"Who in Merlin's name is Amelia Bryce?" asked Fred.
"I think she's that bird that Lucy spends all her time with. Isn't she?" answered James.
"Hey, Rosie do you know a bird named Amelia Bryce?" Fred asked his younger cousin.
"She's that girl Lucy hangs around isn't she?" Rose said.
"I told you!" James yelled.
"Yeah, James we get it. You're a bloody know-it-all." Fred said sarcastically.
"Why do you want to know about Amelia?" Rose asked.
-FRIA-
Amelia Rose Bryce was a Hufflepuff. A lowly Hufflepuff who wasn't worth his time.
Fred Weasley was a Gryffindor. A high and mighty Gryffindor who was clearly too good for her.
Bryce takes seven classes.
Weasley takes five classes.
Amelia took her education seriously.
Fred was all jokes and games.
He grew up in the Wizarding world.
She was a muggleborn.
He's on the quidditch team.
She's never properly ridden a broom. (She skipped out on those flying classes in first year)
He's going to work in his father's shop.
She hasn't completely decided yet but she is deeply considering being a healer.
Amelia Bryce is a sixth year Hufflepuff.
Fred Weasley is a seventh year Gryffindor.
-FRIA-
Amelia enjoyed spending time in the Hufflepuff common room. Their comfy chairs were the perfect place to sit down and work on the never-ending homework she was given. But it was her fault that she was given so much work since she decided to take seven classes. To be a healer, all she needed were five classes but she actively enjoyed Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, and what if she changed her mind and wanted to be a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts. Amelia had expectations for her future and not a single one involved being a dishwasher at the Leaky Cauldron. Amelia knew she had to find work in the Wizarding World because she simply could not get a nice muggle job, after all she hadn't been to a regular school in six years.
Before receiving the news about what her sister liked to call "her condition", Amelia went to a primary school where she learned her numbers and alphabet and the likes. The Bryce family was a very modern muggle family who lived in Birmingham. Her mother, Madison Bryce, was lovely forty-five year old woman who worked at the school Amelia went to and her father, Christopher Bryce, was a fair forty-six year old man who was a lawyer. Christopher and Madison had two more children besides Amelia. Amelia was the youngest and had an elder brother and sister. Her sister Andrea was the middle child and currently was a very sarcastic 19 year old. Her brother Cole was the eldest at 21 and moved out of the lovely family home into his own apartment with his girlfriend for three years Sarah. Amelia being the youngest usually received most of the attention, which was good for her, but her family felt a constant need to baby her. Once she was eleven and thought she was practically a grown up she was grateful for the letter that reassured her she wasn't some abnormal freak like a few of those girls from school said she was. She wasn't a freak; she was magical.
At Hogwarts Amelia never really had that loud group of friends. She did have a nice select few of friends that she knew would never turn their backs on her and to Amelia that was much better than having a large amount of friends you couldn't really count on. Before her first year, Amelia read all about Hogwarts, purchasing numerous books from Flourish and Blott's. She read up on the different houses and knew any of them would mean good things. Though she knew she wasn't ambitious enough to get into Slytherin, and she hadn't experienced enough bravery to qualify her for Gryffindor. She was smart and thought that Ravenclaw might be the place for her but Hufflepuff would be just as great as the other three houses and Hufflepuff would give her an excellent array of friends.
With the last name Bryce she was one of the first few to be sorted her year. Within a minute of the Sorting Hat being placed upon her head she was placed into Hufflepuff who greeted her with open arms. Then Lucy Weasley was placed into Hufflepuff as well. Lucy seemed happy enough with her placement but not as happy as Amelia did. Amelia knew all about the Weasley's and the Potter's having read about them that summer. She knew all about the war and was worried if anything like that could happen during her school years at Hogwarts. Luckily enough nothing happened within her first five years at Hogwarts. Lucy and Amelia became friends during their first year but Amelia was always more withdrawn than Lucy who seemed to be the extremely outgoing type. While Lucy was friends with everyone and hung out practically every day with her family, Amelia preferred to be in the common room or her own dormitory reading and working on the work given. Though Lucy had more friends than Amelia did not mean they weren't the best of friends. Lucy was Amelia's best friend and Amelia was Lucy's. However this did not mean that Amelia spent time with all the other Weasley's and Potter's. No, Amelia stayed far away from them. Especially from Fred Weasley and James Potter who seemed to believe they owned the school. Once in third year Fred had even pranked Amelia turning her hair an ugly green that wouldn't change for three days. And not once had that toe-rag apologized to her for it! James even commended him on the prank. Amelia wouldn't leave the Hufflepuff common room and got her food from the kitchens and even befriended a house elf named Dixie. But Amelia has moved past that, completely. She still doesn't believe that Fred is completely arrogant. please.
