Hogwarts, October 1993

"Hey Fred," George calls out to his twin, raising his wand higher to illuminate the top of the stairwell. "You reckon the door's supposed to be open this time of night?"

"To the Astronomy Tower?" Fred raises a brow, joining his twin at the base of the stairs, and tilts his head back. "I doubt it. You don't think-"

"That there are Prefects up there abusing their past curfew duties?" George smirks and unfolds the Marauder's Map, holding his wand to the yellowed parchment carefully. His smirk fades as he traces the path to the tower, landing on the name there. "Alyna Wright. She's not a Prefect."

"Alyna… Name rings a bell actually. Isn't she a Hufflepuff?"

"Do I want to know how you know that?" George glances at him, folding the map away, and studies the open door with curiosity. "Why do you think she's up there?"

Fred lights his own wand, raising it over his head. "I dunno. Should we check, you think?"

The twins glance at each other and come to a silent agreement. Together, they climb the steps to the open door and still.

"Bloody hell," George whispers, eyes widening as he sees the silhouette standing on the ledge of the tower. "Fred is she-"

"You- you go get a professor, yeah? I'll try talk to her," Fred murmurs, stepping out of the doorway and into the night. He shivers, pulling his jumper tighter around himself. Colder out here than inside the bloody castle. Behind him, he hears George head down the steps, going back inside.

Taking a breath, he tightens his grip on his wand and swallows, "It's cold out here innit? How about we go inside?"

Tension tightens in her shoulders; he could see that even from where he was standing. A voice in his head warned him not to startle her. Not to do anything that may cause any sort of misstep. He didn't know if she answered if she had heard him at all with the wind so strong. It whips at her skirts, pulling, dragging her closer.

He opens his mouth to speak, call for her again when she speaks. Quiet as a mouse and soft as cotton. "I thought I was alone out here."

"You're not," he takes half a step forward. Stops. He forces himself to breathe. She looks so small up there, a bare silhouette in the dark, carving out a shape among the stars. "I'm here too. My name's- I'm Fred. Weasley. My brother's George? You've probably heard of us. Gryffindor beaters?"

"Alyna." She hasn't turned towards him yet, standing there on the ledge. There was a note of distance in her tone as if her mind were a thousand miles away. "I-I'm Alyna."

"Wicked name." Fred takes another step onto the tower. What year was she in? She couldn't be any older than him. "What're you doing out here Alyna? Not the best place for a midnight stroll."

"I can't go home for the holidays. They-they threw me out." Her voice cracks like branches in the forest. "I've got no home left."

"You can stay with me for the holidays. C'mon, this can't be the answer." Fred holds out a hand to her, keeping his voice soft. Soft enough that it doesn't even rattle the silence. "How about you come down from there and we'll talk about this inside. Me and George'll grab you something warm from the kitchens. The house-elves love us."

Alyna's breath hitches, the sound echoing. The tears are frozen on her cheeks, eyes focused on the distant horizon. Rise and fall. Rise and fall.

It's a waiting game and Fred can feel his heart hammering, pulse thundering under his skin. The breeze whispers past, singing it's siren song. Tempting and alluring. It lifts Alyna's hair, toeing her closer to that edge. If she hadn't been standing on the edge of the Astronomy Tower, he might've found the whole scene quite… magical.

"Alyna," he tries again, chancing another careful step closer. He feels the words ripple in the night air. Blimey, it was cold. "Please come down. Get up off the tower."

"I-"

Fred nearly misses her, the sound getting lost in the dark. Where was George? Fear buzzes in his ears and she looks back at him. Turns around without losing her footing.

Her eyes were bright blue. Miniature stars of their own.

He watches her; his hand held out. A lifeline thrown out into the raging sea. "There are people who care about you here. Things may not be perfect, but that's what it is. We're the ones who make it good, who make the laughs. We do. And it's wicked. Alyna, come down."

A new tear rolls down her cheek. She takes a step forward. Towards him and farther from the edge. There's a hairsbreadth of a smile on his lips as he steps closer, as she folds her fingers around his and steps down.

Thank Merlin. Fred tightens his hold on her hand and pulls her closer, He rubs her back and helps her out of the cold, back into the castle. Into the warmth. She shivers, tugging down her sleeves. The yellow of her tie looks sickly in the torchlight. "Much better than outside, yeah?"

"Yeah," her voice is small, barely touching the air as they stand together in the darkened hall. A few paintings on the walls have woken up by now, watching the couple with interest. A fifth-year Gryffindor and a third-year Hufflepuff. A strange sight to see.

The sound of running footsteps echoes in the muffled silence. Alyna startles, stepping away from Fred. George and Professor Lupin round the corner, both silent. The latter a portrait of worry, a picture that fades into relief as he sees them both standing in the darkened hall.

"Miss Wright, Mr. Weasley," Professor Lupin gives them both a warm smile. Open, understanding. "Quite the night you've both had. You must be freezing. Here." He offers Alyna his cloak, watching carefully as she slides it around her shoulders and nods. "Now I believe chocolate is quite well in order. Will you both wait in my office while I accompany Miss Wright to the hospital wing? There are some chocolate frogs in the drawer of my desk, straight from Honeydukes. You may help yourselves."

