…St. Mungo's and a 'Discussion'...
I wake up to Fred and George talking about their products. I sit up sleepily and look around. They stop talking. I wave and stumble sleepily from the dorm. I walk to the baths and sink into the steaming water. It helps soothe me before my coughing fit begins. It's a very violent fit. Madam Pomfrey's warning has finally come true. I take a deep breath and look up at the ceiling as I sink beneath the water.
I take my time cleaning up and getting ready for class. I opt out of going to breakfast and sneak up to the boys' dorm and get the medicine from Madam Pomfrey. I take half the dose as I walk to my first class. I write a quick status update for the company and send it off. Fred is waiting as I walk down the steps. "Yes?" I ask noting his frown. "You left without a word and you skipped breakfast. What happened?" he whispers. "Nothing. I just took a relaxing bath." I shrug.
He wraps his arms around me pulling me to his chest. "Don't lie to me Seren." he murmurs. I sigh and squirm in his hold. "I had another fit but the water helped calm it down before it could happen." I whisper. Fred tenses momentarily then tightens his arms around me. "Tell your parents this break." he mumbles. I nod tugging at the hem of my skirt. "I'm serious Seren. Tell them this time or I will." he lifts my chin so I'm looking into his eyes. He's not going to back down this time. I sigh and nod.
I don't talk much as we meet the others. "Did you piss her off again?" George teases. "No, she had another coughing fit." Fred frowns at me. I roll my eyes and fold my arms. Alicia smacks my arm and I pout at her. "I got accepted." I whisper as the boys walk ahead into the classroom. Alicia and Crystal whirl around so fast I nearly bump into them. "When?" Angelina asks Beyle nodding along. "A month after school began. They said I can come whenever I want. I wanted to tell you guys in advance but I don't want Fred finding out. I'll give you guys a two-month warning before I leave. If all goes well, I'll be back in two or three years. If not, make sure he doesn't get too sad or lonely. Help him move on fast." I try to keep my voice even and my eyes sting with unshed tears.
Angelina rolls her eyes and scoffs as she turns to the window but I can see she's fighting back tears too. Beyle wraps me in a hug choking back sobs and I reassure her I'll be fine. Crystal joins the hug too looking like I might run out of the school and disappear forever. Alicia puts a hand on Angelina's shoulder. "Lina." I whisper as Beyle and Crystal disappear into the classroom before they start crying. Angelina turns to me with an exasperated look. "Does Fred know?" she wonders. I nod and bite my lip. "Even his mum knows, to some extent. I just don't want him following me or getting hurt anymore than I've already hurt him." I lean on the wall.
"Two or maybe even three years. Are you at least going to keep in touch?" she sniffs turning back to the window. "Of course I am. I'm allowed to send letters. In fact, they encourage it. I just can't leave the facility and no one can visit. I can't keep having my magic act up. What if I can't release the pent up magic and something terrible happens? I'd never forgive myself. I have to get help. These people specialize in helping people like me. They know more than they did back then and they've helped so many people whose magic has begun to go out of control." I nudge Angelina. She turns away from me only to find Alicia blocking her path. "I don't mind if you tell my parents either. They won't even be able to track me down using Zo. I can't tell them. I don't know how to undo a decade of lies. I don't know where to begin. I don't even know how to communicate with my parents anymore." I confess.
Angelina throws her arms around me and I feel her shaking as she fights the urge not to burst into tears. I hold my arms out to Alicia who gives me a comforting hug. We walk into the classroom in silence. Fred nudges me but I put my head and start studying. "What'd you do? You guys look so sad." he whispers. I turn and look at them. He knows immediately without me having to say the words. He nods and stops questioning me.
