Well, it's once again been a while. Nobody can accuse me of being inconsistent haha! It's been a busy Christmas, New Years (Happy New Years guys!) and I've been sick. I've seen Star Wars twice and I might actually see it again today. I don't care what the obsessive fanboys think; I really loved it. I thought it was surprising, refreshing, interesting and very exciting. I think the sequels (and rogue one) have been hitting it out of the ballpark.
Ah well, back to Potter. Enjoy the new chapter guys! New chapter will follow soon after, have almost finished it.
Don't forget to review.
CHAPTER 25
'Cecil!' Fred said, stopping in front of me. 'Fred.' I replied breathlessly, clutching my Study of Ancient Runes textbook to my chest, looking up his tall frame. 'I thought we should hang out.' He told me, sticking his hands in his trouser pockets. 'Just the two of us.' He added.
I could hardly think of an answer but after a moment I shook my head and said 'Yes, alright.' He grinned at me widely. 'Wicked!' He answered, taking his right hand out of his pocket and grabbing my left hand. 'Let's go.' He added. 'Now!?' I asked alarmed. 'I was supposed to meet my friends for lunch.' I supplied. 'I bet they can spare you for a couple of hours.' Fred told me, dragging me along the corridor. Students turned around to look at the popular redhead who was lugging the mousy Ravenclaw around.
'Sixth floor. It's a little bit of a walk.' Fred groaned, despite the fact that he hadn't told me where we were going. 'A little walk to where? And how did you even know where to find me?' I asked but Fred only looked over his shoulder at me with a disarming smirk. My heart melted.
We went down stairs, through secret passage ways, behind drapes, tapestries, paintings and got to the Entrance Hall but instead of going into the Great Hall for food, he dragged me down the stairs towards the basements, where I knew the Hufflepuff common room was located somewhere. I almost never went down there as there was nothing of much consequence in the basements where I needed to be. Unlike the dungeons, the corridor we arrived in after descending the stone steps was brightly lit and warm. The walls were covered with cheerful paintings of food. At the far end I saw wooden barrels stacked up against each other and at first I thought we were going that way but suddenly Fred stopped walking and I nearly fell into him.
We were standing in front of a large painting of a silver fruit bowl. 'Turn around, love.' Fred said, raising his arm as he was still holding my hand, twirling me around. 'Why can't I look?' I asked, feeling him step away from me for a moment as he did something behind my back. There was a disturbing giggle I heard that was definitely not Fred's voice. He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me back. 'I made the mistake of telling my little brother's friend about this place once.' He merely answered. That didn't explain much.
To my surprise the painting concealed a large door opening. Inside I saw an enormous room with a high ceiling. There was a large fire place down the end of the room and heaps and heaps of brass pans and pots stacked along the walls. I saw four tables stretch out along the length of the room. Before I could admire it all fully though, dozens of tiny figures crowded around Fred and myself.
As soon as I got over my shock I realized they were house elves. They were wearing tea towels, stamped with the Hogwarts seal, that were tied around the shoulders and their squeaky voices were demanding for us to want something, want anything.
'Settle down, settle down.' Fred said, straightening his back self-importantly. 'Mr Weasley, sir, how can we help you, sir!' One of the elves peeped at him. 'If you'd set a table for my friend and I.' Fred asked. 'And I know she'd love shepherd's pie to eat.' He added. Shepherd's pie? Did he know? When would he have noticed? I didn't go for my favourite dish more than once a week, wanting to keep it precious and special. Did he ask someone?
The house elves all went their separate ways in an organized chaos and we stepped further into the room. I got a better look at it now and I realized that this must be the kitchens. The long tables seemed to be copies of the house tables up in the Great Hall and they were half filled with plates of sandwiches, crisps, fruits, pickles, sausages, cod and haddock. 'Lunch is on right now. Once everyone's had their fill, they'll swap it out again.' Fred supplied as he saw me looking. 'It's interesting to see behind the curtains.' I said, tearing my eyes away from two elves who together lugged a huge pudding platter and set it on top of what I guessed to be the Gryffindor table. I ripped my eyes away from the small elves hoisting pots twice their size around together.
