They apparated to the Burrow with plenty of time to spare. Laila was bouncing on her feet, the anxiety in her manifesting physically. Fred seemed to notice and watch her in a mixture of amusement and undisguised concern.
"Alright?" he asked, placing his hand gently on her arm. Laila jumped in surprise before nodding.
"Oh yes, I just have a feeling that something will be different when we walk into your house."
Fred raised his eyebrows, "Don't worry, Vikander. We are a very magically advanced family, but I promise that they will not be able to tell how you basically mauled me back in your office."
He winked exaggeratedly. "I promise that will be a secret between us."
Laila felt her face grow hot, and she felt the clapback surging at the tip of her tongue. Then, she caught a glimpse through the window. A flash of blonde, curly hair. Laila blinked, not sure if she was seeing things right. Immediately, Laila walked over to the main door and knocked.
Fred watched her curiously, trying to process her behaviour. It was answered the next second when a man a decade older than them opened the door. He was tall, blonde, and wearing a huge smile.
"Patrick!" Laila cried out in surprise, launching herself into the man's arms. Fred felt something hot building inside of his chest, the feeling crawling up his throat. It took a second for him to realise it was jealousy. And it surprised him.
Laila extricated herself from Patrick's embrace. She felt the huge smile that was lighting up her face, and she could not force her face to go back into her neutral, calm expression even if she wanted to. Her mentor was here! A piece of her home was here, and Laila was ecstatic.
"What are you doing here?" Her laughter rang out. "I thought you were still back home in Boston!"
Patrick grinned, "You're getting married in less than a week! You need your family with you. And besides, I wanted to meet the family you're getting married into."
"But on Christmas Eve? This is the best surprise ever," Laila laughed, feeling something wet on her cheeks. She touched them in surprise, "Gosh, I didn't expect to start crying so quickly! It's like I'm back home."
"Where's my hug?" a beautiful brunette woman popped out behind Patrick. Her dark green eyes were sharp and intelligent, and they were full of warmth.
"Teresa!" Laila laughed and embraced her mentor's wife and her old friend. "My goodness, look at you! You are absolutely glowing!"
Teresa smiled, "Tell me again when I look like a swaddling whale. This baby cannot come fast enough."
"Oh stop it! You look beautiful," Laila gushed.
"Keep the praise coming," Patrick grinned. "Then we'll see what happens once you start babysitting your godchild."
Laila laughed in delight. "Oh gosh, I cannot believe that you both are here! It's like having a piece of home with me." At that moment, she remembered Fred.
"Damn it, I'm sorry! I am absolutely horrible with introductions."
Laila didn't think before grabbing Fred's hands and dragging him closer to her.
"Fred, this is Patrick and Teresa Adell. Patrick is a lawyer, and he is my mentor. I learned everything from him, and he is like an older brother to me. And of course, Teresa! She is an Auror, and the best cook on that side of the pond."
Laila paused for a moment to take a breath. The excitement of seeing her loved ones had completely flooded her veins, and it was a high she did not want to come down from.
She faced Fred with a happy and content smile. "They're my family. They stuck their necks out for me when Voldemort was in power." Laila felt her lip quiver slightly, and Teresa squeezed her hand with a gentle smile.
"And this is Fred, the better half of the Weasley Wizard Wheezes Twins."
Fred raised his eyebrows. "Wow, that is a hefty compliment. Better lower your voice, Vikander. Mum will just fall in love with you even more and disown me in her will."
Laila snorted. "That's the worst thing you can say to make me stop. I'm on a roll today, and you cannot stop me."
She smiled up at Fred, her left dimple popping out with full force.
"Well," Patrick interjected, clearing his throat excessively. The remark earned him a smack from Teresa. "We have certainly heard a lot about you, Fred."
He reached his hand forward and gave Fred a firm handshake, his eyes fixed on Fred in what appeared to be a threatening manner. Clearly, it was not working.
"Oh stop it." Teresa gently shoved Patrick aside and gave Fred a hug. Laila watched as Fred's face turned slightly pale, accentuating the freckles on his face even more.
When Teresa stepped back, she gave Fred a bright smile, "Welcome to our little family. Let's get inside! The food will be getting cold."
Laila gazed at Fred in concern as he ushered her through the door.
