Lemon Grass and Sleep

RUN FAST FOR YOUR MOTHER

We sat there in the Three Broomsticks for what must've been a few hours, because when we went to leave, Glinda had shouted that it was night outside. The four of us had stumbled outside to find it was indeed very dark, and definitely past curfew.

"Oh no, they've probably already done bed checks and everything," I mumbled, already thinking about the owl my parents would get about my absence.

"I forgot some people's parents pay attention to this type of stuff," George mumbled to himself, glancing around. "Look there, it's only a bit past eight." He nodded his head toward a clock on the outside of the inn.

"If we hurry back..." Fred seemed concentrated, "We'll have to sprint to make it to the common areas in time."

"Alright," I nodded, and just like that we all took off as fast as our legs would take us.

George and Fred had the longer legs, and I became very jealous very fast of their long strides carrying them much farther. The same could not be said for Glinda, who was a bit below average height.

"Let me on your back," she panted beside me, chest heaving as she ran wildly next to me.

"What?"

"Give me a ride on your back," she yanked me to a stop and threw her around around my neck, choking me as she treated me like a jungle gym.

I took off once more to catch up with the twins, locking my arms around glinda's legs and hurdling us through the empty cobblestone paths of Hogsmeade.

"Keep up, Soot!" Fred called behind them, rounding a corner toward the secret door in Honeydukes. At this point, we'd have to break into there too...

The windows of Honeydukes were dark, and Fred peered into the backdoor to check if the coast was clear. Glinda slid off my back and I fought the urge to hunch over and nurse my now screaming muscles.

"It looks like they've closed up shop," he muttered, bringing out his wand. "Alohomora."

The lock clicked open surprisingly, and we gingerly stepped into the shop. Like the good man he was, Fred made sure to lock everything back up once we were sure we could get the trap door back open.

"The shop doesn't have a counter-spell for alohomora?" Glinda remarked as we traveled by the light of our wands.

"Very good observation," George agreed, "That may come in handy later."

I couldn't get over the fact that we were in a secret tunnel right now, and I kept glancing around, waiting for Filch to magically appear from the shadows to hang us from our pinkies or something stupid like that.

What was really stupid was how often I found myself staring at the way Fred's lumos made his jawline look extra sharp, and the way the pale light looked in his hair was just-

"Is there still snow in my hair?" Fred asked, looking backwards at me and running his hands through his hair a couple times.

"Ah, no," I fumbled.

I could hear Glinda and George snickering to themselves over to my left, and the warmth from my head must've melted the remaining snow in my hair.

"We should hurry back," I murmured, walking ahead.

"He's right, now that we've caught our breath we should get back to running."

"I can't do that again," Glinda groaned, "Me and Soot aren't built for athletics."

"Mm, you have a point," George thought quietly, glancing between me and Glinda.

Sure, I had given her a piggy-back before, but if I did that again I'd be paying Pomfrey a visit for a thrown out back at the ripe age of fifteen.

"Oh, I've got it," George exclaimed, crouching down in front of Glinda. "I'll give Baker a ride and you give Soot a ride. Piece of cake."

Glinda looked George in the eye, and I could tell they were just so proud of themselves. She gave me one look that said 'Go along with this or I'll kill you', and I desire to live.

I looked up at Fred, the few inch height difference suddenly feeling awkwardly large.

"Up you go then," he said, not even showing he had the slightest problem with this plan.

"Ah, yeah," I mumbled, gripping his shoulders from behind. My heart was pounding as I hopped up and felt Fred shifting my weight around to get comfortable. His hands locked around my thighs and I swear I could no longer breath. I had never been this close to Fred before, and now I could smell that signature Weasley scent as it flooded all my senses--and let me tell you, it felt like a fever dream.

Could he tell I was trembling? Hopefully he just thought I was cold or something, it was snowing pretty hard when we left the Three Broomsticks.

"Shaking like a leaf in the wind," Fred joked quietly, so that only I would hear it.

Only the sound of Fred and George's footsteps covered up my sound of embarrassment, and I turned my head the other way to face the wall.

"I was wondering if we could use this time a bit productively," he continued, "I know how much you love to talk about fanged geraniums, but I was wondering what you knew about everlasting elixirs."

"Oh, well, actually..." And with his skillful diversion, Fred had distracted my mind with potions.

For the rest of the tunnel, Fred and George walked as quickly as they could with us on their backs, and I whispered knowledge into Fred's ear, absolutely talking his ear off about elixirs.

Every so often he would mumble an 'Oh really?' or a 'You don't say' like he usually did when I got off on a tangent about anything I was particularly passionate about.

"Alright, slide off you heifer," George grunted, shoving Glinda off his back as we approached the wall.

"Heifer?" She angrily repeated, smacking George's head harshly as she returned to the ground. "You are the most infuriating person I have ever had to deal with."

"I've heard worse," George shrugged, giving that familiar teasing smile.

"Ah, I better get down too then," I mumbled as the two continued to bicker.

"Oh, right," Fred unlocked his hands from around my thighs, sliding me down to the ground smoothly. With the pressure from his hands gone, I could finally breath again. "So? How'd I do?"

I looked at him confused as he struck a pose similar to a horse and neighed softly.

"Oh, ten out of ten. Definitely would recommend that piggy-back to anyone else." I played along, laughing a little at his stupid joke.

"Careful, I'll get cocky with flattery like that," and he winked. He winked.

I will forever remember this moment, Fred Weasley winking at me is now permanently seared into my brain. To be honest, I didn't even remember making my way to the Hufflepuff common room, or even how I avoided the nightly patrols. The next thing I knew, I was changed into my pajamas and I was tucked into my bed without so much as a hitch in the plan.

And all that was on my mind was Fred Weasley.