Clueless ━━ Fred Weasley

xxii. Sweet Seventeenth

TWENTY-TWO SWEET SEVENTEENTH

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       BRIAR CROUCH — she's five-foot-six's worth of spells and prophecies, secrets and murders caused by strangers. Her freckles make constellations, and her palms and thighs hold temporary predictions caused by pens and the inability to find anywhere else to jot it down. White laces make messy bows on her white Converse, a staple item that her grandparents never realised were muggle-made.

       But, aside from that, here's the thing.

       Briar likes to see everything in three ways — before, during, and after. As a Seer it makes things easier to think about, considering her inner eye already jumps to the after part of everything... And, really, for a girl that deals with a lot of shit, everything becomes a little easier to live with when you think, in just two hours, I won't be doing this, I'll be doing something far nicer.

       But what happens when everything turns into the before?

       Three days before the end of term, the exact thing happens to Briar. A countdown begins in her head — one she doesn't particularly pay attention to, but every so often it repeats itself, warning her, you're getting closer. Something, and Briar doesn't know what, is of enough important that Briar is being warned this far in advance... She hopes she'll figure it out, sooner or later.

       But, for now, here is the time between the clock beginning, and the clock chiming, finished! But, for now, all that lies between then and the future is now, the days quietly counting down, one by one by one... Here is the interlude.

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(328 DAYS BEFORE)

       IT IS ON A HOT DAY IN JULY when the voice of Briar Crouch breaks the morning silence of number twelve, Grimmauld Place... She didn't mean to, but when you're told you're the new head girl, you get a little excited.