I Know The End {Fred Weasley, ACT I}

Chapter 31- A Change in the Tide

November and December were a whirlwind. For starters, the first Gryffindor Quidditch match of the season ended in a brawl. One in which Eleanor missed because she was too busy consoling a heart-broken Ron over his less than stellar Goal-Keeping performance.

Maybe you think you've heard the story before, but whatever watered-down version reached your ears failed to mention the half of it.

There Eleanor was, wondering if it would be best to somehow erase that horrid song from Ron's memory while simultaneously promising him it wasn't as bad as he thought, when Angelina came roaring into the locker room. Ron, who'd picked his head out of his hands at the commotion, leaned back on the bench in hopes that Eleanor would shield him from Angelina's wrath. He assumed she was coming to tear him apart. Why else would she be swearing and throwing her things about. They'd won, hadn't they?

"What's wrong?" Eleanor asked cautiously. If it was Ron, this performance was a bit much. He'd been humiliated enough for one day.

Angelina turned on Eleanor, her body quivering in rage. Alicia hovered behind her, her face hidden in the shadows.

"Your brother is what's wrong," Angelina shouted, "and your stupid, arrogant friends!"

Eleanor winced. It was never good news when someone called Fred and George her friends. Not their friends. Hers.

Alicia stepped into the light to reveal the beginnings of a black eye, along with a gash under her right cheek. Ron gasped in horror, allowing himself to enter the conversation after being absolved of blame. "What the bloody hell happened to you?"

"Crabbe and Goyle," Alicia said as she moved to her locker to change out of her Quidditch robes. Her nostrils flared as she spoke. She was trying to even her breathing; quell the anger.

"What happened?" Eleanor asked, looking between the pair of girls in front of her. Alicia and Angelina shared a look that seemed to last an eternity. Finally, Angelina collapsed upon the bench opposite Ron and Eleanor, kicking her Quidditch shoes off aggressively.

"You're beater now," she told Eleanor angrily, "Katie can be chaser and you'll be a decent enough beater. Decent, but not the twins."

"Wha-"

"George beat Draco to a pulp," Alicia stated plainly, slamming her locker closed. Eleanor flinched at the noise.

"Why? I mean, honestly why not, but why in particular?" Ron asked, trying to suppress his laughter.

"It's not funny, Ron," Angelina snapped, "they'll be kicked off the team, the whole lot of them. Physical altercations of such are grounds for expulsion. Luckily, the Slytherin team got in enough punches to even it out."

"Luckily?" Alicia shot.

"You know what I mean."

"I'm sorry, but can one of you please explain what the fuck happened?" Eleanor cried, exasperated.

"Well, I mean you heard the song," Angelina crossed her arms, "Weasley was born in a bin. Fucking Slytherin pricks." Ron looked at his hands sheepishly, his ears glowing red.

"Draco was pissed that they lost," Alicia continued, using a towel from her practice bag to clean up the cut on her face. "Their psychological warfare couldn't outdo our natural talent. Harry will always be a better seeker than Malfoy."

James Potter would have been so proud.

"As soon as you left the pitch, and I mean literally the moment you were out of sight Eleanor, Draco was taunting Harry. Calling Ron's parent's losers and... other things." Whatever the other things were, Alicia didn't have the heart to say it in front of Ron. "The twins caught on and... well, I suppose you can figure out the rest. Fred and George have quite the temper. Especially Fred."