Chapter Forty Four: Skin
A/N: This chapter contains mature material of a sexual nature, if you wish to avoid it, skip the part mentioning Easter holidays.
The nightmares were getting worse; she woke covered in a film of cold sweat, her heart was always racing. Some nights were worse than others, and oftentimes she would end up being shaken awake by a very concerned looking Alicia.
'Em … are you ok?' she asked one night, exhaustion painted on her face. The other girls sat watching her from their beds, their faces pale, they looked terrified.
'I'm sorry…' panted Emalia, as she tried to gather her breath and steady her heart rate. 'I'm so sorry..'
'Are you ok, Em? What's happening?'
'Nightmares…' she whispered quietly, she pulled on her dressing gown and slippers. 'I'm going to go to Madam Pomfrey.'
She made her way out of the dorm, leaving the other girls confused and half-asleep. When she reached the Common Room, the only light came from the embers of the fire. She sat down on the couch, and sighed heavily.
She was beyond exhausted, every time she closed her eyes she felt like she was being hunted in the shadows, being left alone, paralysed unable to move or call for help before being dragged into nothingness.
It was a little after four in the morning when she drifted off to sleep. It was a fretful sleep, but it was something. She was awoken by the light streaming through the window and the noise of creaky floorboards as students began to move around.
Emalia stretched out on the couch, her toes curled as she stretched too far, sending tingles down her spine. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and quickly made her way back up to her dorm. Alicia and Angelina were coming out of the dorm as she walked in.
'Em! What did Madam Pomfrey say?' asked Alicia as Emalia sat down on her bed.
'Oh, she said that I was putting myself under too much stress … that I should give myself a break' said Emalia as she piled books into her bag.
Alicia sighed with relief.
'Do you want us to wait?' asked Angelina from the doorway.
Emalia shook her head, 'No, go on ahead. I'll see you at breakfast.'
The two girls left, leaving Emalia alone. She promptly got dressed and made her way down to the Common Room. Fred was waiting for her, as usual; but when he saw her, the grin on his face faltered.
Emalia looked beyond exhausted.
'Nightmares getting worse?' he asked, as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her silvery hair.
She nodded stiffly, her face pressed against his chest. She felt awful, but when Fred was near, everything became brighter.
'Come on, we better get down to breakfast. You should at least eat something before class' he said, gently pulling her by the hand out of the Common Room.
The day passed by pretty quickly, and before they knew it the fifth year Gryffindors were in their last class of the day, History of Magic. Professor Binns droned on as usual, completely unaware that half the class were asleep, with the other half of the class engaging in various conversations or playing exploding snap.
Emalia was trying to force herself to pay attention, but her exhaustion was getting the better of her. She could feel her eyelids drooping, her arm beginning to give way under the weight of her head when she felt Fred pull her to him.
'Get some sleep' he murmured quietly, 'I guarantee you already know everything about the witch hunts of the fourteenth century.'
She nodded slowly, she had no energy to fight the exhaustion anymore, and she felt safe with Fred near. Her eyelids shut slowly, and she fell asleep without the worry of the nightmares.
Fred woke her shortly before class ended, she looked at him, sleepily, but grateful. They made their way to the Great Hall for dinner, and for the first time since her attack, she felt somewhat rested.
The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. The fifth years were hoping for some time to breathe, but the closer they got to their O.W.L.s, the more intense things got. All of the Professors were assigning them a mountain of work, both theory and practical, that it became quite frequent to witness a student breakdown in the Common Room or the library.
Everyone that had decided to stay for the holidays spent the first week with their noses buried deep in their books. Emalia had sought permission to practice the practical elements of some of her classes from Professor McGonagall.
To her surprise it was granted; Fred, George and Lee joined her in Professor McGonagall's room to go over commonly asked spells in charms and transfiguration. They spent a majority of the day practicing various spells, before moving back to the Common Room.
The second week of their holidays was more laid back than the first. Emalia lounged in bed most mornings, watching as the light would gradually grow brighter, streaming in through the crack in the curtains.
She only stirred from her bed when she heard movement outside her door. She still woke earlier than the rest of the house, it was just a habit at this stage, but she enjoyed the peacefulness of the morning, the stillness brought her a sense of calm. Her room was a lot quieter as the rest of her dormmates had opted to go home for a portion of the holidays. Her nightmares were becoming less frequent, and she was able to get some proper rest.
She had just pulled on her shoes when Fred burst into the room.
'Nope!' he said shaking his head, 'Take them off, we are relaxing this morning.' He strode over and gently tugged off her shoes, before placing her legs back up on the bed.
