Chapter Thirty Nine: Second Term
Author Warning: This chapter contains a sex scene. If you would rather not read it then skip it.
There was a flurry of rumours about Hermione's disappearance when the rest of the school arrived back from their Christmas holidays, because of course everyone thought that she had been attacked. So many students filed past the Hospital Wing trying to catch a glimpse of her, that Madam Pomfrey took out her curtains again and placed them around Hermione's bed.
The rumours were helped along by Fred and George, and they became more and more preposterous.
'George did you hear about Hermione Granger?' said Fred loudly one afternoon in front of a group of third year Hufflepuffs.
'No Fred, what happened?' George asked excitedly, noticing how the Hufflepuffs had stopped talking and were paying attention to the twins.
'Well, she decided that she would challenge the Giant Squid to a fight after Christmas Dinner. She was winning as well but she forgot about the tentacles.' Fred shook his head sorrowfully.
George sighed dramatically 'How could she forget about the tentacles!'
The group of Hufflepuffs ran off, whispering excitedly about how Hermione Granger had fought the Giant Squid.
By the end of the week, Hermione had not only fought the Giant Squid, but she had trapezed off the astronomy tower, tried to catapult herself through the quidditch goal posts, challenged Hagrid to an arm wrestle and more.
Emalia was busy trying not to laugh when she overheard a group of fifth year Gryffindors talking about how Hermione tried to hunt a manticore in the Forbidden Forrest, when Fred sat down beside her.
'I take it this is your doing?' she asked smiling.
'Hermione's escapades?! No, not at all' he said grinning. Emalia laughed when Fred winked at her.
When Hermione left the Hospital wing in early February, she had been informed of all of the rumours that had been circulating by Harry, Ron and Emalia. So, when she reappeared at breakfast that morning, she neither confirmed nor denied any of the rumours.
As February drew on, a more positive atmosphere had developed, there had been no new attacks on students. Professor Lockhart had also wanted to add his own stamp to the new positive atmosphere and had announced at dinner one night 'You know, what the school needs now is a morale booster! Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say any more just now, but I think I know just the thing!'
A lot of people looked excited for the promise of a Gilderoy Lockhart surprise, but Emalia noticed that there were a lot of people who rolled their eyes after his announcement. Emalia giggled to herself.
Lockhart's idea of a morale booster became clear at breakfast time on February the fourteenth. The walls of the Great Hall were all covered with large, lurid pink flowers. Worse still, heart-shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling.
Up at the teacher's table, Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, was waving for silence. Emalia turned to Fred. 'Who do you think would crack first, McGonagall or Snape?' she whispered giggling.
There was a muscle going in Professor McGonagall's cheek and Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of Skele-Gro. Fred laughed 'Tough one, but I think Minnie would be able to grin and bear it. At least in front of us.'
'Happy Valentine's Day!' Lockhart shouted. 'And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all – and it doesn't end here!'
'It's Valentine's Day?' said Fred confused.
'Oh Fred, you are such a romantic' teased Emalia as she pushed him playfully.
Fred grinned at her 'I know, I know. I am the best boyfriend anyone could ever ask for.'
'Ahuh. Lockhart got forty-three cards and I haven't got as much as a kiss today' she replied smiling.
Fred pulled her face to his and kissed her gently 'I could give you more than a kiss if you so wish darling' he whispered into her ear before their attention was drawn back to Professor Lockhart.
Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the Entrance Hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.
'My friendly, card-carrying cupids!' beamed Lockhart. 'They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you are at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!'
Professor Snape looked as if the first person to ask him to whip up a Love Potion would be force-fed poison. Fred leaned over to Emalia and whispered, 'Do you think we could bribe Alicia to ask Snape to teach us how to make a Love Potion?'
Emalia cracked up laughing 'Not for all the money in Gringotts!'
The chaos around the school was amplified with the dwarfs as they delivered messages to everyone. All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver Valentines, much to the annoyance of the teachers.
Fred and George, upon seeing the affect the interruptions were having on the Professors decided to take advantage of Lockhart's surprise. They began sending cards to random people in every class.
They had sent one to Graham Montague during Charms. The dwarf barged in and delivered it in front of the class. 'Graham Montague, I have a Valentine's for you.
'Your face looks like a Troll's backside,
Your head is huge, Merlin knows why,
Because we all know there are no brains inside.'
The whole class erupted with laughter and it took Professor Flitwick a solid five minutes to settle the class down after the dwarf had delivered his message. Graham Montague however was livid. His face had darkened considerably, and he looked murderous.
Fred and George were grinning at each other, conspiring their next Valentine delivery. Emalia watched them while laughing, hoping that her name would not appear on their list of potential targets.
