Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

Back To Hogwarts

Most years I felt guilty leaving our luggage on the train. Alright, I still felt guilty this year leaving our luggage on the train, knowing the house elves would have to bring it all up, even if they could apparate around the castle. Today, however, I was extra thankful. The walk, or rather, the sprint to the carriages through the absolute downpour, lugging heavy trunks and pets at our sides would have been a terrible start to the year.

Harry, Ron and Hermione invited Neville into their carriage since there was only one more seat, leaving the twins and I to wait, rather impatiently for the next one. The second it rolled to a stop in front of us, Fred and George were inside, both hands reaching out to pull me up so the carriage could start up.

"The second I'm in those doors, I'm breaking into the prefects bathroom. I want a hot shower and a dry towel." George shivered dramatically and I laughed.

"You already know how to get in the prefects bathroom?" I asked, not doubtful at all.

"No, but how hard can it be." He shrugged as Hogwarts came into sight through the heavy rain and fog before us.

"Castle sweet castle." Fred murmured through blue-ish lips.

It was not lost on me that our legs had been crushed together the entire ride over, despite having plenty of room for all three of us in the carriage. I breathed out into the cold air and watched my breath appear in a smokey cloud a few times before Fred reached an arm around my waist and pulled me into his side, his hand resting on my opposite thigh.

"You can use your words if you fancy a cuddle." He joked, earning a scoff from George who rolled his eyes at his brother.

Finally, the carriage stopped at the front entrance to the school and we leapt out, racing up the steps through small puddles that had formed on the stone.

The three of us followed Harry, Ron, Hermione and now Neville through the doors and felt a warmth envelope us at once, even through our wet clothes.

"Thank God we-" George stopped when I screamed, a burst of cold water hitting my head and running down my hair, heavier than the rain had outside. I looked to my feet and saw a red balloon split into pieces and heard a familiar cackling from far above my head.

"Bloody Hell, Peeves!" George whined, looking me up and down, a smile threatening to break through his otherwise stoney face.

Just as George spoke, Peeves wound up another balloon aimed at the three of us. Before I could even raise my arms to shield my face from the inevitable splash, Fred had pointed his wand out in front of us.

"Protego." He muttered, the balloon hitting what looked like an invisible wall and bouncing back towards the ceiling, running through the shimmery white of Peeve's head.

"Welcome home, Weasley's! You know I had to go all out for your arrival-" He shouted.

"PEEVES!" The familiar, and angry voice of Professor McGonagall echoed through the halls as students scurried off into the Great Hall.

"Come on, Cass. You want to get into something dry?" Fred asked, pulling on my dripping robes.

"I doubt our things are already here." I muttered, still willing to check for anything in the dorms that I could dry off with as Fred and I started towards the stairs.

"I'm getting a new shirt, I don't care if I have to steal it out of Snape's closet." George announced, starting up the many flights of stairs towards the Gryffindor dorms.

"Grab me one too! The most dull gray he has!" Fred yelled up the stairs, earning a thumbs up from his brother.

The Hufflepuff common room was nearly empty, only a few older students lingering and catching up with friends in the last few minutes before the feast would begin.