Riptides (Fred Weasley Fan Fiction)

Chapter 18

Lyssie claimed that not letting Fred win the little bet they had was (along with finding out the truth about herself and her family) one of her top priorities. They would spend time together quite often and she had to admit that she enjoyed those gatherings. Usually, they just went for walks near the castle or snuck out in the evening to spend some time in the Astronomy tower, which soon became one of her favorite places in Hogwarts. Lyssie enjoyed the thrill visiting it would give her. The possibility of them getting caught excited her and it seemed that Fred felt the same.

Due to all this time they would spend together, she started to fall for Fred Weasley, but promised herself she was not going to admit it. The older she was getting, the more the loved competition and winning this bet was giving her a lot of satisfaction. Fred didn't seem to mind it too much, as long as they were able to spend some quality time together in private.

In public, however, she didn't allow him to be too affectionate and anytime he tried to hug her or give her a kiss on the chick, she would try to build some distance between them. She didn't want to admit it, but deep down it was obvious that that was because of Draco Malfoy and the way he would react any time Fred and she were together. Lyssie valued him as a friend and didn't want to do anything that would hurt him in anyway.

She spent equally as much time with Draco, if not more. He was her first real friend, and she was ready to do anything to make him stay with her. She has never had many friends before. When she went to primary school, other kids avoided her for some unknown reasons, and later on, she would spend all her time with her father. Now, that she finally managed to befriend someone her age, she didn't want to let go. They would sit together in the common room almost every evening and talking about all important and unimportant matters. She shared all her secrets with Malfoy and trusted him with her life. It's peculiar, she thought, how close can people become if they spend enough time together.

They talked about her father a lot as well. Draco would very often reassure her by saying that he was okay and that he would send her a letter very soon. She tried to convince herself to believe him. He had to have some connections with him, since Lucius Malfoy was supposed to be a Death Eater as well.

"He has to be busy," he would often say. "The Dark Lord is gaining power and he needs him. Soon, he will come back, and everything will be normal again."

Lyssie wasn't sure if he knew what he was talking about or what he meant by "normal." Fred scared her with his stories about the times when Voldemort had his full power, but, on the other hand, Lyssie knew that his return will mean her meeting with Anthony. She didn't like this thought, but the more time she spent with Malfoy, the more she rooted for Voldemort to come back. She didn't share her thoughts with Fred, however. She knew exactly what his reaction would be.

***

People soon stopped talking about Lyssie and her dad supposedly being a Death Eater. It seemed that rumors spread just as fast as they disappeared at Hogwarts. Everyone started to treat Lyssie normally again and she was delighted about it. She was able to walk down the corridors again without getting frightened or curious stares and other students weren't afraid to interact with her in class anymore. She was happy to sit in the Great Hall again without others moving away from her. Draco didn't have to protect her anymore either, which she was grateful for, because his protectiveness made her feel that she owes him something.

This period of peace didn't last long, however.

She was sitting in the Great Hall, finishing her dinner, and discussing the Potion's homework with Pansy and Draco, as Dumbledore came up to the front and cleared his throat loudly to catch everyone's attention. He was successful, because all the faces turned to him immediately.