A/N: A double update today as I will be busy tomorrow and therefore won't be able to update again until Wednesday (don't forget to read the previous chapter: 'The Spice Girl' first if you have not done so already.) Enjoy!

*****

"WHAT IN MERLIN'S BEARD IS GOING ON HERE?!"

The voice startles me awake. I instantly sit up, and then immediately regret this action when I realise my tits are on full display to the horror-struck Molly stood at the doorway of the bedroom I'd just slept with her son in.

"Oh shit," Fred says, quickly reaching up to pull me back down, hastily pulling the covers over me in the mad rush to preserve what is left of my dignity.

"Get out, Mum!" He bellows holding me tight against him. "I locked that door!"

"And I unlocked it," Molly said, standing defiantly in the threshold. "And it's a good job too, because I was about to call the Aurors!"

I close my eyes, the humiliation too much.

"Mum!" Fred implores, his arms tightening around me, "Please just leave us!"

"YOU HAVE BROKEN THE RULES!"

"I don't care! I'm an adult!"

"An adult in bed with a child!"

"She's sixteen, we waited. I would never-"

"Oh please!" Molly scoffed. "That harpy's been itching to get her claws into you for ages. I'm not that blind! And of course with you being a man-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Mother!" Fred growls. "You don't understand."

A loud bark of laughter leaves her throat. "Oh, I understand alright. I was young once."

"I love her."

I freeze, and my face, which had been hiding against Fred's chest tilts up, my breath hitching in my throat as his eyes meet mine, and I can see he means it and my heart almost bursts.

And then there are more footsteps.

"What's going on here-?" I hear Arthur say. "Oh! Oh- I, uh... morning Fred... Um, morning there, Harriet."

"What's this?" Comes a third voice. My godfather's. "Ah! Good to see this room getting some action at last. My great, great, great aunt died in that very bed aged one hundred and fifty-nine. Thought we were never going to get rid of the old hag. Now, who's up for bacon butties?"

I bury my face back in Fred's chest, absolutely mortified at the audience now gathered at the door.

"Come on Molly, dear," I hear Arthur say calmly, "I think we should leave these two young lovers in peace now, don't you?"

I can practically feel the waves of anger emanating from Molly.

When, at last, I hear the click of the door closing, I look back up into Fred's face.

"Please tell me that didn't just happen?" I breathe shakily.

"What? The bit about my mother barging in on us or the part where I said I love you?"

Again my heart inflates, and my lips tug into a helpless smile. "Do you really?" I whisper.

Now it's Fred's turn to smile, his eyes creasing at the corners as he chuckles against me. "It's not actually how I wanted to tell you, but yes, of course I bloody love you."

"I love you too," I say, the words feeling both strange and yet so right on my lips. "I love you, Fred."

We just look at one another then, and I know the adoration in his eyes match mine.

He reaches up a hand and strokes my face with the back of his fingers, the smile on his lips warm and genuine, making my heart flutter so.

"Last night didn't put you off me, then?" He asks, cocking an eyebrow. "I know the first time can be a little... awkward."

"You didn't put me off at all," I say honestly. "Last night was amazing, Fred. It was better than I could have imagined. And-" I shyly bury my face in his neck before I say the next bit, "I can't wait to do it with you again."

"Really?" I feel the lift of his jaw. "Bloody hell, Harri, you don't know glad I am to hear you say that."

I lift my face and he gently brushes his lips over mine, causing me to sigh softly.

"Come on," he says, regret in his voice, "I suppose we better go downstairs and face the music."

But I don't care, because I know, in that moment, that I can face anything with Fred by my side.

*****

Fred's hand is clasped tightly in mine as, after showering and dressing, we enter the kitchen together.

I feel my face flame as everyone looks up at us, the conversations that were previously being had coming to a deafening halt. Molly glares at us from the head of the kitchen table, whilst Ginny and Hermione shake in silent laughter and Ron's face flushes a bright pink.

George, who is leaning back against the counter sipping a large mug of tea breaks the silence.

"Morning," he smirks knowingly, throwing us a wink.

"Bacon butty?" Sirius says who is busily frying bacon over the stove. "I've made extra seeing as you both probably worked up quite the appetite in the night."

"Yes, thank you, Sirius, that will be enough talk of that nonsense," Molly snaps at him. "This isn't some sort of frat house."

"A bacon butty will be great, thanks Sirius," Fred says pointedly, "in fact, make that two."

Without letting go of my hand, he leads me over to the far end of the table, furthest away from Molly.

The sound of chair legs scraping against stone floor is deafening in the large kitchen. I smile at Ginny as I sit down next to her.

"Guess what?" She smirks, nodding over at Ron and Hermione who are sat opposite us, "we have a couple of Prefects on our hands it seems."

"WHAT?!" Molly screams, clapping her hands together. "Why didn't you tell me? Oh this is marvelous news, Ron! Another Prefect in the family! That's everyone now!"

"And what are George and I, exactly?" Fred scoffs, "next door neighbours?"

"That's enough out of you young man," Molly scolds. "The way you're going you'll end up changing dirty nappies before you've even graduated. And that's another thing, are you two even using protection?"

