Diving Into You | Fred Weasley

7 | Cheer Up Buttercup

Fred, George and Lee were sitting at the Gryffindor table after class waiting to start dinner when they heard Seamus, Dean, and Neville talking.

"-you don't think that was really her do you?"

"Never seen anything like that in my life, what is she, scared of herself-"

"Of course she was scared of herself! She was crying into Harry when we left-"

They heard the girls whispering among themselves, and all the third-years that seemed to come from that same class did the same.

"What're you guys on about?" Asked Lee.

"It's Naia." Seamus said worriedly. At the mention of her name, the twins sat up straight and Fred's face shifted into one of worry. "What about Naia?"

"We were dealing with a boggart, and when it got to her, it transformed into herself, only it was terrifying, the winds were so strong it was like a storm right in the middle of the staff room-"

"Is she okay?" George asked in concern.

"Nah, she stayed back with Lupin and Harry, she looked shaken up."

Their heads turned as the object of their conversation walked in the great hall, hand-in-hand with Hermione. Her eyes looked sad and slightly puffy. Oh she was down alright.

Fred immediately stood up and noticed most hushed whispers stop as people stared at her. He could tell she was already feeling deeply uncomfortable, and was determined now to turn the girl's frown upside down.

George stood as well as they approached and the twins went to put both their arms on her shoulders.

"Heya Thunderbird,"

"Hungry?"

Naia smiled at the sight of them and nodded her head. She avoided everyone else's gaze as people stared and whispered. The twins formed a little wall around her, with Hermione and Ron seated across from them.

"Have you had the sour crumpets,"

"Not as sour as you might think."

"Wait, Georgie let her eat actual dinner first."

"Right, right, there's chicken,"

"Beans,"

"No fish tonight, though we know you love it, we could ask the house elves to-"

"Chicken's fine," she laughed. She didn't want to show everyone that she was still affected by what happened in class. She wanted to forget about it at that moment.

"Chicken it is!" Fred grabbed a big piece Ron was about to get himself.

"Oi!"

He ignored him and continued putting items of food on Naia's plate.

"Fred, I can get for myself-"

"I just want you to try a couple of things,"

"Fred..." she watched in amusement as he began to mutter to himself. "Pasta? no, no she doesn't eat pasta..."

"Mashed potatoes?" She joked, and he quickly nodded, scooping a heaping pile of mashed potatoes on the plate. Naia's eyes widened. "I can't finish all of this!"

"You don't have to,"

"I hate wasting food."

"Ron is usually our family trash bin, finishes Ginny's pie all the time." She glanced at Ron who was nodding over enthusiastically with a mouth full of food.