[✎]Willow Black - Accomplice (Fred Weasley)

[12]

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<Griffindor Common Room, Towards the End of the Year>

Two weeks had passed and Willow was still in the hospital wing, she lay there motionless, although that was better than her shaking and twitching. Alicia and Lee had finally gotten together, but apart from that, the weeks had been uneventful, filled only with Fred's constant worrying over Willow and countless visits to the hospital wing.

"I'm going to visit her" Fred announced and George looked up from the photo he was looking at, "I'll come,", "me too," Angelina said standing up and stepping forward, "we will too," Lee said speaking for both himself and Alicia, who nodded.

They made their way downstairs from the boy's dormitories, only to find their path blocked by Hermione. "Any news?" she asked, referring to Willow, "naught," Fred responded, her face dropped and she went back to Harry and Ron. "Ah, you five-" George cut McGonagall off as she began talking as she entered the common room. "Is she alright?", "I think I am," Willow said following the professor through the portrait hole. "Willow" Alicia and Ange cried and threw themselves at her nearly knocking her over, Fred tried to hold himself back, failed, and joined the hug soon to be followed by George and Lee as well. "Good to have you back," Katie said as she approached the group. Fred stepped forward to say something nasty to her but Willow stopped him, "I'm surprised to see that you, of all people, missed me. After all, you did put me there in the first place" Willow said kindly stepping forward to look down on Katie. Katie flushed, her face growing redder by the second "I did not" she managed to say, "Miss Bell, is what Miss Black stating true, did you curse her?" McGonagall said stepping forward as well, "she deserved it! Plus she's the one that made it so bad, if she hadn't been such a worrywart, it wouldn't have been so bad!" Katie spat. "Miss Bell, follow me," McGonagall said sternly and led Katie out of the room.

"What were you so stressed about?" Alicia asked, curious, as she leaned into Lee, "are you two finally a couple? I called it" Willow said nervously trying to avoid the question, "Willow," Angelina said, putting a hand on Willow's arm. Willow flinched away and frowned, "sorry I guess I'm still a bit sensitive after the curse...", avoiding the question yet again, her hair changed colour again, but this time to a light shade of purple, "your hair," Lee said. "Oh Merlin, not again," Willow said examining a strand that strayed from her ponytail.

"Sit, and explain," George said pointing to a chair, she took a deep breath, "I'd rather not," she said twiddling her thumbs and looking at the floor. "Willow! We're your friends, you can tell us" Alicia said, Fred remained silent, Willow looked at him with her misty blue eyes, before looking away. "Where do I start," she asked looking at each of them in turn, "how about what you're stressed about," Fred said and everyone looked at him, he sat down opposite her and she inhaled deeply before beginning.

"Lately I've had a lot of things on my mind... I've been stressing over helping Professor Sprout with the mandrakes, I stress over Katie, and what she does to me when you guys aren't around, I stress over letting Oliver down in quidditch, I stress over homework and failing classes" she paused and then more quietly she said, "I stress over you guys leaving me when you find out more about my past". She looked at the floor, "that's why I haven't been eating, that's why I'm so stressed". "Willow," Fred said softly, "we would never leave you, you told us your past and we haven't left," he said indicating to George and himself. "You don't know the half of it" she said and looked into his eyes, they all remained silent and Willow shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. "But I'm fine now and you don't have to worry, now tell me, how long have you two been together" Willow said smiling and looking at Alicia and Lee, they all laughed at her sudden enthusiasm but let it slide.

-

"You guys are the best," Willow said suddenly as they were all walking down the hallway to their next class. "That was random," George said and she giggled, "I just wanted to let you guys know". "Hey Willow you never told us about your hair,", "oh right, well if my emotions are too strong then my hair changes colour, each colour represents a different emotion, for example, when I feel sick or extremely uncomfortable it goes green, and the stronger I feel that emotion the darker my hair goes that colour" she finished and smiled, "what does blue mean?" Fred asked. "Well normal blue means sadness but if it goes my preferred ombré blue then it means that I feel safe" she explained and his eyes widened and George elbowed him in the ribs. "So you felt safe when Fred picked you up" Alicia concluded, "yes," Willow said softly and her cheeks flushed a light pink as she looked away, "chicken utensil turtle eggs" Angelina cried and yet again the boys were thrown into confusion as the girls laughed.

-

"Miss Black I do believe the Mandrakes are ready," Professor Sprout said smiling broadly up at her young student, Willow looked at her, wide-eyed, "really!", "yes, and you have done an excellent job," she said patting Willow on the back.

That night all who had been petrified were revived. As they entered the Great Hall, dinner turned into a celebration. They celebrated Ginny's survival after the ordeal with the Chamber of Secrets, they celebrated Harry saving her and they celebrated the mandrakes working and those who petrified being okay.

-

"What an excellent ending to the year," Angelina said as the group headed to the carriages that took the students to the Hogsmeade station where the Hogwarts express was awaiting them to board it and take off to London.

The train finally pulled up at Platform 9 and 3/4 and they all exited the train, "goodbye lovely" Lee said and went to kiss Alicia on the cheek, she smiled mischievously at Angelina and Willow before quickly turning her head slightly and catching him on the lips "my ship is sailing" Willow cheered and Alicia laughed as she pulled away from the kiss, leaving Lee dumbstruck. "Well, see you guys, next year," Angelina said and started to walk over to her family. "Hey Ange do me the favour and be my girlfriend," George said, it was so unexpected that it not only caught Angeline off guard but also himself. She stood there staring at him, Willow ran up behind her and manually nodded her head. "sorry Willow, but I wanna hear it from Ange" George said not breaking eye contact with her, she nodded on her own and he smiled embracing her in a hug, "you've just made my day" he announced, and she blushed looking at her shoes. George lifted her chin, winked at her and then walked over to his mother who was fussing over Ginny like she usually did. "Bye," Willow said to Fred, giving him a quick hug before skipping off to Remus who she spotted by scanning the crowd, "bye" he yelled after her and she heard his laugh ringing in her ears as she greeted Remus. Fourth-year done.

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