An Almost confession
~With Fred and Arthur~
Fred finally worked up the courage to talk to Arthur, so he led him to another hallway outside the great hall,
“Arthur, I wanted to talk to you about something a bit important to me.”
Arthur looked at him with his bright gray eyes full of attention and a slight pink tint to his cheeks ”Yes Fred?"
Fred cleared his throat and began to try to speak. “I just wanted to let you know-”
The thorn in Arthur’s side Lee popped up behind Arthur putting his arm around Arthur’s shoulder, “Hey! Fancy seeing you around here. Hey Iggy, what about that Hogsmeade trip?”
Arthur shoved Lee’s arm off of him, his gray eyes once filled with hopeful love steeled to hate with a faint amber tint, “Firstly, what have I told you about calling me Iggy? Secondly, in case your pea-sized brain fails to comprehend common decency, I was in the middle of a conversation. Thirdly, I have been holding off and trying to be civil. For the sixth time, in roughly two days by the way. I am not and will never go to Hogsmeade with you. I am going with Alethea, Fred, and George.”
Lee glared at Arthur, “There is no need to be so rude. Why would you want to go to Hogsmeade with someone who gets so frazzled around you he can barely speak when you can have a real man go with you.”
Fred noticed a small white snake slowly make his way over and begin to slither up Arthur's leg to get to his shoulder.
Lee's comment really pissed off Arthur to the point his eyes were now a blazing amber filled with hatred towards the boy standing next to him. All Arthur wanted to do right now was to talk to the man he loves instead of being bothered by this insect next to him.
Arthur could feel anger not his own as he felt a pressure on his shoulder. Gil began to hiss at Lee while Arthur glared. Lee frowned with a look of vague disgust, “What in the bloody hell is wrong with your eyes?! Are you some kind of freak or something.” Gil’s hisses gained an almost hysteric edge to them and got very loud.
A few seconds later, the door to the great hall slammed open and Alethea came out with her hair standing large around her hair due to the energy she was putting off. She storms up to Lee and begins to raise her voice with a faint German accent. “What do you think you are saying about my friends?! You are nothing but an insect waiting to be crushed but you’re out here calling someone else a freak?! No. What’s freaky is the fact that while he has CONSTANTLY for years been telling you no. The only thing that has stopped me or the twins is him. And TRUST me you wouldn’t like me angry.” Her German accent had been getting thicker while she was yelling at Lee.
Lee glared back at her, “If he keeps saying no, why does he look at me like that?! Like he wants what I can do. But if he’s a half-breed, he’s worse then a mudblood. Nobody would want him and when he comes crawling back on his knees wanting my attention, I’ll spit in his face.”
Alethea’s eyes turn bloody and she yells, “Fuck you, you ungodly fucking insect!” Her accent made her words almost indecipherable while she punched him hard in the nose.
“Fuck!” Lee falls down while holding his nose while Alethea gives him a swift kick before leveling her wand at him and calling, “Episky.” His nose heals while Alethea smoothes down her skirt and shirt before smiling at him evilly and kneeling down, “Other than those who are here now, No one will believe you. After all, who would believe prim and proper Alethea Nightshade would use muggle means to hurt someone? Now scat before I do something worse.”
Lee scuttles up glaring at Alethea, Alethea faints going forward and Lee flinches before she grabs his tie and glares, “I don’t want to hear a word of this ANYWHERE. And if I catch you so much as glaring at Arthur or using that damned nickname he hates on him. I can and will do worse than a broken nose that I healed.” Alethea shoves him and Lee stumbles before brushing off his shoulders and stalking off. Alethea quickly puts her hair up into a bun while her hair is still puffy while she calms down.
While Alethea was yelling at Lee, Arthur started to tear up. When Fred sees that he grabs the smaller male's hand pulling him into a bear hug. "Don't listen to him. Your amber eyes are beautiful…" Fred's voice was muffled in Arthur's hair, but his words made the smaller male happy.
"Thank you Fred…" said Arthur through sniffles.
"But I don't think you'll have to worry about him. Alethea is taking care of it now." Fred said while watching Alethea hand Lee his ass on a silver platter.
"Are you okay Arty?" asked Alethea with worry showing through her maroon eyes.
