I Lived - Fred Weasley

It's Nice To Have A Friend

The next morning, Celeste has a long-overdue discussion with Harry, Ron, and Hermione about what they've been up to the past few months. By the end of it, the blonde girl makes them promise to tell her before they do anything more stupid than they've done thus far.

Then, she excuses herself to take a walk, needing to process all this new information about Snape, Quirrell, the Sorcerer's Stone, Hagrid's three-headed dog named "Fluffy", and He Who Must Not Be Named's involvement. Another thing she has a hard time understanding is how she plays into all of it. Firenze and the other two centaurs seemed convinced that she is important to all of the craziness.

—

The next few days, she manages to somehow make it through her exams without combusting. Celeste Malfoy is upset about her friends (who still won't talk to her, other than Fred and Cedric), confused about He Who Must Not Be Named, and scared to go back to Malfoy Manor. She hasn't been able to cast her Patronus yet, much less turn into an animagus.

Though she doesn't need to be able to cast a corporeal Patronus in order to become an animagus, she feels like it'll help. It'll give her at least a sense of accomplishment and it'll be something to focus on— something to give her a little bit of hope that things will work out, even though it doesn't feel like it at the moment.

She's practicing her Patronus one night in the Gryffindor common room when she hears a shuffling noise come from somewhere behind her. She whips around and shouts, "Flipendo Tria!" knocking whatever it is back into a wall with a loud bang!

"Owwww..." groans a familiar voice.

Celeste finally surveys her surroundings to see Fred Weasley holding the back of his head in pain.

"Erm, sorry, Fred. 'Thought you were trying to kill me," the blonde says as she walks over to him and helps him up to his feet.

"Why would I be trying to kill you?" he asks incredulously.

"For sport?" Celeste suggests. "What are you doing down here, anyway?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I asked first."

"'Couldn't sleep, 'thought I heard something. It was you," he smirks. "Your turn."

The girl sighs, a smile on her face. "Practicing magic."

"What kind of magic?" Fred prompts.

"The Patronus charm."

"Why?"

"'Cause it's cool," Celeste says, not wanting to give him the real reason. It's a secret.

"Can I see it?"

Celeste walks over to a sofa in front of the roaring fire and sits down. Her mood has suddenly dropped. For some reason, she can't find it in her to hide this shift. Perhaps she's too overwhelmed, too exhausted to pretend she's not disappointed in herself.

Fred follows her and sits next to her. "Celeste..."

"Yes, Fred?" She doesn't look at him.

"Are you going to show me your Patronus?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I can't do it," the girl admits.

Fred takes a moment to think, leaving the two sitting in silence.

"You need a happy memory to produce a Patronus, right?" he asks after a while.

"Right."

"What memory are you using?"

She's been using her memory of what she saw in the strange mirror before Christmas— the one where she was with the Weasleys and all of her friends. It's the happiest thing she can think of. But, because she doesn't want to have to explain all of that to him, she says this instead:

"A good dream."

"A good dream?"

"A really good dream," she confirms.

"What happens in it?"

Normally, Celeste would make something up. She would tell him something that makes sense, but not the truth. The truth is sad. It makes her seem weak, pathetic. She hates it. It's so pitiful. And she doesn't want pity.

This time, however, she's too tired to lie. And she trusts Fred. Despite everything, he has stayed with her. Even in his anger, he hasn't discarded her as a friend. He hasn't left her. And so, with firelight reflecting on their faces in the otherwise dark room, she tells him the truth.

"I go to the Burrow for Christmas. I get to spend it with you and your parents and sibling. Lee, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie visit for a day. Hermione and Harry are there, Diggory too. We're all wearing your mum's sweaters. It's like I have a family." She doesn't look at him when she says this, feeling a little embarrassed at the confession. Before he can say anything, she continues on.

"I know why it doesn't work for my Patronus, though."

"Why?" Fred asks, quieter than usual. He's processing what she just said.

"It's just a dream. It keeps it from being completely happy. No matter how wonderful it is, it's not real."
It's quiet for a while after that. The thirteen-year-old girl and fourteen-year-old boy just sit there, thinking about everything that's been said.

Fred and George turned fourteen almost two months ago, before George stopped talking to Celeste. She had gotten them a set of false-bottomed tea cups and a prototype she had made for every-flavor tea bags.

The girl misses what life was like back then. It hurts to think about now.

"But you have a family..." the boy breaks the silence.

"What?"

"You said your dream was like having a family. But you have a family. Not the warm and cuddly kind, but you do have one, don't you?"

"Not really," Celeste scoffs.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, Freddie. Don't worry about it."

Once again, silence fills the room. Fred knows not to press too far with Celeste. They've been friends long enough for him to be able to tell when her walls are back up. They've been friends long enough for him to know that he's incredibly lucky she let her walls down in the first place.

"I'm sorry," he finally says.

"For what?" She looks at him in curiosity.

"Ignoring you."

"You're not the problem, Freddie. You—"

"I still messed up."

"I did too."

"I should've reacted better."

"Well, I—"

"Just accept the apology, Celeste."

The girl smiles. "Fine, I accept your apology. And I'm sorry for losing so many points."

"And I accept your apology," the boy smiles back at her. "You're too important to ignore," he confesses, hoping she can't see the sudden pink in his cheeks.

She looks at him in surprise. "You mean it?"

"'Course I mean it."

"You're important to me too, Freddie."

The two sit there for a little while longer before finally saying goodnight and going back up to their respective dormitories. Celeste tries not to let her mood dampen when she enters her dorm. The girls still aren't talking to her.

She goes to sleep thinking about how lucky she is to have Fred Weasley as her friend. He's not her best friend— that title belongs to Cedric Diggory. But he's a close second. And Celeste can't imagine her life without the boy.