'What about breakfast?' she asked, not that she was particularly hungry, she would much prefer to spend time with Fred.
'We can head to the kitchens later' he said as he jumped onto the other side of her bed, causing her to bounce around, 'for now we are staying put.'
She nuzzled into his chest, breathing in his scent, a woody scent with twinges of gunpowder, she could smell the mintyness of his breath. She smiled to herself, knowing full well that he had been experimenting once again. Fred rubbed up and down the length of her spine, sending tingles sparking up her spine by his touch.
They lay together in silence, enjoying being in each other's presence. They both drifted off to sleep once more, peacefully. No nightmares intruded into Emalia's dream, she knew that she was safe with Fred.
Emalia woke roughly an hour later, to Fred planting soft gently kisses on her face. She smiled up at him, and seeing her awake, captured her lips and kissed her fiercely.
She kissed him back with the same amount of vigour, melting into the kiss, their tongues dancing. They only pulled away to catch their breath.
She smiled up at him slyly, a glint of mischief in her eyes. She sat up suddenly and turned to face him. Fred looked at her, confused as he too pushed up, his back leaning against the wooden headboard.
She leaned forward, kissing him, before climbing into his lap, straddling him. He raised his eyebrow at her before breaking her kiss.
'Oh, it's going to be one of those mornings' he muttered, a smug smile on his face as he leaned in to kiss her.
She could see his mind racing down towards dirty thoughts, and she smiled before she kissed him back.
She could feel his excitement beginning to grow underneath her, her own arousal building, dampening her underwear.
Her fingers tugged gently at Fred's jumper, letting him know that she wanted to remove it. He pulled away from her, grinning, and she pulled his jumper and t-shirt off him with one quick movement, discarding it on the floor.
She placed her hand on his muscular chest, connecting the freckles with her fingers, as he looked up at her longingly.
She leaned down and kissed him passionately, her tongue slipping into his mouth. As their tongues danced, she gently applied pressure on Fred's chest, her nails gently pressing into his skin.
He pulled back from their kiss, a pale pink hue across his face, highlighting the freckles peppered over the bridge of his nose. He arched his eyebrow at her curiously, a mischievous glint lighting up his eyes.
Fred took this opportunity to remove Emalia's jumper and t-shirt.
'I don't want you to feel left out' he murmured huskily. His voice sent a shiver of desire down Emalia's spine, causing her to move against him, which elicited a soft low groan from Fred.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her chest to his.
'You're driving me crazy' he whispered in her ear, his hot breath tickling her neck. She could feel his hardness underneath her, turning her on even more.
She snaked her hand down his body as she captured his lips with her own; pulling him into a passionate kiss as her hands unbuttoned his trousers. Freeing him, wrapping her hand around him, Fred hissed from the contact.
He grabbed her hand and she opened her hold on him. He flipped her over where she was now underneath him. Kissing his way down her body, he gently removed her trousers and underwear.
He looked up and grinned at her.
'What?' she asked quietly.
'Nothing, I just like seeing you like this' he grinned, as his eyes roamed over her body and face.
Emalia's face turned a bright pink colour, and she tried to cover herself as a wave of shyness washed over her.
'Oh no you don't darling,' said Fred as he stopped her, 'I don't want you to hide from me … and I definitely don't want you to keep any noises in.. You hear me?'
Emalia gulped and nodded, this side of Fred turned her on more than anything.
He quickly whipped his wand out of his jean pocket and pointing it at the door, simultaneously locking and soundproofing the room.
'Now where were we?' he hummed as he turned his attention back to his girlfriend. 'Oh, I remember.'
Fred's head disappeared between her legs, his tongue twisting and toying with hest sensitive spot.
Emalia was reduced to a writhing mess, her moans of pleasure becoming louder, her breathing shallower. Fred placed one of his hands on her stomach to keep her in place, throwing his eyes upwards to watch his girlfriend squirm in the throes of pleasure. He loved watching her fall apart in front of him, hearing her moans, it turned him on knowing that it was all because of him.
Emalia could feel the pressure pool in her stomach, her moans now becoming mewls of pleasure as she reached the precipice. Fred, sensing that she was nearing her climax, removed his mouth, causing Emalia to whimper from the lack of contact.
'Patience darling' he murmured lowly, as he removed his trousers. He lined himself up with her entrance and slowly pushed inside of her, causing the pressure to build more. He pulled back out, and with one more hard thrust, he felt Emalia tighten around him as she came, hard. He waited until she came down from her high before moving again. When she had recovered somewhat, he captured her lips and kissed her passionately as he began to thrust deep inside her. Emalia's moans became more strangled as she felt the pressure build again.
