"Yes, trust, it's what friends do."

Dory (Finding Nemo)


"Hi, what are you doing?"

Scarlett jumped slightly at the sudden voice in the quiet library. "Homework," she answered when she realized it was Fred. He was standing across from her, his hands resting on the table.

"On the first day of school?"

"Yes, there's just so much of it already, as I'm sure you know. It's kind of overwhelming."

No one said anything for a minute until Fred finally spoke up. "I asked her." He pulled out a chair and sat down. "I asked Angelina out."

"Yeah? How'd it go? Did she say yes?"

"If she didn't, do you think I would be sitting here grinning like an idiot?"

"Who knows? Maybe the shock of rejection made you delirious."

"Well she said yes." All of a sudden, Fred's face became serious. "Did you tell Justin? About the vow?"

Scarlett sighed. "No, I meant to, but I never got the opportunity."

"You chickened out," Fred said with a laugh.

"No, what happened was-,"

"Hey, Scarlett, I found the book on—oh, hi, Fred." Justin had just come around the corner, a book in his hands.

"Hey," Fred said with a tiny wave.

"What are you doing in the library?" Justin asked.

"I am allowed in here," Fred said exasperatedly. "I just don't come in here."

"That's why I'm asking."

"I needed to talk to Scarlett."

"More advice on Angelina? Merlin, Fred, just man up and ask her out."

Fred turned a light shade of pink as he gaped at Justin. Finally, he stood up and looked Justin in the eye. Fred was taller, so he had to look down at him. "I did ask her if you must know," he said quietly. "And she said yes."

"Well, that's great. Scarlett was concerned last night about how it was going but I told her I'm just glad it worked out between me and her."

"How it worked out between…?" Fred looked at Scarlett and his eyes went wide. "Oh," he said slowly in a stage whisper.

"Yeah," Scarlett said, nodding.

"So you didn't…?"

"No," Scarlett interrupted, shooting him a look. "I already told you I didn't."

"Didn't what?" Justin asked.

"Say no. That's what I was wondering," Fred said quickly, still looking at Scarlett.

"Well, obviously she didn't say no," Justin laughed. He looked at Fred a little strangely. "Are you okay? You've been acting a little odd."

"How would you know?" Fred retaliated, whipping around to look at Justin. "You hardly know me."

"No, you're right, I don't," Justin shrugged. "I was just wondering. That's all."

"I'm not trying to steal your lovely lady, if that's what you're worried about," Fred said, heading for the door. "I have my own. So you two enjoy yourselves. Study hard!" With one last smirk over his shoulder, he was gone.

"Don't mind him," Scarlett said, tugging on Justin's sleeve to get him to sit down. "He's just…well I don't exactly know what he is, but forget about it."

"I wasn't thinking that he was trying to steal you."

"You weren't?" Scarlett asked with a slight smirk.

"No," Justin said, shaking his head. "Even if he was, I know you're with me. I know you wouldn't let him steal you." He grinned and tapped her nose.

"Yeah, and he has Angelina," Scarlett added. There was a pause. "Justin?"

"Hm?" He began sorting through his work that was spread out on the library table.

"Would you hate it if Fred and I were together?"

"What kind of question is that?" Justin asked, looking up in surprise.

"I was just wondering how upset you would be."

"You mean if he liked you?"

"Yeah," she answered after another brief pause.

"Or if you liked each other and started dating before I could ask you?"

She nodded. "Yeah, would you be angry?"

"Well, yeah, I'd be a little upset," Justin shrugged.

"You would," Scarlett said, trying to keep her tone somewhat flat. Of course he would be upset. It only made sense, but it made Scarlett's stomach flutter with anxiety hearing it out loud.

"Yeah, I'd be mad that someone else got to you first. Especially someone like Fred."

"Someone like Fred? What do you mean?"

"He's extremely popular. All the girls love him. I'm actually kind of surprised that you agreed to go out with me in the first place. I would hate losing to a guy like Fred."

Scarlett fought the urge to groan. How was Justin going to react when she finally told him she had to get married to Fred?

"But at the same time," Justin continued, "he would have gotten to you first fair and square and I would have had to live with it. Luckily, though, I don't have to worry about that." He grinned and kissed her cheek. "Why are you asking me these questions anyway? To test me and figure out how much I like you?"

"You caught me," Scarlett snorted.

"Hey," Justin answered, snatching her homework out from in front of her. When she leaned over to get it, he kissed her and she kissed him back, pushing her guilt out of her mind.


