(1 year later; 2003)
I laughed as Fred spun me under his arm before drawing me back to him, holding me tight around the waist as we continued to dance to the music playing at a small restaurant nearby. My flat-covered feet were shifting in the sand as we swayed and the light rain made our clothes stick to us.
We had been eating fish and chips at a small place near the beach when it started raining and an upbeat song started playing. Next thing I knew, Fred was dragging me out into the rain to dance.
I smiled up at him as we danced to a slow song, just swaying in place with my arms around his neck and his around my waist. Rain drops were running down our faces and dripping from our chins and noses. He leaned down and pressed a slow, sweet kiss to my lips, the cool water making them slip together easily.
It was Wednesday evening, which is a strange day for a date, but we needed to work our nights around which nights I had Adam. I didn't like sending him to a sitter any more often than necessary when he was with me. I know Draco already does that enough, and I know Adam doesn't like being left in the huge Malfoy Manor with only the house elves for company.
So, Fred and I did more relationship stuff when Adam was at Draco's, which was every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, unless something doesn't work out. Then I pick Adam up every Wednesday evening at seven, and I have him for Thursday through Sunday, and Draco picks him up Sunday evening. During the days I have him, we still visit Fred and the other Weasleys, and instead of having date nights, me and Fred spend time with Adam, as a sort of family.
After dancing in the rain for a while longer, Fred and I head back inside, using a drying spell to dry ourselves. Then, seeing it was getting later, we apparated together to Malfoy Manor to pick up Adam.
We walked together, hand in hand, up the path, the gate opening to let us in as we approached the large path up to the enormous, dark mansion. I subconsciously tightened my grip on Fred's hand, scooting a bit closer to him. Since I spent so much time with the Weasleys, I also had become fairly good friends with Hermione Granger, who had recently become engaged to Fred's younger brother Ron.
When Hermione first found out that Adam lived at Malfoy Manor while staying with Draco, which had been about a month after the arrangement had been made, she'd had a bit of a panic attack, zoning out, trembling, and even screaming a bit. Ron had been able to calm her down and she explained what had happened to her in Malfoy Manor during the war, with Bellatrix Lestrange and the Malfoys and Death Eaters. Since then the place had scared me even more than before.
I was brought out of my nervous thoughts by the large front door slamming open, making me jump and Fred tense beside me.
To my shock, Adam came racing down the path toward us. Since it was dark I couldn't see his face until he was several feet from us. Tears were running down his red cheeks, glinting in the moonlight, and the sobs erupting from his throat tore into my heart as he hurtled toward me. Fred released my hand just as my son flew into my arms. I ducked just enough to catch him in my arms, lifting him to clutch him tightly to my chest, my body trembling as my son cried into my shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around my neck and his legs wrapped around my waist.
My wide eyes met Fred's, which were just as wide.
"Adam, sweetie, what's wrong?" I asked quietly, putting one hand on the back of his head so I could lean back to see his face.
"Momma!" he cried, refusing to release his arms from my neck. That just scared me even more.
"Adam, please look at me. Tell me what's wrong." I pleaded, feeling confused tears prick my eyes.
"ADAM!" an angry voice erupted from Malfoy Manor. Fred whipped around and stood in front of me, his wand out and pointed at Draco, who was storming towards us.
My hand twitched against the back of my son's head, instinctively wanting to reach for my own wand in the large pocket of the dress I was wearing. But feeling my son start trembling, I knew I needed to keep my hand where it was.
"Stop where you are, Malfoy." Fred warned, practically spitting Draco's surname.
"Don't tell me what to do, Weasel." Draco spat back, "He's my son, not yours."
"Then why'd he come running out here like this, huh?" Fred practically shouted.
"Quiet!" I snapped at both of them. I shifted so that I knew Adam was shielded from Draco's view by Fred's broad shoulders before I pulled my son back to look at his face. His eyes were red-rimmed from crying, and for the first time I noticed a trickle of red liquid coming from his hairline.
My blood went cold as I used one hand to brush his hair back from his face. And there, nearly hidden by his hair, was a small cut surrounded by purple, swollen, bruised skin.
My lip trembled. "Adam, what happened?" I whispered, looking down into his glistening, green eyes.
Adam whimpered and glanced nervously toward Fred's back, which was the only thing between him and his father.
"Adam, you're safe. I promise. Please, tell me what happened." I pleaded quietly.
