Petrified (Fred Weasley Love Story)

Chapter 10 - Slaps

Chapter 10

"He knew the enchantments. He was a part of the resistance all those years ago with Charlotte's parents. He knew how to get past the defences" I heard Sirius explain.

Adam was a part of the resistance? He seemed like a dead beat from what I'd heard over the years, it was hard to believe he actually tried to make a difference. Especially considering he'd walked out on his own family. Sometimes I felt like I couldn't blame Aunt Sophie for being such a horrendous cow as her own husband and father of her children had just disappeared one day, up and gone  without as much as a goodbye.

"Why didn't Voldemort go after him as well then? He killed Charlotte's parents, wouldn't he want to wipe the entire family line?" Snape's muffled voice flowed through the closed doors.

"He tried. We know he tried, you know the story. She shouldn't have survived, but she did. That's probably why he left, he knew Voldemort would come for him and Charlotte, the last of their family" Arthur voiced. I sighed, this was nothing I hadn't heard before. Speculation over my parent's death, theories of how I survived. It was as good as any I'd heard. Voldemort haunted my dreams, that night has haunted my life since. The fact he wanted to wipe out my family made sense, my parents were the biggest part of the resistance against You-know-who.

Although I'd never thought of why Adam had walked out on his family just before I was sent there, assuming he just didn't want to deal with another child. What the order were discussing made some sense.

Yesterday, I was allowed to rest after Adam attacked me, no one asking me any questions. I just slept on and off for the rest of the night, but they all had questions in the morning once I was deemed to be better. They were very disappointed with my answers as I too had no idea what Adam was talking about.

"He said she needed protection. Does he think Voldemort will try and come after her again?" Molly asked, her voice muffled but concern was clear. She must've been on the other side of the kitchen to wear I stood, lurking behind the closed door.

"It's likely. He's gaining his strength. If he wanted to wipe out their family's magical line, she'd be the place to start. She got away from him" Sirius answered.

"Eavesdropping?" I heard a whisper from behind me. I jumped, whipping around to see the twins behind me. I slapped George, who was closest to me. It made a faint sound, not loud enough to be heard from the kitchen.

"It's about me, I'm allowed" I replied, turning my focus back to their order's conversation.

"-know Hogwarts is the safest place for her" Arthur finished the sentence I'd missed.

"Hogwarts is the safest place for both of them" Molly agreed. So did I, Harry was safest at Hogwarts. Things like last night didn't happen there. For me, well that was a good question. I didn't know where I was safe.

"Tonight then, we'll send them all back to school".

I turned away, sensing this was the end of their conversation. I wasn't willing to get caught. Fred and George followed me up to my room and watched solemnly as I began packing my trunk.

"Do you think you'll be safe there?" George asked. I sighed heavily and turned my eyes to his.

"I hope so. They're right, Hogwarts is the safest place for all of us" I replied. "If he's trying to kill me, he'll have a harder time there" I joked. Neither of the twins laughed.

I frowned at the two. "I will be fine. God knows, I won't go down without a fight. You know me, I have too much to live for." Their arms encircled me at the same time, squeezing tightly. I hugged them both as tightly as I could. "I'm not going anywhere".

"Neither are we" they said in unison.

"How did you learn this game?" Fred asked me, flicking out to slap my open palm, but I moved away too quickly, giving me another point.

"Hermione taught me. It's called slaps" I explained, reaching out to slap his open palm and making contact. Another point to me.

Fred grumbled, attempting another slap. He missed. "You know what?" he asked, I didn't get to answer as he grabbed my hand and pushed me back until I was lying on the couch we sat on. He playfully slapped at me, not a single one hurting. I tried to sit back up, but he kept pushing me down again. I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt. When he finally stopped, he pulled me back into a sitting position, a huge grin on his freckled face, his eyes warmly glowing a gorgeous molten chocolate in the reflection of the fire.

"Just kiss already!" I heard, making my head snap in the direction it came from. Seamus was sitting at one of the table close by with a friend, and both were smiling widely but wickedly. I glanced back at Fred to see his reaction as my stomach did flips over itself. What would he say?

Fred wasn't looking at me, just laughing at Shamus and Aaron. "You're such a git, shut up will you?" Fred laughed, brushing it off like it was the silliest thing he ever heard. I wish I could say I was one of those girls that were never affected by comments like that from stupid guys they had a crush on. They meant nothing, didn't matter.

But I wasn't, and I felt my stomach drop into an endless pit. The smile disappeared from my face I was wearing moments ago because I was feeling on cloud 9 with Fred. I'd just hit the ground. Why was there a stupid hope in me that thought Fred would maybe like me too? Of course he wouldn't, I was like a sister to him, obviously because the face he made to Seamus, well he may as well have told Fred to make out with Ginny.

Before Fred looked back at me, I forced myself to yawn widely, covering my mouth with my hand and looked as sleepy as I could.

"You'll get better Fred, I'm off to bed. Night" I told him, giving him a tiny smile. He gave me a bit of an odd look, so I widened it. He nodded.

"Goodnight, Char" he replied, and turned back to Seamus. I held the smile all the way to my dorm where Roze sat on her bed, and the smile fell from my face like it was heavy with weights.

"What happened?" Roze immediately asked, ditching her textbook and walking over to me, sitting next to my slumped form on my bed.

"Your brother is a git" I told her. She laughed.

"Which one?"

I rolled my eyes and explained what just happened in the common room. Roze sighed, and I could see an argument forming in her brain. "Nope, I don't want to hear it. It's so plainly obvious Roze, the thought of kissing me made him look like he wanted to be sick. There's no way he likes me" I sighed, the waver in my voice catching me off guard. Roze looked at me with pity in her eyes. I shook my head. "I just have to get over him, you know? And I will."

Roze's pretty features turned from pity to disbelieving smirk. "How?"

I turned over in my bed, pulling the covers to my chin and closing my eyes. "I don't know".