When I looked back up at Fred I saw that he was already looking at me. 'I suppose you'd like to sit down?' Fred asked and I shrugged sheepishly. 'Why can't we just have lunch with the rest?' I asked him as he led me to the end of one of the tables, the Hufflepuff table, his hand on the small of my back. He let me sit first and then sat opposite from me, stretching out his legs underneath the table and leaning forward so he could look at me properly.
'What kind of date would that be?' Fred asked and I flushed red. 'You didn't ask me to go on a.. On a date..' I stuttered and he grinned at me. 'I like it better when you are all red and startled.' He told me and I didn't know what to think of that. 'Besides, I came up with it about ten minutes before I found you.' He admitted and I couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle.
He looked particularly handsome this afternoon. His red hair gleamed in the bright candles of the kitchen, the colour appearing even redder against the wall of copper pots behind him. The freckles across his face were livened by the sunny summer weather of the past months and I noted that he had not done up his uniform. He wasn't usually very strict with it but now his tie was just hanging around his neck, untied, his shirt unbuttoned with a t-shirt underneath, his robe hanging open. His careless smile was confusing and mind numbing and it made my heart beat faster the way nothing else did. His mouth was moving as he spoke and I looked at his lips. I wondered if he thought of kissing me as much as I did about kissing him.
He was talking to me, I know he was, but whenever I was in his presence it was just so difficult to concentrate on anything but his gorgeous sea blue eyes and the way the freckles had dusted themselves across the bridge of his nose and – 'Merlin, Wiggleswade! Were you even listening to me or were you just checking me out?' Fred said with an amused smirk, shaking my shoulder, reaching forward across the table, and I quickly shook my head to wake myself up.
'I just zone out whenever you talk.' I confessed, immediately embarrassed by my own confession but by sheer luck he took it as witty repartee and he laughed a booming laugh. 'Ouch, Cecil! That was harsh!' He said to me but then he chuckled. 'You become funnier and funnier each time I talk to you!' He told me with a grin and I blushed even brighter.
Right at that moment a house elf came with Fred's food orders, setting a shepherd's pie between us, along with two plates, cutlery, two goblets and a flask of pumpkin juice. 'Thank you!' I exclaimed before the elf disappeared to one of its other tasks again. It didn't even look back and I think it didn't realise that I was thanking it. I was overthinking it anyway; house elves didn't need thank-yous.
'Dig in, dig in!' Fred said, sticking a big spoon into the shepherd's pie and giving me a reasonable portion. I doubt I'd be eating much anyway. After he had put some on his own plate as well and taken the first bite (me taking the tiniest of bites as well), I looked at him curiously. 'How was your summer?' I asked him timidly. I already felt embarrassed by my question but if he saw, he didn't let it be known.
'It was alright, a bit strange. Best part was that George and I are of age now so we can do magic outside of school. Mum was about ready to do us in by the end of the holidays.' Fred told me and I simpered at the thought of the plump ginger woman pulling her hair out in frustration. I could very much sympathise.
'Next best part was Ron making prefect!' Fred told me next and I frowned. 'Ron? As in Ronald Weasley? He made prefect?' I asked, not meaning to sound so insulting but Fred obviously took no issue with that as he chuckled in glee, nodding. I thought it was out of character for Fred to be glad about his little brother's academic accomplishments, but that assumption was rectified right after. 'We bullied him with it all summer. That he'd turn out as just as big a twat as Percy.' He added. Percy Weasley's name reminded me of the fight he'd had with Mr Weasley that left Mr Weasley so undone at work.
'George replaced Ron's shoe laces with self-tying shoe laces but switched the pairs around so they keep lacing the shoe laces together with the opposite shoe.' Fred continued his story, still snickering. I was far too curious to laugh along. 'I don't mean to be rude, but I thought for sure that Harry Potter was going to be the Gryffindor fifth year prefect this year.' I said and Fred laughed. 'Everyone thought the same! Even Ron was checking if the letter wasn't wrongly addressed to him.' He said and I smiled.
'Your dad mentioned that Percy moved out.' I carefully said after a couple of seconds. He had just taken a big bite so he couldn't answer immediately but I saw his face darken considerably. He swallowed. 'Yeah, good riddance.' He said. 'That prick picked a fight with dad and packed his bags like a bloody coward.' He told me. He didn't give any other explanation to satisfy my curiosity, mainly about what the fight was about, but I didn't feel comfortable prodding so I left it.
