Fred sat at dinner, pushing the crumble around his bowl after not wanting to touch a scrap of food, but George had insisted on him at least having the pudding. He can see Lilith across the great hall now, not eating either, staring down at her food and not daring to look at everyone. He feels proud of her for even facing the hall that night, considering half the people were looking in her direction, whispering about her. Gossip travelled around this school faster than dragon pox.
"Imagine, murdered by a Lestrange." Seamus says with a mouth of custard.
Fred clenches his jaw as he lifts his eyes to stare at him and he says the first words he's spoken all dinner. "It wasn't her fault." Fred mumbles back as he continues to separate the pieces of crumble with a spoon and Seamus scoffs as he looks over his shoulder.
Cordelia is next to her, arm wrapped around her as she mutters something to her. Then Lilith leans over to pick something up and then suddenly then everyone hears it.
"Careful! She's got a knife!"
There's an eruption of laughter and throughout the great hall and Fred's glares at Seamus who had yelled the words, now laughing with Dean Thomas. Seeing red he grabs the nearest goblet and chucks it straight at Seamus dumb face, but he manages to duck the hard object, albeit the pumpkin juice lands all over him.
"What was that for!" He yells.
"For being a bloody twat!" Fred answers back as he tries to control his temper, but he's not surprised at the stares he's receiving, and he feels George hand on his shoulder. "Why did you do that!"
"It was a joke! Bloody hell what's with you! She could have killed you!"
"You need to leave her alone!" It's Neville who speaks up and there's several glances towards him, even Fred looks at him utterly surprised.
"Why are you standing up for a death eater Longbottom?" Seamus tone breathes absolute disgust.
"She's not - just leave her alone!" He says with such defiance Fred's stunned for a minute.
Then, suddenly, everyone's silent, and they look up to see Cordelia stood next to the Gryffindor table with a face like thunder.
"That was pretty funny" She says to them as the group look at her, all slightly confused. "Wanted to know who the mastermind behind that was."
"Me." Seamus says with far too much confidence. "What of it Travers?" For someone so short Seamus sure did have a lot of balls.
"I just thought maybe you could repeat it so I could beat the shit out of you." In all his years of school Fred had never actually never seen Cordelia so genuinely angry but he soon sees Lilith's hand on Cordelia's arm, tugging at her.
"Cordie, just leave it."
"No!" The blonde roars. "I'm sick of you nasty Gryffindors picking on her and you." She prods a finger into Seamus's chest. "If I hear another word out of your mouth, I'll turn you inside out."
Fred was slightly impressed. Not regarding the threats of slaughter, but the fact she was so willing to fight for her friend.
Seamus, who now looks he could spit fire stands from the table, and although the top of his head doesn't even reach Cordelia's he squares up the her. "Just like a Slytherin to threating violence."
"Trust me I'll do a lot more than that you filthy little hal – "
"Okay!" Fred cries as he climbs over the table, knocking over plates and goblets as he steps in-between them, raising his hands to break up the pair. "As fun as this exchange was, I think we should end this now."
"Yeah, before Lunatic Lestrange decides which one of us to pick off next."
Fred freezes at Seamus's words. Lunatic Lestrange. Fuck, he had forgotten about that one. First year and as he remembers it only took until Halloween for everyone to start calling her that. Thinking about it now he wasn't proud of that one in the slightest.
It seems to spark something in the Slytherin, because Cordelia is pulling her wand from her robes, but Lilith is already stepping in front of her.
"Cordie stop it!" She pleads.
"Just one hex! Let me give him a tail!"
George head pops up. "No joke. I want to see Seamus with a tail."
"No!" Lilith snaps at him before turning her attention back to the blonde. "Just stop, ok?"
"Did you hear what he called you!"
"Yes." Fred hears Lilith's voice break as she answers and it reminds him of the girls bathroom because seconds later she had been in tears, and he didn't want that for her, not here in front of everyone. "Please? Just leave it."
It seems to work, and despite the anger in Cordelia's face she lowers her wand and grabs Lilith arm, storming out of the great hall and Fred resists every urge he has to strangle his fellow Gryffindor.
Fred had headed straight to the boy's dormitory after, stood in front of the tiny mirror on the wall, flexing his head back in order to try and see his neck. It was the first thing George had pointed out when Fred had sat down for dinner, red marks that were slowly starting to turn a fiendish purple. It was like he could still feel her hand around his throat and see the dead look in her eyes as she sat upon him, and he couldn't stop feeling like it was his fault.
He knew that crazy old fucker Mad Eye was to blame, but maybe if Fred had kept his mouth shut, he wouldn't have made her do it.
As he hears the knock on the door Fred slowly turns his head around and Angelina is stood there, a half-smile on her face.
"I just wanted to check you were ok?"
"Course I am." He shrugs. What else was he meant to say? She walks over to him and wraps her arm around him, pulling him close, and he's mad that her presence doesn't bring him any comfort. As he hugs her he realises he was going to have to do it now.
As she pulls back she looks up at him, placing her hands on either side of his neck and he tenses slightly, forcing her to let go.
"She really did a number on you, huh?"
He doesn't know why the words make him so angry.
