A/N Prisoner of Azcaban! Rating is T. Enjoy!

Dear Fred,

Gran was rather insulted by your owl trying to nest in her hat upon arrival. I apologize if he's missing a few feathers when he returns. Thank you for the Transfiguration tips. I've been practicing it just as you described. My spells seem to be working much better now- not that I'm doing any magic outside of Hogwarts of course...I received a letter from Ginny. I'm so happy that she seems to be in much better spirits. I hope your trip to visit Bill in Egypt is as fun as you hope it will be. Try not to get cursed by the mummies if you can help it! Also, my favorite color is pink. I'm not sure why you needed to know that, but I'm going to guess yours is red? Anyways, I'm attaching a picture from my disastrous attempt at the Sloth Grip Roll. It ought to give you a laugh. Hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Edith (Aggie)

My dearest Aggie,

Egypt has been extremely fascinating! Don't reckon we've ever had such a grand holiday as this one. My brother Bill has been guiding us around and even my brother Charlie came for a visit. I'm sure you remember him from Hogwarts. Looks like me only less handsome of course. And shorter now. Alas, no mummies have risen from the dead. Unless you count Percy when I shot off a firework in his room during the middle of the night. Came running out in his skivvies. Scary sight to see. And what a pity, I was sure it would be purple. I'd expected better from you. Yes, my favorite is red, but I knew you'd guess it.

I'm not sure what I enjoyed more. The fact that you actually sent a picture or that you looked adorable even when falling to the ground.

Yours,

Fred

P.S. You're beautiful

P.P.S Aggie, Fred has taped up this picture above his bed. It's sickening. (This is George by the way)

I laughed out loud at the closing of the letter. I wasn't sure what had really been going on with the exchanging of our letters, but my small tiny crush on Fred had grown more since summer break. Angelina would find it amusing.

"Edith, look!" Neville shouted, running towards me with a Daily prophet in his hands. "This just arrived."

My eyes widened at the front page. There was a man there, someone who looked extremely deranged, screaming at the camera. DEATH EATER ESCAPED FROM AZCABAN was written in big bold letters. I felt my blood run cold at the thought of it.

"How is that possible?" I asked. "No one's ever escaped from there before."

Neville hands shook a bit, "Do...you suppose this means other will follow?"

I grabbed his wrist, "No. No, don't even think about it. This was just random."

I had to assure him. Because I didn't want to consider the possibility that the very ones who had ruined our parents could be out there walking the streets. It just wasn't possible.

"I'm sure they'll catch this man," I told him. "Probably before we get back to Hogwarts- I'm sure of it." I stood to my feet and walked into the study, where Gran had been sitting and writing a letter. "Neville was just showing me the paper," I told her.

Gran looked up with her lips pressed in a straight line, "I remember back when he was arrested- it was always a strange thing."

I sat down beside her, "How so?"

"The Black line was always a bit off- inbreeding obviously," she sniffed. "But your father had known him at school. Wasn't quite like the others, but then again one can never be too sure...Still, it had come as a shock when he killed those Muggles." She reached out and grabbed the Daily Prophet, "They'll make a mess of this- mark my words!"

...

King's Cross was buzzing with excitement more than usual. Mostly it was the same as every year ,but there was a sense of urgency as well. Gran was keeping a more curious eye around us and Neville still looked uncomfortable. He'd gotten significantly taller this year. He was already inches taller than myself now. And his baby fat was still there, but slowly starting to disappear.

"Look after each other," Gran reminded us pointedly. "Edith, be sure to study hard for your OWLs."

I nodded, "I will. I've already gotten a head start on it."

She seemed pleased with that, "Good. Straighten up, Neville, you're slouching again."

He did as asked and then his eyes lit up suddenly, "Oh there's Ron and Harry!" He rushed off to join them, completely forgetting to say his goodbyes.

My eyes drifted to the group, seeing Fred and George telling their mum goodbye. I couldn't help but grin at the sight of Fred trying to mess up his hair that she'd flattened down. He'd gotten taller again if that were possible.

"Don't think I don't recognize that look in your eye, girl." Gran gave a huff, "One of the Weasleys caught your eyes, hmm?"

I blushed, quickly turning back to her, "I'm going to stay focused on my studies. I'll see you at Christmas."

She gave a small smirk at that, "Very well. Hurry on the train then."

I gave her a quick hug and then rushed to join the others.

"Edith!" Ginny spotted me before the others. She grabbed my hand and tugged me into the group, "Mum, look this is Edith Longbottom."

"Hello Mrs. Weasley," I greeted her politely with a smile.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes lit up with glee, "Oh, yes, I've heard a lot about you! Hello, dear."

I was surprised by the embrace she gave me. I've barely had time to react before she was pulling away and beaming at her son.

"She is very pretty, Fred."

Fred's cheeks reddened a bit and I noticed he seemed a bit...bashful? How strange.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Mrs. Weasley," I told her politely. "I've always wanted to meet the woman who handles this bunch on a regular basis."

George elbowed his brother, "We're actually well behaved, aren't we Forge?"