'Godric Em, you're so fucking beautiful' he whispered breathily into her ear as he continued to thrust deeper into her. Emalia wrapped her arms and legs around him, trying to pull him deeper inside of her. She ran her nails down his back, causing him to groan in pleasure.
'F-Fr-Fred' she moaned as he continued to push in and out of her with purpose, driving them both to climax, desperate for release. Fred's thrusts became more sloppy as he drew closer to his climax, he could tell by Emalia tightening around him that she too was close. With a few more thrusts the two of them tumbled into the oblivion of pleasure as they came together.
Fred collapsed down on top of Emalia, burying his head in the crook of her neck as he recovered. Emalia wrapped her arms around him, her hands tangling up in his shaggy red hair as she tried to get her breathing under control.
Fred rolled off her and pulled him close to her, wrapping a muscular arm around her as her head rest against his chest. She listened to the fast thump of his heart as it began to slow down to its normal rhythm.
Her fingers gently twirled in his chest hair, as Fred caressed her hair at her temple. The two of them lay in comfortable silence, the afterglow of their intimacy lighting their skin. Emalia gently tugged the blanket up and covered them, before reverting to the position she was in moments before.
'Would you love me if I didn't have any skin?' she blurted out suddenly, after a brief moment of silence.
Fred's hand stopped caressing her hair in surprise, 'What?' he asked, his voice thick with confusion.
Emalia did not look up at him, her face was bright red, so she kept her eyes trained forwards as she repeated her question.
'Would you still love me if I didn't have any skin?'
Fred looked at her incredulously, he was caught completely unaware by the randomness of the question. He stayed quiet for a few moments, before a gleeful glint lit up his eyes.
'I guess… but only if you had a skin suit. You know, so you could wear it in public so no one would be able to tell. Maybe you could wear it as well when we were alone together also… but then you would be wearing it all the time… oh maybe I wouldn't then, if you had no skin.'
Emalia stayed quiet, processing everything he had just said. Fred on the other hand was trying not to laugh. It took everything he had not to burst into laughter, he could just imagine Emalia's face right now.
Emalia's temper started to simmer, she was about to let out a few choice words for her boyfriend before he chuckled heartily. Emalia sat up and stared at him, she could not believe he was laughing right now.
'Emalia' he said gently, once his laughter had subsided. He place his hand on her arm and gently turned her to face him.
'Of course I would love you if you had no skin. Just because you had no skin doesn't change who you are and how I feel about you. My love for you isn't for how you look; It's about you as a person. I love you for your kindness, your willingness to help those who need help, your stubbornness, your silliness. I love you because you see past peoples imperfections and flaws, you see them for the person they are. I love you because you make me incredibly happy. I love you because of the way you smile in your sleep, and the way you argue with everyone about correct duelling stances. I love that you are great at flying, but are terrible at quidditch. I love how you can stand up for yourself and that you are not afraid to. Basically Em, even if you had no skin, no eyes, no teeth, no hair or whatever else you can think of, it won't change how I feel about you because it doesn't change you.'
Emalia looked into those deep brown eyes of his, they were so full of love and she knew, she knew that she would spend the rest of her life loving this man. For she felt the same way about him, her love for him knew no boundaries or limits, it was endless.
Fred caressed her face, before lifting her chin, bringing their lips together in a tender kiss.
'I love you Emalia Potter' he whispered against her lips, pressing his forehead to hers.
'I love you too Fred Weasley' she whispered back, her heart bursting with love.
The whole Gryffindor house was obsessed with the coming match. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since Charlie Weasley was on the team. Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere.
When everyone had returned after the Easter holidays, tension between the two teams and houses was at breaking point. A number of small scuffles had broken out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the Hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears.
Emalia was knackered, between studying for her O.W.L.s, the extra patrol shifts Percy had set all the prefects, tutoring other students, and spending time with her friends, she was being pulled in too many directions.
Percy and Penelope had given the Prefects permission to use magic to stop, and only to stop, any potentially dangerous situations between Slytherins and Gryffindors. Even Adrian was on edge, and he was one of the few who had not succumbed to the increasingly more menacing acts of aggression between the two houses.
One evening Emalia flopped down into the armchair in the Common Room.
'The sooner this match is played, the better' she sighed, as she stifled a yawn, 'I just gave three first years detention for trying to set a firework off near the Slytherin Common Room.
