Fred sat at the dining room table at the Burrow in his usual chair. It was quiet. Not the peaceful kind that could be found for a few minutes once or twice a year in the Weasley home. Nor was it a stillness, masking an all-encompassing wrongness. Instead, the house was holding its breath, on the precipice of something. A knife’s edge, precariously balanced. Quiet, in anticipation.
The next moment, a loud crack echoed outside. Someone apparated within the wards! Fred held his wand out and went towards the window to see who arrived, only slightly relaxing when he realized who it was. He cautiously went to the door and opened it, keeping his wand targeted at the other wizard. “Harry, is that really you?” he called out.
The other teen stared at him, whether in shock or surprise, he couldn’t tell from so far away. “Fred!” he shouted. And it had to be Harry that was running towards him.
He had to be sure, so when Harry was only a meter or so away, Fred asked, “Where was our first kiss?”
“Everyone claims that it was in the outdoor gardens during the Yule Ball but it was actually in the quidditch locker room after a pickup game we played earlier during break.”
Fred broke into a smile, and Harry hugged him fiercely before kissing him. “Aren’t you going to ask me a security question?”
“I came to you, didn’t I?” Harry replied. “I knew who I was meeting.”
“Very well. Let’s go inside. It’s not safe to stay out for long.” Fred held the door open and gestured for Harry to go in first. He followed, stopping to stare at his boyfriend as he made his way over to the table. He pouted when Harry picked Ginny’s seat, across from where he usually sat.
“Will you close the door and join me, please?” Harry’s voice reached him.
“Of course! Sorry. I got distracted.” Fred grinned and shut the door behind them before re-warding it. They were in the middle of a war, after all. Huh, he was surprised he forgot about that. Maybe it was because he finally saw the love of his life for the first time in months, although that didn’t sound quite right. “You didn’t want to sit next to me?” Fred fake frowned as he sat back down in his seat. His shoulder felt cold without having Harry’s own one there to nudge it every so often.
“I want to see you. We haven’t really gotten to talk.”
“I’ve missed you.” Fred stared at Harry, drinking him in. He couldn’t help but notice his love doing the same to him, cataloging every freckle on his face.
“I’ve missed you too.”
Harry was unkempt, face smeared with dirt, sweat, and a little blood. There were a few nicks and scratches, as if he barely got out of the way of some bombarda spells. And a fine layer of sediment dusted his hair, making him appear much older than his 17 years. Realization dawned. “You’ve been in battle! But you didn’t tell me? Why? I still have my coin!” Fred shook his head, sending away his annoyance. Harry was here, so everything must be fine. “That doesn’t matter. Tell me, is it over?”
Harry looked stricken, brows furrowed in confusion. “Fred, what’s the last thing you remember?”
“What do you…” Fred trailed off as his short term memories came rushing back. Going to Hogwarts. The start of the battle. Death Eaters breaching the castle. Percy, coming to fight. Percy, telling a joke. And then. Nothing. Until he was at his usual seat at the table in the Burrow. “Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Fred reached for his boyfriend’s hand. “I died. I’m dead.”
“Yes.” Harry’s voice cracked.
“But if I’m dead, and you’re here with me, that means you’re also–”
“Dead.” Harry nodded.
“How did it happen?”
“Me or you?”
“We both know how I died. I’m sure Percy–” Fred had to pause and gather himself. He’d just gotten his older brother back. And now he’ll never know what led to his glorious return. He started again. “I’m sure Percy told everyone what happened. We were fighting side by side.”
Harry looked deep into Fred’s eyes and solemnly said, “Yes, he did.” He rubbed his thumb along the back of Fred’s hand, comforting him. “Can we move to the couch? This feels so formal. And I really want to cuddle.”
Fred would never deny Harry any form of physical contact, seeing it as his personal duty to make up for his boyfriend’s lack of affection as a child. “Of course, darling.”
He stood up and made his way over to the green loveseat, Harry trailing behind. Like all the furniture in the Burrow, it was worn and mismatched, but Fred felt that added to the charm. The best part was that as Harry and him grew up, they didn’t fit quite as nicely as they once did. He sat down and pulled Harry down next to him. Harry had to half sit on his boyfriend. He did so, tucking his head under his boyfriend’s chin.