"Perfectly pleasant, Gred," he answered with a cheeky grin. "Right mum?"

Mrs. Weasley eyed them both and started wagging her finger, "If I receive one more letter regarding you blowing something up..."

The whistle sounded on the train and we were all scampering inside, trying to find a seat. Half of the group paired off to look for an empty cabin. The twins and I found Angelina sitting with Lee and Alicia so we decided to join then. I blushed when I ended up sitting opposite of Fred with our feet touching in front of us. Angelina quirked her brow at me with amusement.

"How was everyone's summer?" Alicia asked just at the train started off.

The cabin was full of chatter regarding our activities over the summer. The twins recounted their trip for us and Lee boasted about a new broom that had just came out and was displayed at Diagon Alley. The Firebolt had been a beautiful broom for sure, but there was no way any of us could afford it.

"Oi, I almost forgot," Fred suddenly exclaimed, digging in to the pockets of his robes.

I looked at him curiously when he pulled out a small wrapped package.

He held it out to me, "This is for you. Belated birthday present."

My eyes widened at this, "Really? Fred you didn't have-"

"Oh, it's from both of us," George cut in. "We were going to send it when we got back, but it was easier to give it to you in person."

I felt a little deflated at that. I liked the thought of Fred buying me a birthday gift as a special thing. But still, I took the present and opened it quickly. It was a box and as soon as I opened it, a loud horn sounded off. Pink confetti burst out and inside was a nice stack of pumpkin pasties.

"It's perfect," I beamed, "Thank you."

Suddenly, the train started to slow down.

"We're not at Hogwarts yet," Lee claimed. He pressed his face to the window. "What's going on?"

The train gave a bit of a jolt with the sudden stop. I flew forward with surprise, landing on Fred's lap just as the lights went off. Alicia screamed with fright and I struggled to get up. A trunk had fallen down in the floor. There was a screeching sound and things began to get cold.

Fred's arm wrapped around me tightly, "There's something out there."

Sure enough, a black shadowed figure went by the doors. I shrunk back against Fred, terrified. No one moved, no one seemed to breathe. It was the eeriest unsettling feeling.

"HELP!" A squeal sounded. To our surprise, the door opened to see Draco Malfoy running inside. He tripped over the trunk that fell in the floor and was sniffling through tears. None of us moved to help him. He scrambled back to his feet and went back out the compartment, hollering for a perfect.

The lights came back on and the train began moving again.

"Bloody hell," George muttered. "Was that what I think it was?"

And I understood what it was at that moment. Dementors. The Ministry must've sent them out to search for Black. It was the only explanation.

I sighed in relief that it was over and my seat moved with an awkward cough, "Um, Aggie...not that I don't enjoy having you here..."

My face flamed up and I quickly shot off of Fred and sat back in my seat. His face was tinted pink, and I noticed he was making it a point not to look at me. Lee and George both snickered.

Angelina cleared her throat, "Well, this already seems like an interesting start to the new term."

...

I had no idea just how hard the OWL year would be. Every class seemed to start the same way. Teachers explaining how much revision we would go over, how important it was that we do our exams correctly and so on. I was partnered with Alicia for Potions and I wondered if Professor Snape had any intention of passing any of us.

But I knew before the class had ended that this year was going to be awful.

Professor Snape came by my table and sneered down into my cauldron, "Why, Miss Longbottom, is your potion silver?"

"I don't know, sir," I admitted, going back over my book again. "I did as exactly as it said. The potion was orange and then I added the porcupine quills, but-"

"How many?"

I gulped, "Nine, sir."

He scowled gestured his wand towards the blackboard, "Stupid girl. The directions specifically say seven. Does idiocy run in your family? That's two of you who don't follow simple instructions."

I gritted my teeth, "Next time, I'll assume your nine's are sevens, since your hand writing is atrocious, sir."

I really shouldn't have said it. And judging from the gasps around the room, no one had expected it either. I heard the sounds of snickering where the twins were seated.

Professor Snape clicked his tongue, "Detention Miss Longbottom. And ten points from Gryffindor."

He vanished my potion and I let out a heavy breath before gathering my things to leave the classroom.

...

"I'm dropping the class next year," I stated. "I'm not going to make a high enough grade for the NEWT levels anyway."

Alicia nodded in agreement, "Me too. It's by far the hardest class at Hogwarts."

"I can't drop it," Angelina pouted. "I want to be a Healer. I need a NEWT passing level in Potions for that."

Fred and George were sitting across the table talking quietly while looking at a piece of parchment. I kicked my leg out a bit to tap Fred.

His cheeks reddened a bit when he looked up at me, "Did you need something?"

I frowned at him, "We were just discussing Potions. How did you do today?"

"Fine," He muttered before getting to his feet. "Come on, George, let's go find Lee."

George quickly stood with him. I frowned at their backs when they left.

"Is it just me or is something going on with Fred?" I asked them.

Angelina quirked a brow, "What do you mean? He's still mooning over you like always."

I crossed my arms over my chest, "No...he hasn't actually. Honestly he's barely spoken to me at all since term started. It's as if he's distracted."

