InsaneJournal

WHO: Fred Weasley and Ada Mulrine
WHAT: Making bad, bad decisions.
WHEN: Friday, August 7th
WHERE: A pub out in London & later, Diagon Alley
Rating/Status: PG/ Complete



Things had been stressful. George and Fred had just been inducted into the Order officially - Lady Noir had killed a muggle woman and now his uncle was in jail paying for it, as well as Sirius who had always been someone Fred had liked. They had thrown themselves into the work they were doing for the Order, hiding it from everyone - even Lee, who was likely about to lose his job and whom Fred hated lying to. And Katie was off training and the already limited time they got together felt even more difficult. They just kept seeing each other less and less.

With all that going on, it eventually led Fred to a bit of a tipping point. A breaking point, in a way. He’d gone off to the Leaky Cauldron that night to get some food and have a drink, which turned in to far more drinks and too little food to the point where he was just a bit intoxicated. A little more than a bit intoxicated. He took his journal out of his pocket and warded Ada, begging her to come out with him, even if it was just to chat. Or maybe to Apparate him home, since he wasn’t sure he remembered the way back to the Leaky and Apparating without proper determination could end up being very dangerous.

It was hardly the first time Ada had been asked to accompany friends out on the town when they had a bad week. Being the Sober One had its advantages, if by ‘advantages’ you meant ‘opportunities to be useful and make sure people got home unSplinched.’ And for the most part, she didn’t mind; she could have fun while still being responsible and unintoxicated, and it wasn’t as if spending time with the people she liked was a burden, whatever their state.

The Weasleys had been having an awfully rough go of it lately, and so she was less than shocked when her journal buzzed with the alert that she’d been warded and it turned out to be Fred begging for attention. That was all right, it wasn’t as if she had anything else going on, and she did enjoy spending time with the younger man. Maybe a little more than she ought to, but it was brushed off easily enough. She could be a good friend and a good psuedo-sister, if that was what he wanted.

She wrote her reply quickly, agreeing to come out and offering to come pick him up wherever he was and settled in to wait for a response. She didn’t think she’d be waiting for long.

It felt like hours before she replied, even though hardly any time had passed him by. Of course, when you were intoxicated and in need of company, any moment felt like it spanned hours. When the message came through from Ada, he beamed brightly at it and responded quickly in turn, letting her know where he was at. Fred, somewhere in his mind, felt the slightest guilt at his enthusiasm for seeing her. Sometimes, he thought, he might enjoy her company a little too much.

In fact, if she had seemed interested in him at all - or if he had been better at picking up on that sort of thing, he might have asked her out long before he asked Katie. In fact, there had been times he thought about those what if situations, particularly when he was feeling lonely and Katie was away playing Quidditch. It had just been more frequent now, and if Fred wasn’t already quite drunk he would have realized this was a bad idea.

But he was drunk, and the momentary guilt was immediately forgotten.

Ada might not have been a drinker herself, but she had spent enough time around the intoxicated- more than enough time, really, hence her refusal to imbibe herself- to realize that any delay was likely to be either entirely unnoticed, or treated like utter abandonment. With the mood Fred seemed to be in, it was likely to be the latter.

In other words, she hurried, Apparating to the pub in question with as little delay as she could manage. At least Fred was easy to spot, since not too many ginger blokes were drinking alone at this hour.

“Hello, you,” she said by way of greeting, dropping into the seat next to her friend with a smile. “Here I am. Wish, command.”

Given his mood, it was quite likely that he would have felt abandoned if she had taken any longer to show up. But in true Ada fashion, she understood these sort of things and was there without much delay. Fred was face-first in another pint of beer when he saw red hair swishing his direction and glanced up from his drink, grinning brightly at his best ginger friend.

“Ada, fantastic, this is brilliant. Welcome. Would you like some of these chips?” He asked, sliding the over-large order of chips he had gotten for himself not long earlier. Sometimes food helped, and he could tell he was a bit over-drunk as it were and was somewhat hoping to sober up just a bit. Maybe. So far, it wasn’t working.

“I’m drunk, my love. I’m drunk and my Uncle is about to be shipped off to Azkaban again and my girlfriend is off training far away and everything sucks.”

“I know you’re drunk,” Ada said, gentler than was her usual wont when it came to such things. If anyone deserved to be sloshed right now, it was the Weasleys. She took a chip, more to please Fred than out of genuine hunger, and slid her other hand around his shoulders for a quick hug. “And I know everything sucks. I’m so sorry, love. Katie would be here if she could, you know. But as she can’t, I’ll pinch-hit. Aye?”

