Yours, Fred | f. weasley x reader

Chapter 39: The Grand Departure

"I have something that will help with the pain," you told him and you reached down into your bag which you'd put down at your feet and pulled out a jar of the healing salve. "I'm going to put this on your hand and it'll sting a little at first, but then it should feel numb and the cuts will heal much faster."

Michael nodded and held out his hand timidly, you took it carefully in yours and applied some of the salve. He hissed at the pain but then he relaxed as the stinging subsided and he gave you a tiny smile as he wiped tears from his face with his sleeve. You put the jar back in your bag and you looked up to see Harry walking quietly towards you, you opened your mouth to talk to him but a familiar high-pitched 'ahem' caught your attention. You stood up when you saw Umbridge standing at the end of the hall, and the poor boy beside you nearly jumped in fright so you gently pulled on his sleeve to stand him behind you and the twins, who stood protectively in front of you and beside Harry.

"As I told you once before, Mr Potter, and you too, Miss Y/L/N; naughty children deserve to be punished," Umbridge said and she smiled sweetly at you while Fred and George seethed with anger, and Harry just stared at her with blank hatred. If you weren't sitting your NEWTs in just over a month you would've hexed her right there in the hallway, and you would've gladly stood trial before the Ministry if it put an end to her child abuse disguised as discipline.

When she left, Fred tilted his chin up and put his hands in his pockets, "you know George, I think it's about time we fully embraced the fact that our futures lie outside the world of academic achievement."

"Fred, I've been thinking exactly the same thing," George replied. You knew then that they'd made the decision that it was time for them to leave.

---

The next day you walked down the Grand Staircase after a study period, and you saw a large crowd gathered in the corridor below. Students, professors and ghosts alike were whispering animatedly to each other and you spotted the twins standing below and you pushed your way towards them. You noticed that they weren't in their uniforms despite it being the middle of the morning and that they were wearing their backpacks that most definitely weren't filled with school books, judging by how lightly packed they looked.

"Did you do it then? The Portable Swamp?" you asked as you stepped up beside Fred. He looked down and wrapped an arm around your shoulder, hugging you into his side and pressing a kiss to your temple.

"We sure did," he said to you with a grin. You looked down the corridor to see it covered with what looked like Stinksap on the floors and walls, and the gathered crowd consisted of laughing students and confused, but mildly pleased professors.

"Now we just wait for Umbridge," George told you.

"So you're just going to let her catch you?" you asked them as they waited, unconcerned for their inevitable punishment.

"There's no point pretending it wasn't us, in fact we want her to know that it was us," Fred told you and George nodded in agreement and continued, "and as for getting caught, we won't get caught, because we're getting out of here as soon as we verbally spit in her ugly face."

"You're positive you don't want to come with us, Y/N? I hate the thought of leaving you here with her," Fred asked you seriously as he rubbed his hand up and down your arm, still hugging you into his side. 

You sighed sadly and nodded, "I'm going to sit my NEWTs, and apart from that, I think I'll be needed around here a little longer."

They glanced at each other and then looked at you with sad, but understanding expressions. Fred kissed your forehead, "it's only six weeks, and we'll meet you on Platform 9¾ as soon as you're off the train, you won't even know we're gone." You swallowed the lump in your throat and blinked back your tears, you would have plenty of time for crying when it sank in that they were gone.