YOU GOT YOUR PASSION, YOU GOT YOUR PRIDE. BUT DON'T YOU KNOW THAT ONLY FOOLS ARE SATISFIED?
— VIENNA, BILLY JOEL

Boom.

Rory felt herself collapse. Her arms went instinctively over her head to protect it. There had been an explosion. The gust of air and debris knocked her off her feet and she hit the ground with a soft thud. All she saw was darkness. It took a moment, for her eyes to adjust. She opened them and got up, realizing she had fallen right next to Percy.

"Rory!" A voice shouted. Her ears were slightly ringing from the explosion, but she knew who the voice belonged to.

"Fred!" She cried, getting up off the ground. She looked around at the rubble and saw him not too far away, still on the ground. She ran to him and helped him up.

"For a second there I thought I'd lost you, love," Fred sighed, squeezing her hand.

"Never," Rory said. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

They were safe and alive, both of them. Rory was so grateful, she couldn't imagine what life would have been like if she'd lost him.

Losing Aaron was hard, but after the war she still had so many people she loved to be there for her.

A little over a year later, Rory sat in her dad's living room with Fred next to her and Emily on her lap.

"Where's George tonight?" Cordelia asked, taking a seat next to Andrew across from Fred and Rory.

"On a date," Fred grinned. "With Marina."

"Oh!" Cordelia grinned, "That's sort of exciting, isn't it?"

Rory and Fred exchanged a look of uncertainty. They were trying their best to support George but both Fred and Rory had their own opinions about his date. George and Marina weren't the same people they were before the war, no one was. As much as Rory wanted them to get back together because she loved them both so much, she knew it might not be the best idea.

"I guess," Rory shrugged, then shifted the conversation. "Cordelia... why did you guys invite me over? This isn't a pity tea, is it?"

"No!" Cordelia shook her head, very obviously lying, "We just wanted to catch up."

Rory shook her head, "I don't care I didn't get the job. That McGregor man deserved it more."

"I can't believe I blocked that curse that could have killed him during the battle... and he repays me by taking your job!" Fred groaned.

Rory shrugged it off. She didn't want to let the loss of the Muggle Studies job get to her. Setbacks were bound to happen. Maybe one day the job would reopen, but in the meantime, she needed to find a different profession. Her passion was teaching but there weren't many options when it came to that.

"It's fine, really," Rory nodded, "I'll figure it out. I like tutoring and it'll keep me busy until something else comes up. Besides... maybe it's for the best. I think I'd be pretty stressed dealing with settling in to a new job and the bloody wedding."

"Well don't act so enthusiastic," Fred rolled his eyes.

"You know I'm excited, Freddie," she shook her head, "Just anxious, that's all."

"Well you've got six months to get those nerves out, love," he sighed.

"I'm so excited for the two of you," Andrew smiled.

Rory was extremely anxious for the wedding. She loved Fred, but was twenty one too young? Was she going to end up like her parents? No, her and Fred were different. She wasn't anything like Christine and there was nothing to worry about. The idea of a big ceremony scared her though. She didn't have very fond memories of the last wedding she attended.

"We've just got the guest list all picked out," Fred boasted.

"Lovely!" Andrew nodded, "So what did you decide, Rory?"

Rory shook her head, "She's not invited. I don't think she'd come if she were."

"Good," Cordelia said firmly, raising her mug to her lips, then paused. "I mean... I'm glad you're doing what's best for you, Rory."

"Right," Rory said, cracking a smile at Cordelia's hatred for Christine. "Freddie, what time d'you think George will be back?"

He shrugged, "I mean... depends on how well the date goes."

"But what if he brings her back to ours? Shouldn't we get back before him then?"

"You two really need your own place," Andrew sighed. "Listen, I know you love the convenience but poor George —"

"I know," Rory said. "Oh, shit — Em's asleep."

Cordelia sighed and stood up, "I'll take her upstairs." Rory carefully handed off her little sister to Cordelia and adjusted her position on the couch so she was now sitting criss cross.

"As I was saying," Andrew went on, "I'll help you find a place and get settled in to make it easier on you. I know house hunting on top of a wedding isn't a walk in the park, but I'm here for you, Rory."

"I know," Rory nodded, "Thank you. I think we should get going though. I'll see you soon, yeah?"

Rory said goodbye to Andrew and Cordelia and went back to the flat with Fred. George was there when they got back, alone, sitting on the couch.

"How was your date?" Rory asked. "You two going to make it work again?"

"Nope," he shook his head, "we're not. That's okay though. I'm strangely fine with it."

Rory pouted and sat down next to him, grabbing his arm for comfort. "What happened?"

"It was like... I don't know. It was like she was a different woman than who I went  out with two years ago, you know? Not in a bad way. She seemed a lot happier and a lot better off but... I don't think that Marina is meant for me. That sounds sort of fucked up, now that I say it, but it's true. I think she felt the same way. We talked about it and agreed to find other people that could be better for us. We're going to stay friends... maybe that's what we were always meant to be." He explained.

