Thursday, April 1
Fred was jolted awake by a sharp elbow hitting his ribs. He rolled over with a grunt and immediately began shoving at whatever was attacking him.
"Fuck, quit it, stupid."
"Harry?"
Fred stifled a yawn and reached out until he could feel the satin material of Harry's invisibility cloak and pulled it off him. "What are you doing?" he asked once Harry's face appeared beneath the cloak.
"I'm trying to be nice," Harry scowled. He rearranged himself until he was comfortable on his side next to Fred. "I thought maybe you wouldn't wanna wake up on your birthday alone."
Fred glanced at the clock across the dorm room from him, hanging next to Lee's bed, and then grinned at Harry. "It's already three am," he said.
"Right, so happy birthday," Harry said seriously. "In my defense, I just thought of this plan a little bit ago and it took a while to guess the password to get in the tower."
Fred laid back down, drawing Harry a little closer to him. "How'd you guess it?"
"I didn't," Harry laughed quietly. "I woke Sirius up and begged him for it."
Fred chuckled and closed his eyes, he still had a few more hours that he could sleep before he had to get up and face the day.
"Hey Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"Did you really think of this plan by yourself?"
"No," Harry admitted, closing his own eyes and curling up next to Fred. He pulled the blanket back over them both and Fred could feel the shrug of his shoulders. "Draco did."
Fred chuckled and listened to Harry's even breaths as he willed himself to fall back asleep.
Even if it wasn't Harry's idea, it was still Harry who was here and happily cuddling him in an effort to make sure he didn't wake up alone on what Fred was sure would be a terrible day.
And it started off pretty bloody terrible.
Fred accepted birthday wishes from Harry's friends when the two of them sat down at the Slytherin table later that morning. Even Susan, who he had built a type of friendly truce with, looked sympathetic as she quietly wished him a happy birthday.
Ron had, surprisingly, hugged Fred and didn't bother with any of the meaningless, but well intentioned, greetings the others used. Which was nice. Because Fred wasn't really in the mood to celebrate much.
He'd only gotten seventeen birthdays with his dad, and that wasn't nearly enough time. It was easy to push on, force some optimism in his thoughts, when it wasn't a day like today. Usually, ever since they started Hogwarts, their dad would always write them a little note and send it along with a package from their mum on the twins' birthday. Never anything incredibly deep or personal, but always a joke of some sort. Something to make sure the twins knew he appreciated their humor and tried to relate the best he could.
They were bloody terrible jokes, but well-appreciated anyway.
Ron's fluffy little grey owl, Galvin, interrupted Fred's sorrowful thoughts as he flew to their table and eagerly flapped his wings in Fred's face.
"I think he wants you to take that letter," Zabini said. "Or he could be attempting to make you his mate."
"I got it." Harry offered when Zabini's attempt at a joke fell flat. He gently untied the letter from Galvin's leg and fed him a bit of bacon before shooing him away. "Here."
Fred accepted the letter and stared down at the scroll blankly. When he opened what he was sure was his usual birthday letter from his mum, and saw his dad's absent signature and usual corny joke, it would all be real.
"Want me to read it?" Harry offered quietly.
"No." Fred gave him a grateful look and unrolled the parchment. "I'll read it."
He took a deep breath then looked down at the letter:
Fred,
Happy birthday my amazing son. I can't believe that eighteen years ago I was laid up in bed, marveling at the sight of my tiny, beautiful, and perfect twins. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing you boys home and trying to keep Charlie from stuffing you in hat boxes. Even if you aren't so tiny anymore, you'll always be my perfect and beautiful son who I love more than anything. I know today is going to be hard, but I wanted to tell you that I am so incredibly proud of you and your father always was, and always will be, as well.
Try to be happy today; if skipping classes and pulling pranks makes you smile, then you do just that, okay?
Enjoy your day Freddie, make your brother share the lemon cake I sent to him this morning (Galvin kept trying to peck at the box and Ginny said you eat breakfast with Harry most mornings so I thought it might be safest to send the cake to George).
I love you,
-Mum
Ps: What do you call a toothless bear? A gummy bear!
Fred traced the little 'ps' his mum added and smiled sadly. She was trying so hard, Fred didn't always give her enough credit for how hard she tried. He didn't even realize he was crying until one of his tears fell on the parchment and smudged some of the ink.
"Er... you alright?" Harry asked him when Fred had been blinking absently at the letter for a few minutes.
"Y-yeah." Fred cleared his throat and wiped his face dry before rolling the letter back up and pocketing it. "I'm fine." He tried to smile, but it seemed more like a grimace than anything. "Hey, mum said I should skip class and pull pranks all day, you in?"
