Chapter 34) Fred's Decision

Selected Listening: King and Lionheart- Of Monsters and Men

Draco and Anastasia were released first thing in the morning so that they could attend class without disruption. They silently descended the stairs when Professor Snape appeared, his long shadow blocking their way.

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Dumbledore, Glad to see you both haven't joined the castle ghosts." Anastasia raised an eyebrow. She had thought little of Snape since the events concerning Hermione in October, but his comment could nearly be considered a well-wish. "Malfoy, I'd like to have a short word with you about yesterday's events."

Draco balked. "Haven't I had enough already with Weasley nearly strangling me?"

"Come along. It's less a punishment than Durmstrang's," Snape said. Draco groaned as he walked off with the professor.

Anastasia cringed with only the slightest guilt as she made her way to the entry hall. It was there that she saw exactly the punishment Snape referred to. Albus supervising Karkaroff supervise a group of students walk out the front door with their suitcases, one of them being Lukov.

"Ah, Miss Dumbledore. So sorry for the confusion," Karkaroff apologized, smiling through gritted teeth. "My students do enjoy experimenting. I do hope you'll forgive them."

"Are they being expelled?" Anastasia asked fiercely, folding her arms. Karkaroff sneered.

"No, but a quarter of our students being suspended during this term after being selected for the delegation is quite a dishonor. Their families will not be happy with them for conspiring against the host's family.

Anastasia gave a frustrated glare to Albus, to which he could only return a silent but knowing look. He didn't speak until the entry hall doors shut firmly behind the Bulgarian headmaster and his students.

Albus turned back to his daughter.

"So they're just going to get to go back to school next year—"

"I cannot decide the punishments for another school. Visiting or not, it is up to Igor. And although they are suspending their studies in the dark arts for this year only, I know very well it's part of their regular curriculum."

Anastasia looked to her father in disbelief.

"What about all the Slytherins who were helping?" Anastasia pressed. "What did you decide for them?"

"Only two Slytherins were found in the dungeon at the time of the discovery. Pershore and Knott have been sent home for the term as well, but considering their hand in the planning of the ritual was not proven, it is unlikely the board would approve my expulsion of two pureblood students."

Anastasia groaned. Albus placed his hands on both her shoulders reassuredly. His eyes glistened with gratefulness that he could do so, that she had not be taken from him or again burdened with the curse they fought so hard to break.

"Their books for such rituals have been confiscated, and all is well. Thanks to Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy's quick action, no serious harm has come to you."

"What about Draco?" Anastasia probed. "Snape said he'd be punished too."

"Draco, of course, being one of the two who tried to intervene to stop the summoning, has not been punished for the altercation. Although, Severus did warn him to not rely on his own manipulation next time and report such things much earlier. He's serving detention once a week for Snape for a month for not reporting the dark magic group in advance.

Anastasia took a deep breath. Albus hugged her close before nodding her towards the open doors of the Great Hall. "Now, I believe, you have someone else to settle things with."

"Fred?"

He nodded.

Anastasia took a deep breath and turned, but Albus piped up one more time.

"I'm proud of you, my dear. It's a better decision than I made at your age."

Before Anastasia could ask what he meant, Albus disappeared.

Still fearing Fred's response, Anastasia walked into the Great Hall bravely. She saw other students whispering rumors about what happened the night before. George and Lee Jordan were sitting at the table, disassembling some new Zonko's product.

"Do you know where Fred is?" she asked.

"Look who's bright and bushytailed." George commented, "He's on the third-floor balcony.

Anastasia thanked him and turned to go.

"And Anastasia?" George said, not taking his eyes off the gold top with rainbow sparks flying off it.

"Hm?"

"You make Fred feel any worse about this than he already does, and you best watch yourself. Can't have my brother being this mopey on me all the time. It's bad for business," he threatened. Anastasia grinned teasingly.

"In order for it to be a business you'd have to make money. You've been giving all your best ideas to unsuspecting people for free."

"All in good time, princess. All in good time," George folded his hands behind his head with a wry smile.

Anastasia found Fred exactly how George had described. He sat on the same balcony they had stood on weeks before, hugging his knees and staring out at the chilly January landscape. He didn't react to the sound of her footsteps.

"G'morning," Anastasia said, jolting him from his daze. He looked up at her and beamed in delight.

"Anastasia! Blimey, you're alright!"

Anastasia nodded against her scarf.

"I am. When you hit Draco with that potion, he had an asthma attack and it transferred to me through the lifeline. But I'm okay now."

Fred sighed heavily.

