Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

Pranks

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.

A/N: This one's short but I was already at a bit of words and didn't have anything else small to add. Also it's so dumb to write author's notes when I have no readers yet but I'm hopeful!