"She's a nightmare!" Scarlett exclaimed to Erica after leaving their Defense Against the Dark Arts class the next day. "Honestly, I can't believe she's allowed to teach here."

"I don't think Dumbledore had much say in the matter," Erica said. "If it were up to him, he wouldn't have allowed her in a million years. But she is horrible."

"Talking about Umbridge?" Fred appeared next to Scarlett with George at his side.

"Yes," Scarlett answered.

"We had her yesterday," George said, gesturing to himself and Fred. "We wanted to toss the textbook right back at her by the end of the class."

"What stopped you?" Scarlett snorted, still annoyed by Umbridge's teaching methods.

"It's too early in the year for that sort of thing," Fred said. "Plus, we don't usually attack teachers. Pranks are as far as we'll go and only with Snape. The other pranks we usually pull are class distractions or on other people, like Malfoy. Umbridge might have to be an exception, though if her lesson was any indicator of what the rest of the year will be like."

"No magic!" Scarlett exclaimed. "How are we supposed to learn?"

"We don't," Fred shrugged. "Unless we memorize the textbook. Or at least open it for that matter, neither of which George and I will be doing."

"But reading the textbook won't teach us anything, no matter what the Ministry thinks," Erica chimed in.

"Exactly," Scarlett said. She looked up at Fred. "So, where's Angelina?"

"Where's the Finch, your feathered friend?" Fred responded quickly.

"Hey," Scarlett aimed a kick at Fred's ankle, but he dodged it, laughing. "Stop being so rude! I mean it."

"It's called having a laugh. Lighten up, Scar."

"Don't tell me to lighten up, Fred Weasley," Scarlett said. "He's my boyfriend. I have every right to stand up for him when you aren't being nice."

"Hmm," Fred said. "That's very good of you. Does that mean when we're married you'll stand up for me?"

"Oh, stop it," Scarlett sighed.

"I'm being serious!" Fred laughed. "Anyway, I'm going to meet Angelina now. She should be finishing up with her Potions class. Doesn't Justin wait for you outside of your classes?"

"Stop being obnoxious," Scarlett frowned.

"Yeah, you don't have the right to be mean to her or Justin, no matter what the situation is," Erica said, managing to get her two cents in. She gave Fred a pointed look and his smile faltered.

"Fine," he said. "I'll try to be nice."

"You'll try. That's a start, I suppose," Scarlett sighed. "And it doesn't matter if Justin waits for me outside of classes or not. He's really nice and I really like him."

"Okay," Fred shrugged. "As long as you're happy. I'm not the one dating him."

"Yeah, I am happy," Scarlett said.

"Good. So am I."

"Great."

"Isn't it?"

"Goodbye." Scarlett rolled her eyes and sped up, walking away from the twins.

"Come on, Scar, I thought we were friends!" Fred called after her, laughing. "I know you think it's funny when I tease the Finch! You're just such a good Hufflepuff that loyalty comes first!"

As Scarlett rounded the corner, she paused and looked back at Fred, giving him the tiniest of smiles. She shook her head. "You're wrong," she mouthed. "It's not funny."

Fred grinned and shrugged before turning and heading in the opposite direction with George at his side.

Later that night, Scarlett was heading back from the library alone. It was nearly midnight. Justin had gone back to the common room ages ago. Even though he was taking his OWLs this year, he didn't have nearly as much homework as Scarlett was getting. She now saw just how much more homework NEWT students had to do.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her behind a statue. She gasped, but then she saw that it was only Fred and calmed down slightly. "What are you doing? You scared me half to death."

"You told me you haven't been on a broom in ages," Fred answered simply, holding up an object that Scarlett had only just noticed: his broom.

"No, Fred, that's ridiculous," she said, shaking her head. "It's getting late, it's dark out and-,"

"All the more reason to do this. Ever since you told me how your mother sold your broom and you haven't been on one since then, well, it's been bothering me. And nighttime rides are the best."

"Why do you care so much?"

"No one should go through such horrible flying deprivation. I'm just trying to help you out."

"What if we get caught?" Scarlett asked hesitantly.

"We won't, trust me. I've done this many times."

"I'm sure you have, but-,"

"But what?" Fred asked with a smirk.

Scarlett sighed. "What about Angelina? Why aren't you doing this for her?"

"She's always on her broom," Fred said. "I did this to surprise you. A friend surprising a friend." He paused. "It's not like I'm cheating on Angelina."

"She wouldn't assume the worst if she saw us right now behind this statue or riding a broom together at night?"

"Would Justin?"