Rory knew part of him was hurt that it couldn't work out. So, she did her best to comfort him and racked her brain with any other women she knew who could be a good fit for George.

As she was, she heard a loud banging sound from downstairs. It was raining heavy outside, so Rory brushed it off as thunder at first. Until she began to hear shouting.

"Hello? Can one of you blokes let me in? I'd apparate but I think I'll splinch myself!"

The three exchanged worried looks and ran to the window. Outside the shop, banging on the door, was Kirsty Blaine.

"Blaine!" George shouted, opening the window, "What the fuck is going on?"

"Let me in and I'll tell you! Please! I'm soaked!"

George ran down the steps and Rory and Fred sat there with confused faces. Not much later, George returned with Kirsty. It was shocking how beautiful she looked despite the fact she had been caught in a storm. She had black streaks down her face from mascara running and her blonde hair was sticking to her shoulders. George performed a spell to help dry her off and Fred began boiling tea for her on the kettle.

"What happened?" Rory asked, sitting her down on the couch, "Why have you come all the way here?"

"Remember that guy I was seeing? We went to a pub together just outside Diagon Alley... who do we run in to? His bloody wife! He was married this whole time and I didn't even get to drink since I stormed off before we ordered. I came here because I was so angry I didn't want to apparate back home."

Rory gasped, "Oh no! I'm so sorry, Kirsty!"

She shrugged, "It's fine... I wasn't too attached to him. I just feel bad for his poor wife. Oh, thanks, Fred." She accepted the hot mug from Fred and softly blew on the hot liquid inside to cool it.

"Do you want to crash here?" Rory asked, "I can set up the couch for you. Better yet, you can have the bed. Fred and I will sleep on the couch."

Kirsty chuckled softly, "Nah, it's alright. Maybe I'll go out again and find some lonely man who isn't married to give me the attention I deserve. I still want that bloody drink."

"Want me to join you?" George asked, "My plans for the night sort of... fell through too."

The blonde smiled brightly, "Sure! That'd be nice. Thanks, George."

Rory looked at Fred, Fred looked at Rory, and in their secret language they said something along the lines of: "Oh. My. Goodness."

The pair left not too long after leaving Rory and Fred in the flat alone.

"Rory... are you sure you're okay?" Fred asked, joining her on the couch.

Rory sighed, "My dream died earlier today, Fred. I'm strangely okay about it. It's like... saying goodbye to an old friend I think. You take a step back and think, 'I had a lot of fun with you, but it's time to go' and although I never actually got to live my dream, I sure had a hell of a lot of fun fantasizing about it. So what if I never go back to Hogwarts? It's not like I really belonged there. I mean... it's just a school, right?"

She felt tears sting her eyes and for the first time all day, she cried about her rejection. Maybe another opportunity would arise from the rubble of her broken ambitions, or maybe she would never get the feeling of being called "Professor Archer" and seeing her students' face light up when they got an answer right. She had Fred right beside her though, and that helped.

Six months later, they still had each other but Rory didn't have a stable job. That was okay though. They moved out of the flat above the shop in to a small stuffy home not too far from her father's house. It was alright. Rory didn't really mind. At least she pretended she didn't.

The day of their wedding day came and Rory was sitting in the attic of the Burrow, hugging her knees, speaking to herself like a madwoman.

"Rory..." she said, "No, not you. You're not sensible... Aaron? You out there? D'you have a minute? Great! I'm getting married today, and you're not here to see it. That's so shitty! Like so so so shitty. I miss you. Remember when we listened to Neil Diamond and talked about our first crushes together? I miss that. I'd rather be there right now.

"Don't get me wrong... I love Fred but... marriage is like a really big deal. I'm just afraid that I'm going to become some compliant housewife who pops out kids like a damn gumball machine and gets wine drunk to drown out the shouting in her own head. Not that there's anything wrong with women who choose to do that... that just isn't me. Isn't it sort of strange, I haven't gone more than what, two months without being by Fred's side in over ten years? I mean... everything important I ever did was with him somehow. Not one thing in my fucking life that was of any substance was done without him involved.

"Now, that seems really great on the surface. He's my best friend, that's sort of the whole point. But... for once I want to do something as just Rory. But I'm getting married... and that's going to be impossible. Aaron, what do I do? I mean, everyone is waiting for me down there to say 'I do' but is that what I want? I'm twenty two years old. I still feel like a child sometimes. I feel like I sort of had to grow up pretty fast with how Christine was and Cedric dying and then you... I can't get married. D'you understand, Aaron? I think you would."

Rory took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She turned her head and saw Fred standing against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets.

"I'm so sorry," Rory shook her head, "I love you so much."

He sat next to her on the floor and took her hands, "I love you too. And because I love you, I can't let you marry me today. I've got to let you go."

"What?" She whispered, tears swelling in her round brown eyes.

