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Chapter Text

I dragged my trunk behind me as I followed my father through the crowds of King's Cross, knowing better than to fall behind, to make him have to slow down for me. With my free hand, I laced my fingers through the strap of my purse where my sweater and robe were folded tightly next to my wallet and my wand. We approached the barrier to the platform where I knew we would say our goodbyes. Father never went through with us, although I never minded. This was my third year going back to Hogwarts. My first without Tommy.

I slowed as we neared the bricks and looked up at my father, setting my trunk on the stone floor in preparation for our goodbye hug which he insisted on every year. Any other year I would hardly notice this interaction, so focused on getting to the train that would take me away, back to where I was rarely ever anything but happy. Any other year, Tommy and I would have scampered past the bricks before any of the Muggles could have noticed our bodies disappearing through solid rock and not thinking about our father for months.

I felt his arms wrap around my back and I stood perfectly still, not wanting him to feel the shudder as I waited for our embrace to end. When he pulled back, he gestured for me to grab my things and gave me a straight smile.

"Be good. I know you will."

I nodded and returned his smile, hoping he didn't notice my hurry to gather my things and crossed to the brick wall in less than 5 steps, watching the world flitter around my eyes. I smiled at the attendants as I walked towards the nearest entrance to the train, only feeling the tears drip down my face as my hand reached for the railing. I had never done this train ride without Tommy. He was a year above me, this would have been his fourth. We always sat together, usually with his friends, but I was thankful that he let me tag along.

Most of the students remained outside, exchanging heartfelt goodbyes with their loved ones and excited greetings with their old friends, showing off new pets and telling stories from their summers. I had my pick of the cabins, but I continued down the hall until I reached the one Tommy's friends had always sat in before stopping at the room in front of theirs. They would want to sit in their own cabin, who was I to ruin that for them? They didn't want Tommy's sad younger sister ruining their trip. They missed him too.

I slid the thin door open and threw my trunk into the overhead before settling into the seat nearest the window and letting myself watch the last of the students out with their families, a soft smile coming to my face without my notice. For a moment, I let myself wonder what it would be like to have my mum bring me and Tommy here every fall, to give us goodbye hugs and cry tears for how badly she would miss us.

I shook my head hard and pulled the blinds down on the window, breaking me from my trance for good. There would have been no hugs, and definitely no tears. It was because of her that Tommy was gone. If she had stayed, if she had even thought about taking us with her, wherever she went, Tommy would be next to me right now.

My attention was pulled again as the door slid open allowing three students to enter. I recognized them immediately, although none as much as the last boy. The unruly black hair almost covering his scar. I had been in many classes over the years with Harry and his friends. Hermione and I studied together last year for Charms nearing exams, however I didn't think I had ever spoken more than three words to the boys.

"Cassidy! How are you?" Hermione's face lit up as she rushed to me for a hug. "You don't mind if we join you? Everything is nearly full, besides one compartment with a sleeping teacher. I assume he's a teacher, if not, Hogwarts is about to have a homeless problem."

"Yeah, of course! It's good to see you." I shot her a smile and turned to the boys as Harry held a hand out to me.

"I'm Harry."

I took his hand gently and shook it once, shooting him a smile and biting back the 'I know,' that I was sure he got probably once a day. I looked to the taller boy with the ginger hair and he nodded at me, pushing his trunk above the seats next to Harry's before sitting across from Hermione. "Ron Weasley."

"Nice to meet you guys, I'm Cassidy Olsen."

I watched Ron's eyes bulge in shock. "Olsen? Like..." He trailed off and I felt my heart drop, yet I couldn't break his eye contact.

"Like Tommy Olsen?" My voice sounded like a whisper, but I knew that's where he was headed.

"I'm-" He stopped, looking to his friends as if for help, but neither of them knew what he was talking about. Tommy and I were in Hufflepuff, the trio sat before me was from Gryffindor, not to mention a year below Tommy. I wasn't sure how this lanky third year knew him at all. "I'm really sorry." He finished, his face a light shade of crimson at this point. "My brothers, uh. Knew yours. They said he was a great guy, great quidditch player too."

I smiled though I felt the prickle of tears lining my eyes for what felt like the millionth time today. "Yeah, he was. Thank you."

The door jostled once again almost simultaneous with the train beginning it's push out of the station. I looked over, blinking the recent tears from my eyes as two more gingers entered the cabin. "Mind if we join you lot? Apparently no one around here wants to have any fun on this train ride." They flashed matching wild smiles and Ron groaned as they plopped into the last two seats next to Hermione and, who I guessed from the matching hair, their brother.

"I just spent three months with you idiots, all I wanted was a relaxing train ride to school." Ron whined, eliciting laughs from the rest of us.

"What Ron meant to say was, these are my bothers-" The one to the left of Hermione started, holding his hand out to me. "I'm George,"

The second twin grabbed my free hand and locked eyes with me, "And I'm Fred."

"Cassidy." I stopped myself before I got to my last name, not wishing for a repeat of Ron's discovery.

"And how did you get stuck in a cabin with this sorry lot?" George joked.

"How did you get stuck in a cabin with our sorry lot?" Ron asked, incredulous. "Because no one fancies a puking pasty or waking up from a nap with purple hair."

I chuckled, more to myself than aloud, and looked up, meeting eyes with Fred again. A shock flew down my spine faster than I could snap my eyes away. The twins were quite good looking, nearly as tall as the compartment doors, with messy red hair, and even beneath their robes I could tell they sported quidditch related muscles.

Once the trolly came and we all shook it off, not wanting to waste our money before we even arrived to school, Hermione pulled her bag from next to her trunk and turned to me.

"You want to go get changed, Cass? We're probably halfway by now."

I reached up for my purse and pulled my robe and sweater out. I purposely wore a black shirt beneath my yellow hoodie and was already in my skirt and tights every train ride so I could simply pull on my sweater and robes and not have to find somewhere on the train to change. Hermione realized this and looked to her friends, who followed her out of the compartment to where I assumed the bathroom was, leaving me and the twins.

"So Cassidy, you a third year like Ronny?" George asked as I pulled my hoodie over my head and felt my hair fall back into place.

"Yeah, we've had a few classes together I think. I was closer with Hermione, we studied together."

I had just finished pulling the robe over my black sweater when I turned back to face them, sitting down and meeting Fred's gaze again. This time, however, he looked confused up to my face and back towards where my arm had been exposed seconds ago. I knew immediately what he had seen.

"Uh, how about you guys? Fourth or Fifth?" I spoke quickly, rubbing my fingers over the deep slices lining my bicep that Fred had noticed.

"Fifth year, the time is really dragging, innit Freddie?" George sent a kick to Fred's leg and pulled him from his train of thought.

"Yeh." He answered, moving his attention from me at last as the trio re-entered our cabin.

No sooner had they taken their seats when the train screeched to a halt, the lights flickering a few times until they finally gave out and the rooms fell into blackness.

"What the hell?" Ron and George echoed as they scurried to the windows to look outside, jostling me and Hermione to the edge of the cabin.

"We can't be there yet." Hermione's voice sounded curious, with a hint of nerves.

"Well, for once we know it wasn't Fred and George." Harry joked, "Unless... Was it?"

"We can't stop the entire train, you git." I heard Fred hit what sounded like Harry's arm, obviously not hard as it was returned with a laugh.

My attention snapped back outside as I saw a wisp of black pass the cloudy windows. Hermione must have seen it too as I heard her gasp from next to me, Ron ducking away from the window back to his seat.

"What was that?" His voice broke on the last word.

"I don't..." One of the twins started and stopped as a strange light appeared down the hallway outside of our door.

"Guys..." Hermione's voice was soft, as if she thought the light wouldn't be able to hear us if we whispered.

Gasps from down the hallway were met with some screams before the glass door to our compartment slid open slowly, two large figures whisking inside and gliding in front of us. I heard Hermione and Ron scream and felt my jaw drop, yet no sound came out. It was as if everyone and everything had left the train, my mind went blank and I felt my knees start to give out. In the dim light, I saw one of the twins step over to block Hermione and I from the figures as a loud thud echoed through the cabin.

"Harry!" Ron shouted, as a bright light blinded us for an instant. After a few blinks, I watched a slender glowing wolf chase the dark figures from the cabin and down the hallway away from the students as the four of us dropped next to Harry's still body on the floor.

"Watch out, watch out." A new voice entered the cabin and I looked up to see a tall and lean man with graying hair bend down to Harry.

"What's happened to him?" Hermione nearly shouted at the assumed professor.

"I'm not sure, I think it was just a scare." The lights flickered and finally came back on at his last word as he jostled Harry lightly in an attempt to wake him.

I looked to my left to see which twin had come to Hermione and me in the dark and decided that it was Fred, although it was still difficult for me to tell them apart. He must have noticed me watching him from the corner of his eye and I watched his nervous eyes scan my face and quickly down my body, making my stomach drop before I looked back to Harry.

A/N: I've been wanting to write a Harry Potter Fic for practically months now, but I swear every time I read a new one I talk myself out of it. All of the ones out already are so well written. Anyways hope you guys like it so far, I know this was kinda just setting the scene but I have big plans!

Chapter Text

By the time we had all taken our seats at our respective house tables and watched the first years be sorted, the news of the hooded dark figures on the train had spread to every student. There were talks of them being dementors, the guards for the wizarding prison, yet no one could come up with a reason for why they were on our train that didn't involve Sirius Black.

Dumbledore finally began his start of the year speech, confirming the dementor rumors and apologizing for their presence on the train. He explained that they were to be stationed at Hogwarts for the safety of the students, but that students should not notice them nor should they be any issue for the residents of the school. They were merely here to keep us safe and keep an eye out for the escaped convict.

While the students here from wizarding families obviously knew something that I did not, I kept my head down and tried to listen to my roommates discuss what they had read in the papers over the summer and stories their parents had told them. Stories that all seemed to involve Harry. Stories that made no sense to me.

I desperately wished for the hundredth time that day that Tommy could be here to share in my confusion. He had more friends than I did, he might even have already known all of this. My summers with father meant nearly three months of wizarding isolation. While I wasn't sure if he minded me going off to a boarding school, as he called it, for 9 months of the year, he made it clear he was not thrilled at what kind of lifestyle that my brother and I had been forced into.

I finished a last bite of a biscuit and excused myself from the table, telling Hannah, Bri and Madison I would see them back in the dorms and heading towards the large wooden doors, propped open for the feast.

"Cassidy," I heard close to my ear and I jumped and turned into the tall boy's chest.

"What are you doing?" I darted a few steps back, embarrassed by how close I had been.

"What are you doing? You didn't even stay for dessert!" The twin took another step closer but left more room in between us this time, giving me some space to try and figure out which one he was.

"I'm not very hungry." That was the truth. My stomach had been in knots even before the events of the train.

"Little shaken up from the dementors? And here I was thinking you were brave!"

"Why would you think I was brave? Aren't you supposed to be the brave one?" I tried to joke, moving another few steps towards the stairway down to the Hufflepuff common room, which I assumed was where I was headed.

"Oh, I know I'm brave. I just thought, you didn't even make a sound when they came into the cabin. The dementors. Thought for a second you had been sorted wrong."

I rolled my eyes dramatically, earning a small laugh from the twin.

"I'm pretty tired... I'm going to head in." I gestured behind me towards the steps to my common room.

"Yeah, for sure. Just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Well thank you," I shot him my best smile and used my robes to give him a sarcastic curtsey, getting me another laugh.

"Oh, anytime." He winked, and I felt the blood race to my cheeks as I turned on my heel, hoping he didn't catch it.

Fred

I watched her small steps heading down to the dorms for a few more seconds before I turned back to the Great Hall. I was worried about her, but maybe not enough to miss dessert. I passed George and Lee and dropped down onto the bench next to Ron and Hermione, Harry looking over at me from across the table.

"Alright, what's with the new friend? Single or what?" I hoped to come off as if I didn't care, was merely curious, reaching for a slice of both types of pie which had appeared in my brief absence.

"Cassidy?" Hermione asked, watching me dig into the desserts.

"Yeah." I shrugged.

"Fred, you know who she is?" Ron asked, looking around as if to see if anyone besides our group was listening.

"No, who is she?" I whispered, mocking him.

"That's Cassidy Olsen. Tommy's little sister."

I felt my face fall before he had even finished the first sentence. She was Tommy's sister? She was Tommy's sister. It all made sense now. I could see the resemblance. We had all heard the news near the middle of summer, already weeks after he had passed. Apparently the Olsen's father didn't let the kids have much contact with their wizarding friends, but the news had somehow spread to a few of his teammates and found its way to the rest of us. George and I had slouched around the house for days, and we hadn't even been close to him. Just talked a few times in class or at games. I couldn't even imagine what Cassidy was going through, losing her only sibling. Of course she left the day back feast. It probably all felt worthless without him.

"Bloody Hell, I didn't even realize..." George's face must have mirrored my own, shocked and lifeless. While we had just been joking around the whole train ride, she had been holding back tears.

"What? Who's her brother?" Hermione asked, looking between George and I.

"He was Hufflepuff's keeper. He..." I trailed off, again getting lost in the thought of that poor girl crying down in her all yellow dormitory all alone.

"He killed himself... Around June. And no one found out until late July. He was her only sibling." George took over.

"Oh my God." Hermione's voice came out as no more than a breath.

The five of us sat in silence for minutes before some students around us began to head to their common rooms.

"Well don't... treat her any different." Harry started softly, "It's gonna be hard enough, she doesn't need to feel like everyone is analyzing her every move."

We all nodded, taking advice from the expert of being constantly over-analyzed.

Cassidy

I saw the yellow of the walls surrounding me as soon as my eyes opened, the gold from the sun shining through the windows that none of us had bothered to shut last night. I had heard the girls come up hours after I had fallen into bed, but I laid still until they assumed I was asleep.

I knew I couldn't stay like this all year. I gave myself a day, and now I had to get on with it. It was never going to not hurt, I would never not miss him, especially here, where everything reminded me of him. But he wouldn't want me to stay like this, and I would lose all of my friends if I shut myself off this way.

I let myself stay underneath the warmth of my covers until I heard the girls stir beside me. Pushing the covers to the edge of my bed, I leaned down to grab my uniform and threw the clothing on before any of the girls had even opened their eyes.

"Hannah," I jostled my friend and was met with a groan. "Let's get breakfast, I'm starving." I lied. My stomach still felt uneasy, but I knew I had to eat. This is just what you did, go to the Great Hall, eat, go to class, have fun.

"Go without me, i'll meet you." She mumbled under her breath, turning away from me and pulling the blankets over her face.

I sighed, slipping a pair of boots on and heading for the stairs to the common room. Hopefully there would be some people already in the Great Hall, maybe Hermione, Ron and Harry. I could sit with them.

I stepped out of the common room door and headed past the rows of barrels leading past the kitchens until I arrived at the steps which would take me to the hall. I had barely taken three steps away from the last stair when I felt my body jostle halfway across the hallway from the force of someone pushing into me. I steadied myself to keep from falling and looked up to see the lopsided smile from the tall ginger.

"Why?" I felt my face relax into a small smile, amused that he was already pranking this early in the morning. He wore a red and black flannel and jeans, obviously not worried about having class after breakfast. I doubted the twins ever worried about things like that.

"Didn't see you, you're so small." He joked, sliding in sync next to me as we continued towards breakfast.

"I'm not so small, you two are freakishly tall."

"You two," He mimicked, "You don't know which twin I am."

I held my smile on my face. I was almost positive it was Fred, but it would be quite embarrassing if I was wrong.

"Yes, I do too!"

"Who am I then, Cassidy?"

My heart fluttered when he spoke my name, although I didn't know why. That's my name, that's what people have called me for my entire life.

"You're Fred." I tried to keep my face plain so he wouldn't realize I wasn't certain with my answer.

"Hmm, maybe. Maybe not."

"Shut up, you are so!" I fell behind him as he pushed the wooden doors to the Great Hall and held a hand out for me to head in first.

"Where are your friends?" He asked, ignoring my last reply.

"Wouldn't get out of bed. I was just gonna grab something quick and get my classes..."

"Come sit with me, George was on his way down after me, Hermione's probably been up for hours already, yeah see?" He pointed towards the Gryffindor table where Hermione, Harry and a very tired looking Ron were already starting on their breakfast.

I glanced at the almost empty Hufflepuff table before nodding back to him. "Thank you. And I told you, you are Fred."

"Oh, now you're a Ravenclaw. So smart, are we?"

"Process of elimination." I waited for him to join his brother and friends and sat beside him.

"Hi, Cassidy!" Hermione greeted me the second I arrived at the table, clearly put in a great mood by receiving her schedule of classes. "Get your classes yet?"

"Not yet, I'll go grab them actually-"

"You can eat something first, don't be such a goody goody." Fred cut me off and slid a plate over for me. Hermione shot him a glare, but I noticed Ron trying to catch his eye with a questioning look painted on his face. I shook it off and reached for some fruit from the bowl between the friends.

I bit into a few strawberries and choked down a piece of toast before my stomach told me I couldn't have anymore food. I watched Fred help himself to a second plate and I stood from the bench.

"I'm gonna grab my classes, see if we have anything together." I mumbled in Hermione's direction and Fred gulped down a piece of sausage in one bite.

"I'll get mine with you." Before he had even finished his sentence he was on his feet next to me.

"You can finish your food, you don't have to." I promised, but he shook his head, touching my arm for a second before feeling me flinch away without thinking.

He locked eyes with me for too long and I felt the blood rise to my cheeks realizing what I had done. "Sorry."

"No, I'm... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to grab you, that was rude."

I forced out a laugh and pushed his arm playfully, trying to make the moment less tense. "Come on, your food's going to get cold." I turned on my heel quickly and lead the way to the front of the Hall where Professor McGonagall was already meeting eyes with Fred. I nudged him again and wished him good luck before heading towards Professor Sprout for my own classes. I was met with a much kinder gaze, yet one that I could tell was painted with pity for the loss of my brother. I was sure Professor Sprout was devastated by the news as many of the teachers would have been. Tommy had been a great student, particularly in charms and potions. Even Professor Snape didn't seem to dislike him too much. Sprout had probably already pictured him winning House Cups for Hufflepuff at last, becoming Prefect next year and Head Boy after that, showing the first years around and giving guidance almost as good as her own.

"Welcome back, Cassidy, it's nice to see you." She gave me a small smile and I returned it, realizing I had probably been standing in front of her for nearly a minute now in silence.

Fred

I exchanged polite greetings with McGonagall, still seeing a small smile behind her attempt to be stern with me as she handed me my class list. I heard her mention something about getting back to the dorms to change before my first class, but I wasn't listening. I was watching the blonde I had just left greet her friends who had finally woken up. I watched her smile at them but noticed it didn't light up her face. She was faking it. And her friends should know that. They must know about Tommy. She followed the girls back to their own table to go over their classes. Right before she sat on the wooden bench, she shot a quick look back to me and our eyes met. I thought she would look away like she had done before, but she gave me a smile, bigger even than the ones she wore for her friends and mouthed a 'thank you.'

"Mr. Weasley."

"Yes, ma'um." I finally zoned back into McGonagall's speech, and she sighed.

"Have a good first day, Mr. Weasley. I trust you will put your best foot forward, maybe earn your house some points this year outside of the quidditch field?"

"You got it, Professor." I gave her my best smile, trying to paint a Percy-like innocence as I headed back to the table with George and my schedules crumpled in my hand.

"Good morning sunshine." I tossed his schedule at him, watching him grab it in the air before it could fall onto his pancakes.

"You were up early, may I guess why?" George smirked, flicking his eyes towards Cassidy.

"Shove off." I shook my head, running my eyes over my schedule.

"What are you doing, Fred?" Ron asked, looking at me wide eyed.

"What?"

"Don't mess with her, that's awful. She's hurting."

"Mess with her? Why would I mess with her?" I shot him a glare, finishing my glass of pumpkin juice.

"She needs friends, Ronnie. It'll be fine, right Fred?" George interrupted, obviously hoping to de-escalate the conversation.

"Right George." I said, grabbing my bag and heading back to the dorms to get dressed.

Chapter Text

The chill of the stone floor ate through my tights as I read through the chapters for Wednesday's lesson. Day one and we already had homework, but that was to be expected from McGonagall. There was a lot to get through in Transfiguration, and at least it was interesting work. I had been stuck on the same page for longer than I would care to admit, the book sprawled on the tiles before me. I had made it through my first day, all of my classes, pushing Tommy from my mind, but here he was now that I had a moment alone.

We would have met up for dinner, I was sure. Talked about our first day, eaten our fill like we hadn't had any food all summer... Laughed and joked and waited for dessert and talked each other through our hardest classes that year. I reached to my face and wiped a falling tear before it fell from my cheek. It was nice thinking about him that way, carefree and content and smiling, but it hurt. Knowing he would never be that way again. Not where I would see him, anyway.

I tried to think good things about wherever I believed Tommy was now. That he was in a better place, among the angels and pets that passed away too soon. That he had people up there, new friends to keep him company, and that he didn't have to worry and watch down to see me crying over him every day. That he hadn't had to watch as Dad had scolded me every day since he found him in his room, telling me that I should have known, that I should have stopped it. Telling me that those who kill themselves have no place in Heaven...

"Hey, Cassy, what'cha doing?" The voice shook me from my dark thoughts and I hurried to paste a smile on my face, blinking quickly to clear the tears from my eyes without having to wipe my face in front of him. "Are you okay?"

I nodded and tucked the corner of the page before closing my book and shoving it in my bag laying at my side. "I'm fine. How were your classes?" I smiled up at Fred for only a second before he leaned against the wall and slid down next to me.

"They were... fine... You can tell me if you were crying."

I looked up into the golden brown eyes of this boy I had only met days ago. Why was he being so sweet to this girl he barely knew? I kneaded my hands in my lap and thought about how to answer that. I had been crying, and I was sure he had seen. I could make something up, I suppose, but I wasn't feeling very creative lately.

"No, I wasn't crying, just thinking."

"About what?" Fred turned his body towards mine and grabbed for my hands, ignoring my flinch away this time and pulling them apart.

"Just school, and home. I don't know, I just kinda zoned out, I..."

"I know about Tommy." He interrupted and I felt my heart fall with a pang from my chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blurt that out, I meant... I'm so sorry, about Tommy. George and I, we... he was a great guy, we really liked him. I'm butchering this, wow. I just meant, it's gotta be hard being back here without him, I just thought if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you." He rambled, "George too, we're both here." He added, sounding like an after thought.

I heard my breathing become heavy and quick and I was sure he noticed too. I pulled my hand from his and wiped under my eyes quickly, praying not to cry in front of him.

"We don't have to talk about it, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, no. It's okay, Fred, I... No one's even mentioned him to me, besides your brother. It's like people are too scared to bring him up, and it almost hurts more." My voice broke on the last word and I saw his face soften when he heard it. I let out a shaky laugh and was sure I must have seemed crazy, but Fred wore a soft smile, like maybe he understood somehow.

"Come with me." He whispered, flying to his feet and pulling my hands until I was stood next to him.

"Where?" I slung my bag over my shoulder half a second before he whipped me down the hallway.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll recognize it." He wore a wild grin, as if my tears moments ago had no effect on his mood at all. It was new, being around someone like that. Someone who was this effortlessly happy.

I laughed as I was pulled around a few more corners before I had a guess as to where we were headed. The hallway was getting warmer with every step and I pulled my sweater off and shoved it into my bag. Fred pushed the swinging doors open and I followed him hesitantly into the kitchens, immediately watching the house elves swarm the red head.

"Mr. Weasley!" Some of them announced, craning their necks to smile up at him.

"Hi, everyone. I'm not sure, have you met Cassidy yet? She's a good student, she probably never comes in here. Against the rules, as it is." He shot me a lopsided grin and I shook my head at him, faking annoyance.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss." One of the house elves gave me a small curtsey with her apron. "Can we get you anything to eat? We're just putting dinner away now."

"Oh, no we couldn't-" I started, before Fred cut me off.

"Actually, Teesy, my friend Cassidy was just saying how badly she was craving ice cream, so I figured I would come check if you had any-"

"Oh, of course we do!" Teesy scurried towards a large stainless steel ice box in the far end of the kitchen. "What flavor do you like, Miss?"

"Oh, you have flavors?" Fred's voice sang through the kitchen and I held in a laugh at his excitement.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley, about a dozen or so. Come see, come see!"She waved us over and Fred pulled me by the arm once again.

"Well, i'll have, what is that chocolate chip?"

"Yes, sir." Teesy pulled the carton from the box and looked up at me eagerly.

"Can I have... strawberry?" I craned my neck trying to see in the freezer, knowing if I asked for something they didn't have she would feel guilty the rest of the night. This is why I never thought of coming in here, watching them work so hard to make everyone happy made me sad sometimes. The house elves were the hidden backbone to nearly every part of Hogwarts, from cooking to cleaning the dorms for us while we worked on classes.

"Yes, yes!" She grabbed us two glass bowls and scooped three giant scoops of our flavors in, topping it with whipped cream from a silver canister and sticking spoons in the sides.

"Thank you so much, Teesy." Fred shot her an easy smile and took our bowls from her hands.

"Can we help you clean anything up?" I asked, watching the rest of the elves scurry around us as they finished putting food away and tidying the counters.

"Oh no, miss, oh no! We are nearly done anyways!" She assured us and Fred nudged me towards the swinging doors where we entered.

"Thank you again!" I called as the doors swung behind us and Fred nodded to the left, towards my common room. I wasn't sure he knew that's what was down this hall, but knowing the twin's reputation, I was assuming he did.

"Thank you, Fred, oh you're so welcome Cassy." He spoke in a fake high voice which I guessed was supposed to be me.

"Cassy?" I shot him a teasing look and watched his eyebrows raise.

"People don't call you that?" He handed me my bowl before it started melting, the heat from the kitchens kept the entirety of Hufflepuff warm day and night.

"Not really, never actually." I chuckled after thinking for a second.

"Were your classes good so far?" He asked, changing the subject I noticed.

"Yeah, I had Transfiguration and Herbology with the Ravenclaws and History of Magic with your brother."

"Oh good, he can teach you how to sleep through classes!"

"I don't sleep through classes, that's rude." I took another bite from my dessert, ignoring the thought that I had skipped dinner. Father would have been furious.

We ate in silence for a few moments, but it was nice. I hadn't even realized I was hungry, and it was nice of him to get me something to take my mind off things. I snuck a look at him enjoying the last bites of his ice cream and looked away before he caught me.

"Do you play quidditch?" He asked and I nearly snorted out my ice cream.

"No, not at all. That was always Tommy's thing."

"Yeah, I was just thinking if you did, you might want to try out. They'll need a new keeper..." He trailed off, obviously thinking that was a stupid thing to say.

I nodded and shrugged, finishing my dessert as well. "They'll get someone. Someone from a wizarding family who gets to practice all summer and has their own broom."

His face looked surprised for a second. "Oh, I didn't realize you... are your parents muggles?"

I nodded, leaning against the wall, setting my bowl on one of the barrels next to us and stacking his in mine.

"Muggle parents and two random magic kids? That must have been a surprise." He laughed and I felt my face go blank.

"Yeah..." I noticed him watching my face, obviously waiting for the rest of my sentence which I didn't have planned out. "It was a shock for sure."

"What do your parents do?"

"Um, my dad is the CFO at this company that owns hotels." I looked up at him hoping he would drop it if I didn't mention my mother.

"How about your mum?

I sighed and looked down, picking absentmindedly at my fingernails. "My mom, I don't know where she is. She left, a long time ago. I was like three. Tommy was just starting to do magic, but they weren't sure what it meant. They tried putting him into special programs at hospitals and the doctors always sent him home saying there was nothing wrong with him and that they didn't notice anything." I swallowed nervously, remembering the torture and abuse my father had unleashed on Tommy every time something new happened that he couldn't explain.

"Cassy?" Fred was watching my face with worried eyes and I put on a smile.

"Sorry, what?"

"I just said I'm sorry, that sucks."

"It's fine. I don't think about her much." I lied. "Thank you for the ice cream. I should get to bed."

"Yeah, of course. I'll see you around Cass." He grabbed our bowls from the barrel and met my eyes one last time before shooting me a smile and heading back towards the kitchens.

Chapter Text

Hannah and Emily would sleep as long as they could without being late for Charms, I was sure. My eyes however had been open since the first ray of sunlight had peeked through the curtains in our room. I silently slipped to my trunk and pulled my sweater on, draping my robe over my arm to keep myself from sweating on the walk past the kitchen. I grabbed a black silky ribbon off my dresser and tied my hair on top of my head and checked myself over quickly in the mirror.

Before I left, I dug a book out of the side of my trunk. We had an extensive library back at home that my father was constantly adding too and which I was free to help myself to whenever I wanted, most likely just to keep me quiet and out of my his way. I pulled our door shut behind me, turning the handle as it shut so it wouldn't wake the girls and hurried down the steps and out the door into the hallway. I could already smell french toast and bread baking without even turning the corner.

When I got to the swinging doors, I pushed one in and peeked through the small gap, watching all of the house elves bustling around in a hurry to get breakfast ready for all of the students. It wasn't a good time to bother them, I thought as I let go of the door.

"Miss Cassidy!" I heard the familiar squeaky voice of Teesy and hurried to open the door again, taking a small step inside the warm room.

"Hi, Teesy, right?" I asked her, very conscious that I was once again keeping her from her work.

"Yes, yes! Good to see you again, miss, what can I get for you?" She rocked on her feet below me and I couldn't help but smile. She wore a similar pink apron as last nights, painted with flour and syrup.

"I actually brought you something, I'm not sure if you're interested in books, but..." I held out my copy of Sleeping Beauty down for her outstretched hands. "It's a muggle book, I used to read it a ton as a kid. About a princess and spells and a prince..." I trailed off, feeling stupid for not knowing if house elves could even read.

"Oh, Miss, I could not take this from you. I could not." Teesy tried to push the book back into my hands, but I waved her off.

"No, Teesy please! I have so many in my dormitory, I promise, I could never run out of books. Just borrow it if you'd like and you can give it back anytime! It's a thank you for the dessert last night for Fred and I."

Teesy's small face lit up as she flipped through the first couple pages of her gift and gave me a smile nearly as large as her face.

"Miss Cassidy is too kind. Thank you, miss. I will be very careful with your book. You will have it back soon!"

"Take your time, Teesy. I should get up to breakfast, thank you again!" I scurried out before she could protest further or offer me anything else.

The Great Hall was much chillier than I had been used to the past few hours deep in the heat of the kitchens. I breathed in the fresh air and looked up to the faux ceiling which showcased light clouds scrolling above us, doing their best to block the sun. At least Care of Magical Creatures wouldn't have us all sweating this afternoon.

I noticed some housemates who had forced themselves out of bed like me this morning drinking coffee and enjoying some french toast in the middle of the Hufflepuff tables and hurried to join them. Without thinking, I glanced towards where I had sat with the Hermione and the boys yesterday, but saw only the bushy haired of Hermione and the boys. I didn't want to keep intruding on their meals, so I set my bag down and joined Madison and Bri, keeping my back to the Gryffindors.

"Hey Cass," Bri greeted, pushing me a mug which began filling with coffee as soon as I grasped the handle. I sometimes felt that I would never get used to being at Hogwarts, especially after spending every summer with no talk of magic back home.

"Excited for Magical Creatures?" Madison smiled eagerly and I returned it after my first sip of the caffeine. While everyone knew that Hagrid had a soft spot for the Gryffindors, particularly Harry and his friends, the Hufflepuffs all loved him too. You could always count on a smile from Hagrid if you passed him in the halls, and we all appreciated his love and care for the animals living on the Hogwarts grounds. Not to mention the giant Christmas trees he put up in the Great Hall year after year.

"Very. It'll be great, I'm so happy he gets to teach, and it's the perfect class for him." I pulled a few pieces of French Toast onto my plate and drizzled just a bit of syrup and berries on top. At this rate, I would be going back home for Christmas with an extra hundred pounds. I shook my head and promised to eat better in the coming days. Father would be enraged if he had to bring me to a work party looking anything but my best. Especially this year, since he wouldn't have Tommy to show off, spewing fake stories of his accomplishments in muggle studies like accounting, or business.

I felt my teeth grind together for only a second before I felt fabric against the base of my neck. I jolted forwards and spun my head to see what was behind me, locking eyes with the twins.

"Good morning, Cassidy." I was sure this was George. Standing together, I could tell. Fred had more freckles, although barely, and George's cheekbones stuck out just a bit more than his brothers.

"Morning?" I smiled up at them, taking a sip of my coffee and waiting to see what they wanted.

"What's on your neck, Cassy?" Fred asked, reaching his hand out to my skin. I jumped out of his reach and my hand flashed to my neck, rubbing slightly and wincing. I knew immediately what was there. A bruise that I thought had faded by now. I slipped my arms into the sleeves of my robe and yanked it over, feeling the fabric graze my neck.

"A... bruise, feels like." I stuttered. Idiot.

"Yeah, we're not blind," George joked, meeting my eyes and shooting me a lopsided grin. "From what? You get into your first tousle with your Magical Creatures book? Ron nearly lost a finger."

I laughed at the image, almost forgetting all about the bruise or the twins questions, until my eyes landed on Fred's face. He wasn't laughing. His eyes remained locked on the skin now covered my the collar of my robe.

"It looks like it hurt, Cassy..." He continued, obviously not letting George change the subject.

"I don't know where I got it. Probably bumped it in my sleep, it always takes me a bit to get used to the beds here."

"What's with the third degree, Fred?" Bri asked, teasingly and I held back a sigh of relief.

"Just making sure our little Cassidy isn't being bullied already, it's only the second day!" George reached out and pinched my cheek before I slapped his hand away and laughed, throwing him my best scowl.

"Thanks for stopping by!" I said pointedly, gesturing back towards their House table and the boys rolled their eyes and said a short goodbye to the girls.

"Our little Cassidy," Madison sang, elbowing me and causing my coffee to spill in droplets on the table.

"What?" I asked, wiping the drops away with a napkin to avoid their eye contact.

"George Weasley? When did you meet George Weasley?" Maddie snuck a look back to the twins who sat across from each other back with the Gryffindors.

"On the train Sunday, they-"

"Forget George, did you see Fred look at her?" Bri asked, incredulous.

"Both of them!" Maddie giggled.

"I've spoken to them all of twice! You guys are idiots." I laughed, every muscle in my body aching to peek at the twins behind me.

"Okay, let's do bets. Maddie you want George, I'll take Fred?" Bri began digging through her bag, pretending to look for change before I slapped her hand away.

"I don't know who I want! Give me a few days to figure it out." Madison tried to look back at the twins but I dragged her body back to face our group.

"By then she'll be with one or the other!"

"Okay fine, yeah, I don't know, I'll take George." Maddie agreed, shaking Bri's hand as I buried my face in my own.

"I need better friends."

"You've already made two, although I wouldn't say better for sure." Bri teased, poking my shoulders until I looked back up at the two of them and shook my head through a laugh.

"Let's go, we have charms." I slung my bag on my shoulder and finished my coffee in one gulp.

Chapter Text

I settled into a row near the front of the class next to Maddie and Bri, noting by the few students lining the front rows on the left side of the classroom wearing their tell-tale green and black that we were stuck with Slytherin. It was bound to happen eventually, and if it was going to, at least it was just Charms. I prayed not to have Potions with them as well, since whichever house was partnered with Slytherin with Professor Snape lost dozens of points a week for simply existing.

The door shut on it's own as the last of the students bustled in, and I noticed Professor Flitwick set his wand back on the desk before him. Hannah and a few last students had snuck in behind us and settled in the last few spots away from the Slytherins.

Professor Flitwick began his start of the term speech which most of us were used to by now. Charms can be difficult, some people will get them faster than others, practice makes perfect. I had never disliked Charms, as they came to me fairly easy, but I had Tommy to thank for that. Charms were his favorite subject, and he was always reading ahead in the books and teaching himself new tricks. He would teach me whatever they were working on that week in class in the common room if he wasn't too busy. Before I had even gotten my letter, Tommy was telling me how he knew I would be good in Charms, just like him.

Flitwick made our first day an easy one, allowing us to re-visit and review a few major charms from last year. Maddie, Bri and I took turns conjuring up dancing blue-bell flames and using immobulus to freeze them in place. Every September that I returned to school I was more relieved to see how easily I fell back into magic.

Care of Magical Creatures was not nearly as entertaining as we had all hoped. Of course the Gryffindor's and Slytherin had been the first to attend Hagrid's third year lessons and Draco Malfoy had to go and ruin the lesson for everyone else. They had gotten to pet and meet and study a real Hippogriff, and news had spread almost immediately that the frightening animal had let Harry ride him across the grounds before being practically dared to strike Draco down. If only he would have hit him just a bit harder.

We listened to Hagrid nervously list off details about the Hippogriffs and jotted down notes and tips for if we ever encountered one ourselves, which I had to admit outside of this class seemed next to impossible.

"Alright, off ye go. I figure I oughta give you a bit of time to get back up to the castles and all. Can't be late for your classes the first week." Hagrid said giving the class a wave as we all pushed books and quills into our bags, shouting thank you's and goodbyes to Hagrid as we headed up the hill back to the school.

The Hufflepuffs were in no hurry, of course, knowing our destination. Still, potions was held deep into the dungeons, which left little time to dawdle. We had barely made it ten steps down the staircase into the dark halls when I had to pull my robes back up. There was no point to them outside in the sun with Hagrid, but the chill was already seeping into my bones, and I was sure Professor Snape would be on the look out for a reason to deduct points from the class for wardrobe errors.

We finally reached the open doors leading into Snape's usual classroom. The cauldrons were set two to a desk, aligned with two chairs each and small fires giving off little to no warmth already lit underneath them. I looked between my two friends, remembering immediately how Snape broke us into pairs, not trios. Bri and Maddie returned my look, both glancing at the tables set for two awkwardly, trying to decide which of us was going to be dislodged from our group before Hermione rushed up to us.

"Cassidy, yes! We were so worried we would have potions with Slytherin like last year." She rambled quickly and I smiled at her, grateful as well to not have been paired with the Slytherin's. "Anyways, do you have a partner? Obviously Ron and Harry..."

I nodded quickly and matched her smile as she led us to the seats directly behind Ron and Harry, Bri and Maddie taking two behind us. This couldn't have worked out much better. Hermione was well known to be next to perfect in all subjects, potions included. I was decent as well, but I would use any chance I could get to keep from making the small mistakes Snape was always on the look for.

"Take your seats, pick a partner, I do not care who you pick or where you sit, just sit." Snape's voice shocked us all into silence and I sat up a bit straighter in my chair, looking to the front where he stood behind his desk and waved the door shut without even looking at it.

Hermione and I sat in silence and I peeked at her potions book which already had small notes sticking out of half of the pages. It was times like this I envied Hermione, or any of the other students from wizarding families, imagining how much better I could be if I too got a head start on the materials of every class. Father would be livid if he ever caught me reading one of "those" books, as he liked to refer to them, in his house. The same reason Tommy couldn't have his own broom and that neither of us could ever have an owl.

"Open your books to page eleven, and I hope you have all prepared yourselves for this term. There will be no reviewing from last year. You have learned and passed examinations for that year already and I should hope you've retained that knowledge. We will be making Confusion Concoctions today. Read the warnings and uses on page eleven before retrieving your scurvygrass, lovage and sneezeworts from the cabinets." His eyes fell on Hermione and I and lingered on my face a second too long. I was sure he was about to knock five points from Hufflepuff for a speck of dirt on my nose before I watched his eyes soften slightly. Even Snape pitied me for Tommy. I felt my heart rate quicken thinking of him and dropped my eyes to my hands in my lap, hoping Hermione couldn't hear the thuds in my chest. "Begin." I barely heard Snape speak before Hermione was sliding her stool back to race to the cabinets.

I grabbed her wrist before she could stand and she shot me an instant glare.

"I would pretend to read the instructions again, although I'm sure you've memorized them by now." I glanced at the notes stuck along the page and smiled. "If he sees us getting the ingredients before reading like he told us too..."

She nodded and sat back down next to me, pulling the book closer to us as I read, and she re-read, the pages.

"With you as a partner, I might never lose another point for Gryffindor." She beamed as we finally stood together and started for the supply cabinet. "Are you used to him bullying you too?"

I pulled a handful of the dried grass from the jar as Hermione broke off some long celery resembling lovage. "Yeah, something like that." I whispered, hoping she would drop it.

We worked in near silence, especially after Snape snapped at Justin Finch-Fletchley for his voice being 'much too chipper' and 'giving the entire room a migraine.' Hermione had finished slicing the lovage into equal sized cubes long before I was even half done grinding the scurvy grass.

"May I?" She asked, already reaching for the bowl.

I held back a laugh as I handed it over, knowing Hermione was even more of a perfectionist than I was. "Fine, but don't think I'll let you do all of the work every time, I'll start to feel guilty."

"Oh, please. We're always great partners! You're the only one I can handle studying with, no one else has the stamina." She joked, setting the now powdered scurvy grass back on the table and glancing at the book once more.

After prepping all of our ingredients, the actual making of the potion took us less than ten minutes. Class was nearly finished by the time Harry and Ron had all but given up, their potion not the right color or texture.

"Maybe one of us should have gone with them..." Hermione sighed, kicking Ron's chair. I held in a laugh again as he lurched around, appearing ready to storm out of class on the first day.

"Did you actually slice the lovage into the small cubes or did you just chop it and drop it in?" She lectured, reminding me of Professor McGonagall.

"Blimey, I don't know Hermione. Look at it, what d'you think!" He whispered, exasperated.

"Okay, just..." She consulted the neatly scrawled notes at the end of this chapter in her book. "Here it is, okay, so you can fix it you just need... I wrote three extra slices of borage, but start with two just in case. I only read about it, I've never actually tried to remedy one. Although, I've never messed one up of course-"

"Thanks Hermione." Harry stopped her and dashed with Ron over to the cabinet again.

"It's going to be a long term." She leaned her head against her fist and I giggled.

The boys had only had a few minutes to remedy their draught before Snape began to check each pair's work. He nodded at the first few rows of Hufflepuffs before arriving at Ron and Harry, his scowl deepening.

"Mr. Potter, does this look to be the correct consistency that your textbook stated?"

I watched Harry's shoulders fall, obviously holding in his original response he had come up with for Snape's question and glancing down at his book.

"Of course, of course, check your book. Obviously you didn't read it at the start."

Ron's face was a strange mix of red and pale white as he avoided the Professors glare.

"Thanks to Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, I think we shall all test out our potions. Only one of you need try per team. If prepared correctly, you should feel mildly confused for only an hour at the most. Nothing in this potion can harm you, unless of course one was to add an extra ingredient for some reason."

Snape turned from the boys in front of us to continue his walk around the class and Harry and Ron looked madly between one another and then back at Hermione.

"He's fibbing, Borage is perfectly harmless." Hermione replied matter of factly, as if they had asked if bread was poisonous.

"Well, I'm not trying it!" Harry raised his hands and Ron grimaced, giving Hermione another worried glance before lifting the ladle to his lips.

"Well at least this one doesn't smell foul. I swear everything we make in this room smells worse than a rotting troll." Ron dropped the ladle back into the cauldron.

Hermione was now looking at me, wide eyed, with her lip jutted out slightly and I realized what she wanted.

"Oh, I'll try it, I don't care." I grasped our ladle as well, knowing full well that Hermione would despise the feeling of confusion. No sooner had the thick green potion touched my tongue, I felt the ladle drop back into the cauldron. I could still see everything in the room, but it all looked rather fuzzy now.

"Oh, how is that fair. You two messed yours up, so now nothing happens, ours is perfect and now look." Hermione muttered, not realizing Snape had stalked up behind us.

"Well done, ladies. At least someone in this class knows how to read." I heard Snape's words but simply stared into the cauldron in front of me, watching the liquid swirl around and around.

"Class is dismissed. I trust the three of you can manage to help Ms. Olsen back to her dormitory." The mysterious voice from behind me drawled.

"Come on, Cassidy. We won't make you be Hermione's partner next time, alright? You can be mine, most you'll get then is a dud potion that tastes like rat piss." Ron joked and I raised my eyebrows to him, not understanding a word from his mouth.

"I've got her bag, Hermione." Harry said, appearing at my side and looping my bag over his own on his shoulder before linking his arm through my own as Hermione did the same.

"I don't know where the Hufflepuff common room is though..." Hermione said, obviously not used to not knowing anything.

"Cassidy, where's your dormitory?" Ron asked, trudging up the stairs to the main halls with us.

"My what?" I giggled, hearing Ron's voice but not understanding any of his words.

"Where do you sleep?" Harry re-phrased, still pulling me along.

"In my dorm!" I looked around, not sure where we were until I saw a vaguely familiar giant staircase to the second floor.

"What've we got here?" A voice hummed behind us and I craned my head to try and place it around Harry and Hermione's big heads.

"What's wrong with her?" A second, similar voice asked, as I finally pulled myself from the friends arms and saw Fred and George Weasley, wands out and looking at the four of us from near the brick walls.

"Snape had us practice confusion draughts, and made us try them ourselves." Ron complained.

"So how come she's the only one confused?" George laughed, putting his wand in the pockets of his robe when Fred did.

"Ron and my potion wasn't correct, apparently." Harry said nervously.

"Wonder if we should take her to Madame Pomfrey..." Hermione started, looking me up and down.

"No, you heard Snape, it'll wear off soon!" Ron said. "We're trying to get her back to her dorm, but... What are you two doing here anyway?"

"Peeves comes this way about this time every day, so we figured we would give him a back to school prank. Remind him who's really in charge now that term's begun." Fred winked at us.

"We know where her dorm is, don't we Freddie?" George's voice sounded teasing, but the trio didn't seem to pick up on it, and I was in no state to be deciphering tone.

"Yeah, we'll take her down." Fred started over to me and reached past me. I looked at his hand to see where it had gone and watched him grab my bag from Harry, throwing it around his shoulder and starting to reach for my hand before pulling away so quickly I almost wasn't sure if he had been going for it in the first place.

"Come on, Cass, let's get you to bed." George said cheerfully, throwing his hand around my shoulder and pulling me towards his twin.

"Yeah, I should go find Tommy, I haven't seen him all day." I sighed.

The twins eyes bulged and they looked quickly between me and the trio, who's mouths were all hanging open.

"What..." I said looking around disoriented.

"Nothing." Fred took a step back to George and I and pulled on my arm to get us moving again. "Come on Cassy."

Chapter Text

I drew another loop along my paper waiting for Bri to read my tea leaves. Professor Trelawney had gone over the way to "read" them twice, yet no one had seen anything solid in the bottom of our cups.

"Cassidy!" Bri hissed, jolting me back from my trance. All I had been doing since dinner yesterday was attempting to remember even a glimpse of the hour after potions. Harry, Ron and Hermione had come to find me at breakfast this morning to apologize and see how I was feeling. Hermione felt so guilty for making me take it in her place, but I reminded her that I offered, and that it hadn't been bad at all that I was aware of. I had no recollection of any of it.

At least until they had offhandedly mentioned the twins taking me back to my common room, since they were the only ones who could seem to remember where it was. I had felt my face burn red at once, but tried to seem like I didn't care. 'How nice of them.' 'They shouldn't have.' I must have been a disaster. How embarrassing.

Which left me here, ignoring the first Divination lesson of the year, trying to recall any piece of information from my walk with the Weasley boys yesterday. Any indication that I might have embarrassed myself. I could have showed them how to get into the Hufflepuff dorms, if they didn't already know. Just think of all the damage the Weasley twins could do with that.

"Quit obsessing, you were fine when you got inside, I hardly even noticed." Maddie nudged my arm and I hissed in pain. The slices in my skin were almost completely gone now, but I had grudgingly accepted by now that they would leave scars. The girls in our dormitory had asked the first night of course, when we all got into our pajamas for bed. I had planned a story the minute I saw Fred's eyes linger on the cuts which I used then. The official story of how my cat at home had lashed out at me. The cuts were deeper than that, I knew, but who was going to assume I was lying? No one here knew that my father would have never allowed us a cat. Too much work, too messy. Not that I would have ever asked for a pet. I would never have put any animal through what Tommy and I had gone through every day.

"Time is almost up! Has anyone found anything in their leaves? Miss Abbot?" She inquired, picking Hannah from our side of the room.

"Er... well this sort of looks like a rabbit here." Hannah grasped at straws and I clapped a fist over my mouth to stop from laughing.

"It's not like looking at clouds dear, do you see a rabbit or not?" Professor Trelawney grabbed for Maddie's teacup from Hannah's outstretched hands and turned it upside down before nodding a bit.

"Well Miss Abbot, I will say you might have the gift here. A rabbit it is. I'm sorry to say Miss..."

"Lockwood." Maddie whispered nervously when she realized Trelawney was looking at her.

"Miss Lockwood. A rabbit in your leaves symbolizes that you have a long way to go until you are successful in life. Nevertheless, don't let that get you down dear girl. Work extra hard, you'll get there. Divination can help you, if you have the Sight..." She trailed off, wandering to Bri and reaching for my cup. "Your cup, Miss Olsen?"

"Yes, Professor." I tapped my fingers nervously on my thigh waiting to hear of my certain death tomorrow.

"Well, dear girl. You're in luck, see." She leaned the cup down so both Bri and I could see into the leaves. "You've got the sun."

"The sun?" I looked to her confused and watched Bri flip ferociously through her book.

"The sun, great happiness." She smiled, and I bit the side of my cheek as I offered her a smile back. Perhaps the Tommy news had yet to travel all the way to her tower, but there was no great happiness in my life yet.

"In your future." She added, and I felt my eyebrows furrow for a second. "Just wait."

The girls and I scampered down the ladder back to the swirling steps underneath the divination classroom minutes later, after rinsing our teacups and setting them upside down to dry.

"What do we think? She might be a bit crazy, I'm not sure." Hannah said as we walked two and two back down to the second floor for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Definitely not," Bri smirked, "She was right about Cassidy's."

"How so?" I looked at her confused, but she simply nodded across the swirling staircases to the matching ginger twins bustling down the stairs after Peeves, everyones least favorite school ghost, except for the Weasley's.

"Great Happiness." She raised her voice in a scratchy tone imitating Trelawney and the girls burst into laughter, attracting the attention of Fred and George, who pulled on the railing and let Peeves get away.

"How are you feeling Cassy?" Fred called over to us, a wide grin visible even from here as we waited for our staircase to close back up with it's landing.

"I'm fine, don't bring it up!" I called back, joking and earning a laugh from the pair.

"Oh, no. We're bringing that up for a long time!" George called, his hands surrounding his mouth to magnify his voice.

"You owe us one for not leading you to Myrtle's bathroom or something!" Fred teased and I waved them off, finally stepping onto the landing and leaving the twins above us as the four of us found our class room.

"Why they didn't just take you back to their own dormitories, I wonder..." Maddie whispered and I slapped her hard as Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the room.

"Is it you the twins are yelling after?" Hermione asked, sliding into a desk behind me and the boys following suit.

"If they're still yelling, it's to themselves." I joked, earning a chuckle from Harry and Ron.

"Have you guys heard anything about Lupin?" Hannah turned to ask the group.

"Not really, but I suspect he's finally going to be a good professor for once. He got rid of the dementor from the train and knew how to remedy it's effects with chocolate. He knows some stuff, at least." Hermione said, the four of us shifted uncomfortably in our seats thinking back to the dementors.

"Good afternoon, class." Lupin came bustling through the doors and set a briefcase on the desk at the front of the class. "My name is Professor Lupin for those of you who don't know. I assure you I will learn all of your names as quickly as I can. But for today, I have something exciting for us to practice, if you'll all follow me?" He started back towards the same door he just entered and led the class down the hall. Hermione was right on his heels, practically racing him to see what they were to do, Ron and Harry right behind her.

When Lupin stopped, we were outside of the Professor's Staff Room. We all paused until Lupin opened the door and let us in one by one. Harry held the door for me and I stood behind him in the dimly lit room.

"Ah, Professor Snape! Care to stay for the lesson?" Lupin asked, friendly enough, although most likely already knowing the answer as Snape stood from his spot and headed past the groups of students.

"Best of luck, Lupin. You have Longbottom in this class, and I've yet to find a spell that he can perform."

I watched Harry tense up and his hands ball into fists.

"Neville, I'm sorry about that. Trust me, you will be fine today. I have the upmost faith in you. Alright class, gather around. Little closer while I explain. Today, we will be working on a Boggart. Does anyone know-"

Hermione's squeak cut the Professor off as her hand shot into the air.

"Yes, Miss Granger, is it?" Lupin asked, obviously biting back a smile.

"Yes sir, A boggart is a particularly tricky creature which takes the form of whatever a person fears most. Because of this, no one can ever truly know what the boggart actually looks like."

"Very good, Miss Granger, I can tell you've started your reading. Five points for Gryffindor." Lupin started to an oversized wooden wardrobe in the corner of the staff room, which I now noticed was slightly shaking back and forth. "As luck would have it, a boggart moved itself into this wardrobe earlier this week, and I have asked Dumbledore to let us have some practice with it."

Professor Lupin explained that one by one we would approach the Boggart once it was released from it's cabinet and it would become what the student feared the most. The way to get rid of the creature was through laughter paired with a new spell. Lupin told each of us to picture what we feared the most and then think of a way to make that fear a comical one.

Hermione whipped around to look at her friends and I could hear her whispering to them contemplating what he biggest fear was.

"Come off it Hermione, we all know it's going to be a giant F on an exam or something." Ron grumbled.

"And yours will just be a tiny spider." She bit back.

I looked Harry up and down before they turned to me, Ron and Hermione out of comebacks. I wondered, out of the horrors Harry had already seen in his life, which the Boggart would appear to him as.

"What do you figure yours will be?" Harry asked, softly, obviously wondering the same thing about me, although I had seen no horrors as great as his.

"Uh... I've no clue." I answered, not daring to ask for his. Many of the other students in line were sneaking looks back to Harry, obviously all wondering if we were all about to see You Know Who appear in this small room.

As Professor Lupin announced the start, Neville standing at the front of the line, his legs shaking so badly I was sure Justin would have to catch him before he fell to the ground any second. Lupin pointed his wand at the wardrobe and it shot open with a bang. The long black pant leg of Snape stepped out, shooting Neville a spot on glare and heading straight towards him.

"R... Ridikulus!" Neville sputtered out and with another bang, Professor Snape now wore an old patchy dress with a white crochet shawl and held a giant handbag. The class all roared in laughter, including Neville, and Professor Lupin gave him a short applause before sending him to the side and calling Justin forward.

The room was filled for the next fifteen minutes with bang after bang as we went down the line, watching mummy's and bugs and monsters straight out of horror films become humorous figures before it was finally our groups turn. Harry and Hermione took a large step back and I followed suit before Ron could realize he was now in front.

"Come on up, Ron. No need to worry, you've got this." Lupin encouraged from the side of the room as Ron grimaced and stepped forward.

With a bang, the Boggart turned into a large hairy spider, it's shiny black eyes all peering down at Ron as it advanced. I heard the whimper from Ron's lips before he raised his wand and screamed out the spell.

The spider began slipping around the room and I looked down to realize Ron had put him into rollarblades. The room erupted into laughter as Ron took a few steps to the side of the room and I realized it was my turn. My stomach was churning as I stepped in front of the spider now and with a bang it shifted into what I should have known it would be.

The dark gray clothes matched his black and gray hair and his eyes met mine with a murderous glance that I had seen too many times before to not know what was coming next. It felt like someone had set a weight on my chest. I could hardly get any breath in, much less think of the words to the spell. And even if I could, there was no way I could turn him into anything funny. I was frozen to my spot as my father took another step towards me and began to raise his hand towards my face.

Before I knew what was happening, I had sunk to the floor, crouched down and Professor Lupin was in front of me. My father was gone almost instantly and I heard Lupin yell Ridikulus at something that I couldn't see.

There was a long pause where no one spoke once Lupin had sent the boggart back into the cabinet and I clambered up from my spot on the floor. A few students were looking at me, but most eyes were trained on Lupin. I didn't have time to wonder what his boggart had turned into that had taken their minds off of my freak out.

"Alright, class, that's enough for today. Thank you all for your participation, I will see you next week. Have a great rest of your evening."

I shot for the exit but felt a hand on my arm and I gasped and yanked it away, looking back into Harry's shocked face.

"Cassidy, are you alright?"

I nodded, but I felt like I hadn't gotten a full breath since the boggart was Ron's spider.

"Miss Olsen, a moment if you will?"

I cringed and avoided the eyes of the trio as they filtered with the rest of the class out into the hall and I was left alone with Professor Lupin.

"Don't feel bad, it's a tricky spell, and the boggart's a tricky creature. You would have had it any minute, I have no doubt." Lupin lied, giving me a small smile.

"T-Thank you." I stuttered, my voice coming out quite small.

"I just wanted to make sure everything is okay with you? I don't want to intrude at all..." He trailed off.

"Yes professor. Thank you." I snuck a look behind me and he got the hint.

"You're free to go Miss Olsen. Good work, and please don't hesitate to come to me. If you ever need anything. All of the professors are always more than happy to talk to or help any students."

I plastered a smile on my face and nodded, trying to act like I had no idea what he was talking about, or why I would need help. That was all I needed. For anyone at school to find out about my father. For wizards to show up at his door and ask him if he was hurting me. The trouble I would be in if anyone from this world entered his, I could only imagine.

Chapter Text

It was after eight now. I was back in my dorm, Maddie had brought me a mug of tea when they had come back from dinner which was sitting cold on my night stand. I had tried to read, tried to work on some homework, but nothing was taking my mind off the events of class today. I was now laying in bed in my warmest pajamas with the blankets pulled up to my chin watching the sun lit clouds roll by in colors of pink and orange.

I would be fine tomorrow. I just needed a night. One night where I didn't have to pretend everything was okay when it wasn't. This was supposed to be my time away from him. But it wasn't the same without Tommy.

There was a knock at the door before it was pushed open and I saw Hannah, Bri and Maddie.

"Cassidy," Bri spoke slowly, waiting to see how I would react.

"Yeah, what's up?" I sat up slightly and leaned against my pillow to look over at my friends.

"Well..." Maddie started now, glancing between the other two. "Gryffindor's throwing a party. You know, for the first week?"

I knew. The Gryffindor common room was more often hosting a party than not. They had one for even the smallest of things.

"You guys go, I'm just gonna stay in tonight."

"No, come on Cass, it'll be no fun without you!" Hannah whined.

I sighed and tried to think of a good excuse that would make them go without me. Before I could form another word there as a tap at the glass window of our dorm and Maddie rushed to let the snowy white owl inside.

"Who's is this?" She asked, plucking the letter from the owls leg and giving her a pat on the head before she flew back out into the night air.

"Who's it for!" Hannah craned her neck to watch as Maddie unrolled the parchment.

"For Cassidy, of course." Maddie smirked and I sat back up. "Cassidy, Gryffindor's having a start of term party in our common room if you haven't heard. We'd all love to have you there! And you can bring some friends if you want, of course. The common room is on floor seven, if you head up the staircase from the great hall it's the farthest tower on your left.

Hope to see you soon,

Harry, Ron and Hermione" Maddie put a significant emphasis on Harry's name and the girls realized who's owl had brought the note.

"Come on Cassidy, you have to come, you have the entire Gryffindor quidditch team pining for you at this point!" Hannah teased as Bri's eyes lit up. The three headed to my trunk at the foot of the bed and began tearing clothes out of the case, looking for something suitable.

"Here, wear this top," Bri tossed a shimmery gold top at me and dug around some more until she found plain black leggings to go with it.

"Dress her like a Gryffindor slu-"

"Hey!" Maddie slapped Hannah's arm, cutting her sentence off.

"Guys, I said I wasn't going!" I whined, sinking back down under the covers.

"Yeah, that was before the Harry Potter sent you a personal invitation to your bedside." Bri said, yanking the covers down off my face and pushing me out of bed.

"Come on. It's the first party. You'll have fun, I promise, or we can leave. I swear!" Maddie said, sitting on the end of my bed and I groaned, dragging the clothes with me off to the bathroom to get ready.

"Do something with your hair, it looks like you've been laying in bed all day! Oh wait, you have!" Hannah yelled through the wooden door.

Nearly half an hour later, the girls and I were sneaking silently out of the common room so no one asked where we were off to this late. I pulled the long sleeves of the gold top down over my hands and clutched the note from Harry to lead us to Gryffindor tower.

After two rather lucky climbing breaks, due to the staircases moving as we were halfway up them, we made it to the seventh floor. We took a left like the note had said and wandered straight until we heard muffled music coming from a large painting of an also large woman, who appeared rather grumpy.

"Password?" She asked, resting her head on her fist.

"Oh... er..." I mumbled, glancing down at Harry's note again, but seeing nothing about a password.

"Oi, you lot, what do you think you're doing out here?" Fred asked, his voice causing the four of us to jump. Filch would have our necks for wandering this part of the castle so late.

"Obvious, innit Freddie? They came to party with the Gryffindors!" George smirked at us and I held up Harry's letter.

"We were invited, we're not crashing-" I started, but George cut me off.

"Of course you're invited, Cass." Both of the twins were balancing large bottles of what looked like pumpkin juice and fire-whiskey. "Mimbulus mimbletonia"

The portrait swung open at his words and the twins gestured for the four of us to climb through, not even seeming to notice the many bottles they were each juggling.

Once I climbed through I looked back and grabbed as many bottles as I could from Fred's hands so he could climb through as well.

"No, yeah, I've got my own, no worries!" George muttered, finally standing upright and setting his bottles next to Fred's on an oversized coffee table. The common room was much warmer than I had been standing out in the hall, and the music was a great deal louder inside as well. I looked around and smiled at the roaring fire a few feet in front of a set of mis-matched couches where I saw Hermione, Ron and Harry deep in a conversation sipping on what appeared to be the first round of drinks from the Weasley twins. The coffee table was now full on every side with different bottles. I stood awkwardly for only a second before Hermione noticed me and waved me over.

"You came!" She smiled as I headed over, Hannah, Maddie and Bri already talking to a fourth year they knew. I sat on the couch next to Hermione facing the boys.

"Yeah, thank you guys, it was nice of you to invite me."

"Oh, yeah. We looked for you at dinner, but-" Ron trailed off, looking back down at his drink, obviously not wanting to press me on the incident from class earlier.

"Oh, yeah. You must have just missed me." I lied. I caught Harry's eye quickly and gave him my best smile before I felt a weight sink into the couch next to me.

"Welcome to Gryffindor, Cassy." Fred spoke like a realtor showing off a house. "As you can see the common room boasts a large cozy fire, multiple drafty windows, high ceilings, great for pranks, the dormitories are right upstairs-"

"Oh, yeah Freddie, are they?" George mocked and I watched a slight pink rise on Fred's face as he shot red sparks right above George's hair.

"Oi, watch it." He warned, feeling the top of his head for any sign of fire.

"Harry, guys, come look at this!" Seamus called the trio over to a corner of the room where he, Dean and Neville were crouching over something. George craned his neck, obviously not able to resist his curiosity.

Their laughter echoed above the music and George finally hopped off his couch and scampered to join them, his face falling into laughter as well.

"You gonna go see what they're looking at?" I asked, not wanting to keep Fred from his idea of fun.

"No, I'm sure it's lame." He lied, standing from the couch and looking down at me. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Oh, um..." I stalled. This was the first party I had ever been to besides the occasional Hufflepuff quidditch victories, in which Tommy had always been there with a close eye on me making sure I wasn't drinking. But I never had any real interest in doing so. Something in the pit of my stomach only reminded me of my father's many lectures and threats about drinking. About parties as well, but here I was.

"I have pumpkin juice, you don't have to drink drink." Fred was still looking at me, nervously, as if he had offended me somehow.

"Yeah, sure. That's fine." I got to my feet next to him and followed him back to the table near the entrance where they had set the drinks. He grabbed two cups off the table and I smiled as the pile shot up two more, refilling the stack. "Did you charm the cups?"

"We're not just good looking in Gryffindor, we know spells too." He teased, shooting me a wink and it was my turn to feel my face go pink. I took the pumpkin juice from him and watched him pour himself an identical cup.

"You can drink, Fred, you went all the way down to sneak it-"

"Oh, Cassy, don't worry about me." He smirked, clinking our cups together dramatically. "Just not trying to puke, it's only the first party after all."

I smiled back at him and gave him a nod, glancing around the warm room at my friends. Fred nudged the arm not holding my juice and I followed him to a newer looking couch near the corner. It was clear this one was used much less frequently, most likely since it was away from the fire and the center of activity.

"Have a good first week back?" Fred asked, turning on the couch to face me. It was colder over here away from the fire, but I should have guessed the other houses would be colder, since I was so used to feeling like I was inside the Hogwarts ovens.

"Yeah, very. Hagrid's doing well, potions wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be until..." I pursed my lips remembering how my first potions class had ended.

"Snape's a total dick, making you try that potion." Fred bit back a smile.

"How embarrassing was I?" I chuckled, taking another sip of my drink.

"You weren't, no, not at all. You were... fine." He stammered and I looked up to see an odd look on his face.

"What? What did I do!" I exclaimed, letting my face fall into my hands.

Fred

I bit back my smile as I watched her hide her face in her hands. This close to her with just the light from the fire across the room, I realized her hair wasn't just blonde, like I had thought. There were warm reddish-orange strands strewn through her head and she had light brown freckles lining her nose.

"What did I do, Fred." She tried to put on her best glare and I couldn't contain my laughter.

"You think you're scary, Cassy?" I took another sip of my drink and watched a smile creep through her pout. "You didn't do anything bad, you didn't really speak much at all. We brought you back, waited until you got inside, it was all good." I rambled on, not wanting her to know what she had said about going to find Tommy. I wasn't going to bring him up tonight. I just wanted her to have a good night and enjoy a party.

"Well, thank you anyway. You didn't have to walk me back."

"Wasn't your fault you were like that." I shrugged. I thought I would feel more nervous around her. Especially this close, all by ourselves.

"What?" She asked softly, giving me a questioning look.

"What?" I chuckled.

"You're just staring at me!"

"I'm just glad you came tonight. I heard you had a rough afternoon." Her small smile that had shown up at the first sentence dropped from her face in less than an instant.

"What?" I watched her eyes fill with panic and I thought about back peddling, dropping the whole conversation.

"Ron said, with the boggart. I mean, those suck, I get it." I still watched her face closely as she took a large gulp, finishing her drink.

"No, it was okay. It went fine."

"Who was he?" I asked, noting how nervous she seemed out of no where.

"Who?" She asked, her voice sounding small now.

"The man. Ron said yours was a man. Nearly as frightening as Snape, he said." I tried to joke, but she didn't laugh. Simply looked up at my face, looking confused.

"Mine wasn't a man. I don't know what Ron's on about."

"It wasn't?" I turned to look at Ron as if I believed her, but I didn't. Maybe Ron wasn't the brightest, but he wouldn't just lie about something this random. Maybe he had gotten it wrong though. "What was it?"

"My-My boggart? It was a clown." She answered, shrugging and avoiding my eyes. "But Lupin like ended it right before I could get rid of it, you know, we must have run out of time."

"That idiot. Is the clown scarier than Snape?" I tried to joke, nudging her arm and she shot me the same smile I had watched her use on her friends at breakfast in the Great Hall.

"Not even close. I'm out of juice."

"Well, let's get you a refill then miss." I took her cup from her hands and noticed them shaking slightly. Maybe she was really afraid of clowns.

Chapter Text

I followed Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville back down the marble stairs at a snails pace. History of Magic could quite literally bore you to death, in fact, many students think that's how Professor Binns died.

The five of us were discussing the newest sheets which had been posted in each common room this morning; the sign up sheets to visit Hogsmeade. As soon as I had gotten mine in the mail, I knew there was no point in bringing the permission slip up to father. Not a chance in hell would he have voluntarily sent me into a wizarding village with my friends to get into trouble. I remember the beating Tommy had gotten when he had decided to ask the year before. The deep bruises didn't leave his skin until well into the school year, both of us spewing a story of a crazy fist fight Tommy had been in with a muggle boy back home.

I should have guessed that Harry was in the same boat. It was no secret that Harry's aunt and uncle tried their best to make the boy miserable any way they could.

"But Harry, you've got to come. It won't be the same without you." Ron seemed more upset about Harry's misfortune than Harry himself. "Can't you ask McGonagall? She's like your guardian anyway, she's head of Gryffindor."

For a second, my ears perked up. Maybe... but no. Even if McGonagall signed Harry's, he had no real parents. Everyone knew his aunt and uncle were rubbish. What did I have to tell Professor Sprout? My dad said no, so it's a no.

"Already asked her. She said no. Maybe next year, as if the Dursley's will be any less terrible then." Harry sighed.

"I'm in the same boat, Harry. My dad said no." I partially lied. He hadn't technically said no to me, but I figured I would spare myself some more bruises to have to try and explain away.

"Well, there. At least you'll have each other. You can hang out and get some homework done and we'll bring you back some-"

"Jeez, Hermione, you trying to depress them? Stay in the castle and do homework, see you later!" Ron looked at her incredulously.

"What's this? No Hogsmeade times two?" I gasped and jumped back as Fred's arms surrounded my shoulder, relaxing when I realized it was him, George on Harry's side.

"Yeah, make them feel worse about it, why don'cha?" Ron warned the twins.

"Not at all!" George exclaimed, a smile spreading on his face. "We can get you lot to Hogsmeade, don't you worry."

"How?" Harry asked, looking hopeful for the first time since we had begun talking.

"We'll explain later, we have to go now. Can't be late for potions."

"You don't have potions today..." Ron started.

"We're not learning, we're pranking!" Fred gave us a sarcastic bow.

"A payback for the confusion draught, perhaps." George muttered, loud enough for the five of us to hear before Fred shoved him against the wall and they ran off, bickering.

"Harry, you really shouldn't listen to the twins. I know you want to come to Hogsmeade, but there's a reason you need a permission slip signed. There's a reason McGonagall said no. You have to at least wait until they catch Black." Hermione rambled on, looking nervous.

I privately agreed. Not for the reason of Sirius Black, but rather the same reason Tommy and I were always on our best behavior. The fear of a letter going home from Hogwarts detailing our misbehavior.

"Might as well hear them out, right Cassidy?" Harry looked at me hopeful that I would take his side, and I had to agree. It couldn't hurt to at least know what the twins had in mind.

With our last class of the day done, I said goodbye to the Gryffindors and continued down the hall while the climbed the stairs to their tower. I walked in silence, thinking of Hogsmeade. It was really for the best that I didn't go. I couldn't risk getting in trouble, and I should be saving my money anyways if I wanted to move out after seventh year. I had to move out after seventh year. Besides, how fair was it that Tommy, who had tons more friends than I had, missed out on his Hogsmeade trips and I was going to cheat my way there?

I jumped nearly two feet in the air when I heard a series of booms from far behind me, followed by the two mops of red hair racing down the hall in my direction.

"GO CASSY, RUN!" Fred raced past me and grabbed my arm to pull me along when I hadn't moved yet.

"What did you do?" I hissed, but the twins ignored me, skating around a corner.

"Come on, we can hide behind-" George stopped short when we all heard it. McGonagall's stern voice talking to Flitwick, both pairs of shoes clacking against the stone floor.

"Come on, trust me." I yanked the twins arms, feeling Fred follow me right away but George hesitated. "Trust me, George, trust me!" I hissed softly and broke into a brisk walk straight towards the professors voices, coming to a halt a mere centimeter from smacking into them.

"Miss Olsen? Mr and Mr Weasley," She looked behind us as if to check if the explosion noises had in fact come from that hall.

"Sorry, Professor, we were just coming to look for someone. We thought we heard..." I pretended to look to the right and then to the left, now seeing a white smoke coming from the hallway which lead to the dungeon steps. "Oh no..."

I watched the two teachers eyes scan the Weasley twins before deciding that they were in the clear for this crime, having been on another floor entirely as it would seem.

"Must be Peeves, Professor." Fred shook his head in mock disgust.

"Thank you all for coming to look for help. Five points for each of you. I would advise you stay clear of this area, who knows what that poltergeist is up to." She mumbled, restarting her rush to the dungeons with Flitwick trotting at her side.

"Merlin, Cassidy, that was brilliant! She'd never suspect you!" George draped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in for a short hug.

"Ten points, Georgie. We've never earned Gryffindor so much as one point!" Fred smiled, but not at George. His brown eyes met my blue ones for a second too long. I felt my stomach twist and I looked at my boots on the floor nervously.

"Well, Snape deserved it, and so does Peeves." I laughed. "What did you two do down there anyway?"

"Just a few fireworks, Cass, nothing big." Fred shot me a dangerous smirk.

"So anyways, you ready to learn how to get to Hogsmeade? Maybe tomorrow after class?"

I paused. I did say I would hear them out. Besides, they wouldn't care if I ended up not wanting to go. "Sure, yes. Where?"

"Meet us after your last class in the stairwell on the third floor, east side."

"Got it. See you then. Try and stay out of trouble the rest of the night, yeah?"

"Yes mum!" George called as the twins sauntered off.

Chapter Text

My classes seemed never ending the Friday I was supposed to meet the twins. Even Defense Against the Dark Arts dragged on, despite how nervous I had been to return to it after last week. Today, no boggarts were to be found. Lupin instead spoke of spells that are safe for animals you need to get away from but not harm.

When he finally released us and set us our first homework assignment of the term, I rushed to the staircase and climbed one flight until I was where the twins said to meet. I leaned against the wall for a few minutes until I heard the double doors burst open and Fred walked over to me alone.

"Sorry, Sorry. George got held up. Sorry I'm late."

"You're fine, Fred. I've been here barely five minutes."

Fred's face twisted into an almost guilty expression for making me wait and then nodded down the hallway where three stone statues, chipped and weathered stood along the wall.

"Alright, so, you know George and I have a knack for... well-"

"Mischief?" I smirked, earning a grin back from the ginger.

"You could say. Well anyways, over the years, we've become a bit obsessed with finding these... Well... I'll just show you."

Fred reached into his robe and pulled his wand out, tapping a particularly unpleasant looking statue of a witch with one eye on the head.

"Dissendium."

Before I could question what he was doing, the statue slid to the right, exposing a small crevice only a very skinny person could slip through. Lucky for the twins and myself, as well as Harry who I assumed they had shown this too as well, we all fit that description.

"That's wild!" I whispered excitedly, looking up and down the hall nervously.

"Come in, i'll show you. Don't want to be caught out here though."

He was right. He stepped in and I watched him drop about a foot or so before landing on a dirt path and reaching up for my hands. I hesitated shyly but decided being down there was better than getting caught breaking the rules, and at this point the walls.

I took Fred's hands and let him pull me down next to him, trying to keep my face steady and not allowing myself to blush. His hands were warm which felt nice after standing in the cool hallway and now dropping into the freezing tunnel.

The statue slid shut, plunging us into near darkness and I unconsciously stepped nearer to Fred.

"Lumos." He whispered, his wand shining down the tunnel. "No worries, it gets lighter as you walk too. The tunnel's a straight shot to the sweet shop in Hogsmeade, there's just one turn near the end but it's all boarded up. This is the only tunnel left that leads out to town, the rest have all caved in, or there's a few Filch patrols. Too risky. He'll never find this one though, seeing as you need magic and all."

"How do you get out?" I asked, looking back to the wall we came through which was now sealed shut.

"Oh, one sec." He pulled a crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket and tapped it with his lit wand, muttering something under his breath. "Okay, coast looks clear."

"What do you mean 'coast looks clear,' how would you know?" I asked, trying to steal a glance at what now looked like a map.

"Mind your business, Olsen." He teased, walking to the wall and repeating the spell from earlier.
He grabbed the leg of the statue and pulled himself out, looking both ways before pulling me up to join him.

The witch slid closed once again and I turned back to Fred.

"So this is what you showed Harry, too?" I asked, thinking that if I did decide to attend the tunnel, Harry and I could walk together.

"Er... that's the plan. George and I are kinda stalling... Thinking it over."

"What? Gatekeeping the rule breaking?" I teased, matching the smile that my joke had earned me.

"It's just... God mum would kill us if she found out we let Harry out. I mean, Sirius Black and all. And Harry has shit luck with coming face to face with his own death."

"Oh, so Harry's life is sacred, but send Cassidy off to the murderer!" I faked offense and threw my hand over my chest.

"Oh shut up." He said hurriedly, "I just thought... I mean people say Sirius is looking for Harry."

"Mhm, right!"

"Well, and I was thinking... George and I would take you. You know, show you around."

I felt the now familiar butterflies flutter in my chest as I sucked in a soft breath, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Yeah, I'd like that. I'm... I mean I'm not sure, 100% that I'm going to go."

"Why wouldn't you? You've gotta see Hogsmeade at least once, it's beautiful. And when they put all of their Christmas decorations out, it's-" He trailed off when he caught me smiling at his animated descriptions. "Well, think about it. It's still two weeks away."

"Yeah, I will. Thank you, Fred, for showing me. It's impressive, you and George."

"Thank you, maybe you could write to our mum? She never understands just how impressive we really are!" He winked. "I gotta grab some dinner before quidditch practice. Are you... Will you be at the game tomorrow? It's, um, Gryffindor/Hufflepuff."

I hadn't even realized. Any other year, I would have been waiting for Hufflepuff's first match for weeks, watching Tommy head off to practices every night and return covered in mud and sweat and badly needing a shower.

"Yes." I decided. "Wouldn't miss it."

I awoke the next morning when the a large crack of thunder rang through the window and stretched my arms above my head. The quidditch match wasn't for hours, but I could head down and get some breakfast in a bit. I snuck silently from bed and fumbled through my trunk. It was pouring out, but they had never cancelled a match for the weather in my time here, nor Tommy's...

I pulled out a yellow hoodie and raincoat and opted for a pair of black yoga pants in hopes of staying warm in the stands. Once I was dressed I tiptoed to the bathroom. I had wanted to do something with my hair, but seeing the weather I decided on braids, knowing my hood would be up all day.

"Hannah," I hissed at the end of her bed. "Hannah!" No answer. I tried Bri. "Bri, are you going to the match?"

"What? No? Go back to bed." She muttered without so much as opening her eyes.

"Maddie." Last shot. "Madison! You going to the match?"

"Yeah maybe... If I wake up. Prolly not." She turned over facing away from the window and I sighed. I wished I could sleep my days away like the three of them, but I was used to being woken up early.

I left the common room, the walls closing behind me and ran straight into the twins.

"Breakfast is not down here, you know." I fake scolded, seeing them in their quidditch robes and each sporting one of the schools brooms, the looks of which I recognized at once, since that's all Tommy had been allowed as well.

"We were coming to tell you," George started.

"You don't have to come, it's pouring out there. Lightning too." Fred finished for his brother. A habit the pair seemed to do a lot.

"No, I'm coming! It's the first match, and..." I trailed off, not wanting to bring Tommy up. "I'm coming."

"Okay, well hopefully you'll be able to see us in the storm! Everyone knows people only come to these matches for the beaters." George winked and I let out a laugh as we passed by the kitchens and headed up to the Great Hall.

"Ooh, look how cute you look!" Hermione cooed, her own hair even messier than normal, most likely due to the weather. Harry looked up at her words but looked away almost instantly, probably nervous for the first match in this kind of weather. How was he supposed to see a small gold flying ball amidst the lightning strikes around him?

"She's wearing the wrong colors though, but we'll forgive her this once. Gotta get you some scarlett, Cassy." Fred smirked, laying his arm on my shoulder once again and I shuddered under his touch.

You have to stop doing that.

The three teammates scarfed down their breakfast before grabbing their things and scampering down the tables to the exit. Ron, Hermione and I finished our juice before finally getting up to follow them. Hermione tried a seemingly difficult spell which would keep the water off us for our walk to the quidditch pitch, but it worked for just three seconds before we were drenched again.

"Gotta practice that one."

"Where'd you learn that?"

"It's in Quintessential Magic, the sixth years are learning it right now. Controlling the natural elements."

"Bloody Hell Hermione, just skip grades already. You're making us look bad." Ron complained, earning matching laughs from the two of us.

We finally reached the stands, dripping extra water onto the wood beneath our feet as we climbed the slippery steps to the top for the best view.

"Any of your friends coming, Cassidy?" Hermione asked before we took a seat.

"Uhm, I would guess not. They're more a fan of sleep than quidditch."

"Well sit with us then!" She patted the sopping seat next to her, using a quick charm again to repel the water from the bench before I sat down.

We had arrived early enough to get good seats, but we didn't wait long. The team came out of the locker rooms after a short while and I saw the twins matching red hair right away. It would be easy to keep an eye on the pair of them, even in this storm. I watched one of them walk towards the Hufflepuff captain, Cedric Diggory and shake his hand. The teams were never hostile towards each other, apart from Slytherin of course, but they didn't usually go out of their way to shake hands, aside from the two captains at the start of each match as directed by Madame Hooch.

"What's Fred doing?" Ron asked, squinting at his brothers through the thick sheets of rain.
Before Hermione or I could formulate a guess, Lee Jordan's voice rang out over the speakers, signaling the match was about the begin.

"Welcome all to the first match of the year! I'm Lee Jordan, your source for all of your Quidditch Match information and spectation-"

"Lee." McGonagall said warningly from the seat behind him.

"Right, Professor. Joining the field we have Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, lead by Captains Oliver Wood and Cedric Diggory! But before the match, the Hufflepuff team has a, er... well." He paused awkwardly and everyone turned to look at the teams on the ground.

Cedric turned his wand toward the locker room wall and with a barely audible bang, a banner shot down with moving pictures of last years team. My eyes scanned for only a second before I saw him, his school broom thrown over his shoulder and a laid back smile on his face. I looked back to the field to see Fred and George's knees hit the mud, sinking a few inches down. Harry sank after them and the rest of the Gryffindor's followed, the Hufflepuffs sinking down to match. I felt the prickle of tears in my eyes and I thanked God for the rain. Hermione and Ron snuck glances at me as if I couldn't see and then shot their sights back to the field.
When I looked back down, the teams were standing up to a roaring applause from the stands, a tribute to Tommy. But my eyes were on Fred, staring straight up at me, yet I was sure he couldn't see up here through the rain.

Once the captains shook hands, Madame Hooch's whistle signaled the boys to push up from the mud. Harry circled the field madly, appearing as if he had about five millimeters line of sight. The fiery hair of the beaters was easy to pick out, chasing down bludgers and hitting them to wherever they saw flashes of yellow.

Half an hour in, it was still tied at 10 points, mostly due to the fact that the quaffle was slippery and kept falling out of the players hands. Harry and Cedric circled the pitch over and over, staying as high as they could without being absorbed into the clouds.

I was painfully cold now, the chill creeping into my skin, almost into my lungs, before I realized I wasn't just cold. I was freezing and everything was still and quiet. Just like the train.
It felt like everyone say them at once, the dementors long cloaks dragging below in the wind as they swam through the air at the teams.

Hermione and my scream mingled into one as we watched everything in slow motion. Harry catching sight of the dementors, Cedric's fingers closing around the golden snitch at the opposite end of the field, not yet noticing the cloaked creatures, Harry's face going white as he slipped from his broom. The twins noticed him much too late, but still dove toward him as he fell, hoping to catch him mid air before we heard Dumbledore's yell.

"Arresto Momentum!" His voice echoed over the pitch, louder even than the storm. We watched Harry's body slow until he hit the ground with a light thud, softened as well by his landing in the mud as opposed to solid dirt.

Hermione Ron and I started for the field, but we were no match for the crowds that swarmed around us. By the time we reached the stairs and got a glimpse of the field, Harry was already on a stretcher being floated over the ground and back up towards the school, accompanied by Dumbledore himself.

Chapter Text

I felt shakey and found it difficult to catch my breath, unsure if it was from watching our friend fall fifty feet through the air, the dementors toll on everyone near them, or the bone chilling rain that hadn't stopped all morning. Ron and Hermione had left the second our feet hit the mud, saying they were headed to the infirmary if I had wanted to join, but not slowing for even a second for me to decide. I hadn't even considered what I would do next. I knew Harry's bedside would be a crowded one. From what I heard, it usually was. Between professors, friends, Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore himself, it was a wonder he ever got any time to rest up.

I had wandered the now emptying pitch for a while before I watched the two teams burst back through the locker room doors, most of Gryffindor rushing back up towards the school, no doubt to check on their seeker. Fred and George were on Wood's heels, but stopped when they saw me. I watched George give me a nervous smile and saw him mutter something about the infirmary to Fred who didn't follow him. His face was painted with worry, but he stood a few feet from me, ankles deep in what was hardly even mud at this point, but rather a pool of rain water.

"D-Do they know anything? Did Wood say?" I stammered, half from nerves and half from the cold. I wrapped my arms over my chest and blinked some raindrops from my eyelashes.

"We don't know anything, McGonagall went up with Dumbledore right away. Wood's up there now. He feels awful, of course, but it wasn't his fault. I can't believe they came anywhere near the field, it's ridiculous." He grumbled and I took a few more steps towards him, wanting nothing more at this moment than to get back to the school and get dry, and I was sure Fred's mind was entirely with Harry in the hospital wing.

"Hey, it's alright. He's gonna be okay." Fred reached out to brush against my arm but dropped his hand away when he saw me flinch. I had told myself to keep an eye on that reflex, but being near the dementors again wasn't helping. Whenever they were near, all I could feel was the same feeling of dread I was so used to anytime I would hear my father's car pull into the driveway, hear his footsteps coming up the stairs and not knowing if it was to my room or Tommy's.

"Uh, yeah. I really think so, I mean it was a long fall, but Dumbledore... the spell." I muttered, looking up into his warm brown eyes and trying to steady my breathing.

"Come on, Cass, you look frozen. Let's go, I'm gonna go see Harry, I can drop you at your room first if you-"

"No, I... I'd like to see Harry, if you're going. I'll leave obviously if there's too many people there, I don't want to overwhelm him."

"Yeah, come on." He nudged me forward with his elbow since his hands were tucked into his quidditch robes. He had obviously left part of the beater's uniform in the locker room, but he was still painted head to tow with mud and dripped dark water onto the stone walk way as we neared the school.

With only a few more steps until we would cross the threshold to the oversized double doors into the Entrance Hall, Fred threw his arm in front of me and I jolted to a stop.

"Here, I'm not in the mood to hear Filch screaming about the mess. Scourgify." He grumbled, retrieving his wand and blasting both of our boots clean in one go.

"Oh, thanks, I thought I'd be scrubbing these for days." I watched the clear rain drip from my brown boots in awe.

"George and I had to learn that one early. If you make enough messes, you learn how to fix them." He shoved the great wooden door open and let me in first. I watched my breath cloud up one last time before I felt the warmer air of the castle.

"Thank God." I mumbled, rubbing my hands together quickly, feeling the start of warmth return to them.

"Merlin, you could pass for a ghost, Cassy." Fred muttered, unzipping his robes and dropping them off his arms so he could pull off his somewhat dry hoodie. "Here, it's a bit less soaked than yours."

"No, I'm fine Fred, you keep it, you've been flying around in-" I pushed the sweatshirt back to him but he shook his head firmly.

"My hands aren't nearly blue Cassidy. Take it."

I swallowed nervously from his tone and nodded, taking the warm sweatshirt from him and slipping it over my own, my hands sliding into the front pockets instantly.

"Thanks." I shot him a small smile before he turned towards the main staircase. This would lead us to the infirmary, which was probably why these steps didn't change places. That's just what Harry needed was to be stuck by magical stairs on his four hundredth trip to the hospital wing.

"And..." I started, unsure of how to bring this up, and not wanting to break into more tears. "Thank you, if you um... the banner for Tommy."

Fred's eyes flittered to me for only a second before returning to the stairs, as if worried he would trip up the stairs he had been up and down thousands of times before.

"That wasn't me, that was Diggory."

He was lying. I could tell by the faint trace of pink beneath his freckles.

"Oh... Okay. Well, it was... it was really nice, knowing that they all miss him. Think about him." I barely choked out the last word, but thankfully Fred didn't turn to look. "You didn't all have to get muddy like that. Thank you."

"He deserved it, Cass. He was a good guy." Fred shot me a sad smile as we finally reached the fourth floor and hung a right into the infirmary doors, guessing immediately which bed was Harry's.

Madame Pomfrey was speaking softly to Professor McGonagall who nodded to Fred as he joined his friends. Ron and Hermione were on either side of Harry's head, Hermione holding a rolled up brown parchment like one you'd wrap a present in.

"No." Fred moaned, and I looked to his face shocked before realizing he wasn't looking at Harry. He was looking at the bundle in Hermione's arms. "What happened to it?"

"Harry's fine, by the way." George joked lightly, "But no, he's upset about the broom."

"That was our fastest broom." Fred grumbled back, "And I don't see you lot crying over his dead body, so I'm guessing he's doing alright then?"

"Madame Pomfrey said he should be waking up within the next hour, but she can't say for sure. I do wish he would hurry, I have two papers due tomorrow."

"Then go Hermione, why do you want to be here when we tell him. 'Oh, hello Harry, good to see you mate. You fainted again, in front of the whole school, lost the match to Hufflepuff, er... no offense Cassidy, and oh yeah, your broom's in about three thousand pieces." Ron huffed.

At Ron's last word, Harry let out a soft groan and his eyes blinked open. "What the hell?"

"Blimey, you gave us a scare, Harry." George patted him on the shoulder, eliciting another groan. "Sorry, forgot about the falling from fifty feet and all."

"I fell?" Harry looked around confused. "Did... Did we lose?"

The twins and Ron looked at him with grim smiles, as if to say it was okay.

"You couldn't have done anything differently, Harry. The entire game went to shit as soon as they came on the field. The dementors." Fred explained, and I shivered unnoticeably next to him.

"Sure, and did anyone else fall off their broom?" Harry looked enraged with himself, before looking between his friends. "Where's my broom?"

The twins looked at their feet, avoiding eye contact with the trio, and Ron glared at Hermione pointedly.

"Where's my broom Hermione?" Harry asked again, staring into her eyes.

"Oh, Harry..." She whimpered, unfolding the parcel onto his bed on his lap. "There was nothing they could do. They tried everything. It... It flew right into the Whomping Willow."

"And you know, the Whomping Willow... It doesn't like getting hit." Ron finished her story.

We had a few more minutes before Madame Pomfrey angrily shooed us outside, claiming, correctly, that Harry would never feel any better without some rest.

"Feel better Harry." I called back before the doors shut behind our group.

"Come on, I'll walk you to your dorm." Fred said, sounding exhausted.

"Oh, no. You don't have to, you're close to your tower anyways." I took a step towards the staircase but he followed.

"Let him walk you, Cassidy, he's already got one mate in the infirmary." George called to us, shooting us an odd smile. "And glad to see you're wearing the right colors now."

I looked down and remembered I was in Fred's hoodie and let out a small laugh as the group headed up the stairs leaving the two of us in silence.

"They should have a re-match. I mean, they really should, it's just the right thing to do." I started as we walked side by side down the steps.

"I wish they would, but they won't. Diggory had the snitch in his sight before Harry even noticed the dementors." He grumbled slightly, and I tried not to let out a giggle at his attitude. "It'll all work out. It's Wood's last year to get the House Cup though, and he won't let any of us forget it. He'll have us practicing through the night now."

We finally made it to the last floor of the stairs and I breathed in the warmth seeping from the kitchens. I opened my mouth to tell Fred he could get back to his room, he didn't have to walk me down the hall, but his voice cut mine off.

"Are you hungry? We've missed lunch..." His eyes flickered to the double doors of the kitchen and I shook my head, shooting him a knowing look.

"You shouldn't bother them! They're always working in there! They have no free time!"

"Oh, come off it. I would have thought the Hufflepuffs would all have the house elf hook ups being this close to them all the time."

"No, we hardly see them! We don't make them do extra work for us-" I stopped when I saw him peak through the fogged up square window in the doorway and the door was opened by three small house elves, looking tired but never happier to see Fred.

"Mr. Weasley!" They sang, stepping aside to let him in and he gestured for me to follow. I shook my head to myself and stepped to his his side, following him into the sweet smelling kitchen.

"Hi Roory, Meemy, and... Hi, I don't know you." He bent down to attempt to be their height, although no where close.

"I'm Pooky, sir. It's a pleasure." The house elf gave Fred a bow and he smiled uncomfortably back at me.

"Well, we just stopped in after the quidditch match. We're going to wash up, we must look a fright, but we were just a bit hungry, and thought maybe-" Fred couldn't have hinted harder if he tried, but the house elves looked elated to be able to gift him something.

"Oh, Mr. Weasley, what can we get you, sir? We have fresh made pumpkin bread, we have blueberry scones, some grilled cheese, turkey noodle soup," Their list seemed never ending and I felt guiltier with every word. I would have sooner went hungry until dinner than asked the elves for anything.

Not five minutes later, Fred and I were thanking the elves and continuing down the hallway to the Hufflepuff common room, our arms overflowing with loaves of pumpkin bread, sandwhiches, cartons of soup, and a large canister of coffee.

I didn't know what Fred's plan was, but he was more than welcome to eat our lunch in the common room. I didn't think anyone would object to having one Gryffindor in our house for one meal. Before I could even consider how to invite him in, however, his was rapping the familiar rhythm onto the barrels leaning on the stone walls.

"How do you-" I felt the pieces click in my brain as the barrels slid open and we headed through the new passage. "I taught you two how to get in when I was confused that day, huh?"

"Well, we would have figured it out eventually. The only house that eludes us is Ravenclaw, since it's always some sort of stupid riddle. Once in a while we get lucky, but-" I elbowed him jokingly and shook my head.

"You're going to get me kicked out of this place Fred."

"Well, Gryffindor's always open." An easy smirk spread across his face as I lead him to our couches in front of the fire place. Ours wasn't lit as frequently as I assumed Gryffindor's was, way up in the chilly towers, since we were all usually warm enough already, but someone had made the good call to light it today thanks to the storms.

I dropped my tray of food onto the table and sank into the couch, the mud long set into our clothes by now. Fred collapsed inches away from me and unwrapped his food without a second thought. My previous guilt for visiting the kitchens melted away when I saw his pumpkin bread. It was my favorite food from Hogwarts, one that I had never had until I had come to school.

"I never thought I would be this thankful to be somewhere this bloody hot." Fred laughed before pouring himself a mug of coffee and stirring two sugar's in.

"I love it here," I smiled, tucking my cold feet under my legs. "I'm always freezing at home, I sleep better here."

I looked up and watched Fred's smiling face look back to his meal when he caught my eye.

We talked a bit more between mouthfuls of food, and sips of coffee before Fred stood back up, gathering both of our nearly empty trays and I looked at his hoodie on me again.

"Here, I hope it won't smell like wet dog, I can have them wash it and bring it to you-" I felt Fred pull the bottom of the hoodie back down just as I had been about to pull my arms out of the sleeves.

"Keep it. I told you I'd get you some scarlet." His brown eyes were almost as bright as his smile.

"You're gonna want it back, though!" I tried to fight back, even though I wanted nothing more than to stay in this sweater all week.

"I have two more, Cassy, they give us one every year!" He held the trays in one hand, hesitating, and for a moment I wondered if he was going to reach out for me, for a hug maybe.

"Okay, Freddie, if you're sure." I said, teasingly, deciding if he could make up a nickname for me, I could return the favour.

"Oh no. No." He warned me with a sly smile. "I'm not six years old anymore."

I let out a few giggles as I followed him to the exit.

"Thank you. For walking me. And for lunch. And..." I couldn't say Tommy, since he had denied it, but I knew he was involved.

"You're welcome." His smile lit up his entire face. Like the sun.

Like the sun.

The walls shut behind him and I leaned against the wall, falling to the floor and breathing in the subtle scent of his sweatshirt.

When did this happen? When did I fall for Fred Weasley?

Chapter Text

The final days leading up to Halloween had been excruciating. Mostly due to the fact that everyone was itching to go on the first trip to Hogsmeade, but had to sit through the rest of the weeks classes. The wait was made worse by Ron's grumbling and Harry's sulking since the twins had yet to show Harry the passageway through the one eyed witch, always finding an excuse or telling him it wasn't "ready" yet. The pair had asked at least a dozen times if the twins had mentioned anything about their secret plan, and each time I had to shrug and lie. No, I hadn't even thought of it. No, they haven't seem to have had the time.

Finally, Friday had come to an end. After an informative lesson from Lupin on Nocturnal Beasts, or as Hagrid would have called them, 'pets,' The class sprang from their seats, paying no attention to how their books and quills landed in their bags.

"Cassidy!" Harry called, grabbing hold of my wrist and jumping back as if he had been shocked when he felt me flinch.

"Yeah?" I asked, my eyes boring into his green ones, begging him not to mention it.

"Er... Tomorrow's the Hogsmeade trip. I was just thinking, you know, if you don't have anything to do, we could hang out. I dunno if you play quidditch, or chess? Or we could go see the Black Lake before it frosts over." He rambled.

I prayed I was keeping my face steady. If I were still in the same boat with Harry, I would have said yes in a heartbeat. It was kind of him to offer to hang out with me, since he knew both of our friends would be in the village enjoying themselves. But I couldn't. Because unlike Harry, the Weasley twins had shown me how to get to Hogsmeade. This time tomorrow, I would be climbing back through that statue with the boys, pockets weighed down with whatever I would let myself waste money on. It was Halloween after all.

"Oh, Harry. I would, totally. I just have to finish that History of Magic paper, I've barely made a dent. But I'll see you at the feast right?"

"Right, yeah. Good luck. I had Hermione's help and that paper still took me hours." He looked disappointed, and I felt too guilty to stand near him any longer. I would go with the twins this time, but if they hadn't told Harry how to get through by the winter trip, I would stay here with him. It wasn't fair to be the only one breaking the rule.

I woke up a bit later this morning, thankfully. Maybe my body was finally getting used to the concept of weekends. Maddie, Bri, Hannah and Emily were already out, presumably making the walk to Hogsmeade already in large bunches of excited chit chat. I let myself stay tucked beneath my blankets for a few more minutes before I threw them towards the end of the bed and headed to the window. I slid the glass pane up a smidge just to feel the outside air. It was brisk, now a day away from November. This was the weather Halloween should be.

I knelt next to my trunk once again and dug through the piles of black robes and sweaters until I found anything remotely different. Weekends were the days we could finally wear whatever we wanted, especially if I was going to be out in the wizarding world. Aside from Diagon Ally for school shopping, I had never been anywhere frequented by our kind.

I finally decided on an olive green sweater and black pants, wrapping a brown plaid scarf around my neck and pulling my hair out from under the fabric. I briefly considered curling my hair, but decided against it. I didn't want Fred, or... either of the twins to think I was dressing up for a simple day out shopping. I wiped some concealer under my eyes and ran the mascara wand over my eyelashes.

After pulling on my brown boots, I headed towards the exit. The twins and I had arranged to meet at the stairs near the one eyed witch, just in case a teacher caught us lurking near the statue and got suspicious. It was halfway between each of our dorms, but I assumed they would be running late, so I didn't rush myself.

I climbed slowly up the steps, taking in the rare silence of the castle. The only people who would be here this morning were first and second years still in bed, or upper class-men now bored of the village.

I arrived at the third floor and glanced up the stairs towards Gryffindor tower, seeing no sight of the Weasley boys. After assuring myself that there was no one nearby on this floor either, I sat on the top step and pulled at some loose threads on my scarf, nervously. Fred and I had obviously hung out a bit, but I had yet to actually spend a day with either of them.

"Pretty sure those stairs move, love." I barely heard the end of his sentence over my scream. Clapping my hands over my mouth instinctively, I heard the matching laughter from the red haired boys, George nearly doubled over on the landing.

"Way to go, George, you'll have the entire staff down here before we can get through the wall." Fred shot him a warning glance, which shut George up at last.

"Come on, beauty, look at you, who knew you owned clothes that aren't yellow... or soaked in mud." George took my arm and I bit the side of my cheek to keep my body from flinching like I had anticipated.

"Very funny." I shot him my best glare.

Fred

I wanted to be upset at him calling her a beauty, but I couldn't be. He was right. Her strawberry blonde hair rolled in waves below her scarf and her blue eyes were practically glowing with excitement.

I followed the two of them down the hallway to the statue George and I had used so many times before and watched my brother tap his wand on the witch's head, muttering the spell. The statue slid apart and he jumped down without a second thought. Cassidy however stood still for a moment, sneaking a look back at me.

"It's not that far, remember?" I crossed over to her and reached for her hand, waiting to see if she would take it, not forgetting the way she flinched away from my touch nearly every time we made contact.

"Oh, you don't... I don't need-"

"Just let me help, don't want you to ruin your outfit." I smirked as she finally took my hand and I lowered her down next to George, jumping down after and letting the statue shut us into darkness.

"Why are you guys acting like I'm all dressed up, it's cold out, I'm wearing a sweater!"

"Oh, we're just teasing, Cass!" George bumped her, forcing her to stumble into my chest. I stuck both hands out to catch her and pulled them away instantly when I heard her breath catch.

"You alright?" I asked, looking her up and down. Maybe she had rolled her ankle or something.

"Yes." She answered too quickly. "No pushing Georgie, it's dark down here. Probably spiders and all sorts of things." She joked, but I wasn't convinced. She hadn't flinched when George had his arm around her earlier... What if she was afraid of me?

I shook my head, planning to ask George's opinion later, if I could think of a way to bring it up without seeming like she was constantly on my mind...

George and I walked Cassidy through the chilly tunnel, listing off all of the places we had to show her once we were there.

"The best is Zonko's of course." I explained, even though she probably had no clue what that was.

"I doubt Cassidy will be interested in our favorite prank shop, Freddie."

"I want to see it all! You two must be their best customers, you have an account there already?" She smiled up at me, looking proud of herself.

I bit back my smile as we neared the exit. The once dirt walls and ceiling were now lined with wooden planks, some rotting away to let flickers of light into the tunnel. Cassidy's eyes never left the ceiling, trying to catch a glimpse of what was above and nearly tripping on some uneven floorboard twice before I snapped in front of her face, bringing her attention back to the tunnel.

The tunnel dead ended into a solid dirt wall with two steps up to a square wooden door in the ceiling. For George and I, pulling ourselves up from that step was so easy we barely gave it a second thought. I was thankful we hadn't sent Cassy down here alone, she must have been no taller than five four...

"We'll go first, one second." I muttered, stepping in front of her and climbing the stairs to slide the trap door over. Hoisting myself up with both arms, I sat on the side of the hole and waited for George to join me before standing up.

"Well, maybe she doesn't have to come, George, what do you think? We could just-" I smirked down at her, sliding the wooden floorboard back to cover the hole until she squealed. "Alright, alright. Come on." We reached our arms down into the passage and she grabbed them quickly, no hesitation this time, just wanting to be out of the tunnel.

"Merlin, what do you eat girl? You weigh nothing." George laughed, easily pulling her into the solid ground next to us and I pretended not to notice her reddening face.

"Where are we?" She ignored him and I put a finger to my lips, pointing at the ceiling.

"This is the cellar of Honeydukes. Those stairs lead to the back of the store, so we have to be sneaky. One too many times we've nearly been walked in on while we're halfway up the steps." I explained, seeing her eyes go wide.

"You didn't tell me we'd be breaking and entering." She hissed.

"It's not, it's not! It's... We haven't broken anything, it's just entering!" George shot her a wink and lead the way up the stairs, peeking through a crack in the door and waving for the two of us to follow him out.

Her eyes went wide again, but this time in disbelief. Honeydukes was always this cramped, even if it wasn't the first trip of the school year. No one would ever notice someone sneaking from the cellar door in all the chaos.

George and I easily made a path through the crowds of excited third years, Cassidy following at our heels. The bells rang behind us as the door shut on our way out and we turned to see her disappointed face.

"We'll finish at Honeydukes, promise." I raised my eyebrows, mocking her pout.

"Come on, we've got loads of ground to cover." George nodded towards the end of the shops, intending I supposed to go in a straight line so Cassidy could have a chance at every shop.

We began in Dervish and Banges, followed by Scrivenshaft's Quill shop and Gladrag's, letting Cassidy lead so that she could look where she wanted. She hovered over a few things, lightly touching on a nearly golden eagle feather quill, but never settled on anything to buy. Every few feet she would look back at George and I, a wide smile on her face like I'd never seen from her. She seemed to be without a single care in the world.

We examined the new flavors of tea in Madame Puddifoot's, who offered Cassidy a taste of a her new Ginger Chai when we told her it was her first time in. Cassidy pulled us eagerly into the post office where we watched her pet the tiniest scops owls which hopped along as she walked, hoping for more attention, and pull her hand away as one of the sleeping barn owls nearly nipped her finger. Finally, it was time to show her Zonko's.

The door let off a bang as we entered, but one which was hardly recognizable among all of the other noises in the shop littered with students. Not a single face in the shop looked bored, everyone trying out the newest additions on stands near the back wall, or stocking up on smoke bombs and other forbidden merchandise.

"Well, what do you two need?" She pretended to sigh, but even she couldn't be bored in this shop. Her eyes flickered from stand to stand, trying to make sense of the items found there.

"Oh, don't worry about us, Cassidy. Most of our supplies at school are our own inventions." I tried not to brag.

"Obviously, we have to get some things here. Just not enough time in the day to make some of the more complex items." George tossed a firework into the air, earning him a worried look from Cassidy until he caught it and returned it safely to it's shelf.

George and I said hello to the shopkeeper before heading back to the street to finally let Cassidy back to Honeydukes. We crammed in among the group of students at the door and slid along the aisles until we found space for the three of us to breathe.

George began holding the nastiest candy's to Cassidy's face only for her to turn her nose up and push them away. She had already turned down a stack of Acid Pops, Blood Lolli's and Cockroach clusters.

"Oh, lay off her, George, she wants sweets, it's Halloween!" I lead her to the next aisle, granted it was much busier than the former. This one housed Fizzing Whizbees, Chocolate Frogs, Sugar Quills and more than anyone could have ever eaten in a lifetime. Her eyes lingered on the Chocolate Frogs but found their way to the Sugar Quills.

"What do you want?" I asked, quietly, hoping George would be too busy with his own shopping to hear. Technically speaking, George and I were to be saving our money for our future. Opening a business isn't exactly an easy task without any money, as everyone was constantly reminding us.

I picked up a chocolate frog and raised my eyebrows at her, knowingly.

She shook her head and gave me a small smile. "I can't- er, I don't collect them."

"You do now." I grabbed two more and some Whizbees, watching her shake her head again.

"Those look sour!"

"Just a little, they're worth it though. You feel weightless for a good five minutes, your feet even leave the ground!" I looked around the shop once more. "Anything else you want? Pepper Imps? Jelly slugs?"

"There is a feast you know, back at school? All you can eat?"

"It is Halloween, you know. Candy? Treats and Tricks?" George grabbed her on each side of her waist and pinched, earning him the same shriek as this morning.

"Stop!" She hissed, embarrassed now by the many looks we were getting.

"Get used to it, sweetheart, we draw a crowd wherever we go." George teased as we headed to the front to pay.

We walked back down the store fronts and showed Cassidy the Shrieking Shack from a distance, but ultimately decided not to head closer. Her hands hadn't left her sleeves since we left the sweet shop and her nose was turning pink, in sharp contrast with the white of the rest of her skin.

"Come on, George, she needs a Butterbeer." I started towards the door of the Three Broomsticks, hearing their footsteps following me inside.

"I don't..." She started, "I can't drink!"

"It's not real beer! God these muggle borns." George joked, watching happily as she dropped her jaw and reached out to hit him in the chest.

"Go grab us a table before they're all taken, Cassidy." George nodded towards the back of the room and she headed off.

We stood at the bar for the bartender to finish with the two ladies next to us, both with yellow frazzled hair resembling Hermione's if she had been caught in a lightning storm.

"You two are hitting it off." George smirked at me and I snarled at him.

"If I knew what you were talking about, and I don't, I would say you're hitting it off with all your little compliments and pranks." I shot him a pointed look, leaning against the bar as we ordered three Butterbeers.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm George Weasley, we must not have met." He said, holding out his hand for my own. "I play pranks."

"Funny. Really." I nodded sarcastically as we took the glasses and dropped some galleons into the witch's hand, giving her a nod thanks before starting back to the booth.

Chapter Text

Fred

Once I was satisfied with the color returning to Cassidy's face inside the warm pub and we had each finished our drinks, we headed back out to the stone walkway and lead the way back to the school.

"They don't check students back into the school, just on the way there." I explained when Cassidy looked nervous.

"Oh, right." She murmured, scanning around the path for something unknown.

"It's no big deal, swear Cass. This is just a much shorter walk than the tunnels." George noticed her apprehension.

"Don't the..." She looked at my face quickly and then straight ahead. "The Dementors guard the edge of the property?"

She was right. We hadn't come this way yet this year, so it hadn't even crossed my mind. Still, the students all braved them to come to the village, so they couldn't be standing that close.

"If they are, you've got the two best beaters to ever have walked the Hogwarts grounds to protect you." George joked, trying to get a smile out of her, but failed. We continued the walk towards the castle in the distance.

No one had spoken for a few minutes when we finally neared the entrance gates. Although there were enough enchantments surrounding the property, the gates were more of a sign that you had entered the school's grounds. And on each side of the stone blocks were two dementors.

I stepped closer to Cassidy and snuck a peak down at her worried face. We hadn't been walking that long, but she was already going white again.

"Just a minute, Cass. They're just looking for him, they don't care about us." I said softly, not knowing or wanting to know if Dementors could understand me.

