It's Better If You Do

Noticing the flicker of hurt in Rose's wide eyes, he wanted to kick himself. She probably did like him, but now she thought he didn't like her. He shook his head slowly, a rueful smile on his face, once she had looked away. Even as George had been making mistakes with Bellamy, here he was, making ones with Rose.

The quiet room was rather comforting to her, as she carefully stood up and began going through her trunk once more. Finding a sheath of parchment, and her favorite swan feather quil, she closed her trunk and began to write on top. Fred noticed her neat flowing cursive, and cursed at himself for having such a boyishly typical scrawl. Rose's concentration was at her heighth and her words came faster than usual.

"*Cher papa,
Je suis désolé de vous le dire, mais j'ai rencontré Lucius Malefoy dans la rue, et ... perdu mon sang froid avec lui. Il a été insulté les amis de Bellamy et moi-même, et je ne pouvais pas m'empêcher de penser à ce qu'il a fait pour toi, moi, et chère maman. Mes mots ... ne sont pas le plus intelligent, et il m'a dit que j'avais fait une erreur très stupide et qu'il verrait ce que vous et Mama pensé.

Vous avez besoin de quitter, Papa, maintenant. Il va vous faire du mal, et je ne serais pas capable de le supporter. S'il vous plaît - S'il vous plaît - écoutez-moi. Je sais que vous pensez que vous pouvez prendre soin de vous, mais ... c'est trop risqué. Bellamy et je vais rester ici, à Londres. Ne pas aller sur se soucier de nous, Papa. Nous serons bien.

Je t'aime. Merci de m'avoir si bien élever.

Avec tout mon amour,
Rose,"

Laying down the quil, she unclenched and clenched her right hand, as it was stiff and sore from writing so much, when she hadn't had to write anything in quite some time. She turned to Fred, with curiousity in her eyes, "You said that you were in your 7th year? Then how did you come here when the year hasn't let out yet?"

"I told you," he said simply, his eyes full of mischief. "We left early."

Rose smiled a bit, still trying not to focus on the situation at hand. The letter was a severe reminder, and when Fred saw her glancing at it, he scooped it up, folded it up, and laid it far out of her reach.

A few solitary tears had dripped down her cheeks, and Fred reached out and touched them tenderly, sweeping them away. She closed her eyes at his touch, and it unleashed a whole new flood of tears. He whispered, "If you want, we can know people that can protect them, Rose. And you and Bellamy. Just say the word if you don't feel safe."

She took a shuddering breath, opening her light blue eyes which were full of questions. "How?"

Hesitation was evident in Fred's face. The Order was nothing less of top secret, and to tell someone he barely knew, even if she did resonate innocence and trust. Muttering, he looked down, pulling his hand away softly,"Friends of the family."

Momentarily distracted, she knew Fred was keeping something from her. What could it be? Something important, obviously, otherwise he would have told her. But, trusting her instinct, she decided to let it go, finding a new purpose in working there. She would gain his trust.

Nodding, she realized that the store was probably already starting back up, as she heard the laughter of children, and George's voice instructing customers on how to use their merchandise. It must have been thirty minutes since she had come up here, and neither of them had eaten.

She rose to her feet, and peeked out the door and saw the brown paper bag waiting for them. Smiling half heartedly, she walked back in and sat down on the bed beside Fred again, handing him one of the two remaining paper containers.

His normal cheeriness returning, he grinned at Rose, and said, "You have not lived until you have tried these fish and chips. They're the best in London."

"Oh, well, if Fred Weasley tells me that, it must be true," Rose said cheekily, giving him a wide grin. Excited that her good naturedness was overtaking her sad mood, he chuckled.

"Oui, chérie. You catch on fast." he said apprasingly.

"Is that the only French you know?" she said, smirking, before taking a bite of fish. At her question, he grew exceedingly uncomfortable, and he was thinking in his head a long string of profanities. Raising her eyebrow, Rose said, "Well, come on then. What do you know?"

Sheepishly, he murmured, "The only phrases I know go something along these lines..." he took a deep breath, and said as fast as he could, "Voulez-vous m'embrasser?"

Growing very still, she sat slightly thrown off balance. So, he was like Bellamy had said. Her words echoed in her brain, crystal clear: "I’d advise not giving in so easily to their charm. I’ve seen these kind of boys before…and despite how nice they may seem, they’ll easily take advantage of a sweet girl like you.”

Fred was even angrier with himself than before. Why didn't he just lie and say he didn't know any? He'd had no problem with lying before this- before her. Gritting his teeth, he concentrated on his food, chewing slowly and deliberately.

They didn't speak throughout the rest of their meal together, and when she suggested quietly that they both go back to work, he kept his mouth shut from all the defenses screaming in his head, and nodded. Now, he thought, sighing heavily, all the effort he and George had put forth was more than likely dashed with one sentence in French.