Arthur turns his head towards Alethea, not leaving Fred's embrace, and says "I'm fine now love. I'm just tired. I could use a cuddle puddle."
Alethea has a tense smile, “I was going to tell you guys, we got permission for a cuddle puddle.”
George peaked his head out of the great hall doors that he had closed after Alethea stormed through and dropped the anti-eavesdropping spell he had placed before fully coming through. Alethea walks up to George and gives him a tight hug before placing her head on his shoulder. With a faint German accent, “Thank you, sweets. I spaced on placing the charm on the door.”
George lightly pats Alethea's head and says in a calm voice, "You’re good Thea. Arthur is safe now."
Alethea sighs, “Let’s visit our helpers and get food there. I’m sure Arthur doesn’t want to go back to the great hall after that. I’ll meet you there and talk to Professor Sprout. We have her next.”
Alethea walks into the great hall while scribbling a note on a paper, explaining that Arthur and her will not be in class. She then drops the same note at Professor McGonagall telling her the twins will not be there either. She then walks to the kitchen while Gil goes with a self-opening and shrinking bag to grab pajamas for all four of them. After a while Alethea comes back with more than one plate of food for each one of them. "We can go to the come-and-go room now." She said with a bright smile.
George and Fred said okay, but Arthur just gave a small nod still tucked into Fred's arms. This worried Alethea some. Usually, he would have answered her or at least made some type of noise but he didn’t.
Alethea frowned before she got an idea, “Poppi.” A little house elf popped in and bowed to Alethea, “Can you bring four mugs of der vati’s hot chocolate? And can you pop us to the seventh floor where the troll tapestry is?”
She nodded before popping them there and popping out and coming back a few minutes later with the four mugs. Alethea smiled at Poppi, “Danke.”
Poppi nodded and popped away with a snap.
They paced the wall and then entered the room to see a pile of pillows and blankets with several mattresses on the floor and bean bag chairs surrounding it.
George took the mugs so Alethea didn’t have too much stuff to carry. “Fred, could you carry Arty?” asked Alethea, seeing that Arthur had already fallen asleep in Fred’s embrace. Fred nodded while slowly picking up Arthur to make sure that the smaller male did not wake up.
Arthur squirmed in his sleep with furrowed brows.
Gil came in with the bag and set it in front of Alethea, she smiled and stroked his snout before grabbing a mouse that she had stored, and giving it to him. Gil ate it while Alethea looked at the others who were looking on in confusion. “I had Gil grab a pair of pajamas for all of us.”
Alethea grabbed Arthur’s and did a switching spell to change Arthur’s clothes to his pajamas before doing the same to the twins and herself. She let her hair all the way down and magicked her makeup away “Freddie, I wanted to apologize for you having to see me like that earlier. I try not to do that, but there is a reason that I am in Slytherin.” George turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow and a look that said to explain.
“It’s okay Alethea but you guys have a lot of explaining to do about what happened,” Said Fred after setting Arthur down on a bean bag chair.
“Which one do you want me to start with?” asked Alethea sitting in a bean bag chair in front of the twins.
“How about you start with what are you guys?” asked George while sitting next to his brother.
“To start with I am a full-blooded witch, however on my vati’s side, we have had vampires in the past. With this when I get angry, my eyes turn a bit bloody due to the latent magic. However, the more recent generation is from my grandmama, and so I might get fangs but no creature inheritance that we know of. He explained that it was normal, especially as so far I show an extremely strong and large magical core for my age. This is vaguely related as well to the fact that I am a part of the German sacred 28 and the Nightshades are known to have glowing or red eyes. I just happen to have both. My magic also causes my hair to puff up due to the minor electric type currents that happen when I’m angry or feeling protective. Arthur is technically a half-breed but I find that a derogatory term and hate it.” She takes a deep breath looking at her feet, “He is a werewolf. But a true born. He has stronger control over his wolf but still suffers from the monthly problem. However, he does have most if not full control over his wolf half.”
“Okay I can see how you got the red eyes but how is Arthur a werewolf?” asked Fred while he looked confused and lovingly at the smaller male.
Alethea smiles softly, “His wonderful pops is one of the kindest souls I know and yet he is afflicted by this illness.” Alethea takes a gentle sip of her hot chocolate and smiles wider at the taste of home.