But as we drew closer to the cloaked creatures, I felt the weight of the small girl collapse into me. I stuck my arms out to catch her before she fell, and there was no flinch away this time. She was out cold, just like Harry had been on the train.

"Shit," George noticed her not at his side and finally looked back to see me scooping her into my arms. Her face was whiter than it had been before, whiter even than it was the day of the Hufflepuff match.

"Go George, move!" I yelled, budging around him to get her away from them. I was headed straight for the infirmary when I felt her stir in my arms and I stopped, sitting down on one of the stone benches lining the path towards the entrance hall.

"Cassy." I whispered, noting George standing above me, but not taking my eyes off her. It would be my fault, it was my idea to show her the tunnel, my idea to bring her along when her dad had said no.

"Freddie?" Her eyes blinked into the light a few times before she could place herself. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Nothing, you're okay. You're safe." I rambled, absentmindedly rubbing circles into her back before she realized she was in my arms. She scrambled to get back to her feet but George held his hands out to steady her.

"Nothing happened? She passed out! Are you alright?" George gave me a wild look, as if to ask what I was thinking hiding that from her.

"Here," I tilted her to let her slide onto the bench next to me and reached into the bag in the pocket of my robes. "Chocolate frog. Told you we should get them. Eat."

She took the candy from my hand slowly and broke a piece off it's leg, popping it into her mouth.

"Any better?" George asked, kneeling down and touching his hand to her forehead and she whacked him away.

"I'm fine!" She shook her head with a tiny smile. "That's... I've never passed out before."

"The dementors are awful creatures, even adults can hardly stand to be around one. You passed by four." George shrugged, helping her up from the bench.

"No more Hogsmeade for you, young lady. Forget you ever saw that statue." I joked, snapping another piece from her chocolate and tossing it in my mouth. "Who'd you get?"

She pulled the shimmery card from the wrapper and turned it over to see Helga Hufflepuff in her golden colored robes. "Of course you would." I chuckled as we finally entered the school.

Cassidy

The guys had insisted that I spend the rest of the afternoon 'resting' down in my dormitory, as if either of them had ever spent a day resting in their lives. I couldn't exactly argue, of course, since I still felt rather drained from our return to the school. I didn't remember anything once we had left the pub, but I could picture the scene that must have occurred based on George's explanation.

I tried to sleep for at least an hour, but got no where close. I had collapsed, in front of the twins. In front of Fred. I had woken up in his arms. I huffed and pulled the blankets over my head as if that would make my mind stop reeling.

Finally after what seemed like hours, I heard sets of footsteps climbing the stairs. My friends burst into the dorm with cheeky smiles and Bri jumped over on the bed, earning a groan from me as she landed on my legs.

"What do you want?" I chuckled, turning over and pressing my face into the pillow.

"Oh, let's think... for one to know just how you got yourself to Hogsmeade today without a permission slip, yes of course we saw you." Maddie said jokingly, throwing me a smirk as I shot up in bed.

"Well, I can answer that one. Obviously, Fred and George. That's it, that's the answer." Bri's smile stretched through her entire face.

"Yes, Fred and George, next question. Hogsmeade with Fred and George? What is this, a double date?"

"Knock it off! They offered to show me how to get there, I couldn't say no when they asked me to go with them!" I felt the blush rising to my cheeks as I slumped out of bed and ruffled my hair, hoping it wasn't too messy to wear it like this to the feast tonight.

"Couldn't say no to the Weasley's, no!" Bri and Maddie exchanged knowing smiles and watched me trying to fix my hair in the mirror near the door.

"You going to ditch us for dinner, then too?" Maddie tried to sound accusatory, but I could tell she was still teasing.

"No." I glared at her through the mirror. "I'll be sitting at our table, with our house, with my friends, if they'll stop being so annoying."

Bri rolled her eyes and Maddie stuck her tongue out at me through the mirror before pulling me towards the stairway into the common room to meet up with the rest of our house, now heading for the Great Hall.

Next to Christmas, this feast was the best night of the year. The ghosts were all in the best mood, singing and popping out of walls the entire night, the stairways and halls were all decorated with pumpkins and black candles, but what was best was the Great Hall. As soon as the three of us stepped through the doors, I couldn't help but smile up at the floating jack-o-lanterns their eyes and mouths flickering with magic flames. Each table was nearly overflowing with students and lined with more candy than was housed in the entire Honeydukes cellar.

"Cassidy!" George called, waving his hands at me frantically from the sea of red at the Gryffindor table.

"As if she could miss them, the red haired six foot twins?" Bri snickered softly and I shoved her off of me.

"Get us a spot, I'll be right over." I started nervously towards my friends.

"How you feeling?" Fred asked, looking me up and down shamelessly.

"I'm fine, never better." I smiled convincingly. "Enjoy the feast, okay? I'll see you-" My sentence trailed off into nothing when I felt Fred's hand on my wrist, stopping me from my plans to head back to my own house.

"Stay a minute! The feast wont begin for a bit, half the teachers aren't even here yet."

"There's hardly enough room for-" I felt the small gasp leave my throat as Fred tugged my arms roughly down to his lap and spun us to face the rest of the house. I watched the trio's confused eyes scan Fred and I before I slid off him, squeezing myself into the space between the twins.

"Um, how's your halloween so far?" I asked the three friends who's faces went back to normal now that I was in my own spot.

"It was great, obviously we missed Harry. We didn't stay in Hogsmeade too long." Hermione rambled.

"No, couldn't come back and find Harry died of boredom while we were away." Ron joked smugly, earning an eye roll from Harry.

"What did you do Harry?" I turned my eyes to the raven haired boy with a smile, hoping not to appear as guilty as I felt for blowing him off today.

"Lupin spotted me as I was wandering the halls and had me in for tea." He started, sneaking a private glance at his two friends before continuing. "Said he would give me lessons on how to fight the dementors, you know after... after the quidditch match."

"Extra defense against the dark arts, lucky!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing another handful of candy from the center of the table.

"What did Lupin say about you and the dementors, Harry?" Fred started. "Why do they mess with you so bad?"

All eyes fell on the boy with the scar and he shifted uncomfortably in his spot for a moment, as if choosing his words.

"I dunno, apparently they affect me worse because there are "horrors in my past" worse than most people's." He answered shyly, taking another swig of his pumpkin juice in hopes that the subject would change.

I sat thinking of the many horror's Harry has already had to face, no wonder the Dementor's affect him so. Before I could open my mouth to change the subject, I felt eyes on me and turned to meet Fred and George's stares.

Because they affect you too, idiot.

I jumped from my seat and glanced over at the table adorned in yellow. "I should get back, have a great night everyone." I shot them all a smile, avoiding the twins brown eyes before I started back to my friends.

The rest of the feast had passed too quickly for our liking, but was still a night filled with laughs and smiles. We ate our fill before grabbing piles of candy and shoving them into our robes, heading towards the exits when Dumbledore bid us all goodnight.

I followed the others through the passage into our common room where many of the students fell instantly into the couches, presumably too tired to make it to their beds. Hannah, Bri and I took the stairs one by one into our dorm and flopped onto our beds for only a minute.

"I don't want to get ready for bed, I'm already in bed." Hannah grumbled into her blankets, earning a laugh from the rest of us, feeling the same.

"Same, but these clothes are nasty by now. I gotta change." Bri jumped up and rushed to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. None of us moved an inch until we heard the door reopen and she emerged in her pajamas, her hair down her back in a single braid.

I waited a second before realizing the other two weren't moving any time soon and pushed myself back off the bed, grabbing pajamas and a ponytail from my things and heading into the now vacant bathroom.

I looked at myself in the mirror for only a second before sighing and reaching for my toothbrush. It had been a long day, but still a good one. I pushed the thought of the dementors and falling into Fred's arms from my mind. I brushed my teeth quickly and rinsed my mouth with a water bottle before turning the water to hot and washing my face as well. Once I was finished, I reached down to grab my pajamas from the counter and pulled on the matching pink set of sweats and a long sleeve shirt. I finally grabbed a handful of my hair and gathered it into a bun on top of my head, securing it with the elastic from my wrist and nodding before I headed back out to bed.

I had barely dropped my clothes next to my trunk when we heard a ruckus from the common room below us. The door burst open and Hannah and Maddie shot up from their beds.

"Come on girls, something's happened. Sprout wants everyone in the Great Hall." One of the prefects, Constance, ushered us down the stairs, grabbing the second and first years as we passed their rooms.

"But we've just come from there." Maddie grumbled, obviously quite ready for bed.

"Oh, come on now Maddie, live a little. It's Halloween, something's spooky in Hogwarts tonight." Bri wavered her fingers and we rolled our eyes, shoving her against the rail of the stairs as we climbed back to the decorated Great Hall.

However, as we pushed through the doors and passed a worried looking McGonagall speaking softly to the Gryffindor prefects, we decided that something was very wrong. The four tables from less than an hour before had been pushed off to each side of the large room and instead had been replaced with hundreds of purple sleeping bags, most vacant, although some already filled with Gryffindors.

Ravenclaw and Slytherin must be on their way, I realized slightly disappointed at the prospect of spending any more time near the Slytherin's than I had to. How had the Gryffindor's beat us from seven floors up? We were practically inside the kitchens below the Great Hall.

Professor Sprout had finished talking with McGonagall and began weaving through the Hufflepuffs, telling us to grab a sleeping bag and get some rest, ignoring the questions being thrown as she passed.

I exchanged nervous looks with my friends and Bri again wiggled her fingers, but I shook my head. This wasn't a joke. We had never done this, been called out of our common rooms like this to sleep anywhere besides our own dorms? I thought back to the Dementors from earlier, maybe something had happened with them. I scanned the room quickly, looking for Harry. But he had been here for the feast, what trouble could he have gotten into in such a short time?

I followed Hannah, Bri and Maddie through the sea of sleeping bags, apparently aiming for a quiet corner to ourselves when I felt something grab onto my leg. I clapped my hands over my mouth, nearly falling over onto Fred.

"I could have fallen!" I hissed, pretending that I wasn't glad to see him here, safe.

"I would have caught you." He smirked, still holding onto my ankle.

"Okay, you're going to make me lose my friends!" I looked around in the candlelit room for the dirty blonde hair of Hannah or Bri's braids.

"Stay here, with us." Fred spoke softly and I finally noticed George, Ron, Harry and Hermione sprawled in separate sleeping bags around his.

"What's going on?" I pulled a sleeping bag closer to the group and sat down, tucking my bare feet under my legs to keep warm. If only I slept in socks regularly, I wouldn't be nearly this cold.

"They didn't tell you? What do they expect you to think we're just having a Halloween sleepover?" George stared at me wide eyed and I shrugged.

"It was after the feast, we had just got back to the portrait hole, but the... er, the fat lady was missing and the portrait was all slashed up." Fred started, ignoring my irritated look when I realized they all referred to the painting as 'the fat lady.' Fred paused, looking between George and the trio.

"What happened to her?" I asked, worried. I wasn't all that familiar with how the wizarding paintings worked in this world... They couldn't die, could they?

"They found her, hiding in another portrait on the second floor... They're saying..." Fred gave me a dark look, one that filled my stomach with dread.

"What?" I looked between the twins before Ron interrupted them.

"She said, Sirius Black tried to get through, she turned him down, and he slashed her to bits. And now he's running loose in the castle and we're just supposed to go to sleep in a dark room with a bunch of Percy's as our guards?"

"They didn't slash her, Ronald. Just her portrait." Hermione rephrased, shooting me a look that showed I wasn't alone in the confusion of the moving pictures in this world.

"I should..." I started to get to my feet to look for my friends but once again, Fred's warm hands dragged me back down.

"Would you stay? Please?" He whispered and I watched George turn over in his sleeping bag facing the Ravenclaws and Slytherin who were now pulling sleeping bags to the opposite sides of the hall.

"Why?" I questioned, but didn't try to leave again.

"Just... stay, you know you won't be safer than between the two of us." He gestured back to the sleepy looking George and I raised an eyebrow jokingly.

"Okay..." I whispered, sliding inside the silky makeshift bed in between the ginger haired twins, not daring to look over to find my friends watching this scene unfold. I was sure I'd hear enough about it in the morning.

Chapter Text

Fred

I could pick out George's snores from the rest of the Great Hall's for the past hours, yet I hadn't had a second of sleep. For the first bit, I was too caught up thinking about the possibility of Sirius Black being inside the castle, the fact that everyone had been thinking of the entire year, that he could be here for Harry. Yet even after I pushed those questions from my mind, I still couldn't let myself sleep with her next to me. Her soft breathing only stopping for a second any time she would turn over in her sleep. Did I think anything could happen to us, with Dumbledore and his hand picked staff watching over everyone? No. Did that mean I was going to take my eyes off her, even just the outline of her in the dark room? Absolutely not.

It had been stupid to grab her. She was right, she could have fallen. But I knew I wasn't letting her sleep way in the corner with her friends all by themselves... And she looked so cute, so small, and so fragile. She had been one of the only ones who had appeared to have gotten ready for bed, the rest of them resorted to sleeping in their clothes from dinner. That didn't surprise me about her in the slightest. She had thrown her hair up into the messiest bun, pieces of her hair jutting out and framing her face, and was wearing a dark pink set of pajamas that somehow made her look even smaller than she already was and somehow in the dark room, her freckles were more visible than they had been in Hogsmeade today.

The main reason for my lack of sleep however, was the fact that Cassidy had been shivering in her sleeping bag next to mine for the past five minutes, and I didn't think I could take it anymore. She had balled her fists into the slippery fabric and had it tucked near her face, and even I could admit it was cold in here. I had spent the last 300 seconds debating my course of actions. Everything in me wanted to just reach out and pull the tiny girl closer to me until she stopped shaking, but even in my weary state, I knew that wouldn't end well. If she didn't wake up confused and scared, she would be creeped out and avoid me for the rest of time.

I slowly reached over to the girl and against my better judgement to wake her, slid my fingers across the loose hair around her face softly.

"Cassy..." I whispered, hoping not to wake any of the sleepers near us. She didn't stir, the shivering continued. I leaned closer to her face and shook her shoulder gently. "Cassidy."

Her eyes flew open and she scanned around her for a few seconds before seeming to remember where we were. Then she looked to me, obviously not remembering that she was sleeping with the Gryffindors.

"I'm sorry for waking you... you were shivering." I spoke softly, noticing that she obviously still felt cold. She pressed her hand to her nose, trying to warm it up and I held in a laugh.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you up." She breathed, crossing her legs inside the sleeping bag and moving to lay back on the stone floor.

"You didn't." I lied, watching her for a second before deciding. "You cold?"

She nodded, looking up at the floating candles as if wishing one would make it's way down to us.

"Come here then." I held back a smile, not wanting her to think I meant anything by this. I just didn't want her to spend her whole night frozen solid.

She hesitated for just a second, her eyes scanning the rest of our friends before sliding her bag as close to my body as she could get. It was better than I had hoped, never in a million years would I have thought I would have a half-asleep Cassidy Olsen wrapped beneath my arm, lying her head against my chest.

"Warmer?" I whispered, not being able to hold back my smile any longer, but knowing she couldn't see my face from where she lay. I felt her nod into my chest as the shivers slowly subsided.

"Have you slept yet?" Her voice was sleepy, and I knew it wouldn't be long before her eyes shut again.

"A bit." I lied again. "Someone's teeth were chattering."

"They were not." She let out a soft giggle and I carefully pulled her into my chest closer. "Are you scared?"

"Of Black? No shot. Why, are you scared?" I teased.

"No. Not with you." She murmured. In the seconds I hesitated, trying to think of a witty response, I heard her breathing slow and I knew she was back asleep.

"I've got you, Cass. You're safe with me." I sighed and finally let myself fall into sleep myself.

Cassidy

I felt a new warmth on my face, as if I had fallen asleep outside and the sun was rising. The windows in our dorm weren't that big. I felt so groggy, I didn't want to have to open my eyes for at least the rest of the day, but I knew I had to eventually. I blinked into the bright sun and tried to figure out how I had fallen asleep outside. The clouds rolled overhead, covering the sun for brief seconds at a time before it shone back on my face with a vengeance. Before I could ponder the mystery of the lack of ceiling, however, I felt something cradling me from both sides. I looked back down and nearly jumped up in shock.

I had fallen asleep. In Fred Weasley's arms. I had spent the night probably drooling on his flannel. I scanned the room and found his two brothers sprawled around us, Harry and Hermione next to Ron, all still fast asleep. I had no idea what time it was, or if that even mattered. Memories from the night before were flooding back. Sirius Black breaking in to the school, slashing the portrait entrance to the Gryffindor's common room, all of the students gathered to sleep under the stars in the Great Hall. Fred waking me up in the dead of night because my shivering had kept him awake.

I slowly lifted my head from his chest and tried to slide out of his arms unnoticed. That was all I needed, for his kind gesture to turn into some weird moment between us. There was a difference between him trying to keep me from frostbite and me cuddling up against him the entire night.

What an idiot.

I had barely made it three centimeters when Fred stirred from his slumber, obviously noticing the missing weight he had endured through the night.

"Cassy?" He muttered, his eyes barely open, squinting into the sun as well.

I watched him nervously. It was too late to make a jump for it back to my empty spot on the ground.

"Good morning." He shot me a strange look, as if to ask why I was awake already. "Where you off to?"

"I... didn't mean to fall asleep... on top of you, I'm sorry." I tried to laugh through my embarrassment, but Fred offered me a sleepy smile.

"It was for the good of the entire Hall, your bloody teeth would have woken everyone up eventually. I was just doing my duty as a Gryffindor, you know... chivalry and all."

I wasn't sure how anyone could be this witty from the second they woke up, but I still returned his smile.

"You gonna go back to sleep? Judging from the sun up there it's about half past too fucking early." He slumped back onto the floor, his arms folded into a makeshift pillow behind his head so he could still look up at me.

"No, I'm gonna see if it's safe to go." I looked around the hall for Professor Sprout or really anyone who could tell us the plan for the day.

"I'll take you," Fred climbed to his feet and stretched his long arms high above his head, the fabric of his shirt lifting away from the bottom of his pants, exposing a perfectly outlined V which I did not linger on, pretending to continue in my search for a teacher.

"We'll take her from here Romeo." Bri appeared behind Fred, giving me a soft shove and nearly causing me to trip over the still sleeping George. Maddie and Hannah were at her heels, rubbing their eyes with sleep.

"Ladies, a pleasure as always." He gave us a playful bow and fell back to the floor next to the rest of the clan, his eyes still following us as we walked out.

I snuck a look back and tried to shoot him a last thank you, but was swept from the room too quickly by my apparently exhausted roommates.

"Sprout said," Hannah yawned from behind me, "They searched every floor, every class room, every suit of armor. Black's long gone."

"If he was even here." Maddie grumbled, shielding her face from the light as if once she woke up, she could never fall back to sleep.

"Oh, Maddie, even if it wasn't him, someone slashed the portrait. You're going to argue with Dumbledore?" Bri muttered, tapping the barrels and letting the three of us in with a few first years scampering behind us.

I watched the walls close, just in case, although I believed Dumbledore if he said Sirius Black wasn't in the castle. I hurried after my friends who were already halfway to our room and the four of us collapsed onto our beds the second they were in reach.

Against all odds, Dumbledore had given us Monday off from classes. I suppose having a mass murderer break into your school on arguably the spookiest night of the year had shaken some students up. As much as I welcomed the day off, it meant I hadn't seen Fred in days. Granted I had gotten up early for breakfast and spent the entire day working on our potions essay, so I really would have only gotten to see him for Dinner.

And what was I even going to say when I did see him. Any time the red head crossed my mind now I felt a jolt of panic in my stomach. What was happening to me?

The girls and I all woke up together on Tuesday, well rested from our nap-filled Sunday and our day off from classes. We dressed in our robes, waiting for Maddie to finally be "presentable" enough for her liking and started up for breakfast. I didn't even know why I bothered looking at this rate, no way either of the twins were up this early. But still, I spared a short glance towards their spot on the bench before we sat down to eat.

The cheering charms we had worked on in Charms had thankfully lasted us through Hagrid's hour long discussion of flobberworms and their diets, but was no match for the dread we all felt on our walk up to potions. Especially now as the weather grew colder every day, being down in the dungeons was nearly painful. Tuesdays and Thursdays always had me bundled in at least three layers before I pulled my robes on.

The four of us shuffled in, noting Snape's presence at his desk and staying silent as we took our seats. He didn't bother to look up when the stools scratched the ground, but I still grit my teeth nervously and waited a few seconds to make sure I hadn't cost Hufflepuff any points.

No sooner had I pulled out my potions book, Hermione rushed through the door and fell down into her chair beside mine, seeming as if she was ten minutes late rather than five minutes early.

"Slow down, Hermione, you're going to run yourself ragged!" I gave her a smile, noting the dark circles around her eyes which she hadn't bothered to hide. "You doing okay?"

"What? Yes, I'm fine, why?" She barely paused between words, her hair looking crazier today than her eyes.

"No reason." I finished softly as Snape stood from his desk.

"Today we will be brewing what is commonly referred to as the most dangerous potion ever discovered. This is one I typically do not include in the third year curriculum, but since we are out of mistletoe berries and nightshade, I had to get... creative." He drawled, and I could practically hear the wheels churning inside Hermione's head. "Who can tell me what Amortentia is?"

He took a seat behind his desk again, ignoring Hermione's hand for what felt like minutes before uttering her name without a glance in our direction.

"Amortentia is supposed to be the most powerful love potion in the world, although it can't produce real love, simply an obsession with the person for a matter of time. The potion is said to smell differently to each person who smells it depending on what attracts them." She trailed off, finishing her sentence softly.

"Indeed." Snape started. "As usual, you'll find your ingredients in the cabinets, and I must impress upon you the difficulty and importance of this potion and warn you to read the instructions and warnings before you begin."

Hermione and I knew the drill by now, although even I was unsure if she had read this far in the book yet. On second thought, I was sure she had finished the entire thing. We sat reading our instructions and then Hermione went to gather our supplies while I started the fire beneath our cauldron.

She returned, spilling rose thorns, ashwinder eggs and pearls along our desk and I hurried to catch the eggs and pearls before they dropped to the floor.

"I doubt we'll need this many pearls..." I scanned the first page of the chapter.

"I know but... they're so pretty." She muttered, taking one in her hand for a second before slipping it into the pocket of her robes.

We waited for the water we had poured into our shared cauldron to boil before Hermione picked up the eggs and cracked them one by one into the pot, discarding the shells in a pile at the edge of our desk. We crumbled the thorns into a powder resembling the drawing in the book and shook it on top of the potion giving it a stir and waiting for three minutes like we were told.

While we waited, Hermione pulled over the measuring cup and placed it between the two of us, handing me a tool resembling a cheese grater and a pearl from her collection. I had felt guilty even reading the instructions to sand down the pearls edges until you had a full cup of dust, but it was even worse actually doing it. They were so beautiful, even the dust sparkled. Once we had a full cup and our pearls were nearly the size of a fingernail, we shook the dust out evenly on the surface of our potion and dropped the pearls in, watching the liquid bubble up and change color immediately. The bright red from the rose thorns was now replaced by a white so shimmery and nearly pink that it looked like we had boiled down and liquified a pearl on it's own.

"What do you smell?" Hermione asked and I shook my head as I watched her take a deep whiff.

"I don't believe that it can change smells based on-"

"Times up." Snape growled from his desk, stepping over to the front desks. "I see a decent number of you got your potions to white, well done. Some of yours are still red, so clearly rubbing a stone on a pearl is too difficult for you to handle, as I should have suspected." He shot a look towards the back row at Neville's flaming red potion. "Mr. Finnigan, can you tell the class what you smell in your Amortentia?"

I turned to face the Gryffindor boy in the middle of the room. He rolled his eyes slightly and leaned towards his cauldron for only a moment.

"I smell peppermint and..." He took another sniff. "And cigarettes." He flashed a smirk at his partner next to him as a few girls laughed with him.

"That's quite enough." Snape turned to our side of the room and I let out a silent prayer. He would have to pick Harry, he always did.

"Miss Olsen?" I looked up, careful not to stare directly into his eyes, but still seem respectful. "Your potion?"

I really hated talking in front of the class, especially this class, and especially about something this personal. I leaned in and shut my eyes, trying to place the scent from my potion. Because I had smelled it before.

My eyes shot open immediately.

"Miss Olsen, we're waiting." Snape snapped me back and I blinked quickly, leaning back from the potion.

"I smell... fresh coffee and vanilla and..." I snuck a look at Ron nervously. "Fireworks." I muttered, making a point to not look back at the ginger again.

"And dare I ask, Potter?" Snape finally turned to his favorite prey, thankfully taking the rest of the classes eyes with him.

"Er... I smell..." He faltered, sounding nervous, although that's how everyone feels when Snape is nearby. "Pumpkin bread and oranges, and new books?" A few of the girls snickered at his final answer, but I shot him a warm smile. I knew exactly what new book smell he was referring to.

When Snape finally released us for the day, Hermione and I shot from the room ahead of the boys.

"What did you smell, since only I had to be humiliated in front of the entire class?" I whined as we marched up the steps slowly, allowing the boys time to catch up.

"Fresh grass, brand new parchment, and..." She shot a glance at the boys behind us and shrugged. "That's all."

"Ron?" I asked, turning towards the two boys trailing behind on the staircase.

"Smelled like home, mums cooking, I dunno? I just know I'm hungry now."

"Me too, come on let's grab a snack before dinner." Harry pulled Ron's arm, nearly yanking it free from his body and they were gone in less than a second.

"Well what I think is curious is how Harry, who rarely opens his books, would smell them in his amortentia... And what was it again? Oh right. Oranges." She shot me a glare as we arrived back at the Gryffindor common room where Hermione and I were supposed to be working on our Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment for tomorrow.

"What are you talking about?" I felt my eyebrows furrow as I followed her through the portrait hole and up towards her dorm room.

"I can smell your hair from here, Cassidy!"

"My hair? I... oh..." I pulled my hair through my fingers and breathed in the familiar scent, so familiar in fact that I would have completely forgotten I use a citrus shampoo. "That doesn't mean anything!"

"Why? You don't like Harry?" She asked, pushing the door open to reveal a thankfully empty dormitory.

"What? No, I mean, not no... I don't think about him like that, or boys at all, I don't..."

"Oh, right, because the fireworks in your love potion were your own, yeah?" She smirked, crossing her legs on her bed and staring into my eyes, obviously not going to let up on this conversation.

"We don't know if that potion actually changes scent for any reason, it could be totally random!"

"Which Weasley twin are you secretly in love with, and why won't you admit it?" She began pulling books from her bag, but never losing my eye contact.

"Hermione!" I glared, very conscious that we were in fact in Gryffindor tower, surrounded by the twins closest friends.

"I'm going to figure it out, you know it, I know it. Might as well save me some time, you know I'm taking a good amount of classes, I really can't afford to spend time wondering about-"

"Oh my God..." I sank down on the bed next to hers.

"Give me a hint, at least. They both flirt with you, so I can't tell-"

"They don't." I shook my head violently. "They don't, they're just like that, you know that."

"Alright, Cassidy. Whatever you say." She said, dropping a load of books and parchment on the bed in front of us, and thankfully, the conversation was dropped.

Chapter Text

We worked for what felt like twenty minutes until our stomachs began to growl and Hermione pulled her sleeve back to announce it was almost time for dinner.

"Already? We've barely made a dent." I murmured, looking at my work again.

"I'm nearly done." Hermione's paper indeed was about three times the length of mine.

"I'll be up all night." I let out a sigh mixed into a laugh as I rolled up my parchment and stuffed it into my bag, leading Hermione back to the stairway.

"You two been studying up there this whole time?" Ron's mouth dropped as his knight moved across the board in between him and Harry.

"Yes, Ronald, and I doubt your paper for tomorrow is even close to being finished?" She lectured as we stood before them to wait for their game.

"It's good as it's going to get, that's game then Harry. Good try."

"Why do I even play with you anymore?" Harry shook his head, watching Ron's pieces jump across the board in celebration, smashing up some of Harry's pieces as they went.

"You coming to dinner then?" Hermione sounded as though she was nagging, but I knew we were both just starved.

"Yes, we haven't eaten in hours!" Ron jumped up from his seat before Harry could even blink.

"You eating with us, Cassidy?" Harry's green eyes met mine.

"Well, I should probably go find my roommates, I haven't seen them yet today..."

"Oh, come on, eat with us, Fred and George will be ecstatic." Hermione shot me a sly smile and I glared at her, though I felt my face turning pink now.

"Fred and George?" Harry questioned as the four of us crossed through the portrait hole and headed for the staircase.

"Oh, haven't you noticed? They've quite taken to her." Hermione bounced down the stairs with Ron and Harry looked to my eyes again.

"I'd stay away if you know what's good for you, Cassidy." Ron looked up at me. "Mum always says any girl who'd settle down with the twins would have to be absolutely menta- ouch!" He stopped when Hermione elbowed him in the ribcage.

I glanced to the Hufflepuff table to see my friends had already started on their dinners, Bri shooting me a wink as I walked with Harry, Ron and Hermione to their usual spot. No one was there yet, so I took a seat next to Hermione and Harry and Ron took theirs across from us. No sooner than we had reached for our goblets, the glasses filling with water and pumpkin juice between the four of us, plates piled high with chicken and pasta appeared before us.

I hesitated and let the boys and then Hermione grab food first out of habit. Back home, I would always serve myself last.

"What's wrong, lil Cassy? Not hungry?" Fred's voice rang over the already roaring dinner tables as he dropped into the seat next to me, George claiming the spot on Hermione's side.

"I am." I kept my eyes off of the red-head, praying not to blush at his unexpected closeness. This was the first time I had seen him since Halloween night, and of course we had to be this close again.

"Eat up then girl!" George shoveled his plate full of the pasta drizzled with sauce and grabbed two pieces of chicken to top it off before shoving the platters down to Fred and I.

"Go ahead." I pushed the food towards him, knowing that it would replenish itself the second we got close to running out, but part of my subconscious would still always make sure everyone else got their fill first.

"Ladies first, Cassy, I wasn't raised in a barn." He began spooning pasta on my plate in giant piles before I finally pushed his hands away.

"I can't eat all of that!" I laughed as he topped my pasta with a large piece of chicken and began on his own dinner.

"Try your best Cass, you're looking a bit teeny lately." George teased from the other side of Hermione and I ignored her knowing look paired with a smirk that she shot me.

We ate in silence for a few moments, everyone hungry from their days, the boys quickly moving onto their second plates.

"Gracious, you'd think you boys hadn't had food in weeks!" Hermione looked at the ginger's around her in mild disgust.

"Sorry, Hermione, Wood's got us practicing five times as hard after the Hufflepuff loss!" George blurted out between mouthfuls of garlic bread.

"And I guess Ron just hasn't eaten in weeks!" I heard Fred say from next to me as I took a sip from my pumpkin juice, careful not to look at him as badly as I wanted to every time I heard his voice.

"Cass, you've barely made a dent!" Fred's fork appeared over my plate and I laughed.

"Because no one could eat this much food in one sitting!" I pushed the plate towards him and he pushed it back playfully.

"You're not leaving the table until you finish your dinner, young lady." He smirked, taking another few noodles into his mouth from my plate.

"You guys gonna come watch practice tonight? It'll be too cold soon." George asked, hardly looking up from his plate. I scanned the group of friends, wondering if this was something they commonly did. I suppose I had never been to a quidditch practice, although I couldn't imagine them being more entertaining than a match.

"I suppose I could join you guys for a little, just for a little bit. Have to be back before dark to finish my Muggle Studies essay..."

"Why are you taking Muggle Studies, Hermione?" I laughed, ignoring Fred stealing another bite from my pasta.

"It's fascinating actually, you would like it too! To see how they see everything from the outside, or vice versa." She continued as I looked to Fred.

"Just take it! I'm not going to eat anymore! It's going to go to waste!" I shoved the plate to him once more and he covered his mouth with the back of his hand, laughing with his mouth full of pasta.

"Okay, so you're coming too Cassidy?" Harry asked, looking up at me and ignoring my outburst to Fred.

"Oh, I'd like to, I just haven't even come close to finishing my homework for Lupin, I've gotta get back to it." I gave him a sorry smile and he nodded, seeming understanding.

I stayed with them until they finished their dessert, although there was no way I thought I would ever be hungry again after this meal. One by one, the boys began to stand to gather their things for their practice and Hermione and Ron stood to walk down with them. I slung my bag over my shoulder as I stood next to the twins.

"Alright, well have fun you guys, stay warm!" I smiled, catching a few waves as they started towards the door to the hall.

"Fred, you coming?" Ron shouted back when they were already at the end of the tables.

"I'll catch up, go ahead." Fred said, smiling down at me and making my stomach squirm with nerves.

"You're going to have to walk down to the pitch all alone." I sang as I started to follow them out of the hall, Fred catching me in two long strides.

"Oh, no, in the dark?" He teased, walking me to the stairs leading down to our dorms.

"Well, I know you're not all that brave!" I commented and watched his jaw drop in mock-offense.

"Cassidy, Cassidy." He stepped in my way to block me from the stairway. "You don't want to get on my bad side."

"I'm not too worried, you're not the scary twin." I shot him a smug look.

"Oh, no? Because you sure seem to have been avoiding me the past few days." He stepped down one stair so that he could look up at me and I tried to give him a confused smile.

I shook my head. "What? I haven't been-"

"Yes, I've seen you one time since Halloween, and you ran the other way." His grin contrasted sharply with what his words were saying. Was he happy he hadn't seen me?

"I didn't see you. I wouldn't run from you?" I laughed, trying to take a step around him down to the dorms. "You're going to miss practice!"

"They won't start without me." He blocked my path again, taking one more step down. "Is it because of Halloween?"

"There's nothing, I'm not- What do you mean?" I looked into the brown eyes perplexed.

"Because you know, that was fine. That night. It was fine, everything was fine. I was the one who asked you to..." He coughed, seeming almost uncomfortable. "You were cold. We fixed it. It was fine."

"I know it's not weird, I didn't say it was weird." I let out a soft laugh and tried to get past him again.

"Then look at me. Cassy." My eyes shot to his when he said my name. Or rather, his name for me. Neither of us said anything for what felt like minutes as I followed the honey colored lining of his eyes.

"Okay then." He said finally, giving me a firm nod and stepping aside, gesturing me down the stairs. "I have to get to practice. You can find your dorm, I assume?"

"I think I'll be fine, Freddie." I tried to offer him my best glare, but it only earned me a chuckle from the tall boy at the top of the steps.

"Don't ignore me anymore, Olsen! It won't work!" He called as he rushed outside.

I leaned against the stairs for a few minutes replaying the sunny brown eyes staring up at me until I heard the rest of the Great Hall emptying out behind me.

Chapter Text

I hadn't left this spot since classes had ended, not even realizing that I had missed dinner entirely. My stomach hadn't even growled once. I had two papers and an assignment all due Monday, but I had all weekend for those. Today, I would let myself relax. I had only started this book today and I was already half way through, which might have explained my forgetting about dinner.

I had heard the walls slide open a dozen times this hour alone, housemates scampering back and forth up the stairs to their rooms, grabbing books and bags from the table next to me, so when I heard the familiar noise of the entrance scraping the stone floor lowly and footsteps approaching, I didn't even flinch. I was in a light gray arm chair that faced the fireplace with my feet kicked over the arm rest, back to the entrance of the common room. In hindsight, a terrible idea.

As soon as the hands found their way around my eyes, I let out a blood curdling scream and felt my book drop to the floor.

"Woah, woah! It's me, Cassy, it's only me!" He laughed. I placed the voice before I saw him, finally whipping my head to face the red head.

"Fred, what the fu..." I trailed off in a huff, bending from my chair to reach for my book but Fred beat me to it, his fingers closing around the hard-cover and glancing at the front for the title.

"Are you reading... for fun?" He mocked, taking a seat on the couch next to mine.

"Well, I was." I leaned over in my spot to reach for my book but he yanked it out of my reach. "You can't just come in here whenever you please!" I crossed my arms in an attempt to look cross.

"But I just did." He gave a cheeky smile and poked at my feet hanging off the chair, forcing me to tuck them under myself.

"Mhm, may I have my book back?"

"I came all the way down here, and you just want to read?" He skimmed the back of the book where the synopsis was. "Les Miserables. You're reading a book literally called The Miserable ones?"

"It's considered one of the greatest novels of the ninteenth century, and it's a very old copy so if I may-" I finally snatched the book from his grip, setting it in my lap before returning my gaze to him.

"You weren't at dinner. I just figured-" He started.

"Just figured you'd do some casual breaking and entering."

"We've been through this, I haven't broken anything. I simply enter. Not my fault some confused Hufflepuff will show just about anyone how to get through the door-" He fell into a fit of laughter when I lunged for him, holding his hands up in defense as if I was going to hit him. "Okay, sorry sorry! Have mercy!"

He peeked an eye out from between his fingers and let his guard down when he saw me back in my seat. I opened my book again, not planning to read with him here, but hoping at least to find my spot for later. I flipped through the pages, pretending that I couldn't feel Fred's eyes on me until I finally found the scene I had been interrupted from, folding the corner down.

"Well anyways, like I said, you weren't at dinner."

I sighed over-dramatically and set the book on the table in front of us, finally looking to him with a smirk.

"Looking for me always, Freddie?"

"No." He huffed, "You've been known to get a bit lost now and then, and you're quite clumsy! Thought you could be dead at the bottom of the staircase."

I shook my head, hoping to hide my amused smile beneath a glare.

"I just want to know if you've eaten."

"Yes, I've eaten." I lied, only now noting the hunger in my stomach.

"When did you eat, if not at dinner? Have you been abusing my house elves?" He tucked his chin, giving me a stern look that I'm sure had never appeared on his face before and I broke into laughter.

"I would never, we Hufflepuffs don't believe in making others work for us, for free, I might add, adding on to their many responsibilities."

"Oh, come off it. They're happy to see me! They love me, I bring them happiness."

"Oh, yes, Fred Weasley lights the entire world up like the sun-" I caught myself on that last word. But he didn't know anything about my stupid imaginary tea leaves. I met his eyes and saw him smirking, but silent.

"Are you coming to the game in the morning?"

"The game. The game..." I pretended not to know what he was talking about, looking up at the ceiling as I thought it over.

"It's Hufflepuff Ravenclaw. It'll be the last one until next term. And no offense, but we kinda need Hufflepuff to lose, bad."

"Oh, well it sounds like it'll be a delightful game to watch with you guys!"

"We'll be cool about it! We're nothing if not mature."

"I guess, yes, I'll be at the game. But I'm sitting with my house. You're welcome to join."

"I don't need an invite to sit with the Hufflepuffs, I practically am one now." He gestured to the couch he was sat on and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm gonna have to tell Sprout to change the password. Hasn't been done in years, but leave it to the Weasley's."

"Leave it to Cassy." He said, getting up from his spot and ruffling my hair up as he walked towards the door.

"Thanks." I muttered, picking my book back up from the table.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Cass." He called over his shoulder as the walls closed behind him and I didn't even bother to fix my hair.

I awoke the next morning to a frosted window and three snoring roommates. I refused to let them oversleep this game at least. Although unlikely, if we won today we would be in the running for House Cup.
I dragged myself out of bed and shoved each girl one at a time until they sat up in bed.
"It's early, Cassidy. Much too early for a Saturday." Maddie grumbled, flopping back to her pillow face down.
"We're going to the match today, together, you're not sleeping through it, Maddie so get up if you want to get 'presentable' as you say."
"Not all of us have half the school to impress in the stands, Cassidy!" Bri winked, trudging to the bathroom to brush her teeth and I happily noted Maddie and Hannah slide from their beds to rummage for outfits in their trunks.

An hour later we were all dressed in matching pastel yellow hoodies. I pulled black leggings on and tied the top half of my hair up with a yellow ribbon borrowed from Maddie to match her own hair before we joined the other two girls in the common room. I pulled on fuzzy boots now that the rain had been absent the past few days and I knew the paths would be dry.

The Great Hall was bustling with early risers for the game today, although the Hufflepuff table was noticeably scarce. Our team must have already been down in the locker rooms preparing. We sat at our usual spot and pulled piles of golden waffles onto our plates, topping them with syrup, whipped cream, jam and all sorts of berries. I poured a few sugars and some cream into a mug of hot coffee and we all started on our breakfast, excited to get out to the quidditch pitch.

Once we had all eaten our fill, Hannah jumped from her seat and pulled Bri up next to her, Maddie and I following the two out to the path. With all of the rain we had been having and the frigid temperatures of November, I was shocked that Hogwarts didn't have any snow yet, although for Quidditch games it was better this way.

My nose was already frozen by the time we had reached the stands, and I knew climbing to the top rows of bleachers wasn't going to be much warmer. Still, this was part of the fun of game days. I would always pick the highest spot I could to watch the Hufflepuff games, whether my friends had wanted to go or not. I always would, just to watch Tommy fly around so freely in the air. It was one of the times he looked happiest, like nothing could get to him up in the air. The way he acted after games, even if they hadn't won, it was like a cheering charm that lasted the rest of the day. He could party and be with his friends and not think of our father once. And he deserved it, however small, he deserved a break from carrying it all the time.

"Cass," Bri elbowed my ribcage hard and I jerked from my thoughts to see where she was looking. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were leading the two red-headed twins over to our seats.

"What?" I hissed, making sure that she got the hint and shut up.

"Hi Cassidy!" Hermione grabbed a spot behind us, her Gryffindor scarf wrapped around her neck so many times you couldn't see any skin and her curls jutting out beneath a plain black knit hat. She looked much warmer than any of us, but I was hoping as they all filed in behind us that we could share heat and maybe they would block the wind from hitting the back of my head.

"Cassidy, what did we tell you about the color choice today?" Fred asked, taking the seat directly behind mine.

"Yeah, Cassidy, what did we tell you?" George echoed.

"Oh, both of you be quiet, she's not rooting for Ravenclaw!" Hermione voiced over the growing noise of the wind.

"Welcome all to the second match of the year, I'm Lee Jordan, i'll be your commentator for the game, Merlin willing..." He stalled for a moment after spying McGonagall's pointed look in his direction. "Can we get a big welcome for our two teams today, Ravenclaw-" The blue and black ends of the bleachers erupted in cheers and clapping as students jumped up and down watching the Ravenclaw team fly out from the sidelines, their captain Roger Davies in front.

"Roger Davies," Maddie sighed and the rest of us turned our noses up at her.

"Bloody Hell, Madison, Roger Davies is a pig." Bri clasped her hands on the girls shoulders to glare into her eyes.

"That's true. Come on, now Maddie, you gotta have better taste in men than that." Fred wore a small smirk on his face as he joked with the girl, but she paid him very little attention, eyes still following the chaser where he landed on the field.

"And Hufflepuff!" Lee announced, the three of us jumping to our feet with the rest of our side, pulling Maddie up and out of her trance as we stood. I cupped my hands around my mouth as I shouted with my friends, watching Cedric lead the team to the middle of the pitch next to the Ravenclaws. When they landed and Madam Hooch began her speech which none of us could hear, we returned to our seats and I looked back at Fred without thinking. He was smiling down at me with a strange look in his eyes.

"What?" I asked, sneaking glances at the pitch to ensure I wasn't missing the kick off.

"Nothing." His eyes left mine, landing on the red quaffle at the bottom of the pitch as it was released and both teams kicked upwards.

"No hard feelings, right girls? Go Hufflepuff and all, but thanks to Harry, we really need a loss-" George was cut off by Ron's punch to the stomach and he scoffed out a laugh.

I shot George my nastiest look before offering Harry a small smile which he half returned. After no less than five minutes, Lee was announcing the first goal. Ravenclaw's chasers hardly even seemed excited for their goal, tossing the quaffle back towards the middle of the arena. Heidi Macavoy was speeding down the length of the pitch towards Ravenclaw's goal posts but was soon surrounded by Davies and Randolph Burrow. She dove beneath them and aimed the ball for Preece, but Burrow dropped just in time, hitting the ball over to Davies who scored Ravenclaws's second goal.

"Ravenclaw scores again! Twenty to zero, Ravenclaw up. Chang and Diggory both circling the pitch, no sign yet of the snitch."

My eyes flitted up to the seekers high above the rest of the team, hoping to stay clear of any bludgers. It was usually not until they were already diving for the snitch that I paid attention to the seekers, usually more focused on the actual action of the game or Tommy keeping goal.

Every few seconds I would feel Fred's knee rub against my back and I would fight the shiver that wanted to run down my spine in response. It was an accident. The twins have long legs, they're going to be cramped in these bleachers.

With the score up to seventy - ten, Ravenclaw, no snitch in sight and all of our fingers nearly purple from the cold, Hermione announced that she was going to call it game and head back to the castle. Hannah, Bri and Maddie nodded in quick agreement and scampered up with her, looking back when I didn't move.

"You coming, Cass?" Hannah asked, taking note probably of my reddening nose.

"I'm probably going to stay a little..." I looked between her and the game, watching Ravenclaw score again and wincing.

"She'll stay, she's our good luck charm." George clapped my shoulders and grabbed under my right armpit, Fred quickly following his lead to grab the other and yanking me up in between them on the bench, ignoring my pleas to put me back down.

"Come on, Cassy, look at you, you're going to freeze to death." Fred ran a finger by my face, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear and I felt my mouth drop open for a second. I looked to his left and saw Harry and Ron watching his movements, wide eyed.

"Alright, Chang, find that snitch, we're getting chilly down 'ere!" Fred called towards the pitch, his voice carrying surprisingly far in the wind.

Ravenclaw scored again, and again, and yet again. Hufflepuff finally got their hands on the quaffle again when the score hit 120 - 10, and I hissed out a small 'Yes!' as Preece launched the oversized ball through the hoop, slipping right around Page's outstretched fingers.

Fred's fingers landed on my lap and I instantly forgot about the goal, looking down at his hand pressed on my thigh.

"Great job, Hufflepuff, twenty points!" He grinned down at me and I shook my head, amused and trying not to look at my leg anymore.

"You're so cocky, until we think back to the last game, oh right? We beat you."

"Our seeker plummeted from the sky!" George howled, making us all laugh except Harry, who looked guiltier every time it was brought up.

"Harry, don't let them talk to you like that. You're the greatest addition to that rag-tag team in..." I paused.

"A century!" Ron finished for me, this time earning a laugh from Harry.

At last, just when I had practically accepted that I would lose all of my fingers to frostbite, Cho Chang spotted the snitch hovering far above the Hufflepuff goalpost. She leaned forward, slowly at first, hoping Cedric wouldn't notice, but that's the seekers job. To notice the small things. He had been closer to the snitch, but after her head start there was little hope for the Hufflepuff captain. Cho's hands closed around the golden ball and the stands erupted in cheers, Harry's face lighting up in a thankful smile and the Weasley's pounding their fists in the air.

I smiled at the four of them and shook my head, thankful that my friends had left.

"Sorry, Cassy, sorry." Fred jumped back down from where he and George had been standing on the bench and stood next to me, reaching for my hand to pull me up. I shot him a pointed look, as if to ask why I should need help standing out of my own seat which was met with a shrug as the boys began to file to the steps ahead of me.

We reached the bottom after a few minutes of fighting along the current of students heading back to school and Fred walked at my side, his brothers and Harry leading us up the path.

"For someone who's always so cold, you could... you know, wear a coat? A scarf? Hat, anything?"

I opened my mouth to reply but stopped when I saw the smallest white speck land along the red strands of his hair. The first snowflake.

"What?" He asked, looking up and realizing what I was looking at, smiling up at the clouds.

"Nearly Christmas." I felt the smile rest on my face. As much as I loved the Holiday and the snow and the traditions, it meant going back home. Leaving Hogwarts. Going back to that dark house all alone, my first Christmas without my brother.

Chapter Text

"Cassy, wait up!" The matching voices called from behind me down the hallway and I turned to meet them, not even noticing the smile that spread onto my face at the sight of their identically messy hair.

"Running from something?" I guessed, and they shrugged, looking as though that was a preposterous guess.

"No, to someone." George answered, looking down at me as we walked past the suits of armor lining the stone walls.

"Why's your name not on the list? To stay at Hogwarts for Christmas! Everyone's staying here, it's the best!" Fred's eyes latched onto mine and I bit the inside of my cheek. Staying at Hogwarts had never been an option for me, Father wouldn't have it. Christmas was 'family time.' Christmas was his time to get us back from 'that school' and 'those people.' But no year had I been looking forward to returning home less than I did right now. I didn't dare let myself imagine over two weeks of class-free fun with the Weasley's, it would just make the time at home more miserable.

"My dad um, he always has us come home. I have to go home." I stuttered out after realizing I had used 'us.' There was just me now.

"Can't you write to him and ask? The train doesn't leave until Next Friday!" George pouted.

I gave them a smile, trying not to think about how badly it seemed they wanted me to stay.

"He'll say no. I've asked before. It's okay, I don't mind. I mean, it would be fun to stay, of course. I just, we do family stuff for Christmas. Church on Christmas Day, and my father has a work party every year I have to go to-"

"Neither of those things sound fun." Fred joked, giving me a thin smile.

"I'm sorry guys. Just for two weeks, I'll be back!" I tried to lighten the mood they were creating in the pit of my stomach.

"Thought she was our friend, Fred!" George pushed his lip out into a fake pout and Fred mimicked him, turning on their heels towards the staircase.

"I don't have a choice!" I laughed slightly, watching their little performance.

"It's fine, we'll just be here..." George started.

"Planning out pranks to await your return!" Fred called, neither of them looking at me as their voices floated down the hall.

After my final class, I headed back to the dorms in search of a warmer sweater. If November had been chilly, December was brutal. Especially for the Hufflepuffs who now hated leaving their dormitory of warmth to wander anywhere in the castle away from the kitchens.

Just before I turned the corner in the Entrance Hall, I heard my name being called, and almost anyone at this school would have recognized the voice.

"Hey, Harry! What's up." I offered him a warm smile and he returned it.

"Just wanted to say hi. And, well... I've just seen Lupin. He told me after break that he would start to teach me about the Dementors, and getting rid of them." He was watching my expression closely as I nodded along, hugging my arms around myself in an attempt to stay warm until I could get down for some extra layers.

"Well, I... I don't want this to sound rude, or awkward, I-"

"It's fine, Harry, what's on your mind?" I laughed, feeling sorry for how uncomfortable the chosen one looked at this moment.

"Fred and George told me, not like... to gossip about you, but I think to try and cheer me up. They told me you, uh, passed out when you got near them too?"

I looked behind him, pretending to check if anyone was around, but really just taking a second to try not to blush from embarrassment. I knew he wasn't judging me, and that he reacted the same way, but after hearing Lupin's explanation for why the Dementor's affected people this way, it seemed stupid of me to react the same way as Harry, who had faced grown wizards greatest fears on multiple occasions.

"Uh, yeah, I did once. I mean, that was the closest I've come to them though, besides on the train and I didn't really get a good look then." I thought back to the tall red-head blocking the dark creature from my sight and felt a smile start to creep to my lips.

"Well, I was just thinking, I mean, if you wanted to join us. Might be easier with two of us, you know? We can practice together and stuff."

"Yeah, actually Harry, I would love that. Thank you so much." I watched his emerald eyes light up at my answer and he nodded.

"I'm just happy to not be the only one who they affect this badly." He shrugged, noticing my arms wrapped around me still. "Are you cold?"

"Yeah, freezing." I laughed, mostly to myself. "I was headed down to grab a sweater."

"Here, take mine!" He nearly shouted, already dropping his arms from the sleeves of his jumper.

"Oh, no, Harry, it's fine! My room's right downstairs and then I'm gonna head to dinner-"

"It's fine, I'm hardly ever cold." He held the maroon colored hoodie to me and I finally took it, feeling too shy to turn the boy down after he had sought me out to help me with our shared Dementor problem.

"Well, thank you." I smiled at him for the millionth time, pulling his hoodie over my head and pulling my hair out from beneath it, feeling warmer right away.

"You sitting with us at dinner?" He asked, starting towards the Great Hall even though dinner wouldn't start for at least another half hour.

"I don't know, I don't want to keep intruding on your friends!" I chuckled, but couldn't help thinking of the best part of sitting with the Gryffindor's. More time to be around Fred Weasley.

"They're your friends too?" He seemed confused and I nodded with a small shrug. While I had always counted Hermione as a friend, I barely knew Ron and I had just met the twins this year. Did they think of me as a friend yet? Friends were never something I had been an expert on until coming to Hogwarts, and even then, I knew that the friends I made here could never be good friends until I got my own place.

I followed Harry in through the doors and found Ron and the twins already at their usual spot, snickering at something George had said while nodding his head at Percy near the front of the wooden tables. I noticed that Percy was talking animatedly to a few fellow Gryffindor's of his year who were focused more on the color changing badge pinned to his robes than his story.

I sat down next to Harry on the other side of Ron facing the twins and smiled hearing the three brothers laugh together.

"What's so funny?" I asked, glancing again at Percy.

"Fred." Ron snickered. "Jinxed Percy's Head Boy badge, so now it says Pinhead." This got a laugh from Harry who was now checking Percy out as well.

"He's been wearing it all day! No one's said a word to him." Fred banged his fist on the table as he bent back in laughter.

"Sorry, Perce! We'll keep it down!" George saluted their elder brother who was shooting them a glare after Fred's theatrics.

"You guys are terrible brothers!" I teased, although I knew that the twins never meant any harm from their pranks. It was all in good fun.

"Oh, you wait until you meet him, Cassidy. He's a real-"

"Pinhead." Ron cut him off, taking a swig of his juice from his goblet.

"It's nice to see you in the right colors for once Cassy." Fred raised his eyebrows at me, obviously realizing that this was not what I had been wearing when I had spoken to the twins earlier and that this also wasn't the Quidditch hoodie he had left me. "Who's is that?"

I started to answer, but from how Fred was now staring at Harry sitting in just a t-shirt in the middle of December, I guessed he had worked it out.

"Harry leant me it. I was on my way down to get a sweater, so he saved me some steps." I tried to joke, lightening the awkward mood Fred was creating.

Before Fred could reply, Hermione came bustling through the doors, her hair looking frizzy and jutting out from her ponytail, not helping her appearance of having gone a week without sleep.

"Hermione, you look terrible." Ron exclaimed, his jaw dropping slightly as she sat next to George on the other side of the table, dropping her book bag to the floor with a heavy thud.

"Thanks, Ronald. Really." She scoffed. "I just didn't want to be late for Dumbledore-" She stopped as the room fell silent to let Dumbledore speak at the front of the hall.

"Good evening, all. I hope your classes went well. I won't take too much of your time, as I know we're all hungry after a long day." You could hear the smile in his soft voice and not a single student spoke over him, all waiting to hear what he had to say. "Just a reminder that Monday is the last day to sign up if you will be joining us for Christmas break. So be sure to write home and make sure your arrangements are in order. As you all know, there are school owls in the owlery should you need them. Enjoy your meals and your nights." He bowed his head and food appeared before us within the second.

"How did she know he was going to speak?" Ron muttered to Harry next to me, looking between his friend and Hermione as she pulled piles of food onto her plate and dug in before Ron had even picked up his fork.

"Yes, Cassidy, do be sure to write home and triple check! Maybe your dad doesn't want you home this year!" George teased and I smiled, shaking my head at the red head.

"I'm going home, George. I'll be sure to bring you all back some Muggle treats."

"Yeah, i'll save you some of the rock solid fudge or cookies Hagrid is sure to send up." Harry muttered quietly, as if Hagrid could hear him over all the noise in here.

"Stop! That's sweet he gives you gifts." I frowned, smacking his arm before taking my first bite of dinner, but not before noticing Fred's eyes trained on Harry and I.

We ate quickly, but helped ourselves to seconds, me sticking with the asparagus and extra salad until I had eaten my fill, knowing I would be home next weekend and that father would expect nothing less than my best to attend his company Christmas party.

Once none of us had touched our plates for at least ten minutes, the dinner dissolved through the tables and trays of dessert popped up. Frosted cupcakes and pastries lining silver trays and giant bowls of pudding appeared before our eyes, the group not hesitating to reach for multiples and dig in.

"No dessert, Cassy? That's sacrilegious." Fred asked, his mouth stained blue from his first bite of his cupcake.

"I don't know how you can all have dessert after a meal like that!" I lied. I knew I could have squeezed at least a chocolate eclair in, but it wouldn't be worth it. I could have some dessert after Christmas.

Once non of them could eat anymore and began standing up one by one, looking entirely ready for bed, I finally glanced back at my table. My friends were already gone, possibly already in the common room by now. I felt a little guilty for all of the time I had been spending with the Gryffindor's lately, but I couldn't help it. They all seemed so happy and excited all of the time, not that my own friends didn't, but something about this group had an infectious hold on me.

"Come on, Cassy," Fred's arms pulled beneath my biceps and I felt myself hanging in the air for a moment before he set me on my feet. "I'll walk you back."

"I think I'm more than capable-" I began to tease him, trying to meet his eyes before he gave me a gentle push towards the door and I accidentally let out a giggle that I was sure the entire table had noticed. "Oh! Here Harry, thanks again." I tossed the sweatshirt back to the boy before re-joining Fred and racing to keep up with his long strides.

"Why are you walking so fast?" I asked, already almost out of breath and we had barely left the Great Hall.

"Sorry, didn't notice." He replied, out of focus.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, looking up to him now that he had slowed down for me.

I watched him let out only half of a sigh. "No. Just disappointed you're leaving for break. George and I were going to teach you some tricks, show you some more passageways."

"You could always just show me your magic little cheat sheet!" I joked back as we started down the steps to the Hufflepuff common room.

"Oh, no. You'd have to be very advanced in trickery to have access to that map." His smirk finally returned to his face, but soon became slightly wistful. "And we gave that to Harry. Little early Christmas present. Besides, we know it by heart at this point and he needs it more. But I will miss spying on people and seeing what they're up to." He winked at me and I scrunched my eyebrows up.

"Who are you talking about? I go from room, to class, to library, unless one of you idiots find me in between!"

"Maybe I wasn't talking about you, or are you the center of the universe?"

"No, we can't both be the center of the univ-" I was cut off when I watched him lunge for me, a devious smirk painted across his face. I laughed and sped past the kitchens towards the entrance to my common room, reaching for my wand to tap on the barrels, but knowing I had no time. Fred's body came crashing into mine and I felt his breathy laughter against my ear as he pulled me away from the wall and pretended to toss me to the ground, in reality letting me land on two feet.

"Could have given me a head start." I grumbled, hinting at his height advantage.

"Don't pick fights you can't handle, Cassy." His wand tapped the barrels and I looked around to make sure no one was around to see me letting the Gryffindor in through the entrance.

The ginger escorted me through the opening and into the cozy room which housed only a few stray Hufflepuffs on the couch near the fireplace reading. As I glanced at my housemates, I noticed it. My book I had lent to Teesy on the coffee table, a small note pasted to the cover. I crossed to the fire and picked the book up, heading back to Fred and taking a few more steps to the staircase up to my dorm.

"What's that?" He asked, reaching for it before I yanked it from his reach.

"A book I lent to Teesy." I answered as I read her note scrawled on a plain piece of parchment in the smallest handwriting I had ever seen.

'Dear Miss Cassidy, Thank you so much for the book, Teesy read as fast as she could. You are very kind to lend it, Miss. Have a great night and enjoy this treat as a thank you!

Teesy'

In the small pouch that had sat on the book was a dozen sliced pieces of fudge. Leave it to the House Elves to return a thank you gift with their own.

"You're both so cute." Fred teased, helping himself to a piece of the fudge and sighing in content as it melted into his mouth.

"You just ate four courses, Fred." I laughed, before looking between him and the exit in disappointment, knowing he would leave soon. "Anyways, thank you for walking me. You didn't have to."

"I know." The rest of his sentence faded away as he looked behind me to the staircase and then down to his feet for a second. "I was just wondering... Er... You and Harry? Are you two...?"

I shook my head before even thinking, feeling nervous already. That was the last thing I wanted Fred to think, that I was with someone else. Not that I cared. I didn't care. I shouldn't care.

"No, Harry's just a friend. He was just asking if I wanted to practice with him and Lupin, they're working on a way to get rid of Dementors or something." I over-explained painfully, not really wanting many people to know that I needed help with this, but also knowing that both twins already knew.

"Oh, well that's great Cassy! That's really good... Okay, I uh, i'll see you around."

I held back a smile as he rushed from the room, not heading up the stairs until I was sure that he had left.

Chapter Text

Fred

The last week of classes had flown by, which would have usually been a treat, but this year every day that passed was one day closer to a break that I for once wasn't excited for. A break from classes and school work and waking up early, it was supposed to be everything two pranksters could ever dream of. But most importantly, it was a break from Cassidy. It felt like I had never been at Hogwarts without the blonde, despite only having met her this fall.

Still, she seemed insistent on getting home for the holidays, and I knew it was selfish to wish for her to stay. This would be her first Christmas without her brother, maybe she just wanted to be home with the family she had left.

George was still asleep, his snores filling the dormitory and mixing in with some of the other boys, but I had been up for what felt like hours. She would be leaving tomorrow, and all I could think about was spending time with her today.

After letting my twin sleep as long as I could bear it, I sent a pillow flying at the sleeping red-head and jumped out of bed.

"What the hell do you want." George groaned out, pulling the pillow over his eyes to block out the light.

"We're going to Hogsmeade, let's go!"

"Normal people don't wake up early to go to the neighboring village they've been to a dozen times before."

"Oh, come off it. It's Harry's first time." I quickly threw on some clothes that I assumed matched in the dimly lit room before shoving George halfway out of bed.

"You don't care about Harry, you want to see Cassidy." My brother shot back, finally accepting defeat and climbing out of bed to get ready.

Once the both of us were dressed and ready to go, we scurried down the stairs, nearly knocking the trio over as we blew past them.

"Oi, where do you figure you're headed?" Ron shouted, clearly annoyed at the early hour the three were out of bed combined with the two of us running into them.

"To Hogsmeade of course." I answered before George could.

"After we go pick up one Hufflepuff, he forgot to add." I elbowed him, aiming to knock him down the rest of the staircase but George stood his ground, smirking at me with the three friends.

"We'll come with you, then you can officially show me where the statue is to get through-" Harry started.

"No, Harry, I'm starved! Let them get her, we'll meet after breakfast!" Ron yanked the two friends down the rest of the stairs and allowed George and I back to our mission to get Cassidy.

We split apart from the group at the entrance to the Great Hall and skipped down the small flight of stairs to the yellow common room.

"What if she's not up, Freddie, you don't even know where she sleeps." George joked as we approached the now familiar barrels. "Or do you?"

"Shut up, you git." We rushed through the doors, ignoring the glances of students getting ready for the day.

"She's not in here." George sang, a smirk spreading on his cheeks.

"We'll find her then." I shot back a matching smile, biting back my nerves. Not that I cared what any of her housemates thought of the two of us wandering their dorms, however bad that would look for us, but the possibility of her being upset at us for intruding.

George and I nodded smug smiles to the Hufflepuff girls who wandered down the steps, staying as far away from the two of us as could be. We passed doorway after doorway, names listed and different sprawling handwriting which was very helpful for our adventure. I recognized some of the earlier names from Ginny's stories over dinner of her classmates and knew we were getting closer. Finally, my eyes landed on her door, the sign reading 'Hannah Abbott,' 'Madison Lockwood,' 'Brianna Martin' and 'Cassidy Olsen,' the names all looping together in the same curling handwriting that I knew was Cass's.

George reached past me and bashed his fist on their door a few times before taking a large step back.

"Stop it, you're going to freak them all out!" I laughed quietly just as the door was pulled open, Cassidy's friend Maddie standing on the other side of it, only half of her hair falling into curls while the other side remained straight.

"Is that a new look these days? I quite like it, very original." I teased her, earning me a glare.

"We haven't actually met, I'm George Weasley, this is Fred." My brother held his hand out to shake hers and she smirked knowingly before taking it.

"Cassidy!" She shouted, much louder than I would have thought possible from such a tiny person, before turning back to the mirror and working through the other side of her hair.

I wanted to wait outside, but when George crossed the doorway and started to her bed, I couldn't stop myself. I was already excited and all I could see was the top of her blonde head under her yellow blankets.

"Hmm?" She sighed, obviously hearing her friend's shout but not paying attention yet.

"Cassidy," I whispered, nudging her in her side and earning myself a giggle as she sprang from her sleep.

"Oh my God!" She clasped her hand over he mouth at the sight of us and I held in my laugh at her confused face.

"Surprise! Time for Hogsmeade!" George announced. I felt myself relax as a small smile found it's way to Cassidy's lips.

"How did you guys get up here?" She looked around to her friends who were all watching the unfolding scene before them.

"There's some Hufflepuff that tells everyone the password, you guys should really check into th-"

"Alright!" She stopped me, throwing her pillow at my face. "Think you could... wait downstairs while we all get ready?" She pointed us back to the door and we let out dramatic sighs as we started back to the common room.

"Don't take too long though! We're hungry!" I shouted as the girls shut the door in our faces.

"Yeah, maybe just do half your hair like Maddie's!" George called over his shoulder, already half way down the stairs.

Cassidy took our advice, joining us in the entrance of their common room in under ten minutes, her friends assumedly still getting ready, if they hadn't gone back to bed. She was wearing light washed jeans and an oatmeal colored oversized sweater and was thankfully pulling on a darker brown coat which fell to her knees. Her outfit made her look quite small, and I blinked a few times and scanned the common room before George could call me out for staring.

"Don't you guys get bored of Hogsmeade?" She asked, not hiding her small smile as well as she thought she was.

"Not for Christmas time, Cassy!" I poked her in the stomach, expecting a giggle, but getting a shudder instead as she jumped out of my reach.

"Wait till you see it, Hogsmeade really goes all out, almost looks as nice as Hogwarts." George said, oblivious, leading our trio to breakfast.

When we pushed through the doors to the nearly empty Great Hall, we saw Harry and Hermione waiting patiently in their usual seats as Ron scarfed down some more breakfast as if he hadn't eaten in days.

"Merlin, Ronnie, leave any food for us?" George slid in next to our brother, Cassidy and I joining Hermione on the other side. I reached for a spoon to dish myself out some eggs before noticing Cassidy waiting patiently at my side, still smiling at George's joke from minutes ago.

"Hungry, Cass? Dig in!" I gave her a pointed look, piling the heap of eggs that had been intended for my plate onto hers and reaching for a second before she pushed my arm away.

"Stop! We're not doing this again, you're wasting food! You get your food, I'll get mine!" She rolled her eyes, but I was too focused on the giggle I had earned. I watched her from my peripheral vision as I started on my breakfast. She grabbed one single piece of toast and some jelly on her knife and two slices of pumpkin loaf.

After making sure we had all eaten enough to get us through the day, we set out for our trips. Hermione and Ron headed to the front of the school to walk the path to Hogsmeade while George and I, this time with Cassidy's help, lead Harry to our secret one-eyed witch.

I grabbed onto Cassidy's waist and pulled her back into me as the stairs in front of us slid apart, rotating to the other end of the hall for a few minutes. My hands lingered on the girl for less than a second, breaking contact when I had heard her gasp.

How many more signals could she send you, Freddie, stop touching her!

"Sorry, you were... the stairs." I stuttered out, praying Harry and George couldn't hear my sad excuse for a sentence.

"Thank you." She swallowed nervously, glancing at the stairs as they finally started their journey back towards us.

When we finally reached the third floor, I stopped the group at the landing, having Harry pull the Marauders' map out to check the vicinity. It was still pretty early, but it was the last day before break. Filch would be itching to punish some students last minute.

After ensuring the coast was clear, we led Harry to the statue, showing him the spell and watching his jaw drop slightly as the passage was exposed.

"Brilliant." He muttered.

"A hole in the wall that leads to a dirt path. It's Brilliant." George started, looking to me to finish his thought.

"You are the same Harry Potter who spoke snake to a bathroom sink and saved the school, yes?" I chuckled, gesturing for Harry to follow George into the tunnel. I paused for a moment, remembering the last time we had come this way and how Cassidy had taken my hand, letting me lower her into the passage. I didn't want to be a dick and make her jump, since she was a good deal smaller than the three of us, but she so clearly hated having my hands on her.

"Think you got it there, love?" I tried for a smile, but I was sure it was coming off smirky.

"Oh, don't worry about me!" She bragged, grasping the leg of the statue and leaning back into the hole before her foot got stuck and she let out a small yell, as if even her subconscious knew not to draw attention to our mischief.

"I gotcha, come on." I heard George's voice echoing from below me and jumped in last, the statue plunging us into darkness as it slid shut.

"Merlin, Cassidy, we can't take you anywhere." I tried to joke as if watching George set her down from her place in his arms wasn't driving me insane.

"She's alright, let's get going!" George gestured for Harry to follow him down the tunnel as I fell in next to Cassidy.

We walked for a bit in silence, deciding on where we wanted to go first and what Harry had to see.

"Got your cloak, right Harry? There's nearly always teachers out for this trip, since they're on break too." I looked over to Harry as he showed us the silvery material laying on his arm.

"What is that?" Cassidy asked, her eyes wide in the dark as she tried to piece together what Harry was holding.

"Er... It's an invisibility cloak. My dad left it for me, it belonged to him." Harry's eyes never left the cloak as he answered her.

"A real invisibility cloak?" She stepped in front of me, causing me to stumble out of her path so I wouldn't step on the back of her boots. "Can I see it? Do you mind?" Her voice sounded small, as if any of us would have been able to say no to her.

"Yeah, go for it." Harry held the shimmering object out to her and she touched it nervously as if it could break. "Take it, Cass, it's just fabric."

We were finally nearing to the end of the tunnel, more light straining in from the wooden boards above us, illuminating Cassidy's awe struck face as she floated the cloak over her hands and off, watching them fade from existence.

"Alright, give it back now." I scolded her as George and I reached up to push the wooden door aside, pulling ourselves through the hole in the ceiling.

"Need a hand Harry?" I held my arm down for the dark haired boy who took it for only a second and let go once his feet hit the ground. I looked back down to Cassy who looked slightly nervous, obviously remembering our last time here and our prank to leave her down there.

She cleared her throat, waving her hand up towards the doorway and giving me a look.

"Something you need?" I smirked down at her, knowing I was being mean, but I couldn't help it.

"Freddie." She growled, putting on her best glare. "Come on! I woke up early for you and everything."

"Shut up, we talked about that name." I clasped my fingers around hers and pulled, ignoring the shot of warmth I felt when I touched her skin.

"Have we?" She stepped behind George and Harry as he pulled the cloak on and faded from our sight. The four of us snuck one after another up the stairs and slipped through the door unnoticed, once again, to an even larger crowd of students admiring the sweets.

We led the blonde and the invisible boy out of the doors, getting a blast of the icy wind as we stepped out. Hermione and Ron were waiting exactly where they said they would meet us, already holding a large bag of sweets from Honeydukes behind us.

"Harry? You still here?" George asked, feeling the air around him as Cassidy covered her mouth with her hands to smother the laughter.

"We get him out here and this is the thanks he shows us?" I shook my head, watching Hermione and Ron talking animatedly to the empty space between them.

"Well, Miss Olsen, what would you like to do?" George asked.

Chapter Text

Cassidy

We had been through every shop at least once, even returning to Zonko's a second time when George and Fred remembered their low stock of stink pellets.

"Thank God I'm going to be far far away." I lied, shooting the twins a smile.

"They don't smell for too long!" George shrugged.

"Yeah, no longer than an hour..." Fred agreed.

"Or two..."

"Or three!" They jiggled the small bags of pranking equipment in my face.

"Enjoy your detentions then! Use all of those before I get back." I laughed, shoving my hands in the deep pockets of my coat as we walked. The boys had insisted we finally make it to the Shrieking Shack, even though they had it fenced off so all that you could do was look. Not that I would have ever followed anyone into that place, much less this pair.

"Oi, there's Lee! I'll meet you guys later, okay?" He looked at the two of us but was already heading toward the twins friend.

"Do you want to go see him? I can wait, or I can look for Hermione and them." I didn't want to keep Fred from his friends, and I felt like I had been doing it too much lately.

"I see those prats everyday, you're going away for two weeks." I looked up to see a light pink lining his cheeks, as if he already regretted letting those words slip out.

"Oh, you're going to miss me Freddie?" I whispered, knowing eventually he would stop allowing the nickname.

"Cassy, don't make me mute you." He shot me a look that was anything but mean.

"Do you want to get something to drink? I owe you a butterbeer from last time." I tried to sound nonchalant, like my insides weren't actually churning with nerves.

"Oh, yeah, it's about time you paid up too!" He nudged me towards the Three Broomsticks and I held in my sigh at his touch on my arm.

I had never looked forward to Christmas break, but I couldn't remember one I was dreading as much as this one. The twins had been the perfect distraction from my father and Tommy's death, but the past few days anticipation of my two weeks trapped back in that house was bringing back the empty feeling in my stomach and the nightmares nearly every night.

"Cassy?" Fred's voice shook me from my train of thought as we pushed through the doors to the crowded pub.

"Sorry, yes?"

"I said where do you want to sit?" He gestured to the few tables remaining.

"Oh, you pick! I'll get drinks." I headed to the bar, rummaging through my bag for some wizarding money.

Once I had two glasses, I turned to look for the red head, which unsurprisingly took less than five seconds.

"There you go, a thank you for getting me out here. I suppose I owe George as well." I smiled, sliding in the booth across from him and taking a sip from my drink, feeling the warmth hit my stomach immediately.

"Eh, you would have seen it next year, right? I'm sure once they find Black, your dad can't have any objection."

"Yeah, maybe. I'll ask, I guess." I took another sip of the butter beer, hoping he would change the subject.

"Are you excited to go back home?" Fred asked, his eyes trained on my face like we were the only two in the building.

"Mhm..." I hummed, softly, avoiding his eyes.

"I know it'll probably be... hard. This year."

I nodded, giving Fred my best attempt at a smile.

"Will you write to me?" He asked suddenly, seeming like he had been waiting to let that out all day. "And George of course."

"Uh, I don't have an owl, actually. Or I would." I replied, nervously. How did this boy make me feel this way from the simplest questions?

"We'll write you from the school owls and you can write back with them!"

"No!" I started without thinking. The trouble I would be in if an owl showed up at the house... "Don't do that. Just enjoy your break! I'll be back before you know it." I tried to laugh it off, praying he would listen to me.

Once we left the warmth of the pub, Fred led us back to Honeydukes to sneak back down the tunnel. I felt guilty making him take the long way just for me, but I was secretly thankful we wouldn't have to pass the Dementors again, which I knew was his reasoning as well.

"Shouldn't we wait for George?" I asked, searching the area for the matching red head.

"I didn't see him, and no offense Cass, I doubt he and Lee would be too offended that they didn't have to sneak back into the school in the dirty underground tunnel."

"But Gryffindor are known for their chivalry!" I faked surprise and he bumped me lightly across the stone path before entering the store.

We waited until the store owners back was turned helping a group of girls at the front of the store before Fred pulled the door open and led me down the steps quickly. It took less than a minute for him to kick the plank to the side and jump down into the dark passage.

I really did it now. How was I going to get down there without his help? Why did he have to go first?

I had stared down between the step and Fred for what felt like minutes before he held his arms out, grinning up at me.

"You're gonna have to jump Cassy."

"No! I'll be fine, move! I'll just reach until I feel the step-"

"Cassy. You're too small, come off it. Just jump, i'll catch you."

My stomach squirmed at the thought. I couldn't. I couldn't jump into his arms. I think I would die of embarrassment, assuming that he even caught me and didn't let me fall on my ass.

"I'm not going to drop you." He teased, as if reading my mind.

"Fcking Hell..." I muttered, sitting on the floor and sliding myself off the wood. I was in the air less than a second before I felt his arm surrounding mine, his other beneath my knees.

I met his gaze for a second, not wanting anything more than to stay in his arms, but knowing I had to get out before it got weird. A smirk was practically stained on Fred's face by now before he finally lowered me to the ground.

"See? You're fine." He muttered, pulling the floorboard back into place before we started back.

I nodded along next to him, feeling suddenly shy.

"Thank you, Fred, whatever would I do without you, I'd be stuck in Hogsmeade forever-" He mocked, stopping short when I smacked him.

"You'll pay for that one Olsen." He growled, lunging after me as I ran down the nearly pitch black tunnel.

"Lumos!" I choked out through my laughter, looking back just in time to see Fred envelope me in a hug, pulling me into his chest, my feet leaving the ground completely.

"Stop! Stop it, Fred!" I felt like I would never stop laughing with this boy. Everything was so easy, so light and happy and fun. I was a completely different person with him, with a completely different life.

He finally set me down and I turned to face him for a second, not knowing what else to do. My blue eyes looked up into his brown ones for a few seconds as I tried to catch my breath from the laughter moments ago.

"I'm gonna miss you." He said so softly, I wasn't sure he meant for me to hear it at all.

"You've mentioned that." I smirked as he rolled his eyes.

"You're gonna miss me too, you dick." He chuckled as we re-started our walk.

"Yeah. Yeah, I will."

"Wingardium Leviosa" I muttered, watching my half full trunk float through the air on my heels.

"I wish you could stay, Cassidy. It's not fair!" Bri whined for the hundredth time today.

"I know, I'm sorry!" I replied, for the four hundredth. Between my friends and the Weasley boys, I was beginning to think it might be better to have stayed here for break and faced the punishment in the Spring.

"Have loads of fun, you'll have to fill us in on everything you do, and I want to hear about any boys you meet at that Christmas party. Muggle or not, you need some action." Maddie called from her spot on her bed where she was skimming todays Daily Prophet.

"Will do." I lied. There was never anyone interesting at my dads party, and if there was, they were talking to Tommy, not me. Tommy had been father's golden child, despite being disappointed in the both of us for 'choosing' this life for ourselves.

I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder, laying my coat on my arm as I headed down the stairs and out of the common room door.

"Cassy." Fred smiled, one foot still on the last step into the warm hallway. "I thought you might already be gone."

"Almost." I could practically feel the sadness peaking through my smile.

"Well I just, uh... Thought I'd come say goodbye. See if you needed help with your bags, but... you've got it." He gestured at my trunk behind me.

"Yeah, thanks though Freddie." I raised my eyebrows at his nickname and he rolled his eyes.

"Gimme your coat." He grumbled, throwing my coat over his arm to free up my hands as we walked up the stairs side by side.

The halls were nearly empty at this hour. Not many students were going home this year and the ones who were staying would be in bed for hours more, enjoying their break.

"What do you do for Christmas?" I asked Fred, not wanting our walk to be awkward since he had woken up early just to see me off.

"Depends. There's so many of us, I have 5 brothers and a younger sister, so it's been a while since we've all been home together at once. We'll probably go home next year, who knows. Mum knits us all matching sweaters every year, we've all got a million by now." He chuckled. "She's a great cook though, I almost wish I was going home just for the food."

"Seven kids?" I asked as we neared the wooden doors outside.

"Yep." He smiled, like he was used to that question. "Here.." He held my coat out for me to slip my arms into before we opened the doors.

"Thanks."

When he pulled the handle of the door, a burst of snow blew into the hall, causing the both of us to grimace as the cold hit our faces.

Thankfully, Fred had no time to ask about my Christmases at home by the time we had reached the entrance to Hogsmeade from the school. I had been up all night, torturing myself with the ideas of going home, Christmas without Tommy, seeing my father, and having to pass the Dementors again.

As soon as their dark cloaks came into sight, Fred stepped a bit closer to me, our arms brushing against each other as we walked.

"You're gonna be okay. You can do it." Fred muttered to me, sounding almost like he was speaking to himself.

As we got closer to them, I heard my breath quicken, my stomach turning to ice.

You're not going to pass out. You're not. You're fine.

I wrapped my arms closer around my stomach inside my coat and picked up my pace. I just had to get away from them, I had to stop feeling this way.

Just when I thought I wasn't going to make it another step, I felt Fred's arm link with mine, pulling me closer to his side.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking me up and down quickly as I nodded. "You really gotta get to that class with Lupin." He joked, earning him a soft punch in the arm.

"Thank you. For walking me. I don't think I would have..." I trailed off, embarrassed. Why did they affect me so bad, and Fred could walk through unfazed.

Before I could speak again, he was pulling me into a hug, his head resting on mine as I sank into him. I felt like I could cry any second, just thinking of leaving him. I had never felt this safe before. It made going home that much worse.

"Have a good Christmas, Cassidy." He said, finally letting me go.

"Happy Christmas, Freddie."

Chapter Text

I gave myself one last glance in the mirror leaning against my wall, smoothing the gray sweater dress out before I went to meet my dad downstairs. I grabbed a pair of black heels and carried them at my side, not trusting myself to walk down the stairs wearing them.

It was Christmas Eve, the day of the infamous Christmas Party father always dragged Tommy and I to. An excuse for all of his co-workers to show off their future lawyers, doctors, whatever would make their kids the most money so that they could brag about them for eternity. Father had invented Tommy's story probably before he even started showing his magic. Tommy was going to own his own business or be a CEO somewhere, just like him. Me? I honestly had no idea what my story was. I had never heard my dad tell a single story to his friends about me. I was just supposed to dress up nice and smile at the adults.

My stomach churned as I reached the first floor, hearing my dad rustling around in the kitchen. I slipped my shoes on silently and went to the doorway to meet him, mostly so he would know that I was ready. I wasn't holding us up. Everything was right on schedule.

I had been home for five days now and everything had been fine so far, aside from my tears leaking into my pillow every night that I had to lay down in this house that Tommy was supposed to be in with me. The entire night was spent flipping back and forth trying to decide if I felt guilty for wanting him back or happy that he had finally gotten away.

Every morning I would wake up and wonder why I wasn't in my dorm room. Why I wasn't springing out of bed to meet the twins in the Great Hall or dragging my friends out of their beds for some adventure, until I felt the dried tears on my cheeks and remembered exactly why. I was home, it was Christmas, and I was very alone. I hadn't spoken more than three sentences to my father outside of the dinner table, which was usually a silent one anyways.

Father had been working extra long hours since I had been back, although I wasn't complaining. I was almost certain that his prolonged absences were the reason I hadn't acquired a single bruise yet this break. He hadn't even raised his voice once.

The first day home had been hard, but I knew it would be. I made sure to leave all of my wizarding clothes and books at school, not giving him even a chance to be upset when he picked me up from Kings Cross. The only thing I had brought was my wand, tucked deep in my trunk, although I barely knew why. I wasn't allowed to do magic unless it was an emergency, and even in that case I wasn't sure if I would do anything...

"Ready to go?" He finally noticed me standing quietly in the hallway and I nodded, looking down at my outfit nervously. "You look nice."

"Thank you." I tried to speak up, but my voice was hoarse from lack of use. I plastered on a smile to make up for it and he nodded, picking up his keys and gesturing to the door.

This party was hosted every year at the same restaurant, paid for by father's company. When we arrived, the valet opened the car door for me and held his hand out, which I pointedly ignored, offering him a small smile instead as I stepped out into the light snow and waited on the steps while my dad handed him some muggle money and lead us in through the revolving doors.

"Olsen!" A voice rang out which I recognized instantly. It was my dad's closest business parter, a man I had seen every year like clockwork at this party as long as I could remember. Mr. Avery. He was perfectly nice and had a perfectly nice wife who always showered me with compliments as if she could tell I was being boxed out by my father.

"Hi, Cassidy, you look gorgeous, look at you, so grown up!" Mr. Avery looked me up and down and I tried for a polite smile. "Jackson's been talking about you all night, waiting for you to get here." He sent a wink and grinned at my father, as if he was supposed to be delighted at the prospect of his daughter getting together with his friends son.

I glanced at my father, seeing his raised eyebrows and his slight nod deeper into the party.

"Um, I'll go find him then. Nice to see you Mr. Avery."

"You too, honey." He didn't spare me another glance, already launching into another conversation with my father who hadn't dropped his gaze from me yet as I started into the crowds of people.

Before I lost sight of my father, I watched Mr. Avery pull over a waiter and hand him a glass of bourbon and I felt my eyes fall shut. That was it. There was no going back after he'd had a few drinks.

"Cassidy!" I heard my name in a voice I hardly recognized. I spun around and was met with a smile from the tall boy, who had been practically my own height this time last year.

"Hi, how are you?" I smiled back at him, leaning slightly against the railing leading up to the bar.

"Jackson." He reminded, obviously thinking I didn't recognize him.

"I didn't forget your name." I laughed, somewhat nervous. We had never really talked apart from the hellos and Christmas greetings with our parents at our sides.

"You're looking at me like I'm a stranger." He chuckled, reaching for my arm and I flinched away from his touch.

"No, sorry, um... you look different. Very grown up." I said, jokingly as I finally let him grab my arm and lead me up the stairs.

"So do you. You look great." The smile never fell from his face as we approached the bar.

"Can I get a Jack and coke?" He asked the bartender, who nodded, obviously not caring that we were both clearly underage. "What do you want, Cass?"

I felt a pang in my chest thinking of the twins when he spoke my name.

"Oh, I'm fine. Can I get a water, maybe?" I smiled at the bartender, who looked as though he'd rather be anywhere else tonight. I wondered if maybe the men who worked here were assholes to him, or if he just hated his job already.

"Cass, get something to drink. They don't care." He kept his voice low near my ear.

"I don't drink. My dad would-"

"We'll avoid him! Come on. It's fine! We've gotta get through this night somehow." He rolled his eyes and I shook my head, still smiling politely as I took my ice water and he grabbed his drink.

"Suit yourself. I'll get you a drink by the end of the night, though."

We walked side by side through the crowds, occasionally stopping so Jackson could exchange hellos with some of the other families. I wondered if they all knew about Tommy, about what had happened. If they were wondering where my dad's favorite child was tonight. Surprisingly, from the lack of pity smiles I had gotten from Jackson or his parents, they might not know at all.

"So where are you looking? For schools?" He asked, taking a seat at a high top table at the other end of the bar and kicking out the chair with his foot so I could sit across from him.

I stared blankly for only a second before remembering. College. That's all these kids thought about. I panicked for a moment, not having been briefed on my story from my father at all, not knowing if he even had one for me.

"I don't know. Looking at a couple." I smiled before taking another sip of my water.

"I bet. Have you looked at Oxford? Dad's got a mate on the board, he says there's always a spot if I want it, but I've been looking at Cambridge too."

"I haven't been yet. Which do you like better?" I asked, trying to keep the focus on him.

"I don't know. They're both impressive. The campuses are so different though, It'll be tough to decide. How long are you in town for? We could go visit one, if you've got time?"

"Uh, yeah, I'll ask my dad. I know he's been working a ton, I'm not sure what the rest of break looks like."

"How's your fancy boarding school, anyways? Learning a lot?" He teased.

"Oh, tons."

I had barely gotten out my response when he held up a finger and ran to the bar, slapping his arm over the shoulder of a new kid our age who I didn't recognize.

I swirled the ice in my now empty water glass, my thoughts landing back at Hogwarts. What were they doing for Christmas Eve?

"Cassidy, you haven't met Mark have you?" I looked up as the boys set a bubbly drink on the table in front of me which I eyed nervously.

"No, nice to meet you. I'm Cassidy Olsen." I held my hand out and he gripped it lightly, not breaking our eye contact.

"Mark's dad just started last Spring. Cass goes to some pretentious boarding school God knows where." Jackson joked, earning a chuckle from the new boy. "Anyways Cass, we gotcha a drink. You'll like it, it's something berry, raspberry maybe?"

"I thought it was cherry." Mark looked back at him.

"I dunno, just try it!" Jackson nudged the glass closer to me, but I didn't reach for it.

"Jackson, please. You're going to get me in trouble."

"What are you in trouble for Cassidy?" My stomach sank at the voice.

"Nothing." I answered, looking up to him. He didn't seem drunk, but this was obviously not his first of the night.

"Is that alcohol?" He pointed a finger at the glass in front of me on the table.

"She didn't have any sir, honest. We were just messing around, she's too good for our tricks! She wouldn't drink." Jackson said, seeming to think this was no big deal.

"That's alright, I know Cassidy wouldn't do anything like that. Will you excuse us, boys, I just have to talk to my daughter." He set his hand on my shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze and I gulped and nodded to the guys.

Father led me out to the hallway and looked both ways before the back of his fist struck my face. I gasped, but didn't scream. We were in public. My hands went up to the spot he had just hit, already feeling the bruise I would have tomorrow.

"Are you trying to embarrass me?" He asked sternly, his face getting red as he tried not to shout like I knew he wanted to.

"No, no. I told them... I told them I don't drink."

"These are the kind of young men you will end up with one day. Not someone from your little fucking school. Respectable men, from respectable families who work for what they have. And this is how you want to fucking act around them? Like a drunk?" He shoved me against the wall and I felt my head bounce off, feeling the ache in my arm as I pushed myself back up.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I whispered, not looking at him.

"Go wait in the car." He hissed, turning back to the door and re-entering the party as I stood in my spot to catch my breath before going to retrieve the keys from the valet.

I waited for nearly two hours until he finished at the party, watching my breath appear in a fog in the cold car, knowing better than to turn it on to have the heat on. I let myself cry for only a few minutes before I pulled it together, knowing I couldn't be crying when he got back. I sat in the passenger seat and pulled the mirror down, wiping away the black of the mascara that had dripped down my face before checking the cheek he had hit and seeing the beginning of a flaming red bump. I slammed the mirror back to it's position and shut my eyes, crossing my arms around myself and willing myself to ignore the chill eating through my tights.

Chapter Text

I woke up in my dark room with the shades completely pulled. My eyes felt swollen from the silent tears I had let out once I finally crawled into bed last night. Father thankfully hadn't spoken once the entire car ride home.

I felt so empty, like I did every time this happened. But this time was the worst. Tommy and I used to wait until our father fell asleep on the nights we would get hit before crawling into each other's rooms silently. When I was much smaller, I would let him hold me in my bed until I fell asleep, but I never knew what to do for him. He always tried to act like it didn't bother him, but the nights that I did hear some cries slip through the walls, I would always rush in and sit next to him on the floor, holding his hand until we both fell asleep.

Now it was just me. And it was fine. Because if Tommy had been there last night, it would have been him. Or both of us. And there was no reason for that. Tommy's safe. Wherever he is, no one can hurt him.

I grabbed the small package I had wrapped the day I got off the train with the tag on top reading Dad and pulled my door open just wide enough for me to slip through. I didn't want to sleep in too late and have him yell at me for being lazy, especially on the holiday, but I didn't want to be up before him either. I stopped at the top of the stairs, hearing the sizzling from bacon and movement from the kitchen before I started down the steps.

"Happy Christmas." I said softly, taking a seat at the table facing him.

"Happy Christmas, Cassidy." He replied.

That was that. Neither of us spoke again until breakfast was ready and he walked over to the table, taking his seat across from me and dishing out some food onto his plate.

"Thank you for breakfast." I spooned out some eggs for myself, ignoring the bacon which he probably didn't know that I hated.

"That's all your eating?" He raised his eyebrows at me and I grabbed a few slices of meat so I wouldn't have to tell him I didn't want any.

Once we had finished our meal, I got up and gathered our plates, taking them to the sink and rinsing them off. I came back to grab for the warm food to begin putting it away when he held a small package out to me.

"Here's your present. I'll put the food away." He stood up, bringing the pans with him as I sat back at the table. I pulled the string from the small box easily and tore a corner off the paper, revealing a small gray box which held a thin silver necklace with a cross on the end.

"Thank you, dad. It's beautiful." I set the box on the table in front of me, giving him a smile when he looked over.

"You're all I have now, Cassidy. Your mom and your brother? They ruined everything for themselves. But we won't go with them. They made their choices, and God will see that they get their punishments." I bit my lip to stifle the gasp. I knew exactly what he meant by this cross. That him and I were the only safe ones, the only two from our family who God would accept into Heaven, while Tommy and my mom would spend the rest of their eternity in Hell. It's what he always said anytime either of them were brought up anymore.

I fell silent, not having a single answer for him anymore.

"You need help putting it on?" He started over to me and I felt my blood turn to ice in my veins.

"No, I've got it..." I started, plucking the chain from the box and forcing my fingers to unlatch the end.

Don't touch me, please don't touch me, please.

He came around the table and took the necklace from my fingers, pulling it up around my neck and clasping it shut. The cross fell right below my collarbones and I looked down at it, feeling the cold metal on my skin.

"I... Got you something too." I grabbed for the present I had brought down with me. Anything to take my mind off this bloody necklace piercing into my neck.

He tore the paper off and looked down at the small kit I had stumbled across in Hogsmeade. It was a watch cleaning set. Dad had a few different watches that he swapped out every day, and I had guessed they had never been cleaned.

"Are you implying my watches are dirty?" He asked, his eyes staring into mine.

"No! I just thought of you when I saw it, I-"

"I'm only joking, Cassidy. Thank you, this is very thoughtful." He smiled at me, setting the box on the counter and picking up a book he had left there.

"You're excused. I'll call you for dinner later."

I nodded and sprinted from the room, heading to the library. I knew I couldn't take this necklace off while I was here without him getting upset, but I could find a distraction to help me forget about it for a few hours. I stepped up on the small step stool and grabbed down an old and faded copy. The Secret Garden.

It was finally getting dark out now, the light no longer seeping in through the library windows when I heard it. A scramble from downstairs followed by my name roaring through the house. I jumped from my seat, letting the book fall to the floor as I ran to the stairs. I didn't have to wait long. Father met me at the top step, his fist colliding with my cheek as I once again fell into the wall.

"What, what-" I started, confused before I saw what he was pointing to.

"What is that doing in my house!" He bellowed, scaring the tiny owl into the corner of the hallway.

"That's... I don't know, that's not mine-"

"Not yours?" He raged, wrapping his fists in my sweater and dragging me towards him. "It's not anyone else's!"

"Right, I know. I know. I-" My body was thrown to the floor again, and I felt my knees buckle for a second before I could stand back up.

"Dad, please-" I breathed out before his hands landed on my throat. Just like last summer after Tommy's funeral.

I whimpered as he choked me, black spots dancing around the room in my vision.

"I never want to see-" I coughed, failing to get another breath in, feeling the cold metal chain under his fingers. "Another fucking owl in this house."

I woke up in pitch darkness, my throat feeling dry and every inch of my body aching. I clasped a hand over my mouth as I let out a cough and whimpered in pain, remembering what had happened. I had passed out, right here on the floor, and he had just left me here.

I pushed myself off the floor, holding in a groan and looked around the hallway. If he had hurt that little owl, I didn't know what I was going to do. Finally I spotted it. It's yellow eyes blinking up at me from under the table by the stairs, still clutching a letter in it's beak.

"I-" I tried to speak, but my voice was barely audible. "Come here."

I reached for the bird and he took two hops over to me, dropping the letter at my feet which I picked up and shoved into the pocket of my sweater before scooping the brown owl into my arms. After looking the animal up and down, I decided he hadn't been hurt. He must have flown out of dad's reach and hid from him until he gave up.

I tiptoed with the bird resting on my arm into the kitchen and slowly pulled open the cabinet doors, grabbing some small crackers and holding a few in my palm for him to eat before heading back to my room.

"Be quiet, okay? Please." I whimpered, sure that the owl didn't understand English.

I set him on my desk and pulled the letter from my pocket, tearing it at the top and shutting my eyes when I saw his handwriting.

Cassy!

Happy Christmas! How is it back home? Christmas at Hogwarts is always great, you'll HAVE to stay next year. Seriously, Hagrid decks the place out, the food is amazing, plus I'm sure the House Elves miss you.

George and I have already played seven pranks since you left, and we're trying our best to save the last two stink pellets until you get back.

You can write back with this owl, he's from the owlery. We'll see you soon,

Fred

I sighed, glancing at the owl who was cleaning the feathers on his wing before pulling a blank parchment over to the desk and starting a new letter.

Harry,

Happy Christmas! I hope everything is well at Hogwarts and you're all enjoying your time off.

I need a favor...

You know we have similar families. They hate magic, they don't want to know or hear or be involved with any of it.

I need you to make sure none of our friends are sending me any letters for the rest of break. Please. Fred sent me one and my dad freaked out. But don't tell them that, just make something up? I don't know.

You'll know what to do.

I'll see you next term. Thank you,

Cassidy.

I held the letter out for the owl who grasped it in her foot and looked up at me with sad eyes.

"Can you... take this back to Hogwarts? It's for Harry Potter. Do you know-" The owl blinked once and took off through the open window, fading into the black night.

"Don't come back." I whispered, blowing out my light before falling back against my bed and rubbing my swollen neck in the dark.

Chapter Text

The train ride felt longer than ever before, although I guessed it was because I had never wanted to be back at school this badly, combined with the fact that I had a compartment to myself with nothing to do. I watched the snow fall as the train sped across bridges and forests, thinking about what I was going to do when I got back.

All I had wanted to do since the day I got off the train at Kings Cross two weeks ago was to see the twins. To see Fred. But after everything that had happened this break, I wasn't sure if I was ready. I had been up early today, covering the bruising in layers upon layers of concealer, but I wasn't sure how well it would hold up. I could get by wearing scarves and letting my hair cover my neck, but the black and blue lining my jaw and under eyes was the most difficult.

Finally, the train slowed to a stop in Hogsmeade and I watched a few students pass my compartment before I stood to follow them out into the village. It was only now as I followed the small pack of students towards the castle's outline in the distance that I remembered I would have to pass the Dementors once again. I took a deep breath, scanning ahead to see if we were close enough to see them yet. Passing the dark creatures seemed a small price to pay to get back to the remaining months of happiness locked inside the school, but I was just worried about embarrassing myself passing out on all of these strangers.

When we drew closer, I could make out their floating selves lining the gates, staring eagerly at the students as we walked. We would be next to them in less than fifty feet, and I could already feel the bone chilling cold spreading through my lungs. I looked side to side, seeing a group of Gryffindor girls near me who might consider helping me up if I collapsed.

I began to notice a foggy haze surrounding the students and I, but I wasn't entirely sure if it was real or inside my head. I stared into the stone walkway as I passed through them, feeling dizzy, my heart racing in my chest before I heard my name being called.

The twins, Ron, Harry and a few random Gryffindor's were a few dozen feet in the air hitting quidditch balls around, obviously soaking in their last day of break. By the time I spotted the twins, Fred's feet had already hit the ground, jumping off his broom while he was still considerably high up in the air.

He was at my side in two seconds, nodding hello to a few students as they continued up to the castle. I leaned into him without a second thought and felt his arms surround me, breathing in his familiar scent.

"Look at you, brave girl, those Dementors don't stand a chance, huh?" He tried to joke but I couldn't laugh. Everything still felt dark and cold.

"Hey, Cass! Welcome back!" George landed next to Fred and I, holding his broom in one hand as he waited for Fred to let go of me.

"Hi." I tried for a smile, inching up towards the castle.

"Oh, right, let's get out of here." Fred shot a look at the gates behind us, a few of the Dementors turned to watch us, their faces hidden in darkness beneath their hoods.

"I'm gonna finish the game, you out Fred?" George raised his eyebrows, shooting his twin a knowing smirk.

"I forfeit!" Fred called, sarcastically. "Was starting to feel unfair anyways, think it's time I let someone else win." He looped his arm around my waist and I struggled to keep my heart from leaping from my body.

He's just worried you're going to pass out. It's not like that.

"You didn't write back." Were his first words once we parted from his friends.

"What?" I started, tearing my mind from my thoughts stuck on his hand on my hip. "Oh, the owl." My voice squeaked out, and I prayed he didn't notice.

"Too busy for me, Olsen?" He smirked, and I shook my head with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, I... yeah, I got busy. I told you not to write, anyways. Have trouble listening, Weasley?"

He pulled the doors open and stepped inside after me. "You haven't caught on to that by now?"

He slowed to a stop at the top of the stairs to the kitchens and I set my trunk on the floor when I realized we were stopping. Fred's eyes scanned to my coat pocket, which had jingled as I had set the trunk down.

"What's that?" His fingers dove into the patch of fabric, retrieving the cross necklace I had dropped in there the second I had gotten through the brick barrier at Kings Cross.

"Oh..." I kept my eyes off the silver chain, shutting my mouth as it had fallen open. "Christmas present, from my dad."

"It's pretty. Why aren't you wearing it?"

"I dunno, I-" I cut off when he moved around my trunk, coming behind me with the necklace falling in front of my face. With one hand, he gathered my hair and pulled it from my neck and I froze in place. I could feel his breath on my neck for only a second when everything changed.

"What the fuck happened to your neck?" His voice sounded angry. I flinched, my blood running cold in my veins as if I was right back with the Dementors. I pulled out of his grasp, feeling my hair fall back around my shoulders and I took a few steps away from him.

"Cassidy." His brown eyes were lit up, as if someone had set a fire behind them.

I shook my head and looked away, anywhere but his face. He balled the chain in his hand and followed me to my new spot, backing me against the staircase and I let out a small whimper without thinking.

"Cassidy, I'm... I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to know what happened to your neck."

I shook my head, feeling tears spring to my eyes before I could stop them.

"I can't." I whispered, finally letting myself look back to his face. "Please, I can't tell you. Just drop it, please."

"No, Cassidy. You have to tell me, come on. I'm not letting this go anymore."

I shook my head desperately and wiped some falling tears from my face, only realizing my mistake when my fingers pulled away with makeup on them. I kept my head down and fumbled for the handle on my trunk before I noticed his body next to mine again.

"Cassy," His hand came to my chin and pulled my face up towards his. His eyes looked hurt now, the fire still behind them. He used one finger and trailed down the side of my face, making me wince as I felt the contact with the bruises.

"Tell me who did this. I swear to God, Cassidy, tell me right now."

"Fred, stop." I pleaded, feeling the tears welling in my eyes again. "I don't want to lie to you, don't make me lie to you." I took a step down the stairs but he pulled me back, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing me into my second hug of the day.

"Come with me." His breath met my ear and I felt some of my hair flutter as he reached down and took my trunk from my hand, pulling me by my arm to the stairs leading to the towers.

I followed silently, confused, but thankful to be with him. Thankful that we weren't talking about it anymore.

We climbed flight after flight, Fred rarely looking back at me, our fingers laced together as he pulled me after him until we stood outside the Gryffindor portrait.

"Oddsbodikins" Fred muttered as we neared the entrance, not slowing down as he pulled me through the swinging portrait.

"Freddie, where-" I stopped when he turned to the right and led me up the set of stairs with place holders on each door listing off the Gryffindor boy's names. We passed a few sets of doors before he pushed into one, letting me in behind him and leaning against the door to shut it. He set my trunk at his feet and finally turned his eyes to me again, breathing out a deep sigh.

"Tell me. And don't lie." His voice was stern. I had never heard either of the twins speak this way before.

I hugged my arms and copied his sigh. "Freddie..."

"Okay. Okay." He took a few steps towards me, but leaving some room in between us. He rubbed the necklace's chain in his fingers, and I realized he'd been holding it this entire time. "Your dad gave you this?"

I nodded, still not looking at the necklace.

"Your dad did that to your neck." He stated, matter of factly.

Not a question. I don't need to answer.

"Cassidy." He growled, not letting up as his eyes bored into my own.

"Fred." I whimpered, terrified. I had never been this close to being caught. I had never had to admit this out loud to anyone.

"Nod. Yes or No. Because this fucking chain is bruised into your skin."

I felt my lip quiver and I looked at my feet as I gave him a small nod.

"And he did that to your face? And your arm in September, and your neck and-" His voice grew louder with every word as he threw the necklace across the room, swiping a lamp off the desk as he went.

"Fred, please." My voice was so quiet, I was shocked he heard me at all until he crossed the room and pulled me into his arms again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He breathed into my ear and I let silent tears run down my face. "I just... Why? Why does he... Has he always done this to you?"

He pulled his face back to look at mine and saw the tears falling onto his hoodie.

"Cassy, no. No, no, come here." He pulled me back gently and fell back onto his bed, pulling me onto his lap. I turned my face into his chest and he rubbed small circles into my back, letting me cry in silence. After a few minutes, I felt him pull the thick blanket from his bed on top of us and felt his fingers raking through my hair softly.

Fred

She had finally stopped crying, but judging from the soft breaths she was letting off into my chest now, I was guessing it was only because she had finally fallen asleep.

Everything inside of me felt like it was on fire. Ever since she had confirmed what I had guessed was happening, ever since I had seen the imprint of the chain on her throat, my head had been reeling. The day I had met her, I had seen the cuts on her arm. I had seen the bruising on her neck, the way she flinched away when people touched her, Ron's description of the Boggart. How could I have been this blind? How could I have let her go home to that monster?

Why had no one asked why Tommy had killed himself? Not even a muggle investigation into his suicide? Why hadn't I asked? In all these months, how had I not given any of this a second thought.

I hugged her closer to me under the blankets and took a few deep breaths, hoping to lessen the rage I felt in my stomach.

I glanced at my watch when I felt her stir in my arms. It had been nearly two hours since she had fallen asleep, but I felt as though only minutes had gone by.

She looked up at me, confused and I offered her a smile. "Hi, sleepy head."

She licked her lips and I could see the realization hit her. Why she was here. That she had told me her secret.

"You're okay, Cassy. I've got you." I brushed my finger along her arm without realizing until I saw a light blush paint her cheeks. "We need to talk about it though."

"Freddie, no." She whispered, burying her head in my chest again.

"We have to tell someone. Sprout? Or Dumbledore. Lupin, maybe? Someone."

"Fred!" She sat up, the blankets falling around her shoulders as she looked at me. "You can't. I wouldn't have told you if I knew you would tell people." She stared at me, looking heartbroken. As if I was hurting her more than he had.

"You're not going back there. You're not ever going to see him again." I spoke firmly, but knew better than to let my voice raise again. I was sure from her reactions earlier that she had been yelled at enough for a lifetime.

"I have to, Fred. That's my home. He's my only family."

I shook my head. "He's not. He's not your family, anymore. He doesn't get to have you, to hurt you, and get away with it."

"Don't. Tell anyone. Please." She looked like she could cry again. "I trusted you."

My heart fell again. The sight of the broken girl in front of me, thinking she had no choice but to go back to him over and over.

I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Okay, Cass. I won't tell anyone. I'm gonna take care of it, though. You still trust me?" I opened my arms, nervous now that she might not come back, but holding back my smile when she did.

"Yes." She whispered, her head falling against my chest again as I moved back on the bed, giving her more room and breathing in the smell of her hair.

"Good."

Chapter Text

I blinked into a brighter room than I was used to. The past two weeks I had awoken to complete darkness as I always kept the shades pulled and awoke at ungodly hours of the morning. I looked to the numerous windows, most with reading nooks that I was sure were rarely used for their intended purposes in this particular dorm room before I fully remembered where I was. For a moment, I felt my stomach twist with anxiety as I remembered that I had spilled everything to Fred last night.

No sooner had this thought crossed my mind, I felt his arms pull me closer to him as he breathed out a sleepy sigh. I laid still, not wanting to ever leave this bed, but still nervously awaiting the awkward encounter we would have when he woke up.

I peaked around the room, holding in a groan when I saw his roommates all fast asleep, knowing they had to have caught us in bed together last night, and that their minds would have gone to all of the wrong places.

"I can already hear you overthinking, it's interrupting my sleep." Fred's voice was rough with sleep and I felt a few butterflies race through my chest at the sound.

"I'm sorry." I let out a small laugh, turning to face him, his arms not letting go of me despite the movement.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked, covering a yawn with the back of his hand.

"Good. Really good... How about you?"

"Eh, had to share my bed with some Hufflepuff who has obviously gotten too accustomed to sleeping next to the kitchens." He smirked at my confused look. "Colder up here, yeah? Your fingers are freezing."

"I'm sorry." I pulled my hands away from him and tucked them under my arms to warm them up.

"Only kidding." He chuckled, sitting up from his bed to reveal his twin staring back at us.

"Morning." George smirked and I shoved my face into Fred's pillow. "Hey, not judging! They're comfy beds, anyone could fall asleep in them I'm sure." His voice sounded smug and I heard him stand and cross the room to the shared bathroom.

"He's kidding, Cass. Come on, you need breakfast. We missed dinner."

I dragged myself from the warm bed and unclasped my trunk, rummaging around for my robes and some makeup. I set my clothes on the top of a dresser and looked into the mirror, grimacing at the black and blue reflection I was met with.

I began dotting the first layer of concealer on the bruises when Fred appeared in the mirror behind me.

"You don't have to do that. No one will mention it, I swear-"

"Bloody Hell, Cassidy, what happened to you?" George exclaimed and I glared at Fred's reflection before he whacked George in the chest.

"Ow! Alright. I'll see you at breakfast, then." He looked confused and shot half a glare as he started down the stairs outside.

"No one else will mention it." Fred tried, but I shook my head, finishing my coverup.

Once we had both changed and pulled our shoes on, I followed the red head down the stairs, ignoring the few looks that were thrown our way as we exited the common room.

The bruises barely hurt anymore, so much that I could almost forget they were there. I sat through all of my classes without thinking about them even once, just satisfied to be back at school, back where I could focus on magic and homework instead of what would anger my father the least.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all welcomed me back with excited smiles despite us having to sit through over an hour of History of Magic in which Hermione had to kick both boys back awake twice. When Professor Binns finally released the class, we gathered all of our books into our arms and ran out to the hall.

"Cassidy, I wanted to ask you." Harry's eyes pulled me back, Ron and Hermione in a deep argument over Ron's attention span. "Um... Lupin said we could start with the Dementor practice this week, is Thursday night good for you? It would be around 8, because I have quidditch."

