"Has anyone seen Freddie today?" I say walking into the train compartment that Rose, Ophelia, Albus, Scorpius, and Darcy are sitting in.
Ophelia and Rose don't bother looking up from whatever they're watching on Rose's phone. Albus shakes his head, "Nah, I saw James and Lily though, they were in the carriage behind mine."
"Right well, I'm going to go look for him on the platform. Save me a spot in here yeah?" Before I can close the door of the compartment, Darcy stands up.
"I'll come with you." He says matter of factly. I can tell by his tone that he's not going to give me a chance to say no.
I slide open the door a little more and Darcy comes out. When the door closes behind him he looks at me awkwardly for a second. "Can I uh – hold your hand?" He says awkwardly
I wipe my hand on my thigh before I hold onto Darcy's hand. We don't interlock our fingers or anything, but it still makes me smile a little. We shuffle through the corridor of the train, it's not really wide enough for two people to walk side by side so it's a little weird but I don't think that either of us wants to let go of the other person.
When we get out back onto the platform it's easier to stand together. There are a few students straggling around, waiting for their friends or something. It's only 10:50 in the morning so there's still ten minutes to get on the train before it leaves, but Freddie has never been this late before.
"So... mum said that we're going to the Burrow for Christmas again this year," Darcy says after a beat of silence.
I dunno why he's pointing it out, he and Auntie Em come by every Christmas. "That's nice. Nan likes cooking for a lot of people."
It gets a little awkward again, "Have you told your mum and dad that we uhh..." he says.
I turn to look at him, "That we carved a pumpkin together?"
"That we carved a pumpkin together as a date thing."
"No I haven't told them... you're saying I, should?"
Darcy shifts his weight from one foot to the other, "Oh no, not... well I told my mum."
"Oh..."
"And I bet that she told Auntie Vi."
Before I can respond, a carriage pulls into view with Freddie and Louis in it. Lou's hair is back to that pale white instead of the green that he likes it to be. Even from here, I can tell that they are both gross and tired.
They hop off the carriage and pull their trunks along with them, "I feel like a fucking fire crab laid eggs in my brain." I can hear Freddie groan.
"You two look awful," I say once they are within speaking distance.
"Why aren't you two on the train? Sneaking off for a quick snog session before we get back home?" Freddie says.
Instantly Darcy lets go of my hand and shoves his hands in his jean pockets. It's no secret that Darcy is scared of Dad, but I didn't think that he was scared of Freddie too.
"Why aren't you snogging your girlfriend before you have to say goodbye?" I say taking the attention off of Darcy and me.
Lou and Freddie push past us and drag their trunks onto the train. I follow close behind them, Darcy behind me.
"Thought you didn't like Poppy," Freddie says. He walks down the hall a bit till he finds the compartment that his friend Amar is sitting in.
"I don't."
Freddie picks up his trunk, "Then why are you so interested in what I am and am not doing with her then?" He groans as he shoves his trunk up in the rafts. Lou shoves his trunk up as well and sits down beside Amar.
"I'm just wondering why you're so late is all."
Freddie steps forward which forces me to step out of the compartment. He puts his hand on the door, "Go wonder about something else for a bit yeah?" And with that, he closes the door in my face and pulls down the blinds so I can't see through the windows.
"He's being weird," I say to no one in particular.
"He's in his fifth year, he's allowed to be weird I suppose," Darcy says trying to make me feel better.
"Yeah... suppose so," I say before turning around and walking back towards our compartment.
Dom and Molly are standing in the doorway of our compartment when we get there. "I dunno! Cass went to go find Fred, bet you a sickle that Lou is with him." I can hear Ophelia say grumpily.
Dominique turns to look down the corridor and spots me, "Where are Tweedle dumb and Tweedle dumber? Mum'll kill me if the fucker doesn't make the train."
"He and Freddie just got on and sat in a compartment down there a way," I say.
"Told you he's not dumb enough to skip out on Christmas," Molly says, scrunching up her nose in attempts to push her glasses back up her face.
"He did look like he was trampled by centaurs though," I tell Dominique.
"That's to be expected after the night I'm pretty sure they had. Here's hoping he shakes off his hangover before Maman sees him." Dom says. She ruffles my hair as she and Molly walk back down the corridor.
Hugo and Lily have made their way into our compartment while Darcy and I were out. The two of them have positioned themselves on the floor and are playing a muggle card game of some kind, no doubt something that Hugo has taught her to play.
I carefully step over the two of them and sit back down in my spot, Darcy sits beside me, he doesn't hold my hand like I half wanted him to do.
The ride home from Hogwarts normally doesn't feel as long as this one does, nothing has changed though, Darcy and I are still listening to music, Rose and Ophelia are talking loudly, throwing their hands in the air when they speak, nearly hitting poor Hugo in the head on countless occasions. But the weird sort of tension that has fallen between Darcy and I has made it weird.
He told Auntie Em about us. I mean I don't think I care that he did. But I also sort of do? It's been one date if you can even consider it a date. I just turned thirteen a few weeks ago, I can't date when I'm thirteen. Does anyone even date when they're thirteen? Besides mum and dad?
I suppose I fell asleep because the next thing I know, Lily is hitting my leg saying that we are in London.
"I don't see mum on the platform," Ophelia says. She's got her face pressed up against the window, watching the crowd as the train comes to a full stop. "Only Dad and Theodore are here by the looks of things."
"Only Uncle George and Theo?" Rose says. She climbs over Al's lap and presses her face against the window too.
"No you half-wit, Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, Aunt Ginny, Uncle Harry... seriously don't make me name all of them," Ophelia says.
The train comes to a full stop. I take the earphone out of my ear and give it back to Darcy. I stand up and pull my trunk down along with Hugo's. Together we all walk off the platform.
