Petals & Thorns | Fred Weasley

twenty-five

SONG OF THE CHAPTER -
hold me down • halsey

The Quidditch Pitch was abuzz with chatter and a hum of excitement. The Slytherin's were being meaner than usual, making buttons and formulating a chant called 'Weasley Is Our King.' Adalinda thought it best to stay away from it, to ignore it completely. Even as Head Girl, she didn't have the power to contain every student in her house. Even her brother, most likely the instigator of the situation, wasn't reprimanded by any staff. She thought that maybe that was the issue; if the staff at the school didn't want to intervene, what power would she have?

As the time passed, the group from the Hog's Head decided on how they were going to achieve their goals. They had a few meetings, officially naming their group 'Dumbledore's Army', and they were going well. She was pleased at how much everyone else was learning. She knew most of what Harry was showing them, but it was good practice for her. Every now and then, she felt her Dark Mark burn on her arm, signifying a meeting of the Death Eaters. She, of course, couldn't leave school to join them, so she took pleasure in ignoring it. She sent only one more letter to Voldemort, a skimpy two lined piece of parchment stating nothing of good information came about. She carried her coin in her pocket, always checking it for a new date and time. She heard through Fred and George that Hermione snagged the idea from the Dark Marks. The idea didn't sit well with her at first, but even she had to admit it was clever.

That morning, she noticed Ron wasn't responding to the Slytherin's jeers very well. She felt guilty, but she knew even if she said anything to him it wouldn't take his nerves away. So there she was, standing on the ground by the pitch. She never usually ventured up to her own stand. She hated hearing the remarks against the other teams. She pulled her jacket closer to her body and watched as the greens and reds flew on their broomsticks. She leaned against a wooden pillar holding up the Hufflepuff stand, her eyes following Fred in the air. He was fending off bludgers alongside George, looking excited to do so. She figured they were all stressed over the fact they believed there might not be Quidditch that year.

The wind was cold as she huddled herself out of the way. She watched her brother fight vigorously against Harry for the snitch. She didn't really care who won; the house cup or games never truly meant much to her like it did to the other students. As long as the players had fun while they played, she didn't mind who won. When she was younger she was a bit more competitive, but it left her as she grew. She grinned as Fred flew in the air. She couldn't see their faces well, but she knew it was him. Lately, questioning eyes had been following them. People were beginning to wonder just what Fred and Addy were. They hadn't told anyone directly that they were together, but they weren't hiding the loving looks and occasionally were caught holding hands in the library or flirting at a DA meeting. Nobody asked, so they didn't tell.

With her new found friendship in George and Lee, her Slytherin friends had drifted slightly. She told them she had orders to befriend other houses, but they knew it was more than that. You couldn't fake the glimmer in her eyes even if you tried. They stayed around because she still held power, but they noticed it diminishing slightly. Nobody was afraid of her anymore. They saw an honest side of Addy, a bubbly, happy girl when she was around people who truly made her shine. So she stuck with people who made her happy. Under Dumbledore's protection, she wasn't scared of much. Especially her parents, and even The Dark Lord. Albus was the only wizard Voldemort was known to fear, which calmed her.

She overheard the chants from her house, really drilling Ron. She could sense his nervousness from her spot on the hard ground. Crabbe and Goyle were playing their new spot nastily; hitting bludgers straight at the other players. She noticed Harry race towards something, which she assumed was the snitch. He grabbed it, but not before he got nailed in the back with one of the angry balls. Gryffindor won the game and the flying students returned to the ground, Slytherin grumbling and Gryffindor jittering with excitement. She gave a smile barely noticeable, but her heart surged with happiness at the red teams win. She knew how nervous Ron was and now that they secured the points even with his tedious goaltending, he might be more apt to get on the pitch again.