"Oh, yeah! That's perfect, Harry, thank you I had almost forgotten."

"Lucky you, I can't forget with Oliver hovering over me every quidditch game asking if I've gotten the 'situation' under control."

I chuckled, realizing he was watching my face closely. It took everything in my power not to reach up to feel the bruises lining my cheek to feel if my makeup was wearing off, but knowing that would only draw more attention.

"Was um... everything okay with your dad? The owl?" He finally asked the question that I realized he had wanted to ask all along. "I talked him out of sending any more, especially after you didn't respond to his, he was freaking out anyway, thinking he bothered you or something."

I felt my heart sink, thinking back to how that was one of his first questions yesterday, never thinking that either of the Weasley twin's could fracture their egos over not getting a response.

"Yeah, it... he was just mad, but, he got over it." I lied.

"That's good. I get it, my uncle used to threaten to send Hedwig away if she wouldn't keep quiet, but at least they let me keep her." We finally reached the main floor and Hermione and Ron looked back at us. "My aunt and uncle are loads nicer to me now, ever since Hagrid gave my cousin a pigs tail. I could send him your way if you'd like?"

I laughed, genuinely this time, but shook my head.

"Miss Cassidy Olsen." I heard my name echo from two identical voices and spun to see the twins, Ron looking on as if already expecting some sort of theatrical prank to occur.

"Do we have great news for you!" Fred smiled down at me and I prayed he wouldn't note the pink that I could feel rising to my cheeks, thinking of waking up next to him this morning.

"And what's that?" I asked, looking between the two of them.

"You are cordially invited," George started, sounding as if he was reading off a wedding invitation.

"To stay at the great house of Weasley this summer." Fred finished for his brother, his eyes searching mine, seeming nervous.

"What?" I asked, looking back at the trio, who shared my shocked expression.

"Mum already agreed. Just got the letter back." George shrugged, looking to his twin.

"That's lucky, Cassidy. I usually only get a few weeks with them, not a whole summer!" Harry still looked slightly confused, but somewhat jealous. Most of the school knew about Harry's bad luck with his family and how he was still made to go back to them for a portion of each summer for some reason.

"Guys, that's sweet but I can't accept." I gave George a sorry smile and Fred a knowing look.

"Oh, but you have to. Once mum says it, it's happening." George tapped my nose and I winced, feeling the slight ache underneath my eye.

"I'll see you guys later, okay?" I looked to the group and nodded down the hallway at Fred, who took my hint.

We walked together in silence until the noise of our friends had died down before I looked over to him.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing! I just asked mum if you could come this summer, said it was important. She agreed without a second thought. It's always a full house over there, what's one more?"

"Fred, I have to go home. I'll be in huge trouble-"

"That doesn't matter, Cassidy. You're never going back there, so you're never going to be in trouble again."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Being friends with you? That sounds impossible."

"So you'll come right?" He ignored my joke.

"Freddie, I cant. I would feel awful, your parents don't even know me-"

"They'll love you."

"I'm... I'm muggle born."

"Oh, come on. That's not seriously even a concern, is it? We don't give a shit about that."

I looked around wildly as if I was being pranked. This boy would not let up.

"If I don't come home this summer, he'll kill me."

"He's never going to lay eyes on you again, Cassidy." Fred's eyes were dark as he spoke.

"How? You're saying I'm never going back there? That's where I live!"

"Not anymore!" He shook his head at me, as if I wasn't understanding. "You're staying with us. It's not even a big deal, it's a little over two months of the year, you take up next to no room, Ginny will love having a new sister, Mum obviously was trying hard for a daughter, she'd love a second."

"Fred, you're insane!" I took a step away from him, but felt his hand close on my wrist, carefully pulling me back.

"You're coming. This was my way to fix it without going to Dumbledore. That's what you wanted yeah?"

"I'll be imposing on your family, Fred. For a long time, according to your plan."

"They want you to stay, Cassidy. Trust me. You trust me, right?"

He was smiling at me, knowingly. As if I had already said yes.

"Did you tell them? About my dad?"

He pressed his lips together, looking guilty. "I told my mum, Cassy, I had to explain."

"It's okay. She won't... tell anyone, right?"

"No, she's sworn to secrecy." He answered, looking annoyed at my question.

"And did you tell George?" I was nervous about this one. Having anyone at school know was a risk, much less having two people. Two of the loudest and most popular students in their house.

"I haven't. But, I'd like to... He'd be upset if he found out I kept it from him."

I nodded, thinking hard. I knew the feeling, being that close with your sibling that you'd be upset at them keeping important secrets from you.

"Could you just wait a little while before you tell him? Until the bruises go away? I don't want him looking at them, at me, like you do."

"How do I look at you?" He exclaimed, his eyebrows bunching together.

"Like I'm broken and need everyone to be careful of me. Like I'm fragile."

Fred shook his head quickly, without even thinking.

"No, I do not. Hey," He took my hands in his and I swallowed nervously. "I think you're so strong."

Chapter Text

I had made it through classes once again, but after the reveal of Fred's plan yesterday, my head was spinning. I had finally agreed, mostly because he wasn't really offering the choice to say no, but inside I was terrified.

The idea of never going back. Never being back in the home I shared with my brother, leaving the rest of my stuff at home, although most of it was clothing that I only wore in the Muggle world. Most of all, just deciding in under five minutes that I would never see my father again. It had been what I was planning for all along, saving up any money I got my hands on from him, babysitting over the summers, loose coins I had found in the dryer. But I never imagined it like this, although now that I thought about it, this would be the safest way. To never return after Hogwarts. Only, I had imagined it to be so many years from now, after sixth year at least.

After mastering the antidote to most poisons in potions, I nodded goodbye to my friends as they headed back to the common rooms to drop their bags. I didn't know where I was headed, but I couldn't spend anymore time staring into the walls of my dorm room. Every few minutes, it would seem, my heart jumped to my throat at the thought of my father waiting to pick me up from the train station in a few months. How long would he wait? Would he try to get through the barrier? Reduce himself to asking the wizarding families scurrying past with their owls and trunks if they had seen me? Would he file a missing person's report? Write to the school? Would Dumbledore send me back home? And if he did, what punishment would I face there? Neither Tommy nor I had ever done something as severe as running away. And if the school got involved, what would happen to the Weasley family?

Before I realized it, I stood in front of the Gryffindor's new portrait entrance, a knight who nearly everyone knew the name of by now, due to him constantly challenging students to duels.

I paused at the portrait for a moment, allowing Sir Cadogan to spew off his usual sentences while I tried to remember the words Fred had muttered just two days ago when he pulled me through the entrance.

"Oddsbodikins." A voice muttered from behind me and I turned to see Neville Longbottom, a neatly scribbled list in his free hand. "Hi, Cassidy, what are you doing up here?" He gestured into the unsealed portrait hole.

"I don't know, actually... just sort of wound up this way. Thought I'd stop and say hi-"

"Little Miss Cassidy, what do we owe the pleasure?" George shouted, jumping up from his spot near the fire with a s'more in his hand, sticky marshmallow painted his left cheek.

"Are you guys making s'mores?" Neville asked, somehow sounding shocked, as if this was uncommon for the twins.

"Come on, Longbottom, there's plenty." Fred shouted from across the room where he was letting his marshmallow catch on fire before quickly blowing it out and burning the other side.

"I got homework, and I'd catch the room on fire." Neville mumbled, dragging his feet to the staircase Fred and I had gone up the other night.

I looked after him sadly, before George used my arm to pull me over near the fire.

"Here you are, Cass." Fred handed me a long and skinny stick that I didn't even want to know where they had gotten.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked, looking concernedly at Fred's blackened marshmallow.

"Have you never made a s'more?" George whipped his head to me, and I felt my heart sink again. Since I had entered the toasty common room, I hadn't thought of home once. Until now.

I looked to Fred and watched him clear the glare he had shot at George, pulling a new white candy from the bag in between us and sliding it onto my stick.

"Kids make 'em at campfires. You put your stick near the fire, like-" His hand came over mine as he pushed the piece of wood closer to the fire. "Then you wait until it's as brown as you want it,"

"Or black and crispy." George stuck the darkened candy into his mouth and held it between his teeth, letting the steam rise off it before he burned his tongue.

I watched the flames reach for my marshmallow, pulling away before they could burn mine like George's, until a golden color erased the white and I looked towards the boys.

"Done? Already?" Fred teased, pulling my stick from the flames. "Hold it there for a sec." He reached into the small bag of crackers next to him, setting a large piece of chocolate on top and nodding at me to sandwich in my melting piece.

"There you go!" He smiled, handing it over and watching me look at the treat, white goo leaking from the sides. "Eat it, you're gonna make a mess!"

I took a bite, feeling the sides of my mouth grow sticky, but I didn't mind.

"That's really good, wow." I laughed, finishing the s'more in two more bites.

"As if we'd be sitting stuffing our faces with them if they were gross." George joked.

"The snacks you two come up with, I can never be too careful." I leaned back against the couch behind us and watched the flames lick the air.

"What are you doing up here, anyways? Miss us so terribly?" Fred shot me an easy wink.

"I dunno, I was just on a walk. I wasn't paying attention, I just ended up here."

"A real shock, with your luck with the staircases." George pretended to whisper, but grinned at me, knowing I would hear him.

I shook my head, choosing to ignore him. "I'm just... I'm not sure if I can come with you guys. This summer."

Fred's eyes shot to mine, darkening slightly. "Yes, you can." He said, matter of factly.

"Yeah, Cassidy, you can't get our hopes up like that and then snatch it away!" George whined, over dramatically.

"I'm..." I stopped. I had wanted to tell them. How scared I was. How the thoughts hadn't left my brain since Fred had told me yesterday. "Your parents don't even know me!"

"And they didn't know Harry, and they didn't know Lee, and they didn't know Hermione or Ben-" George listed off on his fingers.

"Ben who?" Fred scrunched up his eyes, looking at his brother.

"Charlie's friend, Cooper or whatever? See what we mean, Cass? It's how it is at our house. No one will even notice you. You might even be neglected." George shrugged, turning back to his s'more making.

"Oh, yeah. Down right ignored. Mum's only dreamed of having girls in the house our whole lives." Fred smiled at me, clearly trying his best to reassure me.

"No, before that. Probably since Bill, or before. Maybe since she was born."

I felt the laugh bubble from my chest, finally taking a deep breath for the first time all day. The twins had such an infectious cheerfulness, it was no wonder I had found myself here. When you were near them, it was like nothing else mattered. Homework, exams, grades, families... Everything was just here and now. Happy.

The twins and I talked and laughed, wasting precious studying time that I was sure they didn't care about, and for once, neither did I. When it was finally time for dinner, we leapt from our spots on the ground and I laughed, watching the two race down the steps, not trusting myself to go that fast and risk falling through the tricky steps.

Finally, it was Thursday. I felt guilty for all of the time I had been spending with the Gryffindors, only seeing my room mates for classes and bed at this point, but tonight I had an excuse. Dementor lessons with Harry. This could practically count as homework, anyways.

I arrived to Lupin's classroom five minutes to eight, praying Harry would already be here. I had yet to be alone with Lupin since we practiced Boggarts, a feat that I had worked hard to make sure of.

"Cassidy, welcome! We were just getting set up!" He smiled warmly at me, gesturing for me to shut the door.

I walked over to the raven haired boy, sitting on a bench across from an oversized chest which Lupin was leaned against.

"I've thought long and hard about the best way to go about this, since I couldn't very well go outdoors and ask for a Dementor volunteer." He chuckled, and Harry and I both grimaced, our best attempt at a smile.

"Since Harry's boggart is a Dementor, I figured we would just make use of that. Now, watch carefully." He raised his wand before us and stared above our heads for a moment, as if imagining something far away.

"Expecto Patronum." His voice rang out, a silver wolf jumping from his wand and pouncing across the room happily.

My jaw dropped and I looked over to see Harry, wide eyed and excited.

"What is that?" He asked, looking back to our professor as the wolf disappeared.

"That was a Patronus. Everyone's takes a different form, if they can produce a full one. It's a very difficult spell, and I must tell you both, I know a good deal of adults who have never produced one themselves."

I bit my cheek, looking to Harry who surprisingly looked eager, while I felt discouraged already.

"Professor, you said a full one? What if you can't make a full one?" I asked, raising my hand stupidly as if we were in a full classroom.

"Those who can't form a full patronus can sometimes create a sort of silver shield which can still be quite useful in defending oneself from a Dementor attack." He nodded at me, as if he could read my mind. "The trick is, you must think of an incredibly happy memory. Focus on that, say the spell, with enough practice, I have high hopes we can get you both there. Ready to try?"

Harry and I stood from our seats, facing the wardrobe. I took a step behind the boy, knowing that the Boggart had to transform for Harry's fear, not mine. Lupin unclasped the lock on the chest and swung it open, the black tattered cloak rising into the air. I heard Harry's gasp from next to me and I felt my stomach drop, my eyes blinking slowly as I felt myself fall back to the bench behind us.

"Expecto Patronus!" I heard Harry's scream, but it sounded muted to my ears. A thin wisp of silver mist sprayed from his wand, but he pulled his wand back, yelling the spell again, with the same effect before he too fell to the bench beside me.

The Dementor disappeared again into the chest and Lupin caught his breath before crossing to us, breaking a piece of chocolate in half and offering it to the two of us.

"Okay, maybe we ought to try it a few times without the Dementor? That was a good start, Harry, especially for your first try. That's all many people can ever get."

We stood again, me still feeling slightly wobbly on my feet as I raised my wand.

"Expecto Patronum." I said firmly, waving my wand the way Lupin had shown us, but nothing appeared. Not even the smallest spark.

"One more time, little louder maybe." Lupin nodded, sitting on the chest to watch us.

"Expecto. Patronum!" I gave a slight shout, biting my lip embarrassed as nothing appeared for the second time.

"Harry, your turn." Lupin said, looking at me as Harry produced the mist again, this time for only a few seconds before it dispersed, Harry looking winded.

"What memory are you using?" He asked the two of us.

"When Hagrid told me I was a wizard, and I knew I would get to leave the Dursley's." Harry admitted, looking to me.

"Um..." I stalled. I had tried a few memories. The day I had gotten my letter, similar to Harry's memory, was tainted by the beating I had endured that night when father found out I was like Tommy. I thought my first day at Hogwarts would work better, meeting my new friends, sleeping safely for the first time in years, but that too was tainted when I realized Tommy was in nearly all of my memories.

"My first day at Hogwarts, and meeting my roommates and having new friends, getting to learn magic and finding out I was good at it."

"Alright, those are okay, but for this spell, to get a full patronus, you have to have a memory so strong. It can be hard to figure it out." He glanced between the two of us. "I think we've done good for tonight, same time next week?"

Chapter Text

I dipped my quill into the ink again, trying to ignore the twins talk of new candies to make kids faint or vomit uncontrollably. I was on a steady homework binge before these two had stumbled through the entrance way of the Hufflepuff common room as if they owned it, and since their arrival I felt like my progress had been cut in half.

"Alright, as much fun as homework with the Hufflepuffs is, I'm going to be getting back." George announced, stretching his arms over his head as he stepped off the couch. I looked up at him from my spot on the floor, my homework spread on the oversized coffee table in front of the couch which had been holding the twins. I shot him a smile through my rolling eyes.

"You'd think I had invited you two in or something." I joked, returning to my work.

"Goodnight to you too, Sassy Cassy." George quipped, earning a laugh from Fred, who to my surprise hadn't moved to follow his brother.

George shot Fred a smirk as he left, which I definitely hadn't seen, my attention entirely focused on my paper.

I peeked at my watch as the doors shut behind the ginger. I felt tired enough to fall asleep on the couch right now and it was only nine, although I suppose the nonstop homework since dinner wasn't helping.

I watched a drop of black fall into the inkwell before I went to start my next paragraph when I felt it. The soft tug of my hair. I felt myself sit up a bit straighter, but wouldn't let myself turn around. He pulled the strands of my hair together in his hand, moving it to the side of my head, and I knew what he was looking at.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, still not turning to look at him.

"Why did he do it?" He nearly whispered back, as quiet as a Weasley boy could speak. "To your neck."

I pulled forward, closer to the table, hoping he would let go of my hair, but he didn't.

"Freddie." I leaned my head back in his lap to look into his eyes, giving him a grin, hoping that was enough to change the subject. I was happy, everything was good lately. I didn't want to talk about this again.

"Please, I have to know. It..." He stopped, not meeting my eyes yet, his gaze still attached to my neck. "Driving me mad."

"What is?"

"What happened to you? Whenever you went home. I know it's probably hard, I know you don't want to talk about it. If you really don't, that's... that's fine. We don't have to. I just picture it... him hurting you. All of the time."

I turned around to face him, at last, crossing my legs directly in front of his own so he would look at me instead of my neck.

"Why? Fred, don't do that!"

"I don't do it on purpose." He laughed at me, as if that should have been obvious. "I just... I feel guilty. That I didn't figure it out before, and that I let you go back there, and-"

"It wasn't your job to figure it out, I didn't want anyone to know, I tried my best to hide it-" I stopped when his hand linked around my wrist and looked up, his honey brown eyes so close to mine.

"I could have stopped it. I should have stopped it."

I shook my head, looking down at his hand on my own. How could this boy feel guilty about something that had been happening to me my entire life? We had barely been friends the last time I had bruises. And even my roommates had never noticed. How could he think about this all of the time?

"He..." I started, not wanting to finish, but also not wanting Fred to keep wondering and picturing the worst. "Didn't used to choke me. Until Tommy died." I looked down into my lap, knowing if I met his gaze again I would cry. "I don't even remember what I did, or what I said to make him do it the first time. I woke up and I couldn't even remember anything until I saw the marks in the mirror."

"It's okay. We don't have to talk about it." He said, still clinging to my wrist, his thumb moving in small circles against my skin.

"It's okay." At this point, I was barely hearing the words I was saying, too focused on the feeling of his skin on mine.

"What about your arm? On the train. In the fall, I saw-"

"I broke a plate." I tucked part of my hair behind my ears, remembering the day. "It was the day the letters came with our supplies and books. And I realized I'd be coming back here alone this year. I was doing the dishes and one of them slipped right through my fingers. Shattered on the floor."

I paused, part of me hoping he would guess the rest until I saw him nod for me to continue.

"I didn't even know he was in the room. Maybe he hadn't been. But as soon as he heard the crash, he was there before I could even bend down to clean it up. All of the little shards were in his hands and I was just standing there, waiting. And he threw the pieces one at a time at my face. It just got my arm, every time. But I guess he didn't care. Easier to hide it that way."

"Merlin, I want to kill him. I want to-" His hands balled into a fist and I set my hand on top of his, hating when people got this upset.

"It's fine, Fred. It's fine, remember? I'm never going back there?" I tried a smile for him, but it didn't affect his own expression.

"Why did he choke you this time?" He asked the one question I was praying would never come up.

I shook my head.

"What's that mean? You don't remember or you don't want to say?"

I bit my lip and set my head against his knee, hoping he would take the hint.

"Why won't you tell me?" He turned his head sideways to match mine and I couldn't help the smile that spread to my face.

"Don't want to."

"Please?"

"You don't want to know, Freddie." I tried to turn back to my long-forgotten essay but he slid down to the floor next to me, leaning his elbow on the table.

"I do. Please, Cassy. I do." His eyes flashed for a second, the gold leaving them completely. He looked stern, determined.

"It will make you sad." I said softly, conscious of the few students crossing behind the couch as we talked.

"Of course it will make me sad, Cassidy, it's not- Wait." The darkness left his eyes, but the honey color didn't return. "It would make me sad? Me specifically?"

I couldn't stop watching his eyes, the way you could practically see the emotions changing in his brain through them. I nodded.

"Did he choke you on Christmas?" His voice was nearly inaudible now. It was if he already knew the answer.

Another nod.

"Because I sent you that fucking owl?"

I felt my stomach tighten into one solid knot. I didn't think he could have figured it out so easily, so quickly. I had never planned to tell him, and now I wished I had lied. The look in his eyes was a terrifying cross of anger and pain.

"I got you hurt?"

"No. No, Fred. No." I whispered, reaching for his hand which he pulled out of my reach, standing up to begin pacing the common room.

"And you couldn't write me back, because you were unconscious. And I made a joke about it." His face looked distraught as he rounded the room on another lap.

I jumped to my feet, pressing my hands to his chest to stop the pacing. "You're going to wear out the rug." I teased, not even earning me a smile. "Hey, come on. That was funny, I thought."

"Cassidy." My name slipped from his lips softly, but his eyes still burned with anger.

"Come on, Fred..." I took my hands off his shirt, feeling stupid now for touching him. "I didn't want to... I was never going to tell you, please don't be upset."

He opened and shut his mouth a few times, at a loss for words for the first time since I had met him.

"It's okay." I whispered again, feeling anxiety settle in my stomach. Why had I said anything? It had only made everything worse.

"It's not." He pulled me into him before I even registered him reaching for me. I let my arms wrap around him and took a deep breath in of his scent. "It's going to be though. It's going to be okay. You're never going to be hurt again."

I leaned back from the hug, not wanting him to think I was reading into it.

"It's getting late, you're going to get in trouble now that you gave away your secret map."

"Yeah, I'm not too worried." He flopped back against the couch and pulled my arm down until I fell against him. "I'll just stay a few more minutes."

"You going to the game Saturday?" I asked, not wanting the room to fill with awkward silence.

"Am I going to the game?" He smirked. "I go to every game. Are you going to the game?"

"I guess. It's just so cold, why can't they have all the quidditch in the spring?" I faked a whine, leaning against the head rest on the couch and watching the fire.

"Cassy, if you want to watch the game with me, just ask." He teased, mischief dancing in his eyes once again.

"Oh, shut up! I was just making conversation!" I felt the heat rising to my cheeks which I could easily blame on the fire.

"You want to sit with me at the game, Cassy?"

"Well you do block the wind nicely, Freddie." I pretended to think over my options. "I'll get back to you."

"Okay, Cass, you get back to me." He chuckled, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Don't get comfy, you're leaving soon, I have homework to finish!" I peered at his figure from the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, five minutes. Swear."

I waited a few seconds before letting my head rest on top of his too, already feeling my eyes begin to shut every few seconds before I yanked them back open. I wasn't falling asleep with him again.

Chapter Text

My eyes blinked a few times into the brightly lit classroom, Harry and Professor Lupin looking at me nervously. I jolted back to my feet, more annoyed than embarrassed with every attempt at the patronus charm that I couldn't complete.

"You're getting closer, I think." Harry said, offering me a smile as Lupin held out a piece of chocolate which I reluctantly bit into.

"I think you need a stronger memory, Cassidy. It can be hard to find the right one, but think on it this week. I'll see you both tomorrow for class."

Harry waited for me to stand up, grabbing my wand from the floor where I had fallen before we headed to the hallway.

"It's a really hard spell. You'll get it soon." Harry mumbled as we headed back to the entrance hall where the stairs to both of our dormitories were.

"I don't feel like I'm getting any better." I sighed, picking an uneven edge off my fingernail to avoid looking at him. I should have known better than to try and take these lessons with Harry. Of course the boy who lived, the boy who defeated You-Know-Who as a baby would blow past me in spellwork.

"I know. This is how I feel in Divination, but for some reason Defense Against the Dark Arts has always been my favorite." He trailed off as we reached our staircases and I gave him a nod goodnight as I started towards mine.

"Hey, really only one of us has to get it right? I'll send mine over anytime you need him." Harry joked, leaving me with a smile.

"Well, well, well," A voice startled me from the shadows near the entrance to the Common Room. "A Hufflepuff? Out this late? Unheard of."

Fred stepped closer to me, a smirk lining his face.

"What are you doing here?" I laughed, slowing to a stop near the barrels and turning to look up at the ginger haired boy.

"Oh, I was just hanging out in my common room, you know." He gestured behind us.

"You have to stop letting yourself in places you don't belong."

"And where have you been, missy?" He pressed, ignoring my lecture.

I tapped the barrels with my wand, letting Fred in behind me as if he couldn't get in himself.

"Dementor lessons with Harry." I answered shortly, falling onto the couch and sending some sparks into the fireplace, still feeling chilly from lessons. The couch sagged as he dropped down next to me, our legs pressed against each other despite all the open space available for him to sit.

"How are those going?" His voice sounded cheery, but his eyes searched my face, seeming worried.

"Hard. I can't do it." I grumbled, staring into the fire instead of looking at him.

"And why's that?" He turned his body to face me, waiting for me to do the same.

"Lupin says my memories aren't strong enough." I finally gave in, wanting to be able to see him again. I sat across from him, my legs crossed and offered him a smile, although I felt defeated. Who knows how long it would take them to catch Black? The Dementors could be stationed here through next year too.

"What memories?" Fred asked, looking confused.

"The Dementors feed off happiness, so you need a really happy memory to conjure the spell to ward them off. It's called a Patronus. And I can't find a memory that will work."

"Well... let's think of one then! How about your first day at Hogwarts?"

"Tried it. The day I got my letter was... no good. And when I think of the first day coming here, I just think of the train ride with Tommy."

"Okay, okay. How about... birthdays? Did you have any really good birthdays?"

I shook my head, thinking briefly through my birthdays over the years.

"Hogsmeade?" He offered, seeming as a last resort.

"Tried it. I thought that one would work, but I think it just wasn't quite enough."

Fred nodded and looked at me, his usual smile no where to be found.

"What?"

"You can't think of a single happy memory that isn't somehow sad for you." He explained, matter of factly.

"No, there's one. I just have to keep thinking." I shrugged.

Fred

The wind whipped against my face as I sat behind the small blonde and her friends, all of us cheering for Ravenclaw this time. The girls were bundled in black robes and anything blue they could find in their closets. Gloves, hats and scarves thankfully worn by Cassidy for once. I wanted to be sitting next to her, instead of behind her. Maybe then I would have a chance to pay attention to the game. Instead, every time I tried to focus on the quaffle or the seekers scanning the field, my eyes found their way back to her.

I held back my smiles every time George caught me staring, shooting him warning glares to keep him quiet. We cheered for the, however rare, goals Ravenclaw scored against the Slytherins, and I grumbled along with my friends, pretending that I was paying my usual amount of attention to the game.

"You've got it - you've got it - you've - OH!" George jumped to his feet as Flint budged into Stretton, who thankfully clung tightly onto his broom, twirling in the air a few times before he regained his balance, the Quaffle now safely in the arms of the Slytherin Chaser.

Shouts were heard all through the stands when Slytherin scored another goal, before a hush fell on the crowd. Malfoy had spotted the snitch, the gold shimmering near the top left of the pitch, and Cho, who was still ages away, hadn't even noticed it yet.

Malfoy gripped the handle of his broom, leaning forward until he was flat against the wood, racing towards the snitch before it could disappear again.

"That's it, then." George grumbled, waiting the last few seconds before the Slytherin seeker had his fingers around the miniature ball.

"What? What's it?" Cassidy looked at us before quickly scanning back to the field, only now realizing as Lee announced the capture of the snitch.

"Honestly, woman. Why do you even come to these games? You hardly notice anything of importance!" I teased, nudging her in the back with my knee and receiving a glare.

"Could say the same for you, Fred." George raised his eyebrows at the both of us.

As the teams floated down from the pitch, Malfoy still gripping the snitch in both hands as if the score hadn't been settled the second he touched it, the stands began to empty row by row. We stayed seated until most of the students had gone down and Lee had finally joined us.

"Good talking, Lee." I laughed as we started down the stairs, letting the girls go first since they were in the row ahead of us.

"Yeah, maybe next time give Cho a hint!" George joked, knowing Lee would get into more trouble than usual for cheating against the Slytherin.

We followed the Hufflepuff girls back to the castle, up through the snow filled paths to get some late lunch. As much fun as I had with my brother and Lee, I'd have given anything for the rest of them to disappear, leaving me and a Cassidy alone.

But we had been alone so much lately, it was starting to get obvious. How badly I liked her. And Ron had been more right than he knew at the start of term, she didn't need to be thinking about boys right now. Not with everything she had gone through the past year alone.

Still, she needed friends. And being one of the only friends who knew her secret, I felt it was only right for me to be the one to help her with it. I had done my part to get her out of her house, fixing the issue with her dad. Now, I just had to help her with her dementor problem, so she could stop re-living those moments every time she passed one of the creatures.

She needed a memory, and I was going to give her one.

The girls joined our table for lunch, since the students had all eaten at different times due to the game anyway. Once the girls had disappeared back to their dorms, I could get started on my plan.

I started down the steps the Hufflepuffs has gone down minutes before, but turned into the kitchens halfway down the hall. I had to admit, I felt a bit guilty this time, since it was the busiest time of the day, the house elves all scampering around to prepare for dinner.

The door had barely swung shut behind me when Teesy appeared at my knees, beaming up at me, flour and sauces smeared on her clothing.

"Mr. Weasley! What can we do for you?"

"Hi, Teesy. Say, I was wondering if you'd have time to do me a favor. I know you're busy and it's so last minute so you can say no, of course-"

"No problem, sir! Teesy will make time, what do you need?"

I had barely any appetite for dinner, which was rare for me. I wouldn't even say I was nervous really, but something inside me was twisted in knots. I knew I wanted to do something, give her a good night, somehow, something to think back on, a pure happy memory. But I couldn't help but stress that she would think it was a date.

Because I wanted a date. Hell, I really wanted a date with her. But even when she had fallen asleep in my bed, even when she laughed at my jokes or returned my hugs, I knew she would never feel that way for me. The thought of a relationship must be the lowest priority on her list right now, and even if she was looking for something, the line of boys she could have waiting for her must be miles long.

I shook my head, clearing the monologue from my mind as I arrived at the Common Room once again. I tapped the barrels, letting myself in since she didn't know I was coming. It was getting late, I was expecting her to already be upstairs, but I suppose I should have known better.

She was one of the only people in the silent room, legs tucked under her as she turned the page on a new book.

I walked towards her quietly, leaning down until I was right behind her ear.

"Boo." I said softly, her scream echoing through the room before I had even finished the word.

"Merlin, Fred, why!" She scampered to pick the book up from where it had fallen to the floor.

"Reading for fun, again?" I smirked, looking down at her face from my spot on her arm rest.

"Breaking and entering for fun again?" She teased back, shutting the book in her lap to talk to me.

"Well, it just so happens that I have something more fun than either of those things planned for us."

"It's late, Freddie. You're going to get in trouble."

"Will you have a little faith in me?" I stood and crossed over to the exit before turning back to her. "You coming or what?"

"Coming where!" She asked hesitantly, but set her book on the table in front of her, which I took as a good sign.

"It's a surprise." I took the few steps back to her and reached for her hands to pull her up, biting back a smile when she didn't flinch away this time.

"You and surprises are rarely ever a good mix." She muttered, grabbing her sweater from the chair behind her and following me towards the exit, her hand still clasped with mine.

"Geez, I try to do one nice thing around here-" I peeked around the corner before leading us into the next hallway, regretting not asking Harry to borrow the map for tonight.

"We're going to get in trouble!" She hissed as we scurried up the stairs, pausing again to search the entrance hall for signs of life before continuing.

"Cassy. Think of all of the things I get away with, I would say my detention to mischief ratio is doing pretty well."

I held a finger over my lips to shush her when she laughed at my sentence.

"Maybe bringing you was a bad idea, after all!" I whispered as we took the next staircase.

"You act as if I begged to come, instead of you dragging me from my common room." She hissed back before I clapped a hand over her mouth and dragged her into the shadows, stepping behind the rows of stationary suits of armor. She stared at me wide eyed until I let go of her mouth, watching as Peeves somersaulted through the air past our hiding place.

"Why do you look so scared? Think I was kidnapping you?" I joked, looking at the anxiety painted on her face.

"No, I thought we were going to get in trouble." She punched my arm lightly and I chuckled, leading us back to our original path.

"This is a lot more stairs than I was expecting when I was forced to come on this journey." She whined from behind me. I still paused at each intersection to scan the hallways ahead, but I was feeling safer with every flight of steps. No professors would want to climb all these stairs to patrol up here.

"Last one, come on." I shook my head, hiding my amused smile at her complaints.

When we reached the stop of the staircase, I shoved the heavy wooden door open to the Astronomy tower and watched her jaw drop slightly, taking in the scene before us.

Chapter Text

Cassidy

I finally remembered to shut my mouth when I could feel the cold air hitting my teeth. I looked from Fred back to the scene in front of us, thick red and white blankets strewn across the wooden floors of the Astronomy tower, the stars sparkling above us, gentle snowflakes falling outside the terrace.

Fred hadn't made a sound since we had stepped through the door. I turned to him and raised my eyebrows, confused.

"Never heard you this quiet, Freddie." I teased, earning me an eye roll and a smile.

"You like it?" He asked, and I could see the nervousness behind his smile now.

"Of course I do!" I hurried to answer him, wanting the nervous look to go away. "How'd you do this? Why'd you do this?" I changed my question to the one I really wanted to know, as funny as Fred marching up and down the stairs for hours with all of these blankets over his shoulders.

He didn't answer me at first, instead leading us over to the blankets near the edge of the large room, the roof barely covering us from the falling snow. He plopped onto the pile of blankets, pulling some on top of him and nodded for me to follow. I sat across from him, watching as he pulled a huge tin from next to the blankets, opening it to reveal dozens of beautifully painted Christmas cookies. Reindeers with color changing noses, Santas with sprinkles dancing along his hat, glistening stars and green wreaths that looked to be made of real greenery.

"There's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, I heard. Thought it would be cool to watch." He shrugged, biting the nose off a Rudolph cookie and offering me the tin. I nodded, looking to the sky to see if I could spot anything as I bit into a cookie wreath to find that the lifelike branches were still in fact frosted. "And..." He continued, making me look to him again. "I'm sure your Christmas wasn't... great. Teesy made us these. Couldn't get my hands on a tree though, not enough time or a plan for that one."

I shook my head slightly, smiling at him for a second too long before remembering to pull away.

"You're amazing, you know that?" I avoided his eyes for fear he would see through me in an instant. Because this was perfect. Everything about this was perfect. Being here with him, the stars, the snow, the blankets, I couldn't have thought up a better date if I had tried.

Nope. Not a date. Stop that.

"I've been told." He smirked, leaning back against the wall and setting the cookie tin down once he had eaten his fill. "There! It's gonna start!" He glanced at his watch when he saw the first bright star fly across the sky.

I looked up through the snow, watching the streaks of light flying through the dark sky, pulling the blankets up to my shoulders to fight off the chill.

"I should have told you to wear a warmer sweater, that's my bad." He muttered, and I realized he had been watching me.

"I'm fine! It's worth it."

"C'mere." His voice came out so soft, I wasn't entirely sure I hadn't just imagined his words. "Come on, you're shivering!" He let out his effortless laugh and I crawled to his side.

He waited until I was sat next to him and then pulled the blankets over the two of us, his arm settling around my waist and I hoped he couldn't feel the fluttering of the thousands of butterflies inside my stomach.

We watched the flying stars in silence for what felt like hours, hardly noticing the cold when I was this close to him.

"What do you want to do when you graduate?" I asked, realizing that he knew the one thing I had never told anyone else, but I knew next to nothing about him.

He smiled still at the sky, not turning to face me at my question. He didn't seem like he was thinking about the question though, it was more like if he should answer it.

"George and I want to start our own business." He answered, finally looking down at me.

"What kind?"

"Awfully nosy, aren't you?" He smirked and I dropped my jaw in offense.

"Just curious! Awfully secretive, aren't you?"

"A joke shop." He admitted without another seconds hesitation. "Like Zonko's, but loads better."

"That's perfect." I said quietly, thinking for a moment of the twins in their absolute element, selling their own products and loving every second of their jobs.

"You think? Mum doesn't. Or anyone we've told, actually."

"They mean it'll be hard. And it will, but it'll be worth it, to do what you love every day?"

"And what do you want to do Cassidy?"

I looked back at the meteors, knowing there couldn't be much time left for them.

I shrugged. "Honestly, I haven't thought too much about it."

"Well, you've got some time." He nodded.

"Yeah. Before... When I lived with my dad, I never thought, well... His plan was always for me to come back to the 'real world' after I finished school. Marry one of his friends kids, maybe get a job if I had to, otherwise just have kids of my own."

"That was never going to happen." Fred said, as if the thought was insane.

"Why's that?"

"Because you're too brilliant. You'd suffocate in their world."

"But now, I don't know what I want to do. I mean, I have no idea." I pressed on, ignoring his compliment.

"You could do anything, Cassidy. You have perfect grades. Any teacher here would write you a recommendation. Starting my own business is my only option, no where else would hire me." He shrugged, letting out a chuckle.

"That's not true. Lots of kids have a little fun at school, and plenty of teachers like you. They just have to pretend not to, so they look like they're doing their jobs."

I met Fred's eyes when he didn't answer for a few seconds to see him so close to my own face. I held my breath without realizing, not wanting to make any movement or noise that might scare him off.

Was he going to kiss me? No. Why would he kiss me?

I turned my head away before I would let myself answer that question. The air in the tower felt too still, like the snowflakes falling weren't even there anymore.

I covered my mouth with the back of my palm as I yawned.

"Do you wanna go back down?" Fred asked, turning his wrist to check the time. "It is awfully late for you."

"Shut up." I shoved him down on the blankets and let out a squeal when he latched onto my arms, pulling me down with him. The blankets had come off of us when we moved, but I barely noticed the cold eating away at my ankles as I stared at him.

"Could just sleep here." His face fell into a smirk as he folded his arms behind his head as a pillow and I rolled to the floor next to him.

"And have Professor Sinistra find us bright and early in the morning? I'll pass, thanks!"

I had barely finished my sentence when Fred rolled over, his body hovering inches above mine as he glared down at me, his fiery hair falling nearly into his eyes.

"You know, we can't both be the funny one right? And I've already claimed it, so..."

I laughed, but only half of my brain was even processing his words. Most of it was stuck watching him on top of me, acting like it was no big deal. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I locked eyes with him, the brown looking even darker in the low light.

Finally, he leaned back to let me sit up.

"We should get back, right?" I mumbled, turning to start gathering the blankets into my arms as an excuse to hide the blush I could feel plastered on my face.

"Yeah, goody two shoes, we should." He winked, grabbing the rest of the blankets that I couldn't carry and perching the cookie tin on top of his pile.

He kicked the door open once again with his foot and nodded his head for me to go first. I breathed in the warm air as the door shut loudly behind us and shot Fred a glare.

"Didn't mean to! It was the wind!" He hissed as we started back down the stairs.

When we got to the seventh floor, I turned to face him, assuming this was where we would say our goodbye. Why would he go all the way to the kitchens to turn and climb back seven flights of stairs at nearly two in the morning?

"What are you doing? Do you hear something?" He turned back and forth, scanning the staircases behind us.

"No," I laughed at his worried look. "This is your floor."

"Come off it, I'm walking you down. If you get caught, it won't be alone." He shoved me lightly to keep us walking down the stairs. "Then again, the sleepwalking excuse works better if we're on our own..."

We walked in silence the rest of the journey through the castle, mostly for fear that someone would hear us or that we wouldn't hear footsteps if someone was nearby.

When we finally made it to the warmth of my floor, I slowed to a stop by my door.

"Thanks for walking me, Freddie." I whispered into the vacant hallways, knowing no one was around to hear me, but speaking softly out of habit now.

"You're welcome." He whispered back in a mocking tone.

"How are you planning to get all of these blankets back upstairs on your own?" I pointed out.

"Oh, that's easy. You're keeping yours here." He shrugged and I looked at him, confused. "The house elves will wash them all anyway, they'll end up back where they need to be!"

"They're going to be quite confused at the red blankets in the Hufflepuff dorms."

"I don't think they'll be that confused, Cass." He smirked and I shook my head at his insinuation. "You need yours anyway, you have to warm up."

"No one could ever be cold down here." I couldn't remember the last time my eyes had craved sleep so badly, but there wasn't a bone in my body that wanted my night with Fred to end. "You could just... stay the night. If you wanted. So you don't have to climb all those stairs again."

"Cassidy Olsen, are you asking me to sleep with you?" He let his jaw drop but couldn't fight the smile when he made me blush.

"Never mind, now! Goodnight, you git." I turned on my heel, ready to let myself into the common room when I heard his blankets drop to the floor behind me, his fingers wrapping around my wrist to pull me back to face him.

"I'm kidding. I would, but the guys would never let me hear the end of it if I stay out all night."

"Goodnight, Freddie."

"Night, Cassy."

"Thank you." I hurried to sneak my last words in before he started walking away.

"For what?" He looked back at me, confused.

"Tonight. It was... great." I leaned against the walls which would open soon to let me in, watching him flash me his signature smile and start towards the stairs, the blanket pile towering in his arms.

Chapter Text

I pulled a long black coat on over Fred's quidditch hoodie, the one he had left with me months ago after their first game. I was wearing leggings underneath my jeans in an attempt to stay warm in the stands today. It was officially February, and the weather was showing it. Gone were the light flurries of snow, replaced with the howling winds and sub zero temperatures.

The girls had warned me last night not to wake them, claiming that a Gryffindor Ravenclaw game wasn't worth waking up early on their Saturday and sitting outside in the cold.

I scurried down the stairs to meet Ron and Hermione for breakfast, trying not to let myself feel disappointed knowing that the boys would already be down on the pitch. After scarfing down a few muffins and some oatmeal we were on our way down the path to the stands, the Quidditch hoops soaring above us in the distance.

"So Ron, who's going to win?" I asked, tucking my gloved hands in my pockets and turning to the red haired boy on the other side of Hermione.

"Gryffindor, obviously." He exclaimed, looking at me like I was dumb.

"He's only saying that since Harry has the Firebolt back." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"He's the youngest player in a century on the fastest broom known to wizard kind." Ron rambled on as we reached the stands, climbing the steps to our usual place at the top.

I was more nervous for this game than I had been for any of Hufflepuffs, simply because of the bad mood the twins and Harry would be in for the rest of term if they lost. I had heard Fred and George rant for hours the last week about this being their last shot, that if they lost this game, they'd be out of the running for the Quidditch Cup.

We heard the shrill whistle echo through the stands as the teams shot into the air, the Firebolt soaring above them instantaneously. Harry sped in and out of the players, gaining height in the pitch, but my eyes were on the beaters. The one beater in particular.

"Show her your acceleration, Harry!" His voice rang through the stadium, and I could practically hear the smile in his voice.

Harry narrowly avoided a bludger, and I watched George whack the flying ball across the field without a care in the world.

The Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang, mirrored Harry's every move, despite her broom being no match for the Firebolt's speed. It was clear her plan was to stalk Harry rather than find the snitch herself.

"That's a terrible plan she's got, if they both see it at the same time, she's no match for the Firebolt." Ron analyzed from a few seats down on the bench. "Oi, he's spotted it!"

The three of us, or rather, the entire student body in the stands watched as Cho followed Harry in his dive for the snitch, and Ron was right. Her broom had no chance.

Hermione and I gasped almost in unison when we saw the cloaked figures along the bottom of the field right below Harry. Before I could even begin to worry about Harry possibly falling from his broom again, he was pointing his wand below him, still flying towards the golden snitch. An enormous silver light exploded from his wand, soaring down towards the 'Dementors' as Harry closed his fist around the snitch.

The group of students around us dressed in red jumped from their seats, Ron pushing past them to be one of the first on the field. Hermione and I scrambled through the crowd until we reached the team, all reaching to pull on Harry's robes, Ron yanking his arm into the air and screaming bloody murder.

"Harry, that was insane!" I shouted, hoping he could hear any of my words over the cheers.

"That was quite a Patronus." A voice came from behind me, and Harry's eyes lit up as I turned to see Professor Lupin beaming down at him.

I let the two of them talk, hearing Lupin explain the Slytherin's evil Dementor trick as I looked at the twins who were jumping around, fists pumping into the air as they danced around Oliver Wood, who wore the biggest smile of them all.

"Cassidy!" Fred grinned at me, breaking away from his teammates and grabbing me by the waist, lifting me to nearly his height and spinning me in a circle once before setting me back to the snow covered ground.

"Don't ever do that again!" I tried to glare at him through my laughter.

"I'd like to see you stop me." He smirked as George appeared at his side.

"And how's our good luck charm doing today? We'll never lose a game if Freddie knows you're in the stands-" He was cut off as Fred sank his elbow into his rib cage. "Come on, guys, party at Gryffindor!"

I followed the crowd of Gryffindors, trapped in the middle as the twins wouldn't let go of my hands, pulling me along behind their excited teammates and through the portrait hole which might as well have been propped open at this point.

The twins finally dropped my hands when we arrived, heading to an oversized cabinet in the corner of the room and presenting bottles and bottles of alcohol and mixers that I couldn't imagine anyone ever finishing.

"Where did you get all that?" I asked, laughing at their mischievous faces.

"Nicked them this morning," Fred shrugged carelessly.

"Obviously would have been a bit of a let down if we had lost." George grinned at Harry who rolled his eyes and grabbed one of the bottles from the cabinet.

"To Gryffindor, and our inevitable house cup!" He shouted, holding the bottle to the ceiling to cheers from the rest of the room.

"Having a drink, Cass?" George asked, not looking at me as he grabbed three plastic cups and started pouring.

"She doesn't dri-" Fred started, but stopped short when he watched me reach for the cup George had offered me. His eyes widened as I tipped the brown liquid into my mouth, nearly coughing it up the second it hit my lips.

"That's what I thought." He laughed, taking the cup from my hand as I wiped some firewhiskey from my chin.

"Oh, you mean she's never drank." George hid his laugh from me, turning back to the table to mix me up a new drink.

"No, I can drink it!" I said, embarrassed at my initial reaction, reaching for my cup from Fred who downed it before I could get the chance.

"Try this, princess." George smirked, handing me a new cup of what smelt like spicier pumpkin juice. I glared at him as he strolled to some of the boys teammates with a drink in hand for Angelina Johnson.

"Better?" Fred asked, nodding over towards the couch we had sat on at the last Gryffindor party.

"Much." I smiled, sitting down and taking another sip. I could still feel the slight burn when the liquid went down my throat, but the sweetness from the juice offset it, making it a pleasant drink. I could feel a new warmth spreading from my chest and down my arms and legs, and I wasn't sure if it was from the drink or from being next to Fred.

"Why are you drinking now? You don't have to, you know? You're plenty stupid without the help of alcoho-" He nearly splashed his drink on the carpet, his arms hiding his face from my slap I was aiming at his chest. "Kidding!"

"I don't know." I swirled my drink a bit, thinking. I hadn't come to the party planning to drink, but watching everyone in such a good mood after their victory, laughing and dancing around without a care in the world? I wanted that. "I just feel like... everything's different now that I know I'm not going back home. Like I don't always have to have a plan anymore, or worry about making a mistake."

"You have a plan? Always? I have never noticed that." He winked, laughing slightly at my second glare now.

"Need another." I showed him my empty cup, standing up to get a refill from the table of liquor the boys had sprawled out before he threw his hand over my lap, stopping me in my seat.

"I'll get it, party girl. You don't know how to make a drink." He flashed me his permanent lazy smile and I crossed my arms on the chair, waiting for my drink.

"Make it strong, I'm going to need it to put up with you!" I teased, watching the back of his head shake and I knew he was laughing.

I sat for a few seconds, picking at my nails, watching the trio in the corner arguing over something with smiles on their faces, fixed my sock that was slouching into my boot before I noticed. Fred had set both of our cups on the table and was smirking down at Angelina, one of Gryffindor's chasers who was pulling on his arms to get him into the crowd of dancing Gryffindors.

I watched his face, trying to make out what they were saying and feeling my heart drop into my stomach. She wanted him to come dance with her.

I made out the shape of a no from his lips, but it was accompanied with a laugh. Did he want to dance with her? Did he just feel bad because I was here waiting for him? This was terrible, I felt like someone had set a ten pound weight on my lungs.

She shimmied closer to the ginger, giggling into his arms and hanging her arms around his neck before he nodded to the couch where I was sitting and I hurried to look back to my nails, hoping they wouldn't realize I had been watching the entire exchange.

Fred picked our cups back up and shot her a smile and an "another time, Angie." before returning to our couch and passing me my drink.

"Bloody Hell," He said under his breath sitting down next to me and taking a large swig of his drink.

"You can dance with her, if you want. I can go talk to your brother." I tried to sound chipper, hoping he wouldn't realize that thinking of him dancing with anyone else was driving me mental.

He looked confused and shot a quick glance to George and then back to the chaser, who was pretending not to be watching the two of us with a glare.

"I don't want to dance with her. You heard that?" He looked surprised, but still had a hint of a smile beneath his expression.

"No, I just watched her dance up on you and guessed." I laughed, looking down at my drink and tipping it side to side in my hand.

"Nope, you're stuck with me tonight, Olsen." He leaned back into his seat and wrapped his arm over the top of the couch behind my head. "Try your drink, will you? I want to hear that mine's so much better than Georgie's."

I scoffed, taking a sip from the new drink and coughing a bit.

"Georgie's was sweeter." I joked, taking another sip for good measure.

"His was all sugar, then! You said you wanted it strong!" He rolled his eyes, finishing his drink in two more sips.

A few drinks and a dozen conversations later, I was finally feeling it. The reason everyone drank, or so I figured. The room wasn't quite spinning, but it wasn't still. It felt almost like there was a haze near the ceiling, making the details of the room seem blurred. I felt warmth throughout my entire body now, but it was nice. I almost felt like I was back in my own common room.

"I'm just saying, next fall? You're trying out." Fred stared deep into my eyes as I tried not to choke on my next sip of my drink.

"What would I even play?" I laughed, the idea absurd to me.

"We'll play in the spring, we can see what you like best. I'm not betting on keeper, since you know... you're clumsy."

"Shove off." I laughed, for the first time thinking of Tommy and not feeling the gut wrenching pain that usually accompanied his memory.

We both took a drink as the room erupted into a cheer, the music changing to a song that apparently every student knew. George reached for another Gryffindor girl's hand and pulled her in front of him as the rest of the students paired up and began dancing to the song. I watched the trio from their couch on the other side of the room, Hermione peeking at Ron next to her who couldn't look more uncomfortable with the dancing if he tried.

"You want to dance?" I asked Fred, scanning over the smiling faces in front of us.

"Cassidy Olsen asking me to dance?" He looked around the room as if he was being pranked and I shook my head.

"I didn't mean with me!" I laughed. "Anyone here would dance with you."

"Ah, well that's true. But would I dance with any of them?"

"I don't know, that's what I was asking!" I grinned, thinking I was quite funny and finishing my drink.

"Come on then." He smirked, standing up and holding his hand out for mine.

"I didn't mean me, Freddie!" I giggled, slapping his hand away.

"I mean exactly you, though." He grabbed for my arms this time, yanking me up with him, my empty cup falling to the couch behind me.

"I can't dance, I don't know how, Fred!" I hissed near his ear, which did nothing to slow our progress towards his housemates.

"No one knows how to dance." He grinned down at me, pulling me into the center of the group and stepping behind me, his hands going to my hips and pulling me towards him lightly. "You don't have to. We can sit back down."

I felt the tiniest bit of nerves in my stomach, but they were barely noticeable beneath the liquid courage from all of the drinks. I shook my head, waiting for him to take the lead, since I had less than no idea what to do next.

Fred

I jolted awake at the high pitched scream, looking around confused for only a second before I realized where I was. The common room was pitch black aside from the few embers left to die down from a few hours ago, but those were enough for me to see who was fast asleep next to me.

I felt the smile creep onto my face for only a second as I watched her soft breaths flutter the curls out of her face before I remembered what had woken me up. Hundreds of footsteps pounded down the steps, looking around for the source of the screams, eyes wide, hair messy.

"Cassidy!" I nudged her forcefully, thankful when she blinked into the dimly lit room.

"Bloody Hell," She whimpered, clasping her hand to her head and keeping her eyes shut.

"I'm sorry, I know. We'll get you some water, but something's wrong upstairs, you gotta come with me." I jumped over her to my feet. "Cassy, please. I'm so sorry, but someone screamed, I have to go check it out and I don't want to leave you alone."

She groaned and clambered to her feet next to me, following me to the stairs where I now heard shouts. Recognizable shouts.

"For Merlin's sake..." I muttered, stopping when we reached Ron's room.

"Here! Just now! Slashed the curtains! Woke me up!"

"Ron what the hell is going on!" I shouted to be heard over his ranting.

"He says Sirius Black was in here, tried to kill him." Their friend Seamus explained, seeming half amused and half irritated to have been woken up for such nonsense.

"Ron, honestly. A shred of bravery, could you? You're making us Gryffindor's look bad."

"Piss off, Fred, he was here! Sirius Black was here. LOOK AT MY CURTAINS!" He jumped up on his bed and held the gaping curtains for us to see.

"What the devil is going on here?" Percy arrived in the now cramped dormitory, his stern voice causing Cassidy to jump a bit closer to me.

"Percy, it was Black! Sirius Black!" Ron continued shouting.

"Ron, nonsense, you had too much to eat. Have you been drinking?" Percy scolded.

"Now honestly, enough is enough!" McGonagall's shrill voice cut through the room and Cassidy hissed, pressing her palm into her head. "And what are you doing here, Miss Olsen? It is severely past curfew."

"I'm taking her to her dorm right now, Professor. I'll let you take care of Ronnie, Perce." I patted his chest and pulled Cassidy into my side as we started back down the stairs.

"Freddie, my head." She whined and I held back my laughter.

"I shouldn't have let you drink so much, I'm sorry." I led her out the portrait hole a few steps before we heard McGonagall calling us back inside.

"Wait! Both of you back inside this instant." Her voice was normal, but her eyes were wide with worry. "No one is to leave this tower. I need to get the headmaster. Percy, I'm sure I can trust you with this task?"

"What happened?" I spun around, scanning between my brothers and the quivering boy next to them looking ready to jump from the windows any second.

"Neville had a list of all the passwords... Black must have found it... He was in here." Harry muttered, shooting Neville an apologetic look.

"Alright, everyone back to bed." Percy began herding us back towards the stairs. "Fred? I don't want to know why she's here, but I expect you to behave." He shot George and me a strained look and started back up the stairs on the rest of the boys heels. "And don't make her sleep on the couch."

I watched a light blush highlight Cass's face as the last of the students left the common room.

"Alright, sleepover with Cassidy!" George shouted, pulling on her hand towards our dorms.

Cassidy

"Fred, I'm not kicking you out of your own bed!" I crossed my arms at the door of the boys room.

"Alright, you can take George's then!" Lee offered, earning a chorus of laughter from the roommates.

"Not yours though, Lee? How chivalrous." George mocked.

"I'm not taking anyones! I'm taking the floor."

"Look Cassy, I would let you. Really, I would. But George sleepwalks and Lee wakes up every hour to pee, and I'm just pretty sure you'd be trampled to death." Fred shrugged, flopping an extra pillow onto the floor and settling down on his makeshift bed.

"Fred, get off, this is my bed!" I stormed over to him, pushing with all my might, yet hardly moving the ginger an inch.

"You're not going to win that fight, Cass." George laid back on his bed, staring up into the brightly lit dorm.

"Alright, enough of that." Fred wrapped his arms around my legs, standing up and letting me fall onto his shoulder and then tossing me onto his bed. "Stay." He pointed his finger into my face and waving his wand through the air, the lights from the lamps going out all at once and plunging the room into darkness.

"I know he's your brother, but if I hear that high pitched squeal again tonight, I swear to Merlin..." Lee muttered, the twins sniggering as I heard Fred's blankets shuffling next to me.

The room went quiet for some time until it was replaced with the snores of the teens next to me.

"You sleeping?" Fred's voice came from the floor below me.

"Yes." I smiled into the dark.

"Funny. Switch spots now, it's cold down here."

"Oh, only chivalrous in front of your fellow Gryffindor's?" I threw the blankets from me and started to stand up when I collided with his body.

"Oh, lay back down, I was kidding." He pushed me back to the mattress and I laughed without thinking, clapping my hand over my mouth and listening for the snores again. "Are you warm enough?"

His voice was softer now, less jokey. I bit back another smile.

"I'm okay." I whispered, moving to the side of the bed.

"Because, you know. Say the word and I can jump right in there, i'll keep you warm."

I could practically feel his smirk in the darkness, and as much as I didn't want to wake up to a room full of his nosy roommates again, my toes were already freezing and there was a mass murderer somewhere in the castle.

"Come on then." I reached around until I found his hand and pulled him down next to me, laying down as he yanked the blankets up onto us. I was nearly hanging off the bed, too nervous to snuggle closer to him like I so badly wanted to.

"Night Cassy." He breathed.

"Night Freddie." I smiled, already feeling warmer.

Chapter Text

Everyone in the school knew the twins birthday was coming up, partially due to their constant reminders and non-stop planning for their party which they were throwing themselves. It was on April Fools Day, which seemed like a joke God had insisted on himself to send the twins to Mrs. Weasley on the day of pranks.

Every time I left home in September I always dug all of my cash out of the floorboard beneath my bed and stuck it in a ripped seam at the bottom of my trunk where it usually stayed untouched the entire school year. I had been saving for my own place for what felt like my entire life, and last summer my cash had more than doubled.

It must have been a few days before Tommy, but I didn't notice until weeks after. I had no idea he knew where I kept my cash, or if maybe he just got lucky somehow in finding it, but when I went to pack my things to head back to school this year, I found the small hiding space crammed to the top with cash. Not just tens and fives like my stash always consisted of, but fifties and a few hundreds and piles of galleons lining the bottom.

I didn't cry, somehow. I sat there with the floorboard off next to me staring at the pile for what must have been hours until I heard my father call me for dinner. I couldn't believe that he had that much saved, or that he had put it away for me. And as much as I appreciated it, it hurt even more thinking of how pre-meditated his death had been. How much he had planned out, but that I hadn't gotten a goodbye or a chance to change his mind.

I hadn't touched the main stack of cash for the entire school year except to add to it the past few weeks. I had been writing some papers for some of our housemates, some homework here and there in exchange for wizarding money which I was always short on. Exchanging the muggle money was such a chore, although one I knew I would eventually have to do, especially now that I was planning to stay in this world for good.

Today was the last Hogsmeade trip before the twins birthday, which meant I was up extra early and dragging Bri out of her bed since she had been the only one kind enough to say yes when I asked my friends last night. I bundled in my thickest sweatshirt and a scarf, throwing my hair into an easy bun and was already pulling my coat and boots on when Bri had finally emerged from the shower.

I waited patiently, just thankful that I had someone to accompany me, since I wasn't sure I would have had the courage to get to the village on my own, much less make it up to the trap door at the end of the tunnel.

When she was finally ready to go, we scurried down the stairs and up the stairs to the bustling hallway. Valentine's Day was Monday and almost everyone was using today as an excuse for a date away from the school.

"I can't believe Fred didn't ask you to Hogsmeade for Valentines Day-" Bri started and giggled when I slapped her arm to shut her up. First of all, Fred would never ask me on a date, we were just friends and second of all, the Weasley's were probably friends with 90% of the students around us right now.

"We're just friends, Bri." I replied, softly as we broke off from the crowds and headed to the one eyed witch statue.

"A friend we're sneaking to Hogsmeade for to buy him a very expensive birthday gift." She teased, trailing off and watching in awe as I tapped the statue to open the passageway.

"Bloody Hell," She peered into the darkness before I lowered myself down first and nodded for her to follow.

We heard the door slide shut behind us as we began walking but stopped near the first curve of the path when we heard the rock scraping the floor again.

"Oh, we're so fucked aren't we?" She muttered as we saw the light from the hallway above shine down and reveal the dark haired boy starting down the tunnel after us.

"Harry, what the fuck!" Bri yelled, causing Harry to jump in surprise and cuss under his breath.

"Bri, what the fuck!" He looked at her annoyed but smiled right after the words left his mouth. "I didn't know you guys were coming."

"She just decided last night. You got a hot date for Valentines, Potter?" Bri winked at him, awfully flirtatiously for someone who she barely knew. Although I guess everyone at Hogwarts thought they knew Harry.

"Just meeting Ron and Hermione. How about you two?"

"Just going to buy the twins birthday gifts, even though everyone knows their birthdays are weeks away."

"This is the last trip until Spring! How many times do I have to explain!" I nagged as we got closer to the end of our tunnel.

"Why are you getting the twins a present anyway? They're lucky you even hang out with them." Harry joked, flashing us a bright smile as he stepped in front of us to slide the trap door above us to the side.

"Professional at that, Harry? You haven't been sneaking down here outside of the Hogsmeade trips, have you?" I teased as he pulled himself from the dirt step on the wall and shook his head down at the two of us.

"Come on, then. Don't get us caught, Bri." He looked at the new comer.

He helped the two of us through the hole in the floor and slid the plank back to it's rightful place before we started up the steps, peeking through the doorway before racing through the crowds in the shop. I pulled Bri's arm away from the pink and red candy displays set up for Valentine's Day with the promise that we would be back on our way back to school.

"Where to, then?" She asked, hugging her arms around her coat as we stepped out into the snow covered village.

"Gotta change my muggle money for galleons." I sighed, starting towards the train station. There were a few options in Hogsmeade to change your money over, which was good for me, since the cash that I had would most likely wipe out the train station and I would have to finish the rest at the post office.

"Are you gonna have enough?" She pulled my purse open before I swatted her hand away.

"I've quadruple counted. We just have to hope they'll exchange this much."

The train station could exchange nearly half of my cash to galleons and the lady didn't even seem to mind, which I was thankful for. Usually, they acted like it was the worst part of their day to change over muggle money. Once I had handed over the rest of my muggle cash and my purse was now jingling with golden and silver coins, we headed to Dervish and Banges. Among many other wizarding necessitates, they also carried what I knew I wanted to get for Fred.

I remembered the way Tommy would always let his eyes wander to the broomsticks on display in Diagon Alley when father let us go shopping for school together every summer. I knew how badly he wanted one of his own to practice over the summers and to play with at school with his friends. I had known for nearly two weeks now that I wanted to get Fred a broom. I knew it would take a huge chunk of my savings, but I also knew that I didn't have to worry about moving out any time soon, and that was thanks to Fred. He went out of his way to help me, to find me somewhere safe to stay this summer, and I could think of nothing better to repay him than this gift, aside from maybe an invisibility cloak for their pranks, which I knew I had no shot in creating.

The bell rang as we stepped into the large, empty store. This must not have been a popular stop for students celebrating Valentines day.

"Good day, ladies, what can I help you with?" A small lady with graying hair asked from the back of the store where she was stocking fluffy quills and ink wells.

"I was wondering what broomsticks you have." I tried to sound like I knew anything about brooms aside from the chatter that had gone around the school every time a stranger sent Harry a new broomstick.

"Oh, of course. Right this way, then." She smiled, excitedly and lead Bri and I over to a large glass case in the back corner of the store. Inside there were three rows of brooms, all slightly different.

"We did have a few Firebolts for Christmas, but we haven't gotten any in since then. This top one is last year's model Nimbus 2001, middle is the 2000, and the bottom is the Comet 260. I've got the prices listed on the signs in front of each." She explained, letting us crouch down to look at the options.

"What do you think?" I asked, feeling slightly overwhelmed. The price point of the Nimbus's was significantly higher than the Comet, but I still knew I wanted to get Fred one of the newer brooms. The top two options weren't terribly different in price since the Firebolt was this year's best model, but I was still eyeing the 2000, not wanting to spend every coin I had in case I had to leave the Weasley's this summer and stay on my own.

"I don't know anything about brooms! Don't look at me!" Bri held her hands up. "It's for her boyfriend, he's a beater at Hogwarts. It's his birthday coming up." She over-explained to the woman behind the counter who held back a soft chuckle.

"He's not my boyfriend." I clarified, although I was sure the lady didn't care either way.

"But she wants him to be." Bri continued, not taking my glare's as hints to shut up.

I ignored her now and leaned on the counter to look at the worker. "My friend's a beater for Gryffindor, he's a fifth year. I'm between the two Nimbus'. What would you recommend?"

She smiled at me, her eyes looking wistfully past me for only a second.

"My husband was a Gryffindor beater, although I doubt you were even born. He owns the shop." She looked to the glass case. "Would it make your decision easier if I said I could sell you the 2001 for the Comet's price?"

I felt my jaw nearly hit the glass counter as it fell.

"I couldn't accept. I don't want to get you into trouble or anything-" I rambled, starting to scoop my coins from my purse.

"In trouble? My dears, my husband may own the store, but I'm in charge." She winked at us and Bri laughed, holding her hand out for a high five which the woman gave to her after a second. "The 2001, then?"

"Thank you so much." I smiled, feeling warmth in my chest. I had entered this store ready to part with nearly all of my savings, and now I would still have most of Tommy's money he had left me for emergencies. "It means so much."

"Anytime, dear. Let me ring it up for you, and i'll wrap it and bag it up so you can sneak it back to school." She smiled knowingly and headed to the counter.

I passed her the galleons which she dropped into the register and slid me the broom, wrapped in brown paper and an oversized black bag.

"Go Gryffindor!" She shouted as we left the warm store and wandered out to the cold, spotting dozens of Hogwarts couples wandering the village holding hands.

"Come on, let's grab a butterbeer then I want to get back to school, I'm so behind on my Divination project."

"I'll go with you, but I think I'm gonna save my remaining 5 sickles." I joked, pushing the door to the Three Broomsticks open for us.

"I'll buy your drink for you, and shut up. I never even knew you had all that money saved, and with the deal you just got you could buy a second broom."

She ordered two butterbeers from the bartender and palmed the coins to her as she sipped the hot drink, whipped cream spread on her top lip.

"Well well well, look who thinks she can sneak out of school without her twin body guards?" The younger of the twins voice erupted from behind my ear and I whipped around to face him.

"I'd hate to trouble you two every time I need to run some errands." I joked back with him, taking another sip from my drink.

"What have you got there, Cassy? Went on a little shopping spree, huh?" George reached for the bag in my hand and I pulled it from his reach, hiding it behind my legs.

"Touchy, touchy." He scolded, looking at Bri as if she was going to give him the answer to what was in the bag.

"What's she hiding, Bri?" George smirked at my friend, but I didn't notice. My gaze had now shifted behind the ginger to the other twin. The older twin. Sitting in a booth in the back of the pub, laughing with Angelina Johnson, half empty plates of food in front of them.

They were on a date. A Valentines Day, Hogsmeade lunch date.

I watched George's eyes scan my face and look behind him where my eyes were, the grin he always wore falling from his face.

"Oh, Cass-" He started.

"I can't finish this, I'm full." I lied, pushing my drink to George as Bri finished hers up. "Want the rest?"

"I guess, but hey, Cass, listen-"

"George." I stopped him, plastering a smile on my face and willing him to drop it. "I'll see you around, okay? We've gotta get going."

"Yeah, gotta get going, really. Sorry, Weasley." Bri gripped my shoulders and steered me towards the door leaving George looking between us confused, and Fred in the back of the pub, probably never realizing I was ever there at all.

Chapter Text

"Cassidy!" George shouted across the Great Hall when he was still halfway down the aisle.

"You're up early." I feigned surprise, but I knew the Weasley boys rarely chose sleep over breakfast.

"You done eating? I'll walk you to class." He shot a look around the table, obviously realizing we would all have class together, and I would have no need for the lanky ginger to accompany me.

"I don't want to be the reason you lose Gryffindor points when you're late to potions." I laughed, but stood up when he did, the leftover food and dishes from my spot disappearing into the table as we left.

"See? Potions. All the more reason to cut the class short." He shrugged, looking down at me from my right as we headed towards McGonagall's room for transfiguration. "I just... I don't know how to start this, so I'm just going to say it. What you saw at the Three Broomsticks? That's... nothing. I mean, they've been friends for a while, we're all teammates."

"What are you talking about?" I shook my head, hoping the nonchalant smile I was trying to portray was coming out right.

"Cassidy." He stopped me mid-step and pulled me by my arm to the side of the hallway. "Don't play dumb, you're no good at it."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"And I'll take it as a compliment if you don't pretend I'm dumb enough not to see right through you."

"I didn't say you're dumb! Although..." I smirked, resuming the walk to class, George catching me in a just a few steps.

"Look, all I'm saying is... If someone were to have a crush on my brother, and they had seen something that looked like a date, they would be wrong. That's all." He grinned cheekily as we arrived at Transfiguration.

"Good to know, then Georgie." I shook my head, waiting for him to head to class.

"You'll admit it to me one day. I want to know before he does, promise?"

"Shut up!" I hissed, leaving him in the hallway and finding my spot in the classroom.

"Well, what did he want?" Maddie asked, plopping down next to me and scattering her books along the desk.

"Nothing?" I shook my head, getting out the paper we had due today.

"Something about Fred's date last weekend, I would guess?" Bri added softly from the row behind us.

"Fred's date?" Hannah whined, looking me in the eye as if to check if I was upset.

"So? Who cares, she can just have George then." Maddie shrugged.

"She doesn't like George, she wants Fred!" Hannah explained, causing me to drop my head in my hands.

"Will you all just talk quietly?" I hissed, turning to face Bri. "George said it wasn't a date."

"Okay, so it wasn't a date." We watched our papers fly after McGonagall as she walked down the rows to her desk. "Do you not believe him?"

"I mean, it doesn't matter."

"It does to you. Besides, I like Fred. I think he would have mentioned it by now if he was dating someone else. He wouldn't spend every waking moment with you if he was dating her."

"Not every waking moment." I muttered, opening my book as Professor McGonagall began today's lesson.

I sighed as I turned the corner of the stairs towards the Hufflepuff Common room before I smacked into him. I had felt his gaze on the back of my head all through dinner, but I hadn't turned around.

"About time, I've been waiting here for hours." He smirked down at me.

"What are you doing down here?" I laughed, heading towards the dorms.

"Well, since you've been avoiding me all week-"

"I have not?" I laughed and rolled my eyes at him, trying to continue my walk down the hallway before he grasped my wrist, pulling me back to face him.

"Cassy. Did... did George talk to you today?" His eyes searched mine, and I realized he must have put George up to telling me that story about the date not being a date.

"Yeah, but I don't understand what he was talking about." I lied.

"I just... if you thought... what you saw Saturday, Angie asked me in for a drink, it wasn't a date, she's just a friend."

"You should date her, Freddie. It's obvious she likes you." I offered him a smile and the faint smile he had worn fell.

"I... I don't want to date her." He stammered, still holding on to my wrist, his honey brown eyes linked with mine.

"Why not?" I felt like I was whispering.

He paused for nearly a minute, just looking at me in the warm hallway. "Because I-"

"Cassidy, let's go, I've been waiting!" Harry's voice carried down the hallway, causing Fred and I to jump a few more inches apart at the sound.

"Oh, right. I was just gonna change, but, uh, it's fine, let's go." I nodded a goodbye to Fred and followed the dark haired boy up the stairs to Lupin's classroom.

"Ah, welcome, both of you." Lupin gave us matching smiles as we entered, but I was sure we both noticed the dark bags under his eyes. I felt guilty for making his long days even longer.

Harry and I helped Lupin move some desks out of the way to give us more room, and I felt another pang of guilt when I realized I was wasting both of their time now, since Harry could form his patronus now.

Lupin nodded towards Harry who raised his wand to the ceiling and shouted the spell, his voice echoing through the room as the giant silver being erupted and wavered around the room for a few seconds.

"Well done, Harry, well done!" Lupin clapped his shoulder. "You're nearly there. I can almost make out... but we'll see soon enough. It's almost a full patronus. You should be very proud."

Harry grinned, looking towards me for my turn and I sighed, standing up next to the both of them.

I shut my eyes for a second, once again scanning through memory after memory from as far back as I could remember. Every week I ran through the same dates, birthdays, holidays, late nights in the dorms with my friends...

My eyes shot open at the most recent memory. One that filled my chest with a warm sort of buzzing. Fred and I in the astronomy tower, under the blankets, watching the snow and the stars. Fred and I downstairs just minutes ago, our faces so close together, him admitting he didn't want to date Angelina...

I shut my eyes again, squeezing them until I couldn't see the light from the room anymore and spoke the words I had been muttering in this room for weeks now. I felt a jolt from the end of my wand and was almost to scared to check, scared to see nothing had happened, just like every other time.

"Cassidy, open your eyes!" Harry's voice sounded ecstatic, which was the only reason I did as he asked. The glittery mist was just fading from the air in front of us, but Lupin and Harry wore matching amazed smiles.

"You've got it." Lupin nodded, seeming happy with his student's progress. "A bit more practice for the both of you and no Dementor will stand a chance."

We both practiced for nearly an hour more, a feeling of elation in my chest that I hadn't felt in so long. Before tonight, I had been starting to think I would never get this spell.

"Thank you professor," I gave him a grateful smile, although I felt almost like I could hug him. "We'll let you go now, thank you for helping us so much."

"Of course, Miss. Olsen. I am extremely impressed with the both of you. I don't need to remind you that this is magic many full grown witches and wizards will never achieve."

We started out the door and towards the staircase, Harry following me to my own, ignoring the one leading up toward Gryffindor tower.

"That was brilliant, Cassidy." He smiled down at his feet as we started down the first flight of stairs.

"Oh, yeah, you act like you hadn't gotten the mist weeks ago." I chuckled, shoving my hands in the pockets of my robes.

"I know, but still... So what changed? What memory did you use?"

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as I thought of my answer. As I thought of my memories of Fred.

"What? You have to tell me!" Harry stopped when we turned down the stairs and saw Fred, sitting on the floor in the hallway, mere inches from where we had left him an hour ago. He looked up at our voices, and I watched his eyes flick between the two of us, a frown coming to his face for only a second before I lunged for him without thinking.

His hands reached out at the last second, catching me around the waist and lifting me into a hug as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"What? What happened?" He asked, looking at Harry confused once he set me down.

"I did it! I did it! Well, I almost did it... My patronus!"

He grinned back at me and I looked back at Harry, suddenly feeling self conscious for the hug with Fred. I didn't know what had come over me, I got carried away.

"It was good. A few more practices and you'll be at my level." Harry joked from down the hall. "I'm gonna head up, i'll see you guys."

"Well, go on, I want to see!" Fred nudged my arm and I held my hand into the air away from him.

"Expecto Patronum." I said softly into the empty hallway, watching the mist emerge from my wand for the tenth time tonight. "Harry's is loads bigger, and less see through... His looks almost like an animal-" I trailed off, seeing the wonder in Fred's eyes as he smiled down at me, no longer watching the mist as it evaporated into the air.

"That's really impressive, Cassidy." He looked around the now empty corridor. "So what memory did you finally land on?"

"What?" I asked before remembering how I had complained to him about not having a happy enough memory.

"You said you couldn't get your patronus because you didn't have a strong enough happy memory. So what'd you use?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, nosey!" I replied, only receiving a knowing smile from the red head. "What!"

"Nothing. You'd better get to bed, i'll see you tomorrow." He nodded towards the the common room behind us. "And no more ignoring me!"

"Never ignored you!" I shouted as I started towards the doorway.

"Whatever you say!" He yelled back, nearly at the stairs now.

"Stop shouting, you're going to wake the house elves!"

"Night Cassy!" He bellowed, sending me a wink and scurrying up the stairs.

Chapter Text

"Olsen, wait up!" The matching voices called, and I spun to face their owners, my face lighting up at the sight of them. Fred had been nearly the only thing on my mind the past few days, even more than usual, since his birthday was tomorrow. Well, their birthday was tomorrow. I had thought long and hard over what I was going to get for George, knowing that whatever I gave him wouldn't come close to the broomstick I was giving Fred, but not wanting to only gift one of them for their birthday.

"What now?" I smirked as they caught up to me on the winding path outside.

"Can't be walking around alone, young lady, you know that!" George lectured, sliding up on my left as Fred joined my right.

"You're lucky we don't turn you in."

"That's rich, coming from you two." I scoffed, noticing the trio talking heatedly on a hill not far from us.

"No one would bother us, Cassidy." Fred puffed out his chest as George showed off his biceps that were nearly invisible under his winter robes.

"Right, of course." I nodded as we approached Harry, Ron and Hermione. When we got closer, I could see what their attention was on: Draco Malfoy and his no good friends.

"-quite so pathetic? And he's supposed to be our teacher!" The blonde haired boy laughed out his words, his friends egging him on before my jaw dropped nearly to the dirt on the ground. Hermione had crossed to the boys in a few short steps, her hand colliding with Malfoy's jaw, the sound echoing around the grounds.

"Bloody Hell!" George exclaimed, both twins starting a jog towards the trio, obviously expecting Malfoy to retaliate, but slowing again when he and his 'backup' scurried away, not looking back.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, looking appalled when we approached them.

"He was saying horrible things about Hagrid." The brunette looked to be on the verge of tears.

"That was awesome, Mione." I looked at her with pride, yet slightly shocked. I didn't know if I would have had the guts to hit someone like Malfoy, with practically his entire house and his pure blood family as his back up.

"Nicely done, Hermione, honestly." Fred nodded at her, matching smiles painted on the twins faces.

"Yeah, we always knew you were braver than this lot." George gestured to Ron and Harry who glared in his direction.

"You guys better beat them in the Quidditch final," She sounded stern, "You have to, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins."

"Don't worry, Hermione, they'll win." I said, without thinking, wanting to slap my hand over my mouth as soon as the words come out.

"Oh, how can you be so sure, Cassy?" Fred raised his eyebrows, looking down at me.

I shrugged. "I just have faith. So don't let me down!" I joked, trying to save myself from giving away my secret.

I dragged my eyes open, feeling more tired than I had when I had first gotten into bed. I had barely slept last night, every few hours waking up in nervous anticipation. Because how do you give someone a present like this and not make them think you're in love with them?

Still, he deserved it.

When the sun had begun to creep through the windows, I finally let myself get out of bed, pulling on my sweater over a long sleeve shirt, knowing the divination and astronomy towers were always cold this time of year.

The thought of sitting through three classes today before I got to see Fred sounded horrendous, but the sooner my day started the sooner it could be over.

One class left, Lupins. I walked through the doorway, spotting Bri and Maddie sitting in front of Hannah and Justin Finch-Fletchley on the 'Hufflepuff' side of the room which was nearly filled in, while Hermione and Ron sat on the left side, an empty desk behind them which I sat at before someone else could take it and I was left to sit with a random stranger.

"Where's Harry?" I asked the two of them, pulling my books out.

"Dunno." Ron shrugged, eyes trained on the door for his friend.

Harry finally strolled in with less than a minute to spare, Lupin on his heels, shutting the door behind him.

"Good afternoon, class." He started as Harry took the open seat next to me, giving me a small smile.

"Hey, Cass."

"Cutting it a bit close, Harry?" I joked.

"Everyone please open to page 315 in your books." Lupin's voice spread around the room, fading into the sound of dozens of books being flipped through. "Today, we're going to be learning about Hinkypunks. Can anyone tell me- Miss Granger." He nodded to her, looking amused.

"Hinkypunks are a magical creature which appears as a wispy gray or white smoke, although they can sometimes appear blue as well... They have a proclivity for luring travelers off of their paths at night, into treacherous bogs or wetlands under the guise of a helpful, lamp-bearing beings."

"Very good, Miss Granger. I'm not sure I want to know the answer, but have you finished the entire book yet?" Lupin gave her a kind, knowing smile.

"Yes, sir." She answered, not taking his joke at all.

"Ten points for Gryffindor." He continued. Turning from the class, he unclasped the lock from a trunk next to his desk and pulled out a glass container which held a large body of smoke with three limbs which almost resembled arms and a leg.

"Looks like your patronus, Cassidy." Harry teased and I slapped him on the arm, earning a laugh from the two of us which was thankfully either not heard, or ignored by Professor Lupin.

The class period passed quicker than any other class that day, although it always seemed to. We spent the time practicing how to stun the creature, giving you enough time to perform the Knockback Jinx a few times in order to get you out of it's reach, although Lupin suggested staying out of it's range entirely if you could help it.

And finally, the day was over. There was about an hour before dinner, and I said goodbye to the trio, promising to see them in their common room later for the infamous Weasley twins own birthday party, which everyone seemed to be half excited and half nervous for.

I walked along side my friends back to our rooms to change out of our robes and enjoy some free time before dinner, trying to resist the urge to scan every hallway and staircase for Fred and George as we went.

When we crossed into the common room, the girls and I said bye to Justin before venturing up the staircase to our dorm room. Bri, Hannah and I went right to homework, while Maddie stole the bathroom to prepare herself for tonights party.

"Who are you trying to impress at a Gryffindor party?" Hannah shouted from her bed through the open bathroom door.

"The entire school will be there if we know anything about the Weasley's." Her voice came back.

"Well, stay away from the twins, we all know Cassidy has dibs on the both of them!" Hannah yelled back to her, keeping her eyes on me and sending me a smirk.

"She can't have both!" Maddie appeared in the doorway, grinning along with my friends and working a straightener through her hair.

"She doesn't. It's Fred you idiots." Bri said calmly, flipping through our assigned chapter from Divination.

"It's Fred?" Hannah and Maddie's voice mixed together, looking at me surprised. "And what you weren't going to tell us?"

"Nothing's Fred! Bri, shut up!"

"We're you're best friends, just admit it already!" Bri smiled at me knowingly.

"Nope." I dipped my quill into the ink on my nightstand as if I was actually working on anything.

"Bet he kisses her tonight?" Hannah looked at Bri as Maddie wandered back into the bathroom, needing a mirror for her hair.

"How do we know he hasn't already?" Bri answered.

"Guys." I warned.

"It's his birthday, Cass! It's the least you could do! He needs a birthday present."

"Oh, she got him one. I'd pick it over a kiss any day, too-"

"What did you get him?" Hannah looked between the two of us, seeming annoyed to be left out of the secret.

"I'm going downstairs to do my homework." I rolled my eyes and grabbing my things to head to the common room.

"We'll know by tonight!" Hannah called after me, the end of her sentence trailing off as I shut the door behind me.

I scribbled the last sentence of my essay, wanting nothing more to end it here and rush to the party to meet up with my friends. The girls had left nearly an hour ago, not caring about the rest of their work, but I knew I would never catch up if I didn't at least finish the essay for Care of Magical Creatures.

Finally, I set my paper on the night stand to let the ink dry while I rummaged through my trunk for something to wear tonight. I pulled out an oversized brown sweater and a black skirt, eyeing a pair of tights before deciding to pull them on first, knowing the Gryffindor tower was much colder than I was used to down here.

I started on my hair and makeup, brushing concealer under my eyes quickly when I heard the knock at the door. I turned to look at it, the knob turning before I could even answer.

"Where have you been?" Fred asked, strutting through the doorway. "The party started ages ago!"

"I'm sorry! I was finishing some homework." I smiled at the red head as he threw himself onto my bed.

"No homework on our birthday, that's the golden rule."

"You two don't do homework on any day, what makes today any different?"

"I haven't heard one single happy birthday yet." He whined, leaning his head back on my pillow as I finished my makeup. I turned to face him, crossing the room in a few steps and kneeling onto the floor next to my bed. He sat up, giving me a curious look before I reached under the bed frame to pull out his present, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string in the center.

"Happy Birthday, Freddie." I smiled, trying to shut out the nerves I felt in every part of my body.

"Cassy, I was just kidding, you didn't have to get me a present." He looked at me, guilt in his eyes for a fraction of a second before his eyes brightened at the present. "What is it?"

"Open it and find out, dummy." I laughed. I watched as his fingers pulled at the string and tore through the paper, stopping when he saw the bristles.

"Cassidy." He looked up at me, a frown on his face. "What did you do?" He pulled the rest of the paper off to see the entire broom.

"I just... I know Tommy always wanted his own, he said the school brooms suck and..."

He dropped the broom to the bed next to him and stared down at me, our eyes linking. "This cost a fortune."

"I got a good deal! Only half a fortune!" I joked, standing from my place on the floor to join him on the bed.

"Cassidy, you can't spend this much on me!"

"I already did!" I smiled. "Besides... I wanted to say thank you. For letting me stay with you this summer."

"You're not paying for anything ever again." He stood from the bed, grabbing the broom in one hand and my own in his other. "Come on, they're going to wonder where we are."

We had almost reached the door when he spun to face me, looking down at his gift and back to my eyes. "Thank you, Cassy. I mean... this is the best gift anyone's ever gotten me."

I looked at the broom too now, just to have a reason to break eye contact, sure that if I let it continue I would be confessing my love for him within seconds.

"You deserve it." I muttered.

"Come on, then." He nodded, leading us back into the hall.

Fred pushed through the portrait door after giving the password and the room erupted into cheers, as if a celebrity had walked in.

"Where've you two been?" Lee shouted from the couch next to George and Angelina, clearly working on his own personal bottle of firewhiskey.

"Someone had to go get her or she would have been doing homework all night long!" Fred called back, holding his broom behind his back, which I was thankful for.

"I'm gonna put this in my dorm, unless you have one hidden around here for George?" He whispered near my ear, smirking as he headed for the stairs.

I walked over to George and the rest of the Gryffindor's huddled around the fireplace and the boys moved over to offer me a spot on the couch.

"About time, Cassidy, we thought you were blowing us off!" George winked.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out his gift, a Wizard Cracker.

"Happy Birthday, Georgie." I smiled when I saw his expression light up.

"Oi, Cassidy, look at you, knowing how to have some fun now!" He smiled, holding one end out for Lee to grab hold of, the two of them pulling hard until the cracker exploded. Hands wrapped around both of my ears just as the cracker set off it's loud bang, echoing through the room and most likely the entire castle.

I turned up to see Fred smiling down at me, letting his hands fall from my head as the cheers in the room settled down. As the dust cleared from around us, George found his gift from the cracker in his lap.

"A grow your own warts kit, Cassidy do you hate us all?" Lee squinted at the writing on the small box and the students gathered around us laughed, a spark of mischief lighting in the younger twins eyes.

"Thanks Cass! I'll put it to good use!" George smirked, letting his eyes fall back on his friends as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"I didn't know what was in it! I was hoping you'd get one of those bonnets McGonagall got last year! I think you'd look dashing." I teased.

Chapter Text

I tossed the left over confetti that hadn't found it's way into everyone's hair into the wastebasket after Fred. The twins had both insisted on leaving it for tomorrow, since 'the room is trashed anyway,' but I knew that by morning the house elves would have everything cleaned up, and I didn't want them picking up each individual piece of the shimmering paper.

I sat squished in beside George and Lee with a few of the Gryffindor girls at the couch across from us for a few hours, taking small sips of the drink Lee had gotten me, remembering the headache I felt the morning after their last party all too well.

I had only a few sips left in my cup when Fred caught my eye, flashing me a smile and nodding over to our couch we had sat on at the last party. I watched him stand from where he had been perched on the arm rest of our couch and followed him, thankful that either no one noticed the pair of us leave, or that they chose to ignore it.

"Are you having fun?" Fred asked, pausing at the table on the way to the isolated couch to refill his drink, setting the bottle back on the table when I declined his offer of a refill.

"Of course!" I smiled, looking around the cozy room. I had always loved being at Hogwarts, obviously, but it had never felt so much like home as it had this year. Especially the last few weeks. Hanging out with either of the twins or the trio, all I could think about was this summer. Not having to go home, it would be like never leaving Hogwarts, but without the classes.

"When's your birthday?" Fred asked, breaking me from my extensive train of thought.

"I would have thought a real friend would know my birthday by now!" I teased, knowing I had probably never mentioned it.

"Shove off, I would have remembered if you'd ever said it!" He rolled his eyes, the smile never leaving his face.

"Maybe I should go give that broom to George, maybe he's the better friend-" I laughed out before his hand fell on top of my leg, stopping my words mid-sentence.

"Cassidy." He shot me his best glare and I felt the smile spread across my face without thinking.

"It's July 15th." I answered finally, not being able to handle the amusing glare for much longer.

"Oh, it's right before Harry's." He scanned the room for the trio, finding them huddled in a corner with Dean and Seamus. "Mum will be thrilled, she'll get to plan a whole day."

"Fred, No!" It was my turn to glare now. "You're not going to tell her. It's bad enough they have to have me stay there all summer, I don't need anything for my birthday."

"Probably just a cake, and dinner, and maybe a present if she likes you. Who knows, maybe she'll hate you!" He smirked.

"You're awful. Don't tell her or I'm taking the broom back." I warned him, laying back on the couch.

"Oh sure, make yourself at home." He laughed as I took over nearly all the space on the couch.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" I asked, not wanting any awkward silences.

"Prolly gonna have to go test out this new broom. Not used to riding anything that goes above 3 miles an hour."

I smiled, elated that he was this excited for his gift, but still feeling guilty for only being able to get one of them a broom.

"Think George will be hurt that I didn't get him one?" I asked quietly, despite knowing that my voice could never be heard over all the noise in the common room.

"Nah, he understands that I'm the better beater." He laughed when my hand hit his arm. "Fine, maybe I'll share with him. Sometimes."

"Maybe he can use it against Slytherin, you know, if you're the better beater, you don't need the advantage." I smirked.

"Oh no. I'm using it for Slytherin." He paused. "How'd you pick anyway?"

"Pick what?"

"Why'd you get me a broom, not George?"

"Oh." I paused. I hadn't thought he would have actually asked that question. And I didn't really have an answer that I was willing to admit. "I would have gotten you both one, but i'll have to save for his for next year."

He shook his head. "I'll buy him a damn broom before I let you spend this much money on either of us again."

"Well, I really just... I had to get you something good, you know, as a thank you."

"A thank you for what?" He asked, seeming genuinely confused. As if he didn't know he had changed my entire life. That he was the first person I had ever talked to about my dad and that he was the one who had gotten me away from him.

"For letting me stay with you guys this summer. It was your idea. And for keeping my secret."

"That's so not a big deal, Cassy, seriously, that doesn't earn me this nice of a gift!" He laughed.

"And I can see the Slytherin's go down this year, so it's all worth it!"

My eyes still felt heavy as I watched my coffee mug refill for the second time next to my roommates as we scarfed down our eggs and sausage. While I was tired from last night, I woke up with no headache and in my own bed, which I was thankful for.

"A Nimbus 2001?" The familiar voice shouted near my ear, allowing me to forget any ounce of grogginess I had felt a second ago. "What am I, chopped liver?"

I spun in my seat to see, thankfully, George was smirking, obviously not upset about Fred's present.

"I don't know what you're talking ab-"

"He already told me, so save it." George winked, grabbing a sausage from my plate and popping it into his mouth. "He was right behind me, so admit it quick."

"Admit what?" I held back my laugh as he spoke in between bites of my breakfast.

"Admit you fancy him, hurry up. Remember, you have to tell me first!"

"George!" I rolled my eyes and tried to shove him off our bench, not moving the beater an inch.

"Yeah, sorry, Cass, I figured he was going to find out eventually." Fred explained, arriving behind the two of us. "Did he ask you?"

I felt some color rise to my cheeks. Did Fred send George to ask me if I fancied him? I should have known there was no way you could give someone that expensive of a gift and not have them think it means something...

"To come try the broom with us?" Fred continued after I didn't answer. I held in my sigh of relief, ignoring the laugh George was biting back.

"No, he didn't." I glared at the twin next to me. "But you two should go, I can't even ride a broom."

"Can't even ride a broom, what a crime!" George shouted, causing half the Ravenclaw students to look over at us.

"Yeah, that's not gonna fly, Cass." Fred grinned. "See what I did there?"

"Yeah, you're hilarious." George jumped from his seat and yanked me up after him.

"Guys, no!" I whined, looking back to my friends and pleading for their help. "I have homework to do, I'm tired, I-"

"We won't keep you long then!" Fred smiled.

"Yeah, I've heard you're a fast learner!" George ignored a glare from his brother.

Fred

I rolled my eyes to myself when he ignored my glare. Must he constantly try to give away little details that I mention to him in confidence?

It wasn't my fault I had been in such a good mood that night, after her hugging me and showing me her patronus, practically admitting that she had only been able to do one using some new memory she had to have made in the last few weeks. Still, I should have known better than to spew out anything around my brother that I didn't want him flaunting in front of me.

We walked Cassidy to the grounds, covered in a thin layer of frost. Not the perfect day to learn how to fly, but still. I didn't think I could go any longer without trying the Nimbus out.

"Alright, I'll try it out first of course-" George started, earning a laugh from Cassidy.

"No shot." I threw a leg over the broom and shoved off, the broom launching into the air nearly before I had even thought the command. "Bloody Hell!" I heard my voice echo across the fields now that I was in the air. The wind bit at my ears and neck as I took off towards a few trees, looping around them effortlessly, as if the broom really was reading my every thought.

I yanked the broom up hard, wanting to see how quickly it would stop and held on for dear life before I was thrown from the air. With a slight pull on the handle, I was hurtling back towards my brother and Cassidy, the red and blonde hair coming more into focus with every second.

I hovered over the icy grass for a few extra seconds before feeling my feet hit the ground.

"Alright, give it here." George reached out for the broom which I yanked from his reach.

"Ladies first, Georgie, where have your manners gone?" I joked, looking appalled.

"No, I'm not going, I told you!" Cassidy backed up, trying to hide behind George who stepped aside, offering her up without a second thought.

"George!" She screamed, laughing as I pulled her towards me. "Fred, no. I can't, I don't want to, and it's gonna be cold up there-" She rattled off excuses.

"You've got a coat." I pulled her hood over her head, letting it fall and nearly cover her eyes. "Come on, Cass. Just a quick ride, then it's George's turn, okay?"

She hesitated, probably knowing I wouldn't force her up if she really didn't want to. Finally, I got a small nod.

"Alright, come on then! I'll fly with you, you won't have to do a thing, just hold on." I stepped one leg over the broom again and nodded her over. She stood in front of me for only a moment before throwing her leg across the broom with me and I waited for both of her hands to grip the handle before pushing off the ground before she could change her mind.

She let out a small scream as we ascended, but stopped when she heard me laugh against the back of her coat. "Cold?"

"Yes!" She called back, the wind carrying her voice back to me.

"Scared?"

"Yes!" She yelled louder, earning another laugh from me.

"Alright, then hold on!" I smiled to myself, leaning forward slightly, my chest pressing against her back as the broom carried us forward. In hindsight, maybe I should have let her ride one of the school brooms first, since none of them could have ever gone as fast as this broom, even now as I was trying to keep it slow.

I took her a bit higher, floating above a few trees, our feet skimming the branches on top for a few seconds. From here, you could see the tops to every tower in Hogwarts, glittery snow painting the roof of the castle. Frosted windows glowing from fires lit inside. Every once in a while, the very small outline of an owl leaving the owlery.

"Ready to go down?" I asked and she nodded, sneaking a look back at me as I let the broom fall slowly through the air, not wanting to nose dive down to George beneath us and have her puke on him, as funny as that would be...

"About time!" George yelled before we were anywhere close to him.

"I'll say!" Cassidy tried to shoot me her most menacing glare, which was nothing compared to the ones I had grown used to over the years.

"Oh, come on! It was fun!" I told her as George mounted the broom, pushing off into the air before I had even finished my thought.

"It is fast, huh?" She asked, her eyes not leaving George as he grew smaller and smaller into the distance.

"It's insane. Seriously, I love it." I strained my eyes searching for George who I guessed was far out of sight by now. I lowered myself to the grass and looked up at Cassidy, standing above me. "He's gonna be a bit, you might want to sit down."

"The ground is gonna be freezing!" She shook her head, finally giving up looking for George in the sky.

"Come here, then." I held my hand out for her and she gave me a skeptical look. "Don't make it weird!" I chuckled, yanking her down to my level, my hands grabbing her hips as she fell and pulling her into my lap.

She had put her hood down when we landed, as if it was any less cold out here, and her face was turning pink, the wind blowing strands of the strawberry blonde hair into my face, and I could smell the citrus smell that I guessed was from her shampoo.

"He'd better be careful with my broom, I swear to Godric..." I grumbled against her ear and she laughed. "Thank you, Cassy. For the broom. No one's ever gotten me that nice of a gift. Like, I really can't even believe it, I never would have thought it would be... that fast."

"You're welcome." She turned to face me wearing a grin that lit up her whole face. I could barely even feel the cold from the ground when I was this close to her.

Chapter Text

I couldn't understand how my roommates could possibly miss this Quidditch match. I couldn't remember a more anticipated game the entire time I had attended school. The Gryffindor's and Slytherin houses had been at each others throats more than usual the past few weeks, especially after Hermione's incident with Draco.

The Slytherin team, as well as just some particularly nasty house mates had taken it upon themselves to make Harry's time at school a living hell. Oliver Wood had given strict instructions that Harry was to be accompanied at all times, which was somewhat annoying when you were stuck behind a crowd of Gryffindor's on your way to class, yet had it's advantages on the days the twins walked us all down the hallways.

The twins seemed to be the only ones on the Gryffindor team who had any appetite at all at breakfast, scarfing down second helpings of bacon and eggs while Wood pleaded with the rest of the team to eat.

"Dunno why you're so worried, Harry." Fred started, trusting George to finish his thought as he took another bite of his breakfast.

"You've got your Firebolt, and your only real opposition is Malfoy." George chuckled.

Not half an hour later, Hermione, Ron and I were making the trek down to the quidditch pitch. It was thankfully no where near as cold as the last few games had been, and the sun was shining brightly down on us as we made our way to the top of the stands.

The spots around us filled up in no time, surrounding us with more red and gold than I had seen in a long time. Banners and signs waving through the air in support of the Gryffindors. I had dug Fred's quidditch hoodie from my trunk, ignoring the glances I had received from Ron when I had appeared at breakfast.

The booming sound of Lee Jordan's commentary began, announcing the teams and players as they flew out onto the field.

After the captains shook hands and exchanged prolonged death glares, the whistle blew and all of the players took to the sky. I watched as Harry flew above the rest of the team in an instant, with Fred right below him. Harry usually took a higher position in order to scan the pitch better, while Fred and George had to stay right in the action.

Gryffindor had the quaffle within seconds, Angelina and Alicia working together to bring it to the end of the pitch. I watched George bat a bludger away from the girls as Angelina got the quaffle through the goal post to thunderous applause. She threw her fists into the air for only a second before the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint's body slammed into hers. Her scream echoed around the stands for only a second, George flying beneath her, ready in case she had fallen, but she held on.

Angelina shot George a smile and a nod, while Fred's club collided with the back of Flint's head and Hermione and I hissed, praying he wouldn't get kicked out for his retaliation.

Madame Hooch awarded both teams a penalty shot, which earned Gryffindor ten more points, while Wood managed to block the Slytherin's shot, much to Lee Jordan's amazement and praise.

After another penalty shot awarded to Gryffindor for an attack on Katie Bell, putting them up 30-0, I saw a streak of movement from the corner of my eye. Harry was diving, practically letting gravity take hold, dashing to the opposite end of the pitch.

"What's he doing?" I whined, knowing from the past weeks of hearing the twins imitate Wood that Harry was not to catch the snitch until Gryffindor was at least fifty points up.

"He's throwing Malfoy off! Look!" Ron nodded to the end of the stands where the golden glint of wings glistened for only a few seconds more. "Bloody brilliant."

"Well done, Harry." Hermione breathed out as Harry pulled back into a casual flight pattern, leaving Malfoy watching him with a scowl painted on his face.

My attention was still on the seekers when Lee cursed loudly over the loud speaker, causing Hermione and I to flinch and scan the field for what he could have seen. The cheers from the Slytherin stands were a dead give away, Flint had scored.

"Sorry, Sorry, professor, it won't happen again!" Lee's muffled voice was heard around the pitch. "30-10 Gryffindor."

It was hands down the dirtiest game of Quidditch I had ever seen, and I found myself thankful that the twins had bats on them.

At last, Katie scored the fifth goal for Gryffindor, the twins flying around her, obviously prepared for any Slytherin retaliation and I held back a smile watching Fred shooting hardened glares towards any of the nearby players.

After a few more penalty shots and another spotting of the snitch, which Malfoy abandoned his hope of beating the Firebolt and instead latched himself to Harry's broom to pull him away until the snitch disappeared, Angelina once again had the quaffle. The crowd watched in horror as every Slytherin player stalked her down the pitch before Harry zoomed towards them, causing them to scatter and Angelina to make her goal.

But there was no applause from the crowd this time. Instead, a low gasp from the entirety of the stands could be heard as Harry realized what he had missed in his few seconds helping Angelina. Malfoy was soaring towards the snitch, an enormous head start on Harry as he jumped into gear. His body was practically flattened to the Firebolt as it streaked towards the blonde seeker. It was incredible, the speed he was flying. He had caught Malfoy in seconds, their outstretched arms matching as Harry shoved Malfoy out of his path, his fingers closing around the small gold ball and the crowd erupting into deafening roars.

Harry pulled from his dive and let his broom fall at his feet, holding the snitch to the sky for only a second before Oliver collided with him, nearly knocking the boy to his feet. He appeared to be sobbing into Harry's quidditch robes. Two more bodies crashed into the seeker as the twins pulled their teammates in for a hug, soon being joined by the rest of the Gryffindors.

The downside to getting seats so high up was that we were nearly the last ones onto the pitch, the team barely visible between the crowds of students flocking to try to get to the players. By the time we had hit the pitch, the entire team had been hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd, carrying them back up towards the stands with shouts echoing all around the grounds.

"We've won the cup! We've won the cup! We did it!"

We finally got close enough to watch Dumbledore hand Oliver the giant gleaming Quidditch Cup, his eyes reflecting the glow from the trophy for a few seconds before passing it over to Harry who raised it high to a new roar of cheers.

I felt myself being lifted from the ground and held in a scream as I turned into a hug from Fred, spinning me in circles in the middle of the crowd until I was sure I would be sick.

"Cassy." He breathed into my ear and I bit my lip, hoping to hide the blush I could feel rising to my face, matching the butterflies I was feeling in my stomach.

"You were amazing! Although I'm sure it was just the broom-" I was cut off when George lifted me by my hips, setting me on his shoulders so I was above the crowd and apparently ignoring my screams of protest.

"George, put me down!" I screeched, barely able to hear my own voice over the celebrations.

"She wants to go down, Freddie." George shrugged, turning so our backs were to his twin and leaning back, letting go of my legs. He grinned as I screamed, falling through the air for only a second before I landed in Fred's arms again and was lowered to the ground.

"I'm not sure I want to hang out with you two anymore!" I huffed, pretending to brush some dirt off my boots to give myself a second to catch my breath.

"You'd better get used to it, Cass, you have us all summer." George smirked between the two of us and nodded up towards the castle where the crowds were carrying Harry, still holding the giant cup on his lap.

Finally, it was the final day of exams. I knew I had done fine on Charms and Astronomy, even Divination hadn't seemed to go terribly. Everyone agreed Hagrid's exam was by far the easiest, but with Buckbeak's whole ordeal, everyone understood. Potions had been fine, despite my foggy memory of anything from the day of the confusion droughts, it was one that I had re-read and studied with Hermione for.

However, the last exam I had was Defense Against the Dark Arts, one I had been feeling nervous for all week, despite my break through with the Patronus. Harry of course was feeling the exact opposite, claiming he was sure he had failed Potions and Charms miserably, but hadn't even thought twice about Lupin's exam.

I had been sat with the trio in the hallway outside of Lupin's classroom for most of the hour, watching students get called one by one to complete their assessment until it was just Harry and I.

"I would say us mastering the Patronus should excuse us from any exam." Harry joked, earning a smile from me as I flipped through the last few chapters of the textbook.

"Says you, this will be your easiest exam all year and if you'll recall, my Patronus is still just mist."

"Still counts." He shrugged.

"What do you think the test will be-" I started before the door burst open, Hermione's face red and blotchy, looking as if she had just barely stopped herself from crying.

"Hermione, what-" Harry started, jumping to his feet before she shook her head at the two of us.

"Nothing... Good luck, you guys will be f-fine." She mumbled, racing up the stairs before either of us could get another word in.

"Harry?" Lupin's voice carried out the door, Harry shooting me a wild look before starting to the classroom.

I waited far less time on Harry than any of the students before us. I barely had time to finish another chapter when he was returning to the hallway, a triumphant look on his face.

"You'll be fine, I asked Lupin about Hermione, she... I guess she just freaked out. The last task is a-"

"Miss Olsen, you're up." Lupin's slim frame appeared in the doorway, shooting Harry a slightly amused look.

"Right... Good luck, Cassidy." Harry scampered away, no doubt in search of his friends to figure out what had happened to Hermione.

I followed Lupin through the door, hearing it shut behind us and scanning over the strange set up of the room. He had set up a winding sort of obstacle course, in which I could already spot a Grindylow, multiple Red Caps and a Hinkypunk before a massive wooden trunk.

"I doubt you'll have any trouble at all, Miss Olsen. I can hold on to your books if you'd like..." He held his hand out for my long forgotten textbook and I handed it over, giving him a shy smile.

"You may begin." He said, sitting down behind his desk, focusing on some papers as I started down the path to the first obstacle. I grimaced as I stepped down the wooden stairs, seeing the dark green creature inching towards me at the bottom of the murky water. I stepped into the water, feeling the liquid seep through my clothes and shoes and aimed my wand at the Grindylow. I knew that Lupin had taught us to use Relashio on the Grindylow once they latched onto us, but I didn't like scaring or harming the creatures if I didn't have to, and I wasn't particularly excited to have the long claw-like fingers on my skin.

"Immobulus." I watched what looked like a light blue gush of air fly towards the water and saw the Grindylow practically freeze in place, gliding slightly through the water as I walked past it easily and climbed out the steps on the other side.

After making it passed the RedCaps and the Hinkypunk's incorrect directions, I arrived at the trunk with a sinking suspicion on what might lie inside.

"I think you know what's waiting in there, don't you Cassidy?" Lupin's voice shocked me after the silence of the previous tasks. "I will allow you to opt out of dealing with the Boggart. You earned some leeway after finding a non-violent way to pass the Grindylow."

I shook my head slowly, offering him a smile as a thank you for being so caring, but I knew I wanted to try and beat this. Not just for my score, but for my pride. Everyone else had faced their worst fear and been fine, I wanted a chance to do the same.

Lupin reached passed me and pulled the door open, allowing me to climb into the dark of the trunk. I quickly illuminated my wand as the door slammed behind me, wanting to waste no time on the Boggart.

As soon as the light brightened the small room around me, I saw him. Lurking in the back corner, shadows falling over his face for just a second before he started towards me, the heels of his shoes clicking against the wooden floor.

I shook my head, squeezing my eyes together tightly for just a moment. "He's not real, Cassidy. He's not... real!"

When my eyes reopened, I watched the figure before me shrink, smaller and smaller until he was barely as tall as my boots. I let out a laugh, unsure if it was from relief or the sight of my father being so small that I could step on him and consider it an accident.

"Riddikulus." I muttered, watching him continue to shrink until he was no longer visible, and I turned my back on the Boggart, letting myself back out of the trunk.

"Well done, Cassidy!" Lupin wore a genuine grin, painted from one ear to the other, and I returned it, thankful that I hadn't broken down in front of him for a second time. "Full marks. Congratulations."

After three drying spells, my outfit was finally warm again and I was no longer dripping murky water onto the castle floors. As I made my way back towards the Entrance Hall, I breathed in a sigh of relief. That had been it, the last exam. And they had all gone fine.

That had been the last exam. The last exam of the school year. It was almost summer. And I wasn't going home. And I didn't know what was going to happen when I didn't meet my father at the train station.

I had been so focused on exams that I had let myself stop worrying about this the last few weeks, but I now realized how close it was. And how un-prepared I really was.

"Cassidy, I'm sorry, I was going to warn you about the Boggart, are you okay?" I turned to see the frazzled looking boy sprinting towards me down the main staircase, wearing his casual clothes instead of the robes he had been in half an hour ago.

"Oh, it was fine, Harry. I did fine!" I smiled, not wanting him to think about my last encounter with the Boggart.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." He muttered, looking at me concerned.

"No, no it was fine. I got rid of it." I shrugged, trying to force my father out of my mind once again. "What happened to Hermione? The boggart?"

"Yeah, it's... it's actually rather funny, but she didn't think so." Harry rolled his eyes slightly, a smile painting his face and replacing the look of worry from a few seconds ago. "Her boggart was McGonagall telling her she had failed every class. It's not even realistic!"

I couldn't help but let out a laugh with him. "Poor Hermione. Good thing it's nearly break, she needs one after this year."

"Well... it's not over yet really. The three of us, well, mostly Hermione, have been working on the hearings for Hagrid, for Buckbeak? But the final appeal is this afternoon, and it's not looking good. Hagrid's devastated, Hermione too..."

"I... I did hear about that. I'm really sorry for him, both of them. You'll tell him for me, wont you? Are you going down to be with him tonight?"

"We're not... technically allowed to, but we'll find a way. I'll tell him, unless you want to come?"

"I don't think so, Harry. I don't think I could hold it together to see Hagrid cry." I felt awful. Hagrid was such a pure soul with a huge heart just made for loving all of the creatures he met, and now one had to be taken away from him for no good reason.

"I'll tell him you're thinking of him. Congrats on your exam, Cass. I'll see you later." He nodded, turning back up the stairs to Gryffindor tower.

I bit a last bite of my waffles before accepting that I was too full to eat anything else, possibly for the rest of time. There was only a week left of term, and I was determined to enjoy as much of the Hogwarts food as I could before I left.

The girls and I talked lazily about our plans for the rest of the week without classes. We were essentially just waiting for exam score to be released, something that my roommates seemed to be dreading.

Hannah had just decided there was nothing left to do at Hogwarts when I heard the commotion. I turned in my spot to see the twins jump to their feet after Percy, Ginny rushing towards them from the end of the table.
I went to stand up to ask what was wrong when I caught Fred's eye and he waved me over, never stopping his rush to the door. I struggled to catch the group in the main hall.

