Means the World

Elise woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. She was in her room. Her hair was puffy and frizzy; the last thing she remembered was being at George and Fred’s house.
She then noticed she was naked. She grabbed the blankets around her and rolled over. She rolled right on top of velvety skin. Elise screamed and the figure raised its head. She screamed again.

“Fred, what are you doing in my bed?” she screamed.

Fred lifted himself up. He was naked. She was naked. It didn’t take much to put the pieces together.

“Did we have sex?” Fred groaned.

Elise curled up into a ball on the bed. “I think we did.” She said in a small voice.

Fred groaned and covered his face with his hands. “I can’t believe it…I feel horrible.” He said, giving her a sincere and honest face. Elise was kind of shocked. Fred was always the emotionless rock that spit out jokes for everyone. Seeing him this vulnerable was weird.

“Why?” she asked, her voice still small.

“I’ve…I’m…this was your first time and it shouldn’t have been like this.” He admitted. “You deserve so much more than a drunk fumble under the sheets.”

Elise stood up, dragging the blanket with her. She went over to her drawer and pulled out clothes. Under the blanket, she put them on. Fred started putting on his clothes. He picked up his shirt.

“Did you do this?” he asked, trying to hold back a laugh. It was ripped right down the middle.

“Probably…God, that’s embarrassing.” She winced.

Fred pulled his pants on and sat on the bed, running hands through his hair. “I’m so sorry.
I’ll never forgive myself.” He mumbled.

Elise gave him a look. “Why is that?”

Fred sighed. “Wood really likes you…and we’ve been mates since the beginning of Hogwarts. He got George and me on the team when we were peaky little twelve year olds. And all he ever talks about is how much he likes you. Plus, you and I…we go way back. This…it shouldn’t have happened.”

Elise bit her lip. “There’s no going back now.”

Fred sighed. “We’ll just pretend it never happened, eh?”

Elise nodded. Fred stood up awkwardly. “I guess I’ll grab my shoes and then go home. I’ll see you later.” He said.

Fred walked to the living room to collect his shoes. He saw a stack of letters on the table.

Each of them were his letters to her in seventh year.

So she did get them.

Broken hearted, he looked back at her in her room. She was magically straightening her hair, probably to go out and meet Wood. She looked back at him with a poker face. She twisted her mouth into some sort of half grin. Fred couldn’t breathe. He quickly popped out of the room.

*~*~*~*

Fred appeared in the kitchen of the flat. George was sitting there, staring at him. “Where the fuck have you been?” he asked.

“I’ll kill myself.” Fred whispered.

George stood up. “What’s wrong? Why don’t you have a shirt?” he asked. He was so confused.

Fred sighed. “If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone, do you promise?” he asked.

George rolled his eyes. “Fred, I’m your twin. I wouldn’t tell anyone anything without your permission, so fess up.”

Fred took a deep breath. “I slept with Elise.”

George dropped his jaw in horror. “No, you didn’t!” He sat down with his hands covering his mouth. “She’s seeing Wood!” he claimed. “Well, literally.” He teased.

Fred sat down, white in the face. “I don’t regret it.”

George gave him a grave look. “Oliver’s one of your best mates…and you love Elise.”

“That’s roughly the picture, yeah.” Fred said dryly.

“Why don’t you give it another go with her then?” George asked softly.

“Because she will never, ever love me again. She knows, George. She has the letters. She has them all. She has them laying about for me to see. I know. Just the look on her face says it all.” Fred said bitterly.

“Why not a try?” George asked yet again.

Fred stood up. “Don’t you understand?! She’s happy! That’s all I ever want her to be…and if that means it’s not me, then so be it!” he yelled.

There was a pop in the room. Lee Jordan stood in the middle of George and Fred. “Hey mates, just popped on over for a kip. What’s going on?” he asked.

Fred glared at George, and then stomped off to his room.

“What’s with him?” Lee asked, helping himself to George’s food.

George sighed, worried. “You’ve missed a lot, mate. Fred’s having problems because Elise and Oliver are seeing each other.”

Lee choked on his food. “Fred’s ex girlfriend is going out with Oliver Wood? Wow, who knew that could ever happen.”

George gave him a look. “And why is that?”

Lee shrugged. “She was really in love with him…he had to have done something for her to just stop loving him like that.”