They did not have long to wait. Their next class was History of Magic with the Ravenclaws. It was there the twins sent a Valentine to their next victim. Emalia relished in the delight of hearing the dwarf sing to a horror-stricken Roger Davies.
'Roger Davies, Roger Davies,
Thinks he's a gift to the ladies,
Someone should tell him that's not realistic,
As they all think he's a giant prick.'
Professor Binns, oblivious to what was unfolding in the classroom, continued to drone on about the goblin rebellions. Roger had stormed out of the classroom angrily as everyone tittered.
Their last class of the day was Transfiguration with the Slytherins. All the Gryffindors were sitting, waiting in anticipation for the next recipient of the singing Valentine's to be revealed. With minutes to go before the end of class, everyone had given up hope of another Weasley Valentine, when a dwarf barged into the classroom.
'Is there a -' he paused and looked down at his piece of parchment 'a Purrfessor McGonagall here?' The room fell deathly silent, many students wearing shocked expressions on their faces. Professor McGonagall's lips pursed together tightly, her eyes falling on the Weasley twins, who were playing innocent.
Emalia stared at Fred and George; her mouth agape. She could not believe that this was actually happening. 'Is this real life?' whispered Alicia from her left.
'I think so?' Emalia whispered back. Alicia then reached over and pinched Emalia on the forearm.
'Ow! What was that for?' whispered Emalia crossly, her brow furrowed in annoyance.
'To see if this is a dream or not' shrugged Alicia smiling.
'Alicia. You're supposed to pinch yourself, not someone else!' said Emalia shaking her head.
'Well, I didn't want to pinch myself Em!'
Emalia opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment the dwarf had made its way up to the very top of the classroom, standing in front of a very unamused looking Professor McGonagall, and began to speak.
'Dearest Minnie –'
'That will be all thank you' said Professor McGonagall firmly as she reached forwards and took the card off the dwarf before escorting him out of the classroom. Fred and George looked disappointed that their ode to McGonagall had gone unsaid. 'Mr Weasleys, both of you remain back after class.'
Class proceeded without any interruptions, as was the norm in Transfiguration. Before class ended, Emalia glanced up at Professor McGonagall who was reading the piece of parchment containing the twins' ode and could have sworn she saw the beginnings of a smile form on McGonagall's face.
Later that evening, the group were discussing Fred and George's hijinks.
'So, what did you say?' asked Alicia excitedly. Fred and George looked at each other and exchanged a wicked grin.
'Well Al, we think that should remain between us and McGonagall' said Fred.
'It's not fair to share the contents of a personal and private letter' finished George.
'You're no fun' whined Alicia as she sat back in her seat, folding her arms in frustration.
Emalia smiled at her friend's reaction, but she expected no less from Fred and George. As much as they enjoyed their pranks and the occasional bending of the rules, they had the utmost respect for Professor McGonagall.
The Easter holidays were fast approaching, much to the relief of the fourth years. Their workload was becoming increasingly heavier, that more and more of them spent their evenings in the library.
The last Friday before the Easter holidays was sunny, and for the first time in what seemed like an age, was considerably warm. The fourth year Gryffindors had the afternoon free and spent it out in the courtyard before dinner. The courtyard was basically empty, save for a few Hufflepuffs sitting in one corner. Which allowed Emalia and her friends to get the seats down around the fountain in the middle of the courtyard.
'Are any of you going home for the Easter holidays?' asked Alicia.
Emalia shook her head. 'Oi, don't move or I will mess up your braid!' scolded Alicia. Emalia smirked and remained still.
'Nah, we are staying here. We usually stay at Hogwarts for the Easter holidays, unless Mum and Dad specifically ask us to come home' said George lazily as he lay on the stone boarders of the fountain.
'I'm going home' said Angelina as she threw the piece of grass she was fiddling with on the ground. 'My parents are worried after the most recent attack. They don't want me spending more time than needed here.'
The group fell silent as Angelina's words hung in the air. The reality that if the situation at Hogwarts did not improve that many students would not return, or worse, that the school would close was beginning to sink in.
There had been no attacks for months, but everyone knew that the threat was ever present. It hung around them, like smoke, and all they could do was be vigilant and try and go about their lives to some degree of normalcy.
The first two days of the Easter holidays, Emalia was in the library amongst the large bookshelves doing her homework. Fred, George and Alicia tried to entice her to come out, but she stuck firm to her decision to get all her assigned work done in the first couple of days so she could enjoy her holidays properly.
The four friends spent a lot of their time out in the vast greenery of the grounds as the weather continued to get warmer. Spending days lying in the long grass near Hagrid's hut, or else in the shallow waters of the lake, which often turned into quite competitive water fights.