"What's wrong?" I asked, noting Ginny's white face and the families lack of smiles.
"Ron's in the infirmary." Fred muttered as we raced up the flights of stairs, throwing open the doors and spotting Ron, Harry and Hermione, the most frequent fliers of the hospital wing.

"What the Hell happened?" Percy shouted, sounding more like a parent than a brother.

"Broken leg." Ron shrugged, as if this happened every day. "Nearly fixed now. Should have seen it last night, all jumbled up. Gnarly."

"Enough about your leg, Ronald! You'll never guess what happened last night, you'll never believe even when we tell you-" Hermione rambled.

"What? What happened to you guys?" I asked scanning the trio. Ron obviously seemed the worse off, but Harry and Hermione had faded scars and gashes along their arms and faces.

"Settle in, it's a long one." Harry sighed, seeming exhausted just thinking of the past nights events.

After about an hour, the story was finally told, and I was scanning between the group of friends, somewhat wondering if I was being pranked.

"So... Ron's rat, that he's had since forever... was actually a person, named Peter Pettigrew..." Fred started, sounding unsure.

"And he's the one who got Harry's parents killed... and now you have no rat..." Percy finished, making it seem like Harry's parents dying was a slight inconvenience compared to Ron losing his pet.

"More importantly..." George began, a smirk spreading across his face, "Ron has been sleeping with a man for 13 years."

"Very funny." Ron grumbled.

"No, more importantly... Harry's godfather is Sirius Black and he's innocent!" I watched Harry's disappointed face and knew at once. From the way he had told the story, the inclusion of Sirius's offer to have Harry live with him, he had been ready to move in with his Godfather. Ready to leave the Dursley's behind.

"Yeah, and no one will ever know. He's off in hiding somewhere, so really nothing's changed."

"At least you know the truth, Harry." I said softly, knowing not much could cheer the boy up right now. "Your god father didn't betray your parents, he's innocent, and he cares about you. I'm sure you'll see him again."

"Next time you see him, Harry, I want a proper introduction!" Fred smiled, clapping the boy on the shoulder as the group of us stood up.

"Madame Pomfrey said the two of us could leave, but Ron has to stay until the bones are solid again, so we're gonna wait with him. What are you guys doing today?" Harry asked, probably not knowing what normal students do around the school besides save everyone else's lives every few months.

"There's a whole week left, and apparently an unexplored tunnel to check out, now that we know how to get in!" George winked, sprinting to the hallway with Fred on his heels, grabbing my hand in his so I could follow, Percy's shouts following us at a distance, warning the twins that he would tell Molly everything and that they were not to go near the Whomping Willow.

Chapter Text

"Honestly, there's no way you fit all of this in your trunk last fall." I muttered, squishing hoodies and quidditch robes tighter into the sides of Fred's trunk to no avail.

"Course not." Fred shrugged from his spot next to me, where he had sat nearly motionless the past fifteen minutes, not helping me pack his things at all. "George and I made all of those prototypes, I wrapped them in socks at the bottom. Can't leave those behind!"

"Yeah, we have to have something to do all summer." George called from where he sat on his bed, drawing lazy loops of colors into the air with his wand.

"We might need Hermione. She'll know how to do that spell, what is it..." I thought for a moment before the door to the twins room burst open, revealing a disgruntled looking Harry Potter. "Oh, good, Harry, have you seen Hermione? The twins insist on bringing the entire school home with them-"

"Lupin's resigning." Harry cut me off, his glare could cut diamonds.

"What?" I said, already on my feet. "He can't! Why would he resign? Are they making him?"

"I don't know. I was going to see him before he left. Thought you might like to join, Lee said you were up here..."

"Yeah... Yeah, I want to see him."

"Go on, then, tell him we said bye." Fred nodded, flicking his wand at the overstuffed trunk a few times with no results.

"We'll be back." I laughed, "Or I'll send Hermione to you."

Harry and I scampered down the steps of the tower and headed to the third floor, to the classroom we had met in so many nights before.

"You two should be packing." Lupin announced as we entered, sounding amused, but without turning around.

"How did you know it was us?" Harry asked, before Lupin held up the twin's old map.

"Professor... Did they ask you to leave?" I asked, shyly, jealous of the way that Harry felt he could speak to Lupin, like they were old friends.

"No, Miss Olsen, but I figured I would save Dumbledore the trouble. Once word gets out, the letters will flood in by the hundreds. Parents won't want a werewolf teaching their kids." He smiled at the two of us, sadly, arranging the contents of his desk into small boxes.

"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Harry whined. "Don't go."

"Please don't. There has to be something we can do."

Lupin shook his head. "It's for the best, I assure you. What happened that night can never happen again. It's too risky, and I should have known better."

Before Harry or I could interrupt him again, Professor Dumbledore entered the classroom.

"Hello, you two. Remus, your carriage is waiting for you at the gates."

"Thank you, Professor. For everything." Lupin gave him a small smile, picking up a few boxes and flicking his wand at the rest. "Goodbye, Harry, it has been a pleasure teaching you. I'm sure we will see each other again. Miss Olsen, would you mind terribly getting the door for me outside?"

I looked to Harry who gave me a shrug, starting after Dumbledore who was on his way down the hall now. I picked up one of the floating boxes from the air just to feel a little useful and joined Lupin on his walk outside.

"I wanted to congratulate you, Cassidy. On all of your hard work this year, especially with your patronus. I hope you'll keep practicing, because I know you're close." He looked down at me, a kind smile painted on his face.

"I will." I nodded back, feeling devastated. Not only was Lupin the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we had ever had, he was one of the best professors in general. And the fact that we had to lose him over something he couldn't even control was disgusting.

"You and Harry look after each other, okay?" He gave me a serious look as I opened the carriage door for him and he set down the boxes he had been holding. "And Cassidy. If you ever need anything, you can talk to Dumbledore. He really can fix almost any problem if you let him. And you can always write me, for anything. Harry too." He took the last box from my arms and clapped me twice on the shoulder.

I couldn't help myself. I threw myself into the tall man's arms, giving him the hug I felt like I had owed him for months now.

"Thank you, for everything. You've helped me so much this year. I couldn't have... Just, thank you." I stuttered out.

He chuckled and patted the back of my head lightly.

"Have a good summer, Miss Olsen."

I watched his carriage pull through the gates on the path to Hogsmeade for a few minutes before turning back to the castle. I climbed the few steps and pushed through the wooden doors, spotting Harry and Dumbledore at the end of the hallway, deep in conversation.

"You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us?" I heard the words drift over to me, the rest of their conversation lost on my ears. It was strange, the feeling in my chest the past few days. Even now, amongst the sadness for Lupin, Sirius, Harry. Amongst the nerves and dread I had carried the past few weeks in fearful anticipation for leaving my father once and for all, there was a small bubble of excitement that had doubled in size at Dumbledore's words. As if Tommy was standing behind me, just out of sight. Proud and excited for me for getting out. Ready to see what the future had in store for me. Proud of just how brave I could be.

I trailed behind Hannah, Bri and Maddie, reluctant to leave our shared dorm room until the last possible second. But that second was here now. I hadn't even told the girls that I was going to the Weasley's this summer, knowing they would never let me live it down.

We walked two and two out of the bustling dorm room and past the kitchens, the house elves inside probably hustling to get the final breakfast cleaned up from earlier.

"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up." I called to them, setting my trunk down next to me and clicking it open. I had crammed everything I had inside, although it was much more organized than either of the Weasley's, and on top was the slightly tattered copy of the book I had left for this exact moment.

I pushed the swinging doors open and peeked inside the crowded kitchen, spotting who I had come here for immediately, as well as two tall red heads who I had not been expecting.

"What are you doing here?" I shouted at them, holding back a laugh as they accepted muffins and pumpkin loaves from the many House Elves, all grinning ear to ear at this last exchange with the twins.

"Oi! We were coming to get you!" George choked out through a muffin.

"Got a bit lost, then, huh?" I gave them a look and they began their train of goodbyes to the small elves.

"Teesy?" I called to the little elf who scurried to me after saying goodbye to the Weasley's.

"Miss Cassidy! So good to see you before you leave miss! Can I get you something for the train?' She rambled and I shook my head.

"I brought you something, actually." I knelt down and held out the book for her. "Since you liked the last one. Hopefully it can keep you busy this summer."

"Miss Cassidy, Teesy can not take a book from you for the whole summer, miss. No, Teesy couldn't!"

"You're not taking it, you're borrowing it! You'll be here in the fall right?" I ensured.

"Yes, of course." She whispered, her long skinny fingers closing around the hard cover of The Beauty and the Beast.

"It's another magic one. I have a few more I'll bring back next year if you want."

"Thank you, Miss Cassidy. You are very kind to all of us."

"Thank you for all the snacks all year and all of the help. Have a good summer." I smiled as the twins came to my side.

"Bye Misters Weasley, enjoy your summer!" She waved as the three of us headed back out to the hallway, our cheeks flushed pink by the heat of the kitchens.

"Got everything, Cass?" George asked, looping his arm around my shoulder as we made our way up to the entrance hall.

"Yes, I would ask you two, but I'm sure you have no idea." I laughed as we followed the crowds out to the sunny path to Hogsmeade.

"Oi, wait up you three!" Ron's voice carried through the crowd and we turned to wait for the trio.

"Yeah, you're gonna need Harry's patronus to get past the Dementors anyways Cass." George teased, jabbing me in the ribs lightly.

"They're still there?" I whined, looking to the gates up ahead.

"She's gonna do her own anyway, right Cassy?" Fred nudged me lightly.

"I doubt it." I bit my lip, gripping my trunk tighter with both hands.

"Just try." Fred whispered softly from my right. I sighed and pulled my wand out, focusing on the memory that worked last time. Fred and I in the astronomy tower. Fred and I huddled in the hallways. Fred and I now, heading to his house for the summer. A whole summer of fun and freedom.

"Expecto Patronum" I exclaimed, hearing Harry's voice behind me as a mist like silver cloud erupted from my wand, falling lower than it had last time. I felt my jaw drop as the mist dissolved into something almost solid. It was quite small, unlike Harry's giant stag trotting next to us.

"You did it, Cassidy!" Harry's shouts drew strange looks from nearly everyone around us, but for once I didn't care. I was too focused on the small lizard zipping in and out of our group, climbing the air as if there were invisible hills all around us.

"What is it?" Ron asked, craning around us for a better look.

"It's a salamander?" George laughed slightly, watching the white creature jumping around through hoops of what appeared to be blue and silver flames.

"It's a Fire Dwelling Salamander! Honestly, do none of you pay any attention? Hagrid told us about them! They live in the flames!" Hermione smiled between the friends, and by the time I looked up we were passing through the gates, the Dementors keeping a far distance from our glowing companions.

"That's wicked, Cassidy!" Fred smiled, reaching for the creature which scurried away from his touch, leaving a cloud of mist where Fred's fingers had grazed it.

"It's adorable." Hermione grinned and I nodded, watching the salamander scurry towards me and disappear into thin air now that we were away from the Dementors.

"Cass, where'd you go?" Bri exclaimed, racing towards our group and knocking against me for a hug.

"Got caught up." I nodded at the twins who wore matching smirks as Hannah and Maddie caught up to Bri.

"You always disappear so fast after we get back, so I'll say bye here. You have a great summer and write to us for a change!"

"Have a good summer Cassidy." Hannah and Maddie joined us in a giant hug.

"She will." Fred joked as the train's whistle blew loudly overhead and we all started to grab carriages before they filled up.

The compartment had been mostly silent for the first half of the ride, the twins quietly discussing their summer plans for their new products and Hermione getting what must have been her first nap all year. I had spent the entire ride so far absentmindedly picking at my fingernails until they were nearly gone before I realized Harry's eyes hadn't left the windows.

"What'cha thinking about?" I asked quietly, knowing the boy wouldn't want the entire car's attention on him.

"Sirius. I know that no news is good news, but I wish I knew where he was." He shrugged, trying to act like it hardly bothered him.

"He's getting settled somewhere, I'm sure. You'll hear from him." I offered him a smile. "I'm really sorry that it didn't work out. You going to stay with him. I know it'll make this summer even harder with the Dursley's."

I felt so sorry for him. While he didn't know the real reason I was staying with the Weasley's all summer, I wished that he could come too, that he could be rescued from his summer of misery as well.

"What's that outside the window?" Ron exclaimed, nearly climbing over Hermione in his attempt to slide the glass pane over, the world's smallest owl plopping into the compartment and zooming around in excitement, clutching a letter three times his size in it's beak.

Ron snatched the owl from the ground and read the front of the letter. "It's for Harry!"

Hermione was now awake and more focused than I had seen her since exams as we all watched Harry unfold his letter.

A grin lit up his face as he began to read. "It's from Sirius!"

"Read it out loud!" Ron and Hermione shouted, moving closer to Harry's side, and I took the opportunity to switch benches and sit next to Fred.

"Nervous?" He noticed, gesturing to my fingernails as the trio scanned through the letter.

"Obvious?" I whispered back, hoping George wasn't listening.

"Don't be. If I see him, I'm killing him. On sight." He shrugged effortlessly, as if murder was just a day in the life of Fred Weasley.

"Right, now I'm not nervous at all." I rolled my eyes, folding my arms over myself and leaning against his arm lightly.

"It's gonna be okay. Mum's meeting us inside the barrier, and he never goes through, right?" Fred reassured me, even though I had made him walk me through our plan a hundred times this week.

"Mhm."

"We'll be in and out in fifteen minutes. There's no way he'll see you in all the chaos. And you said he waits by the-"

"Far parking lot, yeah."

"Sirius says I can keep the owl?" Ron exclaimed, still holding the small creature in his grasp. He studied it for a moment before holding it out to Crookshanks. "What do you reckon? Definitely an owl?"

Hermione's cat offered him a lazy purr as the whole compartment laughed. "That's good enough for me." Ron grinned, letting the owl free in his lap.

I took a deep breath and felt Fred slide his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to his body so my head could rest on his shoulder.

"It's gonna be a good summer." He muttered softly.

Chapter Text

The train slowed to a stop, wheels screeching beneath us as we pulled into the platform. I leaned up off of Fred and peered out the window, watching families scamper after the train in excitement. Fred clapped his hand to my upper leg twice before standing up and pulling our trunks down one after the other.

"Alright Cass, on your best behavior now to meet our mother. No cussing or picking fights now." George shot me a grin as the group of us stepped out of our compartment one by one, starting down the steps onto the bustling platform.

I watched as Ginny lunged first to hug a short red haired woman with the same familiar grin that lit up any room that I had grown so used to this year. Next to her was a slightly taller man with matching red hair who scanned over his family happily before opening his arms for Ginny too.

"Boys!" Mrs. Weasley said softly, pulling Ron into an enormous hug before moving on to the twins who were stood just in front of me.

"Good to see you Mum." They echoed each other, returning her hug even as they towered over her.

"And this must be Cassidy." She stepped around the boys and gave me a warm smile. I returned it instantly, wanting nothing more than for her to like me. I shot my hand out to introduce myself but dropped it when she rushed into me for a hug. "It's a pleasure to have you dear, Fred has told me so much-"

"Mum!" Fred's voice rang out from behind her and she shrugged, pulling away from our embrace.

"Mrs. Weasley, I can't thank you enough for having me."

"Nonsense, dear. It's our pleasure. Arthur, this is Cassidy." She nodded towards Mr. Weasley and I stuck my hand out again, this time exchanging a handshake with the man.

"Nice to meet you, Cassidy."

I couldn't believe how happy and smiley everyone in this family seemed, thinking briefly to the dry and quiet reunion I would be receiving in the parking lot with my father right now.

"Harry." Mrs. Weasley turned her kind smile to the raven haired boy. "Oh, how I wish you were coming back with us."

"He can come at the end of summer, right mum? For the World Cup?" Ron pleaded from Harry's side.

"Of course, of course, we'll get it all worked out with your aunt and uncle. You be safe, Harry, you have a good summer now." She smothered him in a final hug before he said his goodbyes to the Weasley's and Hermione, starting through the barrier to meet the Dursleys.

"We'd better get going too. Remember what I said, Mum?" Fred finished his sentence softly, giving his mother a strange look while she looked back to me, a sadness in her eyes.

"Yes, right. You can all follow me to the car, can Arthur get your trunk Cassidy?" She offered for her husband, but I shook my head.

"I'm okay, thank you though." I tried to hold my smile on my face as we stepped through the barrier one by one, emerging on the other side and regrouping.

Fred and George walked at my side, giving me hardly enough room to hold my trunk without it running into their legs. I glanced side to side, scanning for the familiar gray hair and praying that the group of red heads surrounding me would be enough to hide me.

I noticed Fred's eyes flickering between me and the crowd as if waiting for me to show signs of recognition.

"Almost there." He breathed out, nodding more to himself than me.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley slowed next to a plain black sedan which looked entirely too small for the family to fit into.

"Right then," Mr. Weasley began, lifting the trunk and one by one cramming everyone's luggage impossibly into the back of the car.

"Get in the car, Cass." Fred nodded towards the door nearest us, passing my trunk to his father.

"There's no way we'll all fit, Freddie." I muttered, confused.

"It's a ministry car. It's jinxed." He smiled, looking amused as he pulled on the handle and gestured for me to climb in.

I wasted no time, stepping up and into the car and realizing now what he had meant by jinxed. While on the outside, the car seemed to have had barely five seats, while the interior actually held eight. Fred and I climbed to the very back seat, George squeezing in on my other side.

I fidgeted nervously, watching as Percy, Ron and Ginny filed into the seat in front of us, Mrs. Weasley in the passenger seat as we waited for Mr. Weasley to finish packing the trunk.

"You did it, Cassy. He wont find you now. You did it." Fred nodded at me, trying to calm me down.

"I guess..." I mumbled. "I just wish I knew how it was going to play out. What's he going to do?"

"I don't know, Cass. There's no way to know that. But it's going to be just fine, whatever happens."

"Alright, Weasley's... and guest..." Mr. Weasley smiled at us through the rearview mirror. "Let's go home."

The car ride wasn't terribly long and was filled with stories and laughter from the entire family, even Percy sharing in some of the laughs. After nearly an hour, Mr. Weasley pulled the car onto a winding dirt road with thick bushes and trees lining it, going back for miles. The conversation continued, but nothing was getting through to me. I was too focused on the house that appeared around the bend in the road.

It was insane, like something from a children's fairytale. I tried counting the stories three times before giving up, confused each time. It appeared that the house was once just one rectangular story that had been added to over and over until it was fit to house the Weasley's massive family.

"I know it's insane." Fred muttered, laughing under his breath. "The inside's no less confusing. But it's home."

"It's incredible." I couldn't take my eyes off the house. We pulled up into what must have been used as the driveway during the rare times cars were here. Everything around the house was a deep shade of green, including the pond at the edge of the property. There was a slightly rotting wooden sign at the front of the house which read 'The Burrow.'

One by one we climbed from the car, my father's reaction the farthest thing from my mind as I looked up at the house towering above us.

Mr. Weasley waved his wand just once as Mrs. Weasley led the family through the front door, our suitcases hovering through the air and landing just inside the front door.

"Welcome home, dear." Mrs. Weasley smiled as we all pooled into the house. "I'm going to get started on dinner, you all must be starving. I had thought you could use Bill and Charlie's old room, but as it turns out, they'll be home in a few weeks time for the World Cup. So you'll be sharing with Ginny. I hope that's okay, we're a full house most of the time."

"Of course, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you again, and thank you Ginny, I'm sorry to be taking up your space."

"Oh, it's fine, Cassidy! Everyone else gets roommates, and I've never gotten one!" She smiled genuinely. "Come on, i'll take you there!"

I glanced to Fred and then to George, both of whom were sliding trunks around trying to decide which was theirs and were paying me no mind. I followed Ginny anyways, knowing the entire Weasley family was going to be my own for this summer at least and I was looking forward to getting to know their only sister.

Ginny's room was on the first floor, so I didn't get to see much of the house. I felt like my head was on a swivel, trying to take in as much of the strange surroundings as I could. She turned the knob and pushed the door open, revealing a small but brightly lit room with one large bed made up with light green blankets and matching pillows. The shades were fastened up to let the sunlight in through the room, gleaming off multiple posters tacked to the walls of bands I had never heard of and quidditch teams made up of all witches.

"I know it's small. And we'll have to go get you some blankets and a pillow." She thought aloud, noticing the empty bed which stuck out in her otherwise well designed room.

"It's great, Ginny. My room back home is so boring, I wish I could decorate like you." I offered her a sincere smile and watched a light pink arise at her cheeks.

I hoisted my trunk to my unmade bed and we both began unpacking. I left my clothing in the trunk and just took out a few books, setting them on the small wooden nightstand that had been placed next to my bed. Finally I shook out the tightly folded white blanket and laid it on the mattress before stowing my trunk under the bed frame, stroking the golden lion embroidered at the edge.

"Is that a Gryffindor blanket?" Ginny asked, craning her neck to get a better look.

"Er... yeah it is actually. I got it from your brother, but it's so soft it's my favorite now. I doubt they'll notice it's missing, right?" I laughed and she shot me an amused look.

"Yeah, doubt it."

Before I could change the subject, there was a loud rap at the door.

"Decent?" The twin voices called and Ginny groaned, heading to open the door for her brothers.

"Just because she's staying here doesn't mean I want you two constantly at my door. And neither does she, right Cassidy?"

I laughed and nodded, giving the boys and shrug.

"We were going to show her around, if you're quite done with her Gin?" George asked, faking offense.

"Sure, whatever. I'll go ask mum for your blankets and things Cassidy." She said, finished emptying her trunk and pushing it into the closet.

"No, Ginny, I'll get them later, enjoy yourself!" I called as the boys pulled me from the room.

"Let her set it up, Cass, Ginny likes decorating." Fred explained.

"And Mum says to tell you you don't have to call them Mr. and Mrs. Weasley." George snickered.

"I'm trying to be polite!" I rolled my eyes at him as we arrived back at the entrance to the house.

"Well, knock it off." Fred joked.

"Alright, so first off we have the living room here." George gestured to the cramped space, filled nearly edge to edge with sofas and random armchairs. There was a fireplace large enough for multiple people to step into with a bookshelf next to it, mostly filled with cookbooks and, surprisingly, what appeared to be muggle studies textbooks. Nestled in the corner, there was an oversized clock with no numbers to indicate time, but rather nine hands with a name on each and various locations listed around the edges such as home, school or prison. I felt a smile spread across my lips as I moved towards the clock, but was yanked away by the twins towards the next part of our tour.

We entered the kitchen which was crowded with differing colors and patterns. Most of the room was taken up by the extremely long kitchen table which was surrounded by mismatched chairs and stools. Another clock hung above the sink which still showed no numbers, but instead had phrases like 'time to feed the chickens' or 'you're late.'

"You have chickens?" I asked, looking between the tall boys.

"Don't skip ahead." George scolded, doing his best Snape impression and earning a laugh from his brother and me.

"You know Ginny's room, or I guess your room too now," Fred continued for his brother as we started to the winding staircase leading to the multiple other stories of the house. "George and I have the second floor, right in here," He nodded through the open door of a room slightly larger than Ginny's with two identical beds on either side of the room. The only other things I could make out from the twins bedroom was that their trunks appeared to have been dumped out instantly onto the middle of the floor and now laid discarded along the walls.

"Across there is Percy, lucky fellow, gets us as his neighbors." They grinned and I noted the way Percy's door was already shut, a glistening line surrounding the door that suggested he may have put a silencing charm to keep the noise of his family out.

"Then Bill and Charlie were up here, and they're coming back in a bit so you can meet them." George nodded to yet another closed door, one that was hardly opened anymore if I had to guess, now that it's occupants no longer lived here.

"Probably the third and fourth coolest Weasley's if I had to answer truthfully." Fred smirked as we started on the next stair case.

"No wonder you're all so skinny." I huffed as we reached the fourth floor.

"Mum and dad on this floor, although they're hardly ever up here." George shrugged. "Dad's always out in the shed working on some muggle something or other, and Mum's always cleaning something."

"Then Ron's up there on the fifth floor, but no point in making you climb another flight of stairs." Fred finished.

"Above Ron's room though is the attic, and there is a ghoul up there. For the most part he's quiet, but once in a while I guess he gets bored. Starts howling or banging on the pipes."

"Yeah, so if you end up getting spooked, I hear the second floors got some brave men to comfort you." Fred teased as we started back down to the main floor.

"I'd hate to bother Percy." I muttered, earning a laugh from the twins.

"Oh, you're going to fit right in, Cass." George chuckled, escorting me back to my temporary room where Ginny was finishing laying out different color sheets and blankets, spreading the fuzzy white one along the top.

"Is that... did you keep that Gryffindor blanket?" Fred asked, stepping into Ginny's room much to her loud annoyance.

"You stole from Hogwarts?" George dropped his mouth open. "I've got to write to Dumbledore, if you'll all excuse me-" He fled from the room, assumedly back to finish destroying their shared room.

Fred smirked down at me, as if waiting for an explanation that I didn't have for him.

"Well, come get me for dinner Gin. I'll see you then." And with that, he turned from the room and followed his brother up the stairs.

Chapter Text

Fred had been right about Molly's cooking. It was phenomenal. After everyone had eaten their fill and the food had been put away with the flick of a wand, we all regrouped in the living room. The windows were all propped open, letting the cool night's breeze flow through the house. Mr. Weasley flipped eagerly through a book titled 'Muggle inventions of the 80's,' while Ginny and Ron were sat on the ground playing a loud game of wizarding chess, which up until now I had never seen Ron lose at. George had spent the last half hour trying to convince Fred to head up to their room, no doubt to plot their first pranks of the summer or talk through some new idea for a sickening sweet. Fred had brushed him off each time, but had eventually caved, following his twin up the stairs with soft grumbles including 'idiot' and 'impatient git.'

Not long after the twins had gone upstairs, Ginny had officially beaten Ron at their game and I watched her pieces smash the few remaining on Ron's side of the board as she grinned at her brother.

"I've missed playing you!" She joked, ignoring the sour look on his face.

"I can't say the same." He said, getting to his feet. "I'm heading to bed too. Night Dad, night Cassidy."

"Night Ron." The two of us returned, Mr. Weasley seeming too deep into his book to be paying much attention to the rest of the room. The only other person I had ever seen turn pages that fast was Hermione.

"You wanna play Cass?" Ginny offered, although her eyes were already looking heavy from the long day of travel.

"Maybe another night, Ginny. I've never actually played, and I'm guessing it's hard to learn." I offered her a smile.

"You'll pick up on it quickly. You must have seen about a hundred games, it's all Ron and Harry do at school since I know they don't focus on their studies."

I laughed and nodded in agreement as Mr. Weasley shut his book, setting it on the pile I had noticed earlier on the bookshelf.

"Ladies, don't stay up too late now. I'm off to bed."

"Me too. You coming Cassidy?" Ginny glanced my way as she stood up to follow her father.

"In a bit. Goodnight, Mr. Weasley."

"You can call me Arthur, Cassidy. Molly too. You're family now." He nodded, seeming as if that was common knowledge.

"Okay. Thank you." I gave him a small smile as the two headed from the room, pulling my legs up to my chest and taking a deep breath, trying to distract myself with all of the random objects littering the busy room.

Fred

George reached for the drawings splayed out on the floor in between us as we heard the knock at the door, crumpling them slightly as he rushed to hide them behind his back.

"Boys?" He looked around the room, shooting us a knowing look. "I don't want to know what's behind your back George. I just popped in to say goodnight. I'm glad you're home."

"Glad to be home, dad." George offered him his best smile and I nodded in agreement.

"Oh, and your friend is still up. You might want to see if she needs anything before bed, she's downstairs."

"On it. Night Dad." I replied, standing from my spot on the floor and stretching slightly.

"You want some company?" George asked, already knowing the answer.

"I think I'm good, actually."

"Alright, but Fred." He stepped in front of me, blocking the door. "Will you just admit you're in love with her already?"

"I'm not in love with her." I scoffed, attempting to reach for the door handle once again.

"Admit you fancy her then, don't be difficult."

"George, shove off. We're friends, we're all friends." I avoided his eyes, knowing he would see right through me.

"Okay, well then you won't mind if I go for her then? She's cute, we have all summer together after all and-" He choked out a laugh as I shoved him hard into the wall.

"Boys!" Percy's voice carried across the hall in a warning tone.

"Told you." George snickered, returning to the mess we had made on the floor and beginning to tidy our papers together while I slipped into the hallway.

"Sorry, Percy. George was being a git!"

"He's always a git, no excuse to be so noisy."

I started down the stairs two at a time, reaching the main floor in just a few seconds. It was nearly pitch black down here except for the light from the few candles that had been lit in the family room. I crept around the corner and saw her, staring off into space, her arms wrapped around her knees at her chest.

I knew that look. She had been wearing it a lot, recently. She was overthinking. Anxious. Obviously. I couldn't even begin to imagine what was going on in her head.

"What are you doing up, missy?" I asked, finally entering the room, but keeping my voice low so she wouldn't spook.

"Fred, your clock... Your brother's name keeps jumping from 'home' to 'mortal peril'..." She looked to me nervously and back at the clock.

"Charlie's?" I asked, amused as I watched the hand flicker on the clock like she had said. "His always does that, Cassidy, he's surrounded by dragons."

"Oh right." She smiled back at me. "I was about to go wake your parents up."

"Funnily enough, his hand never lands on the 'work' category. The clock must not take his career choice seriously." I jumped over the back of the couch and sat down, keeping a few purposeful inches in between us. "Why are you still up?"

"Not very tired yet." She shrugged, resting her chin on her knees.

"You nervous?"

She nodded, again against her knees, making me almost want to laugh.

"You want to talk about it?"

She breathed out a deep sigh. "I don't know what to say. I can't even explain why I'm so nervous."

"Let's run through what you think happened then. When you didn't meet him at King's Cross." I knew that was what had been on her mind nearly the entire day.

"I don't know. In all of the movies, I would guess he would call the police but-"

"There are movies about wizards who run away from their parents?" I half teased.

"There are movies about everything, Fred." She gave me a look, as if willing me to not interrupt.

"Sorry, go on."

"He couldn't have called the police though. He couldn't have told them the truth, anyways. So what are his options then?" She rambled, and I let her. I had faith that if she went far enough, she would talk herself down from the ledge. "He can go home and call the police, not bring up anything about boarding school. Act like I just didn't come home from a walk or a friend's house. But I don't have any friends..."

"Okay so he makes something up. What's his next option?" I pressed, not wanting her to continue down any paths that just lead to more unanswered questions.

"He gets ahold of the school. I don't know how he would do that. Finds some old letter with the address. But he can't go there. He can't get in. He can't send an owl, can't send an email or make a phone call."

"Okay so he doesn't get in contact with the school, Cass. He can't. And if he did, Dumbledore might not even know you're here. No one really knows your here."

"So he does nothing? He just shrugs it off and heads home without his childre-" She stops. "Daughter."

"Yeah, he does nothing. Or he calls the police and makes something up." I stand from the couch and cross the small space to a drawer in the bookshelf, pulling a small radio out. "Here."

I plop back on the couch next to her and setting the radio on the coffee table in front of us, flipping the switch on and hearing the static emerge from the speakers.

"We literally never use this thing, one second..." I yank the dial one way and then the other until I start to hear voices. It's late, so there wont be sports or talk shows. It should only be news.

"Thank you, Evelyn. Now onto today's breaking news." I watched her sit up straighter in her seat, her knees now pressed to mine, which I made a point to ignore. "With no news from the, yet again, escaped Sirius Black, we urge everyone to stay save, travel in groups and to call local authorities with any possible sightings. Black was last seen in Scotland, but there have been numerous unconfirmed sightings of the mass murderer in bordering cities even as far as Norwich.

"In other news, we have a missing persons report from Andover filed today. A Cassidy Olsen, aged thirteen has been missing since early afternoon." I felt her whole body tense up at her name and she clapped her hands over her eyes. "She is described as thin, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Police stated that many of her possessions seemed to be missing, and at this time believe that the girl has ran away. Again, we urge you to call with any possible sightings and be on high alert for anyone matching this description. And finally, some more uplifting news to end our segment-"

I flipped the switch on the side of the radio and leaned back on the couch, letting us sit in the silence for a few moments.

"Okay. So that's not so bad." I began, watching as she dropped her hands from her face. "They think you ran away. Your dad just needed a cover story. If he didn't report it, he could go to jail, right?"

She nodded for a few seconds, obviously agreeing with something in her head and not only with what I was saying.

"No one can find you here, Cassidy. This house is so well hidden, mum says she doesn't even think our post man knows we're here."

I waited for her to say something, but she didn't. Instead, she continued staring at the now silent radio as if willing it to turn back on and read off more news.

"Do you want something to drink? I can make you hot chocolate? Or tea. Or... water..." I rambled.

She shook her head.

"Do you want a hug?" I asked, regret immediately flooding my chest.

Her eyes flickered to me and I got a glimpse at how worried she was for the first time all day. You could see the fear in her eyes.

She nodded.

She nodded.

I opened my arms and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her in before I could chicken out. Why was I acting like this? Like a child? I had hugged her plenty of times before.

Before I had even closed my arms around her back, I felt her hands clasp behind my neck. She sank into the hug and I nestled my face against her hair.

"You're fine. You're safe, you know that right?" I whispered, hoping she could hear me through all of the layers of hair covering her ears.

I felt her nod again and I nodded too.

"You ready for bed now?"

She shook her head and held me against her for a few more seconds before getting up from the couch.

"Thank you, Freddie." She gave me one of the smiles that didn't fully reach her eyes.

"Yeah, no problem." I licked my lips, the smell of her hair probably engrained in my mind for the next few hours.

I followed her as she started towards her and Ginny's room, pausing at the closed doorway and turning back to me.

"Come get me if you need me. Or Percy. Either or." I joked and she let out a small laugh, clapping her hand over her mouth to not wake Ginny.

"Goodnight Fred." She looked up at me with her pretty blue eyes. Like maybe she didn't want to go to sleep. Or like maybe she didn't want me to leave.

"Goodnight Cassy." I smirked, kissing the top of her hair before a single brain cell could try to talk me out of it. When I pulled away, she was staring back at me, wide eyed and mouth parted slightly.

I couldn't stand here with her looking at me like that any longer. I almost apologized, but thought that would make things even worse, so I settled on simply spinning on my heel and heading for the stairs, trying not to make it seem like I was racing away.

I finally made it to my door after what seemed like ages.

"What happened? Did you kiss her?" George asked, still awake despite being completely under the covers and in the dark.

I chucked a pillow at his head and jumped into my own bed.

"That wasn't a no." I heard as he turned over, throwing my pillow back to me. "You can tell me in the morning."

Chapter Text

Fred

My feet hit the floor within minutes once I had opened my eyes. George was still asleep, his snores filling our shared room. I know what had woken me. The smell of breakfast. Mum always makes a big one for our first morning back. I checked the clock on my night stand. Dad was probably already at work.

I grabbed a t-shirt from the pile I had spilled from my trunk yesterday and pulled it on before leaving the room, shutting the door behind me so George could keep sleeping.

I wasn't sure what I was more excited for. Breakfast, or to check on Cassidy.

I had tossed and turned for hours last night before finally falling asleep. The memory of me kissing her head on replay in my mind, accompanied by the sting of embarrassment every few seconds. But I had to see her. I had to know if it was going to be awkward. Or if I had upset her. Or if she wasn't even thinking about it at all. She is considered a missing child at the moment, who am I to think my moment of stupidity would even make a dent in her mind.

As I reached the last stair, I felt a smile appear on my face instantaneously. She was wearing a pair of pink and white plaid shorts and an oversized t-shirt that nearly covered them entirely. She had black socks pulled up over her ankles and she stood next to my mother stirring a bowl of pancake batter while mum flipped over some bacon on the stove.

It was as if she had felt me watching her. She turned and caught my eye across the room, a smile lining her face immediately, seeming like she was having the time of her life, like the events of last night were the farthest thing from her mind.

"Freddie!" Mum called, waving me into the kitchen at once. "You should have brought her sooner, Freddie, she's a life saver! We did this whole meal, no magic."

"What's the point of that?" I laughed, reaching for a plate from the center of the table.

"It's fun, Freddie." Cassidy shot me an exasperated look, a smile peeking through at the corners which made me want to explode. How could she be this cute and have no idea?

I turned to see my mother studying my face, her eyes flickering between the two of us before turning back to the food.

"Sit down, Cassidy, you've done quite enough. You must be starving." She began shoving the small girl towards the seat next to mine, taking both of our plates and loading them with mountains of eggs, bacon and pancakes, setting them before us and waving her wand, the syrup emerging from the cupboard and settling itself before us.

"Why are you up so early?" She asked, watching me dive into my breakfast.

"Could ask you the same question." I mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"Frederick Weasley, chew with your mouth closed!" Mum shot me a death glare, as if this was even close to the worst thing done by me in even the past week. "Cassidy is an early riser, unlike the rest of my children. She said she usually makes breakfast back at home."

I waited until mum turned back around, searching for larger plates to keep the food on until everyone else came down for breakfast. "You don't have to do that here." I muttered, turning to face her and she set her fork down.

"I want to help. I don't want to just be another mouth to feed." She whispered back.

"You're not. She loves you, I told you. Now stop acting so good, you're going to bump me out of first place."

"Hah!" She scoffed out. "You'd be lucky to be in fifth, I reckon."

"Hardly even nine, you idiots, think you could keep it down?" George grumbled, sliding the chair out on the other side of Cassidy and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning to you too, Georgie." I joked, flicking my wand slightly as he reached for a plate that was now inches out of his reach.

"Fred, no magic!" Mum shouted, surely waking the rest of the house up now.

"They'll never know in a house this big, Mum, we've been over this." I gave her a cheeky smile which she did not return.

"Well, Cass, how'd you sleep?" George asked, now with his hands firmly gripping his plate as he helped himself to breakfast.

"Good, how bout you?" She asked back innocently, but I knew George was going somewhere with this.

"Wonderful." He sent her an wholesome smile. "Anything interesting happen last night?"

I watched her smile falter and her body tense up. She kept her eyes on George, although I could practically feel her muscles aching to turn to me.

Fuck you George.

"Interesting?"

"Yeah? How was your first night here?" He gave her a confused face as he dug into his food.

"Oh. No, nothing. Ginny and I were tired, we went right to bed."

"That's not what I heard." He mumbled, but she didn't acknowledge his words.

"Good morning." Ginny announced to the room, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table, a very tired Ron at her heels.

"Percy the last one up?" George announced, scanning the room as if he had missed the pretentious boy.

"No, dear, he started work today." Mum looked at the group of us. "He must have told you?"

"Oh, of course he did, that's right! In our nightly hang out sessions he adores so much!" I joked, earning a snicker from my siblings.

"He went in with your father, he's working under Barty Crouch in the Department of International Magical Co-operation." She explained, proudly but Cassidy was the only one of us who looked even slightly impressed.

"That sounds quite interesting, is that what he's always wanted to do?" She asked, her eyes trained on my mother.

"Oh, Percy probably would have taken any position at the ministry, he's wanted to work there since he was a boy. He does admire Crouch though, so this is a great spot for him."

She nodded her head as if she had any idea who Crouch was, or what department Percy had joined at all and finished her last pancake.

"Well, what are you lot going to do today then?" Mum asked, brushing some excess flour off her hands and scanning over the five of us.

"We're gonna take Cassidy on a tour of the property and then we're doing a game." George said between mouthfuls of breakfast and as if these were plans we had already established.

"What kind of game?" Cassidy asked, her eyebrows scrunching together as she gathered the empty plates from the table and carried them to the sink where mum was still working.

"Oh thank you dear." Mum gave her a warm smile, waving her wand as the dishes flew into the sink and the brushes began scrubbing the syrup away.

"Quidditch of course!" George answered.

"I don't play quidditch Georgie." She said, returning to her seat.

"You'll learn fast. You've already flown." He shrugged.

"No, Fred flew, and I have no interest in doing it again!"

"Cassidy and I will keep score, you know I want to see that new broom." Mum shot a knowing look my way and let her eyes wander to Cassidy for only a moment.

After instructions to come get her before we began our game, we set off to show Cassidy the gardens. Ron and Ginny opted for seconds of breakfast and left George and I as tour guides.

We showed her the pond and the garage where Dad kept all of his muggle collectibles, the gardens at the side with the beginning of our yearly gnome infestation, and finished at the orchard next to our broom shed.

"Fred thinks his broom is too good for our trusty broom shed." George joked, opening the door to reveal the nine thousand year old brooms all leaning against one another, not having seen the light of day since last summer.

"You're mad if you think I'm leaving that broom out here." I rolled my eyes as we turned back to the house to get our siblings.

"You sure you don't want to play, Cass? We'll let you be keeper you just have to float there!" George whined and received a firm head shake.

"Your mom and I will keep score, make sure you guys aren't cheating." She grinned as we entered the kitchen once again.

"Ready?" George called to the empty room.

"OI LET'S GO." I shouted, hearing the scampering of feet immediately and grabbing my broom from where it had been left the day before in the entrance way.

"Now Fred, dear there's no need to shout." Mum arrived at Ron and Ginny's heels, toting a bag with her signature yarn and knitting needles.

"You're not going to have time to work on that, mum, you'll be too enthralled." I nodded for them to follow George and I to the orchard once again.

"Alright, George and I are picking teams. I'm first because I'm oldest." I joked, George not even bothering to give me an eye roll this time. "I'll take Ginny."

"No worries, Ron, we can take them." George said, falsely.

As they scrambled for the broom shed, I watched Cassidy and Mum settle into the grass at the edge of the field.

Cassidy

Mrs. Weasley had already begun knitting, her hands moving in synchronization without her even looking at the needles. The Weasley children were all pushing off the solid ground, the Nimbus soaring above them at once, pausing at the tree line to allow them to reach his height.

Ginny held the quaffle, but threw it into the air above their heads, losing it to George at once. I guessed since there were only four of them, they were all chasers?

"My my, that is a fast broom." Molly said under her breath, watching Fred chase George down the makeshift pitch, sweeping around and beneath him and pushing the quaffle out of his reach, watching it fall for a moment before Ginny appeared below them to catch it.

"They all play well together, huh?" I changed the subject, not wanting to bring up buying Fred the broom.

"Oh yes. One of the only times, but yes. They play quidditch nearly every day of the summer. It's hard to get them to do anything else."

I laughed, turning my attention back to the game. Neither I nor Mrs. Weasley we're truly paying attention to the score, but I was sure the competitive children before us knew better than we did.

"Mrs. Weasley, may I ask you something?" I stammered out before I lost my courage.

"Of course dear, and it's Molly."

"Molly..." I smiled, nervously. "Did Fred... tell you about my father?" I nearly choked on the rest of my words.

Her face fell, her eyes looking darker, but a small smile coming to her face. "He did, just a bit, yes."

"And... well you see, I'm so grateful to you all for letting me stay. Really, it's been wonderful and it's only the first day. But I've been feeling really... anxious... I'm worried..." I stopped, waiting for her to interrupt but she didn't. She simply looked on and nodded for me to continue. "I don't want to get you or Mr. Weasley into any trouble. You couldn't get into trouble could you?"

"Oh dear, don't worry about that." She pressed a hand to my cheek and nodded at me. "He's not going to find you here, it would be impossible. And if he did, we would simply say you had amnesia alright? Didn't even know your first name. Wandering around the woods." She smiled to herself, clearly thinking the story was quite funny.

I smiled slightly, knowing now that she wasn't worried about it, so I could try not to be.

My eyes fell back to her knitting, sneaking peaks at Fred every few moments.

"I'm very happy Fred found you." She said, quietly, but loud enough.

"What?" I asked, nearly choking on my spit.

"I've never seen him this happy. He's got a new glow in his eyes. Not to mention he hardly every writes home, but I got a good few letters about you." She grinned down at the yarn before her.

"Oh..." I stuttered, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks at once. "I mean... he's amazing, they're both amazing. They're all amazing." I corrected again and again. "And Fred saved me this summer... I'll never even begin to repay him or any of you."

"Nonsense. We're happy to have you." She looked to her children above us, Ginny just having thrown the quaffle through the gap in two trees and hooked arms with Fred, swinging each other around very dangerously in the sky, if I do say so myself.

Chapter Text

Fred

I blinked into the soft light creeping into the room from around the curtains, reaching for my watch on the nightstand and jumping from bed immediately. I had slept in much later today, although this was still rather early for me over summer break. I had watched Mum and Cassidy laughing and talking all through the quidditch game yesterday and again over dinner, and I could see that she was getting closer to Ginny, but I still felt guilty leaving her all alone with them. I knew she could be shy.

I watched George flip over still asleep as I shut the door behind me and climbed down the stairs, scanning the empty kitchen quickly before spotting her on the couch with mum, knitting needles in both of their hands.

"What are you doing?" I held back a laugh, plopping down on the armchair beside them, not wanting to give mum any more reason to suspect my crush.

"Your mum is teaching me to knit!" She gave me a quick grin before turning back to her project which I had to admit looked pretty rough. Small loops hung out every few stitches as if she had missed a step, but for her first time it was decent.

"Oh, good, one step closer to an eighty year old!" I teased, earning a glare from the blonde.

"Fred, honestly." Mum huffed, sending me a much scarier glare. "Go help yourself to some breakfast, it's on the stove."

They must have already eaten, half empty coffee mugs set on the table before them. I snuck one last glance at the pair as I started into the kitchen and grabbed a plate.

I returned with my breakfast and took my spot back, watching for a few minutes as they continued their work, Cassidy sneaking peaks at mums work between steps. Cassy wore another t-shirt and long pajama pants this time and it finally occurred to me that she might have left most of her normal clothes at her dad's house, assuming she couldn't fit everything she owned into her trunk for school every year.

"Cass, do you want to go into town today? There's a book store and some muggle shops if you need anything?" I offered as if it was no big deal. We never went into town, especially the muggle ones. George and I were saving every sickle these days, and if we truly needed anything we just took the floo to Diagon Ally.

Mum raised her eyebrows at me quickly, but obviously thought it would be a good idea for the girl to get some necessities in town and let it go.

"Oh, yeah sure that sounds fun!" Cassidy nodded, linking her needles together and setting them on the table, picking the mug up and starting to the sink. "Can I take a shower first?"

"Oh, of course dear! This is home now, Cassidy, you're free to everything here!" Mum answered, nodding over to me. "Freddie will take you up, the faucet is a bit tricky."

I held back a snicker at my mother basically telling me to take the girl of my dreams into the shower, but stood up and met Cassidy at the sink, dropping our dishes to be next in line for the scrubber which was currently at work at their breakfast plates.

"Come on, dear." I said softly next to her ear, mimicking my mother and earning a slap on the chest from Cassidy who couldn't hold back her smile.

I led her past the staircase where George's snores echoed off the walls and to the small bathroom down the hall from her and Ginny's room. I opened the closet at the side of the door and pulled out a fluffy white towel, handing it to her and starting into the bathroom, pulling the shower curtain aside.

"So it is a bit finicky, but once you get used to it you'll hardly notice." I said, feeling somewhat embarrassed by the outdated bathroom we had. I recalled her saying that her father was high up in management of hotels or something, and I could only imagine what her house must have looked like.

I showed the girl which knob was hot and which was cold and how to turn the shower spout on and turned to ask if she needed anything else. She was leant against the wall, watching intently as if there would be a quiz, her arms folded over her chest and her hair falling out of it's messy bun that she had obviously slept in.

"All good?" I asked, knowing she probably wanted me out now. She nodded and gave me a small smile as I stepped closer to her. "Shout if you need me then." I shot her a smirk and she rolled her eyes, pushing me roughly out of the bathroom.

After nearly twenty minutes, she emerged from the bathroom, her hair hanging wet and somewhat tangled onto her shoulders and wearing last nights pajamas once more.

"Give me one more minute!" She said, running into Ginny's room and shutting the door behind her.

I let out a short chuckle and turned back to my second mug of coffee before feeling mum's eyes on me.

"What?" I asked, giving her my best look of confusion.

"I love her, Freddie." She smiled and I tried to hold my own smile back.

"Yeah, I knew you would." I nodded.

"You fancy her?" She asked without missing a beat.

"Mum! No." I lied.

"Fred, for as much mischief as you and your brother get into, I'd have thought you'd be a better liar."

"I just-" I stopped as her door reopened and she stepped back out. She wore a pair of black leggings and a blue tank top, her hair still damp but now brushed out.

"Ginny wants to come too, she's-" She started as the smaller girl stepped out from behind her.

"Ready!" Ginny smiled, pushing around Cassidy and heading to the door to slip her shoes on.

"Oh, great, Gin." I tried to refrain from shooting a glare at her, but I felt it slip out anyway.

"Be safe, you three! You want me to see if George or Ron will go with you?" Mum asked as we pulled the door open and started outside.

"No, no. There's already one too many." I called, shutting the door behind me as we began our walk.

"Shut up, Fred. Cassidy wants me to go. She needs some more summer clothes." Ginny kicked a small rock ahead of us on the dirt road.

"I could probably get some shorts and stuff..." Cassidy shrugged.

"And a bathing suit!" Ginny shouted. "We'll get down to the lake by the end of the week, I'm sure."

"What lake?"

"There's a lake about a mile behind our house. It's not that big, but it's great for cooling off. It gets so hot in the summer." I explained.

"Not many people?" She asked, catching my eye and I nodded back.

"We rarely see anyone else there. There aren't many neighbors near us, if you haven't noticed."

After another mile, we reached the edge of the town.

"Where to first then?" I asked, obviously seeing that Ginny had this whole trip planned out in her head.

"Clothes first, duh." She said, pulling Cassidy's hand towards the first shop which had a large rack of clothes hanging with a large SALE sign above it. I chuckled, happy at least that Ginny seemed to have taken to Cass and followed them over.

Ginny began frantically looking through the selection of summer items, pulling out jean shorts and tiny tank tops of different colors and throwing them into a pile over her arm.

"Ginny, I cant buy all of them!" She smiled, trying to reach for the clothes out of Ginny's reach.

"You'll try them on, come on!" She said, walking through the store.

I followed the girls back to the dressing rooms, slightly thankful now that Ginny had tagged along. While Cassidy went into the room and began trying on the clothes that Ginny had picked out for her, Ginny scurried from rack to rack, searching for more clothes to throw to the girl over the dressing rooms door.

"Ginny, she's not a millionaire." I scolded once she had a new pile to throw to the girl.

"But look at this." Ginny shot me puppy dog eyes as she held up a pale yellow dress with flowers stitched along the top and bottom.

"Alright, give it to her." I sat on the small bench outside of the dressing room.

"Try the yellow one on and show me!" I heard Ginny call from around the corner and the laugh Cassidy returned, muffled by the door.

After a few more minutes I heard the door inside unlock and Ginny squealed.

"That's so cute, you have to get it! It's not even that much! Cassidy, you have to-"

"Guys come on, we're gonna be here all day-" I stopped as I turned the corner and saw the blonde girl, shining like the sun in the yellow dress.

"Sorry, you're right. We're done, right Gin?" She asked, the edges of her cheeks painted pink as she turned back to the fitting room to change back.

"Close your mouth, Freddie, you'll catch flies." Ginny whispered as she walked past me and took my spot on the bench.

Once Cassidy had gathered up the clothes she had picked and paid at the counter, we headed out, Cass holding one bag filled with clothes in each hand. When we reached the book store at last, Cassidy slowed down and looked back at me.

"Yeah, go on, that's what we're here for." I smiled as she lead the two of us inside the cool store.

"Why's it so cold in here?" Ginny muttered as Cassidy went to the first shelf.

"Air conditioning?" Cassidy answered back before realizing the neither of us understood. "It's a muggle invention. Electricity and furnaces and air conditioners, keeps their buildings warm and cold."

Cassidy

Once I had picked out a new book, I cut myself off. I had needed clothes for the summer if I didn't want to be sweating every day, but I couldn't resist buying a new book. I didn't want Fred to have to find something to entertain me the entire summer, especially since Mrs. Weasley said they play quidditch most days.

"Okay, she still needs a bathing suit." Ginny said, as if tallying off a to-do list.

"Oh, Ginny, I've spent so much already."

"You need one though! We're going to swim all the time, probably."

She lead the way into the last shop on the street which had rainbow colored bathing suits lining the front window.

"I'm not trying these on, Ginny." I warned as Ginny began scavenging once again.

"Okay, fine! Just buy them all, then!" She teased, holding up a tiny black bikini towards me and I felt the heat rising to my face.

"Ginny, stop it!" I pushed her hand away from me until she returned the suit to the rack.

"She can pick out her own stuff, Ginny, quit being pushy!" Fred said lazily from his spot at the entrance of the shop.

"No, no, I need your help Ginny, just quit picking out suits for playboy models." I said softly as we walked deeper into the store.

"Okay, black or red. I mean, I'm sure you like yellow, but I think Fred would love to see you in red." Ginny teased holding up two identical and much less skimpy bikinis.

"Fred wouldn't like to see me in... what are you talking about!" I laughed and grabbed the black suit from her left hand.

"Oh, like you haven't noticed." She grumbled as we headed to the check out counter.

"What'd you get?" Fred asked as we regrouped at the doors.

"A bathing suit, dummy." Ginny answered for me, starting down the dirt path home.

"Cassidy?" Fred shot a glare at the back of his sister's head.

"You'll see when we swim!" I shrugged, re-arranging the many bags in my hands.

"Here. Let me." Fred reached for the bags from my hands, leaving me with only my new book, The Great Gatsby.

"Black, what a surprise." Fred said, a teasing tone in his voice and I spun to see the new black bikini looped in his fingers.

"Give that back!" I shouted, jumping up and trying to grab my suit back from him, but he lifted it far above either of our heads. "Fred!"

"Not my fault you're so short." He shrugged, dropping the suit back into the bag and handing it back to me.

"We'll swim tomorrow if it's nice out." He said, his eyes back on the road now to where Ginny was waiting for the two of us to catch up.

"You just want to see her in the bathing suit." Ginny called, causing Fred to lunge towards her, the siblings streaking down the road, dust flying up from their heels as he caught her in a few strides, tackling her to the ground and ruffling up her hair so badly that I was pretty sure it would take Mrs. Weasley and I hours to brush through it again.

Chapter Text

Cassidy

The five of us were sprawled out along the couch and armchairs after a multiple course meal that Mrs. Weasley had made us nearly an hour ago. Molly and Arthur had said goodnight and headed upstairs a few minutes ago, earning a chorus of goodbyes from the room.

After a few more minutes of near silence, the only sound coming from the scratches of Ginny's quill in her notepad in the corner of the room, Fred crept to the kitchen, earning a few side glances since no one had moved in what felt like hours.

When he returned, hands both secured behind his back, a mischievous grin lining his face, George sat up straight in his seat next to where I was lying.

"What'cha got there Freddie?" He asked, matching his twins smile now.

Fred hopped over the back of the couch and landed in the spot next to me and set a large bottle of firewhiskey on the coffee table with a bang.

"Careful!" I exclaimed, hearing the sound of the glass before realizing what it was.

"Where'd you get that?" Ron asked, sounding slightly amused with his brothers antics.

"Snuck it back from school. I've had it under the sink."

He passed around four glasses and Ginny shot him a look from her arm chair in the corner.

"No drinking Gin. Mum would kill us." Fred shrugged.

"She's gonna kill you anyways when I tell her-"

"Ginny!" George gave her a sickly sweet smile and she returned to her seat, rolling her eyes slightly as she returned to her drawing.

"Ginny, i'll sit it out with you-" I started before Fred pushed the cup into my hands.

"Oh no. You're drinking." He and George echoed together.

"I'm drinking or I really am telling mum." Ron shot a look between the twins who nodded towards the fourth glass.

"Of course, Ronnie." George smiled again at his younger brother as Fred began filling each of our glasses.

"Truth or dare, Georgie?" Fred leaned back on the couch and I gripped my drink in both hands, looking down at the orangey liquid and resisting the urge to look over to him.

"You didn't say anything about truth or-" Ron began, taking the first sip of his drink.

"Dare." George answered without thinking twice.

"Dare you to go ask mum and dad if you can sleep with them tonight because you've been having bad dreams."

"Lame." He chuckled, leaning back over the couch and landing on his feet sloppily before heading up the stairs.

"They're going to think he's on drugs." Fred laughed, taking a sip of his drink as if it was just water and not the worlds most disgusting alcohol ever made.

We all waited a few more minutes before George returned, smiling as if he was having the time of his life.

"Dad was going to let me stay, but mum knew it was a prank. Almost kicked me out, literally." He jumped back onto the couch, causing Fred and I to jostle against each other and he reached for my drink to stop it from spilling.

"Did you take your sip?" George asked, eyeing Fred suspiciously.

"Brother dearest, I'm no cheater!" Fred feigned offense.

"You guys play this often?" I asked, noticing how none of them had to clarify any of the rules.

"Only when the twins are bored." Ron answered lazily.

"Your turn Cassidy."

"My turn?" I tried not to sound whiney. Obviously I had many questions I could ask Fred if I knew he had to be truthful, and many dares I wouldn't dream of going through with considering we were surrounded by his siblings. "Ron, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Shocker." The twins muttered, earning a pillow thrown at each of them from the younger Weasley.

"Do you have a crush on anyone at Hogwarts?" I asked, knowing how angry Hermione would be if I brought her into this, but also noticing the constant banter between the two 24/7.

"Nope." He answered easily. The boys all looked at me as if waiting for my response.

"What?" I asked.

"He answered it, so you have to take a drink. If he refuses a truth or a dare he has to finish his whole drink, but if he answers you take one."

"How is that the rules?" I groaned, taking a sip of the whiskey and trying to hold in a grimace.

"Good girl." Fred smirked and George snorted out a laugh from my side.

"George?" I prompted, wanting the attention off myself.

"Freddie, truth or dare."

I turned to watch Fred as he thought it over and watched him shoot his brother a warning look.

"Truth..."

"Now that is a shocker." George looked surprised for only a second. "Alright, who was your first kiss?"

"Stimpson. Second year." He said as George took a sip from his whiskey.

"Patricia Stimpson?" He asked.

"Yeah, but I think she was dared. She was a year above us, I didn't even know her name until after."

"Ron's turn." We all turned towards Ron as he scanned our faces.

"Cassidy, truth or dare?"

"Truth." I answered at once, afraid of a dare from any of the Weasley boys.

"Do you have a crush on anyone at Hogwarts?"

I paused, not letting myself look at any faces besides Ron's and hoping the twins couldn't hear my heart threatening to jump from my chest.

I could just lie. They won't know.

Or just tell the truth. They won't care.

"Yeah." I answered, keeping my voice calm, as if it was obvious. Of course I had a crush. Everyone has a crush.

"Ooooooh." George elbowed me in the side and I winced and scooted out of his reach, my legs now pressing into Fred's.

"Ron, truth or dare."

"Truth." He answered again.

"You can't always do truth!" The siblings all yelled back, even Ginny who I hadn't realized had been paying attention.

"Like hell I'm letting any of you pick a dare for me." He retorted.

"Which professor would you snog?" Fred set his cup on the table and leaned his head back into his hands.

"Oh, Merlin..." Ron grimaced. "It's gotta be Sinistra, right? Although I think I would pass out."

The four of us laughed and Fred took his drink, turning towards me.

"Georgie, truth or dare?"

"Truth." He answered this time.

"You fancy anyone right now?" I asked, knowing this was the only time you would get an honest answer out of the twin.

"I may." He answered vaguely.

"You picked truth!" I protested.

"Yes, I do." He corrected himself and nodded at me to take another drink.

"It's gotta stop being my turn, this is brutal." I whined after swallowing my sip.

"Dear Cassidy." George smiled at me. "Truth or dare?"

I hesitated, not wanting to be the one who always picks truth, but not trusting a dare from George.

"Dare..." I answered, very unsure.

"Dare!" George exclaimed. "Finally, someone brave. I dare you... to knock on Percy's door and ask if he's alright because he's been so quiet."

"George, don't make me bother Percy, he's going to be livid! What if he's asleep!"

"He won't sleep for hours, all he does up there is extra work for the ministry. Go on! Or down your whole drink."

I looked down at my drink and shuddered at the thought, climbing over the couch the way the twins did and starting up to the second floor where Percy's room was.

I knocked at the door softly, secretly hoping he wouldn't answer, but holding back a sigh when he did.

"Oh, thank Merlin, thought you were the twins." He said, looking around the hall as if to check if they were around. "What can I do for you, Cassidy?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're doing well. You've been up here since dinner." I tried to smile innocently, knowing if he suspected the twins had put me up to this he would come down and find us all drinking, or that worse, he might think I was flirting with him.

He gave me a slightly confused look, but he seemed to think I was being sincere.

"Yes, I'm fine. Got a lot of work to do for tomorrow. We're introducing a standard for cauldron thickness, but got to have the report done by Friday, you see or everything will be pushed back for ages. That's the way things go at the ministry, I've found."

"Oh, good! That's great, Percy. Well I was just checking. Have a good night." I waited for him to take a breath in between his many sentences and excused myself back downstairs.

"Got me into a conversation about cauldrons George, now drink up." I muttered as I returned to my seat in between the twins.

"Ronnie." Fred motioned towards Ron for his turn.

"Don't call me that." He replied instantly and scanned the rest of the group, thinking over his options. "Fred, truth or dare?"

"Dare." He grinned, obviously more eager to take a dare from his younger brother than his twin.

"Dare you to... write a letter to McGonagall just to tell her you're missing her."

"I've been meaning to do that anyway." Fred shrugged, holding his hand out for a giggling Ginny to toss him her paper and quill.

"Dearest Minnie," He began reading the letter aloud. "I'm writing to see how your summer is going. Mine is going fine, although I am missing my favorite professor terribly. I hope Peeves is keeping you on your toes until we return.

Tell Dumbledore and Filch George and I send our best.

Fred Weasley"

He folded the paper three times and started to the kitchen, stuffing it in an envelope and handing it to Pigwidgeon who was jumping up and down in anticipation to finally have a letter to deliver.

"Starting the school year in the negative points, that's a first for us Freddie." George smiled as Ron took another drink from his cup.

"My turn." Fred looked at the group of us. "Cassy. Truth or dare?"

Something inside of me was aching to say dare. To see what the dare from Fred would be. Something about the devilish smile he was wearing.

"Dare." I tried to sound confident, but my voice came out sounding squeaky, even to me.

"I dare you..." He pretended to be thinking hard, but as his eyes flicked back to my own, I knew he had known all along. "To kiss the hottest one in the room."

My stomach felt like it had dropped out of my body entirely, like maybe I should check for it under the couch.

"I..." I started before realizing I had no where planned to go with that sentence.

"Just a little kiss, Cass, I'm right here." George teased, leaning in slightly before Fred shoved him back against the arm rest with a laugh.

"You wish." He joked.

"You're identical, idiots." Ron interrupted.

"Hardly." The twins answered together.

I finally decided my answer and picked up my glass from the table, pinching my nose and downing it in one gulp.

"Bloody Hell, Cassidy!" Fred exclaimed, pulling the glass from my hands once I had finished, jumping over the couch to fill the glass with water as I coughed from the burning in my throat.

"I didn't think you'd actually finish that, I can't even believe it." George was nearly bent over with laughter and I started to laugh with him, taking light sips of the water Fred had brought.

"Kissing me would have been much more enjoyable." Fred winked in my direction and I shook my head, shoving him the way he had shoved his brother minutes ago as George took his turn.

We played a few more rounds before Ron announced he was heading to bed and the twins made Ginny go with them.

"Why? Cassidy gets to stay up, and you're not mum." She bit back.

"Gin, get some sleep, we're going to the lake tomorrow if it's sunny. Sound good?" Fred gave her a smile and she sighed, her eyes showing how tired she really was, even if she wanted to try and stay up with her brothers.

"Fine. I'll see you in a bit Cass?" She looked at me, obviously not wanting to miss out on any more fun.

"Yeah, I'll be right in." I answered her, already feeling a bit tipsy from downing my drink so quickly.

"Alright, well i'll head in too then." Fred shrugged, and I felt slightly disappointed, the way I always did when he left. "Coming George?"

"In a minute." George answered once Fred was already at the staircase.

"Alright then..." Fred shot the two of us a look before starting up the stairs Ron had just climbed.

"I should get to bed before I can't walk anymore. Firewhiskey is not one to mess with-"

George grabbed my wrist as I started to stand and I gasped without thinking.

"Sorry. Stay a minute." He looked apologetic for grabbing at me and I guessed that Fred must have told him about my father after all. "Truth or dare." He said again.

"...Da-"

"Don't pick dare."

"Truth?" I laughed, pulling my legs up and turning on the couch to face him.

"Are you in love with my brother?" He smiled, knowingly.

"George, what the hell!"

"That's not an answer." His face held his grin. "It's fine, I already know, but remember our deal was you have to tell me, so I'm giving you a chance."

"George, we're done playing, everyone's already in bed, I'm out of my drink..."

"I'll refill it then. Or you can just answer."

"Nope! Going to bed-" I tried to stand again but he pulled me back down.

"I'll tell you a secret so we're even. You can trust me, Cassidy."

I hesitated. Telling his brother. Not just his brother, his twin? This had to be a terrible idea.

If I was going to tell anyone, I should tell Ginny. Or Hermione. Or Percy, lord knows he wouldn't care. Not George.

"You first." I answered finally.

"Alright. I like Angelina. A bit." He added the last part as an afterthought that I didn't fully believe.

It was like a flame had been lit beneath my stomach, sending excited bursts of warmth through my body. George likes Angelina. That's got to be a good thing somehow.

"Really? Does she like you back?"

"Dunno. Haven't asked." He joked. "We talk sometimes, but I'm assuming as friends. I dunno."

"Well I saw you two at the parties last year. Getting her drinks and dancing, she's got to be a little into you. I mean, you're not all bad." I joked back and he shook his head, grinning at me.

"Good one. Your turn."

I licked my lips without thinking, instantly regretting it when I tasted the leftover whiskey painting them.

"Oh my God, I pinky swear I won't tell! Just say it!" He yelled and I clapped my hands over his mouth before the whole house woke back up.

"Oh my God, okay! Yes! I do." I whispered without thinking, just needing to shut him up.

"Hah! I knew it!"

"It's stupid, I know. I'm stupid. I'll get over it." I stammered out, wanting to go back in time and just go to bed when Fred had left now.

"Not stupid. Obvious, sure. Even mum knows, haven't you seen her little staring sessions between the two of you?"

"George stop, you're going to give me a panic attack." I whined, setting my head in my hands.

"So why not just tell him? Actually, you shouldn't even have to. I'll make him tell you."

"Tell me?"

"That he's in love with you too."

"No he's not George. Knock it off."

"Cassidy, don't be daft. It's beyond obvious." George sprawled his legs along the couch and I budged over to give his obnoxiously long legs more space.

"He doesn't like me. He's just nice to me because of my... You know."

"No he's not. He liked you before that."

"Alright, if you're going to be mean, I'm going to bed!" I finally stood up and crossed to the back of the couch before he could get to his feet.

"Cassidy, we're talking!" He put both hands on his hips and tapped his foot impatiently.

"I'm tired though." I groaned, realistically feeling more awake than I had in weeks. "But George... please don't tell anyone... you promised." I reminded him.

"I would never break a promise." He offered me a kind smile and held out his pinky which I interlocked with my own for a second before joining Ginny in our bedroom.

Chapter Text

Fred

The day was just as I had hoped. Perfect swimming weather. The sun had a thin layer of clouds that drifted past every few minutes, but it was stifling in the house and we all agreed that we would bring lunch down to the lake.

Mum packed a large basket with different kinds of sandwiches and bottles of water and sent us on our way. Ron wore a t-shirt, but George and I had opted for just our swim trunks, wanting to start our minimal tan as quickly as we could. Ginny and Cassidy wore t-shirts with nearly identical pairs of jean shorts and sunglasses perched to hide their eyes from the sun.

I had hardly slept again last night, but I wasn't sure if it was from the excitement to get to swim with her today or the memory of her choosing to chug an entire glass of firewhiskey rather than kiss me.

And I didn't care. She didn't have to kiss me. Who's to say she would have even picked me if she had completed the dare. But did it sting? Hell yes.

We finally made it to the end of the dirt path when our feet hit the light sand and I kicked off my shoes at once, feeling the warmth of the earth beneath my toes.

"Oh, I've missed this place." George said, scooping Ginny up with both arms and racing towards the water, her screams fading into the trees surrounding the beach and falling on deaf ears as George launched her into the water.

"George, you git, now all my stuff is soaked!" Her voice carried from the water and Ron and I chuckled before I stole a side glance at the small blonde next to me.

"Fred, don't." She warned as she began to back away. "I know what you're thinking, don't I swear - I SWEAR!" She squealed as her feet left the ground and I ran towards George and Ginny, trying to launch her into the water when we got close enough but her arms clung to my neck.

"Let go! You're going in! You are!" I laughed, pulling at her with all my might and nearly feeling her give up before she grabbed onto my neck even tighter. "You're going in!" I shouted as I launched us into the water, thankful that I wasn't wearing a shirt now.

I felt her hands leave my neck as we hit the water and I kicked off the sandy floor, wiping the water from my eyes to see her standing before me, her hair dripping down her face, her t-shirt soaked through and clinging to her chest.

"My clothes. Are wet." She huffed, still staring as I began to laugh again.

"You shouldn't wear clothes inside the water, Cassidy, is this your first time swimming?" I joked, laughing as she splashed more water my way and joined Ginny in climbing from the lake, heading to wear Ron was laying his towel next to the basket of food.

I watched the girls squeeze water from their clothes as best they could and step out from their shorts, laying them in the sand to dry in the sun.

Cassidy's eyes met mine as she reached for the hem of her t-shirt and I noticed the way she looked down at once.

I turned to George and struck up a conversation to show her that I wasn't watching her.

"Ron, get in here you wuss!" George called and I turned towards him before my eyes fell on her again. She was wearing the black bikini we had bought the other day. Obviously she was, she only had the one swim suit. But...

Bloody Hell.

"Yeah, stare at her. Girls like that." George muttered under his breath, shaking me from my trance.

"Much better." I teased as she finally reached our depth, treading water like the rest of us.

"Chicken fight?" George suggested.

"There's five of us." Ron pointed out.

"Yeah, too bad Hermione's not here." I sighed, dramatically and Cassidy clapped her hands to her mouth, watching Ron as his face twisted up.

"What are you on about now?" He groaned.

"Alright well what should we play?" I scanned through their faces.

"Maybe Cassidy and I just want to enjoy some peace and quiet, away from you three." Ginny suggested, doggy paddling over to the blonde at my side.

"Yeah, especially away from people who chuck us in lakes fully clothed." She shot me a glare.

"Well, we would have preferred you in the bikini, that's true-" I stared.

"Speak for yourself, man, that's our sister." George's nose crinkled up and Ginny jumped on him, holding his head underwater for a few seconds before he stood up, lifting her from the water with ease.

"Get off, you parasite." He laughed with her.

A few hours later the five of us grew hungry and climbed from the water, the warm sand sticking to our feet. I tried, honestly tried, not to stare at her as she walked ahead of me, or rather sprinted ahead of me, over to where our towels were spread out.

How was she this perfect?

She grabbed her towel from the sand and wrapped it around herself tight before sitting down next to Ginny.

"Hungry?" I asked, plopping down next to her and pulling the basket of food closer to us.

"Starved." Ginny reached into the basket and pulled out a few sandwiches until she found the one she wanted.

I grabbed one myself and tilted it towards Cassidy so she wouldn't have to reach far.

Silence enveloped us for a while as we scarfed down our lunch. One by one we fell back onto the sand, apparently unconcerned about the amount of sand now lodged in our hair before Ron announced he was ready to head home.

"You can't go alone, Mum would kill us." George pointed out, since the walk was pretty long.

"I guess I'll go back, I can feel my skin starting to burn." Ginny grumbled, obviously wishing she could stay out longer.

The two of them stood up and began shoving their towels into the now empty basket when I noticed George hadn't moved yet. I let out a short cough which caught his attention for me to shoot him my coldest glare and nod over towards our younger siblings. He rolled his eyes so far I was shocked they didn't get lodged in his head, but still got to his feet and grabbed his towel too.

"I'll head back then too." He said, pointedly, shooting Cassidy a wink which produced a mortified look from the girl next to me.

"What was that?" I asked her as the three of them started home.

"You tell me, he's your brother." She shrugged, dropping her towel slightly and pulling on her t-shirt before meeting my eyes.

"Are you cold?" I asked in disbelief. Although we were still damp, with the sun shining on us it was pretty hot out.

"No, I'm good." She laid back onto the towel she had just dropped to the sand.

"Why are you getting dressed then, Olsen we're going back in that lake." I grinned.

"Dunno." She shrugged again, not turning to face me.

"What's wrong Cass?" I asked, noting the change in her tone.

"Nothing's wrong!" She exclaimed, finally sitting up again to look at me. I turned in my spot so I could face her entirely and watched as she struggled to keep eye contact with me.

"You shy in that itsy bitsy teeny weenie-" I started before she slapped me and flopped back on the sand. "Oh shit Cassy, I was kidding. I was totally kidding, I'm sorry-" I stammered, realizing now that she must be self conscious and also that I was a dumbass.

"It's fine." She answered shortly, still not looking me in the eye.

"Do you not know?" I asked, purposely being vague to try to get her attention back to me. I just wanted to look into her eyes again.

"Know what?" She asked, delivering my wish when she finally made eye contact again.

"How beautiful you are." I finished, shrugging slightly as if it was simply a fact. Because it was.

I watched her face go red, as if she had developed a terrible sunburn in the last ten seconds.

"Shut up." She answered, visibly holding back a smile.

"That's not likely." I winked, letting myself lean back in the sun now that I had earned a smile.

"Don't I know it." She teased back, the two of us staring at the nearly transparent clouds floating past in the sky.

We laid in silence for a bit, I couldn't say how long. And I didn't care. It wasn't boring or awkward, it was peaceful. Perfect. The perfect day, just like I had hoped it would be.

"I'm hot, I'm going back in." I said, praying she felt the same and would join me.

I held back a smile as I watched her stand up with me, pulling her damp t-shirt off and dropping it to the ground to follow me towards the water.

When we got closer, I got a running start and jumped in, wanting to get the freezing sensation over with as soon as possible. I re-surfaced, shaking water from my hair and eyes and turned to see her a few feet behind me, waist deep in the water already and wincing as the cold made its way up her body.

"Come on, baby, it's not that bad!" I shouted and she glared at me.

"Don't call me baby."

"But you're being one. And you're so small and-" I started laughing as she lunged for me, barely pulling back out of reach to where she couldn't touch the bottom. She went under for a second before pushing back up, doggy paddling towards me now.

"You've got no chance to catch me swimming like that." I smirked, watching her take small pulls of water as I easily glided away from her, farther into the lake before I slowed down to let her catch me.

"You're not fast, you're just tall." She grumbled as she finally got close enough to hang onto my shoulder.

"Whatever you say." I replied, trying to keep us afloat.

"How deep are we-" She started, reaching down with her feet before her head slipped under and I pulled her back up.

"If I can't touch, what made you think you could?" I laughed at her shocked face before I felt the bumps under my fingers. I was holding both of her arms to pull her above the surface, but it was only now that I realized what I was feeling. What she had probably been trying to hide with the t-shirt.

The scars I had seen the first day I met her. The scars from where her dad had thrown shards of broken plates at her. She glanced down at her arm and then back at my face, but she didn't pull away.

"They won't ask about them. If that's why you're trying to keep them covered. You can barely see them anymore." I said softly, not having to explain what I was referring to.

"Yeah... I just don't like to see them really." She muttered, finally pulling away and treading water next to me on her own.

"I get that." I nodded quietly, not wanting to bring it up and ruin the mood of the day for her. "Can I ask you something?" I began, not being able to get it off my mind since the second I got to bed last night.

"Of course." She smiled sweetly.

"Did I make you uncomfortable last night? With my dare?"

I watched her smile nervously and bite her lip as her face flushed pink once again.

"No, why would that make me uncomfortable?"

"I dunno," I shrugged, looking up at the sky to try and seem like it was no big deal. Like I hadn't been thinking about it all night. "I just thought it wouldn't be a big deal, but you'd rather down an entire glass of fire whiskey than kiss me."

"What makes you think I'd pick you?" She teased, and I grinned feeling the mood between us lighten at once.

"Oh, trust me. I'm sure it was me."

She laughed and looked back towards the beach, despite us being the only two around.

"It wasn't.... It wasn't about you." She started, still not looking in my eyes. "I've just never actually..."

"Never actually what?" I felt my eyebrows furrow as I swam around trying to face her.

"I've never kissed anyone." She shrugged, swimming a few inches away from how close I had come to her now.

"You've never been kissed?" I couldn't believe it. There was no way no one had ever made a move on this girl.

"Nope." She flashed me a smile that didn't spread to her eyes.

"And what, you think that means people don't want to kiss you? Cassy, boys are probably too scared to kiss you."

"Scared?" She chuckled. "No one's scared of me!"

"Well, I'm not. But lesser men, probably." I teased, moving closer to her again.

It was sweet. Of course her reason was sweet and pure and based off nerves. It was stupid of me to think it was anything to do with me. Stupid to think she had ever had time for boys with everything she went through at home.

"Well..." I started, every part of my brain telling me to quit while I was ahead. "Let me know when you want to get it over with, Olsen." I shot her a wink and dodged the tidal wave she splashed towards me.

Chapter Text

Cassidy

It had been a few days since we had been in the lake. Since I had spent an entire afternoon trying to not get caught staring at him, the way the sun glittered against his hair, the light pink that tinted his shoulders as the day went on. The way he was shirtless nearly the entire day as if Merlin himself was trying to force me to get caught, having Fred's muscular arms and back on display the whole day.

It had been a few days since I had admitted I hadn't had my first kiss. To the boy who I was sure had done much more with many more girls.

I cringed and snapped out of my trance at the rumble of footsteps pouring down the stairs. I knew who it was, of course, just from the weight the set carried, not to mention how they were nearly in sync.

I smiled up at the twins, making sure not to stare at Fred too long. I had seen him almost all day long every single day since I had arrived, but moments where it was just us two were few and far between. It was next to impossible to have any alone time in a house this full, especially when I was probably the only one aching for it.

"What are you up to missy?" George asked, jumping over the couch and landing next to me seconds before Fred did.

"Nothing. It was getting awfully boring down here without you two. What were you up to?"

"Working out some potential kinks in our newest product, we're calling it-" Fred started.

"OI! Don't tell her yet, what's the matter with you?" George gave his twin a wild look and I laughed at his offended face.

"No worries, George, you can keep your secrets. I'll be first in line when the shop opens up." I shrugged, smiling at him as his jaw fell a few inches.

"We don't talk about the shop around here, Cassidy." George breathed out quietly. "Cassidy, who somehow knows about our shop." He said the last sentence glaring daggers at Fred who grinned in response.

"We'll need someone smart eventually. We can't just keep making candy in our bedroom till we're 40."

"Alright, enough. Should we play a game or something?

"Like what?" I asked, failing to picture the twins in a three hour game of monopoly.

"Like hide and seek." Fred offered up his idea with a smile.

"You two will have a horrible advantage in your own house!" I pointed out.

"It's fine Cassy, we won't hide in the attic with the ghoul, pinky swear." George ruffled my hair and smirked as Fred stifled a laugh into his fist.

"Fine, let's get the others." I started to stand before George threw a hand over my chest and shouted towards the stairs.

"RON, GINNY, GHOUL, COME DOWN IF YOU WANT TO PLAY HIDE AND SEEK!" He roared, cupping his hands around his mouth as I rolled my eyes, staring down the staircase to make sure the ghoul didn't in fact come floating down.

The youngest Weasley's scampered down the stairs looking excited for something to do at last.

"Who's seeking?" Ron asked, seeming like he knew it would be him.

"Not it." The rest of us echoed, touching one finger to each of our noses and looked around the circle before realizing Fred's nose was uncovered.

"Did you even try?" I giggled as his grin spread across his face.

"I'll seek. I'm the smartest, only makes sense." He shrugged.

"Alright count to 500!" Ginny called, already sprinting towards the stairs.

"You get 100. If you're lucky and I don't get bored!" Fred yelled back, his fingers already covering his eyes.

I followed the Weasley's up the stairs as Fred's words grew quieter, watching as Ginny Ron and George all hurried to their hiding spots they must have had planned the entire time. I briefly looked over to Percy's room, but decided it would be rude to go in since he was such a private person. Not to mention he probably keeps some kind of spells to guard his room from the twins.

I climbed the next flight of stairs for the first time and found two more doorways, picking one at random and heading in, latching the door behind me before I glanced around the room.

It was clear that this belonged to one of the older Weasley boys, as large boxes were lined up along the walls and there was only an unmade bed and an empty desk in the corner. I glanced under the bed before turning to the closet, trying to decide which was a better spot. I took a step back towards the doorway and shrugged when I realized you couldn't really see beneath the bed from here.

The silence in the room was deafening, interrupted only by the clanging from the attic that I was used to by now.

I wished now that I had crawled under the bed backwards so that I could watch the door, but still I figured I had the longest to go. Fred would have to search all of the rooms on the lower levels before-

My mind went blank as I heard the door knob rattle and click as someone entered the room. I wanted so badly to turn my head just an inch to the side to see the shoes walking around the room, but I knew it was too risky. He might hear.

I listened carefully as he walked slowly towards the closet, opening and closing the door in half a second. He then crossed the room once more, although I couldn't be sure if he was heading out or checking beneath the desk.

I gasped as I felt his hands around my ankles and before I could even formulate a single thought I was being flipped to my back, his bright smile nearly blinding me as he knelt over my body.

"Oh, hi." He smirked, not getting off of me as I had assumed he would.

"Why'd you start at the top, you idiot!"

"More fun." He shrugged, staring down into my eyes as I pretended not to be concerned that my heart might leap from my chest at any minute.

"So I lose?" I smiled, feeling very shy and unsure what to do next.

"Well I found you first, but you get to seek with me so do you really lose?"

"I'll lose next round when I have to seek."

He chuckled lightly, finally moving back off of me and holding his hand out to help me up.

"Thought for sure you'd be upstairs with the Ghoul-" He laughed when I glared to shut him up.

We searched through the rooms on the way down, finding Ron and Ginny but searching high and low for George.

The four of us split up to go over the rooms a second time. I took the twins room, glancing quickly at the photos and trinkets littering their night stands and desk before checking under each bed and the closets again. Before I headed for the door, I felt the light breeze wafting in from the window and turned around, scanning the back yard.

I crossed the room in a few steps and lifted the window sill the rest of the way up, peaking my head out and catching sight of the red hair to my left.

I gasped in surprise, looking the ginger boy up and down where he sat on the roof as if it was an every day activity. He held one finger to his lips and I leaned back in the window just as the door opened behind me.

"Cassy? What's wrong?" Fred's voice shook me from my focus on George and I flinched around to face him, my hand still over my heart from when George had spooked me outside.

"Nothing, why?" I asked, dropping my hand to my side.

"You look pale." He said, stepping closer to me and smiling deviously as I backed to the wall.

"Did you find him, Cassy?" He smirked, taking another step closer and boxing me in against his bedroom wall.

"George? No!" I gave him my best confused look.

"So why is your heart beating so fast?" He asked, looking down into my eyes from where he towered above me.

"Freddie..." I shook my head, trying to convey that I had no idea what he was talking about.

He leaned in a few centimeters closer, so close that I could lean forward and catch his lips on mine if I had even half an ounce of courage.

"Where is he, Cassidy?" He breathed and I prayed he didn't hear my own breath catch in my lungs.

I finally collected my thoughts and smiled up at him, glancing from his eyes to the window twice before he nodded and took off, leaving me with a few seconds to catch my breath.

"Took you long enough, aren't we supposed to have some sort of twin telepathy?" George fake complained as he jumped back through the window frame, the floor shaking slightly as he landed.

"You're right, should have known you'd cheat." Fred shrugged.

"How did I cheat? We never said no roof." George asked, sounding offended.

"Well, Cassidy lost, so she's it." Fred announced to the group as we left the twins room. He shot a smirk at me which I barely processed in time to glare, my thoughts still picturing how close we had been just sixty seconds ago.

"Alright, go hide and no roofs." I shot a pointed look at George who flipped me off and shooed me downstairs again.

After I had hit 100, I jumped off the couch and started towards the stairs, praying that I would find Fred first just for revenge.

He had found me first on purpose.

I thought about how he had guessed I would be at the top and looked to Percy's room on the second floor. I sighed, almost positive one of the twins would be in there.

I stepped up to the door and twisted the knob, seeing it was unlocked. After turning the handle, I pushed it forward and jumped back, ready for some sort of obstacle. There was nothing, which could have been because Molly wouldn't let him booby trap his room or because someone had already entered and taken the trap before me.

I walked into the room, looking around at the obsessive organization, papers and folders stacked a mile high on his desk.

Just as I went to take my next step, I felt hands surround my mouth before I could let out a scream. I should have been prepared for one of them to be in here, but I didn't think they would jump scare me like this.

"Looking for me?" Fred's voice breathed against my ear and I felt the muscles along my back twitch as I shuddered.

He finally let go of his hold on me and I turned to face him, scanning him up and down over dramatically.

"Rats, I was hoping for George." I lied, earning a offended jaw drop.

"Liar. You wanted your revenge for me finding you first. And you know me so well, Percy's room."

"It was either here or up with the ghoul, but I think I would have left you up there if..."

I trailed off when his fingers looped around my wrist, holding me in place as if he thought I was going to walk away.

The two of us stood in silence, my eyes traveling slowly from our hands to his eyes, seeing the brown glisten from the sun creeping in through the blinds.

"I'm so glad you're here. Summer's usually so dull."

I felt a smile creep to my face even as I tried to suppress it.

"I find it hard to believe it's ever dull here."

"Alright, but it's better with you."

I shot him a questioning look, sure he was messing with me, but he wasn't smiling. Fred Weasley not smiling was a rare occurrence.

I broke our eye contact a few times, glancing down to where I could feel the warmth from his hand around my arm, but each time I returned to his eyes they were still fastened to mine.

"Cassy." He whispered again like he had back in his room. I was aching, praying for him to continue. I didn't know what he would say, but I needed to know, or I was sure I would never get another second of sleep.

Before either of us could say another word however, we heard a bang and a scream and turned towards the hallway to see Ron, wide eyed and pale faced sprinting towards us.

"MASSIVE spider, the size of my fist. In your closet Fred. Bloody HELL." He shivered, continuing downstairs.

Chapter Text

Fred

I took the last step to the main floor and scanned the empty living room before making my way to the equally empty kitchen. I glanced at the clock on the wall which was still glued on 'time to make breakfast' and felt my eyebrows furrow.

Mum never sleeps in, and Cassidy hadn't slept this late since we'd been home.

I glanced at the open bathroom door before heading out to the backyard. Before I had even heard the door slam behind me, I saw them. Mum holding an oversized straw basket filled with fresh eggs, but my eyes were on Cassidy. Her blonde hair was still slightly messy from the nights sleep, and it was hanging off her shoulders as she knelt before the smallest chicken of the flock, scratching his head and wearing a huge smile.

"Where's my breakfast then? Or do we have to befriend the chickens to get the eggs?" I teased, startling the women before they met my eyes with smiles.

"Freddie, they can hear you!" She covered the sides of the chicken's small head and gave me a glare. "This is Clementine."

"Why is it Clementine?" I chuckled, bending down to pat the sweet chickens head.

"Because..." She stalled, pressing a kiss to the chickens head. "She's orange."

"Oh, well Clementine. I'm starving, so if you'll excuse us." I reached for the basket from mum to carry, leading the two back into the house.

"Sit down dear," Mum protested as Cassidy tried to assume a position at the stove before mum ushered her into a chair. "Now how do you like your eggs, Cassid-"

"Hello?" A new voice called from the front door around the corner.

Cassidy looked up, startled at the new voice, but mom's eyes lit up like a comet.

"Charlie?" She screamed, running to meet newest addition to the Weasley household.

"Charlie?" I asked, jumping from my chair when I laid eyes on him, waiting my turn for a hug. We had seen Charlie just last summer, of course, on our trip to visit Bill in Egypt, but it was still strange going from living with someone to seeing them once a year.

"How are you Freddie? Godric, you've grown even more!" He clapped me on the back once Mum finally released him from her grip.

"We weren't expecting you until tomorrow, dear, I would have gotten breakfast ready sooner, and I haven't made your bed up or-"

"Mum, I'm perfectly capable of making my own bed." He gave her a smile before letting his eyes wander to the blonde at the table behind us.

"And you must be Cassidy." He grinned, stepping around me to hold a hand out for her to shake. "Nice to meet you. I'm Charlie. Bill's coming tomorrow."

"Nice to meet you, Charlie." She smiled, shyly as he took a seat next to her.

"Charlie, i'll get the food started and go wake your father, he'll be ecstatic." Mum began cracking eggs into a bowl, waving her wand to continue stirring the bowl as she headed for the cupboard.

"You don't have to wake anyone up, mum, let them sleep! I don't want them to hate me."

"That's true, Ron would probably hate you." I agreed.

"So, Cassidy, I've heard it's been a treat having you around. Mum's always wanted more girls at the Burrow." Charlie smiled at the blonde, trying to include her in the conversation.

"Oh, no, I'm so thankful to your family for letting me stay here."

"Your parents don't mind you being away all summer?" He asked, not registering the way her face fell at his words.

"Morning Weasley's - Charlie! My boy." Dad announced once he stepped foot into the kitchen, taking all eyes off Cassidy but my own.

"Hi, Dad." Charlie's wild grin returned as he exchanged a hug with our father before the two settled back into their seats.

"Have you met Cassidy?" Dad asked as Mum began passing plates around the table, setting the empty spots in anticipation for the rest of our siblings.

"That I have." Charlie shot the girl another grin and she smiled back, nodding a thank you to Mum as she spooned eggs and sausage links onto her plate.

"Oi, Charlie boy!" George announced, banging a few times on the tallest Weasley's shoulders before plopping down, Ron and Ginny following behind him, both of their eyes lighting up at the sight of our brother.

"Charlie!" They squealed, Ginny latching onto Charlie nearly as long as Mum had.

"Good to see you too, Gin." He said, softly ruffling the girls red hair. "What have you lot been up to since you've been home?"

"Little quidditch, little swimming..." George started.

"Not many pranks, right mum?" I asked, faking an innocent smile.

"And let's keep it that way." She shot a thin lipped smile our way as we shoveled more eggs into our mouths.

"Well what should we do for Charlie's first day home?" Ginny asked the room.

"Fancy a quidditch game, Charlie?" Ron offered.

"Teams are off, unless we think Percy will play." I countered.

"Cass will play!" George gave her a look as if to say I dare you to which she shook her head vigorously.

"I promise I'll try flying again and we can play by the end of the summer, alright?"

"Alright, deal." George spat into his hand and held it across the table to Cassidy who's nose scrunched up with a gag.

"Oh, honestly George, you're disgusting!" Ginny shoved him nearly out of his seat as he wiped his hand on his pajama pants.

"We could go see a movie?" Cassidy suggested, bringing the topic back to the one we hadn't resolved in the first place.

The group of us looked at her, strangely, and I was sure they were all wondering the same thing that I was.

"A what?" I asked, laughing as she looked around at each of us.

"A movie? At the cinema?" I shook my head, wondering for a second if she was pranking us. "You've never been to the movies?"

"No, woman, stop speaking in tongues and explain!" George shouted, earning a chuckle from even mum.

"It's... well it's like the moving pictures at Hogwarts... oh, well not really, because they're not alive... I mean the actors are... Like plays? You've been to plays?"

Charlie nodded for her to continue, although I wasn't sure that any of us had ever actually been to a play.

"It's like a play, only recorded. They add music and sound effects, theres always a few playing at a time, we can pick. You've got to see one, now that I know you've never been. You'd love it, M- Arthur."

"Dear, I was hooked the second you started talking." Dad said, grabbing his plate from the table and heading to the sink. "What time is the movie?"

"We can go any time, they play them all day long." She smiled, failing to hide her amusement in the fact that everyone was so confused by something she found so ordinary.

"Alright, well then let's get ready and we can go!" Dad nearly sprinted from the room to get dressed, a few of us calling up to remind him to wear the most normal clothes he had if we were going out with muggles.

"You're in for it now, Cassy," I started, smiling at her naivety.

"Yeah, Dad's going to make such a scene the Ministry will have to obliviate the entire village." George snickered.

"You'll all keep him in line. Charlie?" Mum asked, as if Charlie was her last line of defense.

"You know I would, but you're coming too Mum." Charlie shot her a stern look.

"Oh, I couldn't, there's so much to get done, and I'm sure it costs money? We don't have much Muggle money around..." She trailed off, and I wished she would have stopped sooner. It was clear we weren't billionaires, but I didn't need Cassidy to know how little money we actually had.

"I've got muggle money!" Cassidy offered up without a seconds thought. "I've got no use for it now."

"No, dear, absolutely not, we couldn't-"

"I've got it, Mum." Charlie grinned, fanning out a few dozen faded bills along the table.

"Where'd you get muggle money?" Ron asked, rubbing a piece of the thin paper between his fingers.

"My friends and I gamble with it..." He admitted, starting again before Mum could open her mouth. "Since it's not really good to any of us, right?"

She nodded the tiniest bit and shrugged, waving her wand again and launching the kitchen cleaning tools into action.

"Well, alright then. Everyone go get ready, we can't keep your dad waiting."

Cassidy

I shut the door behind Ginny and began rummaging in my trunk for something to wear. Obviously, I had a fair amount of choices having lived among muggles my entire life. Ginny on the other hand...

"Okay, how about this?" She held up a shorter black shirt and a purple t-shirt which matched the band on her wall.

"Ginny, it's a wizarding band!" I laughed as she threw the next option on her bed.

"They don't have to know that."

"Here," I started to her closet, pulling the hangers apart one by one. "Just keep it simple, we don't want eyes on us."

"We always have eyes on us, we're eight gingers, nine when Bill comes home tomorrow."

"True, I guess." I shrugged, picking out a plain black t-shirt and light colored jeans for Ginny. "That'll be fine. I'll meet you out there?" I asked, shutting the door behind me when she nodded.

I looked down at my outfit, a white blouse with flowery patterns embroidered along both sleeves and a dark pair of jeans so I would stay warm in the theater.

"Ginny! Bring a sweater, it's usually chilly inside!" I called, taking another step back into someone solid.

"Weren't gonna give me the same advice?" Fred asked, smirking, already wearing an unzipped sweatshirt over his black t-shirt.

"Looks like you got the memo." I shot back, starting for the stairs.

"Where are you going now?"

"To ask Percy if he wants to come! I just remembered." I whispered the last part, feeling guilty for forgetting him, but he had been so absent the entire summer so far, it felt like he didn't even live here.

"He's gonna say no, don't waste your breath!" Fred said softly as we arrived at Percy's bedroom and I put my hand out to knock.

"What." His voice carried through the door.

"Percy, we're all going to see a muggle movie, uh, like a play, if you'd like to join?" I said loudly to the door.

"Why are you doing that?" His answer shot back.

"They're usually quite good!" I looked to Fred who rolled his eyes.

"I've got work to do, but thank you." He finally replied, falling silent again behind the door.

"Nice talking to ya, Perce." Fred muttered, setting his hand on the small of my back to lead me back to the staircase.

"I feel bad for him... he's always working."

"Nah, he chooses to always work. Wants to get ahead in the ministry. He doesn't have to work that hard. Uses it as an excuse to ignore the rest of us."

"I'm sure that's not true." I caught the sad look in Fred's eyes for only a second before he plastered his signature smile over it.

"Whatever, come on, I'm excited." He practically skipped down the last few steps to where the rest of the family was waiting, Mr. Weasley looking nearly like a different person in muggle clothes.

When we arrived, the theater was nearly empty, only a few families with younger children wandering the lobby, grabbing snacks and drinks before their movie of choice. The eight of us stood in the short line before I started to the cashier, Charlie at my heels.

After pondering the movie list when we had first entered the door, and after explaining the claw machine to Mr. Weasley, we had decided on Shawshank Redemption, which was supposed to be about a man escaping from prison, which Ron claimed the twins would need to know one day.

"Hi, could we do eight tickets for Shawshank Redemption, please?" I smiled at the cashier, who seemed already ready to get home.

"Sure thing."

I began reaching for my wallet in my bag before Charlie pushed his hand against mine and handed me the bills from his stash earlier.

"I can help! I feel bad taking all of your money you won..." I looked up to the boy. He was attractive, but knowing Fred I should have guessed he would be.

"Cassidy, I was just going to bet with it on the next game, it's nothing to me." He chuckled and I counted out the money, handing it to the cashier who gave me our tickets in return.

"Thank you." I said, half to the cashier and half to Charlie before turning and catching Fred shooting a glare in Charlie's direction, his jaw clenched.

"What's wrong, Fred?" I called over, concerned as his brother and I rejoined the group of them.

"Nothing, just zoned out." He replied, not looking our way.

"Anyone need snacks?" Ron asked, as if praying the answer was yes and Charlie led him over to the line, Ginny and Arthur at their heels as the rest of us searched for our theater number.

A few minutes later, they returned arms filled with oversized popcorn tubs, fountain drinks and bags of gummy worms. I smiled as Arthur held the bag of rainbow gummies to his face, following us into the dark theater, his attention drawn from the candy at the lights lining the walk way to our seats.

"Eckeltricity!" He whispered into Molly's ear and she nodded, smiling.

Chapter Text

I led the Weasley's down the long row in the nearly empty theater, noticing a few couples in the back row. I took the seat at the end of the row and leaned back against the soft fabric of the chair as Fred plopped down next to me.

"Is it already starting?" He asked, eyes focused on the screen which was playing commercials.

"Way to go, Ron, we missed it so you could buy overpriced popcorn?" George muttered from Fred's side.

"It's not started, they're commercials, like on the radio!" I explained, keeping my voice low even though we practically had the theater to ourselves.

"Oh, commercials." Arthur nodded, the pieces clicking together in his brain.

We watched in silence for a few minutes before the next trailer began, eerie music filling the large room.

"This looks wicked." George nudged Ron's arm and then Fred's.

"It's Halloween." I explained with a shrug. "They're okay movies, they're not really that scary, I bet you guys would be bored."

"We'll come see it for Halloween then, yeah?" Fred asked, looking between my eyes and the screen every few seconds.

"Sure, we'll come see it for Halloween." I smiled, settling into my chair as the lights went out in the theater.

The opening scene began as Ron passed the half empty popcorn bin down the line, shrugging when it returned back to him and digging back in. Ginny and Arthur were taking turns on the candy they had gotten, a slight crinkle of plastic every time one of them grabbed for one. George and Charlie's eyes were fixated on the screen, but I was watching Fred, his neck craning around the room, following the huge stream of light to the back of the theater.

"What are you looking at?" I whispered.

"How does it work?" He hissed back, and I stifled a laugh.

"I don't really know, Freddie. It's like a projector in the back and they put the image on the screen. It's not magic, it's just electricity. Just watch the movie."

I leaned onto one elbow on our shared arm rest, letting myself picture for just a second if it was just the two of us at this movie. If maybe he would hold my hand in the dark or wrap his arm around my shoulder. Fred of course wasn't thinking any of this, his eyes finally glued to the movie. I smiled to myself at the seven of them all watching so intently. It was funny, all of the powerful wizards and witches who could set fires and heal wounds with the wave of their wands all awestruck over a moving picture.

I could tell that the movie was nearing the end, just from the music, but I didn't want it to. I looked down quickly at the arm rest between Fred and me, our arms lying side by side, fingers wrapped around each others. I don't know how long we had been holding hands, but I knew as soon as the lights came on it would end. And we would probably never talk about it, like how we hadn't talked about the way he kissed my head or called me beautiful on the beach the other day.

As the screen turned black and the credits began, the lights came up in the room, but Fred didn't drop my hand right away. The rest of the row of Weasley's began to stretch and rose from their seats before Fred finally gave my hand one last squeeze and stood up as well, turning to wait for me.

"That was great, Cassidy, honestly." Ron said, Ginny nodding from his side.

"Yeah, she invented the movies." George joked, starting towards the stairs to the lobby.

"Did you both take notes?" Ginny called behind her, looking at the twins and referring to their future prison break needs.

"Shove off Gin!" They echoed as we pushed through the double doors into the afternoon air.

"Ginny, did you still want to go get that thing?" Fred asked, earning a confused look from his sister. "You know, that thing you told me earlier you needed."

"Oh, right! Yeah, yes. I still need that." She nodded, turning to Molly and Arthur. "Fred's gonna take me to the store on the way home, if that's okay? We'll be back for dinner."

Molly's eyebrows wrinkled, as if deep in thought on whether she was being played, but deciding eventually that Ginny wouldn't lie.

"Alright, dears, be careful. No magic, and hurry home." She gave Ginny a soft pat on the head and shot Fred a serious look, most likely to insure he kept his sister out of trouble.

"We will, mum." He answered, nodding towards the village for Ginny who scampered to catch up with him.

"Well, we can probably just apparate home then, if it's just the six of us?" Arthur suggested.

"Yes, that'll be fine. Arthur you have George, I'll take Ron and Charlie would you take Cassidy?"

I felt a jolt in my stomach at her words. Apparate? I thought I would have years still before I had to even think about that.

"C'mon." Charlie offered me a warm, yet somewhat knowing smile, as if he was reading my thoughts directly from my face. "It'll be fine, don't stress."

He took my left hand and wrapped his other over my shoulder, his eyes looking towards the sky for just a moment before I felt my feet leave the ground. It only felt like a few seconds before Charlie and I landed a few hundred yards from the Burrow, the dust from the path floating around where we had landed. Arthur, Molly, Ron and George appeared behind us and we all started walking towards the front door where I offered to help Molly start on dinner. Anything to distract myself from the fact that I might not see Fred for hours.

Fred

Ginny and I had barely made it home in time for dinner, our little errand taking longer than I would have thought. We took our seats before Mum could offer up a disapproving look and dug into the home cooked meal.

Once everyone had eaten their fill and the dishes flew one by one into the sink, I snuck through the kitchen door and started up to my bedroom, feeling the weight of the small package in my pocket. I had to find somewhere good to hide it or George would sniff it out right away.

Nearly half an hour later, I was confident it was in a decent enough spot to remain hidden for the next ten days. I took the stairs two at a time, scanning through the red hair in the living room before noticing there was one missing, and no blonde to be found.

I bit the inside of my cheek and continued to the kitchen and peered through the back door. There was Cassidy, laying in the grass with her eyes towards the stars, hands clutched around her stomach as she laughed from whatever story Charlie was feeding her.

He finally looked up and caught my eye, rolling to his feet and heading towards the doorway I was stopped in.

"What's up, Fred, where'd you disappear to?" He asked, stepping inside the warm kitchen.

"My room." I answered shortly, earning a strange look from him.

"Cassidy's out there, she said she wanted to see the stars, I guess they're brighter out here than where she lives."

"Do you like her?" I asked, without thinking. But I couldn't help it, it had been eating away at me all afternoon.

"Yeah, she's great. I thought she was quiet, but once she's comfortable she-"

"No, do you fancy her?" I rephrased, my words tasting like salt on my tongue.

Charlie stopped for a moment before letting out an effortless laugh. "Fred." He said, seriously. "She's thirteen."

"So..." I nodded for him to spit it out.

"I'm nearly twenty two, what is wrong with you?" He knocked on my forehead, lightly and shook his head before stepping past me and starting towards the living room. "But if you do..."

I waited, the weight that had left my chest when he said he didn't like her returning now.

"You should make your move. More than holding hands in the movies." He shot me a wink and disappeared around the corner.

I pushed through the door and heard it click shut behind me as I started to where she was on the grass.

"It's gonna get cold soon." I smirked when she jumped to look up at me.

"Where have you been?" She asked, turning her eyes back to the sky as I laid down beside her.

"Got lots of important things to do, you know. I'm a staple in this community."

"Oh yes, that explains all of the posters around the neighborhood with your face. Except they all say 'Wanted' along the top..." She smiled, trying to roll away before I could pin her to the ground.

"Watch yourself, young lady." I warned, staring down at her for a second before leaning off to let her sit up. "Why are you out here all alone?"

"I got bored, wanted to look at the constellations. You can see them so easy out here, it's like being back at Hogwarts."

"Hardly." I smiled, happy that she liked it here so much, and remembering our night in the astronomy tower. "What were you and Charlie talking about?"

"He was telling me about his job in Romania. It sounds so cool, but I could never." She smiled, looking back to the house where Charlie had disappeared to.

"It's cool. It's good for him. He's always been an adrenaline junkie. Bill too, he's a curse breaker for Gringotts in Egypt."

"Yep, that's it. Just Bill and Charlie. No other Weasley adrenaline junkies." She smirked.

I turned to glare at her, but felt a smile rise to my cheeks instead. Her dark blue eyes shimmered in the dark as she looked at me, a giddy smile on her face.

"You think you're so funny, don't you?"

"It's contagious. Been hanging with you and your brother too much..."

She stalled, her smile fading slowly from her face as she looked into my eyes.

"What?" She asked, her fingers going up to her lips where I realized my gaze had been stuck.

"Nothing." I whispered, meeting her eyes again.

"Why are you staring at me!" She giggled, looking behind her as if maybe I was looking at something else.

"Because... You're beautiful." I breathed, watching the hair around her face flutter. The skin of her cheeks flushed bright pink.

"Hardly." She chuckled, looking down at the grass beneath her feet.

"Cassy." I frowned, lifting my hand to rest under her chin and pulling her gaze back to mine. I couldn't wait any longer. She would pull back if she didn't want me to kiss her. I just had to go slow.

I watched her eyes widen for a second as I began to lean towards her before I watched them flicker shut, leaning to the side only slightly.

"Fred? Cassidy? Are you two out there still?"

I held in a sigh and watched Cassidy jolt away from me, her teeth biting into her bottom lip as she scanned back towards the house.

"Yes, mum." I shouted back.

"Don't keep her out there too long, it's going to get cold! And your brother will be here in the morning, you should get to bed!"

"Yes, ma'um." I saluted her and begrudgingly climbed to my feet, holding my hand out for Cassidy's and pulling her up with me.

Chapter Text

I heard the door click shut and blinked a few times to ensure I was actually awake. Ginny was never up before me, but there was her bed empty on the other end of our room.

I stepped to the floor and pulled a gray sweatshirt from my trunk, throwing it on over my tank top to follow her and see what had her up this early.

As I stepped out of the doorway, I heard muffled talking from the kitchen where the group of redheads were moving frantically around the kitchen with the exception of Ron and George who both looked as if they were working on five minutes of sleep.

"Why are you all up?" I yelped as they jumped around at the sound of my voice.

"Cassidy!" George whined, batter smeared along his cheek although I wasn't sure he knew it was there.

"Now we've woken up early for nothing." Ron grumbled before Molly slapped him on the hand, taking the whisk from him and finishing his job.

"Way to go Ginny, we said leave quietly." Fred rolled his eyes, a smile attached to his lips.

"What are you doing?" I asked, walking further into the room and stopping in front of George, wiping the batter from his cheek and flicking it into the sink.

"Making you birthday pancakes, what does it look like?" Charlie smiled, flicking the spoon he was holding and smiling when a glob landed in George's hair, leading me to guess he was the reason for the batter on his cheek.

"You guys didn't have to do that." I muttered, glaring at Fred who I had explicitly instructed to not tell them about my birthday.

"Sure we did! You're part of the family now." Ginny smiled, flipping the first pancake sloppily on the hotplate.

"We got berries too, help yourself." Molly said, smiling nearly ear to ear as she set the first pile of pancakes on the table, the boys sitting down with me as Ginny continued to cook.

"Happy Birthday, Cassidy." George smiled, plopping two fat pancakes on my plate before helping himself.

I laughed, spooning some fruit next to them. "Thanks Georgie. Thank you guys for breakfast, that was sweet."

I tried to give them all a glance when all my eyes wanted to focus on was Fred. I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep this entire week, not since he had almost kissed me outside.

But he hadn't. And once again, we hadn't brought it up. Maybe I was losing it. Maybe I had schizophrenia and this was all in my head.

"Here, sweetheart." Molly set a lumpy package on the table next to my plate and I felt my heart fall.

"Molly, please, you shouldn't have." I felt guilty, praying it wasn't something expensive as I gently ripped into the paper and watched a hat and a matching pair of yellow and black mittens fall into my lap.

"I've never gotten to make anything Hufflepuff, it was a treat! Just like it's been to have you here." She crossed her arms over her chest and watched as I ran my fingers over the gift. It was incredibly soft, like all of the sweaters the Weasley boys and Ginny had all received for Christmas.

I jumped from my seat and wrapped my arms around the small woman, feeling her arms go around me at once.

"Thank you." I said softly and she nodded before I returned to my half eaten breakfast.

"Well Cass, what do you want to do today?" George asked as Molly started out the back door, most likely to feed the chickens.

"Nothing special! I usually don't do much for my birthday. Fred wasn't supposed to tell anyone." I glared at him again and he threw his hands up in surrender.

"How do you know it was me?"

"You're the only one who knew!"

"Yeah, I'll confirm it was him. He's been planning this day all month-" George said through a mouth full of pancakes, stopping only when Ginny elbowed him in the ribcage.

