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“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ginny asked, taping up the last of Y/n’s belongings in a box.
“Yeah, Gin- Trust me if I thought I had another option I’d take it, but I can’t waste my life pining after someone who doesn’t see me that way.” She answered with a heavy heart.
Y/n took a moment to look around her room one last time. She really would miss this flat, and the boys in it, but it was time for her to let go of her silly infatuation with Fred. She needed distance. She needed a clean break. So she shook off the heavy feeling in her chest and packed up another box.
“Yeah, but moving out without him knowing? Seems a bit harsh,” Ron piped in from the doorway.
It does, doesn’t it? Ugh No! Stop that! She battled her doubts away. A part of her wanted to say goodbye, to see him one last time, but she knew she couldn’t take it. She was strong, but she could never escape the look he would have in his heartbroken eyes. She had always had a soft spot for his eyes.
“I know, but I think saying goodbye would just be harder. George knows. He will let him down easy I’m sure,” She replied, trying not to dwell on the thought of Fred too long, “You guys can start heading over, I’ll meet you in a moment.”
She barely registered the sound of their departure. Privately turning away to let a tear slip down her cheek, she pulled the last item from her closet. Fred’s old knitted sweater. It didn’t fit him anymore, so he had passed it on to her, but it felt wrong to take. Clean Break, she thought as she gingerly folded the garment and placed it on the floor of her now barren room.
Carefully, she withdrew a letter from her jacket pocket and pressed it to her lips. This had to be the end. You can do this. She tried to convince herself. Tears fell freely down her face as she placed the letter on the sweater with shaky hands.
Bravely, she wiped away her tears and stood tall. With a deep breath and a loud crack, she was whisked away from the comfort of the small flat.
…
“Did Y/n seem weird to you this morning?” Fred asked, anxiously bouncing his leg.
“Fred, maybe focus on the pitch we’re about to do?” His twin sighed, turning the page of the magazine in his hand casually.
“Yeah, yeah. But I’m just worried I said something, you know?” He continued, “Normally she’s so bright in the mornings, it actually makes me want to get up early, but recently it seems like something’s been weighing on her.”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine Fred,” George insisted, still trying to read his article.
“I know she’ll be fine. She’s one of the strongest women I know- Don’t tell Mum I said that -It’s just, I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to her. I don’t know how I’d go on.”
“Fred. Leave it.”
“I’m just meaning-”
“Fred.”
“I’m just saying I’m worried I-”
“Fred-” George sighed, begrudgingly setting down his reading, “Listen to me when I say this. I’m about to ask you a question, and if the answer is no then we can forget I ever asked, but if it’s yes, you have to be honest and tell me. Do you understand?”
“Well Godric George, for all that build up I thought it would be a harder question than ‘Do you understand’” Fred laughed proudly.
“Fred, are you in love with Y/n?”
Fred’s face dropped. He stared at his twin’s unflinching face blankly.
“I- well-,” He stuttered, his forehead creasing, “I’ve been trying to work up the courage to tell her, but I just didn’t know if I should. I didn’t want things to get complicated.”
“Bloody Hell Fred!” He scolded, whacking his twin with the magazine, “You need to go and tell her right now!”
“What? But what about the pitch?”
“Fred, Y/n is currently at the flat packing up her things to move out. You need to go and tell her right now before you lose her for good.”
“Y/n is leaving?”
“Yes, you twat! So go tell her you love her or you’ll regret it forever. I’ll handle the pitch, just go,” George shook his head at his twin, opening his magazine back up.
“Do I look alright?” Fred teased.
George raised up the magazine to deliver a smack again, but Fred was already gone.
…
Shortly after, Fred found himself standing nervously outside of his own flat. What was he supposed to say to her? “Uh hi, please don’t move away because I’m actually madly in love with you and have been for years?” Hardly a romantic way to deliver the news.
Regardless, time was of the essence. Quickly shaking off the nerves, he opened the door.
“Y/n?” Fred’s words echoed into the quiet flat.
Silence.
“Y/n?” He called again, making his way to her room, “I need to talk to y-”
Her room was completely deserted. All the colorful decorations that once resided there were long gone, leaving only a tattered green sweater folded up in the middle of the lifeless room.
Fred’s stomach dropped. Suddenly feeling sick, his unsteady feet carried him to kneel down in front of the discarded garment. My old sweater, he thought. His fingers ghosted across the itchy fabric. He remembered fondly when he gave it to her back in his fourth year. She had found it in a drawer one day after looking for something to keep her warm and Fred had been so overwhelmed at the sight of her in it that he gave it to her right away. She wore it nearly every day that winter, but what should’ve been a good memory now sent a chill down his spine. Gingerly, he picked it up.
A small white envelope fluttered to the ground. Shakily withdrawing the letter from within, he read.
Dear Freddie,
I’m sorry I had to leave this way. The blunt truth is, I’ve been hiding feelings for you for quite some time. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t keep torturing myself. I need to move on, Fred. I can’t waste my life romanticizing our friendship. Thank you for all the time we spent together. I hope you can understand.
Love always, Y/n.
Fred felt his heart shatter from inside him. The world around him was crumbling. He hadn’t realized he’d started to cry until a lonely tear hit the parchment in his hands. How could he let this happen? How could he have been so blind? He let the letter escape his grip as his knees buckled to the ground.
“Fred?” A meek voice whispered from the doorway.
He whipped his head around, surprised to see the source of his tears standing in the doorway.
“I- I thought you'd still be at the meeting,” She continued, “I forgot to leave my key.” She shyly jingled the key in her hand, not quite sure what else to say.
Fred cautiously stood and crossed over to the doorway.
“Have you been crying?” She said, noticing his state.
“Look Fred, I’m sorry,” She began, tears starting to build up in her eyes as well, “I just needed a fresh start. I’m sorry that I’ve hurt your feelings, but I just can’t keep pining-”
“I have been madly in love with you since the moment we met,” Fred interrupted softly.
She stopped, her head felt like it was spinning.
“You love me?” She questioned.
“How could I not?” he laughed in disbelief.
They stared at each other again. Awkwardness overtook the air as they stood frozen in the empty room. He stared at her. She stared at him.
“Holy shit.” She breathed out, bursting into laughter. Fred joined her, chuckling at the irony of the whole situation.
The tension quickly evaporated from the room. The pair immediately fell back into their usual comfortability.
After a while, the laughter faded. She admired his smile, relieved that this wouldn’t be the last time she would see it anymore.
Hesitantly, Fred’s eyes wandered down to her lips. A new kind of tension began to flood the air. She looked at him intently, not letting go of her breath.
“Can I kiss you?” He whispered.
“Oh Merlin yes.”
His lips were like fire on hers. Constantly moving, burning her tongue. His brow furrowed as he pulled her head closer. They moved in tandem, chasing one another back and forth with their lips. It felt like she was having her first kiss all over again, butterflies bouncing around like crazy in her stomach. Eventually, she pulled back, gasping for air.
His hand slowly lowered from her cheek to her waist, savoring the feeling of her skin on the way down.
She stared into his honey-brown eyes, watching intently as they swirled with emotion.
“Would you mind if I moved back in?” she joked, smiling up at him.
“Ah well, this room is unfortunately taken,” He shrugged, “But if you would be willing to share a room with me, we could probably work something out.”
Fred smirked down at her with pride as Y/n shook her head at his teasing.
"I think that can be arranged," she laughed, bringing his lips back down to hers once more.
Their future would be a rollercoaster most certainly, but she wanted nothing less.