I loop my arm through Fred's as we walk the grounds after our last class. "I love you." I whisper. Fred stops walking. "I know." he murmurs after a minute. I wrap my arms around his waist and hide in his chest. "I'll write you as often as I can." I whisper. Fred begins to groan and I smile. "They were able to make a strong enough medicine so that I won't have as many fits I just have to remember to take it every day." I mumble. Fred stops groaning and looks at me. "Angelina doesn't want me to go either. None of the girls do but I have to. I don't want my magic to go out of control again. What if I hurt one of our friends? What if I hurt you?" I murmur.
I can see Fred thinking it over and put my head on his chest. "What are you getting me for Christmas?" I wonder. "An Acid Pop." he pouts. "Can't you get me something I can look at while I'm gone. So, I can remember you. Treatment is already going to be hard. If I had something it would make it easier." I take his hands and wrap his arms around me. "Then don't go and I'll just keep you close whatever happens, happens." he groans. "Freddie! If I don't go, I'll die." I huff. His eyes widen and he looks like he's trying not to cry. We both know the negative side effects of me not going to get treatment but have never actually said it out loud.
"It'll go out of control and burn me up from the inside out. I'll die in less than a year." I try to get him to look at me. He unwraps his arms and turns away. "I don't want you to go. Can't you just stay by my side? It'll feel like I'm dying inside if you go. What am I supposed to do if you just leave?" he chokes out. "You already know the answer to that. Besides, I already told your mother to look after you when I leave." I confess. Fred whips around staring at me in disbelief.
"It was when you took me to see her. She doesn't know everything but just enough. I didn't want to worry her. I also didn't know if I made it into the program. Freddie please!" I grab his hand. He tries to calm down taking deep breaths. He slips his hand out of mine. "I'm going to go take a walk and calm down." he whispers kicking the ground. I watch him go fighting back the tears and when he's too far away to see anymore I go back up to the castle.
Our section of the table is eerily quiet at dinner. I push my food around my plate not really hungry. "You should eat something Seren." Fred mumbles out of the side of his mouth. "You should be a bit more rational about this Fred." I reply. "If I was irrational, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you in the first place." he smirks. I roll my eyes as I blush. "You're so fucking irritating." I scoff. "You took the hyper medicine." he chuckles.
I don't reply and busy myself with my food. "Where'd you put it?" he asks. I turn to talk to Beyle but she looks away. "I've been betrayed!" I gasp. She giggles and hides in Donovan's arms. "I only took half the dose." I pout. "That's not what I asked." Fred smiles. I finish eating and get to my feet. "I need to go work on my homework!" I gasp and hurry from the hall. I lay on my bed in Fred's sweater. I roll around for a while and then wind up falling asleep.
I wake up in Fred's arms. "You're supposed to sleep in my bed." he pouts. I smile and kiss his cheek. He drops me gently onto his bed and I crawl under the covers while he changes. "Are you still mad?" I ask as he crawls into bed. "I felt worse actually. I know you should go. I know that but I just don't want to let you go." he groans pulling me to his chest. Sighing I put my hand over his heart and hum softly until we fall asleep.
I wake in the middle of the night to slightly upset voices. "Would you get up! Right now! There's been an emergency. Ms. Potter!" McGonagall snaps. I bolt upright and Fred shakes his head. I groan and look around. "There's been an emergency!" she repeats. I stumble out of bed and follow her down to the common room. Harry is in a chair looking into the fire dazedly. I hurry over no longer sleepy. He glances my way then looks away 'sadly'? I put my hand to his forehead but he's not running a fever. "You did it again didn't you? You were in his mind again?" I whisper.
Harry doesn't reply. Elin comes down the stairs with mine, Ginny's and her own bag. "Our bags professor." she hurries over to McGonagall. McGonagall taps them and they float in the air waiting for their next command. George and Ron come down with their bags and Fred's. Alvey, Cayden, and Cadel are the last to arrive. McGonagall taps their bags and they join the others. "We'll talk about this incident when you two get back." McGonagall frowns at me and Fred.
