A/N: Only a few reviews! Please guys, I don't know how you're feeling about the story if there aren't any reviews. Plus they make me all warm and fuzzy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

RPOV

I awoke from a nightmare a bit later, and found myself staring at the wall, watching shadows from the dying flames. Distorted images of the man I had killed had swirled through my dreams, accompanied by a blinding and continuously flashing green light. I made to move closer to Fred, but his arm was twisted underneath me, his fist digging into my spine. I shifted a bit, trying to gently move his hand, but he woke up with a gasp. I jumped, startled, not expecting his peaceful face to awaken so quickly; the snapping change of expression was almost frightening, and my nerves were set on edge again. I took a deep breath as he sat up on his hands.

"Waz wrong?" asked Fred, obviously annoyed to be woken up. He rubbed his eyes, and though entirely ludicrous, the small tinges of exasperation in his tone made my strength crumble.

"N-nothing. Don't worry about it," I said, my voice cracking as I pressed the side of my face against his shoulder, looking up at him.

Fred glanced at me and wrapped his arms around me again, looking much more awake. His mouth twitched. "That was extremely believable."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you up."

He yawned. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, it's just, I thought you had."

"I had," I assured him. "I had...I woke up."

"Nightmares?" he asked, sitting up more.

"Mhm." I curled my legs into my chest as I leaned against him. Fred didn't seem to notice. He was absentmindedly stroking my hair, and was staring at the fire, his mind obviously not focused on the conversation. Whatever he was thinking about, it looked like it scared him as much as my thoughts scared me.

"Fred, are you alright?" I asked softly, not wanting to startle him.

"Fine," he muttered, though he had a slightly nauseous look on his face. "I'm fine."

"That was extremely believable."

"I'm fine," he repeated. "Just thinking."

"Looks painful," I said, and he gave me half a grin.

"It's really not as bad as you'd think," he said, attempting nonchalance, though he gave me a worried glance.

"Are you sure it isn't?" I murmured. He sighed and rested his head on top of mine.

"Not nearly as bad as the boils I had when we were working on the Skiving Snackboxes. Remember Oliver was on his practice kick...painful, that was."

I closed my eyes.

"What?" he asked, sincerely curious. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied, sitting up carefully.

"That is the worst 'nothing' I've heard in a while," he said softly, putting his hand under my chin. "You can tell me anything."

I looked up at him. "I'm scared."

FPOV

There was a swoop in my stomach, and an overwhelming sense of terror when Rian admitted that she was scared. I felt like throwing up because I knew I wasn't going to be able to protect the people that mattered most to me, mainly because they were too damn proud to let me look after them, and there really was no feasible thing I could do. That might have been what scared me the most, being so out of control. George and I had already discussed it between ourselves, about how it was an alarming possibility that we could lose each other in this war. I didn't think I'd feel anywhere near the same about Rian, but I realized that I did. I loved them both more than anyone in the world, and that was what I was capable of losing. Having another person, along with my family, that I couldn't stand losing...that was a harsh blow in and of itself.

"Don't worry," I said, pulling her close. "There isn't anything to be frightened of."

"Isn't there?" she asked bitterly, though she held tightly to me.

My fear turned to sadness, for her mostly. I remembered when it had hit George and me, the thought that we could die any day now. There really wasn't anything funny about it, nothing funny at all. Rian could have died just hours ago, instead of sitting here in my living room. With me. Sleeping beside me. And I realized how stupid our relationship was, this dancing away, and dancing toward each other. How we never really talked, just snogged quite a bit. It was ridiculous. It'd been strange with Rian, because we were best mates first and because she seemed to hate the thought of anything romantic with me. And then when she did, I got scared because I knew a relationship with Rian would be serious; she wasn't one to mess around, and I respected that. But now I wanted her, committed relationship and all.

"Not right now," I pointed out. "Listen, I know what happened tonight is most likely scaring the hell out of you. But right now you're here with me. And you're safe. And alive. And I love you." Well, there goes not blurting it out.

