“Having fun doesn’t mean getting into trouble? Then you obviously don’t know me.” - Unknown
Chapter Eight
The butterfly’s wings beat a hopeless battle against the ground. Crookshanks’ claws were dug in pretty deep, batting it about in the dust like a piece of lint or a string. I manage to shoo the horrid cat away and cup the insect in my hand, kneeling down and pulling out my wand hurriedly. It was close to death.
I murmur under my breath as I wave my wand over the injured creature, healing the beautiful black and blue wings and reattaching one of its feelers that had not withstood the cat’s attention. Its wings begin to move at a more frantic pace as I hold it in my hands, holding my breath as my chest suddenly restricts.
It had been on the path of no return. I had stepped in and saved it. If it flew away, then it had another chance at life. If I held it here or perhaps gave it back to the cat, then I had done nothing in the long run.
I pushed it into the sky, watching as it struggled with gravity for a few precious seconds before catching a breeze and taking off into the sky. I sit back on my heels and let my hands fold together in my lap. I feel dizzy.
“You’re too good.” I whirl around, skinning my knees slightly in the process, to see George leaning against the side of the house. He’s wearing a carefree smile, causing me to roll my eyes.
“What do you mean?” He pushes himself off and walks towards me, plopping down onto the ground and leaning against my back. I smile and hold back a chuckle. I love Georgie— I mean His Holeyness. He’s always been like another brother. Like Barlow, except more protective. (Yes, folks, that is entirely possible.)
“You’re innately good, a pure person. How in the hell did the ferret get you?” He questions. I blush.
“He’s not that bad, George. He grew up in that horrid family, prejudice and expectations shoved down his throat since he was a toddler. If he had grown up in any other kind of family, I have no doubt that he would have been a good friend to us.” I hear him stifle a snort.
“I’d pay to see that.”
“Me too” I sigh. I close my eyes as I lean my head completely back against his shoulder, his head dropping back onto mine. The sun is shining a bit too brightly for my taste.
“You seem a bit happier nowadays. It’s good to see you back to normal.” He comments out of nowhere. I grin.
“It’s nice to be back.” I pause and let a troubling thought drift into my head. “George…”
“Yeah, Jacky?” I fiddle with the edge of my jeans before asking.
“What was it like? When you all thought I was dead?” My voice had dropped to a whisper. He takes so long to answer; I begin to think he never was.
“It was horrible. In a way, it was worse than Dumbledore because you were so young. You don’t realize it, but you’re a symbol of hope for all the younger kids and even the young adults. Fred cried when we got the news. I haven’t seen him cry in so long.” He mumbles. My eyes widen as my breath catches in my throat. His Holeyness say what now?
“George, promise me that you will be completely honest with me.”
“On my pride as a Weasley.” He says without hesitation. Which, annoyingly enough, causes me to hesitate. Do I really want to know the answer to my question?
Knowledge is power…
“Is Fred in love with me?”
He stays quiet for a moment. “He was a few years back. Nothing too serious, I’m pretty certain it was just puppy love. And he’s always had a crush on you, but right now, love is the farthest thing from his mind.” I sigh in relief, my shoulders relaxing. Thank Salazar!
“Afraid he’ll get too attached?” His voice is amused as I turn to look at him in shock.
“You know?” I groan. He laughs as my cheeks heat up.
“I’d be a pathetic excuse for a twin if I didn’t, don’t you think?” I scowl and nod, admitting defeat.
“Jacky!” Fred prances out of nowhere (the house) and settles next to us, laying his head in my lap. I chuckle and pinch his cheeks, making him scrunch up his face.
“I’m not five!”
“You act like one.”
“I agree” George adds with a chuckle. Fred shrugs.
“Can’t argue with you there. So guess what?”
“What?”
“I was talking to a few D.A. members about what will be going on next year along with Ginny and then Seamus let slip about a certain mademoiselle who can’t swim.” I pout.
“Guilty” This causes George to look at me in surprise.
“You can’t swim?”
“Worse than a dog.” Fred breaks in, tapping my chin.
“That’s why I’m going to teach you. We’ll go to the pond and I shall make thee a fish!” He declares. I laugh and leap to my feet.
“Over my twice dead body.” I say as they start to get up, faces full of determination and evil-intent. I turn and run like hell.
“Ron! Save me!” I screech as I run up the stairs after spotting him at the top. He looks at me with confusion for a split second before throwing open his door and allowing me to fling myself inside.
“Hey Jacky” Hermione greets with a smile as I flop before her and Harry and a giant pile of books. I clasp my hands before her and pout.
“Transfigure me please!” I beg. She giggles and takes out her wand, waving it quickly. I can hear Ron distracting his brothers outside the closed door as the light flashes around me and I land on my four little paws.
Sweet! Hmmm…milk.
I dart under the covers of Harry’s cot, peeking out from my little burrow just as Fred and George burst in, looking around. Harry and Hermione adopt terrible façades of innocence as Ron ambles in, unsurprised to see me gone from sight.
“Okay, give her up.” Fred demands. George is turning in a circle, swiveling his head to look for me.
“No idea.” Harry answers, grinning. His bruise is completely gone, thank goodness. I had felt bad when Ginny was mad at me for it; then again she had asked me to give him another after the idiot broke up with her.
“She was just in here! She can’t have apparated. Where’s your cloak?” George insists. Hermione holds it up and both twins frown in confusion.