I keep my focus on my siblings though. She orders us to follow her. I put an arm around Harry as we walk and run my fingers through his hair. Elin walks on the other side of Harry and glances our way every now and then. We wind up in the Headmaster's office where Dumbledore tells us Mr. Weasley was attacked and is at St. Mungo's being treated. The Weasley's leave first. I tighten my grip on Harry. "It'll be ok." I whisper. He nods and I go check on the other four while Harry talks to our professors.
We land in the living room and the boys instantly pass out on the couch. Elin takes everyone's bags, which have already arrived, to their owners' room. I grab blankets from the closet and tuck the boys in. Mum and dad pop up a few hours later while Elin is fixing herself hot cocoa. Dad nods towards his study as uncle Remus and uncle Sirius appear. "We need to talk Seren." dad sighs. I glance towards the backdoor wondering if I can make it out in time but my uncles, as always, are several steps ahead of me. They guide me to the study and sit me down.
"We got a letter from your Head of House. She caught you in bed with Fred. Explain." dad demands not waiting for the others to get situated. "I was sick a few times, I punched the Malfoy brat into his Quidditch team, we have group sleepovers every weekend, and it's just temporary." I shrug. "Just temporary?" uncle Remus asks. "Yeah, there's no way Fred and George are graduating especially with Umbridge there. She's a horrid woman." I spit the words out.
"You punched Draco Malfoy into his Quidditch team?!" mum gasps getting over her shock. I quickly explain about how Umbridge and her gang of kids have been provoking us. "And that's why I told you to not write. She literally snatched your letter out of my hand and started reading it. If Fred hadn't intervened, I would've gotten expelled for hitting a teacher." I huff. Uncle Sirius and dad try to fight back their proud smiles while mum examines my arm. "Madam Pomfrey always does such a good job healing. Severus told me about the incident but I didn't know she was that bad." mum sighs.
"You should see the damage on Harry from his detentions with the toad woman. She made him write lines but the lines wound up cut into his skin." I shiver. Mum is up and out of the room in a flash. She comes back in grumbling and confirming my story. "Anything else? What about when I was teaching and you were in the Hospital Wing?" uncle Remus frowns. "About that... I've been lying to you for a decade." I confess. All four adults' heads snap towards me. "What?!" dad frowns. "My medicine stopped working when I was seven. I didn't get bad side effects then and I was happy because we'd started hanging out with the Weasleys. My first year the side effects started surfacing in a bad way but I was able to be treated by Madam Pomfrey." I continue my confession.
"But?" uncle Sirius waves for me to continue. "She's consulted and talked to a lot of Healers in the past seven years and she's confirmed that they don't have medicine or enough research to help me anymore." I whisper but it's so quiet I feel as if I'm yelling. Mum's legs give way and she crashes to the floor tears streaming down her cheeks. I look away. "I didn't want to say anything because I knew that's how you'd react." I mumble. "Seren." mum whispers. "Fred knows. He was the first of our friends to notice my fits and because I refused to tell you guys, he just kept me close so he could watch over me at all times. It's a real pain in my ass." I huff.
I wait in the hall as the others go in to see Mr. Weasley. I feel as if I've forgotten something today but I can't remember what. I'm just about to go for something to eat when it hits. I double over coughing and before I can stop it, I begin coughing up blood and pass out. I wake in a hospital bed. "Is this what you were trying to tell us at the World Cup?" I hear dad asks. "Yes, but Seren's a stubborn one. I'm risking a hell of a lot just telling you this." Fred replies. "How is informing us of her condition a risk?" mum scoffs. "She said she'd break up with me permanently if I told you and knowing her she'd probably leave and cut off contact with everyone she's close to. I don't want that to happen." Fred mutters and I feel him brush my hair out of my face.
"The fits are really bad. Today's fits were not as bad as the one she had after the dementors came onto the grounds at the Quidditch match but definitely leagues worse than her first year." Fred sighs and I can hear the sadness in his voice like he's trying not to cry. Groaning I roll over and try to sit up but I get light headed and my lazy streak kicks in. I flop back down. "Seren?" Fred whispers. "I forgot to take my medicine. That's what I forgot. I forgot to take my new medicine. It's in your bag." I groan slowly opening my eyes. I regret it instantly.
