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LIKE MOST SECRETS WITHIN HOGWARTS, it didn't take more than a few hours for most of the student population to know something and then spread it to every corner of the castle. Then, within a day or two, when everybody seemed to know the latest gossip, some had begun to feel inclined that they were privy to things that didn't concern them in the slightest. Rebecca had lost count to the times random students had gone up to her; asking if the rumours were true, if she was alright and needed someone to talk to – or just plain out stare at her with the upmost pitiful eyes that no one would've appreciated no matter the circumstances. And maybe while most could've appreciated the concern of their peers, the once overlooked Ravenclaw wasn't extremely keen on having become the center of attention to everybody's gawking and whispers.
Luckily enough, when the new week had started, and after a particularly thrilling Care for Magical Creatures lesson some third years had with Hagrid, news of Draco Malfoy's injury from Buckbeak the Hippogriff had over taken nearly half of the whispers and talk of Rebecca's boggart. And while she was the slightest bit concerned for the blond boy, she was far more happy to know that the attention was shifting and things would hopefully return to normal soon enough – meaning she'll slip back into the shadows and become yet another passing face in the corridor.
Rebecca had came to a sudden stop when her path was crossed, a flash of ginger hair and a swirl of Gryffindor robes had become far too familiar to her daily routine. She eyed the elder twin oddly, subtly peering around him to see if the usual presence of his brother was there – except he was alone, and seemingly lost in thought, just looking down at her blankly.
"Did you need something?" She asked slowly, avoiding his weirdly piercing gaze and awkwardly glance around the crowded hallway.
"Come sit with us during lunch," was all Fred said once he broke out from his trance, his lips curling upward and a dimple indenting the left side of his mouth.
Rebecca was slightly taken back, eyebrows furrowing slightly at the statement – being purposely dull to have a few more moments to think about his words, she simply questioned him with a meek, "us?"
"Yes, us," He mused, "come sit with Georgie, Lee, Angie, Ali, Samson, and me."
"–and I–"
"Exactly," He beamed.
"No," Rebecca let out a stifled breath, one corner of her mouth twisting upward, "proper grammar is George, Lee, Angie, Ali, Adrie, and I."
Fred gave her an unamused look, "are you really correcting my grammar right now?"
She only gave a curt nod, smothering the smile that had threatened her mouth once more – much to her dismay.
"Well, c'mon then," He finally chuckled a little bit, rolling his eyes and gesturing an arm out, "longer we stand here, the longer my brother worries I'm out causing havoc without him."
Fred had begun his walking, expecting her to do the same. And she had, after having pondered the mere interaction for a minute. He glanced to his side, mouth open and ready to continue his babbling – falling short of seeing her and having to glance over his shoulder to find her a few steps behind him. He paused in his steps abruptly, finding she quickly did the same and still stood a small ways away.
"What are you doing?" Fred questioned, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "why are you all the way back there?"
"I'm walking," Rebecca stated simply.
"Yes, but we're trying to get there this year," He retorted sarcastically.
"You go on then, I'll meet you lot inside," She suggested.
Fred felt his brows furrow deeper, the very corners of his lips curling downward, "have I done something?" At her head shake, he pursed his lips, "then what is it?"
"I just don't think your girlfriend would appreciate us walking alone together," Rebecca said slowly, "I'm just trying to save both of us from her wrath."
"Oh," He murmured, the realization dawning on him for a moment before he was meeting her eyes and shrugging, "you don't have to worry about that."
"Well her narrowed glares at me say otherwise," She retorted.
"Trust me," Fred hummed, gesturing her to hurry up as he started walking once more, glancing over his shoulder to make sure she was following, "she's harmless."
Rebecca was extremely doubtful of his words, though, she minded her tongue and simply fell into step with him. They walked the rest of the way to the Great Hall in an oddly comfortable silence, stepping inside the double doors and making a bee-line towards the Gryffindor table where most their friends sat already. Fred was easily sliding into the empty seat by the end of the table and by Lee, Rebecca hesitating for a moment before taking the empty space Adrienne had made for her with an extremely grateful look. The blonde only smiled, eyes flickering across the table briefly before her cheeks were suddenly growing a shade pink. Rebecca smiled smugly at her best friend, mockingly raising an eyebrow.
'Shut up,' Adrienne had signed quickly, her face heating up further as she tried leveling a glare at the Ravenclaw.
'I didn't even say anything,' Rebecca signed in returned, chuckling in amusement to herself.
'Stop looking so smug.'
The raven-haired girl only rolled her eyes playfully, raising her hands up in surrender before turning slightly in her seat – only to find that Fred had been staring intently between the two and their intricate hand movements.
"You've got to teach me that," He insisted, peering between both girls, "I want to be apart of the secret language."
"It's no secret," Adrienne snorted, "it's an actual language that many people use," sharing a look to Lee, who had also stifled a laugh, she sighed dramatically, "purebloods."