'Why'd you stop them?' asked Fred grinning. Emalia rolled her eyes, her and Fred had agreed that neither of them would get involved with the pranking between the houses, but she could tell he was living vicariously through the others.
'Because, if Snape had caught them, I am pretty sure he would have made their next six years here a living hell.'
'Yeah… that's true' conceded Fred, as Emalia abandoned their conversation and turned her attention to her Charms homework while she still had the energy to do it.
All pursuits were abandoned in the Gryffindor Common Room the night before the match. There was a great deal of noise. Fred and George Weasley were dealing with the pressure by being louder and more exuberant than ever. They had taken to charming random objects, causing them to spout a variety of things; such as water, bulbadox powder, and even a few objects exploded into a display of glitter, shimmering in the air, falling slowly like snow.
Oliver was crouched over a model of a Quidditch pitch in the corner, prodding little figures across it with his wand and muttering to himself.
George had taken over the mantel from Fred and was telling jokes to Alicia, Angelina and Katie Bell, who were laughing hysterically at what he was saying.
'Want to go for a walk?' asked Emalia, when she noticed Fred sitting quietly, contemplating the game tomorrow. He looked at her and nodded.
She jumped up and took him by the hand, pulling him out of the portrait and into the corridor. The noise and commotion in the Common Room was so energetic and busy that no one noticed them leave.
'Nervous about tomorrow?' she teased gently, elbowing him in the ribs.
He grinned down at her, before shrugging. 'I guess, but I am more motivated to hit a few Slytherins with a bludger tomorrow. If it's in the head, then even better.' He chuckled lowly, and his mood started to lift.
Emalia shook her head, feigning an unimpressed stance, but the smile at the corner of her lips gave her away. He squeezed her hand gently, 'How come you always seem to sense what I need?'
'Oh, I can definitely read your mind' she laughed, swinging their hands back and forth. Fred chuckled lowly.
'I don't know Fred, same way you know what I need. It's just the way we are built.'
Fred pondered what she had said, a smile lighting up his face. 'I think, it's because we are meant to be. Together we are whole.'
'Fred Weasley, is this you telling me that we are soulmates?' she asked smiling smugly up at him.
He stopped walking and took her other hand in his, 'It is' he whispered firmly, as he leaned down to kiss her.
She pulled away and pushed his chest gently, 'Come on,' she laughed, her eyes shining, 'We better get back before Oliver thinks you've done a runner.'
Fred laughed heartily as they made their way back to the Common Room. They had just clambered back through the portrait when Oliver stood up and yelled, 'Team! Bed!'
Emalia turned and looked up at Fred grinning. 'You heard the boss, chop chop!'
Fred grinned and leaned down to kiss her.
'Weasley! Bed! Leave the kissing for after the match!' yelled Oliver when he spotted Fred.
Fred bowed and then saluted him, 'Aye, aye Captain.'
He gave Emalia's arse a quick slap, 'Watch it Freddie' she warned, an amused look playing on her face.
He grinned back at her at he jogged over to Oliver, saluting him once more, before marching up the stairs.
The Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall the next morning to enormous applause. The entire House had risen early to greet them at breakfast, giving them a standing ovation and whoops of encouragement; and much to the teams' surprise, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were clapping along too. The Slytherins, however, hissed when the team passed them.
Wood spent the whole of breakfast encouraging his team to eat, while touching nothing himself. Emalia had decided that it was best to keep the public display of affection with Fred to a minimum, so as not to antagonise Wood on such an important morning. However, he hurried off to the pitch before anyone else had finished, so he could get an idea of the conditions.
Fred turned and grinned at Emalia, 'I think it's safe to give me a kiss for luck now Oliver has left.'
Emalia giggled before jumping Fred, kissing him passionately which drew whoops and whistles from various people who witnessed the encounter. Emalia swore she heard Percy exclaim 'How very undignified; and she is a prefect!' Fred pulled away and winked down at his brother, for he too had overheard the comment.
When the team left the Great Hall, everyone applauded once again. Emalia left with Lee, she was hoping she would be able to sneak into the commentary box once again, knowing it would be difficult as this match would decide the winner of the Cup and there would be many extra spectators.
When the Gryffindor team walked out onto the pitch, the entire stadium erupted into a tidal wave of noise. Most of the crowd were wearing Gryffindor colours, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them or brandishing banners with slogans of support.
The Slytherins however had all congregated behind the Slytherin goalposts, in a sea of green, the silver serpent of their house glittered on their flags.
The atmosphere in the stadium was electrifying, and Emalia could feel the anxiety and excitement for the match pool in her stomach. Lee turned around to give her a quick grin and an excited thumbs up before he began his commentary.
