Shocked, Helena had spun around to see who had surprised her only to see Fred. Her expression shuddered, for a moment, giving way to the confused look on her face before she looked past Fred in understanding noticing that she had left the door open. Knowing Fred, he had probably been walking and became curious when he realized the door was open. Bushing—more than she already was—Helena instantly interrupted Fred before he could finish his apology.
"No, no it's my fault, I should have been paying closer attention and closed the door before stepping out here."
About to get up and do what Mrs. Weasley and Fred suggested she was stopped by his next question.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Now most people would have been thrown off by such an ambiguous question, and to a certain extent she was, however as she looked into his azure eyes, instead of the mischief and thinly veiled amusement she was used to seeing in those eyes, they stared back with understanding and polite concern. And for a brief second of time that felt almost like what she'd expect infinity to feel like Helena's mind drifted from her issues as a fleeting thought overcame her mind.
Blue really is a beautiful color. Like the sky or a clear flowing river. It was the color of life, and she wouldn't mind looking into its depths just a little longer.
And just as quickly as the thought came it was squashed under the weight of reality as Helena began to understand that she hadn't been nearly as alone as she had thought and wondered how long he had been watching her sitting alone contemplating her life up to that point.
Suspicious Helena eyed Fred warily and asked almost defensively "why do you want to know?"
Gently siting beside her, kind blue eyes locked with suspicious Forest green, and Fred playfully but also considerate enough to leave enough space between them so that they weren't pressed too close together thew his arm around her shoulders and casually asked
"What a friend cant be concerned about another friend, especially when their sitting outside in 20-degree weather, staring at the sky like they might never see it again?
And though Fred made it sound like a sarcastic, rhetorical question she could see the genuine interest in his expression and wondered, for a minute, if he was simply being nice because he wanted something from her.
Because for as long as she could remember everyone, everywhere, always wanted something from her. Whether that was harsh labour at the Dursleys or, after she found out that she was some kind of twisted child-savior-celebrity in the Wizarding World, and everyone wanted or expected her to either risk her life for them or give them an exclusive statement about herself for the newspaper. Either way, no matter where she went people always wanted something from her, with no regard to if she could give it or not.
It was just expected.
And although the Weasleys were kind to her, she had so many horrible experiences that she learned early on to be wary of everyone even the people you trust.
Especially the people you trust.
Because for all that she loved Hermione and Ron, would live and die for them, even they had their moments where they wanted something from her. And as Ron's older brother, Helena was naturally inclined to trust him more than others, but while she sincerely doubted that he would go to the Daily Prophet with her personal problems, she was still cautious to give him her trust and vulnerability so freely.
Helena and Fred had never been particularly close, not like she and Ron were, it had always seemed like he and George lived in their own little bubble were nothing and no one but they were allowed to encroach on.
Personally, Helena had always respected that space where she was a family friend, and he was her best friend's brother and that was the farthest their relationship would ever go. But right now, in this moment, it seemed like he was almost inviting her to expand their relationship.
He was giving her a way to let him in, if only for a little while, in the hopes that it might lighten the constant weight that she carried like a cloak of heavy armor that shielded her from an unkind and uncaring world.
By offering his ear, he wanted Helena to trust him enough to let him help her with the problems she was facing and to know that she could lean on him when things got too rough.
And in this moment, it was safe to say that they started building the foundations of what would later become a love so powerful, so earth shatteringly eternal that it was able to create a rift that spanned worlds, dimensions really, and that even centuries after their deaths their love was still sung and read about, passed through the annals of time.
And so, with the suspicion slowly thawing away and with a lighter heart Helena told Fred everything. About her childhood growing up with the abusive and neglectful Dursleys, about her fears that Voldemort would come back and kill all she held dear, about her hopes for a better, brighter future were she and everyone else wouldn't have to look over their shoulders to make sure danger didn't lurk in every corner. She even spoke about her hopes that one day in the future she would become someone influential enough to ensure equal rights for all species so that no one would ever have to live a life like her house elf friend, Dobby, ever again.
In return Fred opened up a little about his life as well. He described his fear that one day, when they were adults, George would leave him behind, and he would be alone without the one person in the world he felt most connected too. He talked about his love for pranks and practical jokes, about how he and George had entertained the idea that one day when their older they wouldn't mind opening a joke shop.
However, he also showed Helena a different side of himself as well.
When Fred talked about his family, he demonstrated a type of solemn protectiveness that Helena didn't know that the usually charismatic and whimsical boy could possess. And it only made her surer that should they continue with these late night talks she could see them becoming close friends.
Or maybe something more.
But that was a thought that wouldn't come to fruition until a years later. And would be tested time and time again as they faced corruption, Death Eaters, and Voldemort throughout the following years. However, through it all they remained together, swore it to each other over rushed, fervent kisses in dark corridors against the Hogwarts stone walls or holding hands in random muggle cafes during dates.
And when it came time for Helena to walk to her death in the Forbidden Forest with the resurrection stone in hand she had died, if only for a minute, with Fred's name on her lips just as Fred had when he knew the explosion might kill him alongside Percy but could only think about Helena in his, supposed, final moments.
