Mudblood
Lirum made their way to the quidditch pitch to meet the twins. Their bag was full of a few food items for when the twins finished and some reading material for the meantime. As they climbed the Gryffindor stands they saw two familiar faces and one they hadn’t seen before.
“Lirum? Why are you watching a quidditch practice? A Gryffindor practice at that?” Said Hermione stopping spreading her marmalade over her toast.
“The twins asked me to watch. I didn’t feel like hearing them wine so I’m here.” Lirum answered, sitting down on the stands and pulling out their copy of ‘A Thousand Magical Herbs And Fungi’. Suddenly they heard a clicking sound behind them like a camera shutter.
“Can I help you?” Lirum said to the young boy in Gryffindor robes holding up a camera.
“Your hair just changed color!” The boy said excitedly.
“Well yeah, it tends to do that.” Lirum said, confused.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before!” The boy said, holding up his camera eagerly. “So I took pictures for proof.”
“What is with these first years?” Lirum said to themself trying to ignore the frequent clicking and keep reading.
“Look this way, Harry! This way!” The boy cried shrilly.
Suddenly though they felt a gust of wind as the Gryffindor team all flew in the other direction. Looking up from their book they saw as the Slytherin team approach.
“This can’t be good” Ron said to Hermione.
“Let’s go check in what’s happened.” She said back quickly.
Lirum debated for a moment whether they should just wait. The tension on the field seemed high and if they went they might have to drag the second years back to the stands. That’s exactly why they did who else would drag them back if they tried getting into another fight. As they chased the second years down onto the field they began to hear what was being said.
“Ah” The Slytherin boy said. “But I’ve got a specially signed note here from professor Snape. ‘I Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field when did the need to train the new seeker.”
“you’ve got a new seeker?” Wood asked, surrounded by shocked faces from the rest of the team. “Where?”
The Slytherin team parted to show their new seeker. Lirum couldn’t quite get a look at it from a distance. They seemed quite a bit shorter than the others, blond hair and pale skin was all that could be seen.
“Aren’t you Lucius Malfoy’s son?” Fred asked, disgusted. Telling Lirum everything they would need to know about this situation. He always had to instigate something, couldn’t go one year without causing a scene.
“Funny you should mention Draco’s father.” The whole appeared to smirk at once as the older boy said, “Let me show you the generous gift he’s made the Slytherin team.”
The whole team held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelled the words ‘Nimbus Two Thousand And One’ gleaming in the early morning sun.
“Very latest model. Only came out last month,” said the older Slytherin. “I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. And as for the old Cleansweeps” he grinned sinister, turning to Fred and George who Lirum had to assume were holding Cleansweeps based on his statement. “Sweeps the board with them.”
Lirum didn’t know much about brooms. They where never the quidditch type, after all. But they could tell by the way the arrogant Slytherin boy was talking, and the stunned expressions on the Gryffindor team this was not good for them. The broad smirk on Malfoy’s face became visible as they drew closer.
“Oh look,” the older boy said as the trio finally made it to where all the players were standing. “A field invasion.”
“What’s happening?” Ron asked Harry. “Why aren’t you playing? And what’s he doing here?”
“I’m the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley,” Malfoy said smugly. “Everyone’s just been admiring the brooms is my father’s bought our team.”
Ron looked shocked mouth agape at the team full of high quality brooms in front of him.
“Good, aren’t they?” Malfoy bragged. “But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them.”
His team howled with laughter. Lirum went to take a step forward but were stopped by a gentle tug in their wrist. It was George. A knowing glance exchanged between the two. He didn’t want Lirum in trouble for standing up for them. Before they could argue they were cut off.
“At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to by the way in.” Hermione said sharply. Drawing Fred’s attention behind him. Where he saw George still holding Lirum’s hand. “They got in on pure talent.” She finished as Fred jabbed his brother in the side and pulled him back towards the team.
“No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood,” Malfoy spat. Snapping the Trio from their infighting instantly, turning their attention back to the pompous blood purist. Fred wore a sickening smile, that said he was out for blood.
“How dare you!” One of the Gryffindor girls screamed. “Oh you better pray to Salazar Slytherin himself that madam Pomfrey can put you back together.” Lirum said drawing their wand which was snatched away by George before they could curse him.
Ron however was not so lucky. He plunged his hand into his robes and yelled. “You’ll pay for this one Malfoy!” As a loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green shot out of the wrong end of his wand sending him reeling back into the grass.
“Ron! Ron! Are you alright?” Hermione squealed. Ron tried to reply but ended up belching out several slugs right into his lap. The sight made Lirum nauseous. They tried to look elsewhere only to notice the broken wand on the ground.
“Have you been using a broken wand? Do you know how dangerous that is? No wonder your spell backfired!” Lirum said earning a look from the trio of second years that said this wasn’t really the time. Honestly, Lirum had to agree.