"There's my girls!" Dad shouts. He throws his arms open and Leah and I run into them and give him a massive hug. He kisses both of our heads, "I've missed you two so much! Look at you both, I swear you've gotten like eight feet taller since I last saw you."
In turn, Leah and I both hug Theo who, literally is nearly the same height as me at this point. He's going to be tall like the rest of them I can sense it.
"Where's mummy?" I ask Dad. He's still got his arm around my shoulder, holding me close to his side.
"Annabeth has got the flu or something so mums stayed at home with her. Rather not get the entire platform sick."
All around us our cousins are being greeted and hugged by their parents. Then they swap and we get a hug from each of our aunts and uncles and younger cousins. Victoire and Teddy aren't here and according to Aunt Fleur, Vicky has left for Japan, Teddy is still in London.
"She will be back for Christmas though. She wouldn't miss out on mums cooking." Uncle Bill says.
Freddie and Lou are the last ones to get off the train. Instantly Aunt Fleur starts fussing with Lou's hair, something that he clearly hasn't done anything to this morning. Dad hugs Freddie and gives him a few pats on the back.
"Ready to head off then? Mum wants to hear everything that's happened to you a lot." Dad says. He picks up my trunk in one hand, holding onto Theo's hand with the other.
"Fred! Freddie Bear!" I can hear Freddie's girlfriend screaming from halfway across the platform.
Freddie goes as red as his hair, Dad has the biggest smirk on his face, "Oi Freddie Bear. Someone's looking for you." Dad says making all of us Weasleys laugh.
"Well go on then Freddie Bear. Introduce us to your friend." Uncle Ron says when Poppy comes over to us.
"You are all 'orrible!" Aunt Fleur says but she's got a smile on her face nonetheless, "Young love is nothing to be laughing at!"
That only makes me and all my cousins laugh harder, Freddie goes a deeper shade of red.
"This is uh... Poppy." Fred says slowly and carefully.
Poppy juts out her hand at Uncle Ron, "Fred has told me so much about you Mister Weasley. Truly an honour to meet you."
Uncle Ron tries his hardest to stop himself from smiling as he shakes Poppy's hand, "That's nice, but you're looking to impress that lanky git over there. I'm just the uncle."
Now Poppy is about the same shade as Freddie. "Right, course. Sorry. Hello Mister Weasley." She puts her hand out to Dad and he shakes it a few times.
"To be fair, we are all Mister Weasley," Dad says. "Not the one with the glasses though, he didn't want to change his name to Weasley. Potter's got too much power behind it." Dad says. It's an ongoing joke between the two of them. Uncle Harry always likes to complain that as soon as anyone hears the name Potter they get all hot and bothered by it but he wouldn't change his name to Weasley when he got married to Aunt Gin.
"That and the blond one over there, don't even consider calling him a Weasley." Uncle Ron says jokingly. Uncle Draco laughs. Apparently, uncle Draco and the Weasleys had some serious issues when they were at Hogwarts, it's become a thing they joke about now.
"Well, I'll uh, see you after Christmas holiday then," Freddie says to Poppy awkwardly. I feel bad, the entire family is watching him now, all of us making fun of him in some way shape or form.
"Or you could pop by the shop during the holiday. Have dinner with us so you can meet Freddie Bears' mum and little sister." Dad suggests.
"Oh no Dad I don't think that's-" Fred starts.
"Oh, I'd love to Mister Weasley! That sounds splendid doesn't it Fred?" Poppy says. She looks at Freddie with big eyes and a smile that I want to hex off her face.
"Why not come to our Christmas feast at Freddie Bear's nan and pops house? Then you'll really get to know the entire family!" Uncle Bill says, not under any circumstances helping the situation.
"That sounds like a grand idea!" Aunt Ginny says. I don't think I have ever heard her use the word grand before.
"So it's settled then! You'll come by the shop and meet Freddie Bear's mum and sister sometime and then you'll come to have Christmas supper with us all!" Dad states.
"We better get going don't you think Dad? With traffic and everything, it'll be late when we get home, and I'm really hungry..." Freddie says, picking up his trunk.
"Leaving without a goodbye kiss Freddie Bear?" Poppy says.
I swear to Merlin I see Freddie roll his eyes before giving Poppy a peck. But she kisses him for longer and harder than I think he wanted to be kissed. Maybe that's what's got him all weird recently.
After another round of quick goodbyes from everyone, Dad leads us off the platform and towards the car park.
"Can't believe they invited her to Christmas dinner," Freddie grumbles to himself.
I look at him out of the corner of my eye, "Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you've been dating someone for a while?" I say, making sure not to talk too loudly. Couse that doesn't matter cause Dad and Ophelia are practically shouting about the most recent Slytherin quidditch match, which we won by the way.
"I'm supposed to be the one to ask her, not my father and all my uncles." Freddie huffs.
"You sure that's the only reason why you're all... this about it?"
Freddie glares at me but doesn't say anything more. I decide to drop the conversation.
We all load our trunks into the back of the van. Freddie calls shotgun and fights Ophelia for the door handle. Theo crawls all the way to the back of the van, giving Leah and I the middle seats.
"Oi Freddie Bear, close your window, will you? Bloody freezing out." Dad says as he starts to drive away.
"No offence dad, but you're an arse," Freddie says. He rolls up his window nonetheless though.
"No offence taken. I take immense pride in being an arse." Dad says. He looks into the rearview mirror and winks at Ophelia, Theo, and I which makes us all laugh. "Now don't say another word about what you lot have been getting up to at Hogwarts. Mum wants to hear the whole thing, start to finish and I don't want to have to listen to you three drone on more than I have to."
Ophelia swats Dad on the back of the head which makes everyone laugh again, including Freddie, "Like we enjoy listening to you drone on about the good ole' days."