Adore You

1:Enter The Circus Troupe

"Hey, Roxie!" I heard my older brother yell from upstairs. It was the 1st of September and my family and I were leaving for Kings Cross Station - just like every other year. I was going into Sixth Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and my daft brother, Fred, was going into Seventh.

"Yeah?" I called back. I was standing by the door, leaning against my overly full trunk, waiting for my brother. Again. This was becoming a routine, much like brushing my teeth.

Fred thumped down the stairs, his trunk floating in the air behind him. He let it fall to the ground beside mine with a heavy thunk and straightened.

"Did you know that if your hand's bigger than your face, you have Spattergroit?" he asked, grinning madly. His black curls were wet and sticking to his dark forehead from his shower.

I furrowed my brows and raised my hand, trying to figure out what he was saying. At the last minute, I put my hand back down, realising that he would push my hand in ans squash my nose as soon as it reached my face. "Ooh, that was almost clever, Freddie."

He laughed. "Damn. Oh well, I'll try it on Max when we get on the train."

Maximus was Fred's best friend. I didn't particularly like him but I pitied the bleeding nose he was likely to be sporting in an hour.

"Where's Mum and Dad?" I asked. It was usually Fred holding us up, not our parents.

"Mum's sorting through her jewellery box and Dad's in the Shed."

We shared a knowing look, smiling at each other. The Shed was where our father, George Weasley, notorius prankster and owner of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes (the best joke shop in the history of the world), developed his products. The little tin hut in the backyard of our house was prone to fires, explosions and the occasional portable swamp, but had somehow survived the years with only minimal rust. Amazing.

I knew that Dad was rummaging through there, collecting things to hide in our trunks to unleash upon the unsuspecting students of Hogwarts. Despite his forty-one years, I don't think my father ever grew up.

My mother, Angelina, was the grounding force in our family. Frankly, I don't quite know how she managed. Raising kids like Freddie and I was enough to cause a critical sense of paranoia, and then she had to deal with Dad on top of us. The woman was going for sainthood, I tell you.

"Mum!" shouted Fred. "Hurry up, we're going to miss the train!"

"I suppose you'll just have to take the car then, won't you?" said Dad, striding into the room. Grandad Weasley had retrieved the old flying Ford Anglia that Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry had crashed in their second year and returned it to pristine condition. But I did not relish the idea of flying it to Hogwarts. I had heard too many stories on the matter.

"I don't think so," I said, shaking my head. "We have to attend a meeting on the train this morning."

"What meeting?" asked Mum, stepping daintily down the stairs. "neither of you made Prefect or Head."

"Thank Merlin," I heard Dad mutter. I think I heard him say something about Uncle Percy but I couldn't be sure. Mum glared at him.

"A Weasley meeting," I replied. "We have one -"

"Every year," finished Fred. "to decide -"

"How best to cause Weasley Havoc -"

"And give McGonagall a headache."

Mum and Dad's heads bounced between the two of us like a tennis ball. Mum frowned and looked like she was about to tell us something along the general lines of 'you'll do no such thing!' But Dad beat her to it.

"Excellent. I don't know why we never had a Weasley meeting at school. Ange, why didn't we do that?" Mum shrugged, sighing. "Alright then, let's be off."

Mum grabbed my arm as I picked up my trunk. I was still too young to apparate by myself and was thus subjected to side-along. Not fun.

We stepped forward and I felt that horribly familiar feeling of being forced through a narrow tube and having my guts left at the top until we landed on Platform 9 ¾.

The Hogwarts Express was directly in front of us, in all its red and gold glory (I personally think that this train was in Gryffindor) and puffing white steam everywhere. I grinned upon seeing it.

It was two minutes to eleven and the train left on the dot. I turned around to hug Mum and Dad.

"Bye, Roxie," said Mum as she embraced me. "Have a good year. Not too many detentions, you hear? Write often."

"Every week," I said grinning. I was so proud. Professor McGonagall wrote to Dad over the summer to say that Fred and I had surpassed my father and his twin's detention record. Four hundred and ninety-two sessions of punishment. Dad was ecstatic. He threw a celebratory Weasley Bash just for Fred and me. The only people ahead of us now were James Potter (I) and Sirius Black at a combined six hundred and two detentions. But I've still got two years left. We'll get them eventually. Fred and I had vowed to get them.

I turned to Dad. "Bye, Dad," I said, hugging him tightly. "I'll see you at Christmas."