'And here are the Gryffindors!' yelled Lee. 'Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best side Hogwarts has seen in a good few years -'
Emalia beamed with pride at Lee's words and at the cheers from the majority of the stadium. She was proud of her cousin, her boyfriend and the rest of her friends; wishing them the best of luck in this match as she cheered alongside the rest of the crowd.
'And here come the Slytherin team. Montague, Warrington, Derrick, Bole, Malfoy, Bletchley, led by captain Flint. He's made some changes in the line-up and seems to be going for size rather than skill -'
Emalia was shocked not to hear Adrian's name called with the rest of the Slytherin team. He had played in the last few Slytherin matches, and was a very decent player. She made a mental note to ask him about it, though she was surprised that he had not mentioned it to her before now.
The sound of Madam Hooch's whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. Emalia shouted loudly along with the rest of the crowd, and she was certain that her voice would be lost after this game.
'And it's Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spinnet of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goals, looking good Alicia! Argh no – Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, who is now tearing up the pitch – oh! – nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, it's caught by – Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession, come on Angelina – nice swerve around Montague – duck Angelina, that's a bludger! – SHE SCORES! TEN – ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!'
The whole stadium erupted with cheers. Emalia was ecstatic for her friend as Angelina punched the air in delight and soared over the sea of scarlet.
Suddenly Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into her. 'Sorry!' said Flint, as the crowd booed below him. 'Didn't see her!' Emalia let some choice curse words as she stared angrily up in the sky.
Next moment, Fred had chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to pump blood. Emalia shook her head at Fred's impulsiveness but could not help but laugh at Flint's comeuppance; though she was almost certain that Professor Snape would find some way to punish Fred for that in potions one day.
'That will do!' shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between them. 'Penalty to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!'
Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Alicia flew forward to take the penalty.
'Come on Alicia!' yelled Lee into the silence that had descended in the crowd. Everyone waited with bated breath for the outcome of the penalty. Emalia herself was watching anxiously, not allowing herself to breathe until the Quaffle sailed past the Slytherin keeper and through the goalpost.
'YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!' yelled Lee excitedly, as the Gryffindors roared loudly.
Flint flew over to the Gryffindor goalposts to take the Slytherin penalty, where Wood was hovering.
''Course, Wood's a superb keeper!' Lee told the crowd, as Flint waited for Madam Hooch's whistle. 'Superb! Very difficult to pass – very difficult indeed – YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!'
Emalia did a little wiggle in her seat with joy as the match began once again. It became much rougher, with more instances of dirty and unfair play.
'Gryffindor in possession, no, Slytherin in possession – no!- Gryffindor back in possession, and it's Katie Bell. Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the pitch – THAT WAS DELIBERATE!'
Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of Katie and grabbed her head. Katie cartwheeled through the air, managing to stay on her broom but dropped the Quaffle. A penalty was awarded to Gryffindor, putting the score at thirty-zero.
Lee had gotten very agitated with the attack, 'THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT YOU DIRTY CHEATING -'
'Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way -!' scolded McGonagall.
'I'm telling it like it is, Professor!'
'And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle – Flint alongside her – poke him in the eye Angelina! – It was a joke Professor, it was a joke'
Emalia was giggling behind Lee and Professor McGonagall, the latter trying to wrestle the microphone away from Lee, who was holding onto it with an iron grip.
The match was turning into one of the dirtiest ones Emalia had ever seen. Enraged that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were rapidly resorting any means necessary to take the Quaffle.
Emalia found herself praying that Harry would find the snitch soon, as things on the pitch were escalating rapidly. There was a glimmer of hope when Harry zoomed forwards, but that was closely followed by complete uproar from the stands. Malfoy had thrown himself forwards and grabbed a hold of the Firebolt's tail and was pulling it back.
'Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics!' Madam Hooch screeched as she flew up to Malfoy.
'YOU CHEATING SCUM!' Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. 'YOU FILTHY, CHEATING BASTARD!'
Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her fist in Malfoy's direction; her hat had fallen off, and she too, was shouting furiously. In fact the entire stadium, minus the Slytherins, had burst into uproar, strings of curse words melding into a giant roar of noise.
Alicia took Gryffindor's penalty, but she was so angry she missed by several feet. The Gryffindor team was losing concentration and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy's foul on Harry, were being spurred on to greater heights.
Slytherin scored as soon as play resumed, narrowing the score, which was now seventy-twenty to Gryffindor. The Slytherins had gained possession once again, and looked ready to score, and save for Oliver Wood and a fantastic save, they would have.
'Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on Angelina, COME ON!' shouted Lee excitedly.
Every single Slytherin player, apart from Malfoy, was streaking up the pitch towards Angelina – they were all going to block her.
Before anyone could blink, Harry launched himself forwards on his broom, straight for the grouped Slytherins, causing them to scatter and leaving Angelina's way clear.
'SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor lead by eighty points to twenty! That was some impressive teamwork by the Gryffindors.'
No one had noticed that Malfoy had dived towards the ground, his arm stretched out. No one but Harry, who immediately flew into a dive speeding towards the ground, slowly catching up on Malfoy.
The whole stadium had fallen silent as they watched the two seekers, eager to see who would come out on top. Harry was now level with Malfoy, and he inched slowly forwards, pushing Malfoy's arm out of the way and –
'YES!' roared Lee.
Harry pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded. Harry soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in his ears. The tiny golden ball was held tight against his fingers, beating its wings hopelessly.
Emalia, Lee and Professor McGonagall all pushed forwards together, running down to the pitch where the Gryffindor team had just landed in a huddle. As soon as the supporters spilt onto the pitch, Fred freed himself from the team, and went searching for Emalia.
She spotted him and launched herself into his arms. He swung her around, laughing joyfully, his eyes holding tears of happiness and delight. His mouth crashed to hers, and they kissed passionately before making their way back to the team. Emalia hugged each and every one of them.
Oliver pulled her into a giant bear hug, his tears staining Fred's Gryffindor jersey which she had claimed as her own. No words left his mouth, he was speechless, but his face wore the biggest smile anyone had ever seen.
Suddenly the entire team were hoisted into the air on the shoulders of their supporters. Emalia took the opportunity to pinch Fred's bum, who then grinned down at her as he was thrown into the air.
Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder than Oliver was, as the crowd made their way to the stands, carrying the team to Professor Dumbledore, who was holding the Quidditch Cup.
Sobbing, Wood hoisted the Cup into the air, as roars of joy came from the crowd followed by thunderous applause.
The party in the Gryffindor Common Room afterwards, continued to the next morning. Professor McGonagall came by a number of times and half-heartedly tried to send everyone to bed. The party was so huge, that several Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were invited, bringing food, drinks, music and entertainment.
Everyone was in high spirits; Harry, who had snuck upstairs to get a breather from the crowd and the numerous questions about the match, surveyed the scene from above. Oliver was singing merrily with a group of students, George and Lee were re-enacting scenes from the match to much applause and laughter from the room, Fred and Emalia were furiously snogging in a corner of the Common Room oblivious to the rest of the world.
Harry took and deep breath and descended into the commotion and chaos below once more. The party was broken up after a magnificent fireworks display was set off outside the tower by Fred and George Weasley shortly after four in the morning. It was at this time that Professor McGonagall put her foot down and demanded that everyone head off to bed, that they could celebrate later on, at a more acceptable hour.
Fred dragged Emalia off to his bed, he received a few glances from his dormmates, but he tucked the two of them behind the curtains of his four poster bed. He had just had the best day of his life so far, he wanted to end it with Emalia wrapped up in his arms, he didn't care if they got in trouble over it.
The excitement and joy continued far into the following week, the whole school were talking about the game and how overjoyed they were to witness Slytherin take a beating. The weather added to their joy, for the sky was cloudless and the sun beating down on them, light glistening off the lake in shimmering waves.
One afternoon, Emalia had a free period, she made her way to the library to find a book to help her revise for Ancient Runes, when she spotted Adrian Pucey sitting in a quiet corner of the library far removed from everyone else.
She made her way to him taking the empty seat opposite him. She had not had a chance to talk to him since before the game.
'Hey Adrian' she said quietly as she sat down on the wooden chair, gently dropping her bag to the ground.
He looked up to her, puzzled by the interruption but smiled when he saw it was her, 'Hey Em' he responded.
'Busy revising?' she asked, peering into the book he had open in front of him, she recognised it as a charms book.
'Yeah, you know, I'm not too worried about the O.W.L.s, I think I'll get decent enough marks. I'm just worried about charms…' he sighed as he gestured to the book in front of him.
Emalia reached forwards and squeezed his forearm, 'Adrian, you will be fine. You're doing so well in class with Flitwick… and if you need anyone to go over notes with, all you have to do is ask.' She smiled at him, and watched as the worry on his face was washed away with relief.
'Thanks Em. Sometimes I get in my head about things, and start imagining the worst case scenario.'