(Yesterday)
"Lucy! You can't just bail on me!" Amelia yelled.
"Look Mia. I'm sorry okay! Freddie asked me to - " Lucy tried to answer
"No. I get it Luce. If Freddie needs you then by all means go." Amelia said.
"Mia don't act like that! I don't know what you've got against my family!" Lucy argued.
"I've got nothing against your family! But you know that the pitch is not being used tomorrow night and I wanted to try flying."
"Well look I'll talk to Fred and I promise to be there tomorrow night. And we can study later. But I've got to meet Freddie in the library and look Mia, I've got a lot on my plate right now and Merlin help me but I can't spend all my time with you! You need some other friends!"
Lucy was trying to get rid of her. She hadn't been spending anytime with Amelia lately. And she can take a hint for fuck's sake. She wasn't stupid. But Amelia was hurt. Lucy has always made time for her. But if she didn't want to be friends then she can't force Lucy to be her friend. She would give her time and meet her at the pitch tomorrow night. Lucy will show. Lucy never bailed on her.
(Today)
Lucy couldn't bail on Amelia. They've been friends since Lucy sat down at the Hufflepuff table after her sorting. But Ross Rivers her boyfriend of two years had asked her to meet him in Hogsmeade at Hogs Head and she hadn't seen him since the Christmas holidays and it was nearing the end of January now. Mia would understand. If she could see her family she would go, screw learning how to fly. But why did Mia wait until sixth year to try to fly on a broom? Why not just learn as a first year like everyone else? This is really just her fault.
Lucy was making her way to the Room of Requirement where she would meet her cousin Fred so she could help him with some work he had been falling behind on. As a beater on the Gryffindor quidditch team, Fred had been spending a lot of his time on the pitch with their cousin James and had been failing to work on his assignments. Maybe as a favor to Lucy, Fred would be willing to teach Mia how to fly. Of course, he'd have to keep it a secret since Mia did not want anybody knowing that she couldn't fly a broom and she was a sixth year.
Lucy walked in front of the wall, walking past it three times and thinking, 'I need a room for Fred and I to study in.' The doors appeared and the room had given her a similar set up to the Gryffindor common room: Two comfy armchairs, a sofa and a table in the middle with a fireplace. She checked her watch, 7:37. Fred was supposed to be already and Lucy was the one who was running late but right after thinking that Fred strolled in the door with a bag full of parchment and quills and books before falling into an armchair looking very disgruntled.
Lucy looked at him and rolled her eyes. Fred was always displeased with the thought of doing any work for school. Merlin forbid Fred get an education. "I really need to get this charms essay done first. It's due tomorrow morning and Turpin says he'll take twenty points if I don't hand it in on time." Fred began. "Then there's this potions essay I was given three weeks ago that's due tomorrow afternoon on some potion we were learning about. Oh and I have to write half a foot on transubstantial transfiguration. Thank god we're doing practical lessons in DADA right now and Muggle Studies is a joke otherwise I'd be dead by tomorrow."
"Well why don't you begin writing that Charms essay and I'll go through your potions textbook and highlight key areas for the potion you're writing on. . . which is?"
"I think it's some potion we did in third year. We've been going over the old stuff to prepare for NEWTs. Oh! Luce it was the Deflating Draught which is the antidote -"
"For the Swelling Solution. I know that Freddie."
"Course you do Lucy." With that Fred began to work on his Charms essay as Lucy highlighted key facts on the Deflating Draught as promised and then began doing the same in Fred's transfiguration book for his essay on transubstantial transfiguration. Almost two hours later Lucy was rereading Fred's work to correct any mistakes before he turned it in to his professors. It was ten, an hour after curfew, once they left the Room of Requirement.
"Thanks by the way." Fred said. "For helping me tonight. I know you had plans with one of your mates. I really appreciate you bailing on her to help me."
"Yeah well she doesn't." Lucy muttered. "Actually Fred, I was wondering if you would do a favor for me."
"Should've known you'd want something in return Luce."
"No it's nothing ridiculous." Lucy assured. "It's just my mate, the one I bailed on tonight, Mia, I was supposed to help her with something tomorrow night and something's come up and I was wondering if you would help her?"
"Er. Sure? What am I supposed to help her with?" Fred asked hesitantly.
"Just um. oh Merlin. I told her I wouldn't tell." Lucy was frustrated. "Just meet her at the quidditch pitch tomorrow night after supper. Bring a broom. Around 6. Please Freddie."
"I guess Lu. But only because you helped me out tonight. Who am I meeting?"
"Oh! My best mate! Amelia Bryce. Thank you Freddie! Alright I've got to go! Don't want some prefect to doc points. Night Freddie!." With that Lucy made her way back to the Hufflepuff dormitory.