"Now listen," he said, checking that Mum was preoccupied with Fred. "I slipped a carton of Dungbombs in your trunk. There are some Weasley's Wet-starts, a couple of decoy detonators and handful of fake wands and one or two skiving snack-boxes. Write to me privately when you run out, okay?"

I laughed, but quietened down when Mum looked over. "Sure, Dad. Those should last me until the end of the week."

He smiled widely and pushed me toward the train. I dragged my trunk over and handed it to the guy in the red uniform and stepped onto the scarlet steam engine. Fred was right behind me. The train began to move and, like practically every other student, we waved wildly at our parents until we turned the corner.

"Right then," said Fred. "To compartment Weasley!"

I followed him, weaving our way through the crowded train to the exact centre. Far enough from the prefect compartments, and far enough from the back that they aren't immediately suspicious. But strangely, the prefects always look at me, James (my cousin) and my brother at the earliest onset of trouble.

We reached it. I knew it was the Weasley's because someone had scribbled our surname on the door. I looked at Fred and nodded. This was serious business. I made three sharp knocks on the door and Fred leaned forward to do the two longer, more resonating raps and then I raised my hand to finish it with five successive-really-fast taps when the door slid open to reveal my cousin Albus.

"But I didn't finish the Weasley Secret Knock!" I exclaimed in outrage as Fred and I stepped inside the painfully crowded compartment.

Albus shrugged. "It doesn't matter anyway. We knew it was you."

"Is nothing sacred anymore?" Fred moaned in mock agony.

I glanced around, doing a quick internal head count. James. Hugo. Lucy. Molly. Dominique. Fred. Myself. Louis. Lily. Rose. Scorpius. Albus. Wait! Scorpius?

I pointed my finger at the Slytherin albino. "Out."

"But -"

James stood up. "Sorry, pal. Weasley Meeting of Mass Destruction in progress here."

Rose (another cousin) rolled her eyes. "You can stay, Scorp," she told her boyfriend. "They're just kidding."

"No, we are not," said Fred, stepping forward.

Louis (yet another Weasley) stood and made his way over the skinny Malfoy kid. Fred went to his other side. Together they hoisted the squirming thirteen year old out and closed the compartment door in his complaining face.

"That was not necessary!" growled Rose. I was surprised. Usually, she was wrapped in a book, not paying attention to our antics.

"News flash," said James obnoxiously. "It was."

"Now, on with the meeting," declared Fred, raising his voice.

"Weasleys have always been top-notch pranksters," began Louis. "It is our duty - duty, people - to provide our fellow students with the best entertainment available to man."

"We are not a circus troupe," muttered Rose viciously.

"Rosie, darling," I answered condescendingly. "I hate to break it to you, but we pretty much are."

"Anyway," continued James. "We must strive for perfection. We are this close" - he gestured with a tiny space between his index finger and thumb - "to making McGonagall crack. Death shall take us before we fail in this mission!" he finished dramatically.

Little Lily, looking petrified (it was her first train ride to Hogwarts) spoke up, her green eyes wide with fear. "But why do we want Professor McGonagall to crack?"

James stared at her. "Sister, did you not hear me? It is our mission. And has been since Louis, Rox and me started here. A tradition, I say!"

Dominique piped up. "Oh cut it out, James. We all know McGonagall's never going to crack. Not now, not ever."

I turned my Fearsome Gaze on the blonde part-Veela by the window. "Did you know, that along with the Mission, we declared that Pessimists should be dunked in the Black Lake at midnight in the middle of winter? You better sleep with your eyes open, Dom. We do share a dormitory and most classes, after all." I threatened.

Louis snuck me a High-Sly. It's like a High-five, except much sneakier.

"I conclude," said James importantly. "That this meeting is over. Go now, fellow Weasley's and Potters, and create Havoc."

Rose rolled her eyes and stood to let in poor Scorpius who had been waiting at the door. I clapped him on the shoulder as I left.

"Sorry, Scorpy, ol' chap," I apologised. "Family business. Marry Rosie and we might just let you in one day. Until then, ta ta!"

James, Louis and I made our way through the train, saying various greetings to students along the way, to the compartment where our friends were waiting. I swear it couldn't be further back.

"Roxie!" squealed Cassi when we finally reached it. "Merlin, I haven't seen you in years!"

