Ethereal ✭Fred Weasley✭

72.

"Alright then," Molly appeared in front of Sophia and Fred with Arthur close behind. "This is it then. Your first time out of the barrier!"

"It's not like it's her first day of school Mum," Fred rolled his eyes at the sight of the woman even getting teary eyed.

"Oh don't be silly Frederick," Molly sniffled, pulling a handkerchief out of her apron. "I'm just proud, that's all. Going out into the real world can be terrifying!"

"I appreciate everything you've done for me Molly," Sophia softly smiled and the woman threw her short arms around her, unable to hold back the sobbing she did into Sophia's shoulder.

"Oh dear you've grown so much!" Molly cried and continued to pull the girl down to her short height. "It seems like it was just yesterday, I was giving you a haircut!"

Fred covered his face with his hands at the embarrassment his mother was radiating. She had been like this when they had all gotten their Hogwarts letters. Right from when Bill got his to when Ginny got hers. The woman was the most emotional person he had ever met. He watched as Sophia awkwardly rubbed Molly's back with a look on her face that pleaded for help from either him or Arthur. Sophia tried to comfort the woman by saying about how appreciative she was and that she'll be able to do some things on her own now, which only made Molly sob harder.

"Alright dear, let's let them head off,"  Arthur intervened cautiously as he pulled Molly off of Sophia by her shoulders. She tried to make it look like she wasn't bothered by being set free from the Weasley's clutches but inside, she was relieved from being smuggled by her slightly chubby figure and the hunched over posture she was forced to have. She tried to shuffle unnoticed towards Fred who had just finished blushing from the embarrassment of his own mother.

"Well, you know the rules," Arthur continued with his arm placed comfortingly around the woman who was finishing up her sniffles. "Only to the shop Fred. Then bring her straight back at five with NO detours."

"Yeah yeah I know," Fred nodded with a small roll of his eyes. He then grabbed hold of Sophia's hand and started to quickly rush towards the front door to avoid another smothering from Molly. "Bye Mum! Bye Dad!".

At the sound of Fred's calling, George perked up from his slouched position just before the start of the fields. He turned around and saw Fred rushing down the porch steps with Sophia excitedly following with her hand entwined with his. George caught the hasty look on Fred's face and knew to start walking, hearing his mother's voice calling after them from the front door.

"And stay away from that Lee Jordan Sophia! He'll trick you into thinking HE was your boyfriend all along!"

"God she's a menace," Fred sighed as they had gotten far enough from The Burrow and descended into a slow casual walk. His cheeks were still slightly inflamed from his mother's pampering, which made him feel stupid as he was technically a grown man. He had never seen Bill or Charlie blush at all since they had left the family home.

"She's sweet though. I don't know what I'd do without her," Sophia added and smiled at the time she has spent with Molly. She had treated her like her own child ever since she had set foot into The Burrow. She never failed to change her bandages or make her a meal, making Sophia feel eternally bound and grateful to the woman. Maybe to the whole Weasely family in general. It made it feel like she had spent more time with the Weasleys' than she had with her own father. He hadn't been entirely present when she had needed him the most, leaving her to turn to the Weasleys' first and finding the comfort and home she needed.

"I don't know what we'd do without her actually," George piped up. "She washes all our clothes still. And our cooking's trash compared to hers. Oh and just to be clear Sophia, I am NOT interested in you. I swear on my life that I would never-"