"Maybe but I asked you about Angelina first."

Fred shrugged. "I don't know, but I doubt anyone will find out. We can skip it if you want, though."

Scarlett paused. "One question. How did you know where I was?"

"I saw you heading to the library after dinner."

"We really shouldn't be doing this."

"Stop worrying, will you? It's nothing bad. It's not like I suggested we go snog in a broom cupboard."

"Yet you pulled me behind a statue. I'd say there's more room in a broom cupboard, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, they are pretty cozy."

"You would know. How many girls have you snogged in broom cupboards, anyway?"

"Nosy, nosy," Fred chided, smirking at her. "But, only two if you must know."

"Really?"

"Angelina, obviously, and Alicia as a dare in fifth year. Anyway, back to the topic at hand." He held up his broom. "Yes or no?"

"Okay," Scarlett finally said slowly. "I'll do it."

Fred grinned. "Great, come on, let's go."

Scarlett left her books behind the statue and she and Fred headed down to the Quidditch pitch. "We'll start here," Fred said, climbing onto his broom. Scarlett hesitated and he looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Well, what are you waiting for? Here, get in front of me so you can see better."

Scarlett paused again before swinging her leg over the broom and situating herself in front of Fred. He wound one arm around her waist and used the other to hold onto the broom handle. Scarlett could feel his chest against her back and it made her even more nervous.

"This is us bonding, isn't it?" she asked. "We're just getting used to each other?"

Fred let out a loud laugh and Scarlett twisted around to shoot him a look. "Sure, it's us bonding," Fred chuckled. "Why are you so nervous?"

"You made me keep the vow thing a secret from Justin. This looks really bad if he finds out."

"It looks better than standing behind that statue," Fred teased.

"Fred!" Scarlett groaned.

"And I made you keep this a secret? I don't remember making you do anything."

"Well, you put the idea in my head."

"We don't like each other. I don't like you and you don't like me. At least not like that. What can Justin and Angie possibly get mad at? Plus, it's nearly midnight. Who's going to be looking out their windows at us?"

Scarlett didn't answer at first. "Nobody," she finally sighed.

"It was a rhetorical question, but yes, I doubt anyone will see us. Will you just relax so we can go?" He laughed again.

"Fine," Scarlett said, taking a deep breath and letting it out as she turned around to face the front again. "Let's go."

"You still seem nervous," Fred said.

"What makes you think that?" Scarlett asked. She didn't turn around again. Instead, she kept her eyes fixated on the broom handle.

"You still haven't relaxed yet," Fred said. "You're as tense as a board. Either you do really like me after all and I'm making you nervous or you really hate me. And I haven't been under the impression that you hate me, so…." Scarlett didn't have to turn around to know that he was smirking.

"Be quiet," she complained. "You're annoying, you know that?" She sighed. "It's just that I haven't been on a broom in so long…."

"That's what you're nervous about?" Fred asked with a small laugh.

"Yeah, why, is that funny to you?"

"No," Fred said quickly. "It's just…I've always been comfortable on a broom. I've been flying for as long as I can remember. I can't imagine it making anyone nervous."

"I just haven't flown since I was nine. It's almost a little foreign to me now, so I'm not as comfortable as you are."

"That's why we're doing this," Fred said calmly. "I mean, we are supposed to be bonding and getting close to each other again, so I thought this would be a good way to do that. Plus, you'll be getting comfortable with flying again."

Scarlett was silent for a moment. "Fred, I-,"

"Do you trust me?" he interrupted.

"What?" she asked, turning to face him again.

"Do you trust me?" he repeated, speaking a little slower.

"Yes," she said a little hesitantly, looking him right in the eye.

A grin spread over Fred's face and before Scarlett could say or do anything more, he had pushed off the ground and they were rocketing towards the sky at an incredible speed. Scarlett let out a gasp and gripped the broom handle tighter, leaning back into Fred's chest. Not that she had to do much leaning on her own, though. The incline forced her to lean into him.

"Can't you slow down?" she screamed over the wind howling in their ears.

"Not yet," Fred yelled back, shaking his head to shift Scarlett's hair out of his face. They continued to rocket towards the sky until Fred leveled the broom and started flying them in a slow circle. "Holding up okay?" he asked.

"Fine," Scarlett breathed out as her heart rate returned to normal. "You know," she said after a pause, "it almost looked as if-,"

"We were going to end up touching the stars?" Fred finished.

"Yeah," she replied.

"It's almost like being free," Fred said, using the words he had spoken at Grimmauld Place.

