Tumgik
#and I'm sure I'll read hundreds more angst fics before I die
komaedailoveyou · 4 months
Text
Florist!Nagito x Reader — Like a flower craves for the light of the sun.
Tumblr media
#. — an unfinished fanfic so far, more chapters tba in the future!
#. contents! — f!reader , slight komahina, slight chiakixreader, angst with a happy ending, alternate universe, no deaths or violence, depictions of BPD, smut, but, a LOT further into the fic, slowburn, nagito is a florist, reader is socially inept.
#. word count! — 3.8k .
#. <
Tumblr media
" Are you sure you're fine with this? I mean, you've never lived alone like this in years, Nagito. " Hajimes gaze flickered over to his friend who was currently sat in the front seat of his car, his hands perched in his lap, his grip on the wheel tightened, before he went back to focusing on the road, he wasn't the best at expressing it, however he was worried for his friend.
" Oh, Hajime! No need to worry over little old me... I've been meaning to get out of your hair for weeks now! " Nagito smiled softly, looking over at the now-focusing Hajime, he studied his face for a second, he wasn't sure if he looked angry or not, his eyes didn't look all too happy, but, then again, it wasn't his place to comment on it.
Chiaki, who was sat in the back of the car, behind Nagito, looked up from her switch which she had been playing on, she was more of a listener in their conversations, but she spoke up, her voice was quiet, and unenthusiastic, but the two knew she was unable to do more, and it wasn't her fault. " You're pretty far from your shop though...How will you get there from.." She leant forward between their gaps in seats, trying to read where the location on the satnav said, but she couldn't make it out. She hadn't worn her contacts today, and her vision wasn't the greatest from all the screen staring she did, especially at later hours when even the sun wasn't out to help them " your new apartment?"
Nagito shook his head, letting out a short chuckle. " You guys are worrying far too much about me! Trust me, I've looked at many places, and this one was the best one. I'll catch the train over to the flower shop, simple as that. " Nagito tried to ease the tension which was building up in the small vehicle.
" I wish you'd told me before...you know! A week ago! " Hajime commented, passive aggressiveness seeping into his words as he stopped at a traffic light, now looking to make eye contact with Nagito now. " If you're not one hundred percent completely sure, we can turn the car around, You can keep staying at my place, it's really not a big deal to me." Hajime and Chiaki both knew he meant more than not a big deal, he meant to say he would want Nagito to stay, Chiaki sighed to herself, Hajime really had to get better at this kind of thing.
" I'm serious about going, I have to be independent at some point, I promise, I'll still visit on the holidays, so you won't die of loneliness! " He spoke in a joking manor, not sensing the serious tone in Hajime's voice.
Without even a beat passing, Hajime replied " You better. " he took a breath. " You know it-"
" Focus on the road Hajime. " Chiaki looked up at the green light in-front of him, and the three of them remained silent until the engine of the car stopped, just Chiaki's fingers hitting her controls and the dumb pop song quietly playing on the radio.
They arrived outside of the block of the apartments, and they looked up at them, Nagito had a suitcase in hand with all the essentials he knew that he would need to live, the other two were empty handed as Chiaki left her console in the back of the car, hidden under a blanket, just in-case.
"...It's big. " Hajime commented
" Its big. " Nagito confirmed, repeating his words. He couldn't deny he was a little afraid of being all on his own, but another part of him was glad that he'd finally taken a step out into the rest of his life after so long, this felt like a new chapter, or at least a new paragraph, he didn't read all too much, not enough to link that metaphor to his situation. He took a deep breath. " I guess that means I'll have plenty of nice neighbours to look after me then, huh? No need to worry guys!" He hummed.
" I mean...I wasn't *that* worried..." Chiaki mumbled, she thought Nagito was a nice friend but she knew she could just text him whenever, plus, she didn't live with him, or see him constantly, so she wasn't exactly in distraught, she was more there as an emotional support for Hajime.
" Don't go depending on everybody else there, they might kick you out. " Hajime tried his best to joke, he...deep down knew he wouldn't complain if that were to happened, as horrible as that sounded. " Remember, I'm always just a call away, So is Chiaki. " The girl flashed a thumbs up as he brought her into it, probably just so that he didn't seem to desperate.
" Well! The building isn't going anywhere, no matter how much we look at it, so, I should probably go in now, thank you for-"
" We can walk you to your room! Just to make sure you don't get lost. " Hajime cut him off.
" That's so kind of you, As long as I wouldn't be inconveniencing you, then..." Hajime would've told him he was never an inconvenience, however, he knew that Nagito just wouldn't believe him, he tried his best to convince Nagito over the years, but, his words just weren't enough for him.