"I-I didn't mean to, Momma. I really didn't." he shook his head, tears pooling in his eyes again.
"What, Adam?" I urged quietly.
"This is ridiculous. He's fine. He fell over." Draco cut in.
"I want to hear it from my son, Draco." I snapped, glaring over Fred's shoulder, who still had Draco at wand-point. I turned back to Adam and quietly urged him to continue.
"I-I was playing with the flying car Uncle George got me. I was chasing it around the sitting room. I hit my head on the end table by the couch. It really hurt, Momma." he whimpered, rubbing the top of his head with his hand, tears spilling down his cheeks again.
"I know, sweetie." I whispered, pressing a kiss near where the cut was before I pulled back to look at him. "Then what happened?"
"Father came into the room. He was very angry. He started yelling at me. I was scared. I wanted to run away, but he grabbed my arm really hard. It really hurt, and I told him to stop, but he wouldn't. He kept yelling at me and pulling me around. Then I heard the loud crack. The one you make when you come to get me. Father got distracted by it, so I got away and ran out here. Don't let him hurt me again, Momma! Please!" Adam pleaded with me, fear shining in his eyes. I fearfully took hold of one of his arms, and my fear was proven. There, on my five year old son's arm, was a dark, hand-shaped bruise.
My face steeled in a cold glare as I turned to Draco, who was staring defiantly back, switching between glaring at me and Fred, who I could imagine looked murderous.
"When he bumped into the table, he knocked over one of Astoria's vases. It's been in her family for a century, and now it's shattered to pieces. I was trying to make him understand that." Draco explained. He had proposed to Astoria a few months back and they were planning to marry by the end of the year.
"He's a child." I answered in anger and disgust, "You injured my son over a stupid vase? You-you-" I cut myself off, knowing I shouldn't use the language I wanted around Adam. Instead, I clutched my son closer to me. "You stay away from my son. I'm never letting you near him again."
"Good luck with that, Annie. You really think you'd be able to win a custody dispute against me? Think again."
"Watch me." I growled back.
"Get Adam's bag out here, Malfoy. We'll be leaving as soon as we have his things." Fred ordered angrily, his wand still pointed at Draco's face.
Draco glared between us before finally calling one of the house elves to get Adam's bag. While Adam had his own room and things at Malfoy Manor, he didn't like them too much.
As soon as we had Adam's bag, which Fred swung over his shoulder, we walked back down the path, Fred keeping an eye on Draco until we were past the front gates. Then, he took hold of my hand and apparated us to the back door of the joke shop.
He lead me up the stairs and motioned me into the flat ahead of him. I entered, looking down at Adam who had his head rested on my shoulder, his arms tucked between our chests, while I supported him with my hands linked under his bottom.
The three of us looked up when George turned the corner, wearing a rumpled button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked at us and smiled before noticing our expressions, then his grin fell and he looked concerned.
"What happened?" he asked wearily.
I sighed. "Fred can fill you in. I need to take care of Adam." Thinking of something last second, I turned to Fred. "Can I use your camera?"
Fred looked confused, but nodded. He held up his wand and said, "Accio camera." the old camera zoomed into his hand and he handed it to me.
"Thanks." I muttered, carrying my son and the camera into the twins' bathroom. I sat Adam down on the edge of the sink. I took a few quick pictures of the cut on his head and the bruise on his arm.
Then, setting the camera and moving pictures aside, I took out my wand, pointed it at Adam's head, and muttered, "Tergeo." the blood was sucked from his head and hair and into my wand. Then, I said, "Episkey." and watched as the cut and bruising on his forehead shrunk and disappeared before my eyes. Then I gently held Adam's arm up with my free hand and repeated the spell with my wand pointed at the bruise. The bruise also disappeared at the same moment George appeared in the doorway, looking worriedly down at Adam. Knowing what he was wondering, I silently handed him the pictures before turning my attention back to my son.
I placed my hands on his cheeks, brushing his hair back to check the injury and blood was gone, before kissing his forehead.
"There. All better." I whispered, smiling down at him.
Adam smiled back at me, reaching up and kissing my cheek.
"Thank you, Momma. I love you." Adam said quietly, stretching up to hug me around the neck. My eyes watered as I hugged him back.
George cleared his throat quietly, making us pull away to look up at him. He smiled reassuringly at me before looking over at Adam.