One evening, they made it back to the Common Room after dinner. It was mostly empty with many students either at home or else still at dinner. George and Alicia collapsed into the worn and most comfortable couch.
'Anyone up for a game of wizards chess or exploding snap?' asked Alicia as she looked up to Fred and Emalia who were still standing.
'Well, myself and Em were going to go for a walk' said Fred smiling down at his girlfriend.
'Aw come on,' whined Alicia 'You spend all of your time together.'
Emalia laughed 'I've actually spent more time alone with you than I have with Fred over the past few days.'
'Whatever' said Alicia haughtily, rolling her eyes.
George grinned at his friend who was sitting beside him sulking, 'Come on Al, I'll give you a run for your money in a game of wizard's chess.'
Alicia agreed, rather begrudgingly as she watched Fred and Emalia walk out of the Common Room.
'She's my best friend' she muttered as George ran up the narrow stairs to get Ron's wizard's chess set.
Fred and Emalia walked around the empty corridors of the school hand in hand. As it was the holidays, the curfew was much later than normal. Many students took advantage of this and the longer days, so usually you would find many students lounging in the grounds or the courtyard.
Those were the places that Fred and Emalia actively avoided. They wanted to spend time alone together. It did not matter if they sat in silence or ran sprints up and down the corridors, they both craved that time together away from the prying eyes of friends and others.
They wandered around, with no particular end location in sight, discussing of all things, Professor Lockhart.
'He's such a prat' exclaimed Emalia angrily, 'Do you know I am failing his class because I refuse to learn about his supposed escapades and his likes and hobbies.'
Fred grinned as he swung their intertwined hands back and forth gently. 'I know love,' he murmured gently as Emalia continued her tirade of insults about Professor Lockhart.
Fred couldn't help it; her insults and language were growing more and more profane, that he succumbed to the laughter that had been threatening to engulf him since the beginning of Emalia's rant.
'I am not dismissing your feelings Emalia, but Merlin you can swear' he chortled heartily when Emalia glared at him. Her face softened, and she too began to laugh. Everything was easy between them, she could not stay mad at him for more than a second.
They had just passed the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet when they stopped to orientate themselves. 'We're on the seventh floor' said Emalia with certainty 'Do you want to head to the astronomy tower?'
Fred smiled at her 'Spend the evening gazing at stars?' he said teasing her gently.
'Well, if you can see stars in the daytime Freddie, then sure,' said Emalia teasing him right back. 'Come on its this way' she took hold of his hand and pulled him to the right. After walking a few paces, he stopped and shook his head.
'You're heading towards the Ravenclaw Common Room' he said shaking his head pulling her towards the left. He managed to get her to walk five paces before she pulled him back in the other direction.
'No Fred, it's this way. The way you want to go leads us to the Ravenclaw Common Room.'
It was now becoming a game of tug-o-war, with both of them managing to pull the other a few paces before being pulled in the opposite direction.
'Emalia, I know this castle like the back of my hand' protested Fred.
'Fred. You are wrong' said Emalia firmly.
Fred laughed and looked around him, getting ready to make a point about knowing every room in the castle, when his eyes settled on a rather large doorway that was completely unfamiliar to him.
Emalia was still pulling him to the left when he said, 'Was that doorway always there?'
Emalia stopped and turned her attention to where Fred was looking. 'I don't think so?' she said utterly perplexed. She hadn't noticed the doorway until Fred pointed it out, and she was nearly certain it was not there when they first arrived in the corridor.
'Shall we go in?' asked Fred, grinning wickedly at her. Emalia grinned back and pushed open the large heavy door.
They walked through the threshold together into a rather large room with high ceilings. There were no windows, but there were torches lining the walls of the room. The floor was not solid stone, instead the floor was soft and grassy, in the centre of the room was a large picnic blanket with a variety of pillows and cushions in numerous shapes and sizes.
But it was the ceiling that was the most impressive. Emalia and Fred craned their necks up. On the ceiling was a bright night showing all the constellations and stars that roamed the sky above them.
'Wow' said Fred quietly as he held Emalia's hand.
'It's beautiful' Emalia said softly as she continued watching the stars shoot above her head.
He turned to look at her, her features kissed by the soft glow of the starlight above them. 'Not as beautiful as you' he murmured to her smiling.
Emalia turned to look at him, a slight pink hue on her face 'Oh shush' she said.
'I mean it, love' he said softly as he leaned down to capture her lips with his own. The kiss was timid at first, gentle; but Fred soon deepened it as his desire and yearning for her increased.
Emalia broke the kiss, putting her hand on Fred's chest she looked up at him, her face flushed 'Come on let's sit down and stargaze.'
