Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful week. I know mine was super stressful and I have so much work to do over the weekend it's insane. Also, I just played a bunch of guitar and my fingers are sore and I did a really intense scavenger hunt and have huge blisters on my feet. Anyway, no more complaining, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy. Final note: Please forgive mer for the major grammar mistakes or repeated phrases I use in this chapter because writing this was giving me a panic attack.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 27: Pure Panic

Fred dragged me to Rainwater's restaurant. I wasn't fighting back I just wasn't moving my feet at a quick pace and with the boy's team on our tail, he was getting more anxious than ever. I never told him why I was freaking out. I didn't explain that Misty has been cruel to me that, even now, it made my heart beat fast, tears blind my vision, and my brain shut down.

By the time we got to the front of the entrance, I fought Fred. While he yanked me forward, I keep my feet glued to the ground. Even though Fred was stronger then me, everything inside of me was working so he wouldn't win. I wouldn't budge. I felt like I had to puke which seemed impossible given I had only eaten a granola bar the whole day.

Fred bent over, sighing in frustration. I felt bad and I wanted to tell him what was going on and I wanted to move, but I couldn't.

He cupped my cheeks with his large hands and examined my face. "What's going on Auden? I can't do anything if you don't tell me." '

My muscles tensed and I hated myself at that moment. Not just for not being able to suck it up, but for seeing the hurt look on Fred's face. He may have cared about winning, however right now his eyes were pleading me to answer. I forced myself to move. I shook my head microscopically and dug my fingers into my palm. If I hadn't trimmed my nails, I guaranteed I would've drawn blood.

"You can't, I know that, but why? Auden you can trust me. I am here for you. I love you. I don't even care about winning right now. You are scaring me." He said.

"I…can't…." I mustered out, but now my body was screaming at me. Like it was bad that I said something.

I broke down. A sob escaped my slightly parted lips and it suddenly became harder to breath. I felt uncomfortable in my skin. My chest started to rise and fall at a quick pace in time with my lungs. It seemed I couldn't suck in enough air to support my body. I felt strained and frozen. I wanted to think and talk and move, but I couldn't. The world around me seemed to be crashing down. Even the idea of going into the restaurant only grew more impossible by the second. I felt weak and embarrassed. With Fred looking at me like I was hopeless, people passing us by stared. I wanted to die at that moment.

"Come here." He said picking me up and setting me on a nearby bench.

I tucked my head to my knees and rocked back and forth doing my best to reduce the shaking. A never-ending stream of tears spilled from my eyes. Some fell into my mouth, filling it with a salty taste, and the rest fell onto my jeans. Leaving darker puddles by my knees where they had all collected. My stomach couldn't stop turning. I knew that if I couldn't start taking deep breaths, I would pass out.

"I'm s-sorry…" I said with the little air I had left.

Fred rubbed my back in a circular pattern, trying to calm me, but this beast inside that was making me burn in pain wasn't going to let that happen. It closed off my throat and clamped my lips so I couldn't talk. Fighting was getting harder and I was only growing weaker.

"Shhh." Fred said into my ear. "I love you, Auden. Please just calm down. We're not going in there. As soon as Hermione and Ginny get out, they will tell us where to go next and we'll get to the next check in and everything will be fine. Just don't stress."

It seemed I could hear him and I wanted to reach out and grab his hand, instead they remained clamped to the sides of my head.

"Hey Fred." I heard George call out and my heart started beating fast again. The other team was here. I was too weak and stupid to walk into a restaurant that they were now passing us.

"Don't worry about them." Fred whispered in my ear, his hot breath running over my skin. "I want you to feel better. Don't worry about anything."

"Oi! Fred!" George called out again. "Let me guess she's disappointed because she just saw the size of your-"

I'm guessing Fred shot him a look that shut him up.

"Listen I can get the person to tell you where the next stop is so she can get to the check in faster." I heard Zach's voice say above me.

"That would be great." Fred said.

I didn't hear any more voices so I assumed they left. Although, everything started slowing down; I was able to breath better, allowing my heart to calm. I stopped rocking and sobbing. I think it was their conversation that distracted me or the realization that I didn't have to enter the restaurant and see Misty. The beast was returning to his cave where I wouldn't see him. My shaking had come to a halt as well and I was able to move easily, like my joints had just been greased.

I wanted to avoid Fred's eye contact. I had a panic attack out of nowhere and he probably thought I was strange. He was probably embarrassed of me. His hand guided my chin up and made my red, puffy eyes meet his concerned blue ones.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I still couldn't open my mouth, but nodding was easy. As soon as I did, he pulled me into his chest and his arms became tight around me.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help." He croaked. "I love you Auden. I love you so much. I'm sorry for dragging you here. I didn't want to hurt you. I love you, I love you, I love-"

"It's fine." I breathed. He shot back in surprise. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble, I just had some bad memories about the restaurant. I'm sorry, it was just a small panic attack."