As soon as Patrick and Teresa were out of earshot, she grabbed Fred's arm briefly. "Are you all right?" she whispered.
"Your friend Teresa is much scarier than she lets on. I didn't realise how fond I was of my "family jewels" until she commented on them."
Laila coughed discreetly to hide her laughter, but she was definitely doing a poor job of it based on the look Fred was shooting at her. Percy, of all people, came to her rescue.
"Laila! Just the person I wanted to see." Percy completely ignored Fred's scowl and ushered Laila inside to where the entire Weasley family was congregated.
"Come, you have to meet the rest of the extended family. Everyone has been talking so much about you. We barely see you because of your job. Not that this is a surprise, of course. You have more than earned your position. Patrick's skills definitely rubbed off on you. What an honour it must have been to learn from him…"
Percy's comments went on and on as he introduced Laila to the extended Weasley family. She barely got in a word over Percy's rambling, but every family member offered her a smile or a hug.
Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley stepped in the middle of Percy's constant commentary.
"Laila, dear," she smiled and gave her a warm hug. "Percy, why don't you help your father and Bill? I need to borrow Laila for a few minutes, hmmm?"
The order was placed as a request, and Percy did not dare argue. Laila watched him leave in amusement before following Mrs. Weasley into the kitchen.
"Oh! Before I forget, I made Indian sweets for everyone for Christmas as presents. I know you open gifts on Christmas morning, so I can bring them in tomorrow morning."
Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Now, dear you didn't have to go through all of that trouble, especially with what you have already given me."
Laila looked at her future mother-in-law in slight confusion. "I…"
Mrs. Weasley smiled, a single tear dripping from her eye, which she wiped hastily. "You've started to give me my son back. I haven't seen Fred smile and joke as much since before the war."
Mrs. Weasley's lip quivered slightly before she continued talking. "Meeting you has given him a new life. I never thought I would miss the pranks he and his brother pulled, but it is like my Freddie is back again. And it is all thanks to you, my dear."
Laila looked down at her hands, and she felt the tears pricking her eyes. She hastily wiped away the ones that had fallen on her cheeks before giving Mrs. Weasley a watery smile. "He's done the same for me. I bet if you asked Patrick or Teresa, they would say the same."
Mrs. Weasley gave Laila a brief, but gentle hug. "Oh they have, sweetheart. It is so lovely to meet two of the people you consider your family."
"Now," Mrs. Weasley straightened out her dress before approaching Laila in a business-like manner. "I know how busy you are with work, certainly Ginny, Hermione, and Angelina always are. But I have decided that we are going wedding dress shopping on Sunday. Teresa is here, and we are here. And from what Teresa has told me, your friends Mila and Adrian should be here then as well. And I will not hear a word against this otherwise."
Laila gaped at her slightly, "Mila and Adrian are coming as well?" she squeaked out.
"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my dear, that was meant to be a surprise. Well, I am sure you will be delighted to see them nonetheless."
Laila just bit her lip and nodded. Everything was going too fast. She had kissed Fred today, and she was going to make the insane step of marrying him in less than a week. Surprisingly, the panic and anxiety swirling in her stomach didn't register the same way they had just a week ago. She felt a sense of calm wash over her, and she realised it was because the thought of marrying a complete stranger was not bothering her as much. Correction: the thought of marrying Fred was not bothering her as much anymore.
As Laila was lost in her thoughts, she completely missed as an older woman with a wrinkled face and perpetual frown entered the kitchen.
"Aunt Muriel," Mrs. Weasley greeted. "This is Laila. Laila, this is Aunt Muriel."
Laila smiled and uttered a "hello" as the older woman let out an arrogant sniff. "So, you're the American witch." She spat out the word "American" like it was disease, sniffing in contempt with each syllable.
"I suppose you're the best they could do for a dropout, pureblood though he is. What a waste of magical blood."
The initial shock at hearing these statements slapped Laila in the face. It quickly morphed into anger, but she knew better than to snap back at the older woman.
"Fred and George are extremely successful, Aunt Muriel. You should be incredibly proud. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is quite famous in the States and Canada. They're making the Weasley name famous and well-known in a very positive way." Laila spoke in a carefully neutral, but polite tone. From the corner of her eye, she saw Mrs. Weasley beaming at her.
Alas, it was not meant to be.
