The Missing Link (A Fred Weasley Love Story)

Chapter 25~ Second Dates

Soon after the incident with the Lake, many unfortunate plagues seemed to meet Draco and his crew. One day in the Great Hall, they happened to notice some sweets that weren't usually there and began immediately to eat them up. Draco was in the Hospital Wing for uncontrolled vomiting, and Crabbe and Goyle were in for a simultaneous fever and nosebleed after having fainted.

"And this is only the beginning!" Fred shouted to the Gryffindor common room one night. I was there to help make and test new products that we were going to sell in the twins joke shop.

"That's right! Puking Pastilles, Fainting Fancies, Nosebleed Nought, Fever Fudge! Bite the orange end off for the effect and to have your Professor send you to the Hospital Wing. Once you get out, bite the purple end and the effect is gone! You're free to stay out of class for however long you want!" George yelled to the ever-growing group of students in the common room.

"And who wouldn't want to get out of class? Especially with Umbridge!" I added in gleefully, to which everyone cheered. I was thrilled. The Gryffindors hadn't taken to kindly at first to having a Slytherin in their common room almost every time there was a free period and on the weekends. But once they realized Fred and I were dating and that I was one of the manufacturers of the jokes and pranks they loved so much, they got over it. I was an honorary Gryffindor.

"Time to bring out the new merchandise, do you think?" Lee Jordan asked me quietly. I nodded and brought out a hat topped with a pink feather from my book bag, which was slung across one of the armchairs.

Fred caught my eye and, noticing what I held in my hands, smiled, "What the lovely Ellie has in her hands right now is what we call the Headless Hat! Care to demonstrate, Georgie?"

I offered George the hat and he took it like it was a crown, placing both of his hands on either side of it and lowering it down slowly on his head. Gasps filled the room as George's head disappeared and he walked around for a bit before taking the hat off and bowing to the thunderous claps and cheers echoing across the common room. Then, Fred snatched the hat from him and placed it on his head as well, everyone "oohing" and "ahhing."

"Neat trick, bro! It does make me wonder, though. How's Ellie going to kiss you now?" Ginny walked up to Headless Fred, patting his back. I heard him gasp and he pulled the hat off as quickly as possible. Everyone who had heard Ginny laughed and laughed even harder at Fred's antics.

"Was that really necessary, Ginny?" I asked, laughing as well. She giggled before just shaking her head and walking up the girls' common room stairs. Fred grinned widely at me before withdrawing another hat from who-knows-where and handing it to George. They went back to demonstrating and as they were I walked over to the chairs by the fire, where Ron, Harry, and Hermione were trying to do their homework, though failing.

"How do those hats work, then?" I heard Hermione ask. Feeling this was my opportunity to step in, I answered her.

"It's really quite simple actually. We just enhanced an Invisibility Spell, placed it on the hat, focused the energy of the spell to where it would make the wearer's head seemingly disappear - which, we had to make the spell stronger because we were stretching it out, so George and I figured out how to add the less pronounced properties of the Vanishing Spell to it - and then we contained it." I finished proudly. Hermione was looking up at me, bemused, while Harry and Ron were simply shocked, mouths literally hanging open.

"I didn't know you were good at Transfiguration, Ellie!" Hermione said, sounding impressed.

"Well, when Professor Minerva gave me the shortened version of the O.W.L. for it I received an 'O.' She told me I'm one of the brightest students she's had since...erm, for awhile." I shied away from that. Professor Minerva had told me that James had excelled in Transfiguration.

"Geez, Ellie! I didn't know you were so smart! Are you sure you and Hermione aren't related?" Ron asked, still gawking at me.

"Um, pretty sure I guess." I shifted uncomfortably, starting to think that it was a bad idea to come over here. Harry was looking uncomfortable as well.

"Els! Get over here!" Fred called me over, and I was extremely grateful for the break.

"We're taking a bow together!" George whispered to me.

"Thank you! Everyone of you! I hope we have you anxiously awaiting our next project! As for now, free Fainting Fancies for everyone!" Fred yelled, and everyone in the common room cheered. The four of us, the manufacturers, laughed out as loud as possible. I had never felt that giddy in my life.