Rian didn't move. She had a slightly stricken look about her as she stared at me. "Really?" she asked in a whisper.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, really."

"You love me?" she asked.

"Well, I'm not sure. The girl I love never looks at me like I'm insane. Wait. Forget that, yes you do, all the time." I shook my head. "Of course I love you. I would have reckoned it was pretty bloody obvious. Now the question is, do you feel the same?"

She bit her lip as she smiled. "Yes. Yes, I love you," she said, and I was surprised at how much those words affected me. I'd always imagined them to just be...words. Now, it was like my blood was boiling, euphoria was bursting through my skin, warring with my constant state of nervousness. It was a toxic and invigorating mixture.

"Not just the kissing?" I asked, grinning. This time though, it wasn't a mischievous, sarcastic, or amused grin. It was a full-on involuntary grin of happiness.

"Not just the kissing," she said. "Though that is quite nice. No, I'm so glad you said it first. I was going to, tonight actually."

"I'm always ahead of the game," I said, shrugging.

"You should compete with Trelawney for the Divination post."

"When...when did you know?" I asked, lowering my voice.

She laughed quietly. "Tonight, mostly. But really, I've loved you since the day you showed me your first invention. You were so proud and I was so proud...and every day you've been there for me. I've never met anyone that literally takes advantage of every second the way you do. It's the confused and uncertain people that give into depression and terror. You're so self-assured. You have no self-doubt at all, not that that doesn't get you into trouble, but it's a quality about you that I love, and envy, so much. Being around you makes me feel as though I could be the same way. You're a brilliant wizard, Fred, though I'm sure you know it, and a really, really wonderful person, and every time I see you it's better than the last. You make me happy."

"You've put quite a lot of thought into this, haven't you?" I asked, to cover up my surprise. On the outside, I was calmly taking in everything she said, like I'd expected it all. As though I found it perfectly normal that she thought Fred Weasley was quite extraordinary. On the inside, I was thrilled; jumping, running, flying, yelling in satisfaction, and acting really quite ridiculous because, with the sarcastic, carefree attitude I had about most things, I'd never had someone actually tell me that I had good qualities. I'd only garnered approval on rare occasions and here Rian was approving everything about me, as well as my accomplishments. I was accustomed to people yelling at me, and telling me off, and saying how I was being irresponsible and ruining my life. I didn't quite know how to take it, her listing everything that was good about me, or saying that she even loved the bad things about me. And in all honesty, I'd never cared about anyone's opinion enough to consider this an important issue, never really worried what people thought of me. But I did care what Rian thought.

"Lots of boring nights," she said dryly, and I raised my eyebrows. She grinned and looked down, and a serious expression crossed her face. "And I know it's you that I love because… I mean, I love you more than anyone, Fred. You. And if I can't figure out who I love, then I don't deserve to have you love me. We've been friends forever, and...at some point, I accidentally fell in love with you."

Accidentally fell in love; she'd managed to hit the nail on the head. I realized, that in the few years I'd known her, she'd come to know me as well as I knew myself, maybe even better. Rian was my best mate first; she knew everything about me, especially the things I refused to tell any other girl I'd date, and that made it so much easier to love her.

I glanced down at her and laughed because she had a horrified look on her face.

"That was a terrible line," she said, grimacing.

"How's this for a line?" I asked. "You're not perfect, and neither am I, but that's why we're perfect for each other."

"That was sweet, though," she said, smiling. "If a little unoriginal."

"Unoriginal?" I demanded. "Well, maybe it is a little cliché. Anyway, I'm chock full of lines in these sappy moments, so appreciate away."

"Fred," she said. She closed her eyes and I dragged my nose up her forehead, planting a kiss on her hairline, not caring if she thought I was overstepping my boundaries or not. I mean, blimey, I'd waited too long. And who knew how long we'd have left? "Why, exactly, do you love me?"

