Lilliana Snape (Book Four)

Part 6

“Wait,” Fred caught my arm before I could follow Hermione and Ginny into the girl’s tent. He waited until everyone had retreated into their own tents. “I don’t want to sleep.” He smiled “It’s a beautiful night and I’m with a beautiful girl- I don’t want to waste it sleeping.”

I blushed at his words “I didn’t know that you had Hayley stashed around here somewhere” I replied.

“Oh yeah, she’s waiting for me in my tent” he winked at me, took my hand and started to walk toward the forest. “George and I went scouting earlier. We found a nice little quiet spot.”

“For illegal gambling?” I ask.

“Oh yeah” Fred laughed “totally for illegal gambling; no, for watching the stars.”

“I don’t see George as a star watching kind of person” I smiled.

Fred nudged me but smiled back “he isn’t but I am.”

I gripped his hand tighter and stopped. I wasn’t the kind of person to say how I feel, to act out spontaneously or anything but Fred Weasley seems hell bent on turning me into a soppy, giggly version of me…like Hayley. “Fred, I-”

“Wait” he smiled “close your eyes.”

“But-”

“Just close them.” He laughed. I closed them, as requested, but not before rolling them and sticking out my tongue. “You’re such a child” I heard Fred chuckle as he placed his hands over my eyes, as if closing them wasn’t enough “that’s what I love most about you.”

That word, love, made my heart jolt and, although I felt the heat rise in my cheeks, I smiled. “You’re determined to make me blush aren’t you?”

“Nah, but it’s nice to see the colour in your cheeks; it makes your eyes sparkle.”

The blush deepened.

“Ok” he removed his hands from in front of my eyes “open.”

I opened my eyes and smiled at the dirty ground, the old hollowed out wooden log; an opening in the forest that was surrounded by trees but the thing that impressed me the most was the floating jars containing very angry fairies. “How did you catch them?” I asked as I went to inspect one.

“George found a nest” Fred chuckled “they’re quite entertaining to watch once you get past the swearing.”

“It’s the swearing that’s entertaining me” I laughed as one particular fairy shot me a two fingered salute before mooning me. I turned to face him with a grin “how did you come up with this idea?” Most people would hate this entire set up, expecting a picnic, fairy lights and candles but not me.

“It just has you written all over” he shrugged “I honestly have no idea why you’re so awesome when you’re related to the Malfoys and grew up with Snape.”

That sounded like an insult. I frowned “so you’re saying that I have no reason to be who I am because of who I grew up with and who I’m related to be; that people expect me to be like my father or my brother because of blood?”

Fred’s eyes grew wide as he took in my words “no, I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant that you must have been trapped as a child, no one to play with or anything.”

I knew that he didn’t mean to insult me. “Look, everyone may hate my dad with or without good reason but I swear to you, Fred Weasley, that he is a good man; a man that has looked out for me and loved me since I was a baby. He could well have left me at an orphanage but he didn’t. He took me in and cared for me and I love him and trust him just as much as I trust you.”

“Lil, I’m sorry, I honestly didn’t-”

I cut him off with a kiss “I know.”

We didn’t spend much time concentrating on the stars; instead we made up for lost time and clung to each other, not allowing ourselves to part until the screaming started.

I sat bolt upright “what’s that?”

“Just the Irish” Fred replied groggily.

I smacked him awake and stood up “we need to get back to the tents, something’s wrong.”

I think as soon as Fred stopped and listened, he sensed it too and his face turned to stone. “Yeah” he grabbed my hand “come on.”

We ran flat out, hand in hand, back toward the campsite and the scene that met our eyes was one of horror. “Oh no!” I gasped. Tents were on fire in the distance, people were fleeing into the woods and, just as we were about to step out of the forest, a tent that had been launched from the other side of the field (we could see the smoke trail) landed just feet from us. “We need to get the others out!” I told Fred.

When we got back to the tents everyone was still asleep. Fred went to wake up the boys tent and I went to wake up the girls.

What on earth was going on? Was this the Irish or something else, something more sinister? The only thing I knew right now is that we had to move; it was that or risk being set on fire.

Sorry that I didn't put the match in, I just didn't see any point in it, especially when I can't remember how the match went besides who won.

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