POST- HARRY POTTER:
THE GOBLET OF FIRE
FRED WEASLEY x READER

SUMMARY: reader stays in the burrow for a night, while her mom is stuck at work for too long!

WARNINGS: none really.
WORD COUNT: 3500+
NOTES: this is essentially for my bestie iaskedforbuckybarnes ! but i thought others would enjoy it to so here <333 love u king

- b.

___________

Looking down at the dirt, and holding your bag strap tightly, you couldn't help but wait anxiously for your mom. She'd told you she'd be there a half an hour before to fetch you, but to no avail, you were waiting on a sandy path leading away from the Burrow by yourself.

You'd recently failed your apparition licensing test, which meant that despite the fact that you were of age; you couldn't apparate at all. Which meant your mom had to come to you, and apparate you home - which was not only pretty embarrassing, but was a strange rule that never made sense to you. But you supposed it was better that you weren't allowed to do it before you knew properly, because you wouldn't want to end up with half your body at home, and half in the Weasley's garden.

You were just about becoming antsy, shifting from foot to foot, when you heard the familiar call of an owl. Peering upward you drew your eyebrows together when you realized it was your own mother's tawny owl, Hank. Flying low, he landed on a post on the fence beside you, expectantly tilting his head with a letter clenched in his beak.

Immediately taking it from him, you opened it, reading the contents as you subconsciously went to pat your family pet gently. It was clearly from your mother, as you recognized her messy scrawl.

Sorry, darling! I have an urgent issue that has come up at work, and I'm afraid I can't even get a moment out of my schedule to fetch you - I barely got time to send Hank off with this note. I've put some extra money in the envelope in the hopes you can catch the bus home. I won't be back until at least midday tomorrow, so make sure to stay safe!

Love, mom

You peered into the package, seeing far more than what you would need to get a ride home, and you assumed it was payback for stranding you where you were.

It was Summer, and you'd come to the Burrow to take a knitting and baking course that Mrs. Weasley had been offering to students who had never learnt those kinds of things before. Your best friend had convinced you to go with a whole lot of your other friends from Hogwarts. You had to admit that you'd learnt a lot from the experience, and you didn't mind having an excuse to see all of your best mates in one cozy place. You'd laughed a lot, and by the end of the day everyone was knackered and almost immediately left for home via apparition. Save for you, and your best friend who just so happened to be staying the night.

See, your best friend was dating George Weasley, and had been for close to a year. She knew that she'd be hanging around the Weasley's house, and it was why she'd made you all sign up for Molly's class in the first place. You'd so enjoyed seeing her; but honestly, you were tired and just wanted to go home. But you weren't usually the one to be that lucky.

You sighed, giving Hank one last stoke before he shuffled, fluttered his wings, and took off. You watched him get smaller and smaller on the horizon, until you decided that you should probably head back and explain the situation.

It was quite late in the afternoon, and it was beginning to become cool as you wandered your way back to their front door, wiping your boots against the mat at the front door. Ginny was the first to notice that you were back, and her young features immediately pulled into a frown where she sat by the kitchen counter.

"Hey, (Y/n)! I thought you'd already left," She remarked, hands wrapped around a big mug of tea.

Next, her mother peered up from her cooking in surprise, "Oh, dear. Have you been out in the cold this whole time?" Molly asked with a tone filled with maternal worry.

Before you could speak up, Ron was already rolling his eyes, replying: "It's barely 'the cold', mum. It's the Summer."

You couldn't help but chuckle, along with Ginny, who hid a laugh behind her hand. "It's okay," You assured, "My mom was supposed to pick me up but she sent me a last minute owl saying she's stuck at work all night," You held up the letter in earnest, "But I'll probably just walk to the nearest bus stop and catch one home."

Molly looked appalled by the idea, quickly shaking her head as she wiped her hand on her already messy patch-work apron, "No, no, no!" She made her way over to you, "That's ridiculous! It's so late already, you shouldn't be traveling at this hour. Your mom wouldn't mind if you stayed for the night, would she, dear?"

