...Summer...
Avoiding Fred is hard. I swear it's like he's getting help. I run smack into him as I try to make my way to the library. "You lied to me Seren." he frowns. I take a deep breath trying to calm down. "You lied to me. You said you had a date so I asked Angelina to go with me. Then I overhear from Ginny, Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender that you're not going. What's going on?" he pulls me to him. I look away. "Nothing. I just didn't want to go to the stupid ball." I pout.
Fred lifts my chin turning me back to him. "Seren..." he frowns. "I don't want to go. Don't make me go." I whine tugging on his sleeve. He looks up at the ceiling refusing to meet my eyes. I put my hands on his shoulders and kiss up his neck, along his jaw, until I reach his lips. "I can't go to the ball." I whisper. Fred looks at me after another minute. Cupping my face, he kisses me urgently. I'm caught off guard and nearly stumble backwards but he tightens his hold pressing me to him.
My fingers wind through his hair pulling him closer. "You still won't go?" Fred pouts. "I still won't go." I smirk. He groans and I kiss him softly to get him to stop pouting. He lifts me into his arms and carries me to a nearby bench. "Can I at least visit you at home over the summer?" he whispers between kisses. "Why? We aren't dating. Why would you do that?" I smirk.
The day of the ball I spend the morning helping the girls out with their hair situations and make-up. Even Ginny comes in for help. Once everyone has left, I open the window letting in the cool night air. I release the pent-up magic bit by bit. Because of the incident at the Cup, it's not as bad as previous years. When I'm done, I change into Fred's newest Weasley sweater and a pair of shorts. I climb into bed and curl up with one of Fred's shirts covering my pillow.
Angelina and Alicia drag me to the second task. I groan as they lead me over to Fred. "Isn't that your sweater?" George smirks. Fred pulls me in front of him and rests his head on my shoulder. "You're heavy." I pout. "And you don't care because you love me." he whispers kissing my cheek. "Do I have to watch?" I murmur. "I think they're swimming today." Fred chuckles.
I play with his hands as we wait. "What are you getting me for my birthday?" Fred wonders. "You have a birthday?" I ask slightly distracted by Fleur's sudden appearance. He kisses my neck bringing my attention back to him. "My birthday... what are you getting me?" he mumbles. "Nothing." I reply patting his head. "Excuse me!" George chokes. "Not my fault you two were born on the joking day. I don't know if it's a lie or the truth." I tease.
Fred stops holding me and goes to stand by George. "So cute!" I murmur as I turn back to the task. Alicia nudges me and we laugh. "What? What'd she say?" they ask. I smile and lean on Alicia. We burst out laughing again and Angelina. I turn to Fred and hold out my arms. He shakes his head and looks away. "Do you want a birthday present or not?" I huff. Frowning he starts to walk over but I swerve at the last second and hug George.
Fred growls and George pats my head. "Behave Seren." George smirks ruffling my hair. "That's rich coming from you." I pout. Fred spins me around into his arms and I stay there hiding in his chest. "So, what's my gift?" he whispers. I pinch his side and turn back to the task. Cedric and Viktor have finally come up but I don't see any sign from below. I bite my lip in worry and Fred rubs my shoulders. "He'll be up soon." he whispers reassuringly but I only nod distractedly. It's another ten minutes before Harry reappears with Ron and a young girl.
I nearly drop to the ground in relief. "Are you ok?" Fred asks. "I've never seen Percy act so much like a human being before." I pretend to sniffle. George and Lee burst into fits of laughter. Fred turns me to him. "Now that Harry's ok can you tell me what my gift is?" he pouts. I turn to George. "If I find out you let my brothers bet not only, do you two not get your gifts, but I will personally kick your asses and tell your mother. Have a nice day!" I curtsey and go down to check on Harry.
Harry runs over when sees me. "You little trouble maker." I sniffle hugging him. "I'm ok. I promise." Harry chuckles. I spot something strange. "Hermione you have a bug on you." I point out. She jumps and Viktor swats the bug away. It buzzes around angrily and tries to land on Harry. I flick it off of him and it goes flying and skimming across the lake. I hear the trees rustle in the distance and see some birds take flight.
Harry frowns at me. "Skeeter is just like uncle Sirius. You should be more careful. Who knows what she overheard." I ruffle his hair. Harry frowns and I pinch his cheek. "Adorable brat. Talk it over with Ron and Mione later. You'll hurt your brain trying to solve it yourself." I scoff. Harry doesn't get a chance to reply because Fred pulls me up to the castle.
