Tightly Knit ⟶ Fred Weasley

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

"Well, is it really the end of the world if you don't do well in Potions on the O.W.L.s. Do you need the N.E.W.T level?"

"That's the thing, I don't know if I do," she said, "because I don't know what I want to do once I leave school. All the professors keep telling us that we should have an idea, but nothing really seems to call to me. So, without an idea, I feel like I have to do well on all my exams so I, at least, have options."

Fred didn't respond right away, more so surprised that someone like Eleanor Ross didn't have her life all planned out. He remembered over the summer how his mother had pestered him and George about doing something "productive" with their lives rather than making it a career of getting in trouble. They were always being compared to their older brother, Percy, who always made the highest marks and managed to be a prefect and Head Boy. And even though their older brothers, Bill and Charlie, had their own issues with rebelling against their mother's wishes in their own ways, they didn't come under fire nearly as much as Fred and George did.

"I think deep down my mother expected me to get a job back in the muggle world," Eleanor said with a small laugh, "and maybe she's not wrong at this rate. Unless there's a wizarding profession that revolves around knitting."

"Well-"

"What are we all talking about?"

The two looked up to see that George and Lee were pulling up chairs to the table to settle in. Fred bit the inside of his cheek, slightly annoyed that their private conversation had come to an end, but he couldn't blame George or Lee, considering it had been the plan to meet at the library.

"We were talking about me failing Potions," Eleanor began, only for Fred to interrupt her.

"And how we're going to help her," he finished.

Immediately, her expression brightened as her frown quickly turned into a smile. "You're going to help me?"

"On one condition, Ellie!"

With a groan, Eleanor dropped her head onto the table. "Whatever happened to doing things out of the kindness of your heart? After Valentine's Day, I should have known there was going to be a catch of sorts."

"Now, Ellie," Fred began, "let's not get dramatic, we're in the library after all. As I was saying, George and I fully understand your struggle with Potions but it may surprise you that we are quite talented in that class. It doesn't reflect within our marks because Professor Snape doesn't care for us. But we use a fair amount of potions within our inventions. We're actually quite decent in all of our classes, aren't we, George?"

"You would be correct, Freddie."

Eleanor looked over at George, who grinned at her, and when she looked over at Lee, he nodded with his own grin, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Alright, are we getting to the point anytime soon?"

"The point is, Ellie," Fred continued, "we've been pranking for a long time. Probably since birth, but we can't remember that far back. Some of our pranks have backfired over the years, but we've perfected plenty of them, and even if we've failed once, never twice. Until you came along."

"Oh no, not this again. Look, I'm not telling you- "

"We want you to work with us."

Eleanor opened her mouth, ready to tell them that she wasn't going to expose her secret, mainly because she still didn't understand how she had managed her own escapes, but as Fred's words registered in her head, she immediately jerked her head in his direction.