I stopped instantly and laughed at her under my breath, because I should have known she'd want to talk, and make this overly complicated. All I wanted to do was...well, not talk.

"Why are you laughing?" she demanded.

"I dunno," I lied, trying to stop. After all, I'd appreciated hearing her answer the same question. I thought of how I should phrase this. It was surprisingly difficult to describe. I didn't have as good of a handle on her as she had on me. I loved her because…because. "I love you because you're you."

She sighed. "Fred, please. C'mon, there must be some reason. Besides my sexual appeal."

I laughed. "Reason number one," I said in reply to her last comment. She gave me a look. "Alright, alright. You're beautiful, a bloody good witch, and Quidditch player, and I'm fairly certain that you slipped a love potion in my drink during the Yule Ball."

"Fred-"

I pressed a finger against her lips. "I was only joking, love."

Dark pink spread across her face, and she stared at me.

"D'you like that nickname, love?" I asked, smirking.

She rolled her eyes and smirked back. "I don't care what you call me," she said.

"So if I wanted to call you a Blast-Ended Skrewt you'd let me?" I asked, thinking of the most eccentric creature I could. She raised her chin.

"Yes," she said. Then she grinned wickedly. "That sounds kinky though."

I let out a great bark of laughter before I could stop myself. Rian was now looking down at my hand, tracing lines absentmindedly on my palm.

"Can I have a serious answer now?" she asked quietly. Surprised, I frowned, trying to figure out why this was so important to her. I thought she would have dropped it by now, but maybe she didn't because she wasn't as physically attracted to me as I was to her. The thought was a bit alarming.

"If I told you every reason why I love you, we'd be here until it snowed."

Rian glanced out the window at the rain. "Tell me just a few then."

"Ri...I can't just list these things, like I'm jotting down an outline for a school essay. Why do you want to know so bad?"

"I want to know because..." She sighed and trailed off. I raised another eyebrow at her, not really liking where this was going; she looked like she was going to say something, something that was going to upset me. I braced myself, especially when her tone became curiously business-like and rushed. "Fred…what if...what if the only reason this happened is because we're so scared of what could happen tomorrow, or this afternoon…I mean, I don't feel this way, but…you aren't just desperate to love someone because of the war that is, let's face it, inevitable, and I'm just conveniently here, and willing? You know as well as I that something could happen, and we'd be gone tomorrow." Here she slowed down. "To me, you're different. You're not just a boyfriend. And I just want to know if I'm different to you as well."

I looked at her in disbelief. I didn't know what I'd expected, but it definitely wasn't this.

"What?" I asked flatly.

She sighed, exasperated, apparently misinterpreting my 'what' as confusion from her words. "Do you just want to shag me and move on?"

Putting it in such simple terms made me somehow angrier. "Bloody hell!" I snapped, although with a bit of guilt, because about a year ago, I had entertained the idea. "Do you honestly think I'd use you like that?"

"I was just checking!" she retorted angrily.

"You had to ask with me?" I asked, getting more and more frustrated.

"Yes! No…I just…I don't know. I mean, c'mon Fred, you do have a bit of a history and I know better than most, having set up most of your-"

"That?" I demanded furiously. She honestly thought she was no different? I mean, really. Alright, so maybe she had a point, but I was so confident with what I felt for her that I was angry that she didn't realize it. "How many girls do you think I've told I love them?"

"Out of all the girls you've been with, I dunno. Ten?" she estimated dryly.

"Ten?" I asked, my voice rising. "One! That's including you!"

"Only me?" she asked, her jaw dropping in sincere surprise.

"Oy, look who can count!" I said, my tone frigid, frustrated and unable to figure out why she was so confused. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her hand up to most likely slap me, but I caught her wrist and rolled on top of her, pressing my mouth against hers. When I pulled away, she stared up at me. I smiled smugly, the desired reaction acquired.

"How many people do I love?" I asked her.

"The number is swiftly decreasing," she said breathlessly, eyes wide. I couldn't help but laugh again as she sighed in defeat.