I pout as he guides me up to the common room. He stops at the foot of the girls' dorm stairs. "Bring me your charms book." he whispers. I lower my eyes. "I don't think I should." I murmur. "Damnit Seren go get the book." Fred groans. I fidget and shake my head. He begins counting and I run up the stairs. I shrink my books and hide them in Ginny's trunk then take a little nap in Alicia's bed.
At dinner I avoid Fred's eyes. It's only when he begins tapping the table do I meet his gaze. "Later." I mouth. He frowns and jerks a thumb towards the doors. I shake my head and he taps the table more urgently. Groaning I get to my feet and walk out. Fred joins me and nods up the stairs. It isn't until we're back in the common room that he speaks. "You know I really ought to just tell your parents what's been going on. I saw you back then in our first year coughing up blood but I pretended not to know anything. You need to tell them. I hate having to sit here watching you die knowing you could get help and you refuse to!" Fred yells.
I flinch and look at the floor. "Books. Now Seren!" he orders. I walk slowly up the stairs and retrieve the books. Fred flips through them quickly and I try to go back up to my dorm. "Get. Back. Here. Right. Now!" he growls. Wincing I slide into his line of sight. "You'll stay in my bed for the rest of term. I talked to the guys and they're fine with it." Fred mumbles. "I'm not!" I scoff. "I don't care. If you won't tell your parents how sick you really are I'll just keep you with me 24/7." Fred sighs.
"I don't want to tell my parents. Ever." I pout sitting on the floor. "I wasn't ever planning on letting your parents keep you forever." Fred mutters. I glance at him. "You don't get me Fred. You'll never have me." I huff. "I'm not going to let you let yourself die.", he smacks the top of my head, "Go get changed for bed. I'll have Angelina drag your ass down here if you try to hide." I stomp up the stairs.
I'm sitting on my bed pouting when my roommates walk in. "Fred said to hurry up or I'm to... drag you down there." Angelina smiles. I change leaving my things wherever and walk out of the dorm. I go to Ginny's dorm. "That's Fred's!" she gasps. "I've had this for a few years now." I smile tugging on the old shirt and sitting on her bed. "Are you hiding from my brother?" she smirks. "Are you the most talented Weasley?" I ask. She nods and brushes her hair. I hide there talking to her until Angelina escorts me down to the common room.
Fred holds out a hand but I go sit by the window and open it letting the night air hit my face. He sighs and sits next to me. "Time for you to get some sleep." he closes the window and throws me over his shoulder. I whine and hit his back but he just carries me up to his dorm. I wave as we pass Ron and Harry. Fred drops me onto his bed and frowns at me. I ignore him and curl up under the covers. He climbs in next to me and wraps his arms around me. "Be honest, you just wanted to sleep with me." I scoff.
"Your happiness and health are all that matter to me right now." he whispers. I roll over to face him and hide in his chest. "If you'd asked sooner, I would've let you stay with me." he mutters. I tug the covers higher. He kisses the top of my head. I look up at him. "Yes?" he whispers. "I'm not tired yet. Can you tell me a story?" I ask. He smiles and readjusts our positions so my head is on his chest and he's lying flat on his back. I listen quietly running my fingers across his chest. Every now and then he kisses my cheek. I listen until I can no longer keep my eyes open.
I wake up to him kissing me softly. "Time to wake up." he whispers stroking my hair. I groan and roll over hiding under the covers. "Seren, please wake up." Fred rubs my arm. He sits me up and I rub my eyes a small pout on my face. "Sleepy Seren is better than Irritated Seren." George chuckles. I slid onto Fred's lap and push him back down yanking the covers over my head. "Could you two brings us some food? I don't think she's getting up any time soon." Fred laughs. They leave the room laughing. I begin to squirm.
"What's wrong?" Fred wonders. "Don't you have any thinner material shirts? I'm overheating." I whine rolling his sweater off of me. He watches me in shock. He yanks a thin long sleeve turtleneck over my head. I get to my feet and tug it over my pants. It fits like a dress. "I forgot you're so damn short!" Fred laughs. I start for the door and he pulls me back. "A little nap and I'll let you go." he yawns. I snuggle up to him and fall asleep.
The smell of sandwiches wakes me up and I find Fred smiling at me. I roll over. "You're so sleepy. How are you top of our year?" he sighs rubbing my back. "Because you and George don't study and Lee follows your example." I mutter. He leans over kissing my shoulder. "You need to eat." he mumbles. I don't move. I feel him pushing my sleeves up. "They're returning. Are you feeling sick?" he wonders. I roll over and hide in his chest.
