The Unbreakable Vow: wisps of Black | Fred Weasley [1] ✔

16: BETH

Tomorrow will be the first day of the Christmas holidays and the fifth-year Slytherin girls giggled and ran out of the dormitory, clutching each others arms. While Beth Black sat on the floor by her bed, wrapping her gift to the best of her abilities. She had never done it before, owing to the fact that she had never actually bought anyone a gift in her life. It was a bag in a box, how hard could it be?

It wasn't bad at all, just a few bits stuck out instead of down, but she had given up trying. 

It was nearing dinner, so the Slytherin stood and tucked her gift in her book bag and hid the bag under her robes so she didn't look like a complete teachers pet. 

Eyes turned her way as she walked through the dungeon corridors, and the distant whispers followed her all the way until she reached the set of stairs. There were a group of seventh-year Ravenclaws who on the stairs and when they saw her, began to laugh and talk in hushed voices. 

Beth looked up to glare at them, only to stop as quick as she could. Bodies had blocked the way through to the Entrance Hall, and she fumed even more. 

"Well, if it isn't the littlest Black herself," a tall boy said on the left, his dark brown eyes staring hard into Beths, and on his right stood another boy and a girl who needed to take better care of her teeth. The boy who spoke in the first place was holding an article in his hand written by Rita Skeeter. There was a photograph of Beth on the front cover and Sirius Black right beside her, and above the photographs was a title that made Beth want to tear it to pieces. "Youngest Black plots with mass murderer father. What is it you are plotting, might I ask?"

"Yes, what is it you actually hope you achieve, you scheming little rat?" the girl with yellow teeth laughed horrendously -- Beth had to pinch her nose. "I suppose we had better steer clear of you . . . we suspect you're planning another mass murder and I expect those of us who ask questions will be the first to go. Assuming the Dementors don't catch Sirius Black first!"

"Move your fat little bodies out of the way before I make you move."

"Oh, yeah? How are you going to do that? Oh, right! Sirius Black!" The second boy exclaimed, causing the rest of the group to lean back in a mock of terror. They burst out laughing. 

Beth rolled her eyes and pushed past them, but they squeezed together and made it rather tough for her to make it out on the other side. She looked up when she reached the top of the stairs and the doors to the Great Hall were closed which meant she was early, but on the other end of the doors were a set of redheaded twins talking to one another. 

The Slytherin felt her cheeks heat up. She had not seen Fred Weasley since her ridiculous breakdown last night and had chosen to stay hidden in her dormitory because she knew he would look for her as he normally did. 

When Fred Weasley's brown eyes flicked over and met with her grey ones, she bit her lip and looked away, rubbing her arm awkwardly. All Beth could think about was him listening to her sob and pulling her into a hug, which she would not have accepted so easily had she not been a wreck. But she also thought of how safe she felt in his arms, how fast his heart was beating against her ear, and how he tenderly wiped away her tears.