"Right away Professor," George wraps an arm around Fred's shoulders, steering him down the hall as Professor Lupin and Alyna head in the opposite direction. "You all right Freddy?"

Fred nods, glancing over his shoulder as they round the corner. His hands were trembling. He couldn't shake the terror he had felt, curling in his gut like some sort of snake, watching her stand up on that ledge. For a second there, it had been Ron there. George. "Just glad I could talk her down."

They make their way to Professor Lupin's office and while George searches for the chocolate, Fred studies the flickering ashes in the dying fireplace. "Do you think she would have done it, George, if we hadn't seen her?"

A heavy breath leaves George and he sets down the chocolate frog he was in the process of unwrapping. "I dunno. It's freaky man, I tell you. That people would think of doing that…"

"Yeah," Fred rubs his hands together, trying to warm up. To rid his mind of the images that dance behind his eyes. He could nearly see it, Alyna taking a step back instead of forward. A step back and an infinite fall. "Freaky."

"Ah, I see you've found the chocolate. Excellent." Professor Lupin steps into the office, oblivious to the conversation he'd interrupted. "Please, have a seat."

Once everyone settles, the twins in chairs facing the desk while Professor Lupin takes his seat behind it. He laces his hands together, leaning forward to study them both. "Now, do you boys understand what you've just done?"

Fred and George exchange a look, each shaking his head slowly.

"I didn't think so. Before you tell me, I don't care what you were both doing out and about well past curfew. What I do care about, is the fact that you both saved a young girl's life tonight. And for that, I would like to award you both two-hundred house points each. You were smart and acted to help, rather than leave Alyna to her own devices."

"But-" Fred starts and stops, changing his thought. "Professor, why?"

"Why am I awarding you house points, or why was Alyna on the Astronomy Tower?" Professor Lupin raises a brow at him. "Both are excellent questions, though I can only answer the first. The house points were given because you both decided to act. Many others, had they been in your shoes, would have hesitated too long, left her alone, or ignored the situation in its entirety. You both acted with bravery. Fred, going to speak with Alyna and doing so without scaring her, while George ran to alert a staff member. On the other matter," Professor Lupin gives them a half-smile, laying his hands flat on the desk. "Alyna's story is her own to share, if and when she is willing. She is in the care of Madame Pomfrey at the moment. You can visit in the morning if you'd like."

Picking up George's abandoned chocolate frog wrapper, Fred twists it between his fingers. He draws in a breath to calm his thoughts. "Thank you, Professor."

"No," Professor Lupin shakes his head. "Thank you. Now, before Professor McGonagall has my head for keeping you two here even further, especially under these circumstances, back to Gryffindor Tower both of you. I've asked Mr. Filch to accompany you back, he should be waiting in the hall."

"Right then, 'night Professor," George says, sneaking a second chocolate frog as Professor Lupin smiles. "Come on Fred."

Fred follows his brother's stead. He hadn't taken any chocolate, fully on edge. He can still see Alyna's slight form standing on that ledge in the middle of the night. Could still feel the panic and terror in his heart. "Alyna, please come down. Get up off the tower."

He nearly reaches the door when Professor Lupin speaks up, stopping him at the door. "Mr. Weasley," he says gently, gaze piercing and warm. "Should you want to discuss tonight's events with someone, my door is always open."

Fred offers his professor the barest of smiles as he tugs on the sleeves of his jumper again. "Thanks. Goodnight Professor."

Professor Lupin nods, moonlight reflecting in his eyes. "Goodnight Fred."

"Alyna, come down."

Hogwarts, Christmas Eve, 1993

"Let me get this one straight," George twirls his wand in his hands. "You wrote mum to tell her what happened, and mum decided to knit Alyna a jumper?"

Fred struggles with the roll of Spellotape, trying to wrap the present as best he can. The colorful paper he bought in Hogsmeade refuses to cooperate, dodging his attempts to tape it down. "Yeah. Who knows what goes through that woman's head half the time."

The flames in the hearth jump, the sound of crackling filling the air. George leans back, stretching out on the sofa to study his brother. "You don't… You don't think mum thinks you fancy her, do you?"

"What?" Fred's head snaps up, words running together as he rushes to get them out. "I don't fancy her. She's Ron's age first of all. Second, I barely know her. I just-"

"Saved her life in October. That's quite a connection there Freddy."

"Shut it," he narrows his eyes, feeling the heat flush in his cheeks. He scrambles, shoving the paper down and swears as the paper wriggles in his grip, but raises the gift triumphantly moments later. "Victory is mine."

George rolls his eyes good-naturedly, swinging to his feet, "It's no Quidditch win, but it's good enough. Head down to the kitchens?"

Grabbing a quill, Fred scrawls MERRY CHRISTMAS ALYNA in his neatest penmanship and nods, getting to his feet. "Think they'd let us snag some mince pies and cookies?"

