𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 | 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲

The Teacher's Train

He would like that. But she couldn't count on an owl to make it to the Burrow by 11, as their train was almost in Yorkshire. Practicality was a bust.

This is all stupid, Elodie thought, watching her breath fog up the window. Just forget about it.

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

Elodie most definitely had not forgotten about it when they arrived in Scotland. It had to be around nine in the morning—the sun was still fairly low in the sky.

She was going to ask her father if she could wait at the platform for the Hogwarts Express to get there, but realized that wouldn't be for hours, so she reluctantly followed the teachers up to the school.

The castle was strange, when it was empty. It almost felt eerie, like the suits of armor were watching her every move. Peeves was around, throwing slime at the arriving teachers, and Filch was running along after him trying to clean it up.

"You can go up." Snape said, gesturing up the stairs. "Just be down for supper at seven."

Elodie made a mental note to not come down for dinner, as a last act of defiance to end off the summer. Instead, she spent a tedious amount of time unfolding her clothes into the dresser, and blowing bubbles out of her wand for her own amusement.

By the time seven came (and that felt like days), Elodie summoned food up from the kitchens and ate it in the bath. Because, really, what else was she supposed to do?

God, what had she done before Fred and George?

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

Elodie was still in the shower when she finally heard commotion from the common room, and almost died from happiness. As it would turn out, an entire day alone at Hogwarts wasn't as fun as you would expect. She washed the last of the soap out of her hair and quickly wrapped a towel around herself. The footsteps and chatter of her roommates echoed as they climbed the stairs to the dorm.

Elodie yanked the door back prematurely, and practically collided into someone.

"Els!"

"Fred?!" Elodie shrieked, adjusting her towel self-consciously. "This is the girl's dormitory!"

Fred stared down at her, licking his lips. "I always said our dorms should be co-ed."

"Move it or lose it, tosser." Alicia chirped, shoving Fred aside as she flopped down on her bed.

"And stop gawping at Els!" Katie added, throwing her trunk aside.

Fred leaned against the doorframe, his eyes still tracking Elodie. "No-can-do, Kates."

Elodie rolled her eyes, taking her clothes into the bathroom to change. Fred started to follow her, and Maura yanked him back by his hair.

"Hey!" He pouted.

"Absolutely not." Maura scolded. "Man-whore."

"I'm not a man-whore."

"Yes, you are!" Elodie called from the bathroom.

Fred sighed, and flopped down onto her bed, closing his eyes like he was about to sleep. "I live here now."

Elodie returned to the dormitory, relieved to be fully clothed again. She nudged Fred over. "George and Lee would be sad." She reasoned, sitting down beside him.

Fred snorted. "No they wouldn't. It would give them some privacy to-"

Elodie clapped her hand over Fred's mouth. "Freddie," She warned.

He grinned up at her through her fingers. Elodie felt her stomach flutter at the close proximity to her best friend. Should she tell him now? Not here, with her roommates listening in.

Perhaps Fred could read her thoughts, because he wrapped his arms around her, burying his head into her stomach.

"You smell like you again." He smiled, voice muffled from underneath her hoodie.

Elodie closed her eyes, wanting to stay like this forever. Uncomplicated, warm, and in love.

"So, are you together now, or..." Katie wiggled her eyebrows from across the room.

Fred gave her the finger. "I am just tired. And Els has her fancy boyfriend."

"I thought you broke up!" Maura said confusedly. Elodie gave her friend an incredulous look. Okay, so maybe she would have to tell Fred now.

He sat up immediately, eyes darting back and forth from Maura to Elodie. "You and Fortescue broke up?"

Elodie bit her lip. "Yeah, we did... at the Cup."

Fred looked hurt. "You didn't tell me."

"I tried to! But you were all like, "shove it, Els, I bloody love you!" Elodie said, feeling aggravated. She had tried to get him alone that entire night, just to be blamed now for keeping it to herself?

Fred crossed his arms. "You could've written me, or something! Anything but lied to me."

Elodie gaped at him. "I didn't lie to you!"

"You sure didn't tell me the truth!"

She stood up, fuming. "Because you didn't let me! I wasn't going to tell you something like that in a letter!"

"You told Maurs in a letter!" Fred said angrily.

"That's different!" Elodie argued. "She's not... you!"

Fred's chest was rising and falling heavily, clearly trying to figure out if being mad at Elodie was worth it.

"You could've told me." He said finally. "Anywhere, any time..."

Elodie clenched her jaw. "Well, I'm telling you now."

"Little prig."

"Bloody prat."

"I'm going for a walk." Fred sighed, shutting the door behind him.

Elodie looked at her roommates in disbelief. "Is he serious?"

They stared back at her, all trying to mask their smiles. "Go after him!"

Oh, Merlin. This was stupid. This was too soon, and too late, and every good and bad emotion Elodie had ever felt mixed into one. She took a deep breath, and ran down the stairs after Fred.