Christmas was nearing and Harry's life was becoming increasingly routine orientated. Despite his plan to 'say it like it was' to avoid stringing Fred along, Harry always seemed to wake up in his bed. He'd spend all day with Draco, talking to him, helping him eat, nursing him back to health. Neither Fred nor Draco had told him what had happened on their way to the Burrow and he didn't press them on it. He was right in suspecting Fred had come off worse, after a few nights of exploring the Weasley's body, he found more bruises, grazes and some deep cuts along his back...
"Sectumsempera-" Harry breathed, running his fingers along the deep ridges on Fred's back. It seemed like a cruel joke at Harry's expense.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Fred asked, rolling over to look at the boy and lace their fingers tightly together.
"I've- um" Harry cleared his throat to stall, looking at the mattress below them to avoid Fred's eye "I've had some experience with that spell."
"Nasty thing, I wouldn't stop bleeding." The ginger sighed, rolling to look up at the ceiling
"Freddie-" Harry propped himself up on his elbow "What happened?"
There was a pregnant silence, Harry watching Fred and Fred looking over at Harry, obviously trying to figure out if he was ready to relive the experience.
"We'd gotten halfway." Fred finally crumbled, looking at the beams in the roof rather than at Harry "I'm stupid to have stopped in the first place. I could have done it in one jump but-" He paused momentarily to sigh
"But Draco was nervous, he'd said something about stopping halfway just as a quick break and I guess subconsciously, I agreed with him."
Harry shuffled into a sitting position and watched as Fred carried on, still not making eye contact.
"It happened as soon as we landed." His eyes closed, trying to block the visuals out "I felt Draco's hand leave my arm, and there was a sack over my head. I felt like I couldn't breathe." Harry sensed he'd lost Fred, the way he was speaking made it feel as though he was going over the events, confirming them to himself.
"I could hear him screaming. He was yelling your name, not mine." There was a moment of silence as the words sunk in. Draco had been calling after him.
"I kicked someone and the hand around my neck disappeared. I got the bag off and stupefied one of them immediately. But they were trying to carry Draco away, dropping him when I bound them. I grabbed him and thought we were done when someone hit my back as he apparated."
Harry was breathing fast. He couldn't believe he'd put them through that. It was his fault that they were in that location at that time and all it took was a simple letter interception or for someone to be listening to his and Fred's floo conversation.
Nothing was safe and Harry should have known that.
"I'm sorry." He whispered into Fred's skin as he kissed the older's shoulder wishing he could apologise with more. He rose to straddle the twin's midriff, kissing him with more direction than before.
"Harry-" Fred turned his head, clearly not wanting what the boy was trying to suggest
"I'm so, so sorry." Harry whispered again "I want to apologise."
"Not now. Not like this." Fred sat up, pushing the smaller boy off him. Harry was quiet, sitting in the messy sheets, as Fred walked to the bathroom opposite the bed.
The room was silent for a while, Harry watched as Fred held the sink and splashed cold water into his eyes and on his face. He stared at his reflection for a while, touching the distinctly hand shaped bruises on his neck. The bespectacled boy got up, heading toward the door as he pulled on a shirt when Fred spoke,
"Do you think I haven't noticed what's going on between you and Malfoy?" The words were distant and somewhat cold, Harry eyes lowering to the ground as he left and headed down the stairs to sit with Draco. They read the tales of Beetle and Bard, which Harry had never read or heard before having grown up with muggles. It was quite nice to read children's stories, their narratives and teachings simple and clearly laid out, unlike their lives.

It was later that night, Draco was passed out with some pretty strong sleeping Draught and Harry was walking leaving the kitchen when something in the living room caught his eye. Ron and Hermione were asleep together on the sofa in front of the fire, leaning on one another. At their feet, Ginny and Elle were talking quietly, Ginny's head in her girlfriend's lap. The Weasley looked dazed, her eyes glazed over as though she were in a trance.
Harry was standing in the doorway watching them. What had he done to deserve such a fucked up love life? Why couldn't it be simple and easy like all his friends?
"It would be nice wouldn't it?" It was Fred, leaning on the opposite side of the doorframe "Not to hide? To be unapologetically in love." They looked upon the scene for a moment, letting the idea sink in. His tone had calmed down from earlier but it wasn't soft like it had been when the two had first gotten together.
"What I wouldn't do to meet someone who-" Harry thought for a minute, "Someone who understands that where I go trouble follows. That I'm like a magnet for death and destruction but is still willing to take the risk."
"Harry, what you don't realise is that there are hundreds of people who would throw themselves in the face of imminent death for you."
"But how many of those would love me for the person I really am?" Harry retorted "Not the one on the front page of the prophet but the one that pushes friends away and argues with people trying to look out for me?"
"I can't argue with that. You are pretty hard to get on with!" Fred shrugged laughing quietly.
The pair looked at one another for a while, and it was as though something passed between them, a sort of knowing feeling that they weren't meant to be.
As Harry looked back into the living room, he met Elle's eyes. As if on queue, he felt a sting running through his scar, more painful than it had been in a while.
"Ah, shit." He clutched his forehead, instinctively backing away from the living room.
"What is it?" Fred was whispering to him now, leaning close.
"It's Elle." Harry sighed, rubbing the lightning bolt on his head "There's something about her." he shook his head, not wanting to sound crazy
"What?" Fred pushed.
"It's-It's like Voldemort." Harry looked up at Fred who was pale but serious looking
"Your scar." He nodded
"Yeah, but it's more of a feeling, like a chill." The two shared a glance before heading upstairs, avoiding the living room completely. 

//Authors Notes\\

And so the countdown to the end of the books begins with the end of Harry and Fred. Who's glad? I sure am!

Have a very merry Christmas Eve, but also let me know what you think about Eleanor! Is she bad news? 
Love, Sidney xxx