'Hey Adrian? How come you weren't playing in the match last weekend?' she asked quietly as Madam Pince stalked around the library, looking for someone to punish for breaking her rules.
Adrian's face darkened, and his once smiling face was replaced with a scowl. Emalia felt concern for her friend, and she instantly reached forwards and grabbed his forearm again.
'Flint. He kicked me off the starting team because I refused to use my role as Prefect against Gryffindors, especially when he started lobbing hexes and jinxes at people. I took points off him for that, which he wasn't impressed with, called me a traitor.'
Adrian sighed heavily, rubbing his face with his hands before continuing, 'A lot of people see Slytherin as the house where all the evil people come from, that we are all blood purists and we hate Muggleborns and anything that threatens wizarding hierarchy; but not everyone is like that, it's just the more vocal few who give the rest of us a bad name. Most of the run-ins off the pitch were started by Flint and his cronies, and I wasn't getting dragged into it… even if it did mean I lost my place on the team.'
Emalia looked at him, taken aback by his statement. 'You are a decent person, Adrian. You stood up for what you believe in, no matter the consequences. You deserve the Prefect title more than anyone in the school.' He smiled weakly at her, when she stopped talking for a brief moment of time.
'And I think you would be surprised that there are a lot of people in this school who do not see Slytherin in the way you described. There are good and bad aspects to every house, every person. You have to look past the stereotypes.'
'Yeah, well not everyone is as open-minded as you are, Em' he chuckled darkly, his eyes narrowed and focused on the book in front of him, 'Everyone is afraid to be who they are for one reason or another, why give them any more ammo, just because you are different to everyone else, they would target and ridicule you.'
Emalia looked at her friend confused, she was not following what he was saying, but she was sure that this was a lot more than the 'all Slytherins are bad' stereotype.
'Is everything ok, Adrian?' she asked gently, her voice flooded with concern.
He looked up at her suddenly, as if he had revealed too much information, and quickly snapped his book shut.
'Yeah, sorry Em. I have to go, just realised I have to help someone with something, lost track of time,' he said hurriedly as he packed away his stuff and made a speedy exit out of the quiet library.
Emalia sat in her chair, completely dumbfound, unsure what had just happened, but it ignited a worry for her friend. She was not going to push him to share whatever was on his mind, but she promised silently that she would spend more time with him, so he would know that whatever it was that he was going through, he was not alone.
Emalia gathered up her belongings and set off to search for the book she needed amongst the old dusty volumes in the Ancient Runes and Arithmancy section of the library. She got a stern look from Madam Pince when she pushed her chair back a little too loudly, scuffing it against the floor, causing the sound to echo off the walls of the silent library.
The exams were fast approaching and all the students in O.W.L and N.E.W.T year were stuck inside studying, watching miserably as the sun shone in streams through the windows. Each and every one of them were wishing they could be out lounging in the sun with their friends, but instead, they were stuck inside, with their noses buried in notes and books, revising.
Fred and George had taken to joining Emalia in the library most days, they had finally taken the exam year seriously, it was either that or they were afraid Mrs Weasley would murder them if they failed. Not that they would have, underneath their mischievous and fun-driven attitude were two very bright individuals.
The first week of exams were long and arduous, with most students falling asleep straight after the exams had finished, for an hour or two. The fifth years sat the theory section of each exam each morning, with the practical taking place in the afternoon.
Alicia was very jittery before the potions practical, but Emalia gave her words of encouragement, along with the rest of the group, and afterwards she came out with a small smile on her face.
'I don't think I will get an Outstanding, but I definitely did not fail' she said, her face bearing happiness but exhaustion after the long day. Potions was a difficult enough exam, the theory paper required them to list ingredients and preparation of three potions, including Polyjuice potion.
Emalia found Ancient Runes to be the most difficult exam, but by the end of the exam she was certain that she had achieved a good grade. She had gotten high praise from the examiners in the practical section of her Charm, Transfiguration, Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts exams, which spurred her on for the rest of her exams.
By the end of the second week of exams, everyone was beyond exhausted, but delighted to spend their free time outside. There was one final visit to Hogsmeade planned before the end of term which everyone was very much looking forwards to.
The morning of the Hogsmeade visit, Emalia awoke to Grif hooting outside her window, tapping on the glass pane with his beak.
'Emalia! The point of not having class, is to sleep in!' groaned Alicia sleepily from her bed, 'Stop the bird from tapping.'
Emalia stifled a giggle, but took the parchment curled around Grif's leg, gave his feathers an affectionate tussle, before watching him fly back out the window. She read the note, her eyes grew wide and she quickly changed out of her pyjamas and into jeans and a t-shirt before bolting out the door.
