Perfect World

Chapter 3

"Why can't I go see her?" Fred asked Lee who was steaming across from him in the Gryffindor commons room.

"She experienced a panic attack, Fred! I know you two are all about jokes, but they're only funny as long as no one gets hurt!! Even you say that, but someone got hurt today! Just leave her alone!" Lee stormed up to his room leaving behind a baffled George and a guilt-ridden Fred.

"It really was an accident..." Fred whispered to no one in particular.

"I know it was Feorge," The childhood nickname that usually made his twin crack a smile did nothing this time. "but we can make it up to her."

"But how? Lee won't let me near her and Daffi threatened us. Daffodil! She's the sweetest girl ever!"

"We hurt her best friend. We just have to prove it was an accident and we're sorry. We can do it tonight at Astronomy." George laid his hand on his brother's shoulder.

While they planned to become friends with, or at least, less of enemies with Lula, it had backfired before they even began. It really had been an accident. They were joking around and while not paying attention, Fred and Lula both ended up in the Black Lake.

It was bad luck to find out the girl couldn't swim and it had scared the mess out of both twins. Fred had never known anyone who couldn't swim. As one of seven kids, they couldn't afford to do a lot of things, but taking a trip to the beach was something they often did. It was free and easily could keep everyone entertained. So they all had learned to swim at a young age. It had not occurred to Fred that swimming wasn't a skill learned by everyone. Even his youngest sister was able to keep up with them all while swimming.

He remembered the look on her face. Terrified. Utterly horrified by her predicament and unable to do anything about it by herself.

George could see his twin getting lost in the bad parts of his mind and quickly tried to do something about it.

"Hey, we'll see her in Astronomy." Fred just nodded. "In the meantime, we still have our top-secret formula to finish creating. We almost have it down too. Especially after we made those Joke Telescopes, not our best work," he winced remembering the too many black eyes they had gotten over the summer, "We need to fine-tune this bruise removing paste."

"Yeah," Fred finally turned to his twin, a little happy for the distraction. "Let's get it right."

The distraction proved to be in vain. Fred couldn't take his mind off the whole incident with Lula and it clearly showed. George tried his best to cheer his twin up but was relieved when it was late enough to be early to Astronomy class. He and Fred rushed to the Astronomy Tower and got there fifteen minutes early. He watched Fred pace around the tower some more before calling out to him.

"You're going to burn a hole through the floor and end up like Peeves." George tried to keep his sense of humor light, but it got Fred to stop pacing. He now leaned against a wall and tapped his foot and fingers impatiently. George sighed and gave up. The only thing that would calm him down at this point was talking to Lula.

Another ten minutes passed and the Astronomy tower was nearly packed with students. Lula was nowhere in sight, but Lee was seen talking to another Slytherin girl who glared in the direction of the two before telling Lee something. Lee turned to walk over to them.

"She isn't coming." He says eyes downcast. "Muriel says she tried to but Madame Pomfrey refused her after she had to take another Calming Draught. Muriel and Daffodil agreed to meet her first thing in the morning and I don't think you'll have much a chance to get to her, Fred."

"I have to apologize, Lee," Fred said pleadingly. "I just don't know what to do. You were right, the jokes are funny, but someone got hurt while we were messing around. It was an accident, but she was terrified." He pictured her face again as she struggled to keep herself above water.