[✎]Willow Black - Accomplice (Fred Weasley)

[23]

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<Hogwarts, Arrival of the Competing Schools>

"Hurry up or we'll miss them!" Willow said dragging on Fred and George's sleeves, "calm down Squeak, they won't be here yet, I guarantee it" Fred said and pulled her back so he could throw an arm over her shoulder. She felt her face heat up "yeah don't sweat it" George said doing the same but on her other side.

They arrived in a courtyard full of students all waiting for the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students to arrive. "Tuck your shirt in Mr Weasley, Miss black, your tie is untidy, fix it" McGonagall snapped as she hurried past getting all the students into the most presentable state possible. George tucked in his shirt and Willow undid her tie so she could do it again, but Fred beat her to it and tied the tie perfectly, a secret specialty of his, "thanks" she said and smiled at him. Willow felt her cheeks heat up in a blush at their close proximity and looked away, pretending to look for any sign of the foreign schools arriving. Although she still it when George whispered to Fred "Smooth", "shut up" his twin muttered. Willow turned back to see Fred and George were having a heated, but whispered, conversation about something. "Are you two alright?" she asked raising her eyebrows, "Huh? Oh yeah" Fred said turning around and smiling at her, she nodded and turned to face out over the lake.

"The sky" someone yelled after a while and everyone's heads looked up to the sky where sure enough something was flying towards them. Is it a flying house? Willow thought, no it looked more like a carriage, being drawn by giant birds, no giant horses, oh Hagrid would love those. "Must be Beauxbatons" Fred whispered to her, "why are you whispering?" she asked, "because I can," he retorted normally causing willow to smile. A giant lady exited the carriage. How fitting, giant carriage, giant horses, giant lady. Dumbledore greeted her like an old friend and indicated for them to go inside, they were too far away for the trio to hear their conversation but they could see the Beaxubatons students shivered as they hurriedly entered the castle, they weren't dressed for this weather in their thin uniforms.

Everyone stood there for a few more minutes before Lee yelled "the lake!" and sure enough, something was happening down in the Black Lake. A wooden pole was emerging from the depths, as it started to rise Willow noticed a little basket emerge, and soon realised it was a crows nest and crows nests belonged to ships. "It's a ship" she gasped, "I can see that," George said squinting his eyes, "how did it get there, I mean it's a lake, not an ocean," Fred said immensely confused, "Magic," Willow replied mystically and waved her hands in a 'magical' way. The ship was now fully emerged and sat anchored by the bank of the lake. A plank of wood was dropped from it and the Durmstrang boys exited. "Is that-?" Willow asked not believing her eyes, "Krum" George said knowingly, "Ron's true love is here" she said and giggled as she watched Dumbledore converse with the headmaster who looked quite grumpy, at least the Durmstrang boys were better clothed for the cold October weather.

Willow watched as they marched past, many of them glanced at her blue hair which stood out against the browns and blondes of so many others around me, not to mention the two gingers that were standing either side of her and laughing at the sour looks on each of the Durmstrang boys faces. The headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, lead the group inside and was closely followed by Krum, who seemed to be favoured highly above all of the other students who sulkily entered the castle.

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Sitting down at the Gryffindor table Willow watched as the Beauxbaton's daintily sat down with the Ravenclaws and the Durmstrang's lumbered over to the Slytherin table. "They don't know what they're missing out on," Lee said as he craned his neck to look over at the Slytherin table. "I know right, Gryffindor is the best house," Willow said and shook her head. There were so many other meals on the tables, a Beaxbatons girl came over and asked for a dish, Willow watched, grinning as Ron's ears went bright red and he stuttered, "of course not" Hermione finally said and the girl took it back to the Ravenclaw table. Oh! the food was from the other school's countries. "Hey Willow, can you pass the salt" Angelina's words broke through her thoughts and she shook her head before passing the salt.

"Squeak, what's up with you today," George said grinning at her, "just got a lot to ponder on," she said shrugging and taking another bite of her food. "Like what?" Fred asked raising an eyebrow at her and grinning, a grin identical to George's. "Stuff like, why weren't the Beaxbaton's prepared for this weather? and why do all the Durmstrangs look so grumpy?". "Fair enough," Lee said butting into our conversation, Willow laughed, "how do you always find a way to laugh about something I do!" Lee said looked pointedly at her with disbelieving eyes. "I just have funny friends," she said through giggles, "what did I do this time?" Lee asked, sighing, "just how you randomly butted into our conversation," she said casually and now it was his turn to laugh at her.

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