Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

Dementor Lessons

"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.