"Hey Bud, Fred's getting some ice cream and hot chocolate in the kitchen for everyone. Sound good?"
Adam's face lit up in a huge grin. "Yeah!" he turned to me, pulling a sweet, happy smile, "Can I Momma? Please?" he pleaded, his eyes going big and adorable. I sighed. Normally he wouldn't get a desert so close to his bedtime, especially ice cream and hot chocolate, but after what happened tonight…
"Sure, but this isn't happening all the time." I pointed out before helping Adam jump down. He scurried out of the bathroom, leaving me and George alone.
"So, Fred told me what happened." George spoke quietly, looking down at me with the most serious expression I'd ever seen on his face. George had been the most outspoken when it came to his opinion of Draco being allowed anywhere near Adam, barely beating Fred with his voiced protests. Like all the Weasleys, George saw Adam as one of the family, and he didn't take kindly to Adam being hurt.
"I kinda figured he did." I answered, picking up the pictures he'd placed back on the counter.
"You thought of a plan?" George questioned gently, leaning his shoulder against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.
I sighed, rubbing my forehead with my fingers. "I don't have the slightest idea what I'm going to do." I admitted, looking helplessly up at him.
"Well, Fred and I talked a little bit out there. What if we talked to Dad and Hermione? If anyone would be able to help, surely they'd be able to, or they'd at least know someone who can help."
After going back for her seventh year, Hermione got a job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry. So, if anyone could help us, I suppose it would be her. And she'd want to help us more than anyone else in the Ministry, given how close we'd gotten, and the fact that she cared about Adam like he was her own nephew. She wouldn't be swayed by Draco's wealth and status like some other Ministry workers.
I nodded after a moment of thinking it over. "Yeah. Maybe tomorrow or something we can talk to them."
George nodded before Adam's voice called from the living room. "Momma! Uncle George! Come on!"
We chuckled before exiting the bathroom, me quickly leaving the pictures in Fred's bedroom so we wouldn't loose them, since they were the only evidence we had of what happened.
Then, the four of us gathered in the living room with a tray of mugs of hot chocolate and bowls of ice cream. It wasn't long before Adam was literally bouncing in his seat from all the sugar, and he was making me tired just watching him as I sat next to Fred on the couch, my head rested on his shoulder.
"Alright, I'm going to head down to the shop to do a quick inventory before bed." George announced, standing up from his armchair. He and Fred looked at each other for several moments, seemingly having a silent conversation, before George nodded slightly and turned to Adam. "You wanna come keep the Pygmy Puffs entertained for me, Adam?"
Adam jumped to his feet with a huge grin. "Can I Momma?" he asked excitedly, racing up to me and placing his hands on my knees, bouncing in place.
I laughed at his eagerness. "Of course, but behave for George!" I shouted the last bit because Adam raced right out the door as soon as the first two words left my mouth. I sighed, shaking my head.
"Don't worry Annie. I'll keep an eye on him. Promise." George held his hand up as he left, throwing me a wink over his shoulder.
I sighed again, slumping against Fred on the couch, whose arm was behind me across the back of the couch, the day having worn me out.
"You and Adam are staying here tonight." Fred spoke suddenly. I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. "Don't argue. George and I discussed it while you were tending to Adam. We'd both feel better if the two of you were here with us, and I know both you and Adam feel the same way. I hated seeing Adam so scared as much as you did. George offered up his room for Adam to sleep in, and he'll take the couch. Then, in the morning, while George opens the shop, you and I will go to the Burrow to see if we can talk to Dad or Granger. If you want, Adam can stay here with George, or he can come with, it's up to you."
I smiled sadly. "Thank you, Fred."
Adam and I had spent the night a couple times in the flat with the twins. Each time Adam took George's room, and I slept with Fred, while George took the couch. And despite George's teasing, ALL WE DID WAS SLEEP. I know I love Fred, and he loves me, and we've come close a couple times, but we haven't gone all the way yet, mostly because I shut down every time. I have flashbacks or a mild panic attack. But Fred's literally the best guy I could ask for. He's never pushed me farther than I'm ready for, and he simply holds me until I calm down, shushing me when I try to apologize. Most guys would get frustrated after awhile, but Fred understands that what I went through scarred me.
"Annie." I looked up, realizing Fred had been trying to get my attention. "It'll be okay. We won't let Adam get hurt anymore, none of us will. Hell, when Mum finds out about this, she's going to blow a fuse! She'll hex Malfoy into oblivion!"
