[2] The Great Orangenie | FRED WEASLEY

Chapter Thirty Nine

It was rather late and usually, the twins would have waited to talk to Aubrey until the next morning due to the late hour but this was too important. There was a time when Fred wouldn't have been seen in another common room but times had changed: the Hufflepuff common room was as much his as the Gryffindor one.

"Aubrey, hello - "

"Another midnight dance? I haven't recovered from the last one quite yet," She giggled sleepily before noticing George, "Maybe not..."

"Oi! I'm a great dancer!" George replied.

"Oh my God, George?" They turned to see Lexy wandering over, in monogrammed pyjamas, "What are you two doing here? Is this a midnight rendezvous ... oh wait, Fred's here."

"Do try to contain your enthusiasm, Lexy," He grinned.

"We've had a weird evening ... things happened," George trailed off as Saskia came into view, peering out from behind Aubrey like a frightened child. The five of them were plunged into awkward silence, standing there completely still.

"Why are the twins here?" Saskia asked eventually.

"Um ... why not?" The (usually incredibly liar) Fred replied. Sensing something was up, Lexy looked between them, her brow furrowed.

Then she spoke, a strange sadness as she came to a realisation, "Um ... you two are probably here for Aubs, aren't you."

George gritted his teeth, "I'm seeing you tomorrow ... but yeah. Is that okay?"

"Sure," Lexy sighed, "Come on, Saskia, I said I'd help you with your Muggle Studies ... let's let them talk."

They all gave her a thankful smile before Aubrey grabbed her dress gown from the cupboard and dashed after them. It wasn't safe to talk in the Hufflepuff common room mainly because there was a salty First Year who wouldn't move despite Aubrey's earnest pleas. Instead, they talked a little way away in a far-off corridor; the moonlight really did appeal to the dramatic in the twins.

"What is it?" 

"I was right!" Fred said excitedly, "We went to Dumbledore and - "

"Wait, you went to Dumbledore?" Aubrey's eyes widened, "Why?"

"I thought you'd made your peace with him after how he handled Cedric ... even if you didn't like him, you must get it," George said, raising an eyebrow as his eyes narrowed into a knowing look, "Anyway, don't judge us too harshly - " He nudged his brother, " - this one's been keeping us all up with his worried pacing - "

"You've been worried?" Aubrey looked up at Fred suddenly, the concern in her voice only matched by the worry swimming in her dark brown eyes, "About me and Umbridge?"

"No ... I mean, yeah, a bit - "

"Aw, you care about me," She smiled, nudging into him before putting their minor flirtation on pause as George looked so excited that he looked on the verge of bursting., "But rest assured I'm alright ... Umbridge is being weird but it's fine so you don't have to worry - "

"You don't have to go anymore though," Fred grinned, "George, tell her."

"Finally," He heaved a sigh of relief before hyping himself up, "Saskia's not Gil ... she's not human. She is old magic ... literally."

"Say what now?" Aubrey blinked a few times.

"Think about it," George began before pausing, "You might want to sit down for this."

This prompted a snigger from Aubrey before she looked around, turning back with an amused exclamation of, "Where?! We're in a corridor."

"It's up to you," George shrugged, "But I just thought it might be better so you don't fall over when I knock your socks off..."