I think my title is fitting, and you'll see why :) hehee Thank you so much for reading and commenting and even voting!! seriously, I get so happy when I see the amount of reads increase or get a notification saying there's a comment!! it makes my day :)
Please enjoy!!
*George's POV*
Staying with Charlie sure was different, at first I was worried about the dragons but they actually aren't that bad. I've been helping Charlie feed them while Fred cares for only one dragon in particular.
"Come on Ray..." Fred muttered as he held a steak out to one of the dragons. It hadn't been eating lately and Charlie had told us to coax the small dragon into eating, but nothing was working.
"Still not eating?" I asked as I stood beside Fred.
Fred rubbed his neck, "I don't know what to do! Charlie said I could take care of her but she won't listen to me!"
I glanced around and saw Charlie walking towards us, "Hey Charlie! Is Ray Lynn alright?"
Charlie smiled, "she's just nervous being around new people."
Fred let out a heavy sigh, "but she knows me!"
Charlie stepped towards Ray and patted her neck, "she's a sweetheart."
I laughed as Ray Lynn lifted her head up and down in agreement, "she sure has a personality."
"well come in, dinner is almost ready."
Being here was different, every day I would take care of the dragons and different chores while Fred does things in the house and then leaves for a few hours to god knows where. Charlie's was surrounded heavily by trees and rocks, the dragons rested in a cavern that was right next to the house, there was a lake a few minutes away which I was sure that's where Fred disappeared to every once in a while but I wasn't sure.
"Have you heard from Ginny or them?" Charlie asked.
I shook my head, "I haven't at least."
Fred shrugged, "Ginny sent a quick letter saying that she's alright and they'll see us at the train station for christmas..."
Charlie and I froze, "That's all?"
Fred looked at us as if nothing was wrong, "they're alright guys. Don't worry," I looked at him as if he were insane. Did he not know just how terrified Riley was? The fact that she was revealed as a dangerous Death Eater's daughter to the world and her name on the wanted person's list had made that girl distraught, but Fred wasn't worried about her? Charlie rubbed his neck and walked inside the house leaving Fred and I alone.
"Are you trying to convince us that they're alright or just you?" I asked as Fred kicked a stone away.
"Mostly me," Fred muttered. "I know Riley was having nightmares and that she wanted to run far away from it all," he glanced at me and sighed deeply. "I suppose you do as well?"
"She couldn't sleep the night we got Harry, so she was in the kitchen and woke me up. We talked about that, yes," I stated quietly. "How do you know?"
"Riley talks in her sleep sometimes, mainly if she's having a nightmare...she was doing that practically all summer," Fred muttered.
"Yeah....it's not a pleasant dream I can tell you that," I rubbed my neck slightly.
"I can tell, Riley would end up sobbing in her sleep every night," Fred scowled at his feet and sighed. "I just hope that she's alright, if those dreams were half as terrifying as hearing her cry at night I can only imagine what's going on at Hogwarts."
"Maybe she doesn't have to go back?" I suggested as we slowly walked back to the house.
"Oliver would want her to stay there, I have a feeling he'd say she's safer there than out," Fred ran a hand through his hair, "I know she can't send many long detailed letters but I just wish that I could make sure she was alright."
I stopped in my tracks as a plan formed, "I have an idea...it's a long shot, but..."
Fred looked at me curiously as I grinned at him, "whatever it is I'm in."
*Riley's POV*
I was lounging on the red couch facing the fire when it sputtered, I looked at it as the embers glowed, I threw in a page of the Prophet I was done with before turning back to the paper.
"Oi! Watch it!" a voice called.
I looked around, there was no one in the room and then I heard a cough and I looked to the fire. Fred Weasley's head sat there smirking at me while I stared dumbfounded.
"Hey there gorgeous," Fred grinned at me. Even though he was using the floo network, I could still see his eyes twinkle.
"Fred! Is that really you?" I whispered as I crawled on my knees to get closer to him.
"Who else would risk their necks to see their girl?" Fred grinned. I felt my face heat up as I blushed.
I shifted so I was in a comfortable seat and smiled, "what are you doing here?"
"I've been so worried about you, I'm so sorry about you having to be there," Fred lost the smile and was now frowning.
"It's not that bad....I mean, aside from the fact that they took away quidditch and basically everything is banned...I mean, aside from that everything's peachie!" I looked at my hands trying to hide the fact that I was practically a walking target for the Carrows.
"No more quidditch? That's horrible..." Fred muttered.
I nodded and sighed, "I don't have much time but I just wanted to see how you're doing." Fred spoke softly.
I smiled slightly, thankful that he hadn't seen me earlier before all my bruises were healed by Madame Pomfrey. "that's so sweet of you Freddie, but won't you get caught?"
"I'll be fine love, are you still having your nightmares?" Fred asked seriously.
I looked at the floor and nodded, "so you do know..."
"It's hard not to...you cried so much while you were sleeping," Fred said as he tried to give me a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sorry Freddie," I muttered.
"It's fine Rye, just tell me what happens in them. You know you can trust me," Fred gave a sweet smile. My heart melted and I couldn't help but want to stroke his cheek—although I was pretty sure I may get burned by the flames if I tried.
I took a deep breath and told him in a rush about my haunting nightmares, about how I had seen him dead and how real they always felt. Fred was silent for a minute before he spoke. "You still have your galleon from the DA right?"
I nodded, it was in my trunk underneath all my robes; I never took it out after last year.
