Unexpected | Bill Weasley

~3~ Visiting Hagrid

A few days after getting into the Quidditch team, I got a note at breakfast. I tore it open and saw the familiar messy scrawl of Hagrid's writing.

Fawn,
I have a surprise. Come to my hut tonight after dinner. Don't tell your friends or anyone else, come alone.

Hagrid.

I sighed. Normally when Hagrid said 'Come alone' or 'Don't tell anyone', it meant bad trouble was coming.

Damon tried to look over my shoulder. "Who's that from?" he asked.

I stuffed the letter into my pocket. "My mum," I lied.

~ ~ ~
That night, I was sitting in the common room with Charlie, Rue and Damon doing homework. I had to wait until they went up to their dorms before I could go to Hagrid's.

"Are you not going to sleep Fawn?" asked Charlie, standing up with a yawn. "It's nearly one in the morning."

I shook my head. "Nah, too much homework. You wait until you're in fourth year."

They went upstairs and I waited until the last person left the room, and I quickly climbed out of the portrait hole. I walked quietly through the castle. Thankfully, I didn't bump into anyone. Once I was outside, I pulled my hood over my head and ran to Hagrid's house.

I knocked on Hagrid's door and he opened it, grinning down at me. "Fawn! Come 'ere you,"
He pulled me into his house then gave me a bone-crushing hug that lifted me off my feet.
"How come ye never visit me anymo'?"

"I have so much homework and-, wait Hagrid why is the house all foggy and, ugh, what is that smell? It's revolting!"

The house smelled like rotten eggs and I could barely see anything from the thick fog.

Hagrid grinned at me. "Well, you see, dragon eggs need the heat of their mum's, but since my egg don't have a mum, I'm making heat for the egg!"

I nodded and sat down on a seat before it registered what he just said. "Wait, WHAT? YOU HAVE A DRAGON EGG IN YOUR HOUSE?"

Hagrid looked alarmed. "No need to shou', It's not a big dea-"

"Not a big deal?" I hissed. "Hagrid this is probably illegal!"

Hagrid waved a hand. "Nah, this Hungarian Horntail will grow up to be fine."

I smacked my forehead. "And it's the most dangerous dragon too?"

Hagrid then started rambling on about the dragon egg. I was too exhausted to even brother asking where he got the egg from. When I looked at the clock, I saw that it was nearly three in the morning.

"Hagrid, I need to go," I said, jumping out of my chair.

Hagrid looked at the clock and jumped. "Blimey! You have Quidditch tomorrow righ'?

I nodded.

"Well go on then," said Hagrid as he shooed me out. "Visit me mo' often won't ye?"

"Course I will." I said, pulling my hood over my head once again. I started walking back towards the castle, the cold wind brushing my face. I suddenly heard a shout.

I turned around to see the caretaker Filch rushing towards me. I panicked, and started running, but his stupid cat Mrs. Norris darted in front of me and I tripped over her, my face slamming on the ground and my lip splitting open.

Filch grabbed the hood of my jacket and yanked me up, grinning nastily at me. "What do we have here? I've finally caught you out of bed Starling. I've always known you weren't the perfect student the teachers believe."

Filch dragged me to his office, and told me to sit in front of his desk. I sat down as he took out a piece of parchment paper and started writing. "Name, Fawn Starling. Offence, caught out of bed past curfew. Sentenced to, detention, cleaning the trophy room." he finished writing and looked at me. "Tomorrow night, 8pm sharp after dinner. Come to this office for your detention. Now go."

I quickly left the office and rushed off to the common room.

"Fairy Lights" I said to the Fat Lady, who looked at me with a frown.

"Staying out late again Starling? When will you learn?"

I growled. "I got detention alright? Now open up, I gave you the password."

"No need for that tone missy," she said but opened up for me anyway.

I climbed awkwardly into the room, still holding my sleeve against my bleeding lip. I was so tired and annoyed that I didn't notice that someone dozing off in a chair, but he jumped up when I walked in.

"Fawn!" said the figure.

"Bill?" I said, my voice muffled from my hand on my mouth.

Bill Weasley's ears turned red. "I, uhm, I saw you running back from Hagrid's house and I saw Filch catch you."

I blinked. "You saw me? From your dorm?"

He nodded. "I was looking out the window, couldn't sleep, then I saw you fall and, uh.... yeah."

We looked at each other awkwardly. I was still holding my lip.

"But why are you here?" I asked.

Bill shuffled his feet. "I wanted to make sure you were alright It looked like a nasty fall."

Then his head snapped up and he came towards me. He grabbed my arm and lead me to a sofa. "Wait right here," he said before I could even protest.

He ran upstairs, then came back down holding a bowl of water in one hand, and a towel in the other. He sat beside me and placed the bowl onto his lap.

"Let me see your lip,"

I hesitated, but lowered my hand.

He frowned. "That's a bad cut. Here."

He dipped the towel into the bowl of water and gently pressed it against my lip. I was suddenly aware of how close Bill was to me. His knees pressed against mine, his soft fingers touching my cheek, and his warm breath close to my face. He removed the towel and touched my lip gently with his fingers. "Seems a bit better."

We looked at each other for a few seconds, before I broke the silence.

"Thanks, a lot. Um, I think I'll go to bed. Y'know, Quidditch tomorrow and all."

Bill looked a bit disappointed but forced a smile. "Yea, alright see you tomorrow."

I quickly ran upstairs and climbed into bed. My heart was hammering, and I felt happy and- Oh my god, did I have a crush on Bill Weasley? Bill, the one who didn't know I existed after three years. Bill, Charlie's older brother. Bill, one of the most popular guys, one who would never be with someone like me. I am way too different, and shy.

But wait, did Bill like me? I remembered the way he blushed when he saw me, the way he looked concerned when he saw that I was hurt. I sighed and drifted off to sleep.