Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters.
Note: Last chapter for the time being. SiobanPhelps: LOVEEEEE your comments all the time, the one about Draco was my absolute favorite. He is a ferret. lol.
A Minute Together...and then Interrupted
"You invited them?" I asked in complete surprise.
"I told them when our first trip to Hogsmade was, though they'd fancy a butterbeer with us" Matt explained as he glanced over at the twins, some kind of unspoken conversation between the three of them.
"Let's go inside" Hermione suggested as we nodded in agreement and shuffled inside and moved toward the counter to get drinks. Though we seemed to be happy to see the twins, it seemed a little weird for all of us—minus Draco—to be together for the first time since our meeting with Dumbledore and the other professors where Matt confessed.
"I'm glad we're all here, we can talk about the book" I said trying to sound as casual as possible.
"Tammie, no amount of small talk to going to change how awkward this is" Fred said which I caused me to glare at him but he merely shrugged it off. "Besides, no one came to Hogsmade to talk about a book" he added.
"I need to talk to you first" Matt said looking at Fred and then at George "both of course" he added. The twins looked at each other, as if weighting the opinions but George moved first.
"Can't be any more dangerous than last year" he said looking over at Fred who finally shrugged and followed him and Matt out.
"How come he just can't apologize in front of everyone?" Ron asked looking at the door the three boys had went out.
"Because they're dumb" I said, which was half true. "I wish I knew what they were saying…" I said wishfully as I stared at the door. "Do you know what they're saying?" I asked Melinda who didn't answer but gave herself away by avoiding looking at me. "Of course you know what they're saying…" I mumbled to myself as she shrugged.
"It shouldn't be a long conversation though" Melinda said as she glanced at the door before following Hermione to the other side of the room. I looked back one last time before deciding to join the others.
Not even ten minutes later the boys walked back in. Matt went over and stood closer to Harry while Ron moved closer to Hermione and Melinda looked up in time to see George join her side, a smile already across his face. I started to ask where Fred was but his hands were already on my shoulder and I felt his chin on my head. "You make a nice resting spot Allen" he said sweetly as he kissed my head. I smiled and tried not to blush as I looked around at the others hoping none of them were looking. As expected though, Melinda was giving me an approving sort of smile. Matt was
also looking but the first expression I saw was gone in a second; though it looked like anger, disappointment, betrayal and something else. The something else I couldn't place because by time I saw it it was gone, and he wasn't looking at me anymore.
"I'm hungry, let's go to Three Broomsticks instead" Ron said already heading for the door. "C'mon" he said looking back at the rest of us, all of us seemed a bit slow in responding. Hermione moved first, as if just remembering something and started to drag Harry along.
"How's shop?" I asked.
"The shop's been packed, haven't really even gotten a chance to breath. But I've missed you, a lot. And course I'm worried about you" Fred explained as he started swinging our hands.
"I'm fine, the stress of last year is still there, and it doesn't help that Courtney is still around, and, Draco…" I started but trailed off; only shaking my head. Fred gave my hand a small squeeze but nodded.
"Draco is just a dumbass, but you know you can't help him forever Tam, he has to figure some stuff out on his own" Fred told me softly.
"Yeah, and last time I left him in charge of his own emotions he let Burnner free, so, unless you want another incident like that, then just let me keep him grounded. It's not even a big deal—"
"How isn't it a big deal? I don't understand how you can just control someone's feelings so easily" Matt said from behind us, clearly annoyed.
"I'm not controlling them Matt, I'm just happy if I can get Draco to move on" I told him. Matt shook head but looked away, I could tell he had more to say but I knew he wouldn't because Fred was with us and judging by whatever conversation they had neither of them seemed angry with the other.
I started to wonder what exactly the conversation was, but then my eyes caught another sight. Over near the trees, a person, no, not any person. Burnner, but she wasn't looking at me, she wasn't paying attention. I could catch her off guard, I thought as I moved toward her but stopped upon noticing Matt in front of her. I tilted my head, what was he doing with Burnner? I squinted, they were talking, he had some sort of bowl, he looked, different. Burnner smiled, looking, pleased with something, she still didn't notice me. "Your ultimate fate will be determined here if you continue the path you're on." Someone said. I did a double take, The Fates, tall Fate had just spoken.
I forced myself to continue watching, Burnner had come back into sight, she had wand and it was pointed directly at Matt. I raised my own wand without thinking. "Stupefy!" I shouted, watching the sparks shoot out of the wand.