You pondered it for a moment, knowing for a fact that your mom would probably prefer you staying right where you were. She didn't like you doing anything alone, unless you absolutely had no other option. Suddenly the food Molly was cooking was starting to smell better and better, and the cozy home was practically begging for you to curl up and fall asleep on the nearest quilt. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to spend an extra day with your best friend before she went back to living life large with her boyfriend. "Um . . . I don't think so . . . I wouldn't be imposing, right?" You managed out, arms crossed unconsciously.

All Molly did was shake her head like you were being ridiculous, and take you gently by the arm, "Of course not," She said with kind and welcoming eyes, "Come on, let's find a place for you to sleep."

Over your shoulder you could see Ginny shooting you apologetic eyes at the way her mom was coddling you, but you just smiled back, because you had to admit that you enjoyed it. It was nice to have someone as warm and accepting as her to take care of you for a little bit while your mom wasn't there.

___________

You made your way outside just as the sun had set, noticing how best friend (Y/b/f) was sitting by a patch of pumpkins on the lawn, perched on a particularly bulbous one as she watched Fred and George de-gnome the garden. It was dark, but lamps were scattered along the path where you walked, seeing your friend excitedly stand to greet you. She brought you into a warm hug, before offering a seat next to her, patting the plant with her hand. "I can't believe your mom left you here," She joked as you both got comfortable.

You chuckled, "Yeah, she usually wouldn't, I guess."

"Exactly, that's why it's weird," She nodded, peering over at her boyfriend and his brother while they made a ruckus. "You know, they used to throw those gnomes around? I just barely got them to stop doing it," She asked, gesturing to the two boys.

You raised your eyebrows, "Isn't that a little cruel?"

You observed that they were now just spinning them to make them dizzy, and releasing them into the bushes beyond the garden fence (where they'd inevitably wonder off - they weren't the smartest creatures). They seemed to naturally have a curiosity, and came bounding out of their hide outs to see what the commotion was about, leading to them being out in the open and easier to snatch. You'd never lived anywhere that required de-gnoming, and while it was normal, you still found yourself thinking it was strange. Even for the wizarding world.

(Y/b/f) really loved magical creatures, and practically worshipped all of Newt Scamander's books, so you were surprised she didn't freak out even more at how the boys used to treat them.

The twins seemed to have just about finished their job, and as they meandered over, your friend rested her head on your shoulder and let out a dreamy sigh. You could practically read her mind. She didn't have to save anything sappy about George for you to know what she was thinking. You'd known her long enough.

"Hey, I didn't know you were staying over," George remarked amiably as they reached you, throwing his arm around his girlfriends shoulder to pull her closer. You had to admit that they were cute together, if not only for the fact that they made each other so happy.

"Don't you know? Her mom stranded her here," (Y/b/f) told him, voice tinted with obvious humour.

"Blimey, (Y/n)! Sorry about that," Her boyfriend laughed, leaning back against the gourd she sat on, "Good thing we don't mind an extra person, right, Fred?" He asked his brother.

Upon hearing his name, you looked over to him only to notice that his eyes were unabashedly attached to you. You didn't know why, but for seemingly the first time around him, butterflies sprung to your stomach, and you couldn't help but look away. He cleared his throat, "Not at all, George," he said easily.

You had to admit that you were probably more acquainted with George than you were with Fred - after all, he was pretty much everywhere that your best friend was (in other words, it was inevitable). Fred tagged along every once in a while when you were in a bigger group, but you had never really spoken to him; not properly, anyways. Even though he seemed to be more outgoing than his twin, he tended to be quiet every time you were together in close proximity. You didn't know if it was because you always caught him on a bad day, or if he straight up disliked you - but when you met his eyes again, they were warm and twinkling slightly in the dim light, and you seemed to be able to relax knowing that he didn't seem like the type of person to hate anyone.

You'd barely noticed that (Y/b/f) had started talking until she had already said she was leaving to have an evening walk with George. You almost wanted to freak out and make her stay with you, but everyone was so casual and collected that all you did was nod in reply, "Sure, see you later."

Watching as the couple walked off with linked hands, bumping shoulders as they spoke kindly to each other, you noticed that Fred didn't seem like he was leaving. He instead took a seat next to you, eyes glued on the stars at the edge of the skyline. From this side of the garden, you could see everything clearly, and because you were so far from civilization, the stars were just as bright as they were at Hogwarts. You could pick out constellations you learnt in second year astronomy, surprised that you'd even remember something like that.