I laughed despite the topic, knowing how true the statement was. Messing with one of Molly Weasley's family is like messing with a bear cub. You won't survive long enough to realize you made a grave mistake.
"I suppose you're right. I'm just scared Draco will somehow get away with this, and take Adam away from me. I don't know what to do, Fred. I have to protect him. I can't let Draco hurt him, that was the one thing I wanted to protect my son from."
"I know, Annie. And he won't get away with it. I promise. If I have to go talk to the Minister of Magic himself, I'll do it. I'll do whatever it takes to protect Adam." Fred swore, a determined flame in his bright eyes. I smiled gratefully, leaning up to press my lips to his. His arm behind me slipped around my shoulder, pulling me closer while his other hand slipped behind my head, threading his fingers through my hair.
Before long things were getting a little heated, and I was laying on my back with Fred hovering over me, my hands in his hair and one of his on my waist with one hand supporting him by my head. His hand on my waist started sliding down to my thigh, pulling my leg up and wrapping it around his waist. I started lifting my other leg to join my first one, when we were rudely interrupted.
"And here I thought you needed alone time to talk. Silly me."
Fred lurched back and I scooted up as fast as I could, pressing my back into the arm of the couch. There, standing just inside the front door of the flat, was George, wearing a smug smirk and holding a sleeping Adam in his arms.
I crossed my arms subconsciously over my chest before I realized I was still wearing a dress, so I tried tugging the hem down past my knees to cover as much skin as I could. But I knew my actions were pointless. If I was anywhere near the state Fred was in, there was no point. His red hair was sticking up in all directions, his lips were swollen, his face was red, his shirt was wrinkled, and he was breathing heavily.
"Didn't you two get enough of that on your date?" George continued to tease, nudging the door closed as he stepped further into the room.
I groaned, letting my forehead drop to my knees to hide my face.
"Shut up, Forge." I could hear the smirk in Fred's voice as the cushions shifted. Then, I felt familiar fingers brushing my hair off my shoulders before he started tugging my arms away from my legs. "Come on, Love. Ignore my idiot twin, he just likes to make you blush, you know that."
I sighed, lifting my head slowly. George was still smirking at me, but I ignored him in favor of the sight of my son curled up into his chest. I stood up, making sure my dress covered everything, before approaching George and looking down at my son, who was sleeping peacefully with his head tucked into George's shoulder.
"He fell asleep playing with the Puffs. I've got a picture in my pocket if you want it. Gotta admit, one of the cutest things I've ever seen." George admitted with a smile. I smiled gratefully as Fred came and took Adam off his twin.
"You want me to change him into his PJs and put him to bed?" Fred ask quietly, cradling Adam gently.
I nodded. "Yeah. Oh, don't forget his blanket." I added, hurrying to his bag that was in the living room. I took out his pajamas and the knitted blanket with different Quidditch equipment stitched on it that Molly had made for him when he was still a baby. He still insisted on sleeping with it sometimes, which was one of the things that Draco and I argued about the most. Draco thought Adam was too old to be sleeping with a "blankie", but Adam has flat out stated that he sleeps with it because he doesn't want Molly to feel like he doesn't like it, when in fact he loves it more than anything else she's ever made him.
I handed both the blanket and PJs to Fred, who smiled and winked at me before carrying Adam to George's room.
When he closed the door I turned to George, who reached into the pocket on the chest part of his shirt and pulled out a moving photograph. He took one more look at it before handing it to me. A smile slid easily onto my face at the sight of my son, curled up asleep on his side, obviously on the floor of the shop's backroom, with pink and purple Pygmy Puffs surrounding him and on top of him, a few twitching here and there in their sleep.
"Thanks George. I really appreciate everything you've done, for me and Adam." I said quietly, smiling up at him. He smiled back.
"No problem. Just promise me you'll give me some more little nieces and nephews down the road." he teased, winking at me.
I swatted his arm, trying not to smile or blush at that statement. Fred chose that moment to come out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"You want to stay up a bit more, or do you want to get ready for bed? I can loan you something to wear." Fred suggested as he approached, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"Well, I wanna hit the sack, so why don't you two lovebirds go to Freddie's room? And if you two are thinking of getting frisky, please remember to put up a silencing charm." George suggesting, giving us a suggestive smirk.
Fred smacked his brother's shoulder. "Leave my girl alone, Georgie."