Alicia asked. "You wrote to him this summer, didn't you?"

I nodded, "Yeah, a few times. Maybe...maybe I did something to upset him?" I got to my feet, "I'll see if I can talk to him."

But I didn't get a chance to talk to him. In fact, every time I seemed to find him, he made some excuse and disappeared yet again. It was very strange. What had I done to upset him?

...

October arrived before long and the Quidditch season had begun. Wood called for a meeting and for the first time, he seemed quite disheartened.

"This is our last chance- my last chance- to win the Quidditch Cup," he started, "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it...We've got the best ruddy team in the school." He started to get his spirit back towards the middle of his speech. "We've got three superb Chasers."

The girls' and I exchanged a glance of pride.

"We've got two unbeatable Beaters."

"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," Said the twins.

"And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Wood took a strong stance, "And me."

George whistled, "We think you're very good too, Oliver."

"Spanking good Keeper," Fred added.

Wood finished the speech with a little more sorrow and we all promised that this year would be his year. letting him down just seemed wrong.

The meeting ended and we all started to disperse. Before he could get away, I grabbed Fred's arm and pulled him to a halt.

"Wait, I'd like to speak with you."

Fred glanced at his brother's back before turning back to me, "What is it?"

"I..." I shuffled my feet a bit, "I'm sorry."

His eyes blinked in surprise, "Why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything."

"I must have," I insisted. "You've barely spoken to me since the term started. I don't know what I've done to upset you, but I want you to know that I am sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Aggie, you haven't done anything," Fred insisted with a laugh. "Honest."

I dropped my hand from his arm, "Then what is going on? Why aren't you...following me around or making declarations?" I could feel my face flame up with each word. I sounded ridiculous.

He smirked, "I thought you didn't like when I did that?"

"I don't." I stated. "Or didn't. I...I don't know. I kind of liked it."

Merlin, I was an idiot.

His face stretched wider into a grin, "Aggie, are you trying to tell me that you fancy me?"

I didn't answer, but I could feel my face warm up even more.

Instead, I asked, "How did I catch your attention? In first year, I mean."

"You'll have to be more specific than that," he teased me.

My eyes rolled, "You know, the day in Potions when you told the class I had the prettiest smile you'd ever seen." I could feel my face heating up. "Why did you do that?"

To my surprise, the humor vanished from his eyes a bit. He actually looked a bit nervous over his answer.

"We had flying lessons that morning, do you remember?"

Of course I remembered. I'd told Neville about my disastrous attempt at flying when he first came to Hogwarts. I didn't see how it was relevant to Fred liking me, however.

"What about it?" I asked.

He quirked a brow at me, "Pucey was making fun of your family even though he didn't get his broom up in the air either."

I nodded, "Yes, I know. I told him that just because we were purebloods didn't mean we could do everything perfectly."

"And you bragged about Alicia being the first one up in the air," he told me. "I knew you had to be worth knowing, but you were a little sad when we went to Potions..." He shrugged, "I wanted to cheer you up. And I was right, you did have the prettiest smile I'd ever seen." Fred's eyes twinkled again with that statement.

I couldn't help but smile at that, "That's...incredibly sweet." I shuffled my feet nervously, "I may have a bit of feelings for you..."

Fred reached down to tug at a strand of hair, "While I've always known you would come around to my charm eventually, it would be nice to hear you say the words. Please?" He batted his eyelashes rather comically.

I giggled at that and swatted at his hand, "Fine. Yeah, I guess I do fancy you."

"I knew it," he whispered. Fred took a deep breath and then draped his arm over my shoulder to lead me back to the castle, "Now, as to what's been going on...George and I have been working on something, but you keep distracting me with your presence..."

...

"Are you dating Fred?" Angie asked bluntly.

We were studying in the library with Alicia, who's head popped up from where she'd been dozing off into her book. I paused while writing my essay.

"What?" I blinked at her.

Her eyes narrowed on me a bit, "I know you stayed behind at the Quidditch meeting. And you've been a bit...flirty during practice. Are you snogging behind our backs?"

My mouth dropped, "No, we're not snogging behind your backs!"

Alicia snickered, "Notice, she didn't deny the flirting."

"Excellent point, Alicia," she commented.

I blushed, "We've only been flirting a little- but we have not been snogging." Yet, I added in my brain. "And I don't know if we're dating. He hasn't asked me."

Angie grinned, "But you want to?"

"Yes," I admitted with a smile. "I've told him I fancy him."

Alicia gasped, "Really? To his face?"

"As opposed to what- his back?" I rolled my eyes, "Yes."

She whistled, "I thought they day would never come. I suppose now is a good time to say that Davies asked me to Hogsmeade?"

Angie and I both gasped, "What?!"

...

I was sitting in my chair in front of McGonagall's desk, watching her make a few notes on her parchment. She tilted her glasses a bit down her nose and looked at me with a bit of a frown.

"I see your Potion scores have taken a bit of a downward turn this year already." Professor McGonagall quirked a brow, "Do you have any interest in being a healer of any sorts?"

I scrunched my nose a bit, "Not really. I plan on dropping the class anyway since I'm not anticipating my OWL score to be very high."

