The Queen of Vipers || Fred Weasley

III.IV

Electra had slept in.

As she laid in bed and looked about the room with groggy eyes, she noticed the empty, unmade cot. But unlike yesterday, Tonks' Auror uniform was also gone from where it hung on the back of the door. Electra frowned. She was surprised that her clumsy cousin had made it out without waking her (she usually did). She must have gotten ready in the bathroom, or maybe Electra was just that tired.

She rolled onto her side, glancing over at the window curtain, at the sunshine leaking in from the edges of the black curtains. It had to be past ten o'clock by now. Electra pushed herself up onto her elbow and froze. There were no aching muscles, no headache, no tight skin from dried sweat. It was almost as if she hadn't dreamt at all last night...

But Electra didn't have an excuse for that. She hadn't had some sort of nightmare in months, so why would they have stopped all of a sudden?

She slipped out of bed and kicked on her slippers. But when her eyes shifted downward she had a moment of confusion before remembering whose shirt she was wearing.

Last night flashed in the back of her mind. The image of the thick corded muscles of his body under tanned, freckled skin made her stomach flutter like it had the night before.

Electra set off for the bathroom before she dwelled on that memory any longer. The tub was already drawn when she entered. She quickly tore Fred's shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor like it was something foul. She carefully stepped into the tub and sank into the surprisingly hot water. It wasn't until she was wrapping her hair into a knot on the top of her head after rinsing the conditioner out, that she noticed there was another scent mixed with the usual lavender. It was citrusy. Strange.

She didn't linger in the bath any longer than she had to and splashed out. She used the towel to dry herself before wrapping her warmed robe around herself tight. Electra made for the door, passing the standing mirror beside the clawfoot tub, and froze. She paused, her hand on the glass doorknob and whipped towards the fogged mirror.

What the—

Using the sleeve of her robe she wiped away the condensation off the mirror and stared at her reflection. The mess of hair on the top of her head was not her usual black. It was a bright chartreuse; like a giant tennis ball on top of her head. She quickly unknotted her hair and brought it infront of her face to make sure the mirror wasn't playing tricks on her.

"FUCK!"

Walburga's portrait was already wailing upon Electra's shout before she even threw open the door. But that was the least of this house's problems. Electra thundered down the stairs, ignoring the stares and gasps of the paintings lining the walls, and burst into the library.

"Oh!" Ginny blurted when she saw Electra, but she quickly dropped her doxycide and covered her mouth with her hands (even though it was already covered with a bandana) to stop herself from making any other sounds. Which in Electra's state of wrath was a very smart move. But she wasn't who Electra was looking for.

Her stormy eyes scanned the room for half a beat before she charged towards her target. "Oh Merlin—!" Fred laughed upon seeing her hair. But that smug look was erased the second Electra caught his shoulder, pressed her forearm across his collar and slammed him against the bookshelf behind him with all her weight, which was a feat for how sturdy the Beater was. The books on the shelf rattled dangerously, threatening to fall on their heads.

Behind her she heard George inhale sharply and Ginny squawk in surprise.

Electra pressed herself up against Fred until their noses were nearly touching, with her lip curled, teeth bared and eyes glaring at him under gathered brows. Fred merely blinked down at her in awestruck. "Change. It. Back," she demanded through gritted teeth.