Chapter 9
“So wait.” Angelina said, holding her hands up. “Every time you’ve had detention with her, she’s been doing that,” she nodded to Fred’s hand. “And you were convinced the best course of action was not to tell anyone anything.”
“Er, yes.” Fred said, side eyeing his twin who was staring resolutely at the table. “But I had a good reason!”
“Let’s hear it.” Lee folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at him.
“If I told you, you’d do something stupid,” Fred said, feeling like his reason wasn’t actually very good at all. “And then you’d get hurt. I didn’t want that!”
“So instead you decided it was okay for you to get hurt instead of us and you didn’t ask our opinions on the matter?” Katie demanded. Fred nodded in agreement. “Fred, you get how messed up that is, right? She could’ve killed you.”
George made an involuntary wounded noise, like that hadn’t quite occurred to him yet. Fred ignored him. “She didn’t.” He pointed at Katie. “And I’m fine.” He winced as his hand twitched, much like his brother’s did. There was silence as they all stared at him. “I’m sure that’s temporary. It feels temporary.”
Ginny burst into tears. “I’m owling Percy!” She wailed, darting away from the table. Ron stumbled after her.
“Wait!” Fred tried to stand, but was pushed back into his chair by George, who shoved his bowl of murtlap essence at him.
“Stay.” He snarled, storming after their younger siblings.
“You scared him, Freddie.” Angelina said after they’d all watched George disappear up the steps.
Fred swallowed. “Yeah, I…” He trailed off. “I know.”
“I don’t think you do,” Lee said. “You really scared him. Like, I’ve had to talk him down from hysterics twice this semester, not to mention the stony three weeks when you two weren’t talking. He was halfway to calling your older brothers and St. Mungos at least three times.”
Fred winced. “I didn’t mean to scare him.” He said finally. “I just…” He sighed. “I don’t know.”
“What’s going on in your head, Fred?” Alicia asked quietly. “None of us can figure it out anymore.”
“I don’t know.” Fred wrang his hands. “I guess, the third task, Percy, it scared me more than I wanted to admit? And Ron’s always in so much trouble, and then there was Ginny’s first year and-” He was suddenly aware of tears filling his eyes. “I don’t want to lose any of them.” He whispered.
“You didn’t tell them because you were afraid they’d do something that would get them killed,” Katie said softly. “But Fred, they’ve been scared about you getting hurt the whole time. The third task messed all of you up.” She hesitated, and then continued. “Fred, there’s a war coming. I can’t promise all of you are going to make it through it. But you can’t keep doing this, it’s going to kill you, trying to protect all of them.”
“I’d rather it’s me than them.” Fred blurted out, and then immediately bit his lip. He caught sight of Lee’s horrified face. “Not like that- I’m not going to kill myself or anything, well, if I lost my whole family I might, but that’s not what I’m talking about! I’d just rather it’s me who gets hurt, or, or killed, instead of any of my siblings. Or any of you. And I know I scared them, but honestly-” Fred was cut off by Katie flinging herself at him, in tears.
“Fred…” Lee stood and crossed to join their hug, Angelina and Alicia quickly following. “You need help, dude.”
“I’m fine.” Fred said, his voice muffled in Katie’s shoulder. “I just need a break.”
“You need therapy.” Alicia disagreed. “So much therapy. All of you Weasleys.”
“Maybe just a little therapy.” Fred said. Angelina laughed. “Um, what are we going to tell George?”
“You mean what are you going to tell George?” Katie asked. Fred paled, and she backtracked. “I mean, um, we can help?”
“Or you could actually talk to your twin?” Lee offered. “That would be nice, the two of you talking again.”
Fred thought about it, but didn’t say anything. Slowly the group hug broke apart, and George came back down to see all of them speaking softly, Fred’s fingers drumming on the table.
“Ginny and Ron and I just owled Bill, Charlie, and Percy.” He said stiffly. “We did not owl Mum.”
“Thank you,” Fred said quietly. George stared at him.
“Fred,” He sighed. “We need to-”
“Talk, I know, let’s go.” Fred stood, taking his essence of murtlap with him. George’s eyes were wide with surprise. “You pick the place?” Fred offered, weakly.
