petrichor ☆ fred weasley

s i x t e e n

Gripping Fred's hand in her own, Persephone smiled to herself as the pair made their way down the abandoned corridor towards the large stone gargoyle.

She couldn't wait to see the flash of green flame of the fireplace and the sight of Cedric, Klara and Augustus stepping through the smoke. Though Fred and George tried hard, Hogwarts never seemed the same without the company of her three best friends. As good as the quiet Hufflepuff common room was, the silence sometimes got a little too loud.

"I've never actually been into Dumbledore's office before" said Fred, interrupting her thoughts, glancing down at Persephone.

Rather unattractively, Persephone couldn't help but chortle, covering her mouth with her small hands. Fred lightly slapped her arm in fake shock.

"You're surprised?"

"Yes Fred Weasley, quite frankly I am."

He chuckled lightly as the two fell back in step with each other, "I suppose so," he said thoughtfully, "actually now I think of it, I don't know how George and I haven't."

She nodded, continuing to laugh as they came to a halt in front of the statue.

"Do you know the password?" asked Fred.

Glancing down at her hand, she squinted her eyes to read to smudged scrawl of Professor Sprout. "I don't really know what this is supposed to say.." she muttered, moving her hand in Fred's direction for his interpretation.

"Pimple inns?"

"Pebble inps?"

"Wait, that's a double p, and that looks like imp..." whispered curiously Fred, turning his girlfriends hand in his own,"Pepper Imps?"

The gargoyle statue sprang to life, twisting as a spiral staircase elevated from the ground, causing the couple to jump up and down ecstatically.

"Congratulations on figuring it out, I probably could of told you but it was rather amusing watching you try to work it out..." spoke an amused voice from behind them, and they turned quickly to be faced yet again with the smiling face of Professor Dumbledore.

Walking passed them, the headmaster began to ascend the staircase, only stopping to motion them forward.

"We need to put a bell on that man..." muttered Fred, grabbing Persephone's hand as they also began to make their way up to their circular office.

Persephone had only been in Dumbledore's office a handful of times, but each time was different to the rest. Each time she noticed new noises, new artifacts or instruments, new figures hiding behind a frame.

"Sherbet Lemon?" questioned the Headmaster, holding out a dainty crystal bowl filled with countless, rather dusty looking muggle lollies.

She grabbed one to be polite, popping it quickly in her mouth. As it lingered on her tongue, the outer layer began to dissolve away, leaving a pleasant lemon taste within her mouth.

"They should be here any mom-" began Dumbledore, only stopping as he was interrupted by a flash of green flames, and a loud thread of expletives.

Klara was soon expelled from the fireplace in the corner of the study, her body propelled onto the midnight blue rug, directly in front of the Headmaster. Getting to her feet, she immediately began to apologise.

"Professor Dumbledore, I-I am s-sorry you heard t-that."

The Headmaster dismissed it with a wave of his hand, "Don't worry Miss Francis, travelling by Floo can be an experience, that's for sure."