my best friends brother - fred weasley

xxiv. escape

My holidays were the exact same as every single one before, just with more arguing. My mother and I had daily screaming matches over school, I told her there was nothing that could stop me from going and she told me that she'd stop me and it was a never ending loop. Every time I wanted to leave the house, she had to come too, and every time she wanted to go, she'd lock all of the doors so I couldn't leave. She watched over me like a hawk, just in case I tried to escape to Hogwarts. It was the hottest and final week of the summer holidays and I was lounging on the couch, waiting for the day to end. 

"Have any plans for today?" My mother asks, walking around the couch with two glasses in her hands, I sit up and grab the one she offers to me. 

"I might catch a train, go somewhere magical." I take a sip of the lemonade, she just stares at me and then looks at the television programme I'm barely paying attention to.  

"I've enrolled you in a local school. I thought we could go get your uniform." She says after a moment.

"I'd rather sacrifice myself." I snap back, getting off of the couch and walking into the kitchen, she follows me.

"Well I'm going to get it anyway, so you can either stay in this house like you have the entire holidays, or you can join me." She smiles, thinking that I'll cave in.

"Bye, have fun then. I'll be in bed." I smile back, arrogantly. She huffs and slams her glass on the bench, grabbing her car keys and locking the doors from the outside, making sure I wouldn't be able to make my grand escape. I play with Orchid and watch a movie, some anti-wizard propaganda and redo my room, waiting for anything to happen. I laid on my bed with my head hanging off of the side, my feet on the wall. I stared at my door while I let some music play in the background. I run my fingers through my hair, combing it out so there are no tangles. I hear a loud crack downstairs and decide to ignore it, assuming its my mother coming back to yell at me some more. A few minutes pass and my door swings open. 

"Mum, I don't care if you hate me forever, I am going back to- Oh." I open my eyes and see Fred and George, upside down. 

"Wow, muggle parents are weird. Making her do that." George mutters to his brother. 

"I agree Georgie." Fred replies, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 

"What? How? Why? I-I..." I slowly sit up and turn to face them, asking them a million questions. 

"Well, we're 17 now, we can do magic outside of Hogwarts." Fred starts to walk up to me. 

"So we apparated here."

"How? Why? I still don't"

"You showed us all a photo of your house, on the first day of your second year. Ron kept it." George answers. 

"Don't you remember? 'Cause I did." Fred adds on. 

"But... w-"

"Why?" George asks.

"Because I said I'd reach you if you needed." Fred grins. 

"I did too. Don't forget me." George pipes up.

"How did you know I needed you?"

"What's with all the questions? What about a cup of tea first." George sits on my bed. 

"Oh sorry, did you want..."

"He's joking." Fred sits on the other side of me. "We were right though, you need help getting to Hogwarts this year? There's also people you need to meet."

"Oh okay then." I keep sitting while they stare at me expectantly. "Oh now? We're leaving now?" They nod eagerly. "Uh... okay, I'll get my stuff and... write a letter to my mum." I stand up, trying to adjust to my new plans for the day. I assign the twins with packing my trunk while I start to write a letter for my mother. 

Mum,
I know what this looks like and no, I'm not running away. My friends need me at Hogwarts this year, and nothing can stop me from helping my friends. I know you don't like the Wizarding world, so I won't talk about it, just know that I am safe and I didn't break out. I promise to be safe this year, nothing will happen to me. I'm sorry.
Love, Clover. 

I place the letter on the bench where I know she'll see it, and go back up to my room. 

"Um, Clover." Fred says, holding something red in his hands, "Did you want me to pack these?" He winks and my face drops. 

"Fred!" I scream and lunge at him, snatching my underwear from his hands, but still putting into my trunk. "What did you guys put in?" I whine, looking through the assortment of things in my trunk. 

"Just the essentials." Fred shrugs. 

"A lamp?" I pull a desk lamp out from under my clothes.

"A lamp." George confirms.

"And a fake plant." Fred says.

"A chair."

"Some rubber bands."

"And! A rubber duck, our dad loves them." George grins excitedly. 

"Guys! My mum will be home any minute with my uniform for a muggle school! I have to get this done quick." I whine as they take everything out. I give them the thing I need to put in and they help actually pack. I grab onto Orchid and she gives me an annoyed meow.

"Ready?" Fred smiles. I nod and take  a deep breath, they stand up and I grab onto Fred's arm, and George holds my trunk. With a snap everything twists and turns and now I'm standing in a dusty, gothic looking hallway, Orchid hisses and leaps out of my arms, racing through the halls. 

"Have you done that before?" George asks, stabilising himself.

"Yeah, last year with Cedric." I nod sadly. There's a squeal from above me and I look up, Hermione is running down the stairs, full speed towards me. She tackles me in a hug, almost making me fall. 

"Hi! How are you, are you okay?" She asks. I nod along with her questions.

"I'm fine, I'm good. Are you? Why are we here? Where is here?" I ask her back, looking around at the rundown house, at its old fashion decorations and wallpaper. 

"Come, we'll take your stuff to our room and I'll explain." She takes my hand and holds onto my trunk, taking us to a room at the to of the stairs. "You remember Harry's godfather, Sirius Black?" I nod. "This is his family's house, we call it headquarters."

"Headquarters?"

"Of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society that was founded by Dumbledore, back from when they first fought, well, You-Know-Who." She says.

"But why do we need to be here? Now?" I keep asking. 

"Oh right, your mother probably didn't tell you." Her face drops. "Well, word spread about Cedric's death and his return, and the ministry and most families don't believe Harry, or even Dumbledore. They're saying that Harry killed Cedric to win the tournament." I feel a frown form on my face. "Also, Harry might be expelled from Hogwarts for doing underage magic outside of school." She winces. 

"What? Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?" She just shrugs. We're both sitting down on the bed thinking, when Ron races in with Harry trailing behind. They both tell him about the Order of the Phoenix, and he starts to get angry.

"You couldn't have put this in a letter, could you? I haven't had a scrap of news all summer." He yells, I lay back on my shoulders, against the velvet blanket on the bed. The tension in the air rises as Ron and Hermione try to make excuses, I just watch the fight get worse. As he mentions Cedric's death there's a zap behind me and the bed dips. I look up and Fred and George are now kneeling beside me. 

"Thought we heard dulcet tones." They say. "Don't bottle it up though, mate. Let it out." George pulls an ear out of his pocket. 

"Is that an ear?" I look at it with disgust, meeting Fred's smirking gaze. 

"An extendable ear, do you guys want to listen to something more interesting. Unless you aren't done shouting at each other?"