Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

OWLs

a/n: a long long weekend of me being sick and working 25 hours deserves a new chapter posted. enjoy & love you all!

It was hard not to miss the twins, especially when all of their would-be replacements in the pranking arena were so... uninspiring. The most popular idea from the new generation of trouble-makers seemed to be stink pellets or dung bombs, who could tell these days. The corridors more often than not smelled so foul that the sixth and seventh years had taken to producing bubble head charms to get from room to room, a habit that had been adopted by nearly every student that could learn the spell.

I followed closely behind Harry and Ron, Hermione's words flooding into her bubble so quickly I was wondering how much air was left inside for her to breathe.

"Hermione, enough. I don't want to talk about it anymore-" Harry trailed off, sounding annoyed and pulling me back into their conversation. I had taken to hanging around the trio a bit more since the twins left, and I had to admit my motive may have had something to do with the comfort I felt being near Fred's brother. He felt like the Burrow. He felt like home.

"Fine, then shall we talk about when you're going to be talking to Snape about starting up your occlumency lessons again?" She asked, snippily.

The green eyes snapped to mine quickly before looking back to Hermione.

"No. We're not."

The four of us started up the stairs, instinctively. Surely returning to their common room.

"I'll head back to my room, see you guys-" I started, sensing that the conversation didn't involve me anymore.

"Come off it, Harry, she's practically family." Ron nudged him, and with a sigh Harry looked back to Hermione.

"I'm practicing on my own. I'll figure it out."

"But you're still having the dreams." She snapped.

"No, I'm not-"

"Ron said you are. He said just last night."

Ron turned at once, nearly sending me toppling over the railing of the stairs as he glowered down at Hermione. "I only said... only a bit, just talking in his sleep. People are allowed to dream."

"Thanks Ron." Harry grumbled, practically shouting the password at the portrait hole painting before we clambered through.

"You've got to shut your mind, Harry. There's no reason to keep going down that hallway." Hermione said, as if the case was closed.

"It's just a hallway. So what if I want to see where it goes?" He bit back.

◌

I wasn't nervous. Not too nervous, at least. It was sort of a blessing and a curse to have our Charms OWL first, as it would undoubtedly be my best score. I had spent some time studying with the girls, of course, which only cemented my belief that I would be fine.

While everyone else had been dreading the start of the exams, I had found myself almost looking forward to it. Something to take my mind off the twins. An end to the deranged studying which had been the only activity on any fifth and seventh years calendar the past months. I wanted some free time again. I wanted to go out and do something easy and fun with my friends, instead of being locked in the library pouring over books we had already read, leaving my mind no choice but to wander back to the chilly nights in the Gryffindor dormitories.

"Students, you may enter!" McGonagall appeared at the doorway, her voice carrying over the crowds, barely audible over the flickering of textbook pages and tapping feet.