Chiaki reached her hand into the pocket of Hajime's jacket and pulled out his car keys, Hajime tensed up slightly, he hadn't expected to feel Chiaki so close to him, so when he did, it was just a little bit of a shock. " You can feel free....I'd rather wait in the car..." Chiaki unlocked it, and walked towards it with short steps.
" Bye Nagito, I'll remember to text. " She put up her hand and waved for a second, before ducking into the car, Nagito smiled and waved back, he hadn't the time to respond before the girl had already hidden inside of the car, she just wasn't good with goodbyes, although, Hajime was on the other side of the spectrum of not being good with goodbyes.
" Are you sure she actually even wanted to come? " Nagito laughed, turning back to Hajime.
" Of course she did! You're her friend as much as mine!" Hajime frowned a little at him, he knew how much Chiaki cared, even if it was a little less than him.
" alright, alright! " He took a step towards the main entrance of the apartments, looking back as the wheels of his suitcase clacked against the floor, taking Hajime out of his thoughts. " Let's get going, yeah? " he said, as Hajime walked forward uncertainly, this was really it. He wasn't dying or anything, but, it still felt like a bit of him was about to become a lot more unreachable than before, it was just a big change which he most certainly hadn't prepared for, he just kind of assumed Nagito wasn't going to move out at all, maybe he was more naïve than he had thought.
Nagito walked into the apartments, he had received the key two days ago, he would be on the fifth floor, in room 505, he dug his hand into his trousers, where the key was, and he played with it as he walked, making a jingling sound. Since he didn't plan on walking up all of those stairs with his suitcase, he decided he'd take the elevator. He'd just hope it wasn't broken.
He pressed the button on the side of it, and waited for it to come down to the ground floor, where he and Hajime stood in an awkward silence. He'd thought that Hajime was acting a little odd, but, he wasn't sure if commenting on such a thing would be in his place.
There was a DING! as the elevator doors opened, Nagito and Hajime were about to walk in, however, somebody walked out, they were very fast paces, as if they really had somewhere to be, They awkwardly squeezed between the two men, and made their way out, Nagito looked at them for a split second before turning, and stepping into the elevator, with Hajime at his side. He pressed the little "5" icon on the panel inside, and the elevator begun to move.
"....If you ever get bored of this place, my doors always open. " Hajime lowered his voice, he didn't want to seem like he was pressuring him.
" I appreciate it, you can visit whenever you'd like as well, although, my couch may not be as comfy. " Nagito replied, in almost the same tone, with a smile.
The elevator doors opened, and Nagito stepped out first, Hajime was slightly behind him, despite knowing he would be the fifth door along, Nagito still read every number on the front of the doors as he passed by them, or, maybe it was just he felt like he needed something to look at, so that his nerves didn't eat him alive. Hajime had gone back to being quiet as they both walked towards room 505.
Before he could even count the seconds, they were both stood in-front of it, Hajime wanted ever so badly to convince Nagito to just stay with him, but, he knew that Nagito had made up his mind, and there was nothing he could do in this situation which would change that, and he hated it.
Nagito put the key into the door, unlocking it, before turning to Hajime for a final time. " Thank you for walking me here, and, Thanks for letting me stay with you for so long, Now I wont be there to bother you anymore, so don't worry! " He smiled, like he was happy, like he felt relieved that he thought he was freeing Hajime of a weight, but Hajime felt the opposite.
" Whatever you say. I'll miss you. I can come and help you unpack if you'd like..?" He offered him, he must have sounded a little pathetic, but that was the least of his current problems.
Nagito shook his head. " Chiakis waiting for you, I don't want to be holding you up, besides, I'll be okay, please, don't fret over me. " Nagito asked, like it was a request, but Hajime knew he couldn't just free himself of the worry which he was feeling.
" Alright...um, goodbye, Nagito. " Hajime said, swallowing the lump forming in his throat, he was not about to cry right now. He stepped forward, and wrapped his arms around Nagito, caging his arms in, so Nagito couldn't even return the hug to him, he just wanted to hold him before he left.
After far too long of a hug time, Hajime let go, and after a few more pleasantries, he started to walk back to the elevator. He looked back over his shoulder, and Nagito was just closing the door after stepping inside.
He was right, he really ought to get back to the car, and go back home.
Nagito looked around his brand new apartment. It was pretty nice, he thought. The living room and kitchen were combined together, but the overall space for them was pretty big, there was a table in the back third, and a sofa in the more forward third, with a TV facing it, in the middle, there was a door to the bathroom, where there was shower attached over a bath tub, and a door to a bedroom, which had one bed, a set of drawers, and a wardrobe. The kitchen had two main countertops, an oven, a microwave, a dishwasher, and also a washing machine, even thought that wasn't a kitchen appliance, it still fit in there.