"After the lesson, and Seamus…I thought maybe…"
"I'm fine." He manages as he pulls away from her hoping that would be the end of it, but it's all she seems to want to talk about.
"It was scary, seeing her like that."
He couldn't argue with that, even though to him it hadn't been her, she wasn't in control of her actions. He remembers staring into her eyes and not seeing her, even when his hand had been wrapped around her wrist, it hadn't felt like her. "Fred?"
He realised he hadn't been listening to her, lost in his own thoughts. "Sorry." He says quietly. "Just a bit exhausted."
"I'm not surprised. I mean...she could have – "
"Well - she didn't." Fred says it sharper than he intended. "Why does no one get that."
The silence seems to swallow the both of them and Fred just wishes she would go so he could crawl into bed.
"Well, it was just… wasn't that surprising I suppose."
It takes a few seconds for her words to sink in. "Why?" He says heatedly, but he doesn't mean to aim it at her. He's still thinking about dinner, about people whispering about Lilith and Seamus's shitty reaction, and he's angry because he used to be one of them too.
Angelina looks at him sadly. "because...I don't know." She murmurs. "She's not exactly nice to people."
"So you were?"
"What?"
"You were?" He repeats, not sure why he's starting an argument. Maybe because he can't think of a better way to break up with her than to be an asshole and have her do the job for him. "You were nice to her?"
"I don't know?" Angelina words are laced with confusion. "I never really spoke to her. She never really spoke to me."
"But you didn't like her anyway. Even though she left you alone. You still didn't like her, right?" Fred's not sure if he's talking about Angelina right now or himself.
"Why are you starting an argument?"
"Because none of this was her fault, I mean come on Ang you were in that class you saw what Moody did! And at dinner when Seamus did that you sat there and laughed too!"
He's breathing heavily and she glances down at the floor. "I didn't think." She says quietly. "but why do you care so much, you're my boyfriend not hers!"
Fred can't think of a good enough answer. "Because – "
"Because what Fred?"
"I don't know." He mumbles, unable to think of anything that won't hurt her feelings.
"I suppose it's clear you like her isn't it?"
Fred scowls. "Is it?" Maybe he wasn't as subtle as he thought.
"Fred you ran out after her!"
"Well, bloody hell!" He yells as he points to his neck. "I wonder why! Ang she was terrified, you saw her! Besides me and her are – "
"What?" She snaps at him. "I see you all the time, looking at her. Flirting with her. You bloody laugh more with her than you do with me…"
He feels it again, the overwhelming sense of shitiness. "I don't flirt." He lies.
"If you're dating me just to make her jealous – "
"We're not even dating really are we?" Fred didn't remember them ever discussing it in all honestly. They had kissed, and then suddenly it just happened.
"Fine then." She seems rather detached as she says it, but Fred feels like it's too forced. "I guess we're not then." Angelina hovers for a moment as if she's waiting for him to fight it but Fred remains silent and watches her as she storms out. He knows anyone else would go after her and apologize, but he instead sits on the edge of the bed, rubbing his neck, knowing he should feel guiltier than he does.
As he hears the footsteps, he forces himself to sit up straight and glances at George as he walks in. "That sounded –"
"Bad?" Fred says with a sigh.
"One word for it." George mutters. "So, you two?"
"Finished." He says, watching George as he closes the door. "It's better anyway."
"Don't suppose you'll get a birthday present now. She still better gives me one though, it's not like I broke up with her."
Fred grimaces. He had forgotten about their birthday. It was officially a week until they turned seventeen.
"Think she'll still come to the party?"
"I don't know." Fred mumbles. "Kind of at the bottom of my list."
George is now stood in front of him, leaning down as he looks at his brothers' neck. "Honestly, I thought you were a goner, and Mad eye is wicked strong for an old tosser."
"Or you're just weak." He says with a smirk and George flips him the finger as he walks back over to his bed.
Fred stands from the bed now, pulling off his own jumper, wincing slightly as it tugs against his neck and he sees the concerned look from George.
"You sure you're ok Freddie? We could go to Pomfrey?"
"It's fine. It's just…I don't get it. Why would mad eye do something so – "
"Bat shit crazy?"
Fred nods at his brothers' words. "Haven't you noticed he goes after her a lot? He stares at her a lot…actually."
George who is now sat on the edge of his bed looks up at his brother, lightly shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe he just has a thing for Deatheaters – I mean…the kids of…Deatheatrs." He must have noticed the glare Fred shot him halfway through the sentence. "Maybe you should tell McGonagall?"
Fred stares at George for a moment, the thought had crossed his mind, but he already knew what she would say to that.
"Was she ok?"
"Ang? She'll get over it." He shrugs. "Not like it was some great love affair."
"Nah, I meant Lilith."
There's genuine concern in George's voice but Fred doesn't find it surprising, He had always been the more sensitive twin.
"No. Not really." Fred says quietly. "I'll bloody strangle Seamus next chance I get."
"Seamus has always been a bit of a prat when he gets heated. I thought for a minute you we're going to go for him."
Fred has seriously considered it, and if it hadn't been someone from his own house he probably would have.
This chapter was originally a lot longer with both Fred and Lilith POVS but i decided to split it up. Next one should be up soon but I would love to hear what people think so far :)