"Rian, just trust me. I love you now, and I always will. I can't guarantee that we'll be 'together forever,' and all that, but I can promise that I will love you past the day I die." Rian shuddered. "Sorry, I meant forever. But I swear. I love everything about you. I love the way you brush your hair behind your ears; the way you commit to everything you begin, no matter how much you hate it; the way you trust me with everything, even though I generally have no idea what I'm doing and usually go with the first idea that comes to mind. I just love you."

She smiled. "That wasn't so bad. That's all I wanted to hear," she said. "Well, it was a bit more than I expected, but thanks."

"You're welcome?"

"This is just going a lot quicker than I expected. Not that that's a bad thing...it's a great thing. I just didn't expect the everlasting love declaration tonight. Or ever, really."

"You didn't? Not ever?"

"Well, I hoped of course. But I didn't expect it." She laughed a little as I kissed her again.

I swore I heard George chuckle once or twice from his room, but I wasn't bothered by it. I was in bed (figuratively), with a beautiful girl that I loved, who had just confessed that she loved me, and I had led myself into a temporary fantasy that we'd live to Dumbledore's age, and have seven little Weasleys of our own running around. And then she said the thing that broke my fantasy.

"When do you think this is going to explode?" she asked a few moments later. I looked at her questioningly. "When is You-Know-Who going to come out?"

"Of the closet?" I asked, cocking my head because I didn't want to leave my fantasy world just yet. She laughed and rolled her eyes as I bent down and pulled her bottom lip between mine. Her breathing hitched and I released her mouth, but didn't move. I wasn't sure what it was, but her breathing hitched again, and my heart started to match her breathing pattern. I was going to have to tell her to start breathing normally if she kept that up. I just wanted to feel her…her soft skin, smooth muscles…making sure that she was close to me, and safe. This was going to take some time to acclimate. I was accustomed to lust, but not quite used to this protectiveness. Not toward someone that I kissed.

"I don't know," I said, knowing that she'd badger me if I didn't answer her. "But when he does, I'll be trying my damndest to stop him."

"And I'll be with you," she said fiercely. I sighed; again, where did this feeling of protectiveness come from? Last year, a few months ago even, I would have answered her with an exuberant 'yes'.

"Well, as to that, I think I just might like it."

"You'd better love it," she said in a mock-threatening tone.

"Or what?" I demanded.

"Well, I know your weakness after all."

"Which is…?"

But she just smirked and bent down to kiss me. Ah, that weakness.

A little while later we just lay together, her tucked into one shoulder, my other arm wrapped around her. Now that we'd stopped talking, every so often she would cringe and I knew she was thinking about what had happened earlier.

"Rian," I said, after watching this a few times. "It really wasn't your fault. Maybe you could have disarmed him, but what would you have done with him after that? If he got sent to Azkaban, he'd just get broken out, and do this thing all over again. Probably come after you again because he'd been in Azkaban. It was, like as not, the best option, I think."

"But I'm a murderer," she said quietly. "I killed him. I'm just as bad as he was."

"Hey, now, stop that. Of course you aren't. This right here proves it."

"I just never wanted to kill anyone," she whispered. "Fred, it was so easy. Too easy."

"At least I can count on you in a crisis," I said. She didn't find it so funny, and I sighed. "I don't think any of us are going to get out of killing someone, these next couple of years. There is something brewing, and it's going to end unhappily, no matter who wins. You're just a little ahead of the game."

There was a pause. "Let's not end unhappily then," she said.

"We can't really influence that, love."

She nodded. "No, I know, I just mean...let's make the most of what time we have before the end. And no more secrets."

"No more secrets," I agreed. She didn't respond. "Rian?"

I glanced down, but she was asleep. Not comfortable, and not restful, but sleep nonetheless. The clock drew my gaze: three hours, and it'd felt like a fifteen minute conversation. I kissed her temple, and fell asleep myself.