“We’d better get him to Hagrid’s, it’s nearest" Harry said to Hermione as they rushed away but couldn’t do so fast enough without the boy from before getting in their way.
“What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he Ill? But you can cure him, can’t you?” The boy asked all at once running to where they were on the field. “Oooh, can you tell him to hold still?” The boy asked again, trying to snap a picture.
“Get out of the way, Colin!” Harry yelled as he and Hermione rushed past him.
“We should probably get out of here, and tell Percy what happened shouldn’t we?” Lirum asked, turning to the twins.
“Why do you always want to tell Percy?” Fred huffed, throwing his head back.
“Because he’s both Ron’s older brother and your prefect he should be made aware.” Lirum said, walking back towards the stands. “Now if you boys want the breakfast I packed for you I suggest you follow.”
“You brought me breakfast? Because you knew I’d be practicing and miss it?” Fred said, perking back up immediately.
“Well yeah I couldn’t let Oliver starve you in the name of quidditch. It’s not as good as fresh breakfast in the great hall but a little picnic out here wouldn’t be so bad right?” Lirum grabbed their bag and pulled out some of the food.
“It’s brilliant, Precious.” Fred said grinning.
“You’re too good to us Love.” George said following close behind.
“Hardly, I didn’t bring much. We’ve got some bread and fruit. I've also brought some jam. Spread it over the bread with some of the fresh fruit you’ve got yourself a makeshift tart!” Lirum said handing Fred over some of the food from their bag they’d wrapped nicely.
“Hey George? I’ll give you some food if you give me back my wand.” Lirum said, holding the second pack of food they’d put together.
“I don’t know this seems like a high quality wand.” He said holding it out inspecting it. “Why do you want it back so bad.”
“Sentimental reasons mostly.” They said slowly walking towards him.
“When did you take their wand?” Fred asked, crossing his arms.
“When they looked like they might have checked to learn unforgivable curses off their to-do list. They were about to use them on Malfoy.” George joked, waving Lirum’s wand around as he spoke. “Sorry dear your far to pretty to go to Azkaban.”
Lirum snatched their wand back from George’s grasp as he shrugged those words. They handed the defeated George his breakfast and sat down.
“Well what are the two of you going to do with the read of your Saturday.” Lirum asked.
“Take as much of your time as you’ll give me Precious.” Fred teased leaning closer to Lirum.
“Why do you call me that? I think I preferred bunny.” Lirum joked. “You make me sound like some frilly muggle dog.”
“Well you didn’t like it when George called you dear, or thumper, you don’t want me to call you precious I could call you love. After all, you are mine.” Fred said with a wink that earned an eye roll back from Lirum.
“Sorry Freddie, that’s mine I already call them love. I’ve been doing it since third year.” George protested.
“You what!” Fred snapped.
“Freddie? I think that’s the first time I’ve heard your nickname.” Lirum laughed as Fred turned a little pink. “But yeah sorry Freddie, he’s been calling me that since before Christmas I believe. Haven’t you ever noticed.”
“No, I think Georgie here has been doing it behind my back on purpose.” Fred said, giving an awful look to his brother. “Couldn’t you at least give me a hint as to what you’d like me to call you? Everyone else has a name for you but me!”
“Wouldn’t you be the one to pick out a nickname for me? It’s not special if I do it.” Lirum teased.
“Well if you didn’t hate everything I tried I would.” Fred said, taking in between bites of his breakfast. “If you don’t tell me what to call you I’m just gonna start testing every name I can think of Pet.”
A shiver ran down their spine leaving them hot as Lirum’s blush took over in an instant. They had to be red all the way to their ears with that one. Surely their hair was brighter than ever before they thought
“Well that’s new?” Fred said, leaning forward as he lifted a stray ringlet. It was mostly pink but had little bits of red running through it.
“Fred knock it off! I’ve never seen any red before. Did we tease you a bit too much?” George asked genuinely, a bit worried even.
“No, I’m alright, just a bit too embarrassed I think.” Lirum said. They took a breath to calm themself back down.
“I guess I’ll take that off the list then a darling.” Fred joked leaning back in the grass.
“Let’s just settle for darling. I don’t think I’ll survive much more of your testing.” Lirum said, sighing and laying beside him in the grass.
“Are you sure red wasn’t anger or anything? I’ll knock him around good? for you love?” George said, laying down on Lirum’s other side.
“No see, I'm completely fine, just got a little too flustered for a second.” Lirum said relaxing but they could feel the twins' eyes on them the second the words left their mouth.
“Oh it seems you may have been worried for nothing, Goergie” Fred said in a sing-song voice. “I seem to have found a name Lirum really enjoyed.”
“What are you on about now Fred?” Lirum asked, looking up at the Gryffindor twins.
“Well that’s no fair Freddie! Now I’ll have to go find a word to make them flustered.” George teased right back and Lirum realized what they’d unleashed.
“No! Both of you! I just misspoke!” Lirum argued hopelessly. The boys had already figured out what the red had meant.