Paradise//F.W.
Series Summary: I’m thinking of making this in a short series called To The Dreamers (yes I know I already have 10 wips but I don’t care), so let me know if you want a part 2!
Pairing(s): Fred Weasley x Fem!Reader, Georgelina
Warnings: Mentions of sex, very brief description of sex scene (nothing graphic), slight language (like one word)
Summary: The Mirror of Erised wasn’t supposed to work like this. Was it?
Word Count: 3.2k
Song: Paradise by Coldplay
A/N: This might get confusing so bolded italics is song lyrics, only italics is what is seen in the mirror, and normal text is what’s actually happening at Hogwarts. It’ll make sense as it goes hopefully.
“You don’t find love, it finds you. It’s got a little bit to do with destiny, fate, and what’s written in the stars. -Anaïs Nin
If there was one thing that Fred Weasley was, it was a dreamer. His imagination controlled him, running rampant in everything he did. He didn’t think before he acted. Instead, he would have an idea, which spiraled into an intricate, albeit not well thought out, plan, which quickly became an action that usually had unintended consequences. But no matter how many times Fred would get in trouble, how many detentions he would have to face or lectures from his mother he would have to endure, he would always be a dreamer.
“Fred, hurry up!” His twin brother was calling him from down the corridor, snapping Fred out of his current daydream. At the moment he was wondering if a person would be able to fly if they were surgically implanted with wood from a broom, and he was considering people he could test it out on. Fred rushed to catch up with George, who was standing outside of a passageway they had explored multiple times.
The twins knew Hogwarts like the back of their identical hands, having used the Marauders Map for a majority of their time at the school. They had explored every nook and cranny dozens of times, memorizing the twists and turns that the passageways took.
Having seen everything multiple times already it didn’t make sense why they would be sneaking around just to walk the familiar passages. But with Umbridge reigning supreme in her dictatorship, sometimes it was nice to feel like they had some sort of control and upper hand.
Fred didn’t know what drew him and his brother to this certain passage. They had both decided to sneak out and figure out where to go from there, but as soon as they left Gryffindor Tower they had an odd sense telling them to follow their gut. It eventually led them to a small room they had seen countless times. It was an abandoned classroom, nothing special. A few old books and broken chairs, dust covering every inch of the place. And yet, it was as if something was calling from inside the room. Something bigger than themselves.
George pushed the door open and stepped into the familiar darkness, casting lumos from his wand with Fred following suit. They squinted as they peered around the room, looking for whatever would satisfy this desire inside of them. Simultaneously, their eyes rested on a dim glow in the corner.
“What do you think that is?” Fred asked his brother, who had begun moving toward the light. It was a tall, rectangular object with a light tarp draped over it, the only thing separating the light from overtaking the room. George reached his hand up to grab the cloth.
“Only one way to find out.”
The large covering came fluttering down and the boys had to shield their eyes from the intense glow that overtook them. After a few seconds of letting their eyes adjust, the Weasley brothers were staring at a large mirror with letters engraved, spelling out nonsense. The one word that did stand out was one that they had heard before, a legend at Hogwarts that was known to be true from countless stories.
Erised.
“Oi look at this!” cried the younger twin. He hesitantly took a few steps toward the corner, eyes gleaming with excitement.
“Is that what I think it is?” Fred had heard countless stories about the Mirror of Erised, some from his younger brother and others from Harry Potter himself who had multiple encounters with it his first year. But Fred had never actually seen the mirror, no matter how hard he and George searched for it. And then suddenly, it was here.
“It shows your deepest desires, right?” George was standing off to the right of the mirror, about to step in front and stare at his reflection.
“Yeah,” Fred said, “I bet yours will be you shagging Angelina won’t it?” His cheeky grin was plastered on his face as his twin gave him an annoyed shove.
“You’re just jealous that I actually have someone and you’re all alone,” George shot back. Fred rolled his eyes playfully, but the quip still stung. It was difficult seeing all his friends get into serious relationships in their last year of Hogwarts while he stayed the ever-single flirt he was known to be. It was just another reminder that they were growing up too fast, and soon they’d be adults, getting married and starting families. It was all happening too soon.
George had stepped into the line of sight of the mirror, and his face lit up as he looked at himself.
“What is it?” Fred asked.
“Well, you were right about the Angelina part, but we’re not shagging. No, she’s holding my hand and we’re standing outside--our joke shop! Freddie it’s the joke shop, it looks exactly like the designs you’ve drawn. You’re there too, and we look good! Successful. Important.”
George continued to look into what he hoped to one day be his future, until Fred cleared his throat and signaled for his turn. “So, you really see Angelina there, huh?” Fred and Angelina had been friends since they were 11, having most of their classes together and being on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Fred had even asked her to the Yule Ball the year before as friends, only to have her talk to him about George the whole night.
He was ecstatic when George had finally asked her out, not having to hear them complain about the other one being so oblivious all the time. But thinking about George seeing himself with someone long term made Fred jealous. His brother had his whole life planned out, all of his dreams set to come true. And Fred still had never had a serious relationship. How was he ever supposed to grow up when he was so behind everyone else?
