𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 || 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐘

➳ THIRTY NINE

XXXIX. HE'S BACK

Ruth knew those words were coming, but she hadn't expected them to be thrown in her face so soon. So when Fred pulled her aside after their first NEWT exam— it was Potions — and said those words, Ruth was shocked.

"When?" she asked slowly. Ruth and Fred were standing in the entrance hall when the Hogwarts doors were thrown open, revealing a shinning sun and exam-free students mulling about. A light breeze drifted into the castle, causing Ruth's robes to move around her legs.

"After lunch," Fred said quickly. "We've finished all our products. We're going to set off fireworks and turn a corridor into a swamp. Then, we're getting out of here."

Fred's expression was screaming excitement, so Ruth plastered a smile onto her face, despite feeling conflicted about Fred leaving. "That's great. You should use the corridor outside of Filch's office for the swamp. He'll love that."

Fred chuckled before allowing his face to fall into a more serious position. "I want you to come with us."

Ruth's eyebrows furrowed heavily and she cocked her head to the left. "What?"

"Come with us. Come with me," Fred repeated. He reached out to hold onto her forearms. "Just think about it. You'll be on the back of my broom and we'll skip this school. No more Umbridge, or annoying teachers or-"

"Fred," Ruth cut him off. "We both know I can't leave."

Fred was shocked into silence. "W-why?"

Ruth chuckled lightly to try and add some light to the conversation. "I have my sisters and Casper. And I need to finish my exams. I can't leave now."

Fred let out a breath and deflated like a balloon. He removed his hands from her arms and scratched the back of his head. "Then we won't see each other for a while."

Ruth smiled and gave a nod of understanding. "That's right. But I'll come see the shop as soon as I possibly can."

Fred nodded. "You better," he smirked. He then surprised Ruth by pulling her into him and planted a kiss on her lips. Ruth smiled as his lips molded into hers.

Time is a funny thing. When you want it to speed up, it goes agonizingly slow and when you wish for it to slow down, time speeds past you like a bolt of lightning.

Fred and George left Hogwarts behind them forever before their second NEWT exam could even start. After turning Flich's corridor into a swamp-as suggested by Ruth-the twins set off a crazy amount of fireworks in the Great Hall. Professor Umbridge was livid, but she could do nothing to stop the infamous Weasley twins from making their grand exit.

Although the school halls and the Gryffindor common room were very quite after the departure, most seventh years turned to their studies to distract themselves from the missing cheerfulness. Ruth was one of these seventh years, hiding away in her dorm or in the library for hours at a time in attempts to distract herself from the longing to see Fred again. But no amount of knowledge could cover the image of Fred's smirk that had engraved itself into Ruth's brain.

All through her seventh year, Ruth had been waiting for the NEWTs to start and the time seemed to go way to slowly and the worries of failing were dragged out for months. But as soon as the exams landed on the seventh years, time seemed to move in fast forward. They were over before Ruth knew it, the hours they were given to fill out their papers slid away like sand in a fist. They went by in a blur and Ruth couldn't even remember most of the exams.

"How did it go?" Casper asked as they walked out of their final NEWT exam-Herbology.

Ruth shrugged. "I did what I could do," she said. "Fred's advice and studying techniques worked wonders though. I knew a lot more than I thought."

Casper hummed in response and the two friends went back to the Gryffindor common room. Many seventh years were mingling around the fireplace, ecstatic that the exams were over and they wouldn't have to look at a textbook ever again.

The day faded away but the excitement didn't. There ended up being some sort of party for the seventh years in the common room. Butterbeer and treats were brought up from the kitchen's by the Ash triplets, earning them popularity from the crowd. Even Ruth received a few smiles and compliments from people she wouldn't usually talk to. It felt good.

After a while, Ruth noticed her sisters huddled together by the window. Katrina held a letter in her hand while Poppy spoke rapidly in a whisper. Ruth furrowed her eyebrows and excused herself from the conversation with Casper and Kenneth Towler.

"What's going on?" Ruth asked as she approached her sisters. Both Poppy and Katrina jumped, having not seen Ruth coming towards them. Katrina tried to hid the letter behind her back before Ruth saw.

"Nothing!" Poppy chirped and sent Katrina a look. "Nothing's going on. Why don't we get back to the party?"

"Who's the letter from?" Ruth asked. When she got no answer, her heart sank. "Is everyone ok? Is it Mom? Or Dad?"

"Mom and Dad are fine," Katrina assured, but she didn't answer Ruth's first question. She shared another look with Poppy before handing the letter over to Ruth with a sigh.

Ruth didn't mean to snatch the letter from Katrina's hand, but she was too anxious as to what it might say. Her eyes skimmed over the letter before snapping back up to look at her sisters.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Ruth whispered. "He's in the Ministry Of Magic? He's back?"

"That's who Harry was talking about last year," Poppy said. "After he came out of the maze during the Triwizard Tournament."

"Fred and George are going to the Ministry with the Order of the Phoenix," Katrina said, referring to the letter. "I don't know what that is."

Ruth read the letter again. It was from Fred and he was asking Poppy and Katrina to help them fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, since both girls were really good during the DA meetings. He hadn't mentioned Ruth at all.

"Maybe he forgot?" Poppy offered when Ruth shared her thoughts. That thought didn't lift Ruth's spirits, and it earned Poppy a shove from Katrina.

"Well I'm coming anyway," Ruth announced. "Come on. Let's go find McGonagall."

The triplets left the common room and the partying students it held. Katrina and Poppy tried to convince Ruth to stay at the school, since that's what Fred seemed to want. Ruth wouldn't listen.

"Where are we going now, girls?" McGonagall asked as the Transfiguration teacher bumped into her three students. The letter from Fred and shoved into her hands.

"We don't usually let students leave the school during the year," McGonagall stated. "But it seems Mr Potter and his friends already have. Let's go to my office."