Chapter 14
"What do you mean dragons?" Amelia felt ready to hyperventilate. "Are you trying to tell me that you have to fight a dragon?!"
"Lia, calm down. Breathe!" Fred and George had been walking with her and Harry when she heard the news. It was Fred who had been trying to calm her down, softly placing his hand on the small of her back. Almost distracting her from the issue at hand. Almost. Until Harry started talking again.
"Yeah, Hagrid showed them to me. But me and Hermione have got a plan. So don't worry." Amelia hugged him.
"You should know by know that I always worry about you." Harry pulled back from the hug, looking her straight in the eyes.
"Trust me." She looked at him, still a little uncertainty in her eyes, and nodded. She would trust him. When Harry took notice of her change in demeanor, he grinned and sped off, probably to find Hermione in the library. Amelia turned to the twins, not even trying to hide the worry in her eyes, knowing they would see it anyway.
"He'll be fine, right?" Fred and George looked at each other for a second, before turning back to Amelia.
"Yes." There was no sign of doubt in either one of their voices. Amelia smiled at the two of them, enjoying the close bond she felt.
"Anyone in the mood to skip class?" George's look turned sour.
"I'd better not. We've got Sprout, and I think she's still pretty mad about that little stunt I pulled last week. But you two go ahead." Amelia turned to Fred. It would be the first time since their kiss that they would be alone together. Fred just grinned at George, promising that he'd be trouble enough for the both of them. With those words they waved George off, before heading the other way. They walked the halls in silence, a strange kind of tension making the air around them buzz. They had been aimlessly wandering the halls for ten minutes, when they heard a tell-tale meow coming from around the corner, followed by the voice of Filch.
"I just know we'll find students out of class." Thanking the heavens that they were near a hidden alcove, Amelia grabbed Fred's hand and pulled him behind the tapestry that covered the entrance. Silently they held their breath, waiting for Filch to pass. When they were sure he was out of earshot, they exhaled, before bursting out in laughter. When they got a chance to breathe again, Fred wiped the small tear that had escaped the corner of her eye and the tension returned instantly.
"So…" His voice was just above a whisper, but she heard it none the less. Each of them stared at the other, not wanting to make the first move.
"Oh what the hell." Amelia lightly pushed Fred against the wall and pressed her lips to his. She had to stand on the tips of her toes to reach him, but he made it easier by wrapping his arms around her waist and bowing his head. He pulled her close to him, leaving no room between their upper bodies, and groaned as her tongue touched his lower lip teasingly. Amelia let out a soft moan as he granted her access and their tongues met in a battle for dominance. After a while they had to break apart to catch their breath.
"I could get used to this." Fred smiled down at her, before kissing her lips lightly. Amelia smiled into the kiss, enjoying the way his arms were still wrapped around her. They didn't leave that little alcove until they had to go to their next class.
X- Harry Potter –X
Amelia was on the very edge of her seat, looking on in horror as the enormous Hongarian Horntail tried to kill Harry. She had been terrified when that enormous beast pulled itself free from its chains. Now Harry was zooming around on his firebolt, trying not to get himself killed by the giant lizard chasing him around the school grounds. Afraid to look anymore, Amelia turned and buried her face in Fred's shirt. His arm came around her shoulders, reassuring her. She was confused when suddenly there was applauding and excitement all around her.
"Lia! Lia look up! He did it!" At Katie's exclamation Amelia looked up, her frown changing into a bright smile. He did it! He actually did it! He somehow managed to survive and get the golden egg. Amelia looked at the twins, a grin apparent on both of their faces.
"Party?" She voiced her question in one word.
"Party." They answered in unison. They quickly spread the word, making sure everyone understood their role in getting the party started. Fred and Amelia were in charge of snacks, so they left early to beat the Hufflepuffs to the kitchen. At least, that was the plan.