Fred must truly look miserable, because Hermione and Theo didn't even try and talk him out of it.
"Course," Harry said simply, as if it were a given that he'd be game. "Hey, d'you want your present now or later?"
He narrowed his eyes at Malfoy and Ron's sudden snickers and had a bad feeling that they already knew what it was and found something amusing about it. "Later," he told Harry. "Wanna go see if George and Angie wanna join us?"
"Sure."
George, whose red rimmed eyes were proof that he was having just as crummy a day as Fred, jumped at the suggestion and the three of them begged until Angie agreed to join them.
"If we get in trouble I'm telling McGonagall that you lot imperio'd me," she grumbled on their way up to the dorm for supplies.
"She'll believe you," Harry shrugged. "Snape'll blame me anyway."
"See? Perfect scapegoat," George assured her with a kiss to her cheek. "Who could ever blame Ickle Harrikins for corrupting his fellow students? Look at those innocent eyes!"
Fred and Angelina both looked down at Harry's eyes, and started snickering at the same time.
"Oh yeah," Angie rolled her eyes. "Harry's perfectly innocent alright."
"I am," Harry protested. He stopped outside the Gryffindor Tower and winked at Angela before telling the Fat Lady, "Canis Majoris."
"You told him the password??" Angie glared half-heartedly at Fred as the painting swung open.
"Nope. Professor Black did," Fred grinned. "See why Harry's the perfect scapegoat?"
Angelina didn't look too convinced, but Fred knew she was just putting on a show. The only time she really cared much about rules was when it came to their quidditch matches, outside of that she was almost as careless as Fred and George were and contributed more than one idea to joke shop items.
The four of them spent a couple hours setting traps across the Gryffindor tower, then Harry offered to let them in the Slytherin common room so they all trooped quality down to the dungeons to set up pranks for the Slytherins as well.
"Bloody hell," Angie sighed when she stepped in the Slytherin territory. "This is posh!"
"I know," Harry scowled, as if the rich decor offended him somehow.
"Well lets see how posh it is when we're done," George said.
They got lucky with the absence of any students with a free period. Though, this close to exams, Fred reckoned they were probably in the library studying their heads off.
Harry didn't keep them from setting just as many (mostly) harmless traps for the Slytherin's as they had the Gryffindors. In fact, when George set out plates of Canary Creams, Harry laughed and put them in a more visible spot.
"You guys are terrible," Angie laughed. "They're going to blame poor Harry for this I bet."
"Nah, they're all terrified of him," Fred said. He held Harry's hand tightly as they left and made their way back to the Gryffindor Tower. "They might assume Harry did it, but they won't ask him."
"They really won't," Harry smirked. "Not since these gits let everyone find out I'm a Parsletongue anyway."
That led to Angelina asking Harry a million questions about talking to snakes as they settled down in the Gryffindor rooms in front of the fire, apparently she thought it was fascinating. Then the four of them talked quidditch for a while, Angelina told Harry that she was planning on playing for the Harpies next year after she graduated. Harry didn't tell her about his own goals of playing professionally, so Fred didn't bring it up either. He figured Harry either didn't want to jinx himself or didn't want her to know in case he didn't make it.
Not that Fred doubted him. Harry could have let in every goal from his last match and recruiters would have to be blind to not see he was a natural on a broomstick.
At some point, after they'd all had a slice of the lemon cake their mum sent for them, Fred excused himself to go up in his dorm for a bit. He didn't bother making up some grand lie, not when he figured George would understand and Harry would follow anyway.
Sure enough, Fred had barely thrown himself on his bed, preparing to wallow in his thinly veiled grief, when Harry popped his head in the dorm and came straight over to his bed.
"Budge up." Harry poked him until Fred scooted over enough for Harry to crawl up on the bed. Harry sat back against the headrest and patted his legs invitingly. "You can lay your head here and cry or yell or talk, whatever you want. It's your birthday, isn't it?"
Fred didn't care if he looked pathetic, he felt pathetic. He just rearranged himself until his head was in Harry's lap and he let silent tears fall while Harry stroked his hair and breathed evenly.
"I miss him," Fred eventually whispered. "I miss him so bloody much."
"I know," Harry said gently.
And Fred realized that Harry did know actually. He looked up at Harry's expressionless face and frowned. "D'you miss your dad?"
"Me?" Harry raised a brow at Fred's question. "No, not really. I didn't know him, so I don't suppose I have anything about him to miss, do I?"