She let out a small huff, "Have you given any thought at all towards your future?"

"I like Quidditch?" I answered awkwardly. When she merely stared at me, I shrugged, "Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm not a strong dueler and I don't have any interests in medicine. I just assumed I might decide after Hogwarts."

Professor McGonagall laid her quill down, "Miss Longbottom, need I remind you that your OWLs are very important. They will decide your NEWT courses which will decide your future. Now is the time to think of your future above all else." There was a pointed look to her that made me think I knew what she was referring to.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life, and I didn't think it was hardly fair to expect me to decide now. What if I wanted to play Quidditch professionally? What if I just wanted to live off of my inheritance? What if I'd rather be a stay at home housewife? What does naming my job choice matter now?

"I just want to focus on the subjects I'm taking and decide once my OWLs are over," I finally replied. "Perhaps my charm work will be my future?"

Her lips twitched a bit, "Perhaps."

...

Today was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. Angelina and I planned on meeting the twins at the Three Broomsticks, because they were making a trip to Zunko's first thing while Angie and I went to the bookstore. OWL studying was just getting more stressful with each day.

"Do you think I could get Gran to send me extra Potion books that aren't here?" I questioned. "There doesn't seem to be anything to help."

Angie shrugged while placing a few books back, "If she does, I'll pay you to borrow them. I barely scraped by with the last brew. Snape seems to be a little more angry this year compared to others."

I nodded at that, "Yes, I heard a few students saying they think he had a grudge against Professor Lupin."

"He always has a grudge against the defense teacher," she reminded me. She gave a heavy huff, "Well I think that's all for now. Ready to join the boys?"

"Bet you a galleon, they'll be late."

Angie and I had already gotten the butterbeers and managed to snag a table before the boys even arrived. They both had parcels of items they'd purchased and I was honestly afraid to ask.

"How was your shopping?" Fred asked while sliding into the booth beside me.

I took a sip of my butterbeer before answering, "Awful. At this rate, Snape is going to ban me from his classroom."

"Excellent, then you have no need to worry," said George.

Fred slipped his arm around me while his drank his butterbeer and I saw Angie giving me a sly grin. I ignored her and happily leaned into Fred, feeling my stomach flip with nerves. We chatted for a good while until our drinks were gone, and then we left to make room for everyone else.

Just as we were passing through the door, Marcus Flint and Adrian Pucey were coming inside. I saw them sneer at us and before I had time to react, Pucey's foot shot out in front of me. I didn't have time to move so I tripped forward and landed hard on my knees.

He snickered, "Always knew you would get on your knees for me, Longbottom."

Fred moved so quickly that neither boy had time to react. He grabbed the front of Pucey's robes and shoved him up against the doorway frame.

"Keep my girlfriend's name out of your mouth, you git," he hissed at him.

Pucey raised his hands up in surrender, a nasty smirk on his face, "Sorry mate, didn't realize she stooped that low."

Fred pulled his arm back to hit him and George quickly grabbed his elbow.

"Not here," he warned him, "Professor Flitwick is in the corner."

I quickly got to feet just about the time Flint was pulling the other boy away. My knees hurt, but the cold from the snow was stinging my skin more. I tugged at Fred's jumper since he was still glaring at the two retreating.

"Let's go, I'm fine."

He looked down at me, all traces of anger gone, "Are you sure? Should we take you to Madam Pomfrey?"

"I don't think a bruised knee is anything to worry about," Angie told him while we began walking down the street.

I elbowed his side, "But if you want to carry me, I won't object."

Fred grinned, "Say no more, Aggie, dear!" He bent down and gestured to his back, "Hop on."

I did as asked, locking my arms and legs around him. He took off in a bit of a jog, making me laugh at him.

"Hey, Angie, I could use a carry too!" George called out to her.

She laughed at him and took off in a run, "You'll have to catch me first!"

We watched them race in front of us, both of them ridiculous. In the end George did catch her, and she attempted to give him a piggy back that ended with them both falling face first into the snow.

We were almost back to the castle when I whispered in Fred's ear, "You called me your girlfriend back there."

"Did I?" he asked coyly. "Well then I guess that means you'll have to be. Since you didn't correct me."

I giggled at that and then kissed his cheek, "I guess so."

I saw a blush creep up on his neck at that before he started jogging again.

...

After the Halloween feast, we all made our way back to the common room. Only instead of meeting the portrait of the Fat Lady, there was a line of students in the way. Percy was shouting, trying to push himself to the front.

"What do you think has happened?" George wondered.

"Probably another singing lesson," Fred guessed.

Percy shouted about getting Dumbledore which caused a bigger commotion.

"The fat lady is gone," someone stated loudly. "Her portrait has been torn up!"

We all exchanged a look of disbelief. Before we knew it, professors were there with the headmaster and somehow Peeves the Poltergeist became involved. He was happily describing the event.

"Did she say who did it?" Asked Dumbledore.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

...