It was somewhat easy to get along with the Gryffindors, Rebecca had found out after a short time. Though she was far more inclined to listen and nod along instead of actually speak, they never seemed to mind – somehow always keeping her within the loop – and the conversation simply kept going on without a hitch. Of course, Rebecca was extremely keen to watch her best friend try and flirt with Angelina Johnson, watching intently as they would somehow divert into their own conversations without missing a beat in returning to the group a moment later. Rebecca took a moment to regain her bearings, having become a little overstimulated at all the chattering between them; happily glancing around the Great Hall to do some brief people-watching. She had caught Cedric's gaze easily, smiling reassuringly when he gave a look of concern from his place by Cho Chang.
Unfortunately, she had also caught a very familiar pair of green eyes sat at the Slytherin table – Henderson giving her an incredulous look before the usual glare was returning tenfold. Rebecca awkwardly turned back around in her seat, acting aloof to the fact that she had watched Bronwyn stand from her place by Gemma to make her way over to where the group sat.
"Hey, Bon," Fred's voice was suddenly breaking the group's conversation, watching the blonde walk up with a seemingly innocent smile.
"Hiya," She chirped back at him, glancing around the table with the same smile before acting like she has just spotted the girl in blue and bronze – eyeing her momentarily before turning back to Fred, "—well, I didn't realize you lot sat with strangers these days."
"We sit with you, don't we?" Ron had uttered under his breath, earning a stifled laugh from the Ravenclaw across from him; his cheeks growing red but a look of triumph gracing his features regardless.
"Good Herbology lesson?" Fred immediately sat straighter, grinning up at the girl before she was sitting so close to him that she was practically sat atop his lap.
George pretended to be sick, as usual, earning a whack on the arm from Lee before he was standing and rounding the edge of the table before he was planting himself by Rebecca instead. She only gave him a sympathetic smile, awkwardly trying not to look in the couple's direction.
"Eh, not while Hagrid is teaching," Bonnie had shrugged, pouring herself some pumpkin juice into a clean goblet and taking a tentative sip, "we're still on for Halloween, right?"
"Course," Free nodded rapidly, smiling dreamily at the blonde, chin set atop his palm.
"What's going on, on Halloween?" Rebecca had leaned in, questioning George in a whisper.
"The Hogsmeade trip, silly," George informed her in an equally quiet tone, his eyebrows furrowing slightly, "didn't you see the announcement put on the bulletin?"
"Oh, yeah, of course," She lied through her teeth, nodded once before shifting her gaze towards the platter of stack roast beef sandwiches.
George gave a slight hum, nodding and letting the odd behavior slide easily. Rebecca reached forward, taking a sandwich from the towered stack, setting it on her plate gently. Adrienne paused her conversation with Angelina, and as per usual, watched in amusement as Rebecca flicked the gherkins off the bread, alongside any olives, with a scrunched up nose. She continued on, taking a knife to cut it into two matching, perfectly diagonal pieces – faltering slightly upon catching Adrienne's amused grin.
"It's just so fascinating to watch," She defended before the Ravenclaw could speak, snatching the gherkins off the plate for herself, "you're like a child."
Rebecca only glared playfully, picking up a half of her sandwich to bite it in Adrienne's face, just to make a point, "at least I don't cut off the crust," She retorted after her mouth was cleared, "I have some dignity."
"Yep, I knew I liked her," Lee nodded to himself, no sense of shame or embarrassment as he flashed the girl an easy smile.
"Merlin's beard, Jordan," Fred snorted, eyeing his friend in amusement, much to his unofficial girlfriend's displeasure – seeing as he was now not paying attention to her, "might as well ask her out right now."
"There will be no asking out of my best friend, thank you very much," George interjected as Lee opened his mouth once more, "she will not be traumatized by dating Lee if I have anything to say about it."
"If I didn't know any better, sounds like you like her, Georgie," Bonnie giggled suddenly, her manicured hand set atop Fred's arm to gain his attention once more, "doesn't it?"
"You don't know any better," He deadpanned, resisting the urge to roll his eyes when his twin had sent him a bewildered look, "it's called a joke, and we're literally just best friends, thanks."
"Right, we're off now," Ron announced, quickly standing alongside his two friends and little sister, "h-homework, yanno?"
No one but Rebecca had spared them a glance, hers being completely apologetic – not that she really knew the reason. The youngest all walked off, most likely to find something to do instead of watch the beginnings of the Weasley brothers' bickering. George turned forward after an intense staring competition with Fred, munching angrily on crisps as the elder turned to Bonnie. Rebecca glanced to Adrienne, who had only shrugged meekly, before glancing to the others in the group. Alicia was the one to catch her eye, the girl merely waving off the situation, mouthing 'brothers' with an eye-roll, before returning to her lunch.
