Those Christmas holidays were magical for Haidee. Even amongst the teasing from George considering their new relationship, she was exponentially happy.
It was merely the next day when George started his little jokes. She was strolling the halls, feeling quite content when she rounded the corner to find Fred and George standing there, looking smug, facing her as if they had planned to meet there.
Fred had come over to greet her, placing a kiss on her cheek before wrapping his arm around her. George, who watched Fred as he did so, gaged in response.
"So Haidee, what's it like dating the uglier twin?" George asked as Fred scoffed.
"We all know I'm the better-looking twin," laughed Fred.
"It's not too late to change," George teased.
"You're identical twins," she chuckled in response.
"You hear that Fred?" George called. "She just called me hot!"
She found out very quickly, however, that Fred and herself were very different in displaying their relationship. He was a master at public displays of affection, not showing the slightest of interest in who saw them kissing or holding hands. He gave her some of his clothes to wear, such as old jumpers that had a large 'F' on them that no longer fit him or scarfs that he would wrap around her and pull on to tug her closer. Even when holidays were over and students returned, he didn't stop. In fact, it seemed he made more of an effort when other students were around.
Haidee was not much for public displays of affection. She knew it drew attention so she refrained from it when she could, but she never stopped Fred. His touch was too welcoming.
It was several months after the Christmas holidays when the next victim was attacked. It was a Ravenclaw prefect and Hermione who was attacked. Haidee had just said her goodbyes to Hermione, who was sitting by her as they both studied in the library. She left ten minutes before Haidee, in quite a rush, who had been the one to find her petrified.
Since then, the restrictions on the school tightened by tenfold. No students were to leave their dormitories after six o'clock in the evening. Each student was to be escorted to and from classes. This made it quite difficult for the new couple to find free time to spend together when they were constantly supervised. Luckily, she had many classes with Fred in which she would be smothered with affection.
It was only three days following the new rules being released that Haidee had found the constant supervision suffocating. People everywhere she looked, constantly having eyes on her no matter where she turned. It seemed that she could not even go to the lavatories alone, which she could not, it had become a rule. It was constantly exhausting and Haidee was eager for an escape. Although she knew it was against the precautionary rules, she needed to be alone.
Secretly, she had managed to escape the gazes of the teachers and cohort long enough for her to make a sneaky escape. It was not as difficult as she once thought it would be, to break a school rule willingly. She had proved more accepting of it the longer she spent time with the Weasley twins.
She snuck into an empty hallway, away from the noise and the prying eyes of others and took a deep breath. The cool air washed over her in refreshment, as if cleansing herself. In the silence, she instantly felt more relaxed and she realised she was in a side hallway she knew quite well, and she began to reunite with some of the portraits.
"Hello Haidee," a calm voice spoke from behind her. She jumped immediately with fright, spinning around to face her Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore composed in serenity.
"Professor," she blabbered, fearing she would get in trouble, quickly backing away from the portrait. "I apologise for . . . for being unattended."
"It is quite all right, Haidee. I understand the urge to be alone," said Dumbledore, smiling soothingly to her. "I am sure you are wondering, why of all teachers, I am here to accompany you instead of another. Well, I fear we must chat about our unique arrangement allowing you to use the kitchen past curfew." Haidee's head shot up at him with saddens and he bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Unfortunately, under this circumstance, our agreement needs to be broken. In fact, I must ask that you are not to attend the kitchen at all during these times. Even when it is light."
She sighed but felt as if she was expecting this conversation to occur. "I understand, Professor."
"And I have alerted the house-elves of this. Otherwise, I would be getting an alarming amount of letters addressing your absence." Haidee smiled at the thought, as did Dumbledore. "I have also come to notice," he continued in a tone just as light-hearted, "that your concern for rule-breaking had decreased in the company of Fred and George Weasley." He chuckled slightly. "That is quite all right, also. A congratulation is in order, I hear. The house-elves were most pleased to discover that you are in relations with non-other than the student who visits the kitchen, second regularly, to you."
Haidee didn't know what to say or do as she blushed at the mentioning of her new relationship from her Headmaster, to which, this was her first time speaking to directly. There was a linger of silence before he spoke again.
"Regrettably, I must also abide by the rules and not allow you to wander the halls alone. I will escort you to your next class, wherever it may be."
"But Professor, my class is not for a while," she muttered.
"Perfect, I have never been one to rush. I prefer to stroll."
That was the last she had heard of Professor Dumbledore before he was escorted off the premises, along with Hagrid, the Gatekeeper of Hogwarts, on suspicions of the attacks. It had seemed that hope had been lost the moment Professor Dumbledore left. Haidee tried her best to keep her head down in her studies to try and busy herself during those times. There was not much else to do when she was banned from the kitchens and surveyed whenever she was to meet with Fred. She had passed some of her time annotating her potions books with improved instructions when she had the chance.
Sometimes, she would find Ron and Harry in the library, studying furiously in books that had no correlations to a second-year's students school work. However, she just observed as she studied, sure that it was a similar situation to last year when she had found Hermione studying alike books.
She had been correct. It had seemed that they were indeed researching about the Chamber of Secrets and how the mysterious attacks were occurring. The answer spread around the school as most rumours did at Hogwarts, which explained that Ginny, Fred and George's youngest sibling and only sister who was merely a first-year student, had been possessed by Lord Voldemort through a talking diary. She had opened the Chamber of Secrets of behalf of Lord Voldemort and released a Basilisk, which attacked muggle-borns in an attempt to purify the school. It was Harry and Ron who had discovered this and had managed to find and protect her in the Chamber.