Everything was in a disarray. We'd had to all spend the night in the Great Hall while the castle had been searched. When Sirius Black didn't turn up, the rumors began flying about what he was after. Harry Potter was the obvious guess. But why had he broken in during a feast? Did he think Harry would be holed up in his room? It was strange.

Quidditch practice became the focus for us. Slytherin had backed out of the first game, something to do with Malfoy's arm being messed up from an accident during Care of Magical Creatures. We all knew the real reason was because the forecast was predicted as a storm. We were playing Hufflepuff instead. Which normally would have been easy, if not for Cedric Diggory.

Cedric Diggory was quite a problem. He was this year's Captain and Seeker for Hufflepuff. He was fast, kind, and not bad looking either.

The morning arrived for the match and the storm was already raging on before the game started. I didn't mind so much as playing in the rain as I did the rain and the cold. I could already feel my fingers freezing.

We stepped out onto the pitch and Madam Hooch called for the game to start. We were flying in a mess, the rain pelting us harder. But we carried on, trying to move as fast as we could. It was all down to memory movement and the shouting was drowned out by the sounds of thunder.

I'd scored, but then to my surprise lightening struck and hit my broom. I screamed in surprise before I felt the shock go through my body. My body felt limp and I was barely able to hold onto the broom handle to fly down towards the ground. I landed in the mud just as a few teachers came at me. I could hear Wood shouting trying to call for a time out.

"I'm going to have to take you out of the game," Madam Hooch declared. "You need to go see Pomfrey."

I groaned, but know it was for the best. I was still feeling shaky.

Madam Pomfrey had just gotten me fixed up in a bed, changed out of my uniform, when the doors began to open again. She'd given me a dosage of medicine that was slightly making my head feel foggy.

But as soon as I saw the stretcher come in, I sat up in the bed, "Harry?"

Headmaster Dumbledore was personally escorting him with Professor McGonagall. Harry was unconscious, covered in mud. He was so white, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. He looked...

"Is he dead?" I asked with horror.

Madam Pomfrey waved her hands at me, "Pay no mind, Longbottom, this doesn't concern you."

A curtain came up around my bed, blocking me from what they were doing. Nothing made much sense, so I assumed they'd cast a spell so that I couldn't hear them. The medicine started working on me and I dozed in and out a bit.

The next time I woke up, I was no longer alone. Fred sitting on the edge of my bed, freshly showered in clean clothes. I was almost surprised, considering it seemed to be late. I glanced over to see Harry asleep, cleaned up and color back in his face.

"Finally," Fred muttered. "I was afraid you'd be out until tomorrow. How are you feeling?" He scooted closer to me and grabbed my hand.

"Like I got struck by lightening," I replied dryly.

He chuckled, "Maybe because you did, dear Aggie. Nearly gave me a heart attack. Wood tried to hit me over the head with my Beater's bat when they took you away."

I groaned at that image, "Idiot." I tilted my head to the boy, "What happened to Harry? He was...scary when he first came in."

"Dementor's came onto the pitch," Fred replied, suddenly very serious. "He fell off his broom and was nearly killed. Madam Pomfrey said he can't leave for the rest of the weekend."

"Poor Harry," I sighed. "What happened to the game?"

His lips twisted, "Diggory caught the snitch right before Harry fell. Bloke felt bad about it, but it's done now."

I frowned, "Wood alright?"

"Nearly cried himself to sleep," he replied with a laugh.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "What are you doing here anyway? It's quite late, isn't it?"

"I have my ways," he replied coyly. His hand squeezed mine, "Had to make sure you were alright."

"Pomfrey said I could go home tomorrow if I feel rested." I smiled a bit, "But I am glad you're here."

Fred lifted our hands and kissed the back of mine, "Me too. I've never seen you in your bed clothes before."

My eyes widened in horror and I quickly pulled the covers up to hide the fact I wasn't wearing a bra, "Fred Weasley!"

...

"Neville, do you think Gran would like this?" I asked, holding up a rather floppy hat with bland feathers.

He cringed, "Most likely. Throw in a fur coat and you'll be the favorite forever."

I snorted and put it back, "On second thought, I'll just give her some new book charms. She hates when you leave them around the house and lose them."

We were doing a bit of last minute shopping in Hogsmeade before we went on Christmas break. Neville had been a bit distraught over me getting hurt and I'd felt kind of bad that I'd been neglecting him as of late. While I knew he'd been busy with his friends, I felt like I'd been spending too much time with Fred.

"Ooo, look at this," I picked up a box that was for storing items. "Says you can't open it unless you use the correct password." It had little spots for separating items. I decided to purchase two, for the twins of course.

Neville grabbed my arm, "Look there's Hermione and Ron. Do you mind if I join them?"

My face soured a bit, "But I thought we were having fun?"

"We are," he insisted, looking a little guilty, "But we're about to go on Christmas holiday and they're staying behind..."

I sighed, "Fine, go ahead." I grabbed the things in his hands, "I'll take care of this."

"Thanks Edith!"

He ran off and I groaned, already making my way to pay for my items. Once everything was wrapped up, I left the shop to head back to Hogwarts. The snow had started fallen down again on my way back, but I trekked on with my packages. I had no idea anyone was following me until I felt something fly to the back of my head.

