Promised [F.W.]

Chapter 17

Charms

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"Avifors," Aster sang as she waved her wand at the rock that sat on the table. The grey rock turned into a grey feathered bird that began tweeting as it hoped towards Ginny who giggled with delight.

"Wow," Ginny laughed, "that was amazing." She complimented as Aster turned it back into a rock.

"Thanks," Aster muttered with her smile, "are you excited for school?"

"Yeah, other than my brothers being there," she replied with a smile, "I'm really excited."

Ginny and Aster held a conversation until Fred and George chimed down the stairs holding wide smiles. Fred sat beside Aster as the two girls warily continued their conversation. "Yes, Fred?" Aster asked after he poked her face for the third time.

"Let's go out," he smiled, looking from Aster to Ginny then George, "just us, not these fools."

"Hey," Ginny muttered from across the table, "whatever."

"Well," Aster started, looking to Ginny who nodded in approval with a slight grin. "Okay, where to?"

"Follow me," Fred jumped up, grabbed her Aster's hand, and ran out the door into the garden and under a tree. "Welcome to my tree," he gestured to the tall tree with dark leaves.

"Your tree?" Aster smiled, sitting next to Fred who was now sitting on top of a root.

"Yup," he told her, "mine," he slung an arm around her shoulder as she looked at the scene of the Burrow in front of her.

"I love your house," Aster said after a few moments of silence.

"Really?" Fred questioned, "what was it like? What was your home like?"

"Very quiet but my mom and I talked to each other all the time, she was my best friend," Aster smiled, "I used to help her make candy and chocolate for her candy shop."

"And," Fred paused, knowing that her father also left, "your dad?" He asked cautiously, she had never mentioned him but always wondered why.

"He was a good man, from what I remember," Aster sighed heavily, knowing that wasn't the truth, "but he left my mom and me, I don't know where, but I waited so long for him to come back," she leaned deeper into Fred's arms and he tightened his arm's grip around her, "I never had sibling, but I wish I did though."

"You can have mine, I have more than enough," he laughed, his chest vibrating under Aster's ear, she laughed and smiled. 

They settled in silence as the sky became darker and stars came out. Aster was still awake, but now laying with her head on Fred's lap as he leaned his back on the tree's trunk. As they sat there, Fred played with her hair as she hummed the song her mother used to sing. Every time there was a breeze and it messed up her hair, Fred would chuckle as he fixed it for her. Then times the smell of flowers would drift over to them and Fred would feel her taking a deep breath to smell them.

"Aster," Fred looked down nervously, "are we partners? Boyfriend and girlfriend, you know."

"I sure hope so," she giggled, "I've been calling you that so it'd be awkward if we weren't." Fred grinned as he looked at the field.

"Hey, you never told me," he chuckled, "how do you tell us apart?"

Aster smiled and watched as his eyes filled with the question, "well," she drawled out, "it's a surprise," she teased.

"A surprise for what?"

"Not sure, but it is."

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