Updated: September 27th, 2017

Chapter 13: Hurricane Coralynn

I gasped in horror as the hall went deadly quiet. The only sound was Hagrid's unrelenting pleading against what had happened. Dumbledore's eyes hardened as he kept searching the crowd. "Harry Potter? Harry Potter!"

There was no roaring applause. The hall buzzed with curious, shocked, and even angry murmurs. Many people were standing up to get a good look at Harry. My head swiveled to him. He just sat there looking ashen and numb. He began shaking his head as he looked at me as if I would tell him Dumbledore was joking. Both Ron and Hermione were staring, openmouthed.

"I – I didn't…" he began.

"Harry Potter!"

I placed my hand on Harry's shoulder, pulling at his sweater. "Oh, Harry…" I breathed. Then I pushed him. "Just – just go!"

My shocked friend got to his feet and walked the long gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. I watched with sad eyes as the mutterings got louder and meaner.

"He's a cheat," someone shouted.

"He isn't even seventeen yet," another scorned.

As Harry passed through the door behind the staff table, Dumbledore and the other champions' Headmaster and Headmistress and Barty Crouch and Moody followed close behind looking dangerously upset. The hall suddenly went into an uproar. Professor McGonagall had to stand up on the staff table to get everyone's attention.

"You will all return to your dormitories," she announced in a stern, booming voice. No one moved. "NOW!"

The shuffling of hundreds of students getting up to leave the Great Hall was unbearable. I quickly pushed my way passed students to keep up with Ron and Hermione who were on the other side of the table. When I managed to catch up, Ron was walking ahead of Hermione. She sent me a worried look.

"That lying prick," Ron fumed when Hermione and I stood on either side of him on the stairs. "Better you than me…bloody lying prick!"

Did Harry really enter himself in the tournament? He told me he didn't…but who's to say…? But if he did, why the hell would Harry do it when he faced three competitors that had three years of magical education on him? And from the way Dumbledore talked, the tasks Harry would have to complete sounded dangerous, maybe even deadly. I know for a fact Harry had fantasized about having his name drawn and winning. He told Ron who told Hermione who told me. Why was I always the last to know? Maybe Harry didn't enter his name. Maybe he had someone do it for him? No. Harry was smarter than that. He wouldn't seriously consider doing that, would he?

Before I knew it, I was facing the Fat Lady with Ron and Hermione. Ron muttered the password darkly and sped off to his dorm without saying anything else. Hermione's worried glance doubled as she obviously felt the need to take off after him. I grabbed her arm.

"Don't," I sighed. "Let him cool off. He – Ron's just – things are gonna be…weird for them now."

"I know, I just – how did this even happen," Hermione asked. "Something is not right about all this."

"Yeah," I agreed, looking back toward the portrait hole.

"Look, I'm going up to bed. Are you coming?"

I shook my head. I wanted to stay and wait for Harry. Hermione gave me a weak smile and headed up the stairs to our dorm. I had a feeling Lavender, Parvati, and Jo were already up there, gossiping about the events that had transpired today. I sat myself down in front of the roaring fire as the remaining Gryffindor students made their way up the stairs. Fred and George, however, had other ideas. The twins seated themselves on either side of me.

"That was still brilliant," George exclaimed, continuing with a conversation he and Fred had already started.

"But how did he do it without getting a beard," Fred mused; he look half annoyed and half impressed.

"I dunno, but if it couldn't have been Angelina, at least it was Harry."

"And he'll be able to pay Diggory back for that last Quidditch game!"

"When our little champion gets in we need to give him a worthy welcoming!"

This isn't what I wanted to hear. I didn't care about how 'brilliant' it was; I didn't want to know how Harry didn't get a beard; I hardly cared if the Hogwarts champion was Angelina or Harry; I sure as hell didn't want to hear about how Harry could get back at Cedric for the last Quidditch match. That wasn't even Cedric's fault!

"Would you two just shut the hell up," the twins looked at me with unreadable expressions. I pushed myself off of the couch, standing with my back to the fireplace as I faced them and the few others in the common room. "Don't you get it? Harry was entered in this tournament whether he did it himself or not! He is underage and competing against three older, more advanced students. Do you think this funny? That this is a joke?! No! This is life or death now. Weren't you paying attention to Dumbledore when he said how dangerous this tournament is? He. Could. Die. And all you can think about is how he didn't get a beard or how this is payback for a stupid Quidditch game that happened last year! Get over yourselves!"