She leaned in for the hug and Fred immediately plopped his head on her shoulder, sighing slightly, closing his eyes. There was no getting away from that, he leaned full on her for a few moments before he stopped and took a chip of his own to eat. “Pinch-hit?” He asked, confused. There were often terms Ada used that left Fred wondering what she meant - though it was just another thing about her that fascinated him. “Thank you, though. It’s brilliant for you to come, even if I’m going to be shite company.” Fred wasn’t one to normally get sloshed on his own very often, but he’d just about had enough the last few months and there were only so many things he could handle good-naturedly before he lost his cool. Now, he was losing his cool. “Just not sure how much more of all this I can take.”

“Oh, that’s an Americanism,” Ada said, grinning. “My stepda, he likes baseball. Well, all sport. Anyway, it means just sort of...stepping in to take someone else’s place during a crisis, basically. Not that I’m trying to take Katie’s place,” she added quickly, wincing. Damn it. Well, he was drunk, he might not notice. “You’re not shite company,” she continued, covering herself. “You never are, Fred, and it’s okay if you need to fall apart a little. I can’t imagine how any of you are dealing with all of this.”

“Oi, both a muggleism and an Americanism. Fantastic.” Fred smirked, thinking he’d have to use that one some time, it was pretty interesting. A good saying, in his mind. The whole bit about Ada not trying to take over Katie’s place didn’t reach him at all. It sort of went in one ear and out, like he’d half heard it but not what it meant. Ada comforted him, and he nodded his head, sighing again as he ate a few more chips, chasing them with equal amounts of beer. “I honestly don’t know how to do it anymore. I’ve been just… going and going and going and trying so hard to be the happy, funny, jokester everyone knows me as and I can’t do it anymore.”

“So don’t,” Ada said, stealing another chip. “Fred, no one who actually cares about you only likes you when you’re happy and funny. And anyone who does, doesn’t deserve you. You have a right to be upset about all this, and to show it.” She shook her head and ate in silence for a moment. “Take a vacation. Recruit some people to cover the shop for a few days and get away. Seriously.”

He wished he could. Fred sincerely believed that some of his friends wouldn’t like him if he weren’t, well, who had always been. And he loved being who he had always been, but things changed. He felt like he was in a constant state of crisis and something bad was always happening. Taking a vacation would have been fantastic, but Fred knew he couldn’t do that either. Fred wanted to go visit Katie, but what with making things for the order and keeping afloat a business there just wasn’t any time. “I can’t.” He said simply, shrugging. “Wish I could get away, but I can’t.” Fred probably shouldn’t have been drinking anymore, what with the clear downward spiral of his emotions, but he was past self-reasoning. “Everything just…” He sighed, not knowing how to phrase what he wanted to say. “It’s just nice, having people like you ‘round, Ada. To remind us to eat and that we’re cared for.”

Ada stifled a snort at that; she was pretty sure, from her scant interactions with the Weasley Clan At Large, that Fred was describing her in roughly the same terms anyone else would his mother. Which was sort of flattering and sort of disheartening, all at once.

“You could,” she countered rather than addressing that part of it. “There are two of you. Three of you, with Percy helping out. You probably couldn’t swing a vacation with George, which I know is hardly a vacation, but you could go for a few days. And then when you come back, he could.”

“But then who would I go with?” He asked, frowning. If George couldn’t go, and Lee was busy with Lee things, he’d be alone. Katie was too busy - and it was something that bothered Fred quite often though he completely understood why she was. “Percy’s still out of the country, too, so there’s no one to watch the shop then but George.” Verity was taking a vacation as well, being a new mum and all.

“Would you go with me?” He asked, brow raised slightly. Fred had quite a few friends, but not many he would want to go on vacation with and even less who would have the time to go with him. “You’re the one trying to talk me in to it, y’know. You should come with.”

That absolutely should not have taken Ada by surprised, but somehow it did. She stared at Fred, expression disbelieving, then snorted. “Love, I’m the last person you want to bring on holiday. I am not that much fun.” She gestured to the bar in front of her, empty of any sort of beverage. “Case in point.”

“Just because you don’t drink doesn’t mean you aren’t fun.” He replied, a bit stubborn, almost sounding hurt. Like maybe she just didn’t want to go with him. “I have fun with you all the time.” He shrugged, taking another french fry and leaning back in his chair a bit, using his free hand to sort of rub his face and eyes, before trying to focus again back on the counter. “If you don’t want to, though, that’s alright. I mean it’d be brilliant if you came along but I understand if you’re busy.”