"Hey, no, stop!" one voice shouted.
"Tammie!" another voice exclaimed, this one I recognized as Fred.
"She's awake, stop shouting at her" Matt's voice said. "I have her wand" he added as I felt myself blink a few times and look over toward the trees, no one there. I looked around, Fred and Matt on either side of me; I assumed I had just had a vision, but I was still standing.
"Tammie, guys, what's wrong?" Melinda's voice called, then her footsteps, moving closer to me. I couldn't help but wonder when and how she got so far away. I was right behind her after all.
"Wha—what happened?" I asked as Fred helped me to a sitting position.
"Kinda hoping you'd tell us" he said, his voice inches from concern. I looked at him for another minute, I hated when he got worried. I looked at Melinda, thankfully her look was more curious than worried, this was a relief.
"I had a vision" I told them, George now joining us. Matt, who had moved a bit closer reached over to pat my hand but Fred's glare stopped him cold. "It wasn't like before though" I said, now directly my attention at Matt. "It was like on the train" I said trying my best to ignore Fred's accusing look.
"When you were able to focus and not pass out?" he asked. I nodded but then shook my head. I still passed out, or fell over, or something.
"But I passed out this time" I admitted, but the others looked at one another, for a split second none of the spoke up. Finally, Fred did.
"You were fine, you just got sorta quiet and kept walking and then, I dunno, I looked at you and you were looking off so I just squeezed your hand, we kept walking and then…" he paused for a moment. "I saw you raise your arm; I didn't know you had your wand with you until you shouted…I grabbed you and spun you around and you just looked, sorta empty. Your eyes were a bit glazed over and, I panicked and shook you" he said, his shoulders falling. I tried not to think about the last time I was shaken by a Weasley but couldn't stop the memory from coming anyway. The previous Christmas George had shaken me, out of anger and fear, he thought I had done something to Melinda to make her panic. "I wasn't being rough, I was just trying to get your attention" Fred said, pulling me from my thoughts as I nodded.
"It's okay," I replied quickly, thinking back to the vision.
"What did you see?" George asked. I tried to give him an uninterested smile but based on his look he didn't look convinced.
"Not sure" I said thinking back to Fates words, it didn't look like a situation I wanted to be in, so the smart thing would be just not to tell anyone. "I don't think it was anything important" I told them. George still looked at me while Fred didn't move from his spot next to me. "C'mon" I said pulling myself to my feet with Fred's help. "Go ahead, we'll be right in" I told them as I grabbed Fred's wrist.
"You okay?" he asked as he looked at me with worry. I smiled and stood on my tiptoes to give him the most passionate kiss I could.
"I love you" I told him as he smiled a sort of goofy smile. "Don't forget that, ever" I said gently as we kissed again.
"Okay" he simply but dreamily as we pulled apart. "Now I kinda don't wanna go in there" he said with a frown as I giggled.
"We can always take in the scenery" I said with a suggestive smile.
"Good idea Tamms," he said as if I had hinted at nothing. "I especially would like to check out this corner" he said walking over to a slightly more isolated area. "Notice how these bricks fit so perfectly together" he said poking at a brick as I leaned against the wall pretending to look interested.
"I like how other things fit perfectly together" I said as he raised his eyebrows but smiled as he moved closer to kiss me once again.
"Well, well, well…" I pulled away first thinking somehow Pansy got up the nerve to test me as I was spending heavenly minutes with Fred. But when I looked over a rather tall girl with beautiful long jet black hair, which was tied up in a yellow bright big bow. "Hiya!" she said cheerfully. I forced myself to smile, she was pretty and she had the nerve to interrupt. She must have been one of Fred's other exs, I thought with slight dread. "Name's Savannah" she said but I couldn't bring myself to reply. "You know, the cashier on Wednesdays and Saturdays at that fancy shop with the twin on top?" she said with a smile, trying to be funny but I only shook my head, still having no clue who she was.
"I've never been on a Wednesday or Saturday" I told her as she frowned, placed her hands on her hips, frowned even more and then unexpectedly gave Fred a loud punch to the arm.
"You oaf" she teased as she attempted to punch him again but he dodged out of the way. "Savannah Pope, you're boyfriend and I were friends back during his fifth year. I dated George for a while" she said with a little shrug. I felt myself smile, it was nice to know he had someone before Melinda. "It's nice to meet you in person" she said as I frowned a little. "I use to creepily stare at you from the Hufflepuff table in awe and amazement" she said with a broad shameless grin.