Nagito put his suitcase down, and went to sit on the couch, he sank down a little bit on it, but, he couldn't have expected the best furnishings in the world, he was just happy with what he got. He had drawn in a long breath, and looked around the room, it wasn't spacious, yet, it didn't feel homely. It just felt like a room. He knew over time that would change, as he got used to it, as he made his own special touches to it, but, it made him feel rather strange. He had wanted to be on his own, to feel like he was the one finally in control of his own life, to not be constantly calling for somebody whenever something went wrong .... he wanted that chance, to not be worthless, just for once in his life. Yet, all he found now, was that he was missing the homeliness of Hajime's house, the warmth, the smell of cinnamon, the way the house hugged him whenever he walked into it. He had taken all of that for granted, god he was just awful wasn't he?
He tied his hair up into a ponytail, before standing up, and clapping his hands together lightly. He needed to start unpacking, then maybe he would feel better, or at least he would be too preoccupied to be busy being a stain.
He dropped to the floor, unzipping his suitcase, and he started to take out his belongings. This wouldn't take that long, as he didn't have much stuff, for Nagito, it didn't take much for him to live, he was a very simple guy. First, he went to the bedroom, as that's where most of his stuff would be going. He first focused on hanging hid clothes up in his wardrobe, as that would take a bit of time, he had quite a few variants of flower shirts, which were a little ugly, but, Nagito saw the charm in them, Ugly didn't mean bad, it just meant unconventional. Nothing was really ugly, Nagito thought. Nagito slept shirtless, but he put his pyjama pants underneath his pillowcase, so he could put them on later. Then he set a hairbrush, some perfume, and an alarm clock on the desk next to his bed, that, and a little plush cat which Chiaki had gifted him when Hajime wasn't looking, just before she'd left. He made sure to set his alarm to 6:30AM, so he'd have enough time to wake up, get ready, eat, and then head out for work with enough time for him to a little lenient if anything were ever to come up.
Inside of the drawers, he put in his socks, his boxers, and any other miscellaneous clothing items which didn't fit inside of his wardrobe, and before he knew it, he was finished with a whole room! Next he went to the kitchen area ... he didn't have much to put there, besides some detergent, and some soap, as well as oven-gloves, a few pans, and two trays, three plates, as he didn't think he'd make anymore friends than the two he already had, and some cutlery. He hadn't brought any food with him, however, he planned to go out and buy some food after he was finished with setting up his apartment. What he did bring, was a vase! He was going to think overnight on what flowers he should bring for this new living space. Hajime had a pollen allergy, so he wasn't able to have any flowers there, so he was overjoyed that now he could display some wherever he pleased. He placed it in the centre of the table.
Next, he went to the bathroom, where he put down some more soap, his hair and body washes, his towels, his toothbrush and toothpaste, and a bottle of bleach, as well as some more perfume.
His suitcase was practically empty at that point, and around an hour had passed, Nagito wasn't the type of person who would rush around if he really didn't need to. He stretched his arms up above his head, before dropping them back down. He was aware he had barely gotten inside, but, he was feeling rather peckish now, He was restless, so, he decided that now he would go out and shop for food to stock up his cupboards, then get adjusted to his new living area later on! Truth be told, now that he had already unpacked, he was a little bored. He just didn't have anything to do there, it was just a new home, the overall excitement dies off pretty quickly.
Nagito grabbed a few shopping bags, and made sure he looked good enough to be seen by members of the public, before taking his first step out of his new apartment. He walked back down the hallway, and to the elevator, looking at it, and sighing, of course this had happened.
In the slim time that he was able to get into his room, and sort things out, the elevator had miraculously broken, which meant, from now on, he would have to take the stairs.
The day had been going pretty well for you, up until your assistant, Peko, had called you to tell you that you didn't have enough material for the dresses which would need to be finished in two days, you'd thought you were just about done with them, just needed to do the finishing touches, but no, life can never be that simple for you, can it? You have this motto, totally never heard before, that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, not just in the fashion world, but just in general in your life, you always seemed to have the worst luck imaginable in every given circumstance, you tried your best to stay positive about it, but god, sometimes it was difficult.
Luckily, in the area which you lived, there was a shop where all of the materials you needed were sold, unless they were hyper-expensive, then you'd have to order them online, as you don't live in a bourgeoisie area, hell, you'd hate it if you did.
You weren't some world famous fashion designer, you just made clothes, and the clothes sold, you didn't have some massively big name, but you made enough money to keep on pursuing your passion, even if you weren't rich enough to quit and move away to some honeypot site. Like you'd want to do that anyway, even if you weren't the best, you generally enjoyed creating fashion, and getting your own art there, it filled you with a joy you hadn't found in many things, if it was your calling, that one thing for you, you weren't completely certain of, as of yet, you didn't feel like you had a thing, just like, you were pretty good at it.
