She'd set her watch for 11:50 and when it beeped she stood up from the couch. She left her book on the arm of the couch. She debated on whether or not to leave Hemlock and without thinking about it Hemlock shrunk in her hand. Her dress didn't have pockets so she tucked him in her bra between her breasts, not visible.
She hurried upstairs and grabbed her hooded cloak and a scrap of parchment so she could leave a note for Snape. She grabbed her copy of Apothecary Now so she could show Amelia, and put it in the pocket of her cloak.
Dresses should have pockets, she thought as she went back downstairs. Maybe I should learn to sew, then I could make pockets. Or I could get a purse.
She put the scrap of parchment against the cover of her book and scribbled a note to Snape.
Gone to Diagon Alley to hang out with Amelia. Be home later.
❤️ Freddie
She signed her name with a heart next to it and left the note on the arm of the couch. After making sure she had everything she needed, she closed her eyes and Disapparated.
"Freddie!"
She opened her eyes on the streets of Diagon Alley just in time to see Amelia rushing towards her. The girl gave her a big hug. Freddie almost didn't recognize her as she'd changed her hair to a hot pink.
"It's so good to see you!" Amelia said, releasing her and beaming up at her.
"It's good to see you too, kid. What'd you do to your hair?"
"Color-Changing Charm. You like it?"
"Yeah I do. It suits you."
"I did a poison-green for a while but I like this better. How've you been? You wanna go get something to eat?"
"Sure. I know this little Bistro place down the street, unless you'd rather go to the Leaky Cauldron?"
"Bistro sounds good. The pub is always full of old people," she said, making a face and Freddie chuckled.
"How are you – how's O'Neil?" she asked with a wink as they started down the street.
"Great! I was a little nervous at first ya know but on our first date he took me to the ice cream parlor and we stayed there for hours, talking and laughing. It was really great, he's great. He's funny, he makes me laugh. The first time he held my hand I got butterflies!"
"That's sweet. He's a good kid," Freddie said, smiling. "I'm surprised he's not here with you."
"I'm meeting him at 4 actually and I'm going back to his house until term starts back."
"Ooo. That serious, huh?"
"Yeah. And his mum's great – she even lets us sleep in the same room ya know."
"Yeah? You're taking a contraceptive potion, right?"
"I, um, well..." she said, her face flushing almost the same color as her hair.
"You need to be careful," Freddie cautioned. "An unplanned pregnancy, at your age? You don't want to get kicked out of school."
"Definitely not. Is that something you could help me with?"
"Yeah, I can brew one for you and send it by owl when I get home," she replied. "There's a new one that you only have to take once a month, think you can manage that?"
"Definitely."
"If you take it the day you start your period, it gets rid of it. And makes it easy not to forget it."
"Awesome," she declared. "No period, no babies, just fun time."
"Right," Freddie chuckled.
"See, that's why I wanted to hang out with you – girl talk. The only person I've been hanging out with is Brian. Honestly I just need some girl time."
"Me too," Freddie agreed as they reached the Bistro. "I actually got my school stuff yesterday but I wanted to hang out."
They ordered Butterbeer and sat at a small table outside. Remembering how she'd seen Geck the last time she was there, Freddie put her hood up.
"What's with the hood? It's a beautiful day," Amelia said, picking up the menu.
"The last time I was here Geck spotted me and chased me down an alley," she mumbled.
"What? Did he attack you?"
"He would've but I Disapparated."
"Man... you're lucky you can do that now."
"Yeah," she agreed.
When the waitress came to take their order, they both ordered a burger and crisps.
"So, what've you been up to this summer?" Amelia asked her.
"Not much – oh! Check this out," she said, pulling the magazine from her robe pocket and flipping it open to her recipe.
"You finished your antidote!"
"Yep," she said proudly.
"And you got a picture with Snape. He doesn't look happy."
"He never does," she chuckled though she knew now that was a lie. She'd seen him look plenty happy over the last month.
"Have you been working with him over the summer still? This picture was taken at Hogwarts, wasn't it?"
"Well," she said slowly. "I'm sort of staying with him."
She'd decided it would be okay to tell her at least that part of her summer. She laughed as Butterbeer shot out of Amelia's nose.
"What?!" She shouted. "Are you – you two are – I knew it!"
"Shut up, you're making people stare," Freddie chuckled, handing her a napkin. "It's not like that. I moved out of my uncle's house – I had to. Something bad happened, he...he made me go to Azkaban to visit my parents and there were all these dementors and...it was bad. Really bad." Amelia stared, her blue eyes wide as Freddie continued. "So I went to Hogwarts. I thought Dumbledore might let me stay there but apparently there's some big rule about students not staying at the castle over the summer. So, he suggested I stay with Snape. Since the two of us have gotten along well, worked together well, over the last year."
"And he actually agreed to it?" she asked in disbelief.
"Eventually. Reluctantly," she said with a grin.
"What's it like? What's he like? What's his house like? Tell me everything!"
"Um, well, it's definitely weird. Or it was at first. He mostly avoids me, spends his days at Hogwarts. I hardly ever see him," she lied smoothly. "I pretty much have the house to myself all the time. I've been brewing potions, readings. I'm learning to cook, which is pretty cool."
"What's his house like?"
"Small. He has a lot of books, and I mean a lot of books. It's like living in a library. It was pretty dusty when I got there but I've cleaned up a bit. I don't think he ever really stays there. Why would he when he could just stay in the castle?"
"So you basically have the house all to yourself? It's like having your own place – wait, why didn't you just get an apartment or something?"
"i don't have any income right now and I don't want to deplete my savings, especially when I have to go back to school in a month. I can't sign a lease or whatever. I'll get an apartment after I graduate, when I get my job at St Mungos."
"That makes sense," she said as the waitress brought their food. "Can I see Snape's house? Can you take me there?"
"Are you kidding me? He'd kill me!"
"He wouldn't have to know, you said he's never there," she reasoned.
"The man knows everything, Amelia. I can't."
"Yeah, okay," she said, eating one of her fries. "So there's nothing going on between you two? No hankypanky?"
"No! No way!" she declared. "And you can't tell anyone that I'm staying with him – not even Brian."
"Why not?"
"You know why. All those rumors last year. I don't want to screw up whatever friendship it is that he and I have. Promise me you won't tell anyone."
"I promise," Amelia said solemnly. "You know...maybe you should do it."
"Do what?"
"Snape. He's not terribly unattractive. He's older, experienced. I bet he'd be good in bed," she said with a sly grin. "And you're really pretty. I bet if you came onto him-"
"Oh my god. No, no way in hell," she said, shaking her head. "Shut up and eat your fries. Besides – I'm sort of seeing someone. A boy."
"From school?"
"No, he went to Durmstrang but he graduated a few years ago. His name is Ryan. And that's all you get to know about that."
