Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

Dumbeldore's Army

"Come on, you three! We're going to be late!" I dragged Fred's hand, George and Lee trailing behind us as we hurried off the busy street and onto a nearly silent set of gloomy looking stores.

"A prefect rushing us to break the rules?" Lee questioned with a grin. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"Oh, yeah, she's been getting into trouble all term!" Fred planted his free hand on top of my head, ruffling my hair crazily until I managed to back out of his reach.

Fred pulled the door open to the Hog's Head, holding it wide for George, Lee and I to enter, where I noticed at once that we were in fact not late. It was easy to spot the three friends in the near vacant pub, Harry and Hermione sitting at the farthest table against the back wall, Ron across from them, all with bottled butterbeer in their hands and all looking rather uncomfortable.

I waved to the three of them before following as Fred headed up to the bar, the two of us watching patiently as the bartender wiped a filthy glass with an even filthier rag.

"I'm not sure I want anything, actually-" I breathed out just as the door opened behind us again, a burst of crisp September air rushing in. I smiled, a little less nervous now as we watched Neville and three other Gryffindor students, two Ravenclaws, followed by Luna Lovegood, the blonde girl Ginny had introduced me to on the train ride.

More and more students with varying house color pairings arrived, all taking seats near the back of the crowd that had gathered before Harry and Hermione. Finally I spotted my roommates, Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchly on their heels. I pointed them over towards where George and Lee had propped oversized Zonko's bags on stools to save seats for Fred and I and then turned back to the bartender who was now looking at Fred and I.

"Can we get..." He scanned the room quickly. "Twenty-five butterbeers please?"

"In bottles." I added quietly, not wanting to drink anything from the dishes they used here. "Please."

The large man reached below the bar, pulling up three bottles in each hand and began handing them over the counter to Fred who passed them around the group of us all as I dropped three galleons on the counter.

"I can get them," Fred offered, reaching for his pockets before I slapped his hand away.

"It's fine." I shook my head, taking our bottles at last and sitting in our spots between George and Maddie who was looking quite giddy as she clinked her bottle to mine.

Harry had been glaring at Hermione for the past few minutes, the two of them exchanging hushed whispers while everyone talked amongst themselves.

"Hi, Harry." Neville said with a great smile from a spot close to the front. Maddie nudged my arm a bit too hard for my liking, nodding over to Hannah who's eyes were locked onto the side of Neville's face, a warm smile spreading on her own.

"Well," Hermione started, her voice sounding, for once, unsure of what she was going to say next. "We all know why we're here. Harry here had the idea-" I suppressed a laugh as Harry shot Hermione a sharp glare. "I mean, I had the idea that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I mean really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us. Because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Hear hear!" Anthony Goldstein raised his drink in the air and a few of us chuckled, Bri rolling her eyes with a smile.

"Well, anyways, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands."

She paused, looking sideways at Harry and then continued, sounding more certain of herself now. "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells-"