You were wearing a maxi skirt and a blouse out to go to the shops, you were just about to get into your lounging clothes until the call, but now you were walking down the street, walking quickly, but making sure you didn't bump into anybody. You didn't know many of the locals well, but it were better to not start off on the wrong foot, if you had to start off on any. You were quite a shut-in, you just stayed in and created, other than that, you didn't really have a reason to leave, unless you had to meet with somebody, which didn't happen all that much.
You were in and out of the shop in a matter of minutes, you knew where everything in there was, so you could just grab your materials, pay for them, and get out, you didn't like to be in stores for too long, this was mainly because they made you feel awfully claustrophobic, and you really weren't a fan of that, even on less busy days, it made you feel slightly iffy.
Upon exiting, you looked up, and saw that the stars were out, greeting you, it was already pretty late, you would most likely have to pull an all nighter, after realising this, you sighed. Fashion could be cruel sometimes, more often than not.
If you had more time, you would've happily cast your gaze up into the beauty of the moon for a bit longer, but unfortunately you were pulled away from her grasp.
You started to walk away from the shop, back to where you lived, meandering through the people who passed you by, whenever you did happen to pass one, you always got caught up, wondering what in their own life led up to this very moment, it made you grateful for being able to live, weirdly enough.
You got caught up in the idea of getting caught up, because when sewing, you never had the time to think, as you had to focus fully on the task at hand, so when you were outside, you were more prone to getting pulled into the world of your marvellous brain. Or, that's what your mother called it, you'd definitely not say that.
In-fact, you were so caught up, you hadn't even realised that you'd walked straight into somebody. You cursed to yourself, god, you were so unlucky, of course this would have to happen to you. You looked down at the floor for a second, a tad embarrassed, before looking up to see who you'd collided with, you had already stepped back away from them upon the sudden contact, but you couldn't help but gasp as you saw who you'd bumped into.
You could've sworn you had just accidentally ran into an angel, you had never seen a boy so pretty. You couldn't take your eyes from him as you tried to cough out an apology, despite the situation, you had already been horrible and talking to people to begin with, which was part of the reason why you loved your current job.
He had the prettiest white hair, his skin pale to match, and he just looked absolutely perfect, like he were a wax model, and not a real human being. A surge of inspiration was running through your bloodstream, a muse.
You had only just seen him, but you were certain, you had never seen anybody like him in your life, not even in any cartoons, or animated shows. You weren't sure if maybe this was some cruel dream, if he wasn't actually a real person or not, but you didn't have the time to be worrying over such a trivial matter.
Your eyes met his green ones, he looked surprised, you were staring at him rather intently without even realising, god, you must've looked so stupid.
" I'm so sorry, I should've been looking where I was going.." You finally managed to squeak out, you had to keep your cool. " I really need to get going, though, if I ever see you again um...- I'll pay you back! I promise!"
You hadn't given the taller man the chance to reply as you skirted around him, quickly walking off. You wished you had managed to hold s longer conversation with whoever that was, but your work really was a more pressing issue, and anyway, you doubted you'd ever actually see him again.
45 notes · View notes
howtosingit · 3 years
Note
I know you’re not a fan of angst, but honestly? I think it’s such a great writer’s tool, and one that I love kinda no matter what. It makes me feel so much for all the characters, and there’s something about angst that expands upon characters much more much quicker than other forms - I really enjoyed the TK angst in the first season, mostly bc it was so close to my own story, and I found myself healing again through him. And I’m excited for more angst to come :):):) just to be clear I totally am not railing on your taste of fluff, bc I do need fluff so much...I’m just expressing my excitement over the possibility of more exploration of TK’s pain and anxiety, which I have no doubts we’ll get :):):):):) I hope they give us carlos angst for the same reasons, bc he deserves some character depth too and also some comfort cuddles from his boo :)
I have absolutely nothing but respect for angst, Anon :) It’s not my personal first preference to read, that’s all. But, I do read it, and I do love it when I’m in the mood for it, and I do appreciate it. I’ve actually written a number of angsty things myself, and I’ve been told they’re quite good. So, I do know the power of angst and how great of a tool it is for a writer.