"I'm not dumping you but... you're right. You never got to develop some sense of self without me being there. I want you to do something for yourself and by yourself. I'll be waiting for you. I waited five years before I actually got to call you mine... what's a few more, right?"

"I can't leave you... not on our wedding day? What's everyone going to think? Your mother will hate me. Everyone will. You will. I'm not a runaway bride."

"Who are you then?" He asked.

She let the tears fall and shook her head, "I don't know."

"I want you to figure it out. I know who I am. You should know who you are. You deserve to have something that's yours. Go."

"Fred... I'm not going to leave you."

He sighed, "Would you rather me leave you?"

Rory shook her head, "I love you. But if I go... I can't expect you to wait around for me."

"Then I won't. But no one in this big wide world is ever going to fill the Rory shaped hole in my heart. I will never, ever feel this way about anyone else, what I feel for you. Even if I try, it isn't going to happen. You can't wait around for me either though. If some hot French man who knows all about symphonies wants to get with you on a beach in Madrid... you let him... if that's what you want, of course.

"Then, once you find out who you are, you come back to our home and tell me. Tell me who Rory is. If the Rory that knows who she is still wants to be with me, I'll be the happiest man in the world. If the Rory that knows who she is doesn't want to be with me, I'll still be the happiest man in the world. You know why? Because you deserve to be who you want to be. I just want you to be happy, Rory. Marrying me today won't make you happy, not in the way you think it will."

So, she left. Rory wasn't sure where to go. Most of her belongings were at the Burrow so she changed her clothes, packed up the things she brought and took out as much Muggle money she could at Gringotts. Then, she went to a train station and bought a one way ticket to Vienna.

She received a lot of letters when she first arrived. Mainly from her dad at first (who knew where she was going to end up) saying he hopes she's safe and happy and that no one is mad at her. Then the letters from Fred came. Those were always her favorite. He told her to give him all the juicy details of what the Austrian men were like and then went on about what George and Kirsty were up to. The shop was doing great, which she expected.

Rory found a job in Vienna about a month into her move. She was a nanny of sorts for a family with two children. She helped them with their schoolwork and their English. The language barrier wasn't terrible and she picked up German fairly fast (at least the basics). People there were very kind. Her father had sent her enough money to rent a flat for a few months and with her own job, she was set. Living as a Muggle was amazing. The time away from the wizarding world allowed her to see the true magic in life.

The men took a liking to her and she had to admit, they were so beautiful and interesting. Her and Fred promised each other not to hold back because of one another so she listened and when asked on a date, she'd say yes. Most of them were fleeting, no man getting more than three dates and maybe one night spent at her flat. They taught her a lot about herself, about her body, and about how much she loved Fred. She had made the right choice, leaving. But she knew she needed to come back.

Months passed and Fred still wrote nearly every day. He was exploring a bit too and telling her about it. She loved how honest they were with each other. Fred told her he didn't enjoy being with other girls and was glad she felt the same about the men she met. They confirmed to each other that their connection wasn't based solely in the fact that they knew each other in their formative years and shared a childhood in a way. It was because they truly loved each other and knew one another in their bloody marrow.

She knew it was possible to have feelings for other people, but Fred was her home. Rory just needed the confirmation that she wasn't predestined at birth to be his. She was predestined at birth to be Rory Archer. Without him, she was still the best version of herself.

So, after a year in Vienna, she said goodbye. She helped the family she nannied for with the transition to someone new and she left. The train ride back to London was bittersweet. Vienna had waited for her, and she loved her life there, but it was always going to be there... sort of like Fred. And he was, there.

Rory stood outside the door to their home and opened it with the key she still had. She could hear Fred in the kitchen, making dinner for himself. One of her records was playing softly in another room.

She stepped into the kitchen and put her bags down. He turned around and smiled. He wasn't surprised to see her, almost like he knew she'd come back exactly when she did. He looked at with that look he always had when he really saw Rory.

"So, Rory... who are you?" He asked.

She took a deep breath, "I'm Rory... and I'm home."

A/N

surprise!! i decided to write an alternate ending for wild to show life if fred had survived. i wanted to highlight the fact that she would still face a lot of struggles and just because he lives doesn't mean her life is picture perfect. i wanted to still leave this more open ended than the typical epilogue of them getting married and having kids because i've never seen that far into their relationship since i've been killing fred off for five years now lol

this is lowkey corny and unrealistic but that's sort of the point... it's kinda meant to feel like a dream since we know this doesn't actually happen in the real story... like sort of how rory imagined her life if fred didn't die

i hope you enjoy this ending, i cried almost the whole time while writing this (i didn't cry at all when i wrote the og ending though lol) because rory having to say goodbye to her dreams absolutely kills me. that's why i prefer the ending i chose because although this is sweet and very coming of age, she was meant to be teaching and meant to find herself by herself if that makes any sense

i'll probably write another one with a different ending... maybe killing off andrew and cordelia oops. until then, check out the sequel of this book called "peace" if you haven't and also the one shot book for this called "cut for time" where i post special chapters and one shots!