“His pops? I thought he didn’t have a dad.” Fred said confused, looking between Alethea and Arthur.
“He does and that’s how I’ll leave it for now. He can explain if he wishes to when he awakes.” Alethea gives a slightly tense smile, “Take a sip of your hot chocolate. It’s my vati’s special recipe.”
“Okay but what about you? How are you German but sound English?” asked George, looking at Alethea intrigued.
Alethea smiled, “My vati is German, yes and my Mummy is English. She’s a part of the purebloods as well. She knows just how cruel the English can be to other nationalities so she had me practice until I was able to hide it. However, a charm or two always helps as well. If I get too emotional my control slips and my accent slips out. We also do live in the English countryside but every other holiday we go back to Germany to visit my vati’s side. I’m also careful with how I speak, that's why I tend to pause occasionally while talking.”
She takes another couple of drinks of her hot chocolate while Gil winds up around her neck to rest while she casts a wandless warming charm on him and Arthur’s mug. While Alethea was drinking her hot chocolate the three of them start to hear the smaller male wake up. “Hmmm, where am I? What happened?” asked Arthur while he rubbed his eyes.
Alethea smiles gently, “You’re in the come-and-go room. You’re with me, Alethea, Fred, and George. You had a minor shutdown while Fred was comforting you. You don’t have to worry about Lee bothering you anymore hopefully.”
“Oh Okay. Thank you, love. What are you guys talking about?” Arthur asked, looking at the three people by him.
Alethea hands Arthur his hot chocolate, “Vati’s special hot chocolate.”
She sat back down as her smile turned tense and she looked down, “They were asking questions about us. Such as what we are. And about parents.”
“Oh… What have you said?” Arthur asked, looking down at his mug a little scared.
“I did tell them about your ailment. However, they did take it well. And I left the full parent talk up to you. I only mentioned pops.” Gil moved to Arthur to give him the feeling that everything is okay and Fred’s feelings didn’t change.
Fred smiled and moved to sit down next to Arthur, placing his hand on his. “If you are comfortable, could you tell us about your family?”
Arthur sighed before responding “I mean I can tell you some things about my family but I don’t know if I can tell everything about my family without my pops approval.”
Alethea looks at Arthur, “Do you want me to have Poppi ask him?”
“Yes, please… I feel like we can trust them but I don’t want to make him mad…” Arthur said feeling a little scared.
Alethea nodded and smiled softly, “I don’t think he’ll be mad. He might be happy that you have some people you can trust other than me. Do you want it to be a verbal question or written? Verbal might be faster but you do have your dicta quill.”
“Should probably write it. I don’t want him to think it's someone else pretending to be me or forcing me to do this.” Arthur answered, taking a sip of his hot drink.
Alethea levels a stare at Arthur, “Someone else would be using my house elf that’s bonded to me?” She wandlessly summons a piece of parchment and Arthur’s dicta quill. He speaks the question before Alethea calls Poppi back. As Poppi bows to her Alethea smiles, “Poppi would you mind popping this parchment to the den and giving it to moomy? Please wait for his response as well.”
Alethea smiles “While we wait, what do you guys think of Vati’s hot chocolate?”
“It’s really good,” said George and Fred at the same time. While Arthur sips his and hums in agreement.
Poppi comes back after a couple of minutes with a piece of parchment saying Arthur can. Alethea gives her a quick hug before she pops back home.
George and Fred looked at Arthur excitedly, he sighed before responding, “My full name is Arthur Black-Lupin, but I go by Arthur Lupin due to obvious reasons. My pops is Remus Lupin and as Thea said he is a werewolf. He was changed when he was about four years old due to my grandfather upsetting Fenrir and him deciding to get revenge by changing pops. My father on the other hand is Sirius Black… I was about two years old when he went to Azkaban.”
Alethea made grabby hands at George and he complied, sitting next to her. Fred got up and sat next to Arthur, “It doesn’t change how I- we look at you love.”
Arthur hugs Fred burying his head into the taller male’s chest. “Thanks…” he said, feeling all the anxiety he had leaving his body.