They moved over to the picnic blanket and lay down, side by side, looking up towards the ceiling. 'So, do you know any constellations?' asked Fred as they gazed up at the star-filled ceiling.
'Well, if you look over there, do you see those three stars in a line? …. Just there?' said Emalia as she pointed up at the sky 'That forms the belt of Orion, the hunter. It's the most noticeable part of the constellation.'
The ceiling however, had other ideas. As soon as Emalia pointed out a constellation, that constellation shone brightly in the sky making it easier to see. 'Are you doing that?' asked Fred confused.
'I- I think the room is' said Emalia uncertainly. She stopped pointing for a moment, and sure enough the stars dimmed back to their original brightness. She then proceeded to show Fred Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, but he was no longer paying attention.
He was watching Emalia lovingly, a smile on his face, the way she pointed out each star and carefully explained how to spot them. She never took her eyes off the stars.
It was only when Fred did not answer her, did she turn to look at him. 'Sorry,' he said sheepishly 'The stars are beautiful, but I was more focused on you.'
Emalia smiled at him, before leaning over to kiss him. 'I love you Fred' she whispered against his lips before kissing him once more. He kissed her back, there was more urgency in his kiss, as if they were about to part from each other for an insufferable amount of time.
Emalia sat up and straddled Fred, kissing him harder, more feverishly than she had in a while. She was matching his energy and then some. Her hands either side of his face, cupping it gently as his hands found their way to her waist. She slowly began to grind against him, the yearning she felt for him deepening, starting to envelop her. She was ready, and from what she could feel he was ready too.
She had been thinking more and more about being intimate with Fred over the past few weeks. They had certainly started down this path before, but Fred had never pushed her any further than she was willing to go, and she loved him for that. But now, she was sure. She was ready to give herself to Fred.
As soon as Emalia began to move against him, Fred began to stiffen. He groaned gently against her lips, even this was driving him wild. All he wanted to do was to explore every part of her, slowly, but he would only ever go as far as Emalia would take it. He loved her too much to push her too fast.
He had wanted to take their relationship further, he had been ready for that next step, but he knew Emalia was not. He loved and respected her too much to ever make her feel uncomfortable or pressure her in anyway.
He pulled her closer to him, deepening their kiss. She smiled against his lips, and there was that briefest moment where they were their own again, but Fred soon remedied that. He kissed her hungrily, and was pleasantly surprised when she kissed him back just as hard, she had never returned his energy like this when things became heated between them.
He tentatively moved his hands under her shirt, his hands against her back, touching her bare skin. When Fred touched her skin there was a zap of electricity, driving her to push further. Her hands snaked underneath his t-shirt and she gently tugged at it to let him know she wanted to take it off him.
He broke their kiss and looked at her surprised, 'You're being awfully bold.' He propped himself up on his elbows to allow him to sit up so Emalia could take his t-shirt off with ease. As soon as her hands touched his chest, it felt as if he had been hit by lightening, his skin tingled under her touch, sending shivers running down his spine.
A playful smirk flit across Fred's face. She peppered his face with kisses, leaning forward she whispered in his ear, 'I want you Freddie. All of you.'
'Are you sure love?' he asked, his voice had a husky tone to it. Emalia nodded coyly; her eyes fixed firmly on his. Fred's eyes darkened with lust, and he quickly removed her shirt, and flipped her over so that she was now lying on her back, looking up at him.
Emalia fought the urge to cover herself using her arms. She had never felt as exposed, both physically and emotionally as she did right now.
'You are breathtaking' he breathed as his eyes roamed over her, admiring the pale milky colour of her skin, the curvature and shape of her body.
He gently pulled her up, so she was seated in front of him, before undoing the clasp of her bra; or at least he was trying to. His nerves were getting the better of him and he was fumbling with them. He silently cursed himself, but eventually he managed to undo the clasp.
Emalia gently let her bra fall away from her, exposing her to Fred, and while his eyes did linger on her breasts, he brought them back to her face and leaned in and kissed her once more.
Her lips a tender pink from kissing him, her eyes shining with love. The more Fred looked at her, the more comfortable she became with her being semi-naked around him.
'I love you Em' he whispered to her, taking in her delicate beauty, 'If you want to stop, we can. I don't want to pressure you.'
Worry flashed through his face. Emalia looked at him and placed her hand on his chest, tracing small circles lightly with her fingers. 'I am ready Fred' she whispered gently as she looked into his eyes.
She stood up, and as a sign that she meant what she said to him she removed the last of her clothes. There she stood, in the most magical of settings, completely naked in front of Fred Weasley. In some strange way it did not scare her as much as it did when she finally let him into her heart. Baring herself physically paled in comparison to baring her soul to him.