All petrified students were healed with the matured Mandrakes. Haidee had been asked by Professor Sprout, her Herbology teacher and Head of House, to help with the maturing and harvesting process.
Exams were cancelled. Haidee was subtly glad, although she had studied, it was always less pressure when there was no exam to execute. And with that, the year ended, and Haidee was sent off to live with her parents again and she wouldn't see Fred for the whole holidays.
Her holidays were similar to last, where she spent the majority of her time working in her muggle ice cream parlour. When she was not there, she was either wandering the streets of London or finishing off her homework. She was entering her fifth year at Hogwarts, which meant she would be taking her O.W.L's. She knew that this meant she had further responsibilities to her work, where she would be getting extra workloads and more difficult tasks.
As Haidee had anticipated, her holidays were excruciatingly lengthy and empty. She had discovered that Fred and his family were going on a trip to see their brother Charlie in Egypt, meaning she had got fewer letters from Fred than she would have liked. That was why she had hurried to find Fred when she had arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Deprived of them on the holidays, she was determined not to spend another long trip back to Hogwarts alone.
It was not hard to spot Fred and his family at the platform as their fiery red hair stood out among the rest. However, they were particularly easy to spot as they had grown quite significantly over the break, so much so that she could see the twins' heads over the crowd.
It had seemed that both of them had matured over the holidays break. Not only had they gotten taller but their hair longer and their shoulders wider. Similarly, Haidee had grown too, although not as much as the twin. Her hair had become easier to tame, although she still grew her fringe that covered her eyes and her figure was fuller.
It was not long before Fred had spotted Haidee making a dash towards them, as it seemed that he had been looking for her, also. At the sight of her, Fred abruptly left his family and headed towards her, engulfing her in a hug.
"Who's that?" she heard Mrs Weasley whisper to Ron, who had also grown considerably over the holidays.
"That's Fred's girlfriend. They've been together for . . . almost a year now? Last Christmas, I think," he stated as the two of them boarded the train.
"A year?!" she exclaimed as she watched mysterious girl board the train with her sons.
Fred and Haidee hadn't heard Mrs Weasley's exclamation, they were too busy talking as the boarded and found a cabin with George and Lee. Once everyone had settled Fred and George began to explain their holiday in Egypt, which Haidee was enjoying every much. Fred had sat in the corner, closest to the window, George sat opposite him. Haidee sat beside Fred who had his arm wrapped around her waist and Lee sat beside George, who after a while, became sick of watching the happy couple parade their affection. It, however, had not been Haidee who had been publicly affectionate (although she dearly missed him) as she was not very comfortable with outwardly public displays of affection. Fred, howbeit, had never been bothered by it and continually did so without any bother.
Lee, who was very single with a secret crush on Angelina, had grown bored by Fred who had his arm wrapped around his girlfriend and pecked her from time to time. Mockingly, he wrapped his arm around George and sarcastically tried to kiss him as George laughed, struggling to get out of his grip.
"Jealous, are we?" Fred asked with a smiled as Haidee hid her blush by smothering her face into Fred's shoulder beside her.
"Surprised, actually, that you managed to get a girlfriend," he laughed.
"You're just upset that I managed to score the best girl at Hogwarts," said Fred as he pulled Haidee closer to him.
"Are you sure he didn't slip you a love potion? Amortentia, maybe?" Lee suggested, looking at Haidee as she revealed herself from Fred's arm. With an innocent smile, she shook her head.
"No, I'm sure he didn't. Besides, that's quite an advanced potion. The sixth year, at least," Haidee replied. The group laughed as Fred turned to her, fake offended that she believed that he was not qualified enough to create such a potion.
The group enjoyed their train ride back to Hogwart. They shared laughs and stories. Fred and George had explained to Haidee why she had seen Harry Potter with them on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. There had been an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, the highest security wizard prison, by the name of Sirius Black. Known to be a follower of Lord Voldemort, he was suspected of breaking out to avenge his master by killing Harry. The news shocked Haidee. She had found to discover that that child never caught a break. Two years ago it was the Philosophers Stone and only last year it had been the Chamber of Secrets, and now, a mass murderer was planning to kill him.
They were almost at Hogwarts when their carriage compartment instantly went cold. The air within chilling to the point where their breaths had turned to mist. The window chilled over with frost as a dreaded feeling crept over Haidee as if she would never feel happiness again.
Before anyone could say anything, a terrified white-haired scrambled into their compartment, panting with fear and his eyes wide in terror. They watched as a clocked, black figure glided through the train hallway, past their carriage and towards the others.
"Is everyone all right?" Haidee asked in a whisper, seeing the unpleasant and unhappy expressions that plastered everyone's face. She bent down to help up the younger student that had scrambled into their compartment. Ungracefully and unconsciously, he took her hand and she helped him up as everyone tried to get a look at the creature that sulked the hallway.
Everyone was quiet until the chill of the air started to warm again and their breath could no longer be seen. Fred gripped Haidee's hand and brought her back down to sit next to him; she felt him squeeze her hand in reassurance.
She pulled out a bag of sweets from her pocket, unsure of what else to do at the time, and offered it to everyone in the compartment, who were still slightly shocked and troubled by the past event. "Lolly?" she asked, and even the white-haired boy, who exited straight after, received a confectionary.