"Well, we can go swimming, we can go shopping, we can play quidditch-" Ron listed.

"Yeah, that's what she wants to do on her birthday. Quidditch with you lot." Bill chuckled, pulling another pancake to his plate.

"She did promise us!" George jabbed his fork in my direction.

"Not on her birthday." Fred rolled his eyes.

By dinner time we had officially done everything there was to do at the Burrow, twice. We had played games inside, outside, practiced riding the brooms, or rather... I had practiced, taken walks by the pond, stopped into town to window shop and were now on our third round of exploding snap.

"Well Cassidy, how was your birthday then?" Fred asked from across the coffee table, still taller than me sitting down.

"It was great. I had a great day." I smiled, playing my next card and taking a breath as I got away with no explosion.

Fred nodded and selected a card from his deck, leaning forward and grinning to himself when his was safe as well.

Not a good sign. It was bound to happen soon.

I picked my best card and pressed it to the table, gasping more in shock than pain as the card exploded under my grip.

"Oh, shit, Cass, you okay?" Fred jumped to his feet and raced around the table towards me.

"I'm fine, Freddie, I knew it would be me!" I laughed, shaking my hand to rid it of the tingling that lingered on my skin.

"Come on, i'll get you a bandage for it." He pulled me up by my arms, avoiding touching my hand.

"It's fine, Fred! Doesn't even hurt, I don't need a bandage!" I protested as he pulled me up the stairs and turned the corner into his bedroom.

"Oh, is this where the medicine cabinet was? I must have forgotten." I joked, watching him kneel next to his nightstand and pull out a small package that had been taped to the bottom of the drawer.

He crossed the room, a lopsided smile on his face and pushed the package into my hands.

"Happy Birthday, Cassy."

"Freddie." I said, warningly. "You didn't have to-"

"Don't even start, it's not even close to a broom."

"That was different." I muttered, picking at the edge of the paper softly.

"Well open it up, come on!"

I let out half a laugh and pulled the package apart, seeing the golden chain lying in my palm, a small red stone linked to the bottom.

I stared at it for what felt like hours before looking back to him, his smile gone from his face, replaced now with a look of concern.

"You like it? It's your birthstone." He explained, taking one step closer to me. "And you know. Red. Some Gryffindor for your outfits."

"I love it. So much." I wanted to make eye contact with him, to show him how much I loved it, but I couldn't stop looking at the gem. The way it lit up in my hand, sparkling against the subtle lights in the room, the way the gold of the chain seemed to glisten. "It's beautiful."

"So it's perfect for you." He smirked, giving me a quick wink before taking it from my hand and circling behind me. I felt him gather my hair with his free hand and lift it from my neck like he had done so many months ago, but this time I had nothing to be worried about. Fred knew everything. Fred had fixed everything.

He brought the necklace over my head and I watched as he set it down on my skin, his fingers fumbling behind my back for a few seconds before I heard it clasp into place and I turned to face him.

"Happy Birthday, Cassy." He said again and I felt the butterflies that had lived in my stomach all week flutter about. "We better get back down, they're going to think we're snogging." He joked, starting towards his door.

"Fred..." I started, not knowing where I was headed in the slightest.

He turned away from the door, his fingers around the doorknob.

"You want to ask me why I almost kissed you the other night?" He gave me half a smirk, perhaps seeing the shock in my face that he had known what I was going to say. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. And you were nice to go along with it."

"Oh, you didn't mean to?" I joked, trying not to feel hurt at his words.

"Well you know, it's hard to be around you sometimes, Olsen, you're so bloody gorgeous." He shrugged, as if this was just an everyday conversation.

"Right, and being around you is so easy." I bit back, not giving myself half a second to think over my words.

"Oh, because I'm gorgeous too?"

"Yeah, you already know that. We all know how much time you spend in the bathroom getting ready every day." I teased and his jaw dropped halfway to the floor.

"You know that's a lie, you take that back-" He started before the door opened into his back and George's face appeared in the crack.

"Oi, what's going on up here, mum wants you both down for cake!" He eyed the two of us suspiciously. "Both still clothed huh? RON, You were right, I'll have to pay you in a few weeks though, money's tight right now!" He called as he raced down the stairs, leaving Fred and I red faced, Fred's hand over his eyes.

I walked past him and started for the staircase, turning back to him before I took the first step down.

"I'm not sorry." I said, trying not to sound nervous. "And you shouldn't be either."

Chapter Text

I felt the small red pendant bounce against my chest as I pulled on a hoodie over my pajamas. This was the first necklace I had worn since last Christmas, but it felt so different. Not like a chain around my neck, but more like the gift that it was intended to be. It could practically feel it burning through my skin as I laid in bed that night after cake, after my conversation with Fred, after he called goodnight across the room and I saw his eyes linger on me as I shut the door with Ginny.

It had been nearly two weeks since Fred had put the necklace on for me, and I had really only taken it off to shower. Also during the brief 'flying lesson' the twins had given me in preparation for my likely fall that never came.

Tomorrow was Harry's birthday, the entire house knew from Mrs. Weasley's constant reminding that the boy never receives any presents or letters for his birthday and that it was their job to change that, as well as Ron's excitement for Harry's arrival coming closer.

After shutting the door silently behind me, letting Ginny continue her sleep, I tiptoed up the stairs, stopping every few feet as the wood creaked under my weight. Not that anyone in this house expected quiet, even at this hour, but still a part of me always seemed to fall back into habits I had acquired from home.

Finally, I reached the twins room and tested the handle. It was unlocked, thankfully, although I didn't know why it wouldn't be, since the two couldn't prank themselves. I let myself in, noticing the morning sunlight leaked under their drawn curtains and looked at each of the boys. George was sleeping somewhat peacefully, the blankets slightly wrapped around his body as he laid on his back facing the ceiling. Fred however was nearly hanging off of his bed which was already barely long enough for him. His arm was dragging along the floor and his head was hanging off the edge of his mattress. Almost inaudible snores were coming from both beds, and I felt slightly guilty for waking them.

I stepped over to Fred's bed and sat down on the floor next to his outstretched arm, reaching out to brush my fingers through his hair and watching a light smile appear across his face.

"Cass." He mumbled, his eyes still shut.

"Yes?" I whispered back, wondering when he had woken up.

He blinked open and his eyes found me, widening in shock. "Cassy? What the hell-" He scanned the room as if he might have been dreaming.

"It's Harry's birthday tomorrow, we're going to make him sweets to send." I explained.

"And that's all fine and good, besides that you're in my bedroom waking me up far too early." He chuckled, laying back on his pillow and pulling up the blankets that had fallen onto the ground.

"I couldn't sleep! I want to bake!"

"I want to sleep!" He mimicked my tone, reaching to the side of the bed and latching his hands on either side of my waist, pulling me up into the bed with him.

"Fred!" I giggled when his fingers brushed my skin underneath my sweatshirt, but he just pulled me in closer and shut his eyes, fake snores filling the room.

"Fred, come on! Wake up!" I tried to squirm from his grasp to no avail. "Let me go! We've got things to do!"

"I can go if you two need the room." George muttered, Fred and I both sitting up in the bed to look at the twin.

"Sorry Georgie. Glad you're up though! We've got loads to do today." I smiled, trying to leave Fred's bed once again but he held me there, my back pressed to his chest now.

"Count me out. I'll be in this bed until Mum says otherwise." He shot me a cheeky smile, turning over in his bed and covering his face with the blankets.

"Alright, then." Fred grumbled, sliding off his bed still holding me against his body as he headed towards the hallway in just a t-shirt and his boxers which I was adamantly ignoring.

He carried me until we reached the bathroom, setting me down at last as he grabbed his toothbrush and stood aside for me to fit in the small room next to him. I waited for him to push me from the sink so that he could spit before I let myself look down. The short boxers made him look even taller somehow, as if his legs were never ending.

"Oh good, you're up!" Molly exclaimed from the kitchen as we hit the main floor. "I need you and your brother to Degnome the garden today."

"Which brother?" Fred joked, both of us knowing she meant George, as Ron and Ginny had done it last time.

"George, is he not up with you?" She scanned the staircase realizing now it was just the two of us.

"No, someone decided he could sleep in." Fred grumbled, shooting me a look and half a smile.

"That's okay, I'll help him." I offered.

"No, Cassidy, they're nasty creatures, I don't want you getting hurt." Molly shook her head, turning back to the breakfast she was working on.

"I'll be fine! I'm not worried about it." I answered, starting towards Ginny's room to get changed when Fred's hand enclosed around my wrist, pulling me back to face him.

"Cassy, i'll get George. You don't have to."

"Even if you get George, I'm still helping!" I protested, "Then i'll tell him he was needlessly woken up."

"Why are you so stubborn?" He grumbled, nodding towards my bedroom before heading up the stairs to get dressed himself.

By the time I emerged from Ginny's room, leaving her asleep in bed despite the room beginning to glow with sunlight from the window, both of the twins were clambering side by side down the stairs to the main floor.

"George agrees, you're not helping." Fred stated matter of factly.

"George!" I whined. "What else am I gonna do? Everyone else is still asleep."

"Alright, fine, I don't care!" George chuckled as he began lacing up his shoes.

"Shouldn't be wearing shorts though. You're just giving them extra skin to latch on to." Fred smirked, the two of us slipping into our shoes and heading out the back door.

"Alright." Fred muttered once we reached the garden. "They'll start off alright, but once they realize we're chucking them out..."

"That's when they start chomping." George finished, reaching down to grab one around it's chest and pitching it into the field over the hedges.

"Nice throw!" Fred shouted, lobbing his first one over as well. "Alright, Cassy, let's see one."

"Grab it fast and throw before they can bite!" George reminded as they watched me chase after one nearest me. I grabbed it with both hands and threw it with all my might before it had even registered what was going on.

"Decent throw. See, I think you'd make a fine chaser!" Fred winked at me, resuming his work.

"Is she going to try out?" George exclaimed.

"I'm trying! We'd better amp up the flying lessons."

"I'm not playing quidditch." I laughed, throwing my second gnome over the hedge. "I much prefer my place in the stands."

"We wouldn't go too hard on you, Olsen." George shrugged.

"Speak for yourself." Fred mumbled, sneaking a look at me after throwing his next gnome.

"Ouch, you little tosser!" I cried, flinging the small gnome onto the ground, not noticing how it sprinted back towards me at once.

"Cassy," Fred jolted towards me, grabbing the gnome right before he got to my leg and threw him so far it would be months before he found his way back.

"We told you!" George peaked over his brothers shoulder, watching the blood begin to pool on my finger. "Only a few left, i'll get them. Take her inside."

"It's fine, it'll stop soon..." I mumbled, wrapping the cut with my finger to try and stop the blood.

"No, it won't, it's deep. Come on." He tugged on my arm and started back towards the house.

I followed him up the stairs and into the bathroom where he shut the door behind us and before I had even blinked his hands were around my hips. He lifted me up and set me on the sink in front of him, reaching behind me to grab a pack of bandages from inside the cabinet.

I prayed my face wasn't burning as red as it felt when he finally stepped away, giving me room to at least attempt to breathe. Fred unwrapped the bandage and took my hand, running it under the faucet for a few seconds until the blood had washed away enough and then brought it back to lay on my lap. He pressed the bandage on the wound and I winced slightly.

"Told you, they bite deep. That's why dad just lets them stay." He watched my face as he continued wrapping. "Well, and he thinks they're cute."

"They are a little cute." I admitted.

"You're delusional, both of you." He laughed under his breath as he finished tying the knot around my finger and I held it up to look at his work. "Well?"

"Well what?" I shrugged.

"Why are you looking like that?"

"Well, last time you said you were getting me a bandage I got a necklace." I joked.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm fresh out of those."

"Thank you, though. For helping me." I smiled, moving to slide off the sink, but Fred took one step closer, pinning me there with his legs.

I looked into his honey brown eyes, confused.

"I'm sorry you got hurt." He whispered, his breath blowing ringlets of my hair out of my face.

"No, it..." I breathed, feeling flustered. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, you seem it." He wore the signature smirk that I was growing so accustomed to. The space between us was shrinking, but I couldn't decide which one of us was moving. I shut my eyes at the last second, not wanting anything to ruin this moment. This was it. I was finally going to kiss Fred Weasley.

I felt his lips press to mine and his hands pressed onto my cheeks gently, pulling my face into the kiss a bit more. He kissed me like I was air and he was suffocating, his fingers finally leaving my face and sliding down around my hips, sending red hot flames wherever our skin touched.

"Fred, they ganged up on me I need a shower and a bandage and maybe a shot of firewhiskey!" George shouted through the door, banging his fist on the door over and over and causing Fred and I to jump apart in the confines of the small bathroom.

Chapter Text

Fred

Once George had showered, he joined Mum, Ron, Ginny and I in the kitchen. Much of the baking was being done thanks to mum's magic, but Cassidy had already set to stirring through the thick batter on the counter by hand.

I crossed the room, noting Ron's attempts at cracking eggs going horribly wrong, until I was stood behind the small blonde. I wanted to hate the way my heart sped up when I was this close to her, but I couldn't. Somehow it felt nice. Like my heart was just trying to get us closer together.

"Can I help you?" I asked softly near her ear and noticed her jump a bit in surprise.

"I think stirring is more of a one person job." She smiled, clearly thinking she was quite funny.

"Alright then, set me to work, Captain." I saluted and watched her roll her eye through a laugh.

"Alright, you can get me a pan and some butter."

I set off to the largest cupboard where I assumed pans had to be. I opened a few doors before finding one and grabbing butter on my way back to her.

"Okay, put a bit on a knife and spread it through the tin for me?"

"Mhm." I muttered, starting my next task. I had never baked before, or done anything more in the kitchen than fill my own stomach, but it was nice just being this close to her, having little jobs to help her.

Once I had finished, she began spooning the batter into the pan, smiling slightly as I held it in place to keep from making a mess.

She stepped towards the oven and slid the pan inside before returning to our side of the kitchen.

"What?" She muttered under her breath, noticing my stare.

I bit back a smirk, watching her cheeks tinge pink. "You've got..." I reached forward and wiped the sticky cake batter off her nose, licking my finger and laughing as her nose scrunched up.

"Ew!" She laughed with me now, the both of us leaning against the counter, and I for one wishing we were the only ones here.

Once Mum and Ginny had helped Ron and George finish their half of the cake, we all went our separate ways to wash up for the rest of the night.

I pulled a t-shirt over my head when I heard the door open, my eyes flickering excitedly towards the door even though I knew it would be George, not Cass. I couldn't help it. She had not left my mind once since this morning, and I was beginning to think she might never leave it again.

"So what did I miss? What's going on with you two?" George collapsed onto his bed across from my own.

"Hm?" I asked, looking back to his face after staring into space since he had entered the room.

"Did I interrupt earlier?" He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at me and earning an eye roll.

"Don't you always?"

"What did I interrupt?" He pressed on, eyes wide.

I smiled, feeling the familiar tug in my chest again. "I kissed her." I started, watching him grin. "She kissed me back."

"Wait, wait. You kissed her. In the bathroom? With her finger bleeding out?"

"Uh..." I felt the smile fall from my face. "Yes?"

"You idiot. You've waited all this time-"

"Have not?"

"And you pick the bathroom? After a gnome injury? You idiot."

"Shove off, George." I flopped back on the mattress for only a second before sitting up again. "It was her first kiss... Merlin, George did I screw it up?"

"Why are you asking me?" He shrugged. "Ask her!"

"I can't ask her that?" I whined. "Oh, hey Cass. Did I ruin everything by stealing your first kiss in a bathroom?"

"With a bleeding finger." George added, not looking up from his spot.

"Thanks. You're a real help." I mumbled, heading for the door.

"Good luck!" He called, amusement laced in his voice.

I glanced around the room when I reached the main floor and turned towards Ginny's room when I didn't see Cassidy. I knocked softly on the door before I heard my sister's voice.

"Hey." I tried to sound nonchalant, leaning against the doorframe and scanning over the two girls. Ginny had out a quill and was sketching something into an open notepad while Cassidy flipped the page on an ancient looking book. "Cassy, can I borrow you?"

"Yeah, but you have to bring her back in good condition." Ginny snickered without looking up and I watched Cassidy's face redden again as she set the book on the bed and hopped up.

We walked in silence until I shut the door behind us and led us to the back door.

"Where are we going?" She asked, scanning the yard for some clue.

"On a walk." I answered, not really having thought through my plan at all. "I wanted to talk to you about this morning."

Her eyes jolted to mine, a look of panic painted on her still pink face.

"We don't have to Fred." She answered softly, now looking to her feet as if she was worried she would trip.

My heart dropped a bit.

"You don't want to talk about it?" I asked, hoping she couldn't hear the disappointment in my voice.

"No, I... I mean, I don't need you to explain it, I know it was probably nothing."

"Nothing?" I tugged on her wrist to pull her back, her eyes locking with mine. "Why would it be nothing?"

"Why would it be something?"

"Oh God you kill me." I choked out a laugh, her expression changing to one of confusion. "I wanted to kiss you, Cassy."

I stepped over a tree branch poking out from the grass and turned, holding my hand out to help her before realizing she had stopped in her tracks. I walked the few feet back to her until the two of us were face to face.

"Why'd you want to kiss me?" She breathed out.

"Because I l... I really like you." I stuttered out.

"Why?" She scoffed. "I mean..." She looked exasperated, like she didn't know what she wanted to say.

I pulled her arm to keep us walking a bit farther into the garden before stopping next to a flowery bush and sitting in the grass, waiting for her to follow.

She took my lead and settled into the grass next to me, playing with one of the flowers on the bush perhaps in an excuse to avoid eye contact with me.

"Why do I like you?" I smiled at how shy she was acting. "I like tons of things about you. I like your hair, your little curls. I like the way your eyes light up when you laugh and your smile and how excited you get for little things. The way you trust me with secrets you won't tell anyone else."

I reached out and set my fingers against her jaw, pulling her face up to look into my eyes. "I like kissing you."

"You like kissing me?" She giggled, not pulling away, her round blue eyes locked on mine.

"I do." I leaned a bit closer before remembering George's point from earlier. "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded, a nervous looking coming over her face.

"Did I wreck your first kiss?"

Her eyebrows furrowed for a few seconds, as if I had asked the question in a different language.

"Wreck it? How would you wreck it?"

"I mean, I'm sure you didn't want your first kiss to be in a bathroom. With a gnome bite."

She burst into laughter, covering her mouth with both hands for a moment. "Freddie. I don't care where... I..." She leaned a few more inches towards me. "It was perfect."

"Oh, it was perfect?" I smirked, earning myself another blush.

"I mean-" She cut off when I pressed my lips to hers again, feeling her smile against me.

"Perfect." I whispered when we broke apart, planting a final kiss on her nose before getting to my feet and helping her up with me.

Cassidy

I shot up in the dark, my heart pounding in my chest. I wiped beneath my eyes where some tears were starting to form and then dragged my fingers across the soft sheets of my bed.

You're okay. Everything's okay. You're safe at the Weasley's. He can't get to you.

I laid back against my pillows, listening to Ginny's soft breathing from across the room and pulled my blankets up to my chin. Still, my heart didn't slow back down. I could practically hear the pounding in my ears.

All I wanted was Fred. But I didn't want him to see me like this. Shaky and scared.

I started counting in my head to a number I knew I would never reach.

10. 11. 12.

I could go upstairs. I didn't know what time it is, but I was sure the whole house was asleep. No one would notice me.

13. 14. 15.

Fred's asleep too though. He doesn't want to be woken up because you had a nightmare.

30. 31. 32. 33.

I threw the blankets beneath my feet. This wasn't helping. My hands were trembling as I stepped onto the floor, testing each step before I put my weight on it to see if it would creak.

I felt even more nervous sneaking around the house. The house where I had been allowed to stay for free. I didn't want Molly or Arthur to think I was a bad kid or that they had to keep an eye on me.

Still, laying in the silent room left me nothing to do but replay the nightmare in my head over and over. I hadn't had one for weeks, since I had arrived at the Burrow, now that I thought about it.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I could hear the matching snores of the twins through their closed door and I bit my lip, contemplating going back to bed.

If I had wanted someone to talk to, I could have just woken Ginny up. But she didn't know about my dad. Explaining it all to her would be worse than lying there until morning.

Besides. I knew I didn't want to talk. I just wanted Fred. I just wanted to see him, I was sure just laying eyes on him would calm my nerves.

I took a deep breath and turned the knob on their bedroom door slowly, pushing it open just wide enough to slide inside before shutting it behind me silently.

Their blinds were drawn, probably in hopes of keeping the morning sun out so they could sleep in, but the moonlight creeping through the gaps was barely enough for me to make my way to his side.

I stopped when I got to him, remembering how he had already been awake the last time I had been here. From the light snores coming from beneath me, I could guess this time wouldn't be that easy.

"Fred..." I whispered, kneeling down beside his bed. He didn't answer, not even moving from his deep sleep.

"Freddie." I brushed my fingers along his hand which was pressed to the side of his face.

"Hmm," He mumbled, eyes still closed.

"Can I..." I stopped, not knowing where I wanted to go with that.

"Hmm? Cassy?" He shot up in his spot, revealing that he was shirtless when his blanket fell off of him.

"Hi." I whispered.

"What are you doing here?" He ran his fingers through his hair, obviously trying to flatten it down.

"I uh... I couldn't sleep." I looked down at the floor around his bed, pretending to study the patterns in the wood floor.

"How is that my problem?" He smirked, his voice sounding husky even though his eyes were awake. "Kidding. Come here, baby."

"I'm not a baby, don't call me that!" I held back a laugh as I stood next to his bed, feeling his warm arms wrap around the chilled skin of my legs and pulling me into his bed.

"You're little, and you're young, and you're here in my bed because you had a bad dream." He shrugged, holding the blankets up for me to squeeze in beside him.

When I didn't reply, his smirk fell from his face.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

I nodded and wiggled down into the blankets which were still warm from Fred's body.

"About what?" He asked softly, both of us very aware of how close George's bed was.

"My dad." I breathed out, part of me hoping he wouldn't hear.

"Mmm... I'm sorry, Cassy." He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back against his chest, the warmth of his skin eating through my thin t-shirt. I took a deep breath, his scent surrounding us in his blankets and tried to get my heart rate back down, which was proving harder than I had imagined it would be, staying calm snuggled into Fred.

"He can't hurt you. I've got you." I felt his lips press against the back of my head and I sighed, nodding in response and shutting my eyes. "Don't wake me if I snore, I need my beauty sleep." He whispered, the both of us letting out quiet laughter before drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Cassidy

It had been barely over an hour since the Weasley family had gone their separate ways for bed, but I hadn't let myself even attempt to sleep yet. The dream from last night was on replay in my mind, and no matter what happy thoughts I tried to focus on, I was sure the second I drifted off, the nightmare would be there waiting.

It was fine. I had gotten my sleep last night, thanks to Fred, I couldn't bother him two nights in a row. Not to mention, I was sure George was going to start getting annoyed if he had to keep waking up to an intruder in his bedroom every morning.

I let out a quiet sigh, listening to the Ginny's soft breathing from across the room and studying the posters for the hundredth time that summer in the moonlight.

Ginny and I had taken to leaving our blinds open at night, since neither of us slept in terribly late, and it let the breeze flow through the small room. I was especially grateful to have her as a roommate on nights like these, when I would otherwise be staring into complete darkness like it was in the twins room.

As I re-read the track list of Ginny's favorite band on the poster near the door, I heard a small shuffling from outside our window. The Weasley's didn't have screens on their windows like we did back home, but from the lack of bugs around the house I was assuming they had replaced them with some sort of spell. I sat up slightly in bed, trying not to make any noise that would wake Ginny, but still hoping to find the source of the noise outside.

After a few seconds, the noise returned, accompanied by a small and familiar outline standing against the windowsill clutching a small rolled up parchment in it's beak.

Pigwidgeon.

I threw the blankets towards the foot of the bed and stepped silently to the window, holding my hand out for the small owl to step onto and taking the note from it's beak. I walked the two of us back to my bed, setting him on my lap and brushing my fingers along his feathers as I opened the parchment.

Still awake? Come see me.

F

I re-folded the note and pushed it under my pillow, glancing back at the little owl, wondering where they kept him at night. What was I supposed to do with him now?

I stepped out of our shared room and shut the door behind me, tip-toeing through the kitchen to where I was used to seeing Errol and holding my arm out to the table for Pigwidgeon to hop off.

"Is this... fine? Do you hang out here?" I asked, knowing I wouldn't get an answer from the baby owl.

When he continued staring at me I finally shrugged and headed back to the stairs to Fred.

Unlike the last night when I had climbed these stairs, I didn't feel nervous or shy. I just felt excited. Excited to see him, excited to maybe get some sleep tonight.

When I reached their floor, I paused at the door, listening for any sounds of sleep from either boy and hearing nothing. Still, I pushed the door open slowly until I could step inside and watched Fred sit up in his bed.

"Took you long enough." He whispered, his smile evident even in the low light of their room.

"Sorry, I was trying to figure out if the note was for me or Ginny." I teased when I arrived at his bed, noting how George seemed to be in a deep sleep, yet hearing no snores or even breathing that would indicate that.

"I uh.. charmed his half of the room when I sent you the letter. Silencing charm." He smirked, holding the covers open for me for only a second before I climbed inside them, my toes already cold from the short walk here.

"You're not supposed to use magic, Fred. You're going to get in trouble." I still spoke softly, despite knowing George wouldn't hear.

"Haven't in all these years, Cassy." He shrugged, stretching out along the bed. "How are they to know if it's me or mum or dad or Bill or Charlie? It's the magic of magic."

"Molly would be angry." I smiled, trying to find something that he wouldn't have an answer to.

"She'll never know." He replied, linking eyes with me for a few seconds before ducking his head down to mine and pressing his lips onto mine.

Once we pulled apart, Fred wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him beneath the covers. I let my head fall onto his chest and breathed in his scent that I was growing so used to now.

"So I was thinking..." He stalled on his words, letting the room go silent again for a few seconds. "Harry's coming next week, and then the Quidditch cup and back to school and it'll be busy for a bit."

I nodded against his chest unsure where he was going with this.

"Would you want to go see your brother... where he's buried? Before we go back to school?"

If it was even possible, the room felt quieter than it had before. I could practically hear the ringing in my ears from the lack of sound. I had been thinking of Tommy so much the past few days, but I hadn't brought it up to Fred.

"I would, yeah. But you don't have to come, Fred, that's... morbid." I mumbled.

"You're not going alone." He answered as if that was obvious. "I'll take you. Maybe Charlie will apparate us, I'll ask him tomorrow."

"No, Fred, I don't want to bother him."

"How do you expect to get there then, love?" He grabbed for my hand beneath the blankets and brushed along my fingers softly. "I just figured he would be bored, he won't mind dropping us."

"I suppose you can ask."

"Okay, I will. You sleepy now?"

"Kind of." I muttered, letting my eyes trail along his eyes and down to his lips, feeling sure he couldn't notice in the darkness.

"It's fine if you have another nightmare. I'll wake you up." He whispered, pressing his lips against my forehead and I let out a breathy laugh.

"How did I get so lucky that you like me?" I asked, feeling my face burn red when his lips touched my skin.

"I wonder that every day, but I think maybe it's a dream and I'll wake up one day and you won't even know my name." He chuckled.

"No chance, Weasley." I breathed, snuggling into the warmth of his embrace and letting my eyes shut for the first time all night.

When I finally blinked into the morning light, I noticed that I was the only one in Fred's bed now, but that George was pulling on a t-shirt on the other side of the room.

"Morning. I'd say to look away, but you've seen it all before. Identical and all." George shot me a smirk when my jaw dropped.

"George!" I scolded him, climbing from Fred's bed and scanning the room as if I expected him to be hidden somewhere.

"I'm fine with it as long as I don't get woken up." He held the door open for the both of us as we started down for breakfast, stopping into my own room for a sweatshirt on the way.

Fred was sat at the kitchen table with a half empty coffee cup in front of him while Charlie was halfway through a large stack of pancakes. George pulled a seat out next to Fred and then took the spot next to Charlie, leaving the first chair next to Fred open for me.

I grabbed a plate and some pancakes and fruit before taking my spot next to Fred, noticing the sleepy look he wore.

"You were up early." I said softly, starting on my breakfast as George struck up a conversation about the Quidditch cup with Charlie.

"Charlie said he would take us today." He answered, taking another sip from his mug. "To see Tommy."

I glanced at the two Weasley boys sat across from us and noticed Charlie's eyes flicker away from the two of us, a sad expression covering his face despite the lively conversation they were engaged in.

I nodded at Fred and continued shoveling food into my mouth, unsure what to say next. I hadn't thought about seeing where Tommy was buried much at all and I was now realizing that I might have a meltdown in front of Fred and Charlie.

"I've got to send some letters back for work and then I'm gonna shower, but I'll take you guys whenever you want to go okay?" Charlie nodded to Fred before heading up to his old bedroom.

"Where are you guys going?" George asked, sounding offended that he hadn't been included in the plans.

"George." Fred warned.

"We're going to my brothers grave." I tried to sound brave, like this was just another day.

His expression fell into regret and it was obvious he wished he had never asked.

"I'll go with you guys, if that's okay Cass? I'd like to pay my respects."

I nodded, a small smile creeping onto my face. It was rare to see either of the boys without a smile on their face, but it was sweet to see how many people missed Tommy even still.

Nearly an hour later, Fred and I were waiting for Charlie near the front door, his head nearly bumping against the lamps in the hallway as he leaned against the wall. Just as we heard the heavy footsteps coming down the stairs, the back door flung open and George appeared holding an oversized handful of purple and yellow wildflowers he had obviously scavenged from the fields out back.

"Here, Cassy. Thought you could bring these." He muttered, pressing a finger to his lip as he handed over the bouquet.

"What are you doing with your mouth?" Fred asked, clearly stifling a laugh.

"A bloody bee stung me on the lip!" He explained with a glare at his brother when he let out a scoff.

"Alright, guys, lets go." Charlie shook his head at his brothers and held the door for the three of us to start away from the protective spells of the Burrow. "Hold on, Cassidy."

I gripped onto Charlie's arm, tucking the flowers beneath my arm as Fred intertwined our fingers, the greenery of the Burrow flashing from my eyes faster than I could blink.

When I felt my feet hit the hard stone of the ground I opened my eyes, a pang hitting my chest as if someone had dropped a brick. Everything looked exactly the same, some flower arrangements fading on stones as we walked past, my feet leading me to the spot I had stood at last summer, feeling like I would never be able to pull myself from my place next to his stone.

We walked in silence, the only noise coming from our feet crunching into the grass and leaves littering the ground until at last we stopped in front of the stone. Clearly one of the newest additions to the cemetery, it looked exactly the same as it had this time last year.

I tried taking a deep breath, one that might steady the nausea I was feeling all of the sudden, but all of the air was getting trapped in my throat.

"I'll be over there whenever you're ready, Cassidy." Charlie spoke softly, his voice probably inaudible to anyone not within our small group. "I didn't know him, but I'm so sorry for your loss."

I didn't look as he walked away, simply offering him a nod that I had no way of knowing if he had even noticed. I felt the tears welling into my eyes, but I wasn't letting them fall yet. I could hold it in. This didn't have to be a crying event, it could just be me, visiting my brother.

I kneeled before the stone and laid the flowers on the grass, tracing along his name etched into the headstone.

"You're missed at school, mate. We would have loved to get to know you." George said, trying to keep his voice light as he rubbed along my shoulder for a few seconds. "I'll be with Charlie. Take your time, okay?"

As his footsteps too faded away, I saw Fred settle to the grass next to me.

"Think he would give me his blessing? You know, with his only little sister?" He mumbled, earning a small laugh from me as a few tears slipped from my eyes.

"He would have loved you. You would have loved him. He was serious because he had to be, but he was fun. He could make people laugh like you can." I said softly, partly to Fred and partly to Tommy.

"I'm thankful you had him. I wish it was for longer, but I'll always be grateful to him. I don't know how things would have been for you without him."

I nodded and wiped along my cheek.

"I miss him. Every day."

Fred nodded, sliding a finger beneath my eye to catch a few more tears before pulling my face into his chest.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, rocking us slightly as I listened to the soft breeze around us, taking deep breaths in and smelling the familiar scent of vanilla and fireworks. "I'll give you some time if you'd like?"

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head when I nodded and got to his feet, the last pair of footsteps fading from earshot and leaving me alone with my brother for the first time in over a year.

"I knew you'd come here this week."

My heart stopped in my chest, the wind no longer audible around me, the blood running through my body ice cold.

"Dad."

Chapter Text

Fred

I hadn't even reached Charlie and George when I heard her scream. Loud, bloodcurdling, terrified. I spun back to find her and my sight went red.

It was her father, I was sure of it. The way that Ron had described the Boggart all of those months ago. I was already sprinting back towards them, unsure if she was still screaming or if I would just never get the sound out of my head from this point on.

I didn't even think to reach for my wand, my only thought was reaching them. Getting him away from her. I was now only a few more steps away and I could see the blood. It leaked from her nose and dripped down her chin onto her pale yellow shirt as his bloodied fist collided with her face once more, letting her fall to the ground as I reached them, shoving the man hard to the ground.

"Get the fuck. Away from her!" I screamed, my fist striking his face on almost every word before I felt hands pulling me back up. "Stop! Stop! I'm gonna kill him!" I howled, not taking my eyes off of the mans face, now claiming more blood than his daughters.

"Fred! Get Cassidy. Get Cassidy!" George shook me, locking eyes with mine and pushing me slightly towards the blonde lying on the ground struggling to sit back up.

My jaw was numb from how hard my teeth were grinding against each other as I watched Charlie and George prop the gray haired man up, Charlie pulling his wand from his jacket pocket while George held him down.

"Cassidy." I muttered, pulling her into my lap and starting to wipe the blood from her skin before hearing her whimper in pain. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." I pulled her into me and wrapped my arms around her body.

"Get the fuck away from me you freaks!" Mr. Olsen shouted from behind my brothers. "That is my daughter, who ran away from home and I will punish her however I see fit-"

I turned to face them when I heard the smack of skin, watching George wipe blood from the back of his hand onto his jeans.

"Shut up." He muttered as Charlie aimed his wand in the mans face.

"Confundo." He said clearly, letting the man fall backwards onto the grass and crossing to me and Cass. "Let's go, it's going to be okay. We're going to get you help."

Charlie and George grabbed onto our shoulders, our bodies colliding with the gravel of the road outside.

"Mum!" George shouted as I scooped Cassidy into my arms, trying not to let myself freak out that she wasn't making any sound anymore.

"What's wrong, dear? Where have you- Good God." Her face went white as her eyes landed on us, blood covering three out of the four. "What happened?"

I followed her through the doorway and into the family room, laying Cassidy onto the couch and taking half a step back, giving my mother space to help her.

"Took her to see her brother's grave." I started, feeling like I hadn't had a full breath since I had left her side at the cemetery. "Her father... must have been waiting for her. I looked away... not even five minutes,"

"It's not your fault, Freddie. Her nose is broken, and she might have some bruises left for just a few days, but she's going to be fine."

"M'okay." Cassidy mumbled, struggling to open her eyes as they were beginning to swell up from the force of her broken nose.

"Yes, you're fine dear. I'm going to fix your nose, okay?" Mum offered her best attempt at a smile and I dropped to the floor in front of the couch, grabbing at Cassidy's hand even though I knew she wouldn't need it.

"Episky." Mum spoke under her breath and Cass let out a small whine that I doubt anyone but the three of us heard.

"What the hell is going on?" Charlie shouted, looking from between George and my faces, apparently finally catching up from the whirlwind of the last fifteen minutes.

"Fred, take her to rest." Mum nodded towards her bedroom door as Bill, Ron and Ginny entered the room at the sound of Charlie's raised voice.

"No, no, I'm okay." She interrupted, trying to sit up, my hands pressing into her shoulder lightly to stop her.

"Honey, I really must insist. You've been through a lot. We'll come get you for dinner, okay? Fred?" She nodded at me pointedly and I grabbed her hand, pulling her through the white faces of my siblings and up to the bathroom to clean her up.

I set her on the counter in the bathroom just as I had last time she was hurt, careful not to grab too hard, worried about what bruises were forming underneath her clothes. I flipped on the water and waited a few seconds for it to heat up while I grabbed a washcloth.

"No kisses this time, don't get any ideas." I muttered, not feeling up to a joke but not being able to stand the silence any longer.

"You're quite funny." She winced as I pressed the warm cloth to her skin, wiping gently to try and get the blood off. "I can just shower, Freddie, it'll be much quicker."

"I..." I shook my head, not knowing what I was going to say but knowing I didn't want to let her out of my sight again. "It's my fault, least I can do is help clean you up."

"How is this your fault?" She tried to pull away from the cloth which was turning a dark red at this point.

"It was stupid of me to take you there this week, stupid of me to leave you alone, I should have checked around us, I was so stupid-"

I stopped as her hand grabbed mine, her fingers tracing the blood painting my knuckles.

"Not your fault. His fault." She breathed. "Do your hands hurt?"

I chuckled, wringing out the washcloth and turning back to face her.

"You're asking me if I'm hurt?"

She nodded and I finally let myself smile again now that her face looked almost back to normal.

"Such a Hufflepuff."

I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her gently to the ground, gesturing for her to lead the way out.

"You can come rest in my room, if you want." I shrugged, "It's closer."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly, it's indecent-" She smirked, letting me pull her through the door and into the bed we had climbed out of this morning.

"I really am sorry, Cassidy."

She shook her head vigorously as she arranged the blankets over us, settling down under my arm.

"I needed to see Tommy before school. It was good."

I was sure she was lying. That she would take it back if she could. I would take it back if I could. I told her he couldn't find her, couldn't get to her, and he did. Right in front of me.

"I was going to kill him."

"Yes, I heard that." She replied.

"He deserves it."

She didn't answer. Simply took in a deep breath and let her eyes shut and I didn't open my mouth again, letting her fall into a much needed sleep.

Cassidy

I jolted awake from my spot on the couch where I must have drifted off some time after lunch. Fred and George were going over some papers across the room, Fred catching my eye as I tried to catch my breath.

It had been two days since we'd come back from the Cemetery and I hadn't had a peaceful rest since. It was as if I was back home, never trusting myself to fall into any sort of deep sleep.

"The muggles are letting Harry come!" Ron shouted from the kitchen where he held a short piece of parchment while Pigwidgeon zoomed around near his feet.

"As if they had a choice." George scoffed.

"Can we floo to pick him up, Dad? We want to meet his family!" Fred insisted, an innocent smile plastered on his face that I for one was not buying.

"Yes, I do think that's the best option." Arthur nodded from his seat at the kitchen table where he had been reading today's Daily Prophet.

"You can't all go, you know that. The muggles won't want their home filled with kids that aren't their own." Molly said, shooting a look at Arthur as if to remind him who they were dealing with. "Ron, you ought to go get your room ready if he's coming tomorrow, and Ginny and Cassidy have you made up some room for Hermione? She should be here any time now."

"Charlie got her bed up for us, but we'll go make it now." Ginny nodded excitedly, jumping from her spot on the sofa and waiting for me to catch up before we headed towards our shared room.

"Does Hermione usually stay in your room when she's here?" I asked as the two of us pulled sheets out from the overfilled linen closet.

"Oh, yeah. It's nice having another girl in the house, I'm sure you're starting to feel outnumbered like I do?" She chuckled, pulling her half of the fitted sheet over the mattress opposite me.

I shrugged, honestly not even having noticed the lack of girls around the house. I was used to being around only boys until I had gotten to Hogwarts, but even then I always knew I would be going back home and leaving my temporary sisters behind until the next fall.

"I'm sorry it's going to be so cramped because of me." I stood back and looked around Ginny's once spacious seeming room, the floor barely visible under the three beds and two dressers lining the walls.

"No, don't be!" She looked up shocked. "I've seriously loved having you here this summer, Cassidy. I've always wanted a sister."

"Hermione's here!" The twins shouted from outside of our room and we instantly heard Ron's footsteps pounding down the stairs above us.

"Mione!" Ginny enveloped the girl in a hug and I stood behind the group as they reunited. Hermione looked different since the last day of term. I wasn't sure if it was just that she must have gotten caught up on her sleep and had no longer been working herself to death, but her eyes and skin looked brighter and even her curls which had usually been frizzy or tangled last year now laid more neatly at her shoulders.

"Hi Hermione, it's good to see you." I smiled as Ginny grabbed her trunk from her, struggling to carry it just a few feet before Fred swooped in to take it from her.

"I'll put this in the room for you, Granger." He shot me a smile as the three of us followed him into our bedroom.

"What have you been up to all summer?" Ginny asked, dropping onto her mattress and staring wide eyed at our new roommate.

"Started reading through most of the books, it looks like we're in for an interesting year Cass. My parents and I went camping for a long weekend, but other than that it was a bit boring. I bet you all had loads of fun here?"

Ginny shook her head with a shrug and I laughed.

"It's been loads of fun, but we're so excited you're here now. And for the Quidditch cup, right Gin?" I reminded the girl, who had to have been the most excited for the game out of the three of us.

"Oh, yes, I've been waiting all summer for this. It's the first Cup Britain's hosted in thirty five years." Ginny rambled on as Hermione and I shared a look.

"Harry arrives tomorrow I heard, right Gin?" Hermione asked, shooting the red head a knowing look as she stopped mid-sentence.

"Er, yes, tomorrow. They're getting him at 5. Yep." She stammered and I shot Hermione a confused look.

"Ginny's had a crush on Harry since the day he walked in here." She explained, Ginny's face burning red to match her hair.

"Hermione, it's not a crush! He's the boy who lived, I was just surprised he was in my kitchen!" She tossed her pillow straight at Hermione's head, causing the three of us to burst into laughter. "Besides, wait until you see Fred and Cassidy."

It was my turn to blush red, my stomach clenching up as both girls whipped their heads towards me.

"You and Fred?" Hermione squealed and I ran towards her bed, my hands moving to cover her mouth before the entire house heard her words.

"There's no 'me and Fred,' Ginny's seeing things." I shot her a glare which she ignored, a cheerful smile on her face.

"Not just seeing them, I hear things too. From Georgie."

"What have you heard? Just spit it out, or i'll have to ask the twins myself." Hermione whined as the door opened to our bedroom.

"Ask us what?" George asked from his place in the doorway next to Fred.

"Nothing!" I answered quickly.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Ginny asked, moving to slam the door on the boys.

"Dinner's ready, mum told us to get you lot." Fred held his hands up as if to shield his face from any possible attack from Ginny.

"She'll tell us later. We'll get it out of her." Ginny muttered as we follow the boys towards the kitchen.

Chapter Text

Cassidy

The rest of the house was a flurry of movement as the minutes ticked closer to five pm. Hermione and I sat along the couch watching Ginny on the edge of her seat, eyes glued to the fireplace as if Harry was going to simply find his own way here and pop up at any second. Molly had agreed that the twins could accompany Ron and Arthur to pick Harry up, so they sat squished into the arm chair nearest the fire, whispering between each other in voices too low for me to hear, try as I might. Ron however was nearly bouncing off the walls in anticipation of seeing his best friend for the first time in months.

"Ron, now settle down. If you need something to do, you can help me straighten the kitchen. Honestly, no idea how muggles keep anything clean without magic, I can barely keep up with the lot of you-"

"Never mind, Molly, you do great. It looks perfect." Arthur said and I caught a smile surfacing on my face as he kissed his wife. "I'll be back in a bit. Sit down and relax."

Molly ignored his words, continuing to scrub down the kitchen table as the rest of us watched the four red heads line up in front of the fireplace.

"Alright, boys, you all know the drill. Speak clearly." Arthur stated as he grabbed a small handful of powder from the pot on the mantel.

He took a step into the flames and we watched his body twist in a few circles before disappearing from our sight.

"Fred, what have you got in your pocket?" I asked, catching a smirk being exchanged between the twins as Fred shot me a wink, his body too spinning into the flames.

Just as George reached for his handful of powder, throwing it into the fire and watching the green flames lick at the air, we heard a scuffle from where the two Weasley's had just disappeared.

"Ouch! Fred, no - go back, go back, there's been some kind of mistake - tell George not to - OUCH! George, no, there's no room, go back quickly and tell Ron-"

The three of us left on the couch were now all at the edge of our seats, listening intently to the words of Arthur carrying back through the flames. Ron looked at each of us in turn as if we would have the answer to his questions.

"Maybe Harry can hear us, Dad - maybe he can let us out -" Fred's voice carried to my ears and I held back a chuckle at the fact that he sounded so amused in this situation.

Ron shrugged and threw his floo powder into the flames, stepping in to join his brothers.

"What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?"

"Oh no, Ron." Fred remarked sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up."

My hands shot to cover my mouth as I laughed, Hermione joining me while Ginny sat still seeming quite stressed.

"Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here." said George.

"Boys, boys." Arthur's voice interrupted the boys banter. "Alright, it's the only way. Stand back, Harry!"

The three of us jumped as a bang echoed through the stone of the fireplace, and then the voices were gone.

"They must have gotten through. Don't stress, Ginny." Hermione offered the youngest girl a smile and her previously tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

We sat in near silence for a while, I for one straining to hear Fred's voice again through the flames.

Finally, Fred's tall frame spun into view and tumbled out easily back into the room before us, pushing a pack of brown toffees into his pocket and wearing a dangerous grin.

"What happened to you guys?" Ginny asked, obviously annoyed that the first one to arrive wasn't Harry Potter.

"The muggles boarded up their fireplace for some reason. Who knows. They really are awful, just like Harry describes them. Worse actually." He turned back to the fire as George emerged behind him holding an oversized trunk which he dropped to the floor as he steadied himself. No sooner had the twins stepped away, Ron's figure appeared as well, hobbling slightly and falling onto the couch next to Hermione.

"Muggle fireplaces are different from ours, did you know?" He looked between Hermione and I and she chuckled.

"Some, yes." She answered, her attention still on the green flames that Ron had left, yet no one followed him.

"Where's Harry and your dad?" I asked.

"He must have eaten it, Freddie." George said giddily.

"Eaten what?" Ron looked wide eyed between the twins.

"Oh no, what did you do?" I sighed, remembering the evil grins the two had exchanged before they left and the toffees being hidden in Fred's pocket upon his return.

At last, the next figure appeared from the flames. Harry wore an oversized t-shirt which nearly fell to his knees and jeans with holes in one knee and grass stains on the other. His hair was shaggier even than last years, but he looked older. More grown up. He stumbled onto the floor and caught himself, getting back to his feet and looking around at the six of us.

Before anyone could greet him, Fred pounced on the dark haired boy.

"Did he eat it?"

"Yeah, what was it?" Harry asked, a smile breaking out onto his face as the flames faded from the fireplace behind us, lessening the heat in the room at once.

"Ton-Tongue Toffee," Fred grinned. "George and I invented them, just needed someone to test them out on."

The room exploded with laughter.

"Well done." He said softly, clearly afraid Molly may be lurking around.

"It's so good to see you, Harry." Hermione said as she pulled the boy in for a bone crushing hug.

"Good to see you too, Hermione. Had a good summer?" Harry offered Ginny and I a smile and a nod which caused Ginny to look away, clearly hiding a pink face from the room.

Charlie and Bill crossed over to the boy, both holding out their hands to introduce themselves.

"That wasn't funny, Fred!" Arthur shouted. "What on earth did you give that muggle boy?"

I crossed my arms nervously over my chest and watched, waiting for Fred's face to fall or for any amount of fear to cross his eyes, but saw nothing. The grin never left his face.

"I didn't give him anything," Fred shrugged. "I only dropped it, it's not my fault he went and ate it!"

"You dropped it on purpose!" roared Arthur. "You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet-"

"How big did his tongue get?" George interrupted, eagerly.

"It was four feet long before his parents would let me fix it."

Harry and the Weasley boys roared again with laughter.

"It isn't funny. You wait until I tell your mother-"

"Tell me what?" Molly emerged from the kitchen.

Arthur stuttered out a vague summery of the twins prank which was not met well from their mother.

"Boys, honestly!" She screamed. "When will this nonsense end! I can't take it anymore!"

"Ron, why don't you show Harry where he's sleeping?" Hermione suggested, inching towards the staircase.

"He knows where he's sleeping," said Ron, "in my room, he slept there last -"

"We can all go." She said pointedly.

"Oh, right." Ron nodded, understanding at last. "Coming Cass?"

I stood still, my feet stuck in their spot, watching Fred's face which had finally fallen at his mothers words. He looked over and caught my eye, shaking his head and nodding towards the trio behind me.

It's fine. He mouthed and I nodded, following the three up to Ron's room, but feeling guilty for leaving him.

Once we had gotten Harry settled into Ron's room and the shouts were no longer floating through the floorboards, the four of us climbed down the flights of stairs to help Molly with dinner.

"We're eating out in the garden, there's not enough room inside for all of us. Girls, will you take the plates outside? Cutlery please, boys." She hardly looked up as we set to our tasks and headed for the garden.

We turned towards the cheers outside and I smiled as I watched Bill and Charlie, both levitating heavy wooden tables which they were using to joust in mid-air. I walked towards Fred and George who were seated in the grass, cheering on their older brothers. I sat down next to Fred, setting the pile of plates in my lap and watching his smile carefully, noticing how it didn't light up his eyes like it usually did.

"I'm sorry you got yelled at." I breathed out close to his ear so George wouldn't hear.

He shrugged, eyes still on the tables until one of the legs broke off and the boys lowered them to the ground, setting to fixing the broken one before pushing them together.

"It's not that she yelled at us. We're used to that." Fred began, getting to his feet and taking the plates from my hands so I could stand too. We started towards the tables to begin setting up for dinner before he continued. "It just sucks. That she doesn't believe in us. It's actually hard magic, we work hard inventing these things, but all she sees is us being trouble-makers. She wants us to buckle down and study harder to get ministry jobs like Percy. And she lost it when she found out about the joke shop. We had order forms made up and everything and she tore them to shreds."

My heart sunk at his words. As much as I loved Molly and as much as I knew Molly loved her boys, how could she not see that the twins needed her support?

"She just doesn't see the big picture yet, Freddie. Trust me, when you guys do it, open the shop, she'll be so impressed. Everyone will." I took his hand quickly in mine and squeezed it softly, watching a small smile spread on his lips.

"It's good we've got one person on our side." George spoke up, causing the two of us to jump apart, not realizing anyone had been so close. "Let us know if you need a job after Hogwarts, Cassy, we can give you an interview."

"Oh, shove off George." Fred smiled, pulling a chair out for me as everyone sat down to wait for dinner.

Once everyone has eaten their fill and the plates had been magicked inside to the sink, the group of us set about helping Molly to re-clean the kitchen and put away the leftovers.

"Alright, it's getting late, you all had better get to bed. You'll be up earlier than the chickens, and you'll need your rest. Harry and Cassidy, if you leave me your school lists, I'll get your supplies from Diagon Ally while you're gone. There might not be time when you get back, the last World Cup lasted five days."

"I hope that happens this time!" Harry looked excitedly around the group who all seemed to agree.

The Weasley children headed to their separate rooms, Ginny and Hermione giving me a strange look as I trailed behind with Fred until the hallways emptied out.

"I'll see you in the morning, then." Fred said softly, reaching for my hand as we leaned against the wall.

"Mhm." I smiled, watching him trace along my fingers.

"Have you been... sleeping alright?"

I shrugged, not looking up to meet his eyes, knowing he would see the answer in them.

"I'm sorry, Cassy." He tucked one finger beneath my chin and brought my gaze to his. "I'd have you come up with me, but I think we'd get in trouble."

"And you've been in enough trouble today." I teased. "I'll be fine, I just hope I don't wake Hermione or Ginny up if I have a nightmare."

Or rather, when I have a nightmare.

"They won't mind. Sleep well." He leaned in slightly and I shut my eyes, waiting only a second before I felt the soft lips latch onto mine, kissing me for only a few seconds this time before we parted ways for the night.

Chapter Text

I jolted awake for what must have been the fourth time that night, only this time I could pinpoint the reason. In the dark of Ginny's bedroom you could barely make out Molly's outline as she moved to wake her daughter before starting towards Hermione and I.

"I'm up, thank you Molly." I said softly, knowing the other two were being woken from a much deeper sleep than I had been.

"One out of ten up and ready for the day, I'll take that as a win." She smiled as she headed back to the hallway, the smell of breakfast already wafting in our room.

"I've changed my mind, I don't want to go." Ginny grumbled, shoving her pillow over her face in an attempt to block out the light from the hallway lamps. The sky outside of our window was still very dark, meaning it had to be well before six in the morning.

"We'll get some coffee, come on Ginny." Hermione voiced, sounding groggy herself but climbing from the bed and shutting the door so the three of us could get dressed.

Arthur had told us to dress 'incognito,' which to him apparently meant in muggle clothing, which was good since that was all I really had if I didn't want to show up in my school uniform. I pulled on a pair of jeans which sported a few holes in the knees and a white t-shirt, lacing up my shoes before heading to meet the rest of the Weasley's in the kitchen. Everyone was sporting muggle clothing, the twins wearing loose fitted cardigans over striped t-shirts and matching sleepy looks. Fred rubbed at his eyes before going in for another bite of his breakfast when Ginny pulled the chair out next to him, plopping down and sliding a plate over for herself.

Fred's eyes met mine and suddenly any ounce of sleepiness I had felt had evaporated. He offered me a tired smile and ran his tongue over his lips quickly, his eyes rolling over my body once before he returned to his meal.

Arthur explained that we had a bit of a walk ahead of us after Ginny voiced her annoyance at the early hour we had all been woken up. Apparently, over two hundred portkeys had been set up around Britain for wizards to get to the World Cup without the muggles taking notice.

The eight of us set out through the dark and twisting path heading towards the large hill in the distance which Arthur had pointed out at the start of our walk. I had packed a few changes of clothes in my small bag which was nothing in comparison to Mr. Weasley's oversized backpack he had strapped to his back. The sky was slowly lightening from the pitch black we had grown so used to and was now simply a dark blue, but the air around us was still unusually chilly for late August.

Fred and I had walked side by side in near silence aside from the random tips to 'watch your step,' or him pointing out houses of children he had played with as a small child.

"Did you bring a jacket?" He asked, apparently noting my shivering even in the dim light.

"No, I forgot. I'm used to it being warm." I shrugged, hugging my arms to my chest. Before answering, Fred slipped his bag over his shoulders and shrugging his arms from his cardigan.

"Fred, no. You'll get cold, it'll get warmer when the sun comes out-" I started, backing a few steps away, my foot plummeting through a small hole in the grass before Fred linked his hands with mine, pulling me back towards him easily.

"It'll get warmer when the sun comes out." He mimicked, reaching around me to pull the oversized gray sweater over my arms. "Watch where you're walking, Cassy, wouldn't be much fun watching the World Cup with a broken ankle." He winked, pulling his rucksack back on and continuing up the hill after his family, who we were now falling behind.

After what felt like hours, dodging the small holes and trying to find good footing in the dewy grass, we had made it to the top of the hill.

"Well we made good time, we've still got ten minutes. Just have to find the Portkey..." Arthur started, his eyes drifting along the grassy floor. "Everyone spread out!"

We searched for only a few minutes before a cheery voice called over to our group.

"Over here, Arthur! We've got it!"

Fred and I straightened up and turned towards where the voice had come from, noting two tall silhouettes walking towards us.

"Amos!" Arthur smiled, exchanging a handshake with the new man and turning towards his son.

My stomach dropped a bit at the sight of Cedric, the way it always did when I saw any of Tommy's old friends. We all exchanged hellos, aside from Fred and George who remained pointedly silent.

"All these yours, Arthur?" Amos glanced around the large group of us.

"No, only the red-heads. This is Hermione and Harry, they're Ron's friends, and Cassidy's friends with the twins," He explained, but I was no longer listening. The moment he had said my name, Cedric's eyes had landed on me, a wistful and knowing look on his face.

"Must be nearly time now, we'd better get ready." Arthur's voice brought me out from my train of thought. Fred nudged my arm lightly, pushing me towards the dirty boot Mr. Diggory was holding out.

"Just have to be touching it somehow, but I would opt for a good grip." Arthur explained, most likely for my sake, possibly for Hermione's as well.

I reached out with the rest of them, grabbing onto the dark shoelace of the boot and watching to make sure Fred got a good hold of his own. Arthur began counting down from three and as soon as his voice had uttered "one," I felt a strong jerk from the boot as my feet left the ground. Fred and George's shoulders dug into mine as we flew for only a few seconds through flurries of colors and shapes before we landed back on the ground, stumbling against one another until falling into a large heap.

"Ouch, why'd I stand between you two?" I grumbled as the twins jumped off of me, both reaching out their hands to pull me to my feet.

I looked around realizing to my relief that everyone had enjoyed a similar landing, aside from Mr. Weasley, Mr. Diggory and Cedric who all remained standing.

A tired looking wizard watched as we all stood up, taking in our new surroundings.

"Alright there, Arthur? You'd better get moving, we've got a big party coming in just a few minutes. Let me find you your campsite." He grumbled, obviously not thrilled to be working this event. "Bout a half a mile's walk that direction, ask for Mr. Roberts. Diggory... you're over that way." He gestured a bit to the right as our group set off, thanking the man for his help.

I took off after the twins who had already launched into yet another conversation about the outcome of the game when I saw movement from the corner of my eye. I looked over and my stomach dropped for what felt like the hundredth time today.

"Cassidy, right?" Cedric asked so softly, even the twins didn't turn at his voice.

I nodded, feeling suddenly shy and apparently without a voice.

"I'm Cedric. I uh... We haven't officially met." He offered me the smile that I recognized so easily by now. The 'I'm sorry about your dead brother' smile.

"I know. Tommy talked about you." I said stupidly. Could you sound any more like a stalker?

"Did he?" He gave a short laugh, scratching at the back of his neck and looking off into the distance for a second. "I just wanted to say I'm so sorry. We weren't all that close, but he was a good friend. A great guy. I'm sure you know that."

I nodded, biting my lip as I felt my eyes start to water. I could talk about him with Fred, even George now, but talking to him with strangers still got me like this.

"Thank you." I tried for a smile at him, but barely took my eyes from the ground. "You excited for the game?"

He nodded, obviously noting my attempt to change the subject. "It's all I've been waiting for all summer. Holiday's suck being an only child, no one to practice quidditch with."

"You should come play with the Weasley's, keep them off my back for a while." I joked.

"Do you play?" He asked, his voice sounding excited.

"No, not even a bit." I chuckled. "But they insist that I will one day. I just barely learned to fly this summer."

"I can teach you. When we get back to school, maybe? I'll train you into a good little quidditch player for our team." He winked and I shook my head, giggling at the very thought of me on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.

"Cassy? Come on, we're this way." Fred suddenly spun around the second I laughed, his words directed at me but his eyes latched onto Cedric.

"Right, i'll see you around then, Cassidy." Cedric offered me a smile, keeping it up as he nodded a goodbye at the twins who only deepened their glowers at him.

"See you." I hurried to pull Fred and George along behind the rest of our group to get their scowls away. "Why are you guys being weird? You look terrifying."

"Don't talk to our arch nemesis then." George shrugged as if I was supposed to know this.

"Arch nemesis?" I laughed, looking between their serious faces.

"He stole the Gryffindor Hufflepuff game right out from beneath us, our seeker plummeted from the sky and all he cared about was winning the game." Fred exclaimed, earning stares from the surrounding campsites as we crossed through the fields.

"Are these supposed to look like muggle campsites?" I asked, half trying to change the subject and half in awe at the strangest looking tents I had ever laid eyes on.

"They... they do look like muggle campsites, what do you mean?" Fred asked, glancing between a few of them as if he couldn't see anything wrong with the picture before us.

"Muggle tents don't have gardens attached to them... or multiple stories or chimneys." I pointed at the tent to our left, stifling a laugh with my hands.

"Then where does the smoke from their ovens go? And their fireplaces?" Fred asked, shaking his head as if this was quite obvious.

"Ovens?" I questioned.

"Here we are!" Arthur announced, looking back on the oversized group of us as we arrived towards one of the more normal looking tents I had seen. A wooden picket sign out front read "WEEZLY." And I giggled, earning a push from Fred.

"How are we all going to fit-" Harry started, looking at the size of the tent and then back at the seven, soon to be ten of us when Bill, Charlie and Percy arrived.

"It's going to be a bit snug, that's true. But we'll all fit, come on in." Arthur lead the way, ducking into the doorway of the tent. One by one we scrambled in after him until I blinked into the brightly lit space, the sun glowing through the sheer material on the ceiling.

"Oh my God..." I muttered, spinning to take in the huge room I was now standing in. There was a small area that appeared to be a kitchen complete with an oven and a table in the center and a slightly larger area with two couches and an arm chair. Beyond this I could see four rooms crammed together with cots inside.

"Alright, we're going to need some water. Ron, if you Harry and Hermione want to grab some from the spigot there on the map? The rest of us will get some firewood."

The three of them set off out of the tent with the oversized kettle and Fred, George and I started towards the woods behind us.

Chapter Text

My eyes wandered over the many stands that hadn't been here for our walk in, the green and gold items sparkling and drawing everyone's attention as the crowds swarmed to purchase souvenirs.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone to find the Bulgarian stands after Ron had purchased a decent chunk of green and gold. The twins and I continued around the stands despite both of them having handed over their entire life's savings to Ludo Bagman to bet on the game.

"We could have kept a bit, I suppose. Didn't think about all of this." George muttered, eyeing a few children who were waving Ireland flags which sang the team's fight song.

"If only one of us was smart." Fred grinned, shoving a hand deep into his pocket and pulling out a few silver coins.

"You git! We were supposed to pool everything!" George shot him a nasty look, but a smile hid beneath it.

"Aw, come on Georgie. We can share it." He smirked as he dropped the coins into the booth owner's outstretched hand and pulled a tall green hat from the shelf. It glowed green and gold every few seconds and I laughed as he dropped it on my head.

"Fine, but that's coming out of your half when we win." George said pointedly as the three of us continued down our path.

A few hours later, the ten of us sat around our dying fire, the sun having dropped behind the clouds, painting the sky orange while we waited for the game. Fred had disappeared a few minutes ago, but returned once a loud bang echoed across the woods to us.

"It's time!" Arthur jumped from his spot, excitedly. "Let's get going, come on!" He waved his arms as if to summon the group to follow him. Harry and Ron sprung up immediately, barely leaving any room behind Mr. Weasley as they raced to the woods. I started towards Fred who was now wearing a new black hoodie and holding the gray sweater from this morning out to me.

"Thank you." I smiled, pulling it over my shirt in anticipation for the cold that was sure to find us as soon as the sky got dark.

"You're gonna need it, dad says our seats are really high up. Gonna be windy up there." He shrugged, the excitement clear on his face.

"Cassidy, you almost forgot your hat!" George came running up from behind us, the oversized hat once again being dropped on my head. I pushed the band up out of my eyes and shot George a look.

"Surely it's someone else's turn with the hat now?"

"Well yeah, but you look so cute in it." Fred smirked and I shook my head, feeling the best rush to my cheeks and wishing it was just a little bit darker out.

The sound of Harry's gasp brought me back to the scene before me. Giant golden walls more than double the size of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch stood before us and thousands of witches and wizards swarmed the entrances, presenting tickets to the staff guarding the gates.

"Come on, Weasley's! And honorary Weasley's!" Arthur corralled us towards the nearest gate and handed the woman a stack of paper tickets.

"Ah, these are good seats." The lady smiled, standing aside to create a path for us to enter. "You're going all the way up, top box. You're the first so far. Enjoy the game." She smiled at the lot of us as we thanked her and began our climb.

"All the things Wizard-kind has done, and still no elevators." I muttered under my breath, earning a laugh from Hermione in front of me.

At last, the stairs stopped and we stepped into a decent sized box lined with seats. No one else was here, so I followed the trio, Bill and Charlie towards the front row, the twins falling in next to me and Percy and Arthur next to them.

"My turn." George grabbed the hat from my head, pulling it over his messy hair and scanning the field. The goal posts towered so high they were nearly eye level with us.

"Ah, Arthur! Glad you could make it!" A jolly sounding voice rang out, causing me to jump towards the entrance to the box. I recognized the one man who entered, but I didn't know how.

"Cornelius, good to see you!" Arthur smiled, shaking the man's hand who I now realized was the Minister of Magic. "Have you met my family? This is Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, Ron and Ginny, and friends. Hermione, Harry and Cassidy." He began pointing down the line and we all smiled and nodded politely.

"I hope you've all enjoyed yourselves so far? Marvelous to host this year, it's been too long." His eyes slid around the stadium, watching the stands fill with witches and wizards. "Aah, and here's Lucius!"

I felt Fred's arm tense beside me and I glanced to his face before looking at the newcomer. He had hair so blonde it was nearly white and a thin woman at his side, both of whom were leading an infamous blonde boy into the box.

"Welcome, Lucius! I trust you know the Weasley's." Fudge smiled happily, clearly unaware of the tension I could see just from watching Fred's eyes scan between his father and Mr. Malfoy

Lucius' eyes scanned the ten of us, a dark sort of humor residing there when he finally spoke to Arthur.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Arthur. What did you have to sell for these tickets? I can't imagine your house would pull enough for this." He said, somewhat under his breath, although Fudge was clearly not listening.

Arthur shook his head, a fake smile plastered on his face as he sat back down next to Percy. My eyes were still glancing between the three Malfoys, watching Lucius glance at Hermione and a scowl appear on his face.

"Bloody tossers." Ron muttered, looking away from them and back to the pitch.

From the corner of my eye, I watched Draco mutter something to his father as they took their seats. I turned my head slightly so I could see them and watched Draco nod his head towards me with a scowl. I could only guess he was filling him in on the other muggle born sitting in their box since he had shown his fondness for Hermione already.

I looked away, pretending to study the pitch as the rest of the Weasley's were doing, but I could feel eyes on me. Sure that I was imagining things, I turned my head back to the Malfoys to see Lucius' eyes lock with my own. My heart skipped a few beats before I took a deep breath and finally pulled my gaze away.

It's nothing. They're terrible. They just hate Muggleborns. He's trying to scare you.

"Get ready." Fred's voice jolted me from my inner monologue and I put on a smile, scanning the field again and watching Ludo Bagman scamper to the top of our box, his wand pointed at his throat as he muttered a spell and began his announcements.

"Welcome, welcome everyone! It is such an honor to be here this evening, such an honor to have these teams here, we thank everyone for coming out." His voice boomed around the stadium and I covered my ears at the sudden volume.

"Without further ado, please put your hands together for the Bulgarian Mascots!" He continued, and the crowds went wild, rows upon rows of red and black jumping in their seats as a group of women danced out onto the field, all wearing matching short white dresses with beautiful hair loose around their shoulders. The crowd roared once again and I watched Harry and Ron jump to their seats, George and Fred letting their necks fall, but not standing from their seats.

"Sit down, you two, you look like idiots." Hermione hissed, yanking the boys back to their spots.

"Bloody Hell," George mumbled as the Veela continued their opening dance, their skin practically glowing even this high up.

I watched Fred shake his head side to side for just a second before reaching for the hat from George's head and pulling it on himself.

"Get ahold of yourself, Georgie." He joked, "Your drool's going to fill the box."

I smiled to myself and watched as the girls finished their dance, prancing to the sideline together as Ludo introduced the Ireland mascots. With a bang like a cannon, two golden orbs shot out and raced around the pitch, stopping at either end as a rainbow of colors connected the two, golden coins raining down through the sky as dozens of green blurbs zipped around the stands.

"Leprechauns!" Hermione exclaimed, grinning as we all watched the small green creatures stack up and form words and shape themselves into shamrocks before the rainbow left and they too returned to the sidelines.

I had seen the boys play some excellent quidditch games in the past, but I had never seen anything like this. Both teams worked completely in sync, as if they were reading each other's minds. Ireland was out scoring Bulgaria by over a hundred points now, even with Krum tricking the Ireland seeker into crashing head first into the ground.

Harry noticed before any of us did, jumping from his seat and pointing towards Krum as he shot through the air, a glint of gold ahead of him.

"He did it! Krum's got the snitch, Ireland wins!" Fred grabbed both of my shoulders, shaking me violently as the stands around us erupted in cheers, green flags waving above the stadium and the Irish national anthem drowning out the twin's shouts. The two of them clambered over our seats towards Ludo Bagman as the entire box scrambled around, cheering and leaning over the stands to watch the teams file out of the pitch.

"Ah yes, I owe you... how much?" Ludo asked, a fake smile plastered on his face as Fred and George held out their hands for their winnings.

Finally, Arthur collected everyone and guided us towards the stairs, all of us eager to escape the glares and snide comments of the Malfoy's.

"Don't tell your mother you've been gambling." Arthur begged as we followed him down to the ground floor.

"Not a chance, dad." George replied, still grinning ear to ear.

"Yeah, we've got big plans for this money, we can't have it confiscated." Fred slung an arm around my shoulder, seeming without a care in the world.

"How did you guys know what to bet?" I asked, looking up at Fred's messy and windswept hair and trying to hold back a smile.

"We knew Ireland would win, and obviously Krum's about the best seeker playing today." Fred shrugged.

"Obvious, wasn't it?" George finished as we emerged from the woods and back to our campsite. The group of us ducked as groups of leprechauns glowing green and waving musical flags soared above us, singing and chanting from all around carrying over the night air.

"We'd better get to bed then. We'll shove off early in the morning again." Arthur explained as we neared our tent.

"Dad, we couldn't possibly!" Ginny whined.

"Yeah, no way we'll get to sleep any time soon with all of this noise!" Ron gestured around us and Arthur nodded in agreement.

"Alright, fair point. How about some hot chocolate?" He headed to the kitchen and pulled out some cups.

After over an hour of re-enactments and arguing over moves and skills of both teams, the noise outside had died down considerably. You could still hear cheering in the distance and some drunken singing closer by, but it would at least be possible to sleep now. Ginny had fallen asleep half way through her cocoa and was now slumped over the coffee table in between the sofas the rest of us were crammed onto.

"Alright, everyone to bed now." Arthur smiled, clearly exhausted from the long day as he stood and headed towards the first bedroom.

"Come on, Gin." Charlie whispered, leaning over the small girl and pulling her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.

"Night everyone." Bill offered a half wave as he and Percy followed Charlie to their room, stopping to drop Ginny in the girls bed on their way.

Fred gave me a quick look, clearly aware that George, Ron and Harry hadn't left yet.

"Well..." I said quietly, taking a few steps to follow Hermione to our room.

"Night Cassy." Fred nodded, the other boys echoing his sentiment as they started towards their own bunks.

"Night guys." I shut the door to our room and pulled Fred's sweater, draping it over the edge of the bed and pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top.

I wasn't sure if I had actually fallen asleep. It felt like only minutes since my head had hit the soft pillow, but I couldn't sleep through the sharp whispers filling the tent.

"Get up, boys. Get up, this is urgent." Arthur's voice carried into our room, Ginny and Hermione still fast asleep. I sat up, my body feeling heavy with sleep and listened for more words from the Weasley's before I realized. What I had assumed had been lingering cheers and celebration from the game was different than when we had gone to bed. These weren't happy cheers and chants and singing. These were screams of terror.

The door flew open and Arthur stood before us, jeans pulled over his pajamas in a rush.

"Ginny, Hermione, Cassidy. Wake up, please hurry. Something's wrong, we need to get outside."

He crossed to Ginny's bed and shook her awake, Hermione and I already clambering onto the floor and searching for shoes.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, a nervous tint to her voice that matched the dread I was feeling in my chest.

"Not sure. Come on now." He lead the three of us outside of the tent where we could plainly see what was going on.

A large group of people dressed in all black with black masks covering their faces moved across the fields, setting fire to tents as they passed, loud booms and sparks erupting from their wands every few minutes. And above them, four muggles floated in mid air, twisting and spinning through the air as their screams echoed through the campsite.

"This is really sick." Ron exclaimed, his jaw dropping open as he watched the scene before us. Finally, my attention was pulled when Bill Charlie and Percy, all fully clothed, rushed from the tent to Mr. Weasley's side.

"We're going to help, you lot get to the woods. Stay together, stay safe. I'll come get you." Arthur gave us all a sweeping and serious glance, his gaze landing on the twins. "Keep them safe."

And with that, the four of them were off, fleeing towards the growing group of masked wizards through the chaos left in their trail.

"Come on," Fred locked eyes with me, reaching for Ginny's hand and starting towards the woods when I nodded. On Harry and Ron's heels, I followed the group towards the darkness of the trees before I felt it again. The same feeling I had felt in the top box at the game. Like someone was watching me.

I turned around and scanned the emptying tents around us. In all of this chaos, there would be no reason for anyone to be watching me. I knew next to nobody here, aside from a few school friends and the Weasley's.

Just as I was about to give up, sure that it was all in my head, I spotted them. Black robes draped over their body, a mask just like the others covering their face. But unmistakably, they were staring right at me. Letting the group of wizards leave them behind in the dust, watching me, not moving. I wasn't sure if my heart had beat once since I had laid eyes on the figure. I wasn't thinking about anything, not losing the Weasley's in the forest, being on my own during this riot, the freezing night air biting at my uncovered arms and neck. All I could think was that it would be me next, me floating in the air next to the muggles, being flung about at random, my neck snapping from side to side.

"Cassidy?" A voice snapped me from my thoughts and I felt hands close around my bare arms. "Cassidy, what are you doing here? We have to go!"

He yanked on my arm, pulling me towards where I had last seen my friends disappear to. I spun back around for once last look at the cloaked figure but saw no one.

"Come on, Cassidy. They might come back." Cedric hissed, placing one hand on either side of my shoulders and staring deep into my eyes. "Are you hurt? Can you walk?"

I nodded and we hurried towards the woods, finally slowing once we were shrouded in the darkness, only a bit of moonlight leaking down through the leaves above us.

"Aren't you with the Weasley's? Where'd they go?" He asked, looking around at the crowds hurrying deeper into the woods.

"I don't... I don't know. I was with them, I got... I lost them when..." I stammered, my thoughts still on the stranger from the campsite. Cedric eyed me curiously, clearly thinking I must have hit my head or that possibly I was just mental to begin with.

"I'm sorry, I'm not making sense." I sighed, starting to look for the red headed wizards I was supposed to stay with.

"It's fine, you're okay." Cedric nodded, scanning behind me. "I know it's scary. We should get further in, I'm sure that's where the Weasley's went to. I'll help you find them."

"Where's your dad?" I asked, remembering the slightly obnoxious man Cedric had arrived here with just this morning.

"Ran off a bit ago to help. I wanted to go, but he wouldn't let me."

"What's happening?" I asked, sneaking another look behind us as if someone could sneak up on us at any minute. "Who are they?"

Cedric didn't answer for a moment, both of us stepping over loose branches and tree limbs in silence.

"Dad thinks... they're dressed like Death Eaters. From... You-Know-Who's days." He shook his head slowly, deep in thought.

"Death Eaters?" I asked, only having read about that term. I could tell from Cedric's face, even as he tried to seem brave, that those words instilled a lot more fear in wizarding families. Having grown up hearing those stories, knowing everything that had happened before Harry Potter...

"Cedric did you..." I started, not sure how to phrase my question. "When you, back there... There was someone watching me. At the tents. Did you see?"

He looked down at me, locking eyes with me again, his brows furrowed.

"Someone was watching you?"

"I mean... I think so. Yeah, I think so." I rambled, trying to convince myself more than him.

"I didn't notice, Cassidy. I'm sorry. I just saw you. All alone."

"Right." I nodded, wishing now that I hadn't brought it up at all.

It had been cold the whole time, but it was really only setting in now that we were away from the activity. I felt the goosebumps lining my arms and I rubbed my hands over them, wishing I had just thought to grab Fred's sweater before we had left.

"I'm sorry, you must be freezing. Here, take this." Cedric pulled his hoodie over his head and handed it to me, stopping behind a tree and looking around us.

"I don't need it, it's okay, Cedric you-"

"I'll be fine. You're in a tank top." He gave me a stern look and I didn't press the issue anymore. The sweatshirt was still warm in my hands from Cedric's body heat and I pulled it over my head eagerly, taking a deep breath and feeling warmer at once.

"Might want to take it off when we find your friends though, I don't want you to get in trouble with your boyfriend." He continued, raising his eyebrows when my eyes flickered to his.

"Boyfriend?" I asked, confused. Fred wasn't my boyfriend, and even if he was, how would Cedric have known?

"Fred? Am I way off? He was just, the mean looks this morning, and last year at the game, with the banner for your brother..."

I stopped in my tracks, forgetting why we were hidden in a forest, avoiding possible death eaters for a moment.

"That was his idea! I knew it was, he told me it was you!"

"Well, don't get me wrong, it was a good idea and your brother deserved it. But no, that was all Fred."

I nodded, feeling much warmer now, although whether it was from the hoodie or this new knowledge, I wasn't sure.

"But he isn't... my boyfriend." I clarified. "Just a good friend. They all are."

"Good to know." Cedric smiled as we neared a clearing in the woods.

Chapter Text

"Cass!"

I spun around towards the direction of the voice. I hadn't realized that I had been waiting to hear it, aching to hear it, to know that he was okay.

His body collided with mine, his hands wrapped around my waist the only reason that I hadn't been knocked to the ground. Cedric took a step back in shock at the force in which Fred had thrown himself at me. Ginny and George stood behind him, both looking equally relieved to see me.

"You're okay. Bloody Hell, Cassidy, where did you go? Not three feet into the woods you were gone." He stepped back finally and looked me up and down before landing on Cedric's hoodie.

"Yours?" Fred asked, barely sparing the Hufflepuff a glance.

"Yeah, she was... just in a tank top. It's freezing out." Cedric explained and I looked nervously between the two boys.

Fred took a very deep breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it out, his breath forming a cloud in the air between us.

"Thanks, mate. Thank you for staying with her." He spoke through gritted teeth, reaching for the hem of the hoodie and pulling it over my head, the cold air rushing back onto my arms. "We've got her from here."

Cedric shot me a very 'I told you so' look and took his sweatshirt back, nodding at the Weasley's.

"I'm gonna go find my dad, you guys'll be alright, yeah?" He asked, his eyes only leaving mine for a second.

"We're all good, thanks." Fred said, pulling my closer to his body to keep away the cold.

"Stay safe." Cedric nodded at us before taking off deeper into the woods where the groups had all been headed.

"Cassidy." Fred growled under his breath, the two of us a few feet ahead of George and Ginny.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, not liking how angry Fred sounded.

"Where did you go? I... I swear I saw you one minute, the next you were gone."

"It... It's a long story." I sighed, trying to decide if I was going to tell Fred too about the hooded stranger.

"I want to hear it." He stepped over another stump and looked at me, a dark and serious look in his eyes. "There's... Someone set off the Dark Mark."

"The Dark Mark?" I asked, softly. Piecing together from Cedric's mention of the Death Eaters what he was talking about.

"And... They're looking for Muggles... Muggleborns..." He trailed off.

I nodded, knowing what he was saying. That the Death Eaters would have killed me if they'd found me. That he didn't know if I was alive.

I had to admit it was hard walking through the woods, avoiding the small holes and branches when I was this close, tucked under Fred's arm, but it was worth it. I didn't want to be away from him, and from the way he was squeezing me into his chest, I thought he may never let me go again.

Finally we emerged from the trees, the four of us scanning the seemingly vacant campsite, watching tents in the distance glow with lingering embers as a few straggling wizards worked to fix the damage the Death Eaters had caused.

"Thank God, alright, come in." Bill's voice shouted from the doorway to our tent, which was miraculously still intact.

"Everyone else back?" George asked as the twins let Ginny and I inside first, the immediate warmth filling my lungs.

"Still missing Harry, Ron and Hermione. Dad went to get them. It'll be okay." Charlie answered, nodding more to himself than to us.

The seven of us collapsed onto the couch for the second time tonight, all exhausted but knowing that we wouldn't be able to sleep until the others got back safe.

Finally, after what felt like hours, I heard Hermione's voice from outside of the tent.

"Dad?" Charlie poked his head out from the tent. "We've got them all. We're all good."

"Thank Merlin." Arthur sighed as the last three members of our group filled in the gaps on the overcrowded couch. "Listen, it's very late. I don't know what happened tonight, and I'm sorry I don't have many answers for you all. But what I will say is, only death eaters know how to conjure that mark in the sky. Whoever made that was probably once, or still is, a death eater and you all need to be very careful. Now let's get some sleep at least, we'll catch an early portkey out in the morning."

Arthur and Bill mumbled a few spells at the entrance to the tent as the rest of the family drifted to their rooms once again. Fred and I sat perfectly still on the couch, only our knees touching while we waited for the last door to shut, everyone else probably too tired to notice that we hadn't gone to bed.

"Okay, you going to tell me now how you got so lost?" Fred asked, turning to face me on the couch.

"Fred, it's late. We should talk in the morning," I grumbled, leaning my head back against the couch.

"If you were tired, you would have gone to bed. You stayed up with me." He explained. "Why were you with Diggory?"

"I... I was following you guys, I was right behind you. But I felt someone... watching me." I looked up to watch Fred's face, to see if he thought I was crazy like Cedric had. His face didn't change, he just nodded for me to go on. "So I looked around, and I saw... it was one of them. The Death Eaters, in the black masks. I don't even know if it was a man or a woman. But they stared at me for... for so long."

"Did they talk to you?" Fred asked, looking nervous.

"No, they were far away. I mean, they had a mask, I guess I can't be sure they were even looking at me. But anyway, Cedric came up and said we had to go, that they were too close and we tried to catch back up with you guys but I didn't know where you had gone."

Fred nodded and took in another deep breath like he had done in the woods earlier.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stress you out."

"I wasn't stressed, Cassy, I was terrified." He grabbed my hands in his and our eyes met. "When the Dark Mark went up. And I didn't know where you were and..." He sighed. "I'm just so mad. I'm so disgusted by how those pure blood snobs think and the things they do, I'm so mad that I have to worry about you like this, just because your parents aren't wizards?"

Fred stopped when I squeezed his hand and met my eyes again. "I'm sorry." He reached around and pulled me back with him on the couch. "I'm sorry for getting mad, and I'm sorry for letting you walk around in a tank top and freeze to death-"

"Fred, that wasn't your fault it was mine." I laughed, letting my head fall onto his chest and feeling the exhaustion settle in.

"We'll go home tomorrow. And it'll be better. And no scary strangers will stare at you." He mumbled into the dark.

"Are you mocking me?" I laughed.

"Mhm." He sighed.

For the first time in my life, there was a slight bittersweet feeling to head back to Hogwarts. As much as I loved being at school, this had been hands down the best summer of my life. Living with the Weasley's was not only fun, but I had never felt so safe, even at school.

Arthur and Percy said their goodbyes in the midst of everyone rushing around the Burrow, packing up last minute items and grabbing quick bites of breakfast. I had packed up everything that I had the night before, not wanting to be the one to hold up the process of getting everyone to King's Cross, especially with the number of us Mrs. Weasley had to work with.

I had spent most of the morning stripping off the sheets and blankets from my bed, stacking them neatly next to my pillow to at least try and help Molly out a bit. I even organized Ginny's clothes back into the closet from where she had left them on the floor in her rush to pack.

"Come on, Cass, cars are here." George's voice carried through the door after a quick knock. I grabbed the handle of my trunk and took a last look around the bedroom, smiling to myself as I pulled open the door to George's tired looking face.

"I've got it." He grabbed for my trunk, holding it so easily while it had nearly dragged along the flooring in my hands.

"Alright, everyone pick a car!" Molly shouted, ushering everyone out the front door with our things, Crookshanks snuggled into Hermione's jacket to escape the heavy rain, Harry and Ron carrying matching cages with their owls, Pigwidgeon nearly bouncing off the metal walls.

Molly climbed into the front seat of one of the taxi's, Ginny, Bill and Charlie filing in after her. The trio loaded their trunks into the back with much difficulty, letting Hedwig sit calmly in her cage in the passenger's seat of the second car. Fred stuffed his own trunk in the back of the last cab, reaching out for mine from George and finally squeezing all three in, barely securing the clasp of his trunk when some of their fireworks attempted to shoot out into the cab.

Once we were all inside, our driver followed the two cars out onto the muddy road, the wipers on the windshield at top speed. I turned for a last glance at the Burrow before we turned the corner and the lopsided house faded from my sight.

"Don't worry, you'll be back for Christmas." Fred whispered, giving me a knowing smile.

"You're going to come home for Christmas?" I asked, remembering their excitement last year to be able to stay at Hogwarts.

"Most likely. Mum likes having us home." George shrugged.

"Well, I'll probably just stay at school. You guys can have time as a family for the holidays."

"Cassy, don't be stupid." Fred said, giving me a stern glare and leaning closer to my ear, so the driver wouldn't hear. "Our home is your home now. You're coming for Christmas."

After a bit of a drive, we pulled to the side of the road, Molly hurrying to each of the cars to pay the fare as the rest of us jumped out to grab our things. I was already soaked to the bone by the time we reached the entrance to the station, water dripping down my face.

We walked quickly in groups, a few feet apart, towards the barrier to our platform that we all knew so well. Harry, Ron and Hermione led the way, Molly wanting them to get through first since they were the most... conspicuous, with their pets and their oversized cages. George held Ginny's trunk in one hand and his in the other as they walked through the solid-looking brick wall second, before it was Fred and I were up.

We had argued under our breath the entire walk in over him being able to carry my trunk for me, which I had miraculously won.

"Aren't you so excited for our trip dear? I hear France is wonderful this time of year." He voiced loudly as we passed Muggles hurrying to their platforms.

"You idiot." I laughed once we finally crossed the barrier, the glinting red of the Hogwarts Express greeting us at once.

Molly, Bill and Charlie arrived seconds after us, the eldest two Weasley's taking a nostalgic look around the platform.

"Alright, I need hugs now, let's go." Molly began working her way through the children, beginning with Ginny and Hermione, offering good lucks for their first terms and reminding them to write. She then moved on to Ron and Harry, before standing in front of the twins and I.

"Boys, please. No letters home this year, at least until Christmas?" She begged, pulling them each in for a bone crushing hug.

"We can't help what they write home, mum." Fred joked, earning a warning glance from his mother.

"Cassidy." She offered me a small smile before pulling me in for one last hug. "I'm so glad to have met you, dear. We'll see you soon. Write if you need anything, okay? You can use Pig."

"Thank you so much, Molly. For everything." I whispered back before she finally released me and glanced down the line at everyone.

Charlie let go of his hug with Ginny and grinned at the rest of us. "I might be seeing you guys sooner than you think."

"Why?" Fred said, an excited look taking over his eyes.

"You'll see. Don't tell Percy I mentioned it, since it is 'classified information until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all."

"Yeah, I wish I was back at Hogwarts this year." Bill said, looking slightly wistfully at the train. "You're going to have an interesting year. I might even get some time off to come and watch a bit of it."

"A bit of what?" Ron asked, impatiently.

Before Bill could even consider answering, the whistle blew from behind us and Molly began to usher us towards the nearest door.

"Thank you for everything, Mrs. Weasley." Harry smiled and gave her a final wave.

"Oh, it was my pleasure dear. I would invite you all for Christmas, but I think you'll want to stay this year." She smiled, knowingly.

"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred shouted as the train began rolling on the tracks.

"Behave, all of you!" She shouted, the three Weasley's waving us off until the train was nearly out of sight and I watched them disappear from thin air, apparating back home.

The twins groaned in unison, setting off after the rest of the group down the corridor to find an empty compartment. Ginny squealed excitedly at the sight of the Luna Lovegood, sliding open the compartment door and joining her friends inside.

The rest of us continued, hoping for an empty compartment that would fit the six of us before finally finding one near the back of the train.

"Let's hope for no Dementors this year?" Fred winked at me as he shoved my trunk next to his above our heads.

"And no house elves trying to keep us away from school," Harry sighed, falling back into the booth.

Ron reached into his trunk and pulled out what appeared to be a maroon colored ancient quilt with arms and tossed it over Pigwidgeon's cage to drown out his squeals and hoots which were starting to give us all a headache.

"What is that?" Hermione asked, looking up and down at the fabric.

"Dress robes." Ron said miserably. "Mum said our lists required them, but of course Harry's look fine. What did she get you two?" He shot a murderous glance at the twins.

"Bill and Charlie's. They're alright, sorry Ronnie." George gave him a genuinely sorry look, one I rarely saw on either of the boys faces.

"Oh, Ron, they're not bad. They're your house color, it's neat." I said, hardly sparing him a glance for fear that he would see through my lie.

"I wonder what we need dress robes for." Harry said, changing the subject from Ron's horrid ones.

"We need some too, Cassidy. I read over my list. We'll have to go to Hogsmeade together, I wish the letters had come earlier so we could have looked for them over the summer-" Hermione rambled on.

Chapter Text

Most years I felt guilty leaving our luggage on the train. Alright, I still felt guilty this year leaving our luggage on the train, knowing the house elves would have to bring it all up, even if they could apparate around the castle. Today, however, I was extra thankful. The walk, or rather, the sprint to the carriages through the absolute downpour, lugging heavy trunks and pets at our sides would have been a terrible start to the year.

Harry, Ron and Hermione invited Neville into their carriage since there was only one more seat, leaving the twins and I to wait, rather impatiently for the next one. The second it rolled to a stop in front of us, Fred and George were inside, both hands reaching out to pull me up so the carriage could start up.

"The second I'm in those doors, I'm breaking into the prefects bathroom. I want a hot shower and a dry towel." George shivered dramatically and I laughed.

"You already know how to get in the prefects bathroom?" I asked, not doubtful at all.

"No, but how hard can it be." He shrugged as Hogwarts came into sight through the heavy rain and fog before us.

"Castle sweet castle." Fred murmured through blue-ish lips.

It was not lost on me that our legs had been crushed together the entire ride over, despite having plenty of room for all three of us in the carriage. I breathed out into the cold air and watched my breath appear in a smokey cloud a few times before Fred reached an arm around my waist and pulled me into his side, his hand resting on my opposite thigh.

"You can use your words if you fancy a cuddle." He joked, earning a scoff from George who rolled his eyes at his brother.

Finally, the carriage stopped at the front entrance to the school and we leapt out, racing up the steps through small puddles that had formed on the stone.

The three of us followed Harry, Ron, Hermione and now Neville through the doors and felt a warmth envelope us at once, even through our wet clothes.

"Thank God we-" George stopped when I screamed, a burst of cold water hitting my head and running down my hair, heavier than the rain had outside. I looked to my feet and saw a red balloon split into pieces and heard a familiar cackling from far above my head.

"Bloody Hell, Peeves!" George whined, looking me up and down, a smile threatening to break through his otherwise stoney face.

Just as George spoke, Peeves wound up another balloon aimed at the three of us. Before I could even raise my arms to shield my face from the inevitable splash, Fred had pointed his wand out in front of us.

"Protego." He muttered, the balloon hitting what looked like an invisible wall and bouncing back towards the ceiling, running through the shimmery white of Peeve's head.

"Welcome home, Weasley's! You know I had to go all out for your arrival-" He shouted.

"PEEVES!" The familiar, and angry voice of Professor McGonagall echoed through the halls as students scurried off into the Great Hall.

"Come on, Cass. You want to get into something dry?" Fred asked, pulling on my dripping robes.

"I doubt our things are already here." I muttered, still willing to check for anything in the dorms that I could dry off with as Fred and I started towards the stairs.

"I'm getting a new shirt, I don't care if I have to steal it out of Snape's closet." George announced, starting up the many flights of stairs towards the Gryffindor dorms.

"Grab me one too! The most dull gray he has!" Fred yelled up the stairs, earning a thumbs up from his brother.

The Hufflepuff common room was nearly empty, only a few older students lingering and catching up with friends in the last few minutes before the feast would begin.

Fred followed me up the steps, passing by the third year dorms and turning the knob into my room for this year.

"Told you. The House Elves don't mess around." Fred said, jumping towards the bed with my trunk sitting open at the front.

"Don't!" I shrieked, grabbing his arms and pulling him back up with all my might. "You're going to get my bed soaked!"

"It will dry, Cassidy." He whined, leaning against the posts of my bed frame while I rummaged for a new sweater and a dry set of robes. I stood back up and looked up to Fred, noting how his eyes were trained on me still.

"I'm gonna change." I smiled a bit, waiting for him to get the hint.

"Yep." He nodded, still watching me. "Oh! Right." His face tinged pink as he stepped towards the hallway and shut the door behind him.

The twins and I now much more comfortable, dry and full, now sat in a row across from the trio. I watched Ron scarf down three separate helpings of dessert, even though Hermione had stopped mid-meal after learning that Hogwarts meals were prepared by over worked house elves.

"Now that we are all fed and watered," Dumbledore's voice rang across the hall as he stood behind the podium at the front of the room. "I must once more ask for your attention while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-Yo's, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list of all four hundred and thirty-seven items can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office for those who would like to read it."

"Or burn it!" Fred shouted, only loud enough for the surrounding Gryffindor's to hear.

The corner's of Dumbledore's mouth twitched, although I thought it impossible that he had heard Fred from this distance.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" Harry gasped, his eyes wide as he looked around the rest of us.

"Due to an event that Hogwarts will be hosting this year starting in October, which will take up much of our students and staff's time and energy, but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely."

Fred and George exchanged giddy looks, realizing this is what their family had been keeping from them all summer.

Dumbledore went on to explain the secret. Hogwarts would be hosting what was called a 'Tri-Wizard Tournament' this year, which elicited excited murmurs throughout the entire Great Hall.

"You're joking!" Fred's voice once again carried over the students, but this time all the way to the staff table.

"I am not joking Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore shot a warm smile towards our table.

The headmaster went on to explain that the Tri-Wizard tournament was a contest held between three wizarding schools, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, two schools I had never heard of before. A single champion was selected from each school to compete in three challenges which would utilize their most advanced magical capabilities. However, after hundreds of years of rotating the tournament between the three schools, it was decided to discontinue the tradition, due to the inexcusable death toll.

"Death toll?" Hermione hissed, looking between our friends with wide eyes.

"With the help of several Ministry Departments, we have made sure that the tournament can be held safely this year, and that our champions will never find themselves in mortal danger. The headmasters from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive with a short list of contenders early October and we will select our three champions on Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are worthy to compete for the Tri-Wizard Cup, the glory of their school as well as a thousand Galleons prize money."

"I'm going for it." Fred called down the table while George nodded in agreement. I had only been somewhat listening after Dumbledore had mentioned the death toll, but Fred's words snapped me back into the moment.

"It sounds dangerous." I said under my breath, and Fred looked down at me while the rest of the students around us whispered amongst themselves.

"Dumbledore said he made it safe. It'll be fine Cassidy, you can enter too, we'll fight for it." He smirked.

"I am sure you're all very eager to fight for your school, however, the ministry and I have deemed it necessary to impose an age restriction for the tournament. No student under the age of 17 will be permitted to enter. The tournament's tasks will be incredibly difficult, and it is safe to say students beneath sixth or seventh year would have a spectacularly difficult time keeping up."

"That's rubbish!" The twins shouted in unison, the bench at our table screeching as they jumped to their feet.

The hall erupted into shouts, similar to the Weasley's.

"SILENCE." Dumbledore shouted, the room falling quiet almost instantly. Looking much more calm at once, Dumbledore continued his speech. "I will personally be ensuring that our judge can not be bamboozled, and therefor I urge you all to not waste your time submitting your name if you are under the proper age. Lastly, I am sure I can count on you all to extend every courtesy to our visitors when they arrive and show your support for whichever champions are selected. And with that, it is late, and I am sure you are all ready for a good night's sleep. Off to bed." He clapped and returned to his seat between McGonagall and Snape as a great scurry of students jumped from their seats and started towards the exit.

"They're not stopping me entering." Fred said, squeezing in amongst the students through the heavy wooden door into the hallway.

"Freddie..." I started, trying my best to keep up with his pace. "Dumbledore will no doubt have everything in place. There will be no way to enter if-"

"I'm seventeen in the spring, Cassidy. That's rubbish. I should be able to enter." He finally stopped near the staircase, hundreds of students rushing past us on either side. "That's rubbish."

"I know. It's not fair. I suppose you could ask Dumbledore, since you're so close."

"No, I'm going to enter. It'll be fine."

"Few drops of an aging potion ought to work, right Freddie?" George said, pulling up to his brothers side with a confident smile.

"It's a start." Fred clapped George's shoulder, giving him a pointed look and receiving an eye roll.

"Well, goodnight Cassidy. It'll be strange sleeping so far away from you, you know after all those nights in the same room-" He cut off as Fred elbowed him in the ribcage. "Ow! Bloody git." George grumbled, heading up the stairs with the other Gryffindors.

The halls were quickly clearing out now, most of the students still damp from the rain, or from Peeve's prank, and eager to change into dry clothes.

"Are you doing okay?" Fred asked, looking down at me as if we were the only two in the castle.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my thoughts still on the tournament.

"Coming back to school? You know... Tommy."

I gulped. I had of course thought of Tommy a dozen times just today, but my mind had been so preoccupied with the news of the tournament, and the thought of Fred being selected and having to compete in dangerous challenges against students from strange schools.

"I'm okay." I nodded.

"Okay. Good." He offered me a small smile. "I should let you get to sleep, then."

"Yeah..." I trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

He leaned forward and paused for a second, our faces only inches apart now.

"Goodnight, then." I whispered.

"Just give me a kiss already." He chuckled, his fingers grabbing onto my chin and pulling me up to his lips. It was our first kiss in weeks, and I was beginning to think that maybe I had imagined it all.

When he finally pulled back, I let out a sigh, hoping he wouldn't notice how breathless I was. Still wearing his signature smirk, he took a few steps up towards the stairs.

"Night, Cassy. Sleep well."

The first few days of classes passed by easily enough. Hannah, Maddie, Brie and I were happy to see our room was a bit bigger than last years, and they had hardly let a night go by without begging for any details from the summer with Fred.

Today was Thursday, and the four of us were up bright and early for breakfast before our first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. There had been murmurs all week about Professor Moody, with extremely varied opinions.

Just as I bit into a blueberry muffin, an arm slinked around my shoulders as Fred dropped into the vacant seat next to me, George on his right.

"You've got Moody today, right?" He asked, his eyes lit up brightly.

"Mhm, with the Gryffindors." I nodded.

"Oh, just wait Cass. He's something else. It's like... he just knows things." Fred went on.

"He's really been there. Done it all. Fought it all."

"He's good then?" I asked, nodding at my friends who, like me, had been apprehensive for our new professor.

"Brilliant." George said.

"He seems..." Bri started, sneaking a look to the professor's up front.

"Terrifying." Maddie finished for her, downing the rest of her coffee and standing with the rest of us to head to class.

"Well, I'll come find you later. Have a good day." Fred shot me a smile, his brown eyes looking golden in the sun that shone from the enchanted ceiling.

"You too."

"I'll find you later,"

"Because we can't be apart."

"I'll miss you so much-" The girls mimicked once we were out of earshot of the twins and I shushed them with threats of knocking them into the stone walls one by one.

"Will you just tell us you're dating, then!" Maddie practically yelled, earning some strange looks from the students in our hallway.

"Maddie." I scolded.

"A whole summer together? With his flirty arse? And you're saying nothing happened?" Bri squinted at me in disbelief.

"I didn't say that, necessarily." I said quietly as we started up the stairs to class.

"Cass!" The three exclaimed, running a few steps ahead to block my path.

"Spill!" Hannah said, wide eyed.

I sighed, glancing around us for anyone that I even slightly recognized.

"We kissed. Just a few times." I said, not mentioning that the last one had been just a few nights ago. "And... we fell asleep together a bit, he let me stay in his room some nights... and bought me this for my birthday." I gestured to the ruby hanging around my neck and the girls pounced on it, wide eyed.

"He bought you this?" Maddie shouted, tugging gently on the necklace for a better look.

"Cass, that thing is gorgeous, seriously." Hannah sighed, admiring it in Maddie's hands still.

"He bought you that, and you think you're not dating."

"We... we aren't dating. We don't go on dates-"

"You make out, he buys you jewelry," Bri pointed out.

"And what was last year in the astronomy tower, then? That was a big fat date." Hannah shrugged, finally pulling Maddie's arm to let us continue our walk to class.

"What has he said?" Bri asked, falling behind the other two girls as we entered the classroom.

"About what?" I asked, confused.

"About the two of you! What does he call it?"

"Call it? He doesn't call it anything." I whined, my head beginning to hurt. "You guys are stressing me out."

"You're stressing us out!" Maddie whined back, imitating my tone. "You don't want to be his girlfriend?"

I felt the heat rise to my face, always somehow surprised at the volume of Maddie's voice, even during sensitive topics.

"Maddie." I shushed, shooting her a glare.

"You do." She answered, taking a seat next to me as Bri dropped in next to Hannah. "I know you do, I don't even know why I asked."

"I... I'm sure Fred has a lot of options. I don't think he's looking for something serious."

"He's bloody in love with you!" Maddie pointed again at the necklace around my neck. "And you're bloody in love with him, so you need to get a move on. You gave him his summer, he didn't man up, now it's your turn."

"Maddie, stop." I said, trying out my most stern voice now that Ron, Harry and Hermione had just entered the room.

"Okay, I know. I see him. Just... I just want you to be happy, and he makes you so happy, you should see your stupid faces when you're together-"

"Good morning, class." A rough voice sounded from behind us as the door slammed shut.

Chapter Text

I practically ran through the doorway, my stomach in a knot, my only thought to keep up with Hermione, Ron and Harry. Harry's face had turned a sickly sort of white halfway through the lesson, and Ron wasn't looking much better.

"I mean, it had to be spiders?" He mumbled.

"Hermione, why are we running?" Harry asked, his voice sounding void of any emotion.

"Not to the library again, are you?" Ron whined.

"No. To Neville." She pointed ahead of us where Neville stood halfway down the staircase, looking through a stained glass window. "Hey, Neville."

The lanky boy turned towards us, plastering on an unconvincing smile.

"Oh, hey guys. Interesting lesson, huh?" He stammered out. "Wonder what's for dinner. I'm hungry."

"Are you okay, Neville?" Hermione asked, softly.

"Oh, yeah. I'm good."

"I can walk with you, I'll probably head to the library or-"

"Longbottom." Moody's voice shocked the five of us once again. "Come with me boy, we'll have some tea. Sprout tells me you've a knack for Herbology, I've got some books you might like in my office."

Neville looked even more terrified than he had before, but nodded in agreement and started up the stairs, Moody's wooden leg clunking on every other step.

"Poor Neville..." Ron muttered.

"What was wrong with him?" I asked, not blaming the boy for his reaction to the curses. I still wasn't feeling the best after seeing them.

"Neville lives with his grandmother," Hermione started, "Because when he was little, his parents had the cruciatus curse used on them. For so long they... they were never the same. They're at St. Mungo's now. They don't even know him anymore."

My heart dropped to my feet. The image of Neville's face during class and even just now playing on repeat in my mind. Of course he wasn't okay. He had to see up close and personal exactly what had happened to his parents. Same with Harry.

"I'm headed to the library." Hermione sighed before taking off.

"Still taking divination, Cassidy?" Harry suggested as we continued down the steps.

"Yes, unfortunately. I still don't know if it's for me." I shrugged.

"Yeah, it's not for us either, not sure why we're still in it to be quite honest." Ron scoffed.

"We were going to work on that essay she assigned us, if you want to join." Harry offered when they reached their parting point.

"Essay? We didn't get an essay." I thought back nervously, thinking maybe I had forgotten.

"Aw, Bloody Hell Ron, your stupid joke got us a punishment essay." Harry slapped the side of Ron's arm.

"I'll come up, though. Keep you guys company. Maybe I'll learn something from those essays." I lied through my teeth, just thinking I could possibly see Fred.

A few minutes later, I was covering my ears so the boys could let us through the portrait hole.

"Don't bother, knowing Fred and George, you'll know it by tomorrow." Ron said as we found a spot in the common room, each of them pulling out parchment. I had spotted the twins immediately, tucked in the corner of the room and working intently on a shared piece of paper together.

"No, that sounds like we're accusing him, we've got to be careful." George's voice carried over to our side of the room, although Harry and Ron hardly seemed to notice. I looked between the two of them as they worked before walking towards the twins.

"What are you working on?" I took a seat across from them, watching their eyes flicker up towards me.

"When did you get here?" Fred asked, a grin spreading across his face.

"Just now."

"Well, we're just writing a letter to our old friend Ludo Bagman." Fred explained while George continued writing.

"From the World Cup? What about?"

"About our winnings disappearing from our pockets not an hour after he handed them over." George grumbled.

"From your bet?" I clapped a hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh.

"It's not funny! That was all of our money!" Fred nearly shouted.

"I know, I know. It's not funny, I just can't believe he would do that! He's from the Ministry!"

"Yeah, he's a slimy git is what he is."

"How much does he owe you then?" I asked, curious how much the twins had even won.

"None of your business, missy." Fred scolded, playfully as George handed over the quill for him to sign. "Come on, I want to hear about your class!"

Class. Ugh.

George grabbed the letter, waving it through the air to let it dry as he started out of the portrait hole, most likely headed to the owlery.

"How'd you like it? Isn't he amazing? Bloody crazy, but-" He stopped, noticing my reaction was not matching his. "Didn't you like it?"

I shook my head shortly.

"Did he show you the curses?" He asked, looking confused.

"Yeah, Fred. And it was awful. Watching the spiders... it was awful! And you should have seen Harry's face when he did the killing curse... and Neville, I thought he was going to burst into tears. You know about his parents?"

Fred's face had fallen, no sign of a smile anywhere in his expression.

"I didn't... I didn't even really think about any of that." He muttered. "Is Harry alright?" He stole a glance to his brother and Harry who now appeared to be pulling examples right from their divination book and pasting them onto their papers.

"I don't know. He didn't really talk about it much."

Fred sat in silence now, looking a bit guilty, as if he had been the one to show off unforgivable curses in front of two students who had lost their parents to them.

"Why did you like them? Didn't they kind of creep you out?" I asked. Fred didn't seem like the type to be overly violent or to take pleasure in watching people in pain.

"I don't know... I mean, don't get me wrong, Lupin was great and I learned a ton. But like, how often are we going to come across beasts like we did last year? Half of those creatures don't even live around here. Moody's stuff today, it was just like... stuff we could actually use. You never know! Like..."

He trailed off and his gaze fell to his hands, twisting together in his lap.

"Like?" I nodded at him to continue.

"Like at the cemetery with your dad." He spit out, finally locking eyes with me again. "I could have done something way sooner if I had known what to do. He might not have even... touched you." His voice now came out as more of a growl than words.

"Fred..." I whispered. "Those spells are illegal. All of them land you in Azkaban."

"If you get caught." He met my eyes again, his own a deep brown now.

"Stop it. Please, don't say that. Don't say stuff like that." I shook my head, feeling goosebumps appear on my skin.

"Alright." He sighed, standing from his own seat and squeezing into mine, pulling me onto his lap and for a second I forgot what we had even been talking about. "I'm sorry. Forget I said anything. I'm sorry your class was bad." He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.

"Freddie, I've been meaning to talk to you... about-"

"Alright, it's sent! I think we did okay. He'll send us our money." George nodded, crossing his arms over his chest with a proud smile before his eyes landed on the two of us sharing a chair built for one person.

"Well I was going to ask if you were joining us for dinner, Cass, but I guess that much is obvious."

"Shove off, George." Fred scoffed, laughing as he pulled me off the chair with him. "Coming to dinner boys?"

"In a minute." They said, both still scribbling fake future's onto their parchment.

I crossed my arms over my chest for warmth as I walked with Fred in a huge circle around the black lake. We had both eaten our fill at dinner at our own house tables for once, before he had found me and asked if I fancied a walk.

"What classes do you have tomorrow?" I asked, seeing how we had been silent for a few minutes now, the only sounds the gentle lapping of the water on the gravel and some sort of birds in the distance.

"Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures in the morning, then Charms after lunch. Dunno why I didn't fail every O.W.L on purpose, have a free year off."

"Very funny." I gave him an eye roll. "Is Hagrid making you guys look after his blast ended skrewts or whatever they are?"

"Making us? He's letting us! George and I are hoping he'll let us keep a few, we could rent them out to people, you know. Anyone who needs some good old fashioned destruction."

When we had returned to our starting point of the lake, Fred nodded towards a wooden bench that was of course vacant at this time of night. We only had a while left now before curfew, but I was fine spending all of it with Fred.

"You cold?" He asked, leaning back and looking at me.

"No, I'm alright." I smiled, noticing the stars had begun to emerge in the darkening sky.

We stared up together for a few minutes, neither of us speaking, but not feeling like we needed to. After a while, I felt Fred's weight shift on the bench, sliding closer to me.

"Can I kiss you again?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came out.

"I'll take that as a yes." He muttered, his lips forming a smile as he leaned into me. His hands wrapped around the sides of my head and he ran his fingers through my hair and down towards my neck, his lips tracing along mine the entire time.

We stayed like that for a long time. Probably too long, but I didn't care. I would spend the night out here if it meant more time with Fred.

Finally when the last of the color was long gone from the sky, Fred backed away and I took on my first full breath since his lips had touched mine.

"We should get inside. Don't want to be a bad influence on you." He teased, jumping from the bench and pulling me after him, laughing as I landed onto his chest.

He pulled the door open, wincing as it creaked loudly and echoed through the halls.

"Looks clear, come on." He whispered, leading us towards the stairs across from the Great Hall. "Do you... want to come up with me?" He asked, looking around for any sign of patrolling professors.