I stared harshly at the twins in front of me. My face felt red hot and my fists were tightly clenched that my nails dug into my flesh. George had seemed to sink into the couch a little while Fred looked somewhat shock. My anger level rose as his shock turned into bemused and then he smiled his crooked smile. I huffed and began to walk away, totally intending on not speaking to either of them for a while. When Fred spoke, I wished he hadn't.

"Now, I've heard of the short tempers of the Black family, but really Cora I think you're spending too much time with my Mum."

The next moment happened so fast I am almost ashamed (get that, almost ashamed) I did it. I wheeled around, my grey eyes on fire. Within seconds I had my shoe in hand and seconds later it was flying at a fast pace through the air. There was a loud and painful thump as the hard heel hit Fred Weasley in the back of his head.

"What the bloody hell –"

"Watch your fucking mouth, Fred Weasley! There are children around!"

I almost flattened both of the Creevey boys as I rushed up the stairs. When I reached my dorm, I flung the door open and slammed it shut, not caring that Jo was already sleeping. Each of the girls stared at me. I didn't bother with them as I pushed open my trunk with a grunt of anger.

I had a hard time sleeping. When Harry undoubtedly came in, the twins, Lee, and whoever else happened to be downstairs made a commotion. That pissed me off more than I already was. Did no one give a damn about Harry's life?! Honestly! Roughly yet quietly, I threw my comforter off of my body. The clock on my bedside table read 6:00 am. Great… I hated waking up early on Sundays. I grabbed my jeans from under my bed along with a dark red long-sleeved shirt. I slipped out of my dorm, Weasley sweater and Peter Pan in hand, careful not to wake any of my fellow fourth years.

I was surprised when I found a familiar red-head sitting on the couch in front of the fire. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the hurricane that would surely emerge if he said the wrong thing. Before I walked towards him, I took in Fred's profile. He still hadn't seen me, but I saw him as clear as day. I saw everything about him; the slope of his nose, the shape of his jaw…even the way his hair fell in his amber eyes. I wondered if he ever saw me like I saw him. I laughed at myself. Fred wouldn't ever see me as anything more than his little brother's friend.

Still…

"Hey…" I muttered to Fred, unsure if he wanted company as I sat next to him. Fred looked at me, smiling. On his lap was a long piece of parchment and a quill. His wand and an open book were next to him. "Homework? On a Sunday? Fred Weasley, I'm surprised."

That made Fred's smile wider. Something in the pit of my stomach fluttered. "And here I thought you knew me better Cora," he laughed. "Of course it isn't homework; just something George and I are working on. Here, let me show you."

Fred grasped his wand, tapping the parchment twice. The chicken scratch that was Fred's supposed Potions homework morphed into more writing and drawings and ingredients of some sort. No doubt these were the twins' plans for more Weasley Wizard Wheezes stuff. I smiled at Fred in admiration. He was a smart cookie.

"That's so cool," I praised the older twin. He beamed. I cracked open my book as Fred went back to doing whatever it was he was doing. We sat in front of the fireplace for an hour or so in complete silence. Students had begun to trickle down for breakfast. After a while, I realized that I had started to read the same line over and over. I closed my book and looked over at Fred, he seemed deep in thought. Now or never.

"Fred…" I asked tentatively. When he looked up at me I knew what I had to do…no matter how hard it was. "I – I'm sorry for blowing up at you last night…"

"You had George worried there for a bit," Fred chuckled. "The Creeveys' had a bit of a shock too, I think."

"Hurricane Coralynn is crazy, huh?"

Fred laughed louder this time, "Trust me, I've seen worse. Look, it's fine. You're worried about Harry. It's only natural to be worried about those you care for."

That was deep… I was quiet for a really long time after that. Did he know? Did he really know? No, no one really knew how I felt about Fred. I mean, I didn't even know. At that moment I just – I don't know, I just feel like I want to hold on and never let go. Fuck you Fred Weasley. You have officially ruined me for any other man.