#dumbles

“H-hey,” You mumbled as you found him chatting with Lee in your shared common room. Your family had never liked that you were sorted into Gryffindor. Even you were confused, you had bent to their will for so long you wondered how the hat could confuse you as someone who was brave. Fred jumped up at the sound of your voice, a wide grin on his face as he bounded over to you, placing a loving kiss to your cheek as he pulled you into a hug. 

“There’s my girl, I was wondering how long your extra classes were going to go,” He smiled down at you but his expression froze as he noticed the odd look on your face and the stiffness of your body. “Something wrong love?” 

“Can we talk? Alone?” You said pointedly as students began to filter into the common room. It was taking everything in you not to cry.

Fred nodded, worried as you sped off quickly, him chasing after. “What’s going on?” He asked as you stood in one of the many abandoned corridors of the castle. It certainly was an unnerving place, at least with all the thoughts running through his head of what might be bothering you. 

“I want to break up,” You declared and his heart sank. He studied your face but it hadn’t changed at all. You looked determined now, the shaking gone from your hands, the quiet lilt of your voice shifted into something more powerful. 

“You’re kidding,” Fred could only say as he tried to understand why you would possibly want to. Just the other day you had told him you loved him, told him you were happy. “Why? Is this because of your parents? Did they say something?” 

You took a deep breath and tried to clear the emotion from your voice. It was so hard to do, the man you loved stood before you with tears threatening to spill, his bottom lip quivering. You didn’t want to hurt him but it would be far more merciful than letting your sister and family force him away from you. 

“You could say that. They opened my eyes, you aren’t what I need and you aren’t what I want,” You had grown up trying to hide your true feelings from your family and now it was helping you seem indifferent. “I don’t love you Fred,” 

That seemed to be what did it. The declaration that you didn’t love him broke his barely restrained emotion and he bit his lip to try and hold onto it despite the fact a tear was running down his face. You wanted nothing more than to pull him close and promise you would keep him safe from whatever your family could possibly plan but you weren’t strong enough so this was how you could protect him. 

Fred nodded slowly, wiping at his tears. “Fine then, I guess I see how you feel now,” You wanted to tell him no, he didn’t see it but you had to lie. You loved him and thats why you had to end things. 

“Good, glad that’s settled,” You agreed stiffly, and without another word or look you were turning on your heel and leaving Fred behind. 

You were grateful for the time you had had to love him, grateful that you had gotten the chance to be loved back by him but you couldn’t be the reason he got in trouble or worse. You knew your sister would pull out all the stops to control your life with your parents backing her up every step of the way. 

This was for the best. 

I really do love you Fred. You thought and hoped some part of him would feel comforted as you prayed he came to understand what he meant to you.