"Come up with you? Why ever would I do that? It's bed time, Freddie." I shot him a confused look and he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, please, you spent half the summer in my bed-"

He let out a booming laugh, shielding his face with his arms as I smacked at him.

"Even if I wanted to sleep in your crummy bed, that's seven unnecessary flights of steps."

"I'll carry you, then." He lunged for me and I held in a scream, rushing towards my own staircase.

"You going to miss me that much Freddie?"

"Perhaps. I get lonely, what can I say?" He shrugged.

I glanced at the small clock on my wrist and looked towards my common room. It wasn't terribly late, but Maddie loved her sleep. Hannah and Bri liked to be up early for class on the weekdays, so it wasn't impossible that they would all be in bed by now...

"If you're thinking of inviting me to sleep with you in the absolute oven that is the Hufflepuff dorms, then I accept."

"You really know how to charm a girl, don't you?"

"Is it not working?" He smirked, nodding towards the stairs before the two of us set off.

"If my roommates are still up, you have to go back to your own dorm." I said softly, not sure who I thought would overhear me down here.

"Should we stop for a snack, or- no, okay." He trailed off as we passed by the kitchens.

"You leave them alone in there, they need to sleep. Hermione will have your head if she finds out you've been putting extra work on them. She's starting a foundation for them, she's got-"

"Badges. I've heard. Every day now." Fred finished. "You bought one didn't you?"

"I don't completely disagree with her! I just think nothings going to come of it, they do all seem happy here. I'm sure Hogwarts is a better home for them than many other places."

"You little traitor, I'm telling. You're getting kicked out of that club." Fred scolded, tapping the barrels with his wand and leading us into the cozy room. "You ought to change that every year. You're lucky you have an in with me so I haven't pranked Hufflepuff... yet."

"Oh, what's my in with you?" I asked, giving him a waiting look.

Fred ignored me, quite pointedly, looking around the room.

"Love what you've done with the place. This wasn't here last year, this is new." He changed the subject, noticeably, tugging on a painting that I was sure had been hanging on that wall since Helga Hufflepuff herself was in this room.

"Come on, let's go." I rolled my eyes and lead us up the stairs. Judging by the lack of students in the common room and the complete silence I heard as I passed by each level of rooms, I was growing more and more confident that my friends would be asleep.

Finally we reached our floor. I turned the knob silently on the door and pushed it open a crack, seeing the room was in total darkness and nodding to Fred.

"You got lucky." I whispered under my breath.

"So lucky." He smirked as we entered the room. "Lumos."

A small light shone from the top of his wand as I made my way towards my trunk.

"You should have gotten something to wear..." I whispered, realizing he was still in his uniform.

"I'll be fine. I sleep naked."

"No you don't." I held in a laugh, knowing the comments we would get if any of the girls woke up. "I'll be right back. You can grab a sweatshirt or anything if you want..."

"Oh, thanks. Yeah, I'm usually a medium but maybe I can squeeze." He hissed through the room as I shut the door on him, pulling on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Nox." I whispered, watching the lights from the lamps in the bathroom fade out as I headed back to my bed where Fred was now laying, still in his trousers, his shirt thrown across the floor near the doorway.

"Fred!" I laughed, standing hesitantly next to the small bed.

"It's hot down here and you know it!" He pointed out, holding the blankets up and gesturing for me to climb in.

"Do you not want me to sleep here?" He asked, suddenly seeming nervous. I climbed into the bed at once, feeling the warmth from his skin already.

"No, why wouldn't I?" I asked as the two of us laid back onto my pillow, Fred propping his head up on his wrist to look down at me.

"I didn't mean to make you feel like you had to invite me, Cassy, I'll go if you want."

"No, I want you to stay." I whispered, leaning my head onto his chest when he finally settled into the blankets. "I like when you sleep with me. Less nightmares."

I felt him nod against my head slowly and the two of us fell into silence for so long that I was sure he had fallen asleep until I felt his lips press against my hair.

"Goodnight pretty girl." He whispered.

"Good morning." Fred's voice appeared behind me and I watched Hannah, Bri and Maddie's eyes float above my head where I assumed the twins must have been standing. I set my mug of coffee back on the table and turned to look behind me just as Fred leaned down, pressing a kiss to my cheek lazily.

"Morning." I smiled, feeling the familiar blush rise to my cheeks as my friends smirked at the two of us over their goblets.

"You guys have Moody today, right?" George asked, looking across at the three girls.

"Yeah, why?" Hannah asked, looking eager for any information about the strange professor.

"It's... kind of a tough one. Just so you're prepared. More unforgivable curse work." Fred answered, his eyes still hooked on mine. "Can I walk you?" He asked, holding his hand out to help me out of the bench.

"I'll see you guys in class." I said, giving them each a glare to try and wipe the smirks from their faces. Fred lead the way, leaving George with the girls behind us and pushing open the heavy wood of the door.

"I just wanted to let you know, because it was a hard class this week. He tried the imperious curse on us and we had to try and fight it off. It was like... impossible. You kind of just have to accept it. He says with practice and a ton of will power, you can fight it off. But no one could in our group."

"But... that's illegal?" I asked as we reached the top of the stairs.

"Yep. But you know, Hogwarts. Rules don't apply here."

"As you and George have proved time and time again." I laughed slightly, my mind still focused on what we would be forced to do under the imperious curse.

"Hey," Fred tucked two fingers beneath my chin and brought my eyes to his. "You're going to be fine. I just thought I'd give you a heads up, but don't stress. It's quick, nothing terrible. Then you move on."

"Yeah, I guess." I leaned against the wall to wait for my friends.

"Oh, and if you're not busy tonight... Hagrid said that George and I could help him carve the pumpkins for the feast Saturday. You want to come? Should be fun, they're huge this year. I don't know how Hagrid does it."

"Yeah, I do. That sounds fun!" I smiled.

"Awesome. I'll come get you after classes, in your common room? I think I know the password."

"Shut up." I grumbled, finally spotting my friends coming up the stairs, Harry, Ron and Hermione talking loudly from the floor beneath us on their way up.

"Alright, good luck. You'll be fine." He said softly, squeezing my hand before heading back down the stairs to his own class, nodding to my friends as he passed.

"Kissing you in front of your friends now? How long are we going to let this go on and not call you two official?" Maddie wiggled her eyebrows as the four of us took spots in the back rows of the classroom.

I sat alone, my legs propped up on the armrest of the chair with my transfiguration book in my lap. Everyone had been grumbling about the work load increase for this year, but so far I didn't think it had been outrageous. McGonagall wanted us to read ahead, and that was easy enough.

"Hi." A voice whispered in my ear, shocking me and causing me to jump nearly a foot into the air.

"Fred! I didn't even hear you come in." I grumbled, waiting for my heart beat to slow down.

"Sorry. I didn't want to disturb your reading, you look so cute." He winked, his voice teasing as he took the book from my lap and pulled me onto his own.

It must have been nearly thirty seconds of me trying to come up with something witty to reply before he laughed and pulled my face into his, his lips pressing against my own for a few seconds before I felt him sucking my lower lip lightly, and I finally accepted that my heart beat would not be going back down any time soon.

I wrapped my hands behind his neck, mostly as a way to ensure that I wouldn't simply pass out and fall right off his lap. The second he felt my fingers on his skin I heard him sigh into the kiss, moving his own hands from the sides of my face and down to my hips, creating goosebumps on my forearms that he probably didn't even know he had earned.

My mind was only half focused on the kiss now, most of my thoughts dedicated to the feeling of his thumbs which had found a peek of skin along the waist band of my skirt.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, pulling away slightly and I realized I must not have been kissing him back fully.

"Of course I am." I breathed back, his fingers still tracing small circles on the skin of my hips.

"You seem nervous." I looked into the golden brown of the eyes that were staring back at me and realized he now seemed nervous.

"You make me nervous." I laughed, feeling embarrassed.

"I make you nervous?" He laughed, finally pulling his hands off my hips and grabbing onto both of my hands.

"Yes." I bit my lip, wishing now that I hadn't said that.

"How do I do that?" He wore a smirk now, apparently no longer feeling guilty and finding this whole situation amusing.

"Because!" I whined, leaning back from him on the couch, maybe hoping that if I had a few more inches of my own air that I would be able to form complete sentences again. "You're you. And I don't know what I'm doing."

"What do you mean?" His eyebrows furrowed as he turned to face me on the couch now.

"I've never done... any of this before." I admitted, even though I was sure he knew that.

"Done what, Cassy?"

I opened my mouth a few times, praying for my brain to just let me say something, anything. It didn't even have to make sense.

"I don't want you to be nervous with me. I'm never going to do anything you're not comfortable with. I like kissing you, and if you like kissing me... Then I want to kiss you." He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, softer this time. "We're not going to do anything you don't want to do."

I knew what he was referring to of course. Something that I had been trying not to think about, Fred being with other girls before me. Of course, I knew he had been. There wasn't a doubt in my mind. But I didn't want to think about it. Sometimes late at night in bed the thought would cross my mind, and the only way to get rid of it was to sneak down to the common room and dive into my homework until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

"I..." I stopped. I'm in love with you. That's what I had wanted to say. But that was insane. We weren't together. We technically weren't anything. Maybe Fred wasn't lying when he had spoken earlier. Maybe he just likes kissing me.

"You?" He pressed on, looking amused.

"I forgot." I lied, giving him a stupid smile before he stood from his spot and held his hand out for me.

"Let's get going, if you still want to carve pumpkins? George headed down there about... half an hour ago. I'm sure Hagrid's having him help name the Blast Ended Skrewts."

I laughed, shaking my head as I followed the tall boy out of the sliding door and into the hallways.

"Took you long enough!" George grumbled, waving his wand through the air and moving one giant pumpkin into a clearing at a time while Hagrid pushed his own ahead of George.

"Oh, Cassidy! Didn' know you'd be coming to help! Awfully nice of you guys, would usually take me hours."

"Oh, Hagrid, you know these boys would help you any year if it means destroying something for fun." I joked, Hagrid shooting me a twinkly eyed smile.

"Don't destroy them, though boys. They gotta look presentable or Dumbledore won't let 'em inside. First night of the tournament an' all."

"Don't worry, Hagrid, we're professionals!" Fred grinned, waving his wand for the final pumpkin to fly across the field and land in front of me as he took his place next to George.

"Alright, well... I assume you'll be doing yours by magic. I shouldn't... strictly speaking." Hagrid scanned over the three of us.

"No, Hagrid, that's boring! We'll all do it by hand." George waved his hand carelessly, as if that had been their plan all along. Fred and I pocketed our wands too and looked at the tree sized pumpkins before us.

"Come on, then." Fred shot me an evil smile and lunged for my legs, ignoring my screams as he hoisted me up to the top of my pumpkin. I grabbed ahold of the stem and pulled myself up, watching Fred and George jump to grab onto their own stems and pull themselves to the top of their Pumpkins.

"Now what!" I laughed, looking between the two of them.

"What do you mean?" Fred called as he aimed his wand at the tip of the pumpkin, tracing a circle and chucking the top to the ground, revealing a giant hole filled with pumpkin guts.

"You've never carved a pumpkin?" George asked, looking half confused and half sad.

"No, I mean. I know you have to make the face!" I shrugged, copying the boys and sending the top of my own pumpkin to the ground.

"Gotta get all the guts out first." Fred explained, leaning into his hole and pulling out a huge arm full, letting it flop to the floor with a splat.

Over an hour later, the four of us were covered head to toe in orange stringy goo, our skin tinged orange from wherever the pulp had lingered too long. My hair was coated too, after I had fallen into the pumpkin once or twice, half swimming and half climbing to the top to the laughter of the twins.

But despite the mess, our now Jack-o-lanterns looked amazing. Hagrid's looked the cleanest, most likely from years and years of practice, while the twins had opted for a scarier designed face, which I had to admit still looked awesome. My own design had not come out as good as I had pictured it in my head, but for my first time and with no magic, I couldn't complain. Hagrid had of course said that mine was his favorite, which was clearly to make me feel better for having made the worst one. But I didn't care. Spending time with the twins, doing something fun, not thinking about school or grades or Tommy or my dad or strange death eaters, it was a perfect afternoon.

Chapter Text

"Come on, hurry up!" Maddie shouted as the three of us followed on her heels up the stairs. We wouldn't be nearly as late if Maddie hadn't already changed her outfit three times in the short amount of time we had been given between class and the other school's arrival.

"How are they even getting here?" Hannah asked as we joined the back of the group which had formed at the entrance to the castle.

"Train? Has to be! How else?" Bri speculated as we shoved our way through the bodies to get closer to the front. After a lot of work we were nearly to the front, finding a clearing of space off to the side through two pillars.

"No way they're coming on the train. I bet it'll be something magical." Maddie speculated, hopping up on the stone and taking a seat for a better view of the grounds.

"Hey," A new voice sounded from behind us and I whipped around to see our visitor.

"Hey Cedric." I smiled, watching Maddie's focus shift completely onto the new addition.

"How do you think they're getting here?" Cedric asked, moving closer into our group and asking the same question we had asked only moments before.

"That's what we were just talking about!" Hannah smiled.

"Maddie thinks they'll all ride in on unicorns." Bri teased earning a glare from our friend still perched on the windowsill.

"Stranger things have happened." She bit back, turning back to the sky.

"How have your classes been?" Cedric asked softer this time, facing me.

"Pretty good actually. I like them. How about you?"

"Really good. Learning a lot, Moody was strange at first but I really like him. Like, I actually feel like we're learning what that class is supposed to be about."

I nodded, not wanting to get into this subject again before we heard something in the distance, something that sounded like an airplane to me. No way any of the magical schools would travel this way.

That's when I saw it. Something massive flying in the distance, giant winged horses flying through the sky, their wings flapping nearly in sync as they lugged an equally huge powder blue carriage behind them.

"Bloody Hell." Cedric mumbled, all of our eyes glued to the sky.

"Unicorns!" Maddie squealed, spinning to face Bri. "Unicorns! Don't you look stupid." She sang, earning a laugh from the rest of us.

Once the carriage had landed and the horses had stopped moving, aside from the slight flicks of their tails, the door opened and out stepped the largest woman, possibly the largest person I had ever seen. From this distance, I wasn't sure who was bigger, her or Hagrid, but it would have been a close call.

"If she's entering the tournament, I'm not." Cedric muttered under his breath and I clapped my hands over my mouth to stifle my laugh.

Once she had taken a few steps out, a neat line of girls followed her, practically floating across the walkway. Not just girls. The most beautiful girls I had ever seen. For a second, I thought back to the Veela Mascots from the World Cup, although these girls skin wasn't glowing as the Veela's had. Still, almost every student, guys and girls, had fallen into complete silence, watching the girls follow their headmistress to greet Dumbledore, their matching powder blue dresses twirling in the breeze.

I snuck a peek at Cedric, his mouth hung open slightly, but part of him seemed to be scanning over the new students, analyzing them almost. I thought back to his comment about the larger women and realized what he was doing.

"Sizing up your competition?" I joked under my breath.

"I'm liking my odds." He shot me a smirk and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sure they're just as good at magic as you, they're just nice to look at as well."

"I was kidding! I was kidding." He smiled, grabbing my shoulders and forcing me to look up at him. Before I could think of a witty comeback, I noticed the two sets of red hair from across the courtyard. George was craning his neck to get a better look at the girls, even though the both of them towered over the vast majority of the students. Fred however was staring straight at me, a scowl on his face that I had seen only once before, in the cemetery with my father.

I shot him a smile and a wave and he nodded at me slowly before looking back towards the horses, pulling George's attention from the girls. Just as Cedric finally dropped his hands from my arms, we heard a new sound. A bubbling that sounded much like boiling water.

"The Lake!" A voice called from the front of the group, all of us jumping up and down to catch a glimpse of the black water.

"It's a ship!" Maddie yelled, standing up on her stone bench. "A huge ship!"

"Let me up there!" Bri clambered up, using Maddie's shoulders to steady herself.

"What's it look like? Is it Durmstrang?" I asked Cedric, knowing he was tall enough to see to the ship from here.

"Wanna see?" He asked, and I cocked my head to the side. My confusion lasted less than a second, however, as Cedric had already reached beneath my legs, pulling me up and onto his shoulders like a child at the zoo with their parents.

"Cedric." I hissed, only partly angry. The rest of me was just excited, because at last, I could see. Nearly two dozen boys, or rather... two dozen men, since they could all pass as thirty years old, followed a stern looking man with a beard that rivaled Dumbledore's own, only brown. Once they drew near, all of the boys stood straight in a perfect line, eyes level as their Headmaster greeted Dumbledore.

"It's Krum!" Cedric muttered, looking up at me and laughing as I gripped onto his head before I fell.

"No moving!" I scolded.

"Right, sorry!"

"Students, if you'll please!" Dumbledore's voice rang over the yard. "Show our guests to the Great Hall, the feast will begin soon!"

Cedric's hands went to my waist and I held in a scream as he set me to the floor.

"I'll catch up with you guys inside, okay?" I said, noting Fred's glare in our direction, my direction. I hurried through the crowd, pushing and squeezing my way through groups and pairs until I was completely enveloped in students. Not a Weasley to be seen.

I sighed and turned back, spotting my friends a few groups ahead of me and following them at a distance to our spots with the Hufflepuffs. I noticed Cedric take a seat next to Bri and I plopped down on his other side, still scanning the crowds for Fred.

"Where'd you go?" Cedric asked as the rest of the students took their seats, Durmstrang choosing to sit with the Slytherin's while Beauxbatons filed in with the Ravenclaws.

"Man, we could have had the Durmstrang men at our table." Maddie whined, leaning her head against her hand, her eyes scanning down the rows of new students.

"Yeah, I don't know how well they'd fit in here, Maddie. They all seem a bit..." Bri started.

"Scary." Hannah finished, pulling over a goblet of water.

"Yeah, well Cedric's gonna have to go up against one of them." I elbowed him, watching him break into a smile.

"You're entering?" Hannah asked him.

"Probably. Might as well, Dumbledore says it's safe now, it sounds like a fun challenge. And no end of year exams."

"And eternal glory and 1000 Galleon's doesn't sound too bad either." I joked.

"Well, I'm already the best seeker Hogwarts has ever had..." He shrugged as the four of us scoffed.

"Right." I laughed, turning to face the front of the room as Dumbledore called for everyone's attention.

Once everyone had eaten their fill plus dessert, the crowds dispersed from the halls, leaving only a few students huddled around the Goblet near the front of the Great Hall, blue flames licking at the air.

"Aren't you going to enter?" I asked as Cedric stood up and started towards the exit.

"Tomorrow. I'm going to sleep on it, one more night. It's going to be a lot of work, I think." The five of us started towards the stairs before I broke away, pausing at the fork in the hall. "You coming down?"

"I'll be down in a bit. I'm gonna look for Fred."

"Weasley?" Cedric asked, his jaw locking into place as he waited for my response.

"Mhm. I'll see you later, Cedric." I offered him a smile and started up the many flights of stairs behind some straggling Gryffindor's.

When I finally reached the common room, I snuck in after a few first years who looked very nervous to let me in with them. I glanced around the fire-lit room before realizing the twins were no where to be found and started up the steps to the dorms, not caring what anyone thought for once. I hadn't liked the way Fred had been looking at me, and the way he disappeared so quickly after the feast.

"Hello?" I called, peaking through a small crack in the door to the room labeled Weasley and Jordan.

"Who is that?" George jumped from the bathroom, shutting the door halfway before his eyes met mine. "Oh, it's Cass!" He grinned, opening the door again and revealing a room full of steam and a very concentrated Fred and Lee Jordan.

"What are you guys doing in here?" I laughed, coughing a bit when I got closer to the bathroom.

"Aging potion. Gotta have it ready for tomorrow!" Lee grinned excitedly. "We're all splitting the prize money if one of us wins!"

I nodded, trying to focus on Lee but really wondering why Fred had hardly looked up since I had entered the room.

"You think it's going to work?" I asked the three boys.

"Oh, yeah. We only need an extra couple months." George shrugged.

I nodded, leaning against the wall and watching them stir into their cauldron for what felt like hours in silence.

"Well, I just wanted to know what you guys were up to." I lied, not seeing any excuse to get Fred alone. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait! I'll walk you down." George jumped up and opened the bathroom door, the smoke wafting into the boys room.

"You're helping us, George." Fred grumbled, finally looking up.

"You're practically done." He waved his hand lazily and shot Fred a stern look as the two of us walked out of the dorm. "Alright, what's going on?"

"What's going on?" I asked, faking confusion.

"Why aren't you talking? You and Fred."

"I don't know... that's what I came up to figure out..."

"Then go back and talk to him!" George grabbed my arm, stopping me halfway down the stairs.

"He's with Lee!" I mumbled, knowing that I wanted nothing more than to run up and get him alone.

"I'll distract him. You guys can talk."

"I don't even know what happened. Everything was fine earlier." I sighed as George finally let us continue downstairs.

"Well after he saw- well, never mind."

"What? Do you know why he's mad?" It was my turn to stop George now, stepping in front of him to block the rest of the stairs.

"No. I mean... he's not mad." He stuttered.

"George! Help me." I whispered, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten again, the anxiety that had been building since I had seen Fred's glare through the crowd.

"He's not mad." George said quietly, leading me towards one of the empty couches near the fire in the common room. "He's hurt."

"Hurt? By what?" I asked, tucking my legs to my chest and letting the warmth from the fire eat through my sweater.

"By you and Cedric?" George shot me a look which I couldn't interpret.

"Me and Cedric? There's no... Cedric is hardly even a friend, I barely know him."

"I'm just telling you what he said!" George put his hands up in defense. "He's been annoyed since he found you two in the woods after the world cup, but today with you on his shoulders."

I had almost forgotten about that. I buried my face in my knees for a second. "I didn't ask him to do that, he just thought... I couldn't see."

"Don't be daft, Cassidy. Golden boy likes you."

"Why is he golden boy?" I asked.

"I dunno, that's not the point." He laughed, "Just... do you still like Fred?"

"George." I hissed, looking around the emptying common room.

"I'll take that as a yes?" He smirked, earning a slap from me. "He just... likes you a lot Cassidy. He's not trying to be a dick, he's just hurt."

"I don't want him to be." I breathed out a sigh.

"Want me to go get him?"

I checked my watch quickly. "I can get him."

"I'll get him, stay right here." He held his hands up as if I was a dog he was trying to train and then sprinted back up the stairs.

I picked at my fingernails, staring into the fire, the knot in my stomach only getting worse. I didn't know what my plan was, what I was going to say. I didn't know what was happening? How had I let this get this far and I still didn't know what Fred and I were? How he actually felt about me?

"Cass."

I spun to the stairs and felt a smile spread across my face. He was in red plaid pajamas and a wrinkled t-shirt that looked like he might have just tossed it on last minute.

"Hi Freddie..."

"What're you doing down here?" He asked, taking another step closer to my couch.

"I... I came up here to find you. Not George, or Lee."

"Well, you found me." He raised his eyebrows, giving me a blank look and I swallowed nervously.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked, trying to sound confident but my voice coming out closer to a whisper.

"I'm not mad at you." He answered, his face finally softening into the sweet one I was so used to.

"I... I just... You can talk to me. If you're upset with me, or about anything... or if I did something that bothered you."

"It wasn't you. It's nothing." He said, shortly, sliding onto the couch next to me, keeping a farther distance than we had been used to lately.

"Fred... please talk to me, you're freaking me out."

His face relaxed into a slight smirk and he peaked at me from the corner of his eye.

"How so?"

"Because I'm scared you're mad at me."

"Oh, would that be so bad?" He smiled, finally turning to face me.

"Yes! Fred. God!" I crossed my legs and turned towards him on the couch now. "Just talk to me, or I'm going to explode."

The smile fell from his face as he bit his lip, looking around the room for a few seconds before landing his eyes back on me.

"It bothers me. When you're with Diggory."

I took a quiet breath in, thinking of something, anything I could say besides 'I'm in love with you.'

"I'm not with Diggory." I bent down a bit to try and catch his eyes. "He's just a friend. A house-mate."

"Yeah, but... the way he looks at you, it's... Fuck." He stood up and crossed to the end of the room before spinning back to me. "It's fine. It's fine if you want to talk to him, if you want to... It's fine. Whatever you want. You deserve to be happy."

My stomach sank, lower than I thought it could ever go. It was... fine? If I wanted to be with someone else?

"I am happy." I whispered, looking at his back, the muscles tense beneath his shirt. He turned back towards me at my words, a shimmer in his eyes that lit up the dark brown into the honey color I loved.

"Promise?" He asked, a few steps closer.

"Of course. Unless you're ignoring me, still." I joked, hesitant. I took it as a good sign when he crossed the rest of the way to me on the couch.

"I wasn't ignoring you."

"Oh, please! You didn't even look at me upstairs!"

He chuckled, looking into his lap. "Alright, yeah I was ignoring you."

"Yeah, and I thought that was against the rules? Ignoring each other?"

"No, no. I can ignore you, you just can't ignore me."

"Oh, well as long as it's fair."

He laughed under his breath, grabbing my arm and pulling me up to his level.

"Come on, I'll escort you downstairs."

"Oh, thanks, I sometimes forget the way." I rolled my eyes, smiling as he lead me from the common room.

Chapter Text

"Alright, slow down!" I laughed, trying my best to keep up with the three boys, each at least two heads taller than me.

"Not our fault you're slow! Some of us have championships to win!" Fred called, looking back to shoot me wink.

We finally reached the main floor after multiple near misses of disappearing steps and sliding staircases. Fred, George and Lee all held slightly crumpled pieces of parchment in their hands, each with their name scrawled as neatly as they could muster in their over-excited state. George's other hand held a skinny glass bottle, a cork stuck in the top.

"Alrighty. Just a sip oughta do, we only need a few months each."

I sat on the bench next to Hermione, her nose buried in a book.

"That's not going to work." She sang, not looking up from her spot on the page and I smiled, silently agreeing.

"And why is that, Granger?" George asked, taking a seat on her other side.

"Because." She scoffed. "Dumbledore drew that age line himself. He's not going to be fooled by something as pathetically dimwitted as an aging potion."

"Ah, but that's what makes it so genius." Fred whispered, his head just in between our ears. "Because it's so pathetically dimwitted."

"Ready boys?" Lee asked, looking between the twins.

"Bottoms up." Fred grinned, taking the bottle from George and swallowing a small sip before handing it to Lee. Everyone near us stared in silent anticipation, waiting for some sign that the potion had done anything at all.

"Did it work?" Lee asked, looking down his body as if the extra few months would be visible to him.

Before either of them could answer, Fred took a big jump and landed on the inside of the age line, George joining him a second after.

They grinned at each other as the crowd cheered, Lee smiling and gearing up to jump when all of the sudden, the age line glowed a fierce red and the twins were thrown from the Goblet across the room, landing hard on the stone floor.

I gasped, Hermione finally looking up from her book and laughing at once.

Both boys had sprouted full beards, rivaling Dumbledore's. Their hair was gray, their skin wrinkled, and they were glaring at each other with fury in their eyes.

"George!"

"Was your idea!"

Lee was doubled over in laughter, along with most of the crowd as the Weasley boys began grabbing at each other's new facial hair, rolling around on the floor. I rushed over and stepped in between them, holding down a laugh at how ridiculous they looked.

"You both look like you belong in a nursing home... for mental patients." I teased, reaching a hand out to help them both to their feet. "Come on, Madame Pomfrey will have some fun with this one."

"Honestly, probably not the worse she's seen from us." Fred sighed dramatically.

"Not even close. Remember third year after we-"

"Shut up, please." Fred hissed, and George smirked, knowing he could share this secret at any time.

In less than two hours, Madame Pomfrey had cleared the boys of their beards and the gray was almost all out of their hair.

"Now that I've seen what you look like as an old man, I think we need to talk..." I whispered into Fred's ear, rushing backwards before he could reach out to retaliate.

"I'm sorry you guys couldn't enter. I know you were excited." I offered them a sad smile, even though I couldn't have been happier. I didn't want either of them competing in a tournament that had been canceled due to too high of a death rate.

"I just hope it's a Gryffindor. Angelina's entered." George said, glaring at me when I shot him a smirk.

"As long as it's not a Slytherin."

"Guys even if it is, there's no guarantee the Hogwarts champion will win. Hermione says the Durmstrang students learn much more about the dark arts than we do here."

"Cassidy, where is your school spirit?" George exclaimed, his voice echoing through the empty hallways as we headed to the feast.

I wanted to sit with them, honestly, I never didn't want to sit with them. However, I nodded a goodbye to the twins and started towards my friends for dinner.

It took less than an hour for everyone to eat, people shoveling food into their mouth at never before seen speeds. Hardly any eyes were looking anywhere besides the blue flames from the goblet at the front of the room, the crackling fire holding our attention even as we ate.

Finally, the plates disappeared from in front of us and Dumbledore started towards the cup.

"And now, the moment everyone has been waiting for. I believe the cup needs just a few more-" He paused mid-sentence as the flames before him turned red, climbing higher into the air, every student silent as we waited.

With a sputter, a giant flame shot into the air, a small slip of parchment flying towards Dumbledore's outstretched hand. He unfolded it slowly.

"I wonder if it's hot," Maddie whispered and the three of us shushed her.

"The Durmstrang champion is Viktor Krum!" Dumbledore smiled cheerily as students from every school cheered, Krum standing from his spot with the Slytherin's and heading to shake Dumbledore's hand who gestured for him to continue into a side room off the Great Hall.

The cup glowed red again and the next ball of fire flew into the sky, landing into Dumbledore's hand.

"The champion from Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!" Dumbledore called as a polite applause erupted from the Ravenclaw table where the Beauxbatons students resided, a beautiful blonde floating up to Dumbledore.

Once she too had disappeared into the room with Krum, Dumbledore held his hand out for the third and final champion, every Hogwarts student visibly on the edge of our seats.

"The Hogwarts Champion is Cedric Diggory!" Dumbledore called, a twinkle in his eye visible even from here. The Hufflepuff table exploded in cheers, Cedric's friends jumping up to pat his back as he rushed forward to Dumbledore. I clapped politely, watching Dumbledore send Cedric into the room where Krum and Fleur waited, before...

The crowd went silent at once, everyone forgetting their opinions on the Hufflepuff champion as the Goblet of Fire erupted again. A fourth time. Dumbledore reached out, his face blank as he grasped another piece of parchment and unfolded it.

"Harry Potter." He spoke, his voice sounding even, yet still carrying across the hall.

No one moved. All heads turned towards the Gryffindor table until we found him. His eyes were wide as he looked around, unsure what to do.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called, his eyes too on the dark haired boy.

I watched Hermione push gently on his shoulders, pushing him towards Dumbledore. Hisses and whispers filled the hall.

"He's a cheat!" An older Hufflepuff called from where Cedric had been sitting.

"He's not even seventeen!" A Slytherin hissed and I felt my stomach drop.

Clearly Harry hadn't put his own name in the Goblet. Anyone could see that. His face looked terrified, and from what I knew about Harry, he was not one to be terrified.

Dumbledore said nothing as Harry approached him, simply nodding towards the room. Harry crossed silently to join the other champions, closing the door once he went through.

"Thank you all, with that, I will send you all to bed. The first task will be announced soon, and I expect you will all show our champions your utmost respect and support." Dumbledore offered us all a small nod before he and most of the professors behind him hurried off into the room where the champions waited, Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman following at once.

"Wow! I mean, how did he do that?" Maddie's eyes were wide as she watched the thick wooden door Harry had disappeared into. "Fooled Dumbledore's fool proof system!"

"He's a bloody cheat." A boy grumbled as he walked past us and the four of us glared at him.

"I'm gonna go-"

"Find Freddie." Bri smirked and I nodded, turning to the crowd of red hair that was still sat at the Gryffindor table.

"Unbelievable." Ron was scoffing, a scowl on his face.

"Ron, honestly. You saw Harry's face, he had no idea what was going on."

"Yeah, sure. Some best friend he is, couldn't even have told us how to enter? Like we couldn't all use 1000 Galleons."

"Ron..." Fred offered his brother a look as I took a seat across from him.

"I don't think he put his name in, guys." I said quietly, seeing how angry Ron was still.

"We don't either." Fred said, still looking disappointed.

"Speak for yourself." Ron muttered, standing up and stalking out of the Great Hall alone.

"This won't be good." George said with a sigh.

"Well, we'd better get upstairs. Can't have a real party without the two of us." Fred smiled, jumping up with George, Hermione getting up with a sigh as well.

"Will I see you there?" Fred asked quietly, falling behind the two of them.

"I should probably go celebrate a bit with my friends..." I started, watching a dark look pass over Fred's face. "Well, maybe I'll start in Gryffindor, end at Hufflepuff."

"Oh, we're just a stop on the way to your afterparty?" He teased, grabbing me by the waist and throwing me over his shoulder, ignoring my screams as he started up the stairs.

It had been a week since Harry's name had flown from the Goblet of Fire, and the boy now wore a ghastly shade of purple beneath his eyes at all times. Fred and George had taken it upon themselves to sit with Harry at meals since Ron wasn't speaking to him, along with the rest of the school who had decided to shun Harry as well for 'cheating his way into the tournament.'

Once the bell tolled for the end of class I hurried with Maddie, Bri and Hannah out of the classroom towards the dark haired boy walking alone down the corridors.

"Cassidy, don't talk to him, you're going to make everyone think you've chosen a side." Hannah hissed and Maddie and I shot her matching glares.

"There are no sides," I retorted, leaving the rest of them in the dust.

"Honestly, Hannah, you're so daft." I heard Maddie standing up for Harry as I nudged into his arm. He looked up shocked, and I felt a pang of guilt when I realized he had been expecting someone to come up and harass him.

"How's it going?" I asked, the glares being thrown our way not going un-noticed by either of us.

"Oh, brilliant." He replied, sarcasm dripping off his every word.

"It'll blow over. They're all just jealous. I'm sorry it's going like this."

"I didn't enter." He grumbled, shooting glares back at the students who passed him.

"I know you didn't." I sighed. "You and Ron doing any better?"

"Nope. He's still a bloody git."

I stifled a laugh as we rounded the corner near the stairway.

"Oh, look who it is, boys! Our champion!" A snarky voice sounded.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry practically groaned, clearly already having his fill of people hating his guts today.

"Like the badges, Potter?" Draco asked, the three of them puffing their chests out to show off glowing badges which read, 'Support Cedric Diggory, the real Hogwarts Champion."

I snuck a look at Harry who looked more exhausted than he did angry.

"Very nice, well done." He nodded, pulling on my arm in an attempt to leave the Slytherin's.

"Want one, Olsen?" Draco called after us, making Harry pause in his spot. I felt a shiver run through my spine, knowing whatever happened next wouldn't be good. I hadn't even realized Draco knew my name. "I've got plenty. Only, don't come too close, alright? Mudblood and all."

Harry whipped around now, his eyes on fire as he met Draco's smirk.

"That's enough, Malfoy." He growled, reaching in his pocket to pull out his wand.

"Harry, stop." I whispered under my breath, noticing the growing crowds around us. "Don't do anything, it's not worth it."

"Listen to your little mudblood girlfriend." Draco called again, small gasps rippling through the crowd of students now. "First Granger, now her? You sure have a type, Potter-"

"What's going on?" A low and familiar voice appeared behind Harry and I and I spun to see the twins, relief settling into my chest.

"And here come the blood traitor's themselves-"

"Shut up Malfoy!" Harry shouted, lunging at Draco.

"You want to pick this fight Malfoy? I would suggest you don't." Fred's eyes bore into Draco, looking livid as he stepped to my side, his fingers linking between my own.

"Do you guys just share her then? I mean, I don't quite get the appeal." The blonde chuckled, looking between Crabbe and Goyle before he shrieked, Fred and Harry both lunging for him, wands no where to be seen. The pair of them tackled Malfoy, knocking him to the ground before moving onto Crabbe and Goyle.

"Stop! George, stop them!" I shouted over the fight and George shook his head slowly, a dark look in his eye as he watched the scene before us and took my arm.

"They're fine. Come on." He shrugged and I looked back to realize that Draco and Goyle were now unconscious on the floor while Fred worked on Crabbe.

"George, we can't let them-" I muttered, cutting myself off when I realized I was getting no where.

"Balderdash." He spoke, pulling me through the portrait hole and towards a couch where we sat down together, my eyes still glued on the door behind me, hoping to see the boys come through after us.

"What did he do?" George asked, looking me up and down nervously.

"What?"

"Malfoy. What did he do that made Harry so mad?"

"Oh." I murmured. "He called me a mudblood. Said for me not to come near him. And he was already mad because of the badges and-"

"He called you a mudblood?" George repeated, the same fire that I had seen in Fred's eyes so many times now lighting in his own.

I nodded and George's jaw clenched for a second before looking back at me.

"Are you okay?"

I chuckled, softly. "I'm fine, I don't care about that... from him, come on." I shrugged, dropping my gaze, but still hearing Malfoy's voice echoing that word through my head, followed by 'Pass her around? I don't see the appeal.'

"Alright, well-"

"Thanks for the help, you tosser." Fred grumbled as he and Harry rushed in through the portrait hole, slight red marks painting their lips and cheeks.

"I'm not getting another detention, one a week is enough for me." George shrugged lazily, a gleam in his eye at his brothers apparent anger.

"You were just going to let him say that shit about her?" Fred gestured towards me as if I couldn't hear them.

"Fred, it's fine." I cut in.

"She's fine!" George assured, crossing the room towards his brother and patting his shoulder somewhat patronizingly. "See for yourself." He smirked as he started to the dorms, Harry on his heels.

Fred finally turned to look at me, now alone on the couch. He stood where he was for a moment, looking me up and down as if he expected to find some sort of injury.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"I'm fine." I offered him a smile.

"I'm sorry, I- Well, I'm not sorry actually. He deserved it." A smirk appeared on his face and I laughed. He jumped over the couch to sit next to me and turned, our eyes meeting. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nothing to talk about." I shrugged. "I don't care what Malfoy thinks of me."

"Alright. Good." Fred nodded, reaching slowly for my fingers on the couch beside me and traced over them for a few seconds. "Dinner?"

Chapter Text

The majority of the students had rushed from breakfast straight to their dorms to get dressed warmly for the tournament, as all we knew was that it would be outside. As I neared the stairs to the Hufflepuff common room, I saw him. The sandy brown hair towering above the rest of the students, heading in the opposite direction, his eyes glazed over, deep in thought.

"Cedric." I called, stopping in front of him as his eyes met mine, his hands reaching to scratch the back of his neck nervously.

"Hi Cassidy." He said, his voice not sounding it's usual level of cheery.

"What's with the badges, Cedric? That's poor taste, I didn't think you'd stoop that low." I honestly was disappointed with the Hufflepuff prefect. Everyone that spoke of him knew how kind he was.

"I didn't make those badges!" His eyes went wide. "I've asked them not to wear them. It's cruel. And I honestly don't think Harry wanted to enter."

I paused, sliding over to let more students pass me down the stairway as I studied his face. Of course he hadn't made them. Of course he had told people not to wear them. It wasn't like him.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I should have known." I trailed off.

"That's alright. Very Hufflepuff of you." He winked, taking one more step up to the main floor. "I gotta get going, First Task will start soon. I'll see you there?" He began walking backwards towards the exit, still looking at me, waiting for my response.

"Wouldn't miss it. Good luck!" I smiled, watching him walk out the door, feeling guilty for accusing him of something he didn't do right before the first task.

"There she is, our favorite Hufflepuff!" George sang as the twins rushed up next to me, linking arms with mine.

"Now we know you might be tempted to sit with your fellow Hufflepuffs..." Fred started, holding up a scarlet sweatshirt with WEASLEY embroidered along the back. "But we were hoping you might re-consider."

"Fred! No!" I laughed, trying with all my might to break out of their hold of me to get to my own dorm room and retrieve a perfectly golden hoodie to wear to the tournament.

"I just don't see you getting down there..." George shrugged, faking disappointment for me as Fred held his sweatshirt out for me once again.

"I see you being quite cold actually, and it's probably gonna start any minute now, we're going to miss the start, it'll just all be-"

"Fine!" I rolled my eyes, pushing my arms through the sweatshirt and letting Fred slip it over my head.

"Much better." He smirked, leading the way out to the grounds.

"We're sitting with the Hufflepuffs though." I said, looking between the two of them.

"Near the Hufflepuffs." Fred countered.

"Within eyesight of the Hufflepuffs." George continued.

Ten minutes later, Fred, George, Lee, Ron, Hermione and I were smushed together in our best attempt to preserve our warmth, sitting at the edge of the Hufflepuff stands. I could feel some glares in our direction as, admittedly, we were some of the only students in the stands sporting Gryffindor colors, but because of this I felt less guilty. It wasn't fair that no one was cheering for Harry.

Finally, a loud whistle blew from the stands where Ludo Bagman, Barty Crouch and the Headmaster's were sat and Cedric emerged from the champions tent. He was wearing a yellow long sleeved shirt and black pants, but from this distance you could barely see his face, which might have been a stroke of luck for the champions. I knew my face would be ghostly white if I had managed to last even these first few seconds with the dragon Cedric was looking at.

Cedric surveyed the dragon for a few minutes, the grayish blue creature's eyes locked on the Hufflepuff, smoke leaking from it's nostrils as if it was just waiting to burn him to a crisp.

"Well, he'd better get a move on." Fred grumbled as if this was a boring experience.

"Honestly, do something." George agreed.

"Let's go, Diggory!" Lee shouted, earning some grumbles and shushes from behind us.

At last, Cedric raised his wand, uttering an inaudible spell at a boulder between himself and the dragon which transformed into a dog, barked at the Short-Snout and scurried away when the dragon took the first few steps towards him.

Once out of sight, the crowd began to buzz with excitement, obviously not wanting to draw the dragon's attention back to Cedric as he raced forward and claimed the golden egg which the dragon had left momentarily unprotected.

I jumped to my feet and cheered with the rest of my house, or rather, the rest of the school. Hermione clapped politely in her seat, nudging at the Weasley boys to follow her lead. I turned to see George and Ron looking almost put out at Cedric's win, while Fred's brown eyes locked on mine, looking angry.

"Oh, come on guys, let Hufflepuff have their moment!" I grinned, hoping to break through their sour moods, but none of their glares let up until I took my seat again and the crowd's noise died down.

We all watched, I for one on the edge of my seat, as Fleur lured the dragon into a sleeping trance, although allowing her skirt to set on fire as she did so, still capturing the egg once she had put out the flames. Krum then used another in-audible spell which hit his dragon directly in it's eye. The crowd gasped as the creature swayed back and forth, lashing out with it's mouth and tail, clearly blinded while Krum easily captured the egg.

Finally, it was Harry's turn, and I honestly couldn't say who looked more nervous, me or Ron.

"He's going to be fine." Hermione chanted, more to herself than to us.

The whistle blew at last, and Harry emerged from the tent to face his dragon.

"Course his has to be the most bloody terrifying thing I've ever seen." Fred said, leaning forward in his spot to get a better view.

"Just climb in her lap, why don't you? I'm sure she hates personal space." Lee joked.

"Am I bothering you, love?" Fred asked, cocking his head to the side to await my answer.

"No, Freddie." I bit back a smile, pretending that my focus was still on Harry and the Hungarian Horntail.

"Let's go, Potter!" Lee shouted, his voice managing to carry throughout the stands and a few more cheers could be heard throughout the students.

Instead of aiming his wand at the dragon, Harry raised his to the sky and shouted something, his eyes looking all around the stadium as if waiting for some change that he was sure would follow.

"Oh, shit." I breathed, watching his look of horror as he waited.

"What's plan B, Hermione?" Ron asked, his voice sounding shakey.

After what felt like hours of strained silence, Harry's face broke into a grin as he spotted the flying broomstick, hurtling towards him through the air. He caught it in one hand and mounted it quickly, kicking up, passing the stands and the dragon's height, looking happier than I had seen him in weeks now.

He started towards the Horntail, grabbing it's attention before zipping out of the stadium, headed straight back for the castle in the distance, allowing the dragon time to catch up.

"Is... a broomstick faster than a dragon?" I asked, my initial elation at Harry's plan halted as I watched the dragon on his tail.

"Let me check my dragon fact sheet, one second, oh." Fred smirked at me, carefree as always, even as one of our best friends was about to be burnt and eaten before our eyes.

"You're so helpful. Now I remember why we keep you around."

"Shut up, you guys, it's working!" George shouted, pointing at Harry who was returning to the stadium, a blur of red through the sky. The dragon apparently had not been one for the quick twists and turns Harry had made around Hogwarts and it had lost a lot of momentum. Harry landed easily on the rocky ground and hopped off the Firebolt, hoisting the golden egg above his head to a massive cheer now, much more of Hogwarts impressed with Harry than they had been at the start of the day.

A little over an hour later, I was sat in my favorite arm chair near the fire, listening to the cheering and re-enactments that seemed like they may last the entire night. Cedric had been making his way through the crowds, thanking everyone who congratulated him and excusing himself from multiple girls who were practically drooling over the Hufflepuff champion.

"Merlin," He sighed, plopping down onto the chair next to mine. "Now I know how Harry feels when... while... practically every day." His eyes danced when I laughed at his joke.

"You did well. I'm sure you've already heard." I smiled.

"Yeah, but not from you. Thanks." He grinned, letting his head flop back on the couch. "I'm sleeping through tomorrow. The whole day. In bed."

"Oh, you didn't hear? Part 2 tomorrow, you all re-shuffle your dragons and-" I stopped when he threw his arm out, smacking my arm and laughing.

"Thought you would be up with the Gryffindors, judging by your outfit choice." He questioned, eyeing my sweatshirt.

"I am going to head up there. I just thought I should congratulate my champion first."

"Your champion?" He asked, sitting up with a blatant smirk plastered on his face now.

"The Hufflepuff champion." I laughed, feeling my cheeks tinge pink. "You know what I meant."

"Tell Harry good job from me." He waved lazily from his spot as I headed from the room. It was nearly eight now, and I was slightly hesitant to leave the common room this late knowing curfew was in just two hours, but I had promised Fred I would be up at their party and I didn't intend to miss it.

Clearly, no one had thought to do a silencing charm, as the music and cheers could be heard from the staircase as I approached the portrait hole.

"Balderdash." I said politely, noting the lady's glare as she opened up for me.

"Cassidy!" A chorus of voices called as I stepped inside.

"Still in the right colors!" Fred's grin widened as he saw me, rushing over with a cup of what smelled like straight fire whiskey.

"Good party so far?" I smirked, watching him sway slightly next to me.

"All of our parties are good parties, if you'll recall." He tapped my nose and grabbed onto my hand, linking his fingers between mine and pulling me to get a drink.

"I shouldn't drink too much, it's nearly curfew..." I reminded him as I took a sip of a fruity drink he had poured for me.

"Then stay here tonight." He whispered, his breath fluttering against my hair. "With me."

I bit my lip, looking around as if anyone could hear Fred's low voice in a room this loud.

"We'll see Freddie." I took another sip of my drink to attempt to hide my smile.

"Yes we will." He winked.

"Harry come on, what's in the egg?" A few Gryffindor's shouted as Harry hoisted the oversized golden egg onto his shoulder.

"You want me to open it?" He grinned excitedly to the room of cheers, which surprisingly included Ron.

"Are they good now?" I shouted near Fred's ear and he nodded.

"Bout time too. Their lover's spat was draining on me." He rolled his eyes dramatically and I laughed before the loudest screech I had ever heard blasted throughout the room.

"Shut it!" Fred screamed, fighting to be heard over the eggs noise before Harry shut it.

"Bloody Hell!" Lee, as well as most of the Gryffindor's shouted, their hands still over their ears in fear of the noise returning.

"Sounds like a banshee, Harry. Maybe you've gotta fight one of those next?" Seamus Finnigan shouted to be heard over the chatter.

Before anyone could answer, a new scream rang through the common room and we all turned to watch Neville Longbottom melt down into a small bird.

"Oh... no..." George sighed.

"Sorry, Neville, forgot we hexed the custard creams!" Fred started over to the bird and watched nervously until the bird molted it's feathers and Neville re-appeared looking completely normal and even laughing along with his friends.

"Canary Creams!" Fred grinned, "George and I invented them, seven sickles each!"

I smiled and shook my head as he walked back over to me, still smiling like a mad-man.

"You had no idea if he was going to change back, did you?" I muttered through a smile.

"Well, I know now." He winked, pulling my hand to lead me to the couch near the fire. "How was your Hufflepuff celebration?"

"Nothing like this." I laughed, looking around the room as Fred poured me another drink from the bottle on the table in front of us. "No students turning into birds or screaming eggs."

"What? Pretty Boy's egg doesn't scream? That hardly seems fair."

I laughed, taking another sip from my new drink and watching the students around the common room. Many of them were still gathered around Harry, which bothered me only slightly. They were all keen to be on his side celebrating when things were looking up, but the second the whole school turned against him, where had they been?

I was however happy that Ron was talking to him again, and judging from Hermione's small smile as she watched the two of them laughing together, she was as well.

"What are you thinking about?" Fred asked softly and I met his eyes, realizing now that he had been watching me the whole time.

"How... fun it always is here."

Fred laughed, nodding as he took another drink of fire whiskey.

"Gryffindor's know how to party."

"Weasley's know how to party."

"Not all of us. Percy would be livid right now. And Ron will be hungover off that first drink he's milking by morning."

"Be nice." I laughed. "We're not all partiers like you and George."

"I don't know, I think of myself as a rather serious guy. Studious and quiet, shy-"

I laughed loudly, attracting the attention of a few people nearby. "You're the least shy person I've ever met."

"I'm plenty shy!" He bit back, leaning forward to pour another drink.

After another two hours, almost everyone had gone up to bed, leaving Fred and I alone on the couch, cozy, tipsy and blissfully unaware of anything outside of our own little bubble of conversation.

"Tell me a secret." He smiled, his fingers running through my hair softly as my head laid on his lap. I didn't know at what point my drunk self had decided this was an okay move, but the second Fred's hands found their way into my hair any hesitations had vanished.

"I don't have secrets." I giggled, trying hard to think of something, anything, this boy didn't already know about me.

"Oh please. You've got so many secrets I'm surprised I actually know your real name. Do you have your birth certificate? Can I check?"

I laughed again and reached for my cup, taking a last sip of my drink.

"Who's your best friend?" He asked once he realized I wasn't going to answer the secret question.

"I don't have a best friend, I like them all-"

"You like one of them best." He narrowed his eyes.

"No!" I tried to sit up, but Fred moved his other hand to my shoulder to push me back onto his lap.

"Fine, fine, fine. You make this difficult."

"Who's your best friend? George or Lee?" I joked, trying to show him how hard it was to choose.

"George is my brother, that doesn't count. And Lee's not my best friend."

"How is Lee not your best friend?" I squinted at him, suspiciously.

"You're my best friend." He shrugged, a small smile pulling at his lips.

"I'm your best friend?" I grinned, turning my eyes up towards his, watching the fiery spark glimmer.

"Of course you are. I'm obsessed with you."

I laughed again, covering my face with both hands to hide the blush that I knew was coming.

"Don't." He chuckled, pulling my hands into his. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"Oh, so you're not obsessed with me?"

"No, no. I am, I'm just sorry if that makes you uncomfortable." He smirked once he earned a laugh from me again. "Are you getting tired?"

I nodded slightly, not wanting to have to leave him or our perfect moment.

"Well, good news. It's past curfew and you can't leave."

"I can sneak." I argued, knowing I didn't want that any more than he seemed to.

"Or you can stay." He said, his voice low despite us being one of the last few people left.

"Your roommates are going to be annoyed with me."

"They wont, and I wouldn't care if they were."

I hesitated, thinking of how long it would take me to sneak back down to the Hufflepuff dorms.

"Stay." He whispered. "I miss waking up next to you."

I bit my lip as I smiled, feeling the butterflies flutter around my stomach.

"Okay." I replied quietly.

"Okay?" His eyes lit up and he jumped off the couch, pulling me up with him, bending slightly to pull me over his shoulder, ignoring my hushed requests to put me down. "I would, but you might change your mind!"

I clapped a hand over my mouth, holding in my laughter as he kicked the door open with his foot, letting us through the dark room and dropping me to his bed.

"Here," He rummaged through his drawers, pulling out a pair of red flannel checkered pants that I had seen him wear around the house last summer. "I know you get cold."

"Cause you're in the draftiest part of the school." I whispered back, holding the pants in my hands as I watched him, waiting for him to turn around.

"I'm gonna brush my teeth." He said, heading to the bathroom. I sat for a moment once he had closed the door, taking a deep breath and biting back a smile.

I shouldn't keep doing this. Whatever we were doing. Sleeping in the same bed, letting him play with my hair, it all felt good in the moment, perfect in the moment. But the second he left, I knew all I would feel was confused. Stupid. Alone.

I shook my head, attempting to clear those thoughts, standing up and pulling my leggings off, replacing them with Fred's pajamas which were so long they covered my feet.

Fred emerged from the bathroom not a second after I had gotten dressed, walking over to me in the dark. He was wearing only a pair of dark sweatpants, the moonlight shining on the rest of his exposed skin. Once he was close enough to me, he tugged the two strings hanging from my pants and I let myself be pulled closer to him. He looked down, hopefully not realizing that I hadn't taken a breath since he'd come out of the bathroom, and tied the strings into a tight bow.

"Bed." He pointed and I nodded, crawling in and snuggling beneath the blankets, feeling the warmth of his skin as he joined me. The two of us dropped back onto his pillow and I sighed happily.

"Goodnight, Cassy." He muttered, snaking a hand around my waist and pulling me into his back so I could feel his breath against my ear, his fingers running small circles over my exposed skin above his pajama pants.

Chapter Text

It had been over a week since I had woken up in Fred's bed, his arm draped over me, breathing in the scent of cinnamon and fireworks, and just as I had feared: feeling stupid.

I had since spent every meal with my friends at the Hufflepuff table and only talked to either of the Weasley Twins in passing. As Christmas break was fast approaching, the teachers were piling on more and more work and surprise tests to study for, which kept me busy in the library most of the time anyway.

However, schoolwork and tests were the farthest thing on anyones mind today. Everyone had finished with our work and copied down our homework assignments, thinking longingly of the weekend ahead of us when Professor McGonagall had gathered our attention once again.

"I have some news for you all before we leave. As I'm sure you're all aware, you were asked to bring dress robes to school this year. This is due to the fact that, as is tradition during all tri-wizard tournaments, Hogwarts will be hosting a ball."

She paused for only a moment to let the excited buzz and whispers flare up in the room, Maddie spinning to Bri and I and grabbing onto our forearms tightly.

"You will all be expected to be on your very best behavior, I will not have any student of Hogwarts, much less Gryffindors," She shot a look to the other side of the room, narrowing her eyes at Harry and Ron who had not ten minutes ago been caught in a battle with fake wands. "Making a mockery of this event. Only fourth years and up will be permitted, although you may ask someone younger if you wish. The Yule Ball is first and foremost a dance, and is always a wonderful evening that I am sure you will all enjoy."

With a small smile she released the class and we all scurried out into the hallways.

"I know who I'm asking." Maddie smiled, a glimmer in her eyes as she scanned the hallways as if to find him to ask right now.

"Maddie, just wait two days and someone will ask you." I teased, knowing how many boys would take my beautiful friend to the ball in a heartbeat.

"You're one to talk!" Bri smirked as we continued towards our common room, excitedly.

"How am I one to talk?" I asked nervously, sure they were going to bring up Fred.

"I'm surprised there's not fireworks above our head already announcing the two of you are going together." Hannah laughed, the other two joining in as I shook my head.

"He's not going to ask me guys." I tried for a smile.

"Like hell!" Bri yelled, taking a step in front of me. "Did something happen between you guys?"

"No." I shook my head, feeling a sharp tug at my heart thinking about the red head. "I just don't think he wants to be with me. I don't really know what's going on." I sighed as we turned the corner.

"Olsen!" A voice called and the four of us spun to see Cedric Diggory rushing towards us.

"Hi, Cedric." I smiled, glad for the excuse to stop the Fred talk.

"Sorry, girls, can I borrow Cassidy for a bit?" He smiled, my friends clearly holding back grins.

"Just bring her back eventually." Maddie called as I followed Cedric back up the stairs.

"In decent condition!" Bri finished and I shook my head, hearing Cedric laugh under his breath.

"So, have you heard about the Yule Ball?" The tall boy asked, stopping us in the entrance hall and leaning against a stone pillar.

"Yeah, just now. It's going to be crazy around here for a while, I think." I laughed, looking around at the over excited students rushing through the halls in whispers.

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go with me." He asked, his face seeming so calm while my insides were on fire. "Figured I'd ask early, before someone else steals you."

I paused, my mind completely blank. He just asked me to the Yule Ball. Cedric Diggory. The Hogwarts Champion and you, dancing at the front of the Great Hall, all eyes watching you.

"Am I seriously too late? I knew I'd have to be quick, but wow-" He chuckled, seeming anxious at my pro-longed silence.

"No, no Ced," I laughed nervously. "I just... I haven't really thought about the ball, I mean... I have to get a dress, I don't know if I'm actually going to-"

"It's fine!" He said, holding his hands up slightly as if to try and calm me down. "Just think on it? Promise? We would have a fun time together, I think."

"Yeah," I nodded, thankful that he wasn't pushing it. "Okay, thanks Cedric."

"My pleasure." He chuckled out, giving me a nod and a quick bye before leaving me to follow after my friends into the common room.

I had barely stepped through the door when the three of them pounced on me, eager smiles pasted on their faces.

"What did he want?"
"What did he ask?"
"Did you say yes? He asked you right?"

I paused for a second, biting my lip as I heard the door slide shut behind me.

"He asked me." I confirmed.

"Oh my GOD!" Maddie clutched at her heart dramatically while Bri and Hannah grinned in excitement.

"Cassidy Olsen and Cedric Diggory, the Hogwarts champion, how romantic-"

"I didn't exactly say yes..." I murmured, all eyes flying back to me.

"What do you mean? You said no?" Hannah asked, looking at me like I had just told her I had kissed a dementor.

"I didn't say no! I just... hesitated and he said I could take my time and think on it."

"Well think on it!" Maddie screeched. "Done? Perfect, go find him!"

"Knock it off, idiots!" Bri butt in, "She didn't say yes because she's waiting for Fred to ask her."

"Cassidy, you just said yourself you didn't think he was going to ask you-"

"I know, but..." I stopped, every thought in my head bouncing off another. "I just... If he does, I don't want to have to say I'm already going with someone else... I would regret it forever."

"Oh my God, you're insane. Why don't you just go ask Weasley then?" Maddie threw her hands up, exasperated.

"No." Hannah cut in, a stern look in her eyes. "She doesn't have to. Fred's gonna ask. I know it." She smiled at me and I took a deep breath, wanting nothing more right now than to crawl into bed until December 26th.

The next day, thankfully was a Hogsmeade trip, which was lucky for Hermione and I, as neither of us had our dresses yet for the fast approaching ball.

Molly has signed my permission form for Hogsmeade this year, which Professor Sprout had accepted without any questions, but I did still miss sneaking through the tunnel with the twins.

Hermione and I bundled up as we started out with the crowds of students into the village, half of my life's saving jingling inside my purse. I honestly had no idea what price range to be expecting for these dresses. When I needed clothes at home, my dad had always picked things out for me or special ordered me pieces which fit his standards for his outings.

Hermione and I entered the last shop on the street, a small bell ringing above our heads as a small woman peeked out from around a puffy red dress that looked straight out of a fairytale.

"Good morning, girls, I'm so excited, I expect I'll have many more Hogwarts students in here today with the news of the ball?" She smiled warmly.

"Most likely." Hermione agreed as we stepped towards the first rack of dresses. "Your shop is beautiful, you can't possibly hand make all of these?" She asked, pulling gently at the dresses in front of her.

"I do, dear. I love designing dresses, it makes me feel young again." She looked towards me now. "You both need dresses then?"

I nodded and she hurried over towards us. "Well ladies, have a look around and let me know if you want any help, I can pull some pieces for you if you'd like. No two dresses in this shop are alike."

I could see that. Every other dress on the racks splayed out before us was a different shape, color and texture. Hermione and I set off to opposite sides of the store, gently moving through the dresses with wide eyes.

I wanted to try on nearly every one that I touched, but I knew I was looking for something specific, I just didn't know what. I had thought all night about the color, mainly. The obvious choice would be red, but I realized that was just me wishing Fred would ask me. I assumed there would be a lot of yellow dresses from my housemates, and since my skin was pretty pale right now, I ruled out any colors that were too deep.

"Cassidy, was it?" The woman asked, patting my shoulder to grab my attention.

"Yes, ma'um." I smiled warmly back to her.

"I don't want to seem pushy, but would you like to see a piece I just finished a few nights ago? I just think it would look gorgeous on you with your hair."

"Of course, I would love to." I nodded, politely, already thinking of a way to let her down if I didn't care for the dress. She led me back past the fitting rooms and around a corner into what looked to be her office, where my jaw nearly dropped.

The dress she gestured to was gorgeous. It was hanging on a tall stand near a mirror which reflected thousands of glimmering crystals on the walls. The dress looked like it was made of individual solid gold crystals, shimmering against each other as I reached out to feel it.

"How long did this take you?" I asked, my eyes never leaving the dress.

"Magic helps a bit, dear." She chuckled. "Want to try it on?"

I paused. Obviously my answer was yes, but this dress had to cost a fortune.

"I should ask how much it is, before I let myself fall in love with it." I laughed, shyly.

"I have a tag, somewhere on here, yes, here it is." She pulled a paper tag from the back zipper and held it towards me.

I smiled, excitedly. It was a bit much, but I had it. And I knew this was the dress, even before I slipped it on in the fitting room.

I twirled a few times in the mirror, watching the crystals reflect against the walls surrounding me and flattening it against my stomach. It wasn't just gorgeous, it was soft too. Something told me that every dress in this store was this soft and this beautiful. It was all magic.

As I stated into the mirror, I heard the bell ring from the front of the store.

"But I really think Freddie's gonna ask me." A familiar voice rang through the shop.

"Fred Weasley is not taking you to the ball." Her friend laughed, and I placed the voices. It was Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson. "He's going to take Cassidy, for sure. I'm not sure he's had his eyes off her since term started."

"We'll see." The first girl sounded annoyed. "See anything?"

"Not really... I think I'll just have mum send me the dress I bought over the summer after all."

The bell rang again and I pulled the curtain back, forgetting I was still wearing the dress until Hermione gasped, drawing my attention to her.

"Cassidy, Godric!" She clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Coming from you! Look at you!" I smiled at her. She was wearing a soft pink flowing dress that looked perfect against her hair and fell right to her feet. "You're getting that right? That's perfect for you."

"Yes," She grinned excitedly. "I love it. And I love yours. Fred's not going to know what hit him."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"When he asks you, of course. I heard them talking the same as you did, and Alicia's absolutely right."

"Alright, enough from you." I shook my head, pulling the curtain back again for the two of us to get changed.

Hermione and I had spent the whole afternoon in Hogsmeade, talking excitedly about the ball, about how neither of knew how to dance, drinking butter beers and spending what was left of our money we had brought at Honeydukes before returning to the castle. It has been a great day, but it meant that today was dedicated exclusively to homework.

I could tell it was well past dinner now, just based on the growling of my stomach, but I was pleased with the amount of work I had gotten through. All of my homework for this week was complete, and I had even gotten in a good chunk of studying for our potions test on antidotes.

I was now deep into my chapters for Herbology, comparing paragraphs from the reading with notes I had scrawled in class when the room went black, hands covering my eyes.

"Fred Weasley. You are not to be in this common room." I spoke sternly, shutting my notes inside my book in my lap.

"How'd you know?" He whined, dropping his hands and coming around to face me.

"Because Hufflepuffs don't do things like that." I pointed out.

"Ah, yes, how could I forget." He smirked. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in days."

"Been very busy, Freddie, as you can see." I nodded towards my pile of books on the table behind him.

"You missed dinner." He said, seeming annoyed. "You can't skip meals just because your-" he paused, picking the book up from my lap. "Herbology book is too interesting, come on. At least it could have been potions or something!"

"No, I'm done with that one." I smiled, knowing he was teasing me.

"Well, are you quite finished now?"

"No, I'm quite not." I laughed, trying to pull my book back from his grip.

"I just need thirty minutes of your time, Cassy, I swear!"

"For what!"

"It's a surprise!"

"No, I don't think that sounds too safe." I smirked, checking my watch. "And it's curfew soon-"

"And I said I only needed thirty minutes, and you're wasting all of it!" He grabbed both of my hands, pulling me up to my feet and out to the hallway.

"Thirty minutes! Swear!"

"Swear!" He smiled, the pair of us starting up the first few flights of stairs.

"Why do I feel like I've done this all before?" I teased, guessing where we were headed once we started on the final staircase.

"That's kind of the point, Cassy." Fred grinned, pushing against the heavy wooden door that lead out onto the astronomy tower.

"And yet again, didn't tell me to grab a coat."

"You're the brains of this duo, not me!" He smiled, leading us towards the edge where he leaned onto the railing, the wind whipping at our faces as we looked up to the stars.

"It's almost been a year since we came up here, remember?" He asked, turning his face to me finally.

I nodded, knowing I would most likely never forget that night.

"So..." he started off, his deep brown eyes looking extra bright under the stars up here. "Am I too late to ask you to the yule ball?"

Thank Merlin for this railing.

I was positive I was dreaming. Yes, that was it. I had fallen asleep in the common room, I would wake up any second and find I was still very much alone.

"I am, aren't I?" His face fell, snapping me from my inner monologue.

"No, what? No!"

"So?" His smile re-appeared. "Will you? Go with me to the ball?"

I nodded eagerly, taking a step closer to him. "Yeah, of course I will Freddie."

"Thank God." He laughed, reaching to brush a flying piece of hair behind my ear. "To be quite honest, I thought I'd do this up here in case you said no, I could just pitch myself right off."

I slapped him on the chest playfully and he leaned in closer, our noses nearly touching now.

"Thank you, Fred." I breathed softly.

"For what?"

"For asking me."

"Oh, like you didn't know I was going to ask you." He pressed his lips to mine, pulling my hips against his own and linking his hands behind my back.

When we finally pulled apart I shook my head.

"What?" He asked, turning his head to the side. "You didn't know I would ask you?"

"No, Fred!" I laughed, pulling him back through the door into the castle to escape the cold wind.

"Cassidy, do you not know how obsessed with you I am? I swore we went over this." He teased, earning a giggle from me as we started down the steps.

"Goodnight, Freddie." I paused at his floor, looking up into his glowing eyes.

"I'll walk you down, come on." He started but I pressed my hand against his chest.

"It's nearly curfew! You're going to get in trouble on your way back up."

"But what if someone better asks you to the ball on the way down?" He whined, dramatically.

"Highly unlikely." I scoffed.

"Alright, well you promised to go with me. Don't forget!" He held a pinky out to me and I linked my own with his, my heart feeling as if someone had lit a cozy fire beneath it.

"Goodnight Fred." I said softly, looking back up at him.

"Goodnight, beautiful." He smiled, leaning down, one hand pressed to my cheek as his lips met mine, the two of us moving in sync for a few seconds before he stepped away. "Sleep well."

Chapter Text

"It's about time, honestly." Bri said through a mouth full of waffles.

"About time for what?" I asked, despite knowing exactly what she meant.

"For Fred to ask you out." Maddie clarified, watching her coffee cup refill itself for the third time already.

"He didn't ask me out." I shot them a look. "Everyone's going."

"No. No. We're not letting you talk yourself out of this one too." Hannah interjected. "The astronomy tower was a date, the Hogsmeade trips? Dates. The Yule Ball is a date." She enunciated each sentence with a jab of her fork in my direction.

"I guess it's a no then?" I turned to the new voice that had joined in our conversation.

"Sorry?" I asked Cedric who was wearing a small smile.

"Heard about you and Weasley. So I'm guessing it's a no, me taking you to the ball."

I felt like all of the pumpkin juice had turned to ice in my stomach as I looked at him. He was smiling, but he still looked sad. I had thought later last night about how I was going to have to officially tell Cedric no, but I hadn't thought he would have heard before I could tell him.

"I'm so sorry, Cedric, I was going to come find you today-"

"It's fine Cassidy. I just wanted to make sure, you know, in case it was just a rumor." He glanced between my friends and me for a second. "It's not, right?"

"No, no. They're going, those crazy lovebirds." Maddie joked, earning a smack from Bri onto her arm to shut her up.

"Just checking. Well, another time maybe?" He shot me a smile, dimples forming into his cheeks. "I'll see you around."

"Bye Ced." I nodded, still feeling the terrible guilty feeling in my stomach.

"You lucky bitch." Maddie sighed, lying her head on her fist and watching the golden haired boy walk back to his crowd of friends, some of who patted him hard on the back as he sat back down.

I tucked another loop of the deep red yarn around the needle and pulled the end through, holding it back to take another look at the project so far. I had been meaning to start this sweater weeks ago, but thankfully it was easier than I had remembered at the Burrow when Molly was teaching me.

I looked up from my spot on the couch as the door to the common room slid open to reveal Maddie and Bri. Maddie's face was red and blotchy, her under eyes red. It was obvious she had been crying. Bri had her arm over her shoulder as they walked towards me, shooting me a look that I couldn't quite read.

"Maddie, what happened?" I asked, dropping my sweater to the table and making room for my friends next to me on the couch.

"I-" She started, her lip quivering quickly before she buried her face in her hands, letting out half a sob and half a whine.

I looked to Bri, wide eyed and confused.

"Maddie, do you want me to tell her?" Bri asked, rubbing circles onto Maddie's back lightly.

Maddie shook her head, lifting her face from her hands and sighing dramatically.

"I'm sorry, I'm being dramatic."

"No you're not." Bri said.

"It was just so... horrible."

"What happened?" I snapped.

"I asked Roger Davies to the ball." She muttered, hugging her legs and pulling a pillow onto her lap.

"Okay? Did he say no?" I asked softly.

She shook her head again.

"He... I really thought he would say yes... I asked him in front of some of his friends... and he laughed, and they all laughed with him. He said he wouldn't be caught dead at the Yule Ball with the school tramp."

"What?" My voice sounded more like a hiss. Why would anyone say that about anyone, much less when it wasn't even true. Maddie liked boys, and boys liked Maddie, but I knew she hadn't done much of anything with anyone. "He can't talk to you like that, what did you say? No one said anything? What the hell-"

"No... someone did something... he's in the infirmary..." Bri answered slowly.

My eyes flashed back to Maddie, having seen her in some pretty decent arguments in the past, but never violent ones.

"And Fred's in detention." Bri continued.

"Wait, what? Fred?"

Maddie nodded, her chin resting on the pillow in her lap now.

"Tell him I'm so sorry, Cass, he didn't have to get involved."

"What did he do?" I asked, practically on the edge of the couch now.

"I didn't even see him anywhere near us, did you?" Maddie asked Bri who shook her head. "But it was like... the second Roger said tramp, Fred was on him."

"And he didn't stop, George had to pull him off. Roger was out cold." Bri raised her eyebrows slightly.

"But it was sweet." Maddie mumbled. "I know, I know, violence isn't the answer, but... he's a good guy."

She let out another deep sigh and Bri frowned.

"Hey, we don't need dates to the ball. We'll go together, we'll have a great time." She breathed out.

"Anthony Goldstein already asked you, idiot, and you want to go with him. Don't let me ruin your night."

"Yeah, but I don't want you-"

"Wait, Maddie. I know someone you can go with..." I started.

"You gonna set me up with the other twin? Because after he saw the whole incident today, I doubt he'd-"

"Not George, he's taking Angelina Johnson." I mentioned casually, as if it hadn't been a huge relief when he had told me that.

"Who then?" Maddie whined, once again wallowing in her theatrics.

"It's a surprise. I'll ask him if he's still free."

"No, no surprises, tell me!"

"I can't! I'm going to go see Fred." I smiled, teasingly, knowing this would keep Maddie up at night.

"You don't even know where he is!" Maddie shouted.

"He's with McGonagall." Bri shouted and I shot her a smile as I left through the doorway.

I started up the stairways towards the Gryffindor's. I had never had a detention, but from Fred and George's many stories about them, they were usually in teacher's offices.

When I reached the skinny wooden door, Professor McGonagall engraved in a silver plate in the center, I sank to the floor along the corner of the wall to wait. I didn't know how much longer he would be in detention for, but the reason he was in there was because he was standing up for one of my friends.

"Who you waiting on?" The familiar voice whispered against my ear and I cupped a hand over my mouth to stifle a gasp, turning to face the smirking ginger.

"Fred!" I shoved him gently, not budging him even slightly from his spot next to me. I scanned him up and down quickly, as if I was expecting to see one of his bones sticking out at an odd angle. He had a purple shading beneath his left eye where I guessed Roger had gotten a single hit in, but other than that he looked perfectly fine.

"You're supposed to be in there." I pointed towards McGonagall's office. "I thought you had detention."

He shrugged, a hand landing on my lower back and guiding me back out to the staircases.

"Minnie loves me. I got a stern talking to about knocking people unconscious and safety, but... she wasn't mad after she heard what that asshole said to Maddie."

"She says thank you. Well, actually she said she was sorry, but I'm guessing she means thank you."

"She doesn't have to thank me. She didn't deserve that."

"Does your eye hurt?" I asked, not liking to think about Fred being in fights, yet knowing it was probably something I was going to have to get used to with him.

"Barely." He paused once we reached the stairs, looking down to me with a smile. "You coming up?"

I glanced at the oversized clock on the far wall, noting how close it was to curfew.

"I know it's almost curfew. That's why I'm asking." He whispered.

"Okay." I nodded, taking the hand he held out for me and following him up the last stairway to the Gryffindor common room.

Fred muttered the password lazily and we climbed through the portrait hole, the noise and excitement from inside hitting my ears at once.

"Welcome back, Cassidy." George grinned from his spot in front of the fire, Angelina and some other quidditch players surrounding him. Fred and I joined them on another couch and I watched two of the boys I didn't know play exploding snap, neither of them even flinching when they got zapped. "How's Maddie?"

"She's fine. Thanks for stopping Fred from getting into real trouble." I gave the younger twin a warm smile and flicked my eyes between him and Angelina, George wiggling his eyebrows at me. Luckily, my laugh was drowned out by the three new voices entering the common room.

"Harry!" I called, waving the dark haired boy over to us.

"Hey, Cass." He replied, his eyes not lighting up at all, looking like all he really wanted to do was crawl into bed.

"You going to the ball with anyone yet?" I asked, turning backwards on the couch to face him and feeling the muscles in Fred's arm tense up for a moment.

"Uh... no. No luck so far." He muttered.

"He just asked Cho today, but she said no. That's why he's so depressed." Ron answered, looking equally defeated.

"I heard she's waiting for Cedric. She asked him apparently, and he told her he would get back to her." Hermione grimaced.

"Great, she turned me down for someone who gave her a maybe? Brilliant." Harry grumbled.

I brushed the Cedric and Cho thing from my mind, now more focused on whether Harry was in the right mood to ask about Maddie. Still, the ball was in just a week, I didn't have much time.

"Well... I was wondering. My friend Maddie, she doesn't have a date yet either. She's really fun, and I thought maybe you two could go-"

"Er... yeah, I... which one is she?" He asked, scratching nervously at the back of his neck.

"She's the pretty one, with the light brown hair. You know, Harry!" Ron explained, earning a weird look from his friends and his brothers. "What? She's pretty's all."

"Well, I didn't mention it or anything, so there's no pressure. I was just thinking it might work out if you wanted to ask her." I shrugged, settling back onto the couch next to Fred.

"If you don't, I will." Ron muttered and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Yes, thanks Cass. I'll ask her."

"Look at you, little match maker." Fred smirked, his hand snaking around my waist and rubbing circles into the inch of exposed skin above my leggings.

I felt the warmth spread to my cheeks as we listened to George talk about their potions lesson which had been less about potions and more about his prank on Snape that went completely unnoticed. I leaned closer against Fred's arm, taking in a deep breath of the cinnamon and smokey smell I was so used to now.

My eyes were getting heavy, but it was impossible to want to leave this room, listening to the Gryffindor's try and one up each other with funnier and funnier stories.

"Tired?" Fred noticed, his breath fluttering the hair away from my face.

"Little." I answered.

"Alright, we're off to bed." Fred announced to low whistles and laughter. He held up his middle finger behind his back, pulling me up the stairs after him.

"Embarrassed to be going to bed with me?" He smirked, seeing the blush on my face.

"No." I mumbled.

"They're gonna think what they're gonna think." He shrugged, pushing the door to his dorm room open.

I nodded, truly not caring what anyone thought, only wanting to be with Fred for as long as I could. He stepped to his dresser, rummaging for a few seconds before pulling out some clothes and handing them out to me.

"I'm okay, I can sleep in these, they're comfy." I answered, looking down at my outfit I had changed into hours ago to work on Molly's Christmas sweater.

"You could. But I like when you wear my clothes." He watched me closely as I took the t-shirt and sweatpants from him.

He headed towards the bathroom and I slipped into the new clothes quickly, folding my old ones and setting them on top of his dresser. After another minute, the bathroom door creaked back open and Fred wore a grin from ear to ear.

"What?" I asked, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

He crossed the room in three short steps, leaning down until our faces were level and pressing his lips to mine.

"Nothing. You just look so cute in my clothes." He chuckled, shutting the lights out with a flick of his wand before looping his arms around my waist and pulling me deeper into the bed with him. "And you're the pretty one. By the way."

"Hmm?" I asked, my mind always feeling a bit foggy when we were this close.

"Earlier, when Ron called Maddie the pretty one? He was wrong."

"No, Maddie is pretty." Maddie was gorgeous, anyone with eyes could admit that. She had long, light brown wavy hair that fell nearly to her hips and hazel eyes and never went anywhere without her hair and makeup done properly.

"She's pretty. You're prettier." Fred muttered, leaning his head back onto his pillow with no clue how many butterflies were flying around in my chest as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

"Night Freddie." I laughed, choosing to ignore his words.

"Goodnight, Cassidy, you beautiful thing you." He spoke through an over-exaggerated fake yawn.

Chapter Text

"Maddie, I can't pin this right I need you!" Hannah whined from the open bathroom door where she sat in front of the mirror, failing for what must have been the tenth time to pin part of her bangs up.

"I told you I'll be right over when I'm done with Cassidy!" Maddie mumbled, a few bobby pins stuck between her lips. I let out a laugh and she glared at me, warning me silently not to move like she had done so many times already. "And you all made fun of me for starting so early, now look where we'd be without my prep time."

The four of us had been getting ready for the ball for over two hours now, although admittedly I think Maddie's preparations had begun the second she opened her eyes.

"All done. Go look." She clapped her hands together excitedly and followed me into the bathroom where Bri and Hannah were working on their own hair and makeup. My jaw almost dropped when I stepped up to the mirror. I almost didn't recognize the reflection I was seeing. Maddie had dusted a light brown eyeshadow along my eyelids and done my mascara, which I almost never made time for in my daily makeup. But the most dramatic change was what she had managed to do with my hair. Most of it was still down, curls and curls framing each side of my face, but she had managed to pin back a good section of it into a loose braid.

"Maddie, you're kidding me, how did you do this?" I whispered, running my fingers through my hair carefully, scared to ruin any of her work.

"I had a good model. Even if you wouldn't stop moving." She smirked, stepping over and taking some pins from Hannah's fingers to help her.

Bri and I stepped out from the bathroom and over to where our dresses all hung side by side along the closet doors. I pulled the top two buttons from their loops and tugged the dress from the hanger. We both stepped into our gowns and finished buttoning each other up when Maddie and Hannah emerged at last, all of us finally finished and ready to go down.

The hallways were bustling, seeming crazier and even louder than usual, despite only fourth years and up being allowed to attend the ball. It seemed like a lot of the younger students had gathered near the great hall hoping for a glimpse into the festivities.

"Cassidy!" Ginny called, waving madly at me as she rushed up, Neville on her heels looking nervous, but never letting his smile drop.

"Ginny! I didn't know you'd be here!" I smiled, giving the small girl a hug and standing back to admire her in her flowing pink dress.

"Neville asked me." She gave the boy a warm smile and I nodded between them. "You're here with Fred, right?"

I nodded, biting my lip at his name, feeling the familiar nerves flood my system when I thought of him.

"Thank God he actually mustered up the courage to ask you." She said smugly, giving me one last smile. "Have so much fun tonight, I want to get a good spot to watch the champions dance. I just know Harry dancing is going to be hysterical." She said under her breath before pulling Neville after her into the Great Hall.

I smiled to myself watching the youngest Weasley looking so grown up and marching her date into the sparkling Christmas wonderland that was the Great Hall before I felt it. Eyes on me.

I spun around slowly before I found him. All black robes with a dark brown vest beneath it and a slightly crooked bow tied loosely around his neck, a wide smirk stretched across his face as our eyes met. Before I had even taken my first breath, he was crossing over to me, reaching for my hand and lifting it to his lips with a wink.

"You're too much." I laughed, pulling my hand back.

"You look beautiful." He answered, softly.

"So do you... Or, handsome, you look... you look great." I stuttered, feeling my face burn red and praying I had on enough makeup to cover it.

He stood in his spot, his eyes roaming from my face to my dress and back for a few more moments.

"Do you want to go in?" I asked, seeming to shake him from some kind of trance. He reached for my arm and linked it with his own, steering us into the hall where I could finally appreciate how spectacular it looked in here.

The Great Hall looked great every Christmas, but this was like nothing I had ever seen. All of the drapes and tapestries covering the walls were snowy white and seemed to sparkle on their own. There were giant trees behind the professors seats and oversized wreaths on every wall with deep red berries and pinecones growing from each of them. Even the weather was on it's best behavior, light white flakes of snow appearing to drift down onto us from the magical ceiling above.

"Is that Ginny?" He asked, seeming less transfixed with the decor than I was, his eyes focused on his little sister.

"Yeah, she's here with Neville. Doesn't she look so adorable?" I smiled as we filed in next to everyone in preparation of the champions arrival.

"Yeah, I guess she does." Fred chuckled slightly, nodding to Neville who shot him a nervous smile.

With a burst of applause, the orchestra began it's first song as the four champions escorted their dates down the aisle and I smiled up at Fred. Fleur and Roger Davies lead the group, Fred's smile turning into a sneer for a short second before turning his attention to Krum and-

"Is that Hermione with Victor Krum?" He asked, his eyes going wide at our friend.

"Mhm." I smiled, watching her move effortlessly across the floor linked in his arms.

"Did you know about this?" He asked, looking at me surprised.

"Yeah, she was keeping it a secret from the guys. I think she thought they were going to make fun of her, I don't know why. I had to get both of them their dates." I teased, turning our attention back to the front where Cedric and Cho followed the first champions, Harry and Maddie on their heels.

Harry looked arguably more nervous than he had the day of the first task while Maddie wore a bright grin, her nose scrunching slightly as she mouthed hi to Fred and I as they passed by us.

"Harry looks like he's going to puke." Fred whispered and I shook my head.

"She'll lead him. He won't have a spare second to mess anything up." I laughed, watching them all begin their dance, Maddie not hesitating to pull Harry's hands into her own, his other hand falling onto her waist.

The four girls dresses swirled around the dance floor before the music ended, a polite applause taking over the silence as all of the students around us began to shuffle towards the dance floor.

"Will you dance with me?" Fred asked, holding his hand out once again and I didn't even try to hold in my smile.

"Yeah, I think I can manage that." I took his hand and let him lead us towards the center of the crowd, the slow music already starting up again.

"You're not going to step on my feet or anything, right?" He teased.

"Oh, yeah right. Are you going to step on mine?"

"I've been practicing." He smirked, his free hand falling onto my waist and pushing me backwards carefully to begin our dance.

"You and McGonagall?" I joked, a gasp cutting through the laugh at my own joke as Fred let go of my waist, twirling me in a circle beneath his outstretched arm and smirking as he pulled me back in.

"Your friends said you were a good dancer, so I had to be ready."

"I'm not a good dancer." I giggled as his hand found it's way back to my waist.

"Seems like you are." He whispered as we continued.

"I took lessons a few years ago. Tommy did too." I said shortly, not letting myself think about my brother at this dance, nor my father insisting both of us know how to ballroom dance for the unlikely chance we would ever have had to do this outside of a wizarding tournament ball.

"And all I had was Lee in the common room and some 2 am practices."

I laughed, not even having to pay attention to where my feet were going, letting Fred spin me through the crowds and not worrying about running into anyone.

The two of us danced through at least a dozen songs until much of the crowd around us died out. Finally, the orchestra drew to an end and a huge applause rang as the band came out, a loud plug in of what sounded to be an electric guitar.

"This is Ginny's favorite band." I shouted to be heard, noting 'The Weird Sisters' logo on the oversized drum set.

"Do you want to get a drink?" He asked, shouting as well and I nodded, following him through the crowd of people rushing towards the stage.

"I'll get them, be right back." He pressed a kiss to my cheek without a second thought and turned on his heel.

I leaned against the pillar to my right, feeling the chill from the stone through the sheer fabric of my dress and taking a few deep breaths which I told myself I needed from the amount of dancing I had done, and not at all from the butterflies I felt when Fred's lips were on my skin.

"Having fun?" A voice appeared from next to me and I jumped to see Cedric, holding two glasses of colorful pink punch.

"Yes, a lot. How about you?" I smiled, scanning quickly for Cho who I assumed his other drink was for.

He nodded, his eyes not leaving mine even as I looked around the room. "I thought that opening dance was going to be much worse than it was. It turned out alright."

I nodded, understanding completely. I didn't know Cedric that well, but I knew that I would have been mortified dancing in front of all of those people.

"Could have used you up there, though. I saw you... and Fred... you're a great dancer."

I felt my stomach twist nervously at his words, unsure whether it was because he had been watching me dance, or if I felt guilty for turning him down to the dance when he had technically asked me first.

"I'm alright." I laughed off his compliment, hoping it didn't sound as nervous as I felt.

"What's up, Diggory." Fred's voice cut through the temporary silence and I watched Cedric nod, growing tense.

"Just stopped to say hi. I've gotta get this back to Cho." He glanced down at the drinks in his hands as if he had forgotten he was holding them at all.

"Tell her she looks gorgeous, I love her dress." I smiled, hoping to show Fred that there was no need for the malicious look he was wearing.

"Sure thing. Have a great night, guys." He shot us both a smile and started back into the crowd of people.

I turned to Fred who held out one of the cups of punch for me, the smile returning back to his face after only a second.

"Thank you, Freddie." I teased, poking at the side of his mouth. We both drank our punch in less than three sips, despite the room feeling like the perfect temperature, when you're dancing in the middle of everyone it was starting to feel hot.

"Come with me." I barely heard his voice above the chatter around us, following him only because of his fingers surrounding my wrist. He lead the way towards the frosted glass of the doors out onto the snowy terrace.

I shivered slightly as a few snowflakes landed on my arms and found their way into my hair, which Fred noticed at once, shrugging out of his jacket and dropping it around my shoulders, pulling the fabric closed at the front, his eyes looking out of focus, as if he was thinking of something far away.

"Freddie, why are we-"

"Be my girlfriend." He stated, his eyes finally finding their focus in my own. My jaw dropped for what must have been the hundredth time today, but I managed to shut it when I felt the cold air hit my teeth.

"Wha-"

"Be my girlfriend, Cassidy. Because I think if I wait even five more minutes, someone else will see you in that dress and you'll never be mine."

I let out a short laugh, every inch of my body from my fingers to my toes felt as if it was on fire even out here in the snow as I nodded.

"Yes?" He grinned.

"Yes, of course." I nodded, my cheeks beginning to ache from the smile I was wearing.

"Thank Godric." He muttered, linking his fingers behind my head and into my hair, pulling my face towards his. The second our lips met, I felt the fireworks, not just in my chest or my stomach, the way they always were when Fred touched me, but as if they were surrounding us. Like no one else was within a hundred miles. It was just Fred and me. Officially.

Chapter Text

Fred

I blinked a few times, squinting into the light and feeling around for the missing warmth I had enjoyed the whole night before realizing she was gone.

I sat up, peering around the room at George and Lee who were both still sound asleep, the way I wished I was. Stretching my arms above my head until they knocked against the top of my bed frame, I threw the covers off and scanned the room for any clothes to throw on so I could go look for her.

Just as I pulled a white long sleeved t-shirt on, the door creaked back open, revealing the blonde girl, a guilty look on her face and Pigwidgeon squirming around in her fists.

"Why are you never here when I wake up? It's getting quite rude." I teased through a yawn, flopping back into bed.

"I forgot to mail your mum's gift last night, so we have to send it now! Did you guys want to send her anything?" She whispered, trying not to wake the others up and I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Yeah, Cassy, all mum wants from us is less letters home from school, and that's just not something we can control." I shrugged.

"You git's want to get a room? One that's not shared? Honestly, bloody loud." George rolled over, pulling his pillow on top of his head to block out the sound and light.

"Sorry, Georgie." She grinned, tying a tightly rolled up parcel onto Pig's leg and surrendering the handful of treats she brought for him before letting him out the window, a blast of icy wind filling the room.

"Good God Cassidy! You guys sleep in her room tonight, I need a break." George joked, throwing his hand over his eyes dramatically before the small girl snuck to the side of his bed.

"But I have presents." She sang, grinning when he sat up with a groan.

"Alright, I'm up. Present me." He reached his hand out and I laughed, watching her reach deep into a bag she dropped from her shoulder.

"Georgie," She read the tag on the neatly wrapped boxes, handing one to George and walking the second to me. "And Fred."

George was nearly shouting by the time I had opened my box, revealing a green and white quidditch jersey with 'Connolly' written along the back.

"The beaters?" I grinned, looking at George's matching jersey with 'Quigley's' name.

"They reminded me of you two, at the World Cup." She shrugged, obviously nervous that we wouldn't like them.

"Cassidy, this is wicked!" George beamed down at her, still sat in between our beds on the floor. "I didn't get you anything, I feel like an ass."

"It can make up for me not getting you a broom." She joked, earning a nod from George. "You like it?" She turned to face me, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"I love it." I whispered, pulling her chin up for a kiss.

"Alright, we're doing that now? Finally." Lee announced, emerging from his blankets at last wearing a smirk.

"Now that she's my girlfriend." I shrugged, shooting Cass a wink and watching her face tinge pink. "What did you just send to my mum, by the way?"

She grinned once again, looking proud of herself. "I knitted her her own Weasley sweater! She doesn't have one, right?"

I thought for a minute before shaking my head. "No, I guess she doesn't."

"Now you all match."

"Now we all match." I corrected, reaching beneath my bed to pull out a package, slightly crumpled from being shoved under my bed for a few days and tossed it to her.

"What?" She asked, glancing at the scrawling letters that read her name and tearing into a golden yellow knit sweater with a large white C in the center.

"She didn't." She sighed, holding it up to admire it before slipping it on over her t-shirt.

"You're just two peas in a pod." I chuckled, more to myself as I watched her hug herself through the soft new sweater.

George, Lee and I tore into the few presents left on our beds, tossing our newest sweaters towards our dressers and digging into a few chocolate frogs from our parents before I finally got up from bed.

"Come on, Cass, let's go see what you got." I set my hand on the small of her back, leading her towards the doorway, grabbing the small gift bag from the top of my dresser once she was outside.

"Freddie, I probably... I won't have anything..." She muttered as we started down the stairs and out of the portrait hole.

"You never know." I shrugged.

"Do your feet hurt?" She asked, wincing every few steps as we continued towards the Hufflepuff dormitories.

"No, but I wasn't in heels all last night." I teased.

"Although, you might want to consider it. I mean, haven't you ever wondered what it's like to be tall?"

"Oh, you've got jokes now?" I smirked, watching her try not to laugh at her own words.

"I've got an image to uphold if I'm going to be Fred Weasley's girlfriend."

"Uh-uh, there's no if. You already said yes. You said 'Of Course,' actually-"

"Shove off!" She laughed, shoving me a few stairs down.

"I wouldn't do that again, Cassy, I don't think you'll like the consequences." I shot her my best glare, which only earned me more giggles.

Finally, we reached the last floor and let ourselves into the silent common room.

"Well it was quite nice of you to walk me down here, Freddie, there's not going to be anything in my dorm-" She stopped, realizing I was no longer following her and spun back to face me.

"Yeah, maybe I just wanted you to myself to give you this." I held the red gift bag out to her and she smiled.

"You didn't have to get me something-"

"Course I did. You're my girl."

She turned her face down towards the gift, as if that would hide the flush in her face.

She parted the paper and reached into the bottom of the bag, pulling out the glass snow globe I had admittedly spent far too long working on the past month. She only held it up to her eyes for a second before she grinned, her eyes meeting back with mine.

"The Burrow?" She asked, earning a nod from me.

"Shake it." I told her, watching her flip the globe upside down, sparkles of white snow filling the sky and falling until she shook it again to clear it. "I know I told you you'd be back there for Christmas. Next year, for sure."

She looked from the small house to me a few times before throwing her arms around my neck and pulling me in for a hug.

"You know you saved me, right?" She whispered into my neck.

"Well, someone had to." I joked, smiling to myself and rubbing small circles into her hips until she pulled back in giggles. "Ticklish?"

"No." She shook her head, but took a step away from me still.

"Good to know." I nodded.

"How long did this take you? You made this yourself?" She asked, clearly changing the subject.

"Only... like thirty broken snow globes worth of time." I grinned when she laughed again. "Go put it in your dorm and we'll go get breakfast."

Cassidy

It had been a little over a month. A little over a month of being Fred Weasley's girlfriend. And surprisingly, not all that much had changed. I still split meals between my friends and the twins table, Fred walked me to nearly all of my classes, never dropping my hand until the last possible second when I forced him on his way to his own class in my best attempt to keep him out of detentions. George and Lee continuously voiced their thankfulness that they didn't have to keep Fred's secret anymore, which he claimed they did terrible jobs at in the first place.

"Seriously, you idiots, Moaning Myrtle and Snape wouldn't have taken as long as you two to get together." Lee said, tossing a mystery flavored jelly bean into the air and catching it in his mouth easily.

I opened my mouth as if I had any comeback for that when I felt Fred's fingers grip onto my thigh. Fred, George, Lee and I hadn't moved from this spot near the fire in the Gryffindor common room in what felt like hours, despite my constant claims that I was getting up to do some homework every few minutes, which was again met with a rough grip from Fred, who's lap I had been sat on the entire time.

"It's too late to start homework anyway, Cass, just stay with us." Fred's lips brushed against my ear as he spoke and I pressed my lips together to keep in the content sigh I nearly let out.

"Fine, but promise we'll start it tomorrow." I groaned, some light stress settling into my chest whenever I thought of the piles of work I had been given this week.

"Mhm." He hummed, tracing his fingers along my own as if he thought he could distract me completely.

"I kind of want to see what Myrtle and Snape are up to at this point." George teased, faking a gag towards his twin and earning a laugh from Lee.

"Like we don't give you and Angie your privacy when we see you in the corridor-" Fred shot back, George wiggling his eyes playfully in our direction.

"Harry, you said you'd figured that out weeks ago!" Hermione's voice wafted in from the portrait hole, bringing with it a cool blast of air into our cozy bubble.

"What's wrong, you lot?" George shouted, leaning his head back onto the couch and watching the trio approach us.

"Harry's been slacking on his-" Hermione started.

"He hasn't been. He's fine!" Ron cut her off, shooting her a glare.

"Did you figure out the egg, Harry?" I asked, noting the dark circles growing beneath Harry's eyes with every day.

"Mhm. It'll be fine." He answered dismissively. "I'm going up to bed, goodnight."

Goodnights echoed between the rest of us as Harry scampered up the stairs to the boys dormitories, Ron and Hermione finding seats among the four of us by the fire.

"So," I leaned forward towards Hermione in the seat next to me, Fred shifting with me as if us not touching at every moment would kill him. "How's Victor?"

Hermione laughed, a light pink rising to her cheeks. "He's fine. I showed him around Hogsmeade for the last trip. He says he really likes it here, better than he likes it at-" She trailed off when Ron stood from his spot, marching to the stairs after Harry and disappearing without another word. "Durmstrang."

"Well, would you look at that." Fred faked confusion, looking towards his twin.

"Whatever's up with Ronnie?" George echoed Fred's tone.

"He's mad anytime I bring up Victor." Hermione sighed. "It's getting exhausting, really. Claims I'm 'fraternizing with the enemy.' Harry, however, has no problem with it."

"Yeah, Mione, I think you're missing the obvious reasoning-" I teased, and Fred laughed.

"What?" She asked, indignantly.

"You don't think he's jealous?"

"Jealous?" She scoffed. "No, I don't think Ron's jealous." Her eyes scanned over the twins who wore matching, knowing smirks and shook her head, looking as lost as I'd ever seen Hermione Granger. "I should get to bed too." She said quickly, standing up and gathering the few books she had been holding, bidding the rest of us goodnight before rushing towards the stairs.

"Alright, you and Fred are still the worst, but they're a close second." Lee laughed, tossing a bean to George's open mouth this time.

Chapter Text

Fred

"Come on! Trust me, have I ever lead you astray?" I asked, pulling her carefully over the snow covered grounds towards Hagrid's hut.

"Oh no, but I do hear you're fond of pranks..." She smiled, hands still covering both of her eyes.

"Well at least I remembered to have you grab a coat this time? You trust me now?"

She shook her head, still smirking to herself when we reached the fence posts.

"Alright, open."

She pulled her hands from her eyes and I watched them go wide, a bright smile spreading from ear to ear.

"What are you?" She gushed, taking a few tentative steps towards the small golden ponies.

"Hagrid's lesson from today. You'll see them this week I bet, but I knew you'd like them." I chuckled, watching as the two unicorns rushed towards the blonde girl like puppies ready to play. She reached out her hand slowly before rustling their manes and planting a kiss on each one's head. "Cassidy, don't kiss them."

"Why, they need love, they're cold." She, as well as the unicorns, gave me their best pouts and I rolled my eyes. "You are so cute, yes you are. What are your names? Why is Hagrid keeping you outside, you should be in there drinking hot cocoa and snuggling with Fang-"

"I'm really regretting bringing you now." I teased, taking a few steps to meet her, remembering how Hagrid had mentioned that the younger unicorns didn't usually mind men. "I won't let her smother you guys." I whispered into the first one's ear.

"Ah, Miss Olsen, there you are." Professor Sprout's voice carried over the cold winter air. "Hello, Mr. Weasley. Miss Olsen, I'm sorry to tear you from the unicorns, I've been sent to fetch you dear."

"For what?" She asked, looking at the head of Hufflepuff House in confusion.

"Nothing bad, Cassidy, just come with me now, it'll be good to get out of the cold anyhow. Mr. Weasley, I trust you can find your way to the castle without Miss Olsen?" Sprout offered me a kind smile and I shrugged.

"I dunno, Professor, but i'll give it my all."

"Oh, and Mr. Weasley, when you do get back to the castle, Professor McGonagall is looking for your brother, Ron and Miss Granger as well, if you should see them."

"Alrighty." I nodded, watching Sprout lead my girlfriend across the grounds, trying to remind myself that I could have every day with Cassidy, it didn't matter if this one was cut short.

I scanned the Hufflepuff table for her familiar curls, a frown settling on my face when I didn't spot them. I saw her friends, huddled together, everything seeming quite normal. I barely noticed the food I was shoveling into my mouth until my plate was clean. I jumped from my seat and hurried to the three Hufflepuff girls I had grown so used to the past few weeks.

"Why, hello Frederick, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Maddie smiled warmly as the other girls turned towards me.

"Ladies," I nodded them a greeting. "Where's Cassidy?"

"There's something I've never heard him ask, she's always with you, isn't she?" Bri smirked, scanning the table I had just left as if expecting to see that I had abandoned Cassidy over there.

"But she's not, I thought she'd be with you all. Sprout came to get her earlier, I haven't seen her since."

"Oh, brother. Sprout and Cassidy have little meetings sometimes, she's probably trying to get her to join some new club or tutor another first year." Hannah shrugged.

"That's a long meeting, though..." I glanced at the watch on my wrist. "Can I walk down with you all? See if she's back in your room?"

"Oh, of course, we'd love to accompany you." Bri joked.

"Yeah, as if you don't know how to get in on your own." Maddie joined in as the four of us started towards the staircase.

A quick walk revealed a nearly empty common room and an even emptier dorm where I said goodbye to the Hufflepuff girls.

"We'll tell her you were looking for her, although I have a feeling you'll see her before us." Maddie winked.

"How's that, Maddie?" I smiled at the girl's implication.

"She'll be waiting in your dorm room, I suspect." She answered, the other two girls laughing as they fell onto their beds.

I practically sprinted up the flights of stairs, skipping the fake steps by memory and praying that Maddie was right. Maybe Cassidy was upstairs waiting for me. Although if she was, I would be very upset that she had missed dinner.

"Fairy Lights." I muttered, climbing through the hole into the common room and scanning it quickly on my way to my dorm. The door swung open, revealing George changing from his robes into a tattered t-shirt, his eyes wide as the door hit the wall.

"Alright then." He shot me a questioning look.

"Cassy's not here?"

"Not yet. Why, want the room tonight?" He smirked.

"She's not here, she's not downstairs, not in her dorm." I fell onto the edge of my bed, my chin resting in my hands.

"Eh, it's kind of a big castle, mate. You can go one night without her, let the poor girl get some sleep without your snoring-" He stopped, laughing as my pillow landed against his face.

George and I woke extra early the next morning, grabbing two oversized boxes we had borrowed from the kitchen last week and hurrying down to breakfast. It hadn't been announced yet where the second task would be held, but George and I were going to get some bets in beforehand.

Our boxes were both nearly filled by the time we had finished our breakfast, yet there was still no sign of the blonde hair I had been scouring the room for all morning. As the plates before us evaporated through the tables, Bri turned and met my eyes, scanning between me and the other Gryffindors before shaking her head.

I handed George my box and started towards her.

"What?" I asked.

"She's not with us. She didn't sleep with you last night?" She asked, her eyes now having a hint of the worry I had been feeling since dinner last night.

"No. She didn't."

Before either of us could speak another word, Dumbledore was clapping, gathering the attention of the Great Hall and we were ushered out the open doors and to the grounds.

George appeared at my side behind Cassidy's friends and pointed towards the Black Lake where large stands rivaling the quidditch pitch had been set up overnight.

"They're not making them swim?" Maddie hissed, her breath forming a cloud in the cold air. "It's freezing!"

"Harry will be fine, he's faced worse." Bri nudged her playfully and I realized the girl must have taken a liking to Harry after the ball together.

The five of us hurried through the crowds, getting decent seats in the third row, fighting through the chill that seemed to float from the lake itself. I scanned the crowds, knowing she was here somewhere. She had to be. No one's ever been lost at Hogwarts, have they? Taken by a basilisk into an underground tunnel, sure. Maybe I'll check there next.

Cedric, Krum and Fleur all stood along the beach, each of them nodding along as Ludo Bagman and their headmaster whispered hurried words.

"Where's Harry?" Hannah asked, looking for the youngest champion.

"Where is Harry?" I asked, now noting Ron and Hermione were missing as well.

"Maybe he's skipping- oh! Nope, there he comes." George stood, pointing to the dark haired boy sprinting down to the beach and looking half-asleep still.

"Oh, I hope he'll be okay." Maddie whispered, watching him arrive at the other champions and pull off his socks, bare feet in the freezing sand.

"Our champions are now ready for their second task!" Bagman's voice echoed through the stands. "They will have one hour to recover what has been taken from them, and they will begin on my whistle in three... two..."

The shrill sound of the whistle rang out as the four students took a few steps into the lake, Fleur, Cedric and Krum all waving their wands near their heads and diving into the water, Harry hesitating, shoving something in his mouth and shivering in the freezing water.

"Let's go Harry!" George shouted out, some cheers erupting around us, as well as some glares from the other houses.

Finally, Harry too dove beneath the water. I waited a few seconds to see if he would re-surface before nodding to myself, thankful that he had figured something out.

"So... we're just to sit here for an hour and watch the lake?" I asked, feeling irritation prickle in my chest. I could be using this time to look for her. I shouldn't be here, sitting in the cold, watching nothing.

"They're not going to give us updates?" Bri asked, eyes scanning over the judges who were sat along the beach, carrying on every day conversations as if four students were not about to face off with the giant squid.

"I'll tell you what's going on down there." George leaned back slightly, as if it was possible to get comfortable on pop up bleachers. "They've got them swimming laps, last one to get snatched by the squid wins. I'm betting against Harry, I've seen him swim."

"George!" The girls squealed, shooting him a look.

"Only joking. Wonder what's down there, though, Freddie. We ought to have a look sometime, Harry can get us some of that plant he just forced down."

Ten minutes flew by, then half an hour. Forty-five minutes. Fifty. An hour.

"What happens if they all just die? How're any of us to know?" An especially cold looking Ravenclaw nearby asked which was met with eye rolls from our group.

At last, with a few bubbles, Cedric emerged from the dark water, gasping in some air and being met with cheers from practically the entire student body. And next to him - dark, wet, blonde curls, pale white skin, gasping for breath and squinting against the bright sun...

"Cassidy." I mumbled, already out of my spot and rushing the beach. Cedric had his arm around her shoulder, as if she couldn't swim to shore on her own. No sooner had the two hit the sand, I was yanking her from his side. I pulled my robes and sweater from my arms and draped it around her back, pulling the front closed and taking a step between her and Diggory.

"Cassidy." I repeated, my hands running through her sopping wet hair as she shivered into my arms.

"F-Freddie, I'm fine-" She laughed softly, not knowing that her lips were blue.

"Mr. Weasley, step aside please!" Madame Pomfrey's voice rang out behind me, the oversized thick blanket in her arms the only reason I left Cassidy's side. The nurse threw the blankets over the two Hufflepuffs and handed them each a small spoon of red liquid which they took at once, warmth flooding back into their faces and steam escaping from their ears.

"What did you do?" I rounded on Cedric, his eyes going wide. "What the hell is this, Diggory?"

"I didn't choose this!" He shot back, looking between me and Cassidy, who was now only a face sticking out from beneath the blanket. "Cassidy, I'm sorry, I didn't... I don't know why..."

"You don't know why they would think to take her? To make her yours to save?" I growled, taking another step towards the champion, not caring if every professor was watching me.

"Weasley, honestly-"

"Fred!" Her voice was small compared to Cedric's and mine now. "It... It's fine, it's just for a game. Sprout asked me if I would be comfortable helping with the tournament, no one knew what it was going to be. Maybe it was random..."

My glare didn't leave Cedric's eyes as I closed my hands around her outstretched ones. In the time I had spent focused on the two of them, Fleur had been rescued from the Grindylow's and Krum had returned with Hermione, the three of them all receiving blankets and Pepperup potions as well.

Another loud bubbling broke the silence as Harry surfaced too, pulling Ron at one side and a small white haired girl at his other, who I guessed from Fleur's reaction had to be her sister. Madame Pomfrey rushed to the final three students and began tending to them as Dumbledore approached the green haired merfolk along the beach, talking, or rather screeching in hushed tones.

Finally, he got to his feet again and re-joined the other judges who spoke animatedly for a few more minutes.

"Alright, everyone thank you for your patience!" Bagman started loudly again. Cassidy opened her blanket slightly and pulled me in, noting that I was now stood in only a long sleeved shirt. "After much deliberation, we have arrived at scores. Each champion will receive a score out of 50. Miss Delacour utilized a bubble head charm correctly, however, was stopped by the Grindylow's in the lake and was unable to complete her task. We award her 25 points."

The crowds clapped politely, and Fleur sniffled from next to us, hugging her sister in their blankets together.

"Cedric Diggory also utilized the bubble head charm, and was able to retrieve his hostage, although he arrived slightly outside of his hour time limit. We award him 47 points."

Cedric nodded, mostly to himself and snuck a look towards Cassidy who gave him a small smile.

"Viktor Krum attempted an incomplete, yet effective transfiguration which allowed him to rescue his hostage, still far outside of the time limit. We award him 40 points. And finally, Harry Potter, who returned last. However, upon learning that Potter arrived at the hostages first but stayed to make sure they were all rescued, most of the judges, myself included, feel that this outstanding show of moral fiber should earn Potter extra points. 47 points to Mr. Potter."

Hermione and Ron gasped, jumping up and down and clapping Harry on the back excitedly, although Harry looked quite stunned himself.

"Alright, everyone, up to the school and into dry clothes. Honestly, this school..." Madame Pomfrey grumbled.

My fingers found Cassidy's and I pulled her quickly, holding the blanket tightly around us with my free hand as we hurried towards the castle.

I took an immediate turn down the stairs towards the Hufflepuff's, feeling the air around us growing warmer with every step. As badly as I wanted to bring Cassidy back to my dorm and bundle her in 5 of my sweatshirts, I knew it was warmer down here.

Neither of us spoke as we entered the common room, not making any noise at all aside from the chattering of her teeth.

My hand still attached to hers, I pulled her up the flights of steps until we reached the doorway with the familiar names scrawled across the wood. I pushed inside and shut the door behind her, leaning against it with what felt like all of my weight. I hadn't taken a real breath or felt at ease since Sprout had taken this girl from me yesterday.

She stared back at me from her spot, her wet hair still dripping to the floor as she hugged the blanket around herself.