"Proud? Young lady, they run a joke shop because they could not handle finishing school and working a respectable job. They have made a mockery of our name," Aunt Muriel huffed.
"Respectfully, Aunt Muriel, I disagree. It takes an enormous amount of creativity and talent in Potions, Transfiguration, and especially Charms to create the products that Fred and George do. Most Ministry and MACUSA officials use the basic knowledge they learn in school. But it takes a special kind of talent to apply that knowledge and take it to the next level."
Aunt Muriel raised her eyebrows. "High praise from a witch who actually served her country and community during our war. It hardly compares to making joke products."
"We actually used the twins' products a lot in MACUSA, and I know for a fact they are used here in the Ministry. Their shield hats, cloaks, and gloves were absolute brilliant inventions that helped many aurors to ward off dangerous spells and keep themselves protected."
Laila continued to maintain a polite tone, but her anger was building up. Who was this woman to insult the twins? She felt very protective over Fred, and the barrister in her was ready to fight every comment the old hag threw her way.
Aunt Muriel pursed her lips. "Well, you certainly are a defensive one. At least the profession of a prosecutor fits your skills." With that, she turned and walked out.
Mrs. Weasley let out a sigh of relief, and Laila heard a low whistle behind her.
Wow," Ginny popped out of the shadows with a shit-eating grin. "Laila, that is the fastest I have heard anyone shut her down. And so nicely! The old witch had it coming."
"Ginny Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley reprimanded. "That is no way to talk about your elders."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, mum. You feel exactly the same way. You're just too polite to say it. Aunt Muriel had it coming."
Ginny immediately grabbed Laila's hand. "Sorry, mum. I'm stealing her away now." And without waiting for a response, Ginny dragged Laila out of the kitchen. Laila managed a feeble wave to Mrs. Weasley before she found herself in front of the staircase with Ginny and a giant Ear.
"I…what the hell is this?" Laila asked, too befuddled by the giant, rubbery, and very realistic looking ear dangling in front of her. "Is this George's way of commemorating his stolen glory?"
Immediately, Laila's eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Ginny just wheezed out a laugh, "You are savage, Laila! I love it."
Ginny dragged Laila up the stairs and into a room filled with the Weasley siblings. George had his arms around Angelina on one of the beds, while Ron and Harry lounged on the other side. Hermione was being swallowed up by a giant bean bag chair.
But it was Fred who caught Laila's eyes. He was lounging back on the window seat at the farthest end of the room. A shit-eating grin was plastered on his face, and he was clutching a giant flesh-coloured ear. It took Laila a second to realise the purpose behind the ears.
"My, Laila," George chirped. "We'll need to hire you for life to protect us from Aunt Muriel and all hags incarnate. You would be worth your weight in galleons."
"You couldn't afford me," Laila snapped back. The evening had just started, and she was going full lawyer mode.
The room erupted into laughter as Angelina patted George's head. "There, there. You'll be alright soon enough."
George scowled at Fred. "What are you laughing about? She's talking about you too."
Fred grinned, "Technically, she wouldn't charge me anything, given she will be my wife soon enough." He winked flirtatiously at Laila, who felt the blood rush into her olive skin.
"Some wife," Ginny snorted. "You haven't even given her a ring yet, Fred. Laila is worth so much more."
Fred gazed at Laila intently. "You're right," he responded. His eyes never left Laila's, and she felt the temperature in the room beginning to rise.
Calm down, it's just in your head. She tried repeating that, but it definitely was not working.
The whole room suddenly grew quiet before a sudden knock suddenly displaced the entire environment in the room. Percy poked his head in, sweeping everyone with a slight frown.
"What are you doing here? Dinner is almost ready. It's a family dinner." Percy's manner was brusque and quick. "And really?" he stated, holding up the Extendable Ear from downstairs. "You can mingle downstairs instead of eavesdropping on everybody's conversations."
George rolled his eyes, muttering "Twat" under his breath before walking out. The rest of the room milled out as well, but Laila's eyes were on Fred.
His face had morphed into a blank slate, and his eyes seemed distant. Not in the sense that he wasn't paying attention, but like he had completely left his body.
Laila felt her heart sink. She recognized the signs immediately and slowly began walking over to Fred. Hermione was just getting up and about to leave the room when Laila quickly pulled her to the side.
