Isn't He Lovely • A Fred Weasley Story

a w a i t i n g

"You went to school with him?" Harry asks in disbelief.

"Yeah..." I say, nodding while still in a bit of shock, "I did."

"What a chance that he's coming here!" Hermione chirps. "So you two haven't seen each other in... what, must be at least five years by now?"

"Last time I saw him we were both only 13 or 14 at our school in the Netherlands..." I say, trying to remember. "That's just- well, that's crazy, that is. I can't believe out of all the kids who could be coming..."

"Did you know him that well?" Ron asks with interest. I shrug.

"I suppose I knew him pretty well..." I say, leaning my cheek into my hand as I speak, "but everyone did. I thought he was pretty funny, I guess, but in a sort of attention-seeking way..."

"Ah, so he was one of those," Harry says, scoffing slightly. 

"Oh, he wasn't really wanting attention in that snobby way you're thinking, though..." I add quickly, "but in more of a humorous way... sort of the class clown, I'd say."

"I see..." Harry mutters, as the rest of the group listens as well. 

"Yeah, he was alright," I continue, shrugging casually. "I was friendly to him and all, but we never really became buds. He was one of the popular fellows, back in the day... but I was glad he wasn't the mean kind of popular, you know?"

"At least that's something," Ginny says, nodding. "Sounds like a fine guy..."

"Well, then again, last time I saw him we were kids," I emphasize. "Who knows what he's like now?" 

"I suppose we'll find out," Ron says, returning to his plate of food. 

"I wonder what house he'll get?" Hermione ponders aloud. "I mean, for the brief amount of time he's here..."

I chuckle. "I know, it'll be strange being around him again, and then splitting apart just like last time. But he barely spoke to me before; I doubt he's going to want to be best buds with me now."

"Maybe he'll be too intimidated by your coolness," Ginny says with a grin. I smirk, crossing my arms. 

"Oh, yeah, he won't be able to handle it," I joke, sending a few snickers within the group. 

The rest of the week I don't think much of Callum, rather focusing on getting my homework in on time before break. We're all practically collapsing under the work load, and I'm counting my blessings that Quidditch training isn't intense right now since our next match isn't until February. 

We're all itching to get out of school... the closer we get to the Holidays, the more we find ourselves losing motivation to finish our work when the beautiful snow is powdering the hills and tempting us to drop our textbooks and run outside.  

Hawthorn has been particularly hard on us, but no surprise there. Despite the fact that her lessons have at least improved from simply reading textbooks to actually practicing the charms themselves, she hasn't held back on homework. Every night of the week, Hermione, Ron, Harry and I are slumped over Hawthorn's assigned textbooks by the fire, our eyelids drooping and brains fuzzy as we re-read the same paragraphs on historical importance of charms. 

My pining for Fred is increasing by the day, constantly thinking about him and feeling butterflies every time I think of when I see him in a couple weeks. The power this boy holds over me...

And even though I look forward to calling him almost every day, even his voice is starting to make me more desperate to see him. It didn't help the other night when he muttered into the phone how all he can think about at night is getting his hands on me.