Cursing (Fred Weasley)

EIGHTEEN

Every child always looked forward to the summer. The Weasley, Potter, and Malfoy children were no exception.

So after exams were over- due to the circumstances any student who still chose to do their exams could- each of the five Weasley/Potter children ran out of school, throwing their hands up in the air.

Teddy and Callie were the only ones to choose to take their exams, while Brady, James, and Victoire were forced to by their parents. Teddy and Callie were anxious to find out if they passed; if they were an Auror and a healer.
——
They had found out their grades during the graduation ceremony. Both had passed with flying colors, their late nights of studying paying off.

On the boat ride back across the Black Lake, a storm of emotions raged through then both. Sorrow, at that they would never return to the castle as students; joy at that they passed and were doing their dream careers; and relief: they had made it. It was a rather bittersweet day, especially for Harry, George, and Ginny.

There was obviously a celebration dinner at He Burrow, courtesy of Molly. It was normal; nothing really significant happened.
——
The first day of summer, Sirius was at Elle and Fred's cottage. Reese and Josie wouldn't leave his side, as they loved spending time with their grandfather.

"Tell us a story, Grandpa!" Josie insisted.

"What kind of story?" Sirius asked, looking at both girls.

"Something romantic!" Reese said excitedly.

"Something exciting!" Josie added, sitting in front of Sirius on the floor while he was on the couch.

Sirius thought for a moment. "I have just the story."

Reese and Josie looked up at him expectantly, eyes sparkling. Sirius ran his hand through his hair, thinking about how to start the story. After a moment, he started. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful witch named Elle and a troublemaking wizard named Fred...."

The girls looked up at him with a grin on their faces, listening to the story of their parents.

"They met on a train going to a beautiful castle when they were eleven. From the moment they introduced themselves, they were the best of friends. They did everything together; they were inseparable. They pulled prank after prank, following- though the didn't know it- in her father and uncle's footsteps.

"Fred, as I've been told, had a crush on Elle from the first moment he saw her. While Elle had a few people whom she considered her best friends, she was never as close to them as she was to Fred."

The girls giggled and leaned into each other, leaning forward at the same time, wordlessly telling Sirius to continue with the story.

"As they got older, Elle noticed her feelings for Fred changing. Practicing for the Yule Ball, she danced with him. She realized 'I am falling for Fred Weasley.' Everyone had always known that they were going to end up together. It was a match made in heaven. The way they looked at each other even before they were together, the way they laughed together. Fred had pined for her for years, hoping that one day she would reciprocate his feelings. When she finally did, he was always too nervous to talk to her about it.

"And so, Elle pined over Fred. She wanted so desperately for him to ask her to be his girlfriend."

The girls giggled again, picturing young versions of their parents. They thought it was crazy; how they were once the age they are now.

Sirius paused for a moment, smirking slightly, before continuing, "One day, Fred left Hogwarts with his twin, leaving Elle behind to open a joke shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Elle was hurt and lonely without her best friend, but it was her last year at Hogwarts and so she knew she had to stay to finish her education.