I paused and turned, peering through the snow. But there was no one there. I backed up a bit and then there was another ball of snow hitting me from the side. I whirled around, catching the sight of red hair ducking down behind a snow wall.

I grabbed my wand and quickly said a spell to make the snow burst. Fred fell back into the snow with surprise, a smile on his face.

"Nice shot, Aggie dear!" he flicked his wand and a snowball came at me from behind again.

I dropped my packages and ran towards him, throwing my own snowballs his way. Before he had time to get all the way to his feet, I leaped at him and we both fell into the snowy ground. It was cold and wet, but I couldn't help but laugh at his expression of disbelief.

"Got you," I declared.

Fred rolled us over so now that I was the one laying in the snow, and he leaned over me with a smirk, "Got you back."

My heart pounded at the close proximity. He was wearing a knitted hat, but sprigs of his hair were still sticking out. They were leaning down his face and I reached to tuck one of them away. His smile widened a bit and his gloved hand moved to my head. I wasn't sure who was breathing harder, me or him. But he leaned first, bringing his mouth closer to mine. He stopped before our lips touched, as if giving me a chance to move away. I didn't. I grabbed the sides of his jacket and pulled him down to me.

He let out a laugh before he kissed me.

If the snow made me cold, I wasn't aware. I felt warm the instant my lips touched his. He was so careful, barely using any pressure. As if I were gentle. I smiled against his mouth at that and kissed him harder, my hands released his jacket and went up to his neck. He grew confident, moving his mouth against mine to kiss me again and again. I sunk deeper into the snow and sighed against him, wanting to stay in the moment forever.

Thankfully Fred was able to break the kiss, panting slightly, "Bloody hell, I should get you inside before we freeze out here."

"It'd be a nice way to go," I breathed.

He grinned, "I agree."

He moved off of me and helped me to my feet. We gathered my things and I ignored his quizzing over who's packages were whose.

"I wish you were staying here at the castle," he told me. "Most of the students are going back home for the holidays. I'd stay if you did."

I hooked my arm through his with a sigh, "I know. I'd like to stay, but I need to go visit my parents." The words had slipped out before I could stop them.

Fred stopped walking, giving me a rather peculiar look, "Edith, it just occurred to me that is the first time I've ever heard you mention them."

"You just called me 'Edith'," I said, stalling while I tried to think of what to say. No one at school really knew anything about my parents. I knew Neville had never mentioned them either.

"It seems like a serious time to use your name," he countered. "How come you don't talk about them? Are they alive?" His face lost a bit of color. I could guess he imagined that I went to a cemetery each year to visit them.

I smiled sadly, "In a sense. My parents have been in St. Mungo's for the past twelve years."

Fred let out a heavy breath, "Oh, Merlin, I'm so sorry Edith. I had no idea- both of them?"

We walked into the doors and found a bench that was unoccupied. I sat down, gesturing for him to do so. The hallway was empty so I wasn't worried we would be interrupted.

"I assume your parents might've fought before?" I pried gently. "Against You-Know-Who?"

Fred swallowed hard, "They don't like to talk about it. My mum's brothers -the ones George and I are named after- died fighting in it. Did your parents-"

I nodded, "Yeah. They were Aurors actually. After You-Know-Who 'died', I was told the remaining death eaters were desperate to find him or something. A few of them thought my parents knew where he was- as if they were hiding him in a prison or something." I took a deep breath, "They...tortured them for information. Using the Cruciatus Curse."

"Blood hell," he gasped in horror. "And they survived?"

I felt tears fill my eyes, "In the most horrible way imaginable. Their minds snapped. They've never been the same since that day. They don't know me or my brother- although I think some part of them must feel the connection. But they..." I found myself sobbing suddenly.

Fred's arm immediately wrapped around me, the parcels fell to the floor. I clung to him, crying into his chest. I felt his hand run through my hair over and over again while he rocked me a bit. We stayed like that for a few moments, until I calmed down. Once I did, I pulled away from him to dry my face.

"I go to visit them for Christmas every year," I told him. "It's a tradition with Gran. I bring my mum ribbons and she braids my hair for me. Sometimes I can play chess with dad- if he's awake. He sleeps an awful lot."

He tucked my hair behind me ears with a soft smile, "That sounds like something worth going home for."

"I think so too."

...

Christmas went about as could be expected. Unfortunately our parents weren't up to a visit this time. Mum was a little agitated when we arrived and dad had taken ill with a small cold. Gran had put on a brave face for us and we went on holiday to our Uncle Algie's house. Fred and George both liked their gifts immensely. In return, George had sent me a box of pumpkin pasties while Fred surprised me with a music box that he'd charmed. When opened, it not only played a beautiful melody, but it also contained a woman chaser, flying around elegantly on a broom. It looked suspiciously like me as well, but I loved it.

When we returned from Hogwarts, I was bummed to find out that not only did Harry receive a Firebolt as a mysterious present, but Professor McGonagall confiscated it to check for dark magic. I felt for him, because I knew it was something our Quidditch team could use. Our chances of winning the cup had increased, because Slytherin had beaten Ravenclaw. If we beat Ravenclaw, we would be in second place. This encouraged Wood to increase our practices with a promise from Harry that he was trying to fix his 'dementor' issue.