"Why don't you pick on Fleur or Hermione as much as you do me?" I asked, a combination of curiosity and exasperation.
"'Cause Fleur takes things too seriously and always has a stick up her butt, and Granger threatens to tell our Mum. Besides, me picking on you so much is my way of showing favoritism among current and future sister-in-laws." George explained, throwing an arm around my shoulder and squeezing me to his side.
"Am I your favorite simply because I'm with your twin?" I questioned with a smirk.
"That, and I know you better than them, and you're more fun, and you gave birth to my favorite little helper." George added with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes but wrapped my arms around George's stomach in a hug. "Well, to be fair, you're my favorite probably-future-brother-in-law."
"Obviously. Who else would it be, Ickle Ronniekins?"
"Well, Charlie's pretty cool." I answered teasingly.
George shoved me away from him and into Fred. "Fred, return her. She's defective." Fred and I laughed at his antics.
"Goodnight, Georgie." I teased as Fred bid his twin goodnight and lead me towards his bedroom.
"Goodnight, Annie." he called back in the same tone.
Fred and I entered the room and shut the door, lending me one of his T-shirts and boxers to wear to bed. Once I was changed and Fred was down to just his boxers, we climbed into his bed. Fred wrapped his arm around my shoulder and back and pulled me close so I could rest my head on his chest.
We laid there quietly for a while before Fred broke the silence.
"So… 'probably-future-brother-in-law', huh?" I could hear in his voice that he was fighting a smirk, which made my cheeks heat up, the warm blush spreading down my neck.
"I-I didn't mean to assume anything, I just-that was really dumb. It was stupid of me to just say that, I-" Fred's finger pressed against my lips, effectively shutting me up before I could ramble for an hour straight.
"No no, you don't have to apologize or anything. In fact, the term is pretty accurate. I'm not gunna lie, I know I want to propose to you sometime down the road. I just want to make sure you're ready for that. It's a huge step, and a lot of pressure. I don't want you to feel like you have to be ready to go all the way or anything. I love you, and I know you love me, and I don't want us to have a marriage where you regret anything." he explained gently, moving his hand from my lips to hold my hand on top of his stomach.
"I'd never regret anything with you, Fred." I whispered, pressing a kiss to his bare chest, right above his heart.
"Good to know." he whispered back, kissing the top of my head, "Get some sleep, Love. We'll go to the Burrow tomorrow and figure everything out."
"Love you." I muttered, already drifting off.
"Love you, too."
We were only asleep for an hour at most before I felt something jabbing me in the back. I groaned, blinking my eyes open and turning to look over my shoulder.
"Momma?" I blinked my blurry vision away until my son came into focus, his red pajamas with the Hogwarts crest on the front, his sandy-blonde hair sticking up, and his blanket clutched to his chest.
"Adam? What's wrong?" I asked, rolling away from Fred and onto my back so I could look at my son.
"I had a bad dream." he whimpered, holding his blanket up to his face, "Father was angry at me, and he hurt Fred, and Uncle George, and you, because he doesn't like the Weasleys. He says so all the time. He calls them mean things. It was scary, Momma."
My heart clenched. "Oh, sweetie." I reached out and gave him a tight hug, kissing the side of his head. The bed shifted and Fred sat up next to me.
"Hey Buddy." he smiled at Adam as I pulled away from him. "You wanna sleep in here with us tonight? We'll make sure no one hurts you."
Adam nodded vigorously and climbed up onto the bed, over my lap, and snuggled down under the blanket between Fred and I. He turned and buried his face in my chest, and I wrapped my arms around him while Fred pulled the blanket up to our shoulders before settling himself back down.
"Night Momma. Night Fred." Adam mumbled sleepily. "I love you."
Fred and I both smiled, and I kissed the top of Adam's head as Fred answered, "Night Adam. We love you, too."
When Adam started dozing off I met Fred's eyes.
"Thank you." I whispered almost silently.
He smiled at me before carefully leaning closer to kiss me on the lips before pulling back. "I love you both, Annie. Sweet dreams."
"You too." I whispered, closing my eyes to sleep.
OoOoOoO
Aw! I just love the ending! Only one more part, which is more like an epilogue I suppose. I didn't want to get into all the legal mumbo-jumbo so there'll just be a brief explanation of all that in the next part. Please review and let me know what you all think, I love hearing from you : )