Fred hadn’t even heard George’s answer or noticed the weird looks he was giving him, because music began to play. “Do you hear that George?” he said, interrupting the other redhead’s words.
George continued to furrow his brow at his twin. “Hear what?”
“The music…” It sounded like violins playing, a chorus of beautiful noises that just made him want to close his eyes and float away on a dream, ignoring the harsh truths of reality.
“Umm Fred,” George said, looking very concerned, “there’s no music.”
Fred looked around the room, trying to pinpoint the source. He soon realized it was coming from the mirror itself, and he took that as a sign to step in front. He let his eyes adjust to the shining light as he watched the reflection change. The music was slowly getting louder as shapes formed. The violins played a tune that sounded so familiar, and yet so distant.
The buildup of the sounds continued, spiraling around him and drowning out every other noise. Fred could feel the music coursing through him, shaking him to his core. The song slowed, calming down ever so slightly and building up to a big drop.
And then the music exploded.
Fred was nearly thrown back by the chorus of noises streaming through his years, sounds which his brother didn’t seem to notice at all, but Fred was far too invested in what was in front of him to care.
It was almost too much to take in. In front of him in the mirror, instead of where his reflection should be, flashed scene after scene, sending him into sensory overload. But the scenes weren’t of his life or his future. In fact he wasn’t in any of them. Instead, it was a girl.
She was driving a car, singing her heart out to music on the radio.
Flash.
She was swinging on a park swing, skirt flying up slightly as she jumped off and soared through the air.
Flash.
She was wiping down tables at a restaurant, talking with customers.
Flash.
She was dancing as rain poured down and soaked her, but she didn’t care.
Flash.
The pictures came and went, faster and faster in time with the music.
She gazed at a painting in a museum, an intrigued look in her eyes.
Flash.
The shadow of her naked body appeared as she jumped into a lake with a few other girls.
Flash.
She was surrounded by people who were laughing as she flipped off the crowd, not letting her annoyed smile leave her face.
Flash.
She threw her arms around two boys on either side of her, sending one of them a wink as they skipped off down the road.
Fred felt a pang of jealousy after seeing the last image, for reasons completely unknown to him. He didn’t recognize this girl, and he knew he would’ve remembered seeing her. Her cheeky smile and boisterous laugh would have been ingrained in his mind if he had ever seen this girl in person. But he didn’t have time to ponder this, because that was when he heard the lyrics.
When she was just a girl, she expected the world
Her body flashed to that of a girl much younger, one with endless excitement and curiosity on her eyes. She sat gazing out of a car window, staring at the scenery that passed by her.
But it flew away from her reach, so she ran away in her sleep
She was older again, a teenager of about 17 if Fred had to guess. She had the same gleam in her eyes as when she was younger as she laid down, arms and legs spread out, plugging in Muggle headphones and closing her eyes.
And dreamed of para-para-paradise
She was standing outside of Hogwarts.
Para-para-paradise
She gazed down at her robes, tugging them as if they were the most amazing things she could be wearing.
Para-para-paradise
She reached toward the castle and moved to take a step in.
Every time she closed her eyes
She was back in her bed looking tired and annoyed. The hope her face had adorned seconds ago was slowly draining.
“Freddie, what’s happening?” George spoke up and Fred jumped, extremely startled. He was so invested in this girl, the one he knew nothing about, the one who seemed to be just outside of Hogwarts, or at least trying to get there.
“Shut up George.” He turned back to the mirror and ignored any protests from his brother's mouth.
When she was just a girl she expected the world
She was back in her bed, staring up at the ceiling fan spinning in circles.
But it flew away from her reach and bullets catch in her teeth
She was now staring directly at him, and it made Fred’s heart flutter. Her eyes were longing, as if all she wanted was to be with him.
Life goes on it gets so heavy
She reached out a hand, placing it on the other side of the mirror.
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Fred moved to copy her position, the palms of their hands separated by only the layer of glass keeping them apart.
Every tear a waterfall
She sighed and turned, walking away from him.
Fred almost called out, crying for her to come back, to look at him again.
In the night the stormy night she’d close her eyes
She climbed out of a window leading to a flat part of the roof. She wrapped herself up in a blanket and stared up at the sky.
In the night the stormy night away she’d fly
She leaned back and closed her eyes, letting her hair frame her face and her arms wrap around herself.
And dream of—
and the music exploded once again
—para-para-paradise
Fred’s eyes went wide as he saw what flashed before him, similar to the first series of moments. Except this time, he was there too.
Fred was in the passenger seat of the car, singing along and stealing glances at the girl.
Para-para-paradise
They jumped off the swings together and she landed on top of him, both of them giggling and tickling each other.
Para-para-paradise
He was at a booth in a restaurant, this time with her sitting across from him instead of wiping the table down.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Fred spun her as they danced in the rain. She laughed when he dipped her and brought her back up. They were inches away from each other, lips getting closer by the second.