I'm in the library early studying when George and Lee sit across from me. "Babysitting?" I mutter. They nod sleepily. "We're studying up potions for some of their products." Lee yawns. Nodding I grab another book from my pile "Try this one." George takes it and begins to flip through his eyes growing wider with each page. He begins taking notes and I hand Lee a book on Broadcasters. He smiles gratefully and starts reading. This is how Fred finds us. He kisses my cheek as he sits down.
"Are you two finally back together?" George scoffs. Fred nods happily. After their birthday, in which I had gifted them a book of prank ideas that I'd heard from my dad and uncles, Fred had pulled me to the side after transfigurations and asked me. I drop my head letting my hair hide my blushing cheeks. Fred smiles and rubs my back. I shrug him off and put my head on the table. "Stop making Seren so flustered. She'll burn a hole through the table." Lee scoffs.
Fred whines and puts his head down too. "Seren, you're getting me in trouble." he whines. Without looking I slap his arm. George snorts and Lee falls out of his chair. I ignore them and close my eyes. One of them pokes me and I hear the sound of the poker being hit. "Come here. How long have you been studying?" Fred whispers pulling me onto his lap. "4 in the morning." I yawn putting my head on his shoulder. "I'll wake you in two hours." Fred murmurs closing my books. I fall asleep instantly.
Fred wakes me right on time. "Hungry?" he wonders getting to his feet. "Not eating." I mutter. He frowns and picks me up. "Please?! Just a little bit and you can come right back." he pleads. I nod and clean up my things. With a smile he leads me from the library. I eat whatever he puts on my plate and then put my head on the table. "What are you doing?!" Alicia laughs. I look up with a cookie in my mouth. Our friends burst out laughing.
I walk out of my last exam and collapse on the floor. I roll around completely exhausted. "Alicia, can you go get Fred? I'll stay with Seren." Angelina asks. Alicia nods and hurries down the hall. I understand their worry. I normally have an incident during exams or after. I was coughing last night too, though nothing came out. Fred appears a few minutes later. He nods and I shake my head. "Seren get off the floor." he chuckles. I slowly sit up. "It was comfy." I pout.
Angelina scoffs and gets up. "She's your problem now Fred." she smirks and walks away. I hold out my hands and Fred picks me up and carries me to a nearby bench. I wrap my arms around him and kiss his cheek. "Yes?" he smiles. I don't say anything and keep quiet. "Do you not want to go to the final task?" Fred sighs. I nod. "I'm scared." I whisper. He sighs and kisses the top of my head. "You have to go. Harry needs as much support as he can get." Fred reminds me. "He has a fair point Seren." uncle Sirius laughs. I jump and stand up.
Uncle Sirius, uncle Lupin, and dad are standing there watching us. I grab Fred's hand. "Come on, it's not safe here with the three pranksters." I pull Fred down the hall uncle Sirius smirking as we go. "I'm a prankster too." Fred pouts. "You're a novice baby compared to them. They'll eat you up in less than a second." I ruffle his hair. "Wow, a little faith in me wouldn't hurt you any." he scoffs backing me towards a wall and placing his hands on the wall blocking my exit. Standing on tiptoe I kiss his cheek. He stops pouting instantly. "An actual kiss please." he whispers. I wrap my arms around him and kiss him.
"I love having you in my arms." Fred smiles. I'm still winded from the kiss. "If these incidents don't kill me your kiss will." I huff. "Does anyone at home know about the incidents yet?" he frowns. "Our house elf, Zo. She knows. I swore her to secrecy. She knows I've been lying to my family since I was seven." I confess. "Can't you just tell them? Please?! Tell them the medicine isn't and hasn't worked for a while now. Please?!" he begs. "I can't. If you bring this up again, we're done." I promise before dipping under his arms and storming off.
I refuse to meet Fred's eyes as he walks in. He stops behind me and taps my shoulder. "There's someone who wants to talk to you." he whispers kissing my cheek. "Don't want to." I mutter. In a flash I'm over his shoulder as he carries me outside. Everyone in the common room laughs. I'm fully upset by the time he puts me down. "Just talk." he whispers. I shake my head. He leads me inside the room where the champions are meeting with their families. My family looks up when we enter.