At this point, Arthur, who has just walked into the kitchen humming, quickly reverses back out of the room again.

I sink down in my chair wanting the world to swallow me whole.

Fred slams his fist down on the table, startling everyone in the room. "Damn it mother, why are you being like this? You weren't this way when I was with Angelina."

"She was a nice girl."

"SHE CHEATED ON ME WITH MY BEST MATE!"

"I think we all need to calm down here-" Sirius says loudly.

But Fred, clearly and understandably upset, doesn't leave it there as he continues to glare defiantly at his mother.

"Harri makes me happy, a lot happier than she did, and I won't apologise to you for being with her. And yes, for your information, we are being careful because I love and respect her too much to ever put her in that position."

Wow, this just got so awkward.

Sirius strides across to Fred and pats him on the shoulder. "Good man, you've got my full approval to date my goddaughter."

Well, it's been going on six months already but sure, thanks.

The room falls into yet another deathly silence with Molly and Sirius having a glare off.

"So," Hermione says in a forced lightness as she pours herself a pumpkin juice. "Prefect duties - it's all so terribly exciting don't you think, Ron?"

******

Molly sets Fred and I at opposite ends of the house for cleaning duties. It's like she's frightened we'll end up making babies on the display cabinets if we are in too close proximity to one another.

"I don't even understand why we have to do this," I say grumpily to Ron as we set about polishing a cabinet full of goblets. "It's not even her house."

"She likes controlling people," Ron shrugs, "it's what makes her happy."

Seems like Molly is only happy if everyone around her is as miserable as sin.

One thing I know for certain, I'm not going to dare sleep with Fred again whilst we're under the same roof as her. I shudder as I recall her staring unflinchingly at my tits.

At least it's only two more nights until we go back to Hogwarts. Although it's still two days too long.

"I think you and Fred make a lovely couple!" Hermione beams. "I guess it's just a little difficult for Molly to accept that one of her sons is dating a Slytherin. She does like her Gryffindors."

"If it doesn't bother Fred, then it shouldn't bother her." I mutter. "In the meantime, she can try and keep us apart all she likes, but soon we'll be back at school and there'll be nothing she can do about it."

"Oh, I can advise some good places to use for privacy," Hermione says, "Viktor and I used to-"

"Alright stop right there!" Ron hollars. "No one wants to hear about you and Vicky."

"Well he's gone back to Bulgaria now, so you can quit acting so jealous." Hermione snips, scowling at Ron.

"I AM NOT JEALOUS!"

Ron throws down his rag and storms out the room.

Hermione and I exchange a look.

"So," Hermione says turning back to dust the bookcase. "Have you heard from any of the Slytherins at all this summer?"

I feel a familiar pang of hurt. "No," I mumble, "guess they must be busy."

To be fair, I did get a birthday card from both Pansy and Blaise though. Not a single thing from Draco, not even a card. And Daphne doesn't do birthdays.

"I guess things are tricky now," Hermione says lightly, "what with everything that happened that night."

Lights begin to flash in my vision, my chest squeezing tight. I didn't want to talk about that night. I wanted to be with Fred and let him kiss away dark thoughts.

"It must be so difficult for you," Hermione continues obliviously, "having witnessed Cedric's death. I do wonder if it'll mean you see the Thestrals now-"

I don't stay to hear anything else, just like Ron I toss my rag aside and walk right out.

Not caring about Molly's rota, I storm through the house on a mission to find Fred.

But before I can, I end up colliding into my godfather.

"Woah," Sirius says, grabbing my shoulders before I can push past him. "What's the big time rush?"

"I hate it here!" I snarl, angrily pushing him away from me, "I feel like a prisoner - I may as well be back at the Durselys where at least I was allowed more freedom than this! Everyone is treating me like a child and no one is telling me anything - I saw him, I faced him and I watched Cedric die! And all Molly can do is give me a dirty rag and tell me to polish some shit goblet like a good little house-elf! I WANT TO HELP KILL VOLDEMORT!"

I kick the wall for good measure.

Sirius looks at me for a moment. And I'm ready for him to tell me I shouldn't be complaining and to be thankful for what I have got.

But he doesn't, instead he continues to silently observe me as though he's thinking about something.

"You're angry," says Mr Captain Obvious. "And you know what - you have every right to be. You've been through a massive ordeal and it seems to you that everyone is just brushing it under the carpet and not taking the situation seriously."

Slowly, I nod. And suddenly I want to cry.

"I tell you what," Sirius says kindly, taking pity on me, "why don't I grab us a couple of cold beers from the fridge and you and I can sit down and have a chat. I'll tell you everything I know about these meetings. I know Molly doesn't want her kids knowing what the Order is about but she needs to remember you're not hers. And personally I think you're right: screw this stupid cleaning rota. What's important right now is answers, and I'm going to give them to you."

Finally! I had not realized that this is exactly what I needed to hear since that night. So I gratefully accept Sirius' offer and we go into the kitchen where we have some proper godfather/goddaughter bonding over beer and war talk.

He's Siriusly great.

*****