my best friends brother - fred weasley

xliv. new home

Madam Pomfrey had become surprisingly strict over hospital visits, I was only allowed a handful of guests over one hour, once a day, for the last week of school for the year. I still had bandages wrapped around my torso and had to take a pain-easing potion on schedule. I had worked up enough strength to walk out of the hospital and meet Hermione in the corridor, she had assured me my trunk was packed and ready to be taken to the train, and she had organised for us to have our last breakfast in the Great Hall.

"How are you feeling, Clover?" Ron shuffles over and helps me sit down next to him.

"I'm not a broken doll, I am a-okay." I smile, grabbing a piece of toast and taking a bite out of it.

"You got attacked by Fenrir Greyback, a literal werewolf, and the got all 'crucio-ed' by freakazoid." Ron scoffs, looking at Hermione and Harry for some support.

"That is a lot of trauma, especially for a 15 year old." Hermione shrugs. "But she's right Ron, you don't have to tiptoe around her."

"Harry?" Ron looks straight at Harry, who's busy reading the newspaper.

"Don't drag me into it, it's all prophecy in here." He gestures to his head, not looking up.

"See, don't stress." I shrug, purposely nudging Ron.

"You think I'm stressing? Wait until your darling Fred sees you." Ron rolls his eyes and my face drops. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"I'm screwed." I drop my toast on the table, throwing my hands in my lap. "He's going to go insane."

"Not if you're a broken doll, he won't." Hermione looks up, a mischievous smile across her face. Catching onto what she's saying, I turn to Ron.

"Ron, I need you to punch me as hard as you can. Or I don't know, stab me with a fork!" I plead.

"Are you insane?" He chokes on his pumpkin juice, looking at me as though I've gone crazy.

"No! Please, Ron. You know your brother, he'll murder me!" I continue to beg before playing up a pout. "Unless I'm all sad and hurt."

"Just pretend?" Harry speaks up, his eyes still on the page.

"Harry. What happened to our little brother-big sister bond?" I glare at him.

"We're the same age?" He argues back. "And I'm grieving, I get a free pass."

"Right, sorry. I'll fake my injuries." I pick my toast back up and start eating in defeat. It stays silent for a second, Hermione looking at Harry sadly.

"Will there be a funeral?" She asks.

"No, there might be a memorial but the odds of that with Voldemort back..." He trails off.

"We can organise a memorial, for closure." Ron suggests, reaching out to pat the back of Harry's hand. Harry just shrugs in response. We all look at him, expecting him to say something. Hermione breaks the silence again with a sigh.

"We have to get going now, or else we'll miss the carriages." She stands up, waving us over with her hands.

⊱✿⊰

Trying to hide my injuries from my mother was far easier than I thought, she had barely even noticed that I had gotten into her car. It took me clearing my throat loudly for her to look up from her book.

"Oh! Hello Clover, how was school this year?" She tries to smile warmly, starting the car.

"School was school. How were things with you?"