“Maybe she’s with mum.” They run out and Ron closes the door, turning to the other two with questioning eyes. They point to the cot and he walks over, feeling around. I growl as he whacks me in the head accidentally.
“Bloody hell!” He exclaims as I tumble out. I glare at him while he begins to laugh.
“Clever” He scratches my ears in apology and I purr while pushing my head against his hand.
“I’ll change you back.” Hermione begins to wave her wand but I meow and shake my head. She smiles and shakes her head.
“Don’t let Crookshanks find you. He’s still a male.” I wail in horror while flattening my ears against my head, my tail between my legs. The boys’ faces twist in disgust as she laughs. I trot out quickly, knowing they had little time to plan their mission.
I know, it was shocking. I, Jaclyn Grace, was not the center of the latest death-defying mission. Why, one might ask?
It wasn’t my destiny to go. They had been in it together for over six years, and my place wasn’t with them. Plus, I had to go back with Ginny and watch over the school. Those three couldn’t possibly need more watching than over a hundred and fifty students under a new evil regime that was impending. Plus, as a ‘ghost’, I would be able to spy on any death eaters that got close to Hogwarts and report back to the Order, of which I was a brand-spankin’ new member. Can I get a hell’s yeah?
For the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon, I pranced around the house. I got attention from every occupant, even getting a few pets from the twins. It was hilarious. Eventually, I settled down with Fleur while she wrote out some last minute invites for the wedding.
“Thankz for keeping me company, little kitty.” She murmured distractedly when she got up, scratching behind my ears before wandering off. I flick my tail and tumble outside.
Ho! What have we here? Two Weasley twins in a state of befuddlement.
I hop into George’s lap, purring loudly when he begins petting me without really thinking.
“She’s good. I have no idea where she could be.” He confesses.
“She just vanished! You don’t think she left, do you?” Fred wonders worriedly.
“It’s possible. She could have gone off to find the ferret.” George guesses. Fred stiffens at the thought, rolling up the sleeves of his button up, his face furrowed in indecision. I roll my eyes, as much as a kitten can do, and stretch my legs as I jump out of Thing One’s lap. I sit down with my claws beading into the dirt. They were so cool!
Er…anyway back to business. I meow loudly. George clicks his tongue at me.
“Here kitty-kitty.” He croons. Excuse? I don’t think so. I do not look like a call girl. I glare at him, affronted, and flick my tail at them. Nothing clicks in that one brain of theirs.
Plan B commences.
Three minutes later…
“Why won’t she stop?!” Fred yells over my incessant wailing and mewling. His hands are over his ears while George attempts to crawl over to me while I dance around them.
I love annoying these two.
“What do you want?!” Fred shouts. I stop for a second to pounce at him, catching him in surprise and knocking him onto his back. I start up my wails and whack at his face with sheathed claws.
“Ow! George, stop her! She’s feeling me up!” Fred cries while George laughs to the side. I growl and bite his chin. He jumps and scrambles backwards, making me fall to the ground.
“I do not support that!” He protests. George pauses in his laughter and takes his wand out with a curious look on his face.
“Transvorto?” He mutters, flicking the wand at me. I sigh in relief as I transfigure back to my original form, stretching out my arms and sitting back to grin lopsidedly at Fred. He looks dumbstruck.
“Found my kitty!” George cries happily, tackling me and rubbing his face against my hair like a puppy. I giggle and pet his head, avoiding the bandage around his hair.
“Mine!” And now I am being ripped from Thing One by Thing Two, who holds me to his chest.
“No mine!” One thing they don’t tell you about tug-a-wars. The thing in the middle? It’s not fun being that thing.
“Mine!”
“No mine!”
“My kitty!”
“My FWB!”
“My kitty!”
“Mine!”
“OW! NO ONE’S!” I yelp as I feel my shoulder pop a bit. I yank myself out of their grips and glare heavily at them. They pull up their “I’m completely innocent and therefore un-punishable” faces.
“I belong to no one.” I say hotly. They pout and oh man, did I crumble. One I can withstand but two? It’s like staring the Pope in the face without finding the need to pray.
“Exclusive property of gingers.” I grumble as they cheer and hug me again.
“Time for swimming!” Fred exclaims, clamping his arms more tightly around me in case I try to flee again. I sigh in defeat.
“Let me change.” I wave my wand over myself and watch as my clothes melt into an emerald green string bikini with silver clasps. A sudden snap causes me to look up. George is chuckling while Fred rubs his jaw, glaring crossly at his twin.
“I helped him regain his speech.” George defends himself. Fred punches him in the arm playfully and holds out his arm to me.
“Shall we, Milady?” I grin and take it.
“We shall. Farewell, Georgie!” I call as we walk away. My other arm is unexpectedly clasped onto and I find him walking amiably next to us.
“Or not…”
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Author's Note: Sorry it's a bit late in the day, but it is here! :)
I have a question to put forth to you guys, it was something I encountered in my English class today.
What are we? When you think about it, we all have hands and arms and feet and legs. We have eyes and ears, noses and mouths, we can speak and hear and see. We all have split personalities and inhibitions and even with all of those similiarities, we still feel alone. Isn't that strange? We are all human, yet we insist that we are not.
Sorry for the pensiveness; those prompts really got me thinking, that and my mind is in overdrive from calc for my final tomorrow.
Stay magical my pretties! I shall be on break tomorrow but hopefully an upload will be done by Saturday? Love you guys!