I just prefer to spend my free time reading fics featuring fluff and happiness instead of suffering and pain, that’s all. 🤷🏻‍♂️
6 notes · View notes
shadowsinger11 · 4 years
Text
You, The Stars And I
Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader
Word Count: 3.8k (oops)
Requested by @amira3113: Can I request a fic abt the reader seeing Fred and George comforting a kid after Umbridge punished him and the reader helps them and Fred thinks it's so cute what she is doing and she does the same and extra mega fluff, pls?🥺 you don't gotta do it if u don't want to btw.. so no pressure ;)
Warnings: A bit more angst than intended, Fred being a soft boi™️
A/N: I don't know how to feel, I just roasted myself hardcore with this and I'm feeling even more single. I'm sorry for not being able to use a 'keep reading' tab
Masterlist
Tumblr media
The sun fell asleep behind the endless hills, enveloped by dense, opaque darkness. Its golden rays no longer shone through the wide windows of the castle and instead let shadows creep into the long, empty hallways, revealing the ugly truth about what the school had turned into over the past few months.
The naked walls stood tall, towering over you and inching closer with every step you took, and you hung your head low, aiming to block out the singular buzzing thought in your head.
Hogwarts was no longer home.
Your heart ached at the memory of hundreds of students chattering and laughing all day long, freely walking around the school grounds and simply being children. You so terribly missed being careless and having fun without the fear of potentially facing a life-threatening punishment.
But now there was no laughter, only your footsteps echoed in the hallway.
You were headed straight to your common room, determined to go to sleep early. The curfew and the dozens of new restrictions prevented you from meeting your friends, and you hoped that sleep would at least somehow distract you from your worries for a couple of hours.
The deafening silence nearly caused you to miss the muffled sobs and quiet whispering, coming from a turn not far away. It seemed as though there were more than one voice speaking, and your chest clenched with dread.
You hurried your pace until you reached the source of the noise, and peeked from behind the wall.
The sight most definitely surprised you, but the pain in your chest only sharpened.
There, on a bench, Fred and George were sitting, hunched over a small boy, probably no older than a second year. You could tell by his green robes which house he was in, but his red, tear-stained face was what alarmed you.
You immediately approached him and fell to your knees. George was on his left, rubbing slow, soothing circles on his back, while Fred was on the other side, holding his small hand in his, on the back of which a few words glistened with fresh crimson blood.
I must not ask questions.
You sent the twins a questioning look, but Fred dismissed it by shaking his head; clearly that was not the time for an explanation, nor was one necessary to begin with.
You placed a hand on the boy's knee to make your presence known.
"Hey. How are you feeling?"
This only caused the child to sob harder and you internally cursed for having to go through this routine.
"It hurts…" he whimpered, "I thought Hogwarts was fun. I met friends last year and it was great. But now… Now I really want to go home."
Your jaw clenched and you swallowed hard, furious about seeing innocent children slowly losing faith and joy in life, turning into hollow shells of the amazing people they could have grown to become.
The horrifying experience would inevitably have a massive impact on them and unexplainable guilt twisted your stomach. And even though the long-term damage had already been done, you could at least take care of the temporary pain.
"It's not going to hurt for long, I promise," Fred whispered, tenderly playing with the boy's trembling fingers. "Ours are already fading."
"That's true, see?" George showed the back of his hand on which you could make out the faint, bloody words 'I must not cause trouble.', and you felt sick. "Soon you won't even remember it was there."
Tears stung in your eyes, but before you gave them a chance to fall, you turned to the redheads.
"I can heal the wound. Well, to an extent. If anything, I can lessen the pain," you began. "But I need to grab something from the Charms classroom."
Fred frowned, confused, "Wouldn't you need a potion for that? Why Charms?"
"Snape isn't the only one armored with potions for just in case things go wrong. And we can't risk going to the dungeons at this hour. It's not wise to tell Madam Pomfrey yet either."
The twins nodded. George said.
"It's not a good idea for all of us to go at once. I suggest one of us returns and covers the others up if necessary."
"I'll go with her," Fred stated without a second thought. "I can get them safely where they need to be, let her do her thing and bring them back."
Fred's eagerness to help filled you with warmth and for once that night you had the strength to smile, even for just a second.
"That sounds like plan then. But you should really take the map," George added, already pulling out the neatly folded Marauder's Map from his backpack. "Don't wanna risk getting caught by the ugly toad, you know."
"As if she'd be strolling down the hallways late at night. Doesn't she have hobbies?"
"Does hanging creepy pictures of cats on pink walls count as such?" you commented and the second year giggled, which made you feel slightly better as well.
Fred took the map from George and you grabbed the boy's hand.
"Good luck, guys. And, like, don't die."
"Woah, greatly encouraging, Georgie," you replied sarcastically, but appreciated it nonetheless. "You sure you'll be fine?"
"Absolutely. I got the route memorized like the back of my hand. I'll be careful."
And with that, George headed towards the Gryffindor Tower while you, Fred and the boy went in the opposite direction - the East Towers.
