Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

The Phoenix Lament

"It's hopeless." Ron grumbled, sinking deeper into the couch behind him, Ginny resting her head on the small square pillow in her lap, sending Harry a sad glance.

"Well, I told you, Harry, nothing good was ever going to come from that book-" Hermione trailed off at Ron's pointed glare.

"I really don't need an I told you so right now, Hermione." Harry replied, his voice flat. It was all the Gryffindor's had been talking about the whole week. Harry and his detention with Snape, Harry missing the Quidditch final. Harry hexing Draco in the sixth floor bathrooms. Draco spending the rest of the night in the hospital wing.

"I know." She mumbled into the book on her lap and I caught Ginny's eye roll.

"Look, it's not ideal, obviously. But we did fine last year without you, we can do it again. Especially with Katie back now." Ginny explained, as if hoping she could talk Harry out of his foul mood.

"At least Fred and George will be pleased with you." Ron offered, sitting up slightly to meet Harry's eyes. "Just have to get the rest of Malfoy's pals, and maybe I won't get another Howler from Fred." His eyes flickered to mine, the ghost of a smirk resting on his face as I rolled my eyes.

"I said I was sorry! I didn't know they had assigned me a baby-sitter!" I mumbled, praying that we could change the subject off of Harry's almost murder and subsequent banishment from Quidditch.

"Which is ridiculous." Ginny grumbled. "I ought to send the two of them a Howler right back. Dumbasses one and two, she can take care of herself."

I laughed at the grin spreading across the youngest Weasley's face as our group fell silent again, letting Hermione finish her chapter, watching the fire flick orange embers towards the back of the fireplace. It was already May, yet someone had lit a fire in the common room after dinner, which I was thankful for, missing the cozy warmth of the Hufflepuff common room.

As requested, I had been splitting my time between Bri and Maddie and the Gryffindors, which none of them seemed all too upset about, Bri and Maddie claiming they were just thankful for some "extra eyes" to watch over the Slytherin posse. And it was nice, being around the Weasleys. Ginny reminded me so much of Molly, although with a much dirtier mouth, and Ron had become a cross between the twins and Arthur, after he got over the initial grumpiness from Fred's howler.

Still, there was a new feeling of dread that occasionally hung over the group, one that I hadn't remembered from last year, aside from the general darkness that emerged with Umbridge's arrival. I had all but chalked it up to Harry losing Sirius, missing Lupin, Ron and Hermione's lingering awkwardness about their months of arguing. But it wasn't right. Harry, and consequently Ron and Hermione, had seemed tired, constantly on edge. During their frequent huddles, voices dropped low, a faint buzzing filling our ears as Harry cast his new favorite spell, Ginny had informed me that Harry had been having meetings with Dumbledore, their subject had not been shared, yet apparently Harry always returned to Gryffindor tower lost in thought, and often went straight to his dorm without a word.

Which explained why Hermione and Ron had been sat, eyes glued to the portrait hole, feet tapping nervously against the flooring, Hermione's book discarded in her lap since Harry had been summoned to Dumbledore's office an hour ago. We had just returned from dinner, Hermione having offered to quiz Ron and I for our upcoming exams, although Ron seemed more than eager to forgo the studying in favor of waiting for our friend to return.

"What if they went somewhere? What if he's not coming back tonight?" Ron mumbled, eyes still locked on the door.

"Then we'll have wasted some valuable studying time." Hermione sounded as if she was reprimanding herself, yet neither of them moved from their spots, jumping from their seats as the portrait hole finally flung open and the dark haired boy rushed through.