"If you get scared and need to run please go and hide and send me something, anything and I'll come find you no matter what. I don't care if it's a risky idea—hell I live for those, do you understand?" Fred spoke quietly and hurriedly.
"What's wrong Freddie?" I whispered curiously.
"You've been having that same dream for four months now. It's not normal...and I'm worried, you're going to come here for the holidays. I'll send something to Oliver so don't worry."
I was terrified at the moment, I could tell from Fred's voice that there was an edge to it and I knew he was worried. What if my dream wasn't just a dream?
"Fred, I'm scared," I whispered.
Fred gave me a sympathetic smile, "I promise everything will be alright Rye. Trust me alright?"
I nodded and put my fingers to my lips and placed my fingers over my heart, "as long as I have you—"
"—Everything will be alright," Fred smiled. I laughed slightly, it was something we had always whispered to each other at night before we fell asleep, it always made my heart flutter.
"I have to go now but...be safe alright? I love you Riley, I'll send an owl if I can," Fred stated as he smiled.
I nodded and felt a tear slide down my face as he disappeared with a small little pop, I walked back to the couch and grabbed my paper and books before heading up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. I opened the door to my room and found Ginny sound asleep on my bed, I laughed before changing into a red tee and black pants and prodding her.
"Riley?" Ginny yawned and sat up slightly.
"Move over," I whispered as I climbed onto the bed with her. I grabbed a pillow and placed it at the end near her feet and moved so I was lying that way while she was laying the other way. Ginny grasped my hand by and together we fell asleep on my bed.
***
The weeks that followed were probably the longest weeks of my life; there was no choir and I couldn't even borrow a broom to practice flying in the pitch. There were no more games and I noticed that players of the teams had gotten a bit restless from having nothing taking up their nights or weekends. In DADA we were forced to practice unforgivable curses on each other, I normally was paired with Seamus and when no one was looking we would use a tickling charm and pretend that we were in pain; it was the safest and best thing to do...until we were found out. Then all hell would brake loose.
Generally Seamus and I stood towards the back with a few other Gryffindors but on Halloween we were forced to intermix so there were Slytherins around us. Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass were on one side while Draco and Blaise Zabini were on the other side of us, Seamus looked nervous while I fixed a hard glare in Pansy's direction which she returned with a cruel sneer.
"Don't think you can fake it now," Draco muttered as he leaned over to talk to me.
Instead of freezing and giving myself away I gave him a smirk that he seemed to be impressed by, "don't know what you're talking about ferret."
Draco snorted and shook his head before turning to Zabini and holding up his wand as Alecto walked around the room, "today we're going to practice different spells, I will call out a spell and you will perform it until I call the next one."
Seamus gave a relieved sigh while the Slytherins around us grumbled something about doing something so trivial. "Face your partners and begin with reducto," Alecto stated lazily.
I turned and faced Seamus and we pointed our wands at each other while Alecto stepped outside the classroom, obviously to talk to her brother. I held my wand up high but then I was pushed backwards with a strong force and then my legs were locked, at first I thought it was Seamus just messing around but it wasn't.
"Now what should we do with you?" Pansy purred in her sick voice, she lifted the spell on my legs and I fell backwards.
"Oi, Pansy just leave her alone," Zabini drawled in his bored voice.
"I don't think so...." Pansy sneered as she lashed her wand above her head. I scrambled to get my wand just as the force of Pansy's spell hit my shield.
"What's your problem Parkinson?" I glared at her.
"Just having a bit of fun is all," she cackled slightly.
"Lay off Parkinson," Draco growled beside me.
Pansy pouted but she flicked her wand and it was as if someone had a knife and slashed at me, I touched my cheek and saw blood on my hand when I pulled it away. I was about to punch her when a sharp agonizing pain wracked my body, I fell to the ground screaming out in pain as the cruciatus curse made me writhe on the floor.
"Stop it!" Seamus yelled and then he was on the ground next to me, when the pain stopped I noticed Alecto standing behind Pansy looking pleased.
"Nice work Parkinson..." Alecto nodded before walking towards the front of the room.
When she was gone Seamus and I tried to regain our footing while Pansy stepped closer to me, "I'd watch my back if I were you...." She looked me up and down in disgust, "you sorry excuse for a witch."
That was it, I lost it and punched her pug face. It felt satisfying as my hand connected with her nose and I felt the bone crack, I sneered as she crumpled to the ground. Daphne was kneeling beside her while Seamus looked shocked, Zabini gave me an approving nod and Draco shook his head and sighed deeply.
"What's going on over here?" Alecto asked as she walked up to us.
"Pansy fell down Professor, tripping jinx I think got her..." I lied causally, Alecto nodded slightly and then turned to look at Draco.
"Mr. Malfoy, is this true?" Alecto looked at him and I knew what was going to happen before it did, I tried to block my mind but it was too late, Alecto invaded my mind and the truth was out. She sneered at me and lifted her wand, "thirty points for lying Ms. Daxton." She made swiping movements with her wand and I felt their force hit me in the chest and I was soon gasping for air, "I suppose the apple doesn't fall far from the tree..." she whipped her wand through the air again and I whimpered slightly before she walked off, there was so much tension in the room that you could cut it. Seamus silently helped me up, his eyes questioned me but I shook my head in answer to his unspoken question: should we run yet? But it wasn't now, this wasn't the day everything went up in smoke...no, unbeknownst to me that day would be in another month