X- Harry Potter –X
"Would you slow down?" Amelia laughed at Fred's enthusiasm, barely keeping up with the fast pace of his feet. He turned around, a grin apparent on his face. Amelia smiled back, as she took him in, standing there in the middle of a deserted hallway. The joy on his face was irresistible and without thinking about it, she jumped into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck. Still grinning, he spun her around, enjoying the closeness he felt at that precise moment. They had barely spent any time alone together since that time Filch had almost caught them. After Fred sat her back down, he looked at her with a cheeky grin and a sparkle in his eyes.
"How long do you recon we have before the rest of the school starts coming back inside?" Amelia looked at him questioningly.
"I don't know, why?" Without a word, Fred grabbed her hand and pulled her into a nearby broom closet. They stumbled over an empty bucket and knocked over a few brooms, but that didn't matter to either one of the teens. It only took Fred half a second to push Amelia against the wall and press his lips on hers, having missed the feeling of her heated kiss meeting his own. His hands found her hips, as her arms wrapped around his neck, one hand finding its way into his flaming red locks. His own hands started sliding over her back and into her black curls as their kiss deepened. They spent a good few minutes in that broom closet, not leaving any opportunity to touch each other unused, before deciding that they should really head to the kitchen if they wanted to beat the Hufflepuffs there. Fred left the broom closet first, keeping an eye out for any students, before kicking the door twice, letting Amelia know the coast was clear. They resumed their walk towards the kitchen, talking animatedly about anything and everything. They were still laughing about something that had been said, when they entered and were warmly greeted by the house elves, who happily supplied them with every bit of food and drinks they requested. It had its perks to be a regular guest in their workplace.
X- Harry Potter –X
Arms loaded with every imaginable kind of snack, they entered the common room, where Fred, after dumping his snacks on a nearby table, joined his twin in hoisting Harry up on their shoulders. It was all fun and games looking at the large golden egg, until Harry opened it, letting out an ungodly sound. Everyone was in good spirits, which was nice, as people seemed to be a little more forgiving. Speaking of which… Amelia looked at the far corner, where Harry and Ron were talking animatedly, having forgiven each other. It was a nice sight to see. Amelia also noticed Hermione sitting in a chair by the fire, holding the egg and studying it carefully. Shaking her head, Amelia grabbed two bottles of butterbeer, before heading over to the studious fourth year.
"You really need to learn to enjoy the little things, Hermione." Hermione looked at Amelia with a raised eyebrow, as she wordlessly took the butterbeer from her hands. "You have enough time to help him figure it out. I'll help you. But tonight we're celebrating the fact that our dear little Harry is still alive. Deal?"
"Will you really help us?" Hermione's eyes were trained on Amelia's face.
"Of course. You guys are family to me. I don't know if you noticed, oh clever one, but I don't have a lot of family left." She was surprised when her words were met by a hug from the younger witch.
"Thank you. I'm not that good with these kind of situations, but you're starting to feel like family too."
"Good, now that we're done with the mushy stuff, why don't we go and enjoy the party?"
X- Harry Potter –X
The party had died down, after McGonagall had come in and ordered them to their beds. Of course, being McGonagall, most people listened and went up to their beds. Amelia, Fred, George and Angelina were the last ones left, when Amelia decided to lie down on the couch, her head on Fred's lap, and stare up to the ceiling. She'd had a great time tonight, talking with Hermione, dancing with her friends and one less task to worry about. She was so deep in thought that she barely noticed Angelina getting up, quickly followed by George, leaving her and Fred alone in the quiet common room. When she was finally able to tear herself out of her thoughts, she noticed him looking down at her, a happy look on his face. Amelia smiled at him, taking in the way his beautiful blue eyes were shining and the way his face displayed those sweet dimples he only displayed when he was smiling. She reached up, only to pull his face down to hers and kiss him sweetly. Until now, most of their kisses had been passionate, full of fire and hasty, afraid of people walking in on them. But this kiss was… different. It was sweet, slow and loving. They stayed up until the break of dawn, eventually breaking apart and heading upstairs, enjoying the little bit of sleep they had left before classes the next morning.