“Fred,” Ada said, turning in her seat to face him more fully. “If you’re actually considering taking a holiday for a few days, and you want me to come with, I’m there. Absolutely. I just think we should talk about it again later, yeah? Sleep on it. If you’re still up for it and your girlfriend doesn’t mind, I’ll get Vicky to cover for me a few days and we’ll go somewhere fun.”

That did in fact cheer him up, a bit. He managed a smile and nodded his head. “Absolutely. You’re right. I just - should probably think about it when I’m you know. Sober.” He laughed, finally eating the fry in his hand that he’d been holding a few minutes before looking at the beer and then to Ada once more. “I should probably go home.” He finally said. “Or something. It’s a bloody awful idea to keep drinking.” He wasn’t trying to get rid of her, or just ask for a ride - but he thought maybe she didn’t want to be here, given she didn’t drink, and he knew he should stop. “Want to get the chips to go and go do something else?”

Ada had to laugh at that, because she couldn’t tell if she’d really been that obvious or if Fred was just perceptive. Although, probably the former, all things considered. “Yeah,” she admitted, running a hand through her hair and shrugging a little awkwardly. “Do you mind? I mean, if you want to stay, I will too, but...this isn’t the greatest place to chat, and you could probably do without a hangover tomorrow.”

“Nah, I don’t mind at all. I want to get out of here.” He replied, giving her a smile. He meant it - he just wanted the company, is all. It didn’t matter where it was. Fred tossed a bit of money on the table to pay for his things and took the plate of chips up to the counter to get a bag. Once that was all done, he half-stumbled his way back over to Ada. “Alright, lady, you take us wherever you are properly determined to go.”

Ada thought about it quickly; staying out would just lead them to another pub, at this time of day, and given his mood she wasn’t sure that taking him back to the twins’ flat was a great idea either. If he was feeling melancholy and had come out to escape it, being dumped back home at the first opportunity wasn’t likely to help. Or maybe he was too tipsy to care, but that was another point against taking Fred home; he’d said he shouldn’t keep drinking, and if they went to her place for a bit he wouldn’t have the opportunity, whereas at his there was bound to be a stock of beer. It was the home of three young men, after all.

“Come on,” she said fondly, sliding an arm around Fred’s shoulders so she could Apparate him with her. “We’ll go to mine for a bit, you can poke at all the muggle stuff I’ve got about til you feel better.”

She had her wards set up such that she could Apparate directly into the entry hall of her flat and bring someone else along as well as long as she initiated the Apparation, so it was no trouble getting there.

“Oh you got me, you know how I love muggle things.” He replied with a happy smile. He got up willingly from the bar and leaned into her slightly as she put her arm around him - half because it felt nice, but also because he was a bit taller and wanted to make it a little easier for her to have her arm around him like that.

“Apparate away, my dear.”

Smiling, mostly to herself given that Fred was leaning on her rather than looking at her, Ada did just that.

The flat she brought him to was small, neat, and yes, full of muggle things. Muggle clocks and teacups and books worked just fine, after all, and were what she’d grown up with; no need to replace everything with their magical equivalents. Reminders of where she came from were good. Grounding.

“Sit,” she told Fred, pointing to the sofa. “I’ll get us some water, you just make yourself comfortable.”

Fred took the order just fine. Sitting after Apparting while intoxicated was a good idea. He didn’t do the Apparating, but the feeling itself made him a bit uneasy so he took a seat without any fuss. He plopped down on her couch and let his eyes follow her to the kitchen, lingering perhaps a little longer than they should have.

“Thanks again.” He called to her, leaning back on the couch and staring at the things - both magical and muggle - that were placed around her house. He didn’t move just yet, still dizzy from the whole Apparition + Drinking process.

Ada took a few minutes in her kitchen, filling glasses and composing herself a bit. Comforting someone else in their time of need wasn’t her greatest asset; usually she just cooked something hearty for a hurting friend and called it a day. Clearly that wasn’t going to work this time.

But hey, at least Fred wasn’t sitting alone in a pub anymore. That was a step in the right direction.

“Here,” she said, breezing back into the main room and offering Fred a glass before sitting herself. “Now, two choices. One, you can vent to me for as long as you like about everything. That might be more helpful in the long run. Or two, we can talk about anything else and I can try to distract you from the bad shite. Up to you."

Fred was well engaged in staring at all the muggle things around him and trying very hard to process what in Merlin's left toenail they could be used for, that he almost didn't notice Ada breeze back into the room. Almost.

But when she did, it was like he'd never seen her before. Fred was usually so capable of keeping his eyes from wandering, but he was finding himself having a much more difficult time with that now. She sat down and Fred just felt so much warmth and gratitude towards her.

