If This Isn't Love (Fred Weasley Sequel)

Chapter 17 | He's Back.

Monday, October 16

In these few days, Fred hasn't been himself. Usually, he's bright and mischievous, but lately he's been distant and aloof.

I don't think he's mad at me in particular. And he's not outright ignoring me, but he's acting weirdly reserved. This is not Fred at all.

In the morning, he sits next to me in the Great Hall, but he hasn't said a word to me unless I speak first.

"How did you sleep, Fred?" I ask, concerned.

He shrugs. "Fine."

I want to know what's bothering him, but I don't ask. Rather, I turn to my right an engage in a conversation with the Adelman sisters. Susan is telling Marlene an animated story about her Transfiguration class. Soon, I finish my breakfast and leave them to go to class.

This is one of the only times I go to DADA without Fred or George. I do share a class with some Ravenclaws though, including Marietta Edgecombe and Cho Chang, who are in Dumbledore's Army with me.

They sit across the room, but when I pass them, they smile and wave. I wave back, surprised at their new friendliness.

When class starts, we are instructed to take out our Defensive Magical Theory books and to put away our wands, as usual. Why does it seem like she doesn't want us to learn how to protect ourselves?

After DADA, I have two Potions classes, one before and one after lunch.

Snape has us begin our essay about Golpalott's Third Law- where an antidote for a poison that was used with several other poisons (a blended poison) can't be found by using the separate antidotes from the separate poisons and blending them in. Does that make sense? To me, yes. To others... Let's just say some students are having a hard time in Potions this week.

He allows us to finish the essay in the next class, after lunch. I'm already almost done with it, I just have to give a few more examples by the time class is over.

In his next class, I finish within the first 20 minutes, and I am among one of the first students to turn it in. Unfortunately I didn't make the top 3 since I'm sharing this class with some smart Hufflepuffs.

I think Snape likes me more than those loyalists.

And how do I know that? Well, he never offers a free, fun task for them, does he? They don't get to sort bottles, label potions, or clean cauldrons. I'm one lucky gal.

I'm sure they get their fair share of special treatment in Herbology. I bet if Cormac McLaggen was in Hufflepuff, he wouldn't have gotten all those detentions so many months ago.

In Muggle Studies, I once again prove how capable I am of understanding the technology that Muggles use. I wonder how I do so well in this class.

When it ends, Professor Burbage compliments me, and I humbly thank her and leave. I still enjoy thinking about her face in the beginning of the year when she thought I didn't know any of this.

Good times.

After all of my classes are over, I decide that it's a nice enough day to take a walk around the castle, like I do around once a week.

I see Fred and George in the Quidditch field with the other players. Neither of them see me.

I sigh and pull out a book to read while getting in my weekly exercise.

~~~~
It's dusk. I'm still outside, but sitting by the lake. It's a bit cold out, nothing severe.

As I read, something pokes my side. It's just a small poke and I ignore it at first, until I get another poke. I look down to my hip, where the thing was poking me.

"Hector!" I scream, taking the bird pen and cuddling him. "Where have you been?"

He snoots in my ear, and doesn't tell me. I didn't really expect him to, he doesn't talk. Imagine having a pen that could talk.

He flaps his little bird wings and does a little loop in the air. I squeal in delight. I was so worried last year when I couldn't find him. How did he find me?

"He was in the boy's bathroom, in the stall that doesn't work," someone informs me. I turn to smile at Fred.

"He got himself stuck behind the toilet," he continues with a small grin on his face.

"I love you, do you know that?" I say and fall into his arms. "I missed Hec so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He chuckles at my excitement. "I love you, too. And it's no big deal."

Hector flies in between us and we separate, laughing at the now annoyed bird pen. I mean, he has been stuck behind a toilet all this time, he might as well get all of our attention.

He skirts around on the grass and tweets, trying to impress us. It works.

Fred takes my hand and Hector leads us away from the lake.

"I'm sorry," Fred eventually speaks.

"For what?" I ask, even though I somewhat know the answer.

"For acting so weird about the whole Mom's letter situation." He looks away. "I didn't want to be upset about it, but it is George and I's last year."

"I understand," I mumble. "I wish I didn't have to go, or if I at least had a reason to."

He bites his lip. "Me too."

"I'm just glad we're cool again," I reassure. "And when I am gone, I promise to write at least twice ever day."

He pulls me into a hug. "I know we'll be able to visit in the summer and write often. I'll still miss you as much as if we couldn't do all that."

I smile into his chest. Even though something wacky is going on right now, I know I'll always have him to help me through it.

That's one reason why I love him so much.

~~~~
Published 5-11-20