Chapter 3
Ashley blinked, and the translucent figure disappeared.
'Amazing, now I'm going absolutely fucking mental.' she muttered. It was one thing feeling sad about his death, but she'd entered into new territories on thinking she'd seen his ghost – and then speaking to it.
Of course, she'd considered it – it being the fact that Fred could have stayed around as a ghost - but then had recalled what Nearly Headless Nick had told her; those who don't move on simply aren't brave enough.
Fred was brave. He wouldn't have spent time hanging around if he knew it meant he was stuck here forever.
But that didn't necessarily mean he couldn't hear her. Ashley sunk down to the floor, crossing her legs underneath her, looking around the orchard.
'I miss you.' she spoke, obviously gaining no response, 'George misses you. Forget that, actually, everyone misses you. We're all a mess,' she gave a small laugh, 'I hope you realise what you did was stupid, pushing me out of the way I mean. Given family comparisons and relationship comparisons it would have been far more logical for me to have died instead – but then I guess that's my Ravenclaw side coming out.
'Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you did what you did – obviously – but … I wish there was a way you could still be here as well, because you were amazing, Freddie. You made everyone laugh at the most impossible of times, and you weren't afraid to do whatever you wanted to do, and you didn't care what people thought whilst you were doing it. I – I guess I still can't believe you're never going to make me smile again; or make anyone smile again;
'You didn't deserve this,' she sniffed, wiping her eyes with her sleeves, 'You shouldn't be dead, all due to some power hungry maniac. You should be alive, with us – with George, mainly. He's not doing well, at all. He's awful, actually. Completely and utterly awful. I don't know how he's doing as well as he is, though, if I'm honest, if my hypothetical twin died … I'd be so much worse.
'But then I guess that's the Weasley trait right? Strength in the impossible times. That's why you were all meant to be Gryffindors. Brave and loyal and stubborn as shit until the very end,' she smiled, 'George still refuses to go anywhere near the corner on the second floor of Flourish and Blotts after a book whacked him around the head, doesn't he? And you used to moan on end about going near the Hogs Head after the stuffed heads insulted you – I can't even remember what they said, it was that long ago.' she muttered, 'I can't believe you're gone.' she said, finally. 'I love you, Fred, and I miss you so much.'
'Ash?' a loud voice came from the right, and her head whipped around to see George walking towards her, 'You can't walk off like that!'
'I – I – sorry,' she said quickly, standing up and wiping her eyes,
'Are you okay?'
'Yeah, yeah.' she said, shrugging casually, 'I was just – never mind,'
'Fred?'
'Yeah.' she murmured, glancing around, 'I know it's stupid -'
'It's not. I promise. It's the opposite of stupid.'
'...smart?'
'Well, maybe not smart. But I think it'll help.' George looked around, a small frown on his face, 'We haven't been down here properly in years,'
'I know. It seems like it's been forever, when really it's only been four years.'
'That's a relatively long time,' he said, 'Especially given everything that's happened.'
'I just wish – I guess I wish we could have come back before … before everything.'
'We always have memories, though,'
'But – I don't know. I feel like this place is important, and the last time we were here was when we were, what, sixteen?'
'I think I was seventeen, maybe.'
'Well, that was still a long time ago,' she spoke, then laughed slightly, 'Last time we were down here I had a crush on Cedric bloody Diggory.'
'You did,' he smirked, 'Pathetic.'
'Oi!'
'"Oooh Cedric, hold me in your strong arms -"' he laughed,
'Shut up,' she said, elbowing him in the ribs,
'All right, all right,' he said, holding his hands up in defeat, before walking a few feet away with a smirk plastered on his face, a hand over his heart, '"Cedric's so handsome and gorgeous! Marry me now, Diggory!"'
'George!' she blushed, attempting to punch his arm as he dodged it and ran away into the crowd of trees, 'Arse!' she shouted after him, as she chased after the much faster boy, who also beat her when it came to stamina. She got halfway through the trees and ended up leaning her back against one, catching her breath. Glancing around, she slowly began walking forward once again, ducking under a low hanging branch,
'You really have no energy at all, do you?' his voice came from the left, and she jumped as he grabbed her around the waist from behind,
'YOU TWAT!' she yelled, gasping for breath,
'I'm aware,' he replied, resting his chin on her shoulder,
'A warning would have been nice,'
'But that would have taken away the fun, now, wouldn't it?'
'Idiot.'
'Fair enough.'
'I missed you.' she said, as he twisted her around in his arms to face him,
'Obviously.'
'Rude,'
'It was only a week.'
'I know, but … I just – I guess, I - …'
'I know.' George murmured, kissing her forehead,
'Thanks, Georgie.'
'I missed you, too.'
'No, you didn't.'
'I did.'
'George, you were a bit preoccupied with other thoughts.'
