Chapter Text
It is the year of the 74th hunger games the day of the reaping the day two names between the ages of 11 to 18 are drawn no matter the gender two young citizens from each of the 12 districts names are drawn for the hunger games a battle to the death as a punishment for a civil war 74 years ago this years games start in district 12.
Harry POV
It's the day of the reaping and after breakfast with my mom and godfather sirius I leave to meet up with my boyfriend beforehand. Mom and Sirius are always busy the morning of the reaping mom as a teacher who visits her students before the reaping wishing them luck and sirius is busy as a victor so i have to fill the anxiety if the morning some other way and since i was little i have spent it with the weasleys even before ron and i started dating today I make it to the weasleys home in record time and Mrs Weasley meets me at the door smiling.
“ morning Harry you just missed arthur hes off to the shop”
“ He's opening it on reaping day ?” I am surprised Mr Weasley is opening their little shop today. The Weasleys run the main shop here because it sells anything they can get for cheap.
“ yes not for long just for anyone who needs any last minute things before the reaping you nervous for it ?”
“ no more than any other year I was hoping to see Ron “
“ yes yes the kids are all in the living room “
I walk in easily navigating the house that is as much a home to me as my own and when I reach the living room I wave to Ron's brothers and sister taking my seat next to Ron.
“ Hey Harry!” the twins fred and george yell there a couple years older than Ron and I its there second last reaping
Percy nods at me hes older than the twins its his last reaping
And ginny their little sister smiles at me she like Ron and I have a few more reaping tell were free
There's two more weasleys but they don’t live at home and are aged out of the reapings
I am just leaning against Ron tell he stands and pulls me up and out of the house calling too his family that hell see them at the reaping and leads me to our spot a tree on the edge of the distinct we sit at the trunk hands intertwined.
“ Ron, how many times is your name in today ?”
“ two above standard I put in extra when charlie got hurt and couldn’t work “ I just nod angrily. The Weasleys always put their name in extra times for food. I don't even wanna think about how many times Fred and George's names are in the bowl. How unfair I don't wanna lose my family again. The games already took my dad mom getting pregnant with me the last year before they aged out volunteering for mom to save us both and never came home. I am broken out of the thought spiral by Ron kissing me.
“ your thinking about james again “
I nod Ron can read me clearly so I decide to steer the conversation away from the games by asking about our best friend I hadn’t seen this morning.
“ Have you heard from Hermione ?”
“ yeah shell see us at the reaping and reminded us to keep our promise “
“ only if she does “
Three kids under this very tree swearing to not volunteer for each other, a promise we remind each other of every year.
“ I got you something “ Ron whispers
He hands me a box. I open it revealing two necklaces that connect a sun and a moon. It is lovely but it must have been expensive.
“H-how did you get this “
“ I called in a favour with Bill and Sirius don’t worry about that put it on “
“Okay okay help me which one is mine “
He grabs the moon one and clips it around my neck in return I grab the sun one and fasten it for him
“ thank you best reaping gift ever”
Ron just smiles and kisses my cheek causing me to blush even after two years of us dating. This boy still makes me blush as if I am still thirteen in a way that makes me wish we could stay here forever just us under this tree. We stay there as long as we can tell there are three chimes telling the members of district twelve that it is time to start heading to the town square where two families lives will be changed for the rest of eternity our hands are still intertwined as we walk there and once we get to the section for fifteen year olds we find hermione and the three of us join hands same way we have since we were eleven at our first reaping I scan my surroundings looking for the people I care about. Sirius is where he always is the chair on stage reserved for the only victor of district twelve still ahead of me is Percy with the people aging out this year then behind him is Fred and George with their year behind me is ginny with her age group and mom is with Regulus Sirius brother who despite being basically my uncle was also my gym teacher real fun playing sports as your uncle watches and reports any funny mistakes to your family. To the left of them Mr and Mrs Weasley are next to them the adults of our makeshift family all together. After what feels like an eternity of waiting, our escort Gilderoy Lockhart takes the stage to read the names.
“ Welcome citizens of district twelve to the reaping of the 74 annual hunger games ! lets see who our honourable contestants are this year and may the odds be ever in your favour “
He then heads for the huge bowl in the center of the stage holding all our names. Five of those papers have my name, seven have Ron’s and I can’t help but hold my breath as Lockhart's hand goes in the bowl and closes around the piece of paper and takes it to the microphone to read.
“ Harry Potter !”
No! I drop Ron and Hermione's hands and start making my way to the stage looking at Sirius who looks heart stricken but when he sees me looking he gives me a smile the one he's given me since I was a kid that means he’s here which is true he’ll be with me in the capital he will be there with that reminder I feel stronger as I take the steps up to the stage and my place beside Lockhart.
“ Excellent welcome now the next name “
Then his hand goes back into the bowl to condemn another person he repeats what he did before grabbing the paper and bringing it back to the microphone to read for all of panem to hear.
“ Ronald Weasley “
Please no I can’t stop myself and shake my head as I look to see him unlink his arm from Hermione's and then he's looking at me and before anything else can happen there's a commotion at the seventeen year old section and all of a sudden I hear Fred's voice
“ I volunteer as tribute !”
He keeps saying that as he makes his way to the stage and I feel both relief and still horror. It may not be Ron but its still a Weasley still a member of my family that will be in the arena with me Fred makes it too the stage and Lockhart takes him to the mic.
“ brave young man you are whats your name “
“ Fred Weasley “
“ well I bet the gold buttons of my coat that Ronald is your brother “
He nods and Lockhart seems to realize he's not getting anymore from him and moves on moving to end the reaping
“ citizens of panem the tributes of district twelve!”
Then we were ushered into the town's building to say our goodbyes to our families. I am lead to a private toom to wait for those who wish to say goodbye to me first to come in is my mom
“ Mom!”
I run and hug her, her red hair smells like a mix of home and her classroom, a smell I have long since associated with love and this may be the last time I smell it.
“Mom?” I ask as she pulls away looking me in the eye
“ you gotta fight Harry your smart and strong you can do this just listen to Sirius okay “
“ okay but mom its Fred “
“ I know honey I am sorry but you gotta fight “
I just nod then an auror comes in saying times up and I hug her again till they pull us apart. I am waiting again for whoever comes in next and I am not surprised when it's Hermione.
“ you can do this its gonna be you or Fred district 12 will have a victor this year “
I nod, she hugs me and leaves next is uncle Regulus we don’t hug we've never been touchy with eachother.
“ listen to Sirius and don’t piss off the gamemakers that was James mistake don’t repeat it “
“What do you mean ?”
“ James rebelled he pissed off the head gamemaker thats why he was killed by mutts “
I reel at the new information as Regulus stands.
“I’ll tell you what I told your dad come home potter “
I nod and he leaves then its Ron who looks like he's been crying probably from his goodbye to Fred
“ hey love “
He hugs me and I just let him hold me
“ you or Fred have to make it home please I can’t lose both of you “
I nod and then there's nothing more to say and I just let him hold me tell the aurors pull him away.
“ I love you! “ he shouts as the door closes before I can say it back.
My goodbyes are done and they lead me to the train to take me to the capital.
Fred POV
The world started spinning fast when Harry's name was read out and then it stopped when Ron’s was read and didn’t start tell I was volunteering the second I was on the stage I knew I wasn’t coming home I am getting Harry home hes just a kid hes coming home and I am gonna be the most trouble I can cause for the capital suddenly i am off the stage saying my goodbyes to my family telling them my plan I look at Ron.
“ marry him love him help him I am gonna get him home you keep him okay “
He just nods and I send him to say goodbye to everyone. They lead me to the train that will deliver me to my death.