Cassiopeia D'Archer was well known for her excitable nature. If I were to say "oh, look, there's a tree..." she'd probably pee herself in her energetic haste to see it. But she was one of my closest friends. I glanced around the full compartment at my friends. Naith was lounging on the seat beside the window. My heart lurched. Oh yeah, I was in love with him. Completely. I'd take up stalking Naithaniel Richards if I wasn't so busy getting detentions and causing general chaos.

Cassi finally, after hugging each of us and enquiring after our holidays, allowed us to sit down. I was snuggled not-so-comfortably between the window and James. And directly across from Naith. Like, our knees were touching.

"Hey," I said to him.

"Hey, yourself," answered Naith. His freakin' sexy voice almost made me sigh. Almost. I had better control than that.

The Cassi began to bubble on about her holiday. James, Naith, Louis and I listened patiently, nodding and smiling where required.

"So we were at this castle and - oh shit!" she suddenly broke off.

"Huh?" I asked in confusion as Cassi leapt to her feet.

Her pale face was whiter than normal. "I forgot completely! I have to go to the Prefect meeting!" And she bolted from the compartment.

"Prefect?!" the rest of us chorused in horror.

We were the most mischievous kids in school and now, our friend is now a Prefect. I shook my fist at the sky. I'd obviously done something (or several somethings, which was more likely) to someone Upstairs.

"Noooooo," sighed James. "My life is over!"

"How could Cassi do this to us?" groaned Naith.

So hot...

"What did I do to deserve this?" whined Louis. "I had to deal with Victoire all my life and when I'm finally free of her, I get stuck with a Prefect."

The three boys stared at me. I started, realising I was supposed to whinge as well.

"Oh, Cassi what have you done?" I moaned, with a facial expression that denoted pure pain. I cracked an eye open. The boys seemed satisfied.

James perked up. "Oh well. We just won't tell her what we're up to. She never used to come on Raids or anything anyway."

We all nodded our agreement. I turned to James only to see him busily mussing his already perfectly messy black hair. What a surprise.

"Are you holding Quidditch trials this week?"

James was the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Which I was on. Mum and Dad (especially Dad) were so proud when I made the team. I was only in Second year. Fred was already on it. We were both Beaters.

Naith rolled his beautiful bright blue eyes at the turn in conversation. He was not a Quidditch fanatic. Neither was Louis. They were both much too busy with other things, presumably girls. Yes, my heart pangs. Naith had a new girlfriend for everyday of the week. What? I don't blame him or anything. It's not his fault he's so damn sexy. And Louis was (and looked) part-Veela. Enough said.

"Yeah. I was thinking Tuesday," he said thoughtfully, his green eyes lighting up. "Is that good for you?"

"Yep. Do you know if anyone's said they're trying out?"

He grinned wickedly. "Lily wants to. She's good too."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? You might have to convince McGonagall, though. Are first years still allowed to try out?"

James waved his hand in a dismissal. "Yeah, 'course they are. They just don't usually make the team. I'll give her a fair go, sure. I was thinking we make it a team decision on who gets picked. We need two Chasers."

I nodded in agreement.

Cassi returned an hour later from her meeting. She showed us her gold badge and we tried not to think about all the rules it represented. We chattered happily until the train pulled to a stop.

"Quick," said Cassi, "We have to get our robes on." She shoved the boys out the door and turned to me. She pulled out her wand and summoned our robes. I grabbed the skirt, top, long socks, and shoes as they flew at me and put them on. We stepped out of the compartment to where the three guys were waiting impatiently.

"Finally!" exclaimed James, pushing past us. "If you are quite finished primping..."

"Don't go without us, Roxie," warned Louis as he stepped into the compartment where James had pulled his shirt off, revealing a very Quidditch trained abdomen. I had half a mind to tell Cassi to pick her jaw up off the floor. "We still have to do the Entrance."

The Entrance was yet another tradition. James, Fred, Naith, Louis and myself always, always, entered the Great Hall at the beginning of the year last. There was something about that collective groan of pain from the teachers that gave us such pleasure.

I was about to nod, but Naith pushed past me and I lost all train of thought. Damn, that boy was fit. What did he do? Five hundred push ups every day? I was so okay with that.

Yeah. I've been totally in love with him since half way through last year. And there is nothing more frightening than a fourteen year old in love. But I was sixteen now, so it wasn't scary. It was worse. It was terrifying.