Fred hummed and went back to silently staring up at the ceiling.
He privately, very privately, thought that was actually one of the saddest things he ever heard. He'd rather have gotten seventeen and a half years with his dad than just one year he couldn't remember like Harry had.
Eventually, when Fred could hear students downstairs in the common room and he could see the sky turning orange outside, his stomach growled.
"Wanna go to dinner?" Harry asked.
Fred sat up and wiped his face off with his jumper before shaking his head. "Not really. Wanna go nick some food from the kitchen with me?"
"Er..." Harry squinted his eyes at Fred thoughtfully. "No. I've got a better idea, I'll be back in ten minutes, 'kay?"
"Alright," Fred agreed. He laid back down on the bed with his hands behind his head. "Don't get lost darlin."
"As if," Harry scoffed before scrambling off the bed and rushing out the door.
Fred let his mind wander while Harry was gone. He didn't really think of much, he just tried to keep his mind blank. Blank was safe, blank meant he wasn't likely to burst in to tears again today.
Blank was peaceful. It was quiet.
Fred had his eyes closed when Harry quietly returned to the dorm.
"Are you sleeping or d'you wanna eat?"
Fred peeked one eye open and saw Harry was lingering in the doorway, a bag slung over his shoulder and a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.
"Eat," Fred said. He sat up and reached out for Harry, who all too easily grabbed his hand and led him out.
Despite his own promise not to cry again today, Fred thought he might start crying all over again when Harry led him outside and pulled the supplies from his bag. Harry carefully laid a blanket down, finding a still-sunny spot to place it. Then he pulled out a bunch of containers of different foods.
"It's a picnic," Harry said. He sat down on the ground and sent a pointed look at the open spot on the blanket next to him. "It's supposed to be romantic."
Fred didn't know if he was going to laugh or cry, but thankfully a chuckle is all that escaped him as he sat down next to Harry. "Very romantic," he assured him. "Honestly Harry, I had no idea you were so smooth."
"Spend enough time with Sirius and Lupin in the summers and you pick up some stuff," Harry stuck his tongue out in a rare show of playfulness. "Sirius swears he's a pro at romance."
"Well he's not my type," Fred said. "I like my blokes scrawnier, a bit more vicious, loads more brilliant, and able to kill me with their hands tied behind their back."
"I'm not scrawny," Harry huffed, which was adorable because he kind of was. Sure he was loads healthier looking now than he'd been in his second year when Fred first noticed him, but he was still thin. He was just more wiry and lean now instead of tragically underweight and short.
"Present first or food first?" Harry asked. He opened one of the containers and shook it enticingly.
"Food," Fred said. "I'm starving."
Fred was touched that it seemed as if Harry had gotten a variety of foods that Fred liked. There were sausage rolls, pork pies, chips, Yorkshire pudding, and even a whole box of lemon tarts that Harry swears he got from Mavis.
Fred was pretty sure Mavis was the nicest house-elf he'd ever met, and he met the overly excitable ones in Hogwarts loads of times.
"You're birthday's almost over and you still haven't gotten your present," Harry said when the sun began to change from orange to purple and they were both stuffed from their mini feast. "Don't you want it?"
"Oh, alright then." Fred didn't sigh, because he didn't want to hurt Harry's feelings, but Harry always got him something he put a lot of thought in to, and it was usually something expensive. Harry didn't notice price tags when he was picking out gifts, but Fred couldn't wait for Harry's next birthday when he'd have money from the shop to pick him out something special.
"Well you don't sound very excited," Harry said. "Maybe I won't give it to you then... maybe I'll just keep it."
Fred perked up a little at Harry's teasing tone. Harry was a pretty serious bloke, so if he was going out of his way to tease Fred then either he was really eager to give him his gift or he was in an exceptionally good mood.
"I'll trade you," Fred offered, playing around. "One kiss from me for the present." He puckered his lips out at Harry and laughed when Harry threw a piece of a roll at his forehead.
"Hmm, I dunno... it's a good present, I think it's worth more than one kiss."
Fred leaned forward and planted one hand on either side of Harry. "Two kisses?" he grinned, his face only inches from Harry's.
"Maybe," Harry murmured.
Fred kept his face lingering in front of Harry's, waiting patiently for Harry to make the next move. They'd not really done much more than snog and cuddle since their breakup last summer, Fred was in no rush to push things and make Harry consider himself 'broken' again.
They'd brought it up a little in their last counseling session with Lupin last month, but Harry had made Lupin swear to never repeat anything he told him then changed his mind and refused to talk about it. Lupin told Fred in his own individual session the next week that it was progress that Harry even considered bringing it up, so he didn't seem worried.
