Chapter 2
Freddie and Meg don’t have the most fortunate of meetings. Really, they should have met long ago given that they’re both in Slytherin and only a year apart, but Freddie has always been intimidated by Meg. Besides, Meg seems to mostly have friends outside her own house. This is of course allowed but as head girl, Freddie feels obligated to have a certain amount of house pride and Meg seems to lack that.
When their paths do finally cross, it’s because Freddie accidentally steps between Meg and the intended victim of her hex, sending her legs flying. She crashes to the floor, swearing, and considers as philosophically as she can that there is absolutely no way that she’s going to get to charms on time. Also, her legs won’t stop moving.
“Oh god,” a voice comes from above her. “I’m so sorry. That wasn’t supposed to hit you. Oh god and you’re head girl.”
Freddie looks up to see Meg hovering over her. “Calm down, I’m not going to give you detention.” It strikes her as funny that she’s the calm one, lying her on the floor, and Meg is panicking even though she’s perfectly fine. “It would be absolutely stellar if you could get me to the hospital wing.”
“Yeah, yeah, of course.” Meg makes several attempts to help her to her feet and support her, but her legs are still moving uncontrollably and they both eventually resign themselves to the fact that Meg is going to have to carry Freddie.
“Listen, I’m really sorry,” Meg says as she lifts Freddie, princess style. Freddie registers in the back of her mind that Meg is really strong. Like really, really strong. She manages to pin Freddie’s legs together, which minimizes the movement but doesn’t look very easy. “That was meant for Ben, not you.”
“It’s really okay,” Freddie says. “I’m sure it happens all the time.” She herself has never cast a hex at a classmate in the hallway, but she knows that puts her in the minority. Students clear out of the way as the two of them come down the hall, many snickering and putting highly varying levels of effort into hiding it. “Did he deserve it?” Freddie asks.
“Oh, absolutely,” Meg replies. “Listen, I’m going to need a break before we make it to the hospital wing. Possibly several.”
“That’s fine,” Freddie says, though she’s feeling increasingly miserable. Meg sets her down on a stone bench and she has to grip the sides to keep herself from falling over.
“Man,” Meg says, observing Freddie’s wildly twitching legs. “I really should have looked up the countercurse before casting that.”
“Well,” Freddie says, “you’re growing older and wiser and all that.”
“Though probably not ever as wise as you,” Meg says. “Head girl and all that.”
Freddie shrugs, flushing a bit. “It’s really not a big deal.”
“I think it’s a pretty big deal. I know you work hard for it. Like, every time I go to bed you’re still up in the common room working. I see you showing first years to class all the time, even when it means you have to run all the way up to the astronomy tower. You show up to every Quidditch match, even if you’re obviously tired and busy.” Meg shrugs. “I think it’s pretty cool.”
Freddie laughs. “Cool isn’t what most people call it.”
“So, are you busy enough that you wouldn’t be able to make it the next Hogsmeade trip?”
“No, I’m planning on going. Why?”
Meg picks at the hem of her robe. “I was wondering if you might like to go to the Three Broomsticks with me. To get a drink. You know, to make up for me hexing you.”
Freddie thinks this is working out much better than an accidental hex has ever worked out for anyone. “Yeah, that sounds nice. You know, I would have said yes even if you hadn’t hexed me.”
Meg grins at her. “Yeah, but I would have had to come up with a different excuse.”
“Pretty lucky I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“Yeah,” Meg says, and stands. “We should probably keep going. That can’t be fun.”
“Oh I don’t know,” Freddie says as Meg lifts her once more. “I think I could get used this.”