"I need a few minutes with Fred," Laila quietly intoned. "Could you please make sure no one gets in the room or interrupts us? Especially Percy. I need to make sure he is okay."
Thankfully, Hermione's face morphed into concern, but she immediately nodded and understood, leaving the room after giving Laila's hand a quick squeeze.
"Please shut the door quietly," Laila whispered.
When Hermione had left and shut the door, Laila turned back to Fred and slowly made her way to him.
His face had been drained of blood, and the freckles across his cheeks and jaws were magnified even more. His knuckles had turned stark white with the tight grip he was maintaining on the Extendable Ear.
Laila gently approached him from the side, making sure she was within Fred's line of sight. Cautiously, she placed her hand on Fred's, gently stroking his knuckles until she felt them loosen.
"Come back, Fred. It's Christmas 2000, you're home, and you're safe." Laila quietly spoke to Fred, watching his face for any changes. She repeated variations of the phrase for the next few minutes, watching his grasp on the knuckles lessen.
Fred's breathing turned slightly shallow, and Laila watched as a slightly panicked expression grew on his facial features. His eyes were darting to and fro, and Laila gently placed a hand on his cheek, stroking his cold face until the colour began to come back and his eyes made contact with hers.
"Breathe with me, okay?" She placed her free hand on his chest and guided his hand over her heart. "One…two…three…"
She repeated the phrase over and over until his breathing became normal again. She saw as his eyes returned to normal, and she knew the minute he came back into his own body.
"Hi, there," she offered him a gentle smile. "Are you feeling up to sitting down for a little longer before we get up?"
Fred gazed at her carefully before reaching for Laila's hand that was still on his chest. He interlocked their fingers and gave it a gentle tug, a question in his eyes.
Laila felt a swirl of emotions go through her. Despite just coming out of a dissociative episode, he still wanted to make sure she was okay with him touching her. No one had shown her this level of care in a long time, and Laila felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
She nodded with a small smile, and Fred immediately pulled her into his lap in a fierce hug. He buried his face in Laila's neck, and Laila felt him inhale shakily several times before tightening his grip on her.
She gently stroked his hair, carding her fingers through the deep red strands and brushing them with care. They sat quietly for a long time, and Laila felt it the moment the tension in his shoulders dissipated. Fred let out a sigh of relief before leaning back on the window seat.
Their noses were almost touching, and Laila unconsciously found her hand making its way to Fred's cheek, stroking it. She watched a tender expression cross Fred's face as he tucked a few strands of dark, wavy hair behind her ear.
"How did you know?" he spoke softly, the words slightly raspy in his throat.
"Your face changed," Laila murmured. "It was subtle enough, and I just…I knew."
Fred's face twisted into a grim smile, "I'm a bloody mess."
"So am I," Laila countered. She hesitated before broaching the topic. "Was it the loud noise of the door and Percy that brought you back?"
Fred winced, his grip on Laila tightening unconsciously. It was not tight to the point of discomfort, and it made Laila feel safe.
"Yeah…the noise…" He let out a shaky breath.
She waited for him to get his bearings. It took a few minutes before Fred began talking again. "My leg scar…thankfully the pain isn't so bad, but any time I hear a loud noise…It was much worse two years ago. I couldn't even go into the shop and work on anything. That took a while. Mum noticed one day."
Fred paused, and Laila's hand slipped from his cheek. He grabbed onto her wrist, stroking the underside of her palm with a gentle question in his eyes. Laila understood, keeping her hand there.
"She convinced me to join a support group. We're just a couple of blokes and we meet twice a month to just…talk. It helps a lot."
Laila smiled, "It's never a bad thing to reach out for help, Fred. Sometimes, a support group with people you know who have gone through the same or similar experience can be much better than seeing a therapist. I'm just…I'm just glad you are getting help."
Fred gave her a half-smile, "How often does it happen with you?"
Laila hesitated. She felt her body shaking as she struggled to put into words the things she had only told her therapist. Not her friends, not her family, just a random stranger she went to for help.
Fred must have noticed the change in her immediately, and he opened his mouth, but Laila blurted out, "In the shower."
She took in a shaky breath before continuing. "Sometimes when I'm taking a shower, I get flashbacks to–that night. And…it sometimes gets to the point where I scrub myself raw."