Harry took a deep breath before beginning. “Ron, Hermione, and I went to find Snape, and we did. Only it was too late. Voldemort reached him first and had Nagini kill him. He had just enough strength to give me some memories in the form of tears. I raced to the Headmaster’s office and used the pensive there. I won’t get into everything, but the main points were that Snape was a spy and on the Order’s side the entire time, and that I was a Horcrux. The only living one ever known. And the only way to defeat Voldemort is to destroy all of his Horcruxes.”
Fred was glad that Harry couldn’t see his face, as he was sure horror was etched across every line. To go through all of this trouble, only to die before he could see it all work out. Sowing seeds in a garden he would never get to see. Fred didn’t understand how Harry could be so calm about this, how he could accept it all so readily. Or was he really used to the Potter Luck being so nonexistent?
“...Of course, Voldemort issued a temporary peace. We would have one hour to nurse the injured and collect the dead. And if, after that hour, I didn’t meet him, he would send in his army and kill everyone.”
Fred kissed Harry’s temple. “How despicable of him. He wanted to fight you in the first place, yet he gets to demand where the final showdown takes place.”
“He didn’t want to risk himself. That’s why he sent in all of his minions first. He can get a feel for how strong our forces are without the risk of losing another piece of his soul. Not like he had that much left at the start of the day.”
“Where did he wish to meet?” Fred started carding a hand through Harry’s hair, dispelling the detritus and slowly returning his darling’s hair to its natural color.
“The Forbidden Forest.”
“And you left, no hesitation?”
“I stopped by the Great Hall first. That’s where the injured and dead were. I saw Tonks and Remus. And I saw your family gathering around. I–I didn’t want to get close. I was afraid if I saw you, I’d never want to leave.”
“That’s perfectly understandable. I’m just glad you're here with me now.” Fred gently said before he placed another kiss on Harry’s head.
“So I went into the Forest. I used the Resurrection Stone on my way out there and spoke with my parents, Sirius, and Lupin. I wanted to speak with you too, but you didn’t appear.”
“Probably stuck in limbo. Or maybe the Stone has a limit to the number of people at once?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it knew I would see you so soon.” Harry shook his head. “Anyways, when I reached the clearing where Voldemort and his Death Eaters were waiting, I dropped the Stone. I stepped into the clearing, heard the curse and the green light that’s been haunting my dreams for years, and died. The next thing I knew, I’m apparated here.”
“How do you feel about here?”
“I don’t think it’s going to last.”
“Why not?” Fred’s hand momentarily stilled.
“Death hasn’t stuck to me yet,” Harry nonchalantly replied.
Fred was confused. “But, you died. Are you saying that I’m not actually dead either?”
Harry grabbed Fred’s hand, the one he had stopped smoothing his hair with, and held it before placing it over the arm of the loveseat. “You can’t feel it?”
“Feel what?”
“This place isn’t real. It isn’t actually the Burrow. It’s a semi-permanent place.”
“It feels very real to me.”
“And it is, for now. I don’t know how much longer.”
“Maybe this is a waystation of sorts,” Fred tried to rationalize. “And the real afterlife is next. Maybe I was only waiting for you, so we could leave together.”
“I don’t think that’s how this works.”
“You know what this is?”
“Yes.” Harry tilted his head up and stared mournfully into Fred’s eyes. “It’s goodbye.”
“No,” Fred fiercely replied. “It’s not. It can’t be. Let someone else kill Nagini and Snake Face. You did your duty. You sacrificed so much, including your own life, to bring down old Moldy Voldy. Your much deserved rest was hard-won.” Fred could feel the tears dripping down his cheeks.
“Fred, I wouldn’t leave you if I had the choice! It has to be me.” Desperation and despair leaked into his voice.
“Harry, it’s not your job to always save the world.”
He sighed. “I know. But just this once, it kinda is. The prophecy said I have to be the one to kill him.”