He looked at her carefully, committing every curve, every scar, stretch mark to his memory. She was perfect. He stood up and embraced her. She looped her fingers onto the waistband of his jeans pulling at them gently. He chuckled softly before following Emalia's lead.
He stripped down, and the two of them stood in front of each other wearing nothing. They both flushed a light shade of red, feeling slightly embarrassed about the vulnerable state they were in.
Fred closed the space between them, pulled Emalia's body to his, pressing tightly to her and kissed her passionately. He wanted to show her how much he wanted her with that kiss, and also to diffuse the awkwardness between them. Emalia wrapped her arms around him, trying to pull him closer.
He lowered her down to the blanket once more, he gently kissed her tenderly at first, but she kissed him more passionately. His hands roamed down her body, the movement sending sparks all throughout her. Until his hands found that spot between her legs.
She sucked her breath in suddenly, and bit her bottom lip, supressing a moan when his fingers grazed over that particular spot. 'H-how did y- you' stammered Emalia, her face flushed.
Fred smiled 'I eh- well see when you have older brothers… Bill has a book… does it feel… ok?' he asked nervously.
'Yes' said Emalia breathlessly.
Fred continued what he was doing, eliciting soft moans from Emalia as he did so. Emalia opened her eyes and stared into his. 'I'm ready Freddie,' she whispered breathlessly.
The way she looked, the soft glow that radiated off her, made Fred feel as if he was falling in love with her all over again. He nodded, and moving himself between her legs, he positioned himself at her entrance.
He glanced up at her again, his eyes conveying to her that it was not too late for her to say no, that if she wanted to stop, he would not be mad. She only nodded gently at him, and when she did, he slowly began to push inside of her.
Emalia inhaled sharply. Fred stopped moving and looking down at her, he gently caressed her face, and planted soft kisses on her jaw, cheeks, nose and forehead before hovering over her lips.
'Breathe love' he said huskily, his voice laden with desire.
Emalia forced herself to begin breathing again, slow shallow breaths at first, before allowing them to deepen. Fred had not moved any further, not until she had completely relaxed.
He kissed her lips gently as he slowly began to move, caressing her face when she winced in pain as she felt herself being stretched in a way she had never experienced before. When he was fully inside her, he stayed still, allowing her to adjust.
'I love you Emalia' he said gently as he kissed her.
'I love you too Fred' she said smiling up at him.
He slowly began to move in and out of her, stopping whenever her grip on his arm tightened considerably. 'Are you ok?' he asked worriedly.
Emalia nodded in response, she focused on her breathing, and soon the pain subsided and was replaced with a more pleasant feeling.
'F-Fred' she moaned lowly.
Fred froze completely. He gazed down at her, his eyes darkened with lust and love mixed together. He leaned down to her ear and whispered, 'I love hearing you moan my name.'
It sent shivers down Emalia's spine, causing her to clench around him. Fred groaned as she did so, and started moving once again, gradually building up speed.
She could feel it. It started as an ebb and flow, but began building up as waves of pleasure rolled over her body, building her up to a crescendo. Fred's own movement became more erratic, he too was reaching his climax.
That was when the levee broke, waves of pleasure washed over Emalia, hitting her continuously as she called out his name 'Fred!'
As she clenched around him, it triggered his own climax and he released inside of her.
He collapsed on top of her, she wrapped her arms around him, both of their breathing laboured. After a minute or two, Fred rolled off her and pulled her close to him, kissing the top of her head he asked, 'How are you?'
Emalia rolled over onto her stomach, and looked up at her boyfriend. He was watching her intently, he looked anxious and worried. Emalia smiled at him, 'Amazing' she said softly.
His face softened slightly, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. 'I didn't hurt you then? You don't regret it?'
'Fred Weasley. You were the perfect gentleman, so considerate of my feelings. It was perfect. You are perfect.' She said firmly, 'But I do need to pee.'
She giggled and stood up. Now that the nerves of their first time had dissolved, she did not feel awkward or nervous about being naked in front of Fred.
She looked around the room, and as if by magic, saw a small door with a sign for a toilet on it. Fred watched as she walked away. 'How did I get so lucky' he thought to himself as he folded his arms behind his head. He turned his attention back to the star-filled ceiling, looking for the constellations Emalia had pointed out earlier.
By the time he found Orion, Emalia was back beside him. She gently rest her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. Fred wrapped one arm around her body, the other stayed folded behind his head, and the two of them lay there in comfortable silence watching the stars glisten in the ceiling above them.
After a while, Fred looked down and noticed that Emalia was beginning to drift off to sleep. He gently kissed the top of her head. 'Come on Em, let's get back to the Common Room.' Emalia yawned and nodded sleepily. They both got dressed and made their way back to the Common Room, hand in hand.
