Chapter 3
one week later
For the next week, Althea didn't get out of bed. She hadn't said a word since her meltdown. Althea had truly lost herself. She refused to eat and couldn't get a blink of sleep even if she genuinely wanted to. When she did try to sleep, nothing but the nightmares of her parents' death haunted her constantly.
She had come to one conclusion; a world without her parents wasn't a world that she believed was worth living in. Although it was selfish, she only desired one thing: death. In her mind, it was the only way she would ever see her parents again.
Molly would always make her way up there to offer her a plate, but she never accepted anything; if she had her way, Althea would've locked the door so that no one could get in, no matter what counter-curse was used.
She knew she had hit rock bottom, but Althea wondered whether the bottom was endless or if she would be able to claw her way back to the top. She felt horrible for hoping she would get better.
***
Though they subconsciously thought it to be pointless, that evening, George and Fred decided to give it a try. Their mum had just cooked a fresh dinner, and everyone wanted her to recuperate sooner rather than later. They wanted her to be normal again, for her to understand that she wasn't alone. Yes, they had wanted her to have time to grieve, but she couldn't isolate herself forever. It wasn't right. They loved her, so Fred and George refused to let her give up on life. They knew that her parents would want to find a reason to keep living, some new way to find a source of happiness.
As Fred shot up from the table, his mother shot him a confused look.
"Where exactly do you think you boys are going?" Though her face was nothing but confusion, her tone was deeply laced with stern words.
"Today is the day we bring Althea downstairs." Ignoring the eyes of disbelievers who thought it would be impossible for them to accomplish this, he pushed in his chair as he used his words to encourage everyone. "I mean, don't you think it's time for her to come down? She's on the verge of death because she feels like she doesn't deserve to eat, " George responded. "She blames herself for them dying- Do you really think that's okay?" he continued.
Understanding that George had a point, Molly rolled her eyes but waved her hand to excuse them. During the entire walk up the stairs, Fred and George planned all the heartwarming things that they could possibly say. Still, when they finally reached the top of the stairs, they blanked and decided that knocking was a great place to start.
Their knocks were met with a faint voice. "Come in," Althea sounded so exhausted; you could hear the life leaving her voice. If you hadn't known any better, you might've thought that she was somehow speaking while her mouth was closed. Opening the door, Fred set his gaze upon her presence as she lay practically lifeless in that bed. His heart ached for her.
Without saying a word, they made their way over to Althea and got in bed next to her. The bed was cold. How was she just sitting there? Wasn't she freezing? They felt her exhale as if she was relieved and could finally breathe. They held her. They held her in silence for a while before George decided to cut the tension with a knife.
"Althea, I love you," George spoke, holding her tightly.
Fred blinked; pure shock interrupted his neutral features, but he didn't let that distract him from his objective.
"We're here for you. We'll always be here for you, " Fred added. He kissed her on the forehead. Her ice-cold skin stung his lips; it was as if she had never felt warmth a day in her life. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let go. He missed being able to touch her and feel her energy next to his. "We want you to get better, so we need you to eat. You have to eat. Your parents-"
"I can't." She cut in before he could finish. Tears began to pool in her eyes.
"Yes, you can. Let us help you, all of us." He needed her to know that she was not in this alone. "Everyone is waiting for you downstairs. Please, Althea, just let me help you."
George removed the covers from her body, causing her to curl into a ball. She felt ashamed of her body. "Please don't look at me," she begged, closing her eyes in embarrassment. You could tell that she hadn't eaten in days. It was self-evident that she had lost too much weight for her own good. Her body had grown weak, but it didn't matter to either of them; she would always be beautiful in their eyes. They were only focused on getting her back to how she used to be.
"You're beautiful, " Fred declared. He had always truly despised how lowly she tended to think of herself. After George finished placing the hoodie over her body, Fred put his arms under her body, preparing to lift her. He gazed into her eyes for a minute. He was used to her counting his freckles every time they had been this close. It was her favorite thing to do with him, but when he looked down, she was trying to cover her face with the hood. It only confirmed that they were doing the right thing; it was almost sickening to see her in this state.
"We are taking you downstairs to eat. No more bringing you a plate that you refuse to eat. " There was no question or choice behind the words George left to fall from his lips. Though he was considered to be the more lenient or 'soft' twin, his love became very tough when it came to her.
"Okay." she didn't even bother to protest or argue; she simply just complied. Fred picked her up whilst George opened the door. He continued to carry her all the way downstairs and into the dining area. Everyone watched as he brought her in with welcoming smiles of love. Nonetheless, they were happy that she was there, and part of them couldn't believe that the twins were actually able to accomplish this. Either way, they all missed having her around to make jokes and have fun.
He placed her down in the chair between his seat and George's, pushing into the chair behind her and sitting down happily. She took a glance around the table, seeing all of her loved ones there to support her. Yeah, they weren't her parents, but she couldn't lie that these people were the next best thing.
They all smiled and began to prepare for dinner. Once everyone was ready with their plates made, Molly finished fixing autumn's food, placing a nice-sized plate in front of her and gesturing for her to take a bite. Once she had taken a bite, though it was small, a sparkle found her eyes. Taking one bite after another, the lovely group all began to dig into the wonderful feast. She felt something; there was no way she hadn't.