Not that I planned to tell him. I don't think Naith would laugh. I think he'd be shocked, then embarrassed and then everything in our little group will be eternally awkward. I refuse to be responsible for that.

The boys were finally finished changing (seriously! They took longer than us!) and we walked up to the carriages. We always managed to squeeze into one together, though each year the space in that black box drawn by an invisible horse got smaller and smaller. Cassi (dumb blonde) thought that the school was running out of funds and had to get smaller carriages, but I sensibly pointed out that it was because the three sixteen year old boys were growing.

Cassi went straight through the big doors into the Great Hall, while the four of us waited until the last student had filed through and found a seat. Professor Flitwick was a few meters away, herding first years. I caught Lily and Hugo's eyes and waved. James and Louis, noticing where my attention was, waved as well.

"Alright, family business aside," said Naith. "Are we ready for the Entrance?"

We all nodded and stepped inside the doors. Uh huh, there goes that moan of 'they came back?' from the teachers. I lead the three boys up the Gryffindor table to where Cassi had found us seats. Every eye in the Great Hall was on us. I pretended not to notice Naith and Louis winking at every D-cup they passed. We sat down and waited for McGonagall to address us. She invited Flitwick to bring in the first years.

I gave Lily and Hugo a thumbs-up as they walked in. They didn't look as nervous as the others, but the terror was still quite plain on their faces.

Professor Flitwick placed the ratty old hat on the stool and stood back. McGonagall gave the first years their instructions - the usual, sit on stool, place hat on head, sit at table.

I could feel James' knee bouncing beside me and I raised an eyebrow at him. I know his sister was being sorted and everything, but it was nothing for him to be nervous about.

"I'm starving," he whispered in response. I rolled my eyes. Of course he was.

"Lawler, Serenity," called McGonagall and a tiny blonde pixie-looking thing got up and sat on the stool. Wow, we were already at 'L'. Minerva's rushing along a bit, isn't she?

"Ravenclaw!" shouted the old hat. Serenity looked very pleased and darted off to sit with the blue-clad students on the bench beside ours.

McGonagall continued with this routine and I zoned out. And no, for your information, I was not thinking about Naithaniel Richards. Much.

"Potter, Lily," said McGonagall primly. There were cheers from all the Weasleys and Potters. Lily smiled faintly and pushed an escaped lock of black hair behind her ear.

Lily sat on the stool, the widest grin on her little face. She looked scarily like James, with the green eyes and black hair. She managed to make hers look wind-blown and messy as well. Or maybe it was just because there was a bit of a wind when they came up in the boats.

The hat seemed to think for all of two seconds before bellowing, "Gryffindor!"

I leapt to my feet, along with the other ten or so members of my family, cheering wildly as Lily came down and squashed herself between James and me. I hugged her while James ruffled her messy, inky hair affectionately. Louis, across from us, leaned forward and slapped her a High-five. Down the table, Albus waved at her. On the other side, where all the Seventh years sat, Freddie was grinning and making funny faces at her.

Aside from Louis and James, Lily was my favourite cousin. I suppose it wasn't surprising, the cheeky little girl was the female replica of her oldest brother and I liked him well enough.

"Hugo should be up soon," she said nervously, looking up at the remaining three unsorted first years. Hugo, Rose's younger brother and yet another of my numerous cousins, was smiling at us.

"Weasley, Hugo."

Another bout of yelling and cheering rose in the Great Hall. McGonagall glared at our end of the table in particular. Hugo placed the Sorting Hat atop his shock of red curls only to have it yell out, "Hufflepuff!"

I could feel the disappointment radiate off Lily. She and Hugo were very close, like Albus and Rose, and Louis, James and I. I felt sorry for her, I remember my first day and begging that damn hat to put me wherever James or Louis went.

"Relax, Lils," I whispered soothingly to her. "You'll make heaps of friends."

"Yeah," said James. "And if you can't, you can always hang with us. You'll still see Hugo around heaps anyway."

"I'm not good at making friends..."

"Don't worry," I calmed her, my arm around her tiny shoulders. I was never that small when I was eleven, I swear. What is Aunt Ginny feeding this child? "You've got Weasley genes."

"Weasley genes? Does Hugo have them too?" she looked up at me, those enormous green eyes huge and hopeful.

"Sure he does," said Louis, leaning in so he could hear us better. His blonde hair looked silver in the flickering candle light. "And just think of all the Hufflepuff boys he'll introduce you to when you're older!"

