In Agreement
I woke up feeling sore and with a headache. I didn’t open my eyes for fear that the light would only hurt my head worse, but I reached for my face. I was sure if anything was broken, which it probably was, that Madam Pomfrey would’ve healed it, but I still wanted to make sure everything was intact.
“Look, Freddie, I think she’s waking up,” A voice, which I identified as George, said.
I pried my eyes open to see that Fred and George were sitting next to my bed. Fred’s eyes were red and puffy.
“That was the best sleep I’ve had in ages,” I joked. It was silent for a minute, and then we all broke out in laughter.
The laughter subsided as Madam Pomfrey bustled over, her stern expression softening at the sight of my awake and conscious form.
“Well, Miss Lupin, it seems you're not as fragile as I thought,” she remarked with a slight smile. “No broken bones, just a nasty bruise and some swelling. You took quite a hit from that bludger, though. You're lucky it didn’t do more damage.”
I gingerly touched the tender spot on my face, wincing as I felt the soreness. Fred looked at me with concern, and George offered a sympathetic grin.
“You’re a tough one, Cass,” Fred said, his voice a mixture of relief and worry.
“I’ve survived worse,” I replied, managing a weak smile.
Madam Pomfrey shooed Fred and George away, insisting I needed rest, and they left reluctantly. As I lay there, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something more than a bludger had hit me. Fred's distress was palpable, and it didn’t take a genius to realize there was something unsaid. Maybe Ang was right…
--
The next morning, I awoke to find Oliver Wood standing at the foot of my bed, looking concerned.
“Hey, Cass. I wanted to check in on you yesterday but Madam Pomfrey wouldn’t let me in. Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze flickering over my face.
“I’ll live,” I replied with a half-smile. “Sorry about your blanket, I’ll talk to Hermione and see if she knows anything about getting blood out of blankets,” I laughed, pointing at his blanket on my bedside table.
“Don’t worry about it,” he laughed, then hesitated for a moment before taking a seat. “Listen, Cass, I need to talk to you about something.”
I frowned, the soreness in my face forgotten for a moment. “What's up?”
Oliver took a deep breath. “Our date was great, really. But, I can't see you again.”
I blinked, surprised. “What? Why?”
“It's not you, Cass. It's just... Well, it's Fred. I don't want to be in his way,” Oliver admitted, his expression apologetic.
I furrowed my brow in confusion. “In his way? What are you talking about?”
“Look, it’s obvious Fred likes you, and I don’t want to complicate things for him. We’re teammates, and I respect him. I can't pursue something with you if it's going to hurt my friendship with him,” Oliver explained.
I sat there, stunned for a moment, processing his words. So, Fred did have feelings for me. The realization hit me like a bludger to the face, and it hurt more than any physical injury.
“I... I had no idea,” I stammered, feeling a mix of emotions.
Oliver sighed. “I’m sorry, Cass. I hope you understand.”
I nodded, though my mind was a whirlwind of confusion and disappointment. Oliver left the hospital wing, leaving me to grapple with the revelation about Fred. The door creaked open, and Fred cautiously stepped inside.
“Hey,” he said softly, his eyes avoiding mine.
“Hey,” I replied, my voice more subdued than usual.
Fred shifted uncomfortably. “I heard about Oliver. I didn’t want things to get complicated for you.”
I sighed, the events of the past day weighing heavily on me. “Fred, what’s going on? Why didn’t you tell me?”
He looked down, and after a moment of silence, he spoke, “I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I never meant for you to get hurt.”
I reached out and gently touched his hand. “Fred, you should’ve told me. We can talk about this.”
“I didn’t want to complicate things. I didn’t want to mess up what we have,” Fred admitted, finally meeting my gaze.
I squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Fred, keeping things from me doesn’t help. We can navigate through complications together. That's what friends do, right?”
He managed a small, grateful smile. “You’re right. I should've trusted you more.”
The tension between us eased, but the room was still heavy with unspoken words. I took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask the question that had been lingering in my mind.
“Do you like me, Fred?”
His eyes flickered with a mix of surprise and vulnerability. “Is it that obvious?”
I chuckled softly. “In hindsight, maybe. But I want to hear it from you.”
Fred sighed, his shoulders slumping a bit. “Yeah, Cass, I do. More than I thought I would.”
My heart fluttered, a mix of emotions swirling within me. “Fred, you should've told me. We can figure this out.”
He nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. “I didn’t want to risk losing you.”
“Well, you almost lost me to a bludger,” I teased, attempting to lighten the mood.
He chuckled, and the weight in the room lifted a little more. “I suppose that's one way to put it.”
I took a deep breath bedore speaking again. “Fred…” I stopped. I had no idea how to tell him we couldn’t be together. I didn’t want to hurt him.
"Cass, I get it. You don't want things to change between us," Fred said, as if he read my mind. "I don't either."
I nodded, grateful for his understanding. "We're great friends, Fred. I don't want to risk that."
He sighed, a mix of relief and disappointment in his eyes. "Yeah, I get it. But, Cass, I can't just turn off how I feel about you."
"I know, Fred. And I like you too, but I'm not ready for things to be different," I confessed, trying to find the right words.
He nodded slowly. "So, what do we do?"
"We stay friends," I suggested, "and when the time feels right for both of us, maybe we can revisit this conversation."
Fred looked thoughtful, and after a moment, he agreed, "Alright. Friends it is. No pressure, no expectations. Just... us."
It felt like a weight had been lifted. We shook hands, sealing an unspoken agreement between us.
--
Over the next week, Fred and I fell back into the familiar rhythm of friendship. Quidditch practices, shared laughs, and the usual mischief defined our days. There were moments when our eyes would meet, and the unspoken connection lingered, but we both knew the time wasn't right.
Our friends noticed the change, but neither of us felt the need to explain. There was an unspoken agreement among us all – everything would stay normal, at least for now.
In the common room one evening, surrounded by the warmth of the Gryffindor fire, Fred and I found ourselves sitting side by side. The air was charged with a comfortable familiarity, and we exchanged glances that spoke volumes.
"We're doing the right thing, aren't we?" I asked, breaking the silence.
Fred nodded. "Yeah. When the time is right, we'll figure it out. Until then, let's just enjoy being us."