For some reason, you felt your gaze drifting to the boy beside you, and for a moment, you couldn't help but admire him. His long red hair felt to his shoulders, and his face was tinted with a silver hue in the moonlight, obscuring his familiar freckles slightly. You vaguely remember thinking that he was quite handsome, but in that moment, it was all you could think of. You felt your face warm at the thought.

Fred must have felt you looking at him, because he turned to you, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, "You know? I don't ever think we've been alone together," He remarked off-handedly, admiring the blush filling your cheeks.

You could practically feel your heart flutter, and for some reason, you were just tired and vulnerable enough to find yourself liking it. You were usually a bit guarded, but after a long year at school, and a really good Summer, you found yourself being a little bit more open than before. "Yeah, and what about it, Weasley?" You were smiling, and he raised an eyebrow at your playfulness, matching your expression.

"Nothing, nothing . . ." He looked like he was going to say something, but he shook his head instead, looking back up at the night sky for a moment. "I'm used to third-wheeling alone," He said belatedly, "I guess it's nice to have someone around."

You smiled at how sincere it sounded, letting out a small laugh, "I suppose so - but I had to deal with it all year at school. It's your turn now."

Fred chuckled slightly, knocking his shoulder against yours jokingly, "What are you, a masochist?" He asked as his lips curled into a sly smile that practically made your head spin. You didn't know completely why you were suddenly feeling this way about him, but you guessed it was because you'd never really had the time to talk to him at all.

"Maybe," You quipped, "But you'll have to get to know me better to find out. That's at least second tier friendship information." You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, and Fred watched the action amiably, tilting his head slightly.

He laughed at your words, leaning back on the palms of his hands as he looked over at you, "I'll just have to wait and see then."

_________

"Hey!" Fred called from where he stood, stretching to fix a piece of white cloth up to the tree - Ron and George struggling on the opposite side of the sheet to do the same. "Can you help for a second?" He queried.

You placed down the pillows you had brought from inside, going over to him with a curious look, "What can I do?" You asked him, and he smiled down at you in a way that left you almost immediately stumped.

"Here, just hold this," He gestured to the corner of the fabric, letting you get up on a stool so that you could reach to its height and keep it in place for him. Molly had tasked the boys with hanging something up for Arthur to show his movie on. Apparently his department in the Ministry of magic had been trying to figure out projectors for a while; and they recently had. This meant that the Weasley's were having a new showing of a moving picture, which you were sure your pure blood friends had never seen before. It was an old-fashioned machine that still worked with film, but it seemed in good condition, and was running perfectly fine when you helped Arthur test it.

For you, a movie wasn't really anything special - but you supposed you could understand how novel it was to all of your friends. You wanted the to watch the right film, and suggested some with colour; but Mr. Weasley didn't seem ready for that. You agreed halfway on 'the Wizard of Oz', hoping that they would be surprised by the shift away from black and white.

In your peripheral, Fred grabbed a hammer and a nail, and you were momentarily worried. He seemed to notice it on your face, and couldn't help but shake his head, chuckling under his breath at the fact that you didn't trust him. He stretched up, pressing the tip of the nail into place, being sure to mind your hands. It wasn't long before the process was finished, and you were breathing a sigh of relief as you stepped back down off the chair - cherishing the solid ground. When you looked up, you were closer to Fred than you expected.

"That wasn't so bad - hm?" He asked you, teasingly, tilting his head with a mischievous smile as you flustered. He didn't make a move to step back, his eyes twinkling down at you.

"Um, I-" You were interrupted by your best friend shrieking, and you couldn't help but whip around to see what was wrong, taking a step back from the boy in the process.

She was shoving her boyfriend with one hand, the other pressed to her heart, as she scolded him off for scaring her: "Merlin, George! Just because you learnt to apparate, doesn't mean you have to do it all the damn time."

You could help but chuckled at the outburst, and Fred seemed to be enjoying his twin getting a talking to, laughing at him unabashedly. Usually, he was in it with him, so it was a nice change of pace. You were just glad that it distracted him away from how close the two of you had been.

