my best friends brother - fred weasley

ix. disbelief

I blink slowly at Hermione. 

"Is it that important?" I mutter with gritted teeth, gesturing over to Cedric who's leaned back in his chair sheepishly.

"I am so sorry but it really is." She gives me a sympathetic look. I turn to Cedric, a big frown on my face.

"I'm sorry Cedric." I slowly stand up, taking Hermione's hand that's reaching out. "I really am. I'll make it up to you." He gives me aa forgiving look as he waves. Hermione drags me out of the kitchen. "This better be worth it. Where are we going." We're now running.

"Madam Pomfrey. Ron was attacked by Sirius Black, who's a wolf and didn't kill Harry's parents. It was Scabbers, who's actually Peter Pettigrew, and Lupin's a Werewolf. And Harry attacked Snape and-" She tries her hardest to fill me in while we sprint down the halls.

"I'm sorry, what? Ron was attacked, there's two wolves and the rat is a murderer?" I try and explain it to myself.

"It doesn't make sense but basically, yeah." She laughs at the insanity of it all. We make it to the hospital wing and look at Ron who's lying in one of the beds. 

"You." I glare jokingly. "You cost me a kiss with Diggory." I make my way over, sensing that my tone isn't appropriate. I look over at Harry, who's also in a bed. We stand in silence, waiting for him to wake up.

"I saw my dad." He says out of nowhere. 

"What?" I make my way over to him. 

"He sent the dementors away, I saw him across the lake." Hermione kneels next to him.

"Harry, they've captured Sirius. They're going to perform the Dementors kiss." She looks at him with pity. I look over to Ron who looks utterly defeated. I stand next to him and run my fingers through his hair as a way to say that everything will be okay. 

"They're going to kill him?" I ask.

"No, they're going to suck out his soul. It's much worse." Hermione explains. Our attention turns to Dumbledore, who enters the room. "Headmaster, you have got to stop them."

"He's innocent. Sirius is innocent." Harry stand up abruptly. 

"Scabbers was the one who did it." Ron pipes up. Dumbledore looks around at us, confused. 

"Scabbers?"

"Yeah he's my rat. Well he was my rat, well he was actually my bother Percy's rat, but then he got an owl and then-" He starts to ramble. I quietly shush him as Hermione continues talking.

"The point is that Sirius is innocent. Please believe us sir." she pleads.

"I do, Miss Granger. But the word of four 13-year-old wizards won't convince others." He wanders over to Ron and I. "Though, honest and true, a child's word is meaningless to those who have forgotten to listen. As the clock starts to chime, he locks eyes with Hermione, almost as though they share a secret. "A powerful thing, time. Although, dangerous if meddled with." He begins to walk out of the hospital wing, before turning back to us. 

"Sirius Black is at the topmost cell of the Dark Tower. You know the laws, Miss Granger. You must return before this last chime, or the consequences would be ghastly. More than on innocent life may be spared, if you succeed. I find that three turns should do the trick." He winks at her, playfully. He once again goes to leave, when he peers back through the door, "I find that retracing my steps is a wise place to begin." He shuts the doors behind him.

"What the bloody hell was all that about?" Ron complains. 

"He doesn't know when to shut up." I agree with him.

"Sorry Ron, seeing as you can't walk. Clover, do you mind looking after him?" She reaches down her collar to pull out a necklace. She wraps it around both her and Harry. She smacks Harry's hand away from it and spins the pendant. Ron and I watch them disappear. Within a second they walk back through the door.

"H-h-how did you get there?" Ron drops his jaw. I blink slowly, trying to understand what had just happened.

"You were just there, we were talking to you two." I say in disbelief. 

"What are you two talking about?" Hermione laughs.

"How can someone be in two places at once?" Harry adds on, like a little inside joke between the two. Ron and I share a confused and suspicious look. But based on their mood change, whatever they managed to do was for the better. 

⊱✿⊰

A few weeks had past since Harry and Hermione's little shindig and Ron was back to walking on his feet. It was the last day at Hogwarts for the year everyone was in a gloomy mood. No one ever liked their last day at Hogwarts, especially me. Hogwarts was the place where magic wasn't talked down on, like at home with my mother. Ron had invited Hermione, Harry and I to the Quidditch world cup, and I had promised them that I'd try my hardest to come.

"How are things with Cedric, Clover?" Hermione piped up at our last lunch.

"Well, I haven't made it up to him since you so rudely interrupted us." I glare at her. "But I'm hoping to talk to him before I leave.

"Hang on." George pipes up, from across the table. "Didn't you say you had a boyfriend at the start of the year?"

"I do remember that." Fred looks down at me. 

"Oh that. I thought you all knew I was lying." I laugh nervously. They all burst out laughing.

"Of course we knew." Ron says, I blush hard. "Clover with a boyfriend? Never." They continue to howl with laughter. 

"Oh thanks guys." I roll my eyes, a bit hurt by Ron's comment but trying not to show it. Everyone starts talking about the world cup excitedly. I lean back, knowing that I probably won't make it anyway. I look across the hall, just over Fred's shoulder, and spot Cedric in a group of his friends. All I can her in my head is my friends mocking me and laughing as I start to stand up. I climb over the seats and they start to murmur.

"Clover? Where are you-" Ron asks and I walk off. They all turn their heads to follow me while sitting. Me with a boyfriend? Never! Well I'll show them. I think to myself, anger and heat rising in my stomach, I wish Cedric was closer so I wouldn't have to walk for this long. They're still watching me as I go up to the group of Hufflepuffs. 

"Clover!" Cedric smiles widely, happy to see me. I can still hear my friend's snarky comments in my head as I pull him close to me. I can feel all their eyes burning into me and I stand on my tiptoes, throw my arms around his neck and pull Cedric into a kiss. There are wolf whistles and claps from the Hufflepuffs, as well as gasps and whispers from everyone in the hall. Cedric hesitantly wraps an arm around my waist, and his other hand cups my cheek. We kiss for a couple more seconds before pulling away. We grin at each other before going back in for another kiss. 

"Do you have any plans this summer?" He whispers in my ear, I shake my head and bite my lip, looking into his grey eyes. "Do you want to go to the Quidditch world cup with me?" He asks. I nod my head eagerly. There was no way my mother would stop me from going now.