Fred didn’t want to argue anymore. He didn’t want to waste what little time he had left with his beloved at odds with him. Plus, Harry was one of the most stubborn people he knew, and with that knowledge came the sad fact that once he made up his mind, he stuck with whatever decision he came to. For those reasons, he decided to change tactics and look into the future he no longer had. “How many more Horcruxes does Snake Face have left?”
“Only one, Nagini.” Harry graciously didn’t acknowledge the topic change.
“Will she be easy?”
“I don’t know. She’s nearly always right next to him. It depends.”
“But after that?”
“He’s as mortal as any other human. He can be killed, for good.”
“The end’s in sight.” Fred breathed out, a weight lifting from his chest.
“Yes, it is.” Harry began lacing their hands together, before breaking them apart, only to repeat the process once again.
“I need you to promise me something.”
“Of course, Fred. Anything.”
“Promise me you’ll live a good, long life.”
“What?” Harry clutched his hand a little too hard, releasing it once he heard Fred wince. “Sorry.”
“You heard me. I want you to live life to the fullest after you defeat Lord No-Nose for good. I’ll be expecting a full report the next time I see you. And I’m expecting all of your stories to take years to tell.”
“And what will you be doing during that time?”
“Other than pining for you? I plan on remembering everything we ever did. I’ll write it down, making a note of every conversation we ever had.” Harry laughed, but Fred was serious. He didn’t want to forget any word that his boyfriend ever told him. He will have to hold them close, as it would be decades before they could meet again.
“You have to promise me something in return.”
“A quid pro quo?” Fred wiggled his eyebrows.
“Get your head out of the gutter!” Harry playfully slapped his boyfriend’s arm. “No. Let’s call it mutual promises. If I have to live my best life, then you have to live your best afterlife. I’ll take care of our living loved ones, and you take care of our dead ones until we meet again.”
Why did his dearest have to know him so well? All Fred really wanted to do was drown in his grief for at least the next decade. But he couldn’t let Harry down. “Fine. I agree to your mutual anti-excessive-wallowing clause. Should we shake on it?”
“I can think of something better.” Quick as a whip, Harry turned around so he was straddling Fred’s thighs. He cupped his lover’s face and kissed him deeply. “There,” he said as he pulled away, “sealed with a kiss.”
There was still a hunger in Harry’s bright green eyes, and Fred surged forward, snogging his boyfriend as if he were a lifeboat. And in a way, he was. Fred tried not to think about it as they made out on the couch, but this was most likely their last kiss in a very long time. And that reminded him of other lasts. The last time in the Burrow. The last time they danced was at Bill and Fluer’s wedding. It was difficult to believe that was only nine months ago. It already felt like a lifetime. The last time they worked on Weasley Wizard Wheezes was 15 months ago. They would never invent another product together.
Fred pulled away from Harry and started crying. It was either that, or start screaming. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I feel like I should be comforting you but instead I’m crying because Fate or whatever higher power exists decided that you need to live. And I selfishly want you to stay. And it isn’t fair because if anyone deserves a long life filled with peace and contentment, it’s you. And I do want you to have it, even though I can’t be by your side. And I’m so sorry,” he blubbered into Harry’s shoulder, getting snot all over his jacket.
“Shh… it’s okay. I wish I could stay here with you.” Harry gently combed through Fred’s red locks. “But what Hermione dubbed my “pesky people-saving hero complex,” kicks in whenever I think about staying too long.”
“How much longer do you think we have?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you think it’s enough to watch the sunset?”
“We can try.”
They got up off the couch and Fred grabbed two quilts from the pile in the corner of the room before they made their way outside. Once they were in a nice grassy spot, past the edge of the vegetable garden, Fred threw the blanket up in the air, and using a controlled levitation spell, unfolded it and let it softly settle onto the ground. He gestured for Harry to take a seat, and sat down next to him, draping the second quilt across their knees.