"That was small?" Fred questioned. "You nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought you were going to die."

"I didn't throw up or pass out, so it wasn't that bad…" I thought out loud. "You handled it really well though. I'm glad you stopped asking me questions, it just would've put me under more pressure."

"I'm sorry, I love you." He hugged me again and my face smashed against his shirt. I took in his comforting smell. At least he didn't hate me.

I was relived until I heard a slow clap. I tensed up again, expecting for the worst. Of course, right as I calm down, Misty was there standing in front of me. I wanted to punch that stupid sneer of her face as she walked closer to us. Fred saw her too and he looked between us like a confused puppy. Her hips swayed with every step she took using her long, thin, model like legs. He waist was as small as I remembered it and it seemed she had grown a few cup sizes too. Her blonde hair fell perfectly down just past her chest and her pool blue eyes still held the evil that I was only able to see, apparently. She was wearing a mini skirt and a thin white sweater, along with a Rainwater's apron tied around her hips.

"How cute." She said like she was talking to a baby.

I grabbed Fred's hand and squeezed, praying for my lungs to work and my heart to stay steady. That's when I saw a white envelope wedged under her arm. After seeing Zach she must've know I would be around too.

"You have a lot of boys wrapped around your finger. First that cute British one and now the ginger." She said raking over Fred's body.

"And I can understand why you don't have any." Fred returned.

"Oh, he's British too." Misty said with a fake smile plastered on her face. "I think I just lost my interest for British guys. I mean if they're that desperate they'll take someone like you-"

"Nah, we're not desperate enough to take someone like you." Fred fired back.

Although the rest of the male population wouldn't agree. She was like an angel when she was around them, but as soon as she saw me, horns started to grow from her head and fire replaced the pupils in her eyes.

"I like 'em feisty." She growled and took a seat on Fred's lap.

Fred tensed underneath her. His posture became too straight and his jaw hardened. That didn't stop Misty though. She took one of her perfectly manicured fingers and ran it across his jaw line and stopping at his lips to play with the bottom one. Fred didn't react. He just stared at her emotionless. Still, I felt a pang in my chest. She was closer to him then I was. I was feeling…jealous.

"You know if you just take the envelope and leave, it means you would be in last place for today right?" She asked. "So how about I have you do a different job and still say you stopped by and finished it."

Neither of us responded. I felt Fred's hand grow tighter and I turned my gaze from her to him. He looked terrified. His eyes were wide and he was leaning as far away as possible. I would've laughed if I didn't feel the same fear.

"All I need if for your boyfriend," She dragged out the word boyfriend and her eyes lingered on his lips, "is a kiss."

My fear turned into anger and I got the sudden urge to slap her.

"Too bad." I said. "Then again, I guess you are feeling lonely. Never sleep with the same boy twice, right?"

"Are you still jealous that Jimmy chose me over you?" Misty fake pouted. "You should've know it would happen, I'm the obvious choice. " Her gaze softened and returned to Fred. "For anyone."

Fred tried to push her off, but she only hung on tighter around his neck. She straddled him fully and was no more then an inch away from his face. I got a sense of relief from the uncomfortable look Fred was baring.

"Just kiss me already. You know you want to." She teased. "Your girlfriend will never know."

Just as she was about to move in, something, or in this case, someone yanked her back onto the cement. Misty groaned in pain and looked up at her attacker. Ginny's face was as red as her hair and she huffed angrily over the fallen girl. Misty looked scared. I would be too if I saw Ginny looking at me like that.

"You bitch!" Ginny practically screamed. "When can you tell that no means no?"

"Who the fuck-" Misty started to question but Ginny snatched the envelope from her and handed it to Fred who seemed just as dumbstruck as I was.

"Just give it up." Ginny said like she was annoyed. "Fred who do you like more Auden or this skank."

Fred was unable to answer it first, but then shook out of it. "Auden."

"Prove it." Ginny said certainly.

Fred was once again taken back, but then turned to me. His eyes smoldered into mine and leaned in. He caught his lips in mine and let me return the kiss for only a few seconds before we looked back.

"See? He hates you." Ginny said like she was giving some kind of demonstration to a dumb person. Actually, that was exactly what she was doing. "Now run along."

I don't know if Misty was too stunned to speak or too embarrassed by her rejection. She got up and walked away quickly with a trail of frustrated squeals behind her. Ginny nodded before she ran ahead with Hermione.

"Now I see why you didn't want to go in there." Fred said, still partially stunned. "She's terrifying."

I just nodded. I couldn't do or say anything else. I couldn't get out the image of their face being an inch apart and I couldn't stop the ache in my heart as I saw it.

"Oh and," He turned to me, a small smile on his lips, "fifty-six."