(That Afternoon; After Lunch)
Amelia was on her way to the greenhouses for her afternoon Herbology lesson. There was no Herbology lesson scheduled on Thursday afternoon after lunch but Professor Longbottom, who taught Herbology and was Head of Gryffindor House, agreed to help tutor her since herbology was not one of her best classes and she needed a good exam grade this year and a good score on her NEWT next year if she wants to be a healer after Hogwarts. Today they were meant to be going over the latest plants they had discussed in class that week and work with Fanged Geraniums. It was not as cold as the day before but snow was still on the ground as it was January. Professor Longbottom had greeted her with a smile and they quickly got to work.
(Present)
"Why do you want to know about Amelia?" Rose asked.
"It's nothing." Fred answered.
"Awe does Freddie have a crush on a sixth year?" James teased.
"Oh hush up Jimmy." At this James blushed. Jimmy was a name only his immediate family used, especially his younger sister Lily who was a fourth year. "Look it doesn't matter. I've got to meet Lucy's friend and I've no clue who she is."
"Is this a blind date? Freddie I didn't know you needed help to get a bird! What about that Ravenclaw?" James said.
"Who? Johnson? And I don't need help to get a bird." Fred began. "And anyway I've got to go. I have to meet her in five minutes or Lucy will have me hanged."
Fred quickly said goodbye to his cousins and made his way to the quidditch pitch stopping at the broom shed to pick up his Thunderbolt, the latest model given to him by his parents before the school year began. He walked to the pitch where saw a girl, whom he presumed to be Amelia Bryce, staring at a broom on the ground. "Er, hello." Fred coughed making the girl look at him. "You're Bryce?"
"Oh for fuck's sake. You must be joking." The girl snarled.
"I'm sorry?" Fred apologized not knowing why.
"Did Lucy send you?! I knew she'd bail. Why couldn't she just tell me. No but she sent you." She looked at Fred with disgust before picking up the broom and walking away.
Fred ran to catch up with her. "Did I do something wrong? Are you not Bryce? Look Lucy sent me."
The girl stopped and looked at him. "Of course, you don't know who I am. Do you not remember me without green hair?"
Fred looked at her confused. "Were you and Lucy supposed to play a game of quidditch or something?" He looked at the broom in her hand. "Wicked! You've got the new Lightningbolt! I've only got the Thunderbolt."
The girl sighed. "Yeah, it's great I guess. Too bad I can't use it." She muttered.
"Why not?" Fred asked with marvel still on his face.
"I can't tell you. It's highly embarrassing. And were not even friends. You don't know me."
"Well I'm Fred Weasley, nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand.
"Amelia Bryce." She shook his hand. "You pranked me in third year and made my hair green for three days."
"Oh! I remember now." He looked at her. "But it matched your eyes."
She laughed, "Yeah it did."
"So why can't you use your broom?"
"I can't fly." She muttered.
"What was that?" Fred asked.
"I don't know how to fly!" Amelia said louder.
"Why do you have a broom if you can't fly?" Fred asked.
"My parents gave it to me thinking it was what every witch and wizard wanted. And it is. If they knew how to fly."
It dawned on Fred, "Lucy was supposed to teach you."
"Yeah because I copped out on the lessons in first year claiming it made me sick. Some people are meant to stay on the ground."
"Well what makes you want to learn now?"
"I can't let this go to waste. They were really excited when they bought it for me. And of course Andrea was her snooty self when I opened it this Christmas. It's not my fault I've got magic."
"You're muggleborn?"
"Yeah. So my parents don't really understand this whole Wizarding thing."
"That's neat! Do you watch programmes on the telly?" Fred asked curiously.
"Yeah. There's not much to do at home. Anyway. I'm just going to go back to my common room now because clearly I'm not going to learn how to fly tonight. Goodnight Fred."
He grabbed her wrist. "I could teach you."
"No thanks. I don't appreciate being laughed at."
"I promise I won't. And we can take it slow."
Amelia sighed. "I guess. But you have to promise you won't laugh at me, give up on me, or tell anyone."
"Marauder's honor." Fred saluted.
"I don't even want to know." Amelia said. "Oh Merlin. It's going to be like learning how to drive all over again," She muttered.
Learning how to fly was difficult. Of course she didn't immediately start to fly. Fred spent ten minutes babbling about how she's got to learn to feel the broom, become one with the broom, to let the broom do most of the work, to make a connection with the broom. After that bullshit, he began to tell her things she needed to know before she even got the broom up: don't kick off with you feet, keep at least one of your feet on the ground at all times for right now, don't let the broom know you're scared or nervous it can sense that. She put her hand above her broom and firmly said, "Up." Her Lightningbolt immediately flew up into her hand and she grasped it. "It worked!" She yelled with a smile on her face.
