Found You (A Fred Weasley Story)

Chapter 68 (Part 1)

Third Person's P.O.V:

It was the last week before the end of the term and Grace was delighted that there was an Hogsmeade trip at this weekend. She thought she needed this break as much as others needed it. The past one and a half months wasn't a piece of cake for her as she had wanted it to be. She had things to worry about like Harry and Belle being alright and her quidditch team practicing well and last but not the least keeping her and her friends to stop people from cursing who talked about rumors related over her relationship with Oliver or Black's plan to spread chaos in Hogwarts alongside her studies.

It was snowing outside on the fine Saturday, the day the Hogsmeade trip was scheduled. Grace and all her friends except Erica (who had called in sick due to some nasty fever and was sleeping peacefully in their warm dorm.) were covered in thick and warm clothes and standing in the Entrace hall saying goodbye to Rose who was going to spend the trip with two senior Slytherins, who were supposedly cousins of Rose's future husband. Rose had no other choice to go because Rose's mother had blackmailed Rose in a letter she sent a few days back to spent some quality time with her future relatives or else she will not be able to leave her house during the summer holidays next year at which Grace had laughed and Jace snorted. After Rose, Grace and Jace bid goodbye to Belle, who was spending this trip with the twins and had not so politely declined the offer to spend some time with twins when Belle offered just for the kick. Jace was left between choosing Grace or Belle, and chose Grace in the end because Grace would be alone then and she didn't want to see Belle spit-swiping with George anyways.

Both Grace and Jace made most of their trip in Hogsmeade jovial despite their friends missing. Currently, they both were sitting in Three Broomsticks, drinking glasses of butterbear to pass their time as they had already done their shopping and were warming themselves in. Jace and Grace had seated themselves with their backs towards the entrance of the pub and were so engrossed in the designs of some dresses that Jace was showing to Grace that were sent to her by her mother that they didn't notice three third year entering the shop and perhaps failed to realize that one of the tree wasn't supposed to be here.

"They are so beautiful, Jace! I think I'm going to shop some more clothes from your mother's shop this summer!" Grace was mesmerized by the dresses that Jace showed her. She always went at Jace's mother's boutique and bought few dresses from their. Perhaps the name, Sirius Black was what that made Jace and Grace freeze in their seats and made them concentrate on the conversation going beside their table.

Grace discreetly tried to look behind her and see who were talking about was Sirius Black. She turned her head a little and saw from her peripheral view that sitting on the table beside them was Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Hagrid and Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic who Grace recognized from seeing his moving pictures in newspaper numerous number of times. Though Harry had met him in the summer holidays when he had ran away from the Dursleys', Grace had never met him. Both the girls didn't utter a way and stayed very quite and listened to their conversation and faked like they were looking into something. usually the girls would have minded their business but name of their best friend's father being mentioned made them listen to the conversation. What Grace didn't know was that she and Jace weren't the only one eavesdropping into the adult's conversation but her little brother, Harry along with his two friends Ron and Hermione were too, who all were hidden by the Christmas tree that was placed between them and the table beside them.

Madam Rosmerta, the owner of the pub served the table beside them their drinks and heard the Minister asking Madam Rosmerta to sit with them.

"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" came Madam Rosmerta's voice.

After a silence of a minute or two, Grace heard the Minister, in a very quiet voice say, "What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?" Grace had to restrain her ears to listen further because they suddenly were talking in a quite voice.