'No – I mean, yeah, but I still wanted you. If you haven't noticed you're the only one who's actually gotten me out of my room.'
'I have – but -'
'Then that's it.'
'Don't be stupid -'
'You're being stupid, I missed you – I missed you a lot. If anyone's gonna make me feel better, it's you.'
'Thanks.' she murmured,
'We should start heading back – it's getting darker,' he spoke, and she glanced up to see the sky had turned red,
'Agreed. And it's fucking cold.' she pulled her jacket tighter around herself,
'Come on then, lovely,' he said, taking her hand and interlocking his fingers with hers.
'So … who did you fancy at Hogwarts?' Ashley asked, after the pair had began walking,
'What?'
'Well, I told you about Diggory – what about you? Who'd you fancy at Hogwarts?'
'No one, really. Not properly, anyway.'
'Not even Fleur Delacour?' she smirked, and he shook his head,
'Nah, she wasn't really my type, I guess.'
'Blonde, beautiful and talented? Isn't that a world wide type?'
'Evidently not. That was always more Fred's type.'
'Well, what's yours?'
'What?'
'Your type, Georgie.'
'I'm not sure, I don't think I have one. I just like … whoever, I guess.'
'Well, who was the last person you liked?'
'She was amazing.' he said, looking down at their hands, 'She's funny, and kind and sweet – smart, as well. I could probably listen to her read out a dictionary and still be completely … I don't know, enthralled? Is that the word?'
'Yeah,' Ashley nodded,
'Okay, enthralled then. She made Hogwarts so much easier, especially when it came to failing practically all my OWL's – she was just there, really.'
'What made you stop liking her?'
'I realised I didn't have a chance with her.'
'Why not?'
'She was always interested in somebody else – and she wanted to be friends, and obviously it's her decision so I just … moved on?'
'Where is she now, then? Could you not see if she wanted anything now?'
'Nah, I'd rather be friends with her than not have her at all – and the timing's bad for both of us. Her best friend died, in the war I mean.'
'That's awful...'
'She's doing ok – from what I've heard. She's brave, though, she'll be amazing.'
'She sounds like she's coping with it better than I am.'
'Ironic.' George mumbled to himself,
'What?'
'Nothing – nothing,'
'Oh – sh-' Ashley started, as George felt her grip leave his hand. He sighed, and then glanced down to see her lying on the ground, 'Ow.'
'...what the hell did you do now?'
'I must've tripped, but I've hit my head – it really hurts,' she said, standing up and wobbling. George grabbed her arms and steadied her,
'Are you okay?'
'Yeah, I just smashed my head,' she groaned, clutching at her forehead,
'Let me look-'
'It's fine-'
'I just wanna check it's not bleeding.'
'Fine,' she murmured, as he moved her hand away and looked over her forehead,
'You're not bleeding – but you have a massive lump on your head,'
'What?!'
'Yeah, it's the size of a house!'
'George Weasley you had better be joking.' she said, pointing a finger in his face,
'Of course I am, you moron,' he said, whacking her hand away,
'Let's just go – my head seriously hurts,'
'We're almost there, anyway,' George gestured forwards and she could see the house a short distance away,
'Good – okay.' she took a step forward and almost fell over.
'Fucking hell -' George said, grabbing her arm, 'This is like the drunk crisis of seventh year all over again,'
'I – I feel sick,' she said, grabbing the front of his tshirt to steady herself,
'Put your arms around my neck,' he said, turning his back to her. She followed his instruction, and he lifted her legs up, letting them wrap around his waist. 'Just don't be sick on me.'
'I promise I won't.' she frowned, 'I keep forgetting you don't have an ear,'
'Yet I'm still the hottest man you'll ever meet.'
'Modest.'
'You didn't deny it,'
'Well, I was trying to decide if you were hotter – or Filch, I mean, come on, you have to agree he was drop dead gorgeous.'
'Looking at his face did make me want to drop dead, I'll give you that.'
'You're just jealous you're never going to be as attractive as Argus.'
'If I ever look like that old git you have to promise you'll kill me. I'd rather look like Pansy Parkinson.'
'Oooh, got a thing for Parkinson, have we, Georgie?' she smirked,
'Oh yeah, I can't control myself around her.'
'Definitely your secret crush.'
'Absolutely.'
'Are you ever going to tell me who it actually is?' Ashley asked, as they reached the front door,
'Maybe, at some point.'
'You better.'
rewriting these has made me realise how awful my plot and writing actually was and made me wonder how people could ever review it, ever.
but thank you for doing it anyway.
Note: I am going to MASSIVELY change the plot, because the amount of freaking drama I wrote is now just...embarrassing. So, incredibly embarrassing. Rookwood won't exist, so that's that gone. Ghost Fred is a nah also. Okay.