my best friends brother - fred weasley

xli. fireworks

Leading up to my Charms exam, Fred was no where to be found, George either. I wandered the halls trying to find them both, Ron tagged along, certain that he'd be able to find them.

"We're related, it's like a mind reading thing." He tried to explain why he needed to come with me, walking out of a first year Muggle studies classroom. "And they're like twelve feet tall with red hair, how hard could it be?" 

"Apparently very hard." I mumble back, not really listening to him. "Are you sure they aren't in their dorm?"

"Do you not trust me?" Ron looks at me, offended. 

"I think that you want to get out of Hermione's study session." I shrug, turning down the hallway.

"That's so rude of you to assume." Shoving his hands in his pockets he adds, "You're right of course, but it's still rude of you to assume." We keep heading down the hallway, looking into classrooms and bathrooms, asking students and professors if they'd seen the twins, all with no luck. Looking at the time it was 2pm and our exam started in two hours. Giving up on our search, Ron and I went to the great hall to try and score some food left over from lunch. I sat across from him, watching him shovel sandwiches down his throat, trying to think of a way to find them. 

"Does Harry still have the marauders map?" I ask while he's mid-bite.

"Probably." He muffles through his sandwich. "You'll have to interrupt Hermione's thing for it."

"I was afraid of that." I bite my lip, trying to think a plan. I get up and run out of the hall for the common room, leaving Ron behind. I run up the flights of stairs, two steps at a time, trying to get there as fast as I can. Hermione and the group of students she's managed to pull into a study circle stare at me as I burst into the common room, mumbling angrily at me. 

"Clover have you seen Ron, he's meant to be studying with us." Hermione closes her book slowly. 

"Uh, nope. Have you seen Harry?" I try to catch my breath, scanning the room. 

"I'm right here." Harry says, standing up from behind a group of students, making me jump slightly. I walk over to him and lean closely so only he can hear me. "Can I use the map?" 

"Map?" He looks at me, confused. "Oh the map." He winks.

"Yes, the map."

"Uh... I can't let you use it." He hesitates. 

"Why not." I cross my arms.

"Because I promised someone."

"Who did you promise?" 

"I promised not to say that either." Everyone looks over at us, expecting me to start yelling. "I'm starting to sense that promising that was a bad idea."

"Yes, that was a very bad idea Harry." I turn on my heel and walk back out of the room, bumping into Ron on the stairs. 

"Thanks for ditching me back there." He frowns, putting the last bite of a sandwich into his mouth. "Really appreciate it."

"Can you ask Harry for the map, he's 'not allowed' to give it to me." I roll my eyes, "Please, Ron?"

"And face Hermione? Have you gone mad?"

"The future of your brothers relationship is on the line. Do you really want to be the reason we break up?" I stare up at him. "Do you?" 

"I don't know who I'm more scared of, you or Hermione." He gulps.

"You're going to find out in a second if you don't get that map for me." He hurries in and I pace in front of the portrait , waiting for him to come back out.