𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, fred weasley

˗ˋ 85

CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE
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-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH THEY'RE
ON THEIR WAY

. . .

King's Cross disappeared in a blur of smiling faces and waving parents, seeing their children off for another year at Hogwarts and already beginning to count down the days until the Christmas holidays. Or not, depending on who asked.

Elodie couldn't help but smile at the the electric excitement coursing through her veins. She was finally going back to Hogwarts and this time it wasn't on some weird exchange thing where she had to simultaneously compete in what turned out to be an incredibly dangerous tournament and experience the school at the same time.

Now she would actually have a house rather than awkwardly flitting back and forth from the Beauxbatons' living quarters and the Gryffindor Common Room, be able to actually wear the Hogwart's uniform and not be seen as incredibly out of place because she was wearing the far too thin silk of the Beauxbatons' uniform.

She would actually be a student - it was a really nice feeling and Elodie couldn't wait to actually experience the school as a part of it. Although she didn't really know what she was in for, but then again, neither did anyone else, really.

"You good?" Fred leaned closer to her, peering upwards and meeting her eyes. "You've been a little spaced out. Is everything okay?"

"I'm just excited." Elodie smiled back at him, feeling his take her hand and pull her towards him. Hermione and Ron were talking about Sirius, something about how he shouldn't have come and that he hadn't seen daylight for months - and Fred was about to interrupt them.

"Well." Fred said, pulling his hand away to then clap his hands together return his grasp to Elodie. "We can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you later." And with a tug of his hand, Elodie was following him and George out of the carriage, turning right down the corridor. 

"He doesn't mind me joining you, does he?" Elodie chewed on her bottom lip, fingers of her spare hand twisting into the material of her dark red sweater - or should she say Fred's sweater, it was his initial embroidered in the centre of her chest after all.

"Of course not." George shook his head. "He's been waiting for one of us to get a girlfriend at some point - he's been dating a Muggle girl for a couple of years, so his focus has been on us."

"It's sweet, but all he does is write letters." Fred grumbled, seeing the expression on Elodie's face. "But don't worry about him, you already know each other from last year so it's not like you're a stranger."

The both of them were right in saying that - Lee actually did really like the French girl, mostly for being able to put up with Fred and keep him on his toes. It would become clear that Angelina and Alicia would feel the same, who came to sit in the carriage with them.

It was a tight fit, and Fred had been about to kick people out in order to give them some more space. But every single time he would catch the look on the Beaumont girl's face and see pure happiness at the clear evidence of her being able to make even more friends at Hogwarts.

He was slightly scared of her being sorted into a house other than Gryffindor - although considering her bravery he thought it to be the best fit (her intelligence did belong to that of a Ravenclaw and several other strong traits fit with Slytherin and Hufflepuff), but in another way he was completely fine with whatever. 

As long as she had friends, she would be fine. And Elodie had that, both with him and George, and now clearly also with Lee, Angelina and Alicia. There would also be those that she had made in Ravenclaw during her stay in the year before.

She would be fine anyway, Fred knew she would be. 

But eventually it came to a point in the train drive where the twins were practically itching to show Lee what they had created, and had suddenly turned to Alicia and Angelina and suggested rather kindly that they take leave. 

"Just before I go." Angelina paused by the door, looking back into the compartment. "I was made Quidditch Captain this year, and seeing as Oliver left a couple years ago and one of the Chasers left last year I have a couple gaps to fill - you wouldn't happen to play Quidditch, would you?"

"It wasn't such a big thing at Beauxbatons, but we had our matches."  Elodie replied, looking up at Angelina. "But I'm a pretty good flier, if I'm allowed to brag about myself a little. I play Chaser."

Fred had forgotten about it.

And he had heard Elodie apologise for bragging far too much. And every time she bragged about being 'pretty good' at something, it usually meant she was insanely talented in it. 

He felt his throat go dry.

And whilst Fred was having his internal meltdown, the Hogwarts Express kept hurtling towards the school.

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