Alethea stared with a look that said ‘now… kiss’
Fred looks at her with wide eyes and a massive blush on his face. He shook his head no but he knows Alethea and his brother won’t stop bugging him later on for not doing it. Fred then sighed and kissed Arthur’s forehead, after he did that he sent a look back at Alethea saying ‘you happy now?’ while the smaller male in his arms was silently screaming with a massive blush that reached his ears.
Alethea had a light look of ‘I wonder..’ She smiled at her best friends before she decided to kiss George’s cheek. “Do we have any other serious topics that we want to discuss or have questions on?”
While the two males, George and Arthur, are mentally screaming from shock. Fred is laughing at his brother and trying to answer Alethea. “N-not ‘weez’ tha-at I-I c-c-c-can th-ink of.”
Alethea smiles,” That’s good. I don’t mind answering questions as they arise. Whenever they do. Do we want to eat? Do you want me to get pastries?”
While Fred tries to calm down both Arthur and George finally snap back to earth. “What happened to Fred?” asked Arthur looking down at Fred who was on the ground at this time laughing.
Alethea giggles loudly with a smile, “He was losing his stitches with me breaking his twin.” She looks at George, “Was that okay, sweets?”
George covers his blushing face with his hand saying “Y-yeah it was fine Thea…”
This made Arthur also laugh so but before he could tease either one of them his stomach growled. This caused Arthur and Fred to stop laughing and everyone to look at the black haired male. “Could we eat now?” asked Arthur while his blush came back.
Alethea smiles and floats the food down to them, and refills their hot chocolate with a pitcher that Poppi had brought earlier. “We got a bit of everything while you were a bit shut down since I wasn’t sure what you would want. But Fred reminded me to ask about potato soup so we got that as well. We could eat and do some studying since I don’t think we’ve gotten homework yet or we can just read. I think I found a spell that makes pictures show from the description like a moving picture. Let’s eat.”
Alethea gives a sly grin as she’s about to take a bite when George does, “Also Sweets, I might do that more frequently if you have no objections.” George proceeds to cough with a red face.
“Oooooo,” both Fred and Arthur say, giving a teasing grin at George while they start to eat their food.
“So after we’re done eating what do you guys want to do?” asked Fred looking around at the others.
“I would like to cuddle more if that’s okay?” asked Arthur with a blush starting to form on his face.
Fred blushed as well and nodded his head. He cleared his throat, “I wouldn’t mind that…”
Arthur’s blush increased as he nodded his head. Alethea and George shared a look when Fred and Arthur weren’t paying attention. Alethea leaned against George as she ate. After they finished eating, they settled into the nest on the floor where Alethea proceeded to pull out a herbology book and settle into reading. She also handed George a book on obscure pranking spells and potions. “I found this and thought you would like it.”
George’s eyes were wide in amazement, “Thanks Thea” he said, giving her a quick kiss on her cheek. Alethea froze for a second while her cheeks turned a light red. Arthur and Fred just giggled at the two and started to cuddle some after they finished eating. They all were in a comfortable silence just enjoying the others’ presence while they all did their own thing.
Soon it was getting late and the time for bed was approaching. Alethea stood to stretch and get another cup of hot chocolate, “This hot chocolate tastes like home to me and I’m glad you boys enjoy it.”
Alethea soon grew an evil and proud smile, “Also Arthur, you needn’t worry about Lee so much as looking at you too long. Speaking of… let me know if he does.”
Her smile lost the evil edge, “This has been fun so far!” Alethea stretched again and drew a blanket around her before leaning against George’s shoulder while Fred drew Arthur in closer with his arm around Arthur’s shoulders.
The twins wonder what Alethea did to Lee but both were too scared to ask. However, Arthur wasn’t scared because he knew his childhood friend well. “So which plan did you use on him to get him away from me?” Arthur asked casually while the twins were getting a little nervous because Alethea’s smile started to grow and started to get its evil edge back.
Alethea’s eyes began to get a bloody twinge to them and her German accent started peaking out, “Firstly, I got German. Secondly, I said he was nothing but an ungodly insect waiting to be crushed yet he had the audacity to call someone else a freak. I mentioned the only thing stopping the twins or me was you and that I was done. I tried to tell him he wouldn’t like me angry but he just. Kept. going. So I showed him why and I put Vati’s training to use and broke his nose then I gave him a kick and you know how hard I can kick, plus the fact that I was wearing my heels. Finally, so he wouldn’t have to see madam Pomfrey, I healed his nose and told him that I better not hear him use that gods be damned word again and that I better not hear a lick of what happened in the rumors. And Sweets was exactly like his nickname sweet and spelled the door so no one could hear and made sure it shut behind me.”
