Wot In The Harri Potter?

32 - The Hand

As the week goes on, so do my detentions.

I must not tell lies is now etched quite vibrantly on the back of my hand.

Afraid to let Fred see in case he does something stupid, I begin to avoid him, although between his Quidditch training and my detentions, that's not exactly difficult.

"Angelina's worse than Wood," Fred mutters when he apologizes once again for not being able to meet me for lunch. "She has us training at all hours."

I can't help but feel jealous that Fred is spending more time with his ex than he is me. And it's all bloody Umbridge's fault.

When the first week is over, I breathe a silent sigh of relief. And then I go and land myself another weeks worth of Umbridge detentions.

"Fuck, Harri," Fred groans when I share this news with him in the rare occasion we get to see one another in the corridors between classes. "What did you do this time?"

"I told her she wasn't teaching us anything useful. It's Defence Against the Dark Arts and every lesson she's just got us sitting there in silence reading a book. We need to learn to protect ourselves. We need to learn to fight back, in case- in case-"

I stop, the tightness in my chest making me breathless. "In case it happens again." I eventually add in a small voice, my heart twisting as I picture Cedric's last moments.

Fred wraps his arms around me, hugging me to him tightly. "You're amazing, you know that, Harri?"

I nod, of course.

"And I love that you never stop fighting for what you believe in," Fred murmurs, his voice muffled in my hair. "But I'm worried about Umbridge. She seems power-mad and likes to take it out on you."

I look up, glaring defiantly into his eyes. "I won't give that bitch the satisfaction of backing off. Ever."

Fred smirks and presses a kiss to my forehead. "In the meantime," he murmurs, his lips tickling against my scar, "is there any danger of finding a few hours in our busy schedules to find some alone time? It feels like forever since we've actually been together."

My stomach knots in longing.

"Naked time?" I ask, looking up at him coyly.

A look of intense hunger flits over his face. And when he speaks, his voice is low and hoarse. "You better believe it."

If I didn't have Defence Against the Dark Arts next, I'd probably drag him up to the seventh floor right there and then. Except that I didn't want to give Umbridge a reason to extend my detentions any further.

I sigh in frustration. "Literally the only time I'm free is after my detention in the few hours I have to sleep before getting up and doing it all over again."

"Then sleep with me, we can use the Room. I'd take any time with you, Harri, even if all we do is sleep."

I look up at his yearning face, biting my lower lip nervously. My hand bleeds quite badly in those few hours between detention and breakfast. But I miss Fred so much and I too yearn to be with him.

"I don't usually end up leaving until two in the morning lately."

A look of intense anger flickers over Fred's face. "How the hell is she allowed to keep you there that long? Fuck, Harri, you must be exhausted."

His fingers dance tenderly against my cheek, concern replacing his anger. "I'll wait up for you tonight. And then in the morning you can sleep in while I go down and get us some breakfast to bring back to the Room."