chaos ~ fred weasley

48. reflect

i'm ranked number one in Fred Weasley as of right now and have been for the last four days so to celebrate I CHANGED THE PLOT LINE! enjoy

*Fred's POV*

"Alright, does everyone know their jobs?"

"Yeah, we've been over it a thousand times already, mate."

"Okay, okay! Just checking," I say, frowning at Julian. Tomorrow is our exams, and we're going out with a bang, to say the least. Right now, we're all in the kitchens—the house elves have disappeared after leaving us a few bowls of soup and some delicious bread rolls.

There's a pause, and Harry looks up. He started withdrawing from us when he was taking Occlumency lessons, but now that it's over—after a pretty heated argument with Snape—he's slowly beginning to come back to us. Harry inhales, about to say something, and then stops abruptly. He tries again. "Any word?" he says quietly. "On Vee, I mean."

That familiar pang I've been feeling these months without her returns, but I try and ignore it. "Nothing yet," I say, shrugging. "It's only been a few weeks."

"A few weeks is a long time," Allie murmurs.

"We know," George says, jumping up to sit on the counter beside me. "Tomorrow is happening, everyone. No matter what."

"You're sure?" Lee says.

"Yes," I say, too quickly. "It's not too late to change your mind, you know."

"Thanks guys," he replies, but shakes his head. "I should stay. Who's going to hold down the fort otherwise?"

Julian scoffs. "Allie and I can handle it!"

I roll my eyes. "Angie'll be much more useful than you two, but whatever you say," I reply.

"Harry, we have to ask," George says, turning to the smaller boy.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to give us all of your prize money?" I finish.

Harry nods fiercely. "I don't want the money. I'd rather someone use it for something good than just letting it collect dust at Gringott's."

I wonder if I should argue, but I decide against it. Tomorrow we're leaving school—for good—and we're going to start our own joke shop using the money Harry's given us. It's hard to believe our time at Hogwarts is coming to end, but I know it's the right thing to do. We can't be here anymore. School isn't for us—never has been anyway—and we don't need the O.W.L.S or the N.E.W.T.S or any formal exams to do what we want to do.

Besides, everything reminds me of her.

I know she's coming back. I know she is because if I thought for a second that she wasn't then I'd fall apart all over again, and I'm not sure I know how I'd put myself back together. Everyone else is feeling the same way, I know this too, but my hope has a certain need to it; a desperation that I think people have caught on to, that tells them that they too need to believe that she's okay, at least for my sake.

Since Harry saw her when Dad was attacked, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. The proof that she's alive was enough to reignite my hope even more than before, but now I can't help but wonder what will happen when she comes back.

**

"Students, you may now open your papers and begin the examination."

The rustling of parchment fills the hall as everyone simultaneously flips to the first page and begins working through the first problem. George looks over at me and grins, glancing up to make sure we're going unnoticed by Umbridge, who sits at the front of the hall, watching over everyone. We decided to at least start the exam, partially because it puts us in a good position, but also because we wondered how well we'd do—the exam looks like gibberish and I can barely read a word of it. Still, I dip my quill in the ink and begin scribbling, glancing up every now and then as I pretend to think. Joke's on them—I haven't thought a day in my life.