The One For Me ~ Fred Weasley FanFiction

29 ~ Hogsmeade

"Will you stop stepping on my toes," Harry whispered roughly.

"Sorry," I whisper back. We took a few more steps.

"Brilliant, you've done it again," he grunts.

"Oh shut up. Your toes will live," I snap back. He rolls his eyes.

With a few more steps we found ourselves at the top of the stairs of Honeydukes back door. We try to walk in unison, but every five steps I step on his toes or he steps on mine. It doesn't hurt, of course, but it's getting annoying. We finally seem to align ourselves. Since he is much taller than I, he walks behind me. I start heading to the door. The smiles on the rest of my classmates' faces brings a fair share of joy.

As we walk past Neville, Harry takes his lollipop. I stop walking and he instantly collides with me. A small hushed groan escapes from behind me. He slightly pushes me forwards, edging me to keep walking. We keep walking until we're completely out of the store. I walk a few more steps and check to see that no one is around.

"Was that really necessary?" I say, motioning to the cherry red sweet he carries.

"Why? Want to try it?" he asks, with a stupid sassy smirk, gesturing it towards me. I roll my eyes and shove it back towards him. "Watch it, scars."

"Well keep it up, glasses," I huff out. I look around to see if I recognize Mione's brown beautiful bushy hair or Ron's gingerness. "Okay, we made it here. Now where the hell do we go?" He pauses for a moment, stealing another lick from his sweet. Another pause, lick. Another, lick. Another, lick. My frustration grows along with the cold. "Will you stop licking that damn thing," I demand a little too loud.

"I'm thinking,'' he snaps back.

"While licking that?" I sarcastically ask. He rolls his eyes.

"Ron mentioned something about wanting to see the Shrieking Shack. Since we can't see them, then they must be there."

"Great,'' I say, enthusiastically. "Now how do we get there," I add, dropping the enthusiasm.

"Follow me." We walk for about five minutes. This time he stands in front and I blindly follow. We tread in white thick snow. We reach a few meters away from the shack. Commotion and arguing can be heard from here. As we get closer the voices become louder, clearer with every word.

"...filthy little mudblood."

Harry pushes me behind a tree. "Wait here," he whispers. Before I could protest he took the cloak off of me and went on by himself. I walk closer, trying to get a better look. I duck behind a rather large oak tree that had fallen and was now covered in snow. I could see Mione and Ron standing there, but to my dismay Malfoy stood there as well, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

For a second there was a thick eerie silent. After, a snowball flew and hit Malfoy right on the neck. He flinches and looks in my direction. I duck lower, hoping he doesn't see me. He calls out to anyone there in a scared and panicked voice. Another snowball is thrown his way, hitting him right in the chest. A perfect bulls eye. One after another, after another, start hitting them. Even more panicked he calls on one of his minions to do something.

They stand just as dumbfounded as him. At this point I can't help, but laugh.

Either Crabbe or Goyle (I honestly can't tell them apart) gets their beanie pulled down and the other's pants fall down to his ankles. Leaving him to show more than I want to see.

My laughter is loud and bounces off the fallen tree and thick snow. Seconds later, Malfoy is being dragged by his feet towards the Shrieking Shack. Fear takes over all of his features. Scrambling to get away, he's only dragged more and more down the path that leads to the shack.

Holding my stomach from all the painful laughter, I walk over the fallen tree and start, ever so slowly, making my way to them. Laughter interrupting my every step.

His legs are released and he sprints back from the direction they came from. With even more laughter disturbing my lungs I made my way to Mione and Ron.

"That was one hell of a show," I say in between snickers and laughs. Mione and Ron turn to face me.

"Serena!" Mione exclaims. I pull her into a hug. We vibrate off of each other. My laughter infects her and hers infects mine. The quiet returns and suddenly Ron's strings from his hat are being tugged. Then, Mione's curls and mine are being tugged at as well.

"Harry," Mione exclaims. He rips off his cloak to reveal himself to us.

"That was not funny," Ron complains with a slight smirk on his face.

"Oh it was a little funny," I say with an even bigger smirk.

----------

We find ourselves walking through Hogsmeade. I put my hood up in case anybody sees me. It doesn't make much of a difference, but it sure helps. We discuss the map and how Harry got it.

"Oh look who it is. Madam Rosmerta. Ron fancies her," Mione says, teasingly.

"Really? Her?" I shift my gaze between Ron and the Madam. His face burns bright red from embarrassment. "Isn't she... I don't know... a bit too old for you?" His expression hardens.

"Not everything Hermione says is true," he says, keeping his eyes on Rosmerta.

The Minister and Godmother approach her pub along with Hagrid. They give their greetings, though their moods quickly change once they breach the subjects of the dementors, then the one and only; Sirius Black, my dad.

"Oh Sirius Black in Hogsmeade. And what would bring him here?" Rosmerta questions. The minister whispers something very low in her ear. Only to have her question, "Harry Potter?" Her voice was loud. Loud enough for us to hear. Loud enough for Harry to hear.

My reflexes kick in. I urge out my hand to grab Harry, but by the time I do he's gone and all we see are his footprints leading to the door of that very building. Mione and Ron run after him. I don't waste the energy. He's too stubborn to be stopped. I walk over to the bench and take my seat. After a while Ron and Mione make their way over. It's quiet between us. Small conversation here and there, but nothing solid to go on.

Minutes later Harry's footprints appear in the snow again. He walks out towards the shack in a rushed angry pace. He pushes past a group of carolers, knocking them down. I get up trying to follow him. I mutter apologies and push past them as well.

I reach the entrance of the shack first. Low sobs fill the quiet thick air. I follow the prints with my eyes and notice they stop just before a small boulder. As much as I want to keep moving forwards, I can't.

I have a feeling I know what the conversation was about. He knows. He knows the truth, well... some of it. Godmother was right, he's not taking it well. I can feel the way he's hurting.

Mione and Ron finally catch up to me. Ron stays frozen at my side, but Hermione finds the courage to keep walking. She slowly walks over to the boulder, places her hand on the edge of the cloak and pulls it down.

"Harry, what happened?" Her voice is as soft and delicate as the snowflakes that hit the thick snow. A silent pause falls over all of us. The only thing to be heard were Harry's ragged breaths.

"He was their friend... and he betrayed them." He knows. My heart sinks. Tears prick the back of my eyes. I clear my throat trying to dismiss them. No luck. "HE WAS THEIR FRIEND!" His voice roars and breaks at the last word that escaped his lips. You can hear the pain following his tone. A single tear slides down my cheek. Bringing in more cold. "I hope he finds me. Because when he does, I'm gonna be ready!'' A voice crack interrupts. Angry tears start filling his eyes. "When he does. I'm gonna kill him!" Anger rages through his voice, but not enough to hide the actual pain that he feels.

I bow my head, trying to conceal more tears. I wipe them off and look up. Mione's eyes find mine. Concern, anger, and pity flare in them. A look so easy to decode. I know what she's asking of me, I know and I agree.

I can't tell Harry who I am.