"What do we have to be free from here?" Scarlett asked. "We're at Hogwarts, not at Grimmauld Place. We're free from all that home stuff."

"That's true," Fred said, "but now Umbridge is here. She and the Ministry are trying to change Hogwarts. She's already given Harry a week's worth of detention for talking about You-Know-Who and she won't let us use magic in class."

"She's really enforcing the rules," Scarlett said, nodding in agreement. "You're right, though, because sometimes you just feel so-,"

"Trapped?" Fred asked.

"Exactly," she sighed.

"Do you feel trapped knowing about the vow?"

"Kind of," she answered. "I mean, we're being forced into this. We have no choice and it's not that you aren't a great guy. You are, but…"

"But this wasn't the way you pictured becoming engaged," Fred finished. "And I'm not the person you pictured getting married to."

Scarlett nodded. "I never pictured anyone in particular. I mean, I planned to get married sometime after I'd left school and secured a job but I've never even been in a serious relationship before so it's not like I could even guess who it might be."

"You never pictured the Finch?"

Scarlett shook her head and refrained from rolling her eyes. "No, I only started liking Justin recently and it's not serious enough where I would picture him. Besides, I'm seventeen. I have no idea what could happen down the road. Well, actually now I do. I know I'm marrying you. That's where the trapped feeling comes in."

"I agree," Fred said. He flew them around in circles for another minute before changing direction. "How about an outdoor tour of Hogwarts by broomstick?"

"I'd have to go along whether I wanted to or not," Scarlett answered. "I very well can't just get off the broom."

Fred laughed. "Well, you could…."

"Fred!" Scarlett laughed.

They fell into silence as they flew all around the Hogwarts grounds.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Fred asked.

Scarlett nodded as she looked at the castle, lit up with a few lights here and there and illuminated from the outside by moonlight.

"This is why I love flying and taking broom rides so much," Fred whispered. "Everything looks so different. And when you're flying, there's nobody else around. Nobody can tell you anything. They can't tell you what to do or where to go."

Scarlett smirked and craned her neck to look back at Fred. "Go down to the lake," she demanded.

"You ruined it," Fred groaned. Nonetheless, he turned the broom towards the lake.

"I know what you meant, though," Scarlett said as they flew low over the water. Her shoes were inches from getting wet. She looked down at their blurry reflection. "It really is like being free. All of your problems go away for a little while."

"Exactly," Fred said. He reached down and skimmed the water with the fingertips of one hand, keeping the other on Scarlett's hip. She kept the broom steady until Fred sat back up again and slid his arm back around her waist, taking the broom handle in the other.

"This was nice," Scarlett said after they had landed and gone back inside. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," Fred said with a dramatic bow as Scarlett giggled.

"Well, I'll see you later then."

"Are you okay walking back to your common room alone?" Fred asked.

"Oh, yeah," she said quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that it's late. I don't want you to get in trouble. You still have to go back and get your books from behind the statue, too."

"I can manage," Scarlett said with a smile. "I appreciate your concern, though."

"A friend helping a friend," Fred shrugged, grinning.

"A friend helping a friend," she repeated, taking a few steps backwards in the direction she needed to go in. "Well, bye," she said, suddenly feeling awkward and nervous again.

"Bye," Fred said, looking slightly awkward as well for the first time all night. It was as if he didn't know what else to say.

Scarlett turned and headed up the stairs. She reached the statue and retrieved her books before making her way back to her common room. Halfway there, she heard a loud noise from a classroom to her right. She paused for a moment and looked left and right before entering the room. A pile of books lay scattered on the floor, clearly having just fallen off the bookshelf on the far side of the wall. Scarlett looked around again before walking across the room and bending down to pick up the books. As she did, she saw Mrs. Norris a few feet away, staring at her.

"Did you do this?" she asked the cat. Mrs. Norris didn't move. Before Scarlett could do anything else, the door suddenly slammed closed with a loud bang. Scarlett let out a small scream and jumped to her feet.

"Who's there?" she asked, holding her wand up. The moonlight coming in through the window gave off just enough light for Scarlett to see that nobody had come into the room. "Must have been Peeves," she muttered under her breath, gathering her own books from the floor. When she crossed the room and tried to open the door, she found that it wouldn't open. She jiggled the knob and pushed against the door, but nothing worked. She was trapped in a classroom with only Mrs. Norris for company.


A/N: I know Scarlett getting locked in a classroom seems pretty random right now, but it's important for later and it'll all be explained eventually.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!