The rest of the Easter holidays passed without any incidents. Emalia and Fred had become closer than ever, that it seemed as if they were attuned to each other's needs; almost as if they could read each other's minds.
The last two days of the holidays, Emalia watched on, rather smugly, as Fred, George and Alicia tried to complete their homework before term began once again.
'Oh please Em! Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaassssseeee help me with my potions homework' whined Alicia from a table in the Common Room. Emalia, who was sitting on the couch near the fireplace, looked over at her friend and grinned, but ultimately agreed to help her.
After Easter, everyone became more focused on Quidditch. Gryffindor's next game was against Hufflepuff, and Oliver Wood was adamant that they would win the game, or else. This time however, Oliver did not give Fred warnings to stay away from Emalia, he was still smarting from the slap she gave him at the last game.
Match day arrived, and everyone woke to brilliant sunshine, and a light, refreshing breeze. 'Perfect conditions for Quidditch!' said Wood enthusiastically at the Gryffindor table at breakfast. He had taken it upon himself to spoon food, quite a lot of food, onto each player's plate. Angelina looked down at the mountain of food on her plate in disgust. Alicia, however, was delighted and dove right in.
'Are you ok?' Emalia asked Harry, as she saw him try to butter his toast with a fork.
'Huh? Oh, yeah- I'm fine' he replied hastily, before noticing what he was doing, and picked up his knife instead.
Emalia nodded at him, she was thoroughly unconvinced with his answer, but she let it go.
Emalia walked down with the team and when they reached the locker room, kissed Fred and wished the rest of the team good luck.
'Hey, where's my kiss' teased George, then proceeded to make kissy faces at her. Emalia grinned at him, before sticking her middle finger up at him and running off to find a seat in the stands. She could hear Fred and George laughing as she left.
She climbed all the way up the stairs, and when she sat down, she was thankful that she had decided to wear one of Fred's old woolly jumpers. Although it was a pleasant day, high up in the stands it was considerably cooler than it was on the ground.
Surrounded by fellow Gryffindors, they all erupted in simultaneous applause and cheers when the Gryffindor team made their way out onto the pitch. They had just mounted their brooms when Professor McGonagall came half-marching, half-running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone. Emalia frowned.
'This match has been cancelled,' Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium. The boos and shouts boomed and echoed around the stadium.
Professor McGonagall ignored this and continued to shout through her megaphone: 'All students are to make their way back to their Common Rooms, where their Heads of House will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!'
Emalia and the rest of the Gryffindors sitting in the stands, made their way back to the castle and to their Common Room. There she waited, sitting on the couch that she somehow managed to claim, for her friends to return.
They all traipsed in, still kitted out in their Quidditch gear. Fred sank into the couch beside her. 'Any idea what's going on?' he asked curiously.
Emalia shook her head vigorously 'No. None.'
The Common Room was packed, and abuzz with gossip about why the match was cancelled. About ten minutes later, Professor McGonagall made her way into the Common Room, a serious look on her face. The hum of numerous conversations died down, as a deathly silence settled in before McGonagall opened her mouth to speak.
'All students will return to their Common Rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed and there will be no more evening activities.'
She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading, and said in a somewhat choked voice, 'I hardly need to add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward.'
She climbed out of the portrait hole, leaving the Gryffindors sitting in stunned silence for a few moments, before they began discussing the recent events.
Emalia looked around the room, she could see the fear in everyone's eyes, a few students had begun to cry. 'Is Percy ok?' she asked Fred, when she noticed him, he looked pale and stunned.
'Percy's in shock' said George quietly, speaking before Fred could open his mouth. 'That Ravenclaw girl – Penelope Clearwater – she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect.'
There was much discussion held that night, but eventually the prefects all herded them off to bed. 'I would feel much better if you were sleeping beside me' murmured Fred before he kissed Emalia goodnight. She sighed, she knew she would feel better too, but with all the extra caution taken around the school at the moment, they both knew it would be way too risky.
'I love you, sleep well' she said softly as she made her way up the stairs. Fred lingered on a little longer, not turning to go up the stairs until she disappeared from his sight.
The following morning at breakfast, the whole Hall was alive with chatter, whisperings about the attacks and whisperings about Professor Dumbledore. Emalia had just seated herself at the Gryffindor table when Professor McGonagall swooped down from the teachers' table.
'Miss Potter' she said quietly, her eyes were sweeping the Hall, looking to see that everyone was behaving appropriately. 'If you would follow me please.'
Emalia nodded quietly, and without saying a word slipped out of her seat and followed Professor McGonagall out of the large, noisy Hall. No words were exchanged between the two of them, as Professor McGonagall led her through the stone corridors.