"Yeah…Professor Dumbledore explained all that after McGonagall was done shouting my head off."

Anastasia winced, imagining that had to be quite an uncomfortable conversation.

"So, what of it? Aren't you two like soulmates or something?" he asked, looking away dejectedly. She sighed.

"That's what fairy tales make it sound like, but it's really…for protection. Originally, to keep me alive. And now…well it's just been an inconvenience since then," she admitted. She hated talking about it like that. Draco meant more to her than the lifeline, but that didn't change reality.

"But don't you want to be with the twat?" Fred asked bluntly. "Like all the time?"

She shook her head.

"At the beginning of the year…it was the first time we tried dating…and it was nice, but it's too difficult, you know? Mr. Malfoy and Pansy and all the pureblood bullocks. It all gets in the way."

"So that's it?" he questioned further. "Don't you feel each other's pain or something?"

She stared at him morosely.

"Any injury we have, we share, as you saw," she confirmed. Although she wished it weren't true. She wished they could both be free.

"Yeah…" he said. "…yeah, I vaguely remember you talking about it a couple years ago, but I thought it was a coincidence."

Anastasia smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you about it right away, but we were instructed not to tell people who could use it against us…not that you would…but the longer we were together I realized the reason I wasn't telling you was because I thought you'd be angry with me for being connected to him. I'd understand if you don't want to date me anymore."

"Wait," he asked, his head snapping towards her. "We're still dating?"

"Only if you want to…Fred, I lied, and I wasn't intending on telling you about it…ever." She felt a light sweat break out across the back of her neck. Lying was one of the things she hated doing, ever since she had to lie about her entire identity in her first year. Lying to a boy she adored only made her feel worse.

Fred got to his feet and stood in front of her, arms crossed, but smiling slightly, the playfulness creeping back into his expression.

"Anastasia, you didn't lie. You kept a very personal thing a secret after you were told. Even if you did lie, big deal." He shrugged. "George and I lie all the time. I almost killed you with a stupid invention—"

"They're not stupid…" Anastasia interjected, "…maybe a little dangerous in the early phases…"

"—doesn't matter. I could have murdered you and Malfoy…I'm thinking about giving it up." He turned and looked out over the balcony.

Anastasia's heart dropped out of her chest. George was right, he was taking it way too seriously.

"But you can't! The joke shop is your dream, yours and George's, and you can't go giving it up over me and Draco. Do you know how many times we've nearly been killed in the past four years?"

He looked over his shoulder, his eyes questioning.

"Twice a year at least! This time was clearly an accident. You were both trying to help…just don't let it happen again, unless you really mean it," she joked.

Fred laughed, grinned, and swept her up, embracing her around her shoulders.

"Well then, fine, I won't give up the joke business, and of course we're dating. Who else is going to protect you from being killed on a biannual basis?" he laughed.

She grinned, but the joy fell out of her eyes. He thought he could protect her like a knight in shining armor, but somehow, she wasn't sure. She didn't believe him. It was out of his hands.

"Do you understand what I told you?" she asked, adjusting his tie. "I'm forever connected to Draco Malfoy. It's unlikely I'll ever be rid of the lifeline, and I don't have a say in it."

Fred's gaze matched her seriousness for only a moment before he turned it into a bright grin.

"It would be a little hypocritical coming from me if I held that against you. Considering I'm also connected to another person for the rest of my life," he teased.

Anastasia rolled her eyes, keeping her hands on the clasp of his winter cloak.

"George is a little different. He's your twin. I'm not worried about you cheating on me with him in your spare time," she fretted.

Fred's eyes glimmered at her as he chose his words carefully.

"Look here, are you currently in love with…" He stopped when he saw the fear in her eyes and started again, "Are you currently romantically interested in Draco Malfoy?"

She shook her head, thankful he changed the question.

"No," she said with seventy-five percent certainty, avoiding eye contact. He took a deep breath.

"Do you plan on cheating on me with Malfoy?"

"Of course not," she wasn't that horrible. He grinned.

"Then, I trust you. It isn't a problem. And I'm happy to provide Malfoy with any non-physical magical ailment if he ever starts bothering you again."

Anastasia smirked.

"I think he's done bothering me for a while…but thanks anyway, Fred."

He picked her up and swung her around with a silly grin on his face, and then dipped her. The bell signaling the first class of the day echoed over the grounds.

"Suppose we have to go," she fretted. "I can't be late for charms."

"I'm charmed already." Fred kissed her, slowly and purposefully. He backed her up against the wall and kept her there as he continued, and she went with him.