Perfect World

Chapter 4

Fred was slightly glad at the moment that he had older brothers to write outside of school. Percy probably wasn't the one to go with this problem because, while he loved his brother, Percy lived by the rules. And Fred and George lived to break the rules. It caused quite a rift between them and their third oldest brother.

Percy already didn't agree with anything that his younger twin brothers did and he certainly didn't think that Fred deserved any sympathy as he spent thirty minutes following Fred around and lecturing him after he had left McGonagall's office. He had gone as far as to write their mum who was livid and told Fred and George to apologize. And he had tried, but after the incident in potions, Fred didn't think he would be forgiven. Although he was determined to try. Not that he blamed Lula. He still couldn't get the look of sheer horror on her face out of his head. That and they had gotten off on the wrong foot. Looking back now, Lula was right when she called them bullies. They had booed her at their opening house ceremony. They who had grown up in the wizarding world and heard horrible tales of the house of snakes had booed at someone who was, for the very first time, experiencing the school.

Holding the two letters, one addressed to Charlie and the other addressed to Bill, Fred made his way up the west tower steps to the owlery. Hoping against all hope, that they would have a solution to help his predicament.

"Look around, everywhere you turn there's heartache. It's everywhere that you go. You try everything you can to escape, the pain of the life that you know." Fred listened in to the singing. He didn't recognize the song at all, but the voice wasn't bad. Nothing like Celestina Warbeck, nothing on a professional level, the pitch being a bit wobbly, but it wasn't bad. The singing continued a little way down the hall from the Owlery and Fred could see Strawberry Blonde hair and a leg swinging back and forth, someone sitting in a window sill facing the end of the corridor.

Fred quickly ran inside the owlery and tied a letter around each leg of a Northern White-faced owl.

"Now, take this to Bill first. Charlie will dote on you the most, but I need both letters to reach them promptly and you'll be with Charlie for a while." The Owl hooted its response and politely took the snack out of Fred's outstretched palm before flying off.

Fred exited the room and looked down the hall. The singing had stopped, but the echo of a hum hit his ears. The same song. Fred wondered who it was and made his way down the corridor.

Lula had the uncanny ability to be hyper-vigilant when it came to others. Years of bullying had allowed her to be more aware of her surroundings and see through the bullshit of others from a young age. It was how she knew that George had been George and not Fred. It's also how she knew someone was approaching her.

She quickly drew her legs in and turned her head to see a Weasley twin. He gaped at her. His mouth opening and closing like a fish before he frowned, deep in thought. Definitely Fred.

She decided in her span of time that Fred and George had not met up yet, seeing as flustered as he was, and he was here by complete coincidence. She spoke first.

"Good evening, Fred." He was a little surprised but managed a nod of his head.

"Good evening, Lula."

"Will you have a seat with me?" She turned and slid her legs over the side of the window sill, making room for him. He cautiously sat beside her.

"I had talked to George earlier, he had gone to find you, but it seems that you two aren't always so attached-" she stopped the sarcastic comment by biting her tongue. "Sorry, I mean, you two aren't always together." The red tinge on her face wasn't from sitting in the sun for the last hour and a half. She took a deep breath and started again.