'How are you liking Umbridge?' Fred asked me but he didn't wait for an answer as he ranted on about her. 'What a bint! I can't believe they made up this utter bollocks position, just to give the Ministry more power in Hogwarts.' He said. 'Is that why they created the position, you reckon?' I replied thoughtfully. 'The only reason!' He exclaimed.
About a week before there had been an article on the front page of the Daily Prophet that announced the appointment of Dolores Umbridge as High Inquisitor at Hogwarts. Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three, they called it. The decree was signed by Minister Fudge but what it meant for the students wasn't entirely clear until rumours started going around the school in the following days of Umbridge sitting in with other professors. She would ask her colleagues questions about their teaching as well as the students.
'She was in my Charms class for an inspection. Good old Flitwick did fine of course so there's nothing for that hag to get her claws in.' Fred said. 'I haven't had her in any of my classes yet.' I told him. 'I think she's had most teachers by now anyway.' Fred concluded.
We chatted on for a bit, mostly Fred as he shovelled food into his mouth, but then he pushed aside the plates and stood up. 'Enough talking!' He announced as he fastened the clasp on his robe, shaking up his hair. I couldn't help staring for a moment. He was just so bloody handsome. The house elves rushed to thank us, clear away the dishes, offer us more food on the way but we managed to get out of the kitchen unscathed and our robe pockets bulging of blueberry cookies. 'Lunch hour must be nearly over.' I said as we reached the top of the stairs out of the basements and stood at the side of the Entrance Hall. 'I should get to my next class.' I added as I turned back to Fred. Fred did not seem to share that thought.
'I always forget what a bore you can be.' He whined. Before I could react, whether that'd be an affronted protest or a hot blush, he had pulled me aside, just behind a column. 'Watch it, McGonagall is on the prowl!' He hissed, peeking around the stone pillar. 'If she sees me she's going to make sure I don't skive off Charms again. Follow me to class and everything.' He told me, looking back at me.
After a minute or so he relaxed his stance. 'She went up the stairs. Probably went to class herself.' He concluded. He turned his eyes away from the Entrance Hall and when they settled on me the blue of them erupted such a shiver under my skin that I couldn't help myself when I reached up for his collar and pulled his face down to mine.
He seemed startled by my initiative and I couldn't blame him. I wasn't usually the one to start our kisses; I was too shy, too self-conscious, but it had been months since I had last kissed him and even though it had ended rather awkwardly, being busted by his twin while half-undressed in his bedroom, it ached to have him this close but not quite close enough.
He responded eagerly after overcoming the surprise, snaking his arms around my waist and turning me so I had my back against the pillar. His lips were as they always were, insistent in their pursuit and I obliged, gliding my hands into his hair. He pulled back for a moment. 'I take it back, you're not a bore.' He joked and I let out a breathy laugh. He dove back in, putting both his hands on my cheeks, kissing me deeply.
'Let's go outside!' Fred suggested against my lips and I laughed at him. 'It's too cold.' I protested. 'It's autumn in Scotland, I don't even have my cloak with me.' I pointed out. Fred once again kissed me, not minding my words. He pulled back again, pulling my hand along to the entrance. 'It's too cold!' I repeated myself, still an overwhelmed grin on my face.
'Oh, come on, it's not at all that cold!' Fred insisted and after tickling me in the side, I reluctantly agreed. If I had known that he'd put my arm around me when we got outside, to shield me from the biting wind, I would've agreed sooner.
We strolled along the lake until we got to the rocks on the opposite side, sitting next to them so they could hide us from the sharp breeze. The air was blowing over the water as if it was hunting for something, the high grass and reeds by the waterfront bending over to comply with the force nature was exerting. I shivered.
'You're feeling chilly?' asked Fred. I shrugged. He leaned in to peck me on the cheek with a laugh but then unwrapped his scarf and rewrapped it around both our necks and tightening it, forcing me to come closer, nearly falling into his chest. I had to safe myself from falling by steadying myself with my hand on his chest, like in all the sappy romance novels I had read. I flushed. 'Oh good sir, I didn't think you'd be this forward!' Fred called out in a silly voice and I laughed. How could I still be so nervous around this boy? Wasn't I used to this by now?
