Hexed (Fred Weasley ft the gang)

seventeen

"He's what?!"

"Shut up! Could you be any louder?" Xan muttered, shooting El a look as they wandered around the pond that was situated a few minutes from the burrow. Xan kicked a small rock and watched it ripple into the water then looked back up at El.

"He's engaged, well... Soon to be engaged." Xan said, plopping herself down on the grass next to the water and pulling her trainers off, waiting for El to sit down too. El kicked her shoes off with a dramatic sigh and sat down, crossing her arms over her chest and pursing her lips.

"I heard you the first time!" She whined, exasperatedly before continuing, "Why are the hot ones always taken?" She looked at Xan who quirked an eyebrow at her.

"You seem to have forgotten all about Longbottom, remember him?" She asked and Els face dropped.

"Shit."

Xanthie laughed and shook her head, looking back at El who was now dipping her feet into the water and flinching at how cold it was. Xanthie copied her and laid back against the grass, her mind also thinking about the new arrivals.

"I mean, I have feelings for Nev but I just- I wanna rip Bills clothes off him and-" El started and Xanthie smacked her thigh with wide eyes.

"You just met him!" She laughed and El lowered down to lay next to her, her back curving up from the grass as she shook with laughter of her own.

"I just know that me and Neville aren't meant to be, we said it earlier. He's too nice, I just feel like I would break him." El said, her face contorting into a rare, serious expression.

"You need to tell him, El. He's been pining over you for the longest time. Maybe you should write him?" Xanthie suggested, trying to empathise with Els situation. El only nodded, turning her head so she was looking up at the sky, Xan doing the same as she looked through the bright green leaves and into the blue sky. The sun beamed down on them despite it being nearly 8pm, Xanthies skin still managing to heat up underneath it. They laid there, in silence for a while before El spoke up again.

"Bill Weasley, engaged. Damn."

Xanthie laughed and rolled her eyes, Bill was more what Xan pictured Els type to be. He was broad and tall, his hair long and unkempt. He was undeniably handsome, even the scars across his face only made him more attractive in amongst the freckles that littered his skin.

"Not yet! He hasn't proposed. Charlie told me he came home to help Bill plan his proposal! You've still got time, homewrecker." Xan teased, raising her eyebrows at El. Both girls burst out laughing and continued discussing Bill and his future fiancé until the sun began to set. The days at the burrow seemed to go on forever, the sun setting late in the evenings.

"I'm gonna head inside, you coming?" El asked, pulling herself up to her feet and holding her hands out for Xan, who took them and pulled herself up. The two girls made their way back to the house, leaves rustled behind them and Xan turned around, her eyes narrowed, as if expecting to see someone behind them. Upon seeing no one, her and El went inside and closed the back door behind them.

Inside, the burrow was filled with chaos, as usual. El made her way upstairs to ask Hermione for some advice on writing to Neville and Xanthie looked into the dining area and saw Arthur, sipping a mug of tea and reading the Daily Prophet.

"Mr Weasley! I wanted to show you something! Stay there!" Xan said, grabbing Arthurs attention almost immediately as he straightened himself up in his seat and folded the paper, looking at her with a light in his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere dear, what is it you're showing me?" He asked, but Xanthie only ignored his question and ran up the stairs. She had almost forgotten the pain she was in amidst her excitement but was soon humbled when the sting in her thigh returned along with the ache in her spine. Stopping on the first flight of stairs, she took a deep breath and walked up the rest, slowly this time. She entered Ginnys room and rummaged around her things in search of her earphones and her MP3 player.