Alethea had a bloodthirsty grin on her face and had checked her nails as she casually said, “I’m also going to make sure that Flint crushes him in the next quidditch game and might tell everyone how he can’t seem to take no and how he was just so cruel.” She gained a fake pout and had fake tears gathering in her eyes. “It should stop him for a while for after all, why would someone talk to such an insect with no regard for other people’s boundaries and feelings.”
Her smile went normal, and she lay more comfortably. With a hum, she adds, “Yet again, there’s a reason I’m a Slytherin boys.”
Arthur was laughing while the twins made a mental note not to mess with Alethea or accidentally hurt Arthur. “Hahaha if you want I c-can tell hahaha my c-captain too so h-he hahaha will be f-facing hell during practice t-t-too.” Arthur said in between laughs.
“Don’t worry about that Arty.~ I’ll take care of it if need be.” Alethea said giggling and winked at Arthur. This made Arthur fall over laughing more while the twins were still scared, though they don’t understand how Arthur isn’t scared at all and is just laughing so hard.
She turned while giggling at them with mirth filled eyes, “I can see the fear boys. What’s up?” She wiggles her fingers at them, “I only use my powers for good… and pranks with the right boys.” Alethea giggles and winks at George.
“Thea… Sometimes we forget that you’re a Slytherin…” George said, turning his head to the side with a faint blush dusting his cheeks. Fred just nodded in agreement while staring at Arthur who was now trying to calm down from his giggle fit.
Alethea tilts her head with furrowed brows, “How do you forget I’m a Slytherin? For one, green-lined robes, but I wouldn’t mind a specific red lined pair every now and again, and I am constantly reminding you guys?”
She starts slightly swaying side to side as she sips her hot cocoa. “Because Thea, you are smart, funny, kind, helpful, and just… so amazing…” George replied back with a blush as red has his hair.
Alethea has a small blush across her cheeks as she chokes for a second on her hot cocoa, “Thank you, sweets… That is part of the reason why I make a good Slytherin, people who don't know me tend to underestimate me… at least those not in Slytherin. In my house I have to act powerful, that’s why Draco stopped pretty quickly and part of the reason why Flint listens to me.” A small smile crosses Alethea’s face and she thinks for a second before mentally shrugging and kisses George’s cheeks and on his nose with a large blush across her cheeks.
“Awww~” said both Arthur and Fred. This made both Alethea and George blush even more because for a second they both forgot that the two other males were in the room with them. Alethea’s eyes flicker from Fred to Arthur with a hidden, ‘You can do it too.’ Fred just turned bright red just like his brother.
Alethea smiled and giggled before yawning. “I think it’s time to go to sleep now…” Arthur noticed that Alethea was starting to get tired.
Alethea pouted and snuggled into George’s shoulder, “but cuddles…”
George started to blush so much while he said “We can cuddle while we go to sleep since you said we got permission to sleep here tonight?”
Alethea nodded while holding onto George’s arm. She yawned again and smiled softly. “I’m going to sleep too…” Arthur yawned cuddling up into Fred without noticing.
Once both Alethea and Arthur are fast asleep the twins start to talk. They are using this time to plan out some pranks but all of a sudden they hear faint mumbles coming from Alethea so both of them stop talking to hear what is going on with her and are hoping they didn’t wake her up. When they start to focus on what she is saying they hear George’s name being said but nothing could prepare the red headed twin for what came after it. “George………I……Love y-ou.” she said still being fast asleep.
When George heard those three words from Alethea it felt like time stopped for him. “Did…Did she just say what I think she said?” he asked his twin, not believing what he heard.
“I think she just confessed to you in her sleep…” Fred replied also not believing what he just heard.
“What should I do?” George asked not knowing if he should tell Alethea what she said or not.
“I think you should confess to her.” Fred replied, smirking at his twin brother, “I mean now you know how she feels so you won’t have to worry about her rejecting you.”
“True but what should I do?” asked the confused twin looking down at the sleeping female that was asleep in his arms.
“How about-”