They paused outside of the entrance to the Headmaster's office, Emalia looked up at Professor McGonagall quizzically, she received nothing but a slight nod from the older woman. Emalia turned and made her way up the spiral staircase to Dumbledore's office.
She knocked on the heavy oak door, she only pushed it open when she heard Albus's voice say, 'Come in.'
When she walked in, she smiled at him warmly, which he returned, but something in his eyes made her stop and take stock of her surroundings.
The room looked much like it normally did, it was brightly lit, with a fire roaring in the corner giving the room some much needed warmth. Pictures of the previous Headmasters and Headmistresses hung from the wall, a majority of them were sleeping in their frames, some were empty.
It was not until she looked at the bookshelves and Albus's desk that she realised something was not right. 'What is going on?' she asked him worriedly. Albus sighed and signalled for her to take a seat in one of the old dusty armchairs that sat in front of the warmth of the fireplace.
She sat down on the armchair, sinking into it as the cushions enveloped her, Albus sat opposite her, his face unreadable.
'I have been asked to step aside as Headmaster of Hogwarts by the governors' he said. Emalia opened her mouth to protest but stopped when Albus held up his hand, letting her know that he was not finished.
'I have been asked to step aside, and I will do so. Professor McGonagall will step in as acting Headmistress in my absence. These times are frightening and full of fear. I only ask that you keep to the rules that have been put in place, and if you need me know that I am only a letter away.'
Emalia scrunched her face in frustration. 'How does taking you away from the school at a time like this make any sense!' she said hotly, her outrage at what was happening bubbling up to the surface.
Albus reached forwards and took hold of her hand, 'Breathe my child. Everything will work out in the end, and trust me when I say that I will not be far from the castle should anything happen.'
Emalia nodded tersely, none of this made any sense to her. Why would they take Albus away at a time when the school needed him most?
With Dumbledore now gone, fear spread like wildfire, amplified to such heights, that the sun warming the castle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows. There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled.
Everyone had become more sombre, even Fred and George were reluctant to pull more pranks, though their opportunities were slim to none with the teachers watching the students every movements.
The Gryffindor Common Room was always very crowded these days, because from six o'clock onwards, the Gryffindors had nowhere else to go. They also had plenty to talk about, with the result that the Common Room often didn't empty until past midnight, despite the prefects' best efforts to get students to bed at ten.
The constant noise was driving Emalia mad, she could not concentrate with the chatter. The theatrical dramatics of a group of sixth year girls, who were either always in tears or chatting about how wonderful Professor Lockhart is, usually had Emalia gritting her teeth as she tried to do her homework.
'I miss the library' she moaned one evening when the Common Room was particularly raucous. Fred, who knew how much the constant noise was irritating Emalia, tried his hardest not to laugh and biting his bottom lip, nodded mutely in return.
She sighed, 'You can laugh, I know you want to. I just can't deal with those girls over there. The constant wailing. Is there a need for it?'
Fred put his hand on her thigh, just above her knee, and gave her a reassuring squeeze. 'Once they figure out who is behind all these attacks, everything will get back to normal and you can spend as much time in the library as Madam Pince does' he teased gently.
A small smile flit onto Emalia's face, and he knew that he had succeeded in cheering her up somewhat. He turned his attention back to the game of exploding snap he and George were playing against Harry and Ron, Ginny was watching on.
Eventually at midnight, Percy descended from his dorm, and sent everyone up to bed. Everyone did so rather begrudgingly, they were having fun and for once, the worry and fear that haunted them all had subsided for a brief shining moment.
A couple of days before the exams were due to begin, Professor McGonagall made an announcement at breakfast in the Great Hall:
'Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive all those who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with us catching the culprit.'
There was an explosion of cheering, everyone welcomed the news, for it was the one glimmer of hope they had in these terrifying times. Emalia hugged Fred with happiness, embracing the positive news like everyone else in the Hall.
He grinned down at her and took her hand, 'Come on, Lockhart is waiting for us at the entrance of the Hall, we better get going to class.' Emalia laughed, not even the prospect of listening to Professor Lockhart drone on about his outlandish adventures for two hours could dash her spirits.
The fourth years were nearing the end of double Charms when Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through every room and corridor of the castle. 'All students return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately please.'
They all shared confused looks as they packed away their belongings and filed out of the classroom, pushing their way towards the Gryffindor Common Room. The corridors were packed full of students and teachers, everyone pushing in different directions, making it difficult to navigate their way through.
Most people were panicking, fearing another attack had happened. Fred, George and Emalia managed to reach the Common Room before the rest of their friends. They took a seat against the wall. Everyone in the Common Room were talking in hushed voices, fear painted all over their faces.
