Redamancy

• Chapter 8 •

The confession

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Whilst the older adults had gone inside a little after lunch, everyone else had collectively decided to stay out later, and had thus tasked Ron and Harry to go and get some snacks as a substitute for dinner.
After they returned, the games began.

"We should play Truth Or Dare!" Hermione suggested to which Ginny agreed eagerly.

'They're up to something'

"Okay, I'll begin then. Ron, truth or dare?" George started, smirking slightly.

"Dare." George's smirk grew.

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They had all sat in what was supposed to be a circle and messed around for hours, and the sun was just starting to set as they were in the middle of playing a different muggle game Harry had called Two Truths & One Lie. It was Fred's turn, and he seemed a little too confident in his choices for Nicolai's taste.

"Okay, Fred can't answer this!" He started, pointing at his twin knowingly.

"My middle name is Gideon, I have a crow as my patronus, and I have a huge scar on my left arm that was given to me by a pixie in DADA."

"That's easy! The one about your scar is a lie." Ron answered, seemingly confident in himself and his knowledge of his brother.

"Your patronus isn't a crow." Nicolai was next to answer after Fred denied Ron's claim. And when Fred nodded to confirm that he was correct, everyone was shocked. After all, Nicolai was the last person they would have expected to get it right, which Ginny had no problem voicing.

"How did you know that?"

"Wait, that scar was from a pixie? You told me it was from an Erkling!" Ron could be heard saying, however, everyone's attention remained on Nicolai.

"Well, I remembered when Molly used Fred's full name after his and George's latest invention for the shop exploded in the living room, and I was actually in the twins DADA class when Fred was hurt." Nicolai explained, almost embarrassed by the attention he had drawn to himself upon answering.

"Wait, so what is your Patronus Fred?" Hermione questioned, though George was the one to answer.

"Same as mine of course! A magpie!"

By this point the game was long forgotten, and a steady conversation flowed throughout the group instead.

Whilst everyone else was preoccupied, Fred moved to sit next to Nicolai. The ginger had wanted to talk to him privately since this morning yet had not been given the chance until now.

"What's your patronus, Nico?"

"A dove, which is slightly ironic if I'm being honest." Nicolai's shoulders shook slightly as he laughed bitterly.

"Why is that ironic? Doves symbolise love and peace, right?"

"Exactly. It's ironic because, even though doves are symbolic of it, I have never once experienced love."

At that, the two remained in silence, neither knowing what to say next.

As Fred Weasley lay back onto the grass, he could not bring himself to think about anything other than the brunette beside him.

To him, Nicolai was an enigma.

The more they talked, the less Fred understood him. Not to mention that the reasons behind everything Nicolai says or does were a complete mystery to him.