Fred studied the quilt in his lap instead of the sunset, running his hands over the stitches. It was made from scraps of orange fabric, and obviously Ron’s. He’d always been obsessed with the Cannons despite them having the worst record in the league every year. “Mum started working on this when we were 10. She finished it right before we left for Hogwarts. It was a tradition, you know. Whenever our closest older sibling would leave for Hogwarts the first time, she’d make a quilt for the next kid in line. Mine helped me not be jealous of Bill, Charlie, and Percy.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I wonder if mum will continue the tradition with her grandkids.”
“I’ll be sure to keep track for you.”
“Thanks.”
They slipped into an easy silence, listening to crickets chirp and the wind rustling through the trees in the distance. The sunset was muted, soft peaches and blush shades bathing everything in a rosy hue. The mellowness of the sky felt right. If Fred tried, he could pretend that it was a normal late spring evening with his boyfriend. He didn’t want to break the peacefulness, but he had to say what was on his mind.
Fred turned to gaze at his boyfriend. Harry didn’t notice at first, too busy searching for the first stars to appear in the growing twilight. He didn’t mind waiting, however. It gave him more time to stare into the chaotic green kaleidoscope that were his beloved’s eyes. After a few more minutes, Harry realized he was being watched and turned towards him. Fred reached for the other’s hands, feeling for the callous along his wand hand before he began speaking. “I love you so much. More than I’ve ever loved anyone else.”
“I love you too.” Harry easily replied. A promise.
“I’ve loved you for a very long time. Since you came to the Burrow the summer before my fourth year. I know you know about Ginny’s crush on you, but I also had a massive one.” Fred chuckled. “I watched you play one pick up game and I was a complete goner. I think Goerge knew, but he was kind enough to not say anything.
“You helped me achieve my dreams, and I can’t ever thank Fate for bringing you into my life. You made me a better friend, a better brother, and a better wizard. Any time you grant me is well-spent. I love your gravelly morning voice and how your bedhead never truly goes away, no matter how much time you spend on your hair. I love that you help anyone who asks for assistance. You try to do what’s right, and fight for what you believe in. You are the light of my life. And if we were still both alive, this is the part where I drop down on one knee and ask you to marry me.”
He heard Harry gasp, but he continued. He’s had this speech memorized for almost nine months, and he must finish it before Harry’s whisked back to the land of the living.
“Since that obviously can’t happen, I want you to know that I will wait for you. It’s only ever been you. I wouldn’t stop you from finding someone else, if that’s what you want. I know it’ll be a very long time before we meet again. But, I couldn’t let you go without letting you know that you’re my beloved, now and forever.”
By the end of Fred’s speech, tear tracks glistened down Harry’s cheeks. “Fred… There’s no one that could compare to you. I’ll be waiting for you too.” He threw himself at his fiance and whispered into his ear. “And I accept your proposal.”
“I figured you would.” Fred replied as Harry peppered kisses against his jawbone.
Before things could get too heated, Harry froze. “It’s time.”
Fred stood up and pulled Harry up with him. He gathered his fiance into his arms, giving him a bear hug. Harry returned the hug in earnest. Fred nuzzled his nose into the rat’s nest of black hair, breathing deeply, trying to memorize the scent that made up his most favorite person.
There was a muted whoosh to the couple’s left, and Fred looked over his shoulder to see an arch of soft white light, the portal Harry planned on taking to the land of the living.
Harry grabbed Fred’s chin and turned it back towards him. “I think that’s for me.” He stood on his toes so he could look into his favorite redhead’s eyes. “I wish I had more time,” he murmured, his warm breath dancing across pink lips. He then placed a single, tender kiss on his lips, chaste, yet full of joy and desire. “I love you. Wait for me.”
Fred gave one more quick hug before he let Harry step towards the glowing doorway. “I will, beloved.”
Harry hesitated at the entrance, and for a second, Fred foolishly hoped he decided to stay. But he only turned around to wave goodbye. A final farewell. All too soon, he spun around and stepped through the portal, which burst into wisps of white as soon as Harry entered.
The wisps lingered long enough to prove to Fred that everything would turn out alright. He swore it was a scene from the future. Harry, surrounded by a gaggle of children. His godchildren, playing at his feet.