She’d dream of para-para-paradise
His arm was around her as she pointed at a piece of artwork and said something that was muffled by the music.
Para-para-paradise
Fred held her hand as their naked bodies splashed into the water before them. They resurfaced and Fred dunked her head under, causing a play fight to arise between them.
Para-para-paradise
She playfully smacked the back of his head and held up her middle finger, before she was engulfed in a hug from him.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It was now Fred rather than the two other guys who she had her arm around, throwing him a flirtatious wink similar to his signature one. She gazed at him as if he was the only person in the world.
Fred had to remind himself to breathe. It was too much happening all at once, and yet he didn’t want it to stop. He didn’t even realize that his brother was calling for him and beginning to look worried about the sanity of his older twin.
The music changed once again. It seemed to spiral around him as one long scene unfolded in the mirror of your deepest desire.
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
She was dragging him up a hill, the glow of the moon and stars illuminating her face.
Fred had never seen himself look so happy before, at least not happy in the way he looked then.
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
She pulled him down to the ground, both laying on their backs. He pressed a small kiss to her neck and she squirmed, before turning his head to face the sky.
And so lying underneath those stormy skies
The sky was alight with shooting stars. His hand slipped into hers. It was so natural, like they were meant to be there. To be together.
She'd say, "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, I know the sun must set to rise"
And as the male voice sang those lyrics, the girl turned and said them to Fred, playing with his ginger locks as she spoke. He leaned toward her, cupping her cheek. She leaned in too, and the room once again returned to its booming chorus as soon as their lips touched.
This could be para-para-paradise
They were now inside, her legs wrapped around his waist as he held her up, lips attached in a heated but love-filled make out session.
Para-para-paradise
They were in a bedroom, their bodies pressed together as they showed their love physically.
Fred averted his gaze at this scene. While nothing was too graphic, he felt weird staring at himself have sex with a girl he didn’t even know. But from what he did see, the passion and love behind the actions, he yearned for it even more.
This could be para-para-paradise
Fred looked back as he noticed the scene change.
She was asleep in his arms, still naked but covered up with a blanket. Their arms and legs were interlocked in any way possible, trying to become as close to each other as they could.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Fred and the girl were standing inside what Fred had pictured for his future joke shop. They gazed around the bustling store, hands interlocked.
This could be para-para-paradise
The entire Weasley family was sitting in the Burrow for dinner, as Fred introduced the girl to everyone. She took turns hugging them, before sitting down next to Fred.
Para-para-paradise
Fred was on one knee, a beautiful ring in his hand. Her hands were covering her mouth as she nodded, jumping into Fred’s arms.
This could be para-para-paradise
She walked down the aisle, looking angelic in her white dress. She reached the altar and took Fred’s hands, a tear streaking down his cheek.
Oh oh oh oh oh oh, oh, oh
They both arrived home at the same time, donned in their respective work clothes. They greeted each other with a passionate kiss as they entered a small house. Their small house.
This could be para-para-paradise
She held a stick in her hand, one with two blue lines appearing on the screen. Fred wrapped her in his arms, taking care to be gentle and not squeeze her stomach too hard.
Para-para-paradise
Fred held a young boy in his arms, rocking him gently as he drifted to sleep. She sat next to him, a slightly older toddler on her lap.
This could be para-para-paradise
The only thing that could be seen was their faces. They each held the others cheek in one of their hands and their lips mouthed the same words in sync. “I love you.”
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
And once again, she was alone. She stared at Fred, the real Fred, her hand on the glass and tears streaming down her face.
Fred felt his eyes begin to water. As the song ended, the image of the girl faded away, and Fred was left with an empty mirror, showing nothing except darkness.
“What the hell Fred?” The ginger standing in front of the mirror was knocked out of his trance, literally, as George smacked his head. Hard.
“You’ve been staring at that bloody mirror for 5 minutes, ignoring everything I said! What did you even see in that thing anyway?”
Fred turned to look at his brother, and George stepped back at the sight. Fred was looking at George, and yet it was as if he wasn’t really there. His mind and his heart were somewhere else, distracted by whatever that mirror had done to him. A single tear fell from Fred’s eyes and he tried to wipe it away, but he wasn’t quick enough.
“Freddie…” George reached out to hold his brother. He had never seen Fred like this before. So vulnerable, so confused. Whatever he had seen in that mirror had changed him, but whether it was good change or bad George didn’t know.
Before George could touch him Fred turned away. “I have to go.” And with that he dashed out of the room, not even bothering to look back.
As Fred walked through the abandoned corridors of the Hogwarts castle, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from thinking. What in the world was that? That’s not how Ron and Harry had described their experiences at all, and why was there music involved? But most importantly, who was the girl?
How was his greatest desire for a life with someone he didn’t even know? That’s not how the mirror worked. Was it?
He didn’t know. All he did know was that whoever this girl was, whatever the scenes that played out represented, he needed to find out.
Fred was a dreamer. He longed to live an exciting life, filled with adventure, excitement, and love. The Mirror of Erised had shown him his dream. It was right there. All he had to do was obtain it.