"Will you get into dry clothes, please?" I huffed, realizing how irritated my voice sounded when she winced. "Sorry, Cassidy, please... Get changed. You're going to get sick." I took a few steps towards her dresser and yanked out random pieces of clothing before returning to her side.

She looked up at me, a small smile gracing her face. "These don't match at all-"

"Cassy. Does it look like I care about that." I asked, my voice low and she laughed beneath her breath.

"Don't be mad at me, Freddie, please." She whispered now, the smile gone from her face and replaced with a worried glance in my direction.

"I'm not, Cass. I'm not, I promise." I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm mad at Diggory for letting you nearly freeze to death-"

"Fred." She shot me a warning glance.

"Why are you not changing!" I shot back.

"Because you haven't left yet!" She laughed, wide eyed now, a real smile painting her face.

"Oh, right, is that an issue?" I asked, pulling her chin up to look into her eyes.

I watched her scramble for an answer for a few seconds before I leaned in to steal a kiss, my nose brushing against her cold one for a second before I stepped into the hallway, shutting the door behind me to wait for her.

Chapter Text

Cassidy

I brushed the dirt from my pants, knowing there was probably more lining my face that I would have to deal with back in the dorms. Hagrid had given us all Nifflers for today's lesson and set up a treasure hunt which had been quite fun until Maddie's niffler had noted her earrings and dragged her into the dirt in an attempt to reach the sparkly jewelry.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Bri asked, clearly holding in a laugh at Maddie's hair and outfit which would give the house elves a shock on laundry day.

"Oh, I'm great!" She scoffed, not even bothering to try and fix the mess of hair tangled on her head.

"Hagrid did say take off all-" Hannah began.

"I know Hagrid said take off all our valuables, I forgot them Hannah, thank you." Maddie snapped back, earning a laugh from the three of us.

"Cassidy?" A nervous voice interrupted the laughter as we crossed through the courtyard towards the castle.

I turned to see Cedric, dressed in a golden quidditch sweatshirt, his bag slung from his shoulder, the wind blowing the front of his hair up from his forehead.

"Hi, Ced." I smiled, holding in a new laugh as I watched Maddie now attempting to brush through her hair with her fingers at the sight of the older boy.

"Hi." He smiled, a pink tinging his cheeks that I assumed was from the windy March weather. "Could I have a word?"

"Uh..." I hesitated, feeling the awkward silence engulf us all. I didn't want to be rude, but Fred had hardly let a day go by without a glare in Cedric's direction since the second task. "Sure."

I nodded a goodbye to my friends who shot me three matching raised eyebrows as I followed Cedric towards a stone bench against the castle walls.

"What's up?" I asked, knowing I should make this conversation as quick as possible.

"Well..." He started. "I just... Haven't seen you really, since the lake... Not without Weasley, I mean."

I nodded, not knowing if that was a question, or what he was implying.

"I just wanted to apologize, I didn't get a real chance that day. I didn't have any idea... that they would... I mean... I don't even-"

"Cedric, it's fine!" I laughed, easily. "It was no big deal. I Hardly remember anything from that day."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that too." He muttered, reaching up to brush the long forgotten dirt from my cheek with his thumb. "I just... I know you don't like being in the spotlight like that." His silver eyes met mine with a small smile.

"Who likes being in the spotlight?" I laughed, ignoring the eye contact that he was still trying to hold.

"Your boyfriend."

I finally looked back to his gaze. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." I chuckled under my breath. "I should probably get back-"

"Do you want to know why?" He cut me off, his eyes now planted firmly at the dull grass beneath our feet.

"Why what?" I shook my head, confused.

"Why you were down there. Why they took you for me?"

I felt like a brick of ice had slid into my stomach at his words. Took me for him?

"A few days before the task... Bagman met Krum and I... gave us some drink and asked us... who we cared about most in the world at that moment." He looked up to my eyes again, and this time I couldn't look away.

"You're saying they drugged you?" I asked, not imagining Dumbledore being okay with that.

"Just a truth serum, I guess. Something like that. Because I never would have said your name out loud if I could help it."

His eyes didn't leave mine, despite how badly I wanted to run from the clearing and find anyone else to talk to, anything to get my mind off of this conversation.

"You... you said me?"

He nodded, his face now sporting a strange half smile.

"And Krum said Hermione. I guess Dumbledore and Madame Maxine just knew enough about Harry and Fleur to guess, because they weren't in there."

I paused, not speaking for what felt like an hour before I finally answered.

"Well... I'll forgive you for caring about me so much that I got kidnapped by merpeople-"

"I don't just care about you, Cassidy." He cut me off again, sighing as he looked to the sky. "I like you, I really like you. And it's pointless, because I know Fred was first and it's too late. And I should have just made a move the day I met you at the World Cup-"

"Cassidy." The familiar voice interrupted Cedric's rant and the two of us looked up to see the tall red-head, a terrifying glare on his face.

"Freddie." I mumbled, looking back to Cedric who didn't look nearly as scared as I felt seeing Fred's face.

"Come here." Fred spoke again and I jumped from my spot, looking back to the Hufflepuff beside me.

"I'm sorry, Cedric. It's... it's all good though, everything's... fine." I stammered, hoping I was improving his spirits, yet knowing I was probably making everything worse.

Finally, I hurried towards Fred and felt his arm wrap around my back, his hand grabbing my hip and leading me into the school.

Neither of us spoke for a few minutes, my mind still reeling from Cedric's confession. I broke from my trance when Fred stopped us at an empty corridor, pulling me into the hallway after him.

"What was that?" He asked, his voice coming out as nearly a growl at this point.

"I..." I trailed off. I wasn't scared of Fred, but I was scared of him being upset. "He said he wanted to apologize for the second task... I-"

"I heard him Cassidy." His eyes looked like they were on fire, both hands balled into fists at his side. "I heard him practically confess his love for you, how he should have made his move before I did, gotten to you first." He practically spat the last word out.

"Yes, Freddie, but-"

"But?" He shook his head, watching my every movement like a hawk. "He's in love with you, he put you in danger!"

"He didn't mean to, he didn't know..."

"Don't! Defend him, Cassidy, I swear." Fred shouted.

"And he doesn't love me-"

"Why wouldn't he, Cassidy?" A loud crack echoed down our hallway as Fred slapped the stone wall behind us. "You're too nice. You don't realize how guys look at you, and they all know you're so innocent, you don't realize when they're flirting with you. He probably thought you felt the same way. He asked you to the bloody yule ball, that didn't give you a clue?"

"Please stop shouting." I whispered, scanning the hallways around us, thankful that no students seemed to be near us.

"I can't. I'm pissed." He growled again.

"Weasley." Cedric called from the end of the hallway, his shadow blocking out nearly all of the minimal light we had been standing in. "It's not her bloody fault, why are you shouting at her?"

"You don't want to be here right now, Diggory. Leave."

"Not alone with her. Not when you're like this." Cedric took another step towards us and I wanted to step away, run away from the both of them, but I could tell from Fred's face that if Cedric got any closer, there would be blood shed.

"Not when I'm like this?" Fred scoffed, taking a step towards the Hufflepuff. "Sorry, how am I supposed to act when you confess your feelings for my girlfriend?"

"So be mad at me. She didn't do anything wrong. You're scaring her."

Fred's eyes flickered to me and his face softened a bit before he turned back to Cedric.

"Don't come near me. Don't come near either of us, don't talk to her anymore." Fred's voice was stoney and cold, but I could barely hear any of it anymore. I was already turning the corner when I heard him shout my name, already nearing the stairs to the kitchens when I heard the footsteps running after me.

I could hear the girls arguing with him from the stairs outside, Maddie and Hannah, my only defense, keeping Fred from barging into the dorm. They'd been at it for nearly half an hour now, not even knowing what they were fighting him for. I hadn't told any of them, not even Bri who was sat on the bed next to me, the both of us watching the small snowflakes flutter around the Burrow from inside my snowglobe.

You're too nice.

They all know you're so innocent.

You don't realize they're flirting with you.

I felt another tear hit my cheek and I wiped it away with my sleeve, snuggling deeper into my blankets.

"What happened, Cassidy, come on." Bri whispered, asking the same question for the dozenth time.

I shook my head once again.

"Will you tell him to go? I just want to be alone for a bit. I'm tired."

It was true. My head had been spinning for an hour now and the only thing I could think to try was sleep.

She nodded, standing from her bed and heading to join our friends. As soon as the door clicked shut, the shouting stopped. I heard her muffled order for him to leave, and then the sound of footsteps retreating to the common room, probably to usher him out.

No matter how hard I tried not to, my mind went to his face. Imagining how he looked on the other side of that door. Was he still mad? Upset? Sorry? I shoved my face against my pillow to try and stop the tears that were leaking out again.

Fred thought I was just some dumb, innocent girl who couldn't take care of herself. That any boy could just have me whenever they wanted? That I had no say in the matter. That I couldn't handle myself.

I shook the snow globe again and waited for the snow to settle on the floor before I shut my eyes and forced myself to get some sleep.

Judging from the hunger I felt in my stomach, it was well past dinner now. I had sent the girls down a long time ago, finally ending their pleas for me to join them by covering my face with my blankets until they left.

I didn't want to see him. Fred. Or Cedric. Or anyone. I just wanted to be alone. To let my thoughts spiral through my head for possibly the rest of my life.

Fred had never been that way. Not with me.

There was a short rap against the door and my heart jumped in my chest, worried that it would open and it would be him.

I balled the blankets into my fist as I watched the knob turn, a plate of food hovering mid air before the ginger stepped into the room.

"Hi." He whispered, nervously.

"Hi Georgie." I shot him a quick smile which didn't fool him, his face not changing from the worrisome one he wore.

"I brought you dinner. Your friends said you wouldn't come down."

"Thanks, I'm not that hungry." I lied, watching him set the plate on my night stand and plop onto the bed next to me.

"What'd he do?" He asked, finally, his eyes looking sad, filled with worry.

"Nothing." I shrugged.

"Cassidy. He's been up in his bed for hours. He won't talk to any of us, he only came to dinner hoping to see you. When you weren't there, he went right back up without eating."

I bit my lip, thinking of my boyfriend a few floors up, feeling just as sad and hungry as I did.

"What. Did. He. Do." George stared into my eyes.

"He caught me talking to Cedric, heard him tell me he... has feelings for me, that's why I was in the lake for the second task. He yelled at me... He was so angry. Hitting the walls and shouting and..." I couldn't finish half of my sentences, my throat was tightening up with every other word. "It wasn't my fault, I..."

"Of course it wasn't, Cass, come on." George said softly, scooting closer to me and pulling me in for a hug, the tears falling faster when I breathed in the familiar scent, felt the familiar warmth of the arms that I was so used to being held by. "He was a prick. He knows it."

"He said I was too nice and that... boys know I'm innocent and that I don't realize when they're flirting with me..." I cried into his chest, not even sure if he could hear anything I was saying.

George sighed and I felt him rest his chin on my head. "He's so bloody stupid. How can we be twins?"

I laughed, wiping the tears from my face and shaking my head.

"Well, at least I got a smile." He smirked. "Listen. That's not true. You're not too nice, you're you. And you're not stupid, and he doesn't think that. He's scared that he's gonna lose you. That you're going to fall for Pretty Boy Diggory."

I shook my head and rested my head in my hands, feeling more exhausted from this day than I had all year.

"I'll talk to him, make sure he knows he's a git. But hold out on this little fight, make him work for it. Maybe he'll buy you a gift." George winked, sliding the plate of food closer to me. "Eat, then bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night George... Thank you." I sighed.

"Anytime." He nodded, shutting the door behind me as I started on my dinner.

Chapter Text

It was Saturday, meaning I could have spent another whole day in bed, avoiding everything. I could have if I trusted George to appear with another meal for me, but as lunch neared, the pain in my stomach drove me to the Great Hall along side my friends.

"So are you two broken up?" Hannah finally blurted, earning a smack from Bri as Maddie's jaw dropped.

"Hannah, honestly!"

"We're not... broken up..." I replied softly, now realizing that it wasn't only up to me. What if Fred didn't want to be with me anymore? He had been the angry one, after all.

"You're not." Maddie reassured me as we pushed through the doors and started towards our table. I watched all six of their eyes shoot towards the Gryffindor table, but I forced mine ahead. I couldn't look at him yet. If he was even down here.

I took a seat first, the girls falling in next to me and pulling plates towards each other while I stabbed into a huge piece of chicken.

"He's coming." Hannah hissed under her breath and I felt my stomach drop. He couldn't even let me have a bite of my first meal of the day?

"Cassidy."

I thought I would break down just from hearing the voice again, I had missed it so much, even if it sounded so broken right now.

I set my fork down on my plate and turned to him, looking up to his face as he towered above the four of us.

"You're... It's good to see you, I've... Can I talk to you? Please." He added when I hesitated.

"Can we talk later, Freddie, I'm just going to eat some lunch and I have some homework to work on-"

"I can help you, I just need to-"

"Later, Fred." Bri gave him a stern look and my heart dropped again, watching his face fall as his eyes pierced into my own.

"Later. I'll come find you, yeah?" He nodded, reaching out to grab my hand and I jerked away from his touch without thinking.

His face fell farther, which I hadn't thought was possible. His eyes widened and watched my arm as I clasped my hands together in my lap, hating that reflex, hating even more the way Fred looked so hurt from it.

"Yes, later. I promise." I nodded, waiting for him to turn around and head back to his table, but watching him walk to the entrance hall instead, George jumping from his seat to rush after him, a biscuit still in one hand.

Fred

"Slow down, you git, what did she say?" George's voice rang down the hall as I raced up the steps.

"Nothing. She didn't want to talk to me, why would she? I wrecked everything." I muttered, not knowing if he could hear me and not caring either way.

"Fred, wait. Quit!" I heard his footsteps stop behind me for only a second. "Immobulus!"

I tried to open my mouth, a string of curse words lined up for my brother who was already at my side by the time my lips parted.

He muttered the counter curse and stood before me, blocking the rest of the stairs and shooting me a glare.

"What did she say."

"That we can talk later. I'm gonna go find her tonight, if she'll see me then. Even if she does... if she lets me explain, what can I say, George? I'm a jealous prick, I didn't mean to shout at you?"

"I told you already that's not what she's upset about..."

"Yeah? You didn't see her flinch away when I reached for her hand. Like she thought I was going to hurt her, like..." Like her dad.

"She's not scared of you, don't start that again."

"She is." I replied, matter of factly, budging against George's shoulder to get past up the stairs.

"It's going to be fine!" He called after. "I'm not letting you mess it up... again!"

Cassidy

I nodded a goodbye to my friends as they headed back for the dorms, starting towards the exit, watching the stone walkway fade to dirt as I neared the black lake. Most of the perimeter was already claimed by small groups of friends, enjoying the relatively sunny day, watching the waves crash onto the Durmstrang boat, fish jumping from the surface of the water every so often. I hung back a ways, settling in beneath a thick tree and setting my bag at my feet. I hadn't been lying, I did have homework to do. Much more after I had taken all of yesterday off to sulk around in bed.

After an hour, I had made a decent amount of progress, pushing off only my Transfiguration work since I doubted I would have any more luck than I had in class yesterday.

I jumped, spinning towards the loud thud of a figure landed in the grass beside me, met with Cedric's easy going smile even while his eyes looked nervous.

"Hi, Cass." He said, softly this time, possibly after noticing the scare his sudden appearance had given me.

"Hi." I cringed at how soft my voice sounded.

"Mind if I sit?"

"It's a free lake." I joked, shutting my transfiguration book, tucking a dried leaf into the page I had left off on.

"You, uh... well you ran off yesterday, I didn't... I wanted to check on you, but... didn't want to make things worse." He muttered, plucking some grass from beneath our shoes and tossing it into a pile.

"You didn't have to check on me, it's all fine." I lied, attempting a smile for him.

He nodded, not looking convinced, and I wondered for a second if he could actually see right through me into my brain.

"I just feel awful. I shouldn't have said... any of that stuff. Especially when you have a boyfriend."

I shrugged slightly, not wanting to make him feel any worse. All he had done was tried to apologize for something that wasn't even his fault. It wasn't either of our faults that Fred had gone crazy.

"He... Is everything good with him though?" He prodded, obviously not taking my silence as my hint not to ask about it. I felt warm liquid pooling beneath my eyes and I quickly blinked a few times in an effort not to cry.

"It's okay."

"You don't look okay." I could feel his eyes glued to mine, but I wouldn't look at him. I knew by now that my eyes would be red and puffy and I just needed a few minutes.

"He... It will be okay. We're going to talk tonight."

Cedric and I were both silent for another minute, the only sound from the wind blowing through the bare tree branches behind us.

"You don't have to forgive him, you know." He said, practically a whisper beneath his breath.

I felt my eyebrows scrunch together, a frown coming to my lips as I finally looked to him.

"I'm not mad at him. I'm just... sad."

"What did he do? I only really heard the yelling."

"He didn't do anything... I just don't think he thinks I'm smart. Or that I can take care of myself." I admitted, feeling self conscious admitting any of this to someone who I only barely considered a friend.

"What? How could he think that, you're-" He reached for my arm, his eyes widening as I pulled away instinctively and took a quick breath. "Sorry, I..." His eyes scanned between my face and my arm for a few seconds.

"It's okay, I uh..." I racked my brain for something, any excuse that would explain my weird behavior.

"Cassidy." Cedric leaned forward to meet my eyes and I reluctantly let him, trying to steady my breathing. "Are you scared of me?"

I felt a real smile break through now, and I laughed under my breath.

"Of course not. You're not exactly scary, Diggory."

"You seem... on edge." He went on, not matching my smile.

"I'm just having a day... a few days..." I sighed, leaning back against the tree trunk and picking my book back up into my lap.

"Does Fred..." He stopped, his eyes scanning over my face and down to my arms. "Does Fred hit you?"

I practically choked on my next breath, another frown coming to my face at his words.

"Hit me?" I repeated. "What? Why- No, Fred doesn't hit me."

A light pink tinged Cedric's face now and he leaned against the trunk next to me.

"Alright, alright. Sorry! That was stupid."

"Well, we're only Hufflepuff's." I laughed, wanting the subject changed now more than anything.

"Speaking of, what are you working on?" He nodded towards my book.

"Ugh." I groaned, eyeing the book too. "More like avoiding. Transfiguration."

His eyes lit up as he looked to me. "Avoiding Transfiguration? Why?"

"Usually I'm okay, but I can't get this. We worked on them yesterday, I just felt like I was doing everything wrong."

"What are you stuck on?" He asked, grabbing the book before I could answer and flipping to my leaf-marked page. "Bouquet spells? You're joking." He grinned, his eyes lighting up the way Fred's do when he's just told a great joke.

"I'm usually quite good at Transfiguration, I don't know what's going on!" I explained, feeling embarrassed now.

"Sure, sure." He chuckled, skimming over the page for a second. "Show me."

"Show you what?"

"Show me your bouquet!" He replied, leaning against the wood and watching me, the smirk never leaving his lips.

"I... haven't made one yet, I told you."

"Show me your attempt."

"For heaven's sake, Diggory." I muttered, pulling my wand from my pocket and aiming it at the air before us. "Orchideous." I said softly, watching a hint of green flash from the tip for only a second.

"Mmm." He hummed, pulling his wand out now. "It's your hand movement." He answered easily, raising his own hand into the air where I had a moment before and echoing the spell, his hand twisting the complete opposite way that mine had. The flash of green was back, once again for only a second before it sprouted into a few long stems with yellow daffodils at the end. I smiled as he caught the flowers before they hit the ground,

"Yellow on purpose?" I asked, noting the way they matched his sweater.

"Mine always come out yellow, but I guess I've never tried any other color..." He shrugged, looking towards me now. "Your turn."

I tucked my hair behind my ears and sat up straight, my wand ahead of us. I traced the pattern I had watched Cedric do last. "Orchideous." I spoke clearly, practically holding my breath as I watched the flash of green again, this time extending into the same stems I had been hoping for. They stretched longer, growing short thorns at random intervals before deep red petals wrapped around each other at the end.

"Red? On purpose?" Cedric offered me a small smile, setting his flowers next to him before standing up. "I'll leave you to your paper. And good luck with Weasley."

"Thanks Cedric." I ran my finger over the satiny flower petals as he left, taking a deep breath and feeling hopeful to see Fred for the first time all day.

Fred

I watched the sun dip below the trees outside at last, having completely wasted my entire Saturday sat in this exact chair, waiting for it to officially be 'night.'

I jumped to my feet and sprinted towards the portrait hole, ignoring the questions and suggestions being called after me from George and Lee.

I would say nearly half of my time at Hogwarts had been spent running up or down these staircases, yet I had never felt my feet move so fast. In a matter of minutes I was at her common room entrance, staring at the barrels, knowing I could be walking past them again in five minutes with the love of my life hating me.

After what felt like an hour, I took a deep breath, tapping the rhythm on the wooden crates and watching them slide apart to reveal an emptying common room. A blonde head peeking over the couch nearest the fire, a book open on her lap while her eyes gazed into the fireplace.

I took slow steps towards her, cringing as the door slid shut behind me and she jumped half a foot in the air, her eyes flicking towards me.

"Sorry, I should have said something." I rushed, taking the small smile appearing on her face as a good sign.

"S'okay." She mumbled, pulling her legs up to her chest and setting her book on the table next to her.

"Can we talk?"

"Yes." She answered, her voice barely audible over the flickers from the fire.

I chose the chair nearest to her spot on the couch, not wanting to have to feel my heart rip in two if she flinched at my touch again.

"Cassidy." I started, running my eyes along her face until she looked at me. "I'm so... so sorry. I don't even have an excuse, I was a douchebag, I don't know what's wrong with me, I saw you with him and everything just... I have no excuse." I rambled, every sentence sounding less and less impressive.

She shook her head slightly. "It's okay, Freddie."

"No. No it's not." I felt my eyebrows furrow together. Nothing about this was okay. "I'm sorry for being jealous and stupid, and yelling and acting... violent... I'm sorry that you're scared of me touching you now."

Her eyes flashed to my own again. "I'm not- I'm not scared of you."

"Don't lie." I rubbed my hands over my face and sighed. "At breakfast. It was like you used to be, when we first met."

She shook her head but I watched her bite onto her lip as she picked at her fingernails.

"I'm so sorry. I... I will never do anything like that again, if you'll just give me the chance to show you. I'm not your dad, Cass, I don't ever want to make you feel-"

"You're not like him." She said, shaking her head mostly to herself. "I was scared, a little, because it was like home, but I'm not scared of you. You're nothing like him."

Relief flooded through my veins at her words. She's not scared of me. Not scared of me.

"Do you..." She trailed off, breathing out a deep sigh. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"What? Cassy, you, what?" I hopped to her couch, turning to face her and grabbing for her hands slowly. "You are the smartest girl I have ever met, what are you talking about?"

"Not smart, do you think I'm... naive, innocent? Like I don't know anything and I... let boys..."

"No." I cut her off. "Cassidy, no, please. I never meant any of that shit. Please don't think like that."

I watched her nod once again, wiping beneath her eye with the back of her hand before letting me pull her into my arms.

"I'm such an ass, I'm so sorry, please Cassidy, I would do anything to take yesterday back, please don't cry."

"I'm okay." She nodded into my chest, her words muffled by my sweater, but I didn't care. Not a single part of me wanted to let this girl go ever again.

"Can I make it up to you?"

"You don't have to make anything up, Freddie." She laughed, pulling away to meet my eyes again.

"Sneak into Hogsmeade with me tomorrow? I'll take you to lunch."

"It's fine!"

"Let me spoil you, please? I'm lucky you're even talking to me, George said he suggested you hold out a while."

"Well, as good as George's ideas usually are..." A genuine smile rose to her face. "I missed you a little."

"I'll take a little." I laughed, my arm snaking around her waist and pulling her onto me as I leaned back on the arm of the couch.

"Besides, couldn't be mad for too long. Your birthday's coming up and I already bought your gift."

Chapter Text

Cassidy

I woke up with no assistance this morning, the sun barely peaking through our windows yet. Pulling on my robes and black boots, I grabbed the two identical boxes from the dresser and snuck a last look at my roommates, all still fast asleep as I snuck out the door and down to the common room.

I knew there was no way that they were up yet, especially on their birthday. There was no telling if they would even attend classes today, but I wanted them to wake up to their presents. It took nearly twenty minutes to creep through the silence of the Hufflepuff dorms and up to Gryffindor tower until I finally arrived at the boys door. I tested the doorknob slowly, feeling it turn easily and smiling when I realized it was unlocked. I pushed it open, holding my breath for no reason now that I heard the deafening roar of three separate snores.

I tiptoed across the wood floors and set each box at the edge of their beds next to a large sack of sweets and another pair of identical maroon boxes that Errol had no doubt dropped off hours ago from Molly. I snuck one last glance at Fred, wanting nothing more than to climb into bed next to him and waste our entire day, but not wanting to wake him from what sounded like the deepest sleep anyone had ever experienced.

Backing from the room carefully, I pulled the door behind me until it clicked and aimed at the ceiling outside the twins room. I whispered a few charms, conjuring red and golden streamers and balloons and attached them along the walls as I headed down to the common room, wrapping the decorations around the space and slipping back out to get some breakfast.

Nearly an hour later I was sat at the Gryffindor table with an exhausted looking trio, Ron seeming almost too tired to eat.

"Hermione, how many classes are you taking this year?" I asked, noting the familiar circles beneath her eyes.

"The correct amount." She sighed. "It's the Third Task prep we've been doing with Harry." She whispered the final sentence.

"Brutal." Ron whined, grabbing for another muffin from the tray before us while I felt the warmth of someone's arms wrapping around my shoulders, a kiss pressed to my cheek.

"Good morning, gorgeous." Fred said, landing on the seat next to me as George appeared behind him.

"These are wicked, Cass! How'd you do this?" George grinned, raising his hands to show the rest of the group their matching birthday gifts, golden cufflinks in the shape of fireworks which let off innocent colorful sparks every time you touched them together.

"Charms." I answered.

"How'd you get into our room, young lady? I'm going to have to have a word with Minerva, such inappropriate behavior-"

I laughed, smacking him lightly on the arm as he bit into his breakfast.

"What did your mum send you?" I asked, remembering the matching boxes at the edge of their beds.

Fred smiled and pulled out a simple black and golden pocket watch from the inside of his robes.

"Bill, Charlie and Percy all got them at 17. It's like a wizarding tradition, they say." He explained, running his fingers over the clasp absentmindedly.

"Hey, that's really nice!" Ron shouted from across the table, sneaking a look at both boys watches.

"Few more years, Ronnie-kins." George patted his head, teasingly, earning a laugh from Harry.

"Alright, we've got to get going if we're going to get any more practice in before class." Hermione announced, pulling at both boys arms and being met with matching groans.

"Hermione, we're running on less than 5 hours of sleep." Ron whined.

"Yeah, all week." Harry muttered under his breath.

"You'll thank me when you wipe the floor with everyone at the final task." She replied.

I watched them follow her from the Great Hall while waiting for the boys to finish their breakfasts.

"Not eating, Cass?" George mumbled through a mouth full of crumbs.

"I ate already. I've been up for hours, it took a while to decorate your entire common room."

"That was you?" Fred whined. "We thought the house elves were just happy for our coming of age!"

"Well, I'm sure they had their calenders marked." I rolled my eyes with a laugh. "I think we should be more concerned what Peeves has planned."

"Excited, you meant to say." George corrected.

Once Fred finished his second cup of coffee, I turned towards him. "Can I walk you to class?"

"What makes you think I'm going to class on my birthday?" He smirked.

"You're going to class, Fred."

"We'll see." He stood from our spots and nodded goodbye to George and Lee as we started towards the hallway. "What's up?"

"I have to show you your secret birthday present." I smiled up at him.

"My secret birthday present?" He smirked, his eyebrows raised and I felt my face go pink.

"Not that, you git."

"I didn't say anything!"

I pushed him towards the wall and reached for one of his wrists, holding his cufflinks before his eyes.

"Incerecium" I whispered, watching new sparks emerge from the metal, red and gold hearts popping up in front of our faces.

Fred's grin widened as he waited for the fireworks to subside before turning to me.

"Am I dating a secret genius? How the hell did you-"

"Flitwick can write his own charms, so I figured I would try one."

"Oh, just a casual days work for Miss Cassidy Olsen."

I let out an easy laugh and a shrug at his words.

"Hey." He murmured, reaching for my chin and pulling my eyes up to his own. "Can I tell you something?"

I nodded, waiting in excitement although knowing I was most likely about to hear a new joke.

"One day you won't have to be an Olsen." I paused, the only sound between us were the echoes of footsteps passing by in the hallway. "I'm going to make you a Weasley."

"Don't get my hopes up, Freddie." I teased, ignoring the way my heart felt like it was on fire.

"I would never." He grinned, leaning closer to me until our faces were practically touching. "I'm in love with you."

I blinked a few times, resisting the urge to pinch myself. This was real. I wasn't dreaming, I was really here, really hearing him say the words I had almost let slip out countless times before.

"I love you too." I blurted back, biting my lip the second the words were out.

"Promise?" He smirked, reaching a hand on either side of my hips and pulling me into him for a kiss, neither of us caring who was walking by or what they thought. Nothing mattered except Fred.

"Promise." I nodded when our lips finally separated.

"Alright. Then I guess I'll go to class. My girlfriend knows how to create her own spells, I've got to step up my game."

"My boyfriend has made candy that turned a boy to a bird before my very eyes." I shouted back down the hallway, ignoring the confused looks I was receiving, only focused on the chuckle and wink I had earned.

As much as Ron and Harry whined about Hermione's vigorous training, Harry was also quite vocal about his guilt causing his two friends to miss out on valuable study time as exams drew closer. Harry and the other champions had been excused from final exams, but the training was cutting into Hermione's usually strict yearly schedule of prep work. This was how I had found myself with the three of them in the dwindling library, no more than half an hour before Madame Pince would shut it all down for the night.

"I think I'll be fine in everything, it's only potions that's worrying me." Hermione sighed, shutting what I counted to be her sixth book of the night.

"Potions worries everyone." Ron scoffed. "Only Malfoy can hope for a good grade on that exam."

"Harry does fine, for the most part." Hermione pointed out.

"Well Harry doesn't have to worry about any of this." Ron grumbled, "What are you reading now, anyway?"

"A Guide to Advanced Trasnfiguration." Harry muttered, shutting the book and pushing it off to the side. "Or as many words as I can understand. That's Newt level stuff."

"The other champions know Newt Level magic, Harry-" Hermione trailed off at the burnt out frowns the two boys shot her.

"Hey, did you ever find out what your brothers were talking about in the owlery earlier?" She changed the subject quickly, looking at Ron before turning back to her next book.

"They wouldn't tell me, of course." He shrugged. "They worry me. I bet it's something to do with that joke shop. I mean... I always thought they were joking, just wanted a rise from Mum, but I think they're actually serious about it."

I snapped my head up from my book to look at the youngest Weasley brother. "Of course they're serious about it, what do you mean?"

"Come on, Cassidy, a joke shop? I mean, there's already Zonko's, how profitable can a second one be? Plus where will they ever get enough money to start their own business?"

I scanned between Harry and Hermione who looked as though they wished they could disapparate from their seats.

"They're saving up." I snapped back at the ginger.

"That's what we're saying." He looked between his friends as if to ask for back up, but Harry and Hermione had their noses buried in their books now. "I'm worried about where they're getting the money."

"They'll get it." I muttered, sliding my books into my open bag and standing from my spot. "Don't let them hear you say that stuff, Ron. It's bad enough they know your Mum doesn't believe in them."

On my last word, I spun on my heel and crossed the library in less than five steps, turning the corner immediately outside and running into the solid chest of Fred Weasley.

"How did I know I'd find you here?" He smirked, reaching for my book bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "What's wrong? You look like you you're going to punch me."

"Nothing," I let out a mix of a sigh and a laugh. "Your brother's a git."

"Which one?" He joked, grabbing for my hand.

"Ron."

"Ah, you've gotta get used to that. He's going to be your brother one day too."

I pressed my lips together to hide the smile that rose to my face as I looked up to him. "These are getting to be some serious claims."

"Yeah, but when you know you know." He grinned, swinging my arm a bit as we walked back towards the Hufflepuff common room as curfew neared.

"Ah, Miss Olsen." A taut voice stopped the both of us in our tracks as I turned to face the long beard and piercing eyes of Professor Dumbledore.

"Headmaster." I nodded, offering him a smile despite the unfamiliar nervousness I noted in his usually happy eyes.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your nights, I'm afraid I need to borrow Miss Olsen."

A slight fear crept through my stomach and I felt Fred's hand squeeze my own.

"Is something wrong, Professor?" I felt like my voice was a mere whisper, echoing across the stone walls in the hallway.

"Cassidy, it's your father." He paused, watching my eyes carefully and I was sure he could see the fear I was trying to blink away. This was it. He had finally managed to get in contact with the school. They were sending me home to him. I was dead. The Weasley's would be in trouble. I would never see Fred again. "He passed away. A few hours ago."

I stared ahead, not making eye contact with Dumbledore, not noticing Fred's attempt to catch my own, just letting my mind run in circles.

"Mr. Weasley is welcome to join you, if you're comfortable. I'd like you to come to my office so that we can discuss some details?"

"Y-Yes, of course." I stammered out, feeling Fred pull on my arm slightly to follow Dumbledore through the hallways. We walked in silence, following Dumbledore's long strides, taking turns and staircases until we finally arrived at a stone gargoyle inside a deep crevice in the wall.

"Cockroach Cluster." Dumbledore spoke to the gargoyle. Fred did not laugh. The gargoyle began to spin, revealing a winding set of stone steps ascending upwards into a dark passage way which Dumbledore lead us into. After a quick flight of stairs, the three of us reached a heavy wooden door which opened for Dumbledore as he grew closer. He crossed the circular room and gestured for the two of us to take a seat in front of his desk which he sat behind, a large red and orange bird flying to his shoulder and rubbing it's face against the headmaster's cheek. "You'll have to excuse Fawkes, he's grown quite clingy this month."

I licked my lips, smiling to myself as I watched the bird tilt it's head, scanning Fred and I.

"Now Miss Olsen, I would first like to express my condolences for your loss. I know this must be a shock to you."

I nodded, or at least tried my best, I had a sneaking suspicion that my head had not moved at all.

"In any other circumstance, I would of course help to make arrangements for somewhere you can stay over the summers, but I do believe you have been staying with the Weasley's since last summer if I'm correct?"

I snuck a look at Fred who shrugged slightly. "I will write to Molly and ensure that you may stay there again this summer-"

"She can." Fred interrupted. "She's staying with us."

Dumbledore nodded at Fred, the usual twinkle back in his eyes once again.

"Well then, I suppose that just leaves my last point." He continued, looking back to me. "The funeral is being held in two days, and with exams coming up, the train rides will take up a large amount of your time. I've arranged for you to use the Floo Network back home. I believe they are expecting you sometime after the funeral to go over your father's will and then when you are ready you may return here."

I nodded, taking in all of the information he had just laid out. They were expecting me? I thought I was missing.

"Uh... Professor, there's something..." Fred started, sounding nervous.

"Cassidy is no longer considered a missing person. The Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes has taken care of your disappearance. No one at the funeral will know anything other than you being at your... boarding school, I believe it was?" He nodded at me for confirmation.

"Thank you, Headmaster."

"No need to thank me, Cassidy. Please, let me know if you need any extra time or help with your exams, I can speak with your professors."

"Professor Dumbledore?" I asked, Fred pausing in his spot as he had just begun to stand from our matching seats. "How... How did he die?"

Dumbledore took an abnormally long pause, which should have given me my answer. A heart attack, a car accident, whatever non-magical way muggles passed away shouldn't have brought out the worried look in the Professor's eyes.

"They are looking into it. It's shocking, worrisome..." He started, looking between my eyes and Fred's. "They are under the impression that it was the Killing Curse."

Chapter Text

I had never used Floo powder before, although the Weasley's had made it look quite simple last summer, despite getting stuck behind Harry's fireplace. I knew that wouldn't be a problem this time. I opted to head through first, grabbing a handful of the sand-like mixture as I had watched Fred do nearly a year ago. I gave Dumbledore a small nod of appreciation, ignoring the sad look that had lived in his eyes all morning.

I stepped through the unlit fireplace, scanning the familiar room as if I expected to see him. To see anyone. But everything was exactly as I remembered it. Silent, cold and dark.

I heard Fred's footsteps behind me and felt him reach for my hand as he looked around.

"You okay?" He asked, his voice soft, although I wasn't sure if that was his intention or if he was still partially asleep.

"Yes." I answered, tracing my fingers along his in an attempt to remind myself that I was safe. I was home, but I was safe. I couldn't remember the last time I could say that.

"So this is your house?" He asked, looking around the library from the dark wood flooring to the climbing bookshelves. "Well, old house."

"I never thought I would be here again..." I trailed off, running my fingers over some notably worn books, which I thought I had lost forever.

"We have time." Fred glanced at his wrist. "The funeral's not until 11 if you want to... I mean, whatever you want to do."

I nodded, pulling a few books from the shelf nearest me and stacking them on the mantle of the fireplace. "I wonder who he left the house to. I should go get my things..."

"I'll help you." Fred whispered, taking a step over to me and pressing his lips to my cheek. "Show me where."

I took his hand again, not looking forward to passing by the kitchen, the hallway upstairs, Tommy's room. We climbed the stairs into darkness before I flipped the light switch, Fred's eyes flickering back to the button a few times before continuing to the end of the hall. I turned the knob to my room and pushed the door open, being met again with darkness before I hit the switch.

The white light lit up the room, exactly how I had left it last Christmas. Books stacked neatly on the nightstand, matching sheets and blankets folded neatly against the mattress, a half filled closet.

"This is my room." I said, not taking more than a step inside before I watched Fred cross to the bed.

"Really? I would have never guessed." He smirked, picking up one of the books from the table.

"I didn't even... think... we should have brought boxes, I didn't think about how much stuff-" I paused as Fred pulled the curtains to the side, letting in the bright sunlight from the early morning outside. Before I could even blink, he had pushed up on the window sill and taken a few steps back as if to enjoy the new breeze wafting in.

"Accio moving boxes." He muttered, smirking at my wide eyed stare. "I'm allowed, Cassidy."

"Even so, you definitely just stole those from someone's house." I replied, laughing as multiple thin cardboard boxes flew through the window and Fred ducked out of the way. "And they flew through mid air!"

"Eh, everyone's at work! We're fine." He shut the window again and started towards the boxes. "Alright, what do you want to bring?"

We spent nearly an hour boxing up a good portion of my closet and favorite books, my jewelry box, and the small collection of photographs that I had. I tucked the flaps of the box together and Fred levitated a few more down the hallway. I took one last look at the room and shut the door once again before heading to the first room near the stairs. The bigger of the two rooms. The room I had spent many nights in with my brother.

Fred stood behind me in silence as I hovered my hand above the doorknob for a few seconds. Finally, I turned it and pushed into the room for the first time since that summer, breathing in stale air at once. Fred reached around me and tapped a few spots on the wall before the lights came on.

Everything was boxed up. The only things left visible were his bed and his empty desk, boxes neatly stacked along each wall.

"This is Tommy's room?" Fred asked, although it sounded more like a statement.

"Mhm. He... must have boxed everything up once I left for school." I swallowed as an excuse to take a moment. Fred's hand came to my shoulder and he squeezed lightly, giving me enough energy to take a few more steps into the room.

I knelt to the floor at the edge of his bed, pressing a few floorboards until I heard the familiar squeak and pulled at the fraying edges. "This is where he left me all of his money. Everything he had."

"How'd you find that?" Fred asked, sitting on the mattress and looking down.

"I came in here a few times that summer. It was like... unreal that he was gone. But my dad found out eventually. I never came back after that." I set the floorboard back in it's spot and looked around the vacant room. "Such an asshole to pack it all up." I muttered, heading for the closest stack of boxes and pulling it open.

"Books. I'm noting a trend." Fred dropped the first box on the floor to give me access to the one beneath it. We looked through a few, containing everything from sheets to posters to raggedy stuffed animals I had forgotten about.

"We'd better get going, Cass. It's going to start soon, we don't want to be late."

"Maybe we don't want to go at all." I mumbled, nervously and he cocked his head down at me with sad eyes.

"It's up to you. We don't have to go."

I nodded, mostly to myself, running my hand over an old gray sweatshirt from one of Tommy's boxes. I pulled it out and brought it to my nose, knowing there was no way it would still smell like him. All I could smell was laundry detergent.

"I'm ready." I sighed, following Fred back down the stairs and setting Tommy's sweatshirt at the top of the last box we had set near the fireplace.

I smoothed the wrinkles I had gathered in my skirt and took Fred's outstretched hand as we walked side by side down the front steps and towards the church. It would of course be held here, and I was sure everyone my father had ever known would be gathered inside. It wasn't a long walk, and I was thankful for the breeze that blew my hair off of my neck as we walked.

"Just remember that we go to boarding school, not-"

"Oh, really? I was going to tell everyone about our wicked magical school and all of the magic we learn and-" He cut off with a laugh as I shoved him into the grass along the sidewalk. "I'll be on my best behavior." He grabbed my hand again as we climbed the steps towards the front doors, my heart threatening to jump from my throat.

Fred pulled the door open, letting me walk through and the sound of low whispers came to a stop. Dozens and dozens of eyes on me, grim faces falling even further as a few couples started towards me.

"Cassidy, dear-"

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry."

"So terrible. I can't imagine."

Hugs from strangers and more hands squeezing onto my shoulders, sly glances at Fred, who's red hair admittedly stuck out in this sea of black and gray. It was possibly worse than I could have imagined it would be.

"Cassidy." A familiar voice at last. I turned to see the tan skin of the tall boy.

"Hi, Jackson." I muttered, keeping a few inches distance between us in hopes to keep Fred's obvious jealousy issues at bay.

"I'm so sorry for your loss. We've all been thinking of you." He too squeezed a hold on my arm for a few seconds, causing Fred to take another step forward, linking his fingers with mine.

"Thank you." I tried a tight smile, unsure how to act. Unsure how I even felt about anything. "Jackson, this is my boyfriend Fred. Jackson's father and mine were good friends at work."

"Nice to meet you, man." Fred extended his free hand to Jackson's, squeezing just a tad too tight judging by Jackson's face.

"Good to meet you." He nodded, looking back to me. "We're here if you need anything. Are you just staying at your school then, or is your family here?"

"It's all figured out." Fred cut in with a fake smile. "Cassidy, isn't that your aunt Monica?"

"Oh, yes." I nodded, playing along with Fred's lie. "Thank you for coming Jackson, I'll see you."

The funeral went by fairly quickly, a few members of the church giving dry speeches about the loss of such an influential figure to our community. After nearly an hour of my eyes losing focus, staring at the glazed casket at the front of the room, a few men stepped up to help push and everyone followed to the back of the room. Fred and I stood slowly from our seats, the last two people in the chapel.

"Do you want to go to the gravesite?" Fred asked, his voice soft even in the empty room.

I shook my head slowly, walking out towards the windows, the train of people headed to the back of the cemetery. I could just barely make out the bright casket as everyone gathered around.

"Miss Olsen?" A new voice broke me from my trance and I turned to see a tall, thin man wearing an expensive looking suit. "Sorry to interrupt. My name is Mark, I was your father's lawyer."

I nodded, holding my hand out which he shook a few times.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, your father was a good man."

"Mhm." I said loudly in an attempt to cover up Fred's scoff.

"Whenever you're ready, I have his will. It doesn't have to be today, we can set up a day that's good for you."

"Oh," I whispered, my heart beat speeding up. "Thank you, sir, I'm headed back to school for exams tonight, but... I doubt... I mean, I'm guessing he didn't leave me anything."

A confused look appeared on the mans face.

"I have read it, Miss Olsen. You're the sole beneficiary."

I nearly choked on my next breath. "Pardon?"

"Well, you and your brother are both named, but I know... The will hadn't been updated since..."

I nodded, mostly to make him stop talking.

"If you are to return to school tonight, would you be okay coming to my office now?"

"Yes, sir." I nodded, nerves still flooding my stomach. I had never once thought about where my father's money would go when he died. I had assumed by then I would be far away, hidden, possibly forgotten.

Fred pulled on my arm to keep up with the tall man as he led us towards a shiny black sedan, holding the back door for the two of us, the driver pulling from the curb just as the door shut.

"Where is it you go to school, dear? I don't think your father ever mentioned."

"Oh, um-"

"Taunton." Fred answered easily, hardly giving either of us a glance as he traced over the buttons on the door handle.

"Oh, yes. Good school." The man nodded.

After a few more minutes, we pulled up to a tall building with sliding glass doors. We followed Mark into the office, light bouncing off all of the windows surrounding the place as we entered a smaller room with a large desk in the middle.

"Have a seat, can I get either of you anything to drink? I'm sure it's been a hard day."

We both shook our heads at once, I for one counting the seconds until I could be back at Hogwarts.

"Very well, then. I'll begin." He began unwrapping a string from the button on an oversized folder, pulling a few neatly folded papers from within. "I, Andrew Olsen, declare this to be my last will and testament and revoke all previous wills made by me. I am of sound mind and legal age to make this will. This will expresses my last wishes without undue influence or duress. I am not, nor have I ever been married. I have the following children, T-"

"Sorry, wait..." I pressed my hand against the wooden desk, stopping the man's hurried reading.

"Yes, Miss Olsen?"

"Married... was..." I felt my cheeks grow hot as every part of my brain told me to stop. How does one explain that they didn't know their parents were never married. "Never mind, sorry. Please continue."

"I have the following children, Thomas Olsen and Cassidy Olsen."

I tried to keep my focus on the reading, despite the only thing my brain wanted to focus on was my mother. He had never worn a ring, but I had always thought that was simply out of anger for her leaving.

"After payment of my debts, expenses and claims, I give my personal property and effects described below to be split evenly between Thomas and Cassidy Olsen. These will include the property and home located at 20 Golden Knowles Road and all of it's contents and furnishings, as well as the 1993 Aston Martin V8 Vantage."

"Sorry... the- the house?" I stuttered out.

"She owns the house?" Fred re-iterated.

"She owns the house, everything in it, as well as the car."

"She's 15."

"Yes, wills do typically have ages written in to indicated what age the possessions and assets will be turned over. However, your father has not left any such instructions, possibly due to the unexpected nature of his passing... So yes, Cassidy, you own a house and car."

I nodded slowly, looking to Fred who's eyes were once again glued to Mark.

"After payment of my debts, expenses and claims, I leave the sum(s) specified below to the following people: Thomas and Cassidy Olsen. The sum indicated here is your father's total bank account information, after clearing any debts and expenses from the funeral the total number you will be inheriting will come to," He scanned the sheet for a second. "One million, three hundred thousand and forty two."

I heard Fred's breath catch without even turning to him, meanwhile I didn't think I would ever breath again.

"One..." I trailed off.

"Million, three hundred thousand and forty two dollars." He nodded, as if it was just every day that he handed out a million dollars to fifteen year olds.

"It may take a few weeks for the property transfers to go through, and the funds will reach you in about two weeks." He scanned over the papers before him as if checking if he missed anything. "Any questions, Miss Olsen?"

"Um..." I paused, possibly for hours before I spoke again. "No... No, I... Nope."

"The house is paid off?" Fred asked, thankfully one of us paying attention to anything that was going on.

"In full, yes sir."

"Does she have to do anything? Pay anything, any bills?"

"Everything is paid up, there are property taxes that have been paid for the remainder of the year. Once you signs these forms here I can begin the transfer into this bank account here, if that looks correct?"

I scanned the sheet carefully, recognizing the bank name as the probably nearly empty one I had set up with my father years ago.

"Yes."

"Very well then. Signature here and here, and I will get everything in motion. Once again, Miss Olsen, I am so sorry for your loss and thank you for taking the time to speak with me today." The man stood, shaking my hand and Fred's before the two of us stepped into the hallway and started towards the exit.

Chapter Text

Where we would usually have been drowning in silence for the week of exams, this year was once again like no other. The final task seemed to be the only thing on anyone's mind all week, and surprisingly I had to agree. Despite the past few days with the funeral, inheritance meeting, packing and unpacking more of my things and attempting not to fail any of my finals which, aside from Hermione, I seemed to be the only one who cared about, most of my time was spent thinking about the final task and what they would make the champions do, whether Harry was prepared for it, whether I would be kidnapped once again.

"Hey," Fred's voice finally cut through my monologue as he bumped his elbow against my shoulder. "Everything's gonna be fine."

"What do you mean?" I asked, sneaking a look up from the moving staircase taking us towards the Great Hall.

"I've been talking to you for about five minutes now with no response." His mouth lifted into a small smirk. "Whatever you're stressing about? It's gonna be fine."

"Exams." I started, "And Harry, and the final task... and him getting bullied if he wins... or if he doesn't win. And I still feel weird after the funeral and..."

We had reached the first floor by the time Fred cut me off, his fingers lifting my chin to stare into his golden brown eyes.

"We're going to have to find you some stress relief." His smug smile coming closer to my face with every word until he pressed his lips to mine. I felt one hand slide down my cheek until it was behind my neck, fingers working themselves into the back of my hair as his other arm pulled my waist closer into him.

"Hey, before you swallow her whole..." George's voice behind Fred shocked the two of us apart, and we watched him snigger as he lead the way into the Great Hall, not bothering to finish his sentence. The large room was still mostly empty, too many students gathered outside in the halls stuck in excited conversations. Yet, even if every bench had been filled, I could never have missed the red heads.

"Mum?" Fred called, the short lady turning in her seat at her son's voice, her eyes lighting up once she saw the three of us.

"Boys!" She grinned, stepping out from the bench, Bill sat next to Harry still, offering a cheerful smile to his brothers and then to me and watching Molly embrace both twins in matching massive hugs.

"What are you doing her-" George started, his sentence cutting off when Molly rushed towards me, not bothering for any words before she pulled me into her arms.

"Oh, Cassidy!" Her face was flushed red as she pulled back to meet my eyes. "I'm so happy, you and Fred. It's about time, if you ask me, but better late than never-"

"Mum!" Fred exclaimed, attempting to pull her from my side and back to the table.

"Oh, enough of that, Freddie." She brushed him off, taking my arm and walking me to the table where George and Bill were now pestering Harry for details of the task and what he had planned.

"I heard about your father, too dear. I know it must be a confusing thing for you..." She whispered from her spot next to me. "I'm sorry for your loss, and you know we're always here for you."

I chewed my lower lip and gave her a nod and a small smile.

"What are you doing here?" Fred repeated his brother's previously ignored question.

"We came to watch Harry's final task." She answered, as if it should have been obvious.

"Charlie wanted to come too, and Dad, but couldn't get time off work." Bill explained, "Heard you did really well against the Horntail though, Harry."

"He did." George agreed for him.

"That's our champion." Fred reached across the table to ruffle Harry's messy hair.

"Mum?" The whole table turned to see Ron leading Hermione towards our table at a faster pace than I ever saw the fourth year move.

Molly stood once again to hug her youngest son before they took their seats and began a review of Ron's previous exam.

"Write to your mother about me?" I mumbled beneath my breath and watched Fred shake his head with a smirk before biting into an apple from the bowls in front of us.

Fred

"Oh, yeah, that bloody bird is home all the time with his letters!" Bill laughed out, most of us now having finished the hundred course dinner. I could practically feel the weight drop from Cassidy's chest now that my family was here, and even though they had spent the whole afternoon with Harry while the rest of us sat our exams, the smile I had hardly seen all week was back on the blonde girl's face. "Mum always hopes they're going to be Ron, but Dad and I know by now. They're all Freddie's."

"Alright, very funny." I nodded, rolling my eyes as the table erupted into laughter.

"You save them, right Mum?" Ron called from the end of the row. "I think we could all use a little dirt on Fred."

I snuck a glance at the blonde next to me who I could tell was hanging onto their every word, despite the way her eyes were scanning the ceiling, seeming to watch the sun begin to set, there was no way to hide the pink flush her cheeks now lit up with.

At last, Dumbledore announced that the final task would begin soon and requested the four champions to follow him outside.

The room erupted with cheers, some applause and shouts of good luck as Cedric, Victor and Fleur all rose from their various tables.

"Good luck, Harry!"

"We'll see you soon! You've got this!"

"Remember, Harry, if you-" Hermione jumped from her seat, following Harry as he hurried to catch the other champions and nodding absentmindedly at Hermione's last minute instructions.

Hermione paused at the end of the table and let Harry join the competition, the four students following Dumbledore and the judges through the double doors and onto the grounds.

Not half an hour later, the eight of us were nearing the quidditch pitch, or at least... what had once been the quidditch pitch. In it's place now stood massive walls of solid hedges, sharp angles jutting out at each corner.

"Bloody Hell." Ron mumbled, his neck craning upwards.

"It's a maze." George said, sounding impressed and slightly envious of the other students who would get to explore the maze.

"Wicked." I breathed out, aching to take a few more steps, catch a glimpse of the inside. Instead, I grabbed Cassidy's hand and pulled her towards the stairs up the bleachers.

After a few minutes of climbing, George and I had decided on the perfect spot. "High enough to hopefully see some action, but not too high for when we storm the field once Harry wins." George grinned, purposely ignoring the glares from the other houses nearby.

We settled in, the warm air floating over us a nice change from the last task, which I pushed from my mind, instead squeezing onto Cassidy's hand once again as if to remind myself that she was right there.

"I'm surprised they didn't want to use you as Pretty Boy's bait at the end of the maze." I whispered, shooting her a cheeky grin when I received a fake glare.

"You're very funny." She replied, quietly too, matching my tone.

"Yeah, that's kind of my thing." I shrugged as we turned our attention to the field below us where the champions were now lined up in front of Ludo Bagman.

At last, Bagman began reading off the champions current scores and with the sharp blow of his whistle, Harry and Cedric rushed into the maze, the darkness enveloping them instantly.

"Another task where we stare at... nothing." George faked a yawn and Molly sent him a look.

"You guys picked a good spot, maybe we'll see something!" Ginny replied, craning her neck in her seat as if that would allow her to watch the champions battle their way through the maze.

We talked for a while about today's exams, Ginny seeming particularly excited for her scores while Hermione and Cassidy both shrugged, looking nervous.

"Oh the both of you girls, I'm sure you did great." Molly brushed their worries off and we moved on to talking about summer at the Burrow. "Cassidy, since Bill and Charlie won't be home this summer, I was thinking you could have one of theirs?"

"Oh, but won't Ginny miss her roommate?" George smiled as the two girls looked happily at each other from across their shared bench.

"No." I answered for her. "No, she wont. I think Cassidy having her own room would be great." I shot the blonde a smirk and a wink which she pretended not to notice, despite the wide eyed look she now wore.

"That would be great, Molly, thank you." She nodded, obviously uncomfortable taking a room in the already cramped house.

"Of course, it's not going to be used." Mum shrugged. "And boys, if you want, one of you could take the other-"

"Dibs!" George's voice echoed mine.
"Wait, you want it?"
"Why do you care?"
"It's bigger!"

"Alright, both of you! You can duel it out later." Bill chuckled, his eyes still scanning the maze as he leaned towards Cassidy. "You want my room, Charlie's wallpaper is hideous."

She giggled, possibly for the first time all week, and I felt the familiar fireworks light off in my chest at the sound.

It had been nearly an hour now, and aside from one high pitched scream which I liked to think was Diggory, although everyone else was pretty set on it being Fleur, we hadn't had a lot to focus on.

"There!" Ron pointed towards the red sparks exploding into the dark sky as if they would have been easy to miss.

"Who do you think it is?" Hermione asked, nearly at the edge of her seat.

"Not Harry's." George shrugged. "Too proud to admit defeat. He'll go out in a blaze of dragon fire before he asks for help."

"George!" Molly's voice mingled with Ginny's while the rest of us struggled to hold in laughter.

We all waited, staring at the darkness inside the maze below where the sparks had been as if we thought we had a chance to see what had happened. Ten minutes passed, then thirty, until it had been almost an hour since any activity had been noted.

"The fact that this is the most boring thing we've had to do all year makes me more angry that I couldn't compete." I muttered to Cassidy who shot me a warning look. "What! I mean, the least they could have done was put a mirror on the top of the maze so we could watch everyone."

"Then they could see the path to the end, idiot." She replied, her mouth curving into a teasing smile.

"Oh, okay, I see how it is." I chuckled, grabbing at her waist quickly and eliciting half a giggle half a scream, my hands already back at my side before the rest of our group had turned.

"What is it dear?" Molly asked, looking between the two of us concerned.

"Nothing, thought I saw a bug." Cassidy answered, her face turning red with embarrassment.

"A spider?" Ron asked, leaning forward to scan the floor.

"No, no." She pressed her palms into her forehead. But before she could get another word out, a flash of white seemed to engulf the entire crowd, everyone jolting from their seats and their previous conversations to look to the front of the maze where the two Hogwarts champions had just emerged.

"Not another tie!" I shouted over the trumpets and drums of the band which had struck up the second the red and yellow uniforms had come into view.

The crowd around us was clapping, cheering, everyone jumping to their feet and shouting not just Cedric's name, but Harry's as well.

"Something's wrong." Cassidy whispered, standing next to me and struggling to see over the heads in front of us.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused, grabbing beneath her arms and pulling her to stand on the bleacher so she could see.

"Why aren't they getting up?" She asked, her eyebrows scrunched up as we watched Dumbledore rush forward to the champions, Cornelius Fudge on his heels.

There were a few moments of near silence now aside from the music which continued as the entire crowd strained to hear the conversation going on ahead.

"He's back!" Harry's voice rang out, sounding broken and strained.

"Diggory..."

"-to bring him back... to his parents..."

The crowd around us seemed to ignite with energy, hisses and screams echoing all around us, but my mind wasn't working right. Everything was sluggish.

"What's going on?"
"What's wrong with him?"
"Diggory's dead!"

Dead?

That's not possible. He couldn't be dead. None of them could be dead. This was Hogwarts. This was Dumbledore. He's not dead.

I turned quickly, scanning the crowds around me, noting the white faces of horror and some tears already, as if it was already decided. The Hufflepuff Captain, Prefect, Perfect Golden Boy Diggory was dead.

Finally, I looked to her, still in the same position I had last looked, standing on the bleachers, eyes glued to the two boys, frozen. I watched a few seconds, waiting to see her take a breath or blink or show any sign of life.

"Cassidy, we don't know that-"

"That's my son! That's my boy!" A new voice rang through the stadium and I turned my eyes back to Mr. Diggory who was attempting to fling himself onto Cedric who had finally been released from Harry's hold as Mad Eye Moody began to lead the Gryffindor boy up to the castle.

"He's dead." Cassidy finally breathed out.

None of us spoke. Her words bounced around inside my mind. There were no more words that would make any sense. Mum held Ginny close, tucking her into her side and letting Ginny hide her face in her sweater, both letting silent tears drip down their skin.

"Everyone, please!" Dumbledore's amplified voice rang over the crowd. "Return to the castle immediately." He lowered his wand from his neck and glanced around, spinning in a circle before taking off towards the castle faster than I had seen anyone move off the quidditch pitch.

It was nearly midnight now. The crowds had rushed towards the castle, congregating once again in the Great Hall, smashed in side by side at any table that had room. There we waited for Dumbledore, for Fudge, Bagman, anyone who would explain what had just happened. How we had lost one of our classmates right before our eyes and why. After nearly an hour, Dumbledore had returned, Snape and McGonagall at his sides, Fudge and Bagman standing behind him, eyes low to the floor.

Dumbledore explained all he knew, which admittedly wasn't much. Everyone listened, no one spoke, no one knew what to say. Even the students from the other schools were silent, obviously shaken by the fact that it could have been one of their champions, who were now with Harry in the hospital wing.

The meeting was short, and left everyone feeling drained yet horribly awake, as if the entire castle was no longer a place of safety but with of unexplained danger around every corner.

Mum and Bill had taken us to the Hospital Wing to see Harry before bed, studying the minor cuts and bruises lining his face as well as the now almost healed slice on his forearm. The eight of us listened closely, pulling up chairs and leaning on the side of his bed as he recounted the story of the maze, his eyes drooping significantly, yet there was an obvious fire behind them.

Madame Pomfrey returned with a tall bottle to help Harry sleep, and after asking Harry sixteen times if he would like her and Bill to stay with him, Mum gave him one last squeeze and started out to find Dumbledore.

"I'll see you soon, boys." Bill muttered quietly to George and me as Harry sipped on the sleeping draught. "Stay safe, keep them safe." His eyes flickered to the fourth years.

He followed mum out the swinging doors and I turned towards Cassidy who was standing a few inches behind Hermione and Ron. I crossed the room to her in a few steps and pressed my hand against her arm, pulling her attention to me.

"Come to sleep?" I asked, softly, not wanting to wake Harry although I wasn't sure that anything could at this point.

She nodded a few times, her face still very white and I linked my fingers into hers, leading the way with George at our side.

"You... probably... Our common room? You don't want to go downstairs-"

"No." She answered, her voice sounding firm for the first time all night.

The three of us walked in silence up the last steps until we reached the fat lady, who for the first time in our lives didn't look annoyed to see us. She swung open and we entered the common room which was now almost completely empty, a few huddles of students sat whispering in the corner. We lead Cassidy up the narrow stairs to the boys dorms, my hand never leaving hers as George pushed through the door. The lights were out, but I was guessing from the lack of snores that Lee hadn't yet been able to fall asleep.

George and I crossed to our dressers, pulling out random articles of clothing before he looked to Cass and me.

"I don't know how you two usually go about this, do we just strip here?" He joked, falling back on the bed to wait.

"George." I sighed, handing her a large black sweatshirt and some joggers. She took them, walking with silent footsteps towards the bathroom and shutting the door.

"Is she okay?" George asked as he began to pull on his pajamas.

"I dunno." I muttered, sitting on the edge of the bed to wait for Cassidy.

"Goodnight, then." He replied, flopping back on his bed and shutting the curtains with his wand before it clattered down on the night stand.

A few more minutes passed before I began to worry about her. I had just dropped my legs back to the floor to go check on her when the door opened and she walked slowly towards the bed.

"Hi." I breathed, holding the blanket out for her to climb into.

"Hi." She repeated, although her voice didn't carry it's usual tone, the happiness I had grown used to hearing.

"Are you okay?" I asked, leaning back against the bed frame and pulling her closer onto my lap, her head falling against my chest at once. She shook her head.

"Cedric?" I asked, the name no longer tasting bitter on my tongue as it used to.

She nodded this time, balling her fists into the fabric of my shirt.

"I'm sorry." She cried, her voice muffled by clothing, but I could hear the sob in between her words.

"Hey." I brushed my fingers through her hair, hoping to calm her down at least a little. "You don't have to be sorry."

"No, I know y-you don't like him, I-"

"I was an asshole. Cassidy, he was a great guy. I was jealous. He was the quidditch captain, prefect, good grades, he got to compete in the tournament, all of the girls were in love with him, he could have had any of them and he wanted you? But I needed you." I rambled on until she finally turned her eyes to mine. "I'll always need you. I love you."

She wiped beneath her eye with her, or rather, with my sleeve. "I love you more."

"Not possible." I replied, taking another deep breath and blowing it out trying to stop my heart from racing. "I... I feel terrible. I was a dick to him all year. I... He didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve this."

She sniffed again, moving closer to me and taking a deep breath in from my chest.

"He died happy." She whispered.

"What?"

"Harry said it was fast. He didn't even know what was happening. And he had just won the tournament. That was his last thought. He had won. He was happy."

I took in her words for a few seconds in silence before pressing a kiss to the top of her head and moving us further down on the bed.

"Get some sleep, love."

Chapter Text

Cassidy

The ginger cat let out another purr as I scratched my fingers into his back, watching him stretch his paws closer to the sunlight shining in from the window. The twins and I had managed to get a compartment with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Usually this would have meant an exciting train ride, yet this year none of us were feeling very chatty.

The trio had been discussing something to do with newspapers and admiring some beetle that Hermione had captured, but I couldn't keep my attention on any of that. Voldemort was back. Harry had seen him. Dueled with him. He killed Cedric. Cedric was dead. I was an official orphan. Everything was changing.

Fred's fingers trailed down my thigh, breaking me from my spiraling thoughts. I bit my lip to try and hide the smile as I looked up at him, the smirk lining his face.

"I cant wait to be back home with y-" He started under his breath before the door to the compartment slid open.

"Trying not to think about it, are we?" Malfoy jeered, Crabbe and Goyle standing like amused statues behind him. "Trying to pretend it hasn't happened?

"Get out." Harry's voice rang through the cabin as if he was announcing the world cup.

"You picked the losing side, Potter. I did warn you. You'll see soon. I mean, sure, Diggory was first. Who do we think will be next? Granger or Olse-"

Before I had even registered his words, the entire compartment was on it's feet, orange, red and green sparks bouncing off the ceiling before the smoke cleared to reveal the three Slytherin boys on the ground before us.

"Oh, that's sick." George pretended to gag, taking a step towards the fallen fourth years. "Looks like our spells combined. How'd he get tentacles?"

"Serves him right." Fred growled, using his feet to kick Goyle's body into the hallway to make room for George, Ron and Harry to pull the other two through the doorway.

Once Hermione and I returned to the compartment after changing from our robes, Fred and George stood to take their turn.

"We'll be quick in case those idiots wake up." George gave us a lighthearted smile as the tall boys headed into the hallway, hardly bothering to step over the bodies.

I gave Crookshanks a light stroke across his back to tell him I was back and went back to looking out the window. The day was beautiful, and despite all of the darkness of the past few weeks, it felt fitting that this would be the kind of weather we would return to the burrow in.

After a few more minutes, my attention was drawn away from the blurry trees outside of the clear glass. That feeling, the one from the world cup, the feeling of eyes on me. I turned my head slowly, scanning over Hermione's eyes buried in a book to Ron's which were locked in on his chocolate frog card until I met Harry's green eyes. They looked dark, curious, and almost... scared?

"Harry?" I asked, thinking he surely must have zoned out.

Ron and Hermione's eyes flickered towards their friend before he quickly looked away.

"What?" He mumbled.

"Are you okay?" I asked, not wanting to ask why he was staring at me outright.

"I'm fine." He shrugged, turning his attention to his bag as he rummaged for some unknown object.

"I think she means why were you staring at her." Hermione muttered beneath her breath before turning back to her book.

"I wasn't staring at her." Harry retorted, earning a shrug from his two friends before the twins re-emerged. "Come on, Ron, let's go change."

At last, the train began to slow, the telltale sign that we were nearing the station. The six of us scurried out of our seats, apparently all anxious to get home where we could breath easy, at least for a few weeks. Fred reached above our heads and pulled my trunk down, gesturing out towards the hallway.

"Fred, George... Hang back a moment?" Harry's voice rang out softly as the boys paused.

"Go find Mum, I'll come find you." Fred pressed a kiss to my forehead and I hurried out before Harry or George could catch the stupid smile on my face.

"Oh, there you are dear." Molly smiled once I caught up with Ron and Hermione who was saying her goodbyes to Molly, Ginny and Ron. "Where are the boys?"

"They're discussing some top secret business, I suppose. I was excluded." I laughed, turning back towards the train to find the tall redheads scurrying after me, Harry at their heels.

"Oh, Harry. I'm sorry, sweetheart I did ask Dumbledore if we could take you right home, but he said no. Although, I'm sure the Dursley's will let you come stay with us soon. Keep in touch, okay?" She hugged him again, their cheeks pressed together before Harry said his goodbyes and slouched off towards a very round man wearing a jacket and some trousers that were very clearly cutting into his skin with every breath.

"Harry!" George called after him.

"Thanks." Fred nodded to him, earning a smile from the dark haired boy before he returned to his uncle, the two of them starting towards the parking lot.

"Okay, you two. There's plenty of cabs. Do you need any money? Muggle money, that is."

"I've got it." I smiled.

"Right, okay." She replied, a nervous look painting her face before she crossed to us, pulling us both into a tight hug at once. "Please... Be careful. I..."

"Mum. We know. We'll be fine. See you tonight." Fred pecked her on the cheek and gave her a warm smile before taking my hand and pulling me towards the front of the train station where row after row of taxi's were lined up, engines running, waiting for customers.

"Can I please carry my own trunk, I look spoiled rotten." I whined as he headed towards one of the black cars.

"You deserve to be spoiled." He answered easily, nodding at the taxi driver as we approached.

Fred pulled the trunk of the car open, dropping our cases easily in next to each other before grabbing the door for us to slide inside.

"Where to?" The cab driver asked, fumbling with some buttons on his console.

"20 Golden Knowles road, in Bridgwater" I spoke out clearly, although I was sure I sounded as terrified to return home as I felt.

At last, after a nearly silent three hour cab ride, we slowed down on the familiar street, pulling into the long stone driveway. I pulled the last of my muggle money from my purse and handed it over, offering the driver a smile before Fred and I started up towards the front door.

"You okay?" He asked, reaching for my hand with his pinky as he held both of the trunks again.

"It's okay." I nodded, pulling the long un-used key from deep inside my bag and turning the doorknob. The door opened silently and we stepped inside, the house seeming even darker compared to the sunny day outside.

I shut and locked the door behind me, turning around to see Fred already flopping down on the couch in the next room.

"I don't know, Cassy, maybe we should just live here." He grinned and I shook my head.

"I'll never live here again." I walked towards him and pulled him up off the couch. "We're just grabbing some of my stuff and the car."

Nearly three hours later I slammed the packed up trunk of the car shut and scanned over the house. The sun would set soon, the sky already turning a shade of orange. Fred and I had packed anything I needed to keep into that car, lugging the rest of the small stuff to the curb. I had never seen the house this empty, or at least, not that I can remember.

"We can try and sell the furniture, if you want?" Fred suggested, leaning against the doorway as I did my final walk through.

"I'm going to offer it to your parents, but otherwise they can just sell it with the house."

"When is that?"

"The lawyer said they're listing it next week. His real estate agent says it'll go fast." I shrugged, taking a few steps closer to Fred and leaning my head against his chest, letting him pull me into a tight hug.

"Then you're done, love. Say bye to the house."

I pulled away from him, stepping out the door and holding my middle finger to the front door for no longer than two seconds and smiling at my boyfriend.

"Oh, you're such a badass." Fred grinned, pulling the door handle behind him to make sure it was locked. Within seconds he was back at my side in front of the car. "So... can I drive?"

"You don't know how!" I laughed, running over the two sets of keys in my hands.

"Neither do you! At least I'm of age!" He pointed out, starting to the drivers seat as if my mind was already made up.

"Okay, we'll try it, but if you crash my car-"

"You don't care, you don't even want it!" He teased, sliding in the front seat as if he'd done it a thousand times.

"No, but I was going to give it to your parents. They can, you know, enlarge it or whatever. Your dad can have at it-"

"Mum's gonna kill you!" He shrugged. It was every day that the twins got a death threat from their mother, I supposed. "And back to the point, I do know how to drive, I've driven-"

"Through the sky, where there's no rules or speed limits or police."

"All I hear is nag nag nag-" He chuckled, ending his sentence when my hand hit his arm.

"Let's go, I'm starving." I whined, watching him adjust every mirror in the car before turning the keys and with a short jolt, we were on our way.

The sun was long gone when we reached the Burrow, but I didn't care. It was over. I never had to go back there again. The two of us started towards the front door, ignoring the boxes for another day, lugging our trunks in the house and dropping them at the entrance.

"Oh, thank Godric." Molly sighed, rushing over to pull us both into a large hug. "It was getting so late, I was worried-"

"We're all good, mum. See?" He did a spin and I laughed as Molly rolled her eyes.

"I saved you dinner, I'll warm it up now if you'd like?" She asked, already halfway to the kitchen, Fred and I on her heels.

A few moments later, Molly set two steaming plates in front of us, plopping down at the other end of the table as we dug in. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt this hungry, so I knew Fred must be starving. It was rare that the Weasley boys skipped a meal, much less two.

"Cassidy, whenever the house sale goes through, you just let us know, okay? Arthur's going to take you to Gringotts and get the money changed over, you can start your own bank account. Unless you want to keep it where it is, of course, it's up to you."

"No no, thank you Molly, I'd like to exchange it." I smiled.

"Alright then." She nodded, pulling away the empty plates and setting them into the sink where the scrub brushes leapt to work. "I'm glad you're both home. I'm headed to bed, get some sleep."

"Night Mum." Fred replied, quietly, the two of us waiting for the floor upstairs to quiet before he looked to me.

"Well, Miss Cassidy, I don't expect you'd like to go see your new room?"

"I might like to." I smirked, pushing my chair out quietly and leading us up the stairs to brush our teeth.

"Well, I'll see you in the morning then." I held back a smirk, turning the handle to Bill's old room.

"Absolutely not." Fred whispered, sliding up behind me and pushing us into the room, swinging the door shut.

"You were not invited!" I giggled as his hands found my waist, pushing me back into the dark room until my knees hit the bed. He leaned over me, his lips pressing against mine as his hands now worked their way into my hair.

"You want me to leave, yeah?" He muttered, laughing when I shook my head. "That's what I thought."

Bill's bed was bigger than my old one had been, and in the sliver of moonlight the curtains let in I could see that it was made up with fresh yellow sheets and matching pillow case, a cream colored comforter laying on top that I doubted I would need until Christmas.

"Your mom bought me new bedding." I ran my fingers along the soft fabric, feeling guilty. She didn't have to do that, and I knew how expensive last year had been with the ball gowns and robes.

"You needed them." He shrugged.

"I'm going to pay her back."

"She won't let you."

"She won't know." I smiled into the darkness when I felt his lips return to mine. He pressed a few quick kisses along my cheek and began tracing them down my jaw before he reached my neck.

"I'm so in love with you." He sighed against my skin and I let out a jagged breath.

"I'm in love with you." I giggled, leaning back onto the bed and resting my head on his chest.

"I'm going to marry you." His voice was soft, but steady, and I couldn't help the smile that was now plastered on my face. "I'm going to put a big ring on your finger and buy us a huge house with puppies and kittens and whatever you want. I promise. I just need a little time."

"Freddie." I turned to face him, propping my head up on my arm. "I don't care about any of that- well, actually, maybe the puppies."

He chuckled, moving his fingers up to my chin and pulling my face towards his again.

"But you're gonna have it all." He pressed a final kiss to my nose and leaned back against the pillow.

Chapter Text

It had taken all of an hour to move what little I had left in Ginny's room up to my new one, yet Fred and I were on our sixth trip from the car, stacking boxes along the blank walls where I vowed to go through them later.

Bill's room thankfully had a single bookshelf which, although slightly crooked, stretched nearly to the ceiling and a generously sized closet for a previous boy tenant.

"Well he's very serious about his image. The earring, the hair, the clothes it's all part of the look." Fred had joked when I pointed this out to him.

Ginny and George had helped with a few of the boxes, Ginny excited to help decorate my 'new room,' despite my explanations that this was still Bill's room, and would be any time he came back.

"He's getting his own place, haven't you heard?" Ginny asked as she stacked books out of order on the shelves. "He's moving back!"

"From Egypt?" I asked, looking to Fred who was scratching the back of his neck and shooting Ginny a look.

"You didn't know Fred?" She pressed on.

"I heard that, yeah. He's got a desk job here at Gringotts now."

"With Fleur. She's staying here, practicing her 'Engleesh." George announced as he dropped his box, wiggling his eyebrows as Ginny laughed. "That's the last box from the car, Cass."

"Thanks Georgie you didn't have to-"

"The sooner you're all unpacked the sooner we can do something fun." He shrugged.

"Well we can be done for today, I'll put everything away later." I smiled, knowing that they would have stayed here helping for hours and not wanting to be the one to hold up everyone's fun on the first day of summer.

"What should we do, then?" Fred asked, falling onto the bed with a sigh. "It's bloody hot up here. I don't know how I'll get any sleep all summer."

"Well good thing this isn't your bedroom then, right Freddie?" George smirked, stepping back instinctively as Fred reached out for a smack.

"My new room is right across the hall, and I'm beginning to regret the outcome of that coin toss." He grumbled.

"Oh relax, our room's not much better." George admitted.

"Hey," Ron's voice carried through from the hallway for the first time all day. "Where's mum? I'm starved."

"She's been gone all day," Ginny shrugged. "Out the door as soon as I sat down for breakfast. I assumed she was going shopping, but it's been a while now."

"Well, we can make lunch and then we'll find something to do." I suggested, the Weasley's nodding and leading the way down the stairs.

Half an hour later, the five of us were half way through our sandwich lunches, trying to find something we could do in spite of the heat.

"Could go flying?" George suggested, his mouth still half full.

"MM-MFGH GIRMUFFBM." Ginny replied, earning a laugh from the rest of us before George swallowed his food.

"Sorry, mum, geez."

"Where do you think she is, though?" Ginny asked, a slight hint of worry in her voice.

"She's fine Gin. She's allowed to go out. Maybe she's made a friend finally." Fred joked, leaning back in his chair and waving his wand at his plate which soared to the sink and landed with a clatter.

Ron jumped from his spot, staring down into the sink and then turning back to the twins.

"You're so lucky that didn't break." He said with a small smile. "You two being allowed to do magic while I'm not is the world's biggest joke."

"One day, Ronnie." Fred grinned, all of us watching George now, much more focused than Fred had been as he gently lowered his own plate on top of Fred's.

"See, Fred? Gentle."

"I'm plenty gentle." Fred grumbled with an eye roll.

"Alright then..." Ginny trailed off. "Quidditch?"

"There's 5 of us."

"I'm out." I held my hands up as volunteer.

"Cass, you can't just sit out in the lawn, it's too hot." George argued.

"You can play with me." Fred shot me a grin, standing from his seat.

"Not likely!" I laughed, standing too and backing away from him. "Bloody bludger'll hit me in the face!"

"There's 4 of us, no bludger's!"

"I don't know..."

"I know." He said, grabbing my hand and starting towards the door. "Dibs on chaser."

"Me too!" Ginny announced.

The heat was finally subsiding as the sun began to set, dipping below the trees behind the burrow. Ginny had won the race for a shower, the boys and I waiting our turns in the hallway, anxious to not be sticky with sweat anymore. After I showered second, Ginny and I changed quickly, brushed our hair out and met back in the family room to wait for the boys.

I looked over at Ginny after realizing we had been sitting in near silence since we had sat down, which was unusual for the youngest Weasley. Her eyes were fixed on the carpet in front of her, twirling the end of her damp hair around with one finger.

"Gin?" I asked, leaning forward to try and catch her eye.

"I don't know why she's not home yet." Ginny muttered, her eyes flickering to the doorway.

"That is strange." I admitted. "But she'll tell us everything when she gets home. I wouldn't be worried, Ginny, if there's anyone who can take care of themselves it's your mum."

"I know, but..." She trailed off, finally meeting my eyes. "He's back. He's out there somewhere."

I swallowed nervously, trying to keep a straight face. "The boys aren't worried,"

"Cause they're idiots." She grumbled. "And that's not true. Fred's worried. I can tell. He's trying to hide it with his usual jokes and smiles, but you can see it in his eyes."

Before I could answer, come up with some excuse, pretend I hadn't noticed the look she was referring to, the door swung open loudly revealing a tired looking Molly sporting a few bags over-filled with groceries.

"Hello, girls!" She plastered on a warm smile as she set the bags onto the kitchen table and brushed some invisible dirt off her hands. "Had a good day?"

"No?" Ginny exclaimed, rushing to Molly's side. "Where have you been?"

Three pairs of feet came tumbling down the stairs, all of them with damp hair and fresh clothes looking at their mother for her answer.

"I had a lot to get one today. Got some groceries..." She shrugged, setting about in the kitchen to start dinner.

"Groceries don't take all day, Mum." George said, flopping down on the couch.

"Yeah, Ginny was worried about you." Fred muttered under his breath so Ginny wouldn't hear.

"Oh, I'm sorry guys, I thought you'd be out having too much fun to notice I was even gone!" She still wore the same smile she'd put on a few minutes ago as she began filling a pot with water, two knives slicing up vegetables behind her.

"Hello!" Arthur's voice rang through the silence as his face appeared in the kitchen as well. "How was everyone's day?"

No one answered for a few moments, all of us looking to Molly.

"Great, got a lot done." She nodded, giving her husband a peck on the cheek as he nodded back.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ron exclaimed. "What had to be done?"

"Oh, you'll see dear. Just had to see some old friends of ours."

Ron opened his mouth to reply, his eyebrows furrowed together as if he couldn't believe his mother's obscurity.

"Molly, can I help with dinner?"

"You know dear, that would be great." Her words came out in a sigh, and I realized how tired she really looked. She wasn't lying when she said she'd gotten a lot done today.

"We'll call you when it's ready, Arthur go wash up. The rest of you could set the table, Percy should be home any time."

"Yeah, right, we won't see him before nine." George remarked as the four of them gathered up plates, silverware, glasses and napkins and headed towards the table.

I set to work, following Molly's instructions for the vegetables and potatoes as she started on the meat, both of us moving in silence until the Weasley children had moved on to the family room.

"I'm sorry if I worried you all today." Molly finally broke the silence, speaking low so her voice wouldn't carry. "I don't want to scare Ginny, or any of them really... We've just got some things to set in motion after... Everything with Harry, the tournament. I'll explain everything soon."

I smiled at her, hoping the nerves growing in my stomach weren't showing in my expression. "You don't have to explain Molly. Ginny was worried, but... it's just... everyone's scared now. It'll get easier."

"Let's hope so, Cassidy." She mumbled with a sigh, the two of us falling quiet again for a few minutes. "Is Fred being good to you?"

I looked up, surprised by her words and felt a smile rising to my face. How could she think he would be anything but perfect?

"Yes. Absolutely." I answered, feeling heat flood my cheeks that had nothing to do with the weather.

"Good." She grinned. "I'm so happy, really. You're so good for him, I'm glad he has you. He's simply mad for you, I mean, I never got letters home from him until-"

"What are you talking about?" Fred's voice startled the two of us from our conversation and I laughed as I turned to him, trying to hide his smile as he shot his mother a look, his hands on his hips in an obvious attempt to imitate her.

"Oh, Freddie, don't be so bashful. It's wonderful when you feel this way about someone, you have to tell th-"

"Good evening, everyone!" Percy's unfamiliar voice now joined the house. I hadn't seen him once since last summer as he was at work before any of us were up in the morning and shut in his room when Fred and I had returned last night.

"Oh, Percy!" Molly smiled, wiping her hands on her apron to go greet her son in the family room. "How was work, dear?"

"Spectacular." He grinned, setting his briefcase on the wooden bench in the hallway.

"Well, dinner's ready and I want to hear about everyone's day! Come along!" She waved the Weasley's to the table, pots and bowls of food flying to join us with the wave of her wand.

Molly took a seat next to Arthur at the head of the table, Ron and Ginny sliding in next to him and Fred, George and I taking the spots across from them. Percy joined us minutes later after excusing himself to wash up from work, taking the chair across from Arthur, leaving a few empty spots between him and his siblings.

We all leaned in, spooning piles of meat, potatoes and veggies onto our plates as our water glasses filled before us.

"Well," Percy broke the temporary silence, poking around at his food as he looked around at us all. "I've got news."

"News?" Molly asked, her eyes twinkling slightly. "What's that, Percy?"

"I've been promoted." He announced, his chest puffing out, probably unconsciously. "Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic himself."

"To Fudge?" The twins exclaimed, looking partially doubtful and yet somewhat impressed.

"Yes, to Mr. Fudge." Percy replied, shooting his brothers a look to convey that he expected more respect for his boss.

"Oh, Percy..." Molly started, the smile on her face looking nearly pained now. "That's, well... Honey, that's impressive."

"Yes, it's exciting certainly. Called me up to his office today to ask me if I'd consider it. Well of course I said yes at once. If the Minister wants me, who am I to say no?"

The table was silent now, Arthur and Molly sharing a strange look while Ron and the twins seemed to be trying to work out how Percy had gone from not realizing his old boss was under the imperious curse for months to the Minister of Magic's personal assistant.

"Dad?" Percy spoke again, and finally Arthur looked up at his son.

"Perce, well done. That's very impressive." He started, speaking in a new tone that I had never heard Mr. Weasley use before. "I do hope... it's for the right reasons, is all."

"Arthur-" Molly started.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Percy cut in, staring his father down as if there was no one else in the room.

"Percy, you know... Fudge is getting very serious about... punishing friends of Dumbledore, finding out if anyone at the Ministry is talking with him."

"And how is that my problem?" Percy scoffed.

"I just hope that..." Arthur sighed. "Fudge has been lurking very close to me the last few weeks. He knows we're friends with Dumbledore. I just hope that he's not using you, son."

"Using me?" Percy sneered. "First of all, don't say 'we' are friends with Dumbledore, when you mean 'you.'"

"Hey!" George interjected, but he might as well have stayed silent for all the notice Percy took of him.

"Secondly, Fudge has every right to wonder if people in the Ministry are in cahoots with such a liar like Dumbledore. The things he's saying, trying to rile everyone up like this, it's dangerous."

"Percy." Molly's face looked hurt and confused. "Dumbledore is right, dear. We all know the truth-"

"The truth is," Percy stood from his seat, his chair scraping against the floor. "We don't have a shred of evidence that anything has happened, that he's back or ever will be back other than a fourteen year old who craves attention-"

"Hey!" Ron's voice rang out at the same time as Molly's.

"Percy, sit down and don't shout." Arthur demanded.

"No! You think my promotion had anything to do with you? I'm the one who's put in the work to get there. I got the grades, I worked the long hours, I got this job for myself. I've had to struggle against your lousy reputation in the Ministry since day one!"

"Percy!" Molly was stood now too, her eyes lit with a fire that I had never seen before. Fred and George wore similar expressions, yet Ron, Ginny and I were frozen in place, scanning between both ends of the table.

"You," He jabbed a finger at his father, who's face was now becoming red and blotchy, his eyes looking wounded. "Have no ambition, everyone knows that. That's why we've always been so bloody poor!"

"Percy, dear. Stop. You don't mean this." Molly stepped around the table closer towards the boy who's face was now nearly as red as his hair. He stepped away from her, shaking his head wildly.

"You're both idiots for taking his side. Dumbledore's. He's headed for trouble, you'll all see, and he's dragging you down with him. But I know where my loyalties lie. At the Ministry."

He crossed to the kitchen door, the seven of us all watching him, jaws practically on the table.

"If you're all going to become traitors to the ministry, then I'll make sure everyone knows that I don't belong to this family anymore."

I could hear Molly's gasp from across the room, followed by Percy's heavy footsteps stomping up the stairs. We all sat still, listening as items were scraped around on the floor above us before Molly moved to follow him.

"Molly, don't." Arthur insisted, throwing an arm to block her path.

Arthur turned his attention back to his plate, pushing the food around but never taking a bite. His face still looked red, although he seemed more embarrassed than angry.

The rest of us tried to eat, but I for one felt sick to my stomach. Ron took a few tentative bites while Ginny pushed her plate towards the middle of the table.

We all looked up from the awkward silence as Percy came bumbling down the stairs, boxes floating in the air behind him. He stormed towards the front door, not looking once at the table.

The door opened with a click and Molly jumped from her spot, racing after him before the door slammed, echoing through our ears.

"Percy!" She screamed, opening the door again before a loud pop sounded through the windows.

"Mum." George mumbled, hurrying after her into the front yard.

"Let him go. Bloody arsehole." Fred grumbled, shoving his plate to meet Ginny's and storming upstairs.

Ginny's eyes were watering and she rubbed her finger along her eyes before rushing out after Fred.

"Ginny!" Arthur called, looking exhausted.

"I'll get her." I said softly, glancing at Ron who's mouth was still open, staring into nothingness at this table before him.

Chapter Text

It had been a week since Percy had left. Since the entire Weasley family had wandered to bed without so much as a goodnight. I had knocked on Ginny's door a few times, peeking in through a small crack when she didn't answer, but she waved me away, claiming she was fine and just wanted to go to bed.

Ron, Molly and Arthur had at least tried to finish their dinners before turning into bed quite early. Fred and George were furious, the three of us sat up a bit longer in the family room as I tried to convince myself it wasn't one of their teeth grinding together that I was hearing.

The next day, everyone woke up as if nothing had changed. Molly was back at work, making breakfast and cleaning every inch of the house. Ginny slept in noticeably later than usual, but once she was up, she wore a smile and followed Molly around helpfully.

While Ron and the twins truly did seem their old selves, coaxing each other into chess games or exploding snap, I could tell Fred's mind was somewhere else.

Needless to say, it had been a quieter week without Percy, which is something no one would have ever expected to be said. I was getting slightly better at chess now, thanks to Ron, and Fred and George had persuaded me to fly with them two more times in an effort to feel some sort of breeze.

The heat of the summer would not let up, even for a day, and we were all but out of ideas to beat it. Which is why this morning as soon as the sun was up, I had slipped into last summer's, admittedly small on me now, bikini, threw some jean shorts and a tshirt on over it and crept across the hall to wake Fred.

"It's not nearly bright enough in here for you to be waking me up." He grumbled, turning his face into the pillow as I held back a laugh.

"I have a good reason, at least." I pulled on his arm closest to me to no avail, his body barely budged at all.

"Oh, yeah?" He turned to face me at last. "And what would that be?" A smirk rose on his face as he reached his fingers out, tracing up my thigh slowly until he reached the hem of my shorts.

"We're going to the lake." I smiled, hoping he couldn't feel the goosebumps lining my skin where his fingers were.

"Oh, are we?" He asked, looking up at me. "Maybe I have other plans."

"Like what?" I asked, knowing full well the extent of his activities the past few days of summer.

"How about I show you?" He whispered, linking his arm around my thigh and yanking me on top of him, sliding over to set me on the bed next to him.

"No, Freddie it's time to get up!" I giggled, feeling the tips of his fingers trace along my waist.

"Still so early. Not leaving bed yet, and you can't make me."

His fingers continued up, brushing under my oversized t-shirt easily until they were nearly at my chest. He paused for a moment, as if waiting for me to say stop, but I didn't have a single breath in my lungs. Finally, his hands moved again, sliding around to my back and brushing against the silky material of my bathing suit.

"You're already in your suit?" He asked, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Y-yes." I stuttered, cursing myself for sounding like an idiot.

"Am I making you nervous?" He asked, softly.

"No." I lied, taking in a few quiet breaths while I had the chance.

"No?" He leaned closer, his nose a centimeter from mine now. It felt like every hair on my entire body was stood straight up, feeling for where his hands would move next. "Alright, you want to go swimming then?"

Before I could blink, he rolled off the bed and stepped to his dresser, rummaging around for a second before looking back to me.

"Uh... some privacy, maybe?" He grinned as I rolled my eyes, rushing from the room and shutting the door, not even thinking about how loud it would be so early in the morning. I leaned against the hard wood and took a gulp of air, holding it in my lungs for a few seconds before letting it out.

Finally, we were in our way. When I had woken up, the sky outside my window had still been orange, but now there was hardly a cloud to be seen and the sun was in full view. It couldn't be much after ten, but it was already so hot I was sweating.

"Think the others will be upset we didn't invite th-"

"No." Fred cut me off with a smile as we neared the lake, the dirt road turning to sand with every step.

"You're awfully chipper for someone who would usually be asleep until noon." I joked, kicking my shoes off and feeling the already hot sand between my toes.

"I had a good wake up call." He shrugged, stopping a ways up from the waterline and dropping the towels he had been carrying as I set down my bag. I unbuttoned my shorts and let them fall from my legs before pulling my shirt off as well. Normally I would have stalled a bit, maybe sat in the sun until I was ready to get in the water, but it was so hot and I was already starting to sweat.

Fred stared straight out into the water, not moving or even seeming to notice that I had lost any clothing. I looked between his eyes and the horizon for a few seconds trying to work out what he was looking at before he bent down, grabbing my legs for the second time this morning and throwing me over his shoulder.

"Fred, no!" I shrieked, my fists against the skin of his back having no effect on him at all. I felt droplets of water fly against my legs as he splashed through the shallows before his grip left my legs and I plunged through the freezing lake water.

I could hear his laughter before I even reached the surface and I tried to keep my smile off my face. When I finally emerged, wiping the water from my eyes and pushing my hair out of my face, I tried to shoot him my best glare.

"Do you always have to do that?"

"If you wouldn't scream so loud, it probably wouldn't be as funny for me." He shrugged, his eyes flicking down to my lips and back.

"I'm coming with Ginny next time. We'll have a nice relaxing day."

"I'm sure you will." He took a step closer to me through the water and pressed one hand onto either side of my hips, pushing me deeper into the lake until I could only keep my head above water on the tips of my toes.

"Can't touch?" He grinned, his hands still set loosely on my skin.

"We're not all 8 feet tall." I grabbed onto each of his arms to try and hold myself up, trying to get a bit closer to the shore.

"Want some help?" He asked, even his eyes sparkling with humor now.

"Yes!" I laughed.

"What do I get for helping you? It's not my fault you're short." He started to pull his hands back from my waist.

"Freddie!"

With a small chuckle, he finally brought his grip back to my waist, pulling me against his chest, his hands sliding down beneath my thighs to wrap my legs around him.

"Better?" He asked, his mouth forming a crooked smile as I felt a flush rise to my face.

"Much." I replied, softly.

His face never lost it's smirk as he leaned in, pressing his lips to mine and sucking in my bottom lip a little. I moved my arms from their spot around his neck and pushed them through his long hair clinging to his neck.

"Fuck, Cassy." He muttered as he broke away from our kiss and shut his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing." He answered quickly, leaning back to the kiss before I pulled back.

"No, what's wrong! What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything." He laughed, pressing kisses to my cheek and trailing them down past my jaw. "You're perfect." Another kiss on my neck, then my collar bone and finally, one last kiss just above the fabric of my bikini. "You're so gorgeous."

"Speak for yourself." I teased, pulling at his hair again before he plunged us back into the water.

We spent hours in the water, only crawling out to lay in the sun when our fingers were wrinkled like prunes, the both of us desperate for water.

"So how are you feeling?" I asked, wiping my lips with the back of my hand after the jet of water Fred had conjured for us to drink. "About Percy."

He leaned back into the sand, propped up on his elbows and looked into the water again.

"Fine."

"You can talk to me. I know what it's like. Losing a brother-"

"It's different, Cass. You lost a good brother. Percy is and always has been a prat."

I nodded, mostly to myself, as Fred has yet to look up at me.

"You're still allowed to be sad that he's gone." I said softly, not wanting to annoy him with this topic.

He sighed and dropped back to the sand, squinting up at the sun.

"I'm not sad. But I know everyone else is. I can hear mum crying upstairs sometimes. I know Ginny's putting on a brave face. I know Ron's upset. Dad's... the shit he said... And in front of you. I mean, not like you don't know we're poor, but still!"

"Hey," I set my hand on his and breaking him from his rant. "Money means nothing. Look at the Malfoys, they're miserable. Always. I've never met anyone like your family. It doesn't matter how full their house is, there will always be room and food and love for practical strangers. Me, Harry, Hermione."

"Hey tossers, we've been looking for you everywhere!" George flopped down next to us, sending sand flying everywhere.

"And you never thought maybe that was the point?" Fred joked as Ron and Ginny joined us.

Molly's voice carried through the house announcing dinner. She had been out again the past few days, but had stayed home with us today, which resulted in three excellent meals.

I set my transformation book down with a huff, trying to remember why I thought brushing up in my worst subject would put me in any type of good mood and rushed towards the stairs.

"Oh, good Cassidy, that's everyone." Molly was saying, bustling around the kitchen and setting out bowls, yet my eyes had not left my boyfriend since I had walked in.

"Your hair!" I shrieked, slapping a hand over my mouth as I walked towards both twins.

"Oh, yeah." Fred laughed, running his hands along his neck. "Just getting too hot, right George?"

"Much better this way, really." George shrugged.

I took a seat across from the both of them, my eyes still running over Fred as if I was meeting someone completely new. His eyes flickered to mine a few times before he finally mouthed a short 'Quit it!' and pointed at my plate to get my attention off of him.

"It'll grow back if you want, boys. Although, why you would want to wander around looking like fiends, I'll never know." Molly mumbled as she sat down and started on her dinner.

The family ate in semi-silence, chatting idly about our days, what little of them we didn't spend together.

"Well... we do have some news for you all." Molly began, half done with her food now as we all looked up. "As you know, I've been busy the past few weeks, and your father's been helping when he can."

"Yes, on what exactly?" Ron asked, his attention long gone from his plate now.

"All of you, what we're going to tell you now is extremely important, and it's not to be repeated to anyone. Things are different now. Ever since... Well, since he who must not be named returned."

A collective shudder could be felt around the table. I watched Fred's eyes flicker for only a moment over to mine before returning to his mother.

"Ron, this is especially important for you." Arthur joined in. "Dumbledore's orders. Harry isn't to know any of this."

"Any of what!" His voice rose.

"When Harry came back from the final task, what he said. What he saw. Dumbledore was able to get that information out to the... to people who stood against the Dark Lord last time. Your mother and I, some of your Professors, others who we knew would stand on our side, we've been working on a sort of safe house."

"A safe house?" George asked, his eyes lit with curiosity.

"Why not just have it here?" Ron said.

"No, the place Dumbledore found is... much better." Molly seemed to spit out. "Needs a lot of work, that's what's kept me so busy."

"Well we want to go, we want to help." Fred nodded.

"You'll all be coming. That's what we're trying to tell you. We're going to be staying there, the rest of the summer."

"Staying there?" Ron asked, "Staying where?"
"Rest of the summer?" said Ginny.
"We only just got back!" Fred replied, obviously not keen to leave his brand new room.

"Guys," Arthur cut in, silencing all of his children at once. "Everything's different now. The country's divided. We're on an unpopular side, thanks to the ministry and the Daily Prophet. This safe house is our best option, and it'll be different. Not like normal summers-"

"Lots of work." Molly added in.

"What's wrong with it, is it a shack?" Ron asked, obviously not keen on hearing the amount of work our new home needed.

"It's been... un-occupied for a long time." Molly said, her eyes giving away that she wanted to use different words.

"Who's house is it?" Fred asked the question we had all been wondering.

"Sirius Black's."

Chapter Text

Six Weasley's stood before me on a deserted, yet beautifully up kept street on yet another abysmally hot Saturday morning. Arthur and Molly were scanning the houses around us, as if they had forgotten where we were headed while the twins rocked eagerly on their heels, waiting for their chance to meet the previously alleged serial killer behind one of these doors.

"Alright then Molly, looks as clear as we're gonna get." Arthur said, his voice sounding tired even on his days off from work.

Before anyone could speak another word, Molly was rummaging through her oversized bag and pulling out a crumpled piece of paper, handing it to Fred.

"Read that, in your head, memorize it, and pass it on." She instructed, as if those were the most simple and ordinary words to come out of anyone's mouth.

"Alright, then." Fred mumbled, sounding amused before passing the paper to George.

"What are we doing here? It's hot as all-" Ron trailed off at his mothers glare. Finally, George pressed the page into my hands, and I scanned over the slanted writing a few times.

The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve Grimmauld Place, London.

I scanned the letter a second and a third time, confusion pushed to the back of my mind, just trying to memorize the words as we had been told before handing it off to Ron.

"What's the Order of-" He started immediately.

"Shh!" Fred, George and Molly all rang out at once.

"Honest, Ron, we're never going to find out at this rate!" George shot him a look.

Now Ginny had looked up from her page, holding it out to Molly, and with a sizzle, the paper began to disintegrate as if it had caught fire.

"Alright everyone look this way!" Arthur said, nodding towards the rows of houses before us. "Think about what you just memorized."

The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve Grimmauld Pl-

"Bloody Hell-" Fred and George's voice rang out as a large black door appeared before us, floating in the center between the 11th and 13th houses. A few steps fell out from beneath it as windows popped up on each side, the townhouses on either side moving apart without so much as a sound.

"Can they feel that?" I asked, glancing in through the windows of the adjoining houses.

"They've no idea." Arthur smiled excitedly as he led the rest of us towards the door now that the full house was exposed and no longer expanding.

He pushed the door open without a seconds pause, waving us all through as if worried that we would be spotted in the doorway of the previously invisible house.

"Alright, kids." He spoke again once the door was shut behind Molly, who was looking around with pursed lips. "Welcome to Grimmauld Place."

"And this is..." Ron started slowly, looking around us.

"Sirius." Arthur grinned as a tall, skinny man with black curls appeared in the hall.

"Arthur, Molly, welcome back." He smiled, although it looked odd on his hollow face, and reached out to shake hands with Mr. Weasley.

As my eyes adjusted from the outside world into this new dim one, I could finally make out my surroundings. The carpet was dark and dirty, as if hundreds of feet had crossed it since it had last been cleaned. Dozens of oil lamps burned low along the walls displaying peeling old fashioned wall paper.

"Sirius, I'm not sure you've met all of the Weasley's." Arthur began, glancing over to us all.

"Only a few, I'm afraid. Hello Ron." He shot the boy a warm smile.

"You've met Bill, these are the twins, Fred and George." He pointed at them one by one. "Ginny's our youngest, and this is Cassidy Olsen, she's been staying with us."

"Nice to meet you all. I'm so glad you could come stay with us, it gets quite boring here." He grumbled, his eyes flickering along the line of us until they landed on mine. "Olsen, you said? Would I know your parents?"

"I'm muggle-born, actual-"

"Oh, shit." Sirius breathed out, barely audible over the shriek that rang through the entire house now. My hands flew to my ears and Ginny yelped as our eyes fell on two long curtains which had flown apart at the end of the hallway to reveal a terrifying painting of a dark haired woman with the angriest expression I had ever seen.

"Mudbloods! Muggle scum and blood traitors in my house! No!" Her words were each enunciated by another shriek which threatened to deafen every one of us.

Molly, Arthur and Sirius has jumped into action at once, pulling each curtain with all of their might before finally securing it over the picture and drowning out the noise.

"Sorry about that." Sirius sighed. "Now you've met my mother."

"Shall I get started on some lunch?" Molly asked, looking tired already as she led us all towards the brightest doorway and into a large kitchen.

After a surprisingly quick lunch filled with little to no answers to questions raised by the Weasley children, we escaped to explore the house under the pretense of choosing rooms and unpacking. Ginny and I had taken the only bedroom on the first floor, her excuse being that it would be just like how it was last summer at home, although I suspected her reasons might have more to do with being able to listen in on secret conversations from the adults as well as the lack of stairs.

Ginny stayed in our new bedroom, which like the rest of the hallway and drawing room appeared as though no one had entered it in ages. Fred, George, Ron and I continued on our tour, peeking inside the final two rooms on the first floor which included an ill-lit and dusty drawing room which thankfully none of the boys wanted to explore today, and a single bathroom which had clearly already been thoroughly cleaned by Molly.

We climbed carefully up the thin staircase, the floorboards creaking beneath our feet.

"That's sick." Ron grumbled, glancing across the walls at the heads of multiple house elves tacked up on wooden plaques.

"Makes sense everyone thought Sirius was a murderer." Fred said under his breath.

"I'd have become one for sure growing up here."

We reached the next floor which held one more bedroom and a full bathroom, which looked much less clean than the one downstairs but it was obvious that this one had at least been in use in the past decade.

From the hallway on this floor, you could peer over the banisters for a clear view of the entrance and the main hallway.

We continued up the stairs to the third floor where Molly and Arthur had already claimed a bedroom, another room remaining across from it. This was our last floor to view, as Sirius told us there were two bedrooms upstairs, one which belonged to him and the other where Buckbeak stayed.

"Well, Ron, I think we'll be good brothers and give you the room downstairs." George nodded as they peered into yet another filthy bedroom.

"Yeah, since George and I will be able to apparate up and down all these steps any day now." Fred shot his brother a smug smile before his eyes moved to mine.

"Any day now, as if either of you have started practicing yet." I rolled my eyes, heading back for the stairs.

"I'm getting started on this room, Fred, come right back! I mean it! No canoodling in the hallways!" George called as Fred followed Ron and I back down the stairs.

"I'm gonna see what Mum thinks... about... cleaning the rooms..." Ron muttered, leaving Fred and I on the second floor landing.

"What do you think?" He asked, looking around us and trying not to focus on the mounted heads a few feet away.

"It's... kind of spooky, right?" I laughed, leaning against the wall for a moment before remembering how many spiderwebs and unknown nests we had spotted already.

"Yeah, like furnished strictly by Borgin & Burks." He chuckled, reaching for my hand and running his fingers over mine lightly. "It'll be good though. Everyone staying together. I mean, the Order of the Phoenix, or whatever they're calling it?"

"Yeah, I'm sure we can get it less... creepy if we try." I already had a running list in my mind of rooms that needed deep cleans and other rooms that I thought maybe we should just set fire to. "I like your hair like this, by the way." I smiled, reaching up to move his bangs from his face.

"Oh, yeah?" He grinned.

"You look very grown up. Can actually see your eyes now."

"Yeah, but it'll be harder to tangle your fingers into-"

"FRED! What did I say!" George's voice called from the hallway upstairs, echoing down the staircase and causing Fred to jump back towards his new room.

"Gotta go. You know, younger brothers can be such a pain." He grumbled, jokingly and shot me a wink before rushing off to join George.

"Alright guys, come to dinner already, I'll help you finish after-" Fred's voice appeared in the doorway as Ginny and I continued our third scrub of the floor in our room. "Oh, good you're done."

"Done?" Ginny exclaimed, her nose turned up in disgust. "We've emptied out six buckets of filthy water. Six."

"So..." He started, leaning his neck side to side as of looking for the dirt. "You are done."

"Far from it." I laughed at Ginny's eye roll, but still reached for her arms to pull her up. "But this will do for tonight Gin. We can't be scrubbing till morning, we've got to put our beds back in order."

"I won't sleep well until we re-paint. Looks like someone bled out in here and it just darkened to black."

"Alright, and on that note. Dinner." Fred shoved Ginny lightly with a disgusted look on his face as we entered the kitchen. "Got the little clean freaks."

"Oh, good. Thank you Freddie." Molly said from her spot in front of the stove, stirring something in a thick pot. The room was far more crowded than I had seen it at lunch, with the arrival of some new faces as well as some familiar ones.

"Professor Lupin!" I couldn't help but grin as he greeted Ginny and I with a warm smile, even as his face looked just as tired as it had during his time at Hogwarts.

"Hello Cassidy, Ginny. Good to see you two again."

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked, taking a seat next to her brothers.

Remus looked quickly to Molly who was shooting him a stare before Arthur cleared his throat, causing her to turn back to her cooking.

"Remus is here to discuss some plans with us, same with some of our other guests, we have Mr. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nym- er, Tonks." He faltered as the strange haired woman next to Remus shot him a glare.

"There's going to be a lot of people coming in and out for a while, feel free to introduce yourselves, be polite, but just understand, they're very busy and they have a lot to do so try to stay out of the way, okay?" Arthur went on as Molly brought dinner to the table.

"Which won't be a problem since we're all going to have so much to get done!" She smiled around at all of us as she took her seat.

"What do we have to get done?" Ron asked, looking excited now.

"This entire place needs a good scrub down. No offense, Sirius." She nodded to the homeowner who shook his head with a smile.

"None taken, Molly, but I do wish you would take it easy. I should have had the place more presentable for you all-"

"Nonsense, we've got plenty of hands now. It'll go quickly. Tomorrow we start on the bathroom upstairs, you'll thank me for it later." She said with a look to all of her children.

I personally agreed, thinking I might feel dirtier after a shower here than I had going in, however I could tell the boys were holding back groans.

"Say, weren't we expecting another Weasley? I know Charlie's in Romania, but Percy right? He's at the Ministry?" Sirius changed the subject from his filthy house to what he didn't realize was an even more dangerous topic. No sooner had the name been uttered, the bowl Molly had been passing towards George shattered, barely hitting the ground before the pieces froze in mid-air and were sucked backwards, the lettuce from the salad piling itself back into the reformed bowl as Lupin set his wand back to the table.

"Sirius, what have you been up to all this time, anyways?" Fred blurted out, all of us ignoring the wide eyed look Sirius was casting around the room.

"Oh, er..." He picked up his knife and began cutting into his chicken, apparently deciding to drop the Percy conversation. "Been meeting with Dumbledore a lot-"

"Dumbledore comes here?" Ron asked.

"Oh, yeah. You lot'll see him around any day. Never stays long, not for meals. Doesn't have the time, I bet."

The one, or rather, one of the drawbacks of spending the rest of our summer at Grimmauld Place was there was no great place to hang out aside from the kitchen, which was so far always in use for either cooking or secret meetings. We all hung around the table after dinner, not wanting to return to our rooms but having no where else to go, and I for one didn't want to leave Fred's company yet.

"Arthur have you heard back from Diggle? I know Albus was hopeful he would be joining us soon-"

"Sirius." Molly snapped, cutting through the end of Sirius's sentence at once.

"What?" He asked, looking towards her and then scanning the room.

"Not now, Sirius." She huffed, standing from her seat. "Alright, everyone to bed. Big day tomorrow, you'll want your rest!"

"Mum, come off it!" Ron grumbled, his voice already lost in the scramble of chairs and feet as Molly ushered us all into the hallway and shut the door behind us.

"We've got to come up with a way to listen into those meetings." Fred sighed, heading towards the stairs again. The two of us walked slow, trailing behind the rest of the red heads until we were the last in the hall, doors clicking shut all around us.

"You can come stay with me, if you want." He whispered, as if he had a care in the world if his voice carried under the door to Ginny's ears.

"One of us has a much cleaner bedroom to sleep in than the other." I hummed, watching his eyes light up as a small smile overtook his face.

