AN: Welcome back everyone!
Sorry that this took a while to come out, I wanted to let everyone catch up on my updated older chapters before getting this one out. Also, this was REALLY HARD TO WRITE, LIKE DANG I HURT INTERNALLY!
Now then, SHOUT OUT TIME!
Shout Outs go to: mchurch1992, Strawberry r Kitty, Guest #1, Guest #2, Guest #1 again? Applejax XD , and DivergentPrincess! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I ADORE YOU AND HAVE SOME EVERLASTING GOBSTOPPERS!
Replies:
mchurch1992: WOOOW, How you got through 35 chapters in like 4.5 hours I will never know! THANK YOU FOR READING! Tell your little 3 year old I say hello!
Strawberry r Kitty: I'm glad you enjoyed! I had fun working Arden into the scene! She LOVES Diagon Alley as much as, I assume, we all do! It's such a dynamic area of the Wizarding World! Also, I hope you enjoyed my renovations! That was a doozy of an update.
Guest #1: Thank you for reading and enjoying, but, pray tell, what do you mean by my propaganda? By definition, propaganda means "Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view." And, to be honest, I don't really see where I used any in my fanfic. If I did, please let me know. If I did not, please let me know what you meant, as I am stumped.
Guest #2: Thank you for reading! I am trying my hardest to update whenever I can, but my life is hectic; between classes, my job, sorority stuff (now that I have a position and we're recruiting this semester), and I have my animals to care for (I just got an axolotl and I am obsessed). I try to get chapters out as often as possible, but sometimes I just can't. Also, with me being a science major, sometimes the fic has to take a back seat so that I can focus on my grades and passing. I'm not trying to be rude or anything, please don't take this the wrong way. I wish I could update on a frequent basis and have a set schedule for y'all! But, at this point in my life, I just can't. I'm so sorry about that, and understand if that leaves a bad taste in your mouth for me and my fics. I know a lot of people want to have a set time to check in on fanfics to see if they've updated. The best that I can give you is that I do post updates here and there about my progress on my tumblr (my username is on my profile on here).
Applejax XD : Ah, the legendary protector Fred Weasley. Lol, I LOVE writing angry Molly!
DivergentPrincess: Nooo! It's fine if you don't read the new chapters the second they come out! It's FINE! I don't update frequently and I get it! Don't feel bad! Thank you for reading at all! It makes me SO happy that ANYONE is enjoying this fic!
So, with that out of the way, let's get on with the chapter!
With one week until term started, the Weasley twins were finally finished with their summer work. So, they began to plan for their first prank of the school year. They were locked away in their room, while Arden helped Harry catch up on his summer work. The boys needed their alone time anyway; not having gotten much "twin time", as Arden often put it, since they picked up Harry. They were sat in the middle of their floor with all of their materials in front of them.
"George, if we use the fireworks first, that sets too high of a precedence for this term. So, what I was thinking is-"
"We use the fireworks last and go out with a literal bang, I know, Fred. But, that's too predictable. That's why I want to-"
"Prank everyone by using them first and having everyone think we have something better, I get it."
They both groaned and laid on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. They were both stressed out, but one of the twins more so. Fred was still reeling from his and Arden's altercation three weeks prior. He still had no idea how to make anything up to the girl, or if he needed to make anything up to her at all. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to act around her? They pretended to be fine and acted normal around other people, but they didn't speak unless necessary. George was the one that brought her along with them, and spoke to her the most. Maybe George would know what to do? He was the emotionally smarter of the two, as much as Fred hated to admit it.
"Hey, George…Does Arden hate me?"
George rolled over onto his stomach to face Fred, "Why do you ask?" His brother shrugged. George sat up, "Look, I don't know what happened between you two, but it can't be so bad that it ruined what we've built over the past four years."
Fred muttered, "I wouldn't be so sure…"
George narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "What do you mean?" Fred rolled away and faced the wall, crossing his arms over himself in the process, "Fred," George glared, "Tell me. I'm your twin, you're stuck with me for life, whether you like it or not. I promise I won't be angry."
Fred sighed, "Back on the train ride home, I kissed her."
George was floored, "WHAT?"
"And then I ran off, and didn't write her the whole time before she came over."
George's jaw dropped, "…What?"
"And, three weeks ago, we tried talking about it. I apologized for everything and then she said that she liked me and ran off…"
George was fully invested, "Well, you like her, right?" Fred nodded, "So, tell her!"
"I can't…"
"Why not? You're a bloke, she's a girl; she likes you, you like her; what's the issue?"
Fred sighed, running his hand through his hair, "She's just…she's Arden, you know?"
"No, I don't."