It's obvious from how red his eyes are that he's been crying. My eyes begin to water. "Don't look at me like that with those eyes." I whisper. "You forgot to take your medicine?" he chuckles. I nod. He tucks me in and kisses the top of my head before getting up. I watch him go and then turn to my parents. "Was that your future son-in-law I saw?" uncle Sirius smirks walking in. I roll my eyes. I try to sit up again and manage it. I spend two hours being scolded by my parents and lay back down tugging the covers over my head.
"Wow, poor Fred. She's got him running around like that and they're not even married." uncle Sirius chuckles. I turn to the door waiting for Fred to come back. "They're always like this. It's even worse at school." Elin sighs. "They get worse!" uncle Sirius laughs. "Of course. You should've seen them. Fred started randomly bragging that Seren agreed to marry him and she took it back right then and there. They spent the entire day pouting. Like, they couldn't stand to be away from each other but they were still upset with each other." she laughs.
This leads my siblings to start telling them stories of me and Fred at school. "He makes her sleep in his bed?!" mum gasps. "Well, not all the time. Sometimes she just goes up there on her own and other times her friends have to drag her out of their dorm and to Fred. And on the weekends, they all stay in that dorm. All of the seventh years. We barely see them on the weekends. They just stay in the dorm talking." Cayden scoffs. The door opens and Fred walks in.
I bolt right up and he smiles. "Mum made you some soup." he hurries over with the food and medicine. I reach for the soup and he holds it out of reach. "Medicine first. Half the dose." he frowns. Grumbling, I take the medicine. Once I've eaten, I slide back down and curl up. "How much longer do I have to be here?" I pout. "Until they release you." Fred rolls his eyes. I groan and yank the covers over my head. He slides onto my bed and wraps his arms around me and I put my head on his chest.
"My apologies. I should've told you sooner. Sirius, you're no longer her favorite person in the world. My apologies Mr. And Mrs. Potter. She shares more of her secrets with me than she does with you. Harry I'm sorry. She could sense every time you were in danger but I wouldn't let her go. Remus, I'm sorry. I didn't tell you the truth then. She didn't want her parents to worry about her because they were so worried about Harry." Fred confesses.
I groan quietly and hide my face in his sweater. "She's been putting so much effort into hiding this from you guys. Then she gets nightmares on top of that and can't sleep properly without music playing. She's such a problem child." Fred chuckles patting my back. I pinch his side and he laughs. "Ok, ok. I'll be quiet." he whispers.
I wake in my bed and find Fred sitting next to my bed frowning. "Seren, love, where did your things go? Your mother says she can't find any of your old things." he murmurs brushing my hair out of my face. "I'm making a gift for Elin." I yawn and sit up. Fred leans closer and kisses my cheek. "Come on. Go get ready. Everyone's at Grimmauld Place. We're having a celebratory dinner." he pulls me out of bed and onto his lap. I put my hands on his shoulders and lean back onto my bed trying to go back to sleep but Fred has other plans.
We fall back onto my bed panting heavily. "Weren't we supposed to be doing something?" I gasp as he kisses my neck. "I don't know. I forgot." he murmurs skimming his fingers up and down my leg. He kisses me softly as I run my fingers through his hair. "I love you, Freddie." I whisper. He hums and kisses me again. "I love you too." he smiles. I gasp as stiffens inside of me. "Round 20 and then we'll go." he smirks.
My first stop when we get to Grimmauld Place is to hug Mrs. Weasley. "You gave everyone quite the scare the other day. I'm glad to see you've recovered." she smiles. "I'm sorry I worried everyone." I blush in embarrassment. "Isn't that Fred's?" Ginny smirks. I look down at my sweater dress which is really just one of Fred's old sweaters. I shrug. "I'm his girlfriend. I'm just identifying myself." I smirk in reply. Her eyes widen and she turns to Elin. "I told you. You should've seen them cuddled up on her hospital bed the other day." Elin rolls her eyes.