Twenty minutes later, Professor McGonagall came into the Common Room and informed all the Gryffindors that the school would be closing, for a student had been taken. The Hogwarts Express would be taking them home tomorrow.
Shortly after her announcement, she called the Weasley boys out of the Common Room. When they returned, their faces were pale, and horror stricken. They went over and sat in the corner of the Common Room.
Emalia and Harry made their way over to them. She did not need to ask, for she knew from their faces that Ginny was the student that had been taken. She sat down beside Fred, and wrapped her arms tightly around him, holding him close to her.
They all huddle together in that corner; Percy was not there. He had gone to send Mr and Mrs Weasley an owl, then he shut himself away in his dormitory. No afternoon lasted as long as that one, nor had Gryffindor Tower ever been so crowded, yet so quiet. Near sunset, Fred and George excused themselves, and made their way up to bed, unable to sit there any longer.
Emalia hugged him at the stairs, not wishing to let go of him, but recognising that being amongst everyone right now was the last thing either he or George needed. 'Can you stay with me tonight' he whispered quietly.
Emalia nodded gently, and followed him up to his dormitory. She was still wearing her uniform, but that did not matter. Fred and George shared no words, but before Emalia climbed into Fred's bed, she walked over and hugged George tightly, which he returned with earnest.
They lay there in silence for hours; Emalia was gently stroking Fred's hair as he lay with his head on her chest.
When Lee and Kenneth arrived in the dormitory later, they did not say a word, but quietly got into bed. The silence was so thick it was almost suffocating, but no one could bring themselves to say anything, there were no words that would help the situation.
Suddenly they were all shaken from their silence, as there was a lot of shouting coming from the Common Room. Emalia lifted her head curiously, before moving to get off the bed to check what all the commotion was about.
When she arrived down in the Common Room, she saw that everyone was now in pyjamas and were making their way out of the portrait. She was immediately confronted by Alicia, who had been waiting for her to reappear.
'They found her!' she said excited 'Ginny! They found her! We are to go to the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall just left.'
Emalia immediately turned on her heel and ran up the stairs to Fred and George's room. She swung open the door, causing the four boys to sit up, startled.
'They found Ginny' she said, her breathing slightly irregular from running up the stairs. 'We have to go to the Great Hall; everyone is making their way there now.'
They all stared at her in disbelief, Lee was the first one to react and he went to alert Percy. George jumped out of bed, his eyes shining with tears, with a look of pure relief on his face. Fred too, looked relieved as he clambered out of bed. Emalia, still in her uniform, grabbed one of Fred's jumpers and pulled it on before they all made their way to the Great Hall.
Everybody was in their pyjamas, and the celebrations lasted all night. All those who had been petrified joined, and eventually Ginny joined them too, alongside Mr and Mrs Weasley. All the Weasleys, Emalia, Harry and Hermione all rushed over to greet Ginny, and let her know how happy they were that she was safe.
Ron and Harry had shared their story with their friends of what had happened down in the Chamber of Secrets. In the process they had earned four hundred points for Gryffindor, securing the House Cup for the second year running.
Emalia, Fred and George were thinking that things couldn't get any better, when Professor McGonagall stood up and announced over the noise of the celebration, that all exams had been cancelled as a school treat. Which resulted in joyous cheers from every table.
The rest of the summer term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal, the fear that had resided there was blown out and replaced by dizzy happiness.
Too soon though, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Emalia and Ginny got a compartment to themselves. They made the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays, by casting charms and practicing disarming each other.
They were almost at King's Cross, when Ginny shared a secret about Percy. 'Percy has got a girlfriend' she said giggling.
Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head. 'What?'
'It's that Ravenclaw Prefect, Penelope Clearwater,' said Ginny. 'That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was - you know – attacked. You won't tease him, will you?' she added anxiously.
'Wouldn't dream of it,' said Fred dreamily, who was looking as if his birthday had come early. Emalia smiled and shook her head at his reaction.
'Definitely not,' said George snickering.
The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped. Emalia said her goodbyes to her friends and her cousin, promising Harry that if she did not hear from him this summer, she would find a way to rescue him herself.
Fred pulled Emalia back into the compartment and kissed her hungrily. After a few moments they broke away, 'I am going to miss you' he murmured as he pressed his lips to the top of her head.
'You have that parchment I gave you?' she asked. Fred nodded. 'Well, until I can visit, we will be in constant communication' she said smiling brightly.
Fred grinned at her and pecked her lips once more. The two of the walked off the train, hand in hand, out onto the busy and crowded platform. Emalia waved goodbye to them all as she watched them walk through the gateway to the Muggle world, before turning to face Albus. Taking his arm, he apparated them both back home for the summer.