He didn't say anything, he just stupidly leaned over, took her face in his hands, and kissed her.

It took Ada so completely by surprise that for a moment, all she could think to do was kiss Fred back.

That moment passed quickly, though, sense flooding back in: Fred had a girlfriend and was only kissing her because he was drunk and sad and lonely, all of which was fairly unflattering to her as well as being wrong. God, this was why she didn’t like alcohol.

Well, one of the reasons.

She pulled back gently, shaking her head and trying to ignore the fact that she could feel herself blushing. “Fred, that’s not-” she swallowed with another shake of her head. “That’s not what you want to be doing, really.”

When she pulled back, Fred's eyes widened. "Oh, bloody flipping hell." The color in his face had drained visibly and he stood up, quickly moving away from her with his hands up like he was surrendering or something.

"I'm so sorry! Oh, shite I've fucked it all up so bad. Oh, Ada I didn't mean that I'm so sorry. I mean I did mean it, I fancied you for ages, but I didn't - I shouldn't have done it." He was rambling and speaking incredibly fast, trying to backtrack.

"Katie is going to kill me." He said, drowning, suddenly distraught. "Oh, she's going to hate me. I've made such a mess of it all."

That was all a lot to take in, but Ada pushed her own confusion and surprise down. It had to take a back seat to Fred’s panic right now.

“Fred,” she said, trying to sound soothing even as she moved a little further away on the sofa because her friend obviously needed some distance. “It’s all right. You don’t have to apologize to me. You’re going through some huge things, you’re upset, things happen. It’s fine. I understand.” She wasn’t going to touch on the idea of him fancying her, not right now. “And Katie won’t kill you. You just need to take a deep breath, all right?”

"No she probably won't actually physically murder me but she might as well." He was miserable. He's been such an idiot and he had ruined just about everything. The entire Babe Cave was going to exile him. Vicky probably would too, and Ada... she probably never wanted to see him again either.

"I should go. Leave. The country, maybe. Yeah, that's probably the best idea." He looked near tears and his shoulders hung low as he headed for the door. "I understand if you never want to see me again." He added miserably.

“Fred-” Ada began, cutting herself off as she lunged to grab for the young man’s wrist before he could get to the door. “No. You’re not leaving the country. Just- stop for a moment, would you? Hang on.”

She bit her lower lip, thinking and at the same time trying not to think too much, and then sighed. “Okay, look. I’m only telling you this because I don’t want you to go on thinking I’ll hold this against you or hate you forever or whatever’s going through your head. Not to make things weird or ruin anything myself. So- so I’ll still be your friend tomorrow and you’ll still be mine, that’s the deal.” She paused, staring him down for long moments before continuing. “I fancy you. If you didn’t have a girlfriend who you care about quite a bit, I’d be snogging you back right about now. But you do, and I’m not going to let you ruin that just because you’re upset and I could take advantage, so. So now you know that, and we’re even, and everything’s going to be okay. And I’m not letting you Apparate out of here by yourself. I’ll take you home, or I can write to George to come get you.”

Fred was surprised by her admission. He did care for Katie deeply - but they had been drifting apart. Fred had been lying to her for ages already about the Order, and she was always off playing Quidditch or he was busy at the shop. They didn't get to see each other often and it has taken its toll - at least for Fred.

"Oh. Okay." He was still as miserable as ever but maybe felt a bit less like he had lost everything. Just almost everything. "Everyone's going to be so upset with me. I made such a mistake. I'm going to tell her, you know. If that's alright. I'll make sure she knows it wasn't your fault."

“Of course you’re going to tell her,” Ada said, sounding surprised, like that wasn’t even a question. “But it’s not- Fred, you didn’t do anything. Not anything big enough to make someone who really cares about you hate you. You’re lonely and upset and you did something dumb that lasted all of a minute. You made a mistake and you know it, and she’ll forgive you.”

There might have been some guilt in her insistence; Ada wasn’t going to examine it too closely.

It could have been worse, Fred knew. He could have slept with Ada - if it wasn’t her, he could have gone too far. But a simple kiss? Maybe Katie wouldn’t hate him for it. Maybe she would forgive him. He felt the slightest bit of hope at that thought, despite the fact that he still felt absolutely horrible about all of it.

“I don’t know. Maybe she will.” He shrugged, running his hands through his hair. “Will you just take me home?”

“Sure,” Ada said softly, closing the distance between them so that she could offer Fred her arm. “Okay. Hang on, we’ll go.”

There was always the chance that Fred would be too drunk to remember this in the morning. Not bloody likely, but maybe. It would be better that way, she told herself. Definitely better that way.