"Sooo, do you wanna see what I've learned in Divination?" George questioned after a moment, back to his smiley self as he turned to Rebecca.
"Gross, why'd you take Divination?" She questioned teasingly, scrunching her nose up, "reckon you have an All-Seeing Eye too, do you?"
"Oi, Trelawney's a nice lady," He snorted, nudging their shoulders gently, "and she sometimes bakes cookies that she hands out during lessons."
"Probably laced them with some wacky potion so you can 'see the future' if you ask me," Rebecca hummed mockingly, waving her hands conspiratorially like she knew Trelawney did.
"Do you wanna see or not?" George huffed playfully, cocking up an eyebrow.
"Alright then, go on," She nodded, chuckling slightly.
As George got up to hunt down his divination materials, Rebecca was stuck awkwardly trying not to eavesdrop onto the couple across from her. They had seemed to be in the midst of a whisper-argument, and yet again – Bonnie was gesturing outwardly and Fred was looking extremely troubled. It was only until the sixth year let out an incredulous breath that she was standing from her seat and stalking off without a word of goodbye to anyone. Fred had watched her go, taking in a sharp breath through his nose before shifting his gaze back towards the others. Rebecca quickly averted her eyes, acting aloof and immediately turning her attention to George once he returned.
George had plucked a large ceramic kettle from the very middle of the Gryffindor table, inconveniencing a couple of students as he began to pour out a mug full of the steaming tea. Setting the small cup onto the matching saucer, he pushed it in front of Rebecca and looked at her expectingly.
"What? Learned to pour tea, did you?" She teased once more, earning yet another exasperated groan, and a few scattered laughs from both Fred and Lee, "mind-shattering."
"Drink it, you loon," George rolled his eyes, smothering his smile.
"I'm more of a coffee gal myself, thanks," Rebecca shook her head, gently pushing the saucer away a few inches.
"Just drink it! Godric's ghost, woman, you're stubborn," He exclaimed.
"You know, I'd be nice to the person who's a two-time dueling champion within the Ravenclaw tower," She hummed, still taking ahold of the small teacup and bringing it to her lips.
With a slight sniff, she grimaced and hesitated, "reckon this can't work with something other than English Breakfast, huh?"
"Oh my Merlin, I will actually—"
"Jokes," Rebecca murmured, taking a long gulp with a wince, trying not to sputter at the horrendous taste of the tea, "only kidding, of course. Calm down, Weasley."
With a few more large gulps, the tea was drained and only the dregs and some tea remained. With guidance, she swirled them clockwise twice with a spoon before handing the duo over. George grinned, taking the cup and flipping it upside down on the saucer to release the rest of the tea. With a hum, he turned it back over and glanced into the remaining leaves. Her and the group all waited, looking expectingly at his silence. His face scrunched slightly as he turned the cup between both his hands.
"Alright then, let's hear it," Rebecca chuckled lightly, prodding his bicep with a finger to bring him out of the intense stare into a cup, "tell me, am I to marry a unicorn in thirty years? Perhaps travel the globe in search of all the missing nifflers?"
"You've got a club — usually means an attack," George started slowly, pursing his lips, "theres a wonky cross — some suffering; trials perhaps — reckon you'll go out for Quidditch this year?"
"George, you can't tell me you actually believe in such things?" She mused lightly, cocking up a dark eyebrow in amusement, "they're leaves — what do they know?"
"You've got a large sun though," He added meekly, rotating the cup in his hands, "means great happiness, so that's a win—"
"Right, so what you're telling me, is that even in the midst of an attack and a bunch of suffering, I'll still be extremely happy?" Rebecca couldn't help but to let out a laugh, shaking her head, "it's all mumbo-jumbo, George, it all contradicts!"
"At least you're not Harry," Lee mused, taking a glance into the cup of leaves himself when he gestured George to pass it, "poor lad got the grim, heard he even had to go to McGonagall to find some peace."
"It's all true! Plenty of people believe this stuff!" George insisted, the corners of his lips turning downward, "and now that we know you'll be attacked, you're to stay at our sides at all times."
"Honesty," Fred snorted, shaking his head, "you're worst than Mum sometimes," He rolled his eyes, staring boredly at his twin, "This is all just a bunch of kiddie stuff, mate. For all those who want to know if they'll be fit by the next summer or not."
"Want to see your leaves?" George grumbled, trying to reach over the table to take a swing at his brother, "Bet there's a club too — c'mere, I'll show you."
"Well, if you happen to find out what I'll get on my O.W.Ls from my half-eaten sandwich, be sure to let me know," Rebecca interjected with a teasing smile, flicking a chip at George, "might fit in a bit more studying if they're bad."
"I hate you both," George uttered, crossing his arms over his chest once he sat the cup down and shoved it away.
"No you don't," Both Fred and Rebecca chorused, grinning innocently.
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