The Raven // A Fred Weasley Fanfic

Chapter One: The Night We Met

It is close to the end of my fourth year which I am very thankful for because our exams are over for the year. I have to leave tomorrow to go back to the Manor to fulfill some duties that my parents need to do. What they are I have no clue whatsoever. With the anxiety of going back to the place I am supposed to call home tomorrow, I am having the worst time going to sleep. I have been tossing and turning for hours on end. The idea of getting back on the Hogwarts Express to do who knows what for my father has my stomach in knots. I know that I am not going to get any sleep anytime soon so I get up quietly from my bed and throw on my favorite Slytherin hoodie that almost completely covers my green plaid pajama shorts. I then throw my long hair into a messy bun and slip on my glasses. Once my feet get off of my fuzzy rug I realize how cold it is. I grab a pair of thick black fuzzy socks and grab the quilted blanket sitting on the edge of my bed. 

I go down the stairs towards the common room. I have always loved my common, most people found it cold and heartless but I love everything about it. It is mostly all dark grey, black, and green. There is a huge marble fireplace but no one besides my friends and I ever use it. There are two emerald green couches facing each other with a little black table in the middle. There there are random chairs and tables scattered about with an occasional lamp on the tables. A couple of the tables that have chairs by them have a marble Wizard's chess built into them. This is one of my safe spots. I like to read or study there because no one bothers me in Slytherin. After all, we all understand each other and know that if we all are going to survive at Hogwarts as Slytherins we must stick together. Most of us do not believe in the pure-blood bull crap our parents feed us but we have to put on the act that we do because there are unknown spies all over the school trying to rat us out to our parents.

After entering the common room I looked around to see if anyone was still lingering around. Luckily everyone had gone off to bed. I went to the large wall and opened it as quietly as possible. The wind hit my face but it felt nice. It was not too cold and it was a pleasant smell that reminded me of playing in the snow when I was younger. I started to walk around the halls to get some air hoping it might help me want to go to sleep. 

As I was getting closer to the Gryffindor common room I heard the faint sound of a cry. I whispered the password to the Fat Lady and she gave me a weird look but once she realized that it was me she let me in. Since I do not talk to too many people I like to go around and talk to all of the paintings and hear their stories. They are so interesting and something that most people overlook. 

The fire of the common room was still lit and it helped carry the scent of toasted marshmallows and sweet crisp apples. It also helped me find the little girl whose hair almost matched the flames. She was sitting on the floor with her knees tucked into her chest and her back up against the couch. Just by her hair, I could tell she was a Weasley and with the fact that she was a girl, I knew she was Ginny, the youngest of the Weasleys. I bent down beside her. She looked up at me and the were still big tears rolling down her face. I could tell she did not want to talk at the moment so I sat down beside her and wrapped my arm and blanket around her. After a few seconds, she nestled into my side and I could tell she was calming down.

"Are you okay? Ginny isn't it?"

"I had a horrible dream but I did not want to wake up my brothers so I came down here. It was so scary, I thought that all of my family had died and that I would be left by myself." After saying that a few more tears fell from her eyes.

"Well, it was just a nightmare and now it is over with. All of your brothers are completely safe upstairs and I can promise you that they will never leave you alone."

She got my little joke that her brothers would never give her any space and that they would always be there to pester her and she giggled a little. She still seemed to be a little shaken up so I figured that I should go get one of her brothers.

"Ginny, would you like me to go get one of your brothers to come sit with you to show you that they are safe?"

At the thought of one of her brothers holding her Ginny shook her head very excitedly. So I went upstairs and searched for any room that had a boy with fiery red hair in it. The first one that I stumbled upon actually had two boys with fiery red hair. I realized that this must be the twins' room. 

When I first saw them my first year I thought they were so fascinating because I had never seen a set of twins so I made a challenge to myself to be able to tell them apart. I am pretty good at it and have never switched them up. I picked the twin that was closest to me and that happened to be Fred. I had to stop myself from laughing because across the room George was snoring quite loudly i was surprised the rest of the room was still sleeping.

I squatted down beside his bed and poked him on his shoulder. He slowly woke up and looked at me very strange. Then he noticed my Slytherin hoodie and became even more confused. Nevertheless, he got out of bed and once we were in the hallway I introduced myself and told him that I found Ginny crying.

Once we reached the common room Ginny ran over and hugged Fred very tight. He picked her up and walked her back over to the couch to talk about her nightmare. I figured that I should leave because it did not seem like Fred approved of my presence. I was starting to walk out when Ginny suddenly popped up beside me.

"Please do not leave, can you just stay a little longer?"

I looked over at Fred who was staring at Ginny, he did not look displeased he just looked a little confused. I looked back at Ginny and could not refuse her offer, so I took a seat on the chair that was across from the couch they were sitting on. They talked about her dream and how everyone was okay and it was adorable watching the siblings interact with each other. After a little bit of that, Ginny asked Fred to tell her a story. So he told her one that they must have been told growing up because I could see Fred relax a little once he started. Soon enough Ginny was asleep and Fred looked over at me.

"Why did you do all of this for her, I don't believe I have ever seen you two talk."

That question took me by surprise because I figured he would just wait for me to leave and just not talk to me.

"Well, Ginny just seems like such a sweet and wonderful little girl. Also, I have a younger sibling and if someone were to find him crying I would want them to show some human decency and try and help."

Just at the mention of Draco Fred rolled his eyes. Before I could even realize what I was doing I shot back at him.

"What is your problem i understand you do not like Draco but he is not like that all of the time it is more of a show he puts on while he is at school. I would have thought you just would have said thank you for being caring to Ginny and would have bid me goodnight."

"Well while I do appreciate what you did for Ginny, it just took me by surprise someone like you doing something nice for someone like a Weasley."

And with that, I was furious it was like my entire body was burning. I swear that I could feel fumes coming out of my ears. Hearing those words come out of someone who comes from such a kind and loving family like the Weasleys just hurt worse than anyone else.

"First of all Weasley you have no clue who I am and have never tried to know who I am. You just like everybody else have just assumed who I am because of my last name and because of my brother. Little did you know that I could care less about money or blood status and always yell at my brother if I ever hear him saying something about that. I care more about who a person really is and not just about the rumors that surround them unlike you. If you had just tried to get to know me you would know that I am NOTHING like my brother or my father. I would honestly hate myself if I were ever anything like them!"

He just stood there dumbfounded and before he could get out a word I turned around and exited through the portrait hanging on the wall.