"You're old enough to have a boyfriend. You should try it with him and stop commenting on my relationship." I mutter. Fred shoots me a look but he's laughing. "What took you two so long? You left hours ago." Mr. Weasley wonders. "She wouldn't wake up." Fred scoffs and I smack his arm. "Why didn't you lure her out with food like you normally do?" Harry smirks. I chase him around the kitchen until Fred scoops me up. He carries me over to the counter where his mum is prepping the food.
She hands me a large bag of potatoes and a knife. I begin chopping and we make light conversation while we work. "Oh, I forgot to thank you for the soup you sent the other day." I gasp. "What soup?" she asks with a smile. "The soup you had Fred bring to me in the hospital. The squash and sweet potato soup you normally make for me." I tilt my head. She frowns in confusion then her focus slides past me to the doorway. "Oh, that soup! I've been so busy I forgot. I'm glad you liked it dear." she smiles.
I frown and go to turn around but she uncovers the stuffed roast turkey. My mouth begins to water at the sight. "Seren. The potatoes. Can you chop some parsnips too?" she asks. I nod and return to my task. Elin and Ginny come in to set the table and I put my head on Mrs. Weasley's shoulder. "Is my son bothering you? It's probably the sweater. I could make you your own." she offers.
"About that." I pull her into another room away from the eavesdroppers and do the proper charms to keep them from listening. "After graduation I'm going to a treatment facility." I confess. She stares at me blankly. "It's in the Terrestrial North Pole." I continue. "Does Fred know?" she asks sitting down. I shake my head. "He's made it perfectly clear that he'd follow me but it isn't allowed. So, I lied and told him I hadn't made up mind as to when I was leaving. I'll be back in about three years. I... I... it's very experimental treatment with a 95% chance I might not make it back, alive." I play with my hands unable to look at her.
Suddenly she's hugging me. "You have so many people here who love and care for you. Of course, you'll make it back alive." she wipes away the tears I didn't know had fallen. "Thank you." I whisper. She smiles. "Can you make sure Fred doesn't get too sad. I already know he's going to drop out soon but... he... he's talking about marriage." I laugh. Her smile widens. "Seren, I've known you two were inseparably in love with each other since your third year. If you two weren't thinking about marriage at this point, I'd start dropping hints." she teases. I laugh and she pinches my cheek. "I'll make you some Fred sweaters to keep you warm but you have to keep in touch. At least two letters a month." she insists.
We go back to the others smiling and laughing. Fred pulls me into a chair next to him and George rolls his eyes. "I told you, you could've invited Angelina." Mrs. Weasley snaps making George blush. "They're fighting right now. He hid her favorite Quidditch book somewhere in the school because 'she wasn't paying him enough attention' while he was talking and playing games with Lee." Fred smirks. I put a hand on Fred's knee and he nods apologetically at George who has gone that lovely infamous Weasley red.
I'm cleaning up my room when there's a knock at the door. I hop up and go to open my door. Fred is standing on the other side. He walks in and closes the door behind him. "I was bored and George went to Angelina's." he whispers. We can hear my family outside in the garden playing with sparklers. "So?" I whisper. He takes a step towards me and I take a step back. "Do you remember what I said? Keep your hands and other parts of your body to yourself mister." I remind him. He continues until I'm sitting on my desk.
"I read about this American New Year's tradition. I want to try it." he murmurs looking at my clock. I try to escape and he places his hands on either side of me leaning closer. He smirks and kisses me softly. When I lean back to break the kiss, he wraps an arm around me pulling me back to him. "Oh, this won't do." he frowns. He wraps my legs around his waist and picks me up carrying me to my bed. We lie there just kissing and cuddling each other until we fall asleep.