The night was eerily quiet, only the footsteps and shuddering breaths of the three of you keeping you sane. The soft light, gleaming at the tip of your wands, didn't do much to brighten the empty hallways which now seemed like endless voids of darkness.
Occasionally Fred would warn you about Filch's cat approaching, or Peeves causing trouble nearby, but fortunately, you reached the classroom sooner than expected.
"Alohomora," you whispered, but the door didn't bulge when you tried to open it.
Fred grinned, "Surely a Charms professor wouldn't let such a cliché unlock his own classroom."
"Shut up," you grumbled. "Aberto!"
The door opened. Fred's eyes widened in amusement and you flashed him a charming smile on your way in.
You placed the boy to sit on a desk as you and your friend rushed to look through drawers and chests for something useful. Most of them were full of basic items such as old books and quills, half-full jars of salamander blood, pearl dust and gillyweed, and after long fifteen minutes of not having found anything, you slid your back down against the wall, sighing in frustration.
Sleep-deprivation was kicking in, but your anxiety was getting stronger.
You needed to do something. Fast.
"What about this chest right here?" Fred asked from the other side of the classroom, pointing at something under Flitwick's desk.
You shook your head, "Doesn't open, already tried. Even if the cure is there, we can't get it."
"I take it your brilliant spells don't work anymore?" the redhead teased and you so badly wished to slap away the cocky smirk on his face. Or kiss it. There was something oddly attractive about the way he'd set your nerves on fire, and you hated yourself for enjoying it. Fred seemed to love it too.
"If you're only here to be annoying, just leave."
"I'm here to help too. I can multitask."
You nearly jumped from the ground to strangle him, and he clearly saw through your intentions because his toothy grin almost split his face in two. That bastard.
That super annoying, devilishly handsome bastard.
"Are you gonna keep staring at me, or are you coming? Not that I mind the attention," he shrugged.
You rose to your feet and made your way over to where he was standing, not granting him the pleasure of facing him, "Don't flatter yourself, Weasley. Your stupidity is simply impossible to be unnoticed."
Fred laughed, "Oh, so I was annoying and now I'm stupid too? Make up your mind, woman."
You pulled out your wand and smirked at him over your shoulder.
"You said it yourself that you can multitask. Aberto!"
Nothing.
Fred squinted his eyes as he stared at the wooden chest. What spell could the professor have possibly used? Could you have even heard of it? The chances of ever finding the precious item were becoming grimmer with each passing second and the inevitable sense of dread had started to settle in.
After a minute Fred finally spoke.
"I think your problem is that you're using spells that only work on doors. You need a charm which unlocks containers."
"You might be right. What would that be then?" you enquired, glancing at the redhead. He took his own wand out of his robes.
"I know a spell that's come in handy before. Hopefully it will work now," he wettened his lips and said. "Cistem Aperio!"
Blinding light caused you to cover you eyes,  and the chest opened with a loud thud which could have easily alerted the entire floor of your presence if it wasn't for the silencing charm you were lucky to have used when you first entered the classroom.
You finally dared to open your eyes and kneeled on the ground, carefully rummaging through fancy-looking boxes and vials sparking with liquids that seemed to be quite important.
"What are we looking for?" Fred asked as he crouched next to you.
"Wound-Cleaning Potion. Purple."
It was weird having Fred stand this close to you; sparks of electricity would pierce your heart every time his shoulder brushed against yours, or his fingers would accidentally graze yours. And when they did, they had you longing more and more for their touch, for their warmth.
But this warmth did not belong to you.
You swallowed down the disappointment and instead attempted to focus on the task at hand.
Just as you had expected, the precious crystal bottle was carefully wrapped in sparkling cloth and placed inside a box that was hidden deep in the corner of the chest. You breathed a sigh of relief and got on your feet, determined to stay away from Fred. For his sake and yours.
"Here it is," you smiled at the boy as you walked over to him. "Fred, can you get me some bandages from the drawer in the back?" you asked, pointing right behind him, and he did as he was told.
You took the hand of the young Slytherin and examined it closely - the wound was sure to leave a nasty scar, one that would never heal.
"Can you make it disappear?" he asked, fearfully.
Your heart dropped. But you replied with all the courage you could muster.
"I can try."
Fred was soon by your side and placed the medical items on the desk; a half-full packet of cotton, some bandages and a small box of bandaids. You muttered a 'thanks', not even looking at him, and opened the middle-sized bottle. It spread a characteristic smell of ashes, mint and lemon when you lifted it towards your nose - it was ready to use.
"So what now?" Fred asked.
Not granting him a reply, you simply took a small piece of the cotton and dipped the opening of the bottle into it, soaking it with a generous amount of the purple, dense liquid. The smell grew stronger.
