Hexed (Fred Weasley ft the gang)

ten

TW// there are mentions of sexual acts in this chapter, nothing too intense but just a wee heads up for ya! :))

As Ginny and Harry disappeared into the kitchen, Xanthie took her seat next to Ron who had Hermione perched next to him with her head on his shoulder. In moments like these, Xanthie couldn't help but feel a little bitter, though she'd never let her friends know this. As she looked over at Ron and Hermione talking in hushed voices and smiling, Hermione giggling softly and tucking hair behind her ear, it was undeniable she felt alone.

She could hear Ginny and Harry laughing loudly in the kitchen, music playing softly in the background. She'd had a few flings here and there, but nothing as happy and pure as what her friends had found in each other, and while she was happy for them she couldn't lie about the feeling of jealousy in her stomach.

Her most notorious ex, Lee Jordan was her most recent and although they had an unquestionable spark, to Xanthie it felt more like friends who had sex a lot. Sure there were dates, cute moments in the corridors of Hogwarts and in the back of the Great Hall but nothing that felt like anything more than just close friends. Although, Xan was not going to deny that the sex had been some of the best she'd had and when they split, she did contemplate going back to him, she'd had to call it quits when the twins' relentless 'jokes' about her had gotten all too much. In a stand-off in the Slytherin common room one afternoon, Xanthie had completely lost it. All hell broke loose as the two of them screamed at each other, throwing anything breakable, and it ultimately ended in a choice. The twins or her. And Lee Jordan had made it quite obvious that his friendship with the twins wasn't going anywhere.

Xanthie sighed, now wondering if the twins were still de-gnoming the garden. She rose from her space in the sofa, Ron and Hermione only briefly noticing her as she disappeared towards the back door.

"Hey! That's cheating! You're not allowed to look!" Ginny pointed at Xan as she entered the kitchen.

Xanthie laughed and shielded her eyes with her hand.

"I'm not looking! I swear!"

She continued through the kitchen and out of the back door, closing it behind her gently, the familiar squeak following as the hinges moved. She breathed in the warm, summer air and smiled. She stood, looking around the garden not seeing the two tall, redheads. They were hard to miss, standing 6'3 and usually the loudest in a room. Her eyes landed on a pond, sparkling blue and refreshing looking, and she made her way towards it. As she approached, she heard quiet talking and instantly recognised it as the twins' voices.

"Yeah, said he's coming tonight. Couldn't bare being away from us." George laughed.

Who's coming tonight? Xanthie stayed back and stood behind a wide tree just within ear shot of where the boys were sitting. She peeked around and saw them sitting cross legged in front of the pond. Both shirtless and sweating still. Fred lifted his arm and pushed his hair back, Xanthie couldn't help but stare at his flexed bicep, mouth slightly agape.

"Wonder what trouble he's gonna cause this time." Fred chuckled back, pulling himself up and lowering a hand to his brother to help him up. As he turned to face the direction that Xan was standing in, she panicked and felt her heart beat fast. She could not get caught eavesdropping.

"Shit..." She whispered to herself and felt for her wand in her back pocket. She'd left it in the kitchen. She did however, feel her earphones tangled up in her pocket and instantly pulled them out. She untangled them and popped one in each ear but quickly realised she had no device to attach to them. Making do with what she had, she tucked the loose end back into her pocket, that should convince them she was listening to music right? Just at that she felt two tall figures behind her, acting as if she was none the wiser, she turned to face them and faked a jump.