[2] The Great Orangenie | FRED WEASLEY

Chapter Forty One

The familiar feeling of metaphorically drowning in the unknown was flooding Aubrey once more as she left Umbridge's office, unsure of what the woman wanted now. It had all made sense before but now it was becoming too much for her as she walked back to the Hufflepuff dorms. The idea of returning to the Hufflepuff dorms with Saskia in it was near unbearable but fate was on her side: lurking in a nook, sitting top to toe was Angela and Lexy. 

"Aubrey, hi!" Angela jumped, her face just as troubled, "We thought you were someone else but ... maybe you're who we need to talk to. An unromantic ... look, Lexy thinks it's a bad idea but I think me and Kenny need to take a - "

"Ang, shh," Lexy said suddenly.

"Don't worry, Lex, we're friends again," Angela replied although Aubrey hardly heard either of them; in fact she had hardly noticed their presence at all, so wrapped in the worrying pit that was her life. Sometimes adventure wasn't all it was cracked up to be, "Besides, I helped her with her Umbridge problem, she can help - "

"Something's not right..." Lexy replied, darting forward, clamping her hands onto Aubrey's shoulders making her jump, "BOO!"

Aubrey looked up with a start, almost letting screaming had she not recognised her just in time, "Lexy, hon ... please don't do that - "

"Sorry, sorry ... what's wrong? You look worse than me when I asked Roger out," Lexy replied, "What happened?"

"It's Umbridge, she ..." Aubrey suddenly paused, shaking her head, "Nothing, hon, don't worry about me, I... I've got it under control. I just ... just have so much to do for tomorrow if I go at all but ... I don't want you guys to get into danger for me. Don't worry about it, I ... should go talk to Fred - "

Angela and Lexy couldn't help but exchange a look. This noble/controlling gesture was somewhat tiring for them, "Aubs, can you just tell us what's going on? Since the, um ..." Lexy paused, unsure of whether to reveal it all to Angela quite yet, "Quidditch game, I'm so out of the loop but we want to help, let us be part of this with you."

"No, you'd get hurt - "

"Last year you were kidnapped by a Deatheater who is now on the loose again, according to my Mum ... Lexy told me," Angela added, "Centralising all the power really fucked things up for you but when I helped, it worked quite well."

"Hey! I managed to free myself thank you very much!" Aubrey retorted sassily before shaking her head, "This is just ... I don't even know but - "

"You're not going to tell us what's wrong and I'm ... not in the mood to convince you," Angela's bold words were enough to make Aubrey go speechless, her dark eyes wide as her lips parted a little in shock, "Just ... tell us what we can do to help. I know I'm usually not the best second but if you really have that much on your plate for tomorrow, give us a little non-dangerous task to do so you don't end up frightening a bunch of first years with your panic parades around the school."

"It really was terrifying," Lexy added, "You ... mumble to yourself."

"I do?"

Angela smiled, exhaling a short puff of amusement, "You don't hear it?"

"No," Aubrey admitted, taking a deep breath before taking up her friend's offer, "Ang, could you um ... write a letter to my Dad for me, tell him I'm ... um, seeing Umbridge tomorrow and need to know how he used to get rid of her just in case ... things go wrong. And Lexy, make sure Saskia knows that I'm having a long surprise meeting with Umbridge, she's bound to go then. And I ..." She slowly moved her arm forward as if aiming for an imaginary target. Her head slowly rose to look at the point as she took a step forward, "... I need to talk to the twins. Ang, what's the password?"