Wisdom and Victory {Fred Weasley}

Chapter 7

My dudes, I wrote so much of this book yesterday oh my gosh... :)

Victoria walked quickly through the bustling streets of Hogsmeade, pushing through the crowds around Honeydukes and Zonkos, a letter clutched in her hand and the wind beating her face.

Number eleven...thirteen...fifteen, High Street!  It was a small, classically decorated tea shop that Victoria had never been in before. It looked more like a fancy restaurant, she thought as she stepped through the door and peered round. There were mahogany tables and plush velvet cushions, along with candles igniting the room. A wizard in a smart suit and tie approached her, peering down his nose at her. "I'm here to see Mr and Mrs Malfoy?" she asked.

He held out his hand, and Victoria removed her glove, shaking it with a frown. What an odd sort of place! If anything, his sneer increased. "Your cloak?" he said, reminding her of one bat-like potions Professor.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, quickly removing it and feeling embarrassed. "Sorry! Thank you!"

He offered the smallest and stiffest of smiles. "This way," he said, taking long strides across the floor. Victoria decided she liked the Three Broomsticks infinitely more. They reached a hidden table in a far off corner where a blond witch and wizard with pointed faces were sat in total silence. She couldn't help but think they looked a little bit more related than they should.

"Mr Malfoy?" she asked with a bright smile, offering her hand. He didn't return the smile, or stand up, or take her hand. He just looked a tiny bit repulsed.

"Miss McGonagall?" asked Mrs Malfoy, not smiling but at least speaking.

"Yes," said Victoria, offering her her hand instead. She didn't take it either. Instead, Victoria sat down, making both of them shift uncomfortably. "Thank you for meeting me-" she began, but was quickly interrupted.

"We were hardly given much of a choice," said Mr Malfoy, his tone biting. "What with those nasty rumours you were spreading."

Victoria frowned at him. "Forgive my presumption," she began. "But if those 'rumours' were false, then why did you feel the need to meet me today? Had you even heard of me before your son mentioned me?"

"Of course not," said Mrs Malfoy, looking like the thought alone was absurd.

"So why view me as such a threat?" pushed Victoria. "If I'm just a silly little girl spreading lies?" Mr Malfoy's jaw stiffened and Mrs Malfoy narrowed her eyes.

"Very well," the latter said eventually. "We shall hear what you have to say."

Victoria swallowed nervously. "I can pass you information," she said. "My mother's in the Order, and I'm friends with Harry Potter-"

"Good friends?" asked Mr Malfoy, exchanging a look with his wife.

"Yes," said Victoria quickly. "Very good friends. We train together...for quidditch."

"Quidditch?" asked Mr Malfoy. "What position do you play?"

"Beater mostly," said Victoria. "But I sometimes shuffle around."

The Malfoys nodded, considering. "What kind of information?" asked Mrs Malfoy slowly.

"Weaknesses," said Victoria quickly.

"Weaknesses?" repeated Mr Malfoy.

"Like vanishing spells," said Victoria with a grin. They didn't smile. "That was a joke...he's rubbish at them..."

"Seeing as you find this so funny," Mrs Malfoy began. "I believe we cannot help each other."

"No!" exclaimed Victoria. Mrs Malfoy quirked an eyebrow; a trait she'd passed onto her son. "Let me help you...I know I can. I'll get something out of him in practice, and it'll go straight to you."

"When that happens," said Mr Malfoy. "Be sure to let us know. But until then..." He trailed off, and the waiter reappeared with her cloak.

She stood and took it from him, forcing a smile at the Malfoys. "Thank you for your time." Her gratitude was not returned, and Victoria couldn't help but feel thoroughly defeated as she trudged back through Hogsmeade.

*****

Victoria was just dropping off her cloak and a new book on Charms theory in her dorm, giving Charlie a scratch behind the ears, when the person she wanted to talk most to burst into the room, pink-faced from the cold weather and grinning, with Alicia Spinnet in tow. "Angelina!" said Victoria brightly. "I wanted to talk to you. About subbing for the team?"

"Hey!" said Alicia cheerily, removing her gloves.

"Vic! Have you changed your mind then?" Angelina asked, chucking her scarf and cloak onto her poorly made bed.

"Yeah, I think it'll be good for me," said Victoria as the two girls headed down the stairs to the common room. "Are you going to dinner?"

"Yeah," said Alicia. "Oh, it'll be good to have you at practice."

"You're a good keeper, aren't you?" said Angelina as they stepped through the portrait hole, approaching Harry and Ron.

"So-so," she said. "Have you not replaced Oliver yet?"

Angelina shrugged. "Potter, Weasley!" The two of them turned, looking purely befuddled, but smiled when they saw Victoria and their teammates. "Meet our new sub, Vic!"

"Victoria," she corrected quickly. It was quite possible that only Angelina and Cedric would ever be allowed to call her that.

"Victoria," said Alicia with a teasing grin that she returned.

"Oh...uh, we've met," said Ron sheepishly, his ears turning red. "I can get you your book back-"

"That'd be great, thanks," said Victoria, maintaining her smile but internally scowling. If there was one thing she didn't like, it was a book thief.

Harry cast a nervous glance around. "I didn't see you at the meeting?" he asked with a frown.

"Meeting?" asked Victoria.

"We didn't tell her," said Angelina. "We will do though, at dinner?"

"Tell me what?" she asked as Harry nodded before walking away with Ron.

"We'll tell you at dinner," said Alicia cryptically. Victoria shook her head with a smile, but secretly she was dying to know.