George nodded once. “Let’s go,” He said, looping his arm in Fred’s and dragging him away firmly.
“Um, it’s past curfew?” Angelina called after them.
Fred snorted. “When have we ever cared about curfew?” He called back.
“Maybe she’s right,” George said as they made their way down the hall. “You don’t need more detention.”
“She’s fired,” Fred reminded him. “I’ll be okay.”
True to his word, Fred was fine. McGonagall had caught them on their way back from the room of requirement, both of them teary and red-eyed. She’d stared for a moment, before turning, leaving both of them without a word, which was a first. Umbridge’s departure was announced at breakfast the next day, and by Tuesday the word had spread that Dumbledore had returned. By Wednesday, they had a new defense against the dark arts teacher.
“Wotcher!” Tonks declared, her hair flashing pink and gold in the front of the classroom. Fred and George stopped in the doorway, Lee running straight into their backs. “Fred! George! Good to see you two again.” She gave a quick once over Fred that she did not give to George, and Fred rapidly remembered that she was Charlie’s best friend from Hogwarts.
“Lo, Tonks.” He said weakly. “You’re our new defense teacher then?”
“Sure am!” Tonks cheered. “And hey, even though I’m a ministry employee, I’m not a boring one. We’ll be using magic here.” She frowned. “Was a ministry employee? Hard to say.”
“You were fired?” George asked, tugging Fred to the side to let the rest of their class through.
Tonks shrugged. “Quit, actually.” She said brightly. “Dumbledore asked if I wanted this job and um,” She coughed. “I had reason to take it.”
“Charlie owled you.” Fred said flatly. Tonks shrugged. He groaned. “Was he pissed?”
“He’ll be home for your graduation in a few months,” She offered. That was no answer at all. “So will Bill. And um, Percy.”
“How do you know this?” George demanded.
Tonks grinned. “Apparently they all met up in Italy. Charlie sent the letter from there.”
Fred was not sure how he felt about his older brothers apparently having an impromptu meeting about him in a country none of them lived in, but he did not have time to reflect on it. True to her word, Tonks was not boring, and class started with a bang (literally), and flew by after that. Lee had the bright idea to grill her about product ideas after class, so the thought was pushed out of Fred’s mind entirely.
“Eat your chicken.” George ordered at dinner that night. Quidditch was finally starting back up again for the both of them, and George had gotten it in his head that Fred had been skipping meals and thus needed more protein.
“I always eat my chicken.” Fred argued back. George pinned him with a sharp look, and Fred decided not to argue. It was easier to not deal with him when he was like this.
“Ready for practice tonight boys?” Angelina plopped down beside them, her braids swinging gleefully.
“Always,” George grinned. “Hey, Ange, what’d you think of the new defense professor?”
“She’s young,” Angelina said. “And you two knew her?”
“Friend of Charlie’s.” Fred muttered.
Angelina laughed with delight. “Think he put her up to it?”
“Almost definitely.” George beamed. Fred could tell he liked having their older brothers on his side. It happened very rarely. “So, quidditch?”
“Quidditch.” Angelina agreed. “I’m going to set the drills up, do you want to help?”
“Yes! I mean, no, I can’t, sorry.” George stumbled through his words and Fred raised an eyebrow at him.
“Pomfrey cleared me.” He reminded his twin blandly. “And if you don’t spend time with your girlfriend she’s going to break up with you. Get out of here.”
“Are you sure?” George asked, chewing his lip anxiously.
Angelina rolled her eyes and waved down the table at Katie and Alicia. The two came over, the last bits of their own dinner in hand. “George and I are going to set up the field.”
Fred coughed. “Make out in the locker room.”
Angelina didn’t spare him a look, but George kicked him. “Can you make sure Fred gets down there alright?”
“I’m not five,” Fred complained. George kicked him again. “Ouch! George, stop doing that!”
“Of course we can,” Alicia grinned. “Been meaning to ask Fred about the shop anyways.”
Fred winced at the thought of their shop, which had been thoroughly put out of his mind for the last month. George had a similar look on his face. To be honest, Fred wasn’t sure that was his dream anymore, with everything going on. It felt dirty, to be making jokes and laughing like that, when people were going to be dying and that wasn’t how he felt.