To my horror the Weasley's are there too. Mrs. Weasley's attention goes straight to our joined hands. I try to get him to let my hand go but he's stubborn. "I brought Seren to talk." he smiles. "Goody, sit over here." mum pats the seat next to her. I ignore her and sit by uncle Remus. Uncle Sirius and uncle Remus keep glancing at me and Fred. It becomes irritating and I frown at them the next time they do. "How'd you do on your exams?" Harry asks. "I didn't pass out this time." I smile quite proud of myself. Harry high fives me making my smile widen even though the others are frowning.
We stay for a bit before dinner. Fred nods and I get up and follow. "Wow!" dad and uncle Sirius gasp. "What? Seren normally gets hungry when she's acting like this. She eats a lot." Fred laughs. My family shares a confused look. "Do you not eat at home?" Fred frowns. I nod and look away. "You little brat. You told me you were fine at home. Come on. Before you start biting people again." Fred pushes me in the direction of the Great Hall.
I eat with a smile ignoring my parents shocked expression. "Are you two dating again?" Bill asks. Dad spits out his drink in shock. "They got back together the day after our birthday." George smirks. "Why the day after?" Cadel wonders. "She thinks because they were born on April Fool's Day their birthday is a joke." Harry laughs. "It's a joking day and they're pranksters! It's too perfect!" I scoff. Everyone cracks a smile. Fred puts more food on my plate when I start stealing his.
When everyone gets up to watch the final task I hesitate. Fred holds out a hand and I take it. I don't hesitate to put my head on his shoulder as we walk. He wraps his arm around my waist and kisses the top of my head. "I don't want to watch." I whisper. "You don't have to." Fred replies. "Really?" I stop walking. Fred nods and smiles. "Your mum has been side eyeing me for the longest and don't get me started on your dad." Fred laughs. "Ah, didn't you notice. I'm wearing your sweater." I smile and hurry after Alicia and Angelina.
Fred keeps tapping my shoulder. I turn to him with a pout. "That's my new one." he mouths. I shrug and turn back to Alicia. Fred puts his head on my shoulder and I run my fingers through his hair. When the task begins Fred scoots closer and puts an arm around me. When Fleur comes back after she was attacked, I begin to shake.
Fred sits up and I slide onto his lap. "Fucking telepathic couple." Lee scoffs. George nudges him as Alicia and Angelina smack the back of his head. I frown at the maze below. "There's more than one attacker." I murmur. My parents turn to look at me but I stay focused on the maze. "One in the maze confunded. One attacker outside the maze conducting." I mutter. "Seren, are you sure?" dad asks. I nod.
Minutes later Viktor reappears. "The confunded is now out. The orchestrator remains. Harry's in trouble." I mumble. Dad and uncle Sirius get to their feet and make their way down to where Dumbledore is. I turn around and hide in the crook of Fred's neck. "I don't feel good." I whisper. "What?" he whispers. "Something terrible is happening. Harry is in danger." I shiver as memories of the night Voldemort attacked my family resurface.
"I think she might just be right." uncle Remus murmurs in agreement. Fred rubs my arms. My shivering has yet to cease. Fred takes off his jacket and wraps it around me. "He's hurting Harry." I mumble. "Fred, put her on your back and follow me. You too Arthur." uncle Remus orders. I groan as Fred puts me on his back. "What's wrong Remus?" dad asks. "Wormtail. Wormtail's there. They're hurting Harry. Death Eaters. My head hurts. Make it stop." I wince. Dad stares at me in shock.
Uncle Remus hurries over to Dumbledore and begins whispering. My teeth begin to chatter. Dumbledore comes over and looks at me. "He used Harry's blood to bring back Voldemort. Harry is in danger." I wince. "Keep her here for now. How long has she been saying this?" Dumbledore asks. Dad and uncle Remus fill Dumbledore in. "He's at his father's grave. Little Hangleton. Several Death Eaters there. He's making Harry fight him." I whisper.
The men fall silent. "He needs help. He can't do it on his own. A sign or some show of support. Harry needs a little hope." I let my head fall back. Trying to keep a constant eye on Harry when he's so far away is taxing. "Put me down." I whisper. Fred hurriedly puts me down. I shrug his jacket off and take the sweater off. I don't want to burn them. "Back up." I order. They do. I point my hands in Harry's direction. The bright cobalt blue light shoots out like speeding bullet. It races across the night sky.