"Are you calling me messy?"

"No, but yes." I laughed, taking a step away before his hands landed on my hips to pull me towards him.

"So you're inviting me to stay with you?"

"Ginny!" I called, watching his eyes widen in surprise. "Can Fred stay with us tonight?"

"Like Hell!" Her voice carried back, earning a laugh from the both of us.

"Fine. I'll have my room sparkling for tomorrow." He rolled his eyes playfully and ducked his head slightly so our lips could meet.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." I replied, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Cassy."

Chapter Text

"Are you nervous?" I asked, pointlessly. I rarely saw either of the twins unsure of themselves, and this day had been one they had been talking about for months now.

"Not a bit." George answered at once, the three of us following Arthur down what had to be the 8th block so far.

"It's about time." Fred grumbled, a smile still on his face.

"So you had to wait a bit longer because of the Tri-Wizard..." Arthur trailed off at the mention of the tournament. "Extra time to study."

"And it'll all be worth it in a few short hours." Fred smiled wistfully at the fluffy clouds rolling above our heads.

"Are we nearly there yet, Dad? You said it was a 'quick one.'" George said.

"It would have been really good practice letting us apparate to our test." Fred shrugged, as if it were that simple.

"Your mother would have my head on the wall next to those elves." Arthur chuckled. "No matter, here we are!" He pointed ahead of us at a semi-busy street for this time of day. I pulled Fred's arm over to my face to glance at his watch. We had left Sirius's nearly half an hour ago at 10:00 and the twins exam was scheduled for 11:00.

"We've got plenty of time." Fred chuckled, yanking his hand back from my grip.

We fell into groups of two to fit through the busy sidewalk, watching muggles and wizards alike pass us by, telling the difference only by the subtle differences in their wardrobe. I glanced around, paying less attention to the people and more to the lack of buildings the size of which I believed could fit the great Ministry of Magic. Then again, it was magic, and I had seen what the inside of their tents looked like. Any one of these buildings could be hiding ten stories crowded with wizards.

But Mr. Weasley wasn't looking at the buildings. In fact, we had passed many of them already in our never slowing trek before he stopped in front of a slightly rusty looking red phone booth with crumpled doors that looked as though they might be stuck in place.

"Dad, leave it." George warned, a smirk rising to his face at his father's obsession for all things muggle related.

"George, have a bit of faith in your old man?" Arthur grinned, prying the door open easily and huddling closer to us. "We won't all fit. We'll go two at a time. It's easy, just shut the door behind you and dial 6 - 2 - 4 - 4 - 2. Then reply to the prompts."

"Mr. Weasley, it looks like it's not quite working. Maybe we should use another phone?" I clutched my bag closer to my side, already feeling the weight of it against my shoulder.

"That's the idea, Cassidy." He smiled, obviously thrilled at the ingenuity of it all. "Alright, Georgie? Come on in."

Fred and I stood in line, watching Arthur pull the door shut, the two tall wizards crammed into the small box as Arthur began dialing the phone.

"Would you please let me carry that, I know it's heavy!" Fred shot me a look when I shook my head. "I could magic it lighter-"

"No you could not in front of all of these muggles." I replied softly.

We stood in silence for a few minutes, ears trained for any words escaping from the phone booth before Arthur and George dropped from sight faster than I could blink.

"Oh, no." I muttered. "It's like a roller coaster?"

"A what?" Fred asked, looking at me as if I was speaking gibberish.

"Oh, never mind." I pulled the door free once more and stepped inside, the space filling up at once, Fred pressed up against me as he shut the door.

"So how does this work?" He asked, inching to the side in an attempt to get to the phone.

"You just stay back there, I'll do it." I laughed, ignoring his fingers which had fallen onto my hips, drumming lightly against my exposed skin.

I pulled the dial around five times and let it fall back to it's original position, ignoring the sinking feeling that the phone didn't work at all before a clear voice rang through the booth.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic," The voice echoed through our ears. "Please state your name and business."

"Wicked." Fred smiled wildly, his eyes scanning the ceiling of our small box as if looking for the voice before I nudged him back to focus. "Fred Weasley and Cassidy Olsen, here for an apparation exam."

"Thank you. Visitors, please take your badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

Two large pieces of silver clanged into the coin return slot and I pulled them out, holding Fred's to him.

Cassidy Olsen, Apparation Exam.

"Hey, maybe they'll let you take yours without realizing." He shrugged, pinning his own badge to the front of his shirt.

"I'll pass." I replied as the booth began to sink below the pavement, slowly, not at all how I had seen George and Mr. Weasley depart.

After another minute, the booth was relit with an almost sun-like blast of color, the door springing open before us as we pushed out into the hallway.

"Alrighty, let's get a move on! Don't want to be late. Very important day!" Arthur's words carried down to us even as he started off towards the oversized lifts against the far wall.

The three of us presented our wands to a tired looking wizard with blue robes matching the Atrium's ceiling before following Arthur onto a lift filling with people the second the gate had opened. A number of folded paper airplanes floated above our heads which seemed to strike Arthur as nothing out of the ordinary as we ascended two more floors.

"Level Six, Department of Magical Transportation, incorporating the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office and Apparition Test Centre."

"This is us." Arthur gestured the three of us off the lift before stepping off himself. "I believe it's, yes, right up here." We followed down the hallway, deep red carpet rolling beneath our feet until we found ourselves outside a set of double doors, a metal sign hanging on the wall reading 'Apparition Test Centre.'

"Alright, boys, need us to walk you? Get you signed in?" Arthur asked, beaming at the twins.

"We'll take it from here." Fred clapped his father on the shoulder, as if he was letting him down easy.

"Taking his sons to their Apparition Test, they do grow up so fast." George wiped a pretend tear from his eye, shooting me a wink before they pulled open the doors.

"Be careful!" Arthur reminded. "We'll meet you right here in an hour. Shouldn't be much longer than that."

"And good luck!" I called as the door shut behind them.

Mr. Weasley stared at the stationary door for a few moments longer and I waited patiently for him to finish. I didn't dare bring it up, but I had a hunch he was recalling his last son's Apparition test. Fred had mentioned Percy's birthday was next month after a few more episodes of Molly dropping dinner plates and shattering glasses.

"Right then." He nodded, turning towards me. "Ready for Gringotts?"

To get all of our errands out of the way with minimal time away from our cleaning, Arthur and Molly had decided today would be a great day to exchange my inheritance and set up an account. I had never had a reason to enter Gringotts before, but after a quick Floo trip from the Atrium to the Leaky Cauldron and a three minute walk across Diagon Alley, here I stood at the glistening white steps.

"Let's go, kiddo." Arthur gestured for me to enter first as the doors opened slowly before us revealing rows on each side of the hallway, goblins sat at the tall desks paying little attention to us.

We stood in line, a few wizards before us before we were called up with a gruff nod of the goblin's head.

"Hello." Arthur said, cheerily, receiving nothing but a blank stare in return. "This is Cassidy Olsen, she has, er... A rather large sum of muggle money she needs exchanged, and she'd like to open an account."

I smiled nervously, despite the goblin hardly even looking my way yet.

"Wand please." He stated, holding one hand out towards me.

"Oh, sure." I murmured, pulling my wand from my bag and placing it into the outstretched palm. He looked it up and down, turning it over a few times before handing it back.

"Cassidy Olsen, O-l-s-e-n?" He asked, scribbling as he spoke onto a piece of parchment.

"Yes." I nodded.

"Do you have your funds with you?"

"Yes." I pulled the bag onto my lap, ready to hand it over. The stress of carrying so much cash around all morning had begun to weigh on me.

"Do you have a count?"

"Er, should be about..." I wished my voice didn't sound so small. "One million and two hundred and ninety eight thousand... in muggle currency."

I had expected some reaction, even just a glance, but the goblin simply continued writing onto the paper.

"You'll want a vault lower down, I presume? Higher security?"

"Oh, I hadn't thought about-"

"Yes, that will work well." Mr. Weasley cut in, nodding at me with cheerful eyes.

"Alright, we have 618 available?"

"Sounds great."

"May I have the funds, please?" The goblin finally looked to me as I handed over the heavy bag. He slid a small, unmarked, golden key across the desk towards me. "Will you be needing any others?"

"Not right now, thank you." I flipped the key in my hand a few times, watching it catch the sunlight from the windows above us.

"Very well. I will begin the exchange for you, Miss Olsen and deposit everything into your new vault. Be aware all of your funds will not be immediately available, it may take a few days to settle everything in."

"Of course." I nodded. "No problem at all."

"Then I bid you a good day." The goblin nodded, hopping from his tall seat onto the floor and scurrying towards a small door in the back.

"That was easy." I breathed, a weight being lifted from my chest that I hadn't realized I'd been carrying. I had a few muggle bills saved in a small polka dotted box in the closet back at Grimmauld Place for emergencies, but something about having nearly all of my money in Galleons at Gringotts in my own vault was the best feeling in the world.

"Not bad at all." Arthur and I headed for the front door again. "We'd better get back before those two burn the whole ministry down-"

No sooner had our feet hit the last step of the bank than two matching pops echoed through the street, hardly anyone else paying attention to the tall red heads who had suddenly appeared before us.

"Fred! George! I told you to wait!"

"Finished so early though, Dad!" George's grin copied on Fred's face next to him.

"Flying colors, said we deserved medals we did." Fred joked.

"Got your certificates? Your mother'll want those." Arthur sighed with a smile at his sons.

"Of course we do."

"We're hoping Sirius'll hang them on the fridge." Fred winked at me and I held back a laugh.

"Alright then, let's head home." Arthur sighed, reaching out an arm for me before the four of us disapparated with three matching pops, the world whirling around me before the tall black town house stretched into view.

Ginny, Ron, Fred, George and I had officially scrubbed every inch of the stairwell and hallways in the hours since our return home. We now found ourselves draped over furniture in the twins room upstairs, awaiting dinner while trying not to overheat as the sun beamed in through the filthy windows.

"It's brutal in here." Ginny groaned, her head hanging off the back of her chair.

"I thought my room back home was hot. I'd kill for a lake day right now." Ron said.

"No worries." Fred replied, lazily, hardly looking up from his seat as he aimed his wand at his youngest brother, a stream of water flooding him at once.

"Oi!" He clambered from his spot, dripping water onto the floor with his jaw hung open. "Fred, you git!"

Ginny and I covered our mouths, knowing Ron's mood would only worsen from being laughed at.

"Think that's funny do you?" Fred smirked, his wand turning to me now, the freezing water splashing against my chest before I could even flinch.

"Fred!" My voice carried through the room at the same time as Molly's.

"Dinner!"

George stood up, aiming his wand at Ron's sopping body and whispering a quick exaresco before we started towards the hallway.

"Dry me!" I hissed, pulling on Fred's arm to keep him in the room.

"What's wrong? Afraid to break the rules?" He winked, copying George's spell as I watched the water droplets pull themselves from my clothes.

"You're going to regret it one day." I shook my head as we started to dinner.

"Maybe one day... far far far far in the future." He grinned before, with two loud pops and clouds appeared, leaving Ginny, Ron and I to roll our eyes in unison.

"Boys! Honestly! Just because you can apparate doesn't mean you can't also walk!" Molly screeched before we entered the kitchen and took our usual seats.

Most nights now, it was just Sirius and the Weasley's. Lupin and Tonks were our most frequent visitors, and Kingsley dropped by a fair amount, but I had yet to see as many people crowded for dinner as there were tonight.

"Hello, Weasley's." Dumbledore wore a thin smile as he scanned the room. "Miss Olsen."

I watched Fred's smile flicker for a second before we scanned the room. Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley, Moody, Sirius's friend Mundungus, Professors McGonagall and Hagrid, and Dumbledore all crammed into tiny spaces around the oversized table.

"Well, eat up everyone, there's plenty of food." Molly gestured towards the rows and rows of dishes laid out before us, which after the busy day I'd had looked nothing short of perfect.

Plates floated around the table, depositing themselves in front of each of us as Arthur began loading his plate, signaling everyone else to follow.

The table fell silent for a bit while everyone ate, the only words to be heard a hushed conversation between Sirius and Mundungus which had Remus next to them shaking his head, a tight smile barely concealed on his lips.

"Alright, then. Had enough, everyone?" Molly asked nearly half an hour later, scanning the room before the food began to shut itself into containers, flying to the refrigerator. "Why don't you all head upstairs, then? I reckon you've earned some time to yourselves after a hard days work-"

"Mum, you're not seriously going to pretend there's not a meeting going on here?" George pulled a knowing smile on his mother.

"I never said there wasn't." Molly shrugged, now meeting George's stare. "Only that it doesn't concern you. Go on up."

"Mum, we want to know what's going on." Fred looked more serious than his brother, his palms pressed onto the table.

"Not now, Freddie. When you're done with school-"

"That's rubbish. We're of age!"

"Boys!" Molly snapped, the room falling into a tense silence. "Go. We'll discuss this tomorrow."

Ginny, Ron and I pushed our chairs back at once, hurrying towards the exit, the twins finally standing to join us with defeated looks on their faces.

We started up the stairs, none of us paying any attention to our hard work from earlier beneath our feet.

"This is so rubbish, the entire world is about to go to war, we all know he's back, and we're not even allowed to know what's going on? We're not kids!" Ron grumbled as we reached the first landing.

"If they don't want us in the Order now, that's fine. They can't stop us fighting when it all-" George stopped as a loud bang rang through the hallway.

"No, it's not fine!" Fred hissed. "If anyone deserves to know what's going on, it's us. It's Ron, who's best friend was nearly murdered by the very person they're discussing right now. We're the ones who are going to have to learn to protect ourselves, they all know! My girlfriend is a muggleborn! We're 'blood traitors!' He's coming for us!"

"Freddie," I reached out for his arm, feeling the burst of air as he disappeared before our eyes. George took a deep breath, blowing it out for a few seconds before turning to his remaining siblings.

"You lot up for a game of chess?"

I watched the three of them head through Ron's door before I started up the stairs to the twins room. The door was open a crack and it creaked as I pushed it farther, catching sight of the ginger boy hunched over on the floor in the corner of the room.

"Freddie," I said softly, my hand coming to his shoulder.

"What." He replied, shortly.

"I know it's hard. And scary. I want to know too, but... I trust your parents, and Sirius and Lupin, Dumbledore. They'll tell us when it's time."

"That's rub-"

"Rubbish, I know." I smiled to myself before he finally looked at me, a sarcastic smile lighting his face too.

"I need to know how to protect you." He muttered, his hands still tinkering with some wires leaking from the large box in front of him.

"I don't think any dark wizards will have an easy time getting through you." I said, quietly.

"I'll make sure of it." He reached around me, pulling me onto his lap by my legs and linking his hands behind my back.

"I've been thinking." I said, despite the fact that being this close to him made that impossible.

"Is that right?"

"This is my last year of school with you." I continued.

His smile didn't fall, yet his eyes seemed soft.

"And what? You're going to miss me, Cassy?"

"I think I might get bored, is all!"

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it." He winked, picking me up and crossing to the bed, the both of us falling into the blankets.

"Wait, what we're you working on over there?" I asked, craning my neck around him to catch a glimpse.

"New product. You'll have to wait and see!" He breathed out a laugh against my jaw as he traced kisses down my neck.

Chapter Text

The kitchen was cramped tonight, as it had been for at least a week. Molly had been frantic as the numbers arriving for dinner seemed to double each day, while the house still seemed as dirty as ever. Fred's knee pressed into mine gently as the plates flew from the table before us, landing in a pile near the sink to be washed while everyone chatted idly.

Hermione's arrival earlier this afternoon had made a drastic improvement on Ron's otherwise exhausted demeanor, although whether that was due to the strict cleaning regimen Molly had kept us on the past weeks or the talking portraits keeping him up at night. Either way, Hermione's presence had done wonders for the youngest Weasley brother, as well as Ginny who had hardly left the brunette's side since we had moved her into our spotless room.

"They're cute together." I muttered under my breath to Fred, who's eyes were already glued to the pie his mother was setting out.

"Who?" He asked, his eyebrows scrunching together as he scanned over Ron and Hermione.

"Tonks and Lupin." I explained, having snuck a few glances at the pair who had found a way to sit together at the cramped table for yet the fifth night in a row.

"You're insane." He laughed, magicking himself a piece of pie over to his plate and one to mine right after. "He could be her dad."

"That's not true." I slapped his thigh beneath the table, earning a grin as he started on his dessert. "He's not that old, he's just... tired."

"You just want everyone to be in love." Fred trailed off as Tonks muttered something to Remus with a wink. "Alright, maybe you're right."

"I'm always right." I shrugged, starting on my pie as well now.

"Alright, everyone, you know the drill. Off you go, upstairs." Molly stood from her chair, hands on her hips as if she was anticipating a fight.

"Yes, mum." Fred smiled, innocently. "Thanks for dinner."

He reached behind him for my hand and followed George towards the hallway.

"Goodnight!" George called, cheerily.

"Am I in an alternate dimension?" Ron exclaimed as we filed out of the kitchen, the heavy door shutting behind us. "We've been trying to get into those meetings for weeks, now we're giving up?"

"We don't even know when Harry's coming. Or when we can write to him, or if he even knows where we are." Ginny matched Ron's tone.

"Does anyone have any faith?" George took a backwards step onto the staircase.

"Have we ever led you astray?" Fred wore an identical smirk to his twin. "Don't answer that Hermione." He pointed towards the curly haired girl before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out what looked like a small baseball mitt with a long string on the end.

"What is that?" Hermione whined, craning her neck for a better view as if she thought it could be dangerous.

"This, ladies and Ronald, is our ticket into those meetings." George waved for the rest of us to follow him up to the second floor, plopping himself down at the edge of the stairs where we all knelt next to him.

"Extendable Ears." Fred explained as he lowered the flesh colored ear down towards the doorway. "Our latest invention."

"You two are bloody brilliant sometimes." Ginny chuckled, leaning towards the end of the string as voices began pouring out.

"Sometimes?" George shot her a glare before Hermione waved her hand in their faces to quiet them.

"-getting him tomorrow? I'm not sure so many of us should be going-"

"Nonsense, we need all the help we can get. We need two teams anyways."

"Are you all really set on flying? It's such a long way and it will be cold-"

"It's the only way Molly... They're watching everything else. We have to get him back for his trial or he's done for. You know they're looking for any excuse to kick him from Hogwarts."

"If Fudge so much as tries, he'll have me to deal with-"

"Sirius."

"Sirius."

"Dumbledore won't let that happen."

"Alright then, Advance Guard, we'll meet at the Leaky Cauldron around 5? Rear guard, you lot set up about half way, you'll know if we need ya."

The twins and I were sat between their bed, what was left of the sun drooping lower behind neighboring houses outside. The pair had been going over new ideas for their Skiving Snackbox's for nearly an hour, scribbling ideas and crossing out old ones on spare pieces of parchment littering the floor.

"How much can you sell those for?" I asked, mostly to feel included. I honestly had no desire to help create candy that induced vomiting, but I loved watching the two of them working so hard on something they loved.

"We're hoping for 7 Galleons a box for starters, but we'll need way more ideas-"

"I SUPPOSE YOU'VE ALL BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN'T YOU? ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER-"

"And..." Fred glanced at his watch.

"That'll be Harry." George shoved some more of their papers into the box before them.

"Wait a minute, don't-" I was cut off by the simultaneous popping sounds as the twins disapparated downstairs.

"Why?" I grumbled, scrambling from my spot on the bed and rushing down towards Ron's room.

"It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk." Ron was grumbling as I entered the room, Fred shooting me a smirk before everyone set to filling Harry in on everything we knew so far.

After an especially long meeting, as they were all becoming lately, Molly came to fetch us for dinner, the bulk of the guests filing towards the door to disapparate on the street. When we finally settled in around the table we could see that Lupin, Tonks, Mundungus, Bill and of course Sirius remained at the table. Harry was quick to secure a spot near Sirius and Remus, Ron and Hermione sliding chairs out next to him, obviously still aware that he was upset with them. Fred, George, Ginny and I grabbed seats next to Bill and Mr. Weasley, leaving space for Molly to join us.

Sirius and Harry muttered between themselves for most of the meal, Ron and Hermione shifting uncomfortably in their seats while Tonks attempted to cheer them up by changing her face from across the table. Lupin's lips curled up slightly before he too joined in with Harry and Sirius's conversation.

"Well, nearly time for bed." Molly yawned, seeming extra tired tonight.

"Not just yet, Molly." Sirius spoke up, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear at last after the past hour spent whispering to his god son. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen-"

"Hang on!" George interrupted.

"How come Harry get's his questions answered?" Fred sounded angry, his fists clenched on top of the table.

"We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!"

"You're too young, you're not in the Order." Fred made out a high pitched voice which was an obvious imitation of Molly. I reached out for his knee beneath the table and gave him a light squeeze which he brushed off, sitting up taller now.

"It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing," Said Sirius with a shrug, "That's your parents decision. Harry on the other hand-"

"It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" Molly snapped. "He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix! He's only fifteen-"

"He's not a child!" Sirius replied impatiently.

"He's not an adult either!" Mrs. Weasley's face was as red as her hair now. "He's not James, Sirius."

"I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly." Sirius said coldly, a dark look crossing over his face now.

"Personally," Lupin cut in, his voice even and calm. "I think it better that Harry gets the facts - not all the facts, Molly, but the general picture - from us, rather than a garbled version from... others."

"I want to know what's been going on." Harry said at once.

"Very well..." Molly looked defeated. "Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Cassidy, Fred and George, upstairs-"

"We're of age!" The twins bellowed out, the plates near the sink clattering.

"If Harry's allowed, why can't I?" Ron looked equally annoyed.

"No!" She shouted, "I absolutely forbid-"

"Molly, you can't stop Fred and George," Mr. Weasley said, sounding tired. "They are of age."

"And Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway!" Ron cut in.

"Fine!" Molly threw her hands in the air, the red still present in her face and neck. "Ginny! Cassidy! To bed, now!"

I stood quickly, not liking the tone or face Mrs. Weasley was wearing now as she turned to Ginny who was putting up quite a fight at her exclusion. The chair next to me scraped out and Fred reached for my hand, pulling me in and pressing a hard kiss to my forehead, his hand snaking around my hips and pressing something deep into my pocket.

"I'll come find you after." He whispered and I hurried towards Ginny, hoping my face wasn't matching Mrs. Weasley's now after Fred's public display of affection.

Molly did not shut the door until Ginny and I were halfway up the stairs, the youngest Weasley still cursing under her breath before I threw my hand out before her.

"Gin," I shot her a slight smile and pulled out the crumpled string and ear from my pocket, her face lighting up with a devilish grin.

I carefully wiped some sweat from my forehead with the back of my sleeve, careful not to get any Doxycide on my skin. We had spent over an hour in this one room, spraying or for two of us, collecting the infestation of doxies before the doorbell rang, summoning Molly from the room to deal with the screaming portrait of Mrs. Black once again.

George went to shut the door behind her in an attempt to dull the shrieks from downstairs, but before he could the hobbling and clearly very old house elf inched into the room, paying no notice to the rest of us as we watched him in anticipation. I had seen Kreacher a few times since we had arrived here, mostly when we were cleaning out rooms, which he clearly had no interest in doing. I wasn't sure which I was least fond of, the smell of the small elf or the string of insults that followed.

"-smells like a drain, and a criminal to boot. She's no better, nasty old blood traitor with her brats messing up my mistress's house, oh poor mistress, if she only knew the scum they've let in. Mudbloods and traitors and werewolves and thieves-"

"Hello Kreacher," Fred shouted, as if the small elf wouldn't have heard him.

"Kreacher did not see young master." He gave a small bow, still facing the carpet as he spoke next. "Nasty little brat of a blood traitor that he is."

"Sorry? Didn't catch that last bit?" George bit back a smile.

"Kreacher said nothing." The elf shook his head as if to convince us. "And there's it's twin, unnatural little beasts they are." He finally came up from his bow, eyes scanning the room and landing on Hermione. "And there's the Mudblood, standing there bold as brass-"

"Don't call her a Mudblood!" Ron and Ginny shouted at once, Fred pulling me into his side at the word.

"It doesn't matter," Hermione whispered, "he's not in his right mind, he doesn't know what he's-"

"Don't kid yourself, Hermione, he knows exactly what he's saying." Fred growled, shooting Kreacher a glare.

"What do you want anyway?" George asked, stepping forward to block the rest of us from the elf's view.

"Kreacher is cleaning."

"That's a likely story." A new voice joined in, all of us spinning to see Sirius, an amused smile on his face. "Stand up straight, now what are you really doing?"

"Kreacher is cleaning. Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black-"

"-And it gets blacker every day, it's filthy." Sirius cut him off at once.

"Master always liked his jokes." Kreacher scowled. "Master was a nasty ungrateful swine who broke his mother's heart-"

"My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher. She kept herself alive out of pure spite." Sirius snapped back. "Now, I asked you what you were up to. Everytime you show up pretending to clean, you sneak something off to your room so we can't throw it out."

After a thorough investigation, Sirius sent Kreacher away so the rest of us could set to cleaning out the grime coated cabinets on the far wall of the room, which were filled with items I was sure Kreacher would have loved to cradle at night. Fred and George hand picked a few objects, sliding them into the already doxy filled pockets to bring back to their room which Molly thankfully didn't notice, and after another hours work and some hard scrubbing, the cabinets looked nearly as good as new, albeit still a bit creepy.

Hermione shot me another amused glance as Ginny landed another book into her trunk with a thud, the three of us nearly an hour into packing still waiting on a back to school list. As excited as I always was to be back at Hogwarts, the past week since Harry's trial had left Grimmauld place in a much more cheerful atmosphere. Still, there was something about not having to clean everyday that was drawing me in.

"Booklists!" Ron shouted, dropping three envelopes outside our open door and continuing up to Harry in their bedroom.

"Thanks Ronald." Hermione huffed, hurrying towards the letters on the floor as if they would disintegrate. She held them out to us, already tearing at the corner of her own in excitement. No sooner had I turned to open mine, Hermione's squeal rang out in the small room, Ginny and I dropping our letters on our laps to cover our ears.

"What is it? A bug?" Ginny shouted, jumping back to the safety of her bed.

"No, I..." She stared wide eyed at the letter in her hand before turning it towards us, revealing a red and golden shimmering badge, the letter P etched across the front.

"Prefect?" I asked, eyes not leaving Hermione's smiling face as Ginny jumped up to hug the girl.

"It was all I could think about at the start of summer, but with Harry's trial and all of the chaos, it totally slipped my mind..." She rambled, turning the badge slightly and watching the light of the room shimmer inside. "Let's go tell the boys!" She grinned, "I have a feeling..."

"Harry!" Ginny's grin now matched Hermione's as we all stood and raced towards the stairs.

"Well, at least one of you's got their priorities right." Fred's voice wafted down the hallway as we reached the bedroom.

"-prefect..."

"Oh, Mum's going to be revolting."

Hermione rushed through the doorway, her envelope out in front of her as she scanned the bedroom.

"Did you... Did you get - Oh, I knew it!" She screamed, holding her own letter and badge out towards Harry. "Me too, Harry, me too!"

"No," Harry shook his head at once, pushing the badge into Ron's hand. "It's Ron, not me."

"Ron?" Hermione and Ginny exclaimed together, "Are you sure?"

"It's my name on the letter." Ron looked offended while the twins still looked amused.

"Well... Wow! Well done, Ron! That's really-"

"Unexpected." George nodded, as if finishing her sentence for her.

"Revolting." Fred offered, earning an eye roll from Hermione.

I pushed my own letter into my pocket as the door opened behind us, revealing Mrs. Weasley with an oversized hamper of laundry.

"Ginny said the booklists have come at last," She said, looking around at us. "If you give them to me, I'll take them to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron, we'll have to get you more pajamas, these are at least six inches too short, I can't believe how fast you're growing... what color would you like?"

"Get him red and gold to match his badge." George smirked.

"Match his what?" Molly asked, rolling up some socks and sorting them into piles on Ron's bed.

"His badge," Fred spat. "His lovely shiny new prefects badge."

Molly looked up from the laundry and back down twice before her eyebrows furrowed, looking at her youngest son. "His... but... what? Ron, you're not...?"

Ron held up his badge, biting back a smile.

"I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect, that's everyone in the family!"

I grimaced, watching the twin's jaws drop next to me.

"What are Fred and I, next door neighbors?" George shouted before Molly pushed past him, flinging her arms around Ron and beginning a rant about how proud she was.

Fred looked at me and shot me an over-exaggerated eye roll and a grin before turning to George and joining in on their fake retching motions behind their mothers back.

"We'd better watch our step, George with these two on our case." Fred chuckled, nudging my arm out to the hallway and leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione alone in the bedroom.

"Thought Harry was a shoe-in." George contemplated as they started up to their room.

"You coming up?" Fred asked, looking back at me.

"I should finish packing."

"How much could you possibly have left, you're like the tidiest person I've ever known!" Fred joked.

"I just need a bit more time, I'll see you for dinner." I offered him a smile and he nodded, giving me a questioning glance before pressing a kiss to my cheek and following his brother up the stairs.

It was a little after six when Molly finally called us all down for dinner, Ron and Harry dragging their feet until we all gathered into the kitchen, a bright scarlet banner hung over the table reading: CONGRATULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE - NEW PREFECTS. Molly still looked ecstatic, as if she had been smiling since leaving Ron's room earlier.

"I thought we'd have a little party, not a sit down dinner," She told us. "Your father and Bill should be here any minute, Ron, I've sent them both owls and they're thrilled."

Fred rolled his eyes and I nudged him in an attempt to stop it.

"Hello!" Arthur's voice came from the hallway outside and Molly nearly sprinted to greet him and Bill.

"Hello, dear," Mr. Weasley kissed Molly quickly before she moved on to Bill, the three of them all returning to congratulate Ron.

"Fourth prefect in the family! Can you believe it?" Molly's voice echoed around the room several times.

"Hold on," Bill cut in, quietly. I watched his eyes scan over the banner again before returning to mine. "Excluding someone, Mum?"

I felt my eyes go wide, and I resisted the urge to reach for my pocket where my letter had been since Fred's words earlier.

"What's that dear?" Molly scanned the room, looking between everyone and her eldest son.

"Is that not a prefect badge Cassidy's got?" He looked around us all as if we were pranking him before George plucked the letter from my pocket, catching the golden badge before it hit the floor.

"Not our little Cassidy too!" He groaned, Ginny whacking him on the arm in an attempt to steal the badge back.

"What? Cassidy!" Molly's eyes were wider than mine felt now as she rushed towards the badge. "Dear, why didn't you say something! Three new Prefects? Oh!" She gushed, handing the badge to Fred before waving her wand towards the banner, my name appearing at the end in yellow.

"Cassidy!" Hermione was grinning once again. "This is so great! We can go to the meetings together and everything, I should have known-"

"Congrats Cass!" said Ginny.

I smiled at them, happy that the adults were still talking amongst themselves so that not all of the attention was on me before I turned to Fred who was still holding the Hufflepuff badge out before him, his eyes trained on me.

"Freddie, I-"

He laughed to himself, handing it back over. "I should have known." He gave me a small smile, pulling me towards the back of the kitchen while Ron went over the craftsmanship of his new broom. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I shoved the badge back in my pocket, keeping my hands there for something to do.

"I was going to... When we came up, but... I heard what you said about Ron and... I don't know, I didn't think you'd care. Or that you'd think it was stupid."

"It's not stupid." He said softly. "You deserve it."

I shook my head, looking up at the banner quickly and back to Fred.

"I didn't even want it... I never thought..." I bit down on my lip when I felt my eyes start to water.

"Tommy would have been one too." He reached for my hand from in my pocket, pulling the badge out with it. "And he would have been proud when you got yours." He unclasped the pin from the back and slid it through the front of my shirt, wiping under my eye with one finger before stepping back to look me over. "Does this mean George and I have free reign this year?"

"Shut up," I laughed.

"I have an in though, I'm dating the prettiest Prefect at Hogwarts." He winked just before Molly called us over for food.

Chapter Text

"First years, follow us please!" I called, holding my hand as high as I could in an attempt to gather all of the smallest new Hufflepuffs.

"I would have thought Fred Weasley's girlfriend would be able to yell a bit louder." Ernie Macmillan chuckled next to me as a few of the first years arrived at our side.

"That was me being loud!" I replied, looking around at the rest of the confused students.

He shook his head with a smile before putting two fingers in between his lips and whistling loud enough it could have summoned birds from the owlery.

"Oi! Hufflepuff's this way!"

I shook my head as he smirked, the remaining eleven year olds scampering to our sides.

"Welcome to Hufflepuff!" I smiled as we started towards the exit of the Great Hall. "So obviously, this is the Great Hall, this is where we eat all of our meals and where all of the feasts are held, like Halloween, Christmas, end of the year."

A few of the students eyes lingered on the dark ceiling of the room as we left, thousands of stars helping the floating candles to illuminate the space.

"Hogwarts is a big school, so make sure you pay attention where you're going. Don't want to wind up in some random corridor and have everyone find your bones a few months later-"

"Ernie!" I scolded, a few of the kids giggling with him while some in the front seemed nervous. "It is a big school, but there are tons of people around here to help you. Teachers and staff members and older students if you ask nicely. You'll learn quick, too."

"Oh, and the stairs move, so watch out for that."

Some murmurs broke out at that as we walked towards the staircase leading down to the kitchens.

"Alright so, down this staircase takes us to our common room which is where your dormitories will be. All of your luggage will be already set up in your rooms for you." I listed off everything I had been planning to tell the first years the whole train ride over. "Here we go, our entrance is behind these barrels."

"Simply tap the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff along here," Ernie showed the wide eyed students, stepping back as the walls parted to some soft 'wow's.' "This way!"

We led the students into the warm room, plants lining the walls and hanging from the ceilings flicked lightly at them as they neared.

"Boys to the left, ladies to the right!" Ernie pointed towards the doorways to the dormitories before checking his watch. "All set?" He looked at me and I shrugged, as if I had any clue what I was doing here either.

"If you guys have any questions or need anything, don't hesitate to ask either of us or any of your upperclassmen! We're all here to help!" I called after the already departing students as they rushed up the stairs to check out their new rooms.

"Alright, I'll see you then for rounds tomorrow?" He asked, glancing eagerly around the room as if looking for someone specific and not finding them.

"Yeah, sure. Night Ernie."

I glanced around the room too which was decently full of students at this time, all soaking in the final few hours of fun before term officially began. I turned to the entrance, ready to find Fred after a long day without him when I noticed the small brown haired girl sitting alone on the floor near the empty fireplace.

I frowned, checking my watch as I headed towards her. I had time before curfew.

"Hey," I said softly as I reached the girl on the floor, tucking my skirt beneath my legs as sat down. "What's your name?"

"I'm Anna." She offered me a slight smile.

"Hi Anna, I'm Cassidy." I held my hand out and she took it, shaking it for only a second before letting go. "Have you gone up to see your room yet?"

She shook her head.

"I can take you, if you'd like."

She didn't answer.

"Have you met any of your housemates yet?" I pried, hoping to get her talking about something.

"No... I met a few kids on the train but they're Ravenclaw." She sighed.

"Well, that's okay. You'll see them at meals and some of your classes. Some of my best friends are in Gryffindor."

Her face lifted a bit, as if I'd finally made a good point.

"And I bet your roommates are great too, I mean... we're all in the best house after all."

She finally turned her eyes to mine and I could see how nervous she looked.

"What if they don't like me? I don't know anything, I'm muggleborn."

"Anna," I set my hand on hers gently. "Trust me, I know you think that matters right now. But it doesn't. No one here cares about that." I paused. "Alright, almost no one. I'm muggleborn too. I came here a year after my brother did, and I know how scary it can feel. But, trust me, you're going to fall right into it. It'll be like you've been here all along."

"Wait, you and brother are both magic?"

"Yeah." I nodded, trying not to think about her use of the word 'are.'

"But that's like... super rare, isn't it? I've been reading all the books, I didn't want to look dumb on my first day-" She rambled on.

"Well then it looks like you already know more than me..." I tried for a laugh, standing up and reaching out for her hand. "Let's get you upstairs. You want to meet your roommates before they're all asleep, don't you?"

Twenty minutes later I was climbing the last stair to the seventh floor, checking my watch and catching my breath. I didn't have long with Fred at this point, but I needed to see him. I came up to the Fat Lady before realizing there was no way I would know this password. All of Gryffindor had just learned it not three hours ago.

"And that's what I'm saying, he's always got that look on his face anyway like no one can even talk to him- What are you doing up here?" A pair of voices floated over from the stairs behind me. I turned to see two tall boys in matching Gryffindor ties staring back at me.

"You're not supposed to be up here, Hufflepuff-" The first one started again before the second boy shoved him lightly.

"That's Fred Weasley's girl." He cut him off. "Aren't you?"

"Yes." I answered, feeling stupid.

"Well... we'll tell him you're out here-"

"Don't be stupid, he's going to let her in anyway." The second one rolled his eyes, heading towards the doorway. "Besides, she's a Prefect."

"Mimbulus Mimbletonia."

The door opened and I held back a sigh of relief as the boys stepped through, leaving me to hurry after them into the circular walkway.

"And where have you been, young lady?" Fred's voice called from the other side of the room, camped out in front of the fire with George and Lee.

"Got Prefect duty now, Freddie, she hasn't got time for us anymore!" George pouted, tacking a poster on the billboard before jumping back to his spot on the couch.

I shot them an amused glare as I got closer, taking my seat next to Fred and feeling his arm tuck around my waist, pulling me closer.

"Good summer, Lee?"

"It's always good to get a break from these two." He grinned, ducking as George lobbed a throw pillow at his head.

"And what is that?" I asked, pointing to the big bold lettered paper George had hung on the wall.

"I wouldn't look over there." Lee snickered.

"Not if you don't want to have to give us detention." George shrugged.

"Gallons of Galleons?" I squinted, reading the dark print from this distance. "Like to earn a little extra gold? Contact Fred and George Weasley, Gryffindor common room, for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs. Virtually painless jobs? What the hell are you two doing?"

"Hey, we put a disclaimer!" George pointed out, the small text at the bottom of the poster barely visible from here.

"Since you won't be our test subject, we've had to hire out!" Fred poked me in the rib cage, earning a laugh before I managed to escape to the floor.

"Hermione's going to murder you both." I laughed.

"It's capitalism at it's finest. She can understand that." George grinned, leaning back against the couch and striking up a conversation with Lee about Angelina as their new Quidditch Captain.

"So how was Prefect duty?"

"It was good." I turned to face him. "Ernie says I need to be louder."

"Is that so?" He cocked an eyebrow at me. "I can teach you to be louder."

"Shut up." I laughed, kicking my feet up to rest on his lap as I leaned back, finally resting after what felt like the longest day in a while. "I met this cute little first year, she was so nervous, she wouldn't even go upstairs to meet her roommates. I had to talk her down."

"A natural talent. At this rate you'll be He- Head Girl." He pretended to gag through his words.

"Well not all of us are going to run successful joke shops, some of us need the good grades and the awards."

"Oh, love, when I open that joke shop you're not working a day in your life." He smirked, grabbing for my hand and running his fingers along mine absentmindedly. "Unless you want to."

"Yeah, maybe I want to!" I bit back with a smile.

"I missed you today." He said softly.

"I saw you this morning." I laughed, knowing that I had missed him as well. "What are you going to do with yourself the next two years?"

He shot me a serious look. "I'm not thinking about that. Not until I have to." His face relaxed back into his usual smile.

"Hey, so... can I ask you something?" I sat back up straight, tucking my feet under my lap to get closer to him.

"Duh." He answered.

"Is it... unusual for muggles to have multiple magic children?"

Fred paused, leaning his head back on the couch to stare at the colorful ceiling.

"Huh... I never really thought about it, but... yeah I guess it is? We'd have to look it up... or ask Hermione." He smirked at his joke.

"No, that's okay... I was just wondering."

"Thinking about him today?" He squeezed my hand softly as I nodded. "He'd be proud of you."

I nodded again.

"I'm proud of you." He leaned down to plant a kiss on my head. "Even if you are a narc now."

"Then you'd better stay on my good side." I shot him a grin.

"Are you sleeping here?" He asked, hopefully.

"No, I've barely seen my roommates all day, I should get back."

"You've barely seen me all day, either!" He pressed, leaning closer and hovering his nose against mine.

"You got her all summer, you git, let her see her friends!" George cut in, Fred jumping back from me as if he had forgotten anyone else was in the room.

"Come on, i'll walk you down." Fred stood from his seat.

"Actually," I started, checking my watch. "It's nearly curfew, and I'd hate to have to take points before term even begins."

Fred's jaw dropped, George and Lee whistling behind him as I backed towards the doorway.

"You are a narc now!" He followed me towards the shadows near the hallway.

"I'll go easy on you, Weasley." I smiled, pausing to let him catch up and leaning forward on my toes to reach his kiss.

"Goodnight, little devil." He shook his head as I started back for the staircase.

I rubbed my eyes for the tenth time as I followed Bri, Hannah and Maddie through the chilly corridors towards the Potions classroom.

"Good to know somethings never change." Maddie grinned sarcastically. "Should have brought a second sweater."

"I think he charms it to be colder down here." Hannah grumbled in response, looking exactly as tired as I felt.

"I don't know how the Slytherin get any rest. It can't be this cold in their dorms." I rubbed my hands together inside my robes.

"Sure it can, they're cold blooded, what do they care?" Hannah chuckled.

"Hannah, what did the Sorting Hat just tell us last night?" I reminded her, smiling a bit at her joke all the same. "Inter-house unity and friendship."

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot my audience." She replied as we fell silent into Snape's room. A good chunk of desks were already taken, most likely as none of us wanted to be late and anger the worst tempered professor.

Hannah slid into a seat next to Ernie Macmillan without a backwards glance at the rest of us, while Maddie and Bri looked between me and the empty desk with two spots awkwardly.

I glanced around the room, noting that we were with Ravenclaw, which didn't do me a lot of good in the friends department, but at least I didn't have to risk sitting with Malfoy. I gestured to Bri and then to the empty seat next to Anthony Goldstein, her date from the Yule Ball which had fizzled into nothing, much to Bri's disappointment. She shook her head sharply, but Maddie and I pushed her towards the table until he had noticed the dark haired girl and waved her over.

"Good, now you're stuck with me so you can help me pass my O.W.L's." Maddie smirked, opening her book to the introduction and skimming over the table of contents.

After three mildly successful Draught's of Peace between us, we hurried from the room, all feeling as if we'd had a full day of lessons rather than one double class.

"Why does he always start us with the hardest potion known to man." Maddie whined.

"Oh, please, at least yours wasn't fogging up the entire room, it reeked in there! I want to switch partners." Hannah ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.

"You can't have mine, ours came out great. I swear I almost saw Snape smile." Bri joked.

The four of us walked leisurely to Charms now, knowing we had plenty of time to get up the two flights of stairs and not having to worry about Flitwick giving us any terrible lessons.

It was after this class though that the worry began to set in. No one had heard anything yet about Umbridge, aside from her particularly boring and somewhat unsettling speech at the feast.

"I'll bet she's fine if she's from the Ministry." Hannah shrugged, seeming unbothered.

"No chance she's fine," Maddie shook her head. "She looks horrid, she talks horrid, and I don't mean what she was saying, I mean her voice. It makes me want to vomit."

"You can't hate her for her voice!" Bri laughed as we neared the classroom and I shook my hands in front of them to change the subject. Once inside, it was clear from the red and gold ties and sweaters dotting the rows that we were with Gryffindor.

"Cassidy!" Hermione hissed under her breath, waving the four of us towards her, Ron and Harry.

"Hi, Harry." Maddie offered him a smile, which he returned at once, looking surprised.

The desks in here were set up one by one, instead of long tables the way potions lessons were. The four of us grabbed seats and pulled out our new books, Hermione's looking thoroughly used at this point.

As the last of the students filled the seats, the room fell silent, Professor Umbridge sitting at the front of the room, hands crossed before her, dark eyes staring out at us as if she was watching everyone's every move.

"Does she wear that sweater every day or do you think she had multiple identical-" Maddie began before I shot her a glare, certain she could hear everything, possibly everything in the entire castle.

"Well, good afternoon!" A thin smile curved along her face.

There was a quiet mumble of answers which she frowned at.

"Tut, tut. That won't do, now will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge. Now one more time. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge." I found myself chanting back at her.

"Much better," She still smiled as she stood from her seat. "Now, wands away and quills out please." She paused for a moment as the class rummaged in their bags before tapping the blackboard with her own wand and speaking again. "Your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it? The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-Approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your O.W.L year."

Hermione wore an expression that looked half angry, and half excited, yet the rest of the class looked bored, settling their heads against their fists in anticipation for a boring lesson.

"You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-based, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. If everyone has their books out, I would like everyone to turn to page five and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need to talk."

She took her seat again, dark eyes once again scanning the room with the same chilling smile as we opened our books, myself for one diving into the first paragraph in any attempt to not think about the pink lady.

The class sat in silence, the only sound the occasional clearing of someone's throat or the turning of pages before I noticed Harry, his eyes not in his book but rather to his right. There, her book still shut, cover up, Hermione sat with her hand raised, her eyebrows knit together, staring at Umbridge who was looking anywhere but near her.

I sat perfectly still, looking between my own book and Hermione's hand, nerves growing with every student that too noticed the curly haired girl. Finally, Umbridge could ignore her no longer, as half of the class was now turned to face Hermione.

"Did you have a query about the chapter, dear?"

"I've got a query about your course aims." Said Hermione.

"And your name is?" Umbridge said, eyebrows raised as if she found something funny.

"Hermione Granger."

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully."

"Well, I don't." Hermione blurted back, causing my heart to skip a beat. Hermione never, or rather, no one ever spoke to professor's like this. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

"I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom where you would need to use defensive spells, Miss Granger. Are you expecting to get attacked during class?" She asked, her voice sickly sweet as Hermione's expression turned sour.

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron shouted, making me flinch in my spot.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr-?"

"Weasley." Ron answered, his hand in the air now.

"Well, I assure you all, you will be learning defensive spells in a secure and risk-free way-"

"What use is that?" Harry shouted, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "If we're going to be attacked it won't be in a-"

"Hand, Mr. Potter!" Umbridge said through gritted teeth. "I repeat, do you expect to be attacked during my lessons?"

"What good is theory in the real world?" Harry shouted now, hand waving in the air with every word. "We're not supposed to be ready for what's waiting out there?"

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter." Umbridge scoffed. "Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" She glared at Harry, her smile practically daring him.

"Hmm, let's think... maybe Lord Voldemort?"

Everyone around me flinched, while Umbridge stood firm in place.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter." She snapped. "Now let me make this quite plain. You have been told that a certain Dark Wizard is at large once again. This...is...a ...lie!"

"It's not a lie, I saw him! I fought him!" Harry shouted, everyone's eyes glued between him and our Professor.

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" Umbridge replied simply, as if it was every day a fifteen year old screamed at her.

"So according to you Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?" He asked, his voice shaking. My stomach dropped. Even in the weeks at Grimmauld place with Harry, I had never dared ask him about Cedric. I could tell from Ron and Hermione's faces that they hadn't either.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident." Her voice was cold.

"It was not!" I blurted, everyones eyes flashing toward me now except for Harry, who remained locked in at the front of the room. "He went into that maze and he was killed."

"It was murder. Voldemort killed him. You must know this--" Harry continued, his voice sounding much steadier than my own.

"Enough! Enough."

"Come here, Mr. Potter." She said sweetly, all evidence of the cold, evil voice gone now. She grabbed a pen from her desk and scribbled a long note on a pad of bright pink paper, tearing it off and handing it to Harry briskly. "Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear. And you," She pointed towards me, the blood in my veins turned to ice now. "Name?"

"Cassidy... Olsen." I finished, wishing I could sound half as brave as Harry had.

"Miss Olsen will be joining you in detention as well Mr. Potter. I'll see you both tomorrow at seven o clock, along with anyone else who feels the need to spread harmful lies throughout this school."

Chapter Text

"Detention?" Fred's eyes were bright, a grin overtaking his face as he shook me by my shoulders. "Who are you?"

I rolled my eyes at his theatrics, flopping onto the bench between the twins before dinner would start.

"I think you must be a bad influence on her, Freddie." George smirked, checking off some lines on a worn looking piece of parchment. "Going to get her kicked from Prefect duty after two days!"

"Wouldn't that be a shame. What would you spend all your time on, then?" He looped his arm around my neck and pulled me in for a short kiss.

"I just hope she'll let us work on our homework, or let us off early... I'm so behind already, I don't know how."

"Fifth year's the worst, Cass." George finally looked up from his sheet, his eyes boring into mine seriously. "Mark my words. Maybe it's good you're blowing off a bit of steam, shouting at teachers."

"I've half a mind to write home to Mum," Fred shook his head, as if deeply disappointed. "She should know the sort of girl we've taken into our home."

"Fred!" I finally laughed, half out of amusement and half exhaustion. Everyone knew fifth year was difficult, but I had severely underestimated the workload, especially given that it was only the third day of class. Between my friends, my boyfriend, Prefect duties, classes and homework, I didn't have time for any more detention.

After we had all eaten, Harry and I both checking our watches every few minutes, the two of us stood from our spots and waved goodbyes to our friends, Fred shooting me an amused wink as we started back to Umbridge's classroom.

"I have so much homework." I said, hoping to strike up a conversation before our hours of silence ahead. Harry had seemed, even from afar, agitated since our return to school, and I doubted the heavy workload on top of this detention wasn't helping.

"Tell me about it." He grumbled back. "I'm sorry about this, you shouldn't have detention."

"Neither should you." I frowned, glancing at him. "I... Have people been okay? Since-"

"Not in the slightest." He bit back before hearing the end of my question.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you've got people on your side. Everyone else will see, we just have to hope it's not too late..." I trailed off as we turned towards the familiar doorway into the Defense Against the Dark Arts room.

"I'd give anything to be headed here for Dementor lessons with Lupin again." He muttered, pausing and checking his watch again.

"Anything." I agreed, looking towards him, waiting for him to take the lead and head through first.

He pushed the door open with no hesitation, a low creaking echoed through the empty classroom, the only light wafting out from Umbridge's office up a short flight of steps. I followed Harry closely through the dim room and climbed the steps quickly, my heart beating so loud in my chest I was sure she could hear it from here. I had never had detention before, I didn't even know what to expect, much less from someone who had half the school terrified.

Harry raised his hand to knock twice on the office door, waiting for her call to enter before leading us inside. I lingered behind him, taking a single step to the side so she knew I was there. Harry, however, did not appear nervous in the slightest, although I doubted this was his first detention.

"Ah, welcome you two. Have a seat please." She gestured to a small table where two chairs had been pulled up neatly, two long pieces of parchment laying before either spot. "You're going to be writing lines for me today."

Harry had already begun walking, taking the seat farthest from the doorway, his eyes scanning the room with all of it's frills and pale pinks, kitten pictures, plates and cups lining her shelves. I took the seat next to his, pulling the chair out slowly, afraid of making any sound.

"You're going to be using my special quills, here you are." She reached out two identical black quills with thin sharp edges. "And I'd like you to write 'I must not tell lies.'"

"How many times?" Harry asked, his voice low but steady.

"Oh..." She seemed to ponder a moment. "As many times as it takes for the message to really sink in."

I held the quill to the paper and then scanned the table between the two of us. She hadn't given us any ink. I watched Harry's eyes flick to mine, both of us obviously doubting that Umbridge was using muggle writing utensils.

"You haven't given us any ink." Harry pointed out, a slight tone of amusement in his voice at catching her in a mistake.

"Oh, you won't be needing any." She smiled another thin smile and then returned to her desk. Harry's eyebrows furrowing at me before picking up his own quill and looking it over carefully.

I pressed the tip of my quill to the paper, noting at once a slight pressure on the back of my hand which spread as I began spelling out the first letter I. The second I drew the next line, I pressed my lips together to hold back a gasp. There was a sharp pain now on my writing hand and I noticed a disappearing letter m slashed through my skin, the wound sealing itself shut as soon as I noticed it.

I peeked to Harry, who's jaw was hung open, his eyes searching mine and looking angrier than I had ever seen him. He looked from his own hand to mine as if deciding on his next move before I shook my head slowly.

"Something wrong?" Umbridge asked, her eyes locked on us now and a wide sinister smile spread on her face.

"No." I answered quickly, not looking back to Harry, simply clenching my teeth and finishing my first sentence.

The two of us worked in silence for what felt like hours, the only indication of time passing was the disappearance of the light outside of the windows. Neither of us dared check our watches or look between ourselves again. Finally, as I neared the bottom of my paper and began to worry that she might be expecting the back page as well, Umbridge cleared her throat in the same way she had done before her speech at the feast.

"Come here." Was all she said, Harry and I moving quickly from our spots. "Hands."

Harry thankfully thrust his hand forwards first, giving me a second to force mine to stop shaking.

"I don't seem to have made much of an impression yet, have I?" She raised her eyebrows at him, as if daring him to talk back to her. "We'll just have to try again tomorrow evening. You may go."

Harry stepped back as she reached for my hand now, standing near the door as she examined my wound, the feeling of her fingers on mine enough to make me want to gag.

"I said you may go, Mr. Potter." She looked at him, annoyance written all over her face. "Miss Olsen will be just fine."

"It's late-" He started.

"Miss Olsen is a prefect and surely knows her way around the corridors at night. Don't you, Miss Olsen?"

I looked back at Harry, wincing as Umbridge tightened her grip on my hand.

"I'll be fine, Harry. Good night."

The fire in his eyes flared up again before he thankfully turned on his heel, stealing another glance behind us as the door shut and he started down the staircase.

"Now, Miss Olsen." Umbridge began, her hand still clutching my own as if I might run away at any moment. "I'd really hate for these to scar, wouldn't you?"

I hesitated, not daring to look her in the eye, and instead focusing on my hand.

"Yes, ma'um."

"In my professional opinion, dear. You don't seem like a liar. And you don't seem like the kind of girl who shouts out in class and gets detentions. I've looked over your file."

I nodded, not sure how she wanted me to respond.

"Am I correct in assuming that this was out of character for you?"

Another nod.

"Then you are free to go, Miss Olsen. I will see you in class, I think tonight's lesson will stick with you for a while, yes?"

"Y-Yes ma'um." I stuttered, taking a step back towards my bag as she nodded, turning back to the work on her desk and allowing me to flee towards the exit, wiping a finger beneath my eye and taking my first deep breath in hours.

"Cassidy." Harry's voice hissed through the dull light of the lanterns in the hallway.

"I told you you didn't have to wait." I said quietly, knowing he didn't need to be caught out here after curfew.

"I had to." He growled. I looked down to see his hand, red and inflamed, clenched around the strap of his bag. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, yanking my sleeve down to cover my hand. "You?"

"Yeah, what's one more scar?" He scoffed, not sounding amused as we reached the main staircase. "Listen... I'd appreciate if you wouldn't te-"

"Tell anyone?" I finished, meeting his eyes in the dark. "I won't if you won't."

"Deal." He adjusted his bag over his shoulder. "Is she making you come back tomorrow?"

I paused. "No." I felt guiltier at his relieved expression. "Which isn't fair-"

"No, it's good. That's good. Take care, Cass. I'll see you." He nodded towards me before hurrying up the stairs and leaving me very much alone, my pile of homework now the furthest thing from my mind.

I woke the next morning with only a sliver of sunlight creeping through the windows. Despite falling asleep the second my head had hit the pillow, I felt as if I'd only gotten an hour of sleep. Still, I had papers due today and patrol with Ernie tonight and no time to do anything.

I changed quickly and stuffed a pair of brown gloves into my pocket before stepping softly down the stairs with my bag, falling into an oversized armchair. The temptation to lay my head on the arm rest and fall back asleep nearly too much to ignore as I pulled out my potions book to start my essay.

"Cassidy?" Maddie's voice startled me into focus, from my Charms assignment. "We were worried about you, what are you doing down here?"

"Homework, I got in so late last night." I glanced down at my paper, hoping any of the past few paragraphs had made any sense as I didn't remember paying any attention to them. "Why are you all up so early?"

"It's not early, Cass, it's nearly nine. We'll miss breakfast if we don't hurry." Bri looked at me, questioningly as I began shoving my work into my bag.

"Who woke you up if I wasn't there to?" I joked, pulling my gloves on as they started towards the doors.

"Very funny." Hannah shot me a look. "We're all perfectly capable of waking up for-"

"You are not wearing gloves to breakfast?" Maddie laughed, grabbing for my hands as I held back a wince.

"I'm freezing." I lied. "Woke up cold."

"You're cold down here?" Bri asked, incredulously.

"Maybe you're coming down with something, Cass." Hannah suggested as we arrived at the bustling Great Hall.

"Yeah, I know you have a lot going on, but it's only the first week, don't burn yourself out just yet." Maddie offered me a smile as we found a spot at the end of the Hufflepuff table and pulled food towards our plates in a rush.

"There you are!" Fred's voice appeared on my left, his fingers running through my hair softly. "I looked for you last night after your detention-"

"It went really long." I interrupted, taking a huge bite of a pancake.

"Aw, that's bullshit, she knows how much work you both had, and it was your first offense!" He rolled his eyes.

"She's pure evil, Fred!" Maddie fumed, earning a grin from Fred.

"Oh, don't worry. George, Lee and I have been working on some new stuff just for her." He looked down at me as I ate quickly, not wanting to be late for class. "Why are you wearing gloves?"

"She's coming down with something, Fred. She woke up cold... in Hufflepuff." Hannah joked.

Fred frowned and reached for my left hand which I pulled back, pushing my plate towards the center of the table.

"Mmm fyne." I mumbled through my last bite of eggs before standing. "We're going to be late, guys, you're stressing me out."

"Cass, slow down." Fred pulled me closer, wrapping his arm behind my back. "If you don't feel well you can go back to sleep. Your teachers will understand-"

"I'm not sick, Fred. I feel fine." I offered him a tight smile which didn't seem to ease his worried look.

"Can I walk you to class?" He asked as the girls stood up.

"You have your own! I'll find you for lunch, okay?" I rolled onto my toes and planted a kiss on his cheek, wanting nothing more than to pull him into a hug and skip all of my responsibilities for the day.

"Alright..." He shrugged, sulking back to the Gryffindors for George and Lee.

The gloves stayed on for the rest of the day, only a mild inconvenience during Herbology as dirt clung to every strand of fabric. A few classmates looked twice at my hands throughout our lessons, but no one's eyes lingered as long as Bri's.

"Cassidy, honestly, this is insane! If you're still cold at this point you really should see Madame Pomfrey." She exclaimed for the sixth time that day as we headed back from dinner.

"I'm always cold, Bri." I shrugged.

"And yet you've never worn mittens an entire day before-"

"Just drop it!" I snapped, regret flooding my stomach at once when I watched her lips turn down, her eyes looking hurt. "Sorry." I spit out at once.

"It's alright." She answered, the four of us now walking in silence back to the common room.

"If I'm still feeling cold tomorrow I'll go see her."

"Alright." She answered again, shaking her head.

"I'll see you guys in the morning, I've got patrol with Ernie." I tried for a smile as they gathered together near the fire, Ernie already waiting for me near the staircase to the girls dorms.

"There you are! I was worried you'd forgotten." He was speaking to me, but his eyes were with my friends.

"Nope, I'm here." I answered, feeling only slightly annoyed at the way he was always acting like I didn't know what I was doing.

"Let's get to it then." He gestured towards the doorway and followed me back out into the hallway.

The hallways weren't as dark as they had been last night yet, the sky still retaining some blue which shone through the windows as we walked, the lamps flickering along the walls. I finally pulled my gloves off and tucked them in the pockets of my robes with my wand, peering down hallways in an effort to stay focused.

"How's Fred then?" He finally spoke, and I hadn't realized how long we had been walking in silence.

"He's good. I've just been so busy, I feel like I haven't seen him much."

"Yeah, fifth year's tough." He answered, sounding as if he had already completed the year himself. I held back an eye roll.

"How about you?" I asked, wanting the subject off myself even if it meant hearing more about Ernie Macmillan's perfect life.

"What about me?" He asked, still scanning hallways as if Sirius Black was on the loose once again, instead of tucked inside a townhouse in London.

"Any girlfriend? Or boyfriend? Or-"

"Alright," He cut me off me with an amused look. "No. Not right now."

I nodded, trying to think of any other topic I could talk to the boy about.

"Actually..." He started again, thankfully. "I was wondering..."

"Yeah?" I prodded, hardly looking at the boy.

"You're friends with Hannah Abbot?" He asked, his voice finally sounding unsure of himself for once.

I nearly tripped on my next step, playing it off quickly before nodding. "Yeah, she's my roommate. Why?"

"I just... well, I... she sat next to me in potions the other day. We kind of hit it off, I thought. But I was wondering if you had heard anything... I mean, if she had said anything about-"

"She hasn't said anything to me," I started slowly. "But I can ask Bri and Maddie. Or I can ask her-"

"No, don't do that!" His voice bounced off the stone walls around us and I raised my eyebrows.

"Alright! No worries! I'll see what I can find out." I held my hands up to calm him down as we continued our scan of the floor.

I woke before the girls again the next morning and hurried to the library. The lamps were lit already, but Madame Pince was no where in sight, nor were any other students. I strolled through the aisles, running my fingers along each end cap before finding the words I'd been looking for.

"Healing Charms."

I stepped slower now, scanning the spines of every book, looking for anything that might hold the information I was looking for. Finally settling on one titled 'Medicinal Magic,' I dropped my bag to the floor and sat down next to it, flipping to the first page and looking over the contents.

I had scoured nearly six different chapters searching for anything to rid scars or cuts before giving up. As if Harry would still have that scar on his head if there was a way to rid scars.

"Ferula." I muttered, aiming my wand at the fading words on my hand, a tan bandage fitting itself along the wound before my eyes. I admired my work as I stood up, hurrying to breakfast to work on some more homework before everyone else showed up.

I was nearly caught up now, just one more paper due Monday, plus whatever I was assigned today, although judging by this week I would have a new pile by the afternoon.

"Okay, that's it." Bri exclaimed, my friends stealing seats beside me at the table. "What's wrong with your hand?"

I felt my eyes go wide, but I hoped she hadn't noticed. Glancing at my hand as if I had forgotten the bandage was there I shrugged. "I think wearing the gloves all day gave me a rash, I don't know-"

"A rash." She glared at me. "From gloves."

"Oh, one of the bowtruckles could have scratched you! Remember Grubby Plank said-" Hannah offered, digging into her breakfast.

"Let me see, Cassidy." Bri raised her eyebrows, looking at me now as sternly as Molly would look at the twins.

"Oh, Bri, the bandage won't stick anymore if I take it off - Hey!" I pulled my hand back as she lunged for it.

"Let me see if it's just a rash!" She looked angry now. "What are you hiding?"

"It's just gross is all!" I gave her a look as if she was acting crazy.

"Cassidy, honestly." She huffed, sitting back in her spot and pulling the breakfast tray towards herself. "You're being weird."

"You're being weird." I answered, sliding my books into my bag in between bites of my muffin.

Once we had eaten our fill, slightly less crunched for time this morning, the four of us stood and began gathering our things, headed for the entrance hall. I froze in my tracks as Fred slid out in front of me, reaching out to grab my arms to keep me from stumbling.

"Hey, hey, hey." He smirked. "Good morning to you too."

"Good morning, Freddie." I leaned my head onto his chest and contemplated stealing a quick nap right here.

"Oh, you do remember me!" He teased, earning himself a fake glare. "I have try outs tonight, they're looking for a new keeper, so come by after? We'll probably do a bit of a party whoever Angelina picks."

"Alright." I nodded, eager to spend some time with my boyfriend after this week from Hell.

"Thank God." He sighed dramatically. "I thought I'd have to persuade you."

"Now how were you going to do that?" I raised an eyebrow to him.

"Pay Hermione to do some of your homework? Possibly blow up Umbridge's classroom as a bit of revenge, although that one's not entirely off the table yet." He grinned and I shook my head.

"I'll see you tonight, then. Have fun."

"I love you!" He called and I felt the effortless smile I was so missing this week spread across my face again.

The day had gone surprisingly quick compared to the rest of the week, and while we did acquire a fair amount of work again, knowing I had two days to work on it gave me a chance to breathe. I tossed my bag onto my bed and pulled off my robes, changing into the scarlet quidditch hoodie Fred had given me two years ago before starting off to Gryffindor tower, ready for a night of fun.

I muttered the password, getting a dirty look from the Fat Lady despite my wardrobe choice and clambered through the portrait hole into a cheering room full of streamers and sweaty bodies.

"CASSIDYYYY!" Lee cupped his hands around his mouth as he shouted, the room barely noting a change in volume.

"Cass, if I may introduce you to our new Gryffindor Keeper," George slapped his hand on Ron's back, causing the boy to jolt forward with a laugh.

"Ron!" I grinned, "I didn't know you were trying out! That's amazing!" I hugged him without thinking, feeling his arms wrap behind me as if he was scared to touch me for too long.

"Thanks." He chuckled nervously as I backed away.

"Where's- oh!" I locked eyes on Fred who was nearly at my side now, the cup he had been holding flying to the nearest table with the flick of his wand. "Hi Freddie."

He looked me up and down quickly, and only now did I register that he hadn't smiled once since I had entered the room.

"Are you okay?" I asked, letting him pull me away from the crowd and over near the staircase to the boys dorms where it was quieter.

"What's on your hand?" He asked, hardly sparing it a glance, his eyes still boring into my own.

"My hand?" I held it up for him. "A bandage?"

"What's under it, Cassidy." He growled, reaching for it as I pulled it farther away.

"A r-"

"And don't tell me a rash." He cut me off and I swallowed nervously. "I ran into Bri on the way up here."

"And what? It's just a bandage, she's freaking out over-"

"What's so important for you to hide from me that you'd avoid me all week?" He didn't look angry anymore, he looked hurt.

"Fred, I haven't been avoiding you. I've been busy, but I'm caught up now so we can-"

"Show me under the bandage Cassidy." He said plainly. "Please."

I paused, scanning the room and praying for someone to interrupt us, for someone to call Fred over to recount some funny joke or story, or for Harry to save me from spilling the secret he too didn't want revealed.

But no one came. No one even looked our way as I peeled back the bandage from my skin.

"What is that?" He squinted, grabbing my hand gently and pulling it towards his eyes. "Are those words?"

I nodded, barely moving my head, preparing myself for how he was going to react.

"What the hell is this, Cassy?" He looked from my eyes back to the scar. "I... must not what?"

"Tell lies." I whispered, as if anyone else in the room would be able to hear us.

"Who did this?" His eyes were lit with the same fire I had seen so many times before.

"H..." I opened my mouth and shut it again, not sure how to respond. "Harry doesn't want anyone to know... Umbridge had us write lines for detention. She had some special quill that didn't need ink, because..." I bit my lip as I felt the tears well in my eyes.

"What?" He snarled, his voice now loud enough that a few Gryffindor's closest to us glanced over. "What! Umbridge did this?"

"It's okay... I mean... she's evil, everyone knows-"

"Cassy, why didn't you tell me?" He whined, quiet now, dropping my hand and tugging me closer, his fingers drawing slow circles on my back. "We've got to tell Dumbledore. She can't fucking do this. She can't get away with this."

"Harry really doesn't want-"

"I don't give a fuck what Harry wants!" Fred scoffed. His hands came to my cheeks, fingers pressing firmly along my jaw as he looked into my eyes. "If he wants to suffer, that's his own messed up problem, but no one's getting away with doing that to you."

"You heard what your parents said, Fred. Getting Dumbledore involved will only make things harder for him. You know he'll do something, and it might get him sacked."

Fred's gaze into the wall behind me hardened as he nodded a few times.

"You're right. I'll do it myself."

"Do what, Fred?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "It's fine, it's over-"

"It's not over. I told you no one else would ever hurt you, and I'm not letting that bitch get away with this. Plus, you think she's not going to do that to anyone else who gets detention with her?" He asked, his eyes flaring back up in anger. "No. It's not over. Not by a long shot."

Chapter Text

"Come on, you three! We're going to be late!" I dragged Fred's hand, George and Lee trailing behind us as we hurried off the busy street and onto a nearly silent set of gloomy looking stores.

"A prefect rushing us to break the rules?" Lee questioned with a grin. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"Oh, yeah, she's been getting into trouble all term!" Fred planted his free hand on top of my head, ruffling my hair crazily until I managed to back out of his reach.

Fred pulled the door open to the Hog's Head, holding it wide for George, Lee and I to enter, where I noticed at once that we were in fact not late. It was easy to spot the three friends in the near vacant pub, Harry and Hermione sitting at the farthest table against the back wall, Ron across from them, all with bottled butterbeer in their hands and all looking rather uncomfortable.

I waved to the three of them before following as Fred headed up to the bar, the two of us watching patiently as the bartender wiped a filthy glass with an even filthier rag.

"I'm not sure I want anything, actually-" I breathed out just as the door opened behind us again, a burst of crisp September air rushing in. I smiled, a little less nervous now as we watched Neville and three other Gryffindor students, two Ravenclaws, followed by Luna Lovegood, the blonde girl Ginny had introduced me to on the train ride.

More and more students with varying house color pairings arrived, all taking seats near the back of the crowd that had gathered before Harry and Hermione. Finally I spotted my roommates, Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchly on their heels. I pointed them over towards where George and Lee had propped oversized Zonko's bags on stools to save seats for Fred and I and then turned back to the bartender who was now looking at Fred and I.

"Can we get..." He scanned the room quickly. "Twenty-five butterbeers please?"

"In bottles." I added quietly, not wanting to drink anything from the dishes they used here. "Please."

The large man reached below the bar, pulling up three bottles in each hand and began handing them over the counter to Fred who passed them around the group of us all as I dropped three galleons on the counter.

"I can get them," Fred offered, reaching for his pockets before I slapped his hand away.

"It's fine." I shook my head, taking our bottles at last and sitting in our spots between George and Maddie who was looking quite giddy as she clinked her bottle to mine.

Harry had been glaring at Hermione for the past few minutes, the two of them exchanging hushed whispers while everyone talked amongst themselves.

"Hi, Harry." Neville said with a great smile from a spot close to the front. Maddie nudged my arm a bit too hard for my liking, nodding over to Hannah who's eyes were locked onto the side of Neville's face, a warm smile spreading on her own.

"Well," Hermione started, her voice sounding, for once, unsure of what she was going to say next. "We all know why we're here. Harry here had the idea-" I suppressed a laugh as Harry shot Hermione a sharp glare. "I mean, I had the idea that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I mean really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us. Because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Hear hear!" Anthony Goldstein raised his drink in the air and a few of us chuckled, Bri rolling her eyes with a smile.

"Well, anyways, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands."

She paused, looking sideways at Harry and then continued, sounding more certain of herself now. "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells-"

"To pass our O.W.L's, right?" A dark haired boy called out from next to Ginny.

"Of course," Hermione nodded, while I thought this skinny boy must not have a clue who he was talking to. "But I want more than that. I want to be properly trained in Defense, because... Because Lord Voldemort's back."

George cleared his throat from next to Fred while a few people around us shrieked and gasped, Neville hiding his yelp with a cough, Maddie's eyes all white as she watched Hermione without blinking.

"So that's the plan anyway... If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to-"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" A rough voice shouted out from the back. I turned to see Zacharias Smith looking meaner than I'd ever seen him, even on the quidditch field.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it-" Hermione answered.

"You mean Dumbledore believes him." He jerked his head towards Harry who looked miserable.

"Who are you?" Ron scowled back at him.

"Zacharias Smith." Smith replied, not seeming to care that the three of them were all offering him nasty looks. "And I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."

"What makes me say Voldemort's back?" Harry asked, not caring at all for the shudders that spread around the group at the name. "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."

Everyone looked very tense, even Ron and Hermione, all eyes roaming between the two quidditch players.

"All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought his body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us any details or tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered-"

"Zacharias!" I warned, his shoulders slumping as he looked to me, offering a shrug to the crowd before falling silent at last.

"So..." Hermione continued, seeming like this meeting had veered far from her original plan. "If you want to learn some defense, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, where and when we can meet-"

"Is it true that you can produce a Patronus?" Susan Bones exclaimed, looking wide eyed at Harry.

"Yeah." Harry answered slowly, glancing towards me.

"A corporeal Patronus?" She continued.

"Er... you don't know Madam Bones, do you?" Harry asked, changing the subject dramatically.

"She's my auntie." Susan smiled, looking proud. "I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So is it true, you make a stag Patronus?"

"Yeah, he does." I answered for Harry, offering him a smile and wishing he didn't look so discouraged.

"Blimey, Harry! I never knew that!" Lee said, looking impressed.

We spent the next ten minutes discussing different feats Harry had accomplished in the last four years, his face turning pinker with every person that spoke until finally he stopped us.

"Look, I'm not trying to sound modest or anything, but... I had a lot of help with all of that stuff..."

"You're just trying to weasel your way out of showing us this stuff!" Zacharias shouted once again, earning a glare from Ron and I.

"Here's an idea," Ron spoke slowly. "Why don't you shut your mouth?"

"Well, we've all turned up to learn from him, and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it!" He protested.

"That's not what he bloody said." Fred grumbled.

"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" George asked, politely as he pulled a long metal object from his bag that I had not noticed him pick up at Zonko's.

"Or any part of your body, really. We're not fussy where we stick this." Fred shrugged, Maddie and Bri giggling into their hands next to me.

The next half hour was spent discussing when and where we ought to meet, how to avoid different quidditch practices and signing a long list with our names, which Hermione rolled up very tight and stored in her bag.

"Well, time's ticking on! Very busy schedule to keep!" Fred announced, the first to stand from his seat, offering a salute towards Harry and grabbing my hand, leading us out of the pub with a wave.

"Busy schedule, says you! Do you even have any homework?" I smiled up at him, knowingly.

"Life is not all about homework, love." He lead us quickly back into the heart of town. "Will you get dinner with me?"

"I always get dinner with you-" I looked at him, confused.

"Not at school. Here. I want to take you to dinner." He explained, leading us towards the Three Broomsticks. "Mum wouldn't let me take you out for your birthday, no matter how much I begged."

"We have to be back soon, though, they close the gates!" I let him pull me through the thick door of the pub.

"If only we had a secret passageway or something that could get us back into the school-" He struggled the last few words out through laughter as I shoved him into a booth away from the door.

Harry had been teaching Dumbledore's Army for over a month now. October had come with a flurry of freezing rain, much to the twins dismay, as Angelina had them all practicing every moment they could in anticipation for this weekend Quidditch match against Slytherin.

Fred, George and I headed down the corridors, making the familiar turns we'd been making nearly twice a week this term, a few minutes behind Harry, Ron and Hermione so we wouldn't look suspicious, twenty five students from separate houses all marching to one invisible room.

"It's times like these I wish we hadn't given away our map." George said, scanning the hallway as we reached the empty wall, beginning our walk to summon the door.

"What's wrong, Georgie? Afraid of a little mischief all of the sudden?" Fred grinned.

"Hush, both of you, I can't think!" I pushed my fingers into my ears, focusing on my chant in my head.

We need the room to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Making good time now a days, huh?" Ron looked excited, already shooting some jinxes at one of the dummies propped in the corner which shrunk down smaller than our feet before Ron put it back.

Hermione finally looked up from her cushion on the floor where she had been flipping quickly through a book titled Sure-Fire Spells as the rest of the group arrived, the doors sliding open and shut a few more times before the chatter in the room grew too loud for her to ignore.

"Alright everyone! We don't want to run too late again, let's get started," Harry announced, everyone falling silent faster than they did in Snape's room. "We left off with stunning spells, so we'll refresh on those at the end. I think we should move on to Body Binds."

Everyone around us nodded in agreement, Hermione looking ready for the first time in weeks.

"Everyone pair up, you know the drill. I'm sure you're all a little familiar with this one, but for a refresher, it's a wand movement like this," He curved the edge of his wand in a U shape and then drew it out to the side a ways. "The spell is Petrificus Totalus. Once you've got it, it should freeze your opponents body in place, it'll give you time to get away in an emergency. You'll probably fall though, so let's have cushions behind us. Go ahead!"

I let my eyes wander the many pairs of students searching for space and cushions to work with. Ginny had been working with Michael Corner since the class began, Hermione and Ron, Neville and Luna, Cho and her Ravenclaw friend, Maddie with Bri and a reluctant Hannah with Ernie.

"I think I should go save Hannah from Ernie..." I whispered as my eyes finally fell to Fred before me.

"Oh no, I'm not taking Macmillan. He'll bore me to death plus he's not even good practice."

"Then I'll take Ernie! You can have Hannah." I smiled as Fred stepped away from me, raising his wand towards my chest.

"Beat me tonight and I'll think about... you going with Hannah. Not Ernie."

"You're on." I smiled, raising my wand as well and counting down.

"3...2...1," We counted together. "Petrificus Totalus!" He spoke half a second after I did, his arms snapping to his sides, making him look even taller than he usually did as he wobbled in place for a second, George laughing and holding his hands out to catch him.

"Reparifors." Golden sparks shot towards Fred, his limbs breaking free as he grabbed a hold of George's arms to steady himself.

"Okay! Alright! I didn't think you'd actually go so hard!" Fred's eyes lit up with amusement as he got back to his feet.

"What do you mean! You came for me too!"

"Best two out of three, let's go!"

"You just don't want to lose me as a partner." I smirked.

"I'm starting to actually!" He held his wand back up. "Ready?"

"3... 2..."

"Petrificus Totalus!"

"Protego!" I shouted, slashing through the air with my wand, watching the purple light from Fred's spell bounce off the invisible shield before me. "You cheated!"

"Did not!" He chuckled as Harry walked towards us.

"Did everyone just see Cassidy's Shield Charm?" He announced, causing the heat to rise in my cheeks as Fred and George offered me a slow and sarcastic applause.

"Fred, will you try that again, please?"

"Oh, sure, I'd love everyone to watch my girlfriend beat me in a duel." Fred joked, holding his wand up for a third time.

"Petrificus Totalu-"

"Protego!" I shouted, maybe a second too early in my fear of having the whole class watch me fall to the ground petrified.

"Excellent! Really, excellent. Now, she knew it was coming. And when you're really in danger, you're not going to know exactly when or what they're going to hit you with. Which is why it's important to practice. Once you've gotten the hang of your body bind's go ahead and try some shield spells." Harry explained, starting to slowly make his way towards Cho and her partner.

"Can I please at least see if I can do one, now?" Fred asked, shooting me a stern smile, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry, you want me to go easy on you?" I asked loudly, earning a laugh from George and Lee next to us.

"Here, I'll stand here to catch you, now you let him petrify you like a good girlfriend." George held his hands to either side of me as we both watched Fred shake his head with an eye roll.

"You'll be lucky if I don't suffocate you with your pillow tonight." He grumbled, aiming for the both of us.

"Just go!"

"Petrificus Totalus!" Fred called, a purple bolt of light shooting my way and hitting me square in the chest. I didn't even feel anything, my arms and legs pinned to my body on their own, the force of the spell knocking me back into George's arms.

"Shit, I forgot the counter curse..." Fred chuckled, looking to Hermione who shot a Reparifors my way.

"I'm definitely partners with Hannah next time." I grumbled as George pushed me back upright.

"Alright, it's nearly nine. This will be our last meeting until after the match this weekend." Harry nodded towards Angelina, who had insisted that all of the boys needed twice as much time on the field practicing if they were going to beat Slytherin. "Great job tonight, keep an eye on your galleons for the next date."

Everyone murmured a round of thank you's and goodnights as Hermione let them out of the doorway a few at a time, scanning the hallways after every few minutes.

"Too busy for me tonight?" Fred asked, looping his arm around my waist as Hermione let the four of us into the hall, his finger finding it's way beneath the hem of my shirt and tracing lightly along my skin.

"I'm never too busy for you." I said softly, not in the mood for George and Lee's fake gags when they overheard the two of us.

"Spend the night?"

"Freddie..." I hesitated, even as he pulled me by my wrists past the staircase which would take me to the common room with my friends.

"It's such a long walk, and I know you're tired." A smile tugged at his lips as I followed him away from the stairs.

"We're going to get in trouble." My eyes flicked to the scars along my hand which were nearly faded now.

"We just got let out of our illegal, secret army training." He paused, letting George and Lee gain a few more steps away from us. "She's never going to hurt you again. No one is." He brought my hand towards his lips, pressing against it softly before dropping it, his own hand moving to my chin and pulling me into his kiss.

"Oi, lovebirds!" George's voice called from the Portrait Hole ahead.

"Hurry it up!" Lee shouted, the both of them holding the painting open, ignoring a very irritated Fat Lady.

Finally, it was Saturday. The day of the Slytherin match. The day Hermione and I had been simultaneously waiting for yet dreading since the moment Ron had joined the team. I had watched enough of the Quidditch games back at the Burrow to know that Ron was a decent player, and decent in a family like the Weasley's meant a lot. Yet, I had been to enough practices this year with Hermione and heard the twins whine about Ron choking to be worried. Very worried.

Fred and George had woken before me, for possibly the first time ever, Fred nudging me gently to one side of the bed as he slipped out, thinking he could stealthily get dressed and ready without waking me.

"You're not very quiet, you know." I spoke through closed eyes.

"Trying my best." He whispered, his morning voice low and raspy.

"Want me to come get breakfast with you?" I asked, finally looking up at him, admiring the last few seconds of a view I had before he pulled a sweater on, shooting me a smirk.

"No. Sleep in a bit." He bent down, grabbing his wand from the night stand, tucking it in his pocket and hovering over the bed. "Gimme'a kiss."

I bit back a smile, turning my head up and closing the space between our lips, feeling the warmth of his fingers trace along my jaw before his skin was ripped off mine.

"George!" He scoffed through a laugh as George pulled him towards the door.

"Angie'll have our heads if we're late." George pointed out.

"That was for good luck." Fred shrugged, sending a wink back to me as George waved.

"Good luck!" I called after them, the door closing with a click as I turned into Fred's pillow, pulling the blankets up around my chin and breathing in the lingering smell of smokey vanilla.

"God, I don't know if this is nerves or the cold." Hermione motioned to her shaking hands as we climbed up the steps of the Quidditch stands. "Ron barely ate anything, he looked so faint. And those badges," She grumbled through clenched teeth.

She was of course referring to the silver crown badges the entirety of Slytherin house had been sporting at breakfast, all pointing and snickering at Harry and Ron as they headed down to the field earlier.

"I can't believe no one calls Snape out for never disciplining them." I shook my head, crossing my arms across my chest mostly for warmth as we picked a seat next to Ginny, a few of her friends who I recognized from the DA, and Luna Lovegood sporting a gigantic lion's head hat which looked handmade.

"Luna, did you make that?" I asked, Ginny shooting me a grin.

"Oh, yes. I'm supporting Gryffindor, and I can't believe the Slytherin's badges. It's horrible."

"And it roars!" Ginny looked between Hermione and I with wide eyes.

"The hat?" I asked.

"Oh, yes." Luna replied simply, returning her attention to the field as the teams flew out.

"Here they come." Hermione locked her gloved hands together so tightly I was sure they were losing circulation. The captains shook hands before Madame Hooch blew her whistle, all of the players shoving off from the ground and soaring into their positions, Ron hovering nervously in the center of the tallest goal post.

Lee began his announcements as the players took off, Gryffindor in possession of the quaffle immediately, ducking two Slytherin chasers in her race to the goal posts before Crabbe hit a bludger straight into her back.

Their captain caught the Quaffle mid-air, now racing back in Ron's direction, Hermione looking quite white in the face now before...

"Yes, George!" Ginny shouted, Hermione and I cheering along as George's bludger smacked Montague straight in the head, causing him to drop the quaffle nearly straight into Katie's arms as he shook his head a few times, floating stationary in the air.

"Nice bludger there from George Weasley, caught by Katie Bell of Gryffindor, reverse passes to Spinnet and Spinnet's away." Lee's voice carried through the wind. "The crowd is loving this, listen to them, what's that they're singing?"

Lee paused to listen to the song and Hermione and I leaned forward in our seats, the lyrics growing louder every second from the green and silver dotted stands.

"Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring,
That's why Slytherins all sing,
Weasley is our king."

"No..." I muttered, my eyes flying now to the Gryffindor Keeper, praying he couldn't hear the song from his height.

"Weasley was born in a bin,
He always lets the quaffle in,
Weasley will make sure we win,
Weasley is our king!"

"What the fuck?" Ginny stood, elbowing Michael's hand away from her as he reached out.

"That's despicable." Hermione shook her head, her eyes dark, a deep scowl etched into her mouth. "Ron can't let them get to him..."

"So it's the first test for new Gryffindor Keeper, Weasley, brother of Beaters Fred and George, and a promising new talent for the team - come on, Ron!" Lee called out in an obvious attempt to block out the Slytherin's song as Warrington drew closer and closer to the goal posts.

We watched in horror, unable to look away as Ron dove towards the ball in the air, his arms too wide, allowing the quaffle right into the hoop.

"Slytherin score," Lee's voice was loud despite it's clear disappointment. "That's ten-nil to Slytherin - bad luck, Ron."

"Weasley was born in a bin,
He always lets the Quaffle in!"

Nearly an hour later, I felt as if I could puke. Gryffindor had managed to score two more times, but Ron had not blocked a single shot, putting Slytherin up thirty points. Our only hope was Harry finding the snitch, and soon.

The Slytherin stands had not ceased their song, some of them even climbing on the front row of seats to conduct different choruses, dancing and cheering louder every time Ron would miss a save.

"Harry's got it! He's got it!" Ginny jumped from her spot, pointing at the now streak of red and gold racing down the pitch.

"Draco's on him." Hermione added, worried.

"Harry's faster." I hoped. The three of us stood pressed together, hardly noticing the wind as we watched the seekers race.

"No!" The crowds all echoed Ginny's sentiment as the snitch sped across to the other side of the field. "Don't lose it Harry!"

"Let's go Gryffindor! Let's go!" The students around us screamed as inch by inch Harry drew closer to the small golden ball before his fingers finally closed around it, Draco still reaching, grasping Harry's hand for a second, scraping along his skin with his nails.

A great roar sounded over the crowds as Luna tapped her wand to the Lion on her head. The Slytherin had stopped their singing at last, or at least it was inaudible over the red and gold crowds racing down to the pitch to see the players. Hermione and I took a deep breath, staying seated for a few seconds and releasing our grips we'd had on our own hands and thighs, waiting for the stands to clear a bit before we tried to fight our way down.

"Oh no..." Hermione looked nervous once again, and I followed her gaze down to the ground, watching the white haired Slytherin seeker draw near to Harry. "Don't let him get to you Harry. Don't let him."

It was impossible to see their faces from this distance, but it was a bad sign that Harry was entertaining the conversation for this long.

"Walk away, Harry." Hermione was standing now, the two of us starting down the stairs.

"No!" I gasped, watching in horror as the twins paused behind Harry for only a second before one of them jolted forwards, Harry grabbing his shoulders and holding him back. We were halfway down now and I could see Angelina, Alicia and Katie all pulling back on Fred with all of their might.

"-Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it?" Malfoy was calling towards the boys.

No sooner had the last word left his mouth, Harry had pushed past George, both of them lunging and tackling Malfoy to the ground.

"No! Stop! George, Harry! Stop!" I screamed, no longer worried about sticking close to Hermione, shoving my way between students in a race to the ground.

The girls on the pitch screamed, calling for the boys to stop, calling for Fred to stay, teachers were rushing towards the huddle, Madame Hooch finally releasing a tidal wave of a spell which knocked everyone back on the ground off each other.

"-never seen anything like it! All of you to your heads of houses, now!" She yelled, her voice ringing in my ears from the force of the spell.

"George..." I reached for his arm as he and Harry stormed passed, but he pulled away, shaking his head towards me with sad eyes and a grimace.

Fred was walking a few paces behind them, ignoring the calls of his teammates to come back.

"Freddie." I said softly when he reached me, but he didn't slow down. "Fred!"

"I don't want to talk right now, Cass." His jaw was clenched so tight I thought his teeth might shatter.

"Okay... can I come with you?"

"No!" He hissed, storming a few more feet ahead before slowing down. "Yes." He called back, nodding up towards the castle for me to follow.

I raced to his side, linking my hand in his warm one, neither of us speaking until we were back at the common room, perched in an arm chair facing the door to wait for Harry and George.

Chapter Text

Hermione, Ginny and the rest of the Gryffindor team had gathered around the fire near Fred and I sometime after, no one really speaking, Hermione appearing to work on a paper, yet her eyes were more often than not staring at the common room door.

Fred's leg had been bouncing against the floor for over a half hour, shaking my entire body as I was curled on his lap, my head tucked into his neck, but I let him. I knew his head was swimming with guilt and anger and he wasn't one to sit still even in the best of circumstances.

Everyone jumped from their seats as the portrait hole opened, Fred sitting up a bit taller in his spot, his leg no longer bouncing and I shifted over, watching the two boys trudge towards us.

"Well?" Angelina asked, obviously using anger to cover her nerves.

George and Harry glanced at each other before looking to the floor.

"Banned." Harry finally looked at the captain.

"Banned?" Angelina's voice was a whisper. "Both of you?"

"And Fred." George's eyes were dark as he met Fred's, not looking at me. Fred's fists balled together beneath me and I could practically feel his heart rate speed up.

"And Fred?" I repeated, anger flowing through me too. "He didn't even do anything!"

"Not my fault I didn't." Fred growled. "I would have pounded that little scum bag to a pulp if you three hadn't been holding me back." He shot a nasty look towards the girls nearest the fire.

"Hey," I set my hand against his arm, knowing he would regret talking like this to his teammates later.

"No Seeker and no Beaters..." Angelina muttered, her head in her hands. "What are we going to do?"

Katie and Alicia wrapped their arms around the tallest girl's shoulders.

"I'm going to bed." She said finally, standing up and crossing the room quickly, Alicia and Katie avoiding the twins eyes as the followed her.

"I'm sorry guys." Ginny said, her voice quieter than I'd heard it in a while. She bent over towards Fred, resting her chin on his head for a few moments.

"Night, Gin." He nodded her on, George falling into the open spot next to us as she left.

"Where's Ron?" I asked, looking towards Hermione, as Harry was pointedly not looking at anyone.

"I think he's avoiding us." She answered, her own face hidden in shadows from the fire.

We fell into silence for a few more minutes before the portrait door creaked open to reveal a very pale and tired looking Ron.

"Where have you been?" Hermione jumped up to him, "You look frozen!"

"I'm sorry." Ron muttered, sinking onto the couch near Harry.

"What for?" Harry asked.

"For thinking I could play Quidditch. I'm going to resign first thing tomorrow."

"If you resign, there'll only be three players left on the team." Harry's voice was cold. "I've been given a lifetime ban. So have Fred and George."

"What?" Ron sat up, scanning over to the twins.

As soon as Ron had spoken, Fred stood from his seat, grabbing hold of my arm to pull me up with him. He bent his head a bit so his face was next to mine, the fire's light flickering in his brown eyes.

"Come to bed." His words were half a question and half a command, and he had begun walking before I had even finished nodding.

"Goodnight, guys." I called, looking over the three players who were all facing the floor, Hermione shooting me a very tense look.

Fred led us silently up to the boys dormitory, the light from the common room fading quickly behind us, but neither of us bothered to light our wands. I didn't drop his hand, letting him lead me in through the door and over the familiar path to his bed where he pulled off his Quidditch robes, dropping them into a heap on the floor. He stood in only his boxers now, seeming quite unfazed, rummaging through his dresser and pulling out two pairs of sweatpants and a t-shirt which was certainly too big for me, holding them towards me silently, the only light from the half moon outside.

"I'll be right back-" I started, watching him pull his joggers on and falling onto the bed.

"Stay." He whispered, the silence ringing in my ears as I watched his eyes glued to mine.

I glanced around the room, Lee had still not returned after the game, obviously not looking forward to the reactions of the Gryffindor team. I pulled Fred's Quidditch hoodie from my arms, ducking my head beneath the hood and tossing it in the pile he had started, doing the same with my shirt until I stood before him in just my bra and leggings. I could barely see his eyes in the low light skim along my body before returning to my eyes as I pulled the t-shirt on, letting it fall to my knees before I dropped my leggings off, sliding my legs through the soft sweats Fred had given me.

I hesitated for just a second before Fred opened his arms wide and I rushed into them, hugging my own arms around his neck as he pulled the two of us into bed and let out a large sigh, fluttering strands of my hair around my face.

"I'm so sorry, Freddie." I twisted the hair at the base of his neck in slow circles, letting him sit for a little while before I spoke again. "What did Malfoy do?"

He groaned, obviously trying to contain his anger. "It was everything. The fucking song about Ron, started talking about Mum and Dad, calling him a loser, a useless loser-"

"He's not." I interrupted.

"I know." He whined. "Still doesn't feel good to hear it. In front of everyone. That's my dad."

"I know, Freddie." I said softly, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "I know, I'm so sorry..."

"Then he started making fun of our house, saying it smells, asking Harry how he can stand the stink," He seethed. "He went after Harry's mum too, that's when we all just lost it. And I would have made him regret it if they hadn't held me back-"

"And then you'd have all been expelled." I whispered. "Because you'd have torn the little ferret apart."

He let out half a laugh and half a scoff at that and I smiled a bit to myself.

"What the hell am I going to do all year now? I barely have any classes, barely any homework, no quidditch, and my girlfriend is busy all day every day."

"I'll un-busy myself." I said, knowing this was hardly a possibility considering O.W.L's and Prefect duty. "I'll keep you so busy you won't have time to miss Quidditch. You can do some of my homework you know?"

"Yeah, something tells me you don't really want that." He sighed, leaning back onto the pillow and pulling the covers onto us. The two of us laid in content silence for a bit as I listened to Fred's steady heart beat, and soon enough, he was snoring and George and Lee were falling into their beds beside us.

"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, yet come alive in the wind. What am I?"

I looked to Fred, his face scrunched up in thought.

"A song." He answered confidently.

"How does a song come alive in the wind?" I laughed. "Or hear without ears?"

"I don't know." He answered, still looking puzzled before getting to his feet, reaching forward to slam the knocker against the Ravenclaw door once again.

"This belongs to you, yet everyone else uses it." The knocker spoke again.

"Thank Merlin we don't have riddles on our doors." I groaned, leaning back on the stone and looking up at the vaulted ceilings.

"I'm exhausted already, imagine this on top of your regular work." Fred chuckled.

"Everyone else uses it..." I repeated under my breath as Fred bashed the knocker again. "You never let us figure one out!"

"Because we don't know it!" He grinned, taking his seat next to me again across from the door. We had been here for nearly an hour, thankfully most of the Ravenclaws must have been at lunch or busy with homework as no one had yet disturbed us. It had been over a month since the boys had played Quidditch, Umbridge not only banning them, but confiscating their broomsticks, which I felt was especially unfair, considering I had paid for one of them.

"What disappears as soon as you say it's name?" The knocker said after what I was quite sure was a sigh.

Fred thought for a second before whipping his head to me, a grin on his face.

"Silence."

The door clicked open at once, swinging forward to reveal a long passageway as the both of us jumped up from our seats.

"Oh, shit!" I laughed, yanking Fred's arm and breaking into a sprint, his laughter echoing before us down the corridor. "I didn't think we'd get one!"

"And you're ruining our only chance to see inside!" He complained as we turned a corner, leaning against a cold suit of armor.

"Prefects don't break into common rooms-"

"You're in my common room every other night-" Fred pointed out, stopping as I reached up, pressing my hands against his mouth. "Y'are" He mumbled.

"I have to get back, my roommates and I are studying in the library... for the rest of the night." I added with a sigh. "But I have to get everything done tonight, because I have a fun day for us planned tomorrow."

"Give me a hint?" He smirked, starting the walk to the library.

"Eat a good breakfast." I smiled, "And tell George. He's coming too."

His face fell into the same scowl he had shot at the Ravenclaw door now.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I leaned up, waiting for my goodbye kiss for only a second.

It was another snowy day, the sunlight seeming to reflect off the snowflakes and through the windows into the dorms. I zipped up my hoodie and pulled my hair back into a loose ponytail at the back of my neck before starting towards the seventh floor. Once I had gathered the boys, I lead us down the familiar path we had been walking twice a week since October.

"Is our surprise more Defense Against the Dark Arts training?" Fred asked as we neared the stone wall.

"That's not all this room is good for." I began my walk, one foot after the other.

I need a room for them to play Quidditch.

No sooner had I thought these words, a wide door appeared, looking different than it usually did for us. I pulled on the handle and it opened without a sound, the three of us hurrying in and letting the door shut and disappear behind us as we took in the new space.

"Bloody Hell," George muttered, all of our jaws open.

The ceilings seemed to expand for miles, giant windows painting the room in yellow sunlight from above. I hadn't thought it possible for the room to get any larger than the one we practiced in every week with Harry, but here was the proof. It had to be as long as the Quidditch pitch with goal hoops on either side. Boxes of equipment and colorful balls sat against the wall nearest us, and propped behind the boxes were half a dozen...

"Brooms?" Fred grinned, jogging towards them and picking one up as if to see if it was really there. "How did you figure this out?" He looked at me in awe.

"I didn't. I was just hoping it would work out." I admitted, following George over to the brooms now. "I know you guys miss Quidditch, but I didn't want you getting into trouble again if Umbridge caught you."

"You're a bloody mastermind." George called as he pushed off the ground, already soaring towards the furthest goal post, looping around a few times easily.

"You flying with us?" Fred asked, looking at my outfit now with a knowing smirk.

"I didn't figure I had a choice." I looked at the broom next to Fred apprehensively.

"Smart girl." He tossed me the broom which I barely caught before stepping over and looking up to where George now seemed to be flying directly into the sun.

"Come on, up you go!" Fred grinned, his eyes sparkling with joy for the first time in weeks.

I gripped the broom handle so hard I watched my fingers go white before kicking off the floor, much too hard for my liking, and pulling the end upwards very slightly.

"You're never going to get up there at this rate." Fred reached for my broom which I yanked to the side, sending me shooting towards the walls at top speed before I righted myself.

"That was the goal!" I called, climbing a bit higher every few seconds.

"Are you scared of heights or falling?" George's voice carried down through the room as if we were at the bottom of a valley.

"Yep!" I answered, hearing both of them laugh.

"You don't have to wait with me!" I shouted to Fred. "You can go! I'll be alright."

"You sure?" He snuck a look at his brother above him.

"Very sure, I had a great teacher over the summers."

His face lit up with another smile as he pulled his broom up nearly vertical and shot towards George. I sat there, floating in mid air, watching the two of them chase each other around the pitch, cutting through the goals and diving up and down, thinking that maybe flying wasn't so bad after all.

Chapter Text

"The Minister of Magic has indicated that these disappearances are the work of notorious murderer Sirius Black who escaped two years ago. Black remains at large, and we have little information for his-"

Harry jabbed his wand towards the radio and sent the common room into silence, turning back to glare into the fireplace.

We had returned, in groups like always, from the Room of Requirement nearly an hour ago, listening to the staticky speech that poured from the small machine on the coffee table. Fred and I had snagged an oversized arm chair closest the the fire, which I was thankful for. You could practically feel the December air leaking through the windows this high up.

Fred too was staring into the fire, his thumb softly working back and forth over my knee from my spot on his lap.

"Did you guys hear?" A small, mousy haired boy clambered through the portrait hole, his legs barely inside before he had started speaking. "Umbridge's new decree."

"No, what did she do now?" Harry grumbled, finally pulling his eyes up to the boy.

"Not you," His eyes fell to the twins. "She's banned the Weasley products."

"Oh, no." George's eyebrows shot up at once.

"Banned? Our merchandise?" Fred joined in, and I held back and eye roll, meeting Hermione's eyes.

"We'll have to stop production at once!" George slapped a hand to his forehead, as if this was all a great travesty.

"Don't listen to them," I turned back to the fourth year, who was watching the twins theatrics as if it were a tennis match. "Thank you for letting us know."

"Yeah, cheers Collin." Harry muttered, nodding at the boy before returning to his gaze into the fire ahead of him.

"We've never not been breaking the rules, Collin." George explained.

"It's what we do." Fred grinned, his hand now sliding softly higher on my thigh. "Are you all stocked up? We've got a brand new batch of Fever Fudge,"

"And fixed all of the issues with the Fainting Fancies."

Collin shook his head quickly, glancing at Harry again before hurrying up the stairs to his dorm.

"You guys have to be careful now." I said softly as everyone returned to their own conversations. "You can't get detention... not with Umbridge."

"I'd quite like an audience with the queen bitch, actually." Fred smirked, unfazed by my glare. "Someone needs to teach her a lesson."

"Oh and that someone is you?" I allowed the eye roll this time.

"If not me, then who?" He sighed, dramatically.

"And the lesson is?"

He grabbed for my hand, the scars barely legible now, and pressed a kiss to the skin. "Not to scratch beautiful things."

I sprinted down the steps after the small woman, pulling a cardigan I wasn't even sure was mine over my pajamas in the dark. Professor Sprout hadn't turned any lights on in the common room, but had her wand lit before her as we walked. Past the barrels, past the kitchens, up flight after flight of stairs until finally we stopped outside of a small alcove with a large stone gargoyle.

"Professor, is everything-"

"Shh," Sprout hushed, setting a hand on my shoulder. "Best not to talk just yet." She scanned the hallways until finally we heard multiple footsteps approaching along the stone floors.

"Oh, good, Pamona. Sorry to keep you waiting." McGonagall's voice was low too, but I could hear the fear beneath it. "I'll take them up."

Professor Sprout nodded, glancing quickly at the three Weasley's before hurrying off again.

"Fizzing Whizbee." McGonagall spoke louder now, facing the gargoyle which sprung to live, spinning to the right and revealing a long narrow set of stairs. "This way, please. Hurry." She barely glanced back at us as we jumped onto the stairs after her.

"What's going on?" I asked, grabbing Fred's arm as we moved single file up the stairs.

"This is Dumbledore's office." He answered.

"Dumbledore?" I could see the doorway now at the top of the staircase. "Why are we here?"

"I dunno." He answered, sleep heavy in his voice.

"Where's Ron?" I asked, opening the question to Ginny and George now, who both shrugged.

Finally, we reached the doorway, warm light sneaking through the edges into the dark hallway. McGonagall wasted no time as she pushed the door open, leading us into the room where a roaring fire had been lit, obviously long ago judging by the warmth of the room.

Dumbledore was moving carefully around the room, speaking to some of the portraits hanging behind his desk where Ron and Harry were sat, both at the edges of their seats, watching the Headmaster's every move.

"Harry, what's going on?" Ginny asked, looking pale. "Professor McGonagall said-"

"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix." Dumbledore answered before Harry could even open his mouth. "He has been taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to Sirius's house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than the Burrow. You will meet your mother there."

"Injured?" I breathed out, scanning over the Weasley's faces before looking at Harry, his own face ghostly white, his hair seemed stuck to his face with sweat.

"How are we going?" Fred asked at once. "Floo Powder?"

"No, Floo powder is not safe at the moment, the network is being watched. You'll be taking a Portkey." He nodded towards the kettle on his desk before Harry and Ron. "I'm just waiting for Phineas Nigellus to report back that it's safe before sending you-"

A burst of light lit through the room as a single flame appeared and went out at once, leaving behind one golden feather which slowly floated towards the floor.

"That's Fawkes's warning." Dumbledore muttered, catching the feather in the air. "She must know you're out of your beds. Minerva, please head her off? Tell her any story."

A new voice rang through the room as Professor McGonagall shut the door behind her.

"He says he'll be delighted." The previously empty portrait behind Dumbledore drawled, sounding bored.

"Gather around then," Dumbledore waved us over before the kettle. "You've all used a Portkey before?"

Everyone nodded, reaching out to grab a hold of the kettle.

"On three then." Dumbledore began to count until with a jerk we found ourselves pulled from the room and landing hard in a much colder and dimly lit room.

"Out!" Sirius's voice rang out, as he waved Kreacher out of the kitchen.

Grimmauld Place was very different from the last time we had all been here. A single plate with some picked over food had been left on the table behind us, but there was no evidence that anyone had cooked in here in weeks. There was a fine layer of dirt trailing from the doorway obviously from repeated Order meetings.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked, stepping over to Harry, his eyes on the rest of us. "Phineas said Arthur's been injured?"

"Ask Harry." Fred spoke, everyone's gaze now snapping to the dark haired boy.

"Yeah, I'd like to hear this myself." George looked worried. They all looked worried.

"It was..." Harry stopped, glancing at Ron and then Sirius before looking back to the floor. "I had a kind of... vision..."

Everyone's eyes were wide, obviously hoping Harry would speak a bit faster, but knowing not to push him.

"It's okay, Harry, take your time." I said softly, nodding at him in an attempt to calm him down.

"It was... your dad, Mr. Weasley, he was just standing there. But he was in this hallway I've been dreaming about for a few weeks. And he was alone, and then... out of no where..." Harry paused again, seeming as if he might like to disappear into the floorboards. "This giant snake came at him, and he noticed it, raised his wand but, it was too late. The snake bit him, in the stomach, or the side... bit him and... and then Ron woke me up... but I was so sure it was real, it wasn't a dream."

My insides felt like ice, goosebumps spread along my arms in the chilly kitchen as I looked to Fred. His lips were moving slightly and I realized that he was repeating Harry's words to himself. I glanced to Sirius, hoping that he would tell us it was in fact just a dream, but his mouth was plastered in a straight line, his eyes dark as they scanned over his Godson.

"Is Mum here?" Fred finally spoke, looking to Sirius.

"She probably doesn't even know yet," Sirius said. "The important thing was to get you all away before Umbridge could interfere. Dumbledore's probably alerting Molly now."

"We've got to get to St. Mungo's," Ginny's voice was quiet but urgent. "Sirius, can you lend us cloaks or-"

"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St. Mungo's in the middle of the night!" Sirius looked around the room gravely.

"Of course we can go to St. Mungo's," Fred's voice was dangerously close to a shout. "He's our dad!"

"How are you going to explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hopsital even let his wife know?"

"What does that matter?" George bellowed.

"It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!" Sirius replied angrily. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?"

Fred and George looked mutinous, the last thing on their mind was the Ministry's opinion on anything.

"We could have heard from somewhere else... not Harry..." Ginny muttered, thinking outloud.

"Like who?" Sirius asked, sounding impatient.

"It doesn't matter!" Fred finally shouted now.

"It's our dad dying we're talking about!" George echoed his tone and I stepped closer to the both of them, wanting to keep this from a full out screaming match.

"Your father knew what he was getting into, and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order!" Sirius retorted. "This is how it is - this is why you're not in the Order. You don't understand, there are things worth dying for."

"Easy for you to say, stuck here!" Fred roared back, stepping around me to face Sirius again. "I don't see you risking your neck!"

"Fred." I hissed, pulling hard on his arm to no avail. Sirius's face locked up, nearly all of the color slipping away as he stared at the twins.

"I know it's hard, but we've all got to act as though we don't know anything yet. We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, all right?" Sirius's voice was now eerily calm, reminding me very much of the tones he and Molly had spent all summer speaking in. "Come on," Sirius rounded everyone up as we left the kitchen. "Let's not let all of your hard work from the summer go to waste, we can hang out in the drawing room now that it's un-infested."

Fred and George scoffed under their breath, still looking like they'd like to either hit Sirius or run from the house. We followed Sirius and Harry up the hall and into the dimly lit drawing room where Ginny took a few steps to the closest armchair and fell into it, looking very small.

"Incendio." Sirius muttered towards the fireplace where, after a few seconds of sparks, a fire rose from the old logs. Ron took a seat and leaned forward, his head resting in his hands against his lap as the twins selected the two chairs on either side of Ginny. Harry and I glanced around at the family nervously, although the boy was careful not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Shall we have a drink while we're waiting? Here, Accio!" Sirius spoke again as Harry finally took a seat next to Ron.

Seven bottles flew through the room, clinking together as they landed on the table before us. One by one, everyone began reaching for a drink, twisting the caps off and taking slow forced sips, as if to have something to do with themselves.

"Cassy." Fred's voice was so quiet I could have convinced myself I had imagined it if he hadn't been looking at me, holding his hand out for mine. The second I was within reach, he pulled me down to his lap, his arms wrapping around my stomach as he buried his face in my hair. I felt him breathe in deeply a few times before letting out a long sigh.

"He's gonna be okay." I whispered, turning so our faces were hardly an inch apart, his nose brushing against mine every few seconds. "He is."

He nodded, a few extra times and glanced to Ginny, who was squeezing George's hand with both of her own.

"He has to be okay." Fred murmured, sinking a bit deeper into the chair. I wrapped my arms around his neck and traced soft circles along the nape of his neck, the only sound left in the room was the crackle from the fire.

There was no clock in the drawing room. I wondered if there had ever been one at all or if it simply hadn't survived the purge of last summer. It must have been at least an hour, the final thud of butterbeer bottles having landed long ago.

I flinched as a new burst of fire appeared in the dark room, a few gasps echoing around and Fred's grip on me tightened only for a second. Where the fire had just been, another feather and a tightly rolled scroll of parchment fell to the floor.

"Fawkes!" Sirius explained, grabbing for the letter at once. "That's not Dumbledore's writing. It must be from your mother, here!"

He pressed the letter into George's shaky hands which ripped it apart at once, scanning the writing quickly. "Dad is still alive. I'm setting out for St. Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send news as soon as I can. Mum."