This is this chapter re-uploaded with Christie's review!
So in this chapter I finally introduce Fred, and for the most part he will be in a lot of the future chapters. I don't have an exact outline worked out since, when I do make those, I never follow them. Like I did for Muggle Missing, I'm kinda laughing at the story for how I was going to write it was back in April vs how it is being written now. (It still is the same basic story; I just changed some of the events, characters, and details so that it would fit better in the HP universe. Still the major events that are coming up in MM are still going to be there and are about the same as when I first started writing it.)
Also all reviews are welcomed! So make sure to review! :)
I am not JKR, I don't own anything, No infringement is intended, and I'm just a fan with an imagination trying to improve their writing.
September 1991
As the bell had sounded the release for lunch, the doors opened and the halls flooded with students. The third years, eager to get out of their first Potions class of the year, fled the class room, happy to be temporarily out of the surveillance of Professor Snape, the most hated teacher at Hogwarts. Their first class with him made the students realize that they were in for a long semester, particularly at his punitive reaction to the class's resident twin terrors accidently dropped exploding dung bombs at the beginning of the class. Of course it hadn't really been an accident, as the dour professor knew full well, and, to teach the terrors a lesson, he continued the class in the stinking classroom, much to the dismay and discomfort of the students.
As I walked out of the still smelly classroom, I felt a sharp object jab into my arm. A rush of warm blood started to spill of me and I grabbed my robe to stanch it. I smashed into Rochelle Bletchley, a half-blooded Slytherin in my year. Like most other half-bloods in the house she was weird and reclusive; she spent most of her time in the library with Hufflepuffs, rather than associate with her own house. Hufflepuffs were on the bottom on the house list, next to the Gryffindors.
"Ow! Hey! Watch it!" I yelled at what seemed to be the perpetrator, Graham Montague, my fellow Slytherin. He was one of the bigger students and one of many vying for chaser on the Slytherin quidditch team. "Sod off, Malfoy," he said, breezing by me, his weapon, whatever it was, safely out of sight. Sure anyway he was the one who had cut me, I reached for my wand to hex him, but no sooner had I touched it that I felt a whoosh of a green jinx pass my shoulder.
"Slugulus Eructo!" A voice from behind me had yelled. It was the slug vomiting charm. "Maybe you should watch what comes out of your mouth in front of a lady, Montague," said the same voice. I stepped back to get away from Montague in an attempt to keep my damaged arm slug-free, sterile, since Graham was now barfing up slugs in my general direction. The others in the press scattered too; we had all seen people get hit with the Slug Vomiting Charm last year.
"Weasley. Detention," intoned a steely voice. "A week's worth of scrubbing out cauldrons should teach you not to attack when a person's back is turned," Professor Snape continued. I whipped my head around. Weasley? As in Fred or George? The voice had sounded like them, but why would one of them defend me? "But Professor, didn't you see what he did to Rosaline? He cut her arm and swore at her. Just look at her bloody arm!" And indeed my robe had not been enough to contain the bleeding and I was a mess. Was this Fred, I wondered? Or George? He was sometimes slightly nicer to me. Still, why would he risk detention just to help me? To piss off a Slytherin, I surmised. There was no other reason.
"Language, Mr. Wesley. Miss Malfoy can defend herself, or have you not seen her duel? Although it is quite touching that you would be defending somebody of a different house, I am going to have to double your detentions, for both of you, seeing as one of you"—he looked meaningly at Fred or George—"will probably devise a way to get around actually being punished." Snape stalked off.
The rest of the remaining students, not wishing to have any Snapean punishments placed on them, quickly cleared the corridor. Fred and George also melted into the stream of students going to lunch, which was good since I didn't want to talk to them or even look at I felt bad that they both were getting detentions for sticking up for me. They really shouldn't have.
"Professor." I called out to the quickly disappearing Snape. "Is that really fair? To give them both detentions? I'm sure they were only trying to help." I hoped, no doubt foolishly, possibly to lessen their punishment, as a way of repayment. It would be much better than thanking them. I would die if I was ever seen talking to one of them, or even apologizing to them. Syltherins didn't get all chummy with Gryfindors; we didn't talk to them, we didn't even date the cute Purebloods. Especially the poor but pure-blood Weasleys. They were blood traitors, the whole family was.
