Mudblood • Fred Weasley

o5. truce

DINNER WAS QUITE AWKWARD THAT NIGHT. The only sound was the clanking of forks and spoons against the dishes. The rest of the family, and Callie, shared looks with each other but Fred and Willa did not look up from their dinner.

"This is delicious, Molly." Callie decided to break the silence. Was coming to the Burrow a mistake? She didn't know that Willa and Fred weren't talking.

"Thank you, dear. It's a new recipe." Molly answered, taking a bite out of the chicken.

Ginny Weasley was the youngest Weasley sibling and only girl. As a result, she had learned to speak her mind to get her point across. After all, she grew up in the shadow of six older brothers. "So, are you two not friends anymore?" She asked. Molly nearly choked on her drink.

"Ginevra." She scolded.

"What? I mean, if we're all going to be in this house all summer, shouldn't we clear the air?" She shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her food.

"She's right." Arthur chimed in. Molly's eyes grew wide as if telling him to shut up. Yes, the air needed to be cleared but not at dinner.

"This is all Fred's fault." Willa mumbled, playing with her green beans with her fork.

"My fault?" Fred scoffed, staring at Willa.

"Here we go." George said, cracking his knuckles and settling into his seat, ready for the show.

"Yes. Your fault. I didn't stutter." Willa said, sassy.

Fred laughed but not a good laugh, it was a dark laugh. "Oh, no, no, missy. You're the one who thinks you're so high and mighty just because you're hanging out with Wilkins. Won't you show your mum the skirts you sneak to school?" Fred pointed to the living room where Willa's suitcase sat.

"Here we ago again about those damn skirts. Why do you care?" Willa hissed.

"Willa Calliope, language!" Callie scolded. Molly grabbed Callie's hand as if to signal to let the two fight; if not, they were in for a long summer.

"I thought you had more respect for yourself!" Fred yelled back.

"Don't concern yourself with me. It's none of your business." Willa slammed her fist on the table. The rest of the family watched back and forth as the two continued to argue, arguing over short skirts, bad attitudes and sticking noses where they didn't belong.

Willa squealed an angry squeal and threw her napkin down. "You are unbelievable, Fred Weasley!" She scooted her chair out from under the table and stomped out the back door.

•

Willa sat on the fence post and whirled a gnome through the air. This used to be one of her and the twins' chores during the summer: de-gnoming. Fred had infuriated Willa. He kept preaching about how she had changed, how she wasn't the same Willa and kept talking about her skirt. Yes, Willa did wear her skirts a little shorter than most but she was sixteen years old now. She wasn't a little girl anymore.

"Hey." A familiar voice said. Willa turned around and seen Fred's face. It wasn't Fred though. She looked at the mole on his neck and immediately identified him as George.

"Hey." She sighed, scooting over so he could join her. "You don't hate me, too?" She asked, throwing another gnome. George grabbed his own gnome and launched it through the air.

"No and neither does Fred." He reasoned.

"It sure does sound like it." Willa grumbled.

"Not to add fuel to the fire, Will, but it doesn't seem like you're too fond of him right now either." George whispered, testing the waters.

Willa sighed, "he's just being an ass."

"So are you." George said bluntly. "You're both in the wrong."

Willa laid her head on her George's shoulder. "I just wanted to fit in, Georgie. Raven is a good friend. She's rebellious and sneaky, but a good friend."

"You've changed so much, though, Willa." George said, wanting to be the mediator between her and Fred. Maybe if she heard the words from George it would be different. "You're taking on the worst qualities of Slytherin."

Willa opened her mouth to defend herself, slightly offended, but then she realized George was right and maybe, so was Fred. Where was her morals? She was never one to flaunt her body; she wanted someone to like her for her, not for her breasts or bum. She looked up at the sky and done a quick replay over the last few years: laughing at first years' expense, back mouthing teachers, cutting her skirts and tops to be more revealing. She was turning into Raven. She wasn't herself anymore.

"I don't feel like me anymore." She whispered. George wrapped an arm around his friend and sighed.

"That's why Fred is so angry. He wants you to be you." Willa nodded underneath his arm.

"Maybe I should go apologize." She whispered, George agreed.

•

Willa walked upstairs to the twins' bedroom. She knocked on the door, but entered before anyone could answer. Fred laid on his twin sized bed with his arms behind his head, listening to the Weird Sisters. Willa walked over and turned the music off. "Rude." Fred scoffed, reaching to turn it back on. Willa grabbed his hand and pushed it down.

"Talk to me."

Fred rolled his eyes and scooted over. Willa sat on the edge of the bed with her back to Fred. He was still lying down. "Why are you so angry with me?" She asked, wanting to hear it from Fred hisself.

"I've told you a hundred times already, Willa." He sighed, shuffling in bed.

"No, you haven't. Not really. We haven't had a civil conversation about it, at least."

Fred sat up in the bed and leaned against the wall, Willa's back still to him. "Do you remember when we were little and I turned Ron's teddy into a spider?" Willa nodded. "What did you do?"

"I told you it was mean, comforted Ron, and changed it back." Willa smiled, remembering hugging baby Ron as he cried hysterically.

Fred nodded, "What was your first detention for at Hogwarts?" Fred already knew the answer.

"Punching Adrian in the face for being mean to a little Hufflepuff boy." She chuckled.

"Exactly. You have always had a caring, loving nature. You have always been happy-go-lucky Willa. You never cared about your appearance, you always got dirty and muddy with George and I." Fred whispered. "You're not that girl anymore, Willa. You're cold and cruel, you're so superficial now. All you worry about is about laughing at someone's expense and watching boys drool over you."

Willa looked down at her laugh and fiddled with her thumbs. He was right. She wasn't herself anymore. She wasn't the type of Slytherin to lead, ambitious. She was turning into the likes of Raven and Draco Malfoy.

Fred scooted over so they were sitting side by side now. "You're my best friend, 'sides George." He punched her playfully on the shoulder. "But the girl you've been the last year isn't my best friend, I don't know her."

"I'm sorry, Freddie." She whispered.

"Me too." He whispered back, apologizing for all he said to her and attacking her with the bludger. "Truce?"

"Truce." She smiled, shaking Fred's hand. He pulled her into a hug.