"From the kitchens?" George grins, "Of course. The house-elves love us."

The twins make their way down to the kitchens, passing the gift along to the house-elves to put under the tree in the Hufflepuff common room. They load their arms with treats, spreading their treasure out on a low table back in Gryffindor Tower and call down Harry, Ron, Hermione, and anyone else staying at Hogwarts for the holidays to come join them.

By the next morning, snow coats everything in a sparkling blanket of white. The Great Hall is decorated with burs and wreaths, mistletoe, and trees taller than even Hagrid line the walls. Snowflakes fall from the enchanted ceiling, never finding a landing.

"Blimey," George wraps his fingers tighter around his mug of hot chocolate, nodding towards the doors. "She's actually wearing mum's jumper."

Fred follows his twin's line of sight, ignoring Harry and Ron's animated conversation down the table, and warmth spreads through him. The jumper is a little large, the sleeves pushed up over her hands, but she's wearing it.

She's alone as she walks over to the Hufflepuff table and takes a seat, the table nearly empty of students. Not many stayed this year, with the threat of Sirius Black looming, and many Hufflepuffs had gone home to their families for the holidays.

A pang of sadness washes through Fred. He sets down his spoon, suddenly back on the Astronomy Tower that night. "I can't go home for the holidays. They-they threw me out. I've got no home left."

"I'll be right back," he says, surprising himself and ignores George's question of "where you going, mate?". Fred picks his way through the Great Hall, feels the eyes of students and teachers on his back, and slides onto the bench across from Alyna with a grin. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry-" Alyna catches herself, eyes widening when she realizes who it is. "What are you doing here? You'll get in trouble."

"Trouble? On Christmas? You think highly of the Professors here. Relax a little Alyna. It's Christmas. No one cares."

A faint smile plays on her lips. She pulls the sleeves down over her hands, picking at the threads on the jumper quietly. "Why aren't you sitting over there," she nods towards the Gryffindor table, "with your family? Christmas, you're meant to celebrate with them, not- not people you barely know."

Fred picks up a Wizard Cracker thoughtfully. "I told you, that night, that you could come spend the holidays with me. But we're both here so," he holds the cracker out for her to pull. "After you?"

The emotion hits Alyna with more force than she expects. It creeps and crawls, rising unbidden through the shadows in her mind, tearing a part of her open. Tears well in her eyes. She wipes them on the sleeves of the jumper and grabs hold of the cracker. She pulls with all her strength, clapping a hand over her mouth at the flash and bang.

Two candy canes clatter to the table, wrapped in a bow of edible evergreen. Fred pulls them apart, passing one to Alyna, and sticks the second in his mouth enthusiastically.

Alyna turns hers over, studying Fred with warm amusement. Happiness flickers to life in her veins at not being alone anymore. It fades after a moment and she looks down, tracing a pattern into the table. "I'm the only Hufflepuff in a family of Gryffindors. T-they're ashamed of me."

Any merriment that had been in Fred's eyes fades. He leans forward and covers her hand with his, not knowing what to say.

"They-" She doesn't pull away from the touch, glancing down at their hands quietly. "They hate that I'm in Hufflepuff. My brother- he, he tore up my tie after first year. He's an Auror."

Fred runs a hand over his face, anger brimming under his skin hot as anything. "They don't sound like Gryffindors. It doesn't matter, you don't need them. They're a bunch of cowards. Real Gryffindors, we don't care what house you're in unless you're a Slytherin bas-"

"Not all Slytherins are bad! Don't say that." Alyna kicks him under the table, shaking her head. "They're misunderstood. Some of them are very…" She trails off, eyes widening with realization. "Your jumper."

"It's not on fire is it?" Fred turns quickly, trying to see if his jumper is indeed on fire.

"No, no, it's like mine," she says, breath soft with awe, and a lump rises in her throat. "It's from you?"

The tips of Fred's ears turn red and he ducks his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually- it's from my mum. She made it, but… yeah. It's for me. From me, for you. Sorry."

"It's fitting then. I... also got you something. It's not as good as a jumper though," Alyna smiles and reaches for something on the bench next to her. She sets the plant down in front of Fred gently, "It's a cactus. You need to water it once a week. I hope you like it; I know it's-"

"No, no," Fred lifts the cactus from the table, laughing softly at the small pink flower that's growing from it. "I love it. I'll name it Mischief, after my second love."

Alyna's smile is bright enough to light a thousand suns, a weight lifting from her heart and she laughs with him. "Merry Christmas Fred."

The snow continues to fall above them, lights twinkling softly as Fred brushes his thumb over the clay pot. "Merry Christmas Alyna."

Ahh, this idea has been pinging around in my head for ages and I am so so happy to finally share it with you! This is only chapter one, so stay tuned for the rest of Fred and Alyna's story :)

I haven't written a proper Harry Potter fanfiction in a long time and it was so much fun! I'm very excited to write the coming chapters and sharing them with you all!

- Liz