"Interesting. I remember seeing light like that quite a few times since you started school Ms. Potter. The last time being the night of the Yule Ball." Dumbledore stares at me. "I thought everyone would be too distracted by the holiday and the ball to notice. Never used it to send a message before tonight." I shrug. Fred sits down in shock and touches my arm. "They're fading." he scoffs. Dad drops down to examine my arm. "It's like a water storage tank. It fills up and when I can't deplete the stores it gets iffy. It's better to deplete it once or twice a year." I explain.
Harry returns a few minutes later with Cedric's dead body. Instantly chaos erupts. People are screaming and crying. I look around realizing Harry is gone. Then I see him. Professor Moody has taken him but something's wrong. His face looks like it's boiling. I get to my feet and run to dad who's talking to Snape and Dumbledore. "He took Harry. He took Harry!" I tug dad's sleeve. "What?!" dad looks around. I point to the path up to the school. "Professor Moody took Harry. It looks like his face is boiling." I direct the last part at Snape. They take off uncle Sirius and uncle Remus hot on their heels.
I sway dangerously and Fred scoops me up. "That's enough for one night. You need rest. Your dad told me to get you to the Hospital Wing. Come on. Can you walk?" Fred whispers. "Barely. I don't feel well." I murmur staring up at the sky. Fred walks up to the Hospital Wing with me in his arms. "Dumbledore told me you'd be up here soon." Madam Pomfrey tuts as we enter. Fred lays me on the bed she's already prepared for me. She examines my arms and when she deems them fine, I wriggle back into Fred's sweater.
She whips up something to stop my shivering and calm my stomach. I down it quickly and drink some water. "You should've been up here sooner." Madam Pomfrey frowns. Fred strokes my hair and sighs. "Are you going to make me sleep in your bed next year too?" I mouth. "Are you in a joking state?" Fred frowns. I pout and roll onto my side. I pinch his cheek and smile. "You can't keep me, Freddie." I whisper. "But I will." he kisses my cheek as I fall asleep.
I wake to Fred peppering my face with kisses. I roll over and hide under my pillow. "Please. You need to eat." Fred whispers. I sit up and look around my room. I hold out my arms and he scoops me up. He sits on my bed and rubs my back. "It's been a while since I've been in here." he chuckles. "I was cleaning late into the night. Did your family settle in well?" I murmur. "Of course, mum's having a blast cleaning. Your uncle said he's bringing his girlfriend to lunch today." Fred sighs. I sit up quickly now wide awake. "Aren't you showing me to the little garden you like?" he frowns. I nod and slide off his lap.
"Where are you going?" Fred whines. "To get dressed. Wait right here." I mumble. He flops back onto my bed and rolls around. "Don't take too long. I'll get bored." he groans. Rolling my eyes, I go to my bathroom and take a shower. I'm combing my hair when he walks in. "Out! Now!" I order. "I got bored. You smell nice." he murmurs kissing my neck. I sigh and turn to him. I put my hands on his shoulders. He puts his hands on my waist and leans in. "I love you." he whispers. "I love you too." I smile and kiss him.
We lie on my bed in each other's arms. "I was supposed to be getting dressed." I whine. "I love you too." Fred smiles kissing my cheek. I roll onto my side and pout at him. "I'll behave. I promise. You just looked so pretty." he kisses me softly. His hand runs up and down my naked frame. "We'll have to visit the garden after lunch." I huff. He smiles and sits up to get dressed. I sit up and watch him. I crawl over and wrap my arms around him. "Are you really not staying the entire year? Can I just sleep in my own dorm if you're not staying?" I pout.
"You'll stay with me until I leave." he frowns. I kiss his cheek before getting dressed. He waves his wand at the mess we made cleaning it up. I still have another week before I come of age. "Come here." I hold out my arms. Fred walks over and picks me up. "Are you jealous?" he smirks. "No, I was wondering if you could shrink some things for me, please?" I ask in the most innocent voice I can manage. He laughs and puts me down. Whatever I point at he shrinks. We go out to the garden for lunch. Dad is already there with Harry and Ron talking Quidditch.
Uncle Sirius girlfriend is so nice and sweet. I frown at him. "What?" he huffs. "How'd you manage to get someone like her when you're you?" I ask. Uncle Sirius chokes on his drink and storms off to find dad. I grab Fred's hand and we begin walking. It doesn't take long to reach my mini paradise. I sit down and breathe the fresh air. "It's very nice here." Fred whispers sitting down. I put my head in his lap and fully relax. We stay there enjoying the sunshine until dinner.