Thankfully, he had received the Firebolt back into his possession just before our match had arrived. I thought Wood was going to cry honestly. The game started off without a problem and we were off soaring into the sky.

I got the quaffle first, weaving around the Ravenclaw chasers, passing Harry and the Seeker, Cho Chang, in the process. I scored the goal without any issue and I looped around ready to go again. We got into a nice rhythm for a bit. Alicia almost got hit a beater but it was quickly blocked by Fred. Angelina scored a couple of times.

"HARRY THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN," Wood suddenly shouted. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

I glanced Harry's way to see Cho grinning at him. The clever girl was clearly trying to throw him off with her pretty face. Harry seemed to snap out of whatever was going on, because he shot off like a rocket.

Then out of nowhere, hooded figures came onto the floor of the Quidditch Pitch. Harry suddenly cast a spell and the next thing, Madam Hooch was blowing a whistle.

He'd caught the snitch!

We landed, all of us shouting in excitement. All of use girls gathered around Harry, kissing his cheeks while Wood yelled "That's my boy!"

"Come on Harry" George shouted. "Party! Gryffindor common room, now!"

...

Music was playing loudly and people were talking so loudly it was like a screaming match. Fred and George snuck in some drinks and snacks, careful not to give anything to the younger ones.

"Best seeker in Hogwarts history!" Wood boasted with a raised glass. "Didn't I tell you he was going to win for us? I knew it from the first moment I laid eyes on him!" He slung an arm over Harry's shoulder, "What a good lad you are!"

Angie snatched Harry away, "Stop yelling, we can all hear you just fine!" She ruffled Harry's head, "Better hide before he gets you again."

"Thanks," he muttered, his face red from all the attention.

Fred come out of nowhere and grabbed my arm, "Let's dance, Aggie!"

I squealed with laughter while he spun me around the room. It was completely over the top, but the most fun I'd had all year. We danced all night, chatting with all of our friends. Neville even got into the spirit, drinking some Pumpkin Fizz which caused him to stay red faced the rest of the night. We were all forced to go to bed once McGonagall came to put a stop to the silence.

I'd felt as if I'd just fallen asleep when a loud scream echoed through the Gryffindor Tower.

Everyone seemed to go to the common room at once, trying to find out what was going on. Ron was shouting nonsense, looking white as a sheet. Professor McGonagall demanded to know what was going on.

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE," He hollered. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME HOLDING A KNIFE!"

The room went silent.

McGonagall went outside to confront the replacement portrait, to demand to know if it was true.

"You did?" She gasped, "But- but the password!"

"He had -em!" The knight claimed. "Had the whole weeks my lady! Read -em off a little piece of paper!"

I gasped, feeling my stomach drop. Sirius Black had been in our common room. He'd almost killed Ron.

Professor McGonagall walked back into the room, her face deadly white, "Which person, which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around."

To be horror, my brother's hand slowly raised into the air.

"Oh, Neville," I sighed.

...

Neville was punished to the extreme. I couldn't even defend his honor, knowing that what he'd done could've cost him his life. He'd felt awful, apologizing each time he saw Ron, who kept telling him that he'd forgiven him. I'd thought the matter might've been resolved, until we got to breakfast and the mail arrived.

"Oh no," I muttered at the bright red envelope.

Ron shuddered, "Run for it, Neville."

He did and I quickly got up to follow him. We'd only barely made it into the hallway when the envelope burst open.

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO IGNORANT, NEVILLE. YOU'VE SHAMED ME, SHAMED YOUR FAMILY. YOU'RE PARENTS...OH YOU HAVE SULLIED THEIR VERY NAME. I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE EMBARRASSED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE..."

I cringed with each word, seeing Neville sink to the very floor. By the time it was over, I'd had my arms wrapped around him while he tried to hold himself together.

"Don't listen to her," I murmured. "Mom and dad would've loved you even if you blew up the entire school."

Neville sniffed, "It was an accident. I couldn't keep up with all of the password changes, Edith. I tried, but-"

I snorted, "No one could. I kept having to ask Ange- she's a prefect so she was always given the passwords with each change. Thankfully the Fat Lady is back so we won't have that headache again."

He smiled a bit at that.

"Go join your friends," I told him. "This will all be forgotten soon anyway- especially when we win the Quidditch Cup." I grinned at that.

Neville smiled back, "Right. Thanks, Edith. I'm sorry to be such a bother all of the time."

"I'm your big sister, Nev. I'll always be here for you."

...

The day finally came. the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. It had been nerve racking. We'd all been watching Harry closely to the days leading up to it, making sure nothing sinister happened to him that would keep him from playing the game. He looked positively green this morning.

"Good luck, Fred." I told him while we headed to the pitch.

He grinned at him, "I don't need luck when I have you, Aggie dear."

I giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Wood, can I have a kiss too?" George asked

"Oh get ahold of yourselves," Wood growled. "Focus on the game."

