The Queen of Vipers || Fred Weasley

II.XIII

Moony,

Your instincts are pretty in tune. And no, it's because I'm dead.

I'll try not to bore you with too many details.

Cedric got himself a girlfriend and our time has been cut in half. I don't resent him for this of course, and I've made another friend to spend my spare time with —you know when I'm not brooding alone— which as you know, I don't make befriending just anyone a habit (I'm nothing but self aware).

This has caused a bit of turmoil with my other friends. Fred and I had a blowout (and of course George was caught up in it) because this new friend is in Slytherin. And Fred had the audacity to tell me— ME!— who I should and shouldn't be mingling with. He's one to talk! I'm sure his mother would just love that her sons are brushing elbows with the Electra Black. It's comical really. I mean Merlin-forbid I have a single friend in my own house!

He said some things about Slytherin and (if you tell anyone this I'll have to kill you) it hurt. I don't know why. No one else's opinions ever bothered me before; I've been hurled almost every insult in the book, but coming from him... I can't even look at him without remembering what he said.

Sorry for boring you. I'm sure this all sounds vaguely familiar from your days in school. Only good memories of course. But please forgive me for not writing sooner. With this bullshit, N.E.W.T.s level classes (why didn't you warn me about how demanding they were going to be by the way?) helping Cedric with the tournament, and my continued advanced DADA lessons with Mad-Eye, and...

Oh yeah, there's also someone else... (don't you dare tell dad!) but really, he's not worth my time anymore, so I'll be ending that soon. But between all that I've been all over the place.

I hope all is well with you.

Love,

Electra

P.S. there didn't happen to be an old, ratty eagle owl named Earl that helped deliver your last care package, was there? No reason, just asking.

—

Remus chuckled to himself as he read over the letter again.

"Is that a letter from your niece in boarding school?" Remus looked over his shoulder at Mrs. Edwards.

He normally wouldn't have had enough time at a job to form any sort of relationship with his employers or coworkers, save for Hogwarts of course, but thanks to his best friend's daughter's efforts, he's been able to hold this one down for longer than usual. And there's only so much book-talk you can have before conversations become stale. Electra was a popular topic.

Remus smiled at the elderly woman. "Yes." He folded the letter and waved it before sticking it in the back pocket of his trousers. Another perk of keeping a job for longer than usual is he was able to afford some new clothes that he didn't have to patch up every once in a while. For someone who insists on keeping a cold front, that girl was an angel on Earth.

"Seems she's having boy troubles."

The ears on Mrs Edwards (who was a romance-connoisseur) perked. "Finally! Something good! Do share, dear."

Remus's grin broadened.

✧

Electra spent all of Christmas morning with Cedric. It was one of the best she'd had.

Even without her Clairvoyance, she destroyed him at every match of wizard's chess. When he grew tired of losing they ventured out into the snow where they took turns falling on the ice of the frozen lake, clumsily trying their hand at ice skating, and laughing until their stomachs cramped.