[2] The Great Orangenie | FRED WEASLEY

Chapter Fifty Three

It felt bizarre scheming and planning without Fred by her side but Aubrey pushed through. This was definitely one of the times him having an identical twin helped: just having George there brought a sense of comfort and for brief moments she could imagine it was Fred by her side instead. It was a strange thing but right now she just needed anything to get her through this.

The phrase 'where there's a will, there's a way' felt incredibly applicable as they'd managed to figure out the bare bones of logistics within a day or two without the stress of lessons (thanks to some very convincing work with the skiving snack box). Even without Fred, they still had some of that spontaneous spark in Lexy which definitely balanced out the more serious, logical forces that Aubrey and George presented. Saskia ... well, Saskia acted as more of a hindrance to them than anything if they were all being honest, chiming in with random warnings and worries at very unhelpful moments but even this wasn't enough to stop them. The plan remained largely unchanged from what she and Lexy had discussed a few nights before: they'd sneak down into Hogsmeade, Lexy would write to her parents beforehand claiming she was in major distress and needed collecting from a nearby town. Once they knew their ride was ready, they'd use floo powder to get out of Hogsmeade and from there, drive to where they needed to go. It was fairly simple but Aubrey suspected that the people who would want them back would never suspect they'd use muggle transport and ... well, she was desperate.

By the end, only one thing remained: getting out of Hogwarts unseen. But by now, this was just the easy part.

"We may not have the Marauders' Map anymore, but me and ... Fred had it memorised like the back of our hands. There are so many secret passages we can use," George promised and Aubrey decided to just leave it to him. Usually she'd like a bit more control over every aspect but not having Fred around and the stress that they might not get him back was so mentally draining she was willing to delegate for once. Plus ... she actually trusted George. He cared just as much as she did.

The night finally rolled around and Aubrey was on edge the entire day, constantly checking the clock and willing it to go faster with fleeting side-eyes and drummed nails on the desk. It felt so odd bidding goodnight to Saskia and Lexy like nothing was happening. Her voice came out hoarse and stiff, so much so that Lexy gave her a raised eyebrow. Luckily their dormmates were exhausted from the stress of work so didn't pay them any attention, falling asleep quickly.

A quick sleep to ensure they were refreshed before waking up at eleven had been part of the plan but Aubrey found that it evaded her. Part of this was down to worry but also the fear that if she went to sleep, she'd awaken and find Saskia had just upped and left. The Jinn was bound to her but she ... wasn't entirely sure what this meant and how far her control extended. Staying awake was the best way to avoid this risk.

Luckily Saskia remained stationary and at last, her and Lexy were awoken by soft alarms concealed under the covers, signalling the start of the plan.

"Aubs, do you reckon I should pack a change of clothes?" Lexy half-whispered, half yawned.

"No, we're not bringing a big bag, just a small one with food and things ... and don't wear that skirt!" Aubrey hissed, "What if we have to be on the run, hon? I can't have you worrying about flashing your knickers to some random stranger."

"Such an Aubs thing to say," Lexy muttered although she obliged and wandered back to her wardrobe to grab jeans instead, "Don't you know, there are two types of people, those who were born to watch and those who were born to perform ... if I wear this skirt, I would be giving quite a show ..." It was clearly intended as a joke but one look at Aubrey's solemn, faraway expression suggested that maybe now wasn't the time, "But ... on second thoughts, perhaps now is not the time for a show."