"Why don't your parents like me?" Fred asks as we walk back to the house. "Because I've shared more about me and my life with you than I have with them. They're a bit jealous and hurt. If we were in a normal situation like others they might not be as hurt but because of the situation we're in they're hurt even more. I don't want to hurt them but I would rather they stop worrying about me." I sigh. We finish our walk in silence. George is outside smirking when we make it back. Fred smiles and we hurry over.
"Enjoying a romantic walk?" he teases. "Still upset she rejected your offer?" Fred smirks back. George feigns shock and hurt. I tut and turn to go inside. "You got a letter in the mail." George chuckles. I gasp and hurry inside. I find my family peering at it. I snatch it up. "What was that?" Dad asks. "None of your concern." I huff reading the letter. I scribble a quick reply and send it back. "Does Fred know?" Harry asks. "Probably not." Cayden frowns. "You know she doesn't tell him everything." Alvey sighs.
"Really! Why not? He even made her sleep in his bed. I thought it was because he knew something was wrong." Elin frowns. Mum drops the pot she's holding and dad falls out of his seat. "Did you hear back yet?" Fred asks as he walks in. I tilt my head in confusion. He nods at the letter in my hand. "Oh this, I failed. Oh well. It doesn't really matter all that much. I understand their decision. I've never physically taken any classes in the subject. I'm still waiting on several other companies." I shrug. He nods and kisses my cheek.
"He knew?" Cayden gasps. "Of course, I knew. I watched her fill out the job application form." Fred ruffles Cayden's hair. "I thought you and George were leaving?" I frown and push him into the living room. George is there waiting. I wave as George pulls him to the fireplace and they leave. I sigh and skip up to my room. I put all of my old books in one trunk and my new books in my school trunk. I spend the night cleaning and organizing.
It's a little past midnight when my parents walk in. Dad sits on my desk and mum sits in my desk chair. "What did Elin mean earlier when she said Fred's been making you sleep in his bed?" dad asks. I tilt my head in confusion and then slowly rack my brain. "I was a bit under the weather and he had me stay with him. He's worse than uncle Remus with his hovering." I scoff. "Under the weather?" mum asks. I keep packing for school. "Seren, answer your mother." dad orders.
"There was an incident, well more than one. Fred's known for years and when I show symptoms, he makes me stay with him so he can watch over me. Uncle Remus knows too and hired Fred to babysit me. That's all." I summarize. "Remus knows?!" dad chokes. "Yeah. Fred's been reporting to him since he was teaching at Hogwarts. Why?" I mumble looking for my potions ingredients. "He hasn't said anything." mum frowns.
"Because it wasn't anything serious that you needed to know about as Madam Pomfrey can attest." I shrug. "She knows too!" dad throws his hands in the air and begins to pace. "I just needed some calming medicine was all. Just like Harry. He gets the same medication and doesn't say a word. If you aren't going to throw a fit when he does it don't act like this when I do." I roll my eyes as I finish packing. I get to my feet and push them out of my room. "If you two don't mind I've been cleaning all night and it's time for me to go to sleep. Have a good night." I smile and close the door on their stunned faces.
I lock my trunks and put them under my bed before curling up under my covers. Fred wakes me in the morning. "Come here pretty girl." he sighs pulling me onto his lap. "I'm sleepy." I murmur kissing his neck. "My mother wants me bring you over." he sighs. I nod and get dressed. He leads me to the fireplace. We land onto the floor of Grimmauld Place. I cough and sit up with a pout. "Are you ok?" Fred murmurs. "I think I landed on someone." I look around. "Fred tell your girlfriend to get off of me!" George groans. I hop to my feet. Fred is too busy laughing. I dust off and go find Mrs. Weasley.
I find her in the drawing room making the other kids clean. She squeals and runs over to hug me. We go to the kitchen and I sit at the counter. I help her chop vegetables as she talks. "There you are!" Fred smiles walking in. "Go clean with the others." I order handing him a bottle of cleaner and a rag. I give him a gentle nudge out of the kitchen. I return to my seat and find Mrs. Weasley watching me. "What happens if you two break up again?" she frowns.
"It's likely. We both will be working by fall of next year but as proven by our history we never stay apart for long. I do believe that we'll probably officially be together before Ginny and Harry admit they like each other." I laugh. She sniffles. "Aww, don't cry. Fred and I have already talked about it. Besides, most of our break ups are because of me." I confess as I hug her. "Because of you?" she repeats. "I'm sick and I don't know how much longer I'll have with him. I want him to be able to move on quickly if something happens to me and I really do have to leave him permanently." I start to get teary eyed at the idea of having to leave Fred at a young age.