He leaned down, capturing my lips in a sweet kiss, far sweeter than his kisses usually were. Not as hot, not as feverish and hungry. It wouldn't stay behind though. Soon he had pushed me on my back and he was lying on top of me, snogging me hard. His body was warm, his hands rubbing my waist. I pushed him away for a second. 'Are you not cold at all?' I asked him with a smile and he pecked me on the lips before answering; 'That cute red nose is making me feel plenty hot.' He told me and my grin widened. My blush was probably a permanent fixture anyway. He leaned back down, pushing his lips to mine.
After a while the temperature did eventually get to Fred as well and he sat up, rubbing his hands together. 'Maybe you were right after all.' He said with a snicker. 'Maybe?' I questioned. He winked at me as he took out his pocket watch, his wizarding watch (he had turned seventeen this year). 'It's nearly time for quidditch practice for me as well so I need to get going anyway. Angie will jinx me up and down if I'm late.' He said. I grew uncomfortable as he mentioned Angelina Johnson and he must've noticed because he shot me a frown.
'What is it? I wish I could skip it, you know. It goes without saying that I'd much rather straddle you than my broom in this weather.' He tried to say reassuringly and I sat up a bit, ignoring his phrasing as I rubbed my hands along my in tights wrapped legs, trying to create some warmth. 'Here.' He murmured as he put both his hands on my lower left leg, assisting my own hands in their work. I felt heat rush to my face again. 'Didn't you go to the Yule Ball with Angelina Johnson?' I asked him timidly after a minute as he moved to my right leg and he let out such a booming laugh that I nearly choked in my own breath, just from the shock.
'You're getting your knickers in a twist over that?' He asked, pinking a tear out of the corner of his eyes when he was finished laughing. I started to feel a bit silly. 'Not in a twist.' I murmured stupidly. 'George is the one who likes her.' He confided in me. 'He does?' I asked and he nodded sincerely. 'Not as much as he likes talking about the weather or 1980's wizard rock, but yes.' He answered. 'Won't do anything about it, the twat, even though Angelina definitely is into him too.' He told me. I laughed and quickly stood up. His hands fell away from my legs. 'I need to get to my own homework. I have to ask my classmates what I've missed.' I said. 'Not much, probably.' Fred suggested, standing up himself as well.
Together we walked back to the school and in the Entrance Hall he finally unwrapped his Gryffindor scarf from around my neck. He didn't say anything before he sped up the stairs towards the Gryffindor Tower but when he was at the top of the stairs he looked back down knowingly, as if he had predicted me looking after his retreating figure. He winked, waved and shouted, making all the students in the hall look up from their daily business; 'I'll see you around, Cecil!'.
I was on my way upstairs as well, too lightheaded after my afternoon of snogging by the lake to go have dinner like a regular person right that moment. On my way to the Ravenclaw Tower I ran into the Ravenclaw boys of my year. Jeremy Stretton, Oliver Quirke and Marcus Belby were standing pressed against the wall, looking around the corner. 'What are you guys doing?' I asked, making all of them jump. Oliver shushed me. 'We're watching Eddie and Heidi Macavoy.' He told me in a whisper. I peeked around the corner with them and saw that Eddie Carmichael was indeed chatting with Heidi Macavoy at the end of the corridor.
'And why is watching them such a sport?' I asked, stepping away from the wall again. 'Because Eddie's been telling us he'd ask her out the whole of past year already and now he's finally doing it for real.' Marcus said. 'Ask out Heidi? Wasn't she with Anthony Rickett, from Hufflepuff?' I questioned. 'They broke up during practice, as word goes.' Oliver replied in a gossipy manner. Heidi and Anthony Rickett were both on the Hufflepuff quidditch team.
'Oh, their captain must love that.' I laughed. They all shushed me, looking back around the corner. I joined them, curiosity taking over. I couldn't hear their conversation but as far as I could see it definitely had a flirty edge to it, Eddie leaning against the wall and Heidi hitting him in the shoulder weakly as she smiled coyly. Eddie looked very cocky, constantly smoothing his hair over and puffing his chest.
After a couple of minutes Heidi went her way and Eddie went our way and as soon as he rounded the corner, the three boys jumped him, patting him on the back and punching him in the stomach in a congratulatory manner, asking him questions about what the two had talked about.