She ran the whole way to the Hospital Wing, and swung the door open, rather dramatically, and stomped all the way down to the bed where her cousin was sleeping. She flicked him on the forehead.
'Ouch!' he exclaimed rubbing his forehead, bolting upright out of his bed.
'I swear to Godric, you are a beacon for danger. It's either that or you have a death wish. Next time you go looking for trouble Harry Potter, I will murder you myself!' she said angrily, flicking his forehead again in frustration.
'Emalia!? What? How did you even know that I was here?' he asked confused, his voice thick with sleep.
'Albus, told me. Though I am pretty sure he expected me to go to his office, but I had to give you a piece of my mind' she huffed.
'Ugh, whatshappenin' murmured Ron from the next bed, before he slipped back to sleep, snoring lightly.
'What in Merlin's name happened?' she asked exasperatedly, examining her cousin, making sure that he was unharmed.
'It's a long story,' said Harry as he sat back in the bed, adjusting his pillow behind him.
'Well give me a summary. If Madam Pomfrey catches me here, I'll be in for it.'
Harry launched into what had happened last night; how Sirius was innocent, that Ron's rat Scabbers was actually a man by the name of Peter Pettigrew. He had betrayed Harry's parents, not Sirius. He explained the whole story, only hesitating when it came to the part about Professor Lupin being a werewolf.
'I… er.. I don't think I should mention the next part' said Harry, shrugging his shoulders.
'I know about Professor Lupin, I've had suspicions for a while' she said simply, letting Harry continue with his story.
Emalia sat back in her chair, pure disbelief on her face as she tried to process Harry's story; it was a lot to take in, but it made sense.
'I still don't know how you manage to get yourself into these situations, Harry' she said quietly, 'but I am glad that you have found your godfather.'
Harry smiled at her and opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted.
'MISS POTTER! How did you get in here? Get out! Get out! Visiting hours are much later!' exclaimed Madam Pomfrey, as she pulled Emalia by the arm and escorted her out of the Hospital Wing.
She made her way back to her dorm, scribbling out a quick note to Albus, before making her way to the Owlery. She was not in the mood to talk to him this morning. She ran into Fred and George as she climbed through the portrait into the Common Room.
'Ah! Emalia, just who we wanted to see!' said Fred grinning.
'Yes, come with us' said George.
The two of them linked their arms with hers, lifting her up so that their shoulders were level and Emalia's feet were dangling nearly a foot of the ground.
'Put me down!' she giggled as they manoeuvred their way through the portrait, and marched down to the Great Hall.
'What do you want?' she asked smiling when they gently placed her on the seat.
'Nothing, we were just bored and thought it would be funny to bring you up to our height' grinned Fred, before pressing a kiss to her temple.
'And it was' chortled George, as he began to butter the toast that had appeared on his plate.
Emalia rolled her eyes, but laughed at the silliness of the two of them, her boyfriend and her best friend, the two of them were always able to put a smile on her face.
The final Hogsmeade visit came and went. It was a bright sunny day, spent laughing with friends, a final hurrah before they left for the holidays.
Gryffindor had won the House Championship for the third year running, this was in large part due to the house teams' spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup. This meant that the end-of-term feast took place amid decorations of scarlet and gold, and that the Gryffindor table was the noisiest of the lot, as everyone celebrated.
As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning, the chatter in the compartment Emalia and her friends were in was loud and excited. For the most part they discussed their summer plans, which included the planning of potential visits and also hopes for tickets to a match at the upcoming Quidditch World Cup.
Emalia had to dip out for a while to patrol the train, which gave her a chance to spend time with Adrian before the summer holidays truly began. They discussed exams and Quidditch, he would be attending some of the games, his cousin was on the England team and had gotten him and his father tickets. As they patrolled, they had to confiscate a number of items from students, and handed them to Percy before going their separate ways.
'Enjoy your holidays, Em' said Adrian cheerfully as he gave her a quick hug.
'You too Adrian' she grinned, turning and waving him off as she made her way back to the compartment her friends occupied, to discuss their summer plans once more before they had to spend time apart.
'I could always ask mum if you could live with us for the summer' murmured Fred quietly into her ear as George and Lee argued about who they thought would win the World Cup.
Emalia turned and smiled at him, she kissed him gently.
'Don't worry Freddie, I plan on spending a lot of my summer with you.'
'Good' he grinned, kissing her again, 'I wouldn't want it any other way.'