inertia || a Fred Weasley love story

How Fred met Diana

 George had been the one who introduced them.

The twins had been looking for a source of alcohol that wouldn't require paying the Ravenclaw fourth year ridiculously high prices for his muggle connections. They knew that the Slytherin kids were getting it from somewhere else, and Fred had been on a mission since day one to find out where that was.
"It's our sixth year, for God's sake," Fred had ranted to George during their second week back at school, "We can't let those Slytherin creeps throw parties for the rest of our time at this stupid school."
George had agreed hastily, and the two of them spent the next few days reaching out to ever smuggler and gossiper they'd gotten to know over the past six years of causing mischief at this school, desperately trying to figure out where it was the stupid Slytherin house kept their alcohol supply.

"They're probably just rich," Lee Jordan pointed out as Fred mumbled and groaned though his Charms homework on a Saturday night, "They probably can just afford to pay more than we do."
George shook his head at the idea.

"It's definitely coming from somewhere in the castle. That's what Katie pointed out. The bottles are unlabeled."

Fred nodded frantically at his brother.

"Yeah, yeah it's definitely not muggle shit. I bet there's some sort of secret wine cellar that only Slytherins know about."

"Ooh," Lee Jordan paused, tapping his chin, "That would make a lot of sense."
"I bet they have access to a whole bunch of cool stuff we don't know about." George grumbled, and Fred huffed in agreement.

And then one day George found Fred in the hallway, leaving class, and pulled him close as they walked together to DADA class.

"I found someone," He hissed in his brother's ear, "Who knows where it's coming from."
"No way," Fred said excitedly, bumping into George's shoulder, "That's incredible."
"I'm meeting her after class. By the Hufflepuff common room." George said quickly as they entered the classroom, and Lupin gently reminded them that they were already not allowed to sit with one another during class. Fred nodded as he took his seat on the far left of the room, George seated on the far right.

Fred hadn't really been sure what he was expecting, but this tiny American girl in front of him was certainly not it. She seemed sort of standoffish, with her long messy blonde hair hanging in front of her face, and her arms crossed over her huge beige sweater.

"Crabbe and Goyle." She said simply to the two of them. Fred had to hold himself back from mimicking her accent childishly.

"Who?" George questioned, leaning against the wall next to her. She barely blinked, simply flicking some hair away from her face in a bored, nonchalant manner.
"They're third years. Slytherins. My friend Elliot knows them- apparently they make moonshine in one of the boy's bathrooms."
"Moonshine?" Fred repeated doubtfully, crossing his arms, giving his brother a pointed glance. To his surprise, the girl huffed in exasperation.

"Yeah, moonshine. Like the shit they made during the 1920's? Kind of funny how they're using a nomaj recipe, but I guess it gets the job done. Shit's good. Can I have my chocolate now?"

George whipped a chocolate bar out of his pocket, and the girl went to grab for it, but he held it out of her reach.

"How do we get the moonshine?" Fred said with a sigh when the girl gave them both a glare.

"You ask them, obviously. They're pretty happy to share. "
George frowned.
"Are you sure? With Gryffindors? Seems unlikely."
She puffed her chest out a little.