He rolled over and sat up, "She's our best friend. I don't want to ruin what we have. What if we don't work out and break up? I'd rather have her as a friend than ruin everything."
"But what if you do work out and end up marrying her?"
"So, according to Emeric Switch, the unknown variable could be anything, from the nature of magic itself, to the wand's personality, to just the time of day that the act of transfiguration is being performed?" Harry asked, rereading what he had written down.
Arden nodded, "Essentially, yeah."
Harry stretched, "Well, that's that essay done. How many more do I have now?"
Arden read his work list, "Just your History of Magic paper. We finished your potions and charms work yesterday."
Harry let his head hit the table, "But History of Magic is so dull!"
"As much as I hate agreeing with that, it really is. But," Arden stated, "I'll let you take a quick break before we get started."
Harry grinned, "Thank you so much for helping me!"
She smiled, "Any time, your aunt and uncle are probably some of the worst Muggles I've ever encountered."
Harry cocked his head to the side, "Do you live in the Muggle world too?"
"Yeah, at least some of the time. My godmother had me attend Muggle School before I started at Hogwarts."
"Do a lot of Wizarding families do that?"
She shook her head, "No, most families home school their kids in the essentials; reading, writing, basic arithmetic, etc."
Harry nodded, taking in what she said. It made sense, now that he thought about it. "So, you live with your godmother?"
"That would be correct, yes. She took me in after my parents were killed."
"Did Voldemort kill them?"
"No, but his followers, the Death Eaters, did. We don't know which ones, though."
"I'm sorry about that," Harry trailed off.
"Don't be," Arden assured, "It was no one's fault but that of Voldemort and his followers." She smiled, "Besides, if that didn't happen, you wouldn't have another orphan to relate to." She nudged his arm with her own.
Harry smiled, "We parentless children have to stick together."
"Anyway," Arden transitioned, "Let's travel back to the middle ages, where Merlin first met Arthur."
That evening, Fred stood outside Ginny's door, hand poised to knock. He had to talk to Arden. He had to do something, right? Maybe, if they just agreed to pretend that nothing happened, everything could go back to normal? They could be just best friends again?
He leaned his forehead against Ginny's door. Who was he kidding? Nothing could go back to normal, could it? He had royally screwed up by kissing her in the first place. Why did he do that anyway? When he thought back on it, he didn't really remember his motivation. He had had feelings for her for so long; he knew that Cedric had liked her and tried to take her out on a date, and she had turned him down. After that, he had to act. Maybe it was his possessive instinct or something? He wanted…He wanted… He sighed, knowing exactly what he wanted; and that was her.
He stood upright, and knocked on his sister's door. Arden opened, as he knew she would.
Her brown eyes widened, and she moved to close the door, still not ready to talk to Fred yet.
He stopped her, "Can we please just talk?"
She looked down at the floor submissively, hoping that he would just leave. But, seeing as he still stood there, she let him in, closing the door behind him. They both sat on Ginny's bed, not talking for a couple of minutes.
Arden broke the silence, "Great talk we're having."
Fred chuckled awkwardly, took a calming breath, "Look, obviously I screwed up."
"Clearly," Arden agreed.
He looked into her eyes, "But I don't want to lose what we have. Can we…pretend that that never happened?"
She broke their eye contact before she lost her resolve, "But can we move on from this, Fred? I don't know if I can forgive and forget like that…this is…it's a lot."
"What would you rather do?"
She bit her lip, hugging herself, "I don't know…The way I see it, we can move on from what happened as normal, or try a relationship, or just stop…"
"And you don't want to stop." She shook her head, tearing up at the thought of losing Fred. "I don't either…and I don't think either of us really want to try a relationship right now."
"So, just moving on is the best bet right now, isn't it?"
He let out a deep breath, leaning back on his hands, "Seems like it, yeah," he paused for a moment, "This really sucks…"
Tears ran down Arden's face from her eyes overflowing, rather than her actively crying, "Yeah…" she agreed thickly. "Fred?" she began, "Why are emotions so complicated?"
He sat up, wrapping his left arm around his best friend and leaned his head down to rest on hers, "I wish I knew."
AN:
AND THAT'S THAT FOR THIS UPDATE!
I HAD TO GET THE AIR CLEARED BETWEEN THEM, AND I REALLY WANTED TO LET THAT HIT ON ITS OWN, OK? I'M SORRY FOR THE EMOTIONAL TURMOIL I'M SURELY SENDING SOME OF YOU INTO!
EVERY REVIEW GIVES ARDEN A HUG! SHE REALLY NEEDS ONE RIGHT NOW!
Well, see you all in the next chapter!