'She says she might go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend.' He boasted happily and his best friend Marcus whistled, clearly impressed. 'That's more than any of us thought you were going to get out of this.' He said and Eddie nodded in agreement. 'You and me both, chaps!' He said.
I walked a couple of steps behind the boys as they made their way up to the common room, shoving one another around and shouting and laughing loudly. I didn't pay attention to them much, I wasn't very loud myself and even thought it was just these boys, they were still a bit daunting to me.
In the common room I saw that Marietta and Cho were sitting across from each other at one of the study tables and I let myself fall into a chair to join them. 'Anyone else who still needs to finish their Transfiguration debate piece?' I said without greeting them, bending over my bag to grab my quill and ink pot as well as the roll of parchment I had already started at. When I straightened my back, I noticed that my two dorm mates were weirdly quiet.
I looked at Marietta first but she looked just a bit moody but when I glanced at Cho I saw that her eyes were red-rimmed. She had her head leaning forward so her hair would fall around her face like a curtain but I could still her empty expression. 'I'm just going to get started.' I said awkwardly, ducking over my parchment.
It had happened often since school started, walking in on Cho with red eyes. Sometimes, late at night when everyone else was sleeping, I'd hear her sobbing in her bed. I didn't know what to do with it. What could I even do with it? How was I ever supposed to relate and through that comfort her? Her boyfriend was killed in a dangerous competition. Regardless of whether it was an accident or, as Potter was still shouting (he had gotten into detention with Umbridge apparently for causing a scene over the matter), a murder by You-Know-Who; it was nothing that I had ever experienced.
After a couple of minutes I heard the rustling of parchment as they bowed themselves over their own homework as well. I tried to stop thinking about anything other than what I was working on. Transfiguration principles were hard enough as it was.
After I had dotted my last "i" I rolled it up, stuffed it in my bag and put my bag upstairs in the dormitory. I went down to have dinner. I met Mathilda and Aurora there. 'Hey, we were wondering where you were!' Aurora greeted me. Mathilda gave me a questioning look, her eyes narrowed. 'I heard you weren't in your double Potions class with Rory. You weren't with me either. What have you been doing?' She murmured to me as I sat next to her. I blushed brightly but couldn't contain my smile as I thought of my wonderful day with Fred.
'You'll never guess!' I squealed. 'Never guess why you skipped lunch and class? I think you're right about that.' Mathilda said to me. My two friends leaned closer as I beckoned them to. 'Fred Weasley swooped me away for a date.' I whispered to them. Both erupted in cheers. 'Tell us everything!' Aurora said and Mathilda swung one of her legs over the bench in order to face me completely. I did tell them everything, about having lunch in the kitchens and how he somehow knew my favourite dish and how we'd gone down to the lake and had snogged and how he had wrapped his scarf around both our necks. 'It was great.' I told them last and the both of them sighed. 'That sounds really nice.' Aurora said. 'Yeah.' Mathilda agreed dreamily. I knew she had grown critical of the arrangement Fred and I shared but she was always happy for me when I was.
I stared down the table and my eyes drifted to the Slytherin table where I saw my cousin Stacy sitting together with a few of her year mates. I wondered how she was doing. I hadn't really spoken to her apart from in passing since she had been sorted in Slytherin but I wanted to make sure she was okay. She seemed happy, smiling while she ate her roast beef and listened to her friends talking. Maybe I should suggest we'd have lunch or dinner together sometimes.
I went back to my own dinner, all the while smiling to myself. I couldn't wait till I could go to bed that evening, just so I could have dreams of Fred Weasley being sweet and lovely to me always.
How did you like it? Was that alright? Review-worthy at least? You know how much I love some reviews.
I would like to admit that this chapter and next chapter were a bit tiresome for me. They took me a long time, they don't flow like I want them and it just felt like I was blinding myself trying to put it together. There was so much that I needed to put in. I don't want to spend six chapters on just the first few weeks of school, but there's just so much! In the fifth Potter book a lot of stuff happens in the first month of school but I was trying to assess which of those things were important to Cecilia's life. Of course, Umbridge was important but not as important as she was to Harry. I'm happy about the priorities I put into it but I'm just not thrilled about how I put it together. But I just had to get it out there. It's just fanfiction, no need for me to get frustrated haha!
I'll see you next chapter. It'll actually be really quick. It's pretty much finished already.