Snape circled back swiftly, his face the usual blank paleness, giving nothing away. "Miss Malfoy, we both know it is more than fair. Attacking somebody from behind is the worst thing a person could do. Now get up to the hospital wing and have Madam Pomfrey look at your arm."
"Yes, OK, but shouldn't Montague be punished for attacking a fellow Slytherin?" Iasked, trying to sound self-righteous. Surely that tack would appeal to Snape's house loyalty. "Miss Malfoy, I have already given them detention, pestering me will only result in more, both for you and them, so I believe you should let the matter drop. Anyway, you could do with a little toughening up."
"My father will hear about this," I muttered as I turned away, disgusted that the Head of House would only care about punishing Gryffindors and not preventing discord in our own house.
"Detention. Tomorrow night," Snape reiterated. I was fuming. I wanted to write to my father at once explain what happened and see if he could get me out of detention.
"Thanks, " said a voice from behind me suddenly. Had the twin doubled back? Where did he come from? No other students were around the corridor. "Oh?" I turned and asked. It was one of the Weasleys, leaning up against the wall.
"You know what. Thank you, oh and you're welcome for hexing him, since I know you will never ask. It is usually the custom that when somebody helps somebody they say 'Thank You' and then when somebody says 'Thank you' they say 'You're Welcome'," he continued, walking alongside me.
"I have no clue what you are talking about, Weasley." I say and try to walk on and get my arm to stop bleeding. Had the weapon been jinxed or poisoned? "Do you need help getting up to the hospital wing?" he asked solicitously.
"I've only been here two years" I said coldly looking him in the eye. He had nice hazel eyes that at this moment showed real concern. Still, I persisted in my confrontive Slytherin way. "I believe I know where the hospital wing is at. I don't need your help."
"You sure? I could help carry your bag," he responded, smiling. I roll my eyes at him. All he wants to do is be a little hero. Saint Weasley, the good Gryffindor. I try to leave him and head up to the Hospital, but he tails along. He easily keeps pace with me and in the end takes my bag from me.
"Give it back!" I protest but he holds it over his head laughing that infectious Weasley twin laugh. I turn to head to the hospital wing and he follows along.
"Well, at least now we'll get some alone time," He said, winking at me. I scowled up at him "Well not really alone since we'll be in detention and Snape will be there. Well, look on the bright side: it's only the beginning of the semester so the cauldrons won't be that bad, and there will be three of us to clean them."
"Sod off, Weasley. And give me my bag back," I said trying to get the point across. I reached out and managed to retake back my bag.
"Well, OK. If you don't want to be friends now, we can wait until tomorrow night. See you 'round, Rosalind, " the twin gave me an impish grin and moved off. Finally.
"By the way it's Ros-a-line," I said, emphasizing how my name is pronounced. I hate it when people don't get my name right.
"Oh yeah, but I bet you don't even know mine. You always just call me 'Weasley'," he countered quickly.
"Sod off, Weasley," I responded. Even though no one was about, I did not need, or want to be seen with a blood traitor. It was bad enough that he kept trying to help me. The guy could not take a hint that I am way out of his league.
"It's Fred, by the way. Not that it matters to you," he called after me.
Thinking back to that incident five years ago, I'm grateful to my secret hero. I will ever forget it: how he stuck up for me despite house rivalries
1996
But now I had other worries: impossibly, my engagement to a sadistic Death Eater and the upcoming term. It was the night before I left to go back to Hogwarts. Less than one week ago, I had felt I was a free bird. At Hogwarts, I thought, I'd be free of my parent's pure-blood mania. I could live as I wanted. Within the confines of school, I could control my own destiny. Now I was trapped in a cage. Even at Hogwarts I would be trapped. When I graduated I had a year to figure out where I was to work. By summer of next year, the ministry would have fallen and the Dark Lord would rule.
