With Love…
Chapter 1: Remembering…
I sit here, in my dying days, at the age of 95. Yes, a long and wonderful life I have had…a very long life. It is when I am in my last day of life that I find a dust covered mouse-chewed, cover-drained-of-color scrapbook from when I was young. I almost laugh as I sit in my comfy chair and open the cover to a picture of myself and four boys when we were no more than twelve. I run my fingers gently over the moving picture. The miniature me was smiling and laughing as two of the boys with flaming red hair held me down on the Gryffindor Common room couch and the two others tickled me mercilessly, laughing just as hard as I was.
The two with red hair were none other than Gred and Forge Weasley…or Fred and George if you prefer. Their hair was just as bright and laughable as their smiles that seemed to be constantly plastered on their faces. If I was correct in my thinking, then they were still known as the biggest pranksters Hogwarts has ever seen.
Next was the Quidditch-obsessed, brilliant Scotsman Oliver Elijh Wood. Every girl, except those in Slytherin, wanted him to be theirs. Everything from his sexy accent to his brilliant mind screamed sexy, but he loved Quidditch so much that he never married until he was, I believe 28.
Finally comes the one that made me laugh the longest and, unfortunately, cry the longest. He was the best friend I had ever had, and the worst enemy I could ever imagine. Duke Weston was the boy's name. Between him and Oliver, I don't know which one was the most wanted boy in school. Duke had the short, brown hair and dark brown eyes just like Oliver, but Oliver had the Scottish accent and Duke was Australian. They could have been twins like the Weasley's. The only thing personality wise that was different was Duke not being as much of a Quidditch lover; he loved it, but it wasn't his life. Duke and I were like Water and Fire most of the time, but the moments in my life that counted for something, the times that I have looked back on for many years, we couldn't have melded together more perfectly. He was an arrogant arsehole most of the time, but when I needed him he always lived up and past the expectations. We were best friends and I could never have loved him more than I did.
"I wonder…" My croaky old voice whispers. Time is short now; I want to remember everything while I can. I turn the page to another picture of myself, only this time with three other girls when we were only eleven. Again, we were giggling and smiling so much it hurt my cheekbones just watching the tiny frame.
The girl on my left was Angelina Johnson. Her dark brown hair, dark complexion and dark eyes were in no comparison to her bright mood and her bubbly attitude. She was voted the Most-Likely-To-Brighten-Up-Your-Day in seventh year and I couldn't think of anyone more deserving.
Behind me was Katie Bell, idolized by all girls and wanted by most boys. She was funny, beautiful and had the biggest head you could imagine. Although she was often bossy, arrogant and stupid, she was always a great friend.
To complete the photo, was Alicia Spinnet. She was the first girl to ever befriend me and was the only one who could tell me when I was being stupid and ignorant without getting the shit knocked out of her. I often looked up to her for everything that she was. I loved her light-hearted Latino nature and her turn-on turn-off tomboyish personality. Although she was a tomboy most the time, I loved how amazingly girly she could be.
I turn the page again, my skin just as wrinkly as the yellowing pages. This time, I really did laugh out loud as I saw a picture of the Twins and I at the burrow. The little twelve-year-old us were playing 'smashing tables' with Fred and George's older brothers, Bill and Charlie while Percy yelled to his mom to make us stop. Percy, poor lad was way to uptight, I still have no idea how the twins and him are in any way related.
Tears come to my eyes as I remember Bill and Charlie. I remember when Bill and Fleur married. I didn't like the Veela much, she was way to full of herself but when Bill was attacked during the raid on the castle two years after I graduated, she never left him, not for a second. Charlie was always like a brother to me. He was over-protective and annoying, but he loved me like he loved his own sister. They both died side-by-side during the Final Battle when a Death Eater hexed Charlie; Bill defended him, and lost his own life. When Charlie recovered, he killed that Death Eater and two others before being killed by an Avada Kadavra from behind. Merlin bless their souls.
I remember my first few years at Hogwarts, nothing exciting really, just a thousand or so pranks, I dated a lot of boys and Oliver being knocked off his broom in a Quidditch game. I guess nothing really started happening until fifth year, O.W.L. year, hell year as Alicia referred to it. Yes, fifth year is where I'll start, a good year to start with…