Serpentine ; Fred Weasley

Forty-two

We all stared as some of the fifth year students were dragged away by Umbridge and the few Slytherin students.

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger as well as the twins younger brother were some of them.

Dumbledore's Army had been discovered and the Ministry was called in by Umbridge.

Fred, George, Lee and I stood and watched in one of the corridors as a few from the ministry arrived, Percy Weasley included.

Percy looked at his brothers who simply stared back at him, both angry.

I knew who Percy was. We were in the same house when he was still in school and then Fred and George had told me a little about him and the current struggle between Percy and the rest of their family.

Percy's eyes landed on me and his eyebrows furrowed slightly as if to question why I stood with his brothers.

"You think Dumbledore's being sacked?" Lee asked as we watched the minister and the people working below him, entering Dumbledore's office.

"It wouldn't surprise me." Fred muttered, his arms folded over my chest. "I'm not staying at this school for one more moment."

Fred and George looked at each other.

"Tomorrow?" George asked and Fred hummed in response before they both looked at me for confirmation.

"Sounds good." I said, tipping back onto my heels.

"I can't believe you guys are leaving Angie and I behind." Lee scoffed.

I glanced at him before my eyes focused on the office again as the entrance closed behind the minister.

"You could always come with." George said with a shrug.

"Yeah, no... my parents would end up in Azkaban for homicide." He said before looking at me. "And you must be suicidal or some shit."

"Why?" I asked, tilting my head as a small chuckle left my lips.

"Your mum's a psychopath. She'll be enraged."

I scoffed.

"Yeah, she'll murder me." I said. "But my dad is a little more chill when it comes to some things so hopefully he'll keep her from pulling a knife."

Lee snickered.

"I'm headed back to the common room." He said, patting my shoulder on his way past me.

"Yeah, me too." George sighed, following behind Lee, leaving Fred and I in the corridor.

With a sigh, Fred leaned his shoulder against the wall, turned towards me, his chest almost touching my arm.

"Have you told anyone that you're leaving?" He asked and I shook my head. "Not even your sister?"

"Maya and I aren't that close." I told him. "She'd just go running to my parents about it."

"And Martha?"

I sighed, turning my head, leaning it back against the wall as I looked up at him.

"Martha and I haven't been friends for months, Fred."

"I know." He said in a whisper, dragging his fingers down my arm until he found my hand. "Since September, right?"

I hummed in response.

"I just think you should give her a second chance. We all deserve second chances."

"She fucked my boyfriend."

"I know." he hurried to say. "But now you have a different boyfriend. She's not even friends with him anymore. They never sit together and I've only seen them talk once since the three of you split from each other."

I rolled my eyes and reached up with my left hand, placing it against the nape of his neck.

I pulled him down and just as his lips brushed mine, I heard Martha's voice.

"You're leaving?"

Pulling away, Fred looked over his shoulder and I stared at the same direction to see Martha walk towards us.

"Tomorrow." I nodded and she frowned, glancing at Fred before looking at me again.

"Why?"

"What do you mean; why?" I scoffed. "I'm not staying at this school with a pink fucking toad who finds enjoyment in torturing people."

Martha folded her arms over her chest as she looked at Fred.

"You're leaving as well, I'm guessing."

"Yes." Fred nodded. "We've had our education. We're gonna open up the joke shop so we won't need the exams."

"And you?" Martha looked at me. "You need your exams."

I shook my head.

"I'll be working for Fred and George until I can afford to open my own bookshop."

She nodded slowly.

"Can we talk, Kai?"

Sighing, I leaned against the wall, glancing at Fred who looked down at me.

"I'm not in the mood for talking, Martha."

"C'mon." She sighed. "I miss you, a lot. This year has been horrible without you. I just— I want my best friend back."

"You should've thought about that before you helped Felix get away with cheating on me."

Martha brushed her fingers through her hair, closing her eyes for a moment before she looked at me again.

"I was scared of losing you, alright? Kai, I love you for fuck sake!"

I took a step towards her, pushing my hands into the pockets of my trousers.

"You wouldn't have lost me if you had just told me." I said. "Because if you had told me as soon as Felix and I became official about our relationship, you wouldn't have done anything wrong. You didn't know we were together but he did. Though you decided to keep that to yourself for an entire year which means I spilled so much time on a toxic guy like him."

She bit down on her lip as she looked at me with furrowed eyebrows and then she teared up.

"No, don't do that." I shook my head. "Don't start crying. Do not play that trick on me."

"It's not a trick, Kai!" She yelled. "You don't fucking get it, do you?!"

"What?" I sighed. "What don't I get?"

She took a deep breath, then laughed as she wiped her eyes.

"I was in love with you." She said and immediately my face dropped. "I started crushing on you in year five and I started sleeping around because if I couldn't have you, I just needed someone to make me feel like I was being cared for. I slept with Felix and it didn't mean anything and then I found out you two were together and I was angry, so yeah, maybe my anger got in the way and maybe I didn't tell you because I was hoping that he would screw it up on his own."

"Martha—"

"I didn't want you to be with him and then you broke up and I felt happy, not only because you were single but also because you didn't deserve what he was doing behind your back." She said. "Though I don't have those feelings anymore. I'm with Carter and I love him and I really hope you're okay with it."

I didn't know what to say.

I was speechless.

This was the last thing I expected when she showed up in the corridor.