The Foreigner {Fred Weasley x OC}

16.

Obscurials were most common in the era when Witches and Wizards were hunted and killed by Muggles. Children would be forced to hide their powers to survive one evil but would succumb to another the longer they went without using magic.

I close the book when I notice Madam Pomfrey poking her head through the curtains, "One of the Weasley boys is here to see you."

"Only one?"

"Charlie!" He calls from the entrance of the hospital wing, "It's George!"

"Let him in," I say and Madam Pomfrey disappears for a moment. I tuck the book under my pillow. Instead of Madam Pomfrey reappearing, George arrives at the split of the curtains.

I stand from my bed, "Not another step." I walk over to him and closely inspect his face. I reach up my hand and pull at his cheek.

"Ow!" He swats my hand away, "What are you doing?"

"I had to check and see if you were really George or if Fred had charmed himself to look like you."

"Are you satisfied?" George rubs his cheek.

"Yes." I walk back to the cot and sit down. George sits down at the foot of the small bed, "Does this have to do with the fight you and Fred had?"

"You know about that?"

"Of course, I know about it. Fred's my brother, he tells me everything. More importantly, he won't stop telling me about all of the different ways he would've gone about it."

"It wasn't really a fight." I admit, "It was more, me yelling at Fred and then leaving."

"That's not how he sees it. He feels bad for pressuring you."

"So instead, he's pressuring Professor Lupin." I raise a brow.

George smiles, "He only wants to know that you're okay."

"He also wants to know the truth about everything. And I know you and Lee do too."

He shifts in his seat, "Is that so bad? We want to help you. No matter what you tell us."

"Don't say that. You can't say that." I say coldly.

"And why not?"

"Because you don't know what the truth is. And once you do... You'll leave me like all my friends have before."

George stands from his seat, "You don't need to tell us the whole story if you're not ready. Something... We just want to know something." He opens the curtains to leave and I call out to him, "Tomorrow! At lunch!" He stops, "You can visit. Lee and Fred too. And I'll... I'll tell you what I can."

George smiles faintly, "See you tomorrow then, Charlie."

-

When the three of them arrived, I expected Fred to be more excited or energetic. Instead, he seems more tired and sad. The curtains have been pulled back so that all three of them can sit comfortably around the cot.

"So what's happened while I've been gone?" I ask, trying to clear the obvious tension.

Lee answers after a minute of awkward silence, "Slytherin beat Ravenclaw at quidditch."

"Oh." I nod, "Is that good news for the Gryffindor team then?"

"Wood says so," George replies.

"Good." The awkward silence returns and I decide to say what I've been holding back, "I know you all are aware of the reason I brought you here... You want to know the truth about me."

Fred who has been abnormally quiet, finally looks up from the floor.

"Well... Well first of all..." I laugh nervously, feeling terrified to tell them, "I have issues with managing my magic. That's why I don't like doing spellcasting." I lie. I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell them the truth.