We all gathered onto the pitch and waited for Madam Hooch.

"Mount Your brooms!" She announced. "Three...two...one."

We shot off into the sky at once, with Alicia already getting her hands on the quaffle. She lost the ball to Warrington and before he could make a shot, George hit a bludger at him. Angelina caught it and managed to drive it back for a point. And then Marcus Flint smashed into her side.

Fred threw his Beater's Bat at his face, resulting in a penalty shot when Flint broke his nose. And awarded us a penalty shot for Angelina taking that hit. Alicia managed to make the shot easily while Flint's was blocked by Wood.

The quaffle switched hands several times after that and I finally got my hands on it, zooming straight up the field. I was almost at the goal post when a chaser came out of nowhere and grabbed my pony tail, yanking me by my head. I screamed, my hands automatically moving to fight him off. The Quaffle dropped in the process.

Madam Hooch called the penalty and I made the shot, flipping off the Keeper while doing so.

It was a dirty game if I'd ever seen one. There were cheep shots left and right, Flint made a shot, causing Wood to swear so loudly I heard it from the other end of the pitch. Alicia got hit with a bat and George elbowed the Beater in the face. Both received penalties. We scored ours. I managed to score again. Both Fred and George escorted me away from the posts to make sure no one came at me. But this resulted in Wood taking a bludger to the stomach.

"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!" Madam Hooch yelled at them. Angelina scored the penalty shot.

Fred knocked the quaffle away from a chaser and Alicia was able to score again.

Suddenly the crowd went crazy and I looked to see Malfoy holding onto the tail of Harry's broom, stopping him from going after the snitch. It was the most bizarre display.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee howled in the megaphone, "YOU FILTHY CHEATING B-"

The megaphone was taken away by Professor McGonagall.

Alicia took the penalty shot but missed this time. Slytherin scored. The entire Slytherin team tried to block Angelina, but Harry shot through them to break them apart. She scored.

It was chaos for a moment. I saw Harry take off towards something, the snitch I realized quickly. Malfoy was there first, arm stretched out...Harry knocked it out of the way and made the catch.

The crowd went crazy, the stands echoed with shouts and screams. Wood flew to Harry, tears in his eyes. We all went to him, clapping his back with excitement.

"We won the cup! We won the cup!" We shouted.

Fred flew to my broom, almost pulling me off it with his hug. I kissed him hard and we all flew down to the ground. The students were everywhere, lifting us up into the air. Neville was shouting at me with the biggest smile, I saw Professor McGonagall crying with Wood. Dumbledore handed the cup to Wood, who sobbed so much I was afraid he wouldn't recover. He handed Harry the cup and we all grinned when he hoisted it into the air.

Nothing could've ruined this moment.

...

The exams arrived and all of our happiness had dissipated. The studying was hard, lasting all day and most of the nights too. Angelina was so stressed out she was in tears, worrying over her Potions. I didn't even put thought into my potions, knowing I was never taking that class again. When the day of our OWLs arrived, it was dreadful. I couldn't remember half of what I was supposed to and guessed on what I could. It was as if all thought had gone out the window. My spellcasting seemed to be okay, but they didn't give me any sort of feedback to know for sure.

I huffed when I sat on the couch, "I need a nap."

"That makes three of us," said George, collapsing onto the seat beside me while Fred took the other.

Fred's head dropped to my shoulder, "I don't remember ever being so tired."

Lee was currently snoring on the rug in front of the fire place.

"I just know I've failed everything," Angelina moaned from where she was lying on the floor. "I'll never be a healer at this rate."

Alicia rolled her eyes, "I'm sure it went fine. And if not, well there's nothing we can do about it now."

I glanced around myself, "Has anyone seen Neville? I don't remember him being at dinner."

"Ron neither," Fred replied sleepily. "Maybe they're out causing mischief."

"Should we worry?" I asked, already prepared to get up and look for them.

"Shhh," he whispered in my ear. "Naptime."

I found myself yawning at that and a nap did sound nice...

...

I rubbed my temples with my fingers, trying to stay calm. Neville was a bit shaken up by the whole thing, but he'd managed to get the entire story out as much as he could. I was still in disbelief.

"Let me see if I understand," I started carefully. "You went with the others to see Hagrid...ended up running into a tunnel that connected with the Shrieking Shack...came face to face with Sirius Black...but he's not actually a killer...Ron's rat is a real person who is a killer...Professor Lupin is a werewolf...you almost got attacked by said werewolf...but escaped back here...Is there absolutely anything you left out?"

Neville gulped, "The ending was a little confusing, but I believe Buckbeak if still alive somehow."

"Buckbeak, the hippogriff that was supposed to be executed for maiming Malfoy?" I asked, still trying to get rid of the headache.

"Yes," he nodded. "But I'm fine, I didn't even get a scratch on me." He got suddenly very serious, "But you can't tell anyone that you know. I just knew that you would know I was lying when you saw me...You can't even tell Fred, Edith."

I huffed, "I'm starting to think I should've found you a different friend than Harry Potter. Honestly..."

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