Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 69

"Come to think of it," said Sirius, emerging from the pantry the next day, carrying a large turkey, "has anyone actually seen Kreacher lately?"

"I haven't seen him since the night we came back here," said Harry. "You were ordering him out of the kitchen."

"Yeah . . ." said Sirius, frowning. "You know, I think that's the last time I saw him, too. . . . He must be hiding upstairs somewhere. . . ."

"He couldn't have left, could he?" said Harry. "I mean, when you said 'out,' maybe he thought you meant, get out of the house?"

"No, no, house-elves can't leave unless they're given clothes, they're tied to their family's house," said Sirius.

"They can leave the house if they really want to," Harry contradicted him. "Dobby did, he left the Malfoys' to give me warnings two years ago. He had to punish himself afterward, but he still managed it."

Sirius looked slightly disconcerted for a moment, then said, "I'll look for him later, I expect I'll find him upstairs crying his eyes out over my mother's old bloomers or something. . . . Of course, he might have crawled into the airing cupboard and died. . . . But I mustn't get my hopes up. . . ."

     We all laughed, sitting behind the table for dinner, receiving disapproving looks from Hermione.

***

The night before returning back to Hogwarts, Fred, George, and I stayed up later than everybody else.

     We sat in their room together as they showed me their latest progress on their Headless Hats, which when you put it on, your head would become invisible.

     "So how much are you guys gonna sell them?" I asked, observing it in my hands with a grin.

     "Two Galleons," said Fred.

     "Well, that must get you a fortune," I said earnestly, putting down the hat.

     "I'm starting to get hungry," said George, tapping on his stomach. "I think I'll go down and get us snacks. You guys want anything?"

     "Some butterbeer would be nice," I shrugged.

     "Ooh, I'd kill for some cookies!" said Fred enthusiastically.

     "I think there's some left over turkey from dinner! I didn't eat enough," I said.

     "Yes!" Fred nodded. "And I really liked the pumpkin pie —"

     "You know what?" George cut us off loudly. "Forget that I asked."

    And with that, he took his wand and dissapparated out of the room, leaving me and Fred alone as we chuckled.

     But then I sighed, leaning back against the bed behind me as we were sitting on the floor.

     "What is it?" Fred raised a brow, coming forward and sitting beside me.

     "I just... I don't want to go back to Hogwarts," I said miserably.

     "Why not? I thought you loved it there."

     "Yeah, but with Umbridge there —"

     "You mean Umbitch?" he grinned and I giggled, nodding.

     But then my smile faded again as I said, "I'm just scared, Fred."

     "Of what? The toad-woman?"

     "You don't understand," I sighed, leaning into him and placing my head on his shoulder. "You don't know what she's capable of... if she finds out about me —"

     "She won't," said Fred fervently, breaking me off. "Don't worry about it, Lex."

     "How can I not worry?" I looked up at him with a frown.

     "Like this," he whispered softly before placing a hand on my cheek and leaning forward, brining me into a kiss.

     I immediately melted into it and smiled against his lips, kissing him back as I shifted upwards, my hands then traveling through his hair.

     Fred then grabbed onto my waist, pulling me closer to him as he was still leaning back against the bed, yet I was now hovering him.

     But we abruptly jerked apart from each other with a yelp as George Apparated into the room, giving us a disapproving glare.

      "I left you for two minutes!" he scolded. "TWO MINUTES!"

    Fred and I just laughed, taking the tray from him which contained sweets, pies, and cookies.

     After what felt like hours of eating and joking around, I ate the last bite of my pumpkin pie and sighed in satisfaction.

    "I'm exhausted," I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "Your mother will kill us if she comes here and sees we're still awake."

     "Nah, she likes you," said Fred. "She'll only kill us. You're safe."

     "But still," I sighed, making a move to stand up. "I gotta go to sleep."

     "Don't be such a killjoy, Professor Snappy," said George with a grin.

      I sighed, shaking my head at him. "Are you ever going to let go of that name?"

     "Never," they said together, making me chuckle.

     "C'mon, stay," Fred insisted.

     "We'll get bored!" George huffed.

     "Shh... do you hear that?" I said in a hushed voice, looking around me mysteriously with a frown.

     "Hear what?" Fred questioned.

     "That's the sound of no one caring," I whispered with a grin.

     George still looked puzzled as he turned to Fred, saying, "I don't hear anything."

     Fred face-palmed and I chuckled, shaking my head. "Goodnight, boys."

     With one last wave and my grin still dangling on my lips, I left their room and closed the door behind me.

     But the moment I turned around, I came to a halt as I saw Kreacher standing behind me, looking at me intently.

     A few days ago, we had found him lurking upstairs and everyone thought that was where he had been hiding throughout the past two weeks. But I knew better.

     "Hello, Kreacher," I said coldly, staring back at him.

      "The little girl who thinks she knows everything..." Kreacher muttered to himself, probably unaware that I could hear him. "Oh, but she doesn't know... not everything..."

     I frowned at him in confusion but did not move as he watched me warily.

     "Kreacher knows who she is..." he went on. "but Master asked Kreacher not to tell her... and so Kreacher is bound to keep it to himself, even though Kreacher thinks that he's being foolish... but Kreacher knows she's a Black... Kreacher knows she's Master's daughter..."