"Oh" I said turning a little red as she laughed.
"Don't worry, I didn't do it all the time. Fred was afraid to introduce us, he didn't want to scare you off" she said as I blushed. "But I do have to know, what's it like being related to Draco? He's such an evil stuck up prat" she said as Fred nudged her but she only shrugged.
"He's also a bit of a dumbass" I added as she smiled at me.
"I see why he loves you" she said giving me a wink. I cleared my throat and laughed, it still felt unreal to know be in love. To be able to be so open about it.
"Well, I love him just as much" I replied as I took Fred's hand.
"So cute" she said shaking her head and giving us a smile. "You will get married and have ton of kids and you must name one Savannah" she said happily as I raised an eyebrow at her. "Or Abby, you know, after your friend. I'm sorry what happened to her" she said her expression lightening as she glanced down.
"It was sad losing her" I said with a nod trying my best not to let myself think too much about it.
"I've seen Courtney a few times over the summer. Pretty but huge bitch, she'll get what's coming to her. Just like Charity. My dad was in charge of overseeing if that the spell went over well. I went, I didn't want her memory to get erased" she said. I had a sudden though, maybe after George dumped her for Melinda she went to Charity, maybe they became friends. Maybe that was why Fred didn't tell me about her.
"Was she your friend…?" I asked slowly, feeling slow regret build up.
"Merlin's no! I hated her" she said crossing her arms over her chest as I let out a small relieved sigh.
"But you didn't want her memory to get erased?" Fred asked sounding really curious about it.
"She was positive you'd come to her, at the last minute, to say bye and all, but you didn't. I wanted her to remember that. I wanted her to feel the guilt and sadness and despair and rejection—"
"You sure you were a Hufflepuff?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Are, once a Hufflepuff, you never go back. And anyway, Charity was terrible, always was. Don't know he dated her" she said nodding at Fred.
"Anyway" Fred spoke up. "It's over now, I have a girlfriend, I love my girlfriend, you've met her, you should go now" he said as Savannah made a face at him and then turned to me.
"The guy with Courtney, he had dirty blond-ish hair, real cute, do you know who he is? I think he's still in school but I'd be totally okay if he was, he's hot" she said, again lacking any shame I thought she might have.
"Matthew Knacks, Courtney's older brother" I said as she nodded with interest and then glance at us.
"Single?" she asked questionably, but obviously hopeful.
"Not exactly" Fred said glancing over at me.
"He's single but I don't think he's looking" I explained.
"He doesn't want to look" Fred replied with in a sort of sour tone.
"This isn't another Oliver is it?" Savannah asked giving me an obvious put out, annoyed sort of look.
"Pope, don't start" Fred with a warning sort of look. She made a face at him but fixed her expression to looking happy again.
"As long as you don't hurt him again" she said as I felt myself tense. Great, she knew everything. I thought as I nodded.
"We will never break up, I swear Savannah" I replied as she scanned my face and then finally nodded as she stuck out her hand.
"Glad we can agree" she said as I nodded.
"Ditto, maybe I'll see you around again?" I asked.
"Only on Wednesdays and Saturdays" she said with a wink as she nodded at Fred who nodded back, I assumed that was their way of saying bye. "Oh and bring Matt too, I'd love to walk around town with him on my arm" she said wiggling her eyebrows, still sounding bright and cheerful and a little hopeful. "He might develop new interest" she said but Fred was sort of glaring at her.
"Stay away from him, please" Fred told her, though his look and his tone were hinting at something. Warning? Fear? I didn't know. Regardless Savannah nodded and then waved as she headed off.
"See ya Weasleys" she called back with her warming contagious smile.
"She knows you're the only Weasley, right?" I asked as Fred blushed and took my hand as we moved away from the corner.
"Yeah, I think she did that on purpose" he said quietly as he his ears turned redder. I wrinkled my nose at him, not quiet understanding but then it clicked.
"Oh" I said clearing my throat as we approached the doors to Three Broomsticks. "Well, even so, for now I'd like it remain Allen" I said trying not to sound too surprised or shy about Savannah's hopefulness in me becoming a Weasley. Fred gave me a quick look but then shrugged.
"Can't control what my friends say" he said as we went inside.