She dropped her eyes and gazed down at her free hand. "It sounds so stupid, but when I get these flashbacks, I feel so dirty. And I scrub myself raw to feel clean."
She felt the tears building up in her eyes and hastily brushed them away. "Geez," she laughed. "Listen to me. Sorry I sound so-"
Without missing a beat, she placed her hand over her abdomen, resting it on the scar that was seared into her skin.
"Laila" she looked up at Fred's voice. His eyes were filled with pain and determination. "You have nothing to apologise for."
She met his gaze and held onto it for a few minutes, debating what to say next, "I-Thank you," she finished lamely.
Fred grinned, "What an inspirational speech, Vikander. I'm floored."
"Oh shut up," Laila spluttered, lightly smacking him on the shoulder. Fred burst into a loud belly laugh, and it brought out an enormous smile on her face.
"We should head downstairs," Laila murmured after a few minutes of comfortable silence stretched on.
"Should we?" Fred leaned back against the window. "I'd reckon that staying here is much better than listening to Percy blab on about the Ministry."
His tone was slightly brusque, and Laila watched his face closely before carefully choosing her words. "Is everything okay between the two of you?"
Fred sighed in slight annoyance. "Fine, I guess. Perce was a nightmare before, but after the Battle of Hogwarts, he has changed a lot. He just gets a big head once in a while. And given his new promotion as Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, his head has grown too big for his body."
Laila's lips twitched slightly, "He does love his new job, and he loves bragging about the language and law theories behind the Marriage Law."
Fred snorted, "Bloody hell, I bet he does. He wouldn't shut up about it the first day you visited here."
Laila gave him a small smile, "He doesn't mean any harm by it. I think he is just a bit terrible at reading social cues."
"Now that is the understatement of the century," Fred replied.
"Big words there, Weasley," Laila laughed. "The new century has just barely started."
Fred grinned and was about to reply when they heard a knock at the door.
"Laila, it's Patrick. Would you mind if I came in?"
Laila immediately extricated herself from Fred's lap, blushing slightly as Fred waggled his eyebrows dramatically at her.
"Come in, Patrick," she called out.
The door opened, and Patrick popped his head in, scanning the entire room before his eyes settled on the couple.
"Right, well. Do you mind if I can have a moment with you?" Patrick asked, entering the room and glancing briefly at Fred.
Fred cleared his throat slightly, "I'll be off then." He stood up from the window seat quickly, planting a quick kiss on the corner of Laila's mouth before heading out.
The kiss happened so casually, almost as if he had been doing it for years. Laila's mouth dropped open slightly. She barely had a chance to respond before Fred gave her a cheeky grin and wink behind Patrick's back before closing the door.
"Nice to see you getting along," Patrick began gruffly.
Laila looked up at him in surprise. "Fred is wonderful, Patrick. He's funny and a bit of a prankster, but he is also very kind and thoughtful. I-"
She paused when she saw the amused look on Patrick's face, "What? Do I have something on my face?"
"No," he chuckled quietly. "I don't think I have seen you so happy in a long time. Whatever that bloke is doing, it is working."
Laila shot him a small smirk, "I take it that you approve."
Patrick squeezed her shoulder gently, "Out of all the purebloods you could have ended up with, he is definitely one of the best options."
Patrick paused briefly before continuing, "Don't tell him, but Teresa said Fred reminds her of a younger version of myself. So I suppose you ended up in a good spot with him. Does he…how much does he know?"
"Everything." Laila's response was quick and rapid. "He knows about my…rape, Baba's drinking, Mom's death, and Liam and Eleanor."
Patrick raised his eyebrows in slight shock before his features relaxed into a genuine smile. "If you trust the man to share your deepest pains, then I trust your judgement on his good character."
Laila smiled, "He had quite a few choice words to say about Liam."
Patrick made a noise that sounded like a mixture of disgust and anger, "You were too good for that fool. And Eleanor…I never thought she would stoop so low."
Laila shook her head. "It's the past, Patrick. What's done is done. And if it hadn't happened, I may never have met Fred. As weird as it sounds, I am in a better place because all of this happened."
Patrick was quiet for a few seconds before simply squeezing Laila's shoulders once more. "We should head down and get some dinner. Time to get to know your future in-laws."
Laila smiled and followed him out.