And Fred was coming to like Lupin quite a bit, so if he wasn't worried then Fred wasn't either. He'd just keep patiently waiting and accepting whatever Harry could give him.
Harry hesitated before cupping Fred's face gently, his touch light and hesitant, and then kissed him enthusiastically. Which was so unexpected that Fred nearly fell over. He rebounded quickly though. He carefully grabbed Harry's waist and pulled him closer to him, right up on his own lap.
Really he should have just tried this earlier when he could make himself stop his tears. Nothing cleared his mind of all his problems quite like Harry when he was in an affectionate mood.
In fact, Fred had already forgotten all about his birthday, his grief, and Harry's gift up until Harry abruptly broke their kiss and smiled crookedly at him.
"You can have it now," he said. He laughed at Fred's bemused expression before climbing off Fred and digging in his bag.
Harry tossed him a small box he triumphantly pulled from the bag. "Happy birthday."
Fred slowly opened the silver wrapped package, carefully setting aside the huge silver bow to save. He could practically feel Harry's nervous energy as the paper came off and there was a small navy blue box in his hand.
"You gotta open it," Harry said quietly when Fred just looked down at the box.
Fred gave Harry one more queer look before slowly opening it. And—
Holy Merlin.
"What- what is this?"
Fred plucked up the thick silver band and got caught in the twinkling emeralds that wrapped around the band, settled snuggly inside the band.
"It's a promise ring, it's supposed to- er... 'signify our commitment and fidelity'."
"What?" Fred looked from the ring to Harry now, noticing in the back of his mind that Harry's green eyes matched the emeralds nicely. "Where'd you... is that a- a courting thing?"
Harry's cheeks got a red flush to them and he shrugged. "Yeah. But I wanted to get it anyway cause- well... it's just that you're mine, and you leave this year, but I want everyone to know you're mine. So... so I thought this was perfect."
Fred looked down at the ring again, he traced his thumb over the grooves from the jewels and noted that it must have cost a small fortune. "This is... this is beautiful Harry. But it was probably really expensive, I- I can't—,"
"You can," Harry cut in. "You said I was stuck with you, which means you're stuck with me too, yeah? And this is your gift, but it's kind of for me too, isn't it? Cause everyone will know we're together, even when I'm not there to tell them."
Fred laughed at Harry's earnest and genuine explanation. "Well, if it's for you love, I'll wear it. Which finger did your fancy courting book say I put it on?"
"Right ring finger," Harry said. "Can I?"
Harry reached out for the ring and Fred relinquished it to him. He felt another lump of emotion swell up in his throat as Harry softly, so softly that Fred knew nobody would ever believe Harry could be so soft, slid the ring on his finger.
"D'you like it?"
Fred nodded, knowing that if he opened his mouth right now he'd probably start blubbering again.
"Brill." Harry kissed Fred's hand then settled down next to him, his head on Fred's shoulder. "I thought you should know, I love you."
"You're everything to me," Fred whispered, his voice choked with the tears he didn't want to shed.
"You're mine," Harry said simply, as if that was all the explanation Fred needed.
And it was.
Fred was absolutely, irrevocably, Harry's. He had been for years, and he would be for the rest of their lives.
Fred finally finished recounting the entirely sappy, romantic, incredibly brilliant story to George. The two of them were laying side by side in George's bed later that night, spending the last couple of hours of their birthday together.
"That's... Bloody hell Fred, Harry's a bit possessive, isn't he?"
"Yeah." Fred sighed wistfully as he looked at the promise ring on his finger. "Sweet, isn't it?"
Fred's second favorite part about the promise ring, a perk he hadn't even considered, came the next morning, during his NEWTS potions class.
Harry must not have told Snape about his gift, because Snape actually froze mid-lecture in front of the table Fred shared with George. His eyes widened as he finally caught sight of the ring. "What is on your finger Mister Weasley?" he asked quietly. Not quietly enough to not draw the attention of the other students, but softly enough that Fred knew that Snape knew what it was.
George smiled innocently up at Snape and held his hands up for inspection. "Nothing, sir."
"Shut up," Snape told him absently. He was still frozen as he looked down at Fred's hand. "Mister Frederick Weasley, what is that?"
"Oh, this?" Fred waved his right hand around a bit, internally laughing at the way Snape's dark eyes followed it. "It's a promise ring sir. I reckon it means you'll be my father-in-law one day."
He got a week of detentions, to be served with Filch, but Merlin if it hadn't been worth it.