She rubs my back comfortingly. "Mrs. Weasley, you'll be there for him and help him if something really does happen to me, right?" I whisper. "Of course. I'll be there for you too." she wipes my fallen tears away. "I'm scared. I'm really scared." I cry. She holds me as I cry and wipes my tears away. "I saw the way Fred reacted to your every move in the final task. I don't think he'll let that happen." she promises. When I'm calm, she hands me a tissue. I thank her and she resumes cooking. "Have you told your family yet?" she wonders handing me a cup of tea. "No, I plan on telling them before I graduate though." I sigh. "Good girl." she smiles patting my head.
Lunch is fun and there's a lot of teasing. I sit between George and Ginny. Fred pouts and keeps kicking me. I cross my legs in my chair and continue listening to Ginny tell me about the Yule Ball. "I didn't even get to see Seren in her dress." Fred grumbles. "Yes, you did." George and I laugh at the same time. He looks up in confusion. "The picture is in our room." George scoffs. Fred bolts out of the room and the upstairs. I tut and turn back to Ginny. When Fred comes back down, he hugs me.
"It's a pretty photo." he whispers. "Thank you, now return to your seat." I reply. He frowns and returns to his seat. Not two minutes later George frowns. "Wrong one." he mouths. Fred frowns and Ginny glares at him. Fred tosses a piece of bread at me. I feel him kick my chair. He stares at me pouting. I turn to George but he's staring at the ceiling. "So, Angelina and Alicia are staying at my place for a few days for my birthday. Would you two like to come over too?" I ask Ginny and Hermione. George stops staring at the ceiling. I can feel him staring and pinch his side.
"Of course." they smile. After lunch I follow them to their room and close the door on Fred and George. I continue catching up with Ginny and Hermione until it gets late. I hug them and Mrs. Weasley good bye and leave as I hear Fred and George descend the stairs. I emerge and hear my family eating in the dining room. I sneak up to my room closing my door gently behind me. I throw my clothes in my laundry basket and slip into one of my old band t shirts. Falling asleep is fairly easy and I don't even have to cut my radio on.
I examine the clothes in the store carefully. Alicia talked me into going shopping and I kind of wish I'd objected more. Elin, Ginny, and Hermione went off to look at skirts with mum. "Seren, you need clothes for work don't you. You can't wear Fred's clothes all the time." Angelina smirks. I start to object but I can't argue with her logic. I pout and examine some slacks. By the time I'm done I have a few pairs of slacks and some nice button up shirts. Alicia drags me over to the shoes. "No." I frown when Angelina hands me a pair of heels.
"Fine." she hands me a pair of flats instead. I put the heels with the flats and keep looking. "You are such a brat Seren." Alicia laughs. I put a pair of pumps and then keep looking. I have several pairs of shoes when I'm done and a new pair of sneakers. I stare happily at my haul. "Make up and jewelry time!" Alicia giggles dragging me over as Angelina pays. I stare at my bags in shock when we're done. "Oh, well. The damage is done. We have a week until school starts and then dad can't yell at me." I whisper to myself.
"But Fred can." Angelina smirks. "Oh, by the way, the Weasley's are coming to dinner and George wants a word or two with you. Sorry Alicia, Lee couldn't make it as he's grounded for letting first and second years participate in the betting for the first and second task." I pout. They both blush and look away. I feel quite proud and skip over to the sweets shop. Dad watches in shock as we bring in our bags. The Weasley's arrive and Angelina, Alicia, and I dart up to my room. A few minutes later we hear knocking on the door.
"Seren, it's Fred. Come here. Your dad is pouting." he sighs. I get up and walk over to the door and open it a bit. He waves me out and I go making sure not to leave too much room for George to get in as he's right behind Fred. "Alicia's sad right now because Lee isn't responding to her letters. Can I take a rain check on this conversation?" I wonder. Fred opens his mouth to say something but at that moment we hear wailing from inside my room.
George groans and storms off. I wave at Fred but he doesn't move. I kiss his cheek and he smiles and hurries after George. We only come out for dinner and seat ourselves as far away from Fred and George as possible. Dinner is nice I suppose but not my favorite. I see Fred whisper something to George and they both smile. "I can't believe how much you kids have grown up." Mrs. Weasley sniffles. She and mum bring out the birthday cake and set it in front of me. "Make a wish." Mrs. Weasley smiles.