“Yeah,” Fred said. “Great idea.” George sent him a panicked look, and Fred scowled. “George if you’re still in my line of sight in the next ten seconds I will feed you the old boil candy recipe.”
George swore and tumbled off the bench, booking it out of the great hall. He returned moments later to grab Angelina’s hand and tug her along, while she was laughing the whole way. They reminded Fred a bit of Percy and Audrey, only way less nerdy and awkward.
“We won’t actually ask you about the shop.” Alicia said quietly as Fred stood. “Seems like that’s a tough subject.”
“More like a non-subject.” Fred shrugged. “It’s okay. George and I have had other things on our minds. Haven’t thought about it in a month.”
“Are you still planning on opening it?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
“You should.” Katie declared. “We’ll need it, in a war. Something to make people happy.”
“It feels fake,” Fred admitted as they started down the table. He was trying out this honesty thing. “To open a joke shop and make people laugh when I don’t feel like laughing.”
“Yeah, well.” Katie shrugged. “Doesn’t mean we need it any less.”
Fred was about to answer when he caught sight of Harry glaring at the head table. “What’s up with him?”
“Dunno, but if he’s not careful he and Ron will miss practice. Come on,” Alicia dragged Fred over to them. “Ready Harry? Ron?”
“Er, yes!” Ron leapt up, Harry clambering after him.
“Why’re you glaring at the head table, Harry?” Fred asked, feeling a bit like a big brother again.
Harry blinked. “You saw that?”
“Snape is lucky you don’t have a death glare,” Fred said dryly, as they all made their way out of the great hall.
Harry groaned. “He’s the worst.”
Fred shrugged uncomfortably. “He’s not so bad.”
Harry looked at him aghast, before presumably remembering that Snape quite possibly saved Fred’s life. It was hard for Fred to wrap his mind around too. “Oh, right. Uh, I guess he’s not that bad.”
“What’d he do to you?” They were making their way down the lawn now, Ron chattering happily to Alicia about a new keeping strategy he’d learned. Apparently, Percy had gotten Oliver Wood to owl him some advice.
“Occlumency lessons aren’t going well.” Harry muttered, defeated.
Fred blinked. “I think I missed something.” He admitted. “What lessons?”
“Occlumency? I was learning it from Snape, Dumbledore’s orders. Still am, I guess, but it’s awful and all he does is yell at me.”
“So exactly like potions, then.” Fred joked. Harry nodded. “Well, can you find another teacher?”
“Apparently not.” Harry grumbled. “Dumbledore knows it, but won’t teach me.”
“He is pretty busy,” Fred agreed. “Maybe someone outside of school. We can check this summer, see if Percy or Bill knows anyone. Or Mum and Dad.”
“Really?” Harry asked. “You think that’d work?”
“Worth a shot,” Fred said as they made their way onto the field. Angelina and George were nowhere to be seen, although there were a few drills set up. Fred admired their restraint. He shivered as he looked around the field. Last time he’d been here… well, it hadn’t been pretty, and then Umbridge made it worse.
“Alright Fred?” Alicia asked with concern, apparently catching his tremble.
Fred forced a smile. “Yeah, of course.” He lied. “HEY! GEORGE! Stop snogging your girlfriend and get out here!” Alicia jumped at the sudden change in volume and topic.
“Warn a lass next time, won’t you Freddie?” Katie groaned. Ron snickered as George and Angelina hurried out of the locker rooms, George’s cheeks as red as his hair. Fred raised an eyebrow.
“I hate you,” George hissed as he sidled up next to Fred, Angelina starting practice as if nothing happened. He froze suddenly. “I mean, not really. I don’t actually hate you, I love you a lot, you know that right?”
Fred stared at his brother. “Um,” He said. “Yes?”
“Good,” George nodded. “It’s important to me that you know that.”
“You’re being really weird.” Fred decided, pushing off the ground. George hurried after him. They quickly fell into their old patterns, and before long, they were dominating the field again. Fred could tell from the gleam in Angie’s eye that she was pleased, and honestly, he was too. Up here, it felt like everything might be okay.