Naith snorted. "He's kidding, Lily. Those 'Puffs ain't got nothin' on us."

Lily looked confused. James laughed. "What he means is that those Hufflepuffs don't look as good as I do."

Lily giggled, still not really getting the not-so-funny joke.

McGonagall gave the usual welcome speech, finishing off with all the things that were prohibited. I exchanged a grin with my brother, both of us knowing that my trunk was chocker-block full of every single thing on that list and then some.

The food appeared on the table and Lily gasped in shock at the feast laid out before us. I laughed at her expression of amazement. She looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

I looked over my shoulder toward the Hufflepuff bench. Hugo was talking tentatively with the straw-haired boy next to him and he smiled when he caught my eye. I was glad he wasn't all by himself. I recognised the blonde boy as Aunt Luna's son, Lorcan Scamander. Luna isn't really my aunt, but I got in the habit of calling her that, just like every other Weasley/Potter child.

We finished the feast, feeling sick to the pits of our stomachs, and left the Great Hall. Lily walked beside me, sticking close to my hip so as not to get separated in the throng of boisterous Gryffindors. She grabbed my hand in surprise when she saw the moving staircases, even though she'd heard about them at home. I wasn't really paying attention, I was laughing silently at my friends/cousins' conversation on my other side.

"No, seriously," said James. "Gryffindor girls have more fun."

Louis shook his head. "Nope, it's always the Snakes that are caught doing the deed. And in the strangest of places, too."

"Yeah, but the Gryff girls don't get caught," argued James. "That's not to say they're not doing the same."

"You're both wrong," laughed Naith as we stepped through the portrait hole and into the commonroom. I pointed out to Lily where the girls' dormitories were and promised I'd show her the hidden passage into the boys' ones when she was a little older. "It's those Ravenclaw chicks you gotta watch out for. They hide behind their books and essays all day, ready to emerge at night. I'm telling you, Ravenclaw girls have more fun."

At this I could not keep the burst of laughter from coming forth, like water from a weakened dam. "Seeing as you're all males, I'm suggesting you drop the topic before your sexuality comes into question."

"What's -?"

"Next year, Lil," I interrupted the eleven year old.

I showed Lily to her room and then followed the boys further up the stairs the Sixth Years dorms.

"Well, good night!" I cheerfully bid them farewell and stepped into the girls' room, closing the door as I heard James declare he was never going to eat again. Ha. Unlikely. He says that every year and still eats himself sick.

Cassi was already in her pyjamas, sitting cross legged on the bed by the window. She had a magazine (presumably Witch Weekly) propped open on her knees.

"Hey, Roxie!" exclaimed Taylor Smith from her position at her cupboard.

"Roxanne how was your summer?" asked Paulina Parkes. She was leaning over Cassi's shoulder, reading one of the articles.

"'Ello 'oxie!" called Dominique (a cousin) from where she was cleaning her teeth in the bathroom.

"Hey, guys!" And there you have it. Paulina, Cassiopeia, Dominique, Taylor and Roxanne - Girls Sixth. And what an energetic bunch we were.

Those of us who hadn't already done so changed into our pyjamas and climbed into our beds, completely and sickeningly full from the beginning of year feast.

We didn't talk much, all tired and full to the brim with food, and the others fell straight into a deep sleep. I stayed awake though. For some reason, I couldn't seem to get my eyes to remain closed.

This year was going to be the year. We would make McGonagall crack and Naith was going to fall madly in love with me.

Pfft. As if.

Naithaniel was not into girls like me. Sure, I had curves, nice hair, good boobs, straight teeth and a decent enough face. But somehow, I didn't think that Naith wanted a relationship. He and Louis were both looking for easy fixes and that was not something I was okay with. Sigh. It was a hopeless cause.

Oh well, I was perfectly content to admire his perfectly formed behind and gorgeous blue eyes and silky brown hair and that slow, sexy smile from afar. Yes, I know, I'm so pathetic...

Note to self:

My Epitaph -

Roxanne Weasley. Died of unrequited love, excessive exposure to dangerous joke-shop products and an overwhelming case of all-round pathetic-ness. R.I.P.

AN: Yay! A new story! Please review everyone - it inspires me to write lots of Roxie/Naith goodness!

Oh, and the inspirational music behind this story is 'Adore You' (I know, I'm sooo original) by Lil' Rain.

xx