. When I looked around, the color seemed sharper and sounds more defined." The girls eyes watered and Fred felt a tear forming in his own eye. He'd never realized how perfect all those moments were, how lucky he was to find her, she was so perfect.

He stood up, not wanting the tear to fall, even if it was a tear of happiness, "Really, must get back, Ani said if I don't clean my flat, or at least the fridge, it's going to turn into a toxic waste dump," he paused, "not sure what that is really, but I know it's not good."

He was about to aparate home when he heard the back door slam open again, "Fred didn't leave yet did he?" George yelled. Fred walked into the kitchen, to see his brother covered in mud. He could see his two oldest brothers doing their best to clean their children off before their wives saw them.

"They are going to kill you," Fred laughed, "it's no wonder you sent Katie in."

Charlie's daughter, looked up at Fred and ran into the house, leaving her father and brother behind. She clasped her arms around Fred's leg, "I caught the snitch from Daddy's broom!" Charlie looked up with a smile, still trying hopelessly to clean the mud from his son, who looked at Fred. "Harry crashed in the mud."

Fred laughed at his family, "You're feet were practically touching the ground, and you were driving," Charlie said to his son. "Either way, don't tell your mother."

Fred looked back to George, "You best get off the floor, Mum just cleaned," he said as he looked down at his twins muddy feet. "What is it?"

George snapped his head up from the floor that had been shining before he walked in, "Meant to ask at dinner, but are you going to build a house, or do you plan on living in a tiny apartment all your life?"

Fred wanted to hit himself in the head, he still had a house to build, "I'll talk to Ani and get the builders out to you, you bought the land right? Across the street from you?"

"Out to me?" George asked.

"Yeah, I can't plan the wedding and build a house," Fred said as if that had been obvious.

"Of course," George said sarcastically. He knew he had to help his brother, after all he'd kicked him out of their house together, but he'd be happy to have his brother back, even if they were separated by a street.

"Must be off then," Fred said before aparating back to his apartment.

-- -- -- -- --

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