gloom [fred weasley]

chapter 5: gold rush

What must it be like to grow up that beautiful?
With your hair falling into place like dominoes

"God I would love the astronomy tower if I wasn't so bad at astronomy!", Daphne sighed as she leaned against the railing looking over the Hogwarts grounds. The forest looked so peaceful at night it was easy to forget how dangerous it was out there.

"How can you be bad at astronomy if you are friends with someone who is good at astronomy. Just copy off Dorothea", George laughed. When they laughed Fred and George looked the most alike, their noses crinkled the same way.

"That doesn't make me actually better at it.", Daphne said as she turned around to look at him, a small smile on her face.

"You've got too high standards for your education", George told her with a grin on his face, but his grin washed away when we suddenly heard footsteps on the stairs to the astronomy tower. This could either be Jen and Neville or we were all about to get caught out of bed at night. However we all seemed to be afraid that it would be the latter as we stared at the door in anticipation. When it opened it revealed our fears to be unnecessary as it was only Jen and a tired looking Neville who walked through.

"When I agreed to plant this for you, I didn't know it would mean getting up in the middle of the night to give you some", Neville complained, his voice sounding like he had swallowed half his pillow.

"Sorry, it won't happen again.", George apologized. He clearly felt bad for dragging the poor guy out of bed. Neville shrugged his shoulders a bit and then walked over to Lee giving him something.

"Anyways good night", Neville said. It was clear he was absolutely ready to get back to bed.

"You know you can stay with us right, Neville? You don't have to but you absolutely can", George said. Neville looked unsure whether he wanted to stay up here with us or not, maybe he was too tired to make a decision.

"I'm staying", Jen announced giving Neville an encouraging smile.

"I can't walk back alone", Neville said now sounding genuinely upset.

"Guess you gotta stay with us! Don't worry no one here bites", George said.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Daphne does sometimes", I added, which earned me a slight shove from Daphne. Neville however did not seem more or less unsure than he did before.

"O-okay...", he stuttered, "But can we not stay long? Because what if we get caught"

"I will come with you back to the common room anytime you want! Just stay with us a few minutes. I'm sure you will enjoy it and after a few drags of this I am sure you will feel more relaxed.", George said and held up a joint he had been rolling. He held up his wand in the other hand and carefully lit it, "I mean if you want to! You don't have to"

George and Lee sat down on the ground across from each other. The rest of us sat in between them to make a circle. George gave the joint straight to Lee after taking a drag, Lee did the same and then gave it to Daphne who was sitting next to him. Daphne looked at it for a moment and I could tell from her face she was contemplating whether she should do it or not, but then without a word or a drag she passed it on to me. I would've passed it on like Daphne did, but I was too curious. I took a small drag and then passed it on to George again. I wasn't sure if I had even done it right, I just hoped that if I had done it wrong nobody noticed. Things went on like that and after a few rounds Daphne also decided to take a drag of the joint. The only one who didn't smoke any was Jennifer, who was sitting between Neville and Lee.

The effects were a lot different than I had expected. I thought it would feel the way alcohol did or maybe it would make me see crazy shit, however it was nothing like that. It was the complete opposite actually, almost underwhelming. My vision had become a little hazy, with the edges unclear and washed out. I felt oddly calm and almost detached from my body. Whenever someone said something I couldn't hear their words but I knew exactly what they meant.

Neville, who was sitting across from me, rubbed his eyes. He was trying hard not to fall asleep and that was clear. Maybe the weed had made him even more tired.

"Hey Neville!", George said, "Should we leave so you can go back to bed?"

Neville nodded his head.

"I'll come, too", Jen replied, already getting up from the ground.

"We can maybe stop by the kitchen and get you some cookies, Neville?", George suggested and Neville nodded again, getting up. He looked so tired, it was almost sad.

"I'll see you all tomorrow!", George said before leaving out the door with Neville and Jennifer.

"Do you think he didn't take it well?", Daphne asked and looked a bit worried at me and Lee. I shrugged.

"I am sure he'll be fine after some cookies. No need to worry", Lee said.

After a while the astronomy tower had gone quiet. I sat in one corner, my back against the wall staring into the night sky. Daphne on one side next to me and Lee on the other. The night's darkness surrounding us like a giant blanket and the dim light of the fire we had lit slowly dying.

"I think I am gonna head to bed", Lee announced and got up, "What about you two?"

"Yeah, me too", Daphne replied but I shook my head. I felt like my body was glued to the ground and wouldn't let me leave the tower yet. Daphne got up and her and Lee walked towards the door.

"Ask the stars if I'll be rich in the future", Daphne said before she walked out to follow Lee.

"They said yes", I called after her smiling to myself. I listened as their steps became distant and their muffled conversation became quieter. At some point I could swear I heard a third voice joint but I wasn't sure until the door opened again and Fred walked in. His hair was messier than it had been earlier at the party.

"That was quick", I joked and looked up at him. He laughed a bit but didn't reply. He sat down across from me. My eyes followed his every move. As the fire finally died and the moon was the only thing illuminating the tower and his face. Just like during the fireworks the scarcity of light made his face look like it was stolen out of a painting. There was a howling sound in the distance.

"Was that a wolf?", Fred asked and got up to look over the grounds.

"Right. A werewolf", I joked.

"Sure sounded like one", he turned back around to look at me. There was an awkward moment of silence with neither of us sure what to say. My head felt like it was absolutely empty and all I could think about was what I was seeing right in front of me. The moon light coming from behind him surrounded him like a godly glow.

"You're blocking the moon", I said regretting it only seconds later. What a pointless thing to say.

"That's what you get for sitting in the darkest corner. Come here then", Fred replied. I couldn't see the grin on his face however I heard it. I got up and was hit by a sudden wave of insecurity. I wasn't sure anymore how to stand or how to walk while Fred was looking at me. I walked over to him, although it felt more like I was waddling.

"I kinda get that you were upset the moon is pretty tonight", he said. I stood next to him staring into the night sky unsure how to reply. I could tell he was looking at me from the side, one shoulder leaned against one of the big stone columns.

"So tell me about the stars then", he said and from the corner of my eye I could see him smiling.

"Are you sure you want to hear about it?" I asked, turning towards him to smile back.

"Yes! I hope to not have to burden anyone with my astronomy homework next time", he laughed.

"Okay then... come!, I said smiling and took his hand and pulled him to another point in the tower.

"This right here", I was drawing a circle into the sky with my finger, "is basically... Hey, you have to look into the sky to see it! This is the star chart I was drawing for you"