I close my eyes thinking hard. When I find my wish, I blow out the candle. Everyone smiles, claps, and cheers but Fred is frowning. I smile and cut everyone a slice. We go inside after a while and the adults go into the kitchen. "What was your wish?" Fred wonders. "If I tell you, it won't come true." I pout. He sits on the couch and pouts too. I kiss his cheek and wait for him to look at me. "I love you, Freddie." I whisper kissing him softly. I follow my friends to my room and we stay up making sure everything is packed for school. There's a knock on the door and Alicia hops up.
"Seren, Fred said he can't leave yet." she smirks. I throw a brush at my door. Alicia laughs and shakes her head. I get up and close the door. A hand slips under the door. "I'll give five seconds to remove that hand before I step on it." I smile. "Please?" Fred whines wiggling his fingers. I begin to count and when I reach five, I step on his hand. He pounds on the door with his free hand. "Seren, I need him in top condition. I can't have a broken Beater!" Angelina pouts. I sigh and stop stepping on his hand. Fred whines on the other side of the door dragging a finger up and down the door.
"I didn't not step on you that hard." I huff opening the door. He looks up at me with puppy dog eyes. I motion to my friends I'll be a moment and close the door behind me. Fred gets to his feet with a smile and opens his arms. I frown at him. He taps his lips and leans closer. I kiss him softly and he pulls me to him. "One more." he whispers kissing me again. "I think you're becoming a spoiled brat." I mutter. "I'm your spoiled brat." he laughs and pats my head before rejoining the others in the living room. I frown and kick the floor. He waves for me to go back inside. I hold out my arms.
With a smile he hurries back to me. "I feel bad for stepping on your hand." I whisper as he hugs me. "I know." he murmurs. "Have you changed your mind yet?" I wonder. "Seren." he mumbles his voice full of warning. "I can't stay in your dorm all year. What about every other night?" I ask. Fred leans back and I can tell by the look in his eyes that I should stop talking. I hide in his shirt and whine. "Oh, come on now. That's hardly fair. Look at me darling." he murmurs.
I look up and then hide again. "I just don't want to be too sad when you leave. You won't let me be that sad will you?" I whisper. "Of course not." he promises. I slowly emerge from my hiding place. "You're already packing, aren't you?" Fred sighs. I put a finger to his lips. "Shh." I smile. He rolls his eyes and kisses me once more before hurrying back to the others. I walk back into my room and continue packing. "Why are you changing your room?" Alicia wonders. "If I don't mum will. It's just easier this way." I sigh. We spend the night cleaning and organizing.
I lean against one of the pillars on the platform trying to stay awake. All the cleaning and reorganizing really took a lot out of me. I close my eyes and relax. I ignore the happy chatter of my family until I feel someone removing my hand from my luggage. I groan and open my eyes. "Lee, could you put Seren's things on the train for me please." Fred asks pulling to him. He passes Lee my things and pats my head. "Sleepy? Hungry?" he asks. "Sleepy." I mumble wrapping my arms around him.
"Aww, want to go take a nap?" he smiles. I nod and jump into his arms. "Wow you must really be tired to be this openly affectionate." Fred mumbles waving to our families and carrying me onto the train. "I love you, Freddie." I whisper as I drift off. I wake to Fred kissing my cheek. "There she is. Come on, time to go sleepyhead." he smirks. I follow him still half-asleep. I fall asleep again in the middle of Umbridge's speech out of complete and utter boredom.
Groaning I open my eyes. I'm in Fred's bed. I watch him sleep for a while then get up and go to my dorm. I make my way down to breakfast to get my schedule after I bathe and resort my things. Fred waves me over but I sit next to Elin. "Hello pretty girl." I smile hugging her. She smiles and that makes me feel better. She'd looked so worried when I came in that I used my favorite phrase to show that I'm truly ok. "I hid some things in your trunk. You're not to look at them until after we get home at the end of the year, understand?" I ask. She frowns but nods.
"Why though?" she wonders. "I just wanted to pass down some things to you once I graduate but I don't think I'll be able to if I hold onto them any longer, but if you don't want your gift..." she waves her hands cutting me off and that makes me smile. "No, no, no I want the gift. I want the gift." she insists. I kiss the top of her head then go sit by Alicia. "Your schedule Miss Potter. I already amended it." McGonagall frowns as she hands over my schedule. "Thank you, professor." I nod in thanks.