Bad Decisions | Fred Weasley

One: Sylvia Callis is a Bitch

Sylvia Callis was a bitch. That came as a surprise to few. Except maybe Hermione. Hermione liked her. Hermione would like her. She thought she was misunderstood maybe. Or maybe she just liked strange people. She always came to her defense, saying she could be "a little much, sometimes." Though others would describe her as "too much." Too serious, too opinionated, too fucking strange -- and not in an endearing way. In a way that made you feel uncomfortable or laugh out of awkwardness. Very few knew how to act around her, especially when she had one of her episodes. She was known to throw the occasional drink in a face, swipe the occasional cauldron over in class, and spit the occasional obscenity in a professor's face. Even her own brother didn't like her. He probably didn't even love her. Sylvia Callis was a handful.

Fred didn't like her.

In fact, he had decided, in their first year, that he despised her. Despised is a strong word and he meant every bit of it when he told her to her face.

"I fucking despise you." His mother would've slapped him into next Sunday if she had heard him say those words at the age of twelve.

Little Sylvia Callis, with her tangly black hair and face full of angry orange freckles and big bug eyes shrugged. She sniffed and turned around, the heels of her ill-fitting mary janes clacking as she walked away. Sylvia Callis was told she was despised by the most liked boy in her class and she just walked away.

To be fair, Fred had come to terms with the fact that he had overreacted. All she had done was call his pet rat ugly. Still, when it came out that Scabbers was You-Know-Who's second in command in animagus form at the end of their fifth year, she personally asked Fred for an apology.

"You're kidding right?" He scoffed from down the breakfast table.

Her emotion never changed. Or at least her facial expression never did. She always looked a little startled, like a deer or a rabbit or some other animal of prey, but there was a hardness behind those eyes, something that made others want to stop smiling. Sylvia didn't smile.

"No."

Fred could have apologized for the harsh words whenever he liked. It was four years ago anyway. It was stupid for him to get so upset over such petty children's words. But it was the fact that Sylvia asked him for one. Four years later. With deadly seriousness.

"I'm serious, you should apologize." Her eyes were so big that it startled him when she blinked. Slowly, like a reptile.

George laughed awkwardly from beside him. Thank god. Thank god for George because then the rest of those listening in on the conversation released the tension with quick chuckles, dismissing her in what was always excused as "just Sylvie being Sylvie."

And now, he watched from the couch in the Gryffindor common room as she entered from behind the Fat Lady, her little burrowing owl perched atop her shoulder. She walked right through the room, not oblivious to the presence of others, just not paying any attention to those who weren't worthy of it. Sylvia walked with purpose like no other, but with hardly any noise, as the heels of her black loafers were worn down from the many years wear.

"There goes callous Callis," Lee murmured from the opposite couch. It was a dumb nickname, but they couldn't find a word that rhymed with Sylvia.

Fred huffed out a laugh into the palm of his hand as he turned to the game of wizard's chess between them, calling out a short command before his queen's side knight pulled out its little ebony sword and beheaded Lee's rook.

Lee scowled and pushed up off the couch, "I don't wanna play anymore."

"Afraid I'll dismember your queen?" Fred placed his hands behind his head and leaned back into the softened leather couch.