Lemon Grass and Sleep

TEENAGERS MAKE THE BEST RESISTANCE

Hogwarts had changed since our last visit due to Ron's poisoning. Somehow, the corridors felt darker and colder than before, with no so much as magic to keep it welcoming. It could have been blamed on the fact we were in the bowels of the castle, sneaking in unseen in order to reach the Room of Requirement.

It still amazed me, that the twins haphazardly memorized all of these identical passageways and where they led. Even now, in the near pitch blackness, they looked wise and determined.

"Fred!" I heard happily called from the room as we approached on of several passageway entrances into the Room of Requirement.

"Neville, how are things? Supplies looking okay?"

I sort of zoned out as they spoke, eyes surveying the scene for anything I could help with. The Room of Requirement was far from that little tea parlor that we had visited time and time again throughout our years at Hogwarts. Neville, Ginny, and Luna had turned it into a place of refuge for students who needed a safe place to hide from the prying eyes of Voldemort's army.

With Snape as the headmaster, Voldemort had finally conquered its walls from the inside out.

The room had blossomed into a hub of activity for the younger half of the resistance, smothered with random furniture and hammocks hung all the way up to the ceiling. Makeshift living rooms with board games, books, parchment and quills littered each corner--with one in particular having an extremely excitable Lee Jordan with his broadcasting station.

"Want to go be a guest?" Glinda teased from beside me as she noticed I was staring over toward Lee, watching him announcing news on air.

"No," I sputtered, immediately shying away. "I'm sure there's something we're supposed to do, anyhow."

"Fred and George have already left to take care of everything, we're the children left here to be babysat."

I couldn't imagine Neville having to take care of this many kids--what with Ginny pulled from school and Luna still missing. There were more kids in here than I could count, easily over half the school. And this didn't include those who were still supporting the order from the safety of their homes and families.

"Let's at least go have a listen," Glinda herded me over to Lee's corner, earning us a nod of acknowledgment from him as he listed off new developments--death eaters attack and blooming corruption within the Ministry. Voldemort had managed to sink his talons into nearly every facet of wizard society, his influence seemingly knowing no bounds.

For a second I forgot Lee was our age, and it felt weird watching someone so young read about the atrocities of the world. Rattling off deaths like it was commonplace--hell, it was commonplace at this point.

"Enjoying the show?" Fred mumbled, hand pressing against my back as he announced his presence quietly.

"Not really," I sheepishly responded, looking up at him.

"Ah, just wait until we get on," he nodded at Lee--who seemed ecstatic to see him.

"Our announcement tonight is brought by Rodent."

"Hello, everyone," Fred spoke into the microphone lowly, leaning in so he didn't have to raise his voice at all. "I would like to report that everything's holding up as usual at the Phoenix Nest. If Rat's out there, we're holding out for you."

"Thank you, Rodent," Lee nodded, "Expect Romulus and Royal to be on at their scheduled times to provide their reports. Codeword..." Lee looked up briefly, meeting my eyes for just a moment, "Soot."

I immediately felt my entire face flush, steam probably rising off the top of my head. Fred silently brought a hand to his mouth as his eyes crinkled up. A low fit of giggles escaped him as soon as Lee turned the microphone off, and put it to the side.

"Soot?" I incredulously exclaimed, "What?"

"First thing that came to mind," Lee brushed off, "Don't go letting it get to your head, you hear?"

I sputtered, unable to come up with a comeback quick enough to fend Lee off.

"Next time, I want it dedicated to me," Glinda flipped her hair over her shoulder, striking a pose as she placed her hands over her knees.

"Absolutely not," Lee laughed, leaning back in his chair. "They'll already ask me the reasoning behind this one, I don't feel like explaining my coercion by a pretty girl as well."

"So you think I'm pretty?" Glinda replied sultrily, fluttering her eyelashes slowly.

"Alright, I've heard five seconds--but that's enough of that," George leaned onto Glinda's shoulders from behind. "I leave for five minutes to duplicate foodstuffs and you're already hitting on my girlfriend, Lee?"

"Shouldn't leave such a fine woman alone," Lee held up his hands in surrender, "I'll snatch her up!"

"A fine woman!" Glinda repeated haughtily, clearly enjoying every single stroke of her ego. "Hear that, George? I'm a fine woman."

"Yeah, I hear it," he grumbled, ears tinging pink.

It was nice, little things like this. It made the world feel a bit less cold and dreary for just a couple minutes. Nothing could top the twins and Lee's banter, even though we were confined to a room with a million other kids in it, hiding from people who quite literally wanted us dead.

Even though there was barely any light in the Room of Requirement at all--the black night outside covered by large swaths of fabric to keep the outside from knowing we were here--it almost gave the air of a sleepover. Leave it to teenagers to make the best out of a horrible situation, just looking around you could still see girls gossiping and boys talking loudly and pushing each other around.

I barely noticed Fred sitting next to me on the makeshift couch, his arm lazily wrapping around my waist as he continued to talk to Lee about something. It wasn't so bad, I decided, spending the night here. Christmases at the Weasley house had prepared me to deal with Fred's affection in public, so I didn't feel awkward about leaning into him or tucking my head into his shoulder.

It was well past midnight, after all, and I'd been awake since early this morning. I'd earned a good night's sleep--well, as good as I was gonna get in a hammock on top of Fred's chest. And that was only if he decided to keep his hands to himself this time.

"What are you thinking about?" Fred whispered, tilting his head downward a little.

"Nothing," I snickered to myself, flinching as Fred poked me in the side.

"I don't buy it," he teased back, "Is it a secret?"

"Hardly," I murmured, eyes closing softly as Fred pulled back a bit to peck me on the lips.

"Ugh, I'd say get a room but there's only one," Glinda groaned, "Go get a hammock."

"That's a great idea," Fred replied, a mischevious look in his eyes.

"Oh, sorry Thomas," Glinda laughed, smacking her thigh as Fred stood and began dragging me away.

"Fuck you," I mouthed quietly at her, rolling my eyes as the three of them devolved into clutching their sides as they watched me get kidnapped.

"Ooh, I think that one at the top looks splendid," Fred wiggled his eyebrows, gesturing to a hammock that was so high up the light barely bothered to reach it at all.

"You're joking," I whispered, craning my neck to look up that high. "I'm not fucking you in a hammock."

"Oh, that sounds like an opinion that could be changed," he tilted his head, looking down at me with a smirk.

"Are you kidding?" I scoffed, immediately listing all the ways we could get injured--or how embarrassing that could be!

Fred didn't really care, though, he just rolled his eyes and made his way up to the hammock. I mean...of course I followed him.