"Okay now mount it." Fred instructed. "But remember keep you're left foot on the ground. Don't act nervous." He began to ramble.
Amelia swung her right leg over the broom placing her foot back on the ground like Fred told her to.
"So now you want to hover a bit. Slowly lift your feet off the ground at the same time." She quickly lifted her feet off, "Slowly!" Fred repeated. Amelia however didn't listen and with both her feet off the ground she rose a good twenty feet off the ground in which she began to panic. Fred hopped on his broom and rose to her level. "Okay Bryce breathe. Don't even look at the ground. You're not that high up anyway though. You're at the height of a giant maybe." Fred tried to calm her down. "Bryce stop looking at the ground. Okay look at me." But Amelia couldn't get her eyes off the ground. She wished she was on the ground at that moment. She wished she wasn't so high up. She wished she wasn't afraid of heights. And Merlin did she wish she just took those flying lessons in first year.
"Bryce, you need to stop looking at the ground. Just look at me, please." Fred soothed. Amelia's head snapped up and made eye contact with Fred. "Okay, breathe." She didn't. "Slowly move your hands toward the front of the handle and lean forward." Her hands didn't move. Fred sighed and slowly and carefully grabbed the front of her broom. He gently tugged the handle forward and slightly down and they both began to descend to the ground. Amelia was still holding tight to her broom. With his hand gripped on her broom he jumped off his broom once they were close enough to the ground and began to pry her hands off the handle and carried her off the broom before placing her on the ground.
He sat down in front of her and she was shaking. "Bryce it was not that bad for a first go."
She looked at him, shook her hand, and began to play with her fingers. "I'm never getting on a broom again."
"C'mon Bryce. You can't just give up after the first go. Don't you muggles have a saying about that?"
"You gotta get back on the horse?" Amelia asked.
"No, what are you talking about a horse? You've got to get back on the broom Bryce." Amelia laughed. "No Fred, that's the saying. You've got to get back on the horse."
"Oh, well, yeah. I knew that." He tried to play it off. "You okay Bryce?"
"Yeah, Fred, I'll be okay." Amelia assured him. "It's getting late. Do you maybe want to go to the kitchens and grab a butterbeer? I need something to celebrate my getting on a broom."
"Yeah sounds great. You're keeping your broom right? Don't want to risk someone touching that beauty in the broom shed."
"Oh. I guess? I never really thought about it."
"Well let's go get us some butterbeer."
(Gryffindor Common Room; 8:30 pm)
The Weasleys and Potters of Gryffindor were lounging in the common room in what was known as the "Weasley Corner". The corner had multiple armchairs and the largest sofa making a circle with a table in the middle of it for when they decided to play a round of Exploding Snap or a game of Gobstones. Currently the Woods were also there but when weren't they? Nick and Cara Wood were seventh years. They were two thirds of a set of triplets; their sister Macy was a seventh year Hufflepuff. Someone seemed to be missing though and James pointed this out almost every ten minutes within the last half hour. "Where is Freddie?" James asked, again.
Rose who was seemingly annoyed with James once again answered his question, "We don't know. Go check the map."
"But Rosie, the map is upstairs and I'm too lazy." James answered.
"James, are you a wizard or a muggle?" Rose questioned.
It appeared to finally dawn on James that there was an answer to his laziness, "Accio Marauder's Map."
The map came whizzing down the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory. However James did not need to look at the map because once it set on his lap the portrait to the common room opened and in walked Fred Weasley. "Where have you been?" James immediately asked him.
"I had to meet Lucy's friend, remember?"
"That was more than two hours ago." James said. "How well did you meet her?" This earned him a smack in the head from Rose.
"Lucy's friend is very respectable. Not only that I'm sure she has a load of self-respect and she wouldn't let anybody let alone Fred try anything the first time she's met them." Rose defended Amelia.
"So what did you two do?" Albus asked.
"We just hung out and worked on potions essays." Fred lied.
"Oh really? And why would Lucy ask you to help her friend at potions." Lily asked Fred.
"I'm excellent at potions! Remember which one of us got an O on their Potions OWL? Oh right me." Fred defended is obvious lie. "No matter, I'm knackered. Night everyone." And Fred went to the seventh year boys dormitory and fell asleep in his bed.
-FRIA-
Maybe he wasn't as mighty as he thought.
Maybe she wasn't worth his time.
Maybe Weasley wasn't a toe-rag.
Maybe Bryce wasn't a swot.
But Fred knows what he wants.
Amelia isn't too sure what's in store for her.
Mia will make mistakes.
Fred will undoubtedly make more.
Fred leaves.
Mia stays.
Hogwarts. 2021.