I looked out over the lawn at the white peacock. It had such a simple life. It didn't have to care. If only I could master being an animeagus, then I could escape all of this.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rabastan said from behind me. He moved up and stood next to me on the balcony.
"Yes it is." I replied, trying to not look at him.
"Shouldn't you be asleep? It's nearly dawn and you have a long train ride."
"Yes., that's right, but after all, I can sleep on the train."
"Excited to go back to school tomorrow?" he asked. I nodded, not knowing what else to do.
"Yes," I smiled what I hoped what a convincing smile. "It'll be great to get back and see my friends finish up my classes, and take my NEWTs too."
"Ah, the NEWTs. God, I don't miss studying for those," He leaned against the balcony. "I do miss Hogwarts though. I always loved my time there. Whenever I needed someplace just to think, I would go up to the Clock Tower. It was quiet-not many people went there, and I could just read in peace." He said. His normally cold face had become vacant and almost pleasant as he remembered those long ago days.
"It is a good place to be. Um, what did you read?"
"Dark Arts stuff of course. Barty Crouch, junior of course, and Regulus Black, your mother's first cousin who died about a year after you were born would join me up there. We would practice our curses on each other. We always were getting into some sort of trouble." he smiled a grim smile.
"Oh." I replied, discomfited that he would torture his friends for fun.
"Rose, I'm not a fool. I know our engagement is awkward. I know you would probably rather be with some handsome young captain of a quidditch team, but since this is what we've been dealt, we might as well make the most of it," Rabastan said, turning to look down at me.
"Look, I brought this out here to give to you," he added nervously, pulling out a ring box from his pocket. "It's your great-great-grandmother's ring that Bella and Narcissa, well mostly Bella, wanted you to have. It's a bit ostentatious and I doubt you want to go flashing it around at school since you aren't exactly dating anybody and I just escaped Azkaban." He took the ring out of the box and shivers ran up my spine.
It was a beautifully crafted Victorian ring; the center diamond was at least three carats if not bigger. Accent diamonds and emeralds were inlaid in such a way that it swirled around to resemble a flower on a delicate green background. The silver band around it had hand-engraved leaves and vines, twisting in creepy patterns. . There was something strange about the ring; although beautiful, the design not only formed a flower but it also an eye, an eye that it seemed would always be watching, whatever I do, wherever I go.
"I'll understand if you don't want to wear it or even take it to school with you. But you should still have it, as a symbol of our future relationship," he continued, sounding almost hopeful.
"It's beautiful." I said and smiled up at him. "When did they get the idea for us to get married?" Rabastan hesitated. "I know that the other night wasn't the first time you heard of it. I mean they were planning on breaking you out for a while now."
"No, it wasn't the first time. They brought it up a few months ago. Your father visited Azkaban and talked to Rodolphus and Bella about it. I stayed out of the discussion; it didn't seem relevant at the time, but that was why I tried to get to know you better the first day. It took me by surprise too. I thought that they would wait until the summer so we might have known each other a bit and then it wouldn't be so sudden."
"Maybe not," I said turning back out to the courtyard to see the first glimpse of dawn spreading out over the sky.
"Oh, I have something else for you." He pulled out a black velvet pouch from his jacket pocket. He handed it to me and I opened it.
"A compact? I don't really wear that much makeup." I said laughing. The compact had crystals set into the metal so that they formed a compass rose. The north spike was the longest with a scripted N at the top. The background of it was a shimmery pearl which reminded me of the stars. I turned around and the compass spun around so that the northern point stayed toward the north.
"It's in case you ever get lost and need to find your way back. It is also a two- way mirror. I have the other one, and so if you ever need somebody to talk to, I'll be there. It is better than owls, since they are being watched, and I'm sure that you would rather have a mirror on you than a bunch of quills and parchment." He smiled for real this time. How could a heartless Death Eater be talking like this? I didn't really know him. I didn't want this arranged marriage but at least he wasn't Voldemort, Jr. I had to keep from laughing out loud at the thought.
"Thanks" was all I said.
The rest of the house started to stir as the sun rose and we left for Kings Cross Station to head back to school. I felt heavy. This would be my final semester to enjoy the last of my freedom.
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