___________

You'd only reached about the Tin Man scene, when you felt a tugging on your sleeve. You were sitting toward the back, keeping an eye on the projector as the wizarding family and friends watched the film in awe. Turning to see who'd gotten your attention - you were slightly unsurprised to see Fred. He was wearing an olive green sweater, and you though it suited him quite a lot, contrasting with his auburn hair as he offered you a lopsided grin.

"What's up?" You whisper, sure not to disturb the movie; though everyone seemed thoroughly distracted anyways.

"Come with me?" He asked, warm brown eyes alive with something you couldn't really discern. Fred's hand was still holding your sleeve, pulling you closer - and you couldn't help but follow despite yourself, stomach fluttering with butterflies at his low words.

He took you into the into the house itself, settling in on one of their comfortable sofas near the unlit fireplace. He brought you down next to him, finally letting you go as you sat beside to him with a curious expression.

"What's all this about, Fred?" You asked obliviously, not yet seeming to realize that the boy was just desperately trying to get you alone. In all the years he'd known you, he'd been interested in finding out how you worked. What you liked. If you'd like him. And now that he finally had the opportunity - he was going to take what time he could get with you. "Don't you want to watch the movie?" You asked, eyebrows furrowed lightly as you peered up at him. He was beginning to love looking into those eyes.

"Nah . . ." He shook his head, lips tilting up, "You're more fun to look at, anyways." Fred was joking, and you could tell by the chuckled that tumbled from him - but you could also tell that he meant it by the way he was staring down at you.

Although you'd never thought of him that way, Fred seemed to be making you flustered to a concerning level. You couldn't fight back the butterflies springing to your stomach, nor the blush that coated your cheeks in a pretty pink hue.

"Shut up," You rolled your eyes, trying to hide your slight bashfulness - but he didn't miss how he affected you for one second. He wasn't that kind of person. "Did you just pull me away to flirt with me?" You asked, despite the way your heart pulsed.

He seemed amused by your accusation, but his arm twisted around your waist nevertheless, bringing you closer as he spoke: "What if I did?" His tone could never truly be serious, but you were sure this was as close as the redhead got.

Every small moment he'd spent with you had his feelings going hay-wire. He couldn't let you slip through his fingers before you left the next day. And if you rejected him, he'd just have to deal with that. Because the other outcome was all he ever wanted since he met you.

You could feel how warm your face was, but allowed yourself to sink into his touch anyway. Looking through your lashes, you asked rather bravely, "Is that all you wanted to do?" It wasn't like you to be so forward around guys (or anyone you found attractive, for that matter), but the way he acted around you was encouraging - and his touch was warm and comfy as he held you.

Fred cracked a smile at your words, seemingly impressed by your confidence. You noted the way he flushed a little, his freckles obscured by the redness. "What? Are you in the business of reading minds now?" He joked, though he didn't miss the way you leaned into him, laughing lightly at his words.

"No . . . I'm just hopeful that you're thinking the same things as me," You admitted, and for all intents and purposes; it was true. Every bone in your body was suddenly aware of your closeness, like you were pulled to him by an invisible force you couldn't seem to figure out.

Fred took a moment to gauge your expression, watching the way you couldn't help but look at his lips. They curved into a goofy smile, observing how you seemed to want the same thing as him. His stomach fluttered with butterflies, but even with his anxiousness, he found his hand going up to hold your jaw slightly - guiding your face towards his as he whispered, "Can I kiss you?"

You answered his question with a breathless nod, closing the distance between the two of you so that you could finally touch your lips to his. He was more caring than you'd imagined, steadying you as he deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping into your mouth despite how he told himself to hold back. But he couldn't help it, with the content little sounds you made, and the fact that your hands were tangled in his flaming hair.

Neither of you noticed how caught up you were in one another, noses brushing and chests stuttering because you couldn't bare to part. And you couldn't bring yourself to care how desperate you were, when he was equally as lost in you.

And if you were embarrassed by your actions, imagine how George and (Y/b/f) felt when they were the lucky ones that had to discover you two on the living room couch - wrapped up in each other in a mess of affection and giggles.