Chapter 5

The first night she dreamt. She dreamt of a meadow deep in the countryside, far away from the city. She dreamt she felt the warmth of a bright summer day as a cool breeze whipped her hair around her face. And as she dreamt she ran. She ran far and free through the meadow, brushing the tall grass and wildflowers, watching the butterflies fly past. And then, as she reached the trees the lined the other side of the meadow, the grass grew taller and the trees opened up into a vast lake, its clear waters crisp and cool as she dipped her toe in. She looked over her shoulder, laughing, seemingly without a care in the world. And then...

She woke up.

The first week kept him busy. Between the amount of work that came with the beginning of a new year at Hogwarts, and the secrecy that came with advertising their get-out-of-class-free potions, toffees, etc. Fred barely had time to think of the mysterious girl in front of their soon-to-be store. The second week was almost as busy as the first. They were selling out of their products almost as soon as they restocked. And with good reason. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was making it harder and harder to have fun on the grounds, what with all the new rules she was implementing. But Fred was always up for a challenge...and he and George did enjoy breaking the rules. In the third week, things began to slow down. Business was coming to a standstill, and there was more time for them to catch up on the work they had fallen behind on...which they made sure to fill with Quidditch practice, and making plans as to how to keep potential buyers from stealing their building before they could think of a way to acquire the property without their parent's knowledge.

It wasn't until well into the fourth week that Fred even remembered to remember what he had forgotten. And by then it was almost too late. He had all but forgotten the light in her eyes, the sound of her voice, the softness of her skin. All he had left of her was the memory of her face, and the small sparrow necklace, that he had placed in the bottom of his trunk for safekeeping. He couldn't even remember what it was about her that had kept him up for hours at night, longing for another chance to see her...

And then he got detention.

Well, to be more precise, both he and George had gotten detention. And not just any detention: detention with Professor Umbridge. While they had spent many a day in detention, there was nothing quite like that of Dolores Umbridge's detentions. It was their first with her, and while they would maintain their innocence until they day they died—they had had nothing to do with the copious amounts of puking pasties that just so happened to be found mixed into the box of chocolates that the students had given her to express their gratitude for her wonderful teaching skills—Professor Umbridge would tolerate none of their charm. And with the rumors flying about the mysterious new school nurse working with Madame Pomfrey in the hospital wing, suddenly the burning of the words carved into their hands was unbearable.

"George?"

"Yeah Fred?"

"I think its time to pay a visit to the hospital wing," Fred replied as they walked down the hall towards their dormitory.

George grinned. "I think you're right Fred," he replied, taking a bite out of an apple he had left over from lunch and winking at a group of 5th year girls as they flounced by, blushing and giggling under his gaze. "Market research, after all."

"Right you are, Georgie," Fred said opening the door for his brother. "Right you are."

Mercedes was up to her elbows in anti-vomiting potions and blemish-reducing ointments. Apparently attending classes at Hogwarts had become unbearable for the students, particularly Defense Against the Dark Arts. As the days passed, she had noticed more and more conspicuous absences within the few classes she was allowed to audit. And if the students weren't avoiding the classes, they were certainly avoiding detentions. It seemed like there was nothing anyone could do but eat, sleep, and study without breaking a rule nowadays. According to most, it was the Weasley twins that were responsible for the sudden outbreak of the most random and obscure maladies. She wasn't sure who these Weasley twins were, but if she ever came across them, she wasn't sure if she would yell or thank them. After all, these days there was little to be had in the form of entertainment. It was a dirty job, but someone had to take the fall for it.

Little did she know, those two someones had just entered the infirmary.

"Well, well, well," Madame Pomfrey said in passing to the twins as she flitted from one sallow faced student to another. "It's about time the two of you showed up. Keeping busy are we?"

"Honestly Madame Pomfrey," George said sitting down on the last available bed in the infirmary. "We have no idea..."

"What you are talking about," Fred finished with a grin, sitting next to his brother.

Madame Pomfrey smiled, shaking her head. "To what do I owe the pleasure boys?" With a flick of her wand, she sent two newly emptied buckets flying over their heads back to the students they had come from.

The twins looked at each other and back at Madame Pomfrey, holding up their wounded hands.

Madame Pomfrey's smile faded. "Barbaric," she muttered angrily, summoning bandages."Completely barbaric." She hurriedly bustled about treating George's hand and bandaging it up and was about to begin on Fred's when there was a crash at the far end of the infirmary.

"Madame Pomfrey! They're at it again!" a frantic voice called out. The elder nurse rolled her eyes.

"The spell, my dear," Madame Pomfrey called back over her shoulder. "Just use the spell like I taught you."

"I did," the voice called back. "It's just that now..."

"Now what?"

"Well, now the pustules have pustules and..." the voice paused. "They're exploding!"

"Oh for Heavens sake!" Madame Pomfrey said, finishing up George's bandaging. "George, you can go. And keep that bandage on for at least an hour or the elixir won't have time to seep into the wound." She rose from her seat passing more buckets over her head. "Oh and next time be a dear and try to be a little more discrete with the use of your merchandise."

"Oi!" Fred called out. "What about me?"

"My assistant will be with you momentarily," she replied. "Mercedes! We've got a detention wound that needs dressing!"

"Coming!" the voice called back.

"Unbelievable!" George muttered. "I get stuck with the old bat, and you get an appointment with the new nurse!"

Fred grinned. "Rotten luck, mate," he replied. "See you back in the common room."

"Yeah, see ya." And with a slap on the back, George was off following the gaggle of girls that had just strolled past the door.

Fred looked over his shoulder at his twin and smiled, shaking his head. His brother always did have a way with the ladies. Then again, he did too. But that too was about to change.