If This Isn't Love (Fred Weasley Sequel)

Chapter 19 | Good Things Don't Last

Wednesday, October 18

Fred and George make fun of Snape in the Great Hall when I tell them how Hector scared him by flooting on his personal space.

I tell them to knock it off and Snape can't be worse than Umbridge. Of course they agreed. They'll never forget my detention, and I doubt I will, too.

"Say, (Y/N), do I recognize that bird?" Ron asks with a mouthful of sour cream and potatoes.

I beam at him. "Hector. Remember him?"

Of course, Ron shrugs. He and I didn't really pay attention to each other last year. Well, besides the usual me scaring the shit out of him at the Yule Ball and after.

I still frighten him sometimes, but do I really feel bad about it? Definitely not.

I peel the bacon off my potatoes and let Hector try to swallow some. He kind of swings it around, and then spits it back out onto my palm. "You're so messy," I say lovingly.

I catch the eyes of Professor Snape, who walks on by at that moment. He looks away immediately, as he does. Fred and George don't notice. Actually, no one else notices.

I watch him head to his usual seat, but he doesn't eat. He looks around, obviously avoiding my gaze even though we both know I'm staring.

I'm not being awkward by staring at him, I'm just curious.

Eventually, I look back to my bird pen when he sneezes on my collarbone. It doesn't produce any snot or anything, just blows air on my neck.

I didn't even know Hector could sneeze. What other things did he learn to do when he was stuck behind that toilet?

Fred chuckled at my reaction. "You look like you've never heard him sneeze before," he tells me.

"Well, I haven't." I pull my hair back into a small ponytail so these cheesy potatoes don't get in my hair.

He raises his eyebrows and tuts. I roll my eyes and nudge his side.

George sighs from Fred's left. "Young love. You two are lively."

I ignore him to finish my lunch. Fred chuckled yet again.

When lunch is over, Hector starts doing odd flips and tricks in the air. Is he happy about something?

It jolts the crowd nearby, which includes Marlene and Susan. They point to Hector, smile, and come over. Their friends look over to see what's happening, too.

We end up having more kids come to watch the show. Who knew Hector knew how to woo a crowd! Fred and George do a little dance with the pen, and I laugh.

Honestly, it's riveting. But we get to the dungeons for class, and most of the crowd has another class to attend, so the small party is over.

Fred and George start to leave, too, but they show me one last little dance. Snape comes over, about to tell them off and Hector snoots to his shoulder. He stops and I giggle. "He likes you, Professor! Hector, show him your new dance!"

He flies off Snape's shoulder and twirls three times in the air.

We clap, excluding Snape, and Hector does one last snoot before he is caught in a burst of flames and set to ash. The ash disappears with magic. Like someone just put out a firework.

My smile is frozen as I stare at what Hector used to be.

"You three should be in class." It's Umbridge, with a smug look on her face. "Tardiness earns nothing but detentions. Playing around is prohibited during class time."