Fred could only watch as you yet again gently grabbed the boy's hand and carefully dabbed the back of it; a thin steam of smoke soared from the contact of wet cotton and wounded flesh, purple mixing with red, and the kid hissed in pain. You worked attentively but quickly, with measured gestures and a straight face, and you missed the way Fred's eyes seemed to soften at the sight of you helping a small kid.
But one thing baffled him - why did you suddenly start acting so emotionless? Even towards the youngling who didn't know a thing. And though your expression seemed calm and collected, the Gryffindor noticed your tensed jaw.
What he wasn't aware of, however, was the racing speed of you heart, increasing each second. He wasn't aware of the short, shallow breaths you were taking because if you had allowed yourself to breathe freely, you'd certainly let out tears along with the deeps sighs.
Every move was calculated, every word and breath.
You pressed a fresh piece of cotton against the now cleaned wound and kept it there as you began to roll the bandage over it, securing it in place. When you were done, you placed a gentle, lingering kiss on the hand.
"There. It should do the trick."
The boy's face lit up and he hugged you, not giving you another choice but to wrap your arms around his small body. At least you had managed to bring him back some of the lost warmth.
"We should get him to his dorm," you told Fred and despite not facing him, he knew the words were directed towards him. That still didn't prevent the stinging pain in his chest from being so effortlessly avoided by you, and he frowned, bewildered by your unexpected coldness towards him.
Had he accidentally done anything to upset you? Were you mad at him? What for?
The boy jumped to his feet, visibly less burdened despite the present tear stains on his puffy cheeks. You hoped he'd be able to get some sleep that night regardless of the circumstances.
The three of you left the classroom as quietly as you had entered it and went in the direction of the dungeons. Fred, as usual, did his job at looking at the map and keeping track of the names, moving on the yellow-ish piece to old parchment.
Fortunately, you reached the Slytherin common room without any disturbances along the way, and the boy went inside, eager to crawl into bed and not think about the ugly lady who had punished him so unfairly just a few hours ago.
The door closed without a sound, leaving you and Fred on your own.
His soft voice broke the burdening silence.
"Are you going to bed?"
If you were being honest, you hadn't even thought about sleep during your secret adventure and though your body was on the verge of giving out, your restless mind was sure to wander all night. And the idea of being alone with your thoughts scared you.
"Actually… I don't think so," you began, fiddling with your fingers in hopes to not let Fred see how much they were trembling. "I doubt I'd be able to get any sleep now."
"Me too, I admit," Fred scratched the back of his neck, uncertain as to how to make the situation less awkward than it was. Trying to get you to talk was hard enough as it was, but your sudden avoidance wasn't helping either. All Fred wished for was to witness the hopeful spark in your eyes, the spark that he had noticed diminish on the first day of school when the unsettling news was announced.
Fred was determined to bring the light back and see your joyous smile again.
Without skipping a beat he said.
"Come with me."
Your eyes shot up in surprise, meeting Fred's for the first time that night. You expected to see the ever-present playful mischief in them, but instead they glistened with something you could not quite recognize. The corners of his mouth had formed a smile, one that didn't intend to mock or provoke in any way, but still contained his usual boyish charm. It was humble and sincere, and along with the anticipating look in his eyes it read.
Trust me.
Your mouth went dry, any and all reasoning to stay vanishing in thin air as you tried to make sense out of your inner conflict. Fred surely wouldn't care if you said no, would he? It's not like he'd be offended that someone like you refused to go with him; why would he even be interested in you in the first place?
But the idea of spending some time alone with him did sound very tempting - you desperately needed some positivity in that moment, feeling exceptionally drained of all your energy after having to witness the emotional and psychological impact of Umbridge's dictatorship. And if there was someone who could lift your spirit even in such dark times, that would be Fred.
Screw the idea of a potential relationship, you needed a friend right now.
"Where to, Weasley?"
Fred grinned at the nickname and shoved hands into his pockets.
"The Astronomy Tower. Are you coming?"
You smiled at him.
"Sure."
It was indeed a brilliant idea to spend the night at the place where anyone rarely ever set a foot. Regardless of it being crowded during classes all day, the Tower wasn't a common choice for students to meet, them much preferring locations like the common rooms, the Great Hall, the school grounds or even the Black Lake. But the Tower did possess a magnetic, obscure charm which many people failed to comprehend and appreciate; charm only meant to lure the wandering souls seeking peace under the stars.
Fred approached the iron railing, breathing in the cold, early spring air, and sat cross-legged on the ground. As he saw you standing a few feet away from him, he patted the empty spot next to him.
"Come on now, don't leave me sitting on my own like that," he joked and his face lit up when he noticed the ghost of a smile on your lips for a brief moment. You joined Fred on the ground, settling on a polite distance from him, and though he was slightly disappointed by the gesture, he was grateful to be in your presence nonetheless.
Silence fell over both of you like soft velvet while you stared off into the horizon; the view reached the Forbidden Forest, the outlines of which had melted into the pitch black sky like ink, the lines between the two practically nonexistent in the dead hours of the night as they blurred into one endless void.
"I don't remember the last time I saw stars on the sky," Fred addressed your ever-listening companions above in a low, hushed voice that caused warmth to blossom within you regardless of the cold surrounding you.
"Me neither," you agreed, nostalgia creeping into you, but you decided you'd welcome it this time. "Such a shame we can't see the moon though."
Your friend nodded, lips pursed into a thin line, "That's because it's currently new moon. We'll need to wait for awhile until it's visible again."
You turned to Fred and the air was knocked out of your lungs. All you could do was silently admire the way the starlight was softening his sharp features and giving his usually flaming red hair a calming shade of copper. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark, and you found yourself coming to the conclusion you had realised long ago.
He was such a beautiful man.
Those glowing eyes landed on yours and you felt your face heat up.
"How are you?" he asked abruptly and you choked out in bafflement.
"Y-You mean, right now? Or in general?..."
"How are you coping?" he rephrased. "You know, with everything going on. I noticed Umbridge bothering you recently."
A shuddering breath.
"I like to think that I'm doing better than others," you nodded hesitantly, finding it hard to sort out your emotions. "I'm more worried about the most vulnerable among us, the youngest students. They're just children. They're the ones that are most terrified. I really hope Dumbledore will be able to do something about it… no matter where he might be right now."
Fred was watching you intently; he did not miss your expression, darkened with concern, nor did he miss your slumped figure, slightly hunched over for a reason he believed was other than exhaustion. Your friend moved closer and nudged your foot with his.
"I don't want you to talk to me about the rest. I want to hear about you. I can clearly see you're being tormented by her."
"As if you're not."
"That's not the point," he insisted and placed a hand on your knee, causing you to face him. His smile was gone. "I need to know how this madness is affecting you."
"I couldn't care less about what that toad puts me through," you shook your head dismissively and shrugged. Why was he getting so worked up about it? "It doesn't matter."
"Of course it does! It matters to me!" Fred hissed in frustration. "Do you think it doesn't hurt me every time I see Umbridge picking at you or calling you for detention? Because it bloody does and you have no idea how horrible it feels to not be able to help you."
He gave your knee a squeeze.
"For once, just for one time, please. Please, stop trying to be the hero of everybody. Believe me, we see- I see how hard you're trying to keep your chin up despite all the shit you're facing, and that's admirable, but right now it's not necessary. Let go. It's just me."
A way too familiar lump formed in your throat and your chest constricted painfully before it harshly dilated, letting out choked breaths. Fred was quick to envelope you in his long arms before your tears even rolled down your cheeks, and when they did, they met his shoulder. Your hands flew around his neck, body falling into his and soaking up his warmth. Fred pressed his soft lips to your temple, calming the racing pulse as you cried freely and unapologetically. Darling, you feel too much.
It's just me.
Your friend didn't let you out of his hold even when your heart-wrenching whimpers were reduced to weak sobs. He continued cradling your exhausted body which was on the verge of completely giving out. But Fred didn't mind, finding astonishing strength in your vulnerability.
After what seemed like hours, you forced yourself to timidly whisper, lip quivering, "I'm scared... And confused."
"Me too, sweetheart," Fred hummed into your ear. "Me too."
You wiped away the trails of dried tears lingering on your face.
"There's just too much going on. Too much that I'm not ready for."
Realization flashed in Fred's brown eyes and they looked down at you with so much longing, sincerity, but also sympathy and understanding.
You weren't angry at him. You were afraid.
And that was alright.
There was enough time, not need for a rush.
Fred had been waiting for years to find out whether his burning feelings for you were reciprocated, constantly suppressing them in fear of scaring you away and losing you. And now that he knew your heart belonged to him like his did to you, all the stars above couldn't contain his untamed happiness, pure and hopeful.
Surely he could wait a little more for you to grow comfortable with your own emotions.
Fred tightened his hold around you and pecked your cheek tenderly, the subtle touch sending a shock throughout your body and subsiding your need for sleep.
"That's alright," he whispered. "Rest now."
Tumblr media
@self-ship-love @susceptible-but